In the ancient courtyard of An Kang City, the afternoon sun cast its golden rays, and a gentle breeze carried a faint scent of fish. Dai Mengwei slowly recounted the state of the world, and in the eyes of Lu Zhongming beside him, a light of understanding gradually dawned.

“The Fairness Party… He Wen… They say he came from the Southwest, but whether He Wen and the Southwest are truly of one mind is hard to say. Moreover, even if He Wen himself has some regard for the Southwest and respects Mr. Ning, there are only five people in the current Fairness Party who can speak and be taken seriously, including He Wen. Their recruitment of the people into the army is haphazard, with good and bad mixed together. This is their flaw and their problem…”

“Look at Zou Xu in the Central Plains. When he was in Xuzhou, he only had tens of thousands of soldiers under his command. Once Liu Chengzong led the main force to Liangshan, he became selfish and established his own power. How can the millions of people in the Fairness Party be of one mind with the Black Flag of the Southwest? It's just that the Black Flag's reputation soared after defeating the Jurchens, and the Fairness Party took advantage of that reputation to achieve their goals, tacitly acknowledging this muddle, without speaking it out…”

“In today’s world, the Southwest is undoubtedly strong and prosperous, holding the reins for the time being. But who among those who can raise their own banners doesn’t have a shred of ambition? The Jin region seems close to the Southwest, but could the Lady Chancellor Lou really become a bedfellow of the heart demon? It’s just a joke for those who like to gossip… In Fuzhou in the Southeast, His Majesty is determined to revitalize after his ascension, and outwardly claims to have some connection with Ning Liheng, but if he can truly revitalize the Wu Dynasty one day, will anyone truly be willing to step aside between him and the Black Flag?”

“The Black Flag is number one. Everyone in the world now seeks to establish themselves. After establishing themselves, they seek to be second. And when they truly become second, they will all have to face the problem of fighting with the Black Flag. As long as there is even a slight hint of discord within the Fairness Party, they cannot avoid this hurdle.”

“This disciple understands,” Lu Zhongming said with sincere admiration.

Dai Mengwei continued forward, “He opens the door, wanting to hold a heroes’ gathering, and we should go and show our support. No matter how evil the Fairness Party is, they won’t slap a smiling face at a time like this, right? As long as there is a possibility of cooperation in the future, we should meet and talk now. Moreover, this heroes’ gathering may seem laughable at first glance, but once everyone calms down, all parties in the world will know that this is an opportunity. In the Fairness Party’s territory, you will meet more than just the Fairness Party. This old man believes that anyone with a long-term vision and concern for the Southwest will not miss this event.”

Lu Zhongming nodded. “The martial arts competition on the surface is minor; it’s who goes there in secret that will determine future changes.”

“This matter requires adaptability, and it's not easy to grasp the right balance. That’s why I can only feel at ease if you lead the team,” Dai Mengwei said with a smile. “Go and take a careful look. Perhaps even the Jin region’s Lady Chancellor, who has the best relationship with the Southwest, has secretly sent people there. That would be interesting.”

“This disciple will do his best to explore the true strength beneath the Fairness Party’s five factions. As you said, Master, with millions of people, there will inevitably be conflicting ambitions, and there will be no shortage of people to win over,” Lu Zhongming said. “But with the great war imminent, the matter of grain and provisions in the rear is most sensitive. If this disciple leaves at this time, I’m afraid that among the fellow disciples… there are not many who are skilled in arithmetic…”

Dai Mengwei had been enduring hunger and starvation for a year, and finally managed to grow something. Launching an attack on the Central Plains was a desperate gamble. At the same time, every grain of provision in the rear had been squeezed out. To ensure the smooth operation of the front line, these provisions had to be prevented from being embezzled, the various factions in the army had to be restrained, and at any time, they had to be prepared to suppress mutinies in the rear. In addition, the entire system of collecting and transporting grain was itself a major project that tested competence. If the person in charge had even a little selfishness, it could ultimately endanger Dai Mengwei’s entire power.

