Chapter 7, The Frozen Iron Chain Bridge

Translator: StarReader

 

Su Chen held onto the copper coin and walked to the southern city gate, passing by an early-morning food stall.

 

Initially, he had wanted to keep the copper coin as a memento. But upon thinking further, he reasoned that if the Medicine King Group were to recruit disciples and conduct tests, he would need his strength. Going hungry wouldn’t do.

 

Su Chen thought about it and picked up a sharp stone from the roadside. He carved a crooked character for ‘ugly,’ chou, on the copper coin. Ah Chou had taught him this. Though many of the county’s common children were illiterate, some still knew their names. The character for ugly was simple to write, and after Ah Chou explained it once, Su Chen remembered it.

 

With that single copper coin, Su Chen bought three hearty, coarse buns from the food stall owner.

 

He didn’t eat them right away and kept them warm in his coat. He would wait until he couldn’t bear the hunger anymore.

 

Su Chen left Gusu County City and set off along the official road. The road was bustling with activity—martial artists riding high-spirited horses, wealthy families in their ornate carriages, peasants in ox-drawn carts, and woodcutters carrying firewood to market.

 

Su Chen hurried along, eager to reach his destination. After walking three or four miles, he spotted a large mountain in the distance. Below the mountain, streams and lakes surrounded what appeared to be a grand estate.

 

Halfway up the mountain, tall walls made of blue bricks stretched endlessly, separating the villa from the outside world. Upon the slopes above, buildings with blue bricks and gray tiles dotted the landscape, covering nearly half the hillside.

 

[This must be the Medicine King Estate.]

 

Su Chen marveled at the estate’s grandeur—it was almost as big as Zhou Village. No wonder it was one of the Wu Region’s top five martial groups. Compared to those village nobles in Zhou Village with their modest houses, this estate was on an entirely different scale.

 

As he approached, Su Chen could vaguely make out hundreds of noisy people gathered at the foot of the mountain.

 

Did they all come early to join the Medicine King Group? With so many people, who knew how many disciples the Medicine King Group would take?

 

Su Chen grew impatient and quickened his pace to catch up.

 

…

 

Shortly after Su Chen and Ah Chou left the Heaven Falcon Inn, a donkey cart emerged from the back courtyard and headed toward the southern part of the city.

 

“Go, go, go~!”

 

It sped along the official road leading to the south entrance of the city.

 

In the driver’s seat, eagerly urging the donkey cart, was none other than Butcher Zhang, with his chubby son Zhang Tieniu sitting on the wooden board in the back.

 

After butchering a pig, Butcher Zhang had asked Owner Wang for a day off, saying he wanted to take his wife and son back to her hometown, Zhou Village, for a family visit.

 

“Father, why are we leaving the city? We were supposed to go to Heaven Falcon Group, right?”

 

Zhang Tieniu held a big, steaming meat bun in both hands, taking big bites that left him with oil dripping from his mouth. Only after exiting the city did he realize something was wrong, and he was puzzled, unable to make sense of it.

 

“You’re an idiot! Owner Wang’s son would definitely get into Heaven Falcon Group. At the very least, he’d be an outer disciple there. If his son saw you joining the Heaven Falcon Group as well, wouldn’t he push you around at every chance? What kind of future would you have in Heaven Falcon Group, then? There are other large groups in the Wu Region; we don’t have to stick with the Heaven Falcon Group if we don’t want to.”

 

“Well, that does make sense. You think of everything, Father!”

 

“I thought this through long ago. Medicine King Group isn’t any worse than Heaven Falcon Group. They have pharmacies in the city and manors and farmland outside of it—none of which are any less than what Heaven Falcon Group has. If you become an outer disciple of the Medicine King Group and work hard for decades, who knows—you might even end up running a pharmacy and have dozens of people under you! You won’t have to live the same life as me—a lowly butcher, being bossed around with no respect. Although I’m just a butcher now, my son can still amount to something in this world!”

 

Upon recalling Owner Wang’s condescending attitude towards him, Butcher Zhang felt furious and spat angrily.

 

Thinking back, Owner Wang had started off as a server at Heaven Falcon Inn as well—a position no better than his own. What was there to be proud about?

