Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

Chapter 337 The Beggars' Sect Passes on the Throne! Dao Master!
"Twenty-four towers?"

Wang Jiantong read it aloud in a low voice, his brows furrowed into a knot.

Although he was stationed at the Beggars' Sect headquarters for many years, he was not very familiar with the local Jianghu forces in Kaifeng Prefecture.

However, the Beggars' Sect's foundation is not in one place or one region; its members are spread throughout the states and counties of the world. Beggars are the best at gathering information, and when it comes to being well-informed, no one in the martial arts world can match them.

From major changes in the imperial court to minor disputes among neighbors, the Beggars' Sect can find out almost anything if they want to.

But he had never heard of the “twenty-four towers” ​​before.

If it's just an ordinary small gang or faction, it's normal for it not to catch his attention.

However, according to the waiter at Hongyanlou, the twenty-four buildings were completely undisguised in their actions during the Awakening of Insects.

Dressed in plain clothes, he walked openly to the foot of Hongyan Tower, taking one step at a time, and reached the top floor in just four steps.

By then, Lü Zhang had already received the news and was accompanied by four elite disciples of the Beggars' Sect. There were also many patrons and onlookers inside the building.

Jingzhe ignored it, and following the instructions on the invitation, he killed Lü Zhang with a single sword stroke. Afterwards, he strolled away calmly, and no one could stop him.

Lu Zhang is a nine-bag elder and also the elder in charge of passing on the martial arts of the Beggars' Sect. Within the Beggars' Sect, there are only two or three people who can definitely surpass him in martial arts.

More importantly, the other party had sent their calling cards in advance, giving Lü Zhang ample time to prepare, and his disciples were also present.

Under such circumstances, he couldn't even withstand a single sword strike from his opponent.

Could these twenty-four towers be the domain of an ordinary force?
Wang Jiantong asked Ma Dayuan and Bai Shijing beside him, "Do you gentlemen know what kind of force the Twenty-Four Towers is?"

Ma Dayuan and Bai Shijing both rushed over from other places overnight, arriving in Kaifeng Prefecture later than Wang Jiantong. Upon hearing this, they both shook their heads.

Ma Dayuan spoke first: "Chief, why don't we go to the Kaifeng branch and ask? Elder Lü came to Kaifeng this time to teach the newly recruited seven-bag disciples. Everyone in the branch knows his whereabouts best, and they may have heard of the name of the Twenty-Four Towers."

“That’s right. The branch disciples are all over the streets and alleys of Kaifeng, making it easy to gather information,” Bai Shijing agreed.

Wang Jiantong nodded, said no more, and turned to walk out of the building.

Ma Dayuan and Bai Shijing followed closely behind, with a group of Beggar Clan disciples standing tall and imposing.

The manager and staff of Hongyanlou huddled to the side, trembling with fear and not daring to utter a sound. They could only watch the group leave. Wang Jiantong was the leader of the number one gang in the world, and his power was astonishing.

Just as they stepped out of the Hongyan Tower, a group of ragged but agile men came rushing towards them from the street corner. The leader, upon seeing Wang Jiantong and his companions, immediately stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"Gang Leader, Vice Gang Leader Ma, Elder Bai!"

The newcomer was none other than Li Changfeng, the leader of the Kaifeng branch of the Beggars' Sect.

Lu Zhang's body had already been properly collected by him and his men. However, Wang Jiantong and his group headed straight for Hongyan Tower, and the branch headquarters had only just received the news and rushed over.

Wang Jiantong's gaze swept over him, and he said in a deep voice:

"This is not the place to talk. Let's go to the branch headquarters."

"Yes!" Li Changfeng responded and stepped aside to lead the way.

The group quickly arrived at the Kaifeng branch.

The disciples of the branch had already cleared out a quiet room, where Lü Zhang's body was placed.

Wang Jiantong stepped forward and bent down to examine him. He saw a clear sword mark on Lü Zhang's neck, with no other wounds on his body. Clearly, this sword mark was the fatal wound.

Strangely, the sword mark didn't look gruesome.

Although it was clear that the sword energy was extremely fierce, shattering the throat bone and neck vein, the sword energy was controlled with exquisite skill, only injuring vital organs and not completely severing the head.

Now, half a month later, the wound has long since scabbed over, leaving only a faint line of blood on the neck.

Wang Jiantong gently brushed his fingertips across the bloodline, his gaze growing increasingly solemn.

