Chapter 18: An Effortless Victory

Night. Jingfu Temple, inside a side chamber.

"Who goes there!"

Xu Chongxiao, deep in sleep, suddenly snapped his eyes open and shouted, his silk undergarments soaked through with a sudden cold sweat. He had not engaged in combat himself for many years, and his recent exhaustion from intimate dalliances with that little enchantress, Kang Min, had left his constitution frail. Hearing a sudden gust of wind enter the room in the dead of night, he feared the visitor harbored malicious intent.

His voice, bolstered by internal energy, resonated throughout nearly the entire Jingfu Temple. Regardless of how frail his body had become, he had been trained at the renowned Qingliang Temple on Mount Wutai in his youth before joining the Beggar Sect. After eighty-odd years, his internal energy remained profound.

"Thud, thud, thud!"

A knocking sound echoed. The unwelcome guest outside was not deterred, instead saying in a languid tone, "Xu Chongxiao, right? I’ve been looking for you. Come with me."

Xu Chongxiao had already nimbly shed his silk undergarments and donned his patch-covered, hundred-knot monk’s robe. In the blink of an eye, he transformed from a wealthy, aging gentleman into a spirited Beggar Sect elder with flowing white whiskers. Estimating that his junior martial brother and the five members of the Shan family would arrive soon, he gave a wave of his hand.

"Creak~"

The doors swung wide. Standing outside was a tall, burly man in his forties with a smile on his face, seemingly exerting every effort to appear courteous. Upon seeing the door open, the man said, "Please."

"Have you and I had a grievance, sir?" Xu Chongxiao attempted to stall for time with his silver tongue.

"We have never met," Zhang Chengyi replied.

Xu Chongxiao grew suspicious and asked again, "Then do you have a grievance with the Beggar Sect or Qingliang Temple?"

Zhang Chengyi, finding some amusement in this classic martial arts interrogation game, smiled and said, "No connection whatsoever."

Xu Chongxiao was momentarily speechless. No grievances, no ties to his sects—what was this? Was he causing trouble for no reason?

"Are you done? If so, let’s go," Zhang Chengyi said, his interest waning as he watched the elder remain silent.

"Hiss!"

A blade cut through the air. A flash of joy crossed Xu Chongxiao’s face. With a tap of his foot and a thrust of his palm, he joined his reinforcements in a pincer attack against Zhang Chengyi.

"Get lost!"

Zhang Chengyi let out a single shout. The rolling sound waves, amplified by his internal energy, surged outward. Xu Chongxiao felt his internal power scatter; he grew dizzy and nauseated, a sweetness rising in his throat.

"Pfft!" After spitting out a mouthful of blood, he collapsed to the ground, eyes tightly shut, his face as pale as gold paper.

Behind him, Shan Boshan—one of the Five Heroes of the Shan family—who had been attempting a sneak attack with his blade, froze in place. His saber clattered to the floor. Blood streamed from his ears, eyes, nostrils, and mouth before he fell backward, his breathing extremely shallow, clearly suffering from severe internal injuries.

"Boshan!"

Shan Zheng’s voice was laced with anxiety. He and his four other sons immediately swarmed Zhang Chengyi, five blades attacking various weak points like a tightly woven net.

"Bang!"

In the next second, all five were sent flying backward simultaneously. Some crashed through walls with a thud, others shattered windows with a crack, moving several times faster than when they arrived. The so-called Five Heroes of the Shan family, who were mere fodder in the hands of Qiao Feng, were truly nothing but trash. Zhang Chengyi didn't even realize he had met Shan Zheng once before; they were too insignificant to be worth his notice.

"Well? Are you going to join them too?" He glanced sideways at an old monk who had arrived late.

This bald donkey was the abbot of Jingfu Temple, a monk who had also come from Qingliang Temple on Mount Wutai and held formal ordination papers; he was effectively a junior martial brother to Xu Chongxiao. It was he who had managed this temple, which lacked an imperial plaque, into a place of flourishing incense and offerings.

According to Xue Muhua, while the martial arts of Qingliang Temple were mediocre, the abbot, Master Shenshan, possessed formidable strength. He and Abbot Xuanci of the Shaolin Temple were known as the "Dragon-Subduing" and "Tiger-Taming" Arhats. However, he was sharp-edged and ambitious, and it was highly likely that Jingfu Temple was a pawn laid by Qingliang Temple. This was why no one had caused trouble for his intelligence-gathering business; otherwise, such activities would have surely drawn retaliation.

The Abbot of Jingfu Temple felt caught in a dilemma. His own strength was at best on par with Shan Zheng’s. He had arrived a step late because he lived further away, and he hadn't even clearly seen how the five Shan family members had been defeated.

Sorcery?

Uncertain and fearful, he pressed his palms together and said, "Benefactor, could you perhaps—"

"No grudges, no grievances." Zhang Chengyi, sensing the other was about to repeat the cycle of interrogation, cut him off: "I just want to take him with me."

"Do you have an objection?"

The Abbot glanced at Zhang Chengyi’s gaze, which flickered toward the fading Shan Boshan lying on the floor, and felt a chill run down his spine. His mind cleared instantly. "Since the benefactor wishes to invite Senior Brother Xu as a guest, this old monk is naturally happy to facilitate it."

"However, might I ask for the benefactor’s name?"

"The Ranger of Jinshan," Zhang Chengyi said, hoisting up Xu Chongxiao, who was sitting on the floor feigning death after attempting to circulate his energy to heal. "Zhang Chengyi."

"If Qingliang Temple or the Beggar Sect want to cause trouble, come find me anytime."

He grinned, revealing two rows of white, sharp teeth, then hoisted Xu Chongxiao and departed with a single leap.

The Abbot of Jingfu Temple dared not delay. He stepped forward to stabilize Shan Boshan’s injuries. The temple monks arrived in a scattered group, and before long, they carried the other five unconscious members of the Shan family into the meditation room.

He looked at the six members of the Shan family lying in a neat row and sighed. They were likely a waste of food even if cured, but he couldn't just let them die. Beyond these six father-and-son extortionists, the Shan family had over two hundred disciples; the small Jingfu Temple could not withstand the trouble they would bring.

"Send a letter to invite Tan Gong and Tan Po of Chongxiao Cave on Mount Taihang," the Abbot said to his disciple.

With injuries this severe, he feared only Tan Gong and Tan Po would have the medicine to treat them. Of course, being able to treat them didn't mean they could be saved; he would also need a miracle doctor, someone like... Xue Muhua.

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A few minutes later, at the inn.

"Thud!"

Xu Chongxiao was tossed onto the floor. He grit his teeth, enduring the pain throughout his body, not moving an inch. He knew the other party was aware he was conscious, but he continued to feign death with his eyes closed. A martial arts expert of this level wouldn't let him live if he didn't have a purpose. Either he would be killed, or he would continue pretending.

"Click~" He heard the expert who brought him leave the room and close the door. Only then did he quietly open his eyes.

It was an ordinary inn room.

Enduring the pain, he stood up and walked to the window to look out. Having confirmed his general location, he didn't try to escape immediately. The man who had brought him here was terrifyingly strong; where could he run? His only reinforcements, the six members of the Shan family, were either dead or crippled, and his junior brother was clearly outmatched. His priority was to identify his location and secretly signal someone who could come to his rescue later.

"Creak~"

The door opened. Xu Chongxiao immediately lay back down to feign death upon hearing footsteps approaching. A familiar voice rang out:

"Elder Xu, it would be best if you didn't move around so casually."

Doctor Xue?!

Xu Chongxiao couldn't help but open his eyes, staring at the familiar face.