Among the followers of the Master of the Divine Eagle Sect, none are more esteemed than his three trusted confidants.
The first is Liang Jingtian (梁景天), known throughout the Jianghu by the moniker "Iron Palm of a Thousand Solutions" (铁掌千解 : Tie Zhang Qian Jie). He serves as the Chief Steward of the Divine Eagle Sect and its preeminent master of strategy, acting as the very brain of the organization. His martial prowess is extraordinary, and his Ching-gong (lightness technique) is considered peerless. Yet, it is a rare occasion indeed to witness the Steward exerting his hand in combat.
Possessing a penetrating wisdom and sharp wit, he navigates the most precarious situations with ease through sheer intellect. Elegant in bearing, he is a man of some forty years, yet his countenance remains as youthful as a man not yet thirty. Clean-shaven save for a meticulously trimmed mustache, he prefers the blue robes of a refined scholar. Though he has mastered the Iron Palm technique, his personal weapon is whispered to be the "God-Shocking Staff."
This weapon remains one of the great enigmas of the Martial World, for none can claim to have beheld it. Even within the sect, no disciple has witnessed him practicing with such an instrument. Instead, he is seen carrying only a writing brush and a scroll for recording his observations. Many harbor deep suspicions and curiosity, yet none possess the courage to inquire directly. It is whispered that any who have laid eyes upon the God-Shocking Staff have long since departed for the Nether World.
Liang Jingtian entered the sect's service in his eighteenth year. Master Chen Shuyuan, then in his early forties, chanced upon the youth sitting before a brothel that the sect intended to seize, occupied in the painting of scrolls. Seeing a spirit that escaped the ordinary and a brushwork that possessed a strange and vibrant power, Chen Shuyuan engaged him in discourse. Their conversation lasted from the light of morn until the fall of night, such that the planned seizure of the establishment was abandoned.
The two continued their parley in a wine shop until nearly midnight, and from there for another full day and night. In the end, the Master invited the youth to serve as his confidential adviser. Most remarkably, the Master had not even deigned to ask the youth's name or surname before bestowing upon him such a position of trust.
Upon joining the sect, the young man surnamed Liang achieved distinguished results; his thoughts were extraordinary, contributing much to the expansion of the sect's power. Eventually, he ascended to the position of Chief Steward, managing the general affairs of the sect and acting as the trusted brain at the side of the Sect Master of the Divine Eagle.
Because of his appearance, which resembled a weak scholar unable to withstand a gust of wind, many initially held him in contempt, believing he possessed only base wit and skill in fawning upon the Master. However, there occurred an incident some seventeen or eighteen years ago... At that time, Liang Jingtian was still a youth, tasked only with providing counsel. Yet, he was assigned by the Master to pioneer the territories of Gansu, a region under the formidable influence of the Kongtong Sect. Naturally, when the Kongtong Sect of Mount Kongtong in Pingliang City received word that the Divine Eagle Sect from Taiyuan intended to expand its reach into their domain, they would not submit easily. [Turn 11] On that occasion, Hu Zihao, the Law Enforcer of the Kongtong Sect, journeyed forth in person.
When the Law Enforcer first beheld Liang Jingtian, he mistook him for a scholar on a journey of study who had by chance become intermingled with a party of martial artists. But upon learning that he was the representative of the Divine Eagle Sect, Law Enforcer Hu's rage redoubled. He viewed it as a grave insult that the "Celestial Sword Divine Eagle" held the Kongtong Sect in such low regard as to send a mere "green boy" to invade their territory.
Hu Zihao wasted no words; upon their meeting, he launched a sudden attack. He summoned his internal energy, exerting seventy percent of his strength, and struck with the Seven-Injuries Fist towards the fair-faced youth, intending to shatter the skull and scatter the brain in a single blow. He meant to use such gruesome horror as a response to the Divine Eagle Sect's arrogance. Yet, contrary to his expectations, that frail-looking scholar vanished from before his eyes with extraordinary speed. Hu Zihao attacked relentlessly in succession, but could not so much as graze the body of the youth in blue, revealing an illustrious and peerless lightness technique (Ching-gong).
"If you truly possess ability, then do not merely flee!" Hu Zihao roared, and at once he began to drive his opponent into a corner.
