Chapter 459: 459
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Hearing this, Zhang Wuji's heart was reassured, thinking, "Turns out my grandfather [orig. wai4 gong1 – maternal grandfather], Yang Zuoshi, and the others have learned this information and have already sent people to come over here."
He heard Kong Wen continue, "Of course our Temple refused, but how can the Ming Cult let the matter drop? That Zhang Jiaozhu has reached the pinnacle of the martial art mastery, until now he has not appeared. I am afraid he is operating surreptitiously. Kong Zhi Shidi [younger martial brother] and I owe him for saving our lives. If he personally came and asked for favor, how can we answer him? This is a serious problem. Shidi, Shizhi [martial nephew], do you have any honorable idea?"
An old and deep voice coughed lightly. As Zhang Wuji heard this cough, his heart was shaken, for he recognized this person as Cheng Kun, who changed his name to Yuan Zhen. Zhang Wuji had never spoken with him face to face, but at the Brightness Peak, when Zhang Wuji was inside the cloth-sack, he heard him recounting the past events, and then from behind the rock, he heard him shouting; he was very familiar with Cheng Kun's voice. In a flash, suddenly Xiao Zhao came into his mind. One part of his heart was sweet, the other part was bitter.
He heard Yuan Zhen say, "Xie Xun is being guarded by three Tai Shishu [martial granduncle], so nothing will happen to him. The heroes' assembly this time concerns our Shaolin Pai's thousands of years' prosperity and decline, our glory or disgrace. Some small kindness or resentment from the Ming Cult should not worry Fangzhang Shishu [abbot martial uncle] too much. Besides, the Wan An Temple affair was a collusion between the Ming Cult and the imperial government to make things difficult for the Six Major Sects, doesn't Fangzhang Shishu know it?"
"How can the Ming Cult collude with the imperial government?" Kong Wen was surprised.
Yuan Zhen said, "The Ming Cult's Zhang Jiaozhu was engaged to the Emei Pai Zhangmen [sect leader], Miss Zhou. On their wedding day, the Ruyang Prince's Junzhu Niangniang [princess] suddenly took that fellow surnamed Zhang away. This matter has shaken the Jianghu; Fangzhang Shishu must have heard about it."
"That's right," Kong Wen said, "I heard it was so."
"One of that Junzhu Niangniang's subordinate is a very capable warrior, called Ku Toutuo," Yuan Zhen continued, "Both Shishu must have seen him at the Wan An Temple."
At the Wan An Temple, Kong Zhi was forced by Zhao Min to demonstrate his martial art. Once he was humiliated by Ku Toutuo, because at that time his internal strength was gone, and thus he was not able to resist. He still bore some resentment until this moment. "Humph," he said, "Once this important business is finished, I am going to Dadu to find Ku Toutuo and challenge him."
"Shishu [plural], do you know who this Toutuo really is?" Yuan Zhen asked.
"This Ku Toutuo's knowledge is very vast," Kong Zhi replied, "He seems to know the martial art skill of every school and every sect. In all honesty, I can't pinpoint his school origin."
"Ku Toutuo is actually the Ming Cult's Guangming You Shi Fan Yao," Yuan Zhen said.
"Is that so?" Kong Wen and Kong Zhi exclaimed together. They sounded very surprised.
"How can Yuan Zhen dare to deceive Shishu?" Yuan Zhen said, "If he has the guts to appear on the Duan Yang Festival, once Shishu sees it, you will know."
Kong Wen was deep in thought. "If that's the case, then Zhang Wuji definitely collaborates secretly with that Junzhu. As the Junzhu captured the leaders of the Six Major Sects, Zhang Wuji sold his kindness by rescuing us."
"I am 80, 90% sure that was what really happened," Yuan Zhen said.
"But I still think that Zhang Jiaozhu looks honest, considerate and upright," Kong Wen said, "It's hard to imagine he is that kind of man. We must not wrongly accuse a good person."
