Chapter Fifty-Two: Confession

At that moment, Murong Xing finally understood why Murong Fu had washed his face and hair so thoroughly the day before—it was in preparation for going out today.

“Where are you headed?” Murong Xing asked.

“Nothing in particular, just wherever there’s excitement!” Shi Fei said as he ate. “Cousin, when did you arrange to meet Qiao Feng outside Wuxi city?”

Those having breakfast at the table included not only Murong Fu but also Murong Xing, Wang Yuyan, Duan Yu, Jiumozhi, Bao Butong, Ah Zhu, and Ah Bi. They all sat around a round table, with no particular formalities.

Jiumozhi, seeing the dazzling array of pan-fried buns, rice cakes, small wontons, spring rolls, and so forth, recalled the plain rice noodles he had eaten the night before and found himself unable to stop eating. As a national master from Tibet, he had rarely encountered such refined cuisine. If he could eat like this every day, performing rituals might not be such a burdensome task after all.

Wang Yuyan nodded in agreement. “Exactly! Why is cousin so interested in such trivial matters?”

In her eyes, the matter between her and Qiao Feng was a minor one.

“I’m not particularly interested,” Shi Fei replied, “but I am very curious about Wuxi’s soup dumplings.” Turning to Ah Zhu and Ah Bi, he said: “Let’s go to Wuxi for soup dumplings! Wuxi’s soup dumplings are sweet—you must try them!”

“Are you all leaving?” Murong Xing asked, noticing their plans.

“Not exactly,” Shi Fei said. “Old Bao and National Master Jiumozhi will continue hosting the Water and Land Dharma Assembly at Canhe Village. Ah Zhu, Ah Bi, and I will head out together.”

Originally, Murong Fu had four chief retainers—Deng Baichuan, Gongye Qian, Bao Butong, and Feng Bo’e. Except for Bao Butong, the other three had been dismissed by Shi Fei years ago and had since pursued their own endeavors. Bao Butong was retained out of concern that, being quarrelsome, he might be beaten to death if sent away.

“So that just leaves me alone?” Murong Xing calculated, realizing that besides them, Mother Tiger was also leaving. The vast Canhe Village would be left with only him and Shizi. Well, that meant he would be the master of Canhe Village.

“I’m going to Wuxi too!” Duan Yu said, stealing a glance at Wang Yuyan as he spoke to Murong Xing.

“Aren’t you supposed to wait here for your parents?” Murong Xing asked.

“I’ll wait for them to come here, then have them come to Wuxi to find me. It’s the same either way!” Duan Yu replied.

What a devoted admirer! Truly not a normal person.

For a woman, he was willing to forsake even his own parents.

Murong Xing gave Duan Yu a sidelong glance, thinking he had made an unwise friend.

After breakfast, Shi Fei, Ah Zhu, and Ah Bi, with their backpacks, set off. They first took a boat on Tai Lake, touring around the surrounding prefectures of Lin’an and Zhenjiang. A few days later, they arrived at Wuxi.

Before even reaching Wuxi, they saw many martial artists carrying swords and knives heading toward an apricot grove outside the city. Shi Fei and the others followed these martial artists for some distance until they arrived at the grove.

Before entering, they heard Murong Xing’s sarcastic voice from within: “I never thought the Beggars’ Sect would traffic not only children but women as well!”

“What kind of ‘Number One Sect in the World’ is that? It’s more like the world’s biggest cesspool!”

“Hey? Brother Xing, what are you doing here?” Ah Zhu said in surprise. “Mocking them like that—aren’t you afraid of getting beaten up?”

“Let’s go see what’s going on,” Shi Fei said, quickening his pace with Ah Zhu and Ah Bi. Inside the apricot grove, they saw a large crowd divided into two opposing sides. Most on one side were ragged Beggars’ Sect disciples carrying sacks. Facing them were martial artists bearing swords and knives.

Among the martial artists were Wang Yuyan, Murong Xing, and Duan Yu, many glaring fiercely and ready to fight.

Leading the Beggars’ Sect disciples stood Qiao Feng, his face full of shame.

In recent days, Qiao Feng had uncovered troubling matters within the Beggars’ Sect—not only child trafficking but also trafficking of women, with many disciples mysteriously disappearing. There was a dark undercurrent within the sect that he did not fully understand.

Qiao Feng cupped his fist and addressed the crowd: “The Beggars’ Sect does not harbor evil. It’s just that in recent years, as we have grown rapidly, some disciples have been of poor character.”

“The Beggars’ Sect has its own laws and will deal with them accordingly!”

“Bring them forward!”

With a wave of his hand, several disciples brought forward two Seventh Sack disciples of the Beggars’ Sect. In the hierarchy, Seventh Sack was just below the Eighth Sack elders.

Qiao Feng looked at them with sorrow and anger. “Beggars’ Sect disciples travel the world by strictly observing the bottom line and upholding chivalry and righteousness. You two have organized the abduction of children and women among the disciples, a crime worthy of death!”

One of the Seventh Sack disciples, held firmly by two enforcers, defiantly said, “You’ve never tasted hunger. You don’t know what it’s like to go hungry!”

“All the legitimate trades in this world are closed to us. We are beggars; isn’t it natural that we engage in these businesses?”

“Nonsense!” Qiao Feng growled. “Which Beggars’ Sect disciple hasn’t gone hungry?”

“But precisely because we have starved, we must help each other, aid the weak, oppose the strong, and uphold loyalty and chivalry! Otherwise, how are we different from the ruffians and scoundrels of the martial world?”

“No one wishes to be a beggar. Most brothers in the sect are beggars out of helplessness, but at least we can choose who we want to be!”

Qiao Feng’s words drew cheers from the Beggars’ Sect disciples. Becoming beggars was their last resort, but they could at least choose their path.

“You’re so righteous! So high and mighty!” The previously defiant Seventh Sack disciple sneered. “Winner takes all, loser is a crook. Nothing more to say!”

Qiao Feng sighed and turned to the other Seventh Sack disciple, who silently bowed his head in submission.

“Carry out the sentence!” Qiao Feng declared.

The Beggars’ Sect had its own laws. Offending disciples faced punishments of varying severity, the harshest being the “Three Cuts and Six Holes.” Enforcers would stab three holes through the body of the offender, spaced a certain distance apart to form the pattern of “Three Cuts and Six Holes.”

These two disciples were receiving exactly this punishment.

After the sentence was carried out, Murong Xing saw the two disciples pierced with three bleeding holes, then hung up to await death as a warning. He sneered, “So many children and women have been trafficked, and they throw out just two scapegoats to try to end the matter?”

“Do you all agree with this?”

At his provocation, the crowd on their side shouted, “No! We don’t agree!”

“Could it be only these two who did it?”

“The Beggars’ Sect must have others involved!”

“We want an explanation!”

The crowd’s emotions surged, unwilling to let the matter rest.

Qiao Feng knew he had to give the martial world an explanation. He cupped his fist again and said, “Heroes of the martial world! This matter was mishandled by the Beggars’ Sect.”

“As leader of the Beggars’ Sect, I accept responsibility for poor management.”

“Therefore, I am willing to undergo the ‘Three Cuts and Six Holes’ myself to give all heroes an explanation!”

At these words, the apricot grove fell completely silent.