Chapter 206

A Zi and several members of the Constellation Sect looked on in astonishment. These few had just learned Feng Yi's name, still wearing terrified expressions, yet now they all scrambled to spar with Feng Yi—truly baffling what nonsense they were up to.

In their opinion, the proper move was not to immediately kowtow and beg Feng Yi for mercy or run away; being a capable person who knows the times is what counts, right?

Only those like Xuan Nan, Xuan Tong, and the Hangu Eight Friends, who understand respecting teachers and cherishing the Dao and who embody loyalty and righteousness, can perceive the painstaking efforts of Ding Bai Chuan and Bao Bu Tong.

The matter of Feng Yi and Murong Fu had been spreading wildly through the jianghu; if Feng Yi were merely a showy spearhead, he would hardly be worth mentioning, but upon seeing him today, it's clearly not the case.

Given that he possesses such skills, how could he swallow this indignity? As long as he encounters Murong Fu today, there will surely be a match, which would also serve to clear his name.

However, how high Feng Yi's martial arts truly are, and whether Murong Fu can oppose him, outsiders unaware of the details can only speculate; but as retainers of the Murong household, they were greatly alarmed!

Ding Bai Chuan and the others were all heroic figures, and being utterly loyal to Murong Fu, they simply risked their old bones to test the truth; when Murong Fu spars with them, they could also gain more insight, thereby adding a bit to their chances of victory.

Bao Bu Tong was unwilling to let his elder brother risk himself, so he deliberately boasted that he could block a hundred of Feng Yi's moves; in reality, he merely hoped that Feng Yi, enraged, would exert his full strength, giving him an opening.

Even if he died then, he could at least gauge Feng Yi's depth, then plot further.

After all, wasn't it precisely Bao Bu Tong and Feng Bo'e who first tested Qiao Feng's martial prowess back then?

Feng Yi could hardly miss their thoughts; he slowly rose, sighed, shook his head, and said: "Bao Bu Tong, aside from your foul mouth, you're quite a person—too bad you're a servant of the Murong family, your fate is not so good."

Bao Bu Tong laughed: "No, no, I am not a servant of the Murong household; I am a retainer of the Murong household. Only those like the Constellation Sect crowd are your servants."

Feng Yi said lightly: "Bao Bu Tong, you claim I cannot defeat you in a hundred moves; if I were furious and struck you down with a single blow, would you not fear? Would you not regret it?"

Qin Family Stronghold

Azure City Sect

Listening Fragrance Water Pavilion

Red Rosy Manor

Feng Yi gave a light chuckle and nodded: "What virtue or ability does the Murong family possess to have retainers as loyal and righteous as you few? Well then, let me see if you can withstand a hundred moves!"

Star Constellation Sect

Bao Bu Tong's heart sank; he lifted his robe, stepped out of the pavilion, clasped his hands solemnly and said: "Your martial arts, I, Bao Bu Tong, know full well that even practicing ten lifetimes I could not match; yet I cannot accept it. But because you rose to greet me, I, Bao Bu Tong, respect you as a true hero, a great knight."

Feng Yi said calmly: "It is not your martial arts that make me rise; it is your brotherly loyalty and righteousness, which are rare and precious! If I were to sit and spar with you, it would be a desecration of the words 'loyalty and righteousness'—come on, make your move!"

Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms

Bao Bu Tong is the master of Golden Wind Manor, a subordinate of the Murong household; in the past, dozens from the Qin Family Stronghold and Azure City Sect came to the Listening Incense Pavilion seeking revenge, which he easily subdued; moreover, he fought to a draw with Elder Song, one of the Four Elders of the Beggar Sect who wielded weapons, his martial prowess being truly formidable.

Precisely because he and Feng Bo'e possess such formidable martial arts, yet are subordinates of Murong Fu, this also caused Qiao Feng to regard Murong Fu with even greater esteem.

At that moment, their palms clashed, sending forth a fierce wind; Feng Yi neither dodged nor blocked, yet when Bao Bu Tong's palms struck, he felt Feng Yi's muscles sink inward, his grasp meeting emptiness—there was nothing to push against. As he was about to muster strength again, a wisp of cold seeped silently through his palm into his meridians, and Bao Bu Tong shivered involuntarily.