“I will personally oversee the grain collection for a period of time. I understand your concerns, so don’t worry about it,” Dai Mengwei said. “In addition, I have made new arrangements for the front lines. Within a year, we will have seven or eight points of certainty to enter Bianliang. When you go east this time, you can use this matter as a premise when discussing important matters with others.”

“There have been major changes on the front lines?”

“It’s not appropriate to say too much about this. You’re going to Jiangning, and I won’t tell you too many details for now. Just watch quietly… But there is another matter related to your trip that I need to tell you about beforehand…”

The master and disciple spoke slowly as they walked through the long eaves. At this time, some of the Green Forest heroes who had participated in last night’s battle and rested slightly in the morning had already arrived at the main hall of this courtyard and gathered inside. Most of these people were originally unruly Green Forest magnates, but they had been brought together by Dai Mengwei’s courtesy. Over the past few months, they had been tempered by Dai Mengwei’s righteous teachings, and some of their original selfish thoughts had been removed. Now they had a semblance of cooperation. Even the top Green Forest magnates could greet each other harmoniously after meeting. After gathering, their formation was no longer the rabble it once was.

The afternoon sun shone into the courtyard. Soon, Dai Mengwei and his disciple Lu Zhongming also walked in.

The old man, revered as a modern-day sage, first took up his crutch and bowed his thanks to everyone in a kindly manner, praising them for their hard work last night and mourning the dead heroes. Then he asked Wei He, Chen Bian, Qiu Changying, and the other leaders to take their seats.

“…Recently, things have reminded me of a hero I met last year. Many of you may have heard of him, or even know him. His name is Xu Yuanzong, and he is a master of spearmanship in Hankou. He could use his spear to shoot down flies within a zhang, hitting every time. Mr. Chen has fought with him, so his memory should be deep.”

Chen Bian on the side cupped his fist. “Brother Xu… died at the hands of a demon. It’s a pity, but also magnificent…”

“This matter is actually my fault,” Dai Mengwei said, looking at everyone in the hall, with pity in his eyes. “At that time, I had just taken over the chaotic situation here, and many things were not handled properly. When I heard that there was such a hero in Hankou, I wrote a letter and sent someone to invite him over. At that time… I didn’t have a deep understanding of the heroes of the Jianghu. I knew he was skilled in martial arts, and it happened to be the time when the Southwest was holding a grand gathering, so I asked him to assassinate… like Hero Zhou. Hero Xu went happily, but whenever I recall this matter, it is a great mistake of mine.”

“Hero Xu sought benevolence and obtained it; how can it be Dai Gong’s fault?”

People in the hall said, “That’s right, Hero Xu sacrificed himself for righteousness, just like Hero Zhou back then…”

“If there is a fault, it lies in the Southwest…”

“May the demon suffer a terrible death…”

As they spoke, Dai Mengwei waved his hand. “Hero Xu sought benevolence and obtained it; that is what a hero does. But my mistake was my narrow-mindedness back then. Everyone, you used to live in one place, practicing martial arts and acting strong, either as heroes or ordinary people. That was not wrong. But in the past year, everyone has been working for the country, so you are no longer just heroes or ordinary people. You should be called national heroes.”

He said, “Everyone here has abandoned past grievances and sectarian views, communicating and exchanging ideas with each other, and thus there is the atmosphere of today. I have studied all my life, but only now do I know the use of national heroes. Back then, Xu Yuanzong responded to my invitation and went to his death generously. He was a national hero, but if I had not been so ignorant and kept him here, communicating and learning with everyone, and even bringing out useful juniors, then the role he played would have been far greater than going to the Southwest to seek righteousness. Just like the clowns and rabble of yesterday, even if they have temporary courage, they will ultimately fail. Xu Yuanzong was a hero, but I was ignorant and foolish. Whenever I think of it, I am ashamed and have nowhere to hide.”

As he said this, he raised his teacup and poured the tea on the ground. Everyone looked at each other, feeling moved in their hearts. For a moment, they lowered their heads in silence, unable to think of anything to say.

