Chapter 2506: Burning the Tower (19)
Chen Simazi was growing anxious. He strode over to Xue Tu and cupped his fists. "Marshal, counting Sun Gang, four of our brothers have been injured today. How can we turn our backs on our own people to favor an outsider? Where does that leave the rest of us?"
Li Baiqing pushed his way forward. "What outsider? After the alliance, we're all brothers. Are we going to keep drawing lines between insiders and outsiders forever? Must we 'outsiders' simply accept being bullied by you 'insiders'?"
Just then, Ge Yaoxian approached with the life-and-death contract. Without a word, he presented it to Xue Tu, casting a sidelong sneer at Chen Simazi.
Xue Tu's face turned iron-green as he examined the document. Chen Simazi opened his mouth to speak, but Xue Tu cut him off with a thunderous shout. "Couldn't win with fists, so you called for backup? Drew weapons and still got beaten? And now you have the gall to come running to me? After today, everyone here is a sworn brother. Brother Li has suffered a grave injustice, and I will not show favoritism. I won't have it said outside these walls that the Daoist Spirit Society has no rules. Today, I will render judgment—"
Chen Simazi stood rigid, his face flushing crimson. His breath came heavy and ragged, his glare fixed on Xu Tong like a blade.
What happened next caught everyone off guard. Xu Tong stepped back and bowed deeply to both Xue Tu and Chen Simazi. The crowd exchanged puzzled glances. Then Xu Tong shook his head. "This is not appropriate."
A vein pulsed on Chen Simazi's forehead. He ground out through clenched teeth, "What more do you want?"
"Though Brother Sun and I had our disagreement," Xu Tong said, "I respect him as a straightforward man who speaks plainly. His disciples may have acted rashly, but they were only protecting their master in the heat of the moment. And I must admit—my own strikes were too heavy. Several brothers were injured by my hand." He paused. "Let both sides consider their debts settled. I will personally contribute one hundred taels of silver to cover the brothers' medical expenses, and I shall pay my respects in person another day."
He produced a Delong hundred-yuan banknote from his robe, held it high for all to see, then presented it to Xue Tu with both hands and a bow. Xue Tu studied the bill, then Xu Tong's face, his expression unreadable.
Xu Tong's voice rose again, carrying across the assembly. "Foreign barbarians now ravage our land, falsely claiming Song heritage. In these times of Kun rebellion, men of conscience and conviction must rise up and lead the way. Today, the Marshal's loyal spirit shines as bright as the sun and moon—and I share that same fire." Emotion thickened his voice. "Here and now, I swear to follow the Marshal into battle as his vanguard. Together, we shall drive out the Kun invaders and reclaim the mountains and rivers of the Great Ming!"
Tears spilled down his cheeks as he dropped to his knees before Xue Tu. He struck his forehead against the ground again and again until blood welled from his brow, mingling with his tears.
Xue Tu rushed forward and pulled him to his feet, his own voice thick with feeling. "Brother Li, please—there's no need for this! Having you at my side is like Liu Bei finding Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. You and I are of one heart, and as they say: brothers united can cut through gold. With such a general beside me, what do I have to fear? In chaotic times, heroes emerge from everywhere. The Kun thieves' fate is sealed! Great things await us!"
The two clasped arms and laughed boldly, their voices ringing with heroic spirit. The crowd, still bewildered by the sudden turn of events, could only laugh along awkwardly, maintaining the appearance of harmony.
The sun drifted westward. With the alliance terms negotiated and a date set for the formal ceremony, the attendees began filtering down the mountain. Everyone had witnessed quite a show today, and with the weight of the alliance hanging over them, each departed in a complicated mood—relieved, anxious, uncertain—scattering in all directions.
Xue Tu watched them go. Only when the last figure disappeared did the tension finally drain from his dark face. Looking suddenly weary, he walked slowly into Iron Beam Temple's rear hall.
A table laden with wine and food awaited him. Wooden Stone Daoist and Yun Ting had been seated there for some time. They rose to greet him as he entered, saying in unison, "The Marshal has worked hard today."
Xue Tu sank into his chair and waved for them to sit. "Close the door," he called to the guards outside. "No one enters unless summoned." A man at the threshold bowed, backed out, and eased the door shut.
Wooden Stone Daoist raised his cup. "A toast to the Marshal. Today's success marks the beginning of your grand design."
Xue Tu shook his head. "We're far from that. Didn't you see how those outsiders behaved? Saying one thing while meaning another. Forging these factions into a single force will take considerable work."
Wooden Stone laughed. "The Marshal is too modest. The tide has turned in your favor. In two days, we activate our hidden pieces and remove those who refuse to read the signs. After that, who can stop you from soaring like a dragon through the clouds?"
His tone shifted, turning cold. "But letting that man surnamed Li walk off this mountain today—that was a serious mistake. He's capable in both letters and arms, and I suspect he's a Kun spy. Releasing him is no different from setting a tiger loose in the hills."
Xue Tu chuckled and took a sip of wine. "And what would you have me do? Slaughter everyone who might harbor different loyalties? How would that look to our new members? The Daoist Spirit Society would fall apart before the Kun thieves even arrived to suppress us."
