Chapter Twenty-Five: I Do Not Believe You Want Nothing at All

Inside a side chamber of an abandoned temple in a nameless county town.

"Clack."

Only when the newcomer intentionally made his footsteps heard did Xu Chongxiao turn around with wary eyes. A burly man wearing a tattered gray cloth robe came into view. His mind raced, yet he quickly composed his face, revealing a hint of warmth as he said, "Chief Qiao, you have come."

The newcomer was none other than Qiao Feng, leader of the Beggar Sect, renowned alongside Murong of the South.

"Greetings, Elder Xu."

Qiao Feng bowed respectfully, maintaining the proper demeanor of a junior. Ever since his master, Wang Jiantong, began grooming him as the successor, he had made it a tradition to accompany the elders every year to pay respects to the retired seniors of the Beggar Sect. Elder Xu was one of them.

"You arrived early?" Xu Chongxiao suddenly realized something. The Beggar Sect’s letter had stated that the Chief would arrive at Jingfu Temple tomorrow to attend the Heroic Assembly. Why, then, was he here in this town this morning?

"I ought to inform Elder Xu: I arrived in the Central Plains five days ago."

Qiao Feng recounted his journey. Upon hearing of Elder Xu’s abduction, he had ridden day and night without rest, exhausting two horses to arrive six days ahead of schedule. Yet, he had neither gone to Jingfu Temple to rendezvous with the masters and heroes, nor had he immediately revealed himself to confront Zhang Chengyi’s party.

On the contrary, he had concealed his identity and traced their path back.

He first verified that Zhang Chengyi’s group had not harmed a single civilian, that they were generous with their wealth, and that they had freely given to the beggars they encountered on the road.

He then uncovered the identities of the Eight Friends of Hangu and Su Xinghe, followed by a visit to the inn where the conflict with the Qin Family Stronghold had erupted. He even went to the effort of tracking down the songstresses and the bandits who were returning to Shanxi by carriage to inquire about what had transpired.

Finally, he had arrived in this county town, silently observing the group for two days and nights. Despite his peerless martial arts, his face showed signs of exhaustion, and his eyes were bloodshot.

"I have observed that this 'Knight of Jinshan' prides himself on being a man of chivalry, and his actions indeed reflect the spirit of ancient wandering knights. Perhaps this is all just a misunderstanding."

Qiao Feng did not state this as a certainty; there remained one detail he could not fathom. Why had Elder Xu, who should have been far away at Qingliang Temple, appeared at Jingfu Temple? Why had he met with the "Iron-Faced Judge" Shan Zheng? And what was the purpose of the letters sent to Tan Gong, Tan Po, and Master Zhiguang?

Seeing this Khitan dog pleading the case for his kidnappers, a surge of inexplicable, dark fury rose in Xu Chongxiao’s chest. However, his mastery of emotional control was excellent; he suppressed the hostility before it could even manifest on his face.

"‘Duke Zhou feared the days of rumors; Wang Mang was humble before he usurped the throne.’" Xu slowly began, "Chief Qiao, is it not rather hasty to conclude that they are not villains?"

Chief Qiao was left speechless.

The Eight Friends of Hangu held good reputations in the pugilistic world, especially the eldest, Kang Guangling, and the fifth, Xue Muhua, whose characters were widely praised. The Deaf-Mute Sect of the "Clever Debater" Su Xinghe had always remained aloof from worldly affairs, guarding Linggu Mountain, and he himself was a recluse of refined reputation.

As for the "Knight of Jinshan," he could find no records of the title. Yet, since Zhang Chengyi had made a name for himself, he had done three things: first, he upheld justice on the road by helping the songstresses avenge themselves against bandits; second, he abducted Elder Xu and wounded the six men of the Shan family; third, he dispatched Bao Qianling to resolve the dilemma facing the monk Huiming.

Of the three, two were full of righteous chivalry. Only the abduction of Elder Xu was sudden, without cause or consequence, and their appearance at Jingfu Temple was highly suspicious.

