Chapter 9, the Wild has the Mysterious Sage and the Pure King

The merchant from the Weiwu'er introduced, "This Mr. Aitamusi is the second most skilled in the Ilkhanate, known as the 'Golden Lion', and his martial arts are truly remarkable." The Qi person observed closely and saw that Aitamusi stood nearly nine feet tall, with a long horse-like face, a full head of golden hair, and a mouth full of golden beard. His appearance was indeed imposing and worthy of the title 'Golden Lion'.

What is the Mani religion? The Qi person was already confused by these strange phrases. Lǜ Ào softly said behind him: The Mani religion is the Ming religion. My father has some connections with the head of the Ming religion's Qian Guang Institute in Pingyang, Wenzhou, Master Shixin. The traitor referred to by these people seems to be Master Shixin.

"Such a person dares to..." Gong Bingfan laughed for a moment, but suddenly stopped, pondering, "The 'Xuan Sheng Su Wang'—hmm, I digressed. I was just saying that Tuo Tuo introduced me to Mu Xuan Sheng, and I asked them why they wanted to save me. Tuo Tuo replied, 'This matter is lengthy to discuss; let us first leave the governor's residence before we talk.'

He was fast, but Qi Ren was even faster. One could only hear the rapid sound of "dang dang dang dang" like a sudden downpour, as Qi Ren instantly unleashed eighteen strikes. The first fifteen strikes were spaced out, while the last three forced Abudala to retreat repeatedly, leaving him with no strength to counter.

Brother Chen, it is like this: Liu Mazi also squatted down and said, "Old Uncle Ling came to my shop to buy liquor on credit. He is an old friend, and all the game I use in my shop is brought by him. How could I refuse to extend credit? So I said, 'Old Uncle, at your age, you should call Brother Chen over. Why do it yourself..."

"The Stone-hearted Master?" The Qi person thought for a moment and said, "Hmm, I have also heard of this person. It is said that his teachings are profound and that he cultivates his character. How could he be a traitor of the Ming Sect?" Aitamu Si replied, "The Stone-hearted one has colluded with the traitors of the Eastern sect, Omi Z, and has concealed the sacred objects of the sect. How can he not be considered a traitor? However..." He paused for a moment and continued, "As long as he surrenders the sacred objects, the Dharma King will naturally not hold past grievances against him."

Gong Bingfan did not wait for her to finish speaking, and patted Qi Ren on the shoulder: "I will go catch up and take a look." He turned to the crowd and said: "Which of you has livestock? I would appreciate it if you could lend me one." Liu Mazi replied: "I do have a horse, but it is quite old, so it definitely won't be able to keep up... Even if it could catch up, how would you reason with him?"

This strike was swift and fierce. Although Qi Ren hurriedly withdrew his hand to evade it, he couldn't help but feel a slight chill in his heart. His expression grew increasingly grim as he resentfully remarked, "So you also use a curved blade!" With a move called "The Sound of Bells and Drums in Unison," he struck the temples of his opponent.

Aydamus turned back and said something, to which another Babylonian, who had not yet made a move, responded with a sound and took two steps forward. The Wuyuer person introduced, "This is Mr. Abdalra, who is also a renowned master in the Ilkhanate, and his swordsmanship is extremely formidable"

That Abdalra was tall and long-legged, with light-colored eyes and curling whiskers, not much different from an ordinary person. He then took two steps forward, standing about ten feet away from Qiren, and with a "swish" sound, drew his curved blade, holding it in front of his chest, and gave a slight bow.

