Chapter 1 The Beginning
Wang Chongyang, despite traveling day and night, felt his lightness skill inferior to hers. Moreover, having departed three days later, he found no trace of her along the road to Nanyang. Before leaving, he had inquired with Sun Bole about the deployment of Jin troops and the current situation of the Dark Swordsmen. After careful consideration, he resolved to head north to Kaifeng Prefecture to investigate Wu Nanyong, who was colluding with Chong Yuwu and held a grudge against her. He surmised that the Wu woman was directly involved in the internal strife at Youxu Cave. Should the Jin nation invade south, her influence would be significant. Obtaining useful intelligence from there would then allow him to plan his actions in Liaodong. He had originally intended to take a northeastern route from Nanyang, but upon hearing that the Caizhou army had annexed the Yingzhou New Army and was growing in strength, he couldn't resist a desire to scout the area, given that they would be a primary force if the Jin nation invaded south. Thus, he changed his course westward.
The night rain poured heavily. Wang Chongyang took refuge in a Buddhist temple and found two people already inside the main hall. He hid behind the King of Heavenly Kings statue, seeking "safety in numbers." The two were conversing animatedly, seemingly unaware of his presence. "Really? Really?" one asked excitedly, repeatedly. The other replied, "A warmth in the chest, no matter how great the external force, it dissolves like snow melting in a stove, becoming formless." As Wang Chongyang tidied his damp clothes, he overheard this and recalled Gong Liang's absurd theory, prompting him to listen intently. The first person then said with regret, "Alas, rumor has it that those who were fortunate enough to learn this wondrous method all perished in the Haizhou incident. And that god-like beggar has vanished without a trace." Wang Chongyang was curious. How could these two know of it if those involved were either dead or missing? Could it be that Gong Liang had spread the word? The person speaking later said, "Therefore, this is an extremely rare opportunity! The cousin of one of those who learned this method spent considerable effort to locate the whereabouts of this scripture. And I managed to find out through every possible means. Brother Chi, if not for our years of partnership, I wouldn't share this even for a fortune in gold. Haha, once we've mastered it, we'll have nothing to fear in our future dealings." Wang Chongyang thought this man was likely deceiving others, and also that they were no good sorts. If such a method existed in the world for them to learn, it would surely bring disaster. "Thank you! Thank you!" the man named Chi said, "Brother Luo, the estate of the founding duke is a relic of the Liang Dynasty, and it seems not easy to find." The man named Luo replied, "No matter, I have my ways. The rain has stopped, and we've rested enough. Let's hurry on our way."
After the two left, Wang Chongyang sat in meditation to regulate his breathing. Once the rain subsided, he set off again towards Caizhou. Before dawn, he passed a small shop at the entrance of a village. The two women inside were busy preparing steamed buns for sale at the morning market. One of them caught sight of him and busied herself to invite him in. Having not eaten since the previous night and drawn by the aroma of the freshly made buns, Wang Chongyang decided to grab a quick meal and replenish his supplies while the shop was empty. Just as he sat down, a crashing sound came from outside the shop, the sound of something collapsing. The women busy with the buns rushed out to investigate, and Wang Chongyang, worried about the first woman, followed behind. It turned out that the outer fence had collapsed under the pressure of heavy objects, scattering bags of goods and firewood all over the ground. The first woman lowered her head, while the women making buns shot her a glare before turning back into the shop. Wang Chongyang watched as she desperately tried to drag and push the scattered items, her figure struggling to tidy up. He couldn't help but be reminded of Lin Chaoying facing adversity alone, and a surge of pity welled up within him. He approached her and said, "Let me help you." The woman politely refused, "I am merely earning a living, how could I..." Wang Chongyang knew she misunderstood and said, "It's just a little help, no need for repayment. You go tend to other things, and I'll have it all sorted out." The woman bowed repeatedly to thank him, and Wang Chongyang urged her to stay away to avoid being bumped. Just then, four men approached. One of them eyed them dismissively and lewdly said, "Young lady, don't be so intimate. Look, there are four gentlemen waiting for you." The other three joined in with strange laughter. The woman immediately invited them into the shop. Wang Chongyang heard the laughter, turned his head, and caught a glimpse. He recognized the person speaking as the sect leader of Jing Tian Men.