Furthermore, given the strength Zhang Chengyi had displayed, if he truly harbored ill intentions, Qiao did not believe anyone at Jingfu Temple would have survived.

With the Western Xia frequently raiding the borders and the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of Ma Dayuan, it was best to turn hostility into friendship at such a critical juncture. Even if force were necessary, he did not believe that inciting a mob of heroes based on a flimsy pretext was a wise course of action.

People are always prone to blind conformity.

Xu Chongxiao quickly realized the problem. At this crucial moment, he himself should never have appeared at Jingfu Temple with Shan Zheng, allowing this heroic yet sharp-eyed Khitan dog to sense the inconsistency and conclude that there was an ulterior motive behind Zhang Chengyi’s abduction of him.

But he truly had been kidnapped for no reason at all.

In the words of Su Xinghe, "Some people simply treat the world as a playground."

Look at that; the words stung.

He felt aggrieved. At this point, he even suspected that the Khitan dog before him might have been the one to orchestrate his abduction.

The two remained silent for a few seconds. Xu Chongxiao relented, saying, "Since Chief Qiao has his own plans, why bother explaining them to an old man like me?" His words were sharp, intended to sting.

"I would not dare." Qiao Feng had been raised with great discipline; he still hoped to protect his own kin and chose not to expose the underlying issues. He bowed and said, "Zhang Chengyi and his group left the town this morning. Elder Xu, you should leave now and report your safety to the brothers in the sect."

Xu Chongxiao’s pupils dilated. What? He had noticed the guards were gone this morning, but he had assumed it was a trap set by Zhang Chengyi—after all, there was the precedent of how he had toyed with Yao Bodang to death—so he had stayed in the room, not daring to step outside.

Now he was told they had all left?

Then what did that make him? Could it be that this group had already achieved their purpose without anyone being the wiser?

Qiao Feng watched as the man’s expression shifted between shock and uncertainty. He cupped his hands, turned, and walked out. Before he had gone far, he caught sight of a man crouching on the courtyard wall. A smile broke across his face, which had been tight for days. "Brother Bao, it has been years. How have you been?"

Bao Qianling landed lightly and laughed, "My entire livelihood is right here." He paused, his smile fading, and asked, "Brother Qiao, are you here to deal with Master Zhang?"

"Coincidentally, is Brother Bao working for this Master Zhang?" Qiao Feng countered.

"That is a long story..." Bao Qianling shook his head helplessly.

"Then let us drink heartily and talk freely," Qiao Feng laughed. "I wonder if your tolerance for wine has improved, Brother Bao."

The two strode away, heading straight for a tavern in the city.

Xu Chongxiao stepped out of the room where he had been held captive and walked into the courtyard. He looked up at the sun, finding it blindingly bright.

In the first few days of his abduction, he had wanted nothing more than to escape. But as time went on, he had become obsessed with figuring out exactly what Zhang Chengyi intended to do.

For some reason, he had a premonition that the man who had kidnapped him was someone who did not fit into the world of martial arts at all, and that anything was possible with him. Would his plan with Kang Min to drive away Qiao Feng and regain control of the Beggar Sect be ruined?

With this in mind, he had racked his brain to probe every member of the Eight Friends of Hangu and Su Xinghe, secretly communicated with monks sent from Qingliang Temple, and refused rescue plans, willing to risk his own life to uncover Zhang Chengyi’s true purpose.

But what happened today felt as though, just as he was exerting every ounce of his effort and ingenuity, someone had suddenly slapped him across the face and laughed loudly at him.

Look, your efforts were all in vain.

They were just playing as they pleased; kidnapping you was a whim, and letting you go had nothing to do with you.

It was like throwing a full-force punch into thin air. He felt a suffocating tightness in his chest, his internal energy swirling in disarray.

"Pfft!" Xu Chongxiao spat out a mouthful of blood. The chaotic inner energy tore his hair bun apart, leaving his white hair disheveled. The wrinkles on his face seemed to deepen. He muttered to himself, "I do not believe you wanted nothing at all..."