Chapter 48: Trading Lives
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After exchanging formal courtesies, Xing Chi gestured for Yong Jie to follow. With Li Miao supporting him, he slowly made his way to the center of the square.
“The second matter concerns a debt I owe. Before all of you, I intend to repay it in full.”
His words left everyone stunned.
Xing Chi was held in the highest esteem, and his life had been without blemish. When had he ever been indebted to anyone?
Could it be that he had secretly committed some misdeed and wished to confess it before his death?
As everyone’s thoughts descended into confusion, Sect Leader Xiao hurriedly spoke.
“Master Xing Chi, once a man dies, his debts die with him. The entire martial world recognizes your virtue. When have you ever been indebted to anyone?”
He was warning Xing Chi not to continue.
Whatever he had done, he should leave it unsaid.
Xing Chi merely smiled, unconcerned.
“When I introduced this worthless disciple of mine earlier, I had not yet finished.”
“Yong Jie, step forward.”
“Yes, Master.”
Yong Jie lowered his head and walked before Xing Chi, then dropped heavily to his knees. He removed his robe, exposing his back.
“Bring me a cane.”
A Shaolin disciple fetched a rattan cane and placed it in Xing Chi’s hand.
“This worthless disciple of mine entered the monastic life halfway through his life. Before that, he was somewhat renowned in the martial world.”
“Before becoming a monk, he was the master of Righteous Gathering Manor—the Heaven-Supporting Pillar, Tu Qingcang.”
“What?!”
“Who?!”
“It’s him?!”
The crowd erupted in astonishment.
“No wonder he looked familiar. Now that you mention it, I’ve seen him before!” one man blurted out.
Before entering the monastery, Yong Jie had been known throughout the regions of the Lakes and Guangxi. There was scarcely a person who had not heard of him.
He had made his name fifteen years ago, earned a reputation for chivalry twelve years ago, become notorious ten years ago, and vanished without a trace nine years ago, leaving his fate unknown.
From the moment he entered the martial world until his disappearance, only six years had passed. Yet during that time, he had become the most talked-about figure in the martial circles of the Lakes and Guangxi in recent years.
In his first and second years, newly arrived in the martial world, he defeated numerous experts and quickly became unrivaled in fame.
In his third year, he founded Righteous Gathering Manor and gathered heroes from across the realm.
In his fourth and fifth years, he championed justice, his martial arts reached the pinnacle, and everyone praised him.
In his sixth year, however, his conduct suddenly became utterly unscrupulous. He began gathering treasures from every corner of the martial world, showing no regard for its rules or for old friendships. Relying on force to impose his will, he eventually became infamous.
Then he vanished without warning, and Righteous Gathering Manor fell into ruin.
The Seven Devils of Mount Mei had once belonged to Righteous Gathering Manor. After scattering into the martial world, they gradually descended into demonic ways.
The people Yong Jie had gathered in those days had been wandering martial artists of every sort, both good and bad. After he disappeared, many found it difficult to return from luxury to poverty and began committing evil deeds. Xing Chi personally killed quite a number of them.
It was precisely because of Yong Jie’s conduct during his final year that, upon seeing him, the Seven Devils of Mount Mei assumed he intended to enter Shaolin and seize its treasures.
Sect Leader Xiao frowned and scrutinized Yong Jie from head to toe.
He did not care about Yong Jie’s past; they had never crossed paths before. What concerned him was whether passing the mantle to such a controversial figure would tarnish Xing Chi’s reputation after death.
Sure enough, someone spoke.
“Master Xing Chi, are you intending to pass the mantle today to this… Master Yong Jie?”
“Would that not be somewhat inappropriate?”
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“Yes, yes. Before becoming a monk, Master Yong Jie behaved rather outrageously. Can he truly bear the inheritance of Shaolin?”
Xing Chi smiled but said nothing.
Then, without warning, he raised his hand and brought the cane down.
Crack!
The rattan struck Yong Jie’s back, instantly opening a wound like a baby’s mouth.
Blood poured forth.
Yong Jie had dispersed all his vital energy. Even the natural circulation of his inner power had come to a halt. His meridians were empty, leaving him to endure the blows with flesh and bone alone.
His face paled. He clenched his teeth but made no sound.
