The Arena Match

The elders of the Pure Observance Society were divided into two categories: civil elders and martial elders. Tang Peigong was a civil elder. Wu Decheng was a martial elder. The primary difference between the two was that Martial Elder Wu Decheng possessed cultivation. Wu Decheng was a sixth-layer Mind Cultivator, a first-rate master in the city of Heishipo. Li Banfeng had Ma the Fifth conduct a detailed investigation into the Pure Observance Society. He knew someone like Wu Decheng existed in Heishipo's branch of the society and had prepared thoroughly for him, but he hadn't expected that Wu Decheng wouldn't show his face outside the cinema. There were hidden circumstances behind this that Li Banfeng didn't know about. At the beginning of the year, a quarrel had broken out between Tang Peigong and Wu Decheng. Tang Peigong had publicly berated Wu Decheng, leaving Wu Decheng feeling humiliated, so he retreated to his estate outside the city to rest for a time. Both were elders of the Pure Observance Society, and Wu Decheng even possessed cultivation—so why was Tang Peigong able to berate him? This was a peculiar tradition of the Pure Observance Society. Differences in status existed among the elders, and what determined an elder's standing was not cultivation, but virtue and capability. Although Tang Peigong lacked cultivation and possessed no other particular talents, he was considered a man of both virtue and talent. His standing was above Wu Decheng's, so dressing Wu Decheng down by a few words was deemed entirely proper. Who could have guessed that going to smash up a cinema would result in getting a face full of night soil? Left with no alternative, Tang Peigong had to ask Wu Decheng to step forward and deal with the Night Fragrance newspaper office. One might ask, with so many newspapers and periodicals publishing the same report, why was Tang Peigong so certain the mastermind behind it was Night Fragrance? Because only this single newspaper had published the announcement about screening the film. Following that lead in his investigation, Tang Peigong uncovered a mysterious figure: Boss Ye. "It was this fellow surnamed Ye who bought Sanfu Cinema, screened that corrupt, indecent motion picture, and spread rumors slandering me in the papers! Our ambush outside the cinema was plainly orchestrated by this scoundrel as well." Wu Decheng didn't put on airs. Having ascertained the facts of the matter, he went alone to the Night Fragrance newspaper office. Upon arriving before the newspaper office, Wu Decheng first had a worker go in to announce him: "Wu Decheng of the Pure Observance Society has come to see Boss Ye." Ma the Fifth warned, "The martial elder is here." Li Banfeng asked, "How many men did he bring?" The worker replied, "Just one." Li Banfeng nodded. "The rules of the Jianghu call for fairness. Since he came alone, I'll receive him alone. You lot lie in ambush in the shadows. When you see me make a move, you all jump in together. We can't have him saying we used numbers to bully the few." Zuo Wugang didn't understand. "If we all jump him together, how can we keep him from saying we're using numbers to bully the few?" Li Banfeng replied, "I said we won't let him speak—I never said we wouldn't bully him!" Ma the Fifth had a workshop specially cleared out, and Li Banfeng and Wu Decheng sat inside face-to-face. "Boss Ye, I hear you've just arrived in Heishipo?" Li Banfeng nodded. "Our business has only just started up. I haven't yet had the chance to pay my respects to Elder Wu." Wu Decheng smiled. "You don't strike me as someone in this line of business." Li Banfeng blinked. "Whatever makes you say that?" Wu Decheng felt thirsty, so he picked up his teacup, sniffed it, and set it back on the table. Looking at Li Banfeng, he said, "This tea is poisoned." Li Banfeng explained, "I just added the poison and haven't stirred it in evenly yet." Wu Decheng sighed. "I came with sincere intentions." "Shameful, truly shameful. This junior acted improperly. I'll have your tea replaced right away, Elder Wu." Before long, a worker brought up another cup of tea. Wu Decheng said to Li Banfeng, "Boss Ye, I came here today to discuss two matters with you, and I can only discuss them with you alone." Li Banfeng sounded completely open and frank. "I'm the only one here." Wu Decheng sighed softly. "I