Releasing internal energy outwards is not uncommon, but to condense that energy into a single line, controlling it with the precision of an arm or fingers, targeting only the throat—this skill is far beyond the reach of ordinary martial arts masters. Jingzhe's strength far surpasses that of Lü Zhang.

"Did any disciples in your branch witness Elder Lü's murder?" Ma Dayuan walked up to Li Changfeng and asked in a deep voice.

"Have."

Li Changfeng nodded: "On that day, Elder Lü was accompanied by four disciples with six bags of spiritual energy for protection. All four of them were unharmed and witnessed the entire incident."

"What they said is consistent with what the waiters at Hongyanlou said?" Bai Shijing pressed.

"Exactly the same."

"There were still many patrons in the building at the time. We asked a few people afterward, and they all said the same thing. Jingzhe acted openly and honestly, leaving calmly after killing someone, and no one dared to stop him."

Wang Jiantong straightened up, pondered for a moment, and looked at Li Changfeng: "How is your investigation going regarding those twenty-four towers?"

Li Changfeng hesitated for a moment, then stammered, "Reporting to the leader, we have already sent people to investigate, but this sect..."

"There are no outsiders here, so just speak your mind. Why beat around the bush?" Bai Shijing's tone became somewhat displeased when he saw his hesitation.

Li Changfeng quickly shook his head and explained, "Elder Bai, please calm down. It's not that I intentionally concealed anything, but the situation at these Twenty-Four Towers is too strange for me to describe. Leader and elders, please take a look for yourselves."

As he spoke, he took out a name card from his pocket and handed it to Wang Jiantong with both hands.

This name card is exquisitely mounted, with fine paper and a faint gold trim. It looks like a name card given to guests by princes and nobles in Kaifeng when they celebrate their birthdays, quite different from the rough name cards of martial arts sects.

Wang Jiantong reached out and took it, slowly unfolding it. He saw several large, ancient, and powerful characters on it, their strength penetrating the paper:
[The Twenty-Four Towers will open on September 8th.]

Below the large characters, there are several lines of smaller characters that clearly state the business scope and address of the Twenty-Four Buildings.

Wang Jiantong then realized that the Twenty-Four Towers was actually an assassin organization with twenty-four top assassins who specialized in taking on murder jobs.

In addition, three rules are clearly written on it:
Firstly, clients must not conceal the motive for the murder or the identity of the target. Whether or not to accept the job is decided by the building staff. Once a job is accepted, it must be carried out to the end, no matter what.

Secondly, the payment received inside the building is not limited to gold or silver; only the most valuable items from the client are accepted.

Thirdly: He who kills will be killed in return. If an assassin within the building is killed, none of the twenty-four buildings will seek revenge.

At the very end of the calling card is the address of the Twenty-Four Towers.
It's right here on Suzaku Avenue!

Zhuquemen Street is the core area of ​​Kaifeng Prefecture. It is adjacent to Jingling East Palace on the left and Jingling West Palace on the right. Both of these are sacred sites for the royal family to worship their ancestors. They are solemn and dignified on weekdays, and no idlers are allowed to approach.

It was surrounded by government offices such as the Dasheng Prefecture and the Taichang Temple, and was frequented by officials and dignitaries.

In addition, the street is dotted with wealthy shops such as Tang Family Gold and Silver Shop and Wenzhou Lacquerware Shop, creating a prosperous and bustling scene.

An assassin organization dares to openly operate in this place, right under the emperor's nose and surrounded by powerful figures.

Wang Jiantong tightened his grip on the name card. Ma Dayuan and Bai Shijing leaned over to see the address, and their faces darkened. They were both momentarily stunned.

What exactly is this strategy?
Although the Song Dynasty was constantly struggling to survive under the pressure of the Liao and Western Xia dynasties and border conflicts were frequent, it was still a powerful force, and the laws and regulations of the court remained intact.

This is by no means a sign of national subjugation, where a nation is at the mercy of others' provocations.

These twenty-four buildings are simply insane.

"The Martial Virtue Division doesn't care? The Dragon God Guard doesn't care either?" Wang Jiantong asked in a deep voice, his tone filled with disbelief.

The Martial Virtue Division is in charge of maintaining order in the capital, while the Dragon God Guard is responsible for monitoring martial arts forces. There is no reason for either of them to turn a blind eye to such assassin organizations that openly provoke the imperial court.

"This is the strangest place."

Li Changfeng replied with a bitter face: "I sent people to investigate. Both the Martial Virtue Division and the Dragon God Guard know that there is such a building on Zhuquemen Street, but they treat it as nothing. They neither inquire nor interfere, as if the twenty-four buildings are just ordinary shops."

