Chapter 4, Relatives mourn the death of the disciple

Indeed, my master often mentioned the great master's name, praising him as the foremost expert in the Buddhist community today. Monk Peng laughed heartily and said, "Although I wear the robes of a monk, what can I be considered in the Buddhist realm? As for my master..." Green Acacia replied, "The name of my master has always been unknown; in the rivers and lakes, people refer to him as 'The Mad Immortal' due to his eccentric and bizarre behavior."

Upon hearing this, Monk Peng was taken aback for a moment. After some thought, he let out a sigh, and his tone softened: "You, you have set a trap and are waiting for me here... It is you who do not know how to speak, nor do you understand how the teachings have been passed down in Sanxiang for many years—now return my knife to me." Qi Ren swiftly snatched the kitchen knife, saying, "Thus, my grandfather wished to repurpose this military knife passed down from our ancestors into a kitchen knife, hoping for peace in the world, that the smoke of war would cease, so that from now on, the common people could live in peace."

The two brothers were both shocked and angry, each brandishing a long knife, charging directly at Monk Peng. Green Acacia grabbed the lapel of Qi Ren's robe and shouted, "Master Uncle, your disciple was killed by these scoundrels; you must avenge him!"

Yesterday afternoon, Wen Huan fell victim to a treacherous attack, but he managed to strike that... that Li Zhongxun with a palm, causing the enemy to temporarily retreat. I had no choice but to hastily bury him and bring Miss Wang here for safety, only to encounter those few bandits. "Lv Ao continued, "Fortunately, Li Zhongxun did not come this time; otherwise, otherwise..."

Previously, the two brothers besieging the green-haired monk were engaged in a heated exchange. The younger one shouted, "Bah, filthy monk, what are you being so arrogant about! Brother, let us not tolerate this kind of humiliation any longer; let’s just take care of them all!" Before he could finish his sentence, Peng the monk waved his hand, and with a sudden motion, the large man who had remained silent, seemingly the leader of the group, was sent tumbling out.

The reason you changed your surname to Chen is that your ancestors were known by the small name Chen Heshang, is that not so?" He glanced at Qi Ren, and seeing that the other party did not respond, he continued, "The magnificent and heroic spirit of Wang Yan Yigong still stirs one's blood to this day. In the Battle of Dachangyuan, four hundred cavalry defeated eight thousand Mongolian troops, along with the battles of Weizhou and Daohui Valley, it can be said that there was no battle lost, no attack unachieved, and the Tatars fled at the mere mention of their name. Hahaha, compare yourself to them, do you not feel ashamed?" The Battle of Dachangyuan, with four hundred cavalry defeating eight thousand Mongolian troops, along with the battles of Weizhou and Daohui Valley, can be said to have been invincible in battle and unassailable in attack, with the Tatars fleeing at the mere mention of their name. Hahaha, compare yourself to them, do you not feel ashamed?

At that moment, he sprang up and hurried towards the source of the sound. Qi Ren observed that despite his leg injury not being fully healed, he was able to move swiftly in such a short time, and felt a deep admiration, quickly following suit. The snow on the ground was quite thick, yet both of them possessed exceptional lightness of foot, making their landings silent and their footprints barely discernible. After running for a while, the two were walking side by side, simultaneously turning their heads to exchange smiles, each secretly praising the other's remarkable abilities.

The young girl in green stood up and gracefully approached, saying, "Thank you, Master, for saving my life." Monk Peng hurriedly replied, "Please rise, please rise, this lady is..." "She is my master's niece-in-law," Qi Ren turned to Green and said, "You must have heard of Master Peng Yingyu's name."

Monk Peng, upon hearing this, was filled with uncontrollable rage. He leaped a few steps forward to confront the speaker and shouted, "Who dares to be unreasonable here!" It was as if a thunderclap had suddenly erupted, causing a buzzing sound in people's ears. With a "thud," a weapon in one person's hand was knocked to the snowy ground.

