Chapter Fifty-Six: The Kunwu Sword (Part 4)

Huang Lan remarked, "Min Fengpao may have stumbled upon the Kunwu Blade, but whether it is a blessing or a curse remains to be seen. Still, letting him be rattled a few times is no bad thing."

Jian Liang smiled and asked, "Miss Huang, why do you harbor such strong prejudice against Mr. Min Fengpao?"

Huang Lan sighed softly. "Brother Jian, you are a traveler here, so you do not know. This 'Recluse of Snake Mountain' may have a refined reputation in the outside world—he has even befriended members of the Heba Guild—but deep down, he is a small-minded man. My father was friends with him in his youth, but after witnessing his selfish and self-serving behavior, he severed ties. He is truly a man whose face you may know, but whose heart you cannot fathom."

Seeing Huang Lan dismiss Min Fengpao as utterly worthless, and recalling how Min had been unable to part with the Kunwu Blade, Jian Liang shook his head. "Mr. Min does seem to lack a sense of the broader picture, though his brother, Min Fengshan, is a man of reason."

Huang Lan replied, "The Min brothers only produced one good man, and then there is..." She blushed, looking suddenly joyful, before changing the subject. "That Min Fengzhong is just a reckless fool with more courage than wit."

Jian Liang nodded, muttering to himself, "I have an important matter to attend to in a few days and should not be making enemies over the Kunwu Blade. This affair is complicated enough; I shall extract myself from it when the opportunity arises."

Noticing that while Jian Liang possessed unfathomable skills, he seemed somewhat lacking in worldly experience, Huang Lan kindly advised, "Brother Jian, you are a peerless hero with a kind heart, which I deeply admire. However, the martial arts world is treacherous, and hearts are hard to read. You would be wise to be cautious and not let yourself be used by others."

Grateful, Jian Liang replied, "Thank you, Miss Huang. I shall certainly be more prudent in the future." Seeing his sincere and frank expression, the Huang siblings exchanged a smile.

After the meal, Huang Chengyi rose to pay, but Jian Liang stopped him. "Let me handle this. You still have the extra money you paid at the Suizhou inn with me."

Huang Chengyi countered, "Brother Jian, what are you saying? Are you looking down on us?" Jian Liang could only smile and let him be. Watching Jian Liang’s earnestness, Huang Lan chuckled and said, "Brother Jian, there is no need for such formalities with us. By the way, is there anything you need our help with?"

Jian Liang replied, "The matter I have to attend to can be managed with the help of the second Mr. Min; there is no need to trouble you two."

Huang Lan said, "In that case, we shall return to report to our father. When you have time, Brother Jian, you must come to visit us at Mount Baizhao."

"I will," Jian Liang promised. "If the opportunity arises, I would like to ask the hero, your father, for advice on his acupoint-striking techniques."

Huang Lan laughed. "My father is still puzzled as to how you, Brother Jian, were able to undo our family's unique technique in mere moments."

Jian Liang smiled. "Perhaps your father was holding back and did not use his full strength." Huang Lan gave a sheepish smile. The two joined Huang Chengyi, and after leaving the Yellow Crane Tower, the siblings bid Jian Liang farewell.

After they left, Jian Liang returned to the tower to survey the second-floor hall, noting it was the perfect place to set up a chess board. He thought to himself, "I will ask the second Mr. Min to speak with the owner about renting a spot here to challenge the experts of the world." With that, Jian Liang departed the tower and headed back toward the Lotus Pavilion.

As he walked through a secluded, deserted path, he felt as though he were being followed. He turned to look, but saw nothing unusual. Sensing danger, he secretly gripped two chess pieces in his hand. A few steps later, a flash of red appeared, and a red-robed lama seemed to descend from the sky, blocking his path.

Jian Liang was startled and turned to retreat, only to find four more red-robed lamas standing not far behind him. His heart sank. The lama in front opened his hand to reveal five chess pieces and hesitated. "Benefactor, are these your pieces?"

Knowing there was no room for retreat, Jian Liang replied, "Indeed, they are." Sensing their hostility, he gripped two more pieces, fully on guard.

The lama bowed deeply. "Benefactor, what a magnificent display of 'Invisible Flying Chess'! It is a technique that stands apart from the various schools of hidden weapons—only when the spirit and the chess pieces are one can one reach such a realm."

Jian Liang was taken aback, realizing these were no ordinary opponents. "Masters," he said calmly, "what is it you want today?"