He paused, then added, "That's why I said I didn't know how to describe this building."

Silence fell over the quiet room.

Wang Jiantong and the other two exchanged glances, all seeing the gravity in each other's eyes.

Lu Zhang was a senior elder in the Beggars' Sect who passed on his skills. If the Beggars' Sect does not avenge his death, it will lose face and will be unable to gain a foothold in the martial arts world in the future.

After a long silence, Wang Jiantong slowly spoke, his tone resolute: "Da Yuan, Shi Jing, include the matter of avenging Elder Lü in the 'merits' of the succession, and designate it as the top priority!"

Ma Dayuan and Bai Shijing exchanged a glance, both understanding Wang Jiantong's intention.

The two men were more than ten years younger than Wang Jiantong, and they were fully aware of his intention to step down as the leader of the Beggars' Sect, and they were both interested in doing so.

However, the successor to the Beggars' Sect leadership has not yet been decided. According to the sect's rules, one must pass three major challenges and perform seven great deeds to gain Wang Jiantong's approval and inherit the Dog-Beating Staff and the leadership position. The three major challenges test the successor's lightness skill, martial arts talent, and combat prowess, each of which is extremely rigorous.

The seven great merits require making outstanding contributions to the Beggars' Sect, such as helping the weak and oppressed, quelling local chaos, eliminating evil forces in the martial arts world, or suppressing evil factions.

Previously, a disciple had made a great contribution by venturing alone into Liao territory, drawing a detailed map of the Youyan region, and secretly establishing the Youyan branch of the Beggars' Sect.

Now that Wang Jiantong wants to include revenge in this matter, he wants his successor to establish his authority through this incident and also to test his abilities.

Lü Zhang frequented brothels without paying, displaying the habits of a beggar, and his behavior was indeed inappropriate.

However, in the eyes of the Beggars' Sect, even if their elders had made mistakes, it was not their place to have outsiders kill them in public.

The news quickly spread to the Beggars' Sect disciples throughout the land via their information channels, stirring up outrage and prompting most to head straight for Kaifeng.

However, Wang Jiantong specifically instructed his disciples to strictly forbid them from making a scene in Kaifeng Prefecture and to prevent harming innocent people.

After all, Kaifeng was the capital of the Song Dynasty and the central government seat. On the surface, the Beggars' Sect was still a Jianghu sect that followed the rules of the Song Dynasty.

For a time, beggars flocked to the capital city of Kaifeng.

Regardless of whether they were disciples of different generations or coveted the position of gang leader, as long as they were not far away, they all came to join in the fun.

Partly out of curiosity, and partly to see how those people would handle it.

There are quite a few masters in the Beggars' Sect.

Ma Dayuan, the vice leader, was the most prestigious. At over forty years old, he was at his peak, and his martial arts skills and methods earned him the respect of the Beggars' Clan.

There is also Bai Shijing, the law enforcement elder who was of the same rank as the deceased Lü Zhang. He was impartial, fair in enforcing the law, and the maintainer of the Beggars' Sect's discipline. He was highly respected by everyone in the sect.

Quan Guanqing, the "Ten Directions Scholar" who is in charge of the Great Wisdom Branch and the leader of the Eight-Bag Branch of the Beggars' Sect.

He is resourceful, good at planning, and has a long history in the Beggars' Sect, making him one of the most capable candidates in the sect.

There are also the four elders of the Beggars' Sect: Song, Xi, Chen, and Wu.

Finally, there is Qiao Feng, a disciple of Wang Jiantong!

On Que Street, the Twenty-Four Towers stood out conspicuously among the government offices and shops.

A six-story wooden building with exquisitely carved eaves and intricately patterned window lattices. The entire building exudes the craftsman's ingenuity, showing no trace of the sinister atmosphere one would expect from an assassin organization.

The first floor of the twenty-four-story building was completely empty, the floor was swept clean, and there was not a single piece of furniture or decoration, only a solid wood staircase winding its way to the second floor.

Going up the stairs, you'll find a pear wood counter on the second floor.

A woman sat behind the counter, her fingertips lightly plucking the strings of a violin. A melodious tune spread out, its lingering sound making the tranquility of the building even more apparent.

The woman's name was Hongluan.

Twenty-Four Towers has been open for two months, but there are very few people coming and going. In fact, the only real customer is herself.

As the melody faded, Hongluan gazed out the window at Zhuque Street, her thoughts drifting back to a month ago.