What? The Qi person is utterly bewildered. The "Zhuangzi: Chapter on the Way of Heaven" states, "Gong Bingfan lowered his tone and explained, 'The essence of emptiness, tranquility, and non-action is the foundation of all things. To understand this, facing south, Yao was a ruler; facing north, Shun was a minister; from this position above, it is the virtue of emperors and kings; from this position below, it is the way of the Xuan Sheng and Su Wang.' This means that tranquility and non-action, along with the preservation of one's true heart, in accordance with nature, is the foundation of all things. If one can comprehend this, one can be considered to have understood the Great Way, just as Yao and Shun did. To understand this, facing south, Yao was a ruler; facing north, Shun was a minister; from this position above, it is the virtue of emperors and kings; from this position below, it is the way of the Xuan Sheng and Su Wang.' This means that tranquility and non-action, along with the preservation of one's true heart, in accordance with nature, is the foundation of all things. If one can comprehend this, one can be considered to have understood the Great Way, just as Yao and Shun did. Such enlightened individuals can serve as wise rulers and virtuous ministers in the court, and among the people, they are what is referred to as 'Xuan Sheng and Su Wang.'

The Weiwu'er people replied in Chinese: "We originally do not know Mr. Han, but there is a traitor among the clergy who is under his protection. Mr. Aitamusi and others have come from afar to the Central Plains, but we only ask him to hand over the person."

Indeed, indeed, the merchant from the Weiwu'er hurriedly echoed, "I believe that Chen Yingxiong's skills are undoubtedly the best in China. Today, the second best from the Yili Khanate will compete against the best in China, and it is sure to be a spectacular event"

The person was just struck in the heart by a punch from Qi Ren, causing their limbs to go weak and they curled up beside, gasping for air. At that moment, they saw the enemy suddenly approaching, leaving no time to evade, and they couldn't help but turn pale with fear. Just as it seemed that the enemy's grasp was about to succeed, a curved blade suddenly emerged from the side, swiftly slicing through Qi Ren's five fingers.

Upon hearing this, Qi Ren recalled the words of Zhuangzi and nodded slightly. "The so-called 'Xuan Sheng Su Wang' refers to one who has attained the Great Way in the wild," Gong Bingfan said with a smile, "Don't you think the name 'Xuan Sheng' is a bit too arrogant?" "'Xuan Sheng Su Wang,'" Qi Ren suddenly pondered, "I did encounter someone last year who was called 'Su Wang'..."

The man from Qi reached out to embrace the old man's corpse, but he felt his limbs go weak and a crushing heaviness in his chest. Over the past few months, the old man had treated him as if he were his own son, and had regarded Lvyue as if she were his own daughter. A living person, suddenly dead. ... He did not know why, but he suddenly recalled the countless corpses in the streets of Luoshan City...

The Qi man praised the character "Good," swiftly crossed his left hand with the broken knife, and launched a right-hand punch, arriving early at the enemy's face. Abudala swung his sword to cut the Qi man's wrist, but unexpectedly, the Qi man's move was a feint; his left hand, with the broken knife, had already sliced through the gap at Abudala's waist like a gust of wind.

"This hero," suddenly a coarse voice sounded from behind, "may I ask your esteemed name and the purpose of your visit?" The tone was peculiar, evoking an indescribable sense of nausea. Qi Ren had no time to respond to Lvyue's inquiry and hurriedly turned around. He saw that there were five enemies in total; apart from one dressed as a Wuyuer merchant, the other four wore black high hats and plain foreign garments, appearing quite eerie under the light.

The Weiwu'er man asked, "Does this hero Chen have a knife? Do you need to borrow one?" The Qi man did not wish to use the black iron kitchen knife, so he nodded. The Babylonian, who had previously lost the knife duel, immediately stepped forward, holding out his curved sword to the Qi man.

The Qi people were taken aback, hurriedly rushing forward, squatting down, and reaching out to check the old man's pulse. Just then, someone sighed nearby: "He can't be saved, that kick landed right in the middle of his back, at such an old age, how could he withstand it?" "What kick?" Gong Bingfan asked, "Who kicked him?"

