Chapter 137

Feng Yi's voice when speaking was not loud, but at the Lu family manor, with a banquet of a hundred tables and over two thousand people, every single person could hear him clearly.

But the content of his words was truly grating; hot-tempered people flushed red with anger, clenched their fists, and wanted to fight.

But considering Feng Yi's martial arts were truly too high, even the profound skills of Zhu Ziliu and Li Mochou were easily dispelled by him—his martial arts were so high they were unfathomable; going up against him would only bring self-inflicted humiliation.

Some people thought, "This guy's martial arts are too high; I'm no match for him, but he's offended more than just me—someone will surely step forward."

Yet some still felt they couldn't swallow this anger and blurted out, "Now the Mongols are invading south with urgency; we've all gathered here to each give our all and resist foreign aggression. Even if the Mongols are mighty, to call us lonely souls and wild ghosts is nothing but to let outsiders' spirit crush our own prestige!"

His voice rang out loudly; everyone's faces changed, they all turned to look toward the source of the sound, but saw no one—because the speaker was very short, hidden by the person beside him.

After hearing that, Feng Yi extended his index finger and lightly tapped the wine jar—ding, ding, dang—clear and pleasant, and said leisurely, "Who spoke just now?"

That short man suddenly rose to his feet and leapt onto the table; he was under three feet tall, over forty years old, and his face bore a vigorous air.

Someone recognized him as the Jiangxi hero "Short Lion" Lei Meng.

Seeing how short he was, people wanted to laugh, but his fierce, glancing eyes made them swallow their laughter.

He then said, "I'd like to ask, Feng Yi, though your martial arts are strong, you belittle us as worthless—does this world have only Feng Yi as a hero? Or do you have the ability to keep us from becoming lonely souls and wild ghosts?"

Feng Yi rose, clasped his fists, and said, "Everyone here cherishes chivalry and harbors the heart to sacrifice oneself for the country—this truly impresses me; how could it be worthless?"

But now the Mongols are powerful, while the Great Song court is rotten wood for officials, with treacherous ministers in power; the old Zhao family thinks that as long as the realm bears the Zhao name, many still believe, like with the Liao and Jin, that buying peace with money will do. To rely on them to defend the country and protect the people is sheer fantasy!

The crowd roared in agreement, shouting in unison, "That's right!"

Feng Yi added, "The reason I poured cold water on everyone is because I once stormed the Mongol camp; they are all fearless of death, and with my ability, if I were to fight to the death without retreating, a force of a thousand troops could annihilate me!"

Though I dare not claim to be number one under heaven, those with martial arts like mine are few and far between in the world; if others were to face the Mongol army head‑on, how many could they possibly withstand?

Even if there were ten of me, let loose to gallop across the army, how many Mongol soldiers could I slay?

In my view, to kill a hundred enemies on the battlefield while emerging unscathed is already a heavenly blessing!

Upon hearing this, the crowd stirred in an uproar.

Guo Fu gave a soft hum and said, "You madman, do you ever speak gently?"

Feng Yi smiled and said, "Miss Guo, though I may be a bit rash, I also understand the principle that one should know oneself."

If one does not know the opponent's strength, that's forgivable; but if one lacks clear awareness of one's own capabilities, that is a death without purpose.

After all, not everyone in the world will value the backing behind you!

As he spoke, Guo Fu heard the veiled mockery, stared at him with deadly eyes, furious yet her cheeks flushed ever brighter, radiant and lovely; she drew a deep breath, about to speak.

But then Guo Jing said, "My daughter's lack of discipline is my fault."

Feng Yi laughed and said, "Hero Guo should know that Mongol soldiers who die in battle have wounds only on the front—what does that signify?"

Not one of them retreats; what about us?

The court's troops have long been broken; though you all possess high martial arts, to confront the Mongol army head‑on is to seek your own death.

I know people are not afraid of death, yet the principle of deterring by death—if neither side fears death, can that change the losing situation?

I once discussed with Hero Guo and his wife having the Beggars' Sect help me spread poison widely in Mongolia; poisoning people is inconvenient, but poisoning cattle, sheep, and horses is relatively easy.