This person indeed employs authentic Shaolin sword techniques and has put in several years of hard work. In a fit of rage, he charged forward with all his might, and for a moment, Monk Peng found it difficult to handle him. Seeing an opportunity, the 'big brother' and the mute man also gritted their teeth and rushed forward, leaving only a thin man in gray lying in the snow, groaning in fear and feeling faint.

What exactly is the matter between you and the books? Wen Huan..." Qi Ren turned to ask Lu Ao. Lu Ao sighed deeply: "My husband and I originally intended to visit my father in Haozhou, but when we reached the banks of the Wen River, directly opposite Zhenyang, we encountered those few people chasing after Miss Wang..." As she spoke, she pushed the young woman in white in front of Peng and Chen.

"Hostage? What hostage?" Qi Ren glanced at the young woman, feeling increasingly familiar. "Who did Miss Wang capture to threaten?" "I vaguely heard..." Peng Suo Wang replied, trembling, "I vaguely heard it was to threaten a large landowner from Shenqiu, named something like Chahan Tie or Timur..."

The man from Qi suddenly recalled, and this shock was even greater: "Lv Ao, are you Lv Ao? For whom are you wearing mourning?" Lv Ao fell to the ground and cried, "My husband, he..."

Monk Peng was caught off guard and had no time to evade. He could only rely on his internal energy to protect his ribs, enduring a punch from his opponent. The fellow, thinking he had succeeded, was visibly pleased and launched a series of rapid punches towards Monk Peng's abdomen. With another fierce shout, Monk Peng kicked up his right leg, sending the assailant flying out.

The man from Qi hurriedly turned around and couldn't help but smile. It turned out that the thin man in gray, initially struck by the bending of his long sword, had pierced his own shoulder and dared not advance any further. Instead, he lay groaning in the snow, and when he saw that all his brothers had been killed, he became frightened and closed his eyes, pretending to be dead. Monk Peng had truly forgotten about him, but unexpectedly, while tending to his leg injury, he inadvertently grabbed this 'corpse'.

"Wang, are you sure it's him?" Monk Peng stroked his bald head, "Isn't he the one who was pretending to be a waiter at the hotel this morning? The one with the sword?" "Indeed it is," Qi Ren smiled as he asked Miss Wang, "Do not worry, I just parted ways with your brother and your uncle at noon. Shall I take you to find them now?"

It turned out that this thin man had only mediocre skills in weaponry, but he did possess a few exceptional techniques in close combat. After exchanging over twenty moves with him, Peng the monk finally found an opening and landed a punch, "Tong," on the left side of his head. The thin man could not withstand such a massive blow, and immediately rolled his eyes back, truly fainting from the impact.

As the hour of the evening draws to a close, the vast wilderness appears desolate. With a mighty roar from Monk Peng, the snow accumulated on the surrounding trees trembles and falls, as if the heavy snowfall has yet to cease. Qi Ren, with one hand guarding his chest, takes a step back, gazing at Monk Peng as if he were a ferocious beast, fearing that he might suddenly spring forth to cause harm.

Green Acacia took out a handkerchief to wipe the tears from her face. Suddenly, as if recalling something, she turned her head and looked around, calling out: "Hey, where is Miss Wang? Miss Wang..." "Which one?" The man from Qi pointed to the white-clad girl who had fallen in the snow and had not gotten up since, saying, "Is it that one?"

You are—" Qi Ren has always been somewhat tongue-tied in front of women, let alone he truly cannot recall who this woman is. Just as he hesitates, the woman suddenly rushes forward as if she has encountered a long-lost relative, kneeling down on both knees: "Master Uncle, it is I, Lu Ao!"

The man from Qi shook his head in disbelief: "Just these few people? How could they possibly have the ability to injure Wen Huan?" Green Acacia, while wiping her tears, explained: "There is actually someone named Li Zhongxun, whose skills are truly remarkable..." "Li Zhongxun!" Monk Peng exclaimed, "I heard Sun Chaozong mention him; he also came to Luoshan. That old rascal, his mother’s iron crown, only teaches such disciples!"

Monk Peng let out a cold laugh: "What are you afraid of? Afraid that I will cut you down with a knife? You saved my life, and I will not repay kindness with enmity. Now, hand me the knife; I have something to say." Qi Ren was taken aback for a moment, then hesitantly took out the dark iron kitchen knife from his bosom and handed it to Monk Peng.