am a Mind Cultivator." The three pathways—Literary Cultivator, Virtue Cultivator, and Mind Cultivator—were very close, but the perceptive abilities of Literary and Virtue Cultivators were not particularly strong, whereas a Mind Cultivator possessed exceptional perception. Wu Decheng could clearly sense the thoughts of those nearby. "Boss Ye, I truly came with sincerity. I will never harm you." Li Banfeng shouted toward their surroundings, "Did you hear that? Elder Wu came with sincerity! Move farther away—go somewhere where you can't hear what we're saying!" A faint rustle of movement came from around the workshop. Zuo Wugang outside the wall left. Ah Qin up in the rafters left. The Street-Scolding Crone pretending to sweep up also left. Once he sensed that the others were far enough away, Wu Decheng lowered his voice and said to Li Banfeng, "First matter: can you stop screening this movie, Bloodgun Detective, and stop publishing this newspaper, Night Fragrance?" Li Banfeng shook his head. "The movie must be screened, and the paper must be published. That is non-negotiable." This was within Wu Decheng's expectations. "Then let's discuss the second matter: we have three matches." Li Banfeng asked in surprise, "What do you mean, three matches?" "An arena match, best two out of three. We clash three times. Let me win the opening round; I'll let you win the second round; and in the third round, we fight to a draw. I gain enough face in the Pure Observance Society, and you reap all the practical benefits in Heishipo. What do you say, is there room to talk?" Li Banfeng pondered for a moment. "There's room to talk, but I have to win the first match." Wu Decheng frowned. "This is a gentlemen's agreement. Why quibble over such details?" Li Banfeng said, "Since you don't care, why not yield the first round to me?" Wu Decheng replied, "I volunteered for battle within the Pure Observance Society. If I fail to secure victory right out of the gate, it will be hard to account for myself before everyone." Li Banfeng said, "My momentum is at its peak. If I suddenly suffer a crushing defeat, my morale will take a severe hit!" Displeasure showed on Wu Decheng's face. After a long silence, he said, "Fine, have it your way. The first match is yours." Li Banfeng nodded. "Shall we sign a covenant deed?" Wu Decheng waved his hand repeatedly. "No covenant deeds." Li Banfeng knew there was no way he would sign a deed. Agreeing on an arena match in advance and fixing the fight was something outsiders could never find out about. "Then let us use tea in place of wine and settle the matter right here." Li Banfeng raised his cup. Wu Decheng raised his teacup as well. "A gentlemen's pact, gentlemen's tea—drink it down in one gulp." Li Banfeng emptied his cup in a single draft. Wu Decheng took a sip, swallowed, and immediately spat it out. "This tea... is still poisoned?!" "That's impossible!" Li Banfeng looked deeply astonished. Wu Decheng sneered. "I've tumbled through the Jianghu for decades and seen everything under the sun. I tasted it myself, and you still won't admit it?" Li Banfeng was still reeling with shock. "When I bought the poison, they told me it was odorless and colorless! Reason dictates you shouldn't have been able to taste it!" "I..." Wu Decheng was so furious that words failed him for a long time. Li Banfeng consoled him, "Don't be angry. I'll have someone bring you another cup. You can taste that one and see if it's poisoned." Wu Decheng let out an exasperated chuckle. "Young man, I really do like your temperament. Just remember, what we agreed upon cannot be gone back on." "Rest assured, absolutely no regrets." Li Banfeng stood to see his guest out. After leaving the Night Fragrance office, Wu Decheng went to Tang Peigong's manor. "Peigong, I met with the proprietor of Night Fragrance, traded two blows with him, and gave him a thrashing. I had half a mind to kill him on the spot, but I was afraid people would say I was bullying a junior and ruin my reputation. Out of softheartedness, I left him with a breath of life, but he still refused to yield. He claimed I was using might to bully the weak and insisted on challenging us to an arena match—and a verbal match at that." "When do we fight?" Tang Peigong grew excited. The Pure Observance Society was a paragon of morality, prizing open and aboveboard conduct. They