 

Owner Wang’s rise was solely due to him becoming an outer disciple of Heaven Falcon Group later on; otherwise, he’d have remained just a lowly server all his life.

 

Butcher Zhang also wanted his son to become a disciple in the Wu Region’s major groups and rise to prominence, allowing him to finally look down on others in the future.

 

“Dad, who is that…? That peasant boy from the countryside? How did he end up here in town?”

 

Zhang Tieniu finished eating his meat buns and suddenly spotted a figure ahead on the road wearing rough cloth and sandals. He exclaimed, startling his father.

 

Zhang Tieniu was from the county and often bullied Ah Chou at the inn while also looking down on Su Chen, the young fisherman from Zhou Village.

 

Butcher Zhang saw Su Chen as well and slowed his pace to catch up with the slim figure.

 

Su Chen heard the sound of the donkey cart behind him and quickly moved aside, turning to see Butcher Zhang and his large son driving past in their cart.

 

He and Butcher Zhang were actually acquainted; Zhang’s wife was from Zhou Village, and they often crossed paths there.

 

“Uncle Zhang, weren’t you supposed to be visiting your family back in Zhou Village? Why are you here?”

 

Su Chen was puzzled when he noticed Butcher Zhang’s embarrassed expression. He glanced at the nearby Medicine King Estate and suddenly realized what was going on. It turned out that Zhang had told Owner Wang he wanted to go home to visit his family, but in reality, he intended to bring his son to join the Medicine King Group.

 

It seemed that in Gusu County, ordinary civilians with ambitions of making a name for themselves in the martial gang world were not rare at all; there were plenty like him.

 

“Ah, Su Chen, what a coincidence! The weather is lovely today, and I was just planning to make a trip to Zhou Village. I heard that Medicine King Group is recruiting people, so I thought I’d come over for a look. Hey, Little Chen, are you also considering joining Medicine King Group? What a coincidence!”

 

Butcher Zhang chuckled, trying his best to hide his awkwardness.

 

He hadn’t wanted to pay much attention to Su Chen, a young fisherman. But upon thinking that his son and this young man might end up in the same martial gang and become fellow disciples, perhaps they could look out for each other, and he decided to chat a bit more.

 

The remaining distance wasn’t far. As Su Chen and Butcher Zhang chatted casually with his chubby son, they soon arrived at Medicine King Estate.

 

…

 

Outside the estate lay a winding stream around the mountain. The only way across was an iron bridge that stretched over sixty meters in length, its cold and desolate appearance blending seamlessly with the surrounding landscape.

 

The bridge crossed a shallow river whose icy waters were bitterly cold. The hundreds of large wooden planks had been removed, leaving only several sleek iron chains spanning over sixty meters between the banks, transforming the crossing into a treacherous endeavor. The bridge stood as a natural barrier for the Medicine King Estate.

 

Four guards from the Medicine King Group stood arrogantly at its entrance, their arms crossed confidently across their chests. They gazed down upon the lively crowd of common folk gathered outside the estate’s gates.

 

The Medicine King Group held immense power in the thirteen counties of the Wu Region, far beyond the reach of ordinary groups or gangs. Even these guards, who serve as mere custodians, exuded an air of superiority over others.

 

The brash constables from the county would behave themselves, addressing these Medicine King Group guards with deference and respect, refraining from any display of their official airs in their presence.

 

Ordinary martial arts practitioners from smaller groups would also keep their tempers in check in front of a disciple of the Medicine King Group.

 

Every year, newcomers eager to join the Medicine King Group numbered in the hundreds, like fish crossing a river. Yet, those without genuine potential were turned away. To become a disciple, one had to be young and possess both talent and aptitude.

 

The Medicine King Group had strict rules for recruitment. In every year’s final month, they would select promising children aged eight to thirteen to undergo intensive training, grooming them into capable disciples.

 

By the iron bridge, villagers from nearby towns gathered—peasants with hoes, tenant farmers, scholars with fans, and even constables—all hoping their children could join the Medicine King Group. Yet, the cold, daunting iron bridge stood as an impassable barrier, leaving them anxious beyond measure.

