Jianghu Qimen Lu

Chapter 12 Changes Amidst Changes

Bai Shandian's face was as cold as ice, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes. He spoke in a low voice, "I am the most trusted man of His Majesty, as evidenced by the three-eyed peacock feather I wear! I hope Lord Hong will not do anything underhanded behind my back!" Hong Chen terrified Bu Tong, who knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly, his voice trembling as he cried, "Your Excellency, rest assured, I dare not, absolutely not! I will never pry into your private affairs again!" Why was he so afraid? From the rise to the fall of the Qing Dynasty, only seven people had ever worn the three-eyed peacock feather! This was the highest honor, above all others, a symbol of power and wealth, a cultural symbol of a high-ranking official—even the Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet, a first-rank official, only wore a two-eyed peacock feather! Those who had not made significant contributions to the country were not entitled to this honor! Moreover, Bai Shandian carried the Imperial Sword, capable of beheading tyrannical emperors and slaying treacherous officials! Who wouldn't be terrified and walk on eggshells if they encountered him?

Bai Shandian coldly said, "Get up!" He then ordered, "You should know that the Mo Qing Society of Stinky Fist is no pushover. For many years, they have taken it upon themselves to overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming, committing mass killings and robberies of officials and the rich to help the poor across the Central Plains, carrying out many earth-shattering crimes. It is said that they have twelve hall masters and one incense master under their command, each with superb martial arts skills and a reputation that resounds throughout the martial arts world. Lord Hong, think about it, their leader is imprisoned here, do you think they will come to rescue him?" Hong Chen stood up, even more frightened, and broke out in a cold sweat. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded repeatedly, "Yes." "With this stinky foot imprisoned here, I'll never be able to eat or sleep properly again! Lord Bai, when are you going to escort him to the capital to meet the Emperor?" Bai Shandian sneered, "You call yourself a high-ranking official stationed in a region? Is this all you've got? However, to prevent any unforeseen complications, I'd better make plans early. I'll take care of something else tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow I'll set off to escort the prisoner to the capital to meet the Emperor!" Hong Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief, but no smile appeared on his face. He had a premonition, a feeling that something was about to happen, and a deep unease settled in his heart!

White Lightning ignored him and went straight away.

Back at the inn, Bai Shandian finished his meal and, seeing that it was already late, went to bed early to rest. But he couldn't close his eyes; the scene from the Southern Fist Sect's secret cave earlier that day kept replaying in his mind—the martial arts manuals of various schools on the bookshelf, Elder Xiang's panic, Choujiao's ruthless attack, Xiangquan's patient preparation… all of this seemed to be subtly revealing a message to him! Based on his years of detective experience, he keenly realized that the extraordinary book, *The Complete Book of Jianghu*, was very likely hidden among those martial arts manuals!

The moon was high in the sky, and it was nearly midnight. Bai Shandian suddenly sat up, threw off the covers, and got out of bed. He found his night clothes in his pocket, quickly put them on, jumped out of the room, leaped onto the roof, and headed straight for the Xiang Clan's Southern Fist School in Jiangnan.

His agility was superb; he arrived at the Southern Fist Sect in less than half an hour. Knowing the way well, he quickly crept to the latrine next to the toilet, thinking, "This Fragrant Fist has truly impressed me. Who would have thought that such a stinking latrine would conceal such a shocking secret!" He looked around and found everything eerily silent. None of the lights in the living quarters were on, and even the patrolling guards were nowhere to be seen! Everything was strange, eerie, and unsettling! But he didn't dwell on it. He simply thought: Fragrant Fist probably saw that her nemesis, her younger brother, had finally left her home, and since I, White Lightning, hadn't suspected her, she probably didn't know about the strange book. A weight lifted from his heart; he could finally rest for a few days. That's why he relaxed his guard and removed the patrols from the inner courtyard… Ha! She could never imagine that I was secretly sneaking into the cave at night to steal the strange book!

He gently activated the switch and entered the secret cave. As he lit a torch and entered the second cave, he was astonished to find the cabinet still there, but all the books inside were gone! Just as he was wondering what was happening, the door to the third cave suddenly opened with a creaking sound, and seven people rushed out, each wielding a weapon, instantly surrounding him! The leader giggled and shouted, "It's like finding a needle in a haystack! Humph! We've finally got you!" Bai Shandian recognized her as his wife, Xiang Quan! The other six were, of course, his six hall masters—the Six Great Fist Masters!

