Chapter 26: The Invitation

On the way back to Jingfu Temple, the carriage swayed rhythmically.

"Master Zhang, are we really just letting Xu Chongxiao go like this?" Xue Muhua, riding alongside on horseback, asked with curiosity.

Having assisted with the transmission of martial arts, he had spent a considerable amount of time with the family head and had grown quite familiar with him. Especially after discovering that the head of the family was easygoing and possessed a rather pleasant temperament, he had become somewhat more casual in his speech.

"What would be the point of keeping him?" Zhang Chengyi countered with a look of surprise.

"Er..." Xue Muhua was momentarily at a loss for words. To be honest, he still did not understand why the family head had captured Xu Chongxiao in such an inexplicable manner. It did not seem to be a matter of personal vendetta, so could it be a conflict of interests? Or perhaps Xu Chongxiao possessed something valuable—a secret martial arts manual or some rare heavenly treasure?

Zhang Chengyi answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world: "Keeping that old man around would only increase our food expenses. Besides, Qiao Feng is arriving soon; naturally, I must go and meet the great hero Qiao Feng."

His capture of Xu Chongxiao had been a whim. If one were to look for a grand plan, there was none. He simply wanted to stir up trouble, make the pugilistic world lively, and boost the reputation of his persona, "The Wanderer of Jinshan," to satisfy the hero-fantasy he had harbored in his previous life. Of course, the most important thing was that he wanted to see Qiao Feng, and carrying an old man around as dead weight served no purpose. Xu Chongxiao was advanced in years, and apart from his high seniority, his martial arts attainments were a mess; his mind had been entirely focused on power struggles and women. There would definitely be no place for him in the future advanced training classes for martial arts development at Leigu Mountain, so he might as well stay put.

*Such freedom is truly enviable. Yet, if he can abandon Xu Chongxiao so abruptly today, will he one day abandon us as well?*

Watching Zhang Chengyi, who was leaning against the carriage window and flipping through a martial arts manual with casual indifference, a subtle feeling arose in Xue Muhua’s heart. There would surely come a day when the family head would leave them behind to seek out more interesting people or events. He had a goal, yet he moved toward it at a leisurely pace, stopping along the way to meet interesting people, witness events, appreciate the scenery, and taste fine food... This, perhaps, was true transcendence.

"Master Zhang, are we really not going to inform Bao Qianling?" Kang Guangling also moved closer to ask.

"Why bother?" Zhang Chengyi replied nonchalantly. "It was merely a chance encounter. The matter regarding the monk Huiming was something he took upon himself; if he couldn't handle it, I would have intervened naturally. But now that the matter is resolved, there is no need to bring it up again."

"The world of martial arts is vast; if fate allows, we shall meet again."

"And if there is no chance to meet again..." Zhang Chengyi closed the manual, stretched, and looked through the window at the thickening spring scenery in the distance. "Then it is enough to have been mere passersby."

Kang Guangling was stunned and said no more. One day, Huiming would forget the guests who had visited him, and he would never know what those guests had done in private. Bao Qianling, until his old age, would still remember the chivalrous act he could not complete. As passersby on the journey of life, they had all played their parts well, had they not?

The carriage continued its endless, swaying journey, just like everyone in the great melting pot of the martial arts world—each with their own final destination.

Evening fell, and the number of martial artists scattered around Jingfu Temple began to grow. In the Central Plains, where transportation was convenient, news of Xu Chongxiao's capture had fermented for some time. With the Beggar Sect, Qingliang Temple, and Shaolin all participating in the Hero Assembly, people from the martial arts world naturally flocked to the scene. Even if there was no profit to be made, simply showing one's face in front of so many heroes was a good thing. If one couldn't show their face, just joining the fun was enough. In any case, no one felt the need to oppose the "Wanderer of Jinshan" who had captured Xu Chongxiao and injured or crippled the six members of the Shan family.

This, however, posed a problem for Zhang Chengyi’s group—there were no rooms left in the small town near Jingfu Temple. Too many people had arrived: the disciples of the Shan family had come out in full force, Qingliang Temple had invited many reputable sects to build momentum, and the beggars brought by the Beggar Sect were a vast, surging crowd. Walking into the town, one could see beggars with tattered clothes and grimy bodies everywhere, sitting on the ground or leaning lazily against walls, enjoying the afterglow of the sun. If you didn't know it was a Hero Assembly, you would think it was an alms-gathering convention. The Beggar Sect had nothing if not numbers; in these times, there were as many beggars as one could want.

Zhang Chengyi and his group had to abandon their horses and enter the town on foot. Even so, the streets were packed when they reached the restaurant, and everyone carried weapons of various lengths, drinking and eating amidst a deafening roar—it finally felt like a gathering of martial arts heroes. It was just too noisy, causing a headache. They spent a large sum of money to dine in a second-floor private room, and by the time they left, the sky had grown dark, making lodging an issue.

Under normal circumstances, private homes were the second choice after inns, but in such a crowded town, finding an empty house was somewhat difficult. As for using force? A careful observation revealed that the beggars throughout the town were subtly monitoring the movements of all the martial artists; it seemed the Beggar Sect feared that the chaotic mix of guests might cause trouble. Regardless of whether the Beggar Sect engaged in cruel practices like trafficking in his previous life, in the world written by Mr. Cha, the Beggar Sect was a righteous organization concerned with the nation and the people. There might not be that many Beggar Sect disciples who practiced martial arts seriously, but the ordinary beggars were enough to form a dense and efficient intelligence network. If anything happened in the town, it would likely reach the ears of the managers in an instant.

Perhaps because their presence was too conspicuous, after Zhang Chengyi and his group had been turned away by several full inns and were prepared to throw money at the problem, a lame beggar approached and asked, "Are you the Wanderer of Jinshan, Master Zhang Chengyi?"

"I do not change my name when I travel, nor my surname when I sit." Zhang Chengyi cupped his fists, imitating the posture of a hero from the dramas of his past life, and said, "That is indeed me."

The lame beggar seemed to be choked by the strange, unorthodox gesture and words; he had thought that as a beggar, he was somewhat crude and unrefined, but this person in front of him... well, it was hard to say. He suppressed the strange expression that involuntarily appeared on his face, then lowered his head and said, "At the command of our big brother, if Master Zhang has arrived, would you be willing to wait until he meets you tomorrow before appearing in public?"

"And who is your big brother?" Zhang Chengyi asked, only then realizing who could be called "big brother" by the Beggar Sect disciples. He grew excited and asked, "Is it Qiao Feng?"

He was very much looking forward to meeting Qiao Feng.

The lame beggar kept his head down and said nothing. How could he dare to speak casually when this man had addressed his own Sect Leader by name? It wasn't that he was distant from his big brother, but rather that he could not let outsiders see him as disrespectful or lacking in decorum. He bowed and said, "Great heroes, please follow me."

"Let's go, let's go!"

Watching the family head take the lead, Su Xinghe signaled his disciples, and the fourth, Wu Lingjun, silently vanished into the crowd to deal with those who had been following them from the shadows.