The sound of hoofbeats grew from far to near. Moments later, the whinnies of horses split the air. Several riders dismounted. Wu Tong looked up—and to his surprise, the arrivals were men of the True God Palace: the Dragon Elder Qin Wei, the Tiger Elder Wang Tao, and with them the Three Talents, the Three Lights, and others.
Wu Tong strode forward quickly, his manner respectful, bowing deeply."Elder Qin, Elder Wang—it has been but a few dozen days, yet it feels like three years apart!"
Qin Wei and Wang Tao both started in surprise. They remembered well that day when they had been entangled in the struggle for leadership of Mount Hua, nearly losing their lives—until Wu Tong had intervened to save them. To them, he was indeed a benefactor. And now, seeing his humble courtesy, with no trace of arrogance, their hearts were warmed.
They returned the bow with haste. Qin Wei asked, "Master Wu of the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness—what brings you here?"
Wu Tong smiled. "An errand for the court. I did not expect on the road to encounter assassins pursuing three fugitives from Luoyang—so I lent a hand."
Wang Tao threw back his head in laughter. "I did not know the court had such errands to run! If Master Wu must meddle in affairs of the jianghu, then let him meddle with the Nine Heavens Palace!"
Li Han, the Left Envoy of Heaven and Earth, snapped, "Wang Tao! Do not drag the Master of Loyalty Hall into this. This is our business, not his."
Ling Yun, the Right Envoy, sneered as well. "I did not expect the True God Palace to come knocking before we even sought them out!"
Qin Wei gave a cold laugh. "And what of you Nine Heavens Palace? To stoop to stealing another sect's secret manuals—such vile deeds are beneath contempt!"
Li Han said sternly, "Without proof, do not slander the Nine Heavens Palace!"
At this, Liu Yun chuckled coldly. "If one does not wish others to know, one should not do it! Elders, your Palace Master betrayed loyalty, sending assassins after Lan Yu the 'Heavenly Dog Star' and Fang Cen the 'Nine-Tailed Fox.' We happened upon it by chance and tried to help, but alas—both still fell to your killers."
Li Han paled, anxious to silence her. "Girl, stop spouting nonsense!"
Qin Wei's face darkened. "Thank you, girl, for speaking. I have searched long for the Nine-Tailed Fox—so it was the Nine Heavens Palace that slew her! Today the crime is plain, and there is no denying it."
Liu Yun thought swiftly. Why not fan the flames and set them upon each other? She added sharply, "And that is not all—just now, the Left and Right Envoys of your Palace sought to take my life as well!"
Wang Tao's eyes blazed. "Fear not, girl. Master Wu once saved us at Mount Hua. Today we shall repay that debt. Take the fugitives from Luoyang and go—the rest is for us to handle!"
Wu Tong bowed deeply. "In that case, this junior thanks you."
But Ling Yun snapped back, "True God Palace pretends to righteousness, yet are no better! Did you not send men to rob us of the Tibetan Snow Lotus? And still you dare to boast?"
Wu Tong did not linger. Taking Liu Yun's hand, he strode toward He Ping, the "Thunderbolt Blade.""Come, let us mount and be off."
He Ping saluted. "My thanks, Master Wu, for your aid."
At Wu Tong's signal, the three martial escorts and the two servant-men climbed onto the carriage and horses. The party departed swiftly, Wu Tong and Liu Yun riding alongside.
Behind them, Feng Qiang and his men could only stare helplessly as the group vanished into the distance. He brooded a long while, but dared not pursue—he knew that with Wu Tong present, to chase would mean only death. At last he sighed. "Enough! We shall report that the three have already been slain." With a whistle, he led his men away, caring nothing whether Nine Heavens Palace and True God Palace came to blows behind him.
Wu Tong's party galloped for two hours. Seeing no pursuit, they slowed their pace to rest their mounts, dismounting to walk beside them.
Liu Yun asked suddenly, "The man slain in the carriage—who was he? And who exactly was this Lord Li?"
One of the middle-aged servants wept bitterly. "He was my countryman. I begged him to ride in the carriage in my stead. Who knew fate would play us false!" Tears streamed down his cheeks.
The other servant choked, "Just one more day, and we would have reached home! Heroes, let us bury our brother here on this beautiful grassland."
Liu Yun, moved to tears, could only nod. Wu Tong said gravely, "Then let him rest in peace."
Together, the escorts and servants chose a favorable spot, dug a grave, and buried the fallen. They stood solemnly, hands pressed before their chests, honoring the dead. Thus was the brother's funeral completed.
Yet Liu Yun could not help but wonder. Who was this "Lord Li"? She asked again, "May I be so bold… who was Lord Li?"
The men were silent.
Wu Tong fixed his gaze on the shorter servant. "Are you Li Zhuer?"
The man's face blanched with shock. Overcome by dread, he dropped to his knees. "How… how did you know my name, benefactor?"
Liu Yun gasped. "This is Li Zhuer?"
Wu Tong had already recognized his voice, recalling the night of An Lushan's death. Inwardly he thought, So fate has led him here. Played like a pawn by both father and son, now hunted by An Qingxu, who betrayed him in turn. He sighed deeply.
"Do not fear. Rise. The Tang owes you its thanks."
Li Zhuer stood shakily, bowing. "Master Wu, you are magnanimous to overlook past enmity. My life is worthless. I ask only to return home and live out my years in peace." His eyes held the weariness of one who had seen through fame and power.
Wu Tong nodded. "Be at ease. They will not dare pursue further. Since Tianshan is close, we shall see you safely there."
A poem says:Dreams of home drift far,Through endless roads we run.At the horizon's edge we gaze,Seeking the old homeland.
Even He Ping, the Thunderbolt Blade, was startled to learn that "Lord Li" was none other than Li Zhuer—and that it was he who had struck down An Lushan with his own hand.
That night they lodged in a Buddhist temple. The next day, they pressed on toward Tianshan. After ten more miles they reached a small village. Li Zhuer and his companion cried out with joy, "We are home at last!" Tears streamed down his face.
Turning to He Ping and the martial escorts, Li Zhuer said, "Brothers, I thank you for accompanying us so far. Please do not enter the village—it may alarm the people."
To Wu Tong and Liu Yun he bowed deeply. "My cart holds some silver and jewels. Please accept them as a token of my gratitude."
Though Wu Tong and Liu Yun declined, Li Zhuer and his companion insisted until Wu Tong reluctantly accepted. Yet in his heart Wu Tong thought, Better to donate these riches to the Goddess of Tianshan, to build temples and spread merit.