After putting down the teacup and remaining silent for a moment, Dai Mengwei said, “Everyone is a national hero, and should be used in the most critical places. Such as staying by this old man’s side, just to protect this old wreck, it's really not right…”

Chen Bian wanted to say something, but Dai Mengwei waved his hand in advance. “But today there is an event that has caused a great stir, a very grand event. I think it is time for everyone to stand up and make a name for yourselves… This event, I believe everyone has heard of it. It is the heroes’ gathering that will be held in Jiangning.”

As he said this, everyone looked at each other, and they were also a little hesitant. After a while, Wei He and others spoke, and they all said that the Jiangning heroes’ gathering was just picking up on other people’s ideas and was a bit ridiculous. Moreover, the Jiangbei war was imminent, and they were all willing to go to the battlefield to kill enemies and contribute to this side.

Dai Mengwei smiled, first praising everyone’s will, and then said, “…But going to Jiangning, on the one hand, is for everyone to be able to represent our side in a dignified manner and make a name for yourselves; on the other hand, everyone represents my good intentions, hoping to bring a proposal to the heroes of the world.”

The old man said, “Since ancient times, the status of Green Forest outlaws has not been high, but whenever the country is in danger, it is the ordinary people who rise up with a surge of enthusiasm to defend the country. Since the Jingping era of the Wu Dynasty, the emphasis on martial arts practitioners has increased somewhat, but in fact, whether it is the Southwest’s number one martial arts competition or the so-called heroes’ gathering that is about to rise in Jiangning, they are just a show put on by those in power for their own reputation, at most to recruit some ordinary people to become soldiers for themselves.”

“Although I am a scholar, I was quite touched by the matter of Xu Yuanzong. I don’t want to hold such a martial arts competition where three or five hundred or three or five thousand people gather together, fighting back and forth to compete for a superficial reputation. I want to create something that truly belongs to everyone in the world of martial arts.”

In the hall, the old man looked at the heroes, paused slightly, and said, “Now everyone in the world knows that our side is about to launch a northern expedition, and the goal is the old capital Bianliang. If this war has no results, then of course everything is out of the question, but if we can really recover Bianliang, and everything is waiting to be rebuilt in the future, I will support everyone in creating the largest-scale martial arts association in Bianliang.”

“This martial arts association is not for everyone to perform and then be stuffed into the army, but to gather heroes from all over the world to communicate, exchange ideas, and improve each other, just like everyone here, mutually improving and no longer having too many sectarian views, so that everyone’s skills can truly be used to resist the Jurchens and defeat those who deviate from the norm, so that all martial arts practitioners in the world can be transformed from ordinary people into national heroes, without losing everyone’s original intention of practicing martial arts.”

“Therefore, everyone’s trip to Jiangning is not to assassinate anyone as a reckless man, nor is it simply to go to the arena to compete and fight fiercely. National heroes should have the actions of national heroes. Everyone’s trip is for a long-term plan, to exchange ideas, to show your magnanimity. For heroes who also have magnanimity and vision, you can invite them to come and participate in this grand event. Of course, we won’t stop anyone who wants to join the Fairness Party…”

“I have also thought about the name of this martial arts association. I originally wanted to call it the Central Plains Martial Arts Association, but after thinking about it, it was still narrow-minded. The Chinese Martial Arts Association is also not good, because it would make people think of the Southwest. Later, I got a name, and it is called—the China Martial Arts Association!”

“…More things will be handled by Zhongming and everyone together.”

Dai Mengwei smiled and said all of this.

The afternoon sun was still bright. The people in the room responded one after another, their hearts already surging.

In the past, when the Wu Dynasty was prosperous, the Imperial Boxing Hall sat in the capital, but even Zhou Tong, the so-called number one person in the world, was not actually valued much by those in power. When the Wu Dynasty declined, on the one hand, there was great external pressure, and on the other hand, Zhu Ji’s martial arts novels were circulating everywhere, and the status of martial arts practitioners had increased somewhat, but overall it still seemed awkward.

