Old Wang continued, "The matter didn't end there. Next, the Human Demon of Qianzhong stepped forward and volunteered to face the Black Dragon Sect's leader, Murong Gui. The two engaged in a fierce battle. But then—bang! With a single blow, the Human Demon, Qin Zhonglong, was sent flying several zhang through the air, blood spraying from his mouth as he crashed heavily to the ground, unconscious."
At these words, the crowd held its breath, utterly engrossed, their faces showing shock and disbelief. No one had expected the infamous Qin Zhonglong to be defeated so handily—it was truly astounding. Murmurs broke out among them. Some looked pleased, exclaiming, "That Qin Zhonglong was notorious for his cruelty, bullying the martial world. To see him defeated in a single move by the Black Dragon Sect leader is nothing less than justice!" Yet others, particularly a young man nearby, looked worried and muttered under his breath, "If Wu Tong keeps making himself stand out, Murong Gui might have to take the field himself…" Hearing this, a few others exchanged glances, clearly sharing the same concern.
Old Wang smiled faintly and shook his head. "You're right, lad. But at that critical moment, the Grandmaster of the Celestial Sovereign Sect stepped in to stop it. Since the Celestial Sovereign Sect and the Black Dragon Sect had past grievances, they agreed—by the rules of the martial world—to settle things with a duel to determine who was superior."
At this point, Old Wang took up his wine cup, downed it in one gulp, smacked his lips in satisfaction, then grabbed a piece of beef and chewed with gusto. The listeners, eager for more, couldn't help but urge him on. "Elder, what happened next? Who won the fight for supremacy between the Celestial Sovereign Sect and the Black Dragon Sect?"
But Old Wang merely set down his cup and chuckled. "A battle for supremacy between two great sects? Such a matter can't be summed up in a few words. If you want to know what happened next, you'll have to wait for the next telling! Come back tomorrow morning, and I, together with Master Li, will recount the rest to you all."
At this, the listeners sighed with frustration but could do nothing about it. Seeing that Old Wang had no more to say, they dispersed reluctantly, each still full of curiosity, making plans to return the next day to hear the continuation of the tale.
Wu Tong and Zhao Rou finished their breakfast, leaving the inn in high spirits, though their minds lingered on Old Wang's account. As they strolled their horses slowly down the street, a sudden commotion arose from ahead—a ragged man came running from the far end of the street, his face twisted in terror, shouting frantically as he ran, "Terrible news! Terrible news! The Tang army has been defeated! The Tang army has been defeated! An Lushan has taken Chang'an! The Emperor fled with Yang Guifei, but at Mawei Slope, Yang Guozhong was hacked to death by soldiers! The Emperor wished to spare Yang Guifei, but the soldiers clamored endlessly—he was forced to have her hanged!"
The words struck like thunder. The street was thrown into chaos; panic swept through the crowd. People ran in all directions. Merchants hastily packed their goods, slamming shut their stalls in preparation to flee. A pale-faced scholar murmured to himself, "Chang'an has fallen? How could it be so fast?" A woman, clutching her child, wept to her husband, "Husband, with war upon us, what will become of us?"
Wu Tong and Zhao Rou exchanged a grave look. Just last month, at the Conference to Suppress the Rebels, Murong Gui of the Black Dragon Sect had predicted that Tong Pass had fallen and that Chang'an would soon be breached. At the time, it had seemed like an exaggeration—but now it had come true. The speed of Chang'an's fall left them stunned.
Wu Tong's eyes darkened. "Rou-mei, I didn't expect the rebels to have such overwhelming momentum. Now that Chang'an has fallen, the September ninth martial world conference to resist the rebels will surely be a bloody slaughter!"Zhao Rou's expression was equally solemn. "The Tang is in peril… and the martial world will soon face great upheaval…"
Wu Tong nodded faintly. Without another word, they left the city gates, mounted their horses, and spurred northward. Along the road, they saw peasants fleeing south, carrying their elderly and children—clear proof that the shadow of war had already descended upon the land.
Before long, the faint sounds of fighting reached them from up ahead. Even their horses sensed the tension and neighed uneasily.Zhao Rou reined in slightly. "Brother Tong, there's fighting up ahead."Wu Tong narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Let's go see."
