Jianghu Qimen Lu

Chapter 53 5 Ghosts 8 Wastes

Just then, a hoarse, sinister voice rang out: "White Lightning, now you know how dangerous things are, don't you? I order you to withdraw the soldiers from the courtyard first, and then I'll let you go back! Remember this lesson, stay far away from here in the future! Do you understand?" White Lightning knew it was Kong Dun's voice, as if the voice was coming from beneath the stone table! He knew the situation was unfavorable to him, and if he didn't obey, he might very well die here! To consider all factors, he decided to reluctantly agree to Kong Dun's words, and loudly ordered the Eight Banners soldiers to go outside and wait for orders. Seeing their commander so cowardly, the soldiers were all filled with fear and hurriedly fled the courtyard, going out to the deserted street to wait for orders.

As soon as the soldiers left, for some reason, the spinning ground suddenly slowed down and finally came to a stop. Bai Shandian leaped again and easily landed on the path outside the pavilion. Enraged, he grabbed the sleazy middle-aged man by the collar, lifted him up, and roared, "Tell me the truth, where are those rebels hiding? Are they under the pavilion? Where are the traps? Speak!" The middle-aged man, struggling to breathe from the collar, rolled his eyes back and struggled desperately, saying, "I've lived here for a long time, but I didn't know there were traps hidden in the pavilion. It's strange! I..." Bai Shandian slapped him across the face, cursing furiously, "This is your home, don't you know your own secrets? Yes, it's strange, absolutely strange!" The middle-aged man still played innocent, saying aggrievedly, "I really don't know! If you don't believe me, you can ask my family!" Seeing his earnest expression, Bai Shandian felt even more uneasy, thinking to himself, "This place is very strange. I should send troops to surround it and decide what to do tomorrow!" With that thought, he strode out.

Seeing him emerge unscathed, the officers and soldiers all breathed a sigh of relief. They had expected Bai Shandian to lead his troops away quickly in despair, but instead, he ordered them all to remain on high alert, monitoring every move. Their faces showed resentment. Bai Shandian ignored them completely, mounted his magnificent steed, and rode off. Instead of returning to the post station to rest, he went that very night to the Governor-General's residence in Jiangzhe to humbly inquire about the mysterious secrets of the pavilion from Zhang Kuang. When he pulled Zhang Kuang out of his warm bed, the latter, though slightly impatient, dared not neglect him, hastily dressing and ushering Bai Shandian into the living room.

Zhang Kuang, a master of the I Ching and an expert in formations, immediately exclaimed upon hearing Bai Shandian's explanation: "Lord Bai, the formation inside the pavilion is the Maoshan Five Ghosts and Eight Desolations Bewitching Formation! This formation was created by the patriarch of the Maoshan Taoist sect. At first glance, it resembles the Eight Trigrams and Five Elements Formation, but it actually contains the aura of ghosts and demons. It is riddled with traps, filled with poisonous gas, and teeming with hidden weapons. If one is not careful, those who enter the formation will be bewitched and fall under its spell! It is truly bizarre and extremely evil and vicious!" Bai Shandian anxiously asked, "Having said so much, how can we break it?" Zhang Kuang thought for a moment before saying, "To break the Maoshan Five Ghosts and Eight Desolations Formation, we must first find Huang Miwu, the current patriarch of divination and the head of the Golden Gate sect, and ask him to cast a spell to break the formation." Bai Shandian was somewhat bewildered and asked, "A spell to break it? What is a spell to break it?"

Zhang Kuang explained, "Generally, those who practice spirit writing and divination claim to be celestial beings. They set up a basket or winnowing tray, pile fine sand on top, and have someone appear as a deity, writing words on the sand with a fine needle, claiming it's the deity's will. The diviner can then inquire about a person's fortune, future prospects, marital status, and career advancement. In the martial arts world today, divination and fortune telling are collectively called the Golden Gate, and within the Golden Gate, Huang Miwu, the patriarch of divination, is considered the most accurate, thus he was elected as the leader of the Golden Gate. It is said that if Huang Miwu divines that you will die at midnight, you will not live to see dawn; it's extremely strange and eerie!" Bai Shandian smiled coldly and said: "That's chilling! Is it really that mysterious?" Zhang Kuang straightened his face and said seriously, "Tomorrow we'll find him, have him perform a divination, and break the Maoshan Five Ghosts Eight Desolations Formation. That'll be enough! Why bother with the details, Lord Bai?" Bai Shandian couldn't help but smile and said, "There are many sects in the martial arts world, and they all have a skill to make a living. The saying 'Better to give a piece of gold than to spread half a word of spring' fully illustrates how much each sect in the martial arts world values ​​its own skills." Zhang Kuang gave a thumbs up and praised with a smile, "Lord Bai is absolutely right! It seems you have quite a lot of experience in the martial arts world."

