Chapter 48

When the sun set on the second day, casting a warm glow over the land, Su Peng, with his sword, had already entered the coastal city of Binhai.

After imparting the killing sword technique to Su Peng, he stayed another night on Purple Mist Mountain. The next afternoon, Dugu Sheng summoned a giant eagle on the back mountain, and Chen Qizhen and Zhong Lingxiu both came to bid farewell. Su Peng also said goodbye to the two and promised to help Chen Qizhen find rare treasures. Then, he followed Dugu Sheng, riding the giant eagle out of Purple Mist Mountain.

The giant eagle flew for less than thirty minutes before dropping the two at a location. Dugu Sheng told Su Peng that this was near Tengzhou's Binhai City, wished him well, and then flew away on the giant eagle.

Su Peng walked for a while and then caught a carriage heading to Binhai City. After a two-hour ride, Su Peng arrived at Binhai City.

"Here's your fare." Su Peng threw a few copper coins to the carriage driver, jumped off the carriage, and looked around the city.

This city was a typical port city, located at the mouth of an inland sea. Most of the people in the city were merchants, exuding a maritime atmosphere. On the streets, there were not only ordinary citizens but also various sailors, and even some people who looked like Arabs or Caucasians. Out of curiosity, Su Peng asked around and learned that these people mostly came from the Arab and Persian regions.

"There are even foreign settings... I wonder if there's a Western continent if I sail out to sea," Su Peng thought to himself.

However, he wasn't really planning to go on a sea adventure. His current priority was to find a passenger ship to return to Jiangning County, as the end-of-month assessment was to be held near Jiangning County, and he couldn't afford to be so far away.

After asking around, Su Peng learned that there was a River Guild Passenger Ship Association where he could find various ships heading inland.

After searching the River Guild Passenger Ship Association, Su Peng found a river ship heading inland that would pass by Jiangning County, and he could board it.

After negotiating with the ship owner, Su Peng learned that the ship was a combination of a merchant and passenger vessel, but the fare was quite expensive, costing two taels of gold per passenger.

Although he thought it was a bit expensive, this was the only ship passing by Jiangning County in the near future, so Su Peng reluctantly paid the two taels of gold and booked a cabin on the ship.

The merchant ship was waiting for a batch of cargo and wouldn't set sail until the next day. The ship owner recommended a guesthouse, informing Su Peng that the guesthouse and the passenger ship were owned by the same person, and most of the passengers who would board the ship in the next few days were staying at this guesthouse.

Su Peng was somewhat interested in getting to know his fellow passengers in advance, so he went to the guesthouse.

The guesthouse was called Haikeju, and the innkeeper was actually an Arab. Su Peng entered the guesthouse, paid five silver coins for a room on the second floor, and, with nothing else to do, went downstairs to order some wine and dishes, intending to try the local seafood.

Although the game couldn't really provide real nutrition, the taste was incredibly realistic. Su Peng saw a few seasonal seafood dishes on the guesthouse's menu and felt his appetite whetted, so he decided to stay online and have a meal at the guesthouse.

The food was being prepared in the back kitchen, and Su Peng sat alone at a table, placing his sword on the table and observing the other guests in the hall.

Behind him, at another table, there was a man in his thirties, dressed like a destitute scholar, also sitting alone, drinking and eating a few dishes. When he noticed Su Peng looking at him, the man nodded slightly and raised his cup in a gesture of respect, then took another sip.

Su Peng saw that although the man's clothes were a bit old, his demeanor was graceful, and his face was full, with a subtle aura of elegance, not like someone who had been destitute for a long time. Su Peng felt a sense of goodwill and nodded in return.

The food arrived quickly, and Su Peng's seafood dishes were served. He ordered a cup of wine and drank alone, observing the people in the guesthouse.

Just then, a sharp, metallic voice called out, "Waiter, bring the most expensive dishes and the best wine. Don't worry about the silver, just bring them over."

Su Peng looked over and saw a man in his late twenties with red hair, looking rather arrogant and domineering, carrying a sheathed long sword, walking into the inn.

"Sure thing," the waiter replied. The man walked to a table next to Su Peng, sat down with a swagger, and looked around the room. The other guests in the inn, seeing his demeanor, dared not meet his eyes, and he laughed loudly.

