This Wuhou Shrine is a famous historical site in Sichuan, with many inscriptions by renowned figures on its walls. After browsing for a while, Zhou Chun casually walked to the Wangjiang Tower, ordered a pot of wine and a few dishes, and ate alone. Suddenly, he heard footsteps on the stairs. A young man dressed as a martial artist ascended. He had a face as handsome as jade, but with a mischievous air. He wore a blue satin embroidered warrior's hat, with a large, trembling camellia flower pinned on the side. He ordered some wine and food but didn't eat properly, staring intently out the window. Zhou Chun found it odd and looked down as well. There, by the river, a large boat was docked with many women aboard. Among them was an exceptionally beautiful woman disembarking onto a sedan chair. Upon seeing her, the martial artist hurriedly threw a silver ingot on the table, paid for the wine, and rushed downstairs. Zhou Chun, sensing the man was up to no good, quickly settled his own bill and followed him.
Suddenly, he saw a Taoist priest ahead, carrying a large red gourd on his back, walking slowly. Looking closely, Zhou realized it was the drunken Taoist he had met on Mount Emei. Zhou hesitated—should he chase the villain or seize this rare chance to meet the Taoist again? While he deliberated, the notorious Chengdu sedan bearers, known for their speed, had already disappeared, along with the martial artist. Helpless, Zhou quietly followed the Taoist.
The Taoist seemed unaware of Zhou's pursuit, walking slowly ahead. Zhou, feeling confident that he wouldn't miss this opportunity, followed closely. The Taoist headed into the fields, always staying just ten to twenty feet ahead, no matter how fast Zhou chased. Growing anxious, Zhou shouted, "Master, please wait! I have something to say!" Surprisingly, the Taoist quickened his pace, leaving Zhou far behind, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Zhou realized the Taoist did not want to see him, and with no other choice, he dejectedly returned to his inn.
Later that night, just as Zhou was about to sleep, a gentle breeze blew in, and a note appeared on his desk out of nowhere. Zhou rushed outside, but all he saw were stars in the sky, and the distant bark of a dog echoed from the alley. Returning to his room, he read the note, which had three bold characters: "Shijia Alley." The handwriting was vigorous and familiar, but Zhou couldn't recall where he had seen it before. He thought, "Shijia Alley is home to wealthy families; what does it have to do with me?" Confused, he wondered if there was an incident there and if the sender needed his help. Deciding to investigate, he armed himself, locked the door, and leapt out of the window, running swiftly over rooftops.
As he neared Shijia Alley, a dark figure suddenly dashed ahead, only to disappear as it approached the alley. Zhou thought, "This alley is long, where should I start?" Ignoring his doubts, he first approached a quiet house. Moving on to the third house, he noticed lights flickering upstairs. Leaping up to the window, Zhou was furious at what he saw: the beautiful woman from earlier, now stripped naked and tied to a bench, had fainted. The martial artist was unfastening his belt, preparing to violate her. Zhou couldn't help but shout, "You villain! How dare you harm a virtuous woman? Come out and face your death!" The villain sneered, "Who dares to interrupt your lord's fun?" Blowing out the lamp, he opened the door and flung a chair at Zhou. Zhou parried it with his sword, ready for a fight, but heard a gust of wind behind him. Instinctively, he dodged forward, narrowly avoiding a sneak attack. The villain struck with a blade, and Zhou countered.
This villain was cunning. While Zhou parried the chair, the villain had leapt out of the window, attempting to ambush him. If Zhou hadn't been experienced, he would've fallen into the trap. After exchanging over ten blows, Zhou realized that the villain's martial arts were familiar. He demanded, "Villain, who is your master? State your name so you can die under my sword, not as an unknown ghost!" The villain laughed wildly, "So you're Zhou San? My master thought you wouldn't come to Chengdu, but here you are to meet your death. I am Zhang Liang, a disciple of Eight-Finger Zen Master Mao Tai, also known as 'Powder Camellia Zhang Liang.'" Hearing this, Zhou was startled. Afraid Mao Tai would come to help, he fought fiercely, unleashing his best sword skills, surrounding the villain in a whirl of sword light. Though skilled, Zhang Liang was no match for Zhou.
Meanwhile, the house's owner, Wang Chengxiu, a martial artist himself, was awakened by the noise. At first, he didn't intervene, unsure who was in the right. However, hearing the villain's confession, he realized who the evil-doer was and led his family to help Zhou. The villain, seeing he was outnumbered, leaped onto the wall to escape. Zhou shouted, "Where are you going!" and with one stroke, severed both of the villain's legs, causing him to fall and die in agony.