Yuan Zhen said, "I am sure Fangzhang Shishu remember the saying, 'knowing a man by his face, not knowing his heart' [zhi1 ren2 zhi1 mian4 bu4 zhi1 xin1]. That Xie Xun is Zhang Wuji's Yifu, he is also one of the four Great Protector Kings [hu jiao fa wang – see my note in Chapter 30] of the Devil Cult. The Devil Cult will disregard everything to save its own people. In the upcoming Lion-slaying Assembly, everything will become apparent."
Thereupon the three of them continued their discussion on how to welcome the guests, and how to stop the enemies who wanted to abduct Xie Xun; they also estimated how many masters from each school and sect would attend the assembly. Yuan Zhen strived to provoke all schools to fight each other. Then, after they had been defeated and suffered some injuries, Shaolin Pai would take advantage by killing the tiger inside the village, subduing all sects, so by right they would obtain the Tulong Saber and kill Xie Xun as a sacrifice for Kong Jian.
Kong Wen strongly emphasized that they should not shed too much blood and offended the Wulin people of the same principle; also, it seemed like he did not want to insult the Ming Cult.
Kong Zhi, however, wanted to embrace both ideas. He said, "When all is said and done, the most important matter is forcing Xie Xun to reveal the Tulong Saber's whereabouts before the Duan Yang Festival. Otherwise, this 'lion-slaying assembly' will be meaningless and in turn will degrade our Sect's prestige.
"Shidi has stated it well," Kong Wen said, "We must show the Saber without fail at the meeting to set up our prestige. We'll say that this 'most revered in the Wulin world' [wu3 lin2 zhi4 zun1], the precious Tulong Saber has returned under our Sect's control. Then our Sect will rule the world, and nobody would dare to disobey."
"All right," Kong Zhi said, "Let it be so. Yuan Zhen, go and talk with Xie Xun again. Persuade him to hand over the precious Saber and we'll spare his life."
"Yes!" Yuan Zhen replied, "I respectfully follow Shishu's instruction." Footsteps were heard as Yuan Zhen went out the room.
Zhang Wuji was delighted, but he knew that these three Shaolin monks possessed extremely high martial art skill; if he made the slightest noise, he would be immediately detected. If he had to fight the three of them together, he was afraid it would be difficult for him to score a victory. The best he could do would be escape, but then his efforts to save his Yifu would be a thousand times, ten thousand times more difficult. Thereupon he held his breath and stayed perfectly still.
He saw that Yuan Zhen's slim figure was moving to the north. A loud pitter-patter noise was heard as the heavy rain struck the oilpaper umbrella in his hand. Zhang Wuji waited until he was more than a dozen of 'zhang's away before he lightly slipped out to follow him.
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Hearing this, Zhang Wuji's heart was reassured, thinking, "Turns out my grandfather [orig. wai4 gong1 – maternal grandfather], Yang Zuoshi, and the others have learned this information and have already sent people to come over here."
He heard Kong Wen continue, "Of course our Temple refused, but how can the Ming Cult let the matter drop? That Zhang Jiaozhu has reached the pinnacle of the martial art mastery, until now he has not appeared. I am afraid he is operating surreptitiously. Kong Zhi Shidi [younger martial brother] and I owe him for saving our lives. If he personally came and asked for favor, how can we answer him? This is a serious problem. Shidi, Shizhi [martial nephew], do you have any honorable idea?"
An old and deep voice coughed lightly. As Zhang Wuji heard this cough, his heart was shaken, for he recognized this person as Cheng Kun, who changed his name to Yuan Zhen. Zhang Wuji had never spoken with him face to face, but at the Brightness Peak, when Zhang Wuji was inside the cloth-sack, he heard him recounting the past events, and then from behind the rock, he heard him shouting; he was very familiar with Cheng Kun's voice. In a flash, suddenly Xiao Zhao came into his mind. One part of his heart was sweet, the other part was bitter.
