Volume 2 Chapter 10: Calm Down and Say Nothing More
Lin Jianlan leaned over, bowed slightly, and said solemnly, "Greetings, Sect Leader Cao. I am just traveling here. It just so happens that the Beggars' Sect has encountered such a great misfortune. It would be impolite not to come and pay my respects. As for the insiders of the sect, if Uncle Qing cannot come in person, he will definitely send someone suitable."
"Oh, really?" Cao Shupeng seemed to be thinking about something, still with a faint smile on his face. He slowly walked to the mourning shed and walked in. Lin Jianlan saw that his expression was quite puzzled. Seeing Tang Zimu hurriedly approaching him, he said, "Mr. Lin, what a coincidence, the person sent by your gang has also arrived. However, he said that since you are here, it is more appropriate to inform him by your name. He is still waiting to see you behind the temple. What do you think?"
Lin Jianlan was delighted and said, "In that case, please take me there, Brother Tang." He could not wait for Tang Zimu to lead the way, and hurried to the back of the temple. He saw two people in plain clothes. One of them stood with his elbows folded, and from a distance he looked like Fang Zheng. The other one was holding a long sword, with his back to him, and said, "I don't know why the leader knew that Brother Lin was here, but still wanted us to come together."
Lin Jianlan shouted, "Master Fang, Brother Yue!"
The two turned around and saw Lin Jianlan was very happy, and hurried to greet him. Tang Zimu saw that they had met, so he quietly left. Fang Zheng immediately praised him and said, "This Elder Tang is very young, I have never seen him before, but he is very steady in dealing with people."
Lin Jianlan said: "Don't worry about him for now, I thought it would take several days for you to arrive!"
Yue Lingfeng said, "Brother Lin, your letter arrived just as the leader sent us here. It was a few days faster than the Beggars' Sect sending letters. The news that you broke the Beggars' Sect's snake-catching formation in Hangzhou has spread throughout the entire sect. I didn't expect that you have only practiced martial arts for a short time, but your skills are not bad!"
Lin Jianlan's face flushed, and he briefly recounted what happened that day, saying, "I was quick to take the bell, and Zhu, the guardian, valued his reputation very much and was quite kind, so he let me go. Otherwise, I would never have been able to break the snake-catching formation, let alone escape with Lei Kan." He then warned, "Don't tell anyone about this. For people in the Beggars' Sect, a bell is a symbol of status, and it is naturally very undignified to have it taken away by someone."
The two nodded, and Lin Jianlan asked curiously, "Hall Master Fang and Brother Yue both have high status in the martial arts world. In fact, if Uncle Qing can't come here in person, sending one person will be enough. Why..."
Fang Zheng said hurriedly, "We were also confused along the way. Besides, Master Lin, you are here to take care of things, but at the headquarters, there are only two guardians left, Qin and Zhang. I really don't know what the leader is planning."
Lin Jianlan uttered an "Ah" and his face changed drastically: "Could it be..." The two were about to ask, but saw that he looked normal again, muttering: "Nothing, Uncle Qing must have some plans. Since we are here, we should follow the etiquette and come in from the outside to be more serious, let's go."
It was still a disciple who announced loudly that Lin Jianlan, Fang Zheng and Yue Lingfeng came in from outside. However, there was a lot of whispering in the aisle. Although people who had seen Lin Jianlan before knew that this young man was from the Kuangyi Gang, they didn't know his identity. At this moment, they heard "Mr. Lin of the Kuangyi Gang, the head of the main hall Fang Zheng, and the head of the Jiangning branch hall Yue Lingfeng are here to pay homage." The voices became louder. Seeing that the young man had a solemn expression, his dark pupils looking straight ahead, and his lips slightly pursed, they recognized the two people following him, both of them were famous figures in the martial arts world.
After burning incense as usual, Fang, Yue and Lin Jianlan greeted and paid respects to all the martial artists one by one. The Kuangyi Clan was well-known, so Lin Jianlan could not help but be flattered by everyone for his young and successful career. After a round, he returned to his own spirit shed and sat down. Lin Jianlan said seriously, "You two have great skills, so please pay attention to whether anyone is approaching from outside. What I am saying now must not be leaked."
Seeing that he looked serious and didn't seem to be joking, the two nodded. Lin Jianlan recounted what Nian Xiaoxia had said last night. His memory was extraordinary and he repeated it almost word for word. The matter was extremely complicated and he talked for nearly two hours. After listening to it, the two were very surprised and their expressions gradually became serious.
Fang Zheng said: "No wonder I have never heard of Elder Tang in the Beggars' Sect before. His origins are a mystery, and I don't know what his intentions are for the Beggars' Sect."
Yue Lingfeng knew that Lin Jianlan had his own opinions on things, so he asked, "Brother Lin, what do you think?"