Although Bai Shandian was masked, he dared not look his wife in the eye, fearing she would discover his secret. Suddenly, he reached into his robes, pulled out something, and threw it to the ground with a loud bang, creating a large cloud of smoke. Taking advantage of the panicked scattering, he performed eighteen somersaults, as light as a swallow, and leaped out of the cave. In a flash, he was back on the top of the wall, about to escape, when he looked down and was dumbfounded. On the grass outside the wall stood Xiang Quan, arms crossed, giving him a cold smile.

Without a word, Bai Shandian drew his sword, unleashed a dazzling display of skill, and with a series of three swift strokes, his sword flashed down the high wall like a shower of petals! What a beautiful fist technique! He didn't dodge or evade, his feet remaining still as he twisted his slender waist in a graceful, elegant "Looking Back at the Moon" move. His hands, seemingly out of nowhere, held four paper-thin throwing knives. With a flick of his wrists, four streaks of cold light shot out! In martial arts, there's a saying: "The shorter the weapon, the more dangerous it is." This means that in a duel between two masters, the shorter the weapon, the more dangerous it is. While it may seem disadvantageous, it often leads to unexpected victory because of its agility and unpredictability. Of course, the one wielding the short weapon must possess exceptional skill—either speed and agility, or superb agility and adaptability. Otherwise, they will truly suffer a disadvantage! Although Xiang Quan's throwing knives were short, their speed was naturally faster than a longsword thrusting straight down! Moreover, after throwing the knives, she immediately rolled away to the outside of the battle circle. Bai Neidian was unlucky! While in mid-air, launching a fierce downward attack, he suddenly saw four cold lights shooting towards him from different directions like lightning. Dodging was absolutely impossible. In his haste, he forcibly withdrew his attack, hovering in mid-air to save himself. Sparks flew as he knocked all four throwing knives down with his sword light. Even so, one of the knives that narrowly escaped still pierced a hole in his crotch before clanging and embedding itself deeply into the trunk of a large tree by the wall, all the way to the hilt!

The moment Bai Shandian landed, a sharp throwing knife was pressed against his throat, and a cold, sharp shout rang out: "Take off your fig leaf!" Bai Shandian was filled with shame, but between life and face, he chose the former. Helplessly, he tore off his mask and said bitterly, "Now you should be satisfied, right? Sigh!" Under the moonlight, Xiang Quan was also greatly surprised to see her husband. She blurted out, "How come it's you? I thought you were the kidnappers who kidnapped our little Bai Jin!" Sheathed her knife and coldly examined her husband's strange attire.

"What?" Bai Shandian was shocked and rushed forward, grabbing her thin shoulders and shouting, "You said Xiao Jinzi was kidnapped? Who has the guts to kidnap him? Isn't your Southern Fist Sect full of masters and highly skilled in martial arts? How could someone have abducted him?" The human heart is fragile. No matter how broad-minded, how much of a leader one is, or how hard-hearted and ruthless one is, as long as that soft part of the heart is touched, it will crumble, like a weathered mud house that finally collapses! Xiangquan suddenly hugged her husband, bursting into tears. Between sobs, she pounded his shoulders, incoherently crying, "Who told you to be away from home all the time? Can you blame me? Do you know how hard it is for me, a woman alone?" Bai Shandian was furious and about to push her away, but then he looked down and, in the moonlight, saw her vaguely familiar, beautiful face, glistening with tears, like pear blossoms in the rain, so pitiful and endearing. His heart softened, and he sighed, "Don't cry, you're making me uncomfortable! Calm down and tell me what happened." Xiangquan just kept crying.

At this moment, the six famous boxing styles also arrived. Seeing this scene, they were somewhat taken aback, but had nothing to say. They could only wait for their sect leader to calm down before making a decision.

Upon seeing them, Xiang Quan awkwardly left Bai Shandian's embrace, saying only, "It's not convenient to talk here, let's go home and talk!" Then he leaped onto the wall and flew away. Bai Shandian and the six men exchanged glances, remained silent, and each displayed their abilities, rushing back to the Southern Fist Sect.

The group took their seats in the Southern Fist Sect's council hall according to their rank. Xiang Quan sat at the head of the table, with the six famous fist masters sitting on either side. Bai Shandian walked directly to Xiang Quan's right, where Da Jiji sat down.