The Legend of the Condor Heroes: From Being Expelled from Peach Blossom Island

Chapter 475 Negotiation
The three ghost generals were so eye-catching, especially the stench mixed in with the incense powder, that Wu Chengyu immediately focused his attention on them, forgetting to observe the others.

First of all, Fang Yaning isn't here. This young lady is proud and arrogant. Since she made a bet with Wu Chengyu, how could she not show up?

Considering that the Ming Cult knew the Beggars' Sect was powerful and unlikely to resolve the matter peacefully, yet only sent so few people, Wu Chengyu believed they must have a backup plan.

So the only explanation he could think of was that Fang Yaning was hiding somewhere nearby, surrounded by a large group of people acting as ambushers.

Another thing that aroused Wu Chengyu's suspicion was that when the Ming Cult saw the Beggars' Sect arrive, it was not the leader Fang Yu who stepped forward to speak to Hong Qigong.

This Master Fang was just sitting among the crowd, but he was full of energy and spirit. He was completely different from when he first fought Wu Chengyu, and you couldn't tell that he was a patient at all.

A patient is a patient. Even if someone is highly skilled in martial arts, they will still suffer from qi and blood deficiency due to long-term illness. They may appear somewhat excited now.

Wu Chengyu knew, of course, what Fang Yu's condition was like; it was basically incurable, so his current state was definitely not normal.

Aside from his pale complexion, which had been caused by years of coughing up blood, it was no longer there. Instead, his face was a pale gold, as if a layer of gold powder had been applied to it. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked at the Beggars' Sect and Wu Chengyu with a hint of hatred, but more than that, he felt something that Wu Chengyu couldn't quite put his finger on.

His breathing was a little rapid, and his heartbeat was faster than before, which was very wrong. A person who has cultivated high-level internal energy for many years and whose cultivation has reached the pinnacle can still have perfect control over his own condition even if he has injuries.

Unless he suddenly falls ill, is seriously injured, or has fought hundreds of rounds with a master of the same level, under normal circumstances, his breathing and heartbeat, in terms of both frequency and intensity, will always remain at the same level without any fluctuation.

This old man has a problem, a very big problem, and this was a constant warning bell in Wu Chengyu's mind.

However, he was not the main character in this challenge, so it was not his turn to speak. The Beggars' Sect's leader, Hong Qigong, was the one speaking.

"Hahaha, it's me who's late, I haven't had a chance to welcome our guests from afar." Hong Qigong was still seven or eight zhang tall, but his voice arrived first, instantly filling the small Phoenix Mountain with a bold and chivalrous aura. (Just kidding, Wang Xifeng's words actually fit quite well here.)
On the Ming Cult side, a middle-aged man with a slender build and a scholarly air stepped forward. He smiled and took the lead in bowing.

"I am honored to meet Nangong Luan, the Left Guardian of the Ming Cult, who has met Chief Hong. The name of the Northern Beggar is known throughout the world. It is a great honor to meet him today."

His words were polite, and his bows were respectful, but the Beggars' Sect was furious, and even Hong Qigong's expression was not good.

Even if the Ming Cult is the largest sect in the world, the Beggars' Clan is by no means inferior to the Ming Cult in terms of reputation, power, or even the history of its founding. Regardless of any past grievances between the two sides, even if a great battle is imminent, the proper etiquette must still be observed.

If the leader of the Ming Cult does not appear, Nangong Luan, as the Left Guardian of Light, second only to the leader of the Ming Cult, can represent the Ming Cult and no one can say anything about it.

But now that both sides' leaders have arrived, the Ming Cult leader is sitting in the back, but he doesn't say a word and doesn't even lift his eyelids. Facing the Beggar Clan leader, the dignified Northern Beggar Hong Qigong, he only lets the second-in-command of the cult deal with him.

The Ming Cult's actions were tantamount to insulting the Beggars' Sect. It wasn't just about suppressing the Beggars' Sect; it was like slapping them in the face.