"Miss Wang," Monk Peng asked the young girl, "Why do they want to capture you—what do they intend to do with you as a hostage?" The young girl merely lowered her head, fiddling with the hem of her clothing, her face flushed with embarrassment, unable to utter a single word

He turned his hand and grabbed Qi Ren: "Then are they not afraid that you will reveal the secret, yet still let you wander outside the village?" "What do you suggest we do?" Qi Ren was taken aback, "Kill me to silence me?"

The Qi man did not respond, merely hanging his head in silence. Monk Peng slightly lowered his voice: "Do you not wish for revenge?" "Revenge? Ha ha," the Qi man suddenly burst into loud laughter, "What revenge? My Ba child was killed, the Mongols rose up for revenge and destroyed the Jin dynasty; now we rise again for revenge, but a hundred years have passed and the wheel of fortune turns. Do you not consider the descendants of a hundred years from now? Grievances beget grievances, and is it only in this rivers and lakes that it occurs?" My Ba child was killed, the Mongols rose up for revenge and destroyed the Jin dynasty; now we rise again for revenge, but a hundred years have passed and the wheel of fortune turns. Do you not consider the descendants of a hundred years from now? Grievances beget grievances, and is it only in this rivers and lakes that it occurs?

"Yes, it is Master Peng," said the burly man in brown with a hoarse voice, smiling. "What brings you here, Master?" Master Peng raised his eyebrows and said, "You are from Luoshan, aren't you?" "I am indeed," replied the thin man in gray, puffing out his chest, "I have just joined the Luoshan righteous army, known in the martial world as the 'Five Overlords of Fuguang Mountain.'"

Monk Peng held the hilt of the knife in his left hand, bringing it close to his eyes, examining it repeatedly for quite some time. At first glance, this knife appeared no different from an ordinary kitchen knife, except that it was much darker and heavier. He then extended his right middle finger to flick it a few times, producing a clear and resonant sound that lingered for a long while. "Indeed, this must be the mysterious iron treasure knife," Monk Peng furrowed his brow and turned to look at Qi Ren, "Do you still remember your ancestors"

"Aha, let's see where you think you can escape to," a coarse and hoarse voice shouted. "Old Four, Old Five, if you don't deal with that foul woman, we'll have our fun first." Then, a more pleasant voice said, "Second Brother, the city lord wants her alive..." "Yes," the first person replied, "the city lord wants to capture her as a hostage, not as a wife. We should act first. Old Three, are you really a novice? Let me give you a chance to take the lead."

"Chahan Temur?" Monk Peng exclaimed in surprise, turning to the girl in white, "Are you his daughter or his young wife?" The girl turned pale with fright, let out a startled cry, and hid behind Green Acacia.

"Dare to harm my elder brother!" The thin man thrust his long sword directly at Monk Peng's face, shouting, "Stinking monk, accept your death!" Monk Peng remained calm and collected. As the long sword approached him, he summoned his tiger-like might and suddenly let out a loud roar, striking out with his left fist, which landed squarely on the spine of the opponent's sword. There was a loud "clang—ouch!" The sword could not withstand such a fierce blow and bent into a right angle, with the tip curving back and piercing the thin man's right shoulder.

We are here to eradicate injustice and rescue the common people from peril!" Peng, in a fit of anger, nearly raised the kitchen knife to strike Qi Ren on the head. Qi Ren quickly took two steps back, waving his hands and said: "Enough, enough, you are all great heroes and outstanding figures, all for the sake of peace and aiding the poor—then why do you speak to me of revenge?"

The thin man was held in the hands of Monk Peng, and he did not dare to move at all. When he realized that the other party was trying to tear his clothes, he instinctively shrank his body, which had already been noticed by Monk Peng. At that moment, one of them was suspended in mid-air while the other extended his left hand, each employing their own agile grappling techniques, and they began to fight.

