After dealing with this encounter, the five did not continue to move toward the center of town but turned into a nearby alley. After walking for a while, they found a random house and entered it.
Chang Lin Town was not that big, but it was still a 'town' and not a small place. Or else, the fight earlier would have attracted a crowd of onlookers. After the town had been abandoned for many years, there were many straw huts around the town. They were empty and had nothing valuable. If one could tolerate the pests in the huts, it was not a bad idea to go in and hide behind a roof.
According to the information provided by Meng Jiu, other than the disciples of the major sects who lived in the inns in the center of the town, the other wanderers of the Jianghu, or people from the second and third class sects could only find such houses near the inns. Of course, Meng Jiu and the other elders did not consider this problem; beggars were used to sleeping on the streets.
As players, Feng Bujue and the rest could ignore basic needs like eating, drinking, and sleeping in the scenario. They only needed to pay attention to their Stamina Points and their ability to focus.
There was about an hour left until dawn. Feng Bujue's plan was for them to hide for another two to three hours and wait until 7 am before heading to the inn at the center of town. He made use of this time to allow his Life Points and Stamina Points to recover on their own. At the same time, he talked about the situation and countermeasures after dawn.
Due to the high degree of freedom in this scenario, be it time, map, or mission, there were no restrictions on the players. Therefore, they did not need to worry about being judged as AFKing by the system, and they could focus on fixing themselves.
Of course, Feng Bujue was very efficient. In half an hour, he had finished telling the players everything that he wanted to say. The next two hours turned into a game of words and Xiao Tan being pelted with snacks by Laughing Soul …
While the players spent the two hours hiding in the dark, Si Yanran and the square-faced man did not stay idle. The two would meet up to discuss the details of the framing plan. They did know each other. Earlier, when Si Yanran caught a glimpse of the man, she recognized him as the second-in-command of Thousand Dawn Spire, Gong Sun Li.
Although this Gong Sun Li also had the surname Gong Sun, he was not related to Gong Sun Qian at all. They just happened to have the same surname. Gong Sun Qian joined the sect ten years earlier than Gong Sun Li, and he was also ten years older than Gong Sun Li. Moreover, both of them were very talented in martial arts. They were outstanding talents among the disciples of the same generation. Thus, after a few decades, they became the top two figures of the Thousand Dawn Spire.
In the Thousand Dawn Spire, Gong Sun Qian was the best in terms of martial arts. However, Gong Sun Li's shrewdness was far beyond his senior brother. Take the matter between Si Yanran and Wang Ao as an example. Gong Sun Qian was kept in the dark, but Gong Sun Li was very clear about it. The amazing thing about this person was that he knew, but he didn't say anything … and he could even pretend that he didn't know.
He did not threaten anyone with this matter, nor did he interfere with the development of the situation. Gong Sun Li's principle was to be on guard in secret. Therefore, he was always prepared when faced with unexpected situations. It was precisely this style of doing things that allowed him to turn the tide at such a critical moment.
Gong Sun Li helped Si Yanran not because he was close to this woman or because he had other intentions toward her. He was doing this purely to protect the reputation of the Thousand Dawn Spire. He knew very well that once the murder was exposed, the adultery would be exposed as well. If this had happened somewhere else, it would have been fine, but it happened here. Currently, Chang Lin Town was even more crowded than the martial arts convention. If this scandal of the Thousand Dawn Spire was exposed … then no matter where they went, people would point at them and say things like 'the wife of the leader is having an affair with her disciple'. How would the disciples of the Thousand Dawn Spire survive in the martial world?
At this moment, there weren't many righteous and chivalrous people who could side with reason and not with their relatives. Under such circumstances, Gong Sun Li wouldn't talk about the truth or morality anymore. He would just push all the blame to those outsiders. After all, from the looks of Feng Bujue's group, they were all in their twenties, and none of them were familiar faces. Even if they did know some kung fu, they were still new to the martial world. With his position as the second-in-command of the Thousand Dawn Spire and Si Yanran's position as the wife of the leader, if he wanted to frame these five people for Wang Ao's murder, wouldn't that be easy?
