Chapter - 459 Will the Encounter While Lion-slaying Cause a Calamity? (15) (1/2)
Hearing this, Zhang Wuji's heart was reassured, thinking, ”Turns out my grandfather [orig. wai4 gong1 – maternal grandfather], Yang Zuoshi, and the others have learned this information and have already sent people to come over here.”
He heard Kong Wen continue, ”Of course our Temple refused, but how can the Ming Cult let the matter drop? That Zhang Jiaozhu has reached the pinnacle of the martial art mastery, until now he has not appeared. I am afraid he is operating surreptitiously. Kong Zhi Shidi [younger martial brother] and I owe him for saving our lives. If he personally came and asked for favor, how can we answer him? This is a serious problem. Shidi, Shizhi [martial nephew], do you have any honorable idea?”
An old and deep voice coughed lightly. As Zhang Wuji heard this cough, his heart was shaken, for he recognized this person as Cheng Kun, who changed his name to Yuan Zhen. Zhang Wuji had never spoken with him face to face, but at the Brightness Peak, when Zhang Wuji was inside the cloth-sack, he heard him recounting the past events, and then from behind the rock, he heard him shouting; he was very familiar with Cheng Kun's voice. In a flash, suddenly Xiao Zhao came into his mind. One part of his heart was sweet, the other part was bitter.
He heard Yuan Zhen say, ”Xie Xun is being guarded by three Tai Shishu [martial granduncle], so nothing will happen to him. The heroes' assembly this time concerns our Shaolin Pai's thousands of years' prosperity and decline, our glory or disgrace. Some small kindness or resentment from the Ming Cult should not worry Fangzhang Shishu [abbot martial uncle] too much. Besides, the Wan An Temple affair was a collusion between the Ming Cult and the imperial government to make things difficult for the Six Major Sects, doesn't Fangzhang Shishu know it?”
”How can the Ming Cult collude with the imperial government?” Kong Wen was surprised.
Yuan Zhen said, ”The Ming Cult's Zhang Jiaozhu was engaged to the Emei Pai Zhangmen [sect leader], Miss Zhou. On their wedding day, the Ruyang Prince's Junzhu Niangniang [princess] suddenly took that fellow surnamed Zhang away. This matter has shaken the Jianghu; Fangzhang Shishu must have heard about it.”
”That's right,” Kong Wen said, ”I heard it was so.”
”One of that Junzhu Niangniang's subordinate is a very capable warrior, called Ku Toutuo,” Yuan Zhen continued, ”Both Shishu must have seen him at the Wan An Temple.”
At the Wan An Temple, Kong Zhi was forced by Zhao Min to demonstrate his martial art. Once he was humiliated by Ku Toutuo, because at that time his internal strength was gone, and thus he was not able to resist. He still bore some resentment until this moment. ”Humph,” he said, ”Once this important business is finished, I am going to Dadu to find Ku Toutuo and challenge him.”
”Shishu [plural], do you know who this Toutuo really is?” Yuan Zhen asked.
”This Ku Toutuo's knowledge is very vast,” Kong Zhi replied, ”He seems to know the martial art skill of every school and every sect. In all honesty, I can't pinpoint his school origin.”
”Ku Toutuo is actually the Ming Cult's Guangming You Shi Fan Yao,” Yuan Zhen said.
”Is that so?” Kong Wen and Kong Zhi exclaimed together. They sounded very surprised.