Wooden Stone Daoist rose and moved to Xue Tu's side, lowering his voice. "Others can be spared. This one cannot. A man of his caliber—whether he becomes the Kun's hunting dog or challenges us for power—will be a blade in our gut. But that's a minor concern." He paused. "What truly worries me is something else entirely."
Xue Tu's eyes narrowed. "Oh? And what might that be?"
Wooden Stone smiled faintly. "Marshal, I suspect you've long been considering defection to the Kun."
A muscle twitched near Xue Tu's brow. His deep-set eyes fixed on the Daoist. The candle flame guttered before him, its reflection dancing in his pupils like twin points of ghost-fire burning in the folds of his fleshy face—as if they might swallow Wooden Stone's soul and drag it into a bottomless abyss.
His expression betrayed nothing. He said nothing. He simply stared.
Wooden Stone Daoist rose and drifted to Xue Tu's side, speaking with easy familiarity. "A blade of grass atop a wall bends whichever way the wind blows. Surviving in the jianghu means reading the wind and watching the sky." He paused. "Marshal—or should I say, Brother Xue—the Kun are powerful now. It's only natural you'd want to keep your options open. I imagine watching Liu Xiang surrender to them stirred something in you. That's nothing to be ashamed of."
Xue Tu laughed suddenly. "The Daoist worries too much. My loyalty lies with the Imperial Court. Why would I entertain such treasonous thoughts? Best not speculate."
Wooden Stone laughed along with him, shaking his head. "Now that won't do. Which man in the jianghu truly has a loyal heart and righteous courage? In times like these, everyone feels the ground shifting beneath their feet. We're all afraid of a single misstep. You're no different." He began to pace slowly. "Your power base centers on this Guangzhou Prefecture. You rely on local gentry and wealthy households for money and grain, and on recruiting members to fight your battles. Leave this place, and you're a dragon stranded on dry land. A tiger lost from its forest. Now the Kun are swallowing Guangdong whole. They've established their court right here in Guangzhou. By any reasonable measure, serving the strong is the sensible choice."
He stopped pacing. "That's why you're rushing to unify these sects—your original stake was too small. Two or three thousand men won't buy you much from the Kun. But if you net this entire alliance? If you can sell every sect and bandit gang in Guangzhou Prefecture to the Australians in one package, help them pacify the region, and dye yourself a purple robe with the blood of a thousand gentry..." He smiled. "That's a deal worth making."
Wooden Stone continued without pause. "That Li Jian—someone called him out at the meeting. Whether his Green Dragon Society credentials are real or false, the old Xue Tu wouldn't have hesitated. An outsider causing trouble? Drag him out and cut him down. But you let him go. Left that loose thread dangling." His smile sharpened. "Who exactly are you trying to impress? It's obvious, isn't it? If Li Jian really is a Kun spy, releasing him earns you goodwill for the future. If he's not, you can eliminate him later at your leisure. You'd rather release a thousand by mistake than kill one wrongly." He chuckled. "I never knew you had such a Bodhisattva's heart, Brother Xue."
Xue Tu's brow furrowed. "Has the Daoist gotten drunk before even drinking? Why all this nonsense? Come—let me pour you a cup to settle your thoughts. And speak no more of this madness."
He reached for the wine pot on the table. But as he grasped it, a large hand shot out and clamped down on both the pot's handle and Xue Tu's wrist, locking them together.
Xue Tu turned his head. It was Yun Ting.
His expression darkened. "What is the meaning of this, Second Brother Yun?"
Yun Ting slowly tightened his grip. "I noticed Brother Xue seems tired. I'm just steadying your hand. Wouldn't want you to drop the pot and startle the brothers outside. That could lead to... misunderstandings."
Xue Tu strained against the hold but couldn't move an inch. His face went rigid. After a long, silent standoff, he exhaled slowly and released the pot.
From beyond the door came a guard's voice. "Marshal, is anything needed?"
Xue Tu's eyes stayed fixed on Yun Ting, who loomed close beside him. "Nothing," he called out. "Everything is fine. Tell the brothers to withdraw." A few moments later, footsteps and the faint clink of metal sounded outside, then faded into silence.
Once quiet had settled, Wooden Stone resumed. "The Marshal seeks to unite these various factions for one simple reason: power. Since ancient times, societies and sects have taken root among common folk and villages, spreading strange doctrines and harboring dangerous ambitions. They've always been thorns in the government's eye. But imperial authority has grown weak—it can no longer reach into the countryside. The court grasps at the large and ignores the small, governing the people through local gentry. That's what gave organizations like ours room to grow."
He clasped his hands behind his back. "But the Australians are different. I've heard that in Lingao, they've implemented a system where officials and clerks are one body, with unified management from top to bottom. They call it 'political power descending to the grassroots.' Right now, they let us run wild only because they lack the soldiers and trained cadres to replace us. But pay attention—the frameworks, titles, and administrative structures in the villages and townships are already changing. The closer to Guangzhou, the faster and deeper the transformation. In those places, they use soldiers as the skeleton and their own officials as the brain, building the framework first. Once their cadres finish training and take up their posts, they'll fill in the flesh and blood. They call this 'consolidating political power in the core ruled areas'—'using points to lead the region.' The longer they operate, the harder they'll be to dislodge. Give them a few years to establish their foundation in Guangdong, and then..." He paused meaningfully. "Then comes the time to sweep the world."
(End of Chapter)