Chapter 17 Chapter Sixteen
Everyone turned their heads, and saw an old monk wearing a gray cloth robe, with big ears and a dignified appearance, coming out from behind the apricot tree.
Elder Xu shouted: "Grandmaster Zhiguang has arrived in Tiantai Mountain. I haven't seen him for more than thirty years. The master is still so clean and healthy."
Monk Zhiguang's name is not well-known in the martial arts world, and members of the next generation in the Beggar Clan don't know his origin.But Qiao Feng, the Sixth Elder, and others all stood in respect, knowing that he had made a great wish back then, traveled across the oceans and wilds overseas, collected bark of different species, and cured countless people infected with miasma in Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong and Guangxi.Because of this, he suffered two serious illnesses, and lost all his martial arts in the end, but it is not uncommon for him to benefit the common people.Everyone approached to salute one after another.
Master Zhiguang smiled at Zhao Qiansun: "The martial arts are not as good as the opponent's, so it is very difficult not to fight back when beaten. If the martial arts are worse than the opponent, it is even more difficult to be beaten without fighting back." Zhao Qiansun bowed his head in deep thought, as if he had realized something.
Elder Xu said: "Grandmaster Zhiguang has been honored widely, and no one disrespects him. But for more than ten years, he has not asked about the affairs of the world. Today, the Buddha came down, it is really a blessing for the beggars. I am very grateful."
Zhiguang said: "Elder Xu of the Beggars' Gang and Dan Judge of Taihang Mountain jointly summoned him. How dare I not come? Tiantai Mountain is not far from Wuxi. The two letters also said that this matter is related to the fate of the common people in the world. call."
Qiao Feng thought to himself: "So you were also invited by Elder Xu and Shan Zheng." Then he thought: "I have heard that Master Zhiguang is highly respected, and he will never participate in the plot to frame me. It is really a good thing to have him here."
Zhao Qiansun suddenly said: "Monk Zhiguang also participated in the battle in front of the rocky valley outside Yanmen Pass, let's talk about it."
When Zhiguang heard the words "in front of the chaotic stone valley outside the Yanmen Pass", a strange expression flashed across his face. It seemed to be excited, fearful, and horrible. At the end, he was filled with compassion and pity, and sighed: "Kill the evil!" It’s too heavy, the crime of killing is too heavy! I’m ashamed of this matter. All benefactors, the Great War in Chaos Stone Valley happened thirty years ago, why bring it up again today?”
Elder Xu said: "It's just that there has been a major change in the current book, and there is a letter related to this matter." As he spoke, he handed over the letter.
Zhiguang read the letter once, read it again from the beginning, shook his head and said: "It is better to settle the enemy than to end it, why bother to bring up the old matter again? According to the old monk's opinion, destroy this letter and wipe out all traces, that's all." Elder Xu said: "The deputy head of our gang died tragically. If we don't pursue the case, the vice head Ma will be wronged, and our gang will be in danger of disintegrating." Master Zhiguang nodded and said: "That's true, that's true."
He raised his head, but saw a crescent moon hanging slantingly in the sky, and the cold clear light poured down on the tops of the almond trees.
Zhiguang glanced at Zhao Qiansun and said, "Okay, I don't need to hide what I did wrong in the past, it's true." Wrong thing." Zhiguang shook his head and said: "Wrong is wrong, so why deceive yourself?" Turning to the crowd, he said: "Thirty years ago, the heroes of the Central Plains received a message that a large number of warriors from the Khitan Kingdom were coming to attack Shaolin Temple. The atlas of martial arts hidden in the temple for hundreds of years was taken away in one fell swoop."
Everyone was startled softly, and they all thought: "Khitan warriors really have a lot of ambition." Shaolin Temple's martial art skills are the treasures of Middle Earth martial arts. Spread the word, everyone in the army is practicing, on the battlefield, how can the officers and soldiers of the Song Dynasty be enemies again?
Zhiguang continued: "This matter is really no small matter. If the Khitan's move is successful, the Great Song Dynasty will be in danger of subjugation. My descendants of the Yellow Emperor may be wiped out, and all of them will die under the spears and knives of the Liao soldiers. It's urgent, I don't have time to discuss it in detail, I heard that these Khitan warriors are passing through Yanmen, and at the same time they sent people to inform Shaolin Temple to be on strict guard, and everyone rushed to meet them outside Yanmen Pass, even if they couldn't be wiped out, they must be ordered Their treachery is hard to succeed.”
When everyone heard about the war with the Khitan, they couldn't help their blood boiling, and they were terrified. The Great Song Dynasty was bullied by the Khitan for many times. It was true that the soldiers and civilians died under the Khitan's sword and gun. Not a lot.
Master Zhiguang turned his head slowly, stared at Qiao Feng, and said, "Master Qiao, what will happen if you get this information?"
Qiao Feng said in a loud voice: "Master Zhiguang, Qiao has little knowledge, and his talents and virtues are not enough to convince the crowd, causing the brothers in the gang to be suspicious. It is really ashamed to say. But even though Qiao is incompetent, he is still a man with courage and integrity. Han, for the sake of righteousness and righteousness, we will never be ignorant of right and wrong. I was bullied by Liao dogs in the Song Dynasty. Who would not want to take revenge on my family and country? If I learned this news, I should lead my brothers and sisters to catch up with each other at night. to stop."
What he said was impassioned, everyone was moved after hearing this, thinking: "A man must be like this."
Zhiguang nodded and said: "So, in the eyes of Chief Qiao, our move to ambush the Liao people outside Yanmen Pass is not bad?"
Qiao Feng gradually became angry: "Who do you take me for? Talking like this, you obviously underestimate me." But his expression didn't flare up, and he said: "Seniors are heroic and heroic, Qiao I admire him so much, I wish I had been born thirty years earlier, so that I could follow the sages, go to righteous deeds together, and kill barbarians with my own hands."
Zhiguang took a deep look at him, with a strange expression on his face, and said slowly: "At that time, everyone was divided into several groups and rushed to Yanmen Pass. My dear brother and I," he pointed to Zhao Qiansun, and said: "They are all in the first batch. There are 21 people in our group. The elder brother who takes the lead is not very old, he is several years younger than me, but he has excellent martial arts skills and a respected status in the martial arts, so everyone Push him to take the lead, and act according to his orders. Among this group of people, the leader of the beggar gang Wang, the old hero Wang Weiyi, the king of the Wansheng sword, and the Taoist priest Huangshan Heyun of the Dijue sword, were all top-ranking masters in the martial arts at that time. I haven't become a monk yet, and I'm mixed among the heroes. In fact, I can't allocate it. I just serve the country and kill the enemy. I don't dare to descend. If I have a little effort, I will give a little effort. This man, his martial arts at that time were much higher than that of the old monk. , needless to say now.”
Zhao Qiansun said: "That's right, at that time your martial arts were quite different from mine, at least by such a big difference." He stretched out his hands and compared them with palms up, the distance between the two palms was about a chi.Immediately, he felt that the distance between them was more than that, so he separated the two palms from the outside again, so that the distance between the palms was about a foot and a half.
