Snow had stopped falling for several days, and the air within Wozhou City was permeated with a chilling cold. The streets and houses were a mix of black, white, and gray. Under the eaves along the roads, people with sleeve covers squatted, watching passersby come and go. White mist emanated from their nostrils. Few spoke loudly, and the gazes that occasionally met on the road were mostly apprehensive and fearful.

Some families had already packed their carts and horses, preparing to leave. Under a tree ahead, a child sobbed, while the child waving goodbye from the doorway across the street was also in tears. Young lovers, unsure of the future, met in narrow alleys. Most merchants had closed their doors, and martial artists from the Green Forest hurried about, unsure where to go to help.

This was a scene of turmoil. Shi Jin had first witnessed it more than a decade ago, and now he felt it with even greater emotion. This feeling made him despair of the world, yet there was always something he couldn't let go of. Arriving at the Great Brightness Sect's branch temple, the noise grew louder. Inside were the shouts of the monk soldiers practicing martial arts, and outside were the monks lecturing and the crowds of believers packed along half the street, all seeking the blessings of the Buddha.

Dressed in a cotton-padded jacket, Shi Jin looked like a farmer from the countryside, but the long bundle on his back hinted at his Green Forest origins. He headed towards the back door, where a well-dressed man with refined features greeted him, bowing and paying his respects: "The Dragon King has arrived, please come in."

Shi Jin silently entered.

The monk soldiers practicing martial arts in front of the temple shouted "Ha! Ha!", creating an imposing display, but it was merely a spectacle for the ignorant commoners. Those gathered in the back were the true experts who had come with Lin Zongwu. Under the eaves and in the courtyard, whether monks or laymen, young or old, most had sharp eyes. Some cast glances over, while others sparred in the courtyard.

The *Jianghu* appeared casual, but in reality, it had many rules and formalities. Lin Zongwu was now the foremost expert in the land, and those gathered under his command were mostly heroes and powerful figures in their own right. Ordinary people wanting to enter this courtyard had to undergo a trial and assessment. Attitudes and treatment varied depending on the individual.

While scholars valued humility, martial artists were much more direct. They practiced their skills and sought respect. If their skills were good, they wouldn't accept less respect, and they always had to earn it themselves. However, Shi Jin was already beyond this category. Some recognized this farmer-like man and stood aside respectfully. Others asked in hushed tones and quietly retreated, watching from a distance. Among them, the young had arrogant eyes, while the middle-aged dared not be disrespectful. The older one got in the *Jianghu*, the smaller one's courage became – actually, it wasn't that their courage diminished, but they had seen more and understood more, and no longer had unrealistic fantasies.

After passing through two such courtyards, he entered a garden with blossoming plum trees. The pond hadn't yet frozen, and there was a pavilion on the water. Lin Zongwu greeted him from there: "Dragon King, I was delayed by some matters. Forgive me for not welcoming you sooner."

"Sect Leader Lin," Shi Jin simply cupped his fist slightly in greeting.

Shi Jin didn't like Lin Zongwu. The man was ambitious and unscrupulous. The Great Brightness Sect only sought expansion, bewitched people's minds, and its good-for-nothing disciples had committed many heinous acts. But from the Green Forest's perspective, he was merely an ambitious overlord. He appeared magnanimous and benevolent, and acted with some restraint on a personal level. Back then, Song Jiang, Big Brother Song of Liangshan, was no different.

Originally, Shi Jin only sought righteousness and joined Liangshan, but the more he saw, especially after carefully considering Grandmaster Zhou's life, he realized that Liangshan was a wrong path. But after more than a decade in this world of unclear rights and wrongs, he wouldn't turn against Lin Zongwu because of such dislike. As for the competition in Zezhou last year, although he was beaten to the point of spitting blood, it was a fair duel, and he was simply not as skilled. He was open and honorable and didn't take it to heart.

After exchanging greetings, Lin Zongwu led Shi Jin to the pavilion where tea had already been prepared, saying things like "It's so difficult to invite the Dragon King." When they reached the table, he turned around and formally cupped his fist in greeting.

"Lin has heard about Wang Gan's matter. Dragon King defeated six hundred with thirty men and saved the elderly and weak in the whole village. Dragon King is a true hero, accept a bow from Lin."

As the foremost expert in the land, he acted with such humility that other Green Forest members would probably be immediately captivated. Shi Jin merely watched, cupping his fist in return: "I heard that Sect Leader Lin has news of that Mu Anping. Shi Jin is here for this, and hopes that Sect Leader Lin will be generous enough to tell me."