At that time, she was still a courtesan at Yiya Tower. Lü Zhang, relying on his superior martial arts skills, forcibly occupied her room and stayed there for three days.

For the next three days, she had to accompany him in his elegant singing and playing of musical instruments, as well as serve him tea and meals, ensuring that all his food, drink, and other necessities were of the highest quality.

But when this Beggar Clan elder left, he simply turned around and left without paying a single penny.

Although Yi Ya Lou had some power behind him, he could only swallow his anger when faced with someone like the Beggar Clan elder.

The money owed by Lü Zhang will eventually be deducted from her allowance as a courtesan.

Hongluan was both angry and resentful, but had nowhere to reason with them.

On that same day, overcome with anger, she suddenly remembered that a new building with twenty-four towers had opened on Zhuque Street behind Yiya Tower. She had heard that it was built by assassins who specialized in killing people to vent their anger.

As if by some strange twist of fate, Hongluan turned into this courtyard.

The scene inside the building was completely beyond her expectations. There was no murderous aura or eerie horror as she had imagined. Instead, it was brightly lit and sparsely populated. Only a girl named Gu Yu came forward to greet her.

Hongluan recounted her ordeal in detail, and after listening, Guyu nodded and asked:

"Young lady should know what kind of reward is given for hiring someone from the Twenty-Four Towers to commit murder, right?"

Hongluan steeled herself, pulled out a thirty-tael silver note from her bosom, and clutched it tightly:
"I only have thirty taels left. That scoundrel swindled me out of more than fifty taels at Yiyalou. He drank the best wine and ate the best food!"

Gu Yu shook her head: "No. Money is not your most precious possession."

Hongluan was taken aback and said urgently, "What's wrong? How could I not cherish money? If I didn't, I wouldn't have come here for help."

Money is certainly valuable, but it is not the most valuable thing.

Gu Yu asked calmly, "Miss Hongluan, what is your most precious possession?"

Hongluan was startled again.

She worked in a brothel as a courtesan. What was most precious to her? Money? Her body? Neither seemed to be the case.

After a moment of contemplation, she said softly, "What I cherish most is my singing and playing skills."

"Be more specific," Gu Yu pressed.

Hongluan lowered her eyes and her voice became even lower: "It is a piece of music, a piece of music that I have never played for anyone else. I originally planned to play it only for my beloved after I redeemed myself."

Gu Yu suddenly laughed, her eyes crinkling: "That's right, that's correct. We'll take this piece of music as our reward; it's a rule set by the Dao Master."

Hongluan was completely dumbfounded.

How should a piece of music be considered payment? Written down? Or played?

She studied music from a young age and understood the subtleties of music best. A thousand people could play it and it would have a thousand different flavors. If she were to give it away, the unique sentiment that belonged to her would be completely lost.

"The brothel will help you get your freedom."

"This piece can only be played inside the building from now on."

Gu Yu seemed to see through her thoughts and added with a smile.

As soon as she finished speaking, Gu Yu skipped and hopped towards the third floor, shouting, "Finally, we have customers! Come on, come on!"

Several heads immediately popped out from the third floor, each with a bright look in their eyes.

"Really?!" A figure leaped down from the third floor first, landing lightly and steadily in front of Hongluan.

He clasped his hands in a fist and asked, "My name is Jingzhe. Whom does the young lady wish to kill?"

Hongluan's heart tightened, her voice trembling slightly, but she still gritted her teeth and asked, "Can...can you kill Elder Lü Zhang of the Beggar Clan?"

Before Jingzhe could even nod, three more people jumped down from upstairs, shouting:

"Yes! Of course I can! I'll do it! I'll do it!"

"The Dao Lord said it's first come, first served."

"Minor Cold, Beginning of Winter, Qingming Festival, you'll be next."

Jingzhe glanced at the three of them, her tone calm.

Upon hearing the words "Dao Master," the three immediately deflated, sighed in unison, and said helplessly to Gu Yu, "Gu Yu, could you please call me this way next time?"

Three days later, news of Lü Zhang's death at Hongyan Tower spread throughout Kaifeng.

Hongluan was also redeemed by the Twenty-Four Towers and moved into the tower, taking over from Guyu as the tower guard behind the counter on the second floor.

My fingertips brushed across the strings again, and the tune suddenly stopped.

Hongluan snapped out of her daze, a bewildered smile appearing on her lips.

However, perhaps the current situation is not so bad.
She still feels like she's in a dream; it was just a song, yet it actually killed the Beggar Clan's elder who was passing on his skills.

(End of this chapter)