When Qi Ren returned to the mountain, it was already completely dark, and the surrounding scene was pitch black, mirroring his current state of mind. He had just hurriedly helped Liu Mazi and a few others to collect the body of the old hunter, temporarily stopping at the door of a household, and entrusted the care of the little tiger to Liu Mazi before stumbling and bumping his way back up the mountain to inform Lu Ao

The red sun sets in the west, and the evening glow is brilliant, dyeing the mountains and waters of the world in a golden hue. Chen Hetushu and Gong Bingfan tread upon the tender grass that has just begun to sprout, suddenly feeling that all the disputes and disturbances of the mortal world have vanished, and the world has sunk into boundless tranquility and serenity

Tuo Tuo, fearing that he might disrupt the peaceful atmosphere, spoke in a much softer voice, "Did you not say he cut you with a knife? How is it that he..."

The merchant from the Weiwu'er stepped forward and said with a smile, "These friends have come from Babylon, and it is getting late. They are here to borrow some food. Who would have thought that this lady..." The Qi person shouted in anger, "I did not ask you! Close your bird mouth!"

This strike was as swift as lightning, arriving in an instant. Abudala attempted to evade, but it was already too late. He let out a loud roar, as if a thunderclap had struck in mid-air, and took the risk of forming his left palm into a blade shape, aiming directly at the back of Qiren's broken knife. A faint sound was heard, and Qiren laughed heartily, stepping back, with a few drops of fresh blood splattered on the back of the broken knife. It turned out that Abudala had forcefully struck the back of the knife with his palm. Although he barely blocked the enemy's attack, he could not compare to Qiren's divine strength. Moreover, using flesh and blood to withstand metal and iron had already shattered the edge of his palm. A faint sound was heard, and Qiren laughed heartily, stepping back, with a few drops of fresh blood splattered on the back of the broken knife. It turned out that Abudala had forcefully struck the back of the knife with his palm. Although he barely blocked the enemy's attack, he could not compare to Qiren's divine strength. Moreover, using flesh and blood to withstand metal and iron had already shattered the edge of his palm.

At this moment, someone outside the door asked in a low voice, "Has an assassin infiltrated the minister's residence? Is the young master safe?" Tuo Tuo replied, "Everything is fine here; you all should hurry to protect the minister, it is urgent." Then, Miao Xuan Sheng said, "I still need to go out and handle a few things; my lord, be careful." Saying this, he opened the back window and quietly leaped out.

"Sacred object, what sacred object?" As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized how inappropriate they were. How could one casually inquire about the sacred objects of others? Unexpectedly, a hearty laugh came from a large tree beside him: "Sacred object? That is the divine spear of King Edamuth!"

Abdallah let out a breath, his waist slightly bent, secretly gathering strength. Suddenly, the blade in his hand flashed with light and swiftly struck towards the right shoulder of Qi Ren. Qi Ren stepped back and countered with a thrust, his broken blade already aimed at the opponent's heart. Abdallah was indeed remarkable; at that critical moment, he twisted his waist and narrowly evaded the attack. Immediately, he flipped his wrist, changing the direction of his curved blade, and struck downwards. With a loud "clang," it met Qi Ren's broken blade.

He did not know how to speak to Lvyue, feeling an emptiness in his mind, unwilling to think of anything, and unable to recall anything. Gong Bingfan had not returned; he did not know if he could catch up with the scar-faced rider. Even this thought only occasionally surfaced in his mind, vague and indistinct.

Rushing forward, I saw in the dim light that four or five people were standing outside the thatched cottage at varying heights, while another person wielding a curved knife was engaged in a fierce battle with Lvyue. Qi Ren was filled with an inexplicable rage, and suddenly, without knowing why, his inner turmoil reached a peak. Like a flying general descending from the heavens, he leaped forward and, with a right-hand punch, sent the knife-wielding assailant tumbling backward.

"Then what..." The man from Qi could not urge him to stop talking nonsense, so he had to ask again, "What is this matter?" "Do not be anxious, it is such a matter," Liu Mazi said, "Old Uncle Ling said you were at home drinking with friends. I then played four corners of steamed wine with him. You must know my family's wine, it is top-quality steamed wine..."

