Chapter - 485 All Over the World, No One Can be a Hero (10)

Peng Yingyu informed Zhang Wuji that this white-faced man was Ouyang Muzhi, altogether, he had twelve concubines. Although his martial art was strong, very seldom did he roam around the Jianghu. He spent his days snuggling with his women, enjoying the soft and tender happiness.

Ouyang Muzhi laughed and said, "If we join hands to found a sect, I am afraid my family heritage will not be enough to buy you the wine. Ladies and Gentlemen, speaking of martial art competition, we may want to elect several venerable seniors to act as referees and arbitrators. Otherwise, you say 'I win', and I say 'I win', and thus the dispute continues."

Situ Qianzhong laughed, "Won't we know it if we win or we lose? Who would be as shameless as you are?"

Zong Weixia said, "Electing several arbitrators is good. Shaolin Pai is the host, naturally Kong Zhi Dashi will be one."

Situ Qianzhong pointed his finger to Shou Bude's sack and said, "I nominate Shandong Daxia [great hero of Shandong], Xia Zhou, Xia Lao Yingxiong."

Shuo Bude lifted up his sack and tossed it toward Situ Qianzhong. "One arbitrator coming up!" he said with a laugh.

Situ Qianzhong put down his wine gourd and wine cup. Carrying the cloth sack, he tried to loosen up the cord tied around the sack mouth. Unexpectedly, the knot and the thread were the result of Shou Bude's special skill; the thread was braided from golden silk and fish bladder strands. Situ Qianzhong struggled with all his might, but was unable to untie the knot. Shuo Bude laughed out loud and leaped forward. His left hand picked the sack and slung it behind his back. His right hand reached up, his ten fingers twisted and turned; then he heaved the sack to the front again. After heaving the sack back and forth, the knot on the sack mouth was loosened. Turning the sack over and shaking it, Xia Zhou rolled out the sack. Situ Qianzhong hastily reached out to unseal Xia Zhou's acupoint.

After being kept inside the dark cloth sack for half a day and now suddenly he was let out, Xia Zhou found the bright sunlight dazzled his eyes. And then he realized that thousands pairs of eyes were looking at him. He could not bear the shame and wanted to die. Turning around, he pulled the dagger on his waist and stabbed it into the pit of his own stomach.

Situ Qianzhong quickly reached out to grab him with both hands and laughed while saying, "Victory and defeat is common within the martial art practitioners. Xia Dage, why is your heart so dull?"

From among the crowd, a short and plump man shouted loudly, "I am afraid the hero inside the cloth sack is not qualified to be an arbitrator. I nominate Sun Laoyezi [old master Sun] of Mount Changbai." A middle-aged woman also said, "Zhe Dong Shuang Yi's [pair of righteous from eastern Zhejiang] prestige shakes the Jiangnan; these two brothers are upright and selfless. They are perfect candidates for the arbitrators." From here and there the crowd of heroes shouted names and very quick there were more than a dozen arbitrators; all were prestigious and respectable heroes of the Jianghu.

Suddenly from within the Emei Pai crowd an old nun coldly said, "What's the use of electing arbitrators? There is no need of them from the start." Her voice was not loud at all, but it went straight into everybody'd eardrums. Apparently her internal energy cultivation was quite deep.

Situ Qianzhong laughed. "I beg Shitai's pardon; why don't we need arbitrators?" he asked.

The old nun replied, "Two people fight, the victor lives, the loser dies. Let Yanwu Ye [the ruler of the netherworld] be the arbitrator."

Listening to these cold and cruel words, everybody felt chill creeping up their backs.

Situ Qianzhong said, "We are friends in the martial art world, we also do not have any grudges or enmity against each other; why should we fight a live and death battle against each other? Those who left their homes should practice mercy. By saying those words, isn't Shitai afraid of Buddha's rebuke?"

The old nun coldly replied, "You can talk nonsense in front of other people, but you should watch your manners in front of Emei Pai disciples."

Situ Qianzhong raised his wine gourd and poured a cup. 'Tsk, tsk, tsk! What a fierce Emei Pai!" he said, "There is a saying that a good man would not fight a woman, good drunkard would not fight a nun!" Raising his hand, the cup was just about to touch his lips when suddenly two 'whiz! whiz!' noise split the air, as two tiny objects, as small as a prayer bead, were shot. One flew toward the wine cup, the other flew toward the wine gourd. These two projectiles were immediately followed by another one, aimed at Situ Qianzhong's chest.

'Bang! Bang! Bang!' three loud explosions were heard successively, as the three prayer beads exploded. The gourd and the wine cup were smashed at once, while a large hole appeared on Situ Qianzhong's chest. He was thrown several 'zhang's backward from the explosion, while his clothes were burning.

Xia Zhou immediately rushed forward, but Situ Qianzhong had already died, with a frozen smile on his face. Apparently, because the prayer beads were coming and exploding so fast, he did not even realize that death was at the door. It was just like a sudden thunder in a clear blue sky. There were plenty of experienced warriors with vast knowledge among the crowd, yet nobody had ever seen this kind of fast and deadly secret projectile.

"The nun is serious!" Zhou Dian called out, "What kind of secret projectile was that?"

Carrying Situ Qianzhong's black burning body, Xia Zhou said in loud voice, "Although this Situ Xiongdi often said harsh and sometimes mean words, it was because he loved to fool around, his character was actually kind. He had never harmed anybody nor committed any dishonorable acts in his life. Today, the heroes from all over the world are gathered here, which one of you can say that he had done any evil conduct?"

The crowd of heroes was completely silent. Xia Zhou pointed his finger toward the old nun and angrily said, "Emei Pai has always been known as upright and chivalrous school; who would have thought that they are capable of using such an evil and ruthless secret projectile? Even the strong in the Wulin world will not overstep the 'appropriateness' of character. [orig. 'li' – reason, logic, truth] May I know Shitai's title?"

The old nun replied, "I am called Jing Jia. The 'hero inside the sack', what do you want by talking and gesticulating like that?"

Xia Zhou mournfully said, "The one surnamed Xia's skill is inadequate, thus falling miserably under the Ming Cult's devil head's insult. That was the surnamed Xia's own weakness; yet I did not damage my lifelong reputation of the way of chivalry. Jing Jia Shitai, you are this vicious; aren't you doing a great disservice to your precious sect's founder, Guo Xiang, Gu Nuxia [heroine Guo]?"

Hearing him bring up the venerated name of their founder, the Emei disciples sprang up on their feet. Jing Jia's eyebrows rose up. "Can a bastard like you casually mention our founder's revered name?" she roared.