Chapter 218: Empty Vows of Cattle and Sheep on the Frontier [Happy New Year

Outside Wuxi City, beside the ancient road, there were many taverns.

Qiao Feng and Gu Qing had just met, and couldn't help but take Gu Qing to a tavern, inviting him to drink two bowls and become friends.

After downing those two bowls, Qiao Feng's spirit grew calm, his boldness surged, and he felt that even if Murong Fu was no less than Gu Qing, should things truly come to a fight, he would have a good match with Murong Fu.

"Chief Qiao."

After drinking several bowls, Gu Qing brought up the topic, saying: "Was Deputy Chief Ma Dayuan killed by the Throat Lock Grasp?"

Qiao Feng nodded and said: "That's Ma family's unique martial art." Before he finished speaking, his eyes sharpened—he saw Gu Qing forming the Throat Lock Grasp with one hand.

"There!"

Gu Qing applied the Throat Lock Grasp toward Mu Wanzhen.

Mu Wanzhen casually deflected it; the technique suddenly reversed, locking its own grip around Gu Qing's neck.

"Use your own method against you."

Qiao Feng had trained since childhood, and after joining the Beggar's Sect, received meticulous instruction from Wang Jiantong, passed three great trials, accomplished seven major feats for the sect, resolved critical matters, dispelled great doubts, remained unshaken in crisis; watching Gu Qing's technique and Mu Wanzhen's counter, he thought for a moment and said: "Brother Gu's meaning is that not just one person can perform the Throat Lock Grasp, and not just one person can use their opponent's method against them."

The Beggar's Sect relying solely on this one martial technique to accuse the Murong family of Suzhou is beneath their standard.

Gu Qing nodded and said: "After mastering my arts, I traveled the Jianghu, explored hidden corners and uncovered many secrets—some of which are connected to you, Chief Qiao."

Qiao Feng was greatly startled and set down his wine bowl.

"Among Deputy Chief Ma Dayuan's possessions was a secret letter from Wang Jiantong, stating that if you ever changed, the deputy chief, the Transmission Elder, the Enforcement Elder, and all other elders must unite to strike you down—poisoning or assassination equally acceptable."

Gu Qing revealed the contents of the secret letter.

"Nonsense!"

Qiao Feng's anger flared; he slashed his hand and shattered the table. Wang Jiantong had cherished Qiao Feng like a loving father; for Gu Qing to say this was an insult to Wang Jiantong's affection for him.

Gu Qing remained calm and composed, silently watching Qiao Feng.

Meeting Gu Qing's gaze, Qiao Feng gradually calmed, lowered his hand, and said: "Say the rest."

"The story may begin thirty years ago."

Gu Qing spoke plainly: "Thirty years ago, a rumor suddenly spread through the Jianghu: a large force of Khitan warriors planned to sneak into Shaolin's Scripture Pavilion, steal its martial arts, and publish them among the Khitans—so that every Khitan would grow strong, and the Great Song could no longer resist."

"Chinese warriors received the news and rushed there overnight, killing nineteen Khitan warriors. After the battle, the Central Plains martial artists felt the Khitans were weak; as they hesitated, a married couple appeared, carrying a child. The Khitan man shouted loudly, but language barriers prevented understanding. Several impulsive Chinese warriors rushed forward to attack—but the Khitan man knocked them down with three or two moves."

"Seeing his martial skill was extraordinary, the Chinese warriors immediately surrounded him to kill him. The Khitan man only seized weapons, refusing to kill—until the Chinese warriors killed his wife. Then his fury erupted; the Khitan warrior slaughtered them all…"

Gu Qing briefly recounted the Yanmen Pass battle.

Qiao Feng listened silently; when he heard that the leader, Wang Jiantong, and Master Zhiguang had left the infant in care beneath Mount Shaoshi, his expression grew darker.

"Because of that incident, Shaolin and the Beggar's Sect felt guilt toward you. Shaolin raised you well and secretly taught you martial arts; after you joined the Beggar's Sect, they never withheld their transmission. But as your prestige grew and you neared becoming chief, Wang Jiantong hesitated."

Gu Qing revealed the secret of Qiao Feng's training at Shaolin. Qiao Feng already believed seven or eight tenths of it; recalling his own difficult path to becoming chief, his mind suddenly grew chaotic.

Wang Yuyan, Mu Wanzhen, and Zhong Ling, upon hearing this Jianghu secret, exchanged glances.

"What's there to feel guilty about? Chinese and Khitan warriors killed each other."

Qiao Feng asked calmly.

"I once entered Mount Tiantai and read your father's final letter. His surname was Xiao, named Xiao Yuanshan; his son was Feng'er. His master was Han, so Xiao Yuanshan swore never to oppose the Han. That year, Xiao Yuanshan was taking your mother to her mother's home—after her death, he had no wish to live…"

Gu Qing said: "The leader and Chief Wang preserved your name, but your parents were truly innocent."

