Chapter 83

Chapter 82: The Method for Certain Victory

At the summit of Mount Tai, the leader of the Mount Tai Sect, Tianmen Daoist, looked at the leaders of various sects who had come from afar, feeling extremely moved. He could not help but say, "Our Mount Tai Sect is facing a great calamity, but to receive such strong support from all of you, I am truly grateful."

"Leader Tianmen, you are too kind. The Five Mountains Sword Sect is like one family. When one sect is in trouble, the other four must come to its aid, not just in words," said Zuo Lengshan, the leader of the Songshan Sect, as he stood up.

"Leader Zuo speaks the truth. Now, Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty has defied the will of heaven, causing bloodshed in the martial world. We, the martial artists, must stand against him to the end," added Yue Buzhun of the Huashan Sect.

"Amitabha," Fangzheng Master recited a Buddhist chant, "The Qing Emperor's massacre of the martial world is truly a grave sin. My senior brother Xuanci has specially sent me to assist, hoping to avert a great disaster in the martial world."

"Master Zhang of our sect heard that there is a young martial artist in the Qing court with the same name as our disciple Song Qingshu. He has specially sent me to investigate," said Chongxu Daoist, the abbot of Zhenwu Temple of Wudang.

Zuo Lengshan remained silent, thinking to himself: The Shaolin and Wudang are indeed the pillars of the martial world. Fangzheng Master, one of the ten abbots of Shaolin, is already more skilled than I am. I wonder how powerful the abbot Xuanci is? Chongxu Daoist, who ranks second among the five abbots of Wudang, is already on par with me. By this reasoning, the direct disciples of Zixiao Palace, such as Zhang Sanfeng, must be even more formidable...

"Having the support of Shaolin and Wudang, plus the assistance of our fellow disciples from the Five Mountains Sword Sect, our Mount Tai Sect can now rest easy," said Tianmen, feeling greatly relieved. He had been worried about the destruction of his sect and the possibility of becoming a sinner in the history of the Mount Tai Sect. Today, he finally felt at ease.

"But the enemy has thousands of troops. It would be unwise to resist them with martial arts alone," Yue Buzhun quickly pointed out the key issue.

Tianmen Daoist laughed heartily, "You don't need to worry. A few days ago, I sought help from a great hero, who has agreed to help us deal with the Qing soldiers."

Fangzheng Master was intrigued and said, "Could it be the powerful Golden Snake King, Yuan Chengzhi, who has been active in Shandong in recent years?"

"Exactly!" Tianmen stroked his beard and smiled, "The Golden Snake King has defeated the Qing army several times and enjoys high prestige in the martial world of Shandong. He has also promised to personally lead the attack against the Qing army."

"Very good," said Master Mo Da of Hengshan, "I have heard that the Golden Snake King, Yuan Chengzhi, is not only a brilliant strategist but also one of the top martial artists in the world. With his help, the Qing Tartars will likely suffer a crushing defeat."

"Indeed, a battle between armies will inevitably result in countless casualties. I suggest we settle this with martial arts to avoid unnecessary bloodshed," said Dingsheng, the abbess of Hengshan, with a look of compassion.

"That's a good idea. We can use our influence to force them to settle this through martial arts," the Mount Tai Sect had already discussed this internally. The senior disciples of the Yu generation believed that if the Qing suffered too much, Emperor Kangxi would likely retaliate even more fiercely. The Mount Tai Sect could not always rely on Yuan Chengzhi and the support of other sects, so they unanimously decided to settle the matter through martial arts. Although Tianmen was reluctant, he could not go against the collective decision.

...

Wei Xiaobao and his group arrived near Mount Tai, and just as they set up camp, a soldier reported that they had received a strategy from the Mount Tai Sect.

"Wow!" Wei Xiaobao immediately perked up. Throughout their journey, the various sects had been passively defending themselves, like mourners at a funeral. This was the first time someone dared to face them head-on, and he was immediately interested. "What does the letter say?"

"They challenge us to a martial arts competition to determine the winner. The best of three matches. If the Mount Tai Sect wins, we can no longer harass them. If we win, the Mount Tai Sect will accept the emperor's appointment," Duo Long explained after reading the letter.

"Heh, these Taoists are playing a clever game," Wei Xiaobao sneered, "Do they think my thousands of troops are just for show? Why should we agree to settle this through martial arts?"

"Report!" At this moment, another scout reported, sweating profusely, "Lord, we have discovered the Golden Snake Camp's troops thirty miles away."