generally did not resort to underhanded tricks, making arena challenges their customary way to resolve conflicts. Yet Tang Peigong had no cultivation—why was he excited? Because Wu Decheng had said it was a verbal arena match, the equivalent of a formal debate. Wu Decheng said, "Peigong, you know my eloquence is poor, whereas this young fellow surnamed Ye is sharp-tongued and articulate. I'm afraid I'd suffer a setback on the platform and lose face." Tang Peigong climbed out of bed. He had been bedridden for days, unable to get up, but today he rose from his bed. "Decheng, you're treating me like a stranger saying that! Why would you need to step onto the arena platform for such a match? Does Tang fear him?!" As he said the word "fear," Tang Peigong sprayed a few flecks of spittle that drifted downwind onto Wu Decheng's face. Wu Decheng fought the urge to vomit. Shifting his footing slightly to stand as upwind as possible, he sighed, "Then I must rely on you for this matter." "What kind of friendship do we share? Why the excessive formalities between us!" Wu Decheng nodded with a smile. It was true—his eloquence was indeed lacking. He was the one helping Tang Peigong settle a grievance, yet in the span of two or three sentences, it had somehow turned into him begging Tang Peigong for a favor. He had swallowed grievances like this countless times before. Now, he wouldn't have to anymore. He had agreed to an arena match with Proprietor Ye, but he had never agreed to a verbal one. Arrogant and haughty as Tang Peigong was, he would never lower himself to reach out to Proprietor Ye directly. Things were about to get interesting. ... Tang Peigong gathered his four most eloquent disciples, making five of them in total to prepare for the arena match. This was a prime opportunity to turn his fortunes around, so Tang Peigong deliberately had his disciples contact the press agencies, drumming up as much publicity as possible. Heishipo grew lively once more: someone was going to face the Pure Observance Society in the arena! "Do you know what this Proprietor Ye does?" "He runs a newspaper office, I hear. That Night Fragrance is theirs." "A newspaperman fighting the Pure Observance Society in an arena? What guts!" "We have to go see this! Those bastards from the Pure Observance Society beat an old woman in the street—I doubt they have any real skill either!" "Wait, before talking about skill, are they fighting a verbal match or a martial match?" "The papers didn't say. But whether it's verbal or martial, Night Fragrance is likely doomed..." The day before the match, Wu Decheng took a roster and handed it to Tang Peigong. These men were all notable figures in Heishipo, who would serve as witnesses to the arena match. For a verbal match, witnesses were of paramount importance; unlike a martial match, victory and defeat were not immediately obvious, and the witnesses often served as judges. Tang Peigong looked over the roster. He knew every one of them, and all of them treated him with the utmost deference. As long as he made a passable showing, they were sure to rule him the winner. "Old Wu, well done. I won't need to reach out to these people individually, will I?" Tang Peigong was quite pleased with the list. "No need. They've already been notified." "Good. I can always count on your work." Wu Decheng chuckled bitterly inside. The tables had turned so quickly. Earlier, Tang Peigong had begged him to settle the matter. Now it had turned into Wu Decheng running errands for him. And for his trouble, he got a couple of condescending compliments. Just how shameless could a man be? Fine. Tomorrow in the ring, let's see if you can take the beating! ... The next day, the arena matches began. Carrying the banner of the Pure Observance Society, Tang Peigong led his four disciples to take their positions on the platform first. Li Banfeng didn't quite understand the rules. Five men going up together—was this a gang fight? More importantly, the platform wasn't very large; there hardly seemed room to move around. Sensing something was amiss, Bai Qiusheng lowered his voice and said to Li Banfeng, "Seventh Master, could this be a verbal match?" "What's a verbal match?" Li Banfeng looked thoroughly baffled. "A verbal match is a contest of mouths, not fists!" A contest of mouths? Li Banfeng hadn't prepared for that. Even as