Volume One, Chapter 10: A Hero’s Origins Are Irrelevant

For a moment, the inner hall fell completely silent; no one spoke a word.

Bai Chou and Zhao Yun exchanged glances, neither expecting that Xin Qiji’s purpose in hosting the martial arts contest aligned with their own. Yet why would he reveal such a secret?

Wei Tianpeng’s foster father was the prime minister of the Tang Kingdom, while Xin Qiji’s father was the lord of Qizhou City.

Could Xin Qiji not comprehend the peril of divulging such a secret? If it reached outsiders, it would surely invite deadly consequences. Even toward Bai Chou and Zhao Yun, whom he had just met, he shouldn’t have spoken so freely.

Either he was truly a straightforward man, openly loving Li Qingzhao without any concealment, or—

But to reveal such a secret in front of Bai and Zhao was utterly inappropriate.

Unless he had already harbored murderous intent toward them, confident they would never disclose this secret outside the Li household.

Zhao Yun, equally sharp, shared Bai Chou’s thoughts. He turned to Xin Qiji and asked, “Brother Xin, aren’t you afraid that by revealing such a secret, we might spread it recklessly once we leave? Or did you never intend for us to walk out of this room alive?”

Li Qingzhao quickly intervened, trying to smooth things over. “Brother Xin has had too much to drink—just drunken words, nothing more.”

Xin Qiji cut her off. “No, these are not the ramblings of a drunkard. Whether Wei Tianpeng and his Black Tiger Gang continue their misdeeds in Qizhou City or not, my father turns a blind eye. But what he should never have done was propose marriage to your family, Li. Qingzhao, we’ve known each other for so many years—can’t you see how I feel about you?”

Bai Chou was stunned. He thought, By all means! He hadn’t expected Xin Qiji to be such a straightforward, steel-willed man, openly confessing his feelings to Li Qingzhao right in front of him and Zhao Yun!

Li Qingzhao’s face flushed a deep red, whether from the wine or Xin Qiji’s confession, she said, “You’ve had too much. Stop drinking and rest.”

“I have not drunk to excess. Since you asked today, I’ll speak plainly. Keeping these words inside is truly painful. I admit I have my fears—I dread Li Linfu’s retaliation. My own life matters little, but I fear for my family. That’s why I hope to use this contest to find capable and extraordinary individuals with no ties to the Xin family, to eliminate Wei Tianpeng.” Xin Qiji paid no heed to Li Qingzhao’s protests and continued drinking and speaking to himself.

Bai Chou was dumbfounded. He never imagined a hero like Xin Qiji was just as flesh and blood as any ordinary man, with his own steadfast love, fears, and apprehensions. Raising his cup, he said to Xin Qiji, “Brother Xin, I salute you. To be frank, our mission here is to take Wei Tianpeng’s head.”

Now Xin Qiji was the one caught off guard. He looked at Bai Chou incredulously. “Perhaps I really have drunk too much—are you truly planning to assassinate Wei Tianpeng?”

Bai Chou drained his glass and then recounted in detail how he met Tong Yuan, how Tong accepted him as a disciple, and how the ‘oath of allegiance’ was presented.

“Brother Bai, from which school do your poetry and songs originate?” Li Qingzhao asked.

Bai Chou was momentarily at a loss. He couldn’t very well say he studied under the ‘People’s Education Press.’ Since the system had warned him not to reveal his identity as a time traveler, he deflected, “There’s no particular school. I suppose I just read extensively since childhood.”

Li Qingzhao was incredulous. “Brother Bai, from our earlier conversation, it seems you have no military experience. Yet that poem, without the experience of frontier warfare or guidance from seasoned generals, could never have been composed. It seems you are hiding something from us.”

Zhao Yun, having spent days with Bai Chou, had witnessed his uncanny foresight about certain things. The longer they interacted, the more Bai Chou seemed an enigma—yet fundamentally a man of justice. Perhaps there was some unspeakable secret. He quickly came to Bai’s defense. “Scholar Li, Brother Xin, Bai has his own hidden reasons. But regarding our mission to assassinate Wei Tianpeng, we have been completely transparent.”

Xin Qiji was exceptionally perceptive, having encountered countless individuals from all corners of the land. With a few words and a glance, he could discern a person’s character fairly accurately. From the looks Bai Chou and Zhao Yun gave, he saw no deceit—only righteousness. He said, “Qingzhao, since they have unavoidable hardships, let us not press them harshly. As the saying goes, ‘Heroes do not ask one’s origin; champions come from all quarters.’ Come, let us drink together.”

Setting down his cup, Xin Qiji continued, “I never imagined the world truly holds the meaning of ‘fate.’ Brother Bai, having just admired your poetic talent, did I misjudge by observing your martial arts footwork and patterns? Are you two secretly formidable fighters? Also, how do you plan to assassinate Wei Tianpeng?”

Bai Chou waved his hand and spoke plainly, “To be honest, in martial arts, comparing me with Zilong and Brother Xin is like day and night. You were right—we have no foundation in martial arts techniques; otherwise, why would we seek to become Tong Yuan’s disciples? As for assassination plans, we know nothing about Wei Tianpeng beyond his name.”

Xin Qiji’s hope instantly plummeted. He sighed and fell silent.

“Is Wei Tianpeng really that strong? Just because Zhao Yun and I can’t defeat Brother Xin doesn’t mean we can’t kill him!” Zhao Yun questioned.

Li Qingzhao replied, “Wei Tianpeng’s martial skill is not weak. I believe he could even hold out against Brother Xin for a round.”

Bai Chou and Zhao Yun exchanged glances, sensing a contradiction in her words but no mistake in her meaning. It wasn’t that Wei Tianpeng was weak—it was that Xin Qiji was overwhelmingly strong.

Zhao Yun declared boldly, “If what you say is true, even if we are weaker, if it comes down to a desperate fight, I believe the assassination can still succeed.”

Bai Chou shook his head. “Zilong, don’t speak rashly. If Wei Tianpeng were so feeble, Brother Xin wouldn’t have held this contest.”

Xin Qiji nodded, troubled. “Wei Tianpeng knows his crimes are heinous, and he has made countless enemies. Those who want him dead are innumerable. Hence, he is always guarded by many followers. Most importantly, he is supported by two powerful experts—the Black Whirlwind Li Kui and the Winged Tiger Lei Heng. If either of them stands beside him, any rash attack would be a suicide mission.”

Black Whirlwind Li Kui and Winged Tiger Lei Heng?

Bai Chou certainly remembered these names. When he was young, he collected Water Margin hero cards from snack packages. He vaguely recalled that these two had combat power ratings in the 80s—though not surpassing Dong Ping’s 90s, they were undoubtedly formidable. According to the novel’s descriptions, Bai Chou lacked the confidence to face either.

Zhao Yun asked, “Who exactly are these two experts? What level of skill do they possess?”

Xin Qiji answered, “They are renowned masters in the Tang Kingdom region. The Black Whirlwind Li Kui was once a notorious bandit, committing murder, arson, rape, and plunder. Later, he was captured by the Tang army and imprisoned. Wei Tianpeng rescued him, and he then pledged loyalty to Wei. Under Wei’s protection, he continued his reign of terror in Qizhou City, overseeing Wei’s illicit enterprises. To this day, no one has been able to stop him.”

Zhao Yun exclaimed, “Black Whirlwind? That nickname sure sounds fierce.”