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The other person was older by one to six years; his hair and eyebrows were as dense as iron wire, he wore a pair of short moustache that looked exactly like a brush. He had clear outline, the expression showing in his eyes was gloomy and cold, calm and collected, a middle-aged man with quite manly-man charisma. Most striking was that he was wearing a white scarf tied on his forehead with character ‘ji’ [sacrifice (to gods/ancestors)] on it, making Kou Zhong believe that he was the second-in-command within the Anle Bang, Shu Dingtai, showing off his position and determination to seek justice for Lu Ping.

Then the other man must be the Chief Constable Qiu Nanshan who was appointed by Gao Kaidao; before, Kou Zhong could not have imagined that he was such a top figure.

Sure enough, everybody present stood up one after the other, cupped their fist to salute and said, “Qiu Zongxun, Shu Er Dangjia.”

Qiu Nanshan was, after all, the representative of the local government of this area, no matter how disconcerting, the gangs and societies of various regions must still give him enough face.

Qiu Nanshan’s eyes fell on Ren Jun first, before shooting toward Kou Zhong, who was standing on top of the steps. Still sitting high on the horseback, he spoke indifferently, “This gentleman’s honorable surname and great given name?”

Luo Daoren laughed aloud and said, “Lao Zongye [old chief], how are you? These two gentlemen, one is Fu Xiong, the other is Ren Jun; there is also another gentleman by the name of Fu Jie, a party of three, passing by this place on their way to Shanhai Pass. Because they are unwilling to sell their horses to these Bei Ma Bang boys, they offended and angered the crowd, provoking the Dong Bei Bang’s big brothers to teach them a lesson on their behalf. Lao Zongye arrived just in time to judge between right and wrong.”

Dong Bei Bang and Bei Ma Bang, two groups of people immediately showed angry look, but momentarily they were helpless to deal with Luo Daoren.

Shiye Hua spoke grimly, “Luo Daoren dare to guarantee that they are without any problem? I pretended to buy their horses just to sound out their identity.”

Su Qing laughed tenderly and said, “Xiang Shiye’s ability is getting more and more profound! If you did not explain it personally, nujia would not have known that your buying the horses is fake, while the sounding out is real.”

Shiye Hua was immediately at a loss; he had never thought that Su Qing would openly help ‘outsider’.

Qiu Nanshan understood, but he still did not want to let Kou Zhong and Ren Jun off; he spoke slowly, “Gentlemen going to Shanhai Pass, what noble errand brings you here?”

Kou Zhong laughed calmly and said, “Zongye, please understand, the three of us going to Shanhai Pass is to negotiate a business deal. Due to the confidential nature of the business, if Zongye wants to understand the details, would it be possible to step aside to talk? Ol’ Fu will surely explain the details truthfully, I won’t dare to conceal anything.”

It could be said that by saying that, he was giving Qiu Nanshan enough face, plus it was neither haughty nor humble.

As expected, Qiu Nanshan’s countenance relaxed; with a slight nod, he said, “I will discuss the details with Fu Xiong later.”

Behind him, slightly to the left, the Anle Bang’s Second Chief Shu Dingtai spoke in his deep and low voice, “Ren Xiong’s martial art skill is superior, I wonder a brilliant disciple of which family, which sect are you?”

Ren Jun acknowledged frankly, “My humble master is ‘Yulin Da Dao’ [lit. broadsword of Yulin] Guan Changjiu.”

Apparently Shu Dingtai has never heard this name Guan Changjiu; it was difficult for him to either speak or ask question. Without any better option, he said, “Indeed a famous teacher trains a fine student [idiom].”

Qiu Nanshan finally dismounted from his horse, Shu Dingtai followed, a relay station worker immediately came over to take care of the horses.

Qiu Nanshan said, “At the last moment Xu Bangzhu had an urgent matter to attend to, he won’t be here until tomorrow morning.”

The crowd broke into commotion; they all were disgruntled. Only Shiye Hua, two men’s underlings dared to make noise.