"... Please sit down first." Lin Zongwu looked at him for a moment, then smiled and spread his hands. The two sat down in the pavilion, and Lin Zongwu said: "The Eight-Armed Dragon King is compassionate. Back then, he led Red Peak Mountain against the Jurchens, and everyone who mentioned it gave him a thumbs up. The last time you and I met was in Zezhou. At that time, I saw that there was a knot between your eyebrows, and I originally thought it was because of the turmoil at Red Peak Mountain. But seeing you again today, I know that Dragon King is suffering for the common people."

Shi Jin listened to him rambling and thought, "I'll be damned." He casually replied, "What makes you say that?"

"If it were really for Red Peak Mountain, Dragon King would have led people back to kill them. Why would you wander around Wozhou for over a year? I heard that Dragon King was originally looking for that Mu Anping, but then couldn't help but go back and forth for the Jurchen matter. And now Dragon King has a deathly look on his face, an image of seeking death from loathing the world. Presumably, with monks droning on, Dragon King is thinking, 'What bullshit are you spouting'..."

Lin Zongwu smiled kindly and pushed a cup of tea over. Shi Jin picked it up, pondered for a moment, and said, "I came for that Mu Anping. If Sect Leader Lin has any information about this child, please tell me."

Lin Zongwu nodded: "I also have some doubts about this child and would like to ask Dragon King for advice. At the beginning of July, because of some things, I came to Wozhou. At that time, Master Tian of the Weishan Hall hosted a banquet for me. On the evening of July 3rd, something happened..."

The weather was cold, and the mist from the hot tea in the pavilion curled upwards. Lin Zongwu solemnly recounted that great battle that night, a mysterious beginning leading to a mysterious end.

"... Walking in the *Jianghu*, sometimes you get mixed up in things inexplicably and end up smashing the place. It's a joke... I later ordered my men to investigate in secret, and after some time, I learned the ins and outs of this matter. A constable named Mu Yi had his wife killed and his child taken away. He was hysterical, the monks had no way out, Tian Weishan deserved to die, and that Tan Lu deserved to be killed the most."

Lin Zongwu paused: "I learned that this Mu Yi was old friends with Dragon King a few days ago. During this period, I heard that a great expert was sending messages all the way about the Jurchens going south, and later died in battle in the Yueping Barracks. It was said that he broke into the camp, but actually, this man was a grandmaster and sought death more than anything. Later, it was confirmed that this person was the constable Mu. He probably didn't want to live because of his wife and children..."

He said here, reached out and poured a cup of tea, looking at the mist on the tea: "Dragon King, I don't know what the background of this Mu Yi is."

"... The man is already dead," Shi Jin said. "Even if Sect Leader Lin knows, what's the use?"

Lin Zongwu smiled complexly: "Dragon King is probably a little misunderstood. This competition was muddled, but this seat claims to be the foremost expert in martial arts. Matters of martial arts competition don't necessarily require finding fault afterward. It's just... Dragon King, what do you think Lin seeks in this life?"

Shi Jin quietly drank a cup of tea: "Shi Jin admires Sect Leader Lin's martial arts."

"Yes." Lin Zongwu smiled wryly. He paused: "Lin is fifty-eight this year. In front of others, Lin likes to talk big, but it would be looked down upon if I talk like that in front of Dragon King. This monk, all his life, isn't pure of the six senses, and has many desires, but what he seeks most deeply is the reputation of being the foremost expert in martial arts."

The large monk took a sip of tea: "When this monk was young, he thought he was highly skilled in martial arts, but Fang La, Fang Qifo, Liu Dabiao and others were geniuses, and in the north was Zhou Tong, sitting in the Imperial Boxing Hall, invincible throughout the land. The Holy Sect was usurped by Fang La, and my senior sister and junior brother and I had to hide. By the time my martial arts were accomplished, Liu Dabiao had already died, and Fang La and Fang Qifo fought for the world and were defeated in Hangzhou. By the time I reorganized and wanted to have a competition with the foremost expert in martial arts, Zhou Zongshi, to prove myself, alas... At that time, Zhou Tong was almost eighty. He didn't want to fight with juniors like me, and I also felt that even if I found him, what could I do? Defeating him would be an unworthy victory. Not long after, he went to assassinate Wanyan Zonghan and died."

