Chapter 057: Hidden Mysteries of the Qin Gate

With a single hand, Luo Shixin hoisted the heavy stone, leaving deep footprints with every step as he staggered toward the East Gate of Licheng.

Li Dong rode behind him on horseback, wanting to call out for Luo Shixin to stop, but several times he opened his mouth and held back, never uttering a sound.

Li Dong’s main concern was that the scouts guarding the gate might refuse Luo Shixin entry. Suddenly, a small scheme flashed through his mind. He devised a plausible explanation in advance—if they interrogated them strictly, he would use this trick to bluff his way through.

From a distance, the gate scouts spotted Luo Shixin.

The stone was shaped like a milking cow, more than three times wider than a man’s body, yet this fellow held it aloft with one hand, his stride unimpeded, as if the weight meant nothing. Such strength! Their curiosity was thoroughly piqued.

Luo Shixin reached the gate, and a dozen scouts rushed forward, immediately barring his entry.

They circled around him, front and back, turning at least ten times, staring for ages but seeing nothing special. Why would a young man carry such a massive stone into the city without cause? Was there some secret here?

They questioned him over and over, tirelessly repeating the same queries, refusing to let him pass. The most curious among them even knocked on the stone with their weapons, producing a few dull “thuds.”

Li Dong followed behind, and now he dismounted, stepping forward to help answer.

“What’s the reason for carrying such a stone?” one scout asked with a mischievous smile.

“To build a house’s foundation. Please, let us through,” Li Dong replied.

“Why build a house?”

“Uh… to marry a wife,” Li Dong answered with a bow.

“Where will you build it?”

“…Sha Yuan, Five Dragon Spring…” Li Dong broke into a cold sweat. If Luo Shixin hadn’t told him beforehand where Qin Qiong’s forge was, he’d never have been to Qi Prefecture, and couldn’t have given a real location offhand. Wouldn’t that give them away?

The questions drifted from east to west, eventually having nothing to do with the stone at all. At that moment, Li Dong realized the scouts were deliberately making things difficult to delay them, testing how long Luo Shixin could hold the enormous stone.

Li Dong’s own mischievous side surfaced—so they wouldn’t let them in? He said to Luo Shixin, “Shixin, this officer seems very interested in your stone. Why not hand it to him for a closer look?”

The endless questioning had long worn Luo Shixin’s patience thin. Hearing Li Dong’s suggestion pleased him greatly, and he eagerly tossed the stone toward the most persistent scout.

The scout saw the huge stone flying at his head and recoiled—wasn’t this deadly? He stuck out his tongue, leapt aside as if bitten by a snake, and didn’t dare stand near the gate again.

“Boom!” The scout dodged just in time, and the stone crashed down, gouging a deep pit in the gate’s threshold, raising a cloud of fine dust. The dozen scouts all jumped back, flailing and yelling in panic.

Seeing the once-proud scouts in such chaos, Luo Shixin grinned broadly. “Why didn’t you catch it?” he laughed.

They’d jumped aside, but now the stone blocked the center of the gate. Passersby and carts diverted around it. If word got out that a dozen guards had let someone block the gate under their noses, their superiors would punish them severely.

The scouts rushed to the stone, trying to push it aside, at least to clear the way a bit. When the stone lay flat, it was easier to move, but now it was sunk nearly a foot into the ground, as if it had grown roots. The gate’s ground was hard, not easily destroyed, so after much straining, the stone remained unmoved.

The scouts exchanged glances—how could a dozen grown men not match the strength of a single youth? Surely this was exaggerated.

Luo Shixin watched with amusement and finally offered advice: “It’s easier if you grip the base of the stone.” That was how he’d lifted it, thinking their method was wrong and giving pointers.

The scouts bent low, fingers beneath the stone, exerting all their strength, but it stayed firmly in place.

One scout wedged his spear beneath the stone, using a small rock as a fulcrum, attempting a lever. With several scouts working together, the stone began to shift. As they chanted in unison, the stone slowly rose, moving half an inch.

Li Dong saw they weren’t hopelessly incompetent and quietly whispered to Luo Shixin.

Luo Shixin chuckled, walked to the stone, and slapped it, urging, “Come on, move it!”

He, with superhuman strength, feigned nonchalance but used every ounce of power. With his slap, the stone sank deeper into the ground.

Now the scouts were in real trouble. As the stone sank, it raised the spear, flinging several scouts into the air—some quick-witted let go in time, others were tossed up a yard and slammed to the ground, struggling to rise.

The crowd watching burst into laughter. These scouts, so intimidating to common folk, now revealed their true colors when faced with real skill. Suffered enough, have you? Hmph! Today’s your day.

The scouts realized now they’d met not only a strong man but a clever one as well. The longer the stone blocked the gate, the greater their peril. What to do?

The one who tied the bell must untie it.

Since Luo Shixin had brought the stone, no one else could hope to move it. The scouts could only put on ingratiating smiles and beg him to shift the stone.

Li Dong, seeing the commotion had run its course, stepped forward. “Moving the stone isn’t impossible. But our strength will run out. If you send a cart—horse or ox—to help deliver the stone home, that might be acceptable.”

Fearing word would reach their superiors, and desperate to avoid punishment, they complied. They dispatched a sturdy ox cart, and Luo Shixin loaded the stone, padding it to prevent it from breaking the cart.

Under the envious gaze of the townsfolk, Li Dong and Luo Shixin continued on their way.

From the East Gate to near the West Gate—Sha Yuan, Five Dragon Spring, where Qin Qiong resided—was several miles still. Without a cart, not even Luo Shixin’s extraordinary strength could last so far. If he exhausted himself, it would be a costly mistake.

After much winding and effort, the two finally arrived at a blacksmith’s shop. The sign above the door read, “Qin Family Forge,” fluttering in the wind, and from within came the constant clang of hammer on metal.

The place was packed, crowded with customers seeking household tools or weapons. After jostling for a long time, they finally reached Qin Qiong.

Li Dong thought, good business proves skill. It seemed Luo Shixin was right after all.

…

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