When Xu Ziling had barged into Luoyang and was "invited" by Liaokong and the Four Great Divine Monks to Pure Thought Monastery, Kou Zhong ran into serious trouble in Jizhou, Jiangnan. Jizhou had once been a major city of Lin Shihong's Chu, and Kou Zhong had been on a winning streak. He was about to sweep across Jiangnan, then march back north to take on the many heroes of the Central Plains—and now he was in a world of trouble!
That day, he had gone to Qianzhou to discuss certain matters with "Heavenly Saber" Song Que. On his return, accompanied by only a dozen or so mounted escorts, he was stopped halfway by a burly man in a Taoist robe. The man had five long strands of beard, an ancient, simple face, and thick brows over large eyes.
The man was none other than Ning Daoqi, the "Scattered One," the foremost master of the Taoist school in the Central Plains. Kou Zhong had been fortunate enough to meet him once before in Luoyang!
The timing could hardly have been worse. Jizhou and Qianzhou had already been pacified, and the Twin Dragons Army and the Lingnan Army were busy clearing out remnants and diehards of Chu along the southeastern coast. There were few troops stationed between the two prefectures. The area had only just been cleared, and Kou Zhong had not expected to encounter any enemy holdouts, so he had brought only a small escort. Who could have guessed that he would run into the formidable "Scattered One," Ning Daoqi, right now?
"..."
"Stay alert!"
"Tonight may not end peacefully!"
Kou Zhong's heart sank. He quietly warned the dozen or so battle-hardened retainers behind him, then slowly rode forward. Ning Daoqi stood in the middle of the road with his hands