"What?" The officers of the Cavalry Corps looked at each other in surprise. They had thought this would be a leisurely trip, but now they had run into a hard wall.

"How many are there? What are they doing? Did they spot you?" Duo Long, a veteran of many battles, asked calmly.

"Reporting to Lord Duo, there are about three to four thousand of them. For some reason, they have set up camp and are not advancing. They also sent a message across the river, saying that if we agree to settle this through martial arts, we can avoid a bloody battle," the scout replied.

"No wonder these Taoists dared to challenge us to a martial arts competition. It seems they have the support of the Golden Snake Camp," Song Qingshu thought, "But why isn't the Golden Snake Camp attacking us?"

The group discussed for a long time but could not figure it out. They did not know that Yuan Chengzhi had his own concerns. Although he had won several major battles in recent years, he had also suffered significant losses among his core forces. With the Qing Dynasty growing stronger, many of his subordinates in the three gangs and four strongholds were becoming restless.

Yuan Chengzhi's core force, the Golden Snake Camp, was gradually losing control over some of the more ambitious members. In such a situation, he was unwilling to engage in a full-scale battle with the elite Cavalry Corps of the Qing.

"Lord Ming, Brother Song, do you have any confidence in the martial arts competition?" Wei Xiaobao, though joking, was actually terrified. He knew nothing about warfare and would surely die if a real battle broke out. So he turned his thoughts to the martial arts competition.

"I can guarantee a win," said Jiumozhi with a faint smile, his tone filled with confidence.

"Brother Song, what about you?" Wei Xiaobao, delighted, turned to ask.

"Except for Yuan Chengzhi, I should have no problem with the others," Song Qingshu thought carefully. Yuan Chengzhi's martial arts were likely superior to his, and in a real fight, the odds were about 60-40. Among the remaining opponents, Zuo Lengshan of the Five Mountains Sword Sect was the strongest. As long as he guarded against Zuo Lengshan's Ice True Qi and used his knowledge of the Five Mountains Sword Techniques, he should be able to win.

"Ha, it seems we have a 70% chance of winning this bet," Wei Xiaobao was pleased and suddenly asked, "As for the third expert..."

Seeing everyone looking at him, Duo Long was shocked and pointed at himself, trembling, "Me?"

"Brother Duo, as the head of the imperial guards, your martial arts are top-notch. Among the remaining people, you are the strongest. Who else could it be?" Wei Xiaobao smiled.

Duo Long's face turned grim. He knew he could handle ordinary bandits, but these martial arts experts were a different story.

Seeing his worried expression, Wei Xiaobao guessed his thoughts and quickly pulled him aside, "Brother Duo, I have a method to ensure you are not in any danger."

"Brother Wei, you are truly resourceful. What is your method?" Duo Long's eyes lit up.

"Simply challenge the strongest person on their side," Wei Xiaobao said.

"What!" Duo Long nearly jumped up.

"Brother Duo, don't worry, let me explain. I once heard a story about horse racing. We will use the same strategy—challenge their best horse. Brother Duo, I'm not calling you a low-grade horse—just admit defeat, and then Lord Ming and Brother Song will have a sure win," Wei Xiaobao explained.

"Brother Wei, you are truly brilliant," Duo Long's eyes lit up, "Don't worry, I can handle admitting defeat."

After making the decision, Wei Xiaobao quickly sent a messenger up the mountain. The next day, Song Qingshu, Jiumozhi, and Duo Long went to the meeting alone. Looking at Wei Xiaobao waving from the foot of the mountain, Song Qingshu was furious, "This little rascal, clearly afraid of death, claims that the commander must stay in the camp to support us."

"Before the battle, Young Master Song, you must not be anxious," Jiumozhi looked at him with a smile, clearly guessing his thoughts.

"Thank you, Lord Ming," Song Qingshu blushed and quickly asked, "How does Yuan Chengzhi's martial arts compare to Lord Ming's?"

"His martial arts are very high, but in a one-on-one match, he will surely lose." After their last encounter, Jiumozhi had been constantly studying Yuan Chengzhi's bizarre Golden Snake Sword Technique. He knew that if they met again, he could definitely avenge his previous defeat at the hands of Yuan Chengzhi and Murong Fu.

"I just don't know who they will send to compete," Song Qingshu looked at the distant Jade Emperor Peak, worried. He was less concerned about their safety; they were all top martial artists. Without Wei Xiaobao's burden, even if the Mount Tai Sect acted dishonorably and attacked them en masse, he and Jiumozhi could still retreat gracefully. As for Duo Long... well, "Dead fellow disciples, not dead poor monks."