Finding himself with no further path of retreat, the young man stood his ground. Hu Zihao laughed harshly, summoning ninety percent of his internal energy, intending to crush the young man's physical form into minute dust. Liang Jingtian showed no trace of dread. He concentrated his internal power and returned a fierce palm strike with relentless force. The sound of the collision between fist and palm was deafening, and dust billowed into the air; those watching expected the young man to be smashed to pieces.
Yet, contrary to all expectations, the powerful Seven-Injuries Fist of the Kongtong was subdued by Liang Jingtian's iron palm. Hu Zihao staggered back five steps, coughed up fresh blood, and collapsed. Liang Jingtian himself only panted for breath, his body swaying slightly. The Law Enforcer was unable to stand as Liang Jingtian approached; thus, he simply closed his eyes, awaiting death. But instead of dealing a second blow, the young man reached out his hand to support the master of Mount Kongtong. He cupped his hands in respect, spoke several humble words, and departed with his followers.
This was because he did not wish to cultivate deep-seated enmity with a prominent sect, so he stayed his hand from killing. Yet that night, it is said that about a dozen Kongtong disciples, unwilling to accept defeat, raided the camp of the Divine Eagle Sect with intent to slaughter them utterly. But events took a different turn.
Liang Jingtian had anticipated this incident and ordered his men to lie in wait outside, telling them to await his signal. In the end, relying on himself alone—one man against many—he used his bare palms to slaughter the fourteen Kongtong experts in a gruesome massacre. He spared only the leader of the group, allowing him to return unharmed. This event resounded throughout the entire Jianghu, but that was not all...
On the following day, Liang Jingtian even dared to present himself to negotiate with the Kongtong Sect Master in person. He successfully persuaded the Sect Master and the Elders to permit the Divine Eagle Sect to establish a branch in the Gansu territory. This matter struck the Martial World with amazement, and within the Divine Eagle Sect, everyone came to truly respect and revere Liang Jingtian.
Following his appointment as Chief Steward, he accompanied the Sect Master on many further military expeditions, where his achievements were illustrious. Although it was a rare occasion for him to personally exert his hand in combat, no one within the Martial World ever again questioned his martial prowess or dared to hold him in contempt. The only exception was the Old Sect Master, who, during their leisurely discourses, would often jokingly refer to him as "that bookworm."
The second of the trusted confidants is Sikong Fu (司空 富), known throughout the Jianghu by the moniker "Fire-Spear Divine Eagle" (火枪神鹰 : Huo Qiang Shen Ying). He holds the station of Vice-Master of the Left, which, by Han tradition, is a position of higher prestige than that of the Right. Being four or five years junior to the Sect Master, he is the second sworn brother of Master Chen. His countenance is fierce and intimidating, with a prominent nose and a grey beard that bristles with martial energy. Tall and sturdy in build, his frame is a mass of Stalwart muscles. His weapons are fire-red short spears; when embarking on a military expedition, he carries seven such blades upon his person.
He possesses peerless equestrian skills. His father was originally a Mongolian horse thief from beyond the pass, while his mother was a traveling acrobat. Though his father had abducted her from a market square, the two eventually developed a sincere affection for one another. Together, they departed the Mongolian steppes to seek a new life within the domains of the Song Dynasty.
As Mongolians possess no clan names, Sikong Fu adopted the surname "Sikong" from his mother. This caused his mother much distress, for Han custom dictates that a wife must adopt her husband's clan name. She urged her husband to establish a new surname for the sake of their child, but the Mongolian, illiterate and unrefined in the ways of Han etiquette, retorted:
"Using your surname is more than enough! Why trouble myself with such useless scribbles?!"
His mother mocked him, saying, "Do you truly wish to be seen as a matrilocal son-in-law (Zhui Xu)?" (In the patriarchal society of the Han, a man who adopted a woman's surname was held in grave contempt).
The father paid no heed to her words and simply laughed heartily. In the end, the entire family adopted the surname "Sikong."
