Chapter - 537 Refusing to Acknowledge Zhang As Husband (14)

When Song Yuanqiao learned that his son was outside, his face paled; with a sword in his hand, he stormed outside. Zhang Wuji and the others were in quandary; they felt they must persuade him, yet they realized it was not their place to interfere. Left with no other choice, they went to the main hall in his wake. Zhang Sanfeng also followed them out.

"Where is that disobedient, rebelling animal?" Song Yuanqiao roared. His glance caught Song Qingshu, who was still lying down on the stretcher. Song Qingshu's head was covered in plain wrap cloth, even his eyes were covered. The sword in Song Yuanqiao's hand was aimed straight at Song Qingshu's body, but Song Yuanqiao's hand went weak and the sword did not continue piercing down. In that instant, he remembered the love between a father and his son, the loyalty among disciples of the same school; all sorts of feeling welled up in his heart. Turning the sword around, he stabbed it into his own lower abdomen.

Zhang Wuji hastily reached out to snatch the sword away, while urging, "Da Shibo [first martial (older) uncle], you must not do this. Let us leave it to Tai Shifu [grandmaster] to handle this matter properly."

Zhang Sanfeng sighed and said, "That our Wudang School has produced this kind of unfilial disciple, Yuanqiao, it is not the misfortune of you, one man, alone. It is better for us all not to have this kind of unfilial son!" His right hand waved and 'Bang!' it landed on Song Qingshu's chest. Song Qingshu's internal organs shattered and he stopped breathing instantly.

Song Yuanqiao kneeled down and sobbed, "Shifu, disciple was negligent in teaching disciple, resulting in Qi Di's [seventh (younger) brother] life lost in that animal's hands. How can disciple be worthy of you, Senior, and Qi Di?"

Zhang Sanfeng reached down to help him up, saying, "You do have some part in this transgression. Lianzhou will take over the Zhang Men disciple position from you starting today. You may devote your attention to study and refine the Taiji Fist technique. The day-to-day affair of Zhang Men, you do not need to manage anymore."

Song Yuanqiao bowed to thank him and receive the order. Yu Lianzhou tried to decline, but Zhang Sanfeng firmly refused to dismiss him, thereupon he had to accept the order.

Witnessing how Zhang Sanfeng executed Song Qingshu, removed Song Yuanqiao from his position, and thus managing his school with a firm hand, there was not anyone present who did not shiver with astonishment.

Zhang Sanfeng asked about the Great Assembly of Heroes and the rebel army's fight against the Yuan, he was very warm toward Zhang Wuji. Zhao Min kneeled and kowtowed in front of Zhang Sanfeng, asking forgiveness of her previous rudeness and offenses. Zhang Sanfeng laughed and said that he had never kept it in his heart. While it was true that Yu Daiyan's lifelong disability, Zhang Cuishan's lost of life, were related to her subordinate, Ah Da, Ah Er, and the others, Zhao Min had not even been born yet at that time, so when all is said and done, he could not put the blame on her.

When Zhang Sanfeng heard that she willingly forsook her father and brother to follow Zhang Wuji, he said, "Very good! Very good! A woman like you is hard to come by!"

After several days of good visit with Zhang Sanfeng and the others at the Wudang Mountain, Zhang Wuji proceeded toward Haozhou accompanied by Zhao Min. Along the way he repeatedly heard reports of their Cult's victories. He also heard that the rebel army had swarmed various places; Zhang Shicheng at Gusu and Fang Guozhen at Taizhou, for instance. Although they were not affiliated with the Ming Cult, they were friendly forces who fought the Yuan together. Zhang Wuji's heart was overjoyed; he continued riding with Zhao Min toward the east, envisioning that the days until country's [orig. 'he shan'] recovery were close. He only hoped that henceforth peace and security would reign over the world, the common people would enjoy a good and prosperous life. If that happened, then the hovering between live and dead, the undergoing of many sufferings in the past several years would not be in vain.

Zhang Wuji was not willing to create too much disturbance, so along the way he avoided meeting the Ming Cult rebel army's officers and generals. He simply observed them in secret and was pleased to find the rebel army's troops were following strict discipline; they did not harass the common people and everywhere he heard praises to Marshal Zhu Yuanzhang and Senior General Xu Da.

One day he arrived at the outskirts of Haozhou. Zhu Yuanzhang had heard about his arrival and sent Tang He and Deng Yu, two generals to lead troops waiting to welcome him and take him to the guesthouse. Tang He reported, "Marshal Zhu, along with Senior General Xu Da and General Chang are in the middle of urgent military intelligence meeting. They cannot contain their delight as they learned about Jiaozhu's arrival; only they are being bound by military affairs and are not able to welcome Jiaozhu personally. For this disrespectful offense, they are asking Jiaozhu's forgiveness."

Zhang Wuji laughed and said, "We are all brothers, why bother with all these empty talks about welcoming and sending off? Military intelligence matter is more important."

That evening, a large banquet was prepared in the guesthouse. Tang He and Deng Yu, two generals acted as hosts. After three rounds of wine, Zhu Yuanzhang, accompanied by his senior generals, hurriedly rushed in and bowed to the ground in front of the banquet table. Zhang Wuji hastily helped him up. Zhu Yuanzhang personally poured some wine and respectfully presented three cups of wine to Zhang Wuji. Zhang Wuji took the cups and dried them up in one gulp. Zhu Yuanzhang also presented some wine to honor Zhao Min, and Zhao Min drank it.

During the banquet, they talked about the military situation in various fronts. When talking about their achievements in besieging towns and seizing territories, Zhu Yuanzhang looked rather proud of himself. Zhang Wuji heaped him with praises.

While they were still taking, suddenly the Senior General Liao Yongzhong entered the reception hall in big strides. After paying his respects to their Cult Leader, he whispered in Zhu Yuanzhang's ear, "He is captured!"

"Very good!" Zhu Yuanzhang replied.

Suddenly, from outside the door someone was shouting loudly, "Injustice! Injustice!"

Zhang Wuji recognized the voice crying 'injustice' was Han Lin'er's. "Is that Han Xiongdi?" he was astonished, "What happened?"

Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Reporting to Jiaozhu: This traitor Han Lin'er is conspiring with the Tatars, he is scheming to topple our Cult by responding from the inside to their attack from outside."

Zhang Wuji was even more shocked, "Han Xiongdi is a very loyal and upright person, how can this happen? Take him in quickly, let me ask him personally …" His words were not finished when he suddenly felt dizzy; the sky became fuzzy and the earth blackened as he lost consciousness.

When he came around, he felt his limbs were bound with rough and heavy ropes. Looking around him, all he could see was darkness. His shock was not exactly 'mild'. Fortunately, he felt a soft body leaning against his chest. Turned out Zhao Min and he were bound together, only Zhao Min had not regained consciousness yet.

Upon thinking it over, Zhang Wuji realized that Zhu Yuanzhang was behind all this. Most likely he expected the Ming Cult to be successful in the future; then logically and rightfully, Zhang Wuji should become the new emperor. Therefore, he put an extremely strong drug in Zhang Wuji's wine with the intention of killing him secretly later.

Zhang Wuji circulated his 'chi' around once, and did not find anything unusual in his chest and abdomen; his strength was still intact. He sneered inwardly and thought, "So they think they can bind me with this rope? I don't think it's that easy. Right now Min Mei has not awakened yet; there's no hurry in leaving. As soon as it is dawn, I am going to expose his traitorous scheme in front of our Cult's people." Thereupon he rested quietly to regain his strength.