Lu Shiqing looked up at the sky, dark clouds were scampering across the dusk sky; he asked, “What is the reason Xu Bangzhu delaying the meeting?”

Shu Dingtai replied, “Xu Dangjia sent someone to notify us that he found something related to the case, he will certainly come tomorrow morning.”

The crowd was abuzz again.

‘Boom!’ a thunder broke through the clouds. The clap of thunder was right overhead, followed by bean-sized raindrops, sparse at first, but quickly getting denser, pouring down from the sky. The heavy rain, which had been brewing for a long time, finally came down to the earth.

Immediately the situation turned chaotic; everybody was either scurrying into the main building to avoid the rain, or rushed their horses under the roof-tile-topped winding corridor. Those planning on leaving had no choice but to dispel that idea.

By the time Luo Daoren settled his beloved mule by the Thousand-li Dream and the other horses’ side, the downpour started in the earnest, the sky turned hazy, the earth turned dark, the night came early.

When everybody had taken shelter into the dining hall, like a butterfly weaving through the flowers Sao Niangzi attentively showed hospitality to Qiu Nanshan and Shu Dingtai.

Avoiding the others, Xu Ziling and the others took a table on the corner, away from the crowd – in a laidback manner. Half of their body drenched, Kou Zhong and Ren Jun sat down on his left and right. The former asked, “What about that strange man?”

Xu Ziling said, “There is a stone pavilion outside, he must be taking shelter from the rain over there. This man’s character is reclusive and cynical, but it does not look like he is evil. For some reason he suspects Xu Kaishan; perhaps he is coming here, his target is Xu Kaishan.”

Kou Zhong turned his head around to cast a glance toward the crowd, the gangs and sects people took two tables on the other corner. Wai Lian Bang and Dong Bei Bang men took one table. Xian Xia Dong’s Li Shiqing, Lang Tingting, Bei Ma Bang’s Shiye Hua, Dong Bei Bang’s young gang leader Bei Chenfen, Wai Lian Bang’s Phoenix Hall’s Hall Master Su Qing, Luo Daoren, Chief Constable Qiu Nanshan, Anle Bang’s Second Chief Shu Dingtai, and so on sat around another table, in closed discussion.

Two of Shiye Hua’s men crowded in among the Dong Bei Bang’s men, it is thus clear than Bei Ma Bang and Dong Bei Bang were breathing through the same nostril.

Outside the heavy rain was falling down nonstop, standing by the main entrance, Sao Niangzi conducted her men to brave the rain to put away the fodder and other things, and closed the window; they were busy endlessly.

After narrating his dialogue with Yin Xianhe, Xu Ziling said, “This mountain stronghold with stone steps is located high on a hillside, whether it is the public square or the main building, there is only one entrance, and the windows are narrow. Although it has defensive advantages, but if someone sealed off the entrance, nobody would be able to escape. Xu Kaishan chose this place to hold a meeting, I wonder if he has another goal, he is harboring bad intention?”

Lowering his voice, Kou Zhong said, “If they coordinate outside and inside offensives, Dong Bei Bang plus Shiye Hua, two groups will be able to accomplish. But then afterwards, how are they going to explain the reason why Xu Kaishan was delayed until tomorrow morning was because he might have found a clue about Cui Wang?”

This moment, the ‘Die Gongzi’ Yin Xianhe appeared from the back door like a specter, the bamboo rain hat on his head was still dripping wet, his wooden face was without any emotion, he coldly swept his gaze over everyone, before going to a corner to sit down silently.

Suddenly seeing him, Qiu Nanshan and the others stopped talking. The atmosphere was quickly turning heavy, brimming with hostility and suspicion.

Finished working outside, Sao Niangzi and her workers returned to close the main door to the dining hall. They also lit the more than a dozen spring-wind lanterns hanging on the four walls. The noise of the violent rain and thunder seemed to be in a separate world. When the fireplaces on all the four walls were all lit, the hall became even more warm and cozy.

