Under one person: I, Zhang Zhiwei, the arrogant Zhang.

Zhang Zhiwei initially felt quite wronged, having been sent on a stroll by his master's flying sword for no reason.

But after reading this news, I immediately felt that the flying sword was well deserved.

Who made their master take such a huge blame? As the disciple, it's only natural that I should be implicated as well.

Zhang Zhiwei continued reading the newspaper:

"...At the same time, the true identity of 'Zhang Mazi' has also sparked heated discussions in the martial arts world. Considering that 'Zhang Mazi' was able to repeatedly outwit the government troops, his subordinates were not a rabble, and he must have been a well-known figure in the martial arts world. However, he has been eliminated by Zhang Xiaotianshi with swift and decisive methods, and his specific identity remains a mystery. It is likely that only Xiaotianshi knows the inside story."

"As we all know, the Little Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain is known for his outspokenness (commonly known as a big mouth). However, the strange thing is that even though a month has passed since this incident, not a single word about the origins of 'Zhang Mazi' has come out of the Little Celestial Master's mouth. This is quite illogical and has led to much speculation among fellow practitioners in the martial arts world."

"Several theories are circulating among the people: some say that he is a reclusive master who only appears in times of chaos and acts on behalf of Heaven."

"According to descriptions from those fortunate enough to witness the battle that day, the appearance of the 'Zhang Mazi' leader, which was briefly revealed during the fierce battle, bore a striking resemblance to the mysterious and unpredictable acting leader of the Quanxing Sect, Wugensheng!"

"This statement caused an uproar in the martial arts world. Although there is no conclusive evidence, the claim that 'Zhang Mazi is Wugensheng' has quietly spread. I wonder what insights my fellow practitioners have on this? This newspaper will continue to follow this story..."

After reading the newspaper, Zhang Zhiwei showed no remorse. He looked up at his master, whose face was ashen, and said:
“Master! Why are you so angry today! Look at what this says, ‘Unjustly accused of aiding and abetting evil, reputation damaged’... Master, this burden you’re carrying is heavier than the money boxes I robbed when I disguised myself as Zhang Mazi!”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jingqing glanced again at the Seven Star Magic Sword hanging on the pillar. He took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to launch Zhang Zhiwei out with another flying sword, and shouted:
"You wretched child! How dare you say that?! You've ruined all the good traditions that Longhu Mountain has built up."

“Master!” Zhang Zhiwei pointed to Zhang Jingqing’s name on the newspaper and said, “Your name is written there!”

"Huh?" Zhang Jingqing's eyes widened. "You mean, this trend is corrupted by your teacher?"

“Master, you said that yourself. I have never said such a thing,” Zhang Zhiwei said.

That's not what you meant?

“What I mean is, Master, I will earn back the reputation you lost this time for you next time,” Zhang Zhiwei said.

Zhang Jingqing felt that something was wrong with what he said, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He corrected him, "It's not that I've lost my reputation. I didn't do anything. It's you, you unfilial disciple, who has caused me to lose my reputation!"

“Yes, yes,” Zhang Zhiwei nodded like a chick pecking at rice, “That’s why I have to win back my master’s reputation!”

"Fuck off!"

"Yes, sir!"

Zhang Zhiwei was just thinking of making a quick getaway.

"Come back!" Zhang Jingqing called him back again.

Zhang Zhiwei, who had already reached the door, could only shuffle back again, muttering to himself.

"Have you read the latest newspaper?!" Zhang Jingqing asked.

“Look over here, isn’t this it?” Zhang Zhiwei said, holding up the newspaper from Jianghu Xiaozhan.

“I’m talking about the secular newspapers!” Zhang Jingqing’s expression turned serious. “Right now, all the newspapers’ front pages are talking about the joint resistance against the Japanese. Do you think this can be carried out? This is the second time we’ve cooperated, and the lessons learned from the first cooperation are still fresh in our minds.”

Zhang Zhiwei put away his playful expression and pondered, "In any case, this is at least a turning point. But to achieve true resistance against the Japanese pirates, we still need to make greater efforts."

"Even greater efforts?" Zhang Jingqing asked.

“Yes, much bigger.” Zhang Zhiwei nodded. “It’s not just about a certain warlord or an army, but about the whole country. Everyone must make a greater effort.”

"This is very difficult!" Zhang Jingqing sighed. "Let alone the whole country, even the warlords who hold significant military power would find it difficult. Although we are nominally unified now, they are still harboring their own agendas. If we really have to face the Japanese pirates, we'll be lucky to get even half of our strength. And..."

He paused, then continued, "With our current strength, we might not even be able to defeat them with ten points of our strength, let alone five."

Zhang Zhiwei said, "Therefore, this will be a protracted and fierce battle."