He heard Yuan Zhen say, "Xie Xun is being guarded by three Tai Shishu [martial granduncle], so nothing will happen to him. The heroes' assembly this time concerns our Shaolin Pai's thousands of years' prosperity and decline, our glory or disgrace. Some small kindness or resentment from the Ming Cult should not worry Fangzhang Shishu [abbot martial uncle] too much. Besides, the Wan An Temple affair was a collusion between the Ming Cult and the imperial government to make things difficult for the Six Major Sects, doesn't Fangzhang Shishu know it?"
"How can the Ming Cult collude with the imperial government?" Kong Wen was surprised.
Yuan Zhen said, "The Ming Cult's Zhang Jiaozhu was engaged to the Emei Pai Zhangmen [sect leader], Miss Zhou. On their wedding day, the Ruyang Prince's Junzhu Niangniang [princess] suddenly took that fellow surnamed Zhang away. This matter has shaken the Jianghu; Fangzhang Shishu must have heard about it."
"That's right," Kong Wen said, "I heard it was so."
"One of that Junzhu Niangniang's subordinate is a very capable warrior, called Ku Toutuo," Yuan Zhen continued, "Both Shishu must have seen him at the Wan An Temple."
At the Wan An Temple, Kong Zhi was forced by Zhao Min to demonstrate his martial art. Once he was humiliated by Ku Toutuo, because at that time his internal strength was gone, and thus he was not able to resist. He still bore some resentment until this moment. "Humph," he said, "Once this important business is finished, I am going to Dadu to find Ku Toutuo and challenge him."
"Shishu [plural], do you know who this Toutuo really is?" Yuan Zhen asked.
"This Ku Toutuo's knowledge is very vast," Kong Zhi replied, "He seems to know the martial art skill of every school and every sect. In all honesty, I can't pinpoint his school origin."
"Ku Toutuo is actually the Ming Cult's Guangming You Shi Fan Yao," Yuan Zhen said.
"Is that so?" Kong Wen and Kong Zhi exclaimed together. They sounded very surprised.
"How can Yuan Zhen dare to deceive Shishu?" Yuan Zhen said, "If he has the guts to appear on the Duan Yang Festival, once Shishu sees it, you will know."
Kong Wen was deep in thought. "If that's the case, then Zhang Wuji definitely collaborates secretly with that Junzhu. As the Junzhu captured the leaders of the Six Major Sects, Zhang Wuji sold his kindness by rescuing us."
"I am 80, 90% sure that was what really happened," Yuan Zhen said.
"But I still think that Zhang Jiaozhu looks honest, considerate and upright," Kong Wen said, "It's hard to imagine he is that kind of man. We must not wrongly accuse a good person."
Yuan Zhen said, "I am sure Fangzhang Shishu remember the saying, 'knowing a man by his face, not knowing his heart' [zhi1 ren2 zhi1 mian4 bu4 zhi1 xin1]. That Xie Xun is Zhang Wuji's Yifu, he is also one of the four Great Protector Kings [hu jiao fa wang – see my note in Chapter 30] of the Devil Cult. The Devil Cult will disregard everything to save its own people. In the upcoming Lion-slaying Assembly, everything will become apparent."
Thereupon the three of them continued their discussion on how to welcome the guests, and how to stop the enemies who wanted to abduct Xie Xun; they also estimated how many masters from each school and sect would attend the assembly. Yuan Zhen strived to provoke all schools to fight each other. Then, after they had been defeated and suffered some injuries, Shaolin Pai would take advantage by killing the tiger inside the village, subduing all sects, so by right they would obtain the Tulong Saber and kill Xie Xun as a sacrifice for Kong Jian.
Kong Wen strongly emphasized that they should not shed too much blood and offended the Wulin people of the same principle; also, it seemed like he did not want to insult the Ming Cult.
Kong Zhi, however, wanted to embrace both ideas. He said, "When all is said and done, the most important matter is forcing Xie Xun to reveal the Tulong Saber's whereabouts before the Duan Yang Festival. Otherwise, this 'lion-slaying assembly' will be meaningless and in turn will degrade our Sect's prestige.