Shu Dingtai beckoned Sao Niangzi to come. After he whispered something on her ear, Sao Niangzi, with ten thousand kinds of flirtatious expressions, made an announcement, “Tonight Shu Er Dangjia is going to treat everybody. Brothers, quickly prepare vegetables and meat dishes, get the wine and serve all honorable guests.”

The workers immediately received the orders and went each one to do his job.

Sao Niangzi plopped her butts on the chair next to Lu Shiqing. Lang Tingting’s pretty eyebrows immediately shot up; but, just like Lu Shiqing, there was nothing she could do.

Qiu Nanshan’s voice rang, “Yin Xiong, I wonder what business brings you to grace us with your presence here?”

Yin Xianhe did not care about him at all, he coldly said, “I cannot come here?”

With a hollow laugh, Shiye Hua said, “There’s a saying, one does not visit a temple without a cause. If you let us suspect that Yin Xiong came here to inquire the news on Cui Wang’s behalf, while the fact is Yin Xiong came here only to enjoy the feeling of rain, won’t we then have unnecessary misunderstanding? It is not worth it.”

This man, not only the tone of his voice was annoying, his action was like pushing the wave and adding to the billows, fanning the flame to light a fire, as if he was afraid that the world was not chaotic enough.

Yin Xianhe did not get angry at all, he simply said, “I came here precisely to enjoy the feeling of rain.”

Just then the workers came to serve the wine, and thus diluting the tense atmosphere. Sao Niangzi was fluttering everywhere, she personally poured the wine for everybody, only she did not dare to provoke Yin Xianhe.

The wine and the dishes were served, other than Yin Xianhe, who did not touch the food and drink, everybody else was eating and drinking to their heart’s content.

Luo Daoren came to Kou Zhong, three men’s table and sat down. After toasting the three two cups each, he lowered his voice and said, “What is two gentlemen’s view on the Anle Tragedy?”

On the other side, the people were tipsy and merry, they chatted freely about light Jianghu affairs of the northeast Wulin, plus from time to time Sao Niangzi’s licentious laughter rang out; the atmosphere was warm, so that it was hard to imagine that they gathered here for the Anle Tragedy.

Kou Zhong replied, “We are guessing that it was because Lu Dangjia grasped witness testimony or perhaps material evidence that could reveal Cui Wang’s real identity that he met the disaster of being killed. Daozhang might know where he went or who he saw before he was murdered.”

Luo Daoren nodded and said, “Your view and Pindao’s agree without prior consultation, because approximately a month ago Lu Laodi went on an all-out effort to investigate the wolf bandits’ tracks. Before he was killed, he went to Shanhai Pass. Only, according to Shu Dingtai who went with him, nothing special happened. They were going to see a group of barbarian merchants who had been robbed by Cui Wang, but they were pouncing empty air, because the barbarian merchants already went out the Pass.”

“What kind of person is Shu Dingtai?” Xu Ziling asked.

Luo Daoren was stunned, “You think his guts is that big?” he asked.

Kou Zhong said, “Didn’t Daozhang say earlier that you don’t like him?”

Luo Daoren’s expression turned grave, he said, “I don’t like him, because Lu Laodi had privately told me that Shu Dingtai and Du Xing have been very close, and he refused to listen to his advice.”

Slapping the table, Kou Zhong said, “I dare say that Cui Wang is a fictitious character invented by Du Xing.”

Revealing a shocked expression, Luo Daoren said, “What is the basis of Kou Xiong’s conclusion? Du Xing is as weighty as Mount Tai, as brilliant as the Big Dipper [idiom: a giant among men] in the northeast Wulin. Everybody is willing to follow him blindly, plus he receives the Tujue and Qidan people’s support, provoking him is not fun.”

Kou Zhong was about to respond, suddenly someone spoke with a trembling voice, “My head is very dizzy.”

Stunned, Kou Zhong and the others looked up, only to see one of the workers – carrying wine jar, his footsteps unsteady – was swaying to the east and swinging to the west, and then the person and the wine jar he was carrying fell down to the ground.

