Chapter - 512 Secret Manual And Military Treatise are Hidden Within (5)

The crowd of heroes broke into soft murmurs. This Taixu Zi was not very well known in the Jianghu, yet his martial art skill was actually superb. However, what was harder to come by was his broadmindedness; his ability to rebuke himself.

After he left, it seemed like no one else would come out to make things difficult for Xie Xun. To everybody's surprise, while they were still talking among themselves, a middle-aged nun stepped out from among the Emei Pai's crowd. She walked toward Xie Xun and said, "To avenge my husband's murder, I also will resolve it by spitting on you!" As soon as she said that, she opened her mouth and spat toward Xie Xun's forehead. Who would have thought that this spittle carried a strong gust of wind? Turned out it was not spittle, but a date stone steel nail.

Xie Xun heard the difference in the sound of the wind. He smiled bitterly, but did not evade at all. He thought, "If I die right now, it can be considered already too late."

Suddenly a yellow shadow flashed by. The lady in yellow dashed forward. Her sleeve swished, and the date stone nail was rolled inside the sleeve. "How must we address Shitai by your Buddhist title?" she asked sternly.

As the nun saw her attack fail, a slightly frightened expression appeared on her face. "I am called Jing Zhao [lit. still/calm/quiet illumination]," she said.

"Hmm, Jing Zhao, Jing Zhao …" the lady in yellow said, "Before you left home to become a nun, what was your husband's name? How did he die under Xie Daxia's hands?"

Jing Zhao angrily said, "What does it have to do with you? Why do you meddle in other people's business?"

The lady in yellow replied, "Xie Daxia repents from his former sins. If anybody wanted to avenge his father, brother, martial family or friends, even if he is cut into thousand pieces, Xie Daxia would accept his fate willingly; other people have no right to interfere. But if there are people with malicious intention, trying to fish in the muddled water, trying to kill him to shut his mouth, then it becomes everybody's business."

Jing Zhao said, "Between Xie Xun and I, there are no grudges and no enmity; why would I want to kill him to shut his …" The last word 'mouth' had not come out of her mouth when she suddenly realized she had blundered. She stopped abruptly. Her face turned deathly pale; and she could not help but cast a glance toward Zhou Zhiruo.

"That's right," the lady in yellow said, "You have no grudges and no enmity with Xie Daxia, then why did you want to kill him to shut his mouth? Humph, among the twelve Emei Pai's 'Jing' generation nuns, Jing Xuan, Jing Xu, Jing Kong, Jing Hui, Jing Jia, and Jing Zhao, are all virgins when they left home. Where did the husband come from?"

Without saying anything, Jing Zhao turned around and walked away.

"Do you think it's this easy to walk away just like that?" the lady in yellow barked.

Rushing two steps forward, her palm reached out to grab her shoulder. Jing Zhao turned her shoulder to evade. The lady in yellow's right index finger pierced toward her waist, followed by a kick to hit the 'huan tiao xue' ['hop the loop' acupoint] on her thigh. Jing Zhao grunted and fell down to the ground.

"Miss Zhou," in a cold voice the lady in yellow said, "This ploy of killing someone to shut his mouth is very cruel."

In the same cold voice Zhou Zhiruo replied, "Jing Zhao Shijie is seeking revenge against Xie Xun. What 'killing someone to shut his mouth'?" Waving her left hand she said, "There are countless disciples from prestigious upright sects in here who fail to distinguish the just from the evil, willingly associate themselves with unorthodox demonic sects. It's not worthwhile for Emei Pai to be involved with the murky water. Let's go."

The Emei Pai crowd responded together and stood up immediately. Two female disciples helped Jing Zhao. The lady in yellow did not stop them. Zhou Zhiruo led her fellow disciples going down the peak.

Zhang Wuji walked toward the lady in yellow. Cupping his fists, he said, "I have received many help from Jiejie; my gratitude is beyond words. I wish to know your illustrious name, so that Zhang Wuji can cherish it in his heart day and night."

Zhang Wuji took a step forward and said, "Jiejie, please stay."

Unexpectedly, the lady in yellow did not pay him any attention; she continued going down the peak.

"Yang Jiejie, Yang Jiejie!" the young Clan Leader of the Beggar Clan, Shi Hongshi called out.

From the waist of the hill came the lady in yellow's reply, "I am asking Zhang Jiaozhu's unreserved involvement in helping the Beggar Clan solving their important matters."

"Wuji accepts the order," Zhang Wuji replied in loud and clear voice.

"Many thanks, then!" the lady said. These three words 'duo xie le' came from a distant, since she had been far away, but her voice was still very clear. Zhang Wuji could not help but feel a sudden emptiness in his heart.

Kong Zhi went to Cheng Kun and sternly shouted, "Yuan Zhen, quickly tell your followers to release the Fangzhang. If there is any unexpected misfortune to the old Fangzhang, you will heap more sin to your head."

Forcing a smile, Cheng Kun said, "Since things have come this far, everybody will perish together. Even if I want to release Kong Wen He Shang [monk Kong Wen] now, I am afraid we are already too late. You are not blind, are you? Can't you see the blazing flame?"

Kong Zhi was taken aback, he turned his head to look down from the peak and saw black smoke and tongues of fire rising up from the Temple complex. Startled, he said, "The Damo Hall is on fire! Quickly put out the fire!"

The crowd of monks was thrown into confusion; they scrambled down the hill at once. Suddenly they saw from all around the Damo Hall columns of water like white dragons rose up and poured down on the blaze, suppressing the flame.

"Amituofo," Kong Zhi joined his palms and chanted the name of Buddha, "The ancient Shaolin Temple has once again escape disaster."

Not too long afterwards, two monks rushed up the peak to give their report, "Reporting to Shishu [martial (younger) uncle], the rebel followers of Yuan Zhen set fire to burn down the Damo Hall. Fortunately, for the sake of justice and loyalty, the heroes under the Hong Shui Flag of the Ming Cult have extinguished the raging fire."

Kong Zhi went toward Zhang Wuji, joined his palms and said, "The thousand years old ancient temple Shaolin is spared from the fire, all thanks to Zhang Jiaozhu's great kindness and virtue; one the old monk will never be able to repay even if my body is ground to powder."

Zhang Wuji returned the salute and answered modestly, "We only did what we ought to do; Da Shi need not be overly courteous."

Kong Zhi said, "Kong Wen Shixiong is being held prisoner in the Damo Hall by this traitor. Although the fire is out, I do not know Shixiong's safety yet. Zhang Jiaozhu and the other heroes please wait here for a moment, Laodi [lit. old younger brother – referring to self] must go and see."