“A fierce battle…” Zhang Jingqing said, “You expected this, right? That’s why you built a lot of air-raid shelters in Chongqing and even moved the steel plant into the shelters.”

"By the way, you mentioned before that your Zhang Mazi Plan was a joint effort with Liu Mang, the warlord of Sichuan. You helped him raise a huge sum of money to expand his military."

"If war breaks out with Japan, are you sure they will spare no effort in their attack?"

Zhang Jingqing had never met Liu Mang. In his life, he had seen far too many warlords, so he had a natural distrust of them.

Zhang Zhiwei said: "There are also ambitious people among the warlords. Although Liu Mang was not careful in minor matters, he was not confused on important matters. In fact, in my opinion, he was more clear-headed than Chiang Kai-shek on some issues, such as resisting Japanese pirates."

"I trust your judgment!" Zhang Jingqing asked. "So, are you going to stay on the mountain for quiet cultivation, or go down to do some work?"

Zhang Zhiwei thought for a moment and said, "Next, I should go to Shanghai. Although most of the Tiantong Chamber of Commerce's businesses have moved out of Shanghai, there are still a few textile factories there, and there is also a church there. I need to make some arrangements that will be useful in the future."

Zhang Jingqing gave Zhang Zhiwei a deep look. He didn't ask Zhang Zhiwei what his plans were, but simply instructed him: "Since the last compromise, that area has been under the control of the Japanese pirates. Be careful."

"Don't worry, Master, I know what I'm doing."

Seeing his apprentice's calm and confident demeanor, Zhang Jingqing's anger had long since dissipated, replaced by a sense of relief and seriousness. He pondered for a moment, then sighed:
"It seems that a great war sweeping across the land is truly... not far off. As your master, I will no longer hinder you or become your stumbling block. When do you plan to set off?"

"Let's wait a couple more days," Zhang Zhiwei said. "There are still a few lessons I haven't finished teaching my junior brothers."

……

……

Meanwhile, not only Zhang Zhiwei and Zhang Jingqing, but also people all over the martial arts world were talking about "Zhang Mazi".

In a small inn catering to extraordinary individuals, martial arts enthusiasts from all corners of the land sat around a table, spittle flying everywhere. "Fellow practitioners, tell me, who exactly is this pockmarked man?" a burly man with a thick beard asked loudly after taking a swig of wine.

"Who cares who he is? If he encounters the Little Celestial Master, he's doomed!" A skinny man next to him sneered. "To die at the hands of the Little Celestial Master, he's not a bad person in his life!"

“That’s true, but Zhang Mazi and his gang have a good reputation among the people because they used to rob the rich and help the poor. Is it… a little inappropriate for Little Celestial Master to side with the landlords and warlords this time?” someone said, his tone hesitant.

Immediately someone retorted: "What do you know? The Little Celestial Master is righteous and upright, and there must be a reason for what he did! I think there must be a hidden story behind it! To be honest, before the Little Celestial Master took action, I even suspected that Zhang Mazi was actually the Little Celestial Master in disguise. Who would have thought it would turn out like this?"

"I heard that the steel plant that Little Celestial Master was running in Chongqing was recently upgraded and relocated. Commander Liu from Sichuan really put in a lot of effort, allocating land and providing manpower. Do you think it's possible that Little Celestial Master owed Commander Liu a huge favor, which is why he had no choice but to take action and eliminate Zhang Mazi, as a way of repaying that favor?"

"Oh? If that's the case, then it makes sense! The righteous and chivalrous Little Celestial Master had no choice but to kill Zhang Mazi, who was also a chivalrous person, to repay a favor... Alas, fate is truly cruel." Someone sighed, feeling that this speculation was reasonable.

"Hey guys, aren't you overthinking this?"

A sharp voice interrupted: "Gentlemen, don't forget what the news from the inn mentioned: the face of that pockmarked leader before his death bore a striking resemblance to Wugensheng, the acting leader of the Quanxing Sect. Moreover, among the bandits wiped out, there were indeed quite a few Quanxing heretics. Could it be... that these were actually Quanxing heretics posing as 'righteous bandits' to commit despicable acts, which were discovered by the Little Celestial Master, leading to his elimination?"

These words were like a boulder thrown into a lake, instantly creating a thousand waves.

"You mean, the leader of Quanxing Sect was killed by the Little Celestial Master?"

"I didn't say that. I only said it might be related to Quanxing. If the Quanxing leader were dead, Quanxing would definitely make a big move, but right now, it's very quiet over there."

"Who cares? No matter who that pockmarked man is, we're all on Little Celestial Master's side!"

…………

…………

In another ordinary inn, four people were sitting at a square table in the corner.

