"So, have you found where the First Rank Hall is, Chief Guan?"
After leaving with Guan Tiannan and entering a residence, the monk Tianming got straight to the point.
Martial artists generally didn't take part in direct clashes with the military. The Central Plains martial world focused more on intercepting martial artists from Western Xia.
At Tianming's question, Guan Tiannan sighed and shook his head. "No."
Huh?
Tianming was somewhat surprised. The Beggar Sect was the greatest sect under heaven. Its own martial strength might not be formidable, and it was far inferior to orthodox pillars like Shaolin Temple, but its standing in the martial world was no lesser. In truth, it stood almost on equal footing with sects like Shaolin Temple. The reason was simple: it had an advantage no other sect could match.
That advantage was intelligence.
Even in places as heavily guarded as the imperial palace, where martial artists could hardly get a foothold, the Beggar Sect could still obtain information. And it wasn't just that. For intelligence as important as Western Xia declaring war on the Song Dynasty, the Beggar Sect had received the news almost as soon as the Song court did.
The greatest sect under heaven wasn't just an empty boast.
It hadn't established itself in the martial world by relying on a mere handful of people, like the chief and his lieutenants, to shoulder the whole operation.
That was why the Beggar Sect had convened this gathering over a conflict between nations.
"Chief Guan, you still don't know what the Western Xia First Rank Hall is up to?"
Guan Tiannan nodded. "A month ago, our disciples reported that the Western Xia First Rank Hall had begun gathering in the four prefectures of Yanzhou, Hongzhou, Longzhou, and Yinzhou. I immediately organized people to monitor the roads in those prefectures. But after a whole month, not a single scrap of information about the Western Xia First Rank Hall has come back."
"Have they gone undercover?"
Though the Western Xia First Rank Hall was a martial arts organization, it differed from those of the Central Plains. It belonged to the Western Xia court and its members held official posts; it even had a military character. As a result, its members sometimes acted in ways that didn't fit the usual image of martial artists.
Guan Tiannan shook his head. "No. In fact, since the declaration of war, the routes between Western Xia and the Song Dynasty have been closed. Not a single person has come through the four prefectures in the past month."
Tianming couldn't help frowning. This was bad news. The war hadn't even begun, and the most important target had already vanished?
It wasn't a joke. It was simply what had happened.
Martial artists had tremendous destructive power. Just look at the people gathered here. If they wanted, sneaking into a residence to assassinate officials would be easy.
If the Western Xia First Rank Hall infiltrated the Song and carried out decapitation strikes against officers in various regions, the damage would be immense.
"Could they have stayed put? Perhaps this declaration of war is just meant to make a show of force?"
A voice broke in.
Looking at the newcomer, Tianming pressed his palms together. "True Person Xuanxin. It's been a while."
"Master Tianming, it has indeed been a long time."
The newcomer was a middle-aged man with white at his temples, though he looked quite young. He wore a blue-green Daoist robe.
An elder of the Shangqing Sect!
His rank was equivalent to that of Tianming, the chief seat of Arhat Hall.
True Person Xuanxin said, "For instance, could they be trying to pressure the Song Dynasty into granting them concessions?"
Guan Tiannan shook his head. "If that were the case, I wouldn't have gathered all of you here. The biggest problem now is that the Western Xia First Rank Hall has vanished. They aren't even in Western Xia. At least, none of the places where we could usually find them have seen a single one of their important figures."
True Person Xuanxin and Tianming were both startled. They had disappeared completely? Even the Beggar Sect couldn't find the slightest trace of them?
"Could they be mixed in with the army, which is why they haven't been found?"
Guan Tiannan nodded. "It's possible, but then they wouldn't be of much use."
An army wasn't like a crowd of ordinary people.
When troops were organized, unless someone was a first-rate expert, once they got entangled with the soldiers, they could still be beaten to death.
Even a second-rate expert might have Circulation Realm protection, but when armies clashed, they never simply charged straight at each other. For starters, a volley of arrows would meet them head-on. The Song might not excel at much else, but its equipment was no worse than anyone's. Faced with a dense hail of weapons, a second-rate expert was still only human. Even if they survived the first volley, they would have little qi left.
