Chapter 519

Outside Suining City, Wangjiang Tower.

The name "Wangjiang Tower" is common; across Shenzhou, north and south, wherever there is a river, there is often such a "Wangjiang Tower."

But those bearing this name are usually anything but ordinary.

After all, poor common folk who live long-term by the river have no leisure to sit atop a tower and watch the same river scene day after day.

So to be called "Wangjiang Tower" means it is expensive.

This one in Suining County was built during the Daxing era of the previous dynasty, and still retains the architectural style of the Song.

Wooden structure, tall and upright, stately yet agile, divided into a central main tower and two side towers.

The main tower stands four stories high, three bays wide, four rafters deep, with a single door opening in the central bay, exuding solemnity and grandeur.

Each side tower is two stories high, one and a half bays wide, each with a single entrance, complementing the central structure like a pagoda.

Its design is uniquely ingenious.

The central tower has a conical roof, the side towers have hip-and-gable roofs, the lower eaves are gable-and-hip roofs, and the flying eaves and dougong brackets extend boldly into the air.

Located outside Suining City beside the Fujiang River, to the west one can see Guangde Temple across the river, to the east one can see Lingquan Temple—two Bodhisattvas guarding front and back, making this a fengshui blessed site.

This tower has a special feature: the wealthy merchant who funded its construction loved the Three Kingdoms, so nearly all the wooden carvings depict Three Kingdoms stories.

The Oath of the Peach Garden takes up most of the space.

Thus, it is also known among the Jianghu as "Yiqi Tower."

Many elder figures of the Sichuan Jianghu dream of one day retiring here in glory, washing their hands in gold before a final grand farewell.

The Shenquan Society chose this location—clearly, they take this seriously.

But at this moment, Zou Shaohai's heart was bleeding.

"How much silver did we spend?"

"Fully chartered, plus payments to other guests—altogether, nearly ten thousand taels…"

The disciple hurried forward to report.

"I…"

Zou Shaohai quickly sipped tea, calming his mind.

He had originally planned to rent only the first floor of Wangjiang Tower, handle this matter efficiently, and bring fame to the Shenquan Society and Huolong Quan—reasonable enough.

Who could have foreseen the situation would change again?

"Master."

The disciple beside him chuckled bitterly: "Li Yan summoned Huang Ling, Dianyi, Qingniu, and the Gelaohui—but it was sudden, and only ordinary disciples or elders came. Was this really necessary?"

"What do you know!"

Zou Shaohai glanced at him. "Huang Ling answers to Qingcheng; Dianyi and Qingniu answer to the Cheng family; the Gelaohui are local snakes; and Lushan is a dragon crossing the river—none of them are easy to deal with."

"The Shenquan Society has taken on this mess—we must handle it flawlessly, so both sides are truly convinced, and our word carries weight in the future."

"Renting the entire tower serves two purposes: first, to give no one grounds to mock us as stingy; second, to prevent interference."

He sighed. "Hu Zi, remember—in this Jianghu, to speak with authority, you need more than fists and blades—you need silver."

"Those elders learned the hard way. Look at the Cheng family—when have they ever failed to handle things beautifully?"

"Stingy and still want to be boss? Go back and suck your mother's milk…"

"Master is wise."

The disciple named Hu Zi nodded quickly.

Zou Shaohai sipped tea again, speaking calmly: "What of Lu Guan? Has he been seen contacting others?"

Lu Guan was also his disciple—the very man who had blocked Li Yan's group on their arrival in Suining and provoked them, then returned to sow discord.

Zou Shaohai was no ordinary man—he had cultivated to Gangjin through patience, and been chosen as leader of the Sichuan Shenquan Society; his talent and cunning were exceptional.

Precisely because he had investigated Li Yan's character, he had taken on this matter.

He immediately sensed something wrong, interrogated other disciples, and learned the full truth.

That was why he personally visited the next day.

The Shenquan Society wanted to gain fame through this incident, not to fight Li Yan to the death—hence the performance outside Ruifu Mansion.

Both sides understood what was intended.

Of course, Zou Shaohai had not let Lu Guan off—he punished him severely and ordered him confined to his home for reflection, while secretly assigning watchers.

The disciple named Hu Zi lowered his voice: "Master, you suspect Brother Lu Guan is involved? That can't be…"

"Hmph!"

Zou Shaohai spoke coldly: "Sichuan is now rife with hidden currents. The recent war between the righteous and evil in the southwest has barely ended, and the Worship the Dragon Cult has risen again. Even the Wang Fu shows signs of unease."

"If you're blind, you'll soon become a scapegoat. If you want to pluck chestnuts from the fire, your eyes must stay sharp."

"Lu Guan has always been steady, and always claimed to be an orphan with no parents—he has no grudge against Li Yan. There must be a reason for his actions."

"In short—keep a close watch on him!"

"Yes, Master!"

As the two spoke, a disciple hurried in, bowing: "Master, they've left the city—they'll arrive within two incense sticks!"