‘Crash!’

The wine jar shattered, the wine splattered all over the floor. One after another, Sao Niangzi and the other workers also collapsed. Momentarily in the hall the crow and peacock made no sound, everybody was looking at each other, while secretly raising the qi in their body to check their own condition.

However, the situation has not deteriorated into too much panic, because any warrior who trained qi would have the ability to resist and expel poison, hence they were not excessively anxious.

Qiu Nanshan was the first to have his countenance changed. “I am poisoned,” he shouted.

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling looked at Luo Daoren and Ren Jun, and discovered that the two men’s countenance had become extremely unsightly; they knew inwardly that these two had been poisoned as well. Overwhelmed with shock in their heart, they wondered what poison was this formidable?

On the other side, everybody cried out in alarm, yelling and cursing; obviously not a single one was lucky enough to escape. The situation became chaotic.

Qiu Nanshan rose up to his full height and shouted, “The food and drink are poisonous; don’t panic.”

Lu Shiqing, who has been closing his eyes, suddenly opened his eyes and fearfully said, “This poison is extremely formidably damaging, unexpectedly I am unable to raise and gather true qi to force the poison out.”

Ren Jun spoke in low voice to Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, “I am unable to raise true qi either.”

Shu Dingtai suddenly stood up and pointed at Yin Xiahe, sitting alone in a corner, and shouted sternly, “Only you, one person, did not touch the food and drink; don’t say that this is not you doing the trick. Quickly take out the antidote.”

Yin Xianhe’s expression did not change, as if nothing had happened, he said, “If I were the one poisoning you, by now I would have slapped your mouth first, and then I would have chopped all of you into ten thousand pieces.”

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were really shocked. In the hall, it could be said that Yin Xianhe’s martial art skill was the most superior. If even he were unable to raise the qi to drive the poison away, the formidability of this poison has already reached the shocking level.

Shu Dingtai’s imposing body suddenly shook severely, and then fell back into his chair. Qiu Nanshan slowly sat down, indicating that his power was more profound than Shu Dingtai. But the terrifying fact that even sitting down has become a problem for him also made others even more shocked.

The originally arrogant, considered-themselves-unexcelled-in-the-world gang and society violent disciples, every one has now become like a defeated rooster, their faces were deathly grey. No one knew what their fate would be.

Shiye Hua spoke with trembling voice, “Wine and dishes do not have poison; I tested them with silver needle.”

Everybody’s eyes turned to Kou Zhong and the others. Since Yin Xianhe also fell into the same predicament, Kou Zhong, three men had now become the greatest suspects.

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were the only ones who were unaffected by the poison. Their Long Life Qi had a hundred-poison-cannot-invade characteristic. In the past, Shen Luoyan was trying to poison them in Xingyang, the outcome was that it did not work, and even backfired. If they wanted to dispel the poison from Ren Jun or Luo Daoren, it would only be the exertion of lifting their hand, but under ten thousand staring eyes, others would immediately know that they were not poisoned. Plus there was a more important reason for not making their move, which was to lure the real culprit out of hiding, to wait for him to reveal the mountain’s original shape on his own.

Smiling ruefully, Kou Zhong said, “Just like Yin Xiong said, if we were the ones poisoning you, now that it had been successful, we ought to move our blades to kill, to avoid the long night with many nightmares.”

Yin Xianhe spoke heavily, “The poison was set off either from the lanterns or the stoves.”

Everybody suddenly saw the light, but it was already too late for regret; they hated the fact that while they were still able to get up and walk, they did not extinguish the lanterns and fire, and now they could not even do such a simple day-to-day task like this. This not-just-in-name-only-but-also-in-reality poison scheme was certainly very vicious; inside this kind of sealed-up space, no one could escape, and all fell into the trap.

With trembling voice and stern expression, Bei Chenfen shouted, “Who exactly put the poison; stand up for me.”