And second-rate experts were the backbone of even the Central Plains sects. They weren't expendable.
Even with the backing of a nation, the Western Xia First Rank Hall could only have a limited number of second-rate experts.
After all, reaching that level wasn't as simple as having a manual and resources. Talent was necessary too. Otherwise, with the state's power behind it, second-rate experts would be everywhere.
That was why the Western Xia First Rank Hall mostly used its experts for assassinations, wreaking havoc through decapitation tactics.
"Then, Chief Guan, do you have a plan to deal with this?"
There was no way the Western Xia First Rank Hall had vanished. The only likely explanation for their being impossible to find was that they were in hiding.
If they were hiding in Western Xia, that would be one thing. But if they were on Song territory, the situation would be much more troublesome.
"Wasn't the plan already laid out?"
Someone emerged from the residence.
He had a pale, hairless face and a shrill voice, and gave off a sinister air.
Someone from the palace?
A glint of understanding flashed in Tianming's eyes. It wasn't surprising. Even if the one on the throne knew there was little danger in gathering martial artists like them, he probably couldn't put his mind completely at ease. After all, the Zhao Family's claim to the throne hadn't been honorable. They were constantly on their guard. They distrusted even the generals who served them loyally, treating all their former war heroes like pigs and keeping them penned up in Kaifeng.
That was arguably why the Song was so weak at present.
They feared the generals and appointed civil officials.
The previous defeat had apparently been caused by a civil official's reckless advance into an ambush, which had led to the Song's crushing loss.
As a result, the three leading officials had all been demoted.
"Eunuch Hong!"
Guan Tiannan sighed. "The martial artists who came here did so to defend their homeland. The plan you proposed is too extreme. Martial artists aren't soldiers of the court. You can't demand that they act that way."
The eunuch called Hong gave Guan Tiannan a cold look. "If the Western Xia First Rank Hall can do it, why can't you? You're afraid of dying, that's all. Why dress it up so nicely? Guan Tiannan, the court and the martial world have an understanding. Normally, we leave each other alone. But that understanding has conditions. If you're 'useless,' I can only report the truth to my superiors and reconsider the relationship between you and the court."
With that, the eunuch flicked his sleeve and turned to leave.
Tianming and True Person Xuanxin exchanged a glance, then looked at Guan Tiannan with questioning expressions.
The government and the martial world had an understanding: they generally kept out of each other's affairs and each handled their own business.
Why had a eunuch come here this time? From the looks of it, he was even planning to "order" them around.
Guan Tiannan gave a rueful smile and shook his head. "This man is a trusted aide of the chief eunuch, Yan Wenying. He was sent here as a military supervisor. Eager to distinguish himself, he heard that the Western Xia First Rank Hall had vanished and demanded we organize martial artists to go to Western Xia and assassinate its generals, just as the First Rank Hall had targeted ours. He plans to draw them out."
Tianming and True Person Xuanxin were taken aback. Their brows furrowed.
The Western Xia First Rank Hall usually used decapitation tactics against the Song. But assassination was no easy task. Even if it succeeded, nine out of ten people sent would be killed. They might as well be treated as death soldiers.
Of course, the Western Xia First Rank Hall invested heavily in its warriors for such missions. They had plenty of money and no shortage of women; the organization provided them with nearly everything they could want, and indulged them in every pleasure. In Western Xia, First Rank Hall warriors could kill without punishment, and if they took a fancy to a woman, they could simply take her away.
What about the Song?
They kept an eye on them in ordinary times, and even for matters like this, they'd assigned people to supervise them. Although they seemed to have arranged separate residences and lodgings for the martial artists, the truth was that they wanted to keep them all gathered together.
And this time, the eunuch hadn't even bothered to ask properly. At the very least, he could have made a request. Instead, he'd acted like he was above them all, as if they were nothing but pawns to be used at will: if things went well, he'd take the credit; if they didn't, it would be their fault for being useless. Heh. Did he think everyone else was a fool?
The three of them shook their heads and stopped thinking about the eunuch. It seemed he had mistaken them for Song generals.
Appeal to the emperor? Change the relationship with the martial world?
Heh. Go ahead and try. See if the emperor sends troops to suppress you—or simply has your head chopped off on the spot.