The biggest reason for this, of course, was that martial arts practitioners cherished their own skills and could become bandits but could not form an army. After the fall of the Central Plains, large-scale migration of the population led to a wave of so-called northern boxing spreading to the south. In those years, some Jianghu people gathered in Lin’an and created several new sects, but there were no real big figures standing up for this kind of thing on the stage. In the final analysis, they couldn’t fight on the battlefield. Even as scouts, based on the character of these martial arts practitioners, they were uneven in quality. And those who were truly useful could be recruited into the army, so why let them become sects?

The Jurchen’s fourth southward invasion forced the world into even greater disintegration. When Dai Mengwei appeared, he used his reputation and means to concentrate this group of Green Forest people. Under the compulsion of righteousness and reality, these people also put down some face and old customs and began to abide by the rules, listen to orders, and pay attention to cooperation. In this way, their strength was enhanced, but in fact, it was also suppressing their character.

For the sake of righteousness, becoming hounds under Dai Mengwei, or even going to one’s death generously like Xu Yuanzong, some people were willing to do it. But at the same time, who didn’t want to gain both fame and wealth? The Southwest China Army said they were going to hold the number one martial arts competition in the world, but in the end, the choice was still to become a soldier? The same was true in Jiangning. So they didn’t want to go.

But if the “China Martial Arts Association” that Dai Gong spoke of was established, with his status and endorsement, wouldn’t this martial arts association be equivalent to the Imperial Boxing Hall when martial arts practitioners were valued? Even if Zhou Tong was resurrected, he would probably be envious. And they, as the initiators of this matter, might even have their names left in the books in the future.

Thinking about it this way, those who could see the prospects had already become excited…

**************

The same afternoon.

Old Ba, who had a hideous knife scar on his face, Jin Chenghu, and others were engaged in a standoff with the swordsman who had saved them last night in an old house in the south of the city.

The swordsman named You Hongzhu told them his judgment: Dai Mengwei was not an incompetent person. He had quite a grasp of the Green Forest people under his command, and they were not entirely a rabble. And around him, at least within his inner circle, there were some people who could do things. The guards around him were also arranged in an orderly manner, and he could not be considered an ideal assassination target.

“…Moreover, the old dog Dai has done many bad things, but he has covered them up on the surface… If we kill this Dai now, it will only help him to become famous.”

After exploring Dai Mengwei’s territory for several months, You Hongzhu had learned a lot of inside information. He also knew that these Old Ba, Jin Chenghu, and others had been framed by Dai Mengwei, so he explained these things one by one. He also told them some of the ideas he had gotten from the China Army. Who knew that upon hearing about the China Army, Old Ba would become furious.

“…You saved me, Old Ba, so I can’t say you’re a bad person. But speaking of that China Army, it’s not a good thing either—”

“…Back then, when we resisted the Jurchens, everyone talked about righteousness. I also followed righteousness and put all my brothers and sisters in danger! Dai Mengwei had ulterior motives, and a group of us were tricked by him. I, Old Ba, will never live under the same sky as him in this life. But I will always remember that back then, the China Army defeated the Jurchen Western Route Army, right in Hanzhong. As long as he made a move, he could have killed Dai Mengwei, but Ning Yi said high-sounding words and just wouldn’t make a move—”

“…Others say he was an ordinary man who was angry and killed the emperor, but in my opinion, what Mr. Ning? He’s also a coward—”

“…In the past year or so, Dai Mengwei has been here and killed many of my brothers. You don’t know this. But how many people has he harmed here! How hypocritical he is! This brother, you know it too. You tell me to bear it. What about those who have died and are dying—”

“…I, Old Ba, don’t know about gradual plans. I don’t know about the great principles that Mr. Ning speaks of. I only know that I want to save people, and killing Dai Mengwei is saving people—”

“…I don’t want to wait for Mr. Ning to come and save people. By the time he comes, how many people who shouldn’t have died will already be dead… None of these big shots at the top are good people, because they are never on the same side as us small people—”

You Hongzhu tilted his head and looked at the scarred man in front of the table, roaring and spitting.

“I’m not saying whether Dai Mengwei should die or not, but what if you really can’t kill him?”

