Shuo Bude lightly kicked the cloth sack and said, "The kid inside this sack is somewhat related to the Heavenly Eagle Cult; recently, he also showed great kindness to the Five-Element Flags. Perhaps he will play an important role in the resolution of bilateral animosity in the future."
Wei Yixiao coldly said, "One more day the Jiaozhu position is undecided, one more day our Cult's dispute is not resolved. Even if he has ability as big as the sky, he will never resolve this hostility. Yang Zuo Shi, 'zaixia' [humble one] wants to ask you something: after the enemy is repelled, whom will you support to be our leader?"
Yang Xiao unenthusiastically said, "Whoever possesses the Sheng Huo Ling [command or decree of the holy fire] I will support to be our Jiaozhu. This has been our Cult's custom since the days of our ancestors; why did you ask me?"
Wei Yixiao said, "Sheng Huo Ling has been lost for nearly a hundred years; are you telling me that as long as Sheng Huo Ling is not found, the Ming Cult will not have a Jiaozhu? The Six Major Sects have the guts to besiege the Brightness Peak; they have complete disregard for our Cult. It is all because they know our Cult has lost our line of command, we are disintegrating internally."
"Wei Xiong is right," Shuo Bude said, "I, Bu Dai Heshang [cloth sack monk], am not of the Yin faction, neither am I of the Wei faction; whoever become the Jiaozhu is fine with me, as long as there is a Jiaozhu. Even if we do not have a Jiaozhu, a Vice Jiaozhu is also fine. Without a clear chain of command, how can we thwart the intrusion of the enemy?"
Priest Tiguan said, "Shuo Bude's words attain my heart."
Yang Xiao's face changed. "Gentlemen," he said, "Do you come up the Brightness Peak to help me to fight the enemy, or to make things difficult for me?"
Zhou Dian laughed aloud. "Yang Xiao," he said, "Do you think I, Zhou Dian, do not know your real intention on why you do not want to elect a Jiaozhu? As long as the Ming Cult does not have a Jiaozhu, it will be you, the Left Emissary, who presides over the interim position. Humph, however, although your position is the highest, if others do not obey your order, then what good will it bring? Can you command the Five-Element Flag? Will the Four Great Hu Jiao Fa Wang submit to you? We, the Five Wanderers, are like floating clouds and wild cranes, don't even give a damn to some Guang Ming Zuo Shi!"
Yang Xiao stood up abruptly. In a cold voice he said, "Today the enemy is outside, ready to strike; Yang Xiao does not have time to engage gentlemen in a battle of words. If gentlemen willingly watch with folded arms the Ming Cult's life or death, then please go down the Brightness Peak! As long as Yang Xiao does not die, I will return your visit one by one in the future."
"Yang Zuo Shi, you don't need to lose your temper," Monk Peng exhorted, "The Six Major Sects are besieging the MingCult. It is the duty of each and every one of the Cult disciple to defend our Cult. It is not your business alone."
With a cold laugh Yang Xiao said, "I am afraid there are people within our Cult who are hoping that Yang Xiao will be slain by the Six Major Sects, and thus they will be rid of the nail in their eyes."
"Whom are you referring to?" Zhou Dian asked.
Yang Xiao replied, "Every body knows his own heart; must I spell it out?"
"Are you talking about me?" Zhou Dian angrily asked.
Yang Xiao averted his gaze to someplace else; he was ignoring Zhou Dian completely. Monk Peng saw Zhou Dian's eyes radiated a different gleam; apparently he was ready to fight with Yang Xiao, he quickly urged, "There is an ancient saying: brothers fight each other, outsiders will drive their insult. Let us discuss further our plan to fight the enemy."
Yang Xiao said, "Yingyu Dashi [Reverend Yingyu] understands the important matter, your words are very true."
"Fine!" Zhou Dian shouted loudly, "Bald thief Peng understands the important matter, Zhou Dian only knows trivial matter?" He was just being mule-headed; he did not want to consider anything. Still shouting, he said, "I want this Jiaozhu position to be decided today. Zhou Dian nominates Wei Yixiao as the Ming Cult Jiaozhu. The blood-sucking bat's martial art skill is superb, in terms of scheming he is shrewd. Nobody in our Cult is superior to him."
Actually, in normal times, Zhou Dian and Wei Yixiao had never been close friends; there were more ill will between them than there was goodwill. But he deliberately wanted to provoke Yang Xiao, so he pushed Wei Yixiao forward.
Zhou Dian was furious. "Your Mama's dog stinky fart!" he shouted. 'Whoosh!' his palm struck down on the crown of Yang Xiao's head.
A while ago, Zhou Dian's palm had caused many of Shuo Bude's teeth fall down; it was because Shuo Bude had no intention to evade. But how could Yang Xiao receive such treatment easily? More than ten years ago, because of a dispute over a Cult affair, Yang Xiao had a major argument with the Five Wanderers. At that time, the Five Wanderers made an oath not to go up the Brightness Peak again. When they broke their heavy oath by coming today, suspicions had started to grow inside Yang Xiao's heart. Seeing Zhou Dian suddenly make his move, he knew that the Five Wanderers had made an agreement with Wei Yixiao to come and conspire against him. Startled and angered, his right palm swept out to meet Zhou Dian's palm.
Wei Yixiao knew Yang Xiao's capability very well. After Zhou Dian was injured, his 'chi' had not recovered; he was definitely not Yang Xiao's match. Thereupon Wei Yixiao dashed ahead of him with swept palm to receive Yang Xiao's palm. The two palms collided, but surprisingly no noise was to be heard. Turned out although Yang Xiao had reasons to dislike Zhou Dian, he still remembered that both of them belonged to the same Cult; therefore, he was unwilling to harm his life. Consequently, his palm did not carry his full strength. However, Wei Yixiao's martial art skill was deep; as his stance 'han bing mian zhang' [cold ice soft palm] arrived, Yang Xiao's right arm was shaken, as he felt a burst of cold 'yin' energy penetrated his skin and flesh; hastily he exerted his internal energy to withstand. When the two men's internal energy collided, they were locked at a stalemate.
"The one surnamed Yang," Zhou Dian called out, "Eat my palm again!" Just now his first palm did not hit its target, now his second palm was aimed at Yang Xiao's chest.
"Zhou Dian, don't make a scene!" Shuo Bude called out.
Monk Peng also said, "Yang Zuo Shi, Wei Fu Wang, please hold your hands, don't harm our own people!" He stretched out his hand to divert Zhou Dian's palm. But Yang Xiao's body leaned sideways, his left palm already met and stuck on Zhou Dian's right palm.
"Zhou Dian," Shuo Bude called out, "You are two against one, what kind of hero are you?" Reaching out toward Zhou Dian's shoulder, he wanted to grab him and pull him back. But before his hand even touched Zhou Dian, he saw Zhou Dian's body slightly shiver as if he had already received internal injury. Shuo Bude was shocked. He knew very well the Left Emissary of the Brightness' divine power; he was their Cult's top master. Shuo Bude was afraid that in that one palm strike, Yang Xiao had already injured Zhou Dian. He saw Zhou Dian's right palm was stuck onto Yang Xiao's left palm, as if he was not willing to withdraw his palm.