After entering the pass to reside in the Middle Kingdom, the previous Sect Master witnessed the father's extraordinary command over horses and invited him to join the sect as the master of the stables. He performed his duties with diligence, yet he harbored a love for the fray. Beyond tending the horses, he would volunteer to charge into battle at every opportunity. Though tall and powerful, his martial arts were not of a high level, and eventually, he was slain by a supreme master of the opposing side. Thus, Sikong Fu was orphaned before his tenth year, but the mother and son continued to be nurtured and cared for by the Divine Eagle Sect.
Sikong Fu was trained in the first level of the "Thunderbolt Eagle Claw Skill" and the basic "Sky-Soaring Eagle Sword Technique," as was customary for ordinary retainers of the sect. Yet, driven by the memory of his father's death due to inadequate skill, he applied himself with iron determination to advance his martial prowess. Beyond the sect's curriculum, he integrated the extraordinary weapon manipulation he learned from his mother's acrobatic showmanship and sought further guidance from other masters within the sect. Eventually, he fused these paths into a peerless technique using seven short spears simultaneously, known as the "Seven Fire-Steeds Spear Technique." In common combat, he wielded only two, dubbed the "Two Steeds," but against a formidable foe, he would unleash all seven fire-red spears, darting and weaving through the air with the power of galloping war chargers, a form known as the "Seven Fire-Steeds."
Regarding his station, following his father's demise in battle, he served as a lowly stable boy for the Divine Eagle Sect. Despite his humble status, he had been companions with Chen Shuyuan since their youth, who at that time was merely a servant boy. Their bond, alongside another childhood playmate named "Xiao Yuan," was a common kinship among the young retainers of the sect.
As he reached maturity, he joined the sect's mounted warriors, distinguished by his skill though limited in rank until Chen Shuyuan's ascent. Eventually, he and Xiao Yuan—now revealed as Dongmen Yuan—bound themselves as sworn brothers. Though he rose to the esteemed position of Vice-Master of the Left, the Sect Master, in their private moments, would jokingly address him by his childhood moniker, "Horse Dung," a playful jab at the lingering scent of the stables from their younger days.
Sikong Fu was a man of blunt and fierce temperament, possessing a stature both towering and terrifying. Under the internal energy guidance of Chen Shuyuan, his power—both external and internal—grew until it was truly monumental. His voice resonated like a peal of thunder, forcing those nearby to shield their ears whenever he roared. His monstrous strength was such that he could slay a horse with a single punch or carry a full-grown steed upon his shoulders while running with ease.
In the heat of combat, he was a peerless expert in the arts of mounted warfare. While accompanying Sect Master Chen on a military expedition against the Khitan warriors of the Liao Empire, his achievements were truly illustrious. He single-handedly slew several arrogant Liao cavalry commanders who prided themselves on their tribe's peerless equestrian skills. It could be said that nearly half of the Liao army's retreat during their clash with the Divine Eagle Sect's volunteers was the direct result of Sikong Fu's lethal prowess.
Yet, the exploit that made his renown resound throughout the entire Jianghu occurred during his duel against Ren Fan, known by the moniker "Six-Armed Nezha" (哪吒六臂 : Na Zha Liu Bi). This man, the leader of the Green Bamboo Tiger bandit camp (青竹虎 : Qing Zhu Hu), wielded a pair of wondrous bladed rings and possessed a martial art of terrifying power. Though the Divine Eagle Sect had previously invited him to join their ranks, he was conceited in his own power and instead slaughtered many of the sect's members. Two formidable Branch Leaders and nearly a hundred retainers met their end beneath his blades; thus, Sikong Fu volunteered to take the field.
Ren Fan's bladed rings were miraculous weapons that could multiply from two to six; while two remained in his hands, four whirled through the air to strike his opponent. Sikong Fu countered this with his technique of manipulating seven short spears, and for two double-hours, the battle raged evenly as both masters displayed a Godlike ability to control their weapons in mid-air. Finally, the half-Mongol warrior, relying on a ruthless and courageous spirit, allowed all six bladed rings to bury themselves into his frame, using his stalwart muscles to pin the razor-sharp steel beneath his skin!
Ren Fan was struck with amazement, for he never expected any man would dare receive his blades in such a manner. In a clash between supreme masters, concentration is paramount; thus, in that fleeting moment of shock, the seven short spears of the "Seven Fire-Steeds" tore through the air. The spears pierced the body of Six-Armed Nezha through the crown of his head, the sides of his neck, and beneath his ribs!
