Shooting the Eagle: Starting from Iron Palm Peak

The news about Guiyun Manor was brought back by Zhao Tieshan.

That evening, Zhao Tieshan hurried up the mountain, holding a letter in his hand, his expression somewhat strange. Lin Qi was practicing his martial arts in the courtyard. He stopped practicing and took the letter to read it.

The letter was written by Qian Sihai. The information gathered by the Foreign Affairs Department's spies in the Taihu Lake area was that something big had happened at Guiyun Manor. An old man who claimed to be Qiu Qianren was exposed as an imposter on the spot, and he was revealed in front of everyone and left the manor in disgrace.

The story was embellished and spread throughout both sides of Taihu Lake. Some said the Iron Palm Clan leader was a fraud, others said the Iron Palm Clan's martial arts were all just for show, and still others dug up every boast Qiu Qianzhang had made at the manor and told it as a joke. The "one palm to sever a river" and "Iron Palm invincible" boasts, once touted as incredible feats, have now become a laughing stock.

As Zhao Tieshan handed over the letter, he carefully observed Lin Qi's expression. "Boss, what does this say..."

Lin Qi took the letter but did not open it immediately. He first asked Zhao Tieshan to sit down.

"Please have a seat. Chief Zhou and the others will be here soon."

Zhao Tieshan was taken aback: "You've already notified them?"

Lynch nodded.

Zhao Tieshan didn't ask any more questions and sat down on the stone bench opposite Lin Qi. Mu Nianci came out of the house, poured Zhao Tieshan a cup of tea, and then poured another cup for Lin Qi. She then retreated to the eaves and stood quietly.

Lin Qi opened the letter and read it from beginning to end. The letter was very detailed, and it was signed Qian Sihai in neat handwriting, clearly not written in a hurry. He folded the letter and placed it on the stone table.

"You all know about what happened at Guiyun Manor." Lin Qi's voice wasn't loud, but it was calm. "Qiu Qianzhang impersonated my master at the manor and was exposed on the spot. Now it's all over the martial arts world, and everyone's saying that the leader of the Iron Palm Clan is a fraud."

Zhao Tieshan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said nothing.

Lin Qi continued, "Qiu Qianzhang is not my master. He is my master's twin brother. His martial arts skills are mediocre, and he only knows some illusions. Over the years, he has held the title of Iron Palm Hall Master in the gang, but he doesn't care about anything. When my master is around, he doesn't dare to act recklessly, but as soon as my master goes out, he can't sit still."

Zhao Tieshan put down his teacup: "Chief, what are your plans?"

Lin Qi didn't answer directly. He stood up, walked to the courtyard wall, and looked at the distant, layered mountains. The sun was setting, and the clouds on the horizon were dyed dark red, like congealed blood.

"Summon the three departments for a meeting first. This matter cannot be delayed."

Zhao Tieshan stood up: "I'll go inform them."

"No need. I've already sent someone." Lin Qi turned around. "You wait here, we'll go to the main hall together in a bit."

Zhao Tieshan responded and sat back down.

Mu Nianci emerged from under the eaves, carrying a plate of sliced ​​fruit, which she placed on the stone table. Zhao Tieshan thanked her, picked up a piece, ate it, chewed a couple of times, and couldn't help but speak again: "Chief, that Qiu Qianzhang, with his outburst, the Iron Palm Clan's reputation is... you know, people in the martial world won't care if he's real or not, they'll just say the Iron Palm Clan's leader is a fraud."

Lin Qi did not respond.

Of course he knew. Qiu Qianzhang was impersonating the leader of the Iron Palm Clan. Outsiders wouldn't distinguish between Qiu Qianren and Qiu Qianzhang, nor would they care who was who within the Iron Palm Clan. All they knew was that a man claiming to be the leader of the Iron Palm Clan had been humiliated at Guiyun Manor and exposed in public. Whether Lin Qi liked it or not, this debt would be placed on the Iron Palm Clan.

If this matter isn't dealt with, people in the martial arts world will say that the Iron Palm Clan is "that gang led by a swindler." Qiu Qianzhang will ruin the Iron Palm Clan's reputation built up over decades.

Seeing that Lin Qi didn't speak, Zhao Tieshan stopped asking and lowered his head to eat fruit.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Zhou Mingyuan, Qian Sihai, and Mei Ruolan arrived at the side courtyard one after another. Qian Sihai brought the draft of the letter with him when he entered, Mei Ruolan was holding a booklet, and Zhou Mingyuan brought nothing with him and looked rather unwell.

Lin Qi asked them to sit down and then recounted the events at Guiyun Manor.

His account was largely the same as Zhao Tieshan's, only more detailed. Lin Qi didn't embellish or cover for Qiu Qianzhang; he told the whole story. After speaking, he looked at the people present.

That's how it is. What do you think?

Zhou Mingyuan spoke first, his voice deep: "Chief, this matter concerning Hall Master Qiu has greatly damaged the reputation of the Iron Palm Clan. People in the martial arts world around Taihu Lake are already spreading the word that the Iron Palm Clan's leader is a fraud. If this gets out, it won't just be Taihu Lake; the entire Jiangnan region will know."

Qian Sihai nodded in agreement: "Director Zhou is right. The news sent back by the Foreign Affairs Department's spies in Taihu Lake is even worse than what was written in the letter. Someone has turned the boasts that Master Qiu made at the manor into a jingle, and it's being sung everywhere in teahouses and restaurants."