"... From then on, I could never snatch the title of number one in the world from him." Lin Zongwu sighed regretfully in the pavilion. After a moment, he turned his gaze to Shi Jin: "I later heard that Dragon King followed Zhou Zongshi when he assassinated Wanyan Zonghan, and even received guidance from Zhou Zongshi. From Dragon King's point of view, how was Zhou Zongshi's martial arts?"

Shi Jin looked at him: "You are not Zhou Zongshi's opponent."

Lin Zongwu clapped his hands and nodded: "That's probably true. Now, looking back on the demeanor of our predecessors, I yearn for it. It's a pity that I didn't get to see him when he was alive. This is one of the biggest regrets in Lin's life."

He sighed regretfully, stood up from his seat, and looked at the eaves and sky in the distance.

"If it had been before, Lin wouldn't have been willing to admit this," he said. "However, in July, Mu Yi's spear technique amazed Lin. There were traces of Zhou Zongshi's spear technique in Mu Yi's spear technique, so after that, Lin has been inquiring about this person's affairs. Brother Shi, the deceased is gone, but we can still remember them in our hearts. This person's martial arts were so high that he was by no means an unknown person. Please tell Dragon King this person's identity, so that Lin can resolve a doubt in his heart."

Shi Jin looked at him for a long time, and then said: "This person is my brother on Liangshan, one of Zhou Zongshi's disciples in the Imperial Boxing Hall, and the 'Leopard Head' Lin Chong, who once served as the 800,000 Imperial Army Instructor. This brother of mine was originally from a good family, but was later harmed by the treacherous Gao Qiu, his family was destroyed, and he was forced to go to Liangshan..."

The cold wind outside howled through the courtyard. Shi Jin began to tell the story of his Big Brother Lin's life, from being forced to go to Liangshan to reuniting with Zhou Tong and being expelled from his master's school, to those years of seclusion, and then forming a family, which was again destroyed... He had been anxious about so many things these days, and had trouble sleeping at night. At this time, the bloodshot eyes were accumulating, and when he talked about Lin Chong, the redness in his eyes was unknown whether it was blood or faint tears.

"Heaven and earth are unkind." Lin Zongwu nodded slightly as he listened to these things, and then let out a sigh. Only in this way could he know where the madness and determination to die in Lin Chong's spear technique came from. After Shi Jin finished speaking, the courtyard was quiet for a long time before Shi Jin said again:

"Now Big Brother Lin is dead, and the only bloodline he left in the world is Anping. Grandmaster Lin called me here, saying that he has news about the child. If it wasn't to amuse Shi Jin, Shi Jin would thank you."

Lin Zongwu looked at him silently for a moment, as if making an important decision. After a moment, he said: "Brother Shi is looking for the whereabouts of Mu Anping, and Lin is also looking for the ins and outs of this matter. However, the matter has happened for a long time, and Tan Lu... has not been found. However, that Qi family son who committed the crime has recently been caught back, and Lin has ordered people to detain him. He is now being held in the private prison in Wozhou City."

He took out a token and pushed it towards Shi Jin: "The first house at the intersection of Huangmu Lane is the Rong Family Martial Arts Hall. Brother Shi can go and ask for someone later. However... Lin has asked, and I'm afraid he doesn't know the whereabouts of that Tan Lu."

"That's enough, thank you Sect Leader Lin..." Shi Jin's voice was extremely low. He took the token, and although he was still sitting as before, the murderous aura and ferocity in his eyes had already accumulated. Lin Zongwu pushed a cup of tea towards him: "Is Dragon King still willing to listen to Lin's words?"

"Sect Leader, please speak."

"Brother Shi can't let go of the people in this world." Lin Zongwu smiled. "Even if he is now full of the whereabouts of that Mu Anping, he still can't let go of the danger of the Jurchens coming south. This monk... is not a good person, and has many desires in his heart, desires for power and fame, but in general, Dragon King, my Great Brightness Sect's actions are blameless in the important principles. Lin once raised troops to resist the Jin ten years ago, and the Great Brightness Sect has always taken resisting the Jin as its mission. Now that the Jurchens are coming, Wozhou is difficult to defend, and this monk is going to fight the Jurchens. Brother Shi should also know that once the war is fierce and dangerous, Dragon King will definitely go up to the city walls in Wozhou. Brother Shi is good at using troops, killing six hundred of Wang Gan's men with only thirty brothers... Lin asked Brother Shi to come here for this matter."