Seven short spears pierced seven distinct locations upon the body almost within the same breath—a display of martial skill that was truly alarming.. Yet, what was far more chilling was that the man, though drenched from head to toe in his own lifeblood with six bladed rings still embedded deep within his frame, could yet erupt into a great roar of laughter and declare:
"Ren Fan! You have truly become a Nine-Armed Nezha now!"
Sikong Fu served as the commander of the cavalry forces, personally training the rank and file into elite mounted warriors. It was his charge to lead these troops in spreading the land-based dominion and absolute power of the Divine Eagle Sect...
The third of the trusted confidants is Dongmen Yuan (东门远), known throughout the Jianghu by the moniker "Golden Sword Divine Eagle" (金剑神鹰 : Jin Jian Shen Ying). He holds the station of Vice-Master of the Right, serving as the third sworn brother of the Sect Master. Aged around fifty years, he is tall and slender in stature, with a thin, long mustache that drapes from the corners of his lips. His weapons of choice are the "Mother-and-Son Swords"—a pair consisting of one long and one short blade. While his mastery of finger techniques is peerless, he has adapted these skills to be unleashed through his swords, thereby vastly augmenting their destructive power.
Among the three sworn brothers, he alone was born within the sect and was not an orphan. His father was originally a Taoist priest of the Zhengyi Sect (正一道), a follower of the Great Master Zhang Daoling (张道陵). Since childhood, he had cultivated the TaoMount Longhu in Jiangxi. However, upon reaching manhood, he developed a voracious passion for the opposite sex. Engaging in lewd and shameful acts with female priests, nuns, and common village women alike, he was eventually expelled from the sect by his master. Wandering the world as a depraved monk, he nevertheless possessed a profound understanding of the sect's finger techniques, which allowed him to roam the Martial World without difficulty. Eventually, he met Dongmen Yuan's mother, who had recently been widowed after her husband—a fighter of the Divine Eagle Sect—perished in battle. Finding themselves to be a matched pair, the young priest resolved to join the Divine Eagle Sect, where Dongmen Yuan—also known as "Xiao Yuan"—was subsequently born.
Yet, during his youth, the person who held the greatest influence over the thoughts and conduct of Xiao Yuan was not his parents, but his maternal grandfather. This elder was a man of questionable character, a retainer from the sect's founding days who was originally a rogue fisherman. Beyond catching fish, he was fond of smuggling contraband, plundering, and killing—acts he committed without hesitation. He wielded double iron fish-spears with extraordinary versatility and was a peerless expert in aquatic combat. He excelled at dragging enemies underwater to their deaths or diving to pierce hulls and sink the ships of his foes. Loving his grandson above all others, the elder bequeathed unto him every scrap of his knowledge—the good and the bad, the proper and the improper—leaving the youth fully initiated into his bizarre and lethal ways.
In his youth, Xiao Yuan was known throughout the ranks as a "rascal" and a troublemaker, finding almost no companions willing to associate with him. There were but two exceptions—older boys who accepted him as he accepted them. The first was Chen Shuyuan, years his senior, whose extraordinary intelligence was such that Xiao Yuan could never best him in a contest of wits. To his face, he addressed him as "Da Yuan," but behind his back, he mocked him as "The Beak" due to his hooked nose. The second was the one he called "Horse Dung," whose monstrous strength was far beyond Xiao Yuan's ability to challenge. Bound by a sincere affection and a shared ambition, the three eventually became sworn brothers. When the eldest brother ascended to the seat of Sect Master, Xiao Yuan, having toiled alongside him, was appointed as the Vice-Master of the Right. Yet, in their private parleys, his brothers still addressed him by his childhood moniker, "Fishy Smell," just as they had in the days of old.
The vibrant and mischievous youth of yore had been weathered by a multitude of experiences, burdened by many deeds of illustrious pride and an equal measure of shameful regret. These trials forged him into a man of stony silence, his countenance icy and expressionless, harboring a ruthless and cold-blooded nature. It was whispered across the Jianghu that he mimicked his solemn and composed bearing from his father, yet it served only to mask a cunning cruelty inherited from the blood of both his father and his rogue fisherman of a grandfather.
