“The Enemy are attacking the rear mountain, why are we not allowed to support the Alliance Leader?”
“Did we come to Quanrong Mountain just to spectate?”
“Our Wulin Alliance has stood in Jianzhou for six hundred years, as long as the state itself, since when have we feared foreign enemies? Even if we are smashed to pieces, we must fight the enemy to the death.”
“Our elders are at the front fighting off the enemy, and yet us youngsters want to run away and save our own skins?”
The commotion in the rear mountain attracted the attention of the Wulin Alliance members and the disciples of its affiliated sects. The young, reckless ones, who feared nothing, rushed to arm themselves, their blood boiling as they clamoured to the rear mountain, wanting to fight to the death.
Cao Qingyang had already made arrangements for this. Deputy Alliance Leader Wen Chengbi, in charge of internal affairs, led a group to block the only way to the rear mountain.
In battles at the beyond-mortal level, not to mention the young ones, even fourth rank martial artists could do very little to help.
There was no way Cao Qingyang would let these ‘ants’ join the battle in the rear mountain.
Ji Xuan and the others chose to launch a surprise attack on the rear mountain, targeting the old Alliance Leader directly for this very reason.
If the old fellow fell, wiping out the roots afterwards would be much easier.
“Deputy Alliance Leader, the women, children, and elders from the mountain have already been arranged to go down and will temporarily stay in the military garrison, where the army can protect them…”
Listening to his subordinate’s report, Wen Chengbi slowly let out a breath and his expression softened as he instructed,
“Have the town prepare horses and carriages. Make sure the cavalry are ready. If you see the warning signal from the mountain, take the women, children, and elders straight to Jianzhou City to find the Provincial Administrator.”
The subordinate accepted the order and left.
At that moment, a middle-aged man in light armour and carrying a sabre strode in and said in a low voice,
“Deputy Alliance Leader, the crowd outside is getting restless, we won’t be able to hold them much longer.
“Quite a few people have already snuck into the old Alliance Leader’s retreat from the woods and the cliff.”
Wen Chengbi pondered for a moment, then said calmly,
“Don’t worry about them, just be ready to calm people down.”
Alliance Leader Cao had ordered him to escort away the women and children, and to stop any faithful from getting close to the rear mountain.
There would be few issues or obstacles with the former, but the latter was extremely difficult. After all, the Wulin Alliance was composed of people from the jianghu. Though well trained, in terms of discipline, the mountain’s martial artists could not compare to the soldiers in the military garrison.
The traits of a jianghu martial artist: proud, confident, only respect the strong (sometimes).
So, with the headquarters of the Wulin Alliance at Quanrong Mountain under attack, would these proud warriors from the jianghu just sit still?
Would they willingly do nothing and obediently turn away?
If one bluntly declared how powerful the enemy was, it might well snap most of those hot-blooded fools back to their senses, but it would almost certainly spark panic.
It could give the enemy’s spies in the Alliance an opportunity to fan the flames and incite chaos.
Then, those with ill intentions might stir things up even further…
Even in such a situation, Wen Chengbi still had countermeasures in mind.
…
Young Master Liu and his master made their way with the crowd to the entrance of the woods leading to the rear mountain.
A sea of people had gathered here. Members of the Wulin Alliance wielding all kinds of weapons, surging with emotion, eager to go to the rear mountain to see what was happening and support the Alliance Leader and the others.
Young Master Liu scanned the crowd and found Miss Rongrong and the other women from Wanhua Tower. They wore frowns, faces anxious and at a loss.
“Miss Rongrong…”
Young Master Liu stepped up, nodded a greeting to the ladies from Wanhua Tower, then asked urgently,
“What’s going on? Isn’t the rear mountain where the old Alliance Leader is in retreat? Is it…”
Has the old Alliance Leader been attacked? Is this the reason the Wulin Alliance had summoned us?
He dared not finish, as everyone’s nerves were stretched tight.
Rongrong glanced at the beautiful matron beside her and whispered,
“I think this must be why the Alliance Leader called us together.”
The other women from Wanhua Tower remained silent at her side. To anyone with a brain, the reason was obvious.
The elegant lady who was Rongrong’s master muttered:
“There’s no need to worry. Even putting aside the old Alliance Leader, the strength of our Wulin Alliance is still the highest level. Unless the court is truly determined to wipe out the Alliance, there can be no enemy in the Central Plains that could threaten us.”
As for enemies outside the Central Plains, she could not think of any reason they would target the Wulin Alliance.
Just then, a few burly men with sabres suddenly burst out of the woods leading to the rear mountain. Faces full of terror, they looked as if they were woodsmen who had just survived an encounter with a great beast.
“Where did you lot sneak in from?”
Two armoured soldiers barked furiously at them.
The toughs coming back from the rear mountain ignored them, shouting at the crowd,
“It’s third rank! Third rank opponents!”
“The enemy our Wulin Alliance has provoked is a third rank martial artist!”