Mei Ruolan didn't speak, but simply opened the booklet in her hand, pointed to a page, and handed it to Lin Qi. Lin Qi glanced at it; it was a record of the sect disciples' words and actions over the past month. There were a few entries involving discussions about the sect leader with outsiders, but nothing serious. He returned the booklet to Mei Ruolan and nodded.

Zhou Mingyuan continued, "Chief, although Hall Master Qiu didn't do any work before, he's still nominally the Hall Master of the Iron Palm Hall. If he causes trouble outside, people will only say that he's the Chief of the Iron Palm Gang, and won't care whether he's a Hall Master or the Chief. I think this matter must be dealt with as soon as possible and cannot be delayed."

Qian Sihai chimed in, "Chief Zhou is right. The longer it drags on, the worse it will be for the gang's reputation."

Zhao Tieshan, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up: "I, Zhao Tieshan, am a rough man and not very good at speaking. But I think that Qiu Qianzhang holds the title of hall master in the gang, does nothing, and even goes out to tarnish the gang's reputation. Keeping such a person in the gang will only cause trouble sooner or later."

Lin Qi listened to their conversation without rushing to express his opinion. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, put it down, and glanced at each of them.

"From today onwards, Qiu Qianzhang is no longer a member of the Iron Palm Clan."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Lin Qi continued, "He's been flaunting the Iron Palm Clan's name, but he has no connection to the clan. From now on, anyone who sees him need not treat him with the respect due to an elder. I will personally manage the affairs of the Iron Palm Hall."

Zhou Mingyuan was the first to clasp his hands in a fist salute: "The leader is wise."

Qian Sihai and Mei Ruolan also clasped their hands in greeting. Zhao Tieshan grinned slightly when he clasped his hands, but quickly stopped.

Lin Qi didn't say anything more. He knew that while the martial arts world might not accept this order, the Iron Palm Clan had to make its stance clear. Qiu Qianzhang was Qiu Qianzhang, and the Iron Palm Clan was the Iron Palm Clan; they couldn't be confused. As for what the martial arts world would say, that was a matter for later. It required action to make amends; words alone were useless.

After the meeting, Lin Qi did not leave the main hall. He sat alone in the gang leader's chair, looking at the empty hall. The torchlight flickered on the walls, casting a long shadow of his.

Mu Nianci walked in at some point and stood next to him.

"Brother Lin, what are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about Qiu Qianzhang." Lin Qi didn't look at her. "He's my master's brother. If I remove him from the gang, some people will say I don't care about family ties."

Mu Nianci said softly, "But what he did did indeed harm the Iron Palm Clan."

"I know." Lin Qi stood up, walked to the entrance of the main hall, and looked at the night sky outside. "That's why I did this."

Mu Nianci remained silent. She stood quietly half a step behind Lin Qi.

The news spread, and the entire gang discussed it for days. Some said Lin Qi was heartless, others said Qiu Qianzhang deserved it, and still others brought up old grievances, saying that Qiu Qianzhang had done nothing in the gang before, drawing a salary for nothing, and should have been kicked out long ago. Zhao Tieshan said to his disciples while drinking at Jinghu Altar, "If the gang leader is sentimental, the Iron Palm Gang's reputation is ruined." This reached Lin Qi's ears, but he said nothing.

Qiu Qianzhang did not return to Iron Palm Peak. He had lost face at Guiyun Manor and was probably too embarrassed to come back. Lin Qi had Zhao Tieshan remove the men watching him and ignored them.

Life returned to normal. Lin Qi handled gang affairs daily, reviewed documents, and occasionally convened meetings with the heads of the three departments. He personally managed the affairs of the Iron Palm Hall, handling everything from disciple registration to daily training, down to the smallest detail. Gradually, everyone in the gang became accustomed to his way of doing things, and no one brought up his age anymore.

Having lived on the mountain for a while, Mu Nianci gradually became more talkative. She would get up early every day to practice her martial arts, help Lin Qi organize documents during the day, and plant flowers in the courtyard in the evening. Clusters of gardenias bloomed in the corner of the side courtyard, their fragrance filling the entire courtyard.

One evening, the two sat in the courtyard enjoying the cool air. The moon rose from behind the mountain ridge, its clear light spilling across the ground like a thin layer of frost.

Mu Nianci suddenly said, "Brother Lin, do you think those martial arts figures will look down on the Iron Palm Clan because of this?"

Lynch thought for a moment and said, "Yes. But not for long."

Why?

"Because Qiu Qianzhang is a fake. Real kung fu won't become fake just because of a fraud." Lin Qi looked at the moon in the sky. "When I travel around the martial arts world one day and fight a few matches, those rumors will naturally disappear."

Mu Nianci didn't ask any more questions. She lowered her head, her fingers gently tracing circles on her knees, as if she were lost in thought.

The sound of pine trees rustling in the distance came in waves, like the tide or a sigh. The mountain wind blew down from Iron Palm Peak, carrying the bitter scent of pine needles and the sweet fragrance of gardenias. The two scents mingled together, making it hard to tell whether they were bitter or sweet.

Lin Qi stood up, walked to the courtyard wall, and practiced his palm strikes for a while longer. The power of his Iron Palm technique condensed in his palm, and with a single strike, another shallow crack appeared on the blue brick. He wasn't using his full strength; he was just casually striking to loosen up his muscles and bones.

Mu Nianci sat on the stone steps, quietly watching him.

Under the moonlight, the shadows of the two people, one moving and one still, were both very long.