As long as there are corpses, tossing them into any water source will surely breed plague, letting them also taste the flavor of destroyed homes and exterminated clans!

Hearing this, everyone felt chills to the bone; Hong Qigong suddenly sighed, "Feng Yi, you have gone into demonry!"

Li Mochou let out a clear, bell‑like laugh: "Yes, we are all demons, while Senior Hong is a bodhisattva—otherwise how could he be so kind, fighting to the death and still saving Ouyang Feng's life?"

This has put his own life at risk; the Jiangnan Seven Freaks, such righteous heroes, nearly got struck from the rolls, and his own two top disciples even came to blows before the Rain‑and‑Mist Tower!

Hong Qigong suddenly burst into loud laughter; Huang Rong, seeing Feng Yi and Li Mochou pointing their swords at her and her husband, felt both ashamed and angry, and couldn't help but chide, "Master, she's cursing us, yet you can still laugh?"

Everyone's gaze inevitably gathered on Hong Qigong.

Hong Qigong sighed, "Rong'er, do you know what is meant by 'a thirty‑year‑old woman binding a child'? And what else is there to say?"

"You and I, master and disciple, have today been shown up by this little girl; do you think it won't be spread abroad?"

"Will no one laugh at us? Better to laugh at ourselves first than to be laughed at by others."

Guo Jing and Huang Rong exchanged a wry smile; Feng Yi also laughed and said, "Senior, your mind is broad and open—I admire you. Since my nature is not to be a good person like you, the wicked deeds will fall to me; all we lack now is a guide familiar with Mongolia's terrain, and that requires the heroes of your sect to lend their strength!"

Everyone understood his intent; disciples of the Beggars' Sect had once followed Guo Jing and Huang Rong on their western campaign, knowing every water source along the way. If we carry out this poison plot, without the Beggars' Sect, even if Feng Yi had heavenly abilities, it would be useless.

Meanwhile, some people more readily approved Feng Yi's view—poisoning would be a one‑time, lasting solution; why not do it?

As soon as Feng Yi spoke these words, many shouted their approval and urged the Beggars' Sect to agree and hurry to Mongolia to spread the poison.

But others, upon hearing it, naturally disagreed and shouted, "Poisoning is nothing but foolish day‑dreaming!"

"If you poison them, won't the Mongols poison back? Will the Central Plains people not die?"

"Wouldn't we be lowering ourselves to disgrace and bringing shame upon the world?"

"How, does war not kill people?"

"In the struggle between the two peoples, you die or I live—what's lowly, your mother?"

"Yeah, aren't the Mongols lowly too?"

"They were originally sworn brothers with our Great Song, yet they betrayed trust and abandoned righteousness—so dealing with them however we like is not excessive!"

The two sides disagreed, their voices growing louder; everyone rose to their feet, the hall filled with shouting and curses, obscene words pouring forth, and soon someone was about to come to blows.

Hong Qigong suddenly bellowed, "All right, stop!"

His inner energy was deep; everyone felt his voice like a thunderclap from a clear sky, instantly making their heads buzz as if struck by a heavy object—inside and outside the manor, for a moment not even a bird chirped.

Then Hong Qigong rose and said, "You are all persons I specially invited my two disciples to gather; the purpose is to borrow great strength to resist the Mongols. If you cannot unite and cooperate, merely quarreling over differing ideas will lead to an impasse—what else is there to discuss?"

Hong Qigong is the towering peak of the martial world, the universal object of esteem; hearing him, the heroes all reseated themselves.

"Not bad!" Guo Jing then continued, "The present Emperor Chunyou is a foolish, corrupt ruler, and the chief minister Jia Sidou is a great treacherous villain; hoping for strength from the court is futile."

"Speaking of Mongol strength, they once swept across the Western Regions unopposed, their cavalry sharp enough to sweep the world."