“And plenty of fourth rank experts, there are even Buddhist masters…”
The words “third rank” were like a stone tossed into a pond, causing the already uneasy crowd to erupt in chaos, a cacophony like a tidal wave.
Young Master Liu watched as his master’s face changed drastically, Miss Rongrong’s eyes widened, the beautiful lady’s features went stiff, and those around them became utterly terrified and bewildered.
“Why would a third rank martial artist come for our Wulin Alliance?”
“No wonder they suddenly called together all the sects, no wonder Alliance Leader Cao issued the Red Banner Order.”
“So, that explains why the qi fluctuations are so terrifying. We should run now, or we’ll all die if we’re too late!”
“Run? I’m going to take a look at the rear mountain. Even if it costs me my life, it’s worth seeing a battle like this!”
Things started to get out of control. The timid called for everyone to flee Quanrong Mountain to avoid being caught up in the fight. The thrill-seekers were burning with excitement, caring little for their own lives or deaths.
The pessimists began to spread doom about the imminent destruction of the Wulin Alliance, rushing about to spread the word.
Of course, some didn’t believe it. After hearing these claims, they tried to force their way towards the rear mountain, clashing physically with the guards.
“Everyone, quiet!”
Wen Chengbi arrived with his men, who forced a path through the crowd, letting the Deputy Alliance Leader pass.
“Listen to me first!”
As Deputy Alliance Leader, Wen Chengbi wielded enough authority to restore order. The crowd quietened slightly, all eyes fixed on him.
“Not long ago, Alliance Leader Cao was notified by Silver Gong Xu that the Wulin Alliance would be facing a great enemy, members of the Church of the Warlock God and Buddhist monks. The reasons for the attack are still unclear.
“Upon hearing this, Alliance Leader Cao at once summoned all the major sects to work together against these powerful foes. None of this was announced earlier to prevent panic.
“Rest assured, with the old Alliance Leader, Silver Gong Xu, and Alliance Leader Cao all present, this crisis is nothing to worry about.”
Wen Chengbi’s words were artful, neither blindly concealing nor denying the situation, which would only have fanned panic or eroded trust among the followers.
Then, he invoked Xu Qi’an.
Ever since the beheading of the incompetent emperor in the capital, Xu Qi’an’s reputation had soared. Among the people, in the jianghu, he had become almost legendary.
He had been hailed as one born for the times, the saviour of the Great Feng.
Since Emperor Yuanjing sank into his obsession with Daoism, his popularity had plummeted, and his image as a incompetent ruler had become deeply rooted. When ordinary people suffered disasters, they instinctively blamed the ruling power.
Historically, many emperors had issued self-reproach edicts in years of calamity to ease public anger.
As expected, the mention that Silver Gong Xu was involved helped allay people’s panic, notably improving the mood of many.
Compared to the legendary, intangible old Alliance Leader, Silver Gong Xu was real, positive, and reassuring.
Wen Chengbi continued,
“Battles at the third rank are beyond ordinary men, the rear mountain are now off limits to all. Please disperse. Return when things have calmed down.”
On the spot, most chose to leave, some to gather their valuables and flee Quanrong Mountain in case of disaster.
But Wen Chengbi knew well that a great many would still try to sneak into the rear mountain by other ways.
Total prevention was impossible. All his words could do was persuade those of lower cultivation to reconsider. Even if the young and reckless pressed on, their elders would hold them back.
…
“Master, I… I want to go and have a look.”
Young Master Liu’s eyes shone, both excited and thrilled, yet tinged with fear.
The middle-aged swordsman glanced at him and said flatly,
“If you want to die, I won’t stop you, it’s a good opportunity for me to pass this sword on to my own son one day.
“You can go to the rear mountain, but only after you’ve escorted the disciples of the Ink Pavilion down the mountain.”
A man who doesn’t even have a wife, talking about a son… Young Master Liu grumbled inwardly. When he saw a glimmer in Miss Rongrong’s eyes as well, it looked like fear, yet also excitement.
A beyond-mortal battle was simply too fatally attractive to the people of the jianghu.
After settling the Ink Pavilion disciples, Young Master Liu followed his master, circling the flanking peak towards the rear mountain. Along the way, they encountered many martial artists with the same aim.
Some charged ahead alone, bold because of their superior skill, while others went as master-disciple pairs.
The middle-aged swordsman said in a deep voice,
“The summit of the southern peak gives a view of the rear mountain. The distance is great, so it should be safe, but I don’t know how powerful third-rank really is. So you must stay beside me at all times, don’t go wandering off. At the first sign of danger, I’ll take you away.”
He was still quite confident in his light martial arts skills.
Young Master Liu was about to reply, when suddenly he saw a streak of golden light shoot down from the sky, smashing toward the rear mountains.
Those martial artists hurrying to the south peak to spectate also looked up, noticing the golden light.
…
“Alliance Leader Cao!!!”
A moment ago, they had been so confident, but now, Yang Cuixue and his companions were utterly terrified.
From the heavens above, one stomp sent the third-rank Cao Qingyang crashing into the earth. The power and horror of the Vajra from the Buddhist sect had completely exceeded the expectations of the Wulin Alliance.
