Wang Chong nearly tumbled out of the tree. Only because his lightness skill had reached the realm of perfection did he avoid giving himself away. He thought to himself, *Could Nan Xinlan be suffering from depression?*
*I don't need a sword-bearing maid!*
*Still, if she really comes, she can't keep the name Nan Xinlan. That name carries too much weight; a simple maid wouldn't be able to bear it. What should I change it to?*
*Huarui? Diaochan? Forget it, she isn't quite that pretty.*
*Right, let's call her Mu Ningxue...*
While Wang Chong was busy pondering names, the two women had already broken into an argument. Nan Xinlan struck without warning, tapping Tie Mingzhu's acupoints, and said, "I used a very gentle technique; it will release on its own after twenty breaths. Sister Tie, please don't chase after me!" Tie Mingzhu screamed inwardly, but she could no longer make a sound. She suddenly regretted withholding the truth from her dear friend just to preserve her own reputation—she should have told her long ago that Wang Chong was White Chrysanthemum. Now her regrets came too late.
Before twenty breaths had even passed, Tie Mingzhu forced her acupoints open. Just as she was about to give chase, a dashing figure fluttered down before her eyes. Her gaze widened, her face full of sheer disbelief and overwhelming terror. Who else could it be but Wang Chong?
Seeing Tie Mingzhu's mouth fall open, Wang Chong reached out and sealed her acupoints, saying, "Miss Tie, don't scream. I only tapped your mute acupoint."
Tie Mingzhu made muffled whimpering noises, tears spilling down like little pearls.
A chilling dread seemed to split her skull open, pouring from the top of her head down to her toes. That night in the ruined temple had been the waking nightmare of her life, startling her awake from sleep countless times. Facing Wang Chong alone once more, her whole body trembled as though trapped in an endless nightmare, eighteen thousand times more terrifying than being hunted by dozens of vicious ghosts.
Wang Chong sighed and asked, "Miss Tie, do you have anything left to say?"
*I didn't want things to end up like this either. I wanted to be a good person too, but alas...*
A chant of the Buddha's name rang out in the air. Monk Kong Chan drifted into view, bringing Grand Monk Xuan Gang along with him!
Tie Mingzhu shook with excitement. She even shot Wang Chong a provocative glance, unable to hide the smug triumph blooming in her eyes.
Wang Chong had not anticipated Kong Chan and Xuan Gang's sudden arrival either. Keeping his composure in the face of crisis, he bowed respectfully to both of them and greeted them warmly, "Greetings, Master! Greetings, Senior Brother!"
The light in Tie Mingzhu's eyes vanished in an instant.
Monk Kong Chan gave a faint smile. "Disciple, you have done well."
The last shred of hope in Tie Mingzhu's heart was snuffed out entirely.
Grand Monk Xuan Gang grumbled in foul humor, "Master told me to serve as your attendant. This thieving baldy is truly a piece of work! Back in my day, how free and untamed I was—killing, burning, living with utter delight..."
Tie Mingzhu felt as though she had plummeted into Avici Hell and laid eyes upon the Great Black Demon King. Her six wholesome roots were extinguished, her five senses shattered, her life in ruins, and her entire world obliterated!
Right at that moment, her mute acupoint suddenly released. Wang Chong had never intended to keep her silent forever; temporarily sealing the point had merely been to stop her from shouting Nan Xinlan back. Just a moment earlier, upon seeing two monks of such formidable martial arts, Tie Mingzhu would have surely cried out in accusation, denouncing Wang Chong as a vile, lecherous scoundrel. But at this very moment, she dared only utter timidly, "T-T-Tie..."
"Tie Mingzhu pays her respects to the two venerable masters." Seeing Xuan Gang's face covered in menacing flesh, his eyes burning with intense light, his mouth still muttering about the delights of killing and arson, and his gaze as withered and chilling as a corpse's, her heart fluttered like a frightened rabbit. She hurriedly added, "This humble maid, Tie Mingzhu, greets the two venerable masters."
Wang Chong had spared her once before, so Tie Mingzhu felt a sliver of "trust" toward him. She would rather let Wang Chong have his way with her than fall into Xuan Gang's clutches. That monk exuded a sinister aura and might well harbor sadistic inclinations.