"Yet the Great Song has many talented persons; they all take the welfare of all under heaven as their duty, and we martial artists, with fervent blood, also never submit to any powerful tyranny—thus arise deeds of chivalry, subduing the strong and aiding the weak, punishing evil and promoting good; even though our various schools and sects have risen and fallen, we remain respected by people."

"Even if the Great Song truly falls, we will never kneel before foreign tribes; there will certainly be those with insight who take the restoration of the Central Plains as their mission, and sooner or later they will recover the lost lands and rebuild our Han dynasty."

Feng Yi clapped his hands and said, "Well spoken! Everyone, raise a cup to Hero Guo!" As he spoke he lifted his bowl and drained the wine in one gulp; the others also felt pleased and raised their cups in unison.

Guo Jing spoke sternly: "Since the Mongols invaded the Song, the remnants have run amok, white bones lie in ruins, blood flows like rivers, causing the Central Plains to be nine out of ten homes empty, a thousand li of wilderness."

We hot-blooded young men feel our blood boil; we must resist! But if today we, because of Mongol strength, associate with evil scoundrels and commit this great harm to heavenly harmony, how is that any different from the lowly scoundrels of the jianghu who harm people with poison?

Not to mention your scheme cannot possibly succeed; even if it did, winning with poison would hardly win the people's hearts, certainly losing their support. If even we Song people ourselves turn away in heart and virtue, would this not be a self‑inflicted dead end, a loss outweighing any gain?

Guo Jing is usually not good with words, but he understands things clearly in his heart; now, feeling anguish and indignation, he speaks whatever comes to mind, making his words seem extremely sharp.

Everyone hearing this couldn't help but think that Guo Jing, known for his loyalty and simplicity and slow speech, actually had an exceptionally sharp tongue. Many also broke into a sweat, their hearts greatly shaken, thinking that even if such a victory over the Mongols were achieved, it would surely be despised by heroes under heaven.

Feng Yi glanced over Guo Jing and the others, then shook his head.

Suddenly someone raised his arm and shouted loudly: "We will follow Guo the Great Hero's lead alone, obey no other's commands, and swear to follow him unto death!"

Upon these words, everyone else in the hall raised their arms and, in unison, cried: "We will follow Guo the Great Hero's lead alone, swear to follow him unto death, and never regret it!" Their voices rolled like thunder.

At that moment, a long whistle suddenly pierced the roof tiles, stirring hearts; everyone fell silent and looked toward the source of the whistle.

Then Feng Yi spoke loudly: "What Guo the Great Hero said is reasonable, but most people respect power rather than virtue, especially the Mongols!"

Today the world holds Senior Hong in highest esteem for virtue and prestige—what good does that do?

He is so generous to others, and even gave Ouyang Feng a life‑saving favor, yet how do they treat you?

Guo the Great Hero hated the Yang Kang family to the point of wanting to tear out their hearts—what did he get in return?

You treat them as brothers, consider things from their perspective, saying that Wanyan Honglie ultimately had a debt of raising him, yet you kill him—what have you gained?

They stab you in the kidney without hesitation!

Including his son Yang Guo—if I had not told him about Yang Kang's deeds, and if he learned the cause of death, even knowing that Yang Kang had struck Huang Rong, leading to his own grim demise, when he came to kill you and your wife for revenge, he would not hesitate either; so does virtue win people's hearts?

Guo Jing and Huang Rong heard this, their faces turning grim, and exchanged a glance without prior agreement. Huang Rong thought: "That brat Yang Guo's cunning is just like Yang Kang's; if this is true, his words cannot be dismissed."

Feng Yi sighed: "It is precisely your disciples, the Wu brothers, who bear a bone‑deep hatred for Li Mochou and wish to kill her for revenge."

But Li Mochou never harmed their mother; she killed only Wu Santong. Wu Saniang died by taking poison herself to save her husband.

Yet do they care about the process when they seek revenge?

All they accept is the result that their mother is dead!

Including Li Mochou's claim that Wu Santong loved his adopted daughter, which is an illicit affair—this is hardly not a fact,

but Mr. Zhu and the others see only that Li Mochou damaged the reputation of Master Yideng; who cares about the facts? They still value only this outcome!