Qiao Feng drew a deep breath; hearing such a shocking revelation, even with his inner calm, his emotions churned.

Now that Chief Wang is dead, only two people in the world know the full truth: the leader and Master Zhiguang.

"Who is the leader?"

Qiao Feng asked.

Gu Qing did not answer immediately, but said: "Actually, your father's death was a conspiracy."

Qiao Feng's eyes gleamed, radiating stern authority.

"Your father was the Khitan royal guard's martial instructor, a peace advocate who opposed war between Khitan and Great Song, favoring reconciliation. A man like him alive was good for both peoples—but someone found him an obstacle."

Gu Qing said: "Shaolin received the rumor and rushed thousands of miles to Yanmen Pass to kill the Khitans. Shaolin and Wang Jiantong certainly killed the wrong people—but to the one who spread the rumor, they killed the right ones."

Qiao Feng bowed and asked: "Who spread the rumor?"

Gu Qing glanced at A Bi's face, then said: "Murong Bo of Suzhou."

"Don't speak nonsense!"

A Bi leapt to her feet in fright.

She had been listening quietly for hours—and now the gossip had turned to her own family.

"The Murong family of Suzhou are descendants of the Yan royal house, centuries removed. Each generation has dreamed of becoming emperor. If your father dies, Khitan and Great Song will go to war—and the Murong family will seize the chance to rise up."

As Gu Qing spoke, he looked at Wang Yuyan and A Bi: "I've thoroughly investigated the Murong family. Don't deny it."

A Bi remained silent. The Murong family did dream of becoming emperor—but she truly knew nothing of the events back then.

Qiao Feng clenched his fists.

"Then you dug up your uncle's coffin and claimed you'd revive him…"

Wang Yuyan recalled this.

Gu Qing had revived Mu Wanzhen's parents and her father before her eyes—and in every case, the person hadn't truly died.

Gu Qing nodded: "That night, I opened the coffin. I wanted to see what this conspirator had left behind. I found only an empty coffin—hence my claim that I'd revive your uncle."

Wang Yuyan nodded; it made sense.

"Murong Bo isn't dead?"

Qiao Feng asked.

"I don't know."

Gu Qing shook his head: "I originally planned to parade his coffin through the Jianghu to lure him out—but someone, even at great personal risk, reduced Murong Bo's coffin to ashes. My investigation of the Murong family wasn't deep enough to know if Murong Bo was so vile in life that he set up a decoy tomb, fearing someone would desecrate his remains."

Gu Qing had first "suspected" Murong Bo wasn't dead; now he "suspected" Murong Bo had built a decoy tomb, fearing enemies would desecrate him.

In short, Gu Qing never suspected Yan Longyuan was Murong Bo; overturning the coffin was to conceal a fake death.

A Bi, hearing this, naturally defended Murong Bo, retorting: "My master spreads benevolence everywhere. If anyone in this world is vile, it's you!" Gu Qing smiled; A Bi spoke in soft Wu dialect—even anger sounded like coquetry.

"I seem to have strayed off-topic."

Gu Qing suddenly returned to the subject: "Do you know who Ma Dayuan's wife is?"

Qiao Feng studied Gu Qing. Too much had been revealed; there was no physical evidence, yet Qiao Feng already half-believed it was true. Now Gu Qing mentioned Kang Min, Qiao Feng frowned, recalling little of her.

Gu Qing laughed loudly, looking at Wang Yuyan, Mu Wanzhen, and Zhong Ling: "Ma Dayuan's wife, Kang Min, is Duan Yu's concubine!"

"Hmm…"

Wang Yuyan lightly pressed her forehead; Mu Wanzhen frowned; Zhong Ling puckered her face.

Wang Yuyan, Mu Wanzhen, and Zhong Ling all knew Gu Qing's skill in uncovering hidden secrets.

"It was precisely because I uncovered this about Kang Min that I traced back to your identities."

Gu Qing said to Wang Yuyan, Mu Wanzhen, and Zhong Ling.

!

Wang Yuyan and Mu Wanzhen nodded; it fit.

"Who is Duan Yu?"

A Bi was baffled.

"Duan Yu's concubines are all formidable figures."

Gu Qing said: "Wang Jiantong left his secret letter with Ma Dayuan. Kang Min, as his wife, found it. She apparently resented Qiao Feng for never looking at her, so she slept with Bai Shijing, Quan Guanqing, and Elder Xu—all to bring you down."

Bai Shijing, Quan Guanqing, Elder Xu.

Qiao Feng shook his head: "Elder Xu is eighty or ninety years old."

"Age doesn't stop the heart."

Gu Qing chuckled.