Feng Yi smiled and said, "Sorry!" He lightly swayed his body, and Bao Bu Tong flew straight out a zhang away, crashing heavily to the ground, curling up into a ball.

Feng Yi, however, remained standing in place, his demeanor extremely leisurely.

With his martial arts, plus the ice silkworm's cold poison, if he struck with full force, he would need only one move to settle the score with ten Bao Bu Tongs at once.

But he had no intention to kill; he merely wanted Bao Bu Tong to suffer a little, and also to see, after being hit by someone while his internal energy protected his body, what condition the opponent would be in,

Now it appears, this cold poison still harms people!

Deng BaiChuan leapt forward, stretched out his hand to help Bao Bu Tong up; seeing his brother's listless expression and icy-cold body, he could not help but anxiously ask, "Third Brother, how are you?"

Bao Bu Tong took a few deep breaths, shook his head and said, "I'm fine, but..." He glanced at Feng Yi, then said grimly, "I cannot sense... the depth of his ability." Suddenly, his teeth began to chatter.

Deng BaiChuan sighed and said, "Elder Brother, at your age, what are you arguing with me about?" As he spoke, he placed his palm on the "Supreme Yang" point on his brother's back, using internal energy to help him dispel the cold poison.

Deng BaiChuan, who holds the chief seat among the Gusu Murong retinue, is highly skilled in martial arts and possesses vast internal energy; Bao Bu Tong immediately felt some relief.

Suddenly hearing Gong YeQian shout loudly, "Young Hero Feng, please!" he leapt into the air, his palm striking out like wind, descending upon Feng Yi.

Gong YeQian has a refined appearance, yet his palm strength is truly formidable, earning him the title "Second in Jiangnan"; he is the master of the Chixia Manor. That day he competed with Qiao Feng in drinking and palm strength, exchanging three palms; although he lost, Qiao Feng held him in high regard, showing his profound internal energy attainment.

At this moment, positioned above and pressing down, his body weight combined with palm force made it extraordinarily heavy; seeing Gong YeQian's palm wind pressing in, Feng Yi smiled and said, "Good!" He raised his palm to meet it, and the two palms clashed,

With a crack, like wood and stone striking together, Gong YeQian felt a cold current rush from his palm straight into his viscera; he flipped backward, tumbling and retreating three steps with a thud-thud-thud, his face turning bluish.

Feng Yi appeared unperturbed, his handsome eyes turning, he clasped his hands and smiled, "Sir, your skill is impressive!"

Feng Yi, who looks down upon the martial world, saying "good skill" constitutes the highest praise for someone.

But as his words fell, Gong YeQian also sat down on the ground, feeling a chill rise from his heart, instantly spreading throughout his body, he could not help but shiver.

Whether it was Xuan Nan or Deng BaiChuan, both were proud of their martial skills, yet Feng Yi's every strike was light and casual, without a trace of fiery aggression.

So-called attempts to fathom Feng Yi's martial arts are pure wishful thinking; only one phrase can describe them: "unfathomably deep!"

Feng Yi lightly clapped his palms, sighed, and said, "When I strike, I inevitably hurt others, which is not my wish. You, for Murong Fu, can rush forward heedless of life and death; this seemingly foolish hot-blooded fervor is indeed admirable, but I wonder how Murong Sir would fare for these few subordinates of yours—I am extremely curious."

His bearing is open and approachable, nothing like the gloom on his face; the Murong retinue felt favor toward him, each clasping their hands.

But then Feng Bo'e leapt up and said, "Although your martial arts exceed mine, I am not convinced by my defeat in that move just now!"

Feng Bo'e had taken the Shaolin "Six Yang Vitality Elixir"; after the time of a meal, his shivering gradually ceased.

Seeing him vigorous as a dragon and lively as a tiger, the several brothers felt greatly relieved.

Feng Yi gave Feng Bo'e a deep look, smiled faintly, and said, "Since you wish to probe my depths for Murong Fu, your effort is commendable, but there's no need for further testing—you might as well all come at once!"

