Chapter 6: Heavenly Dragon? Heavenly Dragon!

Ahead, Huo Sijiu's expression was one of startled confusion, unsure where he had spoken amiss, and he hurriedly looked toward Mr. Qu.

Mr. Qu was familiar with Zhao Ti; the shopkeeper of this Ding Family Plain Tea House and he both knew Zhao Ti's true identity, so it would not do to ask directly for the reason. He only said: "Junior brother, start over from the beginning for the young master's careful listening."

Huo Sijiu obeyed and began again from the start, and at the end added: "Now in the jianghu and the greenwood, the two whose fame rides highest are a pair of young heroes. There is a famous saying to describe these two: 'In the north, Qiao Feng; in the south, South Murong.'"

Zhao Ti's face shifted between shadow and light; he drew a deep breath and this time said nothing.

Seeing this, Huo Sijiu cautiously continued: "The north's Qiao Feng refers to the present Beggars' Sect Leader Qiao Feng, Hero Qiao; the south's South Murong is the young master Murong Fu of the Gusu Murong Clan. Both possess extraordinarily formidable abilities, their martial skills divine and uncanny, refined to perfection…"

Though Zhao Ti did not speak, at this moment his mind was as if struck by thunder and lightning, heavenly thunder rolling on and on—north's Qiao Feng, south's South Murong, north's Qiao Feng, south's South Murong—how could there be a north's Qiao Feng and a south's South Murong?!

Xiao Feng was still all right; he truly existed in history, but he had never come to the Great Song either.

As for Murong Fu—his ancestors Murong Chui, Murong Bao, and Murong Ke truly existed, but where had Murong Longcheng, Murong Bo, and he himself come from?

Zhao Ti's chest churned, his thoughts turning a hundred times, and he secretly mused: Could it be… that this place is actually Tian Long?

If this is Tian Long, then what Zhou Dong had said—about Emperor Taizong going south in those years to sweep clean the jianghu sects and martial clans and collect martial-arts manuals—is very likely true!

But why had he not found them after all his years in the palace? Were they destroyed by the previous emperors, or hidden in some especially secret place?

If this is Tian Long, then by training martial skills to their utmost, would that not add several measures of assurance for contending for the supreme throne in the future?

Even if forced into a desperate situation and resorting to a dangerous gambit, it would increase the odds of success by several measures! At the very worst, with high martial skills one could keep oneself safe—under heaven and earth so vast, where could one not go!

If this is Tian Long, then the path of martial training he had followed since childhood was not wrong, yet not a single one of those formidable martial arts had he ever set eyes on. Had he sent people to search earlier, he might already have gained something!

Listening to Huo Sijiu continue recounting the deeds of Qiao Feng and Murong Fu, interspersed with various affairs of the jianghu, grudges and loves, and with other figures appearing, Zhao Ti was almost certain that this place was Tian Long!

He half-closed his eyes; even the tea he no longer drank. In his ears Huo Sijiu's voice went on, while in his heart he ceaselessly reviewed every person and thing he had encountered from childhood onward, searching within them for any trace connected to martial arts and the jianghu.

Bai Zhan and the others had never seen Zhao Ti in such a state, and all began to act cautiously, keeping watch on every side.

After another hour, when one session of storytelling ended, Zhao Ti rose, told Bai Zhan to pay for the tea, tipped Mr. Qu and Huo Sijiu as well, then stepped out through the great gate of the tea house.

Outside the sky was still bright; the flow of people on Dongmen Main Street had thinned somewhat, the shops and stalls on either side were as busy as ever, but there was no longer the earlier clamor.

Zhao Ti said to Zhou Dong, who followed closely behind him: "Master Zhou, having heard what Mr. Huo said about jianghu matters—can it be taken as true?"

Zhou Dong nodded: "Young master, it is basically true."

Zhao Ti glanced back at him: "Master Zhou also knows of 'north's Qiao Feng, south's South Murong'?"

Zhou Dong said: "This commoner knows. These two are the pride of the jianghu today; though young, their martial skills are extremely high. Even some long-established veterans may not be a match for the two of them."

Zhao Ti pondered slightly, walked another dozen-odd steps, then said: "How do they compare with Master Zhou?"

Zhou Dong said with embarrassment: "Though this commoner has never met these two, judging from the rumors about them, I fear I would be no match."

Zhao Ti smiled: "Mr. Huo said Qiao Feng and Murong Fu's martial skills are rare under heaven; it is only normal that you are no match."