The man at the head of the group, with a lazy and casual demeanor, was none other than Wugensheng, the acting leader of the Quanxing Sect. Beside him were Gu Jiting, Mei Jinfeng, and the ruthless Xia Liuqing.

Gu Qiting swirled his wine glass, grinning slyly, and said, "Hey Sect Leader, didn't you go on a quest for enlightenment with Ghost Child a while ago? How come you're suddenly involved with 'Zhang Mazi'? Is Ghost Child's 'path' about acting on behalf of Heaven, robbing the rich to help the poor? So you transformed into Zhang Mazi, gathered One-Eyed Wolf and Black-Hearted Tiger, and did something truly spectacular?"

Wugensheng rolled his eyes at Gu Jiting, annoyed. "Little Gu, stop with your sarcastic remarks. Can't you tell that I've been set up and falsely accused?"

Gu Qiting laughed and said, "Then tell me, Sect Leader, who has such great ability to set up your scheme?"

Wugensheng spread his hands, looking completely innocent: "How would I know? Or... could you help me calculate it?"

Gu Qiting's smile widened, and he lowered his voice, saying, "Who else could it be? Your legendary 'sworn brother'!"

Upon hearing this, Wugensheng looked at Gu Jiting with a half-smile: "Little Gu, do you really want to inherit Yuan Jingui's title of 'Long-sounding Wild Dried Man'?"

The story of Zhang Zhiwei and Wugensheng becoming sworn brothers was fabricated by Changmingye Ganyuan Jingui to stir up trouble.

Gu Qiting's heart skipped a beat. He quickly looked around to make sure there were no eavesdroppers, then breathed a sigh of relief and waved his hand, saying, "Alright, I was just being nosy! I don't want to follow in Brother Yuan's footsteps. Let him keep the reputation."

It's no secret in the industry how tragically Yuan Jingui died.

Mei Jinfeng, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke up: "Then, Sect Leader, how do you plan to handle this matter? Clarify it? Or talk to the Little Celestial Master?"

Wugensheng chuckled nonchalantly and poured himself a glass of cheap wine: "What's there to clarify? A lot of lice don't itch, a lot of debts don't worry. Why would a notorious leader of the Quanxing be afraid of taking on another burden? Go ahead and slap this 'righteous' reputation on me, the more the merrier!"

"As for talking to Zhang Zhiwei?"

"No thanks, I haven't lived enough yet, I don't want to invite that bad luck."

……

Meanwhile, at the main altar of the Huode Sect, a group of high-ranking officials sat upright in the main hall, the atmosphere heavy with solemnity.

"What do you all think about the 'Zhang Mazi' matter?" an elder said in a deep voice. "We all thought 'Zhang Mazi' was a minor celestial master before, so we withdrew our manpower and abandoned those patrons. But now it seems there is another possibility."

“Indeed!” another elder chimed in. “According to our people and the Jianghu Inn’s investigation, many of the ‘Zhang Mazi’ bandits who were wiped out were Quanxing demons. Coupled with the landlords’ descriptions of the bandit leader’s appearance… I suspect that ‘Zhang Mazi’ is not the Little Celestial Master at all, but Wugensheng, the leader of Quanxing! We… have all been deceived!”

These words enraged the entire Huode Sect, and the meeting hall descended into chaos. They suffered a great loss in this Zhang Mazi incident.

Although no one was lost, some of their sources of income were cut off, and they gained a bad reputation in the underworld for being timid and cowardly and not protecting their patrons.

Their financial backers were the landlords. The landlords provided the money, and the landlords protected them; it was a transaction.

But this time, because they suspected that Zhang Mazi was the Little Celestial Master, they were unwilling to offend him and withdrew the men protecting the landlords.

At the time, there were many dissenting voices within the sect, who believed that this action was a breach of trust and violated the code of the martial arts world. They argued that they should do everything in their power to protect the patron's safety, and that they should not back down even if the other party was a minor celestial master.

But such people are a minority. A person's reputation is like a tree's shadow, and most people don't want to offend Zhang Zhiwei. In particular, because of Fengping, they have a good relationship with Zhang Zhiwei. It would be a very bad deal to offend Zhang Zhiwei for the sake of a few landlords.

Most importantly, if Zhang Zhiwei really wanted to take action against those landlords, Huodezong would indeed be unable to protect itself.

Therefore, Huo Dezong chose to back down.

But now, there is evidence pointing to Zhang Mazi possibly being Wugensheng, the leader of the Quanxing Sect!

This put the Huode Sect members in a difficult position. It was understandable to back down in front of Zhang Zhiwei, but to back down in front of the Quanxing Sect members...

For the hot-tempered men of the Fire Virtue Sect, this was even worse than dying at the hands of the Quanxing Sect. (End of Chapter)