Chapter Fifty-Four: The Suizhou Inn (2)

At that moment, a sudden commotion of horses and men erupted outside, clearly signaling the arrival of a group of travelers seeking lodging. The old man lurking beneath the window couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Why have the people from Heba come here too?"

"Heba?" Jian Liang was startled upon hearing this. He thought to himself, "Brother Fang Guohuan once helped the Heba forces repel twenty thousand Jurchen iron cavalry at the Qibu Tianyuan Formation beyond the Great Wall; he must be quite familiar with them. If the people from Heba have arrived at this inn, something significant must be afoot. Regardless, it would be a good opportunity to inquire about Brother Fang's whereabouts."

Before long, silence returned to the outside as the travelers settled in. Only from one guest room did the sounds of laughter and conversation drift out, indicating that the Heba party was enjoying their meal.

Suddenly, another flurry of activity arose outside—another group had arrived. A voice boomed, "Min Fengpao of Snake Mountain pays his respects to Chief Zhu of Heba. I missed the path earlier and failed to greet you in time; please forgive me." Another voice replied with a hearty laugh, "Mr. Min, have you been well all these years?"

Min Fengpao of Snake Mountain laughed in response, "It has been several years, and Chief Zhu looks even more imposing than before. 'Twin Blades'—the name truly fits the man!" It turned out that the Heba leader was indeed Zhu Weiyuan, known as the "Twin Blades." Zhu Weiyuan laughed heartily and said, "Mr. Min, you flatter me. Please, come inside."

The old man hiding in Jian Liang’s room, observing the scene outside, shook his head and whispered, "Min Fengpao has truly arrived. I never expected him to bring Zhu Weiyuan of Heba along. This matter seems rather thorny." Just then, someone tapped lightly on the window frame. The old man opened the shutter, and a figure leapt in. Jian Liang, lying on the bed, realized this person was an accomplice of the old man.

Indeed, as soon as the man entered, he said, "Brother, we have trouble. The Heba people are interfering. Should we tell the brothers to withdraw?" The old man hesitated before saying, "No matter what, we are determined to obtain that item; we cannot let Min Fengpao have it all to himself. So what if Heba is involved? It seems they are here for the same thing." Jian Liang was surprised, thinking, "So they are competing for an object? What kind of treasure could it be to cause such a stir?"

The newcomer then asked, "Hey, why is there someone on the bed?" The old man replied, "Just a guest. I’ve already sealed his acupoints; he’s of no concern." The other man whispered, "In our line of work, it’s best not to let outsiders know. Let’s finish him off to avoid future trouble."

Jian Liang heard every word clearly and felt a jolt of alarm. Realizing they were indeed bandits and hearing their intent to kill him, he gripped his chess pieces, fully alert. The old man then said, "He’s just a young man; he won’t cause any trouble. Let’s spare his life." The other shook his head, "Brother, don’t be soft-hearted. He might be a spy sent by that old man Min Fengpao. Let’s dispose of him first." With that, the man surged with murderous intent and rushed toward the bed.

Seeing this, Jian Liang knew he could wait no longer. He sat up abruptly and flicked his left hand, launching a chess piece. The attacker, not expecting Jian Liang to be able to move, was caught off guard. He suddenly felt a cold object strike his *Yintang* acupoint on his forehead. Terror gripped him as he felt a tightening in his face, his vision went black, and he collapsed backward—he had been incapacitated by Jian Liang’s "Wuxiang Chess" technique.

The old man was shocked, stunned that the young man whose acupoints he had sealed could not only rise to resist but also neutralize his companion in a single stroke. Recognizing a formidable opponent, he struck out with his palm.

Having succeeded with one piece, Jian Liang saw the old man attacking and flicked his right hand, sending another piece flying. The old man saw a flash of white light in the darkness and, recognizing it as a hidden weapon, did not dodge. Instead, he halted his palm strike midway and caught the chess piece in his hand.

Finding that he had easily caught the projectile and that it lacked significant force, the old man felt relieved. He flicked his hand to toss the piece away and prepare to subdue Jian Liang. However, he suddenly felt a tightness in the *Laogong* acupoint in his palm; the stone-like piece seemed to have inexplicably adhered to his skin.

The old man was startled. He tried to pry it off with his left hand, only to let out a cry of pain. The small piece felt as if it had taken root, suctioned firmly to his palm, which began to swell with agonizing pain. Realizing it was poisoned, he dared not linger. He hoisted his fallen companion onto his back and leapt out of the window. When Jian Liang rushed to the window to look, the two were already gone. A cold sweat broke out on his back; he knew that if he hadn't moved quickly, his life would have been forfeit.