"Shidi has stated it well," Kong Wen said, "We must show the Saber without fail at the meeting to set up our prestige. We'll say that this 'most revered in the Wulin world' [wu3 lin2 zhi4 zun1], the precious Tulong Saber has returned under our Sect's control. Then our Sect will rule the world, and nobody would dare to disobey."
"All right," Kong Zhi said, "Let it be so. Yuan Zhen, go and talk with Xie Xun again. Persuade him to hand over the precious Saber and we'll spare his life."
"Yes!" Yuan Zhen replied, "I respectfully follow Shishu's instruction." Footsteps were heard as Yuan Zhen went out the room.
Zhang Wuji was delighted, but he knew that these three Shaolin monks possessed extremely high martial art skill; if he made the slightest noise, he would be immediately detected. If he had to fight the three of them together, he was afraid it would be difficult for him to score a victory. The best he could do would be escape, but then his efforts to save his Yifu would be a thousand times, ten thousand times more difficult. Thereupon he held his breath and stayed perfectly still.
He saw that Yuan Zhen's slim figure was moving to the north. A loud pitter-patter noise was heard as the heavy rain struck the oilpaper umbrella in his hand. Zhang Wuji waited until he was more than a dozen of 'zhang's away before he lightly slipped out to follow him.
Hearing this, Zhang Wuji's heart was reassured, thinking, "Turns out my grandfather orig. wai4 gong1 maternal grandfather, Yang Zuoshi, and the others have learned this information and have already sent people to come over here."He heard Kong Wen continue, "Of course our Temple refused, but how can the Ming Cult let the matter drop? That Zhang Jiaozhu has reached the pinnacle of the martial art mastery, until now he has not appeared. I am afraid he is operating surreptitiously. Kong Zhi Shidi younger martial brother and I owe him for saving our lives. If he personally came and asked for favor, how can we answer him? This is a serious problem. Shidi, Shizhi martial nephew, do you have any honorable idea?"An old and deep voice coughed lightly. As Zhang Wuji heard this cough, his heart was shaken, for he recognized this person as Cheng Kun, who changed his name to Yuan Zhen. Zhang Wuji had never spoken with him face to face, but at the Brightness Peak, when Zhang Wuji was inside the cloth-sack, he heard him recounting the past events, and then from behind the rock, he heard him shouting; he was very familiar with Cheng Kun's voice. In a flash, suddenly Xiao Zhao came into his mind. One part of his heart was sweet, the other part was bitter.He heard Yuan Zhen say, "Xie Xun is being guarded by three Tai Shishu martial granduncle, so nothing will happen to him. The heroes' assembly this time concerns our Shaolin Pai's thousands of years' prosperity and decline, our glory or disgrace. Some small kindness or resentment from the Ming Cult should not worry Fangzhang Shishu abbot martial uncle too much. Besides, the Wan An Temple affair was a collusion between the Ming Cult and the imperial government to make things difficult for the Six Major Sects, doesn't Fangzhang Shishu know it?""How can the Ming Cult collude with the imperial government?" Kong Wen was surprised.Yuan Zhen said, "The Ming Cult's Zhang Jiaozhu was engaged to the Emei Pai Zhangmen sect leader, Miss Zhou. On their wedding day, the Ruyang Prince's Junzhu Niangniang princess suddenly took that fellow surnamed Zhang away. This matter has shaken the Jianghu; Fangzhang Shishu must have heard about it.""That's right," Kong Wen said, "I heard it was so.""One of that Junzhu Niangniang's subordinate is a very capable warrior, called Ku Toutuo," Yuan Zhen continued, "Both Shishu must have seen him at the Wan An Temple."At the Wan An Temple, Kong Zhi was forced by Zhao Min to demonstrate his martial art. Once he was humiliated by Ku Toutuo, because at that time his internal strength was gone, and thus he was not able to resist. He still bore some resentment