And I, Feng Yi, say here today that Wu Santong deserved to die—he not only liked his adopted daughter but also went to disturb the wedding and dig up graves.

How, is this what the righteous way ought to do?

But since he is a disciple of Master Yideng, who dares say he isn't? Everyone still looks only at the result!

The Wu brothers, Zhu Ziliu, and Diancang Yuyin turned pale, then flushed.

Feng Yi let out a sigh, gave a wry smile, and said: "Sometimes I really think you are utterly naive."

What era is this, and you still talk about 'virtue and prestige'!

Senior Hong's talent wins people over, his virtue outweighs others; even if we all sincerely admire him and would brave fire and water without hesitation, can virtue truly win over the hearts of foreign peoples and eliminate calamity?

You should know that dealing with those who have political ambitions, talking about people's hearts and virtue is like letting a tiger eat vegetarian fare—pure fantasy!

Fortunately, I, Feng, had prepared for my words to be wasted; just now Li Mochou and Mr. Zhu settled their grudge by martial arts, ending in a draw, so I will now propose something grand!

Hong Qigong stroked his beard and pondered: "What grand thing?"

Feng Yi's eyes flashed, and he said: "Since each side has its own reasoning in words and none can convince the other, let us settle it with martial prowess!"

Those who disagree with my view shall nominate one person; if I win, everyone will follow me, if I lose, I will follow you—this is a martial contest for leadership. Immediately the hall erupted in a commotion, people whispering, discussing, some gazing at Guo Jing, the atmosphere tense to the brink of explosion.

"Not bad!" the heroes clamored: "Martial contest for leadership—winner becomes king!"

After all, Guo Jing and Feng Yi are both regarded as the world's top martial artists in everyone's hearts; this splendid bout, a once‑in‑a‑century event, drew cheers and shouts of "Guo the Great Hero!" "Guo the Great Hero!" that shook the roof tiles.

Guo Jing heard this, yet hesitated and gave no reply.

Guo Fu sneered: "You really are here for the position of alliance chief."

Feng Yi smiled and said: "You know I am reckless; just now Mr. Zhu also said it well—'when benevolence calls, do not yield,' and I truly believe that!"

Huang Rong's starry eyes glimmered as she said coldly: "Feng the Great Hero may trust his divine skill to be invincible, but meddling in the Beggars' Sect affairs is no easy feat; thus all your previous actions must have been aimed at this moment, right?"

"Madam Guo is wise!" Feng Yi gave a slight smile: "I know you have discussed my idea; I originally thought it would not be bad to become the Beggars' Sect chief."

But I know full well that before you took over as chief, Senior Hong had already favored Elder Lu; if I went to contend with him and won, I would still struggle to win everyone's approval.

So I might as well take advantage of this gathering of heroes to pursue the matter.

=9+book_eh

Fortunately, everyone's goal is to resist the Mongols and serve the country; as the saying goes, a bird without a head cannot fly, so I, Feng, also thought of becoming the bird's head!

"Feng the Great Hero!" Huang Rong gave a slight smile: "I have always thought you were clever, so even a fairy like Li Mochou would be drawn to you—but who would have thought that our meeting today would be so disappointing!"

"Oh? Please tell me more." Feng Yi raised his eyebrows.

Li Mochou's pretty face flushed a rosy red, her eyes blazing like fire as she fixed her gaze on Huang Rong.

Huang Rong also ignored her, simply stared at Feng Yi and said coldly: "As the saying goes, if a matter is not secret, it will not succeed!"

Especially for conspiracies, the fewer who know and participate, the better—only then can it possibly succeed.

Although I do not wish to offend everyone, there are thousands here; who can guarantee that no Mongol spies are hidden among them? Even if you win and we all obey your orders, how could you possibly accomplish anything?

Among the heroes, some who understand the situation know that what Huang Rong said is the truth; this is not a lack of trust in them, but rather that human hearts are unfathomable and worldly affairs unpredictable.

Who would have expected that as soon as Huang Rong finished speaking, Feng Yi burst into loud laughter, full of mockery.