“Back then, when Hero Zhou assassinated Nianhan, was he sure he could kill him? In the past, what I, Old Ba, did was kill people for money. I didn’t know that the brothers and sisters around me had been killed by Dai Mengwei, so I failed a few times. But as long as he lives, I will kill him—”

In the old house, You Hongzhu looked at this man who was a little hysterical. He was ugly, his face was scarred, his clothes were tattered, his hair was sparse, and when he spoke of Dai Mengwei and the China Army, his eyes were filled with blood… He finally sighed.

Jin Chenghu on the side sent him out. “Brother, are you from the China Army?”

“I have exchanged skills with people from the China Army, and I admire and respect them, but I have not joined the army. To tell the truth, I was once confused by what he was thinking…” You Hongzhu looked back. “But he will kill you…”

“He is only like this occasionally and can’t control himself,” Jin Chenghu said. “In the past year, Dai Mengwei has been chasing us closely. In one battle, he took a knife to the head to save a brother. Although he was lucky enough to survive, he is difficult to control when it comes to Dai Mengwei and the China Army. When it comes to making assassination arrangements, he can actually be calm, but the people around Dai Mengwei are getting harder and harder to deal with…”

Speaking of this, he paused. “Brother, your swordsmanship is superb, and you know the evil deeds that Dai Mengwei has done. Why not help us kill Dai Mengwei as soon as possible?”

“…It’s difficult, and it may not be beneficial.”

“…Beneficial to whom? Some people will die today, and some people will die tomorrow. They are killed by Dai Mengwei. What about their benefits?”

You Hongzhu looked at Jin Chenghu in front of him. This person should have had a fierce face in the past, but now he only had a thin face covered with dust and scars. He also had some answers he could say at this time, but he opened his mouth and finally said nothing.

Jin Chenghu had already cupped his fist and smiled. “In any case, thank you for your kindness today. If we can meet again in the Jianghu in the future, we will repay you.”

You Hongzhu nodded and left this courtyard.

That night, he remembered the scene when he first entered the Jianghu on the nearby rooftop. At that time, he had experienced the betrayal of his fourth brother Kuang Wenbai, saw that his eldest brother, who acted righteously, was actually raising money for Wang Juyun’s rebellious teacher, and also experienced the filth of the Great Bright Religion. When the prestigious China Army laid out in the Jin region and overturned the Tiger King regime with a flip of the hand, it actually brought about a wave of chaos. He didn’t know who was a good person, and in the end, he only chose to travel the Jianghu alone and adhere to his own heart.

Now that he had seen more, he could certainly say that it would be best for the China Army to handle it for most people, but what about Old Ba and Jin Chenghu, who were in it? The China Army’s “good” was indeed meaningless to them.

The only truth about human affairs is that it is incomplete.

**************

That night, You Hongzhu sat on the roof for half the night. The next day, he disguised himself slightly, left An Kang City, and took the land route east, embarking on a journey to Jiangning.

He had left the Jin region last year, just planning to see the Southwest and then go back. Who knew that he would be appreciated by a great master of the China Army, and after verifying his identity in the Jin region, he was arranged to be a sparring partner within the China Army for several months, and his martial arts greatly improved. After the training was completed, he left the Southwest and spent several months in Dai Mengwei’s territory to gather information, which could be regarded as an act of repaying his gratitude.

At this time, things were coming to an end, and then news of the Jiangning heroes’ gathering came out. He had no desire for arena competitions, but when he heard that Lin Zongwu, the number one person in the world, and his disciples would participate, he finally became moved. Several years ago, he had seen that fat monk of the Great Bright Religion once when he was seriously injured. At that time, he only felt that the martial arts of this number one person in the world were unfathomable. But now, he had successively experienced training under masters such as Shi Jin and Lu Hongti, and had also experienced half a year of the China Army’s iron-blooded training. He was already excited about the feeling after seeing that number one person in the world again.

At the same time, the Fairness Party was opening its doors to welcome guests this time. What kind of things would happen in Jiangning? As a member of the Jin region, it was very necessary for him to go and see for himself. After seeing the situation clearly in Jiangning, it would be good to go back and see Lady Chancellor Lou, Shi Jin, and others again. Just like his exploration in Dai Mengwei’s territory, this information was always very useful.