Everybody you looked at me I gazed at you, everybody suspect everybody else; the situation was bizarre to the extreme point.

The firewood in the stove was crackling like it was haunting them to the death, with every passing moment, the poison inside their body was one part heavier. This thought was like a ten-thousand-jin heavy burden pressing down to the bottom of their heart.

The hall fell into a disheartened, unbearable silence, just like the silence before the execution of the death penalty.

A tender laughter rang. The originally flirty, lascivious laughter, this moment has become incomparably ear-piercing. Everybody looked up in horror. The originally lying down by Lu Shiqing’s feet Sao Niangzi suddenly stood up gracefully. She even reached out to stroke Lu Shiqing’s cheek. Immensely proud of herself, she said, “Nujia is standing up. Shao Bangzhu [young gang leader], how are you doing to deal with nujia?”

Everybody, including Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, was dumbstruck. Nobody had guessed that the one putting the poison was Sao Niangzi. She definitely was not a martial art expert, hence no one suspected her, and consequently they fell into her plot. The rest of the workers were still lying on the floor, unconscious.

Shu Dingtai heaved a sigh instead; he said, “Sao Niangzi, you are amazing. Why don’t you take the antidote out?”

Hearing that, none of the crowd was not surprised.

Sao Niangzi came from behind him, she laughed and said, “The antidote is coming.”

While everybody looked on helplessly, Sao Niangzi took out a sharp dagger from inside her sleeve, gleaming blue because it has been dipped into the poison. But Shu Dingtai could not see it.

Because they were too far, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling did not have enough time to prevent this latest development from happening. There’s a saying, ginger gets spicier as it gets older; Luo Daoren called loudly, “Shu Dingtai, who is Cui Wang? Quickly tell us.”

While Shu Dingtai was stunned, he did not understand the question, a sharp pain shot up from his back, followed by a miserable scream of death shocking and piercing the big hall. Before he had a chance to reply, the poison already attacked his heart, he fell face down on the tabletop, overturning the wine pots and the vegetable and meat dishes, and was killed on the spot.

Sao Niangzi’s expression was as usual; she put away the dagger as if nothing had happened, and then she laughed and said, “Daozhang looked down on nujia’s skill in using poison too much.”

His voice trembling, Shiye Hua said, “Tomorrow morning when our Da Dangjia arrives, how are you, Sao Niangzi going to explain to him?”

Sao Niangzi moved her tender body behind Shiye Hua, putting her arm around his neck, she whispered on his ear, “Nujia fell unconscious, how am I to know what had happened? The best thing is that we have extra participants here, Yin Gongzi and Fu brothers; perhaps nujia will arrange for you guys to have a duel, several defeats, all died. I think it will be interesting.”

Qiu Nanshan spoke heavily, “Who is behind you?”

Sao Niangzi let go of the so-scared-that-he-nearly-pissed-in-his-pants Shiye Hua, and walked over to the empty table on the side and sat down leisurely. Her pretty eyes were fixed on the closing-his-eyes-circulating-his-power, not-saying-a-single-word Yin Xianhe; instead of answering Qiu Nanshan, she spoke softly, “Die Gongzi, don’t waste your energy; if right now all four stoves on the wall are extinguished, if you don’t have half a sichen, don’t ever think you could force out nujia’s ten-supreme poison.”

Su Qing made a signal with her eyes, two of her men responded by struggling to stand up. They shouted angrily, “We will stake everything against this stinky poniang [woman (derogatory), this term appeared quite often in earlier books].”

The words have not yet finished, a single step has not been taken, they already skewed to the east and tumbled to the west, and fell to the floor, knocking the chairs over, in an extremely sorry state, and were unable to crawl back up.

Like a sprig of flower trembling randomly, Sao Niangzi laughed and said, “That is the result of rushing the true qi indiscriminately.”

Lang Tingting cast herself into Lu Shiqing’s bosom. Revealing a feeling-as-if-having-his-heart-cut-out look of despair Li Shiqing tightly embraced the jade person, whom he was powerless to protect, in his bosom. Everybody thought that no one in the hall would narrowly and luckily escape this calamity.