Just then, a whistle sounded from the southeast, and several figures were seen flickering across the rooftops before vanishing. A guest room door opened, and a group emerged. The leader was tall, imposing, and carried a pair of exceptionally broad swords—this was Zhu Weiyuan of Heba. To his left was a refined scholar in silk robes, and to his right was the middle-aged man Jian Liang had seen earlier at the inn, followed by several burly men armed with blades and spears.

The middle-aged man said delightedly, "The Baizhao Mountain men had been waiting for a long time. Seeing Chief Zhu arrive, they didn't dare act and have already retreated." The scholar laughed loudly, "With the Heba faction here, especially the renowned 'Twin Blades' Zhu Weiyuan himself, those Baizhao Mountain scoundrels were sensible enough to slip away to avoid suffering."

Zhu Weiyuan shook his head slightly, puzzled. "The moment I arrived, I felt an aura of murderous intent in this inn. The Baizhao Mountain men retreating without a fight must have another reason. Mr. Min, we must not be careless." The scholar was Min Fengpao, the Hermit of Snake Mountain, and the middle-aged man was his younger brother, Min Fengshan. Min Fengpao smiled confidently, "With Chief Zhu and the Heba brothers here, I feel reassured. Those petty thieves are not worth worrying about."

At that moment, Min Fengshan looked up and saw Jian Liang watching from the window. Jian Liang, realizing it was inappropriate to keep watching, closed the shutters. Zhu Weiyuan glanced in that direction as well, frowning thoughtfully. "Just now, one man carried another over the roof and fled with rare speed. It seems someone has already clashed with the Baizhao Mountain men." The Min brothers were startled.

Min Fengshan asked, "Chief Zhu, are you saying someone is helping us in secret?" He cast a suspicious glance at Jian Liang’s room. Zhu Weiyuan nodded. "Indeed. A master must have incapacitated the expert from Baizhao Mountain, forcing them to retreat in fear."

Min Fengpao asked in surprise, "Who could it be?" Min Fengshan added, "I have been waiting here for two days on my brother’s orders to welcome Chief Zhu. I saw some suspicious people, but no one particularly special... could it be...?" He looked toward Jian Liang's room again.

Zhu Weiyuan said, "Since someone has secretly driven them away, tonight's battle is avoided. Let us go inside and discuss; we should not disturb the other guests." With that, he led the group back into the room. Min Fengshan lingered for a moment, looking back once more, before following them in.

Inside his room, Jian Liang had heard most of the conversation. He marveled, "This Chief Zhu of Heba is truly no ordinary man; he saw through what happened as if he had been standing right there. Impressive!" He chuckled to himself, "They think I'm some kind of master." Suddenly, he felt a pang of regret, "This isn't good. Those two were definitely Baizhao Mountain bandits. I've offended them now; there might be trouble later." He shook his head, "Forget it! They were the ones who provoked me. What can they do? I'll deal with it when the time comes." He lay back down and went to sleep.

Early the next morning, as Jian Liang rose, the inn’s waiter knocked to bring a basin of water and bid him a good morning before turning to leave. Jian Liang called out, "Wait, waiter. Tell me, have the guests in the opposite room checked out?"

The waiter replied, "Those guests left very early, right at the break of dawn." "They left so fast!" Jian Liang mused, "It seems I won't be able to ask about Brother Fang."

After having some tea and snacks, Jian Liang went to the counter. "I'd like to check out." The waiter, recognizing him, beamed. "Oh? You're leaving? Your bill for the room and meals has already been settled by your friend, who even paid for ten extra days."

"Eh?" Jian Liang was stunned. "Someone paid for me? Who?" The waiter was surprised, "You don't know?"

Jian Liang said, "I am traveling alone; I have no companions." The waiter was perplexed. "That’s strange. Before dawn this morning, a gentleman came and asked if you had left. When I said no, he claimed to be your friend, paid for ten days in advance, and asked us to treat you well before leaving. He must be an acquaintance, otherwise, why would he pay?"

Jian Liang shook his head in confusion. "Strange! I have no acquaintances in Suizhou. Who could it be?" Then, a realization dawned on him. "Could it be that scholar who was with Chief Zhu last night? Did he recognize that I scared off those bandits and pay out of gratitude? Yes, that must be it. How can I, Jian Liang, accept favors from a stranger for nothing? Since those people are from Snake Mountain, they must be accompanying Zhu Weiyuan back there. Very well, I was headed to the Yellow Crane Tower to set up a chess match anyway; I will find him at Snake Mountain and repay the room fee to avoid owing him a debt of gratitude." With this in mind, Jian Liang took back the ten-day room fee from the waiter, left the inn, exited Suizhou City, and set off toward Wuhan via Hankou.