Chapter 275: A Bloody Case Triggered by a Dog Beating Stick
“In ancient times, a single peach killed two men. Today, the Crown Prince, with a single Beggars’ Sect token, the Dog Beating Stick, has caused the Beggars’ Sect and Manichaeism to clash fiercely. He can also sow discord within the Beggars’ Sect, leading them to fight amongst themselves. The Crown Prince’s schemes are unparalleled in the world.”
A moon with a missing corner hung in the sapphire blue sky. A large boat emerged from the misty waves of Dongting Lake. Tables, chairs, wine, and food were set on the bow, where Yang Kang, Ouyang Ke, Gongsun Zhi, and Helian Chuncheng were drinking and conversing.
In the past, Hong Qigong fell from Yueyang Tower, unconscious. The Dog Beating Stick was lost somewhere. Zhou Yan had no time to pay attention then, and the Beggars’ Sect leader’s token was later picked up by Helian Chuncheng.
Helian Chuncheng had seen Hong Qigong use the stick at Yueyang Tower to pick up a wine bowl for Ouyang Ke. He initially thought it was simply Hong Qigong’s weapon and gave the Dog Beating Stick to Yang Kang.
However, Qiu Qianren, the Gang Leader of the Iron Palm Sect, who often clashed with the Beggars’ Sect, recognized it. He spoke at length about the origin of the Dog Beating Stick and its significance.
Upon hearing this, Yang Kang weighed the matter repeatedly and conceived a plan.
The Dog Beating Stick is the Beggars’ Sect leader’s token. Hong Qigong is severely injured, and his survival is uncertain. If, as Huo Gong Toutuo said, his cultivation greatly declined after recovering due to meridian damage, the Beggars’ Sect would have nothing to fear.
The Iron Palm Sect could then control the Beggars’ Sect and make them submit.
However, Yang Kang still had reservations. He feared that Hong Qigong might recover, and not be as incapacitated as Huo Gong Toutuo claimed. A direct conflict between the Iron Palm Sect and the Beggars’ Sect would result in heavy losses.
As Yang Kang calculated, the Iron Palm Sect should first subdue the various martial arts sects in Jiangnan, then watch the tigers fight. Once Manichaeism and the White Lotus Sect were exhausted from their conflict, Qiu Qianren would clean up the mess, and only then would he deal with the Beggars’ Sect, which had over a hundred thousand disciples. In this way, the entire Jiangnan martial world would be under his control.
This Jianghu force could then assist Father Emperor in resisting Mongolia and also support the capture of Lin’an.
Yang Kang’s actions were thorough, and his analysis of internal and external factors led to the “borrowing the stick to kill” and “borrowing the stick for internal strife” strategy, a plan to kill two birds with one stone.
He would give the Dog Beating Stick to Manichaeism and then spread rumors.
The Elders and disciples of the Beggars’ Sect would surely swarm out to seize the Dog Beating Stick.
A conflict would erupt between the sect and the cult.
When the Beggars’ Sect disciples recovered the Dog Beating Stick, they would face the issue of who would wield it to lead the sect. Yang Kang, having already obtained the position of Crown Prince through schemes, had a profound understanding of power. He also learned from Qiu Qianren that the Beggars’ Sect had always had internal strife between the Dirty Clothes Faction and the Clean Clothes Faction. The Dog Beating Stick would inevitably cause disunity within the Beggars’ Sect, leading to infighting.
A perfect plan.
The rest was simple: create a coincidence, let a Manichaeism disciple obtain the Dog Beating Stick, and then leak the news to the Beggars’ Sect.
This led to the scene in Yuezhou City where Elder Peng and Elder Liang were discussing the interests of the Clean Clothes Faction when a Beggars’ Sect disciple delivered the news. Of course, similar messages would be sent to other Elders of the Beggars’ Sect.
Yang Kang would simply watch the show.
Ouyang Ke praised him, and Yang Kang smiled, “Brother Ouyang, you flatter me. If Senior Ouyang hadn’t intervened, this plan wouldn’t have been possible.”
“That’s true,” Ouyang Ke nodded.
“I’ll toast you, Brother Ouyang.” Yang Kang poured wine and raised his cup, saying, “Master Ouyang, don’t be too disheartened by Huang Yaoshi’s refusal of your marriage proposal. When you first saw the woman from the Ancient Tomb, you were stunned by her beauty. You certainly wouldn’t have imagined meeting someone like Huang Rong later. So, life has many unpredictable events. You’ll likely meet women far more beautiful than Huang Rong, and then you can win them over.”
Ouyang Ke laughed heartily, “With the Crown Prince saying so, I feel much better.”
The two clinked their cups and drank them dry.
Gongsun Zhi felt a mix of emotions.
Ouyang Ke truly didn’t know what he had. The beautiful concubines around him were all as stunning as ‘Sink Fish and Fall Geese,’ far from comparable to Qiu Qianchi.
As he thought this, he suddenly felt a shock. Why was he comparing Qiu Qianchi to Ouyang Ke’s beautiful concubines?
Yang Kang suddenly said again, “Valley Master Gongsun, don’t worry. The less news you have of Miss Qiu, the closer you are to finding her.”
“The Crown Prince speaks wisely,” Helian Chuncheng said.
Gongsun Zhi quickly said, “Thank you, Crown Prince.”
“If we really can’t find Miss Qiu, I’ll have someone abduct a few beautiful women for you as concubines,” Ouyang Ke said with a smile.
“How can that be allowed?” Gongsun Zhi said hastily.
Yang Kang observed this and smiled slightly, thinking that if these words were said to Guo Jing, he would surely roar in anger. Gongsun Zhi’s resolve was not firm; such a person was best manipulated.
