On the day of the Heroes' Assembly, Qin Zheng and the others arrived at the gate of Juxian Manor right on time.
The disciple guarding the gate stretched out his hand with a blank expression. "Invitation."
Qin Zheng pulled out an ingot of gold and pressed it into his hand, smiling. "Thanks for your trouble."
The disciple's face brightened with delight, and he gestured courteously for them to enter. "Hero, please come in!"
Duan Yu followed him through the gate, looking puzzled. "Hero Qin, we didn't have an invitation. Why did that young fellow at the gate let us in?"
Qin Zheng cut him a sidelong look. "You've been around the jianghu for so long, and you still haven't figured out jianghu rules? He earns only a few coppers a month. That ingot of gold is enough to keep him in fine clothes and good food for years."
Duan Yu's expression turned complicated. "Even so, you can't just come out and say it like that..."
Qin Zheng turned to Wang Yuyan. "If your cousin acknowledges me as his adoptive father, I will promise to help him with the restoration of the kingdom. Do you think he would be willing?"
Wang Yuyan fell silent. Cousin should be willing, right?
Bao Butong was so angry that his beard bristled and his eyes glared. "Our young master would never acknowledge a thief as his father!!"
Qin Zheng nodded calmly. "Yes, that I can believe. After all, he doesn't even acknowledge that old thief Murong Bo."
As he spoke, he walked into the main hall of Juxian Manor and found an elder of the Beggar Gang he knew. "Is your gang chief coming today?"
The Beggar Gang elder said boldly, "Elder Brother led men to attack Southern Shaolin, so he probably won't make it today. Second Uncle, just tell us who to beat today, and we'll follow you and beat that turtle bastard to death!"
Hearing this, Duan Yu's expression turned somewhat complicated. "Are you also a sworn brother of Brother Qiao?"
The beggar said proudly, "I am Chief Qiao's ninety-seventh sworn brother. And you, sir?"
Duan Yu did not know whether to laugh or cry. "I'm his Three-Thousandth Brother..."
The beggar excitedly pulled Duan Yu aside and treated him with the food he had begged. The two got along like elder and younger brother, a picture of brotherly harmony.
Qin Zheng went to the front and found Xue Muhua.
"Divine Doctor Xue, I heard the Old Freak of Xingxiu has returned to the jianghu. Your master, Master Congbian, is in great danger!"
"What?" Xue Muhua had been exchanging pleasantries with someone. Hearing Qin Zheng's words, he turned toward him in alarm. "The Old Freak of Xingxiu has returned to the jianghu?!"
Qin Zheng grabbed A'Zi and pulled her over. "This young woman is the Old Freak of Xingxiu's most valued disciple. He even passed the Divine Wood King Cauldron to her!"
A'Zi looked blank. She blinked her big, watery eyes at Xue Muhua, braced herself, and took out the Divine Wood King Cauldron. "He's right!" she said with a straight face.
Xue Muhua staggered back several steps and pointed at A'Zi in disbelief. "What? You... are you really not going to stop until our whole line is wiped out?"
A'Zi looked helplessly at Qin Zheng, waiting for his instructions.
Qin Zheng gave her a slight nod, then said to Xue Muhua, "Continue your Heroes' Assembly. The Old Freak of Xingxiu's direct disciple is already under my control. I'll let you know what I find out about him later. Hurry and have a good meal set out for us. We've been traveling most of the day, and I'm almost starving!"
With that, he walked over to an empty table and sat down.
Xue Muhua was filled with shock and doubt. Unable to gauge Qin Zheng's background, he glanced at the hall, where the guests had not all arrived yet. His expression turned complicated, and he quickly ordered wine and dishes served to them.
Qin Zheng ate and called out to everyone, "Eat quickly! Once the fighting starts, there won't be any chance to eat!"
A'Zi asked, completely confused, "How can you be sure there'll be a fight later? Isn't today's assembly for discussing how to encircle and attack Xuanci and Murong Bo? It's just a meeting. Why would it come to blows?"
Qin Zheng spat out a chicken bone. "If Murong Bo knew that today's assembly was to denounce and attack him, it would be strange if he didn't come. There's bound to be a fight soon. And even if he doesn't show up, I already found someone to impersonate Murong Bo in advance!"
A'Zhu was immediately startled. "What?"
What do you intend by having someone impersonate my master?!
As A'Zhu was still puzzling over this, an ordinary-looking young man came before them, carrying a wine jar and pouring wine for them. "I am You Tanzhi. Thank you, fellow jianghu comrades, for honoring me with your presence at Juxian Manor for the Heroes' Assembly."
Qin Zheng studied him for a few moments, then asked curiously, "You're the young master of Juxian Manor, aren't you? Why would your father have you pour wine?"
You Tanzhi lowered his head shyly. "My father wants me to meet more jianghu comrades, so he had me pour wine. If I have committed any breach of courtesy, I ask the hero to forgive me."
Qin Zheng looked at him and asked, "How much money do you have on you?"
You Tanzhi was taken aback. He patted himself, then took out a coin purse and offered it. "About ten taels of silver. If you are short on funds, hero, please take it."
Qin Zheng sighed faintly and took the purse from his hand. "For your sake today, I will ensure your family's safety."
You Tanzhi was slightly startled. "What? What could happen to my family? Would someone really dare make a move in front of all the heroes of the world?"
As he was still filled with doubts, a burst of loud laughter suddenly rang out beyond the wall.
The next moment, Murong Bo flew over the wall into the courtyard. He pushed out both hands, and a flood of true qi surged forth with the force of overturning mountains and seas, toppling everyone in front of him, along with the tables and chairs, to the ground.
"Didn't you want to kill me, Murong Bo? There's no need for you to look for me—I've come to your door myself!"
Everyone looked up and saw Murong Bo with bloodshot eyes and disheveled hair, his face full of bitter resentment against the world.
For days now, because he could not reach any member of the Murong family, he had thought the Murong family had been wiped out, and his mind was on the verge of collapse. When he heard that people were gathering at Juxian Manor to encircle and attack him, he immediately rushed from Fujian to Henan without stopping, wanting to kill them all to vent his fury.
As everyone retreated again and again, terrified by Murong Bo's overwhelming presence, Xue Muhua stepped forward and said with an upright expression, "Murong Bo, you faked your death to escape and secretly incited conflict between Liao and Song. Your crimes are truly monstrous! Today, we jianghu comrades have united to denounce and punish you, yet you still dare appear before us. Do you truly regard the heroes of the world as nothing?"
Murong Bo was furious beyond words. Before he could speak, Bao Butong stepped forward, bowed with folded hands to the crowd, and said, "All heroes, listen carefully! I am Bao Butong, a household servant of the Murong family of Gusu! I hereby declare on behalf of the Murong family: the man before you, this so-called Murong Bo, is not one of our Murong family at all! Our master, Murong Bo, died many years ago. This man is an impostor!"
"What?" Murong Bo's heart skipped a beat, and he looked at Bao Butong in disbelief.
He had finally found members of the Murong family, but why were they suddenly refusing to acknowledge him?!
Chapter 42