In the midst of the conversation, Qi Ren had already rushed to the three people who were fighting and shouted, "Stop!" However, his voice lacked strength, sounding almost like a mosquito compared to Peng Yingyu. The three of them paid no attention and continued to engage in their fierce battle, retreating and advancing as before. Suddenly, Peng the Monk bellowed, "Are you all deaf? I command you to stop!" With a few rustling sounds, the three of them leaped apart in two different directions, thus ceasing their fight.

"You come with me," Monk Peng scolded, "Damn it, something happened in Luoshan, and you cannot be uninvolved." "Hey—Lü'e, take good care of Miss Wang," Qi Ren could only call out from behind, "Wait for me to return—"

"And stop, we are all from the same lineage of the Red Scarf," the hoarse-voiced man hurriedly stepped forward to mediate. "Master Peng, you mustn't harm your own kin." "Harm? I specifically want to harm you, you lecher!" Monk Peng launched a horse stance punch, striking him squarely in the chest and sending him flying three zhang away.

At that moment, the man who had been struck down by the Qi person struggled to rise. It turned out that the Qi person had shown mercy; the kitchen knife had merely grazed his left shoulder before returning to its master's hand. The man touched his shoulder, feeling a small damp patch, and realized that the injury was not severe, letting out a sigh of relief. Upon raising his head and seeing that Peng the monk had killed his brother, he immediately gritted his teeth and brandished his knife to charge forward.

"Oh no!" Monk Peng exclaimed, slapping his thigh. "Luoshan is in trouble!" Without caring that he was still holding onto Qi Ren, he sprinted towards the southeast with long strides. "Hey, let go of me!" Qi Ren shouted while struggling.

The young girl lowered her head, shyly greeting the two. Lu Ao then said: "My husband and I could not bear to see so many big men bullying a little girl, so we intervened to help. Who would have thought, who would have thought that Wen Huan would fall victim to foul play..."

The man named Qi turned back to look at the girl in green. He saw that the young woman lying in the snow was slowly waking up. Upon seeing him, she seemed a bit shy, covering her face with her sleeve, and softly asked, "Sister Han, who is this..." The girl in green replied, "Do not be afraid, this is my master's uncle, he is the one who..." Before she could finish her sentence, the sound of fighting suddenly erupted behind Qi.

***

Monk Peng, with the ferocity of a tiger, revived his strength, killed a man, and, without reason, took two steps forward to kick the thin man still lying in the snow in the chest. Just as it seemed that this fellow's life was in danger, suddenly a person jumped out from the side, like a mad tiger, and aimed a punch directly at Monk Peng's left rib.

The man from Qi was momentarily speechless. Suddenly, he heard Monk Peng calling from behind, "What, do you recognize this woman?" Then he heard the hoarse-voiced man say, "We originally have no enmity with this woman. Since she is recognized by Master Peng's friend, that is fine. This young lady, I kindly ask Master..." Monk Peng interrupted with a loud shout, "What are you butting in for!"

The man from Qi waved his hand and said: "Do not frighten him; let him explain in detail why he wants to capture Miss Wang." Peng Suwang hurriedly replied: "It has nothing to do with me; it is the lord of Luoshan Village who sent us brothers to Ru Yang to take Miss Wang as a hostage. This lady's husband also died at the hands of Li Zhongxun, and I truly have no connection to this matter."

"The Immortal of Upside Down? Zhou Diao?" Monk Peng was taken aback and asked, "Oh, could it be that he is still alive?" Qi Ren laughed and said, "He is not very old, could it be that you cursed him to death?" Monk Peng patted his bald head and smiled, "I apologize, it’s just that there hasn’t been any news of him in the jianghu for a long time..."

In the vast expanse of the snowy ground, two lines of footprints gradually recede, soon disappearing into the deepening twilight of dusk.

"Little man, little man, you are called King Pengsu." "Mother," the monk Peng scolded, "how can a person like you be called a king? Just a moment ago, you were shouting and brandishing your sword, where has that imposing demeanor gone?"