"Good. Open the gates. Welcome the guests!"

Zou Shaohai gave the order, rose, smoothed his robe, and strode out the door.

He had rented the entire Wangjiang Tower, but only the first floor was truly needed, so he moved the event to the top floor and took a room on the third floor for himself to enjoy the view.

He descended to the first floor—it was already packed.

"Chairman Zou."

"Chairman Zou."

"Greetings, Elder Zou."

Everyone along the way rose to greet him.

When speaking of the Sichuan Jianghu, one cannot avoid Qingcheng and Emei—but the Jianghu here is vast, and not limited to just a few families; others must eat too.

Thus, the Shenquan Society became a gathering place for these small sects, and over the years, secretly grown—even some among the "Eight Leaves" who resented Emei's control have joined.

This time, they brought their finest warriors.

Those present were either sect leaders or pillars of their clans.

In addition, there were several disciples of grieving families.

Their faces were filled with grief; all wore sackcloth and mourning caps.

Zou Shaohai first bowed, then, with a solemn face, looked at them and said: "Today's matter rests solely on my decision—no one is to act on their own. Do you agree?"

He had asked this before; now he repeated it.

After all, in handling such matters, the greatest danger is not the opponent—but betrayal from within. If that happens, the matter won't be resolved, only turned into a joke.

"We leave it entirely to the Chairman!"

"We follow Elder's lead."

Everyone knew exactly what was at stake—they all answered in unison.

"Good!"

Zou Shaohai nodded slightly. "The Jianghu has rules. All are guests. Others have sent formal invitations—we cannot be rude. Come, let us go out to welcome them!"

With that, the group streamed out of Wangjiang Tower.

Wangjiang Tower sits on elevated ground, connected to the official road by one hundred and eight steps, divided into three sections of thirty-six steps each.

Now, on both sides of each step stood two Shenquan Society disciples: the rear row held double swords, the middle row held guan dao, the front row held spears.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

As they descended, the disciples crossed their weapons, forming a bridge of blades—swordlight and spearlight, thick with martial aura.

The crowd waited calmly on the road.

Not long after, a group approached from afar. Besides Li Yan's party, there were several others in different attire.

On the left were the Luo family, dressed in luxurious Shu brocade, bearing the Luo banner—leading them was Luo Jun'an…

On the right was a red-headed Daoist priest, accompanied by three disciples, his banner fluttering with the words "Lushan" clearly visible…

The Dianyi Sect wore Confucian robes but donned Yin-Yang caps, signifying their dual cultivation of Confucian and Daoist paths—their leader was Cui Cong…

Qingniu Temple sent a group of young Daoists, led by their most outstanding junior disciple, Ling Fengzi…

The Gelaohui sent several old men—all in black cotton robes, white head wraps, red sashes, with tobacco pipes tucked behind their belts…

As for Li Yan's group, they too unfurled a banner—carried by Wu Ba—a large standard embroidered with sun, moon, stars, and auspicious clouds, bearing the four characters: "Twelve Yuan Chen."

The term "Man Er" was mostly used by others; even if one called oneself "Heavenly King" or "Vajra," it was merely a joke.

Since the name "Twelve Yuan Chen" had emerged by accident, Li Yan had decided to henceforth roam the Jianghu under that banner.

When they were less than three meters apart, Li Yan raised his hand and halted his group.

Both sides wore cold, solemn expressions, sizing each other up.

Li Yan looked up at the forest of blades above and sneered: "Today is not a mountain visit. We've come from afar—this is how you treat guests?"

Zou Shaohai glanced at him coolly: "From where do you come?"

Li Yan replied: "Naturally—from rivers, lakes, and seas."

"As Jianghu people, do you know the root of the Jianghu?"

"Don't say the Jianghu has no root—begin from the beginning: Jiao Ai and Bo Tao were the first leaders; the Snow Mountain's robe-passing tradition endures. Reviewing the Spring and Autumn, clear theories exist: Jian Shu, Bai Sheng, Jia Xianshi…"

"Good! Since you're Jianghu friends, we must treat you properly. My tea is Mengshan tea, brewed with spring water and blossoms."

"Wrong. I say tea is water from the Three Rivers, carrying guests from the Five Lakes—we are all fellow travelers. Why speak of roots?"

Wrong—I said the tea is from the Three Rivers, and the guests come from the Five Lakes; we are all fellow travelers, why speak of origins?

"Well said. Please!"

Zou Shaohai nodded slightly and gestured for the others to step aside.

Yet the weapons on the steps remained raised.

Li Yan had already seen this before and understood fully; he bowed slightly and said, "Third brother, born with a fierce nature, roared thrice and halted Cao Cao's host! Though lacking strategy to pacify the realm, he terrified Cao Cao's mighty army!"

Whoosh!

Thirty-six long spears withdrew in unison.

