Chapter Fifty-Six: The Kunwu Blade, Part Three

Jian Liang shook his head with a smile and said no more. Zhu Weiyuan pondered for a moment before saying, "The Kunwu Blade possesses the uncanny ability to destroy objects and harm people. If it falls into the hands of evildoers in the Jianghu, it will surely cause chaos and disaster. Very well, since I have come, I shall not fail the trust of Mr. Min; I will fulfill my duty as a friend." Min Fengpao was overjoyed to hear this and hurriedly rose to offer his thanks with a bow. He then turned to Jian Liang, bowed deeply, and said with a fawning smile, "I wonder if Master Jian..."

Jian Liang smiled. "I shall simply assist Sect Leader Zhu." Min Fengpao replied delightedly, "Master Jian is truly a loyal friend; after this is over, I will certainly reward you handsomely." Disdainful of Min Fengpao’s greedy demeanor, Jian Liang thought to himself, "I am doing this only for the sake of Sect Leader Zhu; who said I was doing this out of loyalty to you?"

At the request of the Min brothers, Jian Liang took up residence at the Lotus Pavilion and was led to a guest room by Min Fengshan to rest. Zhu Weiyuan took his twin blades and led several of his men to patrol the courtyard, keeping a lookout for uninvited guests.

In a secret chamber, Min Fengpao secretly summoned Min Fengzhong, handed him the Kunwu Blade wrapped in yellow silk, and exhorted, "Third Brother, the eyes of outsiders are currently fixed on me. It is safer if you keep the Kunwu Blade hidden on your person; you must protect it well."

Min Fengzhong asked, "Big Brother, how do you intend to dispose of this treasure?" Min Fengpao replied, "Do not rush. Once this storm blows over, I will sell it in secret and acquire an estate as wealthy as the Zhao clan of Gusu."

Min Fengzhong was astonished. "Big Brother, do you really intend to trade it for silver?" Min Fengpao dismissed the concern. "Keeping it is of no use to us; not only does it invite trouble, but it cannot be eaten. Once this passes, I have my own plans." Min Fengzhong shook his head. "Big Brother, would that not violate your own word? If Sect Leader Zhu finds out later, we will surely lose face."

Min Fengpao smiled slyly. "Do you take your brother for a fool? I will not let the Kunwu Blade fall into the hands of the local people and give them leverage over us. Rest assured, Third Brother. Ever since you dug this thing up from the cave and brought it home, I knew our family was destined for prosperity. Within a year, we shall be the wealthiest in the region and live in splendor. I know a wealthy merchant from the Western Regions named Raji, who is incredibly rich and devout. If this Kunwu Blade is truly a sacred relic of the Red Sect of the Western Regions, Raji would bankrupt himself to acquire it. By then, there will be no more lamas coming to cause trouble, and the local people will know nothing of the truth. You and I, brothers, shall simply enjoy great wealth."

Min Fengzhong hesitated. "Big Brother, doing this... it really does not seem quite right." Min Fengpao suddenly flew into a rage. "What is 'right' or 'wrong'? In this life, one merely seeks great wealth; only then is one qualified to discuss the world. Remember, even if you have to sacrifice your life, you must protect the Kunwu Blade."

Min Fengzhong, who usually feared and obeyed his eldest brother, saw his anger and replied, "I will follow your wishes, Big Brother. As long as I am here, the item shall not be lost." Seeing this, Min Fengpao’s expression softened into a smile. "That is more like it! Remember, brother, in the future, the only house in all of Hubei that will outrank the Min family will be the Prince of Hanyang’s mansion." He then cautioned, "Keep this between us for now; do not let your second brother know. He is a bookish fool and very narrow-minded; he would never approve of this. Once he sees piles of gold and jewels later, he will have nothing left to say."

Min Fengzhong worriedly asked, "But if Sect Leader Zhu finds out later, we truly will not be able to explain it." Min Fengpao was unconcerned. "What is there to explain? My doing this is simply returning the Kunwu Blade to its original sect as a sacred relic; it is in accordance with everyone's wishes. I am merely using it to secure great wealth. I am not stealing or robbing, and since you and I retrieved the item, what business is it of anyone else? When the time comes, we shall donate some silver to the sect, and Sect Leader Zhu will have nothing to complain about. Friendship is friendship, and wealth is wealth; they are two different things. To let such riches slip through one's fingers when they are within reach—that would be a born idiot. I, the Hermit of Snake Mountain, intend to live the life of a wealthy squire!"

That night, Jian Liang was suddenly awakened by the sounds of a struggle. He grabbed two chess pieces and rushed out of his room, running into Zhu Weiyuan. "Sect Leader Zhu, what has happened?" Zhu Weiyuan laughed. "A few petty thieves came by, but I have dealt with them. Master Jian, please return to your room and rest to conserve your energy for those five lamas; you need not intervene for the time being."

Jian Liang said, "Very well. If it comes to blows, I would be of no help anyway, but I will look for an opportunity to strike them with a chess piece." With that, Jian Liang bid Zhu Weiyuan farewell and returned to his room. Watching Jian Liang’s retreating figure, Zhu Weiyuan wondered to himself, "Could this friend of Master Guohuan possess some other mysterious power through his chess? Perhaps he has mastered a unique form of projectile weapon disguised as chess pieces. But how did he withstand the power of that 'Heavenly Mantra of Brahma'?" Unable to fathom it, Zhu Weiyuan shook his head and continued his patrol with his twin blades.