With a flick of his sleeve, the single blade that Feng Bo'e had stuck in the pavilion whooshed into Feng Yi's hand.

This snatching of the blade from afar was like lightning and flint, causing everyone's faces to change dramatically, as if they had encountered a ghost.

Xuan Nan, seeing this, felt his spirit lift and blurted out, "Dragon-Capturing Skill!"

Feng Bo'e hurriedly asked, "Is this what Qiao Feng taught you?"

Feng Yi smiled and said, "More or less!"

Although Feng Yi did not learn the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms from Qiao Feng, they ultimately derive from Qiao Feng's transmission.

Feng Bo'e's expression turned solemn as he slowly said, "With the martial arts of us brothers, even if we sacrificed our lives, we could not fathom your depths; it's just a pity that my second and third brothers accompanied me in suffering."

The four brothers have shared life and death for many years, their bond deeper than that of biological siblings; therefore, in the original storyline, even though they were utterly loyal to Murong Fu, when Murong Fu killed Bao Bu Tong, the three of them immediately severed ties with him.

Feng Yi gave a faint smile and said, "That's spoken clearly enough, but your judgment of people is not so good!"

As he spoke, he casually tossed it; the single blade turned into a streaming light, with a whoosh, piercing the ground at Feng Bo'e's feet, leaving only one blade,

In an instant, everyone was startled and held their breath, hearing only the mountain wind rustling their clothes.

Even the Constellation Sect folks, who always loved to blow their own trumpets, forgot to cheer, each tightly closing their lips, fearful of inadvertently making a sound.

After all, on this hard mountain path, Feng Yi casually threw his single blade, which almost completely sank into the ground; the depth of this person's inner strength is simply not human.

A Zi clapped her hands and said, "Big Brother, you are invincible under heaven, unmatched throughout the ages!"

Feng Yi laughed, "In front of the Young Forest eminent monk, don't try to flatter me." He also felt secretly pleased, for as his inner strength circulated, dispelling a layer of cold poison, with yin and yang harmonizing, his inner strength deepened another layer—this gain was quite objective.

Feng Bo'e sighed, "Never mind, never mind!" Just as he was about to bend over and reach for his saber, his legs went weak and he suddenly sat down on the ground, saying, "Feng Yi, what… kind of martial art is this, so strange…" His cold teeth clacked together; it turned out the cold poison had flared up again.

Deng BaiChuan hurriedly circulated his inner strength to help as well.

At this moment, Bao Butong and Gongye Qian closed their eyes to circulate their inner strength, still trembling; Xuan Nan brought ten "Six Yang Vitality Pills" and immediately gave them to Gongye Qian and Bao Butong to take.

Bao Butong firmly refused to take it, saying, "My fourth brother took it and it did no good; I fear that even if we take this medicine… it will also be useless."

Xuan Nan and Xuan Tong wanted to help Bao Butong and Gongye Qian dispel the poison with their inner strength, but since the other party had not asked for assistance, volunteering themselves would seem to look down on the others' inner strength, which is quite a taboo in the martial world.

Feng Yi thought, "Su Xinghe should have a way to save them." He then said, "Old Monster Ding, is this really Drum-Beating Mountain or not?"

Hmph, this is Drum-Beating Mountain; if you hadn't sent someone to pass a message, how would Su Xinghe's deaf-mute disciple know we had arrived?

A hoarse old voice sounded, and Deng BaiChuan and the others instinctively turned toward the sound, seeing precisely the old man tightly bound with ropes, his silver beard disheveled, his eyes like a beast's, emitting a bright, piercing glow.

Feng Yi pointed at the two with his hand and said, "You two go spread the word—just say that Feng Yi and Old Monster Ding have arrived."

Deng BaiChuan said, "Could he possibly be Ding Chunqiu?"

Then Ding Chunqiu said in a leisurely tone, "Indeed, it is I! Alas, Murong Fu considers himself lofty, yet his followers are nothing but useless good-for-nothings."

Deng BaiChuan gave a slight smile and said, "At least useless good-for-nothings are better than those who betray their master and bring shame upon their ancestors."

Everyone was startled; the Eight Friends of Hangu never expected that Murong's disciples would also know Ding Chunqiu's past.

