Kunbu, the Grand Dharma King, curved his arm before his chest, fingers spread, palm outward, steady and unwavering. Inner energy surged beneath the surface as he suddenly thrust forth the Fearless Seal, its fierce force roaring straight for Beggar Sect Chief Fei Jin's chest. The palm wind howled, laced with boundless power, striking directly at his vital points.
Fei Jin's eyes gleamed like torches. In an instant he discerned false from true, his stance rooted like a mountain yet his body supple as flowing water. With steady footing, he countered with the "Sixteen Palms of Dragon and Tiger", unleashing the form Heaven-Blessed Inspiration. His waist twisted, his arm arced upward, and his palm lashed out—majestic and unyielding, qi surging like thunder, the strike aiming straight for Kunbu's own weak point.
The Dharma King, startled, vaulted aside, cold light flashing in his eyes. Suddenly his fingers darted like lightning, stabbing toward Fei Jin's vital acupoints: Tian Shu, Shangwan, Zhongwan, and Xiawan in rapid succession!
Fei Jin's heart jolted. Such venomous, insidious technique! With a sharp shake of his palms, he flipped upward, qi flooding his arms. His twin palms thrust out, summoning a fierce whirlwind. Kunbu, sensing danger, twisted away with ghostlike agility. But Fei Jin pursued mercilessly, palm shadows whirling, flowing like rolling clouds, each strike faster and harder than the last.
The assembled heroes roared their admiration. Though Kunbu's style was cruel and cunning, Fei Jin's palms were swift and unbreakable, pressing him back without respite. Alarmed, Kunbu sidestepped and counter-struck, yin force swirling, striving to turn the tide. The duel raged—by the fifth exchange, Fei Jin seized an opening, slamming a palm into Kunbu's abdomen!
Kunbu grunted, staggering back. Before he could steady himself, Fei Jin's next palm descended. Forced to meet it, the Dharma King raised both hands. Boom! The clash echoed like thunder. Qi surged violently through Kunbu's body; blood welled at his lips as his face drained pale.
Fei Jin withdrew calmly, declining to pursue. Raising his voice, he declared:"When friends come, we offer wine; when wolves come, we offer blades! Warriors of the Western Regions—Tibet has invaded the heartland. We of the Central Plains stand ready. Be wise: drink the offered wine, not the wine of punishment. Let us not spill needless blood!"
His words rang with iron and courtesy alike—forceful to awe, gentle to persuade. Though he had humbled Kunbu, he still kept decorum, hoping to dissuade the Western warriors and avoid mutual ruin.
Just then, a cold laugh cut through the night, sly and mocking:"Do not heed this old beggar's divisive tongue!"
All eyes turned. The speaker was Ye Yan of Tuyuhun, a man of forty with sharp, cunning eyes and a falsely kindly face that masked ruthless scheming. He sneered:"Old beggar, you will not sway us so easily. We came to aid Tibet—your words are wasted!"
Ye Yan, though treacherous in character, was a formidable martial artist and a favored agent of the Lamas, tasked with recruiting Western fighters to their cause. Seeing Kunbu defeated, he quickly sought to restore morale with words of provocation.
Fei Jin replied boldly:"So, you would force your hand as well, Western friend?"
Ye Yan stiffened. With so many warriors looking to him for leadership, retreat would shatter their resolve. He barked:"Do not think your skill makes you invincible. If we fight as one, could you prevail?"
Fei Jin laughed, voice carrying across the field:"Ridiculous! Beaten in fair duel, and now you would swarm like cowards? What a spectacle your Western martial world would be—a laughingstock! But my Beggar Sect has never feared numbers. Come, all of you at once!"
Ye Yan flushed with fury, unwilling to be shamed. He snapped:"Big words, old beggar! Then you shall face the Three Heroes of Tianshan. Let them show you the might of the Western Regions!"
Fei Jin barked back:"Do not hide behind others, Ye Yan. If you will not fight yourself, you are nothing but a turtle cowering in its shell!"
The insult struck deep. Ye Yan's face darkened as he roared:"You asked for this! Tianshan Three Heroes—strike together and crush this wretch!"
Out stepped Koglu, Jiaoge'er, and Yelijiang—towering men with hooked noses and predatory eyes, their appearance fierce and forbidding. At once Fei Jin recalled the old adage: 'Never trust hawk-eyed, eagle-nosed men; a crooked neck can kill without a blade.' His heart hardened. These are no good men—better to rid the world of them now.
Drawing himself tall, he declared:"I may be a beggar who bluffs and scrounges for food, but my life is lived openly, loyal to the Tang. You trespass upon the Central Plains—none of you could best me alone. Then come all together!"
And quoting the sage he cried:"As Master Zeng said: A scholar must be strong of will, bearing heavy burdens upon a long road. To take benevolence as one's duty—is that not weighty? To continue until death—is that not far-reaching?"
Wu Tong, watching, understood. Fei Jin bore the world in his heart, standing for righteousness amidst chaos and invasion. As Beggar Sect Chief, he carried the burden of Tang's martial world; as Wu Tong, newly raised master of the Hall of Loyalty, he too must shoulder heavy duty.
The moon shone pale above the Sacred Fire Hall of the Fire-Worshippers. From the shadows, four figures flickered like ghosts—three before, one behind: Koglu, Jiaoge'er, Yelijiang, and Ye Yan himself, all leaping at Fei Jin with deadly intent.
A piercing cry split the air. Koglu and Jiaoge'er struck first, palms slashing down like dragons, bodies swift as lightning. Their blows whistled through the night.
Fei Jin guarded closely, his body rising with the momentum. With a shout he sprang skyward, flipping once in mid-air. Lightning flared across the heavens, white bolts blazing. From above he struck, palms crashing down like thunderbolts, a heavenly general descending with the wrath of storms.
Bang! Bang! The two heroes staggered back several steps, astonished. Never had they faced such power. Yelijiang and Ye Yan rushed in from behind, but Fei Jin's palms flowed unceasingly, striking like an endless tide. Two more blasts echoed, forcing them back as well.
For the first time, the Three Heroes of Tianshan and Ye Yan realized the true depth of their opponent's might. Awe and dread gripped their hearts—this beggar chief's martial skill was beyond anything they had imagined.