Meanwhile, at another table, a burly, bearded man sneered. "You two are mistaken; the White Lotus Sect didn't just vanish into thin air. Though pursued by mysterious men in black, they encountered a 'benefactor'—the Black-Eat-Black King, Sima Lun, along with the Three Evils of the Black Wind. However, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Word is, to repay them, the White Lotus Sect surrendered numerous rare treasures and even ceded several properties!"
The middle-aged guest in grey nodded. "Naturally. The Black-Eat-Black King lives up to his name; his business is preying on other villains!"
The bearded man then asked, "And what of the Holy Mother of the West, Chen Jinfeng? Why would she save Long Zhentian, the Nine Heavens God-Lord, for no reason?"
The man in grey lowered his voice. "She has her schemes. Long Zhentian is gravely injured and can barely protect himself. Chen Jinfeng took the opportunity to infect him with a legendary poison unique to the Western Holy Sect!"
The thinner guest stiffened. "What poison?"
"It is called 'Western Heaven Powder'," the man in grey whispered. "A victim feels nothing unusual on ordinary days, but once a month, the poison flares up. The pain is so excruciating that one begs for death. Only the specific antidote from the Western Holy Sect can suppress it. Thus, Long Zhentian had no choice but to surrender. The True God Palace has now submitted to the Western Holy Sect, afraid to show any sign of dissent."
The inn fell silent as the patrons gasped. "To think Chen Jinfeng is even more ruthless than the Black-Eat-Black King! Such a sinister method!"
The thin guest sighed. "Truly unexpected. Huangfu Song of the White Lotus Sect and Long Zhentian of the Nine Heavens Palace have both lost everything in this gamble."
The bearded man snorted, "Heaven-made disasters may be averted, but self-inflicted ones offer no escape!" He was quoting Mencius: "A man must first despise himself before others despise him; a family must first destroy itself before others destroy it; a nation must first strike itself before others strike it... Calamities sent by Heaven may be avoided, but calamities brought upon oneself, one cannot survive."
The martial artists in the inn felt a chill. The winds of the world were shifting, and this web of grudges was far from over. As the saying goes:
The world is treacherous, hearts are cruel, The tiger in the plains is bullied by curs. Disasters are reaped from seeds of sin, Regret comes late when the end begins.
Conflict at the Pavilion: The Beggars' Sect Intervenes
After finishing their meal, the two travelers continued south. Seeking rest along the official highway, they approached a roadside pavilion, only to find two factions locked in a tense standoff.
A monk roared at a group of beggars, "You lot are sticking your noses where they don't belong! What does this have to do with the Beggars' Sect?"
From the group of beggars emerged a man in his thirties named Wu Cheng. Formerly a common disciple, he had been promoted to one of the Eight Great Elders (an expansion from the original four).
"You have repeatedly robbed Squire Gao in the city," Wu Cheng shouted. "He has been a benefactor to our disciples. We cannot sit idly by while you bully him!" The beggars behind him, men of honor and loyalty, roared in agreement.
Watching from a distance, Li Jian thought to himself, "The 'World's Number One Sect' is actually intervening? I wonder who the opponent is."
A monk stepped forward from the opposing side, sneering. "You filthy beggars! How dare you cross the Meat-and-Wine Monk! You must be tired of living. Name yourselves, for I do not kill nameless ghosts!"
The Meat-and-Wine Monk was a notorious rogue who had recently joined forces with the Four Perils of the Swift Wind. They had been extorting Squire Gao for a month, beating his servants whenever he hesitated to pay. Desperate, the Squire turned to the local branch of the Beggars' Sect. Wu Cheng, newly arrived, had called for this negotiation to settle the matter by the "rules of the martial world."
"I am Wu Cheng, Elder of the Beggars' Sect," Wu Cheng declared. "If you are wise, leave Squire Gao in peace, and we shall let the past be forgotten."
Suddenly, an old man lunged forward from behind the monk. This was Xin Feng, the eldest of the Four Perils, known as the 'Soul-Chasing Hand.' His specialty was the lethal 'Soul-Chasing Spicy Palm.'
"If we are using martial rules, then I, Xin Feng, shall test the skills of this Beggar Elder!" Xin Feng growled, his eyes wide with malice.
The Duel: Finesse vs. Fury
Wu Cheng leaped forward, cupping his fist in greeting. "I invite your instruction!"
Xin Feng immediately circulated his inner energy. His left hand feinted while his right hand, carrying a gale of force, struck directly at Wu Cheng. Wu Cheng raised his fists to parry, but Xin Feng nimbly shifted his stance, aiming a strike at Wu Cheng's abdomen. Sensing the ferocity of the palm, Wu Cheng didn't dare take it head-on. He twisted his body mid-air, utilizing fluid footwork to evade the blow.
The two exchanged a flurry of blows, testing each other's strength. Both realized the other was holding back, waiting to reveal a hidden killing move. Wu Cheng spun left and right, feinting twice, while the 'Soul-Chasing Hand' closed in from the flank, unleashing heavy palm strikes.
Wu Cheng moved like a bolt of lightning, his feet barely touching the ground as he danced through the clearing. He deployed the Beggars' Sect's exclusive "Swimming Dragon Steps," slipping through the gaps of Xin Feng's assault.
Frustrated by the beggar's agility, Xin Feng snorted. He suddenly surged his internal power to its peak. His figure blurred as his right hand—the Soul-Chasing Spicy Palm—unleashed a barrage of palm shadows like a violent storm. This strike was not only incredibly fast but also sealed off all of Wu Cheng's escape routes, forcing a direct, life-or-death confrontation.