until this moment. "Humph," he said, "Once this important business is finished, I am going to Dadu to find Ku Toutuo and challenge him.""Shishu plural, do you know who this Toutuo really is?" Yuan Zhen asked."This Ku Toutuo's knowledge is very vast," Kong Zhi replied, "He seems to know the martial art skill of every school and every sect. In all honesty, I can't pinpoint his school origin.""Ku Toutuo is actually the Ming Cult's Guangming You Shi Fan Yao," Yuan Zhen said."Is that so?" Kong Wen and Kong Zhi exclaimed together. They sounded very surprised."How can Yuan Zhen dare to deceive Shishu?" Yuan Zhen said, "If he has the guts to appear on the Duan Yang Festival, once Shishu sees it, you will know."Kong Wen was deep in thought. "If that's the case, then Zhang Wuji definitely collaborates secretly with that Junzhu. As the Junzhu captured the leaders of the Six Major Sects, Zhang Wuji sold his kindness by rescuing us.""I am 80, 90% sure that was what really happened," Yuan Zhen said."But I still think that Zhang Jiaozhu looks honest, considerate and upright," Kong Wen said, "It's hard to imagine he is that kind of man. We must not wrongly accuse a good person."Yuan Zhen said, "I am sure Fangzhang Shishu remember the saying, 'knowing a man by his face, not knowing his heart' zhi1 ren2 zhi1 mian4 bu4 zhi1 xin1. That Xie Xun is Zhang Wuji's Yifu, he is also one of the four Great Protector Kings hu jiao fa wang see my note in Chapter 30 of the Devil Cult. The Devil Cult will disregard everything to save its own people. In the upcoming Lion-slaying Assembly, everything will become apparent."Thereupon the three of them continued their discussion on how to welcome the guests, and how to stop the enemies who wanted to abduct Xie Xun; they also estimated how many masters from each school and sect would attend the assembly. Yuan Zhen strived to provoke all schools to fight each other. Then, after they had been defeated and suffered some injuries, Shaolin Pai would take advantage by killing the tiger inside the village, subduing all sects, so by right they would obtain the Tulong Saber and kill Xie Xun as a sacrifice for Kong Jian.Kong Wen strongly emphasized that they should not shed too much blood and offended the Wulin people of the same principle; also, it seemed like he did not want to insult the Ming Cult.Kong Zhi, however, wanted to embrace both ideas. He said, "When all is said and done, the most important matter is forcing Xie Xun to reveal the Tulong Saber's whereabouts before the Duan Yang Festival. Otherwise, this 'lion-slaying assembly' will be meaningless and in turn will degrade our Sect's prestige."Shidi has stated it well," Kong Wen said, "We must show the Saber without fail at the meeting to set up our prestige. We'll say that this 'most revered in the Wulin world' wu3 lin2 zhi4 zun1, the precious Tulong Saber has returned under our Sect's control. Then our Sect will rule the world, and nobody would dare to disobey.""All right," Kong Zhi said, "Let it be so. Yuan Zhen, go and talk with Xie Xun again. Persuade him to hand over the precious Saber and we'll spare his life.""Yes!" Yuan Zhen replied, "I respectfully follow Shishu's instruction." Footsteps were heard as Yuan Zhen went out the room.Zhang Wuji was delighted, but he knew that these three Shaolin monks possessed extremely high martial art skill; if he made the slightest noise, he would be immediately detected. If he had to fight the three of them together, he was afraid it would be difficult for him to score a victory. The best he could do would be escape, but then his efforts to save his Yifu would be a thousand times, ten thousand times more difficult. Thereupon he held his breath and stayed perfectly still.He saw that Yuan Zhen's slim figure was moving to the north. A loud pitter-patter noise was heard as the heavy rain struck the oilpaper umbrella in his hand. Zhang Wuji waited until he was more than a dozen of 'zhang's away before he lightly slipped out to follow him.