Zhiguang continued: "When we passed the Yanmen Pass, it was nearly dusk. We traveled more than ten miles out of the pass, and we were on guard all the way. Suddenly, there was the sound of horses galloping from the northwest corner, and there were at least ten riders at the sound. Take the lead, brother." Everyone stopped when they raised their right hands. Everyone was happy and worried at the same time, and no one said a word. The joy is that the news is true. Fortunately, we arrived without delay and were able to stop it in time. But everyone knows that the Khitan warriors who attacked must be very powerful people, those who are kind will not come, and those who come are not kind, even if they dare to provoke the Taishan Beidou Shaolin Temple of Chinese martial arts, naturally everyone is chosen by Khitan Warriors. The Great Song Dynasty and the Khitan have always lost more than they won in wars. Whether they can win today's battle is really hard to say.
"The leader waved his hand, and the twenty-one of us fell down behind the big rocks on both sides of the mountain road. On the left side of the valley is a deep valley with rough rocks. Looking down, it is dark and bottomless.
"I heard the sound of hooves getting closer and closer, and then I heard seven or eight people singing loudly. They were singing the Liao song. The singing was long, majestic and rough. I didn't know what it meant. I held the handle of the knife tightly, It was all sweat, and I stretched out my palm to dry it on my knee trousers, and soon it was wet again. The elder brother who took the lead was lying beside me, knowing that I couldn't hold back, he stretched out his hand and patted my shoulder twice, and smiled at me With a smile, he stretched out his left palm and made a false chop, as if killing all the barbarians. I also smiled at him, and my heart became much more settled.
"The leading horses of the Liao people ran about fifty feet away. I looked out from behind the boulder and saw these Khitan warriors were all covered in furs. Some were holding spears, some were carrying machetes, some were Some of them bowed their bows and set arrows, and some even came with huge and ferocious falcons on their shoulders, singing loudly, ignoring the enemy ambushing in front of them. In a short while, I saw the faces of the first few Khitan warriors, all with short hair He has a thick beard and a fierce expression. Seeing them getting closer and closer, my heart beats harder and harder, as if it is about to jump out of my mouth."
When everyone heard this, they knew it was thirty years ago, but they couldn't help their hearts pounding.
Zhiguang said to Qiao Feng: "Master Qiao, the success or failure of this matter is related to the fate of the Song Dynasty, and the lives and deaths of thousands of people in the middle land, but we really have no chance of victory. The only advantage is that the enemy is in the open And I'm in the dark, what do you think we should do!"
Qiao Feng said: "Soldiers never tire of cheating. When the two countries are fighting, there is no morality or martial arts rules. When the Liao dog killed the people of the Song Dynasty, why did his subordinates show mercy? In my opinion, they should use hidden weapons. On the hidden weapon, it must be fed with poison."
Zhiguang stretched out his hand to pat his thigh, and said, "That's right. Gang Leader Qiao's opinion is exactly what we thought at the time. The eldest brother who took the lead saw the Liao dog approaching, and with a long howl, everyone's hidden weapons were shot out one after another. Steel darts, Hidden arrows, throwing knives, iron cones...everything was poisoned. All the Liao dogs were yelling, they were in a mess, and most of them fell off their horses."
Among the group of beggars, someone immediately applauded and cheered.
Zhiguang continued: "At this moment, I have counted clearly. The Khitan warriors had nineteen riders in total. We used hidden weapons to kill twelve of them, and the rest were only seven. We all rushed forward, wielding swords and swords. These seven people were all killed, and none of them escaped alive."
Some people from the gang of beggars cheered again.But Qiao Feng, Duan Yu and others thought: "You said that these Khitan warriors are the first-class warriors selected among thousands, why are they so incompetent that they were all killed by you in a short time?"
Only Zhiguang sighed and said: "We wiped out all 19 Khitan warriors in one fell swoop. Although we were happy, we also became very suspicious. We felt that these Khitan warriors were too pusty, and they were all vulnerable. Good hand. Could it be that the information I heard was inaccurate? Could it be that the Liao people deliberately arranged this trick to lure the enemy and teach us to fall for it? There was no discussion, only the sound of horseshoes, and two more horses galloped from the northwest corner.
"This time we didn't lie in hiding anymore, we went up to meet them, and there were two men and women. The man was tall and handsome, and his clothes were much more luxurious than those of the nineteen warriors just now. The woman was a young woman. Holding a baby in their hands, the two of them came talking and laughing side by side. Their expressions were extremely intimate, and they were obviously a young couple. When the two Khitan men and women saw us, their faces were slightly surprised, but they saw us soon. The 19 warriors died on the ground, the man immediately looked very fierce, he shouted at us and asked us a lot of Khitan chatter, but he didn't know what to say.
"Fang Daxiong, the third brother of the iron tower in Datong Prefecture, Shanxi, raised an iron rod and shouted: 'Wu Na Liao dog, take your life!' Then he swung the stick and hit the Khitan man. The leading brother became suspicious and shouted : "Brother Fang, don't be reckless, don't hurt his life, catch him and ask him."
"The lead brother hadn't finished his sentence, the Liao man stretched out his right arm, grabbed the iron rod in Fang Daxiong's hand, bent it outward, and with a soft click, the joint of Fang Daxiong's right arm was broken. Then The Liao man picked up the iron rod and struck it down from mid-air. We shouted loudly, and seeing that it was too late to rescue him, seven or eight people fired hidden weapons at him. The Liao man flicked his left sleeve, and a gust of wind blew out. , and swept all seven or eight hidden weapons aside. Seeing that Fang Daxiong was out of luck, unexpectedly he picked up Fang Daxiong's body with an iron rod, and fell to the side of the road together with man and stick, chattering I don't know what to say again.
"This person has shown such skill, we are all shocked, we all feel that this person's martial arts is so high, it is really rare, it is obvious that the previous information is not false, I am afraid that the master will become stronger and stronger in the future. He bullied the widow and killed one by one. At that moment, six or seven people rushed up and attacked him. The other four or five people attacked the young woman.
"Unexpectedly, that young woman didn't know martial arts at all. Someone cut off one of her arms with a sword, and the baby in her arms fell to the ground, followed by another person who chopped off half of her head. Although the Liao people were strong in martial arts, they were defeated Seven or eight masters are entangled with their swords, how can they separate their hands to save his wife and children? At first he made a series of moves, but only took away our brother's weapon, and did not hurt anyone. When his wife died, his eyes turned red The look on his face was extremely terrifying. When I saw his gaze at that time, I couldn't help being frightened and afraid to go forward."
Zhao Qiansun said: "That's no fault of you, that's no fault of you!" Originally, apart from talking to Granny Tan, he always spoke with a bit of sarcasm and indifference in his tone, but these two words were deeply painful and sorry.