"What is there to be ashamed of?" the man from Qi stammered. However, Monk Peng seemed not to have heard and spoke sternly: "It is rumored that after the fall of Junzhou, he was captured by the Hu people while trying to negotiate. The leader of the Hu demanded his surrender and subjected him to brutal torture, breaking his shins and tearing his tongue. Yet he continued to spit blood and curse, never relenting until his death! Only such a person is a true hero, a true champion for the country and the people, standing tall and unyielding! What about you? Have you ever aspired to be like that?"

Upon taking a closer look, it turned out to be the so-called "big brother" of this person. Monk Peng rubbed his side and laughed, saying, "Good lad, you do have some strength, but unfortunately, you cannot harm me!" As he spoke, he simultaneously kicked back with his left foot, sending the mute, burly man, along with his knife, tumbling head over heels.

In the snow, there were patches of blood scattered here and there. Monk Peng looked around with a sense of pride and laughed heartily, saying to Qi Ren: "Thanks to the palm strike you just delivered to my Dan Zhong point, I was able to circulate some energy and expel the poison. At this moment, it feels as if I have not been injured at all"

What? Upon hearing the bad news, a surge of anger rushed up, completely disrupting the previously calm and uncontentious demeanor. With a flick of the right hand, the cast iron kitchen knife was already in hand. With another slight shake, the knife flew out in an arc, and with a cry of "Ah!", one of the two brothers immediately fell down.

The man from Qi was startled and involuntarily took two steps back. Monk Peng then lightly flicked the back of the knife with his finger and sighed towards the sky: "A hundred years ago, when the Tartars invaded the Central Plains, how many heroes rose up to resist, risking their families and lives. Among them, I only admire two individuals. In the Southern Dynasties, it was General Yu Jie of Qizhou, and in the Northern Dynasties, it was your ancestor—Lord Wanyan Yi, the commander of the loyal and filial army of Fengzhou!"

The man from Qi observed that although these three individuals were employing wild techniques, they were clearly no match for Monk Peng. He did not rush to help, but instead turned to assist Lu Ao, quietly asking, "What on earth is going on here? Please explain it to me in detail."

After fighting for seven or eight rounds, Monk Peng let out a loud shout, and with a swift motion of his hand, he brought down his knife, toppling the "big brother" to the ground. The hoarse-voiced man, sensing the danger, made a feint and turned to flee. Suddenly, a cold laugh rang out: "Where do you think you're going!" Monk Peng's long knife flew from his hand, piercing the man's back and embedding itself to the hilt. The man made a "gurgling" sound in his throat and, propelled by the force of the knife, ran another ten steps before finally bending over and collapsing, remaining motionless thereafter

Master Peng threw him into the snow and was about to deliver a finishing blow, but was stopped by Qi Ren: "Leave him alive, for there may still be questions to ask him—come, come, Lu Ao, come and meet this Master Peng."

The man chuckled self-deprecatingly, just about to turn and leave, when he suddenly heard the woman call out, "Oh, aren't you Master Chen?" The man was taken aback and looked over, only to see that the woman was merely in her twenties, dressed in coarse linen, with her head wrapped in a plain scarf, appearing as if she were in deep mourning.

Upon seeing this, Qi Ren did not pay it any mind, saying, "What are you doing? Let go of me!" Peng Heshang released his grip and coldly laughed, "As I expected, Li Siqi is a large landowner and an old official; how could he truly side with the poor, a group that raises a banner to rebel?—Oh, wait, that's not right...

"Peaceful times?" Monk Peng snorted coldly through his nose, "Throughout history, where have there ever been truly peaceful times? Even with wise rulers in power and virtuous sages in court, aren't the common people still struggling to make ends meet?" Qi Ren sighed, adjusted his kitchen knife, and patted him on the shoulder: "As long as you understand this, then..."

Ah, you are—" The man suddenly realized, "No wonder you look so familiar, Wang Baobao is your brother, isn't he?" The young girl only wore a face of terror, unable to speak for a long time. Lǜ Ào wrapped her arms around the girl's shoulders and gently asked, "Isn't that right? Don't be afraid, this Uncle Chen is asking you, is your brother named Wang, Wang..."

