Chapter IV: Meeting of the Orthodox Sects on Mt. Kunlun2050Please respect copyright.PENANAyoBXuPLbxA
The sun shines brightly on the clear blue morning sky on Mt. Kunlun. On the Great Hall of the Kunlun School, the Chiefs of Kunlun, Huashan, Wudang, Emei, Kongtong and Qingcheng Sects, as well as the Abbot of Shaolin, meet in order to discuss about how to deal with Lung Chang. All Chiefs are served tea while servants of the Kunlun School fan them with white folding fans. Piao Zhen, Chief of Kunlun Sect, sits on a simple wooden chair on the center of the Hall, in contrast with the other Chiefs who sit on lavishly decorated with gold chairs. All Chiefs, except for Priest Yue Li, Chief of Wudang Sect, and Abbot Yongyu of Shaolin, who wear their religious clothes, wear lavish gowns made of silk. Only Piao Zhen wears a simple black gown.2050Please respect copyright.PENANAuid7WSQFlV
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAETMILXVnXx
Piao Zhen smiles and sips his tea. He then says: "Honorable Chiefs of the Orthodox Martial Arts Sects, I welcome all of you to Mt. Kunlun and hope that this meeting shall solve the recent troubles of the Martial Arts World."2050Please respect copyright.PENANA1O9mBb555A
2050Please respect copyright.PENANADKmmBilvo4
All Chiefs respectfully greet Piao Zhen and thank him for hosting the meeting, except for the Chief of Qingcheng Sect, the elderly Pan Tong, who just sighs. Because Piao Zhen is a relative young Chief, only in his late twenties, Pan Tong, who is in his early eighties, does not respect him much. Piao Zhen ignores Pan Tong's rudeness and continues his speech.2050Please respect copyright.PENANAZ8MkMmUpim
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAQcHHdYwz8n
"Honorable Chiefs, although I am the youngest of all of you and the Kunlun Sect is not nearly as populous or powerful as your Sects, I took the initiative to host a meeting of the Orthodox Sects on Mt. Kunlun because the one who massacred the Guan and Jia families in Kaifeng was once a student of our school."2050Please respect copyright.PENANAbWRzCILFXG
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAUb394RdJ7R
"At least you know your place!", Pan Tong shouts loudly. Piao Zhen, however, manages to stay calm and ignores him. He is not nicknamed 'Gentleman Swordsman' for nothing.2050Please respect copyright.PENANAKpRh89pBcH
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAcx10y3L8S4
"I do not believe Lung Chang committed those massacres.", Priest Yue Li says. "I met him on Mt. Dragon and he proved to be a real gentleman and a chivalrous hero. Also, if he did commit the murders, why did he wrote his name on the Mansions of the Guan and Jia families?"2050Please respect copyright.PENANAQvyup6mDRk
2050Please respect copyright.PENANA15gQboC4Qx
"Indeed.", adds Abbot Yongyu of Shaolin, an old man with long white beard, long eyebrows and prayer beads around his neck. "Only a lunatic would do that."2050Please respect copyright.PENANAeCRFMQcMJg
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAnx396W7TyA
"But he is a lunatic.", replies Abbess Meijoui of Emei Sect, an old woman with long grey hair and wearing a grey Taoist robe. Abbess Meijoui is well known for her great martial arts and swordsmanship skills, as well as for her strict moral code. "His killing of Wu Jing last year was witnessed by many people. Also, it is well known that he is very proud. That's why he massacred Master Wu Kang and his entire family after being forced to apologize to them by his Master, the late Master Song Yan. He then murdered his own teacher and the proof for this is that Master Song Yan's last words were Lung Chang's name. He is an erratic man who enjoys gaining fame by massacring people. That's why he paints his name on the walls of the Mansions' of his victims."2050Please respect copyright.PENANAym9mFHTzSN
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAYxevPVVkoi
The rest of the Chiefs applaud Abbess Meijoui and Yue Li and Abbot Yongyu realize that they cannot do anything to help Lung Chang. Although the evidence that Lung Chang's enemies have could not really be called and the most strong, there are nevertheless evidence, while Yue Li and Abbot Yongyu have no evidence of Lung Chang's innocence at all. And since they do not have any evidence, they have to accept the official position of the Orthodox Sects, that Lung Chang is a lunatic murderer.2050Please respect copyright.PENANAwzv3cMODEq
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAbQphZzRwjX
Piao Zhen continues his speech: "Those massacres, and our inability to prevent them, show that there is something wrong with what we are doing. Lung Chang is only one person, but through so many centuries countless such evil people or even whole Sects appear that cause uproar in the Martial Arts World and do not allow peace and justice to exist. Killing Lung Chang could stop the problem for now, but sooner or later an other evil man or organization shall shake the Martial Arts World. The only way to stop this is for all Orthodox Martial Arts Sects to unite."2050Please respect copyright.PENANAoWjezLxMAj
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAxXEeBm37RE
"Indeed!", Abbess Meijoui agrees. "We should unite in order to stop evil from spreading. Lung Chang is just the problem of those years. A few years later, someone else will appear and cause an uproar. If we unite, however, no evil men shall cause trouble in the Martial Arts World and even if they dare to, we shall be able to respond quickly and with overwhelming force."2050Please respect copyright.PENANA3r3Qki5OJd
2050Please respect copyright.PENANACNVrjeMRDQ
"I agree!", Pan Tong states. Although he disregards Piao Zhen, he knows that what he said was logical. He also has the ambition of him becoming leader of the new Alliance. "United we are strong, divided we are weak! One arrow can easily be smashed. But many arrows together are impossible to be smashed."2050Please respect copyright.PENANAcVoHzzDgGx
2050Please respect copyright.PENANA2e86xqdXs8
Soon, all other Chiefs express their agreement, except for Yue Li and Abbot Yongyu, who do not like the idea of all Orthodox Martial Arts Sects being united under one man. So, when Piao Zhen asks Priest Yue Li for his opinion, he replies: "Our Sects have each a history of hundreds of years. Each Sect has it's own traditions and rules, so how can we possibly merge them and forget our traditions? And how can we trust one man to become leader of the entire Martial Arts World? I strongly disagree!"2050Please respect copyright.PENANAeCc0f4Lonj
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAiJbIdsZoTU
"Since Priest Yue Li disagreed, I, Abbot Yongyu of Shaolin, because of the long standing friendship between Shaolin and Wudang, cannot agree."2050Please respect copyright.PENANAT1QLJJj29s
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAIjK3iq57aL
"Very well.", Piao Zhen replies. "However, I would like to ask all Chiefs to stay here in Mt. Kunlun, so we can meet five days later. Merging the Orthodox Sects is an important issue which cannot be decided in just a few minutes. So, in those days, everyone please think about and make a wise decision."2050Please respect copyright.PENANAElwYcCvoyB
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAMihUn21pfu
Many hours later, in the night, Priest Yue Li argues in his room with his brother in arms, Zhang Yude. Although Zhang Yude is a senior of Yue Li, their teacher made Yue Li instead of him Chief of Wudang and this makes Zhang Yude very jealous. However, this is not the reason why they are arguing. The reason is that Zhang Yude is a firm believer of Piao Zhen's proposition and wants the Orthodox Sects to unite.2050Please respect copyright.PENANAKdmteoPwxZ
2050Please respect copyright.PENANA0kBLhIfxaO
"Chief!", Zhang shouts, "You should agree to Piao Zhen's proposal. For centuries, the reason the Orthodox Sects have been unable to prevent evil men from doing harm is their disunity. This is a chance to unite and achieve ever lasting peace in the Martial Arts World. How can you refuse it?!"2050Please respect copyright.PENANAtTeARddH6G
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAReA7Naz0hA
"Brother Yude, each Sect has a history of hundreds of years. Each Sect has it's own traditions and laws. I am not against closer cooperation between the Orthodox Sects, but we cannot just merge all Sects."2050Please respect copyright.PENANALZg3onxHA1
2050Please respect copyright.PENANA7Imh0yNs7s
"In my opinion, you are only interested in keeping your position as Chief!"2050Please respect copyright.PENANAXAayqC0KOX
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAzel1IQ8gP6
Zhang Yude storms out of the room. He then walks alone on a cliff on Mt. Kunlun and gazes at the bright moon. The moon and the stars on the night sky remind him certain lyrics of Cao Cao's 'Short Song Style' poem:2050Please respect copyright.PENANA2HmmGV0XdE
2050Please respect copyright.PENANA7jk2unk2aM
"Bright is the moon's spark, when can I pick it apart?" and "Stars around the moons are few, southward the crows flew."2050Please respect copyright.PENANAxcYH6LO4C1