Zhiguang said: "Thirty years have passed since that fierce battle. But in these thirty years, I don't know that I have relived it hundreds of times in my dreams. The scenes of the fierce battle at that time are all clear. Imprinted in my heart. The Liao man had his arms slanted, and he didn't know what kind of grasping technique he used, so he grabbed the weapons of our two brothers, followed by a stab and a chop, and killed them on the spot. Sometimes he flew from the horseback And then down, sometimes jumping back on horseback, the rabbit rises and falls, walking like a ghost. Yes, he is really like a devil incarnate. When he rushed to the east, he killed one person; when he turned to the west, he killed another person. In just a moment , Among the twenty-one of us, nine of us have died under his hands.
"Everyone's eyes were red from this, and the leader brother, Wang Gangzhu, etc. all risked their lives to fight with him. But that man's martial arts are too strange and powerful, every move, every move, always from an unexpected direction At that time, the setting sun was like blood, and amidst the howls of the wind outside Yanmen Pass, there were cries of heroes dying. Heads and limbs, blood and weapons were flying around in the air. You can only protect yourself, and no one can help others.
"When I saw such a situation, I was really terrified. However, seeing all the brothers dying tragically, I couldn't help but feel excited. I mustered up the courage and rode straight towards him. I raised my big knife with both hands, and slashed at the top of his head. Knowing that if I miss this strike, my life will be handed over to him. Seeing that the edge of the big knife was only a few feet away from his head, the Liao man suddenly caught a person and put his head under my knife. I At a glance, I saw that this man was the second child among the three heroes of the Du family in Jiangxi. I was taken aback, and abruptly withdrew the knife in my busy schedule. The sword retracted sharply, and with a click, it fell on my horse's head. The horse hissed and jumped. Get up. At this time, the Liao man's palm has also hit. Fortunately, my mount jumped up at this time and blocked his palm. Otherwise, my muscles and bones would be broken, where would I be? Still alive?
"The strength of his palm was so powerful, it hit me so hard that I fell back and fell out. I flew up and landed on the top of a big tree, standing in the air. At that time, I was already shocked. He was in a daze, not knowing whether he was dead or alive, and where he was. Looking down from mid-air, he saw that there were fewer and fewer brothers around the Liao man, and there were only five or six people left. Then he saw this Dear brother..." He looked at Zhao Qiansun, and continued: "...with a sway, he fell into a pool of blood, thinking that he also lost his life."
Zhao Qiansun shook his head and said: "Although it is shameful to say this kind of scandal, there is no need to hide it. I was not injured, but fainted from fright. I saw that Liao man grabbing Second Brother Du's legs, Tearing to both sides, he tore his body in two, and all the internal organs flowed out. I suddenly felt that my heart stopped beating, my eyes went dark, and I didn't know anything. Yes, I am a coward. I saw others kill , would faint from fright.”
Zhiguang said: "Seeing this Liao people killing brothers like a devil, if you say you are not afraid, that is a lie." There were only four Liao people fighting. The elder brother who took the lead knew that he was unlucky and would eventually die under his hands. He kept asking, "Who are you? Who are you?" In the next round, two more people were killed, and suddenly he raised his foot and hit the acupoint on the vest of Gang Leader Wang, followed by a circle of mandarin ducks with his left foot, and then kicked the acupoint on the flank of the leader. , The strange footwork is just unimaginable. If I didn't know that I was about to die, and the two people I admired the most, I would almost blurt out and cheer.
"Seeing that the powerful enemy had been wiped out, the Liao man ran to the young woman's corpse, hugged her, and cried terribly. Hearing the cry, I couldn't help but feel sad. The Liao dog, which is like a beast and devil, has human nature, and the feeling of grief does not seem to be shallower than that of us Han people."
Zhao Qiansun said coldly: "What's so strange about that? The bond between parent and child of wild beasts may not be inferior to human beings. Liao people are also human beings, so why are they not as good as Han people?" Several members of the Beggar Clan shouted: " The Liao dog is ferocious and brutal, it is better than poisonous snakes and beasts, it is very different from us Han people." Zhao Qiansun just sneered and did not answer.
Zhiguang continued: "The Liao man cried for a while, picked up his son's body and looked at it for a while, put the baby's body in his mother's arms, walked up to the leader brother, and yelled at him. The leader brother did not give in. He glared angrily at him, but was unable to speak a word due to the acupoints being tapped. The Liao man suddenly raised his head to the sky and screamed, picked up a short knife from the ground, and began to draw words on the stone wall of the mountain. Hei, I'm far away from him, so I can't see what he writes."
Zhao Qiansun said: "What he inscribed is Khitan script, you can see it, but you don't know it."
Zhiguang said: "That's right, I saw it, but I didn't recognize it. There was no sound in the surrounding area at that time, but I could hear the chirping on the stone wall and the sound of stone chips falling to the ground. I didn't even dare to breathe." He took a breath. After an unknown amount of time, he heard a proper sound. He threw down the dagger, bent over to pick up the corpses of his wife and son, walked to the edge of the cliff, and jumped into the deep valley."
When everyone heard this, they all said "Ah", no one expected such a change.
Master Zhiguang said: "Everyone is surprised to hear this, but I saw it with my own eyes at the time, and I was really surprised. I thought that such a person with strong martial arts must be in a high position in the Liao Kingdom. This time he came to the Central Plains to attack the Shaolin Temple. Even if he is not a big leader, he must be one of the most important figures among all the warriors. He captured our leading brother and Chief Wang, killed the rest of us, and won a complete victory. , Never would have thought that he would commit suicide by jumping off a cliff.
"When I came to the edge of this valley earlier, I looked down and saw the clouds and fog, and the depth was bottomless. This jump will go down. Although his martial arts are high, he is still a body of flesh and blood. How can he have a life? I was so surprised that I couldn't help but yelled out.
"I don't know that there are even more strange things among the miracles. When I exclaimed, suddenly two baby cries came up from the rocky valley, followed by a black thing flying up from the valley. , there was a light slap, and it happened to fall on the leader of Wang. The crying sound of the baby continued, and it turned out that it was the baby who fell on the leader of Wang. At that time, my heart of fear was gone, and I jumped down from the tree and ran to the When Chief Wang looked over, he saw the Khitan baby lying on his belly, crying.
"I thought about it for a while, and then I realized that the young Khitan woman was killed, and her son fell to the ground. He just held his breath, but he was not dead. The Liao man was mourning, and when he touched the baby's mouth and nose, he was no longer breathing. , only said that his wife and children were both lost, so he hugged two corpses and threw himself on the cliff. The baby woke up from the shock, and immediately cried out. The Liao people are really skilled, and they don't want their son to be buried alive at the bottom of the valley with him. , and immediately threw the baby up. He remembered the position and distance, and he just threw the baby on the belly of Chief Wang, so that the baby would not be injured. He was in mid-air, and only then did he realize that his son was not dead. And the accuracy of the force is even more accurate, this kind of wit, this kind of martial arts, is truly terrifying.