And seeing that ugly Vajra’s relaxed stance, it was as if this was a trivial matter.
So there are differences even among third-ranks… The fourth-rank martial artists like Fu Jingmen couldn’t help but think.
“Ugh ugh…”
From Cao Qingyang’s throat came a sound like a bellows breaking, just like the Azure Dragon that had just died.
A single stomp from the Asura Vajra had gravely wounded his internal organs, his broken ribs had pierced his heart.
Had it not been for the lingering effects of Xu Qi’an’s essence blood, that step would have killed him instantly.
“It’s been centuries since the Central Plains’ jianghu produced a single beyond-mortal. Your talent is impressive.”
The Asura Vajra looked down at Cao Qingyang, nodded slightly in approval, and said,
“If you are willing to convert to Buddhism, I will take you as my disciple personally and teach you the Vajra divine art. Within five years, you could reach third rank and become a Vajra Protector of the Buddhist sect, worshipped by millions in the Western Region.”
The bloodshot eyes of Cao Qingyang stared relentlessly at him in silence.
“My Buddha is merciful, but I am not a Zen Master. My duty is to defend the faith and slay its enemies, unbound by Buddhist precepts.”
The Asura Vajra pressed down harder. With a “crack”, more ribs shattered.
Cao Qingyang’s vision went black. He coughed up a large mouthful of blood, dyeing his chest and the Asura Vajra’s bare, dark-golden foot red.
The Asura Vajra said calmly,
“Cultivation is hard, Benefactor Cao, do not throw your life away. A lifetime’s cultivation such as this is something most people could never achieve over several lifetimes.”
Cao Qingyang laboriously turned his neck and looked toward the stone gate behind him.
The Asura Vajra made a sound of surprise and glanced at the stone gate.
“Buddhism will not force those with reservations. Since you have worldly attachments, I shall remove them for you.”
He withdrew his foot, stopped looking at Cao Qingyang, and strode leisurely toward the stone gate.
…
“Alliance Leader!”
The members of the Wulin Alliance cried out, looking at the Asura Vajra with a mix of terror, rage, and resentment.
This Vajra Protector of the Buddhist sect actually dared, in front of the old alliance leader’s closed-door cultivation retreat and right before their eyes, to convert their Alliance Leader?
How arrogant!
But even so, while they were furious, none dared to put up any real resistance.
For the end result would be Vajra Dufan swatting them aside effortlessly, turning fourth-rank martial artists into meat paste with a slap.
Such behaviour, like a mantis trying to stop a cart, was simply courting death, and not even the most headstrong Fu Jingmen had any bravery to resist.
On the other side, Young Master Liu and his group scrambled to the southern peak and crowded onto the clifftop, gazing into the distance. The scene by the stone wall of the rear mountain came into view.
“Is that Al— Alliance Leader Cao?”
Young Master Liu narrowed his eyes as much as he could, vaguely seeing a dark-golden, towering figure like an iron tower, with someone pinned underfoot.
That person was bloodied, he could barely make out that it was Alliance Leader Cao Qingyang.
His eyesight could not confirm it, so he immediately sought reassurance from his master and the other martial artists.
In their eyes, Young Master Liu saw panic and unease.
It really is Alliance Leader Cao… Young Master Liu did not look away, eyes wide and lips parted, letting shock and horror freely spread over his face.
“Where is Silver Gong Xu?”
Suddenly, a sharp female voice rang out.
“Didn’t they say that Silver Gong Xu was also involved? Why are my Wulin Alliance people the only ones here? Why isn’t Silver Gong Xu present?”
It was a woman from Wanhua Tower, her delicate face was pale.
The one-armed White Tiger shook his head and smiled.
“The Buddhist bad habit of forced conversions… in all these years they’ve never changed.”
“If Cao Qingyang really does convert, will he turn around and take revenge on us?”
Liu Hongmian was more concerned by this.
“No.”
Qihuan Danxiang shook his head and said,
“Converting to Buddhism requires three days of listening to scripture first. After that, even the most vicious villain would only think highly of Buddhism and become devoted.
“Heh, Buddhism calls this ‘the four elements are vanity’.”
At this moment, Jingyuan said indifferently, “Now that Vajra Dufan has appeared, it should be enough to force Xu Qi’an to show himself.”
Meanwhile, the Asura Vajra had already reached the stone gate, his steps steady and powerful, each leaving a deep footprint in the earth.
He was like an unstoppable giant.
But just as the titanic figure drew within three metres of the stone gate, a sudden shimmer of clear light appeared, and a white-robed figure blocked the Vajra’s path.
The man was of average height, average looks, and average disposition, utterly unremarkable, someone who could disappear into any crowd without a trace.
“Arr…”
Sun Xuanji, seeing Cao Qingyang in the distance, seemed as if he wanted to explain.
Cao Qingyang’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he forced out:
“I understand. There’s no need to explain…”
This was the only man who never needed to speak for Cao Qingyang to understand him.
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