The Qi man looked at this Arab curved sword, which was only about three feet long, with the blade curling back nearly a foot, and a thickness of about half an inch. The spine was sturdy and the edge sharp; it was indeed a fine sword. He let out a cold laugh, grasped the hilt with his right hand, and pinched the blade with the thumb, index, and middle fingers of his left hand. Exhaling with force, with a "ka" sound, he had already snapped the curved sword in half.

Abdallah was also a renowned swordsman in the Ilkhanate, yet before he could even execute five moves, he was injured in his left palm, which was an extraordinary humiliation in his life. Gritting his teeth, he once again sprang forward, unleashing a series of his favored swift sword techniques, darting up and down, appearing suddenly in front and then behind, and in the blink of an eye, he delivered fifteen strikes, each aimed at the vital areas such as the throat and face of his opponent.

Several Babylonians changed their expressions dramatically. Qi Ren lightly waved the broken knife twice; aside from being quite light, it was not much different from the kitchen knife he was accustomed to using. He then nodded slightly, pointing with his left hand at Abudala, signaling him to come forward quickly and engage in the duel.

"I can see it more clearly than you from the balcony while hanging the clothes," a woman beside interjected, "That man is in his thirties or forties, with a dark face and a bushy beard, and there is a long scar above his left eye, quite fearsome!" Gong Bingfan was startled and asked, "Madam, did you see it clearly? Is the scar above the left eye? How long is it?" "How long?" The woman extended two fingers to demonstrate, "About an inch or so. I saw it very clearly, it was quite hideous..."

As he approached the thatched cottage, he suddenly heard the clanging sound of weapons clashing. The man from Qi stopped in his tracks, stunned: "Heavens, why are there so many events today? Why is it so difficult to find peaceful days!" He did not know whether it was better to continue forward or to turn back and run into the endless darkness, never to look back again.

"He has dealt me a blow, a blow I shall never forget for all my life," Gong Bingfan suddenly sighed deeply, as if feeling somewhat ashamed. In the face of such elegant and tranquil scenery, should these past grievances still weigh on one's heart?" That was the matter of the following day. At that moment, Tuo Tuo revealed his identity; he was then... um, the Deputy Censor-in-Chief, also in charge of the Asu Guard or something like that.

The Qi people were on the verge of vomiting their overnight meal, not expecting that these fellows speaking Mongolian would be even more nauseating than speaking Chinese, and each one more eccentric than the last—better to just speak Chinese honestly: "Sir, does Mr. Aida Mushi want to fight? Very well, very well, I shall accompany you!"

"Traitors in the teaching?" The Qi people asked, "What teaching? What traitors?" The Wū'ěr people replied, "These individuals are all practitioners with positions in the Manichaean faith. Mr. Aitamu is the first Sābosē of the Western sect, while the others are the Mòxīxīd of the General Church. They have come here specifically on the orders of the Babylonian Pope."

The anger of the man from Qi gradually subsided, and at this moment, he no longer wished to fight. He gently tossed the dagger in his hand to the ground and clasped his fists with a smile, saying: "This gentleman's swordsmanship is indeed remarkable, and Mr. Ai must be even more... even more extraordinary. Enough, we need not fight any longer. May I ask if any of you are acquainted with the esteemed Mr. Han Bangdao from Haozhou?"

He introduced the person with the surname Mou, whose name is Mou Xuansheng. As I expected, he is the island master of Floating Eagle Mountain in the East China Sea—Mou Xuansheng. Mou Xuansheng, hm, what a grandiose claim. Is this name really that interesting?

As the two conversed, they gradually walked down the mountain, and the small town where Little Tiger's family went to buy wine was right before them. Although it was called a town, it consisted of merely a few dozen households. At that moment, more than half of the residents were gathered in the street, pointing and discussing something.