"Seeing the tragic death of my brothers, I was so sad that when I mentioned the Khitan baby, I wanted to throw him on the rock and killed him. I was about to throw him away when I heard him crying loudly again. I looked at him , I saw that his small face was swollen and red, and his two big black eyes were looking at me. If I didn't look at these eyes, I would just throw him to death, and then everything would be over. But when I saw Seeing his lovely face, I couldn’t say anything to get rid of this murderous hand, thinking to myself: ‘If you bully a baby who is not yet one year old, what kind of a man is that?’”
Someone among the group of beggars interrupted: "Master Zhiguang, the Liao dog has killed my Han compatriots countless times. I have seen with my own eyes that the Liao dog held a spear and picked my Han baby alive at the spearhead. Well, why can't we kill?"
Master Zhiguang sighed: "The words are good, but as the saying goes, everyone has a heart of compassion. I saw so many people die tragically this day, and I really can't kill this baby. You say I did something wrong. Well, it doesn't matter if I'm too soft-hearted, I finally spared the baby's life.
"Following that, I wanted to untie the acupoints of the leader and Chief Wang. At first, my ability was low, and the Khitan man's acupoint kicking kung fu was too special. I grasped and beat, pressed and rubbed, and pushed the blood through the palace. Loosening the tendons and rubbing the muscles, I was so busy that I was sweating profusely. I used all kinds of techniques. The elder brother who took the lead and the gang leader Wang couldn't move or speak. I couldn't do anything. I was afraid that the Khitan people would come back again, so I took three horses Ma Lai, take the lead brother and Wang Gangzhu on the back of the horse respectively. I took a horse myself, hugged the Khitan baby, led two horses, and went back to Yanmen Pass overnight, looking for a bruise doctor to treat the acupuncture point, but I also rescued it. No. Fortunately, in the evening of the second day, after twelve hours, the two sealed acupoints were unlocked by themselves.
"The leader and Chief Wang were worried about the Khitan warriors attacking the Shaolin Temple. Once the acupoints were opened, they immediately rushed out of the Yanmen Pass to check. But they saw flesh and blood corpses all over the place, and they were still exactly the same as when I left yesterday evening. I probed into the chaotic rock valley and looked down. We couldn't see any clues. Now the three of us buried the bodies of the martyred brothers, and checked the number, but found that there were only 17. Originally, there were 18 martyrs. How could one be missing?" When he said this, he looked at Zhao Qiansun.
Zhao Qiansun smiled wryly and said: "One of the corpses came back alive and left on its own. It is still a walking corpse. That is me, 'Zhao Qiansun Li, King Zheng of Zhou Wu'."
Zhiguang said: "But at that time, the three of us didn't think it was different. We thought that it was very common for this man to fall into the valley of chaotic rocks during the melee. After we buried the martyred brothers, the lingering anger still persisted." , Lifted up the corpses of all the Khitans and threw them into the chaotic valley.
"The elder brother who took the lead suddenly said to Chief Wang: "Brother Jian Tong, if the Khitan people wanted to kill the two of us, it would be really easy. Why did they only kick our acupoints, but left us alive?" Chief Wang said: "This matter I can't figure it out too. The two of us are the leaders and killed his wife and children. It stands to reason that he should kill them all.'
"The three of us couldn't come to a conclusion. The elder brother who took the lead said: 'The words he carved on the stone wall may contain some deep meaning.' Suffering from the fact that the three of us don't know Khitan characters, the elder brother who took the lead took out some stream water and melted the blood coagulated underground. He painted it on the stone wall, then tore off the skirt of the white robe, and expanded the writing on the stone wall. Those Khitan characters penetrated into the stone, almost two inches, and he carved it randomly with a short knife. I saw that he was alone in the world, and no one could match him. The three of them were only secretly surprised, and recalled the scene of the previous day, with lingering fears in their hearts. Back in the pass, Chief Wang found a cattle and horse dealer, who often went to Liao Kingdom to Shangjing to sell Ma, who knows Khitan characters, showed him the rubbing of the white cloth. He translated it in Chinese and wrote it on paper."
When he said this, he raised his head to the sky, let out a long sigh, and continued: "After the three of us read the translation of the businessman, you can see me and I can see you. It is really unbelievable. But the Khitan man was already dead at that time." If you decide to kill yourself, why lie on purpose? We went to another person who was fluent in Khitan, and asked him to interpret the sentences of the rubbings, and the meaning was still the same. Alas, if the truth is true, not only the seventeen brothers who died They died unjustly, and these Khitan people are also innocent victims, and this Khitan couple, we feel extremely sorry for them."
Everyone was eager to know what the words on the stone wall meant, but when they heard that he didn't say anything, some impatient people asked: "What do those words say?" "Why do you feel sorry for them?" "Why did the Khitan couple Died unjustly?"
Zhiguang said: "My friends, it's not that I deliberately betrayed the meaning of the Khitan writing. If the writing on the wall is true, then the actions of the leading brother, Wang Gangzhu and I are indeed very wrong. I really have no face towards people. I, Zhiguang, am just a nobody in the martial arts. If I did something wrong, it is nothing, but what is the status of the leader and the leader of the gang? What's more, the leader of the gang has passed away, so I can't hurt him indiscriminately. Please forgive me for not being able to say clearly about the reputation of the two of you."
Wang Jiantong, the former leader of the Beggars' Sect, was well-known and well-known. Yu Qiaofeng, all the elders, and all the disciples were deeply gracious. Although the group of beggars were very curious, but hearing that this would damage the reputation of the leader of the Beggars' Sect, no one dared to ask him. .
Zhiguang continued: "The three of us discussed it, but we didn't want to believe it was true, but we couldn't believe it. We decided to save the Khitan baby's life for the time being, and rushed to Shaolin Temple first to check the situation. If the Khitan warriors really attacked It’s not too late to kill this baby. I traveled non-stop all the way, day and night, and when I arrived at the Shaolin Temple, I saw that many heroes from all walks of life came to help. This matter concerns the tens of thousands of people in China. Life and death are at stake, as long as someone gets the information, everyone must do their bit.”
Zhiguang's eyes slowly swept across the faces of everyone from left to right, and said: "The gathering in the Shaolin Temple, the older heroes here participated quite a bit, I don't need to go into details about what happened. Everyone be careful, The guards were tightly guarded, and more and more heroes came to help from all walks of life. However, from around the Chongyang Festival in September to the twelfth lunar month, for more than three months, there was no police call at all. But we couldn't find him again. Only then did we know that the news was false, and everyone was fooled. In the battle outside Yanmen Pass, many people died on both sides, and it was really an unjust death.
"But not long after, the Khitan cavalry invaded and attacked the military states in Hebei. Everyone didn't care much about whether the Khitan warriors came to attack the Shaolin Temple. It doesn't matter if they attack or not. All in all, the Khitan people are the mortal enemies of my Great Song Dynasty.