They urged their mounts forward cautiously. The scene soon came into view: on the open wilderness ahead, dozens of men were locked in battle. Shouts and the clash of steel rang out without pause. Several bodies already lay on the ground, blood soaking the yellow earth. One side wore black short tunics and black headscarves—clearly members of the Black Dragon Sect. The other side consisted of variously dressed martial heroes, clearly independent fighters who had joined forces to resist the Black Dragon Sect's assault.Zhao Rou frowned. "So the Black Dragon Sect really is working with the rebels—they're ambushing martial heroes right on the main road!"Wu Tong's tone was grim. "They must be trying to keep the heroes from reaching the conference, leaving the central plains martial world isolated and helpless… This catastrophe is only beginning."Zhao Rou nodded, her gaze steady. "What shall we do?"Wu Tong smiled faintly, drawing his sword. The blade gleamed cold in the morning light. "When the martial world is in peril, heroes must step forward. Let's save them first!" With that, they spurred their horses toward the fray, ready to lend aid. The winds of change in the martial world were already unstoppable.
Wu Tong looked more closely and saw that government soldiers were being cut down by bandits. Ahead, seven or eight big men swung heavy sabers, hacking at the soldiers. The soldiers resisted desperately, but though they had numbers, they were being driven back step by step. The sight filled Wu Tong with bitter dismay. Are the Tang troops truly so poor in battle? In his mind, Tang soldiers facing a formidable enemy should fight with fearless valor, not crumble. These bandits were strong, agile, and ferocious. But the soldiers before him had lost all will to fight, many already thinking of retreat.
Suddenly, the officer leading the troops summoned his last reserve of courage. Eyes fierce and wet with tears, he cried out, "Brothers, this charge will be life or death. If fate allows, we'll be brothers again in the next life!" He leapt forward, charging alone, his saber flashing. With a kick, he knocked a bandit flying—the move caught the enemy off guard. The bandits froze for a heartbeat. The officer's saber work was fierce and bold, driving them back.
From within the bandits' ranks, someone shouted, "Your men have already fled, yet you still fight—what's the point?" The officer, whose name was Xiang Qiang, held his saber across his chest, fearless and majestic. "If it benefits the country, I do not seek wealth or rank!" he declared, embodying the verse: If the nation benefits, life and death are one; how could I avoid danger for personal fortune?
The bandit leader sneered. "What a waste—it's just throwing your life away!"Xiang Qiang's voice rang out, "This is pay for the soldiers at the front! My life can be lost, but the army's pay must never fall into enemy hands!" It was the spirit of Giving one's life for the nation, treating death as a return home. At that time, Zhang Xun was raising troops in Yongqiu to resist the Yan army, and General Linghu Chao was gathering forty thousand troops with Yan general Li Huaixian to attack Yongqiu.
The bandit leader barked, "Seeking death! Kill without mercy!"The bandits surged forward. Xiang Qiang's saber roared to life, fierce and unyielding. Two men came at him first, blades descending. He met them head-on, steel clanging. His footwork was solid; every block and strike rang sharp in the air. With a sudden slash—shua!—one enemy's arm was split open, blood spraying as the man screamed. Two more attackers rushed in. One slashed at his middle; the other closed from behind. Xiang Qiang turned, blocking just in time—but shua! pain tore across his back as a blade struck home.
At that instant, a thunderous roar of voices erupted—Tang soldiers, the remnants of the retreat, had turned back, charging with sabers raised. Their war cries split the air. The seven or eight big bandits faltered, shaken by the sudden surge of Tang troops with high morale. Fear took them, and they fled."Brother Xiang, we live and die together!" the soldiers cried.
Hearing this, Xiang Qiang's blood surged with emotion, his eyes wet. "Brothers, the army pay must not be lost!" With that, they pressed the attack, scattering the enemy in chaos. The thought burned in his heart: This silver was given by the righteous men of Jiangnan—it must reach Zhang Xun in Yongqiu.
The bandit leader called out again, "You're beaten men—don't pretend to be brave! You're just throwing your lives away!"Xiang Qiang's voice was iron. "A warrior can be killed, but never humiliated!" The two sides faced each other in a tense standoff, ready to erupt again—when suddenly, from not far away, came the thunder of hooves. A horse screamed and galloped like an arrow, straight toward the space between the two sides. In moments, the rider yanked the reins, rearing the horse high—its front hooves slashing the air as it whinnied sharply. The sudden arrival startled everyone.
It was Wu Tong.