"Is it a duel?" Qi Ren was right on target, "Alright, alright, please come in!" Green Aoc pulled his sleeve from behind and asked, "Master, what is wrong with you today?" Qi Ren gritted his teeth and replied in a low voice, "I don't know." He truly did not understand why he was so angry, as if only by having a good fight could he feel better.

"Indeed, right in front of the horse's head," Liu Mazi said, "that scoundrel on horseback pulled the reins, and his steed, a magnificent creature, leaped over the old man's head like the wind. However, by sheer misfortune, the horse's hind hoof kicked back, striking the old man right in the chest..."

The Qi person could no longer tolerate his strange accent in Mandarin, and immediately replied in Mongolian: "What first or second? With my meager and insignificant skills, I wouldn't even rank among the top one hundred."

Lü E has never seen Qi Ren lose his temper like this. This senior uncle is usually honest and dull, seemingly unfazed even if you slapped him in the face. What has happened today? She couldn't help but feel a bit scared and whispered, "These few people are speaking in Mongolian, and it seems they mean harm to my father. That's why I looked at them a few more times, and that one with the curved knife looks up to no good..."

Hello, you are quite talkative, some people can no longer listen. Brother Chen, what is going on? The old man just came out of his shop when suddenly a fast horse came rushing in. Although there aren't many people in our town, and it is dusk, there aren't usually horses running around on the street! The old man is indeed quite old, and he couldn't dodge in time, right in front of the horse's head...

The sky gradually darkened

"Your friend looks unfamiliar," he said, "and from the voice, it seems like Liu Mazi, the tavern owner. Is he a relative of Old Man Ling?" Qi Ren felt an immense pain in his heart, raised his head, and asked, "Brother Liu, what exactly is going on? Please tell me... tell me what happened."

Gong Bingfan took out a silver ingot from his pocket and handed it to Liu Mazi, saying, "We must hurry and take a look—this ingot of silver will be deposited with you for now, and please lend me a horse to use." Qi Ren grabbed him and asked, "That person, do you know him?" Gong Bingfan frowned and replied, "Let's talk about it when we return; perhaps I do know him... sigh, that person, that person..." He pushed Qi Ren's hand away and pulled Liu Mazi to squeeze out of the crowd.

A sudden exclamation of "Ah—" seemed to be the startled cry of Lǜ'ài. In Qǐrén's mind, it was as if a thunderclap had struck: "Lǜ'ài, Lǜ'ài!" He quickly took a deep breath, spread his arms wide, and rushed toward the thatched cottage like the wind.

***

Is that so? Gong Bingfan laughed heartily, "I thought there was only one 'Xuan Sheng', but unexpectedly another 'Su Wang' has appeared. Could it be that Heaven wishes to save this chaotic world by sending down such enlightened beings? What kind of person is he?" The Qi person chuckled and said, "He is just a tall, thin man in his thirties. His skills are decent, able to withstand four or five of your moves at most"

The man swung his blade, forcing the Qi man to retreat. Just as he was feeling pleased with himself, he unexpectedly found that his opponent had already darted into the circle of the blade like the wind, his fists flashing, now close to the man's forehead. The man's swordsmanship was considered among the top ten masters in the Ilkhanate, yet he had not even begun to grasp the art of close combat. At that moment, he could not retract his blade from the outer circle, paralyzed with fear, forgetting even to evade.

Several others hurried forward to help their fallen companion, chattering away without knowing what they were saying. However, Qi Ren only turned around to check on Lu Ao: "How are you? Are you alright?" Lu Ao smiled, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and replied: "Thank you for your concern, Master Uncle, I am fine. What about Xiao Hu and his grandfather?"

The man was still seething with anger when he heard these words, which felt like a pot of boiling oil suddenly poured onto a fire, causing the veins on his forehead to bulge. It is known that those who are usually gentle and composed, when truly enraged, tend to become even more irritable and violent, making it difficult for others to persuade them. At that moment, he ceased to speak, took a step forward, and reached out to grab the collar of the man wielding the curved knife.

