Jianghu Qimen Lu

Chapter 49

Seeing that there were too many guests and the funeral was proceeding too slowly, Xiang Quan feared that delays might disturb the Emperor, so he ordered his attendants to shout, "Due to time constraints, everything will be simplified. Guests and relatives, please forgo all elaborate rituals and simply bow three times and kneel three times!" The entire assembly immediately knelt, weeping a few times before rising. The entire ceremony was complete. Then, the attendants, clan members, and servants carried the coffin to the hearse. Relatives and guests led the way, followed by clan members and servants, with family members weeping behind. Finally, Zhang Kuang, riding a tall horse, led two thousand elite soldiers, following closely behind. Thus, a long funeral procession set off in a grand and imposing manner.

Upon arriving at the old cemetery in the suburbs, the Xiang family servants had already dug a large pit in the open space. The clan members busied themselves placing the coffin into the pit, then re-establishing the incense table, offerings, and burning paper money. Guests and relatives stood in a dense crowd, collectively offering another farewell ceremony. Xiang Quan, Bai Shandian, and the six famous boxers prostrated themselves and wept bitterly at the edge of the pit. The Xiang clan members busied themselves covering the pit with a paper-mache pavilion, then carrying it to an open area to burn it along with paper-mache carriages, golden boys and jade girls, mountains of gold and silver, and money trees. Finally, a dozen or so clan members began to bury the coffin, gradually piling up soil to form a new grave. The funeral thus came to a perfect end.

Unexpectedly, at that moment, a majestic voice rang out in the air: "Fragrant Fist, White Lightning! Your task is complete, shouldn't you surrender now?" The suddenness of the voice startled everyone present. This deep, powerful roar was like a thunderclap in clear skies, making everyone's eardrums ring! The speaker's internal strength must be formidable, not to be underestimated!

Xiang Quan looked around and saw only flat wilderness, with only a few old trees with lush foliage offering cover. She couldn't help but scold, "Why sneak around peeking from behind? Come out and show yourself!" A burst of laughter rang out from the top of a large tree, and a refined middle-aged scholar leaped out, landing lightly in front of Xiang Quan. With a whoosh, robes fluttering and figures moving, four burly men also swooped down from the nearby treetops, standing respectfully behind the scholar.

"Ah, Your Majesty! Your humble servant pays respects to Your Majesty!" Upon seeing the middle-aged scholar, Bai Shandian's face showed fear, and he hurriedly bowed. Seeing this, Zhang Kuang quickly rolled off his horse, leading the Green Standard Army soldiers on the outer perimeter to also fall to the ground and kowtow together. The middle-aged scholar was none other than Emperor Qianlong. He gave Bai Shandian a stern look, then suddenly smiled and said coldly, "Governor Zhang sent someone to report to me that your Southern Fist Sect requested to hold a funeral for your parents before agreeing to see the officials, confess your crimes, and accept punishment. At the time, I thought that everything should be done with the deceased in mind, and the request made by Xiangquan was only human nature and not excessive. I was about to agree. However, I suddenly remembered you, Lord Bai Shandian, so I did not agree to the Southern Fist Sect's request! Bai Shandian, guess why I did this?" Bai Shandian's heart trembled, and he was so frightened that he hurriedly kowtowed three times. "Does Your Majesty no longer trust me?" Bai Shandian asked in terror. Qianlong roared, "Since you're not stupid, why do you keep doing foolish things?! If it weren't for you, how could the 'Complete Guide to the Martial World' have disappeared? If it weren't for you, how could the Four Fiends of the Northeast have been so brutally murdered?" Bai Shandian was instantly paralyzed with fear, collapsing to the ground, his face ashen. He thought to himself, "So Your Majesty knows everything!"

"Why kneel before such a tyrant? Death is the least of our worries!" Xiang Quan shouted, giving a signal. The six renowned martial arts masters quietly moved in, surrounding Qianlong and his entourage! Qianlong, being the emperor, remained calm and composed despite being surrounded by powerful enemies. He coldly stared into Xiang Quan's beautiful eyes and asked, "Xiang Quan, have you lost your mind and decided to rebel?" Upon hearing this, Zhang Kuang hurriedly led his troops to swarm in, surrounding Xiang Quan and her group as well, shouting, "Your Majesty, do not be afraid! Your humble servant has come to your rescue!" The Wing Chun master, annoyed by Zhang Kuang's opportunism and cunning, picked up a small pebble from the ground and, taking advantage of a moment of inattention, flicked it with a single finger. A flash of white light appeared, followed by a scream as Zhang Kuang's official hat and plume were knocked to the ground! Terrified, Zhang Kuang collapsed to the ground, trembling violently. This drew a burst of laughter from the crowd.

