The Standoff

Luoyang

After days of fighting and negotiations, the time had finally come to settle the matter. The Great Ming court still held some sway over the "orthodox sects," so they chose a location outside the city.

The Guanzhong Martial Arts Alliance, led by the Mount Hua Sect, and the Central Plains Martial Arts Alliance, led by Shaolin, faced off from the north and south. They looked ready to come to blows if the talks fell through.

Each side had gathered several thousand men, a formidable force. Unfortunately, both sides' leaders had their reservations and dared not make the call to fight.

The orthodox sects were more than just a name; they also followed their own set of rules. Picking a fight with people at the drop of a hat—that was the Demonic Cult's way.

Though matters had nearly spiraled out of control, the two big bosses, Shaolin and Mount Hua, had yet to fall out openly. Officially, the two sects had merely come at the invitation of the Iron Sword Sect in Guanzhong and the Long Spear Association in Luoyang to mediate their conflict.

From that angle, calling the orthodox sects a bunch of hypocrites really wasn't unfair.

But this "put up a memorial archway" approach was precisely what their forebears had devised as the best way to play the game, after thousands of years of trial and error and in light of their own circumstances.

Starting a fight sounded simple enough, but the two sides were now very evenly matched. If they really clashed, the loser would naturally be finished, but the winner wouldn't have many people left, either.

Territory needed to be defended. Even if they seized it, they wouldn't be able to hold it without enough strength.

"When the snipe and clam fight, the fisherman profits."

Neither Shaolin nor Mount Hua wanted to see that happen.

Plans never kept pace with change. First, the other four sacred peaks couldn't come; then the Demonic Cult attacked, forcing them to split their forces. The several major martial arts sects they had contacted had now changed their minds at the last minute as well. All these factors together had left the Mount Hua Sect in its current predicament.

Then came the urgent report from the sect last night. If Ning Qingyu still couldn't tell he'd been outmaneuvered, all those years as sect leader would have been wasted.

But now he was riding a tiger and couldn't get off. The enemy's trap was too vast; there was no room for him to back down.

If he turned around and went back now, how would he answer the Guanzhong martial arts colleagues who had come at his invitation?

The Mount Hua Sect had issued a call, and everyone had followed their leader, contributing money, manpower, and risking their lives. Now, if he suddenly said they were calling it off, all those forces would have made their efforts in vain. He had to give them an explanation.

Damage to the sect's reputation in the martial world was only one concern. It would be even harder to answer to his own sect. After paying such a steep price and gaining nothing, he, as sect leader, had to give his people an explanation.

If they couldn't fight, then all they could do was negotiate.

Negotiations didn't require many people. Even the two parties officially involved, the Iron Sword Sect and the Long Spear Association, weren't qualified to take part.

Xiaowang Peak, Funiu Mountain

Ning Qingyu sat quietly drinking tea with two Mount Hua elders and three elderly Shaolin monks. Not a hint of conflict showed; they looked just like old friends.

Worried about his sect, Ning Qingyu was the first to break the silence. "Master, you've certainly planned well. But to think this alone would make us leave is to underestimate us.

"The Mount Hua Sect has prepared for this for so long and paid such a steep price. If we let go now, how are we supposed to establish ourselves in the martial world?"

Seeing how resolute Ning Qingyu was, the old monk felt a headache coming on. How could he not know of the Mount Hua Sect's predicament? This had been a ploy laid by Shaolin from the very beginning.

But for the plan to end perfectly, they first had to bluff the Mount Hua Sect into going home. Otherwise, if the two sides really fought, it would be difficult to deal with the aftermath.

Shaolin Temple had built up its holdings bit by bit, too. Fighting the Mount Hua Sect would clearly be a losing proposition. Even if they won, what use was a war-ravaged Guanzhong?

Shaolin Temple wasn't trying to conquer the realm. Why occupy such a strategic location and needlessly arouse the court's suspicion?

With that kind of effort, they might as well develop Jiangnan. In terms of economic value, any prefecture in Jiangsu or Zhejiang could rival all of Guanzhong.

"Benefactor Ning, the world is vast. Why must your sect fixate on Luoyang?"

Ning Qingyu gave a cold, mocking smile. "Master, you're pushing it by pretending not to understand. If your temple hadn't interfered, we would have entered Bashu a hundred years ago.

"The Emei Sect invited us themselves. We wouldn't even have needed to draw our weapons. Why are we fixated on Luoyang? Wasn't it because your temple drove us to it?

"Unlike your temple, the Mount Hua Sect has no desire to monopolize Luoyang. We only want to come in and get our share. That's not asking too much, is it?"

Clearly, the Mount Hua Sect's resentment toward Shaolin had been brewing for years.

Back then, when the Emei Sect split apart and the Shuzhong martial world was left leaderless, the Mount Hua Sect had finally reached an agreement with Emei and prepared to enter Bashu. But at the last moment, Shaolin had spoiled everything.

Once an opportunity was lost, it never came again. After the Mount Hua Sect's designs on Bashu were exposed, the Shuzhong martial world grew wary.

With Shaolin acting as go-between, the major forces in Shuzhong quickly put aside their past grievances and made an alliance. They left the Mount Hua Sect no opening to exploit.

Unable to enter Bashu, the Mount Hua Sect had few options left. It could either fight Shaolin to the death over Luoyang, or enter Shanxi from Shangdang and head north to contend with the Sun Moon Divine Cult.

From Shaolin Temple's standpoint, it naturally hoped the Mount Hua Sect would fight the Demonic Cult. To that end, it had continually stoked tensions between them.

But the Mount Hua Sect wasn't foolish, either. After a few fights with the Demonic Cult, it realized that was a hard bone it couldn't crack.

Besides, the north was far too close to the capital. They also had to consider the court. The Mount Hua Sect wasn't reckless enough to expand under the nose of the Great Ming court.

By comparison, Shaolin was difficult to deal with, but it had far more options. It not only held the Central Plains, but had also expanded its influence into Jiangnan and Bashu.

The greater the holdings, the greater the concerns. As the greatest sect under heaven, Shaolin Temple's strength might have been unmatched, but it also drew the most fire from the Great Ming court.

The court supported almost every action taken against Shaolin. This time was no exception. If the court hadn't been secretly tripping them up, Shaolin Temple would have brought all its forces together. The Mount Hua Sect would have had no choice but to back down.

The court wasn't Shaolin Temple's only concern; there were also the various martial arts sects. The larger its territory, the more neighboring forces it bordered, and the more conflicts arose.

When Shaolin was strong, those forces naturally had to endure it. If Shaolin's strength took a heavy blow, things would be very different.

Shaolin couldn't ignore the question of whether the birds would die for food.

In truth, Ning Qingyu's plan this time had been a gamble. He'd bet that Shaolin Temple wouldn't fight to the death with them over a single Luoyang.

Unfortunately, he'd ultimately been outmaneuvered. The allies he'd counted on hadn't shown up, and the Mount Hua Sect had failed to gain an absolute advantage in Luoyang.

"Benefactor Ning, you're too fixated on this. The Mount Hua Sect is already flourishing, and we've all accepted that it will become the martial world's new hegemon. Why stir up war and plunge the martial world into turmoil?"