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAwAMDP256DE
He sighs as he remembers the day when his teacher gave the 'Seal of Command' to Yue Li instead of him. "Yue Li was my junior, but he became leader of the Sect! It is so unfair. Teacher was biased and a fool.", Zhang Yude thinks. Anger, jealously and hatred flare up within Zhang Yude all at once. "Instead of giving to me the 'Seal of Command', he gave it to that idiot! And now, this stupid and muddle-headed idiot gets on the way of bringing peace to the Martial Arts World! Thanks to his persistence in maintaining his position as Chief, the Orthodox Sects shall never be united!"2050Please respect copyright.PENANAf2g13gotXk
2050Please respect copyright.PENANA7VGhJRCMRo
All the anger and jealously of Zhang Yude comes spilling out. He pulls out his sword, a long, elegant and thin blade, roars and practices the 'Divine Gate Thirteen Swords (神門十三劍)' swordplay with immense fury and hatred.2050Please respect copyright.PENANAx2CBQdZGWs
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAK3FXON5gcx
Suddenly, he hears the sound of steps. He turns round and sees an old man, who has long white hair and beard, and wears a brown gown. Zhang Yude had not seen him before on the Mt. and he does not look like a Kunlun student, so who could he be?2050Please respect copyright.PENANAHDo3MSe0HJ
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAavCr3DYyPG
"Who are you?", he politely asks the old man.2050Please respect copyright.PENANAFYA9ioZWiw
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAd0yYqxv6ba
The man just laughs for a few second and then replies: "I am an elder of Wudang Sect."2050Please respect copyright.PENANAcF7u4QSI2V
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAn8Ghx5HObZ
"That's impossible! I've never seen you and neither teacher nor any other elder of Wudang ever mentioned anything about you."2050Please respect copyright.PENANAIu8rs2jDoU
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAUxTQp7Vh3V
"Ai-ya! So, they forgot about me so quickly?". The old man remains silent for a few seconds before speaking again: "Your teacher must have told you of a man called Sun Shiyi, right?"2050Please respect copyright.PENANAfJNCMGMhox
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAZewsyLqNc2
"Eee......yes, I remember teacher mentioning that man once. He said that Sun Shiyi was his brother in arms. He fell in love with a young and very beautiful woman and she liked him too. But because the woman was the daughter of a high ranking Official and she was very beautiful, she became a concubine of the Taichang Emperor, father of the current Emperor, Emperor Chongzhen. Sun Shiyi went crazy when he learned this and no one knows what happened to him."2050Please respect copyright.PENANALehZxRGkR9
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAAo9akHIUne
"Good. It seems that my brother in arms had not forgotten about me."2050Please respect copyright.PENANAcFNUcC5QG0
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAZCCilLRbsO
Zhang Yude laughs. "Do you expect me to believe that you are Sun Shiyi?"2050Please respect copyright.PENANAHAxicVHXAk
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAYUw0XqINIB
"Let us have a fight and I will prove to you that I really am Sun Shiyi!"2050Please respect copyright.PENANAP1RvRK233Q
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAMMDg288AzZ
"I accept your challenge!"2050Please respect copyright.PENANAXEi2R7Aj5p
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAYzlrsyFKPq
The old man pulls out a narrow, double-edged Jian Sword with a thin blade and a tassel attached to the pommel. He sweeps his sword across with almost superhuman speed. Zhang Yude ducks down to avoid it, then counters with a thrust from his sword. The two fight round and round. Zhang Yude, seeing that his opponent's swordsmanship is even greater than that of his own master and knowing that he will never be able to defeat him, concentrates instead on trying to tire the old man out. But his Internal Energy is profound and, as time passes, Zhang Yude cannot discern the slightest slowing of the old man's actions. Instead, his sword seems to whirl and dance with ever increasing speed. Finally, the old man's sword clashes with Zhang Yude's sword, a 'clang' is heard and Zhang Yude's sword snaps clean in two.2050Please respect copyright.PENANAnjgEOgf547
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAmjFvKWJMvP
"Now, do you believe me?", the old man asks.2050Please respect copyright.PENANA2prBAelD4x
2050Please respect copyright.PENANADVviLZh4Ug
Zhang Yude bows before him and says: "Greetings Elder Sun! Forgive me for my rudeness."2050Please respect copyright.PENANAMN3xnKOO6D
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAQ16Z3PXzmO
"My brother in arms was muddle-headed."2050Please respect copyright.PENANAtB9EiOmz2f
2050Please respect copyright.PENANArnX3cR4LLZ
"Why do you say so?"2050Please respect copyright.PENANAc7qqM1H0M4
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAhlJ5LZOt5P
"Because instead of making Chief of Wudang a great and able man like you, he gave the 'Seal of Command' to that idiot Yue Li."2050Please respect copyright.PENANAb2yecRH3xU
2050Please respect copyright.PENANA2E9YjE0ma2
Zhang Yude cannot hide his happiness upon hearing those words. Maybe Elder Sun can help him become Chief, he thinks.2050Please respect copyright.PENANA3pPWix4Zrj
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAWQi36xhgBP
"Elder Sun, I need your help. Yue Li refuses to accept the merge of all Orthodox Sects and this will prevent the Martial Arts World from having peace and stability. Also, evil people like Lung Chang will be able to continue their massacres. Please, change his mind."2050Please respect copyright.PENANAj1WlolYTOD
2050Please respect copyright.PENANA2gOnAuq8Tk
"You are right. But Yue Li will never listen to anyone. There is only one way to make sure that the Orthodox Sects merge."2050Please respect copyright.PENANA0Pt7hFZ7d5
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAXvwYnVeVhj
"What is it?"2050Please respect copyright.PENANAgLUVa5PC5D
2050Please respect copyright.PENANALmxU8TSUIr
"To kill Yue Li!"2050Please respect copyright.PENANAwkQFfJrPxW
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAOpLD8smlBL
"Kill....kill....kill Yue Li?"2050Please respect copyright.PENANAT4Oq2VBjyJ
2050Please respect copyright.PENANA39HWU2hu4z
"It is the only way to make sure that the Martial Arts World has peace."2050Please respect copyright.PENANA9i2TJP7p77
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAlP2ukMA484
"But....how should I kill him? My skills are not good enough."2050Please respect copyright.PENANA4UwifYjMba
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAMYpXPypQej
"Take this."2050Please respect copyright.PENANAAMhT5NDVpH
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAr5BkqJjW5P
Sun Shiyi gives Zhang Yude a red pill and a jar of wine.2050Please respect copyright.PENANAXr4JKY50WR
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAZ6GnE21O93
"I...will poison him?"2050Please respect copyright.PENANANb7ZedrPES
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAL4LVRcARKe
"Yes. Before you go and see Yue Li, swallow the red pill. This will make sure that the poison will not affect you."2050Please respect copyright.PENANAcVQAQLtXX9
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAlx740b5zK7
"Thanks for your help, Elder."2050Please respect copyright.PENANALIzGh76kf4
2050Please respect copyright.PENANADvYkuElLcl
Zhang Yude swallows the pill and runs back to the Kunlun School. He knocks the door of Yue Li's room. Yue Li opens the door and warmly says: "Brother Yude, come inside."2050Please respect copyright.PENANA8dxclTR74o
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAgd0aYyn45e
When Zhang Yude enters the room, he bows before Yue Li and, with tears in his eyes, shouts: "I have unjustly insulted you! Chief, please punish me!!"2050Please respect copyright.PENANAKEYtHGXCN8
2050Please respect copyright.PENANADjMuwqb2m9
Yue Li, smiling, helps Zhang Yude gets up and says "Since you know your mistake, there is no need for me to punish you."2050Please respect copyright.PENANAOF9hCT1ALS
2050Please respect copyright.PENANA4AR41qQDgC
"Chief, I have bought some wine. Would you like to taste it?"2050Please respect copyright.PENANADU9y947nHR
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAK39ht9AiKd
Zhang Yude takes a large gulp from the jar with the wine and remarks "Excellent wine!"2050Please respect copyright.PENANAORIuBgIZT8
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAEQpg9LO4YZ
Yue Li, who likes good wine, takes the jar from Zhang Yude's hands and drinks it.2050Please respect copyright.PENANAL3vOtetv1d
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAIAU7zey9x3
"Quite good wine indeed!", he says. He had more than a week to drink wine.2050Please respect copyright.PENANA9VTCVDKBmZ
2050Please respect copyright.PENANALzZ6cm2LFy