"The elder brother who took the lead, Chief Wang, and I felt ashamed about what happened outside the Yanmen Pass. Apart from explaining the incident to the abbot of Shaolin Temple and reporting the sad news to the families of the brothers who died, we did not mention to others that the Khitan baby It was fostered at the farmhouse at the foot of Shaoshi Mountain. After the incident, how to deal with this baby is quite tricky. We are sorry for his parents, and we can't hurt his life anymore. But if we want to raise him up, the Khitan people are us Deadly enmity, all three of us thought of the words "raising tigers will bring disaster" in our hearts. Later, the elder brother who took the lead took a hundred taels of silver and handed it over to the farmer, asking them to raise the baby, and asked the farmer couple to recognize themselves as the Khitan The baby's parents, after the baby grows up, must never let him know about the adoption. The farmer couple had no children, and happily agreed. They didn't know that the baby was of Khitan flesh and blood. We took the baby to Shaoshi Mountain Before, I changed Han'er's clothes for him on the road. The people of the Song Dynasty hated the Khitan people to the bone, and if they saw a child wearing a Khitan costume, they would definitely do him harm..."
Hearing this, Qiao Feng guessed eighty-nine points in his heart, and asked in a trembling voice: "Master Zhiguang, then... the farmer at the foot of Shaoshi Mountain, he, him, what's his name?"
Zhiguang said: "Since you have guessed it, I don't have to hide it. The farmer's surname is Qiao, and his name is Sanhuai."
Qiao Feng shouted loudly: "No! No! You are talking nonsense, fabricating such a nonsense to frame me. I am a dignified Han, how can I be a Khitan Hulu? I... I... Sanhuai Gong is my own father, You talk nonsense again..." Suddenly, he parted his arms and grabbed Zhiguang in front of him, grabbing his chest with his left hand.
Shan Zheng and Elder Xu shouted at the same time: "No!" They stepped forward to grab someone.
Qiao Feng was extremely fast, with Zhiguang's body, he dodged in a flash.
Shan Zheng's sons Shan Zhongshan, Shan Shushan, and Shan Jishan rushed behind him.Qiao Feng grabbed Shan Shushan with his right hand and threw it far away, then grabbed Shan Zhongshan and threw it out, grabbed Shan Jishan for the third time and threw it to the ground, stretched out his foot and stepped on his head.
The "Five Tigers of the Shan Clan" are well-known in Shandong. The five brothers have been famous for a long time, and they are not fledgling juniors.But Qiao Feng held Zhiguang with his left hand, grabbed and threw with his right hand, he tossed the three big men of the Shan family like scarecrows, and taught the other party that there was no room for resistance.The onlookers were stunned.
Shan Zheng, Shan Boshan, and Shan Xiaoshan were caring for each other, and they all rushed to the rescue, but they saw him stepping on Shan Jishan's head. It is expected that his skill is powerful, and he only needs a little more force, and Shan Jishan's head will be very strong. It was trampled so badly that the three of them stopped after taking a few steps.Shanzheng shouted: "Master Qiao, if you have something to say, don't be rude. My Shan family has no grievances or enmities with you, please let my child go." When the iron-faced judge said such things, he waited to tell Qiao Feng I begged hard.
Elder Xu also said: "Master Qiao, Master Zhiguang is admired by everyone in the world, you must not harm his life."
Qiao Feng's blood surged, and he said loudly: "That's right, I, Qiao Feng, have no grievances or enmities with your Shan family, and I have always admired Master Zhiguang as a man. You... you... want to remove my position as leader, that's fine." Well, I handed it over to others, why did you fabricate these words and slander me? I... I, Qiao, what did I do badly, that you forced me so hard?"
His last few words were also hoarse, and everyone couldn't help feeling sympathetic when they heard them.
But hearing the crackling of bones on Master Zhiguang's body, everyone knows that his life is in the breath, and the difference between life and death is only tied to Qiao Feng's thought.Other than that, the wind was blowing on the treetops, insects were singing in the grass, everyone was panting, no one dared to make a sound.
After a long time, Zhao Qiansun suddenly sneered and said: "It's ridiculous! It's ridiculous! The Han people may not be superior to others, and the Khitan people may not be inferior to pigs and dogs! What's the taste if you insist on pretending to be a Han person when you are a Khitan? Parents also refuse to admit it, what kind of man and man do you call yourself in vain?"
Qiao Feng opened his eyes wide, stared at him fiercely, and asked, "Do you also say that I am a Khitan?"
Zhao Qiansun said: "I don't know. It's just that in the battle outside the Yanmen Pass that day, the appearance and figure of that Khitan warrior was exactly the same as yours. After this fight, I, Zhao Qiansun, was scared out of my wits and my heart was broken. , I will never forget the appearance of that enemy even after a hundred years. Master Zhiguang picked up the Khitan baby, and I saw it with my own eyes. I, Zhao Qiansun, is a walking corpse, and there is no one in the world who cares about me except Xiaojuan I have nothing to worry about. Whether you are the leader of the beggar gang or not is none of my business? Why should I come here to frame you? I think I participated in the murder of your parents back then. Qian Sun's martial arts are far behind yours, if I don't want to live, can't I even kill myself?"
Qiao Feng put Master Zhiguang down slowly, and with a flick of his right foot, he kicked Shan Jishan's huge body lightly, and landed on the ground with a slap.Shan Jishan stood up as soon as he hit it, and he was not injured at all.
Qiao Feng looked at Zhiguang, but saw that his expression was calm, without any trace of hypocrisy or cunning, he asked, "What happened next?"
Zhiguang said: "Later you knew it yourself. When you were seven years old, you were picking millet in Shaoshi Mountain and met wild wolves. A monk from Shaolin Temple rescued you, killed the wolf, and healed your wounds." , I’ve been teaching you martial arts every day since then, isn’t it?”
Qiao Feng said: "Yes! So you also know about this." When the Shaolin monk Master Xuan Ku taught him martial arts, he told him not to tell anyone about it, so the world only knew that he was the leader of the Beggar Gang Wang. No one knows that he has a deep connection with Shaolin Temple.
Zhiguang said: "This Shaolin monk has been entrusted by our leading brother, asking him to teach you from childhood so that you will not go astray. For this matter, I had a fight with the leading brother and Wang Gangzhu. Dispute. I said that you can make a living by farming steadily, don’t learn martial arts, and then get involved in the grievances of Jianghu. But the leader brother said that we are sorry for your parents, and we must train you to be a hero.”
Qiao Feng said: "You...how on earth are you sorry for him? The Han people and the Khitan killed each other, what is there to be sorry for?"