Zhou Dong said shamefacedly: "It is truly that this commoner's learning of the art is not refined enough…"

A short while later, the party left Dongmen Main Street and headed straight back to Yan Wang Fu.

Once inside the mansion, Zhao Ti went straight to the study, told Bai Zhan and the others to stand guard at the door, and Zhou Dong went in. Looking at him, Zhao Ti thought for a few breaths, then said: "This king has some matters on which I must ask Master Zhou to resolve my doubts."

Zhou Dong said with ceremony: "Your Highness, please ask. Whatever this commoner knows, I shall surely speak of it all, holding nothing back."

Zhao Ti nodded: "Guangzu, sit and speak. Now that you are a man of Wang Fu, you need not be constrained at every turn. I have already registered your name at court; an appointment will come down, and from then on you will hold an official rank. You need not go on wandering the jianghu."

Zhou Dong showed a grateful expression. To have learned one's civil and martial arts only to sell them to the house of the emperor—any talk of not wanting to risk one's life for others, of wanting freedom, was nothing but affected words; it was simply that one had no door to advancement. He hurriedly bowed again and said: "Many thanks to Your Highness. Your Highness's grace and virtue—how could Dong dare not give his all unto death!"

Zhao Ti's fingers tapped lightly on the desk, and he said slowly: "The matter of Emperor Taizong collecting martial-arts manuals and hiding them in the palace—where exactly did Guangzu hear of it, and is it convincing?"

Zhou Dong said: "Your Highness, this commoner does not speak idly. Were it only an ordinary jianghu legend, I would not dare open my mouth carelessly to show off. My master, and people of the Huashan Chen family, have both spoken of this old matter with this commoner."

"Your master, this king knows. In those years he protected Grand Councilor Wang's reforms, attending at his side. How is the old gentleman now?"

"Your Highness, after the late emperor passed and Grand Councilor Wang was demoted, master withdrew to Songshan Shaolin and would not see the world. Even this commoner has not seen the old gentleman for some years now."

"Withdrawn to Songshan Shaolin?" Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes. Zhou Dong's master was a man of great renown—the later saying 'no king beyond Xiang, no general beyond Li, no fist beyond Jin,' and that Jin referred to his master Jin Tai.

That man was born of the lay disciples of Songshan Shaolin, bound to Shaolin by countless ties. He once entered court in a martial post, garrisoned the Song–Liao border, and during Wang Anshi's reforms assassination attempts were frequent, so Emperor Shenzong appointed him to guard the surroundings. In the jianghu he bore the nickname "King of Fists Under Heaven"; the height of his martial skills can be imagined.

"Precisely so. Master withdrew to Shaolin; this commoner has gone several times, but never gained an audience."

"Since the old gentleman has said so, it should not be false. Who are the people of the Huashan Chen family?" Zhao Ti asked.

"Your Highness, the Chen family is the very Chen family of Old Ancestor Chen Tuan—the one to whom Emperor Taizu lost at chess on Huashan, and who during the Taizu and Taizong reigns four times declined the court's summons."

"So it is that Chen family…" Zhao Ti mused. In those years, when Emperor Taizu was roaming the jianghu, he received from Chen Tuan guidance on his future direction and was grateful in his heart. As for whether Huashan was lost or enfeoffed, Emperor Taizu never stated it himself afterward, and the Chen family, since the founding of the Great Song, had lived continuously on Huashan.

"Your Highness, it was indeed a person of that Chen family who mentioned it in casual conversation with this commoner, so… this commoner does not consider it false."

"Then it should indeed be true." Zhao Ti turned it over in his mind. Whether Jin Tai or the people of the Chen family, both had no shallow ties to the Great Song imperial court. The matter should indeed be real—but why had he, over all these years, never found those manuals in the palace?

"Guangzu said earlier that Li Xian's martial skills are formidable; pray go into more detail."

"Your Highness, Li Dahuan once had a nickname: 'Invincible in the North.' Whether on assignments outside the palace or while leading troops, moving abroad, whether among the jianghu or the greenwood, he never suffered a single defeat."

"What weapons and martial arts is he skilled in?" Zhao Ti asked curiously.

"Li Dahuan ordinarily uses a sword, but is even more adept with a kind of red-thread flying needle. His movement is ghostly, his darting traceless; the flying needles are swift and uncanny—ordinary martial skills and weapons can scarcely withstand them."

Hearing this, Zhao Ti's face took on a strange expression. He placed both hands on the desk, leaned forward slightly, and looked at Zhou Dong: "Guangzu, you say Li Xian's red-thread flying needles are swift and uncanny, his movement ghostly, his darting traceless?"