Finally Kou Zhong could not bear it anymore; he laughed aloud, as if he was extremely happy. Everybody, Sao Niangzi included, looked at him with astonishment. Xu Ziling however, only shook his head and laughed involuntarily.

Sao Niangzi asked in surprise, “Fu Gongzi, what makes you so happy?”

She had become the terminating-star demon [personifying pestilence] that no one dared to provoke; no one dared to attract her attention, no one dared to make her angry even more. Yet Kou Zhong did exactly the opposite, so that people both admired him and worried for him.

Shrugging his shoulders, Kou Zhong said, “If I am guessing correctly, Du Xing is exploiting you, Dajie [big sister], and then he will kill you to shut your mouth later. Just like Dajie killed Shu Dingtai, just because he knew something about you that he should not know. After the Anle Tragedy, there will be Yin Ma Tragedy [note: the word tragedy can also be translated as massacre]. Everything will be burned to pieces of embers and destroyed ashes. Henceforth Cui Wang will disappear, both cases will forever be unresolved cases.”

Xu Ziling joined in, “How come Dajie’s laoban [big boss] Du Xing has not come to the door?”

After holding back the smiling expression on her face, Sao Niangzi rose up to her full height, and came over toward them. “What nonsense are you talking about?” she spoke coldly.

Qiu Nanshan was a Jianghu veteran; he knew Sao Niangzi was about to make her move and kill people. In order to divert her attention, he thought of a way within a no way situation, he shouted, “What evidence does Fu Xiong have that you are certain that Du Xing is the mastermind behind all these?”

Sao Niangzi was only about fifteen paces away from Kou and Xu, two boys, but she stopped; evidently she also wanted to hear Kou Zhong’s answer.

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling made up their mind; finally they lured this malicious woman within the range of their control.

Kou Zhong laughed and said, “The logic is very simple. In the northern territory, other than Yan Wang, only Du Xing has the capability to shield a large number of wolf-bandits. Da Shiye must not blame me for this offense. Because your honorable Dangjia is the sponsor of this assembly, plus he deliberately delayed his arrival at the meeting, it would be difficult for him to avoid suspicion, much less he is Du Xing’s sworn brother. It seems that Da Shiye has become the scapegoat. All of you get murdered, your honorable Dangjia will be completely outside suspicion, plus all those who know the fact lose their lives and go to the nether world.”

Su Qing screamed, “Why would Du Xing want to harm us?”

Xu Ziling suddenly asked, “Yin Xiong, how did you know that there is such assembly at Yin Ma Yi?”

Opening up his eyes, Yin Xianhe spoke heavily, “It was Shu Dingtai who informed me.”

The crowd was in uproar.

With voice as cold as the ice, Sao Niangzi spoke, “Have you said enough?”

Kou Zhong smiled and said, “No, I haven’t. I still have two words to say. Does Dajie wish to hear it?”

Although everybody sighed that he would surely die, Kou Zhong still piqued their interest; what could those two auspicious words be that it could give the best evidence?

Returning to her flirtatious behavior, Sao Niangzi put on her seductive appearance and said, “Dead Yuanjia [enemy/foe/(in opera) sweetheart or destined love], please speak up.”

Kou Zhong rose up to his full height, pulled open his sheepskin outer robe, threw his head back in long laughter, and said, “It is based on these two words, Kou Zhong. Is that enough?”

It was as if Sao Niangzi was struck by thunder; she faltered back, until finally, ‘Bonk!’ she landed on the ground, the blood was completely drained from her face.

Everybody’s eyes were drawn toward the Moon in the Well, which was originally hidden but was now exposed, their ears where shaken by the two words, ‘Kou Zhong’, momentarily they have not fully grasped the fact that he was not poisoned.

This moment the sound of hoof beats was coming from afar. The wolf-bandits have finally come.

The thunderstorm was still pouring down endlessly.