they spoke, Wu Decheng had someone blow the first steam whistle, signaling both sides to prepare for battle. Bai Qiusheng asked frantically, "Seventh Master, what do we do? Who should we send up?!" Li Banfeng replied, "Send them up according to our previous plan. The men we chose have plenty of eloquence too." On the side of Night Fragrance, Zuo Wugang took the stage, accompanied by Cao Zhida, Zhen Jincheng, and two guards newly recruited by Ma the Fifth. Bai Qiusheng grew frantic. "Seventh Master, how could any of them be cut out for a war of words?!" Li Banfeng replied, "They're all fine material for a mouth fight. Especially Zuo Wugang—he's exceptionally good at hitting mouths." While Bai Qiusheng was still worrying, the steam whistle blew for the second time from the platform. The second blast meant the fighters were locked in; neither side could back out. Bai Qiusheng paced in circles with anxiety. In the blink of an eye, the whistle blew a third time. By the rules of Heishipo, the battle had officially begun. Tang Peigong was the first to step forward. Taking center stage, he glared at Zuo Wugang and proclaimed, "Insolent pup! Wagging your slanderous tongue, stirring up rumors, shameless beyond belief—" Look at that eloquence—four characters to a phrase, spoken with utter symmetry. Below the platform, several witnesses pinched their noses and praised: "Well said, Elder!" "It's just that the stench is overwhelming." The speech left Zuo Wugang dumbfounded. He glanced back at Li Banfeng and asked, "Has the fight started?" Li Banfeng called back, "It's already started!" Zuo Wugang turned his head back around to find Tang Peigong still spewing vitriol: "Venom-tongued viper, harboring such sinister malice! Atrocious and cruel, your conduct is—" Thwack! Zuo Wugang drove a fist straight into Tang Peigong's mouth, sending his front teeth flying. Gapping through missing teeth, Tang Peigong stared at Zuo Wugang, then looked toward Wu Decheng. Wu Decheng's expression was wooden, and he said nothing. The disciples were utterly dumbstruck and cried out, "This is a verbal match! Why are you hitting him?!" The group of witnesses stood frozen in shock for a long while before looking toward Wu Decheng. "Elder Wu, is today a verbal match or a martial match?" Wu Decheng's expression was complicated—a touch of shock, a hint of confusion, as if some terrible misunderstanding had occurred along the way. Tang Peigong wanted to fight no longer; he felt as though he could barely keep his feet. "You...!" He tried to reason with Zuo Wugang, but Zuo Wugang swung a backhand punch into his face, followed by two swift kicks into his chest and stomach that launched him completely off the platform. It was a brutal thrashing. Zuo Wugang could have knocked him off with a single punch, but having grown thoroughly annoyed by his blather, he used a bit of finesse to make sure Tang Peigong caught two extra kicks. "Reeking that bad and you still wouldn't shut your damned trap!" Zuo Wugang spat toward Tang Peigong. Tang Peigong lay sprawled on the ground, his jaw shattered, sternum fractured, and ribs broken, utterly unable to speak. The remaining four disciples were still trying to argue: "A verbal match! You can't hit people!" A roar of cheers erupted from below the platform, drowning out the four disciples' voices. "Good! Beat 'em good!" "Those bloody bastards had it coming!" "Elder Tang, share a few of your concubines with me! You won't be using them anyway!" Amid the cheers, Cao Zhida, Zhen Jincheng, and the others pinned down Tang Peigong's disciples and pummeled them mercilessly, aiming every single fist straight at their mouths. Li Banfeng said to Bai Qiusheng, "See that? Every one of them knows how to fight a mouth battle." Bai Qiusheng didn't know what to say. Li Banfeng cupped his hands slightly toward Wu Decheng. Elder Wu is a decent fellow, conceding the first match to us just like that. But yielding this blatantly is a bit much. He could have at least found a few who know how to fight—why send up these useless wastes? Wu Decheng also cupped his hands toward Li Banfeng. Young man, that must have satisfied you, didn't it? The first battle, I let you win. The second battle, I take the victory. As for the third battle... There will be no third battle. Young man, you're still far too green. Don't blame me for being ruthless.