"Grand Master of the Qing Dynasty, the Great Wheel Dharma King of Tubo, Jiumozhi, comes to pay respects," Jiumozhi used his inner strength to project his voice far and wide even before they reached the mountain gate.

Song Qingshu was exasperated. This big-eared monk was still showing off. Should he shout something too? But thinking about how he would be called a Qing first-class guard and be immediately overshadowed by the title of "Grand Master"... the thought was too terrible to bear. A shiver ran down his spine, and he immediately dismissed the idea.

The experts on Jade Emperor Peak were all shocked. Jiumozhi's inner strength was undoubtedly the strongest among all of them.

When the three of them reached the top of the mountain, everyone's eyes turned to them. They saw a big-eared monk, a young gentleman, and a Qing soldier, all facing the experts without the slightest hint of fear.

"Qingshu, it's really you," Chongxu Daoist immediately recognized the young gentleman as the abandoned disciple of Wudang, Song Qingshu.

Song Qingshu was startled. How did someone recognize him? He looked back and vaguely remembered Chongxu's appearance and attire. "Chongxu Daoist?"

"Qingshu, Master Zhang..."

Chapter 83: A Single Move Agreement

"You should directly challenge their strongest person," Wei Xiaobao said.

"What!" Duo Long nearly jumped up.

"Brother Duo, don't worry, let me explain," Wei Xiaobao explained, "I once heard a story about horse racing. We will use the same strategy—challenge their best horse. Brother Duo, I'm not calling you a low-grade horse—just admit defeat, and then Lord Ming and Brother Song will have a sure win."

"Brother Wei, you are truly brilliant," Duo Long's eyes lit up, "Don't worry, I can handle admitting defeat."

After making the decision, Wei Xiaobao quickly sent a messenger up the mountain. The next day, Song Qingshu, Jiumozhi, and Duo Long went to the meeting alone. Looking at Wei Xiaobao waving from the foot of the mountain, Song Qingshu was furious, "This little rascal, clearly afraid of death, claims that the commander must stay in the camp to support us."

"Before the battle, Young Master Song, you must not be anxious," Jiumozhi looked at him with a smile, clearly guessing his thoughts.

"Thank you, Lord Ming," Song Qingshu blushed and quickly asked, "How does Yuan Chengzhi's martial arts compare to Lord Ming's?"

"His martial arts are very high, but in a one-on-one match, he will surely lose." After their last encounter, Jiumozhi had been constantly studying Yuan Chengzhi's bizarre Golden Snake Sword Technique. He knew that if they met again, he could definitely avenge his previous defeat at the hands of Yuan Chengzhi and Murong Fu.

"I just don't know who they will send to compete," Song Qingshu looked at the distant Jade Emperor Peak, worried. He was less concerned about their safety; they were all top martial artists. Without Wei Xiaobao's burden, even if the Mount Tai Sect acted dishonorably and attacked them en masse, he and Jiumozhi could still retreat gracefully. As for Duo Long... well, "Dead fellow disciples, not dead poor monks."

"Grand Master of the Qing Dynasty, the Great Wheel Dharma King of Tubo, Jiumozhi, comes to pay respects," Jiumozhi used his inner strength to project his voice far and wide even before they reached the mountain gate.

Song Qingshu was exasperated. This big-eared monk was still showing off. Should he shout something too? But thinking about how he would be called a Qing first-class guard and be immediately overshadowed by the title of "Grand Master"... the thought was too terrible to bear. A shiver ran down his spine, and he immediately dismissed the idea.

The experts on Jade Emperor Peak were all shocked. Jiumozhi's inner strength was undoubtedly the strongest among all of them.

When the three of them reached the top of the mountain, everyone's eyes turned to them. They saw a big-eared monk, a young gentleman, and a Qing soldier, all facing the experts without the slightest hint of fear.

"Qingshu, it's really you," Chongxu Daoist immediately recognized the young gentleman as the abandoned disciple of Wudang, Song Qingshu.

Song Qingshu was startled. How did someone recognize him? He looked back and vaguely remembered Chongxu's appearance and attire. "Chongxu Daoist?"

"Qingshu, Master Zhang..."

Chapter 83: A Single Move Agreement

"You should directly challenge their strongest person," Wei Xiaobao said.

"What!" Duo Long nearly jumped up.

"Brother Duo, don't worry, let me explain," Wei Xiaobao explained, "I once heard a story about horse racing. We will use the same strategy—challenge their best horse. Brother Duo, I'm not calling you a low-grade horse—just admit defeat