Lin Jianlan thought for a moment and said, "There are many mysteries surrounding this matter. According to what the old leader said before he died, he also sent someone to the headquarters to ask Uncle Qing to come to Chang'an for a date. I vaguely feel that it has something to do with the Kuangyi Gang, but I can't figure it out. That 'Crown Black Jade' doesn't sound like a person's name. I'm afraid I heard it wrong."
Yue Lingfeng sighed, "Most likely he misheard. He is only a six or seven year old child. It is quite amazing that he can remember what happened that night so clearly."
Lin Jianlan was a little worried and said, "I'm afraid that what happened that night is destined to make him unforgettable for the rest of his life. I don't think these two are on the same side. From their words, I can see that Tang Zimu wants to win over this 'World Crowning Black Jade'. But it's so difficult to find out the identities of Tang Zimu and this person in just two days! The day after tomorrow we will hold a grand ceremony to celebrate the old leader, and Brother Lei's life is in danger. Alas, I was unsure when you guys didn't come yet, but now two of you have come at once, if it doesn't work, I'll expose you on the spot!"
Yue Lingfeng pondered for a while before shaking his head and saying, "Not appropriate."
Seeing Lin Jianlan's anxious expression, Fang Zheng patted him on the shoulder and said slowly, "Mr. Lin, don't be anxious. Listen to us slowly. It would be very rash to expose the truth directly during the grand ceremony as you said."
Yue Lingfeng said, "First, this will disrupt the Beggars' Sect's solemn memorial service in front of all the other sects. If it is not properly controlled, it will appear that the Kuangyi Sect has ulterior motives. Do you understand? Second, no matter what Tang Zimu's intentions are, he gave up everything to join the Beggars' Sect, but now he has gained the trust of everyone in the sect. You testified against him in person, but only based on the words of a little beggar. If you were a disciple of the Beggars' Sect, who would you believe?"
Fang Zheng nodded and said, "Master Yue's analysis is correct. Moreover, this child has only been brought back by the old gang leader for a few days. He is not credible at all."
Yue Lingfeng pondered and said, "And the most important thing, Brother Lin, although the three of us think that Tang Zimu has ulterior motives, you must make it clear that he did not kill Gang Leader Nian. He just wanted to make a deal with the murderer and profit from it. Don't target him based on your own thoughts."
But Fang Zheng suddenly shook his hand and said softly, "Silence!"
After a while, the footsteps outside were getting closer and closer. They stopped near the spirit shed for a while, and then walked away again. The three of them looked at each other. Lin Jianlan was warned by Yue Lingfeng's words just now, and his mind was clear. He smiled and said, "Brother Yue is right, especially the last one. Since I knew the truth, I have been obsessed with exposing Tang Zimu's face, as if I was possessed. This is really a wake-up call. Master Fang, Brother Yue, this matter cannot be made known to more people for the time being. Even you have to pretend that you don't know and just protect me secretly. For the rest, if you trust me, let me do it alone, okay?"
Yue Lingfeng laughed and said, "Brother Lin, you just started to walk the rivers and lakes on your own, do you want to take on such a big situation?"
Fang Zheng also had a smile on his face. He looked at Lin Jianlan with approval and did not object. He just said in a deep voice, "With the two of us here, you can do whatever you want, but there is one thing first: you cannot involve the Kuang Yi Gang."
Seeing the two of them nod in agreement, Lin Jianlan felt happy, but also felt the pressure rising. He said seriously, "I am not the kind of person who will force myself to show off even if I am not sure. If things go beyond my expectations, I will definitely consult with the two hall masters."
Although Fang Zheng and Yue Lingfeng often traveled around the world, this time was a time of turmoil. On the contrary, they were very worried about Lin Jianlan and felt uneasy. Seeing that Lin Jianlan seemed to be doing nothing, he rarely went out. Instead, he spent most of his time meditating with his eyes closed in the spirit shed. Since he had promised him not to interfere with his actions, it was inconvenient for him to ask.
Finally, it was noon on the third day. Disciples had already placed water and wine in front of the shed for the memorial service. A few more black gauze and white cloth were added to the shed, making it even more solemn. The air was filled with the smell of fireworks. Lin Jianlan looked up and saw that in addition to Tang Zimu, Qi Fan, and Diao Beidou, there were two very old people in front of the temple. They looked solemn and seemed to be the other two elders.
Yue Lingfeng said lightly: "The one with the neatly combed beard is Elder Hu, and the other one with a red spot on his face is Elder Ning."
Lin Jianlan nodded and looked across. He saw that there was no sign hanging on the corner of the shed. There was a Taoist priest who was a little older. He had a kind face, neat clothes and was holding an old whisk in his hand. The other person was a middle-aged scholar in his thirties. The two were talking. The middle-aged scholar suddenly raised his head and saw Lin Jianlan looking at him. He nodded and smiled slightly, then turned around and whispered with the Taoist priest.