…

Ning Ji stayed in An Kang City for two more days. During this time, he secretly observed the defense situation in some suspicious places on the west side of the city. The final conclusion was actually similar to You Hongzhu’s.

Assassinating Dai Mengwei was very difficult.

On the other hand, he didn’t have any evidence of Dai Mengwei’s evil deeds for the time being. Taking such a big risk and having to kill that old man seemed unreasonable.

In the end, he could only give up in disappointment.

On June 23, he and the five Confucian scholars, Wang Xiuniang and her father, boarded a merchant ship heading east and went down the Han River…

…

Several days later.

Lu Zhongming and others set off from An Kang and embarked on a journey to Jiangning. At this time, they had already compiled a series of plans for the “China Martial Arts Association,” and the information on many Jianghu magnates was already being explored and perfected.

They even carried several personal letters from Dai Mengwei. For great masters such as Lin Zongwu, they would try to persuade them to invite the other party to Bianliang to serve as the first president of the China Martial Arts Association.

…

Ding Songnan, who was preparing for the war, also sent a team shortly after returning, setting off for Jiangning. At this moment, Zou Xu, who had gone to the Jin region, had already begun to cross the Yellow River south with some of the military supplies.

Xue Guangcheng in the Jin region had once seen Zou Xu, and then he endlessly protested and questioned the Lady Chancellor’s mansion. Lou Shuwan was not ambiguous and quarreled with Xue Guangcheng without giving way, even throwing an inkstone at him. Although Lou Shuwan said that “Xue Guangcheng and Hou Wu colluded with each other and were extremely arrogant,” but in fact, when Hou Wu came to help, she still forcibly scolded both of them away.

“It is only women and villains who are difficult to deal with—”

“Shrew—shrew—”

Xue Guangcheng’s roar could be heard in almost half the city.

Lou Shuwan turned her head and complained to Zou Xu, raising the price. Zou Xu also smiled bitterly and was slaughtered, saying things like “Mr. Ning likes… no, admires you the most” to make her happy. The two got along quite harmoniously. So much so that when Zou Xu left, Lou Shuwan waved her hand and smiled extremely gently. “Remember to win.”

“Yes! I will definitely not let Aunt Lou down!” Zou Xu saluted and promised.

After Zou Xu left, Lou Shuwan divided 10% of the profits to the China Army here. Because she felt that she had been divided too little, and suspected that the Jin region was falsifying the accounts, the two sides quarreled with each other again.

Everyone in the world has their own choices.

In early July, autumn arrived.

On this day, there were still many people lined up to enter the Jianmen Pass.

A man with a thin figure and slightly sunken cheeks, wearing the same standard single garment as the others, was slowly moving forward in the line. He stared, looking around, his eyes seemed to contain infinite curiosity. When he passed the gate of the pass, he looked up at the high city gate like a child, making a “wow…” sound.

At the city gate registration office, he wrote his name with difficulty. The on-duty veteran could see the inconvenience in his hands: the flesh and some of the nails at the tips of his ten fingers had grown distorted. This was the trace of his fingers being tortured, after being forcibly pulled out.

Since he was followed by two plainclothes soldiers, the veteran did not make too many inquiries, but saluted him.

He walked in the team entering the mountain, his speed was a little slow, because after entering the mountain, he could often see stone tablets on the roadside. The stone tablets recorded the battle situation with the Jurchens, or the names of the martyrs who sacrificed in a certain area. Every time he walked a distance, he had to stop and look at it. He even wanted to reach out and touch the words on the stone tablet, but he was stopped by the red armband on duty next to him.

“Oh, oh, sorry, sorry…”

He apologized quickly. Because he looked weak, kind, and easy to bully, the other party did not continue to scold him.

In the mountains in July, the leaves were a little yellow, and when the wind blew, it made a rustling sound.

The mountain road was full of people walking and mules and horses passing through. The voices of people maintaining order and scolding were gathered together. There were so many people that not many people noticed the appearance of this ordinary “returnee” in the crowd…