It turned out that Bao Butong and the others had once heard that Ding Chunqiu, in his youth, was a traitor to his master's sect, having not only lured away his master's lover and daughter but also stolen a large cache of martial arts manuals, containing the techniques of all schools under heaven; he built a library in Suzhou called the "Jade Grotto of Langhuan".

That daughter grew up and married a young man surnamed Wang, who is the mother of Wang Yuyan, Lady Wang; that young man surnamed Wang had an older sister who married Murong Bo.

However, they despised Ding Chunqiu and that woman as utterly shameless; although they were in-laws, in the eyes of Murong's retainers they brought no honor, but since this marriage was arranged by the older generation, they could not speak against it.

Moreover, Murong Bo had visited the "Jade Grotto of Langhuan" to read books while he was alive, and Murong Fu knew he should address Ding Chunqiu as his great uncle by marriage, but he despised the man's character and therefore never mentioned it.

Lady Wang once urged Ding Chunqiu, for the sake of Wang Yuyan, to advise Murong Fu in martial arts, but Ding Chunqiu scorned Murong Fu's arrogance and was unwilling; thus the two families each refused to submit to the other.

Feeling like a dragon stranded in shallow waters, Ding Chunqiu, exposed by Murong's retainers, gave a cold snort and said nothing.

The Eight Friends of Hangu harbored a bellyful of doubts—when did the secrets of the Free and Easy Sect become common knowledge? But with many outsiders present, they did not feel comfortable asking Deng BaiChuan.

Gongye Qian and the others were suffering from the cold when suddenly they saw four people hurrying up the mountain path.

The two in the lead were the Constellation Sect disciples Feng Yi had just sent to deliver the message, followed by two young men dressed in peasant clothing.

They approached Feng Yi, bowed respectfully, and presented a letter.

Feng Yi opened and read it, then laughed, "Old Monster Ding, Su Xinghe said he wants to fight you to the death again." Without moving his hand, the paper floated toward Ding Chunqiu.

Ding Chunqiu glanced at it casually, sneered, "He's not dead yet; wanting to fight to the death again, I will naturally accompany him." He then looked at Feng Yi and said, "You ought to be a man of your word, right?"

Feng Yi laughed, "Rest assured, even my fart is more reliable than your words; once I meet Su Xinghe, I'll release you." While saying this, he made a gesture to the two deaf-mutes.

The young man took a firecracker from his bosom, lit it with a spark—bang! —the firecracker shot up into the sky.

Ordinary firecrackers go "bang" and then, with a "crack" in midair, shatter to pieces; this firecracker, after flying up into the air, went "crack, crack, crack" three times in succession.

Feng A San whispered to Kang Guangling, "Big brother, this is indeed made by our sect."

Soon a group of people came down the mountain path, all dressed as peasants, each carrying a long weapon; upon closer look, these long objects were not weapons but bamboo poles, with a rope net strung between every two poles, suitable for people to sit on.

Feng Yi laughed, "Ding Chunqiu, your senior brother still treats you well!" As he spoke, he flung him toward the rope net.

Gongye Qian, Bao Butong, and Feng Bo'e could not walk either, so they simply sat upon the net.

Those young men lifted one person each, striding swiftly as they raced up the mountain.

Feng Yi embraced A Zi, deployed his lightness skill, and took the lead; Xuan Nan and the others followed behind.

A Zi resentfully said, "Big Brother, since these people are from the Murong family, why don't you kill them to vent your spite?"

Feng Yi looked at her tender young face, yet her words bore a fierce expression; he couldn't help sighing, "You are so young, how can you be so ruthless? The rumors about me and Murong Fu in the martial world are certainly not his doing; they are merely spread by well-meaning people, repeating hearsay, passing falsehood upon falsehood."

=9+book_ba

I am far stronger than these few; they are not ignorant, they fully understand, but simply out of duty to serve as subordinates and brotherly loyalty, they have no choice but to show this great courage; this spirit of sacrifice is worthy of affirmation, and is even more indispensable to any nation and ethnicity.

I have no grudge or enmity with them now; how could I kill them? Is it merely because I am stronger than they are?