Zhiguang sighed: "The inscriptions on the stone wall outside the Yanmen Pass have not disappeared. You can go and see for yourself in the future. Since the elder brother who takes the lead has this idea, and the leader of Wang Gang also prefers him, I can't hold them back. By the age of sixteen上，你遇上了汪帮主，他收你作了徒儿，此后有许许多多的机缘遇合，你自己天资卓绝，奋力上进，固然非常人之所能及，但若非带头大哥和汪帮主处处眷顾，只怕也不是这般容易罢？”
乔峰低头沉思，自己这一生遇上什么危难，总是逢凶化吉，从来不吃什么大亏，而许多良机又往往自行送上门来，不求自得，从前只道自己福星高照，一生幸运，此刻听了智光之言，心想莫非当真由于什么有力人物暗中扶持，而自己竟全然不觉？他心中一片茫然：“倘智光之言不假，那么我是契丹人而不是汉人了。汪帮主不是我的恩师，而是我的杀父之仇。暗中助我的那个英雄，也非真是好心助我，只不过内疚于心，想设法赎罪而已。不！不！契丹人凶残暴虐，是我汉人的死敌，我怎么能做契丹人？”
只听智光续说：“汪帮主初时对你还十分提防，但后来见你学武进境既快，为人慷慨豪侠，待人仁厚，对他恭谨尊崇，行事又处处合他心意，渐渐的真心喜欢了你。再后来你立功愈多，威名愈大，丐帮上上下下一齐归心，便是帮外之人，也知丐帮将来的帮主非你莫属。但汪帮主始终拿不定主意，便由于你是契丹人之故。他试你三大难题，你一一办到，但仍要到你立了七大功劳之后，他才以打狗棒相授。那一年泰山大会，你连创丐帮强敌九人，使丐帮威震天下，那时他更无犹豫的余地，方立你为丐帮帮主。以老衲所知，丐帮数百年来，从无第二个帮主之位，如你这般得来艰难。”
乔峰低头道：“我只道恩师汪帮主是有意锻炼于我，使我多历艰辛，以便担当大任，却原来……却原来……”到了这时，心中已有七八成信了。
智光道：“我之所知，至此为止。你出任丐帮帮主之后，我听得江湖传言，都说你行侠仗义，造福于民，处事公允，将丐帮整顿得好生兴旺，我私下自是代你喜欢。又听说你数度坏了契丹人的奸谋，杀过好几个契丹的英雄人物，那么我们先前'养虎贻患'的顾忌，便成了杞人之忧。这件事原可永不提起，却不知何人去抖了出来？这于丐帮与乔帮主自身，都不见得有什么好处。”说着长长叹了口气，脸上大有悲悯之色。
徐长老道：“多谢智光大师回述旧事，使大伙有如身历其境。这一封信……”他扬了扬手中那信，续道：“是那位带头大哥写给汪帮主的，书中极力劝阻汪帮主，不可将帮主大位传于乔帮主。乔帮主，你不妨自己过一过目。”说着便将书信递将过去。
智光道：“先让我瞧瞧，是否真是原信。”说着将信接在手中，看了一遍，说道：“不错，果然是带头大哥的手迹。”说着左手手指微一用劲，将信尾署名撕了下来，放入口中，舌头一卷，已吞入肚中。
智光撕信之时，先向火堆走了几步，与乔峰离远了些，再将信笺凑到眼边，似因光亮不足，瞧不清楚，再这么撕信入口，信笺和嘴唇之间相距不过寸许，乔峰万万料不到这位德高望重的老僧竟会使这狡狯伎俩，一声怒吼，左掌拍出，凌空拍中了他穴道，右手立时将信抢过，但终于慢了一步，信尾的署名已被他吞入了咽喉。乔峰又是一掌，拍开了他穴道，怒道：“你……你干什么？”
智光微微一笑，说道：“乔帮主，你既知道了自己身世，想来定要报你杀父杀母之仇。汪帮主已然逝世，那不用说了。这位带头大哥的姓名，老衲却不愿让你知道。老衲当年曾参预伏击令尊令堂，一切罪孽，老衲甘愿一身承担，要杀要剐，你尽管下手便是。”
乔峰见他垂眉低目，容色慈悲庄严，心下虽是悲愤，却也不由得肃然起敬，说道：“是真是假，此刻我尚未明白。便要杀你，也不忙在一时。”说着向赵钱孙横了一眼。
赵钱孙耸了耸肩头，似乎漫不在乎，说道：“不错，我也在内，这帐要算我一份，你几时欢喜，随时动手便了。”
谭公大声道：“乔帮主，凡事三思，可不要胡乱行事才好。若是惹起了胡汉之争，中原豪杰人人与你为敌。”赵钱孙虽是他的情敌，他这时却出口相助。
乔峰冷笑一声，心乱如麻，不知如何回答才好，就着火光看那信时，只见信上写道：
“剑髯吾兄：数夕长谈，吾兄传位之意始终不改。然余连日详思，仍期期以为不可。乔君才艺超卓，立功甚伟，为人肝胆血性，不仅为贵帮中矫矫不群之人物，即遍视神州武林同道，亦鲜有能及。以此才具而继承吾兄之位，他日丐帮声威愈张，自意料中事耳。”
乔峰读到此处，觉得这位前辈对自己极是推许，心下好生感激，继续读下去：
“然当日雁门关外血战，惊心动魄之状，余无日不萦于怀。此子非我族类，其父其母，死于我二人之手。他日此子不知其出身来历则已，否则不但丐帮将灭于其手，中原武林亦将遭逢莫大浩劫。当世才略武功能及此子者，实寥寥也。贵帮帮内大事，原非外人所能置喙，唯尔我交情非同寻常，此事复牵连过巨，祈三思之。”下面的署名，已被智光撕去了。
徐长老见乔峰读完此信后呆立不语，当下又递过一张信笺来，说道：“这是汪帮主的手书，你自当认得出他的笔迹。”
乔峰接了过来，只见那张信笺上写道：
“字谕丐帮马副帮主、传功长老、执法长老、暨诸长老：乔峰若有亲辽叛汉、助契丹而压大宋之举者，全帮即行合力击杀，不得有误。下毒行刺，均无不可，下手者有功无罪。汪剑通亲笔。”
下面注的日子是“大宋元丰六年五月初七日”。乔峰记得分明，那正是自己接任丐帮帮主之日。
乔峰认得清清楚楚，这几行字确是恩师汪剑通的亲笔，这么一来，于自己的身世哪里更有什么怀疑，但想恩师一直待己有如慈父，教诲固严，爱己亦切，哪知道便在自己接任丐帮帮主之日，却暗中写下了这通遗令。他心中一阵酸痛，眼泪便夺眶而出，泪水一点点的滴在汪帮主那张手谕之上。