"Have you seen Chahan? Did you see him at noon?" Monk Peng was startled and grabbed Qi Ren by the collar. "What are you doing? Let go!" Qi Ren tried to pry himself free but struggled to break free for a moment. "I will ask you a question, and you must answer honestly," Monk Peng said with a serious expression. "At Chahan's place, have you seen Li Siqi? The one known as 'Lightning Blade'!"

Monk Peng angrily said: "What kind of talk is this? Did Temujin rise up for the sake of avenging our Bahai Khan? Why did he destroy the Jin and then the Xia, and march south to attack the Song? What enmity does he have with the Song? For what revenge? It is all merely for the sake of plundering land and capturing people, to dominate the world!" "And what about you?" the Qi man asked with a cold laugh, "Even if you, Master Peng, stand tall and upright, with a clear and bright demeanor, what about Xu Shouhui? What about Ni Wenjun? Are they not also for the sake of plundering land and capturing people, to dominate the world?"

They dashed out a distance of seventy to eighty zhang, and suddenly, the sound of clashing weapons, like the ringing of bells, reached their ears. The two quickened their pace, moving gracefully like startled swans, rising and falling swiftly. After running for more than ten zhang, they suddenly heard a soft cry of "Ouch," as if someone had fallen nearby, the voice delicate and melodious, resembling that of a young woman.

Before he could finish speaking, a sudden whistle echoed from afar, the sound clear and resonant. Qi Ren paused mid-sentence, straining to listen: "There are seven or eight people heading west." Monk Peng, eager to escape the conversation about revenge and heroes, hurriedly stamped out the embers at his feet and said: "Let’s go and take a look."

Green Blossom hurriedly pushed her through the blood passage. Qi Ren looked at the girl's appearance and felt it was very familiar. After thinking for a while, he couldn't grasp it, so he had to turn back to watch Monk Peng fight against the three big men. Suddenly, he heard a shout; one of the three had already fallen. It turned out to be the man who used the Shaolin sword technique, who had finally gone to meet the King of Hell along with his brother. Monk Peng seized the man's sword, its silver gleam dazzling, and within just three to five moves, he forced the remaining two to keep retreating.

"What a big boast," Qi Ren glanced at him, "and you don't even look at your own leg." Monk Peng looked down and exclaimed, "Oh!" It turned out that after the fierce battle just now, the wound on his right leg had already burst open, and blood was gushing out. He hurriedly sat down, dragged over a corpse, and prepared to tear a strip of cloth to bind the wound and temporarily stop the bleeding.

A young girl in white lay face down in the snow, her features obscured. Beside her stood two burly men in brown clothing, each wielding a long knife. A thin man in a cloth coat was bent over, picking up a long sword that had fallen to the ground. Not far away, two men were surrounding a woman, their weapons swinging as they engaged in a fierce struggle.

The girl with red lips murmured, "Wang Baobao." Her voice was so faint it was almost inaudible. Green Aocao said, "Indeed." Turning to Qi Ren, she asked, "Uncle Master, do you recognize his brother?"

"Let us ask this fellow," Qi Ren stepped forward and kicked the thin man, "Hey, get up, what are you pretending to be?" It turned out that the thin man had already woken up but did not dare to move. At this moment, being exposed by Qi Ren, he was trembling all over and kept shouting, "Sir, please spare my life!" Qi Ren squatted down, grabbed him by the collar, softened his tone, and asked, "What is your name?"

Another person, in astonishment, could not retract their feet and directly crashed into the embrace of Monk Peng. With a loud "smack," they were struck on the face by his palm, which was as large as a fan. In that instant, their features were utterly ruined, and without a sound, they departed this world.

What is this talk? The Qi man was slightly angered, his eyes fixed on the other person. Monk Peng sneered and said: "Chen Qi man, Chen Qi man. I reckon you cannot forget, your ancestor was a great hero who resisted the invasion of the Tartars"

"Yes, yes," Lu Ao hurriedly ran over, embraced the young girl, and gently turned her over. Qi Ren followed, only to see that the girl was merely eleven or twelve years old, and quite delicate in appearance. Her eyes were tightly closed, her face pale as paper, as if she had fainted.