Even if Hong Qigong had a carefree personality, things were different now than when he was playing around with people. He was now appearing as the leader of the Beggars' Sect, so he had to think about the sect's reputation.

At this point, he absolutely cannot answer voluntarily, because answering would be tantamount to acknowledging that the Beggars' Sect leader's status is equivalent to that of the second-in-command of the Ming Cult.

Hong Qigong remained silent, but the elders of the Beggars' Sect, lacking in self-restraint, began to curse on the spot.

As the saying goes, when the master is in trouble, the disciple will do his work. Apart from being a bit naive and not liking to use her brain when she is with Wu Chengyu, A Ku's reputation in the Beggars' Sect is not just because she is Hong Qigong's personal disciple. At this moment, A Ku also showed the demeanor of the Beggars' Sect's matriarch.

The elders present were above A-Ku in status. There were actually quite a few elders in the Beggars' Sect, but the four elders who truly held official titles were the one who held the staff, the one who held the bowl, the one who passed on skills, and the one who enforced the law.

Unfortunately, the Clean Clothes Faction rebelled. The two elders who held the staff and transmitted the skills were both from the Clean Clothes Faction and belonged to the rebel side. They had already been killed by Hong Qigong.

On this trip to Hubei, the Junshan headquarters left the Elder in charge of the alms bowl to oversee the operation, with only the Elder in charge of enforcement accompanying them.

However, this elder in charge of law enforcement was the most impulsive and the most rude to the Ming Cult. He was the first to start cursing and the most vulgar of all. It was hard to believe that he was the most suitable person in the room to deal with Nangong Luan.

At this moment, Ah Ku, as Hong Qigong's personal disciple, was the most suitable person to step forward. She took a step forward, gave a perfunctory bow, and her face no longer had the previous delicate demeanor, but instead had a bit of the majesty of a superior.

"Mo Ku, Inspector of the Beggars' Sect, greets Leader Fang of the Ming Cult." Mo Ku bypassed Nangong Luan and spoke directly to Fang Yu, his eyes also fixed on Fang Yu.

Fang Yu remained silent, his expression growing increasingly grim, while Nangong Luan showed no sign of embarrassment.

“It is not that our Ming Cult is being rude. It is just that our leader injured his throat while practicing martial arts the other day and is unable to speak. That is why I am representing the Ming Cult to negotiate with your gang. Please forgive me, Chief Hong.”

Having said this, the Beggars' Sect received a seemingly reasonable explanation. Fang Yu, who had remained silent until now, finally made a move. He cupped his hands towards Hong Qigong, acknowledging Nangong Luan's words. Hong Qigong also nodded to Fang Yu. With an explanation and an apology, the matter was considered closed. He was never one to hold a grudge, and he gestured for the elders and disciples below to remain silent.

"In that case, I'll have to trouble Left Envoy Nangong. I, Old Beggar, have long been familiar with the Ming Cult."

The Ming Cult was indeed the largest cult in the world back then. Its former leader, Fang La, was awe-inspiring, and even an old beggar looked up to him with great admiration.

However, my Beggars' Sect has never had any connection with the Ming Cult, let alone any enmity. This old beggar has never offended any of the heroes of the Ming Cult while traveling the world.

I just don't know why the Ming Cult would do such a thing to my Beggars' Clan. First, they sent someone to infiltrate, then they instigated the Clean Clothes Clan to betray us, and now they've targeted several of my Beggars' Clan's branches in Hubei.

"Does the Ming Cult think my Beggars' Sect is easy to bully? Today they'll teach this old beggar a lesson!"

Before a fight breaks out, there is always a negotiation. The Beggars' Sect prides itself on being the righteous path of the martial arts world, so naturally they need to make things clear and let themselves be in the right from the start.