Back in his room, Jian Liang lay down on his bed, thinking, "The chess pieces on those five red-robed lamas have lost their effect; perhaps they have fallen off. I wonder if they will return. It is strange—they were able to move freely despite my 'Formless Chess'; their inner strength must be profound. However, even though they were not immobilized, my pieces must have caused some internal disruption, or they would not have retreated so hastily. It seems the next time I play, I must focus my intent more heavily to truly subdue them and prevent their escape." With these thoughts, Jian Liang drifted off to sleep. Aside from the earlier disturbance, the rest of the night passed peacefully.

At daybreak, a servant came to summon Jian Liang to the parlor for tea. After washing up, Jian Liang arrived to find Zhu Weiyuan and the Min brothers already waiting. As he entered, they rose to welcome him, and they exchanged greetings. Min Fengpao said obsequiously, "Master Jian, did you sleep well last night? I apologize for any lack of hospitality." Jian Liang smiled. "With Sect Leader Zhu guarding the grounds, I slept quite soundly." Zhu Weiyuan smiled in response.

After tea, seeing that Zhu Weiyuan was present and that nothing major was likely to happen during the day, Jian Liang decided to visit the Yellow Crane Tower to find a suitable vantage point for his chess setup. He took his leave of the group. Min Fengshan accompanied Jian Liang to the edge of the Lotus Pavilion and said, "Master Jian, please return early; do not wander for too long." He assumed Jian Liang was simply going to the tower for leisure.

Jian Liang replied, "Once the business with the Kunwu Blade is settled in a few days, I intend to do something at the Yellow Crane Tower." "Oh!" Min Fengshan finally realized that Jian Liang had a specific purpose for coming to Snake Mountain. "If you need any help, Master Jian, please do not hesitate to ask. There is no need for formality." Jian Liang replied, "Thank you, Second Master. I will indeed require your assistance in the coming days." Min Fengshan promised, "In that case, I shall do my utmost." Jian Liang then bid Min Fengshan farewell and strolled toward the Yellow Crane Tower.

When Jian Liang reached the tower, it was already crowded with tourists. As he was about to enter, he heard someone call out from behind, "Great Hero Jian, is that you?" Turning around, he saw Huang Chengyi and his sister, Huang Lan, from White Peak Mountain. He was pleasantly surprised. "So it is you, Master Huang and Miss Huang! What brings you here?"

The siblings were delighted to see Jian Liang and stepped forward to pay their respects. Huang Lan then whispered, "My brother and I are acting on our father's orders to assist you, Great Hero Jian." "Hmm?" Jian Liang was taken aback, not understanding her meaning. Huang Chengyi added, "A precious sword belongs with a hero. That item in the Lotus Pavilion belongs to you, Great Hero Jian. My sister and I have brought many men to follow your command."

Jian Liang finally understood the situation and shook his head with a smile. "How did the old hero come to such an idea? I am currently busy guarding the treasure; I have no mind to seize it." The siblings looked at him, bewildered.

Jian Liang continued, "It seems the old hero and you two have misunderstood me. I came here for other matters and have no intention of coveting another's treasure. Furthermore, Mr. Min at the Lotus Pavilion has personally asked me to protect the item."

Huang Lan exclaimed in surprise, "How could you, Great Hero Jian, get involved with a scoundrel like Min Fengpao? This 'Hermit of Snake Mountain' is nothing but a hypocritical fraud." Jian Liang frowned slightly upon hearing this. "I only agreed out of respect for an old friend of a friend. Since that is the case, I shall take my leave in a couple of days." He added, "Since you are both here, why don't we go up to the Yellow Crane Tower for a drink?" Huang Chengyi and Huang Lan were delighted and accompanied him up the tower.

The three found a private seat by the window and ordered wine and food. Jian Liang began, "We are all young people; please just call me by my name. Do not use the title 'Great Hero'—it sounds quite awkward."

Huang Chengyi replied respectfully, "Since we are like-minded, may we call you Brother Jian?" Jian Liang was pleased. "That would be best, though I am a bit younger than you two." Huang Lan laughed, "Ability comes first! Brother Jian, cheers!" Jian Liang happily raised his glass.

After a few cups, Huang Chengyi asked, "Brother Jian, since you are guarding the treasure at the Lotus Pavilion, what kind of miraculous weapon is it?" Jian Liang replied, "It is merely a Kunwu Blade. It can hardly be called a weapon; it seems to be a sacred relic of the Red Sect from the Western Regions. I do not know how it ended up here." "The Kunwu Blade!?"

Huang Lan was astonished. "Is it not a legendary blade that can cut through iron like mud?" Jian Liang replied, "Though it has the ability to destroy objects and harm people, it is quite small, barely half a foot long. I cannot tell what it is made of." Huang Lan mused, "I see. Based on what you say, Brother Jian, the Kunwu Blade is likely just a rare curiosity."

Huang Chengyi said, "This object is extraordinary. Its excavation caused Snake Mountain to tremble; it cannot be a common item." Jian Liang remarked, "Who knows? It is an ominous object, in any case. The Lotus Pavilion has not had a peaceful night; we have been disturbed twice already."