His martial prowess was manifested in a twin sword technique—a sophisticated fusion adapted from his father's peerless finger techniques and his grandfather's versatile use of the fish-spear. These thrusting maneuvers, full of ingenious and unpredictable variations, were refined into a lethal and formidable art. Furthermore, Dongmen Yuan possessed an extraordinary command over the fleet, capable of directing a flotilla with masterful ease. His aquatic skills were considered peerless, for he could swim and dive as nimbly as a fish, a true master of the watery depths.
He achieved a resounding reputation when the Divine Eagle Sect launched an expedition against the Water Snake Clan (水蛇族 : Shui She Zhu) in the Jiangnan region. At that time, he was but a minor warrior within the sect's naval fleet, relying on his peerless aquatic skills and twin sword technique to battle valiantly. He confronted the Six Water Sprites (六灵溪 : Liu Ling Xi), a group of elite experts commanding the Water Snake fleet. These six sprites were masters of the occult, capable of conjuring ghostly apparitions to bewilder their opponents' minds. Fusing their strikes with sorcerous arts, they had slaughtered many of the Divine Eagle Sect's finest experts until the battle turned in their favor. However, they chanced upon Dongmen Yuan, whose Taoist cultivation proved to be their unyielding nemesis.
Acting alone, Dongmen Yuan shattered their spectral enchantments. He brandished a Taoist bronze mirror, casting a radiance that caused the ghostly shadows to dissipate. Pivoting with agile steps, he pressed his feet into the ground to draw the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) symbol, ensnaring them within an eight-directional formation. Wielding his golden Mother-and-Son Swords—one long, one short—he launched his assault. The Six Water Sprites, having long relied on their occult trickery, fell into utter disarray once their illusions were shattered. Unable to coordinate their strikes, their greater numbers became their very weakness. Struck by his lightning-fast blades infused with finger-force, they were pierced through and slaughtered to the last man!
Each corpse was a gruesome and terrifying sight to behold. Wherever the sword-tip struck, it burst through, leaving gaping holes. Some corpses had hollowed faces with eyeballs bulging and bursting forth as blood splattered wildly. Others were pierced through the left temple, only for the right to suddenly explode, scattering white brain matter mixed with crimson blood into the air. Some were struck at the chin, causing their tongues to erupt through their nasal cavities amidst a torrent of blood and filth. Truly, it can be said that all six met their ends in the most chilling and horrific manner.
Death is one thing, but gruesome horror is quite another. Though the warriors of the Water Snake Clan had long been seasoned by the passage of death, their morale shattered utterly upon beholding their leader's ghastly end. Their battle formation fell into disarray, forcing a desperate retreat; thus, the renowned fleet of the Water Snake Clan was ignominiously routed. On that occasion, it could be said that Dongmen Yuan's achievements were singularly illustrious.
Beneath the keen edge of his blade, from those early days until now, many supreme masters have met their demise. As the commander of the fleet, he serves to expand the sect's dominion over the waters for the Divine Eagle Sect. With but a single command, he could summon a fleet that would clutter the entire river, marking him as a man of formidably great influence.
Now, all three trusted confidants stood together before the Sect Master, a sign that the day's business was of extraordinary gravity. Aside from these three foremost figures of the Divine Eagle Sect, two retainers stood behind them. The first attendant reverently propped a golden tray, upon which rested a pitch-black metal box adorned with a constellation pattern of crimson dots and lines. The second retainer stood beside a monumental sundial and a water clock, keeping a vigilant watch over the time to announce the passing watches.
The uppermost hall featured an open courtyard in its center, allowing the sun's radiance to stream down throughout the day. In the center, beside a colossal stone pillar, stood the sundial paired with the water clock for precise timekeeping. This arrangement had been suggested by the Chief Steward, who maintained that if a man mastered the knowledge of time, he could rightly coordinate all affairs, whether great or small.
These five men, though of varying stations, were divided into two groups. Yet, regardless of whether they were the powerful Vice-Masters and the Chief Steward, or the lowly retainers and servants, when they stood before the Sect Master, they could only cup their hands in solemn respect, 'awaiting orders.'
