Early the next morning, the group set out with Wu Tong. By noon, they had reached a large estate more than ten li outside the county town. Above the entrance hung a prominent plaque inscribed with the words "Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness." They stepped inside, where a servant came forward and asked, "May I ask what business brings you here from afar?"
Wu Tong replied earnestly, "We seek your master. Tell him that 'Desert Falcon' Wu Tong has come to visit."
The servant responded at once, "Please, take a seat in the main hall."
Before long, a kindly old landlord emerged. Upon seeing Wu Tong, he quickly said, "Brother Wu, what a pleasure—bring tea at once!"
Wu Tong, however, appeared hurried. "No need! We shall talk another day. The scripture I entrusted to you last time—do you still have it? I must take it and leave at once. I fear I have already brought trouble upon you. I have sensed someone following us along the way."
The old man replied, "Yes, it is here. I shall fetch it immediately!" He hurried inside and soon returned with a scripture in hand. Wu Tong quickly took it, tucked it into his robe, and said, "Many thanks. I must leave at once!"
"You have only just arrived, and already you wish to leave? Will you not rest a while?"
A cold laugh echoed from outside the gate.
At that moment, two lamas leapt down from the roof of the front courtyard and moved to open the doors for the speaker. Wu Tong looked ahead and said, "I thought it would be Master Marpa. Who would have expected the venerable Master Karmapa himself? Truly unexpected! Last time, Marpa's disciple used drugged powder against me, causing me to suffer greatly and tarnishing his reputation!"
Both Marpa and Karmapa were disciples of the late Imperial Preceptor of Tubo, Master Geleba. Yet Marpa had been expelled from the sect years ago for betraying its teachings, while both men now bore the title of master.
Wu Tong continued, "This scripture belongs to the Daqin Jingjiao. Today, I return it to its rightful owner." With that, he presented the scripture with both hands.
The Dharma King Alopen (Luoben) accepted it reverently and said, "A gentleman's word is worth more than four horses." He was visibly moved. Suddenly, he traced the sign of the cross upon his body and said with deep gratitude, "The Tianwei Chapter Scripture belongs to our faith. It has been lost for many years, and today it returns—this must be the will of the World-Honored One!" (By this, he referred to Jesus Christ.)
Master Karmapa then spoke loudly to Wu Tong, "There is a saying in the jianghu:'The Great Yan Treasure—peerless riches under heaven;The Formless Divine Art—unsurpassed martial skill.With both in hand, one may dominate the world!'"
Wu Tong listened, his face full of confusion, and said innocently, "What does that have to do with this scripture?"
At that moment, several men from the Western Regions entered. Their features resembled Luoben's, though their eyes burned with killing intent. One of them added, "There is another legend: the secret of the Great Yan Treasure is hidden within four scriptures—the Tianwei Chapter, Dizhen Chapter, Zhengxian Chapter, and Tidao Chapter."
Among them, a man of Han appearance spoke next. "During the An Lushan Rebellion, when the rebels captured Chang'an, Shi Siming plundered vast wealth. Later, he proclaimed himself king and founded the state of 'Great Yan.' It is said he believed in the Daqin faith and hid the secret of his treasure within these four scriptures. That is the origin of the tale of the Great Yan Treasure." The speaker was Xu Sheng of the Kunlun Sect.
Seeing the gathering crowd, Luoben's expression turned cold. He said sharply, "Master Karmapa, I never expected you would bring reinforcements. It is but a single scripture—was it worth such trouble? And even Xu Sheng, the Thunder Palm of Kunlun, has come!"
Xu Sheng, fierce in appearance and bearing, spoke up, "Since so many heroes of the martial world have gathered today, allow me to introduce our honored guests. This is Abbas, known as the greatest warrior of Persia, along with his three disciples—Hechali, Mahad, and Jashidi."
Wu Tong, already wary upon seeing the Persians, grew furious. Glowering, he said, "Xu Sheng, you traitorous dog! Colluding with foreign enemies—what do you intend?"
Xu Sheng's tone shifted, sounding almost exasperated. "Wu Tong, Wu Tong—how can you think so crudely? 'Colluding with foreign enemies' is far too serious a charge. I am merely doing business—earning a little money. Not like you, whose dealings are far greater!"
Wu Tong then turned to Luoben and said, "Abbas must have come to the Central Plains with hidden intentions. Dharma King, be cautious!"
Abbas replied, "Persia has already fallen. The lands now follow the faith of Allah under the Great Caliphate. My lord has sent us to search for the descendants of the Persian prince. By chance, we uncovered the secret of the Great Yan Treasure!" Clearly, they too sought a share of it.
Suddenly, figures flashed forward—his three disciples attacked!
Hechali struck low, Mahad attacked from the left, and Jashidi from the right, surrounding Luoben from all sides. Yet Luoben, seasoned in the jianghu, had long been on guard. Sensing the simultaneous assault, he defended while evading. At first, he did not counterattack. Then suddenly, he seized Jashidi's wrist and snapped it with force—Jashidi cried out in agony. Mahad's fist followed, but Luoben dodged and struck his waist with a palm, causing him to howl in pain. Hechali kicked toward him, but Luoben raised his leg to block, then counter-kicked, sending him flying with a scream.
In just a few exchanges, all three had been wounded, yet they did not retreat.
Luoben said coldly, "If you do not withdraw now, I will show no mercy!"
At that moment, Abbas roared and leapt forward. With a shout, he struck head-on. The two clashed palm against palm with explosive force—bang! Both staggered back two steps.
Abbas, confident in his martial prowess, demanded, "Hand over the scripture!"
Luoben, having only just recovered it, refused to yield. "If you have the skill, come take it!"
In an instant, Abbas launched a flurry of punches. Luoben met him with both palms. They exchanged seven or eight moves in rapid succession, their movements swift as lightning, the sound of their strikes echoing loudly. Abbas let out a low whistle and attacked with even greater speed, but Luoben matched him, his palms turning and intercepting, his cultivation clearly far beyond ordinary masters.
With a sharp crack, the two separated, each retreating three steps.
Though Luoben's palm force formed a balanced offense and defense, Abbas was no ordinary opponent either—his attacks and counters were precise, his rhythm controlled. Both had reached the pinnacle of first-class mastery.
Abbas realized that if the fight continued, both sides would suffer heavy losses. He raised his voice and said, "Master Karmapa, why do you still not act? Or have you no interest in the scripture after all?"
It was clear he sought the Karmapa's aid—for the Great Yan Treasure was a prize coveted by all under heaven.