"So, where is Huang Miwu setting up his fortune-telling stall now?" Bai Shandian asked. Actually, he was deliberately showing off his knowledge of the martial arts world. "Setting up his fortune-telling stall" is a slang term used in the martial arts world, also known as "Jianghu Chun Dian," meaning to set up a stall and tell fortunes for people.

"Actually, Jinmen is a large Jianghu gang, not only with numerous members but also with a plethora of skilled strategists. Its headquarters are located on Penglai Island in Shandong. It's said that recently, someone spotted Jinmen's leader, Huang Miwu, appearing in Hangzhou. My deduction is that it's probably also related to the *Complete Book of Jianghu*!" Bai Shandian sighed, his tone infinitely sorrowful. "If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have let my wife, Xiangquan, write this harmful book! For it, the Shaolin traitor Kong Dun colluded with Japanese pirates and the Four Fiends of the Underworld, kidnapping General Hong of Hangzhou, attempting to force the world's number one thief, Hong Yueliang, to hand over the *Complete Book of Jianghu*!" Zhang Kuang couldn't help but lament, "What goes around comes around. The *Complete Book of Jianghu* is a double-edged sword; it can allow justice to triumph over evil, but it can also allow evil to control the whole situation, harming humanity. The question is, who will ultimately be the winner?"

Bai Shandian asked, "Where is Huang Miwu now?" Zhang Kuang laughed, "Although Hangzhou is not a small city, fortune tellers usually set up their stalls in crowded places. Tomorrow, I can send people to various markets and temple fairs to investigate; we're sure to find him!" Bai Shandian also laughed, "Lord Zhang, you truly are an old hand at this. You are indeed knowledgeable in astronomy and geography. I admire you!" Zhang Kuang waved his hand modestly, saying, "Not at all, not at all. I am not talented enough. Lord Bai is too kind!" Immediately, Bai Shandian ordered Zhang Kuang to dispatch a thousand Green Standard Army soldiers, led by two captains, to immediately go to that wealthy household and surround the pavilion three layers deep. With Green Standard Army inside and Eight Banners soldiers outside, it was truly impregnable; not even a rope could escape! Seeing that everything was in place, Bai Shandian returned to the inn to sleep with peace of mind.

The next day, Bai Shandian got up early, ate a simple meal, and went to inspect the wealthy household. Both teams of soldiers reported that nothing unexpected had happened, so Bai Shandian sat down in the pavilion with peace of mind, waiting for Zhang Kuang's news.

Unexpectedly, after waiting and waiting, the sun reached its zenith, but there was still no sign of the yellow mist. Instead, an uninvited guest appeared—the Red Moon! White Lightning was both surprised and delighted, and laughed, "You're finally back! Did you get your hands on the 'Complete Book of Martial Arts'?" The Red Moon took out a book from its bosom and respectfully handed it to White Lightning, smiling, "I have fulfilled my mission and finally managed to snatch this martial arts treasure!" White Lightning took it and saw that it was indeed the extraordinary book that had driven people in the martial arts world to madness—the "Complete Book of Martial Arts"! He happily exclaimed, "As expected, the current leader of the Beggars' Sect, Kong Dun, wasn't lying! You truly did manage to get your hands on this book! But why have you only shown yourself now?" Red Moon sighed, her jade-like face pale, her beautiful eyes dim, and she said sadly, "You have no idea how much injustice I suffered! It turns out that after I cleverly stole the 'Complete Book of Jianghu' from Kong Dun that night, I was closely watched by a mysterious figure. His name is Huang Miwu, the infamous leader of the Golden Gate in the Jianghu. Relying on his mastery of the esoteric arts of Qimen Dunjia, he filled the book with hidden mechanisms—like turning paper into soldiers and fingers into formations—repeatedly putting me in perilous situations..." "I narrowly escaped death, but thankfully the contents of the 'Complete Guide to the Martial World' were incredibly useful, instantly resolving my doubts and providing a solution, thus thwarting Huang Miwu's plans time and again!" Bai Shandian exclaimed in surprise, thinking, "What? So you've already read the 'Complete Guide to the Martial World'?" Hong Yueliang said somewhat angrily, "Yes, I have! But if I hadn't, I'm afraid I would have long since perished! Lord Bai, you would have had even less chance of obtaining it!" Bai Shandian thought about it and agreed, then laughed, "Alright, never mind you! Anyway, I have the 'Complete Guide to the Martial World' in my hands, and I can now report back to the Emperor!"