Only two people did not avoid the red-haired man's gaze. One was Su Peng, who recognized him as a martial artist and was quite curious. Since leaving Purple Mist Sect, Su Peng's mindset had changed slightly, feeling like he was also a part of the martial world, and he was eager to meet various martial artists.

The other person who didn't flinch was the drinking scholar. It was unclear if he had particularly good self-control, but he also nodded slightly and raised his cup in a gesture of respect, then took another sip.

The red-haired man glanced at Su Peng, then at the sword on the table, and then at the scholar, laughing loudly. "Looking around this room, only two of you have some courage."

Just as Su Peng was about to respond, he heard a commotion outside. He looked out and saw about eight or nine young martial artists, armed with weapons, entering the room.

"Waiter, find us a place and bring some wine and dishes!" one of the young martial artists shouted as soon as they entered.

"Um... Gentlemen, the inn is quite small, and it seems there's no more space. What do you think..." the waiter, who had just returned from serving the red-haired man, said hesitantly.

The young martial artists looked around the room and saw that all the tables were occupied, with no empty spots.

"Brother Hu, what do you think?" the young martial artist who spoke first hesitated and looked at someone behind him.

Su Peng observed that among the eight or nine young martial artists, a young man in a blue robe seemed to be the leader. He was about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, quite handsome, but with a hint of arrogance. He carried a long sword with an ancient and intricately designed hilt, and two young female martial artists were looking at him with admiration. The others also seemed to follow his lead.

The young man in the blue robe glanced around the room and immediately noticed the tables occupied by the red-haired man, Su Peng, and the scholar. These three tables were quite large and each was occupied by one person.

After a moment's thought, the young man in the blue robe made a decision. He walked over to Su Peng's table, gave a slight bow, and said, "Friend, could you please make room for us? I'll treat you to this meal."

Su Peng was speechless. Why did they pick on him? Did he look like an easy target?

Su Peng chuckled and said, "Friend, why do you think I would give up my table? Who are you, anyway?"

The young man suddenly looked quite proud and said, "I am Hu Sijie, a formal disciple of Hengshan Sect."

Su Peng couldn't help but laugh. He had only asked out of curiosity, but the young man took it seriously and even introduced himself with such arrogance. Just because he was a sect disciple, he thought he was something special? Especially with that arrogant attitude, it made Su Peng want to put him in his place.

"Is being a sect disciple so impressive? There are hundreds of Hengshan disciples. Who is Hu Sijie? Who is your leader?" Su Peng asked, feeling a bit playful.

The young man looked at Su Peng. Based on his past experience, Su Peng, as a wandering martial artist, might not show respect verbally, but he would usually give some face to a sect disciple, especially since they were not too far from Hengshan Sect's influence. Su Peng's boldness and his question about the leader surprised him.

However, Su Peng's question hit a nerve. The young man replied even more arrogantly, "My brother, Hu Sixian, is ranked sixth among the Ten Young Swords of the Martial World. Have you heard of him?"

Su Peng almost spat out his wine. He had just asked out of curiosity, and the young man actually gave a name.

"Never heard of him. What are the Ten Young Swords of the Martial World?" Su Peng asked casually.

As soon as he said this, the young martial artists all changed their expressions and looked at Su Peng as if he were crazy.

"Ha ha ha... The Ten Young Swords of the Martial World are nothing but a bunch of unskilled braggarts. They deceive the world and themselves. They might fool newbies, but for someone to use their name to deceive others is truly laughable, ha ha ha..."

At this moment, the red-haired man next to Su Peng burst out laughing.

"Do you two think you're being too arrogant?" Hu Sijie, the young martial artist, said coldly, his hand unconsciously touching the hilt of his sword.

He had approached Su Peng because of his status and reputation. The scholar didn't seem to be a martial artist and might not know better, and the red-haired man seemed difficult to deal with. He chose Su Peng, thinking that with Hengshan Sect's and his brother's reputation, Su Peng would give him some face. However, these two showed no mercy in embarrassing him.

He was angry and wanted to teach them a lesson, but starting a fight over this would make him look petty and lacking in grace, leaving him in a dilemma.

If Su Peng knew what he was thinking, he would have laughed and called him a pretentious fool.

Su Peng smiled and ignored the young martial artists, continuing to drink his wine.