Emperor Qianlong's face was extremely gloomy. He said to a burly man behind him, "Xuanwu, find that sneaky thief for me!" A dark-skinned young man clasped his hands in a fist salute and replied, "Your subordinate obeys!" His movements were incredibly fast. Without any visible arm movements or power exertion, his massive, towering body appeared before her like a ghost! She was startled and instinctively took a step back, her fists flashing out like lightning! She had already applied the "inch" power of Wing Chun, emphasizing the ability to deliver twenty-five consecutive punches in the blink of an eye or a single step! It was incredibly fast, executed in one fluid motion. Unexpectedly, the dark-skinned man named Xuanwu suddenly flipped backward, his legs kicking out with a powerful force, quite similar to the "Rabbit Kicks Eagle" move in Xiangquan, achieving a similar effect but with a different twist. He actually kicked the Wing Chun practitioner, sending her tumbling! While she was groaning on the ground, clutching her lower abdomen, Xuanwu sprang to his feet and struck twice with his halberd fingers. The Wing Chun practitioner felt numbness and weakness throughout his body, unable to move. His Zhangmen and Jianjing acupoints were simultaneously sealed!

Xiang Quan was taken aback. Seeing that Xuan Wu, so young, possessed such astonishing martial arts skills, she hurriedly leaped forward, unleashing a powerful palm strike from mid-air, spun down on his head! Xuan Wu was about to grab the Wing Chun boxer when he suddenly felt a gust of wind above his head. Knowing a formidable opponent was approaching, he hastily released her and slipped away. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Xiang Quan snatched the Wing Chun boxer, her jade-like hands moving swiftly, striking twice to release her pressure points. Unexpectedly, Xuan Wu suddenly unleashed a black light from his sleeve, instantly wrapping it around the Wing Chun boxer's waist, forcefully snatching it from Xiang Quan's grasp and pulling it back! Xiang Quan looked closely and saw it was just an ordinary black waistband! Xuan Wu's movements were incredibly swift; with a single palm strike, he knocked the Wing Chun boxer unconscious, and in the blink of an eye, he bound her in a bow-like position with the waistband! What is a "bow-like position"? It's when someone is bent over with their head tilted back and legs bent, like a shrimp, with their hands and feet bound together! Even with her exceptional Wing Chun skills, she suffered such a humiliating defeat, a tragedy that saddened everyone in the Southern Fist School. The remaining five renowned martial arts schools, seeing that their leader had gained no advantage against Xuanwu, were all stunned and dared not make a move!

Xuanwu picked up a Wing Chun fist and tossed it at the Emperor's feet as a token of his satisfaction. Qianlong smiled coldly and said to Xiangquan, enunciating each word clearly, "Now I ask you another question: Will you surrender yourselves, or will you do as this female warrior did?" Xiangquan, unable to contain her resentment at the tyrant's arrogance, sighed and said, "The grievances have their source, the debts have their debtors. It all started with me. Just arrest me, and release them all!" Qianlong surveyed the crowd, then suddenly burst into laughter. After a moment, he said, "It's rare for the leader of the Southern Fist School to be so protective of his brothers and sisters, considering the bigger picture. Very well, I'll give you face. I'll arrest you alone, and release the rest. I won't pursue any further responsibility!" Upon hearing this, the Southern Fist School disciples and Xiangquan's relatives and friends all breathed a long sigh of relief!

Upon hearing this, Xuanwu pointed to the Wing Chun boxer on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, what should we do with this woman?" Before Qianlong could speak, Xiangquan scolded, "Is that even a question? Of course, let her go! Your Majesty's word is law, and you never change it! Quickly untie the black sash binding that girl's hands and feet, and tie it back up!" Xuanwu looked at her, then at the Emperor, at a loss for what to do. Qianlong smiled and said, "This Xiangquan is right, Xuanwu! You can do as she says!" Xuanwu then squatted down and untied the black sash from the Wing Chun boxer's hands and feet. He touched her philtrum, and the Wing Chun boxer slowly came to her senses.

Then, Xuanwu, his face cold, approached Xiangquan step by step. Bai Shandian suddenly shouted, "Your Majesty, I beg Your Majesty to forgive Xiangquan and arrest me! There was a reason for this; the fault doesn't lie with her. I was the one who ordered her to do it!" Upon hearing this, Qianlong was greatly surprised, and Xiangquan was also startled, thinking to herself, "You spineless fool! You only know how to save me. Don't let yourself get dragged down with you; that would be a loss!" She quickly said, "Don't talk nonsense! You've been so busy with official duties; when have you ever spent a New Year at home? You know nothing of the major events that have happened at home! How can you now claim that you ordered me to do it? What did you order me to do?"