Nangong Luan remained calm and composed: "This matter was not the intention of my Ming Cult or the leader. It was merely the actions of our subordinates. My Ming Cult will naturally give the Beggars' Sect an explanation. Men, bring that fellow here."

As soon as he finished speaking, an acquaintance was dragged over. He was clearly seriously injured, covered in blood, and had lost consciousness. He did not struggle as he was dragged along, his Achilles tendons had been severed, and his hands, which hung down naturally, had also suffered severed tendons.

This person was the most familiar to the Beggars' Sect members present, and had dealt with Wu Chengyu several times. Naturally, he was Zhou Xuancheng, the former leader of the Hangzhou branch of the Beggars' Sect, a double agent who had deceived the Beggars' Sect for many years, and one of the Four Great Protectors.

"Is it Zhou Quan?" Several members of the Beggars' Sect present whispered the name of Zhou Xuancheng. They never expected that this guy, who had caused so much trouble in the Beggars' Sect, would end up like this after returning to the Ming Cult.

Wu Chengyu whispered in Hong Qigong's ear: "This guy is the Protector of the Faith. There are only three people in the Ming Cult with a higher status than him. This time, he has made a great contribution to the Ming Cult."

Moreover, he was exceptionally intelligent and skilled at disguise; he was no easy opponent. His current predicament suggests something must have happened within the Ming Cult.

Hong Qigong nodded, his eyes still scrutinizing Zhou Xuancheng. This injury was undeniable and could not be faked by a master of subtlety. Zhou Xuancheng was now on his last breath and not far from death.

"Left Envoy of the Southern Palace, what is the reason for this?"

"To be honest, Chief Hong, the reason I left Zhou Xuancheng in Song back then was simply to gather information and control Song's intelligence."

This guy took it upon himself to infiltrate the Beggars' Sect, and everything that followed was done on his own without consulting the headquarters.

He was the one who carried out the raid on the Beggars' Sect branch, and we were all tricked into coming from Bright Peak to help him.

This person has always been cunning and scheming. In reality, he wanted to incite a conflict between the Ming Cult and the Beggars' Sect so that he could profit from it. He was truly treacherous and harbored treacherous intentions.

Now that his plot has been exposed and he has been captured on orders by my leader, he is being handed over to the Beggars' Sect as our way of giving them an explanation.

No one present believed Nangong Luan's nonsense. Infiltrating the Beggars' Sect might have been Zhou Xuancheng's choice, and his subsequent instigation of the Clean Clothes Faction's rebellion could also be seen as Zhou Xuancheng's strategy.

However, according to the Beggars' Sect's subsequent investigation, the experts who launched the surprise attack were all those who suddenly entered Hubei from the Western Regions after the destruction of the Clean Clothes Gang. Zhou Xuancheng's power in the Song Kingdom was mainly for transmitting messages and did not possess such strong military force.

Therefore, a major upheaval was bound to occur in the Ming Cult, leading to the downfall of the Golden-Faced Fox King Zhou Xuancheng, who was crippled. Now, as an explanation to the Beggars' Sect, it is merely a final exploitation of his worthless state.

The members of the Beggars' Sect felt very bad about Zhou Xuancheng's fate. It wasn't exactly a case of "a rabbit mourns a fox's death," but if this guy had just honestly served as a branch leader of the Beggars' Sect, he wouldn't have ended up like this.

Therefore, it is said that those who betray others throughout history have never met a good end.

Of course, it is absolutely impossible to ease the feud between the Ming Cult and the Beggars' Sect by simply throwing out this former branch leader of the Beggars' Sect.

"Regardless of whether it was all Zhou Quan's scheme, he's a cripple, so he probably can't speak."

The losses suffered by my Beggars' Sect solely because of your Ming Cult are probably beyond what one person can fully compensate for. The lives of so many Beggars' Sect brothers also deserve an explanation.

　The weather suddenly changed, and I caught a slight cold, so the update is a bit late today. Please forgive me.

　　Chapter Two will arrive a little later.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)