Suppose one day we encounter someone stronger than our generation, who without asking right or wrong would slay us—would we not be wronged?

Why is it that the good and evil of martial artists often hinge on a single thought? Because human life is of utmost importance; one cannot simply take another's life just because one is stronger, otherwise there will always be a higher peak, and sooner or later retribution will come!

Ding Chunqiu is an example; in others' eyes he is lofty and unattainable, yet among the strong there are always stronger hands, and eventually someone stronger will let him suffer retribution!

That person need not be me; it could be someone else.

Putting it more simply, you have also walked the martial world alone; would you be safer if there were more people like them, or if there were more like the Constellation Sect?

I was once robbed by the Constellation Sect; if my martial arts had not been superior to theirs, those twenty thousand two taels of silver—what a sum that is—do you understand?

That is a sum that countless people could not scrape together even if they lost everything!

The so-called good and evil, right and wrong, are actually quite simple: just look at what a person does and whether it benefits or harms the majority of people in this world; if the good outweighs the bad, it is good, it is virtue; if the bad outweighs the good, it is bad, it is wicked. Do you understand?

He had meant to change A Zi's nature, speaking painstakingly; who would have thought that upon hearing these words, A Zi suddenly welled up with tears, her voice trembling as she said, "Good, I understand—you just look down on the Constellation Sect people."

Feng Yi laughed, "How can you be so unreasonable and obstinate? Besides, you are no longer a member of the Constellation Sect." He hurriedly wiped her tears.

A Zi, who from birth cannot tolerate suffering, hearing Feng Yi look down on the Constellation Sect people—and thus on her—became angry and said, "I am just like that; if others do not offend me, when I am in a bad mood I want to deal with them; if anyone offends me, I must certainly take revenge, I care nothing for right and wrong, good and evil."

Upon hearing this, Feng Yi burst out laughing, "You, you are truly a little hot pepper!"

While he teased her with his words, his heart again rose in apprehension about A Zi's most worrisome aspect; he had originally seen that Xu Zhu had not come, and had wondered whether he could impart Xuanci's power to A Zi, but now he needed to reconsider.

A Zi pouted and said, "A little hot pepper is better than suffering loss without realizing it, like a clueless, silly papaya!" She wiped a tear with her right hand, broke free of Feng Yi's grasp with her left, and ran up the mountain on her own.

Feng Yi saw she was unhappy and did not force her, but a hint of bitterness involuntarily appeared between his brows—women, eh!

Indeed, not a creature of reason!

To change her mindset, I fear the road ahead is still long and arduous!

Suddenly he lifted his foot, crossing several zhang in a flash, already behind A Zi, his form like a green bird, floating and melting into the bamboo grove.

Deng BaiChuan and others saw Feng Yi's such lightness from afar, impressed, and Feng Bo'e suddenly said: 'Speaking of Ding Lao Guai, his body full of poison, his Transformation Grand Method shakes the martial world—how could he be trussed up like a zongzi? Who knows the details?'

He asked that, Xuan Nan and the Hangu Eight Friends paid no heed, but several Xingxiu disciples were excited, immediately gesturing and speaking, embellishing the tale of how Feng Yi had dealt with Ding Chunqiu.

From their accounts, Feng Yi's martial arts were unmatched in the present age, and even ancient masters like Bodhidharma paled in comparison; their flattery was so extreme that everyone had never heard such talk.

What's more laughable, Ding Chunqiu is their master, yet they flatter Feng Yi without a shred of shame.

Bao BuTong laughed: 'Gentlemen, Feng Yi's martial arts are indeed high; in my view, your Xingxiu Sect's arts are truly unparalleled past and present—given time, what is Feng Yi anyway?'

Hearing this, they were naturally delighted.

One asked: 'In your opinion, which is our sect's most formidable skill?'

Bao BuTong replied: 'Not just one—at least three.' They grew even happier, asking in unison: 'Which three?'

Bao BuTong said: 'The first is horse-flattery skill.'

The second is conch-horn skill, and the third is thick-skinned skill. Without obliterating one's conscience, being shameless, how could one master these two extraordinary skills of horse-flattery and conch-horn?