The lama replied respectfully, "I am Jizang, and these are my junior brothers—Bala, Kahu, Nanga, and Luoji. We have no personal grudge against you, but why did you use your chess skills against us and block the return of our sect's sacred treasure, the Kunwu Blade?"

Jian Liang said, "Your chanting last night was too loud; my friend could not bear it, so I intervened. Why? Do you seek revenge for last night's move?"

"We would not dare!" Lama Jizang shook his head. "We have no such intention. We have traveled thousands of miles across mountains and waters from the Western Regions to retrieve our lost sacred treasure; we do not wish to sow animosity with the local people."

Seeing their respectful demeanor and lack of malice, Jian Liang relaxed slightly. Curious about their fervor, he asked, "Tell me, Master, is the Kunwu Blade truly a sacred treasure of your Red Sect?"

Lama Jizang spoke solemnly, "It is. Five hundred years ago, our grandmaster, the Great Guru Padmasambhava, channeled his power into the Kunwu Blade to sweep away the demons of the world and establish our sect. Later, for unknown reasons, the blade was lost and vanished into these lands. For centuries, our followers have never ceased searching. Our current sect leader prophesied that the relic would appear on Snake Mountain this year, and as the saying goes, 'When Snake Mountain stirs, the Kunwu appears.' Seeing that you are a man of noble spirit, we hope you will respect the dream we have cherished for centuries and refrain from interfering."

Stunned by their reasoned plea, Jian Liang realized that if he were to fight them, Zhu Weiyuan and the others might not be able to hold their own. He said, "I can stand aside, but if you attempt to seize the blade, you will inevitably harm my friends. I cannot ignore that."

Lama Jizang’s expression shifted, and he bowed again. "The Recluse of Snake Mountain, Min Fengpao, is no virtuous man. Holding onto the Kunwu Blade will only invite disaster. It is a sacred object that brings no benefit to ordinary people and will eventually cause them harm. You are an outsider; do not be led astray. Grant us the convenience to retrieve our treasure, and it shall be a great merit." The five lamas bowed in unison.

Moved by their sincerity, Jian Liang felt a pang of sympathy. Min Fengpao should not be hoarding the blade and causing terror, and since the lamas were respectful, he decided to yield. "Very well, I will stay out of this matter. But you must find another way to retrieve it and stop using that 'Vedic Heaven Curse' to harm people."

The lamas beamed with joy. Jizang bowed again. "Your kindness will surely be rewarded." In reality, Jian Liang had frightened them the previous night with his "Formless Chess," and his ability to withstand the "Vedic Heaven Curse" had marked him as a formidable opponent. They were relieved to have his promise.

Lama Jizang placed the five chess pieces on the ground, bowed once more, and retreated into the woods. The other four lamas vanished just as mysteriously. Left alone, Jian Liang picked up the pieces, sighing, "These lamas have great skill. My 'Formless Chess' was not enough to subdue them, and they clearly feared me. They are not evil monks, nor do they seem like members of a demonic cult. As long as they do not harm the innocent, I shall not trouble them. Does the Kunwu Blade truly have the power to sweep away demons? Yesterday, Min Fengpao used it to cut a screen from three paces away—it is certainly no ordinary object. This is too much trouble. I will tell the second Mr. Min to convince Min Fengpao to return it. If those lamas lose their patience, no one will be able to stop them." With these thoughts, Jian Liang returned to the Lotus Pavilion.

In the parlor, Min Fengpao was speaking with Zhu Weiyuan, but fell silent as Jian Liang entered. Jian Liang greeted them, but Min Fengpao merely cupped his hands without rising, his expression cold. Ignoring this, Jian Liang exchanged a few polite words before turning to find Min Fengshan to discuss the chess board at the Yellow Crane Tower.

Once Jian Liang had left, Min Fengpao said to Zhu Weiyuan, "Guild Leader Zhu, this Jian Liang’s background is unknown; we must be wary. My servants report that he has been in contact with people from Mount Baizhao. Perhaps he is also plotting to steal the Kunwu Blade."

Zhu Weiyuan shook his head. "I think not. Mr. Jian is no ordinary man, and he is a friend of a great benefactor of our guild. He would not resort to such schemes. Remember, without him last night, we would have lost the blade and our lives. As for his contact with the people of Mount Baizhao, that is likely a friendship formed at the inn. Do not be so suspicious, Mr. Min."