 

Su Chen hurriedly pushed his way into the crowd to see what was being discussed. A young swordsman noticed more arrivals and explained to the gathering crowd, “Fellow villagers, this iron bridge is the test for becoming an outer disciple of the Medicine King Group. To join our gang as an outer disciple, one must scale this icy iron bridge with nothing but their hands. Adults are not allowed to cross; only children under thirteen can attempt it. If they successfully climb the bridge, they become part of our group.”

 

The crowd grew visibly excited at this news, bustling with hope that their own children might be among those to conquer the iron bridge.

 

But crossing the iron chain bridge wasn’t easy.

 

The iron chains were smooth, icy cold, with no place to grip, and stretched over sixty meters. This demanded great physical strength.

 

This meant that very young, frail children couldn’t make it across, while the thirteen-year age limit also excluded older, stronger teenagers.

 

“Sir! It’s freezing out here. The iron chains are covered in ice, making it impossible to keep your footing. A ten-something-year-old child is too weak; they wouldn’t be able to hold on tightly. If they slipped and fell into the river, even if they weren’t frozen to death, they’d still get seriously ill. This is way too dangerous! Is there no other way to join the Medicine King Group besides this bridge?”

 

Butcher Zhang, worried about his son, pushed his way to the front of the crowd and addressed the young man confidently standing there with a courteous bow.

 

“Exactly! Even adults wouldn’t dare to cross this bridge. How can children be expected to do so?”

 

The crowd grew noisy with agreement, voicing their concerns aloud.

 

“Hmph! If you don’t even have the guts to take this small risk, what’s the point of joining the Medicine King Group? As a Medicine King Group disciple, I’ve faced dangers in the martial world where my life hung by a thread—far more perilous than this bridge. Cowards need not apply here. Besides, if someone did fall into the river, there are fishermen below who would rescue them. At worst, they’d just get frostbite; no one’s going to die.”

 

The young swordsman scanned the crowd, crossed his arms, and sneered with disdain, “Enough! Don’t waste time standing here. This year, the Medicine King Group is recruiting new disciples, but only for three days. Today is the last day. If you don’t cross the bridge by evening, you’ll have to wait until next year. Those who won’t climb, go home now and don’t make a scene!”

 

Su Chen finally understood: to become an outer disciple of the Medicine King Group, one had to first brave the freezing iron bridge. Otherwise, entry into the mountain estate was impossible.

 

With limited time remaining, today was their last chance.

 

The massive iron chains, thicker than arms, stood bare and unstable, coated with icicles that exuded coldness and glossiness. One could only crawl over them using both hands and feet.

 

Su Chen stared at the bridge, which was dangled with icicles and seeping with cold, his heart chilled to the bone. How could he even try it? So he waited, wanting to observe how the other children managed the crossing, hoping to get an idea.

 

Among the crowd of common folk, many adults and children had arrived early this morning and were blocked here, unable to enter the Medicine King Estate. Clearly, they were growing anxious.

 

The fate of these youths—whether they would become the county’s most envied Medicine King Group disciples or be discarded back to county city as commoners—depended entirely on whether they could scale that bridge.

 

“Come on, Tieniu! Climb that bridge! Once you make it back, your father will boil you a big pig’s leg to eat!”

 

Butcher Zhang clenched his teeth and urged his chubby son to climb the iron chain ahead.

 

“Alright, Dad!”

 

Upon hearing that there was pork meat to eat, Zhang Tieniu became so greedy that he drooled and nodded excitedly.

 

Soon, encouraged by the parents, over a dozen children aged nine or ten stepped forward. They climbed the iron bridge with timid courage.

 

Midway up, a boy of nine suddenly cried out—he had slipped on the icy chain and was falling toward the river gully over ten meters below.

 

“Oh no! Watch out!”

 

“He’s falling—save him!”

 

The crowd of bystanders erupted into a chorus of alarmed shouts.

 

The four young swordsmen saw this and coldly shook their heads, not interfering.

 

The iron cold bridge of Medicine King Manor was no easy feat to cross. It required physical fitness and mental fortitude—agility, strength, and resilience against the cold pain—to have any chance of passing the test.

 

Those who didn’t meet these standards fell into the stream, enduring the bitter cold for naught, unable to become outer disciples of the Medicine King Group.