Having spoken thus, he expected the Xingxiu disciples to be furious and attack him, but these words stuck in his throat—he couldn't help but speak them.

Unexpectedly, after hearing this, they all nodded silently. One said: 'Brother, you're quite sharp, knowing our sect's extraordinary skills so well. If the horse-flattery skill isn't perfected, one probably couldn't survive even a day and a half in our sect.'

If we don't loudly boast about our sect's martial virtue, not only will the master not value us, but our fellow disciples will ostracize us, leaving us no foothold; to survive, we naturally must be shameless.

Another added: 'However, these three divine skills of horse-flattery, conch-horn, and thick-skinned are also difficult to master. Ordinary people, deeply stained by worldly views, always think some things are good and some are bad.'

But if the mind holds such tedious notions of good and evil, right and wrong, practicing thick-skinned skill yields half the result for double the effort, often failing at the crucial moment. Thus the foundation of these three divine skills is the Great Method of inverting black and white, disregarding right and wrong.

Bao BuTong had merely been mocking, never expecting them to take it in stride and speak so eloquently; he was astonished and laughed: 'Your sect's Great Method of inverting black and white is profoundly wondrous; I, this junior, admire it and ask the Great Immortal for further guidance.'

Upon hearing Bao BuTong address him as 'Great Immortal,' he floated with pride and said: 'You are not of our sect; these divine skills' profundities cannot be transmitted to you. However, some basic principles I can share with you pose no harm.'

The most important secret is naturally to regard the one who needs flattery as a deity—for example, my master, the old man, simply lets out a fart…

Bao BuTong interjected: 'Of course it's fragrant. Moreover, one must breathe loudly and praise wholeheartedly…'

The man said solemnly: 'Your point is broadly correct, but slightly off—it is not "loud exhalation," but "loud inhalation, soft exhalation."'

Bao BuTong replied: 'Exactly, Great Immortal's guidance is right; if one exhales loudly, it seems to dislike the master's fart… which isn't very fragrant.'

The man nodded: 'Not bad, you have excellent talent; if you joined our sect, you'd achieve considerable accomplishment—only unfortunately you've gone astray into a side path. Our sect's arts may vary endlessly, but the basic essentials are not complicated; one need only remember the four characters "obliterate conscience," and that's about it.'

Another said: 'This eight-character precept of inverting black and white, disregarding right and wrong, is indeed hard for outsiders to follow, but anyone who enters our sect naturally finds it as natural as heaven's law—utterly easy.'

Bao BuTong nodded repeatedly, saying: 'Hearing your words is better than ten years of study; I, this humble one, long for your sect and would gladly join—may the Great Immortal recommend me?'

The man immediately put on airs, smiled faintly, appearing profound: 'You wish to join our sect—how could that be easy? With all these hardships and trials, someone of your caliber could not endure them.'

Another disciple said: 'Mr. Bao, if you truly intend to join our sect, the Xingxiu Old Monster is out of the question. Now go seek Miss A Zi beside Feng the Great Hero—she has his backing, and naturally she is the head of our Xingxiu Sect.'

Heroine A Zi has a childlike nature, loving to play; yet our sect's numbers have dwindled, and we will surely recruit many disciples to shake our reputation—we have Feng the Great Sage, the greatest martial artist of all time, as our backing; how could this jianghu not be traversed? I see your foundation is not lacking either; perhaps you may yet achieve something.

Bao BuTong said solemnly: 'Many thanks, many thanks! Great Immortal's great kindness and virtue, I, Bao, will never forget.'

Deng BaiChuan, Gong Ye Qian and the others, hearing Bao BuTong provoke the Xingxiu disciples, felt both angry and amused, thinking: 'In the world there exists such a vile, shameless person—who takes pride in boasting and flattery, disregards his master's safety, and even flatters the defeat of his master's enemy; where is the master-disciple bond? Truly rare and unheard of.'

Yet upon reflection, it makes sense—their so-called three divine skills' foundation is inverting black and white, disregarding right and wrong; that's hardly blameworthy, isn't it just 'the beam not straight, the crooked follows'?