Suddenly, Yue Li feels a pain on his stomach and vomits blood. As Yue Li shouts in pain, Zhang Yude pulls out a dagger and stabs thrice Yue Li's chest before Yue Li kicks him on the stomach. Yue Li tries to grab his sword but, as he is dizzy, he he is not able to do so. Instead, he moves left and right and cannot stand on his feet. Zhang Yude, fearing that his assassination attempt will fail and that he will surely die, attacks again, this time with immense hatred and stabs more than twenty times Yue Li's stomach to make sure that he is dead. He then calms down and realizes that his arch-enemy is finally dead and laughs hysterically.2050Please respect copyright.PENANAmW0fkmp4kG
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAExsG69p9Vz
As he is laughing, he realizes something that makes him desperate again: the other students of Wudang will inquire how Yue Li died. Even without close examination, just by looking at Yue Li's body, one can come to the concussion that he got stabbed to death. And of course, sooner or later, Zhang Yude will be suspected. So, he must find a way to prevent this. He thinks for a few seconds, and then an idea comes: he will throw one of the candles of the room onto the floor, starting a fire. Everyone will think that the fire was started by an accident and that Yue Li did not manage to get out in time and got burned alive. So, he lights a candle and throws it on the wooden floor of the room. Zhang Yude runs out and soon the flames engulf much of the Western Section of the Kunlun School. Only after two hours are the pugilists of the Orthodox Sects able to put down the fire. In total, twenty people were burned to death.2050Please respect copyright.PENANAMhRloWMffp
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAMyybTEWd3i
The next day, the Wudang students find the burned body of their Chief, which is barely recognizable, and they bury him. They then elect Zhang Yude as the new Chief of Wudang. Four days later, the Chiefs of the Orthodox Sects meet again on the Great Hall of the Kunlun School.2050Please respect copyright.PENANA4eqjeaxuNf
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAzKfgUQma40
"Honorable Chiefs!", Piao Zhen says. "I hope that in those five days you had, you have thought about my proposal. So, do you agree to the merger?"2050Please respect copyright.PENANAHc1Mj1WqNx
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAvfVUyCYabz
"I agree!", Zhang Yude shouts.2050Please respect copyright.PENANAeBNj6o5VQX
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAOml0ZMSmMm
"Me too!", Abbess Meijoui of Emei Sect adds.2050Please respect copyright.PENANAqySdJafBFR
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAimxfpYppWc
"I also agree.", Abbot Yongyu says, sighing. He knows that it is of no use to try and oppose alone the merger.2050Please respect copyright.PENANADMMU3qIRCP
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAgVtzvfkpkY
All other Chiefs follow suit. Piao Zhen cannot hide how relieved he is that everyone agreed. "So, how shall we choose the leader of the Alliance?", he asks. "I say that we hold a Martial Arts Tournament in four months and the victor shall become leader of the Orthodox Sects. Also, I propose that we hold the tournament on Shaolin, if Abbot Yongyu agrees, as all Martial Arts originate from Shaolin."2050Please respect copyright.PENANAUTsrH6uVCZ
2050Please respect copyright.PENANA655vq8pI4U
"It will be my honor to host such an event.", Abbot Yongyu replies.2050Please respect copyright.PENANAde18SClOMK
2050Please respect copyright.PENANAyvBSn3OiOo
The other Chiefs agree to Piao Zhen's proposal. So, the meeting of the Orthodox Martial Arts Sects on Mt. Kunlun ends with a historic decision: for the first time in the history of the Martial Arts World, all Orthodox Sects shall merge. The same night, Sun Shiyi gallops away from Mt. Kunlun with his strong and tall white horse. "My dear Shunu, I will take revenge for you!", he thinks. "That bastard Taichang Emperor snatched you away from me. He made you his concubine and forced you to sleep with him and give him a son, the current Emperor Chongzhen. But your heart remained loyal to me. So, he had you executed. But now, I shall take revenge for you. Although Taichang died before I could take revenge, I shall avenge you by bringing down the Ming Empire. In four months, the Martial Arts World will come under Manchu control. And then, the Manchu Armies shall conquer the Ming Empire and I will have avenged you!!"2050Please respect copyright.PENANAWPTuTrvmEh