Guo Fu was furious; she had never seen anyone dare to be so rude to her mother, and with a swish she drew her sword, shouting angrily: "Father, you must discipline this arrogant brat—if you don't, I can't bear it!"

Everyone hearing this burst into laughter.

Surely a spoiled child.

Guo Jing may be renowned in the martial world, but Feng Yi is certainly not lacking; the two are true rivals.

That is why Huang Rong spoke thus; otherwise, letting Guo Jing deal with Feng Yi would be simple.

It's not that Feng Yi's martial arts are too high, but that we lack confidence!

However, others could also understand her actions.

Feng Yi saw Guo Fu's cheeks flushed like peach blossoms, the hand holding her sword trembling slightly, his laughter subsiding, and he said with a smile: 'People say Lady Guo possesses a hundred schemes, a female Zhuge Liang; upon seeing her today, she is nothing more than that!'

"Oh?" Huang Rong frowned: "I dare not accept the title of female Zhuge Liang, but since you disagree, I would also like to hear the details!"

Feng Yi said arrogantly: 'Although I, Feng, hold different views from yours, I am not a harbinger of heaven's wrath, a demon obsessed with slaughter.'

I intend to go to Mongolia to spread poison, merely to stop the Mongol invasion of Song, not to exterminate the Mongols.

If they learn of this and abandon their thoughts of invading Song, that would be best; why would I need to greatly harm the harmony of heaven?

If they insist on doing so, then we will all perish together!

This is what is meant by 'rather be shattered jade than intact tile'!

Whether they retaliate tooth for tooth or whatever, the Central Plains already lie nine-tenths deserted; what use is it for them to gain such a realm?

If one thinks of defending against it? Hehe, Mongolia is vast, its water sources not just one place; people are hard to kill, but animals are plentiful; as long as there are corpses laced with poison, plague will surely breed and sweep across Mongolia.

Even if they send people to guard, they will inevitably be dispersed; surely they cannot assign thousands to guard all at once? If they did, we would have the advantage of picking them off one by one, so why fear them finding out?

I would like to see how many men Mongolia can spare!

If we follow your plan, the champions face the enemy directly, deciding victory with a single blade or spear; not to mention the Mongol cavalry's invincibility in battle, we would stand on the city walls while they unleash hundreds of cannons at once; no matter how superb one's martial arts, one would eventually become a ghost?

Huang Rong frowned and said: 'So you mean we must have a great battle?'

Feng Yi laughed: 'Elder Hong of the Beggar Sect and Great Hero Guo have lived benevolent lives; their views cannot change. Even if you agree in your heart, you must still heed your husband; thus we can only do this!'

Moreover, since our meeting with Great Hero Guo the other night, I have constantly longed for a true contest with him; I therefore ask Great Hero Guo not to withhold his instruction.

Hong Qigong laughed heartily: 'Among fellow martial artists, to study each other and mutually verify is quite ordinary.'

Feng Xiaozi's earnest intentions are great; Jing'er, if you do not step onto the stage, would you not disappoint his heartfelt feelings?

Huang Rong knowing that at this moment martial action is unavoidable, also said: 'Brother Jing, then you shall verify your skills with Hero Feng!'

Among the crowd, someone also said: 'Hero Guo, we too would like to broaden our horizons and behold the prowess of the number one under heaven!'

Guo Jing shook his head: 'The Way of martial arts is boundless and endless; how could I, Guo, claim to be the number one under heaven?'

Upon hearing these words, everyone was astonished and doubtful.

Feng Yi, however, burst into loud laughter: 'Hero Guo possesses keen insight; the Way of martial arts is as deep as the sea, the world hides dragons and crouches tigers, and beyond the heavens there are yet more heavens—where is there a number one under heaven? In our contest, we merely vie for who shall command whom.'

Guo Jing said: 'Then let respect yield to obedience!' He then rose from his seat and stood in the space between the mats.

Seeing Guo Jing rise and stand thus, everyone felt he was as still as a deep pool and as towering as a mountain, his aura extraordinary.