That night, after Gong Sun Li and Si Yanran finished their discussion, they immediately went to find Gong Sun Qian. The two said that they accidentally saw Wang Ao going out in the middle of the night and felt that something was off, so they followed him. However, after following him for a while, they realized that Wang Ao was already dead in the middle of the street, and beside his body stood five Mutants with strange kung fu. After the fight, they realized how powerful the Mutants were. They were afraid that they would not be able to hold on against five Mutants, so they could only run back to report this.
Even though Gong Sun Qian felt that there were a few loopholes in the story, he did not think too much about it. He immediately led his disciples out of the inn and followed Si Yanran and Gong Sun Li's directions to the scene of the incident. As they expected, they found Wang Ao's broken body lying on the street. From the number of footprints and the number of darts scattered on the ground, there was indeed a fight that involved many people.
However, with the situation they were in, they did not know where to find the five people. They could only collect the body and return to the inn to plan their next move.
This group of people had mobilized a large force to enter and leave the inn. Naturally, they were noticed by many people. Before the sun rose, the news had spread. Almost all the factions and martial artists heard that … Wang Ao of the Thousand Dawn Spire had been killed, and the killers seemed to be five mysterious masters that had not been heard of in the martial world.
…
The next morning, at Chang Lin Inn.
The cooks and waiters in the inn were already busy before the sun rose. By then, buns after buns and pots of freshly brewed tea were already prepared. They were waiting for the guests to call for them.
When did this inn in Chang Lin Town reopen for business? Even the workers at the inn had no idea. In any case, in the middle of the seventh month, when people heard about the duel between Xie San and Ye Cheng and rushed to the town, the inn was already open for business.
As long as the people of Jianghu inquired about the inn's history from the shop's staff, the response they received was that they didn't know anything. This was because the waiters at the inn did not know kung fu and did not know anything about the martial world. They were all normal citizens from the nearby towns. Someone gave them a sizable sum of money and told them that they only needed to work there for a month. After the fifteenth day of the eighth month, the inn would close, and they would go their separate ways.
The owner of the inn … did not appear often. He was a man about forty. He had a soft face, and his face was extremely pale twenty-four hours a day. In the morning, he looked like a ghost, and at night, he was nowhere to be seen. If he was told that he was the ghost of the town, perhaps people would believe it.
After talking about the owner of the inn, it was time to talk about the guests of the inn …
In this scenario's wuxia world, the strongest factions in the martial world were the One Family, Two Floors, Three Factions, and Four Doors. There were ten factions in total.
The One Family was the Ye Family of Xi An; the Second Floor was Thousand Dawn Spire and Octagonal Spire; the Three Factions were Shaolin, Ren Wu, and Xiao Yao; and the Four Doors were Kaifeng Wu Ji, Western Jin Gang, Luoyang Gang of Justice, and Shu Zhong Tang Sect.
Among these sects, the House of Ye was the most respected in the martial arts world. Their top experts were publicly acknowledged as the strongest in the martial world. Other than Ye Cheng, who was known as the God of Swords, the Six Flowery Blades at the manor were all top-notch experts. The Falling Plum Blade, Lu Qingning, was one of the six experts. Of course, she had also disappeared last night …
The Second Floor, Thousand Dawn Spire and Octagonal Spire, were the most influential factions. Both factions had a unique manual that was passed down from generation to generation. They were Thousand Dawn Kung Fu and Octagonal Mantra. Their leaders were also experts who were only second to Ye Cheng. In the martial world, even if they were not in the top ten, they would not be in the top twenty. Therefore, these two factions had many disciples, and the experts in the spire were not weak either.
Then there were the three factions, Shaolin, Ren Wu, and Xiao Yao. They all worshipped Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. Other than martial arts, they also taught ideology. The spirit of these three factions was to 'redeem' people. Therefore, they had many disciples, and they did not care about talent when accepting disciples. In any case, the three factions had a long history, and there were many different types of martial arts. The disciples with low talent would learn the most basic martial arts, and those with high talent would learn more advanced martial arts. Taking the seventy-two skills of Shaolin as an example, it was already good enough for a person to master one in their lifetime. Since ancient times, the only person who had mastered all seventy-two skills was Master Bodhidharma. No one dared to compete with such a deity.
