Yanzi Li San: The Complete Saga - (1) Strange Traces in the Prince's Mansion

(1) Strange Traces in the Prince's Mansion

This book is the first volume in a comic series adapted from the novel "The Legend of the Great Thief Yanzi Li San." Yanzi Li San (meaning "Swallow Li San," a nickname alluding to his agility) was a legendary figure famous throughout China in the 1920s and 1930s. He came to Beijing searching for his girlfriend, robbing the rich to help the poor, acting as a chivalrous outlaw, causing constant unease for the gentry, merchants, and officials. To escape police pursuit, he hid behind a hanging plaque in a prince's mansion's living room. He was discovered by the mansion guard, Zhang Lu, but still managed to gracefully abscond with silver dollars from the watchtower. Later, at the grand opening of Hongji Dawanjv (Hong's Big Bowl Restaurant), they finally met, recognized each other as martial arts brothers, and thus began a series of thrilling and convoluted adventures.

Year 1923. It was the Mid-Autumn Festival, chrysanthemums were in full bloom, and a refreshing golden breeze swept through the air, attracting throngs of visitors. Despite foreign invasions and warlord conflicts, Beijing's Qianmen Street remained vibrant, with lanterns and festive decorations adorning storefronts.

2. "Get him, that flying thief! He'll be gone in a blink!" Detective Captain Ma Yulin, hidden in a secluded corner tea table at the Chunming Teahouse, whispered to his two subordinates, his eyes narrowed.

3. These two detectives, one carrying a caged thrush and the other absentmindedly rolling two walnuts in his hand, confidently strode out of the teahouse. They merged into the bustling crowd, their minds set on trailing the notorious outlaw they had been seeking for so long.

4. At this moment, a man walked through the exceptionally lively Dazhalan street. He was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, tall and upright, with a rectangular face, clear eyes, and a spirited demeanor, leisurely strolling amidst the throngs of people.

5. He carried three catties of stewed beef and a pig's bladder filled with water, walking with an air of relaxed ease. This was none other than the famous "Swallow" Li San, known to everyone as the flying thief.

6. Following his usual habit, he would sleep during the day and venture out at night. However, recent overnight curfews and strict patrols made it difficult for him to move around. Feeling bored from being a nocturnal traveler, he decided to wander around Qianmen Dazhalan in broad daylight.

7. Li San was feeling refreshed today. He had just enjoyed a delicious meal at the Fengzeyuan Restaurant and felt a thirst, so he casually walked into the Chunming Teahouse.

8. A tea server, with a rag draped over his shoulder, quickly offered him a seat. Li San walked straight ahead without glancing around, choosing a corner table. He was completely unaware of the detectives tracking him, and even less so of Ma Yulin sitting at the opposite table.