He said: "More than ten years ago, when I learned that Zhou Zongshi had assassinated Wanyan Zonghan and died, I knew in my heart that I could no longer prove the reputation of the best in the world with him. At that time, I established the Great Brightness Sect, with hundreds of thousands of believers under my command. If I go to assassinate Wanyan Zonghan again, it would be difficult to avoid being laughed at by the world. So I led my believers north, but unfortunately there were many Green Forest experts under my command, and too few people who understood military strategy. Brother Shi, the world is unkind and people are suffering, but if you want to change everything, the martial arts of one or two people are of no use."

"...I know that the turmoil at Red Peak Mountain has caused Dragon King to have many doubts in his heart, but for the sake of the peace of the world for future generations, big and small things can only be endured... Lin is thinking, if Brother Shi has time, can he come to my Great Brightness Sect and help manage these younger ones below? If we resist the Jin, you and I can fight side by side. If Brother Shi has other places to go afterward, whether you want to travel alone in the world or want to take back Red Peak Mountain, Lin promises that he will never force you to stay at that time. Between you and me, there will always be brotherhood."

After he finished speaking these words, he poured tea for Shi Jin. Shi Jin was silent for a long time, then nodded, stood up, and cupped his hands: "Let me think about it."

"Of course you have to consider it." Lin Zongwu stood up and spread his hands with a smile. Shi Jin thanked him again, and Lin Zongwu said: "Although my Great Brightness Sect is mixed with dragons and snakes, there are many people after all. I am still inquiring about Tan Lu's news, and I will definitely inform Brother Shi as soon as there are results."

As he said this, he sent Shi Jin out of the courtyard, and after returning, he sighed in a low voice. Wang Nantuo was already waiting here: "I didn't expect that person to be Zhou Tong's disciple. After experiencing such evil things, no wonder he risked his life to see people. His wife and children were separated and his family was destroyed, so I didn't lose unjustly."

In the great battle in July, Wang Nantuo lost an arm and was almost killed on the spot by Lin Chong. It's just that he usually acts without distinguishing between good and evil, and now that he's been involved in this kind of nonsense, even if his martial arts have greatly declined, his attitude is still considered straightforward.

"It's a pity that this Dragon King ultimately has grievances against my sect's actions and is unwilling to be recruited by me."

"Why didn't senior brother tell him frankly about saving Mu Anping. If we save Lin Chong's only bloodline, Shi Jin would definitely be grateful, and if we mention joining the sect at that time, he probably wouldn't refuse."

Lin Zongwu shook his head: "Shi Jin is different from others. He would rather be shattered jade than a whole tile in the important principles. Even if I give the child to him, he will only repay my favor privately and will not join the sect - what I want is his ability to lead troops, I want him to be sincerely convinced, what is the use of giving me a life privately?"

The fat monk paused: "The important principles are played out in the place of important principles. Once the north opens, Shi Jin can't leave. If there is friendship on the battlefield, it will be much easier to mention these things again. Do the things first, and then let him see the child, that is the real taking of his heart... If he is there, the tens of thousands of people in Red Peak Mountain now are also a strong army. At that time, he will want to take it back."

Wang Nantuo nodded, and then said: "But at that time, when the two meet, if the child speaks, won't Shi Jin know that you lied to him?"

"I have decided to accept Mu Anping as a disciple, and Dragon King will think clearly." Lin Zongwu put his hands behind his back and smiled faintly, "Zhou Tong ah Zhou Tong, I will never have a relationship with him, among his disciples, Fu Lu has obtained the true inheritance, and is probably guarding Zhou Tong's grave, I guess it is very difficult to find. Yue Pengju, General Yue... is burdened with military affairs, and it is impossible to verify the martial arts with me again. I will accept this disciple and give him the true inheritance, and when his name shakes the world in the future, my fate with Zhou Tong can also be considered to be accomplished, a circle."

Speaking of this, he nodded: "... There is an explanation."

It was so quiet for a moment, Lin Zongwu walked to the tea table in the pavilion, turned back and asked: "By the way, how is Yan Chuxiang?"

"He Yungang has just returned from Gaizhou, not so good." Wang Nantuo hesitated for a moment, "Yan Chuxiang and the Gaizhou branch may have sided with that woman."

As soon as these words fell, Lin Zongwu's face showed a fierce look. He heard a bang, and stone powder splashed on the pillars of the nearby pavilion. It turned out that he had punched the stone pillar with his hand, and there was a bowl-sized gap in the stone pillar.