The last four could be considered the weakest among the first-tier factions. However, the Limitless Sect's Limitless Grand Technique, the Vajra Sect's Dragon Elephant Prajna Technique, the Righteous Sect's Heavenly Saber Technique, and the Tang Sect's Poison Sect's Consummate Technique were all unique and had their own strengths. Under certain circumstances, even the martial arts of the Thousand Dawn Spire or the Octagon Spire might not be their match.
For example, the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill, to quote from Swordsman Jin Yong's setting in The Return of the Condor King, "is the ultimate protective skill of Tantric Buddhism. It is split into thirteen levels. The first level is very easy. Even the most foolish person can master it in one or two years. The second level is twice as deep as the first, and it will take three to four years. The third level is twice as deep as the second, and it will take seven to eight years. In this way, the further one goes, the harder it is to progress. After the fifth level, to master the next level, it will take more than thirty years of hard work. "
This skill, theoretically speaking, even for someone who was not that talented, as long as they kept progressing, they would be able to master the thirteenth level. Of course, that person would have to have a lifespan of more than three hundred years.
Looking at the actual situation … Since ancient times, only Jinlun Fawang, that kind of peerless genius, was able to cultivate to the tenth level in his lifetime due to his painstaking cultivation and rapid progress. According to the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill, each palm strike had the power of ten dragons and ten elephants.
Therefore, it was hard to tell the strength of kung fu. For some kung fu, you only needed to cut off one of your organs, and you would be able to reach a certain level quickly, but for some kung fu, even if you practiced it your whole life, you would not be that good if you were not talented enough.
That was the situation of the first-tier factions.
And Beggar's Sect … was only the leader of the second-tier factions in this world. Even though Meng Jiu's seniority was high, his kung fu … was about the same as Ye Hai's. It was impossible for him to compete with Ye Cheng or the two house masters. Even if he was matched up against the leaders of the three sects and four clans, Meng Jiu did not dare say he could win. The elders and core disciples of Beggar's Sect were not as powerful as the elites of the first-tier factions.
Perhaps people would ask, didn't the biggest sect in the world have something like the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms? Indeed, Meng Jiu had learned the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms before, but not everyone could reach Xiao Feng's level. At the end of the day, it was still a matter of the person. If Xiao Feng had practiced Prajna Palm since he was young and lived to sixty, he would have been able to turn all the previous leaders of Beggar's Sect into dust with one palm strike.
Let's talk about the other second-tier sects, such as Diancang, Emei, Huashan, Kongtong, and so on … Over the past few years, they did not have any particularly eye-catching talents. It was a bit like they were "declining in their legacy, and inheriting their legacy in their decline".
The rest were third-rate and unranked gangs, such as the Whale Gang, the Azure Sea Sword Sect, or the XX Escort Agency. You could say that these people were from the martial world, or you could say that they were salt smugglers, farmers, and security companies … In terms of martial arts, their sect leaders could only be considered average, but this Chang Lin Sword Symposium had attracted the attention of the world. Naturally, this group of people had come to participate. It was as if by participating in this, their sect would rise in status. In the future, they could even brag to others, "Back then, when Ye Cheng and Xie San were fighting at Chang Lin Town, I was there …"
As for those stragglers who didn't belong to any sect, they weren't that many. So far, there were only seventeen or eighteen people who had successfully entered the town through the small roads. Those who had entered through the main roads were on good terms with the major sects. They were famous heroes who had illustrious reputations. There were only thirty or so of them.
On the thirteenth of August, the inn was fully occupied by the leaders and disciples of the ten sects. Only a few lone travelers, who had arrived earlier, had a high status in Jianghu, and had high martial arts attainments, were able to occupy some rooms in the inn.