The family quickly tied up the corpse and invited Zhou inside to thank him for saving them. Zhou warned them, "Though this villain is dead, do not make it public. His master, Mao Tai, has become a sword immortal. If he finds out, your entire family's lives are at risk." Wang Chengxiu, frightened, begged Zhou for help. Zhou replied, "I'm no match for Mao Tai either. Keep this quiet for now, and soon someone will come to deal with him. Tomorrow, put this body in a trunk and quietly report it to the authorities, ensuring it's kept secret. Only when Mao Tai is captured can you be safe. I should not stay here, as it will bring more trouble." Wang Chengxiu, unable to persuade him otherwise, reluctantly agreed to follow Zhou's instructions.
Zhou returned to the inn the same way he came. Though he had performed a righteous act that night, he knew he had deepened his enmity with Mao Tai. Furthermore, he regretted missing the chance to connect with the helpful Taoist. Restless and troubled, Zhou couldn't sleep that night.
The next day, after finishing lunch at the inn, Zhou Chun set out to explore various places in the city, searching for the residence of the Drunken Daoist. Several days passed, but there was no trace of him. One day, as he wandered out of the city, he found himself in a forest. Suddenly, he noticed a glimpse of a white wall partially revealed through the greenery, indicating the presence of a temple. Feeling a bit thirsty, Zhou Chun decided to approach the temple to rest and ask for a cup of water. As he neared the entrance, he heard the clear sound of horse bells and saw dust rising on the road. More than ten riders swiftly approached the temple gates.
Being cautious by nature, Zhou Chun stepped aside to observe. There were about thirteen or fourteen people in the group—one dressed as a Daoist, while the rest were in civilian attire, all with a fierce appearance. Each of them carried bundles, seemingly hiding weapons. Initially, the temple gates were tightly closed. The leader of the group, a tall man, whipped the gate three times with his lash. Soon after, the gates opened wide, and the riders charged in without a word. Once they had entered, the gates shut tightly again, and all fell silent.
Zhou Chun sensed that this group of people was likely up to no good. However, the temple was not far from the city, so it seemed unlikely to be a hiding place for bandits. Curious to uncover the truth, he approached the temple gates. The temple was grand and majestic, with the words "Imperial Charity Cloud Zen Temple" written in large golden characters on the plaque above the gate. Zhou Chun thought to himself, "I've long heard that Charity Cloud Temple is a famous place in Chengdu, known for the strict discipline of its abbot, Master Zhitong. How could they be associating with such a suspicious group? If these were pilgrims, the situation still seems strange."
As Zhou Chun was pondering whether to enter the temple under the guise of a pilgrim to investigate, something suddenly hit his face—dried mud. Startled, he quickly looked around, but there was no one, not even a bird in sight. He had no idea where the mud had come from. Though perplexed, his curiosity remained strong, and trusting in his skills, he decided to knock on the gate. Just as he raised his hand, a gust of wind rushed past the back of his head. This time, he wasn't caught off guard and quickly ducked. A thud sounded behind him as another clod of dried earth hit the ground. He turned to see a figure disappearing into the forest about twenty or thirty meters away.
Angered, Zhou Chun abandoned his plan to enter the temple and sprinted toward the figure in the forest, determined to confront whoever was toying with him. But upon entering the forest, there was no sign of the person. Just as he was about to give up, another clod of earth flew at him. This time, Zhou Chun was fully alert. He dodged the mud and focused his gaze forward. He saw a small, thin figure sprinting out of the forest. Frustrated, Zhou Chun gave chase. However, the person was incredibly fast, moving as if flying. Though Zhou Chun was known for his speed, he could not catch up.
As they ran, Zhou Chun wondered, "I've never met this person before, so why are they messing with me like this? If they were an enemy, they could have easily ambushed me at the temple gates. Judging by their speed and skill, their martial arts are no less than mine. But why lure me into this deserted area?" Just as he was pondering this, a realization struck him, and he stopped running. He called out, "Brother up ahead, please pause and let me speak with you, Zhou Chun, for a moment."
No matter how loudly he shouted, the figure didn't respond. Suddenly, the person stopped in front of a tree. Zhou Chun, overjoyed, hurried to catch up. But just as he got close, the person took off again, faster than ever, disappearing in the blink of an eye. When Zhou Chun reached the tree, he noticed a small paper packet on the ground. He picked it up and opened it, finding two medicinal pills with a note that read, "For future use, immune to all poisons." Zhou Chun was puzzled by the message but tucked the packet into his robe. He now realized that the temple was not a safe place and that the stranger had likely led him away to save him from danger. Knowing he couldn't handle the situation alone, he dejectedly began walking back.
After walking only four or five miles, Zhou Chun noticed a large bell hanging from a tree beside the road. He thought to himself, "I passed this way earlier and didn't see this bell. It must weigh at least six or seven hundred pounds. How could someone hang it here without extraordinary strength?" Not far from the bell, he saw a house, so he approached it, hoping to ask for some clarification. However, just as he reached the door, he heard faint cries for help from inside. Zhou Chun, with his righteous nature, circled to the back of the house and leaped up to take a look. What he saw terrified him.