The man sighed, stepped forward to pick up the little tiger, saying, "Little tiger, don't cry; a real man doesn't cry..." The little tiger choked back tears and said, "My grandfather, my grandfather..." Someone nearby sighed, "This child is truly pitiful. Alas, Brother Chen, I still have some thin boards; let's prepare to lay the old man to rest—this small town doesn't even have a coroner."

If one of the two scimitar wielders were struck by a punch from Qi Ren and kicked twice, his anger might have dissipated. However, both attempts were in vain, and his fury ignited fiercely, burning up to the top of his head. He could only see that the opponent's move to save someone was executed with precise timing and force, indicating that he was indeed a master. Thus, he forcibly retracted his fists, steadied his stance, and asked in a deep voice: "Who are you, sir?"

Aida Mus glanced at Qi Ren and asked loudly, "What is it?" The merchant from Weiwu translated: "Mr. Aida Mus asks: 'This hero's skills are indeed remarkable, but I wonder if he ranks first or second in China?'"

Aida Musi's expression slightly changed, and she soon smiled, saying in Mongolian: "Chinese people are very concerned about face; when competing with outsiders, they always prefer to downplay their own status. Isn't there a story about a Japanese prince who came to China to compete in chess, where China's top player pretended to be a third-rate player and ended up defeating him soundly?"

The man from Qi felt a sudden chill in his heart, and hurriedly rushed over to part the crowd. He saw the old hunter lying on the ground, his face pale and ashen, while the little tiger lay on him, crying so hard that it could hardly catch its breath

I heard him call out "Lord Tuo Tuo," and only then did I realize that he was indeed Tuo Tuo's trusted confidant. At that moment, Tuo Tuo invited me to sit down for tea and inquired about matters in the martial world. He kept addressing me as "hero" and "great hero," which was quite flattering—ha! At that time, I was young and competitive, and I found it extremely pleasant to hear, completely forgetting about the plan to assassinate Bo Yan. By the time the clock struck three, the Left Prime Minister's residence had grown quiet, and Tuo Tuo was about to escort me out...

As the Qi person’s fists were already pressed against the enemy's temples, yet had not yet exerted force, just as the moment seemed to stretch, suddenly a hand shot out swiftly, grabbing the back of the curved sword wielder's neck and forcefully pulling him back. This remarkably swift move by the Qi person thus ended up in vain once again

The one who just asked the question is indeed that Wuyuer merchant. Qi Ren replied, "My name is Chen Qi Ren. What do you do, and what brings you to China?" He then turned to Lu Ao and asked, "What is the matter? Why do you want to fight?"

The man from Qi could not help but shed tears. Gong Bingfan asked, "What did the rider look like? He kicked someone to death and left without a word?" "What is there to explain?" someone in the crowd spat angrily, "In this world, the lives of common people are worthless!" Liu Mazi quickly said, "I saw it clearly; that person was dressed in a short blue outfit and carried a knife, with a gilded sheath, clearly afraid of killing someone! The horse was running so fast that it didn't even stop after kicking someone to death; how could we seek him out for an explanation?" "In this world, the lives of common people are worthless!" Liu Mazi quickly said, "I saw it clearly; that person was dressed in a short blue outfit and carried a knife, with a gilded sheath, clearly afraid of killing someone! The horse was running so fast that it didn't even stop after kicking someone to death; how could we seek him out for an explanation?"

Having repelled the enemy, Qi Ren did not feel any urgency; he looked up to the sky and laughed heartily, feeling much more at ease, his anger gradually dissipating. Meanwhile, Aida Mus smiled and nodded, his right hand waving, revealing a brilliantly shining long knife in his palm. In Mongolian, he said: "Hero Chen is indeed extraordinary; allow me to experience your skills!"