Guo Jing also had weaknesses; he was loyal and righteous, not difficult to deal with.
Then Yang Kang thought of Zhou Yan.
Not only was his martial arts exceptional, but he had also severed ties with Fu’an, and had unclear relationships with Hong Qigong, the Quanzhen Sect, Peach Blossom Island, Shaolin Temple, and Zhang Sanqiang.
Zhou Yan was the most difficult to deal with.
How could he be killed? Yang Kang sighed inwardly.
…
Yuezhou City was bustling with lights, while the desolate mountains and fields tens of miles away were uninhabited.
Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the trees, casting a hazy and dim glow. A brighter light emanated from a Mountain God Temple.
More than ten Manichaeism disciples sat around. These disciples had suffered injuries of varying degrees in their clashes with the White Lotus Sect, so the atmosphere was somewhat somber.
A disciple with the rank of leader sat cross-legged, a jade green bamboo rod resting on his knees. The sound of rice porridge boiling could be heard from the pot in front of him.
“If the Iron Palm Sect hadn’t suddenly attacked, we wouldn’t have been outmatched by the White Lotus Sect in Yuezhou,” one disciple said indignantly.
“Once we recuperate, we’ll make a comeback,” said the leader, carrying a jade green bamboo staff.
“Good, as long as the green hills remain, there will be firewood to burn,” the disciples cheered in unison.
The wind blew in from the forest outside, slightly fanning the flames. The leader’s expression suddenly stiffened, and he tilted his head to listen. Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded, and the night wind whistled through the trees.
“Not good, someone’s coming,” the leader said. As he spoke, a saber’s light, almost accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder, struck from outside the temple gate like lightning. Astonishing blood bloomed like exploding fireworks the moment the charging figure came into contact with the Manichaeism disciples at the entrance.
“Ah!”
“It’s the Beggars’ Sect.”
“The Beggars’ Sect and the White Lotus Sect are in league.”
Shouts and the clash of weapons intertwined. The flames in the center of the ruined temple flickered and spun violently, fanned by the commotion. Some Manichaeism disciples rushed out of the Mountain God Temple, only to engage in fierce combat with the surrounding Beggars’ Sect disciples.
The man who first charged into the ruined temple was plump and fair-skinned. He was Elder Peng from Yuezhou City, who had received the information about the Dog Beating Stick. His saberplay was fierce, and he wielded his swift saber with all his might, his attacks like surging tides, wave after wave. In less than ten moves, the Manichaeism leader’s hands were severed, and the jade green bamboo rod fell to the ground. Elder Peng stepped forward and severed the Manichaeism leader’s neck with a single saber strike.
Some Beggars’ Sect disciples who rushed in afterward happily picked up the jade green bamboo staff.
“Elder Liang, I found…”
Saber light like streaks of light bloomed within the Beggars’ Sect disciples’ vision. Elder Peng split open the chest of one of them and kicked the corpse into the fire with a flying kick.
He picked up the jade green bamboo staff, a look of greed on his face.
With the Dog Beating Stick, the leader’s token, in hand, even without knowing the Dog Beating Stick Method, he had gained a significant advantage in the struggle for leadership.
…
The moon passed the west window, and it was midnight.
Zhou Yan and Hong Qigong’s day and night cultivation was nearing completion. A warm surge of internal energy followed Zhou Yan’s breathing exercises, circulating to the weilü, then rising from the weilü to the kidney gate, through the jiaji and dual gates to the tianzhu and yuzhen, and finally ascending to the niwan palace at the crown of the head.
Zhou Yan pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth. This surge of internal energy then descended along the front, from the shenting down to the queqiao and chonglou, finally slowly descending to the dantian. Although he was assisting Hong Qigong in healing, the wonder of this cultivation technique in the true scripture was that upon completion, both parties benefited. Zhou Yan gained at least a month’s worth of internal force from his diligent cultivation.
Looking at Hong Qigong, his complexion was ruddy, a sign of great success.
Before Zhou Yan could rejoice, hurried footsteps sounded, mixed with the angry voice of Hundred Herbs Immortal: “Yuan Foshou, if you detoxify my old friend, I will tell you the Hundred Medicines Sect’s cultivation technique manual and alchemy secrets.”
Zhou Yan’s heart sank. Yanbo Diaosou was poisoned? The Immortal was captured.
A sinister smile filled with mockery rang out, “Haha, now you are the fish and I am the knife. You are at my mercy. You have the right to make demands. Your plan to lure me away from the valley is clever. There must be a hidden mystery here, search thoroughly.”
Footsteps scattered in all directions. In just a moment, someone reached the bamboo hut. The Manichaeism disciple saw the corpses lying on the ground from outside and shouted, “Dead people!”
The sound of rustling clothes swept in from afar. Yuan Foshou, the Cult Leader of the Five Venoms Sect, appeared at the entrance of the bamboo hut. In the moonlight, he saw the five disciples lying on the ground and Zhou Yan and Hong Qigong, hands clasped, circulating energy to heal.
Yuan Foshou observed for a moment and understood the general situation. “You used a diversion to lure the tiger away from its mountain, all for these two?”
Hundred Herbs Immortal calculated the time. It wouldn’t be long until the seven-day completion. He thought he could stall for time.
“Do you know who they are?”
Yuan Foshou smiled sinisterly, “I only know that with a flick of my finger, they will die.”
As he said this, he was about to step into the hut.
Hundred Herbs Immortal quickly said:
“It’s the Beggars’ Sect Leader Hong!”
Yuan Foshou’s raised foot froze in mid-air.
