Jianghu Qimen Lu

Chapter 43 Couple Turns Against Each Other

It turns out that the leader of the Four Fiends Beyond the Pass wore a waist badge with a Taotie (a mythical beast) design, and was known in the martial arts world as "Poetry Under the Sword." There was a folk song in the martial arts world: "The sword reigns supreme in the martial arts world, Southern fists, Northern legs, and the Eight Trigrams. Sword energy seals the throat, legs pierce the heart, the Eight Trigrams bewitching fist kills with fragrance!" This describes the four major families of the martial arts world, with the most prominent being the "Poetry Under the Sword of Tianshan," the leader of the Four Fiends Beyond the Pass. It is said that when practicing swordsmanship, he loved to compose poetry, and after reciting a poem, he would use his sword to trace each character of the poem in the air! Truly, it was as fast as lightning, breathtaking! Legend has it that he founded the Tianshan Sword Sect on Tianshan Mountain, taking in many disciples, even defeating the Tianshan Free and Unfettered Sect and the Tianshan Ice Glacier Sect, who subsequently became his followers. He roamed the martial arts world for decades without ever suffering a defeat. Whenever he clashed with someone, the enemy would perish under his swift sword before even understanding what poem he was reciting! Therefore, he was also known in the martial arts world as "Death by the Sword"! He truly inspired fear in everyone.

What's wrong with the Xiang Family Southern Fist School in Jiangnan today? The old mourning couplets on the gate have been taken down and replaced with new ones, and the lanterns hanging on both sides of the gate now have the word "Mourning" written on them in large characters! The two rows of burly men standing at the gate are all dressed in mourning clothes, their faces full of grief, and they are bowing to welcome the endless stream of guests who come to pay their respects.

"Who died again? Is this for real?" When Bai Shandian and Zhang Kuang led their large contingent of Green Standard Army soldiers to the entrance of the Xiang Mansion, they were stunned! It seemed this time it wasn't a hoax, because the cries emanating from the inner hall were truly heart-wrenching, agonizing, and unbearable to witness! Bai Shandian immediately dismounted, and without even saying goodbye to Zhang Kuang, ran madly into the courtyard! Zhang Kuang knew he was overly worried about his family's safety, and his frantic behavior was understandable, so he ignored him. He waved his hand from his horse, ordering his entire force to surround the Xiang Mansion, swords drawn, spears ready, and prepare for battle.

When Bai Shandian ran into the inner hall as if no one else was there, he saw a large, black coffin placed in the middle of the hall! In the center of the hall was a portrait, and upon closer inspection, he realized it was his mother-in-law!

Xiangquan, who was weeping beside the coffin, suddenly looked up and saw Bai Shandian. She jumped to her feet, rushed to him like a madwoman, and slapped him hard across the face, yelling hoarsely, "Get out of here! We're done! You're not welcome here!" Outside, in the courtyard, thick woolen carpets were laid out, and a large group of guests were kneeling in greeting. The six famous martial arts masters were busy receiving and returning the greetings. Seeing this, everyone stood up, craning their necks to look into the hall. The musical ensemble, which had been playing, suddenly stopped, wondering what had happened!

Bai Shandian glanced at the crowd, reaching out to pull his wife to the side room to talk, but Xiang Quan shoved him, causing him to stumble. Xiang Quan snapped, "Don't pull me!" Bai Shandian said anxiously, "Do you know how urgent the situation is? The Emperor himself is in Hangzhou! He wants me to arrest you and your father-in-law… You two should run! Hide for a while, let me handle things. Come back after things calm down!" Xiang Quan spat and cursed, "What? The Emperor is in Hangzhou? Who are you trying to fool? Do you think our Xiang family are all fools? You drove my mother to her death, and now you won't even let us have her funeral! What are you thinking? Has your conscience been stolen by a dog? You're not human! Get out!" Xiang Quan suddenly went berserk, lunging at Bai Shandian, tearing and biting him, punching and kicking him!

However, Bai Shandian remained motionless until his wife, exhausted from beating him, collapsed to the ground, wailing helplessly. Only then did everyone notice that his face was covered in blood, with about a dozen crisscrossing scratches! His once handsome and dashing face was now disfigured, a sight too painful to behold.

