Chapter Twenty-Three: The Hero Assembly

Five days later, at a deserted temple.

[The people from the Shan family, Qingliang Temple, and Shaolin Temple have all arrived.]

Xu Chongxiao stared intently at the letter in his hand. After a period of testing, he was certain that this group did not care in the least about his communications with the outside world, which had emboldened him. From secret signals to the delivery of letters, as long as he did not attempt to leave, Zhang Chengyi completely ignored his interactions with others, as if he were truly being treated as a guest.

[Strange. It is understandable that Qingliang Temple would be anxious, but why have the people from Shaolin arrived so quickly?]

Xu Chongxiao was filled with doubt. While the news of his kidnapping had indeed stirred the martial arts world, it paled in comparison to the terror caused by people across the land being killed by their own unique techniques. Regardless of his high seniority within the Beggar Sect, he was, in reality, just an old man without power, influence, or formidable strength. Qingliang Temple and the Beggar Sect would rescue him for the sake of their reputations, and the Shan family had a vendetta against Zhang Chengyi. But what was Shaolin’s motive? That they had arrived even faster than the Beggar Sect made the situation appear increasingly sinister.

As the world’s premier organization, the Beggar Sect’s movements were always under scrutiny. With Shaolin’s inexplicable involvement, many people in the martial arts world would inevitably follow, using the banner of righteousness as an excuse to join the fray—such as the You brothers of Juxian Manor, who were always eager to make a name for themselves and were already mobilizing, gathering allies and making inquiries.

Knowing his junior brother, Master Shenshan, he was almost certain that the monk intended to take advantage of the chaos for his own gain. He and Kang Min had prepared so many schemes to deal with Qiao Feng, originally intending to execute them in the south; now, because of his own situation, they were being dragged back to the Central Plains in haste, creating too many variables. That woman, too, was far from a simple character.

Theoretically, he should be pleased that more people were coming to his rescue, but because Zhang Chengyi’s true intentions remained unclear and Shaolin’s involvement was shrouded in mystery—coupled with the conflicting agendas of the various factions—he felt a vague, ominous premonition. How would this all play out in the end?

Noticing someone passing by outside, Xu Chongxiao clutched the letter, crumpling and rubbing it until scraps of paper fell into the chamber pot. The cipher on the letter was unique to Qingliang Temple and impossible for outsiders to decode, but one could never be too careful.

"Mr. Kang, is Master Zhang in?"

The voice of Bao Qianling, who had been absent for several days, drifted in from outside. Kang Guangling, standing guard, replied, "Master Zhang has gone out on business; he should be back before the hour of the Rooster."

Xu Chongxiao stood up, straightened his patched robes, and walked to the door, pulling it open. Bao Qianling seemed to have something to say, but upon seeing the old man’s face, he lost all interest and merely muttered, "Then I shall wait."

***

Xu Chongxiao had nothing to say to this thief; since that night, they had developed a mutual loathing. One thought the other was a shifty-eyed wretch who caused more trouble than he was worth, while the other viewed the old man as a cowardly, pathetic excuse for a hero.

"Elder Xu," Kang Guangling said courteously.

For the past few days, Zhang Chengyi had been spending his time at a small courtyard rented outside the county town, practicing the transmission of power on local villains alongside the fifth disciple, Xue Muhua. To be honest, he had initially been repelled by this violation of his moral compass, but the Sect Leader had explained it away with soothing words about how medical research required human dissection, and therefore martial arts research surely required the same. Having hypnotized himself into accepting it, there was no other choice; if he couldn't accept it, he would have had to take on the task of guarding Xu Chongxiao, which he preferred to avoid out of sight and out of mind.

Seeing the old man remaining silent, Bao Qianling grinned, grabbed a nearby pillar, and scaled the roof like a gecko. "Mr. Kang, please inform Master Zhang that I will return to pay my respects tomorrow."

As the voice faded into the distance, Xu Chongxiao thought to himself, [Typical of the dregs of society.] Outwardly, he said sternly, "I wish to see Sect Leader Su."

Kang Guangling nodded. "Follow me."

The two walked through a long corridor and an archway, soon finding Su Xinghe playing chess with the monk Huiming. It is said that a true gentleman watches a game of chess in silence; Kang Guangling was a gentleman, and Xu Chongxiao considered himself one, so they stood quietly at the side until the game concluded.

"A move short, a move short indeed," the monk Huiming sighed, then said, "Since Elder Su has guests, I shall not intrude further," and rose to depart.

"Elder Xu, please," Su Xinghe said leisurely while gathering the chess pieces. He did not dislike this life; having endured thirty years of pretending to be deaf and mute, nothing else was worth much emotional fluctuation. His master was safe, the future of the Xiaoyao Sect was bright, and he had returned to his hobbies. It was only a pity that even though his disciples were skilled in various arts, they were still inferior to him, and since they were all his own students, there was no joy in sparring with them. Fortunately, the monk Huiming had a slight understanding of chess, making for a pleasant pastime on this afternoon.

Xu Chongxiao sat down, looked at the empty board, picked up a black piece, and after much deliberation, placed it down and asked, "May this old man know what exactly that Master Zhang is planning?"

Su Xinghe calmly placed a white piece. "I advise Elder Xu not to be too persistent."

"For you and me, some things are matters of life and death, but for some people, the world..."

"Is nothing more than a game."

***

Jingfu Temple, Main Hall.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!* The bell rang incessantly, signaling the arrival of an honored guest.

Inside the hall, the monk in the seat of honor looked to be in his seventies, short of stature, clutching prayer beads and chanting with closed eyes. The monks in the hall were seated by seniority, with the members of the Shan family and the cane-wielding Shan Zheng on the right, and a group of beggars on the left. Near the entrance, various martial artists with differing appearances and weapons stood watching, silent, as the bell’s echo reverberated.

Before long, the abbot of Jingfu Temple emerged from the rear hall accompanying four monks. After paying respects to the Buddha, the five took their seats.

The bell stopped. The old monk in the seat of honor opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as a blade, as if he could dissect a person. He spoke in a voice surprisingly resonant for his small frame: "The arrival of Master Xuannan, Head of the Bodhidharma Hall of Shaolin Temple, is a great honor for our humble temple."

"You are too kind," Xuannan said, pressing his palms together in a salute, aware that the other was trying to intimidate him. "Master Shenshan is too generous."

Master Shenshan wore an expression of neither sorrow nor joy, winding the prayer beads back around his wrist. "My fellow martial artists have gathered here upon hearing that my senior brother, Xu Chongxiao, has been captured by villains. On behalf of my brother, I thank you all."

"Master, just say what you have to say! I’m a blunt man—I don’t care about some 'Golden Mountain Ranger' or whatever bird he is! If we’re going to fight, let’s fight; if we’re going to kill, let’s kill!"

"Exactly, exactly!"

"With so many heroes here, we could drown that son of a bitch just by spitting on him!"

The freelance martial artists in the middle of the hall began to clamor.

"Everyone, calm down."

Master Shenshan’s voice easily drowned out the crowd. Being naturally loud and possessing deep internal energy, his display served as a warning to the gathered warriors. He paused until the noise subsided before continuing: "The day after tomorrow, the Beggar Sect leader, Hero Qiao Feng, will arrive. At that time, our temple will hold a 'Heroes’ Assembly'..."