"Second brother, his fame rang out on the battlefield, his Green Dragon blade shook the sands—rode a thousand miles with unwavering will, faced the gathering heroes alone with a single blade!"

Whoosh!

Thirty-six Guan dao blades were withdrawn.

"Big brother Liu Bei, his spirit soared high, his virtue and benevolence echoed far and wide—his heart to restore the Han dynasty never faded, his heroic spirit shall flow forever!"

"Excellent!"

Zou Shaohai bowed and said, "In the Peach Garden, life and death we share; brotherhood in the Jianghu pierces the heavens. Please!"

In an instant, it was as if weapons had turned to jade and silk; smiling, he invited everyone into Wangjiang Tower.

These things are all old Jianghu traditions.

To be honest, anyone who comes to challenge the way knows how to speak—if they were truly outsiders, they wouldn't even get to show their face.

But some things are just like this.

Only with ritual can true formality be shown.

Zou Shaohai set up this scene of Liu, Guan, and Zhang's Peach Garden Oath—not only to demonstrate Jianghu brotherhood, but also to clarify the rules.

Today, the grudges between both sides shall be settled here; no one may renege afterward.

At Zou Shaohai's invitation, all ascended to the highest floor of Wangjiang Tower; all windows were open, cold though it was, yet carrying symbolic meaning: letting the wind come from all eight directions.

Generally speaking, such matters follow a set protocol.

The Divine Fist Society would host the gathering, have both sides state their terms for settling the grievance, then serve wine and food to close the matter.

On the top floor, many chairs had already been arranged.

The two sides faced each other, each with three rows in front and back, like the Chu River and Han Boundary, sharply opposed, with an open space between them.

The leaders of each sect sat in the front row.

The rest sat behind according to seniority; disciples could only hold banners and stand to cheer.

Li Yan and Zou Shaohai naturally sat in the center.

Though they glared coldly at each other, both sides knew the truth clearly.

Strictly speaking, Zou Shaohai was a Jianghu elder, yet by setting up this scene, he clearly elevated Li Yan to equal standing.

It appeared fierce and intimidating, yet gave full face.

Li Yan understood this too—he was merely playing along, resolving trivial matters, and preserving the Jianghu's dignity in Sichuan.

Zou Shaohai sipped tea, then turned to look behind him and said gravely, "Today, if you have grievances, voice them; if you have grudges, settle them. The Divine Fist Society will back you—but no matter how high your skill, it cannot surpass the word 'reason.' Everything must follow the rules."

"Who goes first?"

Immediately, a young Daoist stepped forward, bowing with a gloomy face, staring fiercely at Li Yan: "I am Mu Feiyun of Puan Temple, disciple of Master Tan Wanpei—was he killed by you?"

Li Yan nodded. "Indeed."

"Hahahaha!"

The Daoist's face twisted with grief: "Villain, you are indeed brazen! My master was the Dharma Lord of Puan Temple—this grudge, we vow to avenge…"

"Why the rush?"

Li Yan glanced coolly. "This matter was already arranged by your master. He left a letter for me to deliver. Read it first, then speak."

Saying this, he pulled out the blood-written letter Tan Wanpei penned before death, flicked his wrist, and sent it flying.

The Daoist caught it, read it while tears streamed down his face, trembling: "Master… your disciple is unworthy…"

"Venerable Mu, may I see it as well?"

Zou Shaohai, curious, took it and read through it, sighing softly: "I had ties with Master Tan—this is indeed his handwriting."

"His final words were to bury this matter entirely. He knew his death would spur others to seek revenge for the Dharma Lord's seat—a move that would destroy the sect."

"If you were worthy, why would Master Tan have had to serve others and entangle himself in these disputes?"

"Venerable Mu, what do you say?"

The Daoist gripped the blood letter tightly, glanced once more at Li Yan's cold face, then slumped in defeat: "We shall follow our master's final wish and bury this matter."

Saying this, he bowed slightly, turned, and walked away without looking back.

Li Yan watched, silently shaking his head.

Indeed, no one knows a son better than his father, no one knows a disciple better than his master.

Master Tan knew these disciples lacked the ruthlessness and the strength to seek revenge—and would only invite internal chaos or become someone else's blade.

Leaving the blood letter was a way to preserve the sect's flame.

"My father would never leave a blood letter!"

From behind Zou Shaohai, a loud roar suddenly rang out.

A young man in mourning clothes leapt forward, hefting a massive iron spear and slamming it hard into the ground.

The youth was broad-shouldered and muscular, clearly a born warrior; his eyes bulged, teeth clenched: "Lotus Sect, Wang Kun."

"Was my father, Wang Han, killed by you?"

Li Yan lifted his teacup, drank calmly: "Outside Wuxi Town, we fought openly in a duel to the death—what now? Are you going to seek revenge for that?"

A Red-Headed Master from Lushan Sect sneered: "Open? It was all for profit! Duel to the death—each bears his own fate."

"If everyone did this, what use are Jianghu rules?"

(End of Chapter)