The people from the second-tier and third-tier factions and other martial artists who arrived in twos and threes stayed in the abandoned houses around the inn. As long as there was a bamboo stick stuck in front of the door, it meant that the place had been occupied, and those that did not have one, please do as you wish. In any case, the town was ungoverned, so the rules were set.
In conclusion, that was the current situation of Chang Lin Town.
However, the two main characters of the duel, Ye Cheng and Xie San, had not appeared in town.
…
Cold dew hung in the autumn sky, and the distant mountains were in sight.
The autumn morning in a small town in the mountains gave people a very comfortable feeling.
Every morning, the leaders of the various factions, including those who stayed outside the inn, would bring one or two of their most trusted disciples to find a table on the first floor of the inn to have tea and breakfast. They would chat among themselves. On the surface, it was polite, but actually, they were testing each other.
And the topic that day was naturally the death of Thousand Dawn Spire's disciple, Wang Ao.
"Tower Master Gongsun, the sun hasn't risen yet. Why are you and your disciples making such a ruckus?" The one who asked this question was a fat monk with an oily face. He was holding a wine jar early in the morning. He didn't sit at the table but leaned against the side of the stairs that led to the second floor of the inn, sitting directly on the ground. His face was red, and he looked tipsy. His kasaya was open, and a string of prayer beads hung before his chest. Each of the beads was about the size of a fist.
The monk's name was Lu San. Even though he was a Buddhist disciple, Lu San was not from Shaolin Temple. It was unclear which temple this monk came from, and he had learned a rather advanced fist technique, Drunken Luo Han, and that was how he made a name for himself in the martial world. Over the past decade, he had done many good deeds in the martial world, and he could be considered a hero.
"Humph … Monk Lu, did you hear it wrong because you were drunk?" Gong Sun Qian scoffed. He did not admit or deny it.
Everyone in the martial world knew that Drunken Monk Lu San was good at pretending to be drunk. Lu San could say whatever he wanted. As long as he acted drunk, he was not afraid of offending anyone. If the other party was angry, the monk would say that he was drunk and spouting nonsense. That way, both sides would be able to step down.
"Oh? Could it be that I was dreaming? That's not right … Why do I smell blood in my dream? "Lu San put on an act and asked again.
Si Yanran, who was sitting next to Gong Sun Qian, turned her head and replied in annoyance, "Maybe your nose has also been damaged by the alcohol?"
"Master Gong Sun, I also heard the commotion." A tall and thin man in his forties or fifties interrupted with a smile, "Did you bring your disciples to hunt in the middle of the night? Haha … The food you hunted was quite strong! "
This person was Octagonal Tavern Master Ji Tong. He had a grudge with Gong Sun Qian, so it was normal for him to be sarcastic.
Gong Sun Qian did not bury Wang Ao's body last night. Instead, he ordered his disciples to wrap it in a straw mat and bring it back to the inn. Currently, the body was in a room that belonged to them and was guarded by two disciples. As for the smell … He had already treated it with a special medicine. It could temporarily suppress the smell for a day and a night.
"Hahaha … Master Ji's nose is really sharp." Gong Sun Qian was not to be outdone. He scolded and laughed at the same time.
Beside him, Gong Sun Li, Si Yanran, and the other two disciples all laughed along, as if these words were very funny.
"Humph!" Ji Tong slammed the table, "You didn't wipe it clean and you're farting with your mouth?"
"What did you say!"
"Hahaha …" Ji Tong laughed, "Master Gong Sun, you didn't bury your disciple because you didn't find the murderer, right? Haha … I, Ji Tong, am quite knowledgeable. Why don't you let me take a look at the body so that you can find the murderer? "
"Humph … I appreciate Master Ji's kindness." Gong Sun Qian snorted, "It's not my first day out in the pugilistic world. I don't need your help!"
As the two of them engaged in a heated exchange of words, the sect leaders and martial artists of the other sects around them watched the commotion in silence.
At this moment, a few figures appeared at the entrance of the inn. It was Feng Bujue and his teammates. They walked in from the main entrance …
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