徐长老缓缓说道：“乔帮主休怪我们无礼。汪帮主这通手谕，原只马副帮主一人知晓，他严加收藏，从来不曾对谁说起。这几年来帮主行事光明磊落，决无丝毫通辽叛宋、助契丹而压汉人的情事，汪帮主的遗令自是决计用不着。直到马副帮主突遭横死，马夫人才寻到了这通遗令。本来嘛，大家疑心马副帮主是姑苏慕容公子所害，倘若帮主能为大元兄弟报了此仇，帮主的身世来历，原无揭破必要。老朽思之再三，为大局着想，本想毁了这封书信和汪帮主的遗令，可是……可是……”他说到这里，眼光向马夫人瞧去，说道：“一来马夫人痛切夫仇，不能让大元兄弟冤沉海底，死不瞑目。二来乔帮主袒护胡人，所作所为，实已危及本帮……”
乔峰道：“我袒护胡人，此事从何说起？”
徐长老道：“'慕容'两字，便是胡姓。慕容氏是鲜卑后裔，与契丹一般，同为胡虏夷狄。”乔峰道：“嗯，原来如此，我倒不知。”徐长老道：“三则，帮主是契丹人一节，帮中知者已众，变乱已生，隐瞒也自无益。”
乔峰仰天嘘了一口长气，在心中闷了半天的疑团，此时方始揭破，向全冠清道：“全冠清，你知道我是契丹后裔，是以反我，是也不是？”全冠清道：“不错。”乔峰又问：“宋奚陈吴四大长老听信你言而欲杀我，也是为此？”全冠清道：“不错。只是他们将信将疑，拿不定主意，事到临头，又生畏缩。”乔峰道：“我的身世端倪，你从何处得知？”全冠清道：“此事牵连旁人，恕在下难以奉告。须知纸包不住火，任你再隐秘之事，终究会天下知闻。执法长老便早已知道。”
霎时之间，乔峰脑海中思潮如涌，一时想：“他们心生嫉妒，捏造了种种谎言，诬陷于我。乔峰纵然势孤力单，亦当奋战到底，不能屈服。”随即又想：“恩师的手谕，明明千真万确。智光大师德高望重，于我无恩无怨，又何必来设此鬼计？徐长老是我帮元老重臣，岂能有倾覆本帮之意？铁面判官单正、谭公、谭婆等俱是武林中大有名望的前辈，这赵钱孙虽然疯疯颠颠，却也不是泛泛之辈。众口一辞的都如此说，哪里还有假的？”
群丐听了智光、徐长老等人的言语，心情也十分混乱。有些人先前已然听说他是契丹后裔，但始终将信将疑，旁的人则是此刻方知。眼见证据确凿，连乔峰自己似乎也已信了。乔峰素来于属下极有恩义，才德武功，人人钦佩，哪料到他竟是契丹的子孙。辽国和大宋的仇恨纠结极深，丐帮弟子死于辽人之手的，历年来不计其数，由一个契丹人来做丐帮帮主，直是不可思议之事。但说要将他逐出丐帮，却是谁也说不出口。一时杏林中一片静寂，唯闻各人沉重的呼吸之声。
突然之间，一个清脆的女子声音响了起来：“各位伯伯叔叔，先夫不幸亡故，到底是何人下的毒手，此时自是难加断言。但想先夫平生诚稳笃实，拙于言词，江湖上并无仇家，妾身实在想不出，为什么会有人要取他性命。然而常言道得好：'慢藏诲盗'，是不是因为先夫手中握有什么重要物事，别人想得之而甘心？别人是不是怕他泄漏机密，坏了大事，因而要杀他灭口？”说这话的，正是马大元的遗孀马夫人。这几句话的用意再也明白不过，直指杀害马大元的凶手便是乔峰，而其行凶的主旨，在于掩没他是契丹人的证据。
乔峰缓缓转头，瞧着这个全身缟素，娇怯怯、俏生生、小巧玲珑的女子，说道：“你疑心是我害死了马副帮主？”
马夫人一直背转身子，双眼向地，这时突然抬起头来，瞧向乔峰。但见她一对眸子晶亮如宝石，黑夜中发出闪闪光彩，乔峰微微一凛，听她说道：“妾身是无知无识的女流之辈，出外抛头露面，已是不该，何敢乱加罪名于人？只是先夫死得冤枉，哀恳众位伯伯叔叔念着故旧之情，查明真相，替先夫报仇雪恨。”说着盈盈拜倒，竟对乔峰磕起头来。
她没一句说乔峰是凶手，但每一句话都是指向他的头上。乔峰眼见她向自己跪拜，心下恚怒，却又不便发作，只得跪倒还礼，道：“嫂子请起。”
杏林左首忽有一个少女的声音说道：“马夫人，我心中有一个疑团，能不能请问你一句话？”众人向声音来处瞧去，见是个穿淡红衫子的少女，正是阿朱。
马夫人问道：“姑娘有什么话要查问我？”阿朱道：“查问是不敢。我听夫人言道，马前辈这封遗书，乃是用火漆密密固封，而徐长老开拆之时，漆印仍属完好。那么在徐长老开拆之前，谁也没看过信中的内文了？”马夫人道：“不错。”阿朱道：“然则那位带头大侠的书信和汪帮主的遗令，除了马前辈之外，本来谁都不知。慢藏诲盗、杀人灭口的话，便说不上。”
众人听了，均觉此言甚是有理。
马夫人道：“姑娘是谁？却来干预我帮中的大事？”阿朱道：“贵帮大事，我一个小小女子，岂敢干预？只是你们要诬陷我们公子爷，我非据理分辩不可。”马夫人又问：“姑娘的公子爷是谁？是乔帮主么？”阿朱摇头微笑，道：“不是。是慕容公子。”
马夫人道：“嗯，原来如此。”她不再理会阿朱，转头向执法长老道：“白长老，本帮帮规如山，若是长老犯了帮规，那便如何？”执法长老白世镜脸上肌肉微微一动，凛然道：“知法犯法，罪加一等。”马夫人道：“若是比你白长老品位更高之人呢？”白世镜知她意中所指，不自禁的向乔峰瞧了一眼，说道：“本帮帮规乃祖宗所定，不分辈份尊卑，品位高低，须当一体凛遵。同功同赏，同罪同罚。”
马夫人道：“那位姑娘疑心得甚是，初时我也是一般的想法。但在我接到先夫噩耗之前的一日晚间，忽然有人摸到我家中偷盗。”
Everyone was shocked.有人问道：“偷盗？偷去了什么？伤人没有？”
马夫人道：“并没伤人。贼子用了下三滥的薰香，将我及两名婢仆薰倒了，翻箱倒箧的大搜一轮，偷去了十来两银子。次日我便接到先夫不幸遭难的噩耗，哪里还有心思去理会贼子盗银之事？幸好先夫将这封遗书藏在极隐秘之处，才没给贼子搜去毁灭。”
这几句话再也明白不过，显是指证乔峰自己或是派人赴马大元家中盗书，他既去盗书，自是早知遗书中的内容，杀人灭口一节，可说是昭然若揭。至于他何以会知遗书内容，则或许是那位带头大侠、汪帮主、马副帮主无意中泄漏的，那也不是奇事。