Just as Hu Sijie was about to react, the waiter, sensing the tension, saw that a table had just been vacated and quickly said, "Gentlemen, there's a table available. This way, please."

Hu Sijie, who was hesitating about whether to escalate the situation, now had a way out. He coldly hummed and led the young martial artists to sit down.

The inn seemed to calm down, and the red-haired man raised his cup to Su Peng, appreciating Su Peng's comment about the "Ten Young Swords."

Just then, the door to the inn opened again, and about twenty wealthy merchants, accompanied by a white-browed, white-bearded monk, entered.

They didn't stop but walked straight to the inn's back courtyard.

After the monk passed, the other guests in the inn began to whisper. Su Peng listened carefully and heard one guest say, "Did you see that? The master who just passed is a high monk from Dafotu Mountain's Daxuan Temple. I heard he is the senior brother of the holy monk Shidaoxin."

"Shidaoxin? Is he the imperial monk Shidaoxin who has great powers and helps the people?" another guest asked, showing respect.

"Yes, yes... Who else could it be?" The two guests began to share some legendary stories, such as how Shidaoxin ended a seven-year drought by reciting scriptures for an hour, or how he saved a city from a tyrannical ruler by reciting scriptures for three days.

As Su Peng listened to these increasingly exaggerated stories, he couldn't help but frown. Shidaoxin sounded more like a myth than a real high monk.

"Brother Hu, these people spread rumors and turn the holy monk Shidaoxin, one of the Three Holy Monks of the Martial World, into a near-deity. But Shidaoxin is the successor of Dafotu Mountain's generation, with martial arts that have reached the pinnacle. In terms of reputation, the Three Holy Monks are even above the Ten Great Swords of the Martial World," a young martial artist at Hu Sijie's table said.

"That's true. But Shidaoxin truly works for the welfare of the people, showing great compassion and serving as a role model for us martial artists," Hu Sijie agreed.

"Humph, nonsense, all nonsense!" the red-haired man spat out, then said, "We, as true men, should act as we please, without constraints. Why be burdened by the so-called welfare of the people? I see Shidaoxin as a fraud, a dog chasing fame. The monks I've seen are all lazy and hypocritical, pretending to be compassionate while begging for alms. If I become the strongest, I will destroy all the monks and force them to return to farming. If they don't comply, I will kill them one by one!"

"Nonsense!"

Hearing the red-haired man's words, the young martial artists at Hu Sijie's table were all angry. Hu Sijie slapped the table and shouted, "Monks have existed for thousands of years. How can you claim to destroy them? Not to mention, Dafotu Mountain's Daxuan Temple is one of the most prestigious sects in the martial world, a leader of the righteous path. Their good deeds and martial arts are beyond your comprehension. Your words are reckless and show your true intentions."

The red-haired man sneered and ignored Hu Sijie, turning to Su Peng and asking, "Friend, who do you think is right?"

Su Peng didn't expect the red-haired man to involve him, but since he was asked, he said, "There are indeed some high monks and virtuous people in the Buddhist and Taoist communities..."

Hearing this, Hu Sijie shouted, "That's right!" but then Su Peng continued, "But true virtue is hard to find. If they are truly virtuous, that's fine, but if they are unskilled and deceptive, they should go back to farming."

Su Peng thought of the scandals involving modern monks and how they often competed for power and wealth, more so than people in the secular world. He felt that a cleanup was needed, and this was his honest opinion.

"Ha ha ha! That's right!" The red-haired man laughed, clapping his hands, and said, "I am Ouyang Qing from Kaifeng. Friend, you and I share the same views. What's your name?"

"I am Su Peng from Jiangning," Su Peng replied, bowing. Ouyang Qing laughed and said, "I will consider you a friend. Let's drink!"

At Hu Sijie's table, hearing Ouyang Qing's name, the young martial artists were taken aback, as Ouyang Qing was also a well-known figure in the martial world.

Just then, the scholar sitting alone suddenly sighed and recited, "Even the grand halls and jade palaces are not enough, the golden bowls and silver fish recite scriptures. The grand halls fail to repay the kindness, and the monks sit in silence, never studying the Buddha's teachings. Pitiful are the young who suffer, and the most heartless are the monks." (Note 1)...

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Note 1: The poem is adapted from Bai Juyi's "Song of the Palace."