“Today, I intend to repay his debt on his behalf.”
Ignoring the crowd’s protests, Xing Chi continued to strike Yong Jie with the cane.
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
In moments, the flesh of Yong Jie’s back had been beaten into a bloody pulp. Each swing of the cane sent scraps of flesh spraying across the ground.
Yong Jie still uttered not a sound.
Blood had soaked through his lower garments and slowly seeped along the cracks between the stone slabs.
At last, Xing Chi stopped.
It was not that he wished to stop. Rather, with his own condition, he feared that another blow would kill him even faster than it killed Yong Jie. Li Miao sighed and pressed a palm against Xing Chi’s chest.
Xing Chi shuddered. His spirits immediately improved, as though he had regained the bearing of his former self.
“Master, you have half an hour left.”
“You’re a dying man. Instead of lying down and giving your final words, you keep exhausting yourself. You’re staking both your reputation and your life. I truly don’t know what you hope to gain.”
Li Miao spoke softly.
Xing Chi did not answer. He merely inclined his head in thanks.
Then he turned toward the crowd and spoke in a clear voice.
“Before entering the monastery, this worthless disciple of mine was exceedingly wild and committed many wrongs.”
“But the inheritance of Shaolin must ultimately be entrusted to him. Today, however, I cannot allow him to repay his debt with his life.”
Xing Chi smiled sheepishly, revealing his completely toothless gums.
“So I shall have the shamelessness to ask all of you for one small favor.”
“Let his life remain in Shaolin’s keeping for a few more years.”
“I shall repay part of his debt first, and let that stand as compensation to you all.”
Sect Leader Xiao had been quietly listening from the north. At those words, he suddenly came to himself, his face turning deathly pale.
“This is bad!”
He frantically urged his inner power, exerting himself so violently that his meridians nearly tore apart. He stamped against the ground and charged toward Xing Chi.
“Master! You mustn’t!”
“No!”
In an instant, four or five people rushed into the square, shouting in alarm, their faces twisted with desperation.
They knew all too well what Xing Chi intended to do.
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Because this was exactly how Xing Chi had repaid their debts for them all those years ago.
Xing Chi was already nearing the end of his strength. His movements were slow. It seemed there was still time to stop him.
Li Miao, supporting Xing Chi at his side, swept his gaze over the men and spoke calmly.
“This is the master’s own choice. The rest of you should not interfere.”
With that, he raised his hand and flicked it outward.
“Mountain-Splitting Sea-Turning!”
A vast surge of inner power burst forth like a tidal wave and struck the men charging into the square.
“Ah!”
“What—?!”
They had no power to resist. Li Miao’s palm swept them away, sending them tumbling through the air several times before they landed and staggered backward with a series of heavy steps, finally managing to regain their footing.
Sect Leader Xiao lowered his head and was rendered speechless.
He was standing exactly where he had been before he charged forward.
The others discovered the same thing and were equally stunned.
The men who had rushed out included several first-rate experts. Yet Li Miao had not only driven them back without injuring them, he had controlled his strength with such precision that each had been returned to his original position.
Their martial abilities, positions, speeds, and angles had all been different!
What realm had Li Miao’s martial arts reached?
Even a supreme expert could not accomplish such a feat with such effortless ease.
But this was not the time to dwell on that.
Sect Leader Xiao suddenly raised his head and cried out as though his voice were drenched in blood.
“Master!”
Xing Chi seemed not to hear him. He raised his hand, shaped it into a claw, and plunged it into his own chest.
Blood immediately poured forth.
Kneeling before him, Yong Jie did not turn around.
Yet the face that had shown no reaction even when his back had been beaten into bloody shreds was now taut with clenched teeth, tears falling without cease.
“Master…”
“I was wrong…”
He spoke in a low voice.
Xing Chi did not look at him. He withdrew his hand, and within moments blood had soaked through his monastic robe.
Li Miao frowned and tapped Xing Chi several times on the chest.
“Master, you have two incense sticks’ worth of life left.”
“After allowing time to pass your power on to Master Yong Jie, you will have only one incense stick left.”
“If there is anything you wish to say, say it quickly.”
Xing Chi nodded. His face was pale, but he smiled.
End of Chapter