Feng Yi clapped his hands and laughed: 'Marvelous, marvelous.' He seemed to turn into a paper figure, gliding without touching the ground to the hall, ending up no more than eight feet from Guo Jing.

Feng Yi's body came to a halt, he clasped his fists and bowed: 'To be able to receive your exalted techniques today is a blessing; however, in this contest, no outsiders shall be involved. If I win, the heroes of the Beggar Sect must heed my commands, not go back on their word, nor outwardly comply while inwardly defying.'

Huang Rong caught his meaning, nodded and said: 'Good; before the outcome is decided, none of us will make things difficult for Li Mochou.'

As for the Beggar Sect's affairs, Lu Youjiao is the new chief; if I were to speak and agree, it would both undermine Lu Youjiao's prestige and make it appear that my authority still stands above the Beggar Sect chief.

Then Lu Youjiao lifted his bamboo staff, strode to the space between the mats, and said: 'I am Lu Youjiao, the new chief of the Beggar Sect, who once followed Hero Guo and his lady on the western campaign. If you defeat Hero Guo, I will personally lead my disciples to follow you to Mongolia; superiors and subordinates will obey orders without fail, harboring no ulterior motives, nor outwardly complying while inwardly defying.'

Feng Yi immediately clasped his fists and bowed: 'Chief Lu, your word is as weighty as nine tripods; I, Feng, am humbled.'

Suddenly Guo Fu said: 'If you lose, you must also obey my parents' commands, not allowed to go west, only east.'

Li Mochou chuckled lightly and said calmly: 'What fun is that? You also have to add Miss Guo, the eldest daughter!'

'All right!' Feng Yi laughed heartily: 'If I lose, I will also obey you; is that acceptable?'

Zhu Ziliu then added: 'But what if neither wins nor loses, resulting in mutual harm?'

The crowd let out a gasp: 'Exactly!'

What if it were like Li Mochou and Zhu Ziliu?

Feng Yi gave a faint smile: 'This concerns conviction; there will be no draw.'

Everyone, hearing his such arrogance, could not help but be astonished and doubtful,

Li Mochou's expression changed, and she blurted out: 'How can this be possible…'

Then Feng Yi said: 'Although Hero Guo is considered slow-witted by others, I know he lives with great clarity,'

He is faithful and loving to his beloved, generous and righteous to his friends, and spends his life practicing the creed 'The greatness of a hero lies in serving the nation and the people.'

Even amidst chaos, he can maintain a steadfast and pure conviction, taking the life and death of the world's common folk and the safety, calamity, and fortune of the nation and ethnicity as his concern; forever placing the people's suffering first, and seeing it through to the end, dying a hundred times without regret.

He spent his entire life living to fulfill his ideals and convictions; this is true great enlightenment.

And I, too, live with great clarity: I simply do not wish to see such a person perish together with the city, ultimately walking the path of national sacrifice with his wife and daughters, yet still unable to alter the fate of the great Song!

Given this, how could there be no victory or defeat?

Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts sank involuntarily, and they all froze.

Before Huang Rong could speak, she heard Guo Jing say solemnly: 'Thanks to Hero Feng's high regard, although our views differ, this battle concerns state affairs and the people's safety; we shall surely determine superiority.'

Feng Yi gave a slight smile: 'Could not be better!' He stepped forward, and Guo Jing likewise took a slow step.

For a moment, everyone held their breath and focused, fearing the slightest negligence would cause them to miss the exquisite techniques of these two top masters; in the hall, even a dropped pin could be heard.

After a while, neither of them made a move.

Guo Fu and the Wu brothers thought their master invincible under heaven, growing impatient; Guo Fu said: 'Mom, Dad…'

Huang Rong glared at her, and she had no choice but to fall silent.

A flash of essence appeared in Feng Yi's eyes as he shouted: 'Offense!' He leaned forward, fingers splayed, and lunged to grab Guo Jing's shoulder.

Guo Jing's brow rose: 'Divine Claw that Shatters Solidity!' Not daring to delay, he thrust a palm forward.

(End of chapter)