阿朱一心要为慕容复洗脱，不愿乔峰牵连在内，说道：“小毛贼来偷盗十几两银子，那也事属寻常，只不过时机巧合而已。”
马夫人道：“姑娘之言甚是，初时我也这么想。但后来在那小贼进屋出屋的窗口墙脚之下，拾到了一件物事，原来是那小毛贼匆忙来去之际掉下的。我一见那件物事，心下惊惶，方知这件事非同小可。”
宋长老道：“那是什么物事？为什么非同小可？”马夫人缓缓从背后包袱中取出一条八九寸长的物事，递向徐长老，说道：“请众位伯伯叔叔作主。”待徐长老接过那物事，她扑倒在地，大放悲声。
众人向徐长老看去，只见他将那物事展了开来，原来是一柄折扇。徐长老沉着声音，念着扇面上的一首诗道：
“朔雪飘飘开雁门，平沙历乱卷蓬根；功名耻计擒生数，直斩楼兰报国恩。”
乔峰一听到这首诗，当真是一惊非同小可，凝目瞧折扇时，见扇面反面绘着一幅壮士出塞杀敌图。这把扇子是自己之物，那首诗是恩师汪剑通所书，而这幅图画，便是出于徐长老手笔，笔法虽不甚精，但一股侠烈之气，却随着图中朔风大雪而更显得慷慨豪迈。这把扇子是他二十五岁生日那天恩师所赠，他向来珍视，妥为收藏，怎么会失落在马大元家中？何况他生性洒脱，身上决不携带折扇之类的物事。
徐长老翻过扇子，看了看那幅图画，正是自己亲手所绘，叹了口长气，喃喃的道：“非我族类，其心必异。汪帮主啊汪帮主，你这件事可大大的做错了。”
乔峰乍闻自己身世，竟是契丹子裔，心中本来百感交集，近十年来，他每日里便是计谋如何破灭辽国，多杀契丹胡虏，突然间惊悉此事，纵然他一生经历过不少大风大浪，也禁不住手足无措。然而待得马夫人口口声声指责他阴谋害死马大元，自己的折扇又再出现，他心中反而平定，霎时之间，脑海中转过了几个念头：“有人盗我折扇，嫁祸于我，这等事可难不倒乔峰。”向徐长老道：“徐长老，这柄折扇是我的。”
丐帮中辈份较高、品位较尊之人，听得徐长老念那诗句，已知是乔峰之物，其余帮众却不知道，待听得乔峰自认，又都是一惊。
徐长老心中也是感触甚深，喃喃说道：“汪帮主总算将我当作心腹，可是密留遗令这件大事，却不让我知晓。”
马夫人站起身来，说道：“徐长老，汪帮主不跟你说，是为你好。”徐长老不解，问道：“什么？”马夫人凄然道：“丐帮中只大元知道此事，便惨遭不幸，你……你……若是事先得知，未必能逃过此劫。”
乔峰朗声道：“各位更有什么话说？”他眼光从马夫人看到徐长老，看到白世镜，看到传功长老，一个个望将过去。Everyone was silent.
乔峰等了一会，见无人作声，说道：“乔某身世来历，惭愧得紧，我自己未能确知。但既有这许多前辈指证，乔某须当尽力查明真相。这丐帮帮主的职份，自当退位让贤。”说着伸手到右裤脚外侧的一只长袋之中，抽了一条晶莹碧绿的竹杖出来，正是丐帮帮主的信物打狗棒，双手持了，高高举起，说道：“此棒承汪帮主相授，乔某执掌丐帮，虽无建树，差幸亦无大过。今日退位，哪一位英贤愿意肩负此职，请来领受此棒。”
丐帮历代相传的规矩，新帮主就任，例须由原来帮主以打狗棒相授，在授棒之前，先传授打狗棒法。就算旧帮主突然逝世，但继承之人早已预立，打狗棒法亦已传授，因此帮主之位向来并无纷争。乔峰方当英年，预计总要二十年后，方在帮中选择少年英侠，传授打狗棒法。这时群丐见他手持竹杖，气概轩昂的当众站立，有谁敢出来承受此棒？
乔峰连问三声，丐帮中始终无人答话。乔峰说道：“乔峰身世未明，这帮主一职，无论如何是不敢担任了。徐长老、传功、执法两位长老，本帮镇帮之宝的打狗棒，请你三位连同保管。日后定了帮主，由你三位一同转授不迟。”
徐长老道：“那也说得是。打狗棒法的事，只好将来再说了。”上前便欲去接竹棒。
宋长老忽然大声喝道：“且慢！”徐长老愕然停步，道：“宋兄弟有何话说？”宋长老道：“我瞧乔帮主不是契丹人。”徐长老道：“何以见得？”宋长老道：“我瞧他不像。”徐长老道：“怎么不像？”宋长老道：“契丹人穷凶极恶，残暴狠毒。乔帮主却是大仁大义的英雄好汉。适才我们反他，他却甘愿为我们受刀流血，赦了我们背叛的大罪。契丹人哪会如此？”
徐长老道：“他自幼受少林高僧与汪帮主养育教诲，已改了契丹人凶残习性。”
宋长老道：“既然性子改了，那便不是坏人，再做我们帮主，有什么不妥？我瞧本帮之中，再也没哪一个能及得上他英雄了得。别人要当帮主，只怕我姓宋的不服。”
群丐中与宋长老存一般心思的，实是大有人在。乔峰恩德素在众心，单凭几个人的口述和字据，便免去他帮主之位，许多向来忠于他的帮众便大为不服。宋长老领头说出了心中之意，群丐中登时便有数十人呼叫起来：“有人阴谋陷害乔帮主，咱们不能轻信人言。”“几十年前的旧事，单凭你们几个人胡说八道，谁知是真是假？”“帮主大位，不能如此轻易更换！”“我一心一意跟随乔帮主！要硬换帮主便杀了我头，我也不服。”
奚长老大声道：“谁愿跟随乔帮主的，随我站到这边。”他左手拉着宋长老，右手拉了吴长老，走到了东首。跟着大仁分舵、大信分舵、大义分舵的三个舵主也走到了东首。三分舵的舵主一站过去，他们属下的帮众自也纷纷跟随而往。全冠清、陈长老、传功长老，以及大智、大勇两舵的舵主，却留在原地不动。这么一来，丐帮人众登时分成了两派，站在东首的约占五成，留在原地的约为三成，其余帮众则心存犹豫，不知听谁的主意才是。执法长老白世镜行事向来斩钉截铁，说一不二，这时却好生为难，迟疑不决。
全冠清道：“众位兄弟，乔帮主才略过人，英雄了得，谁不佩服？然而咱们是大宋百姓，岂能听从一个契丹人的号令？乔峰的本事越大，大伙儿越是危险。”
奚长老叫道：“放屁，放屁，放你娘的狗屁！我瞧你的模样，倒有九分像是契丹人。”
全冠清大声道：“大家都是尽忠报国的好汉，难道甘心为异族的奴隶走狗么？”他这几句话倒真有效力，走向东首的群丐之中，有十余人又回向西首。东首丐众骂的骂，拉的拉，登生纷扰，霎时间或出拳脚，或动兵刃，数十人