Sect Master Chen held the supreme authority within the sect; thus, he had no need to await any man. Yet that was the case in ordinary times; at this very moment, even he was one who must "wait." However, it was not for a person he waited, and certainly not for a command from another, but rather for "Time" itself...
He was awaiting the arrival of the Wu Hour, Third Ke (approximately 11:45 A.M.), the moment when the Yang energy would be at its most potent during the day. Today was the day of Dongzhi (the Winter Solstice), the day when the new Yang energy of the year is born. He waited for this hour, for it was the only time one could open the Grand Mechanism Box containing the "Golden River Canon" (Jin He Bao Dian), the manual of internal energy circulation bequeathed by the East Sea Divine Sage (Dong Hai Shen Xian).
It is said that should any man master this scripture, he could compel his vital breath to link the eight primary channels with the five hidden meridians. As a result, the internal energy within his body would circulate unceasingly, and his martial prowess would augment beyond measure. Most importantly, the one who succeeds could draw the internal energy of Heaven and Earth to fuse with his own, creating a state of eternal circulation and attaining the stage of being "indestructible and immortal"!
Sect Master Chen possessed illustrious achievements, excelling in martial arts, power, and prestige; yet he was in his advanced years. For such a man, what could he desire more than a long life and a sturdy frame to enjoy the fruits of his success? This was the earnest hope of Sect Master Chen Shuyuan, as it has been for many men of power and fortune from antiquity to the present, and surely as it will continue unceasingly into the future...
"Si Hour, Fourth Ke!"
The attendant, keeping a vigilant watch over the sundial and the water clock, announced the time in a clear and resonant voice, his gaze never once straying from the instruments even for a fleeting moment.
Sect Master Chen heaved a long sigh; he must still wait... He had to wait for another seven ke (each ke being approximately fifteen minutes). He must wait four more ke to reach the Wu hour, and another three ke for the moment he could finally open the "Grand Mechanism Box" to touch the wondrous scripture he so desired... To have a peerless treasure of the world right before one's eyes, only a few paces away, yet still unable to touch it... for a man of power and prestige, such waiting and forced patience was an agony difficult to endure.
Though the Old Sect Master was burning with impatience within, he still possessed the discipline to exercise remarkable restraint. He consoled his own heart, thinking that a wait of this measure was but a small matter when it could be exchanged for such a monumental result... Although the prospect of being "indestructible and immortal" was difficult to believe, the results of training according to the manual's methods would at least surely help prolong his life and maintain his strength for a while longer. That was satisfactory enough for one currently facing the advance of age, whose physical frame was waning day by day.
The Old Sect Master knew full well that he must endure the wait. It was not merely the few remaining ke until the Grand Mechanism Box would yield the Golden River Canon, but also a forthcoming season of patience, iron resolve, and absolute dedication. For once the scripture was in his grasp, he would yet require time to study its mysteries, interpret its cryptic verses, and cultivate its profound arts.
When such success might be achieved remained a matter difficult to gauge or define. To reach a state where one is indestructible and immortal is no simple feat; were it otherwise, those who never age or die would already be as common as the grass across the land!
Yet, Master Chen possessed iron confidence in himself. With his current wisdom and martial prowess, he believed the task of cultivation would not be beyond his reach. Furthermore, he could rest easy regarding the affairs of the sect, entrusting their management to the Chief Steward and his sworn brothers, the Vice-Masters of the Left and Right. Thus, he would have ample time to immerse himself in the wondrous scripture until he reached the pinnacle of perfection.
Chen Shuyuan believed all was in readiness. The governance of the sect during his absence had been flawlessly arranged. Even the official proclamation announcing his entry into complete retirement for the purpose of focused cultivation had been prepared by the Chief Steward, ready to be issued to the masses. He believed that every detail could be placed in their capable hands with absolute trust.
For now, there was only the wait...
In a fleeting moment, a dark thought flickered through Chen Shuyuan's mind: if he were to unmask his true countenance and reveal the depths of his burning impatience, would any of his retainers dare to whisper in secret that he resembled an 'old vulture waiting to feast upon a corpse'?
.......