This person was none other than An Rongxun. The one speaking was a captain under him, Peng Tingyong, the cousin of his wife. His wife's uncle, the Right Protector Peng Jiazheng, sat to his left. After the woman finished attending to Peng Tingyong's instructions and left, he asked the person to his right, "Are you certain?" This person was Xiao Ziru, recommended to Peng Tingyong by the subordinate Peng Yangwang. With his meticulous mind and glib tongue, he had helped Peng Tingyong eliminate his rivals—the faction of another captain, Yu Dianyong—and was swiftly promoted to a leading position, gaining this opportunity to act with the sect leader. Xiao Ziru nodded and replied, "The former site of the Mingming Institute is indeed the estate of the founding duke of the Later Liang Dynasty. However, the owner at that time only occupied a portion to rebuild, so the original palaces and pavilions had long been in ruins. It will take some time to find it." Peng Tingyong stated, "Even if we have to level the entire Ma Ren陂, we will find this scripture." Xiao Ziru said, "The wondrous method for healing and refining the body is only a part of this scripture; there should be even more profound martial arts secrets within." Peng Jiazheng turned to An Rongxun and whispered, "If we learn these extraordinary skills, we will no longer fear the coercion of that Wu woman." An Rongxun understood in his heart that the coercion was due to her wealth, not her martial prowess. Yet, he thought, if he could master divine skills, why worry about the lack of wealth? After devouring the food they were served, Xiao Ziru sensed the sect leader's urgency to travel and paid the bill. An Rongxun immediately rose from his seat, and the Peng uncle and nephew had no choice but to follow.
Although they were sitting inside the shop, close to the entrance, Wang Chongyang amplified his internal energy and heard their entire conversation. After leaving the small shop, although he had decided to continue towards Caizhou, he still hesitated: this was clearly a trap, designed to provoke infighting among the martial arts community. It was undoubtedly the Wu woman who, using some stratagem from Youxu Cave, had fabricated a so-called wondrous scripture, intending to weaken the anti-Jin forces... Even Sect Leader An had fallen for it, which showed the power of this rumor. He stopped and closed his eyes, scenes of bloody conflict flashing through his mind, with the talented individuals of the Song Dynasty falling dead and injured! He opened his eyes, as if seeing Lin Chaoying helplessly facing an onslaught from her fellow disciples, and he might have been able to help from the side.
During his journey, stopping and starting along the way, Wang Chongyang noticed that the villages, country roads, and forests were all patrolled or guarded by Jin soldiers. He thought he had arrived at a timely moment. Thus, he followed one small squad and was indeed led to a military camp hidden on a hillside. The camp was meticulously arranged and disciplined. It happened to be the shift change period, so Wang Chongyang took the opportunity to steal a soldier's uniform and put it on, moving cautiously within the camp. He eyed three regimental commanders, observing their demeanor as if they had something to report to their superiors. He followed them through the trees and saw a main general's tent. Skirting around to its rear, he heard them enter the tent to pay their respects. One of them reported first, saying, "Today, the Jing Tian Men from the west and the Niudao Gang and Baye Gang from the east are heading towards Ma Ren陂." Another continued his report, saying, "The reinforcements sent to Ma Ren陂 have reported ready. The troops stationed there are now sufficient, and any gang, even a single martial artist, can track them once they find the first brocade pouch." The general then commanded, "We are only responsible for monitoring the route and must not act rashly. Once they find the map within the second brocade pouch according to the first one, notify the Dark Swordsmen to intercept and kill them." The third regimental commander spoke at this point, saying, "With the acquisition of the wondrous method of 'taking hits without injury,' our army will be even more formidable." The general snorted and dismissed the three.
Wang Chongyang dismissed his assumption that the Jin were orchestrating a scheme to incite infighting among the martial artists. Instead, he deduced: that beggar respected the righteous individuals of Haizhou and imparted his techniques to prevent them from suffering severe internal injuries during their struggles, even informing them of the path to find the hidden books to strengthen their forces. How could he allow the good intentions of a remarkable person to be turned into a butcher's knife for the loyal officials of the Song Dynasty? He had to stop the Jin soldiers' plot to seize the books and also inform everyone so they could take precautions. He suddenly wondered what unique insight she would have if she were here. A trace of guilt surfaced in his heart, and he resolved that after revealing the Jin soldiers' plot, he would leave immediately, without any delay or participation in the search. You have to wait for me!