Last year, there was infighting in the territory of King Jin, and Lin Zongwu took the opportunity to run to Lou Shuwan to trade and negotiated the right to preach the Great Brightness Sect. At the same time, Lou Shuwan was also portrayed as a Xuan Nu who descended to earth and shared the power within the territory of King Jin with her. Who knew that more than a year had passed, and the crazy woman was both uniting and combining and improving the methods of bewitching people, and now she had attracted most of the Great Brightness Sect's forces. Even the Great Brightness Sect members outside the territory of King Jin knew that there was a Xuan Nu who had descended to earth with good leadership, and that they would not worry about food if they followed her. Since then, Lin Zongwu knew that the world was dangerous, and that the power struggles in the big pattern were much more dangerous than the bumps and bumps in the *Jianghu*.

However, the basic plate of the Great Brightness Sect was still not small, and Lin Zongwu had been ups and downs in his life and would not fall because of these things. Seeing that King Jin began to resist the Jin, and Tian Shi personally conquered, Lin Zongwu also understood that in this troubled world, it was not enough to rely on weak and incompetent agitation if one wanted to have a place. He came to Wozhou, and sent messages to visit Shi Jin several times, in order to recruit troops and horses and create a real record and reputation.

At this time, hearing the news that Yan Chuxiang of the Gaizhou Branch had sided with Lou Shuwan, Lin Zongwu's anger was blazing, and it took a long time to calm down. It was not yet noon, and the courtyard inside and outside was covered with white snow, and the sky was clear and washed, but he heard someone running in from outside, and when he reached Lin Zongwu, his words were already stuttering.

"Report, report, report, report, report... The Jurchen army... The Jurchen army... is here..."

"What are you talking about?"

"The Jurchens... Shulie... Shuliesu led a large army and appeared thirty miles north of Wozhou City, the number... the number is unknown - it is said to be no less than..." The messenger added with a crying voice, "No less than 50,000..."

Lin Zongwu stood there, stunned.

At this moment, the monk soldiers in front were still enthusiastically performing martial arts, and on the streets of the city, Shi Jin was quickly passing through the crowd towards the direction of the Rong Family Martial Arts Hall, and soon he heard alarm bells and gongs coming like a tide.

The war broke out. In this great battle on the western road of the Central Plains, Wang Juyun and Tian Shi launched an army of millions, and successively came north. In the four conflicts that have broken out at this time, the two forces that have repeatedly suffered defeats tried to trap the Jurchens in the wilderness near the ruins of Taiyuan with a huge and chaotic situation, isolating the grain route on the one hand, and constantly harassing them on the other. However, how could the means of Zong Han and Xi Yin follow the enemy's plan to dismantle the moves.

On October 23, Shuliesu's vanguard army appeared 30 miles outside Wozhou City. The initial report was no less than 50,000 people, but the actual number was more than 32,000. On the morning of the 25th, the army arrived in Wozhou and completed the formation under the city. Zong Han's knife also slashed towards Tian Shi's rear. At this time, Tian Shi's personally conquered vanguard team, in addition to those who had collapsed southward in recent days, still had more than 400,000 troops, divided into three large army groups, the closest distance to Wozhou was still a hundred miles away.

As in the previous decade, Shi Jin ascended the city wall and participated in the defending army. Before that bloody moment arrived, Shi Jin looked back at this white city. No matter when, he could not let go of this suffering world. This emotion was like a blessing, but also like a curse. He held the octagonal mixed copper staff in both hands, and what he saw in his eyes was still Zhou Tong's figure.

That's right, from beginning to end, he had been moving forward, looking at the back of that old man, just because that back was so high-spirited, that once he had seen it, he would never forget it for a lifetime.

As the great battle in the northern city of Wozhou began, near Xuzhou, south of the Yellow River, there were strange fireworks signals rising in the sky.

At the same time, in the eastern direction, a team of "hungry ghosts" numbering more than one million, drawn by some kind of information, gradually gathered towards the city of Xuzhou. The leader of this team was Wang Shishitong, the instigator of the "hungry ghosts"...

Further south, in Lin'an City, it also began to snow, and the weather had become cold. In the study of the Qin Mansion, Qin Hui, the current Privy Councillor, waved his hand and smashed his favorite brush washer. The matter concerning the southwest had begun to be patched up endlessly...