In the recent White Chrysanthemum cases, for instance, several victims had suffered every bone in their bodies being snapped inch by inch while the lecher committed his foul deeds, dying agonizing deaths.
Wang Chong had not expected Tie Mingzhu to refer to herself as a humble maid either. He thought, *Did I ever agree to that? Did you bother asking if the Wang family even wants you before calling yourself a humble maid?* Still, he worried about slipping up before Kong Chan. Not only were the monk's martial arts unfathomably high, but he was truly ruthless and unsparing. One only had to observe Xuan Gang's words and conduct to see how much suffering that great bandit had endured under their master's thumb.
Wang Chong asked, "Why is Master having Senior Brother accompany me?"
Kong Chan smiled. "This is a Zen mystery. You shall understand in due course."
Though thoroughly perplexed, Wang Chong agreed without hesitation. Grand Monk Xuan Gang's martial arts were exceedingly formidable, no weaker than Qian Luo Yi's. Having such a man at his side was tantamount to gaining a fierce champion who was a match for ten thousand.
Qin Han's claim of having cultivated his martial arts to the realm of a match for ten thousand was not an empty boast, but there were worlds between one such warrior and another. If Qin Han was a Yan Liang, Xuan Gang was at least a Zhang Fei—a genuine, heavyweight match for ten thousand.
Much like Qian Luo Yi was the undisputed leader of the Thirty-Six Divine Generals recognized by the eighteen grassland tribes!
With his clear Buddhist mind, Kong Chan naturally noticed that something was amiss with Tie Mingzhu, yet he paid it no heed. After all, Wang Chong's identity carried far too much weight; compared to him, everything else was mere floating dust. The grand monk had originally subdued Xuan Gang for another purpose, but he had never imagined the man could be put to far better use here. Raising a single palm to his chest, he recited a Buddhist invocation and said, "Your master must now return to Shaolin.
"My two disciples, the road ahead is full of branching paths. Do not choose the wrong Holy Mountain!" With those words, this master among the Five Greats of the World departed with effortless grace.
Wang Chong glanced at Tie Mingzhu, then took another look at Grand Monk Xuan Gang, and suddenly threw his head back in three resounding laughs. The bizarre fortune of tonight was the strangest experience he had had since transmigrating.
Once his laughter subsided, he said, "Senior Brother, now that you're by my side, it's unfitting for you to remain a monk. You should go back to using your original name!"
Grand Monk Xuan Gang chanted a Buddhist invocation and replied, "I refuse to be Chen Ba. I want to be Xuan Gang."
Unable to do anything about this stubborn senior brother of his, Wang Chong turned to Tie Mingzhu. "Miss Tie, would you like to change your name as well?"
Tie Mingzhu instantly grew wary and spoke up at once, "Sister Nan Xinlan is going to seek refuge with you as well. It would be best if our names match."
Feigning astonishment, Wang Chong asked, "What is this about?"
Tie Mingzhu merely sneered, thinking, *Who knows how long you were listening from up in that tree? How could you not know Sister Nan went to seek refuge with you?* Yet deep down, terror still gripped her, so she said, "You'll see once we return to Pengshan County."
Wang Chong chuckled softly. Leading Grand Monk Xuan Gang and Tie Mingzhu, he returned to their lodgings in Pengshan County. As soon as they arrived, Yu Zao came hurrying out and whispered in a hushed tone, "Young Master, a woman has arrived saying she wants to throw herself on your mercy! I didn't know what to do!"
Seeing Yu Zao, a mischievous impulse seized Wang Chong. He declared, "She is one of your sisters, called Fifteenth Sister! And this one here is another sister of yours, called Fourteenth Sister! Both have served me since childhood and are closest to me."
Yu Zao was thoroughly stunned, thinking to herself, *Hasn't our young master's family fallen into ruin? Could he have lied to me? Is his household actually lavishly wealthy? Otherwise, how could even the maids be numbered all the way to fifteen, putting on an even grander display than the young lady of the Su family? Especially since these two sisters carry the elegance of great noble families, looking dignified, graceful, and exceptionally radiant. Ordinary humble homes could never raise girls so wonderfully exquisite!*
...Tie Mingzhu: *Are you even listening to yourself? You tapped my mute acupoint, and then you asked me if I had anything left to say...*
...Tie Mingzhu: *Every single person in his sect is thoroughly rotten...*
Chapter 47