Feng Yi and A Zi entered a mountain valley; the valley was filled with pines, and as the mountain wind passed, the pine sighs rose like waves. After walking a li through the woods, they arrived before three wooden huts. Before the huts, under a large tree, sat a thin, wizened old man.

Suddenly a 'gu' sound came from Li Kuilei's throat, as if he wanted to speak, but he forcibly held it back.

Feng Yi knew this person must be Mr. Congbian Su Xinghe.

Then the Hangu Eight Friends bowed to the ground, and Kang Guangling said: 'Old sir, your health surpasses former days; we eight are overjoyed.'

After the Hangu Eight Friends were expelled by Su Xinghe from the master's gate, they dared not again address each other as master and disciple.

Fan Bailing said: 'The Shaolin Sect's Venerables Xuan Nan and Xuan Tong see you, old sir, have arrived.'

Suddenly the old man rose, speaking in a graceful tone: 'Venerables Xuan Nan and Xuan Tong, your Buddha's carriage has come afar; Su Xinghe failed to greet you—my sin, my sin.'

Xuan Nan and Xuan Tong pressed their palms together: 'We came uninvited; please forgive us.'

Su Xinghe glanced at the crowd, then at Ding Chunqiu, then turned his gaze to Feng Yi, his eyes slightly narrowing, and said: 'This must be Feng the Great Hero.'

Feng Yi saw that though the man was old, his eyes were sharp as ever, his inner strength extraordinary, and said: 'Not at all!'

Su Xinghe said: 'I've heard Young Master Feng's martial arts are peerless; would you care to play a game with this old man?'

Before Feng Yi could reply, A Zi stepped forward and saw a large bluish stone carved with straight lines, nineteen in all, forming a chessboard. On its east and west sides lay several round stones, convex on top, flat below, black and white distinct, glowing brightly.

A Zi's eyes rolled, she tilted her head at Su Xinghe and wondered: 'Old man, did you summon people just to play chess?'

Su Xinghe, hearing that, glanced at her, then looked toward Feng Yi, who stood with hands behind his back, leisurely watching the board, seeming not to have heard.

The Hangu Eight Friends were greatly shocked and angry; Fan Bailing shouted: 'You lass, upon seeing this elder, shouldn't you address him as uncle-master?'

Ding Chunqiu sneered: 'Fan Bailing, where does the term "uncle-master" come from?'

Fan Bailing then realized: A Zi is no longer Ding Chunqiu's disciple.

Ding Chunqiu said: 'Su Xinghe, what trap has that old thief laid…'

Su Xinghe gave him a sideways glance and said: 'What do you call your master?'

Ding Chunqiu replied: 'He's an old thief, so I call him an old thief!'

Su Xinghe said: 'The deaf-mute old man is no longer deaf or mute today; you must know what I mean.'

Ding Chunqiu looked at Feng Yi and said: 'Sir, could you release me?'

Feng Yi watched coldly, thinking Su Xinghe ought to have killed Ding Chunqiu today.

He flicked his sleeve, a gale swept from his robe's sleeves; wherever it passed, wild grass lay flat. Ding Chunqiu felt a yin-chill force pierce his body; his meridians opened at once, yet a bone‑chilling cold followed, and he gasped: 'Feng Yi, you are truly vile!'

Feng Yi smiled faintly: 'Not vile; you forced me to unseal your points—I could do nothing else.'

Ding Chunqiu instantly felt dizzy and light‑headed, almost fainting. Feng Yi, he thought, was terrified of not dying, tormenting himself to this extent—how could he now oppose Su Xinghe?

Su Xinghe glanced at A Zi, his eyes like knives sweeping over her face, and asked: 'Do you want to play this game?'

A Zi felt as if plunged into an ice cellar; her curiosity vanished instantly. She turned her head to Feng Yi and said: 'You come—I can't!'

Feng Yi then chopped down with a palm, snapping the ox‑sinew binding Ding Chunqiu, stepped aside, sat cross‑legged, and beckoned to A Zi: 'Come over; this board is called the Zhenlong—let's watch others play first.'

Su Xinghe's brow furrowed, a trace of surprise flashing in Su Xinghe's eyes.

(End of chapter)