Qiao Feng shook his head again: "Why would Madam Ma hate me? Since childhood, I've never liked playing with girls."

By the time you realize the value of girls, Zhu Zhu is gone.

Gu Qing spread his hands: "In short, that's the situation. This gathering seems like the Beggar's Sect targeting Southern Murong—but in truth, they're targeting Northern Qiao Feng. Be careful at the gathering."

Qiao Feng's mind was a mess. For years he'd fought alongside the Beggar's Sect against the Khitans—even fought shoulder to shoulder with General Yang—and killed many Khitans. Now, suddenly, he was told he was Khitan himself—and his heart went blank.

"I'll be careful."

As he spoke, Qiao Feng silently asked himself: If I truly am Khitan, should I remain chief of the Beggar's Sect?

"If all of this is true."

Qiao Feng lowered his head slightly and whispered: "Then after I've settled my revenge, I'll go beyond the border to herd cattle and sheep—and never return."

Did you say that to me?

Gu Qing's ears twitched. If I don't let you go herd cattle beyond the border, does that count as "empty vows of cattle and sheep on the frontier"?

Gu Qing liked Qiao Feng. But since Ma Dayuan was dead, and many had already seen Qiao Feng's birth documents, exposure was inevitable. Gu Qing had warned him early—better than letting him wander the Jianghu, powerless and confused.

Wang Yuyan, Mu Wanzhen, Zhong Ling, and A Bi followed Gu Qing toward a pavilion outside Wuxi City.

"Qiao Feng."

Gu Qing suddenly called out.

Qiao Feng paused slightly.

"I've always been curious: what charm does the Great Song hold, that a band of beggars daily defends its borders?"

Gu Qing asked.

It's practically a beacon.

Qiao Feng blinked, then said: "As a Song citizen, one must serve the nation to the best of one's ability."

Alright.

Gu Qing nodded, saying nothing more.

This is the place where the Beggar's Sect and the Murong family of Suzhou had agreed to meet.

When the crowd arrived, the martial artists here had already split into two factions: one dominated by the Beggar's Sect, the other by Murong Fu and the southern Wu Lin figures; in the midst of it, Feng Bo'e was already sparring with a Beggar's Sect elder.

Qiao Feng arrived and fixed his gaze on the martial artist standing at the center of the southern Wu Lin—a man in his late twenties, elegant and refined; Qiao Feng was nearly certain this was Nan Murong.

Before arriving in Wuxi, Qiao Feng had already met Feng Bo'e and Gongye Gan of the Murong family; he had thought their household retainers formidable, and assumed Murong Fu must be a true hero. But after hearing Gu Qing's words, Qiao Feng now viewed the Murong family through a new, darker lens.

"Young Master."

A Bi hurried toward Murong Fu, eager to relay the news she had just heard from Gu Qing.

"Snap!"

Qiao Feng took a stride forward, brushing past A Bi, and advanced with a shout: "Young Master Murong, I've long admired your name!" As he spoke, he closed the distance toward Murong Fu.

Upon hearing Murong Fu's martial skill was comparable to Gu Qing's, Qiao Feng had felt mounting pressure—but learning Gu Qing's revelation about Murong Fu's lineage stirred in him a deep hatred for the Murong family… As a man of the Jianghu, when encountering an enemy, he would exterminate the entire family!

On the other hand, though Qiao Feng did not know whether the truth of his lineage was real, his lifelong service to the Great Song was undeniable; even setting aside personal vengeance, the Murong family's persistent plotting of rebellion was enough to justify Qiao Feng's intervention—this would be his final duty to the Beggar's Sect!

Even if Murong Fu's martial skill was peerless, Qiao Feng still wanted to challenge him!

"Take this palm!"

From ten zhang away, Qiao Feng unleashed his palm with icy resolve.

No one in the world could project palm force ten zhang; Murong Fu stared intently, watching Qiao Feng's body hurtle forward, then strike another palm into the air—when the two palm forces merged, they surged with overwhelming power toward Murong Fu.

Qiao Feng's strike drew every martial artist's gaze; even Feng Bo'e sheathed his blade.

Murong Fu leapt aside to evade, but Qiao Feng's palm force piled on again, closing in.

Surrounded by too many martial artists, Murong Fu could not dodge; he immediately summoned his strength.

"Dǒu Zhuǎn Xīng Yí…"

The forces clashed; Murong Fu was flung backward through the air, rolling several zhang away.

"Young Master…"

Murong's retainers rushed to assist, but Murong Fu waved them off, staggered to his feet, then collapsed again as his legs gave out; Bao Budong and Feng Bo'e hurried to support him. Just as he steadied himself, Murong Fu opened his mouth and spat blood.

"..."

Qiao Feng turned his head toward Gu Qing.

Not beneath you?

(End of Chapter)