Just then, a cry rang out, and Xiao Baijin and his sister ran over, each throwing themselves into his arms. Bai Shandian knelt down, embracing his two children tightly, speechless with emotion. Xiao Baijin looked up at his father's face, then suddenly pulled a small handkerchief from his waist, gently wiping away the blood, and softly asked, "Father, does it hurt?" Instantly, Bai Shandian's nose stung, and tears streamed down his face like broken pearls. Xiao Baijin comforted him, "Father, you've been wronged, haven't you? I know you didn't want to do this, but you had no choice! Actually… your heart is aching! I'm not stupid, I know." As he spoke, Xiao Baijin also burst into tears, unable to control himself. Xiao Baiyu quickly took out her own handkerchief and wiped her father's tears. This scene made Bai Shandian secretly resolve: for his two beloved children, he would risk his life to save his family! He picked up his children, one in each arm, and suddenly walked towards the door!

"What do you want? Why are you snatching my child? Guards, stop him!" Xiang Quan was shocked and rushed out. The six famous boxers shouted and rushed forward to block Bai Shandian's path. Bai Mei Quan was the first to bow and said, "You unscrupulous Heavenly Venerable, life in this mortal world is full of suffering, and husband and wife should stay together. Fights at the head of the bed are reconciled at the foot of the bed, why leave home in a fit of anger?" Bai Shandian had no time to waste words. He unleashed several sweeping kicks like lightning, a whirlwind rising from the ground, instantly filling the courtyard with dust. The guests inside were thrown into chaos. Seeing a fight about to break out, who wasn't afraid of being caught in the crossfire? They scrambled to escape. Because the Xiang family of Jiangnan had a high reputation in this area, many guests had come to pay their respects, and the scene quickly spiraled out of control. Amidst the cacophony of voices and footsteps, the six renowned boxers were jostled and disoriented, unable to stop Bai Shandian. Taking advantage of the chaos, Bai Shandian slipped through the crowd and ran towards the main gate. Xiang Quan panicked, wiping away her tears, and hurriedly gave chase! She had just been knocked unconscious by Bai Shandian yesterday, her body still recovering. Today, her husband's outburst only added to her sense of life's brevity, leaving her truly heartbroken. Exhausted and emotionally drained, she suddenly felt dizzy, her vision blurred, and she collapsed to the ground! The six renowned boxers quickly parted the crowd, rushed over, and helped her up, urgently providing first aid.

Bai Shandian rushed out of the gate, handed the child to Zhang Kuang, and said, "Quickly send two men to your residence to settle the two children. Remember not to tell anyone! Otherwise, the imperial sword will not be trusted!" Seeing his face covered in blood and contorted in a ferocious expression, Zhang Kuang dared not hesitate for a moment. He hurriedly ordered the two officers behind him, "You two are responsible for taking the young master and young lady to my governor's mansion! Arrange for people to serve them properly, and do not neglect them in the slightest!" The two officers clasped their hands in obedience, took one child from each of them, mounted their horses, and galloped away. Little Bai Jin and her sister were very clever. Seeing the large group of soldiers at the gate, they knew that their father was telling the truth, so they obediently followed.

Bai Shandian mounted his steed and ordered Zhang Kuang, "You stay here and keep a close watch on the Xiang family father and daughter and the six famous boxers. Don't let them escape in the chaos! I'll be right back!" Without explaining his destination, he rode off! Zhang Kuang saw the Southern Fist Sect members surging out like a tide. How could he possibly keep an eye on them all by himself? He hurriedly ordered his soldiers to close the gate. But the twenty Southern Fist Sect disciples at the Xiang residence were no pushovers. How could they allow them to close the gate in broad daylight? They went forward to reason with them and try to stop them, which gradually escalated into a fight. Finally, the twenty men openly clashed with the government troops! Zhang Kuang was both angry and anxious, pacing back and forth like an ant on a hot pan, completely at a loss for what to do.

Bai Shandian rode swiftly to the back gate of Xiang Mansion, finding only a few soldiers and lax security. He quickly found a deserted courtyard, hid in the shadows, removed his official robes, revealing a tight-fitting undergarment, and then pulled out a black cloth to cover his face. He then bundled the robes into a bundle, hid it in the grass, patted his beloved horse, and whispered, "Old buddy, you graze here and don't wander off. I'll be right back!" He stepped out from behind the ruins, leaped onto the roof, and using his lightness skill, landed lightly in Xiang Mansion's courtyard in a few bounds. He heard a bustling noise in the front courtyard, but the inner hall was eerily quiet. He quietly approached the inner hall from the back garden, crept to Xiang Quan's room, and found the door wide open. Just as he was about to peer through the window, he heard a shrill voice say, "The sect leader has been working tirelessly for days, and the passing of the old lady has also caused him to fall ill from anger. He'll be fine after a few days of rest, sir, don't worry!" It was the voice of Physician Liu Quan. Bai Shandian felt a pang of sadness: "Could it be that my beloved wife... has fallen ill again because of my anger?"