Lin Jianlan was very surprised. He recognized the Taoist priest. He had gone to Shushan with Lin Longqing to deliver a letter before. This person was the head of Shushan, Taoist Yunmengxu. When he delivered the letter, he only said that he would send disciples down the mountain to help. Now he came to pay tribute in person. It seems that Nian Yongshou was very good friends with him when he was alive. And this scholar sat at the same table with him, which showed that his status and reputation were also quite high. For some reason, when the two of them came, they did not hear the Beggar Gang disciples loudly report in. While he was thinking, he heard Fang Zheng say in his ear: "You recognize Taoist Yun. The man next to him is very famous. It is Yuan Xingjian, Mr. Yuan."
Lin Jianlan uttered "Ah" softly, then looked across carefully. Seeing that he behaved elegantly, he murmured, "He looks no different from an ordinary scholar."
Yue Lingfeng said, "He seldom walks around in the martial arts world. No one in the martial arts world knows where he learned his martial arts from or what his martial arts are. I mentioned to you before that since he went to Taihu Lake, the rebel army has started to gain momentum, and the name 'Yuan Xingjian' has become more and more famous. Perhaps they were worried that the rebels would come to Chang'an to pay their respects, and that making a big fuss about it would be detrimental to the Beggars' Sect, so they didn't report it."
Lin Jianlan nodded, but heard Tang Zimu cough lightly, and the surroundings suddenly became solemn. Seeing his sad face, he said in a deep voice: "I am grateful to all the heroes in the martial arts world for coming from afar to pay tribute to me. I would like to bow my head and thank you on behalf of our poor disciples." After that, he bowed very respectfully, looked up and said: "Unfortunately, the Beggars' Sect has undergone a sudden change. The pillar of heaven was destroyed by the sneaky hands of the scoundrels, and the bearded hero no longer does good deeds in the martial arts world..." At this point, Tang Zimu's voice was a little hoarse, and his eyes gradually turned red.
Yue Lingfeng turned around and said to Fang Zheng in a very low voice: "Listening to his eulogy, he still said that the old gang leader died from the assassination of traitors in the gang." Fang Zheng showed a worried look on his face, turned around and looked at Jungle Jianlan from the side, but the corner of his mouth raised slightly, and he seemed very confident.
"... I am incompetent and have relied on help. I admire chivalrous men and righteous people. I envy them for their ability to take revenge. I only regret that I am too weak to personally eliminate the evil..."
Seeing Tang Zimu's choked voice and two lines of tears rolling down, Yue Lingfeng glanced around and saw that some of the martial artists looked sad, while others looked angry. He thought to himself, "This is talking about him. He knows it's just acting, but his every word is still touching. This person is not an ordinary person." Seeing Lin Jianlan still listening intently and nodding slightly from time to time, he was extremely anxious, but could do nothing. He then heard Tang Zimu say, "...a three-foot-tall child still has a righteous act. A tall man must have a heart. Even though our poor family is in decline, there is no lack of loyal disciples. They tracked him down for thousands of miles and captured the villain in Luoyang..."
Lin Jianlan secretly admired and thought to himself, "This is what we mean by the young hero who guards the coffin. This eulogy is written in an impassioned and literary style." He shook his head as he listened to it, but the two people around him were anxious. Tang Zimu's eulogy still indicated that Lei Kan who was captured in Luoyang was the murderer, but Lin Jianlan remained calm.
"…The blood is still wet, and the heroic spirit has not yet dispersed. Today, we will use the traitor's head to feed the hero's spirit!" After saying this, Tang Zimu looked around and said in a stern voice: "Bring up Lei Kan, the traitor of our gang and the murderer who killed the old gang leader!"
Lin Jianlan sighed softly and whispered, "Some of the martial artists who came to pay their respects are knowledgeable in literature, but most of them are rough men who are too lazy to write. They all listened to his long-winded sacrificial speech in such a solemn manner without showing any impatience."
The sound of iron chains dragging on the ground could be heard faintly from behind the temple, getting closer and closer. Yue and Fang saw Lin Jianlan commenting on the sacrificial text, not knowing what he was up to, and their hearts almost jumped out of their throats. They watched as two Beggar Gang disciples dragged out a man from the corner behind the temple and made him kneel down in front of Nian Yongshou's spirit. The man had an unshaven beard and a haggard face. Although neither of them had seen this man before, they knew it must be Lei Kan.
At this time, the Beggar Gang disciples standing in a row were filled with grief and indignation. They knocked the ground with their long sticks. The sound of the bells was deafening, accompanied by a series of "knock knock" sounds, and it felt like the ground was shaking.
Tang Zimu gestured with his hand, and the noise suddenly stopped. He slowly walked down the steps, turned around, bowed, and said, "Please give the order, four elders."
