As everyone ate and drank, Tan Wei took out a bamboo basket with a smile.
"Chief Fei, I'd like to know how much silver is in this basket."
She poured the silver onto the table with a loud clatter. The disciples of the Beggars' Sect branch had never seen so much silver in their lives and could only stare in stunned amazement. Tan Wei counted the ingots ten at a time until the final total came to one hundred taels.
Chief Fei burst into laughter.
"This deal was certainly worth it!"
Jiang Feng grinned.
"Our Beggars' Sect has struck it rich!"
Song Ren laughed.
"No wonder the Chief said there was no such thing as a free banquet!"
Qian He added,
"Now I understand why the Chief told us to eat our fill, collect the farewell gift, and then politely bid farewell to the Purple Heaven Cult Master."
Taking another bite of his chicken leg, Chief Fei smiled.
"Wei'er, what do you think? We enjoyed a magnificent feast hosted by the Purple Heaven Cult and even walked away with a gift. Haven't they come out on the losing end?"
Tan Wei shook her head.
"Not at all. When the Martial Demon wreaked havoc at the gathering, the Heroes' Assembly would probably have collapsed if you hadn't stepped in."
Li Jian asked,
"Chief Fei, do you know why the nephew of the Military Governor of Weibo has been so extraordinarily generous?"
Chief Fei smiled.
"Song Ren, why don't you tell everyone about the Military Governor of Weibo?"
Song Ren nodded.
"Strictly speaking, Tian Chengsi, the Military Governor of Weibo, was once a subordinate of An Lushan. After surrendering to the imperial court, he was appointed Military Governor of Weibo."
Chief Fei continued,
"The martial world is in turmoil, with every faction struggling for supremacy. Tian Chengsi is using this Heroes' Assembly to win over the various sects and place them under his influence."
Li Jian frowned.
"It wouldn't be surprising if he harbored rebellious ambitions."
After the An Lushan Rebellion, many military commanders indeed developed ambitions to rebel against the Tang court.
Chief Fei sighed.
"The Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness travels throughout the martial world, visits ordinary people, witnesses their hardships firsthand, and then reports truthfully to His Majesty. We must speak the truth."
Li Jian bowed respectfully.
"You are absolutely right, Chief Fei. I shall remember your words."
At that very moment, hurried footsteps could be heard outside. Before the newcomers even appeared, a voice was already shouting,
"Lu Rou! Lu Rou! Lu Rou!"
Moments later, Branch Leader Lu Rou dashed outside with remarkable agility. Before long, he returned leading two men inside.
"Chief," he reported with folded hands, "these two are Zhang Yongjun and Wang Ju of the Fire Worship Cult. They say their sect is facing an emergency and hopes the Beggars' Sect will come to its aid."
Seeing the anxiety on their faces, Chief Fei asked with concern,
"My brothers, the Fire Worship Cult has many skilled warriors. Why would you still need the Beggars' Sect's assistance?"
Zhang Yongjun answered,
"Chief Fei, you may not know this, but our sect maintains a sacred shrine at Lingzhou, a place of immense strategic importance. Tibet has coveted it for years. Recently we've received intelligence that the Tibetan Kingdom is preparing to attack Lingzhou. Their Dharma King Marpa is leading martial experts from the Western Regions to seize our sacred temple. Many of our own Dharma Kings have already departed to reinforce the city."
Wang Ju continued,
"Our sect now faces a formidable invasion. Dharma King Zhao Ke instructed several disciples to seek reinforcements from the Church of the East and the Manichaean Sect. He specifically ordered us to find you, Chief Fei, because more than ten years ago you led the heroes of the Central Plains in defeating the combined armies of Tibet and the kingdoms of the Western Regions."
Chief Fei nodded solemnly.
"The Tibetan Kingdom repeatedly harasses our borders. Another frontier war may soon break out. Every citizen of Great Tang has the duty to defend the nation. Your devotion to your country is truly admirable. This old beggar will accompany you tomorrow. You must both be hungry. Come, join us for dinner."
Chief Fei was a man of unwavering righteousness, living by the words of Confucius:
"The man of benevolence never seeks to preserve his life at the expense of virtue; he is willing to sacrifice his life to fulfill righteousness."
Overjoyed, Zhang Yongjun and Wang Ju exclaimed,
"We have long heard that Chief Fei is a man of honor who upholds justice and helps those in distress. Today we see that every word is true."
Chief Fei chuckled.
"And who told you that?"
Zhang Yongjun replied,
"Dharma King Zhao Ke often speaks of your heroic deeds. We have admired you from the bottom of our hearts for a long time."
His eyes shone with genuine admiration. There was no trace of flattery; in his heart, Chief Fei was every bit the legendary hero he had heard about.
Standing beside him, Li Jian added,
"Indeed. Chief Fei is a hero of unparalleled benevolence and righteousness. Former Hall Master Wu Tong once said that without your wholehearted support and your call to arms in organizing the volunteer forces, how could the realm have been restored? How could the Tang army have defeated the rebels?"
These words came straight from Li Jian's heart, entirely free of flattery.
Chief Fei let out a quiet sigh.
"Before Hall Master Wu Tong passed the responsibility of guiding you through the martial world to me. Today, however, I have a favor to ask of you."
Li Jian was taken aback. He instinctively glanced at Tan Wei before cupping his fists respectfully.
"Chief Fei, you have rendered immeasurable service to the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness. Please do not call it a favor. As long as it is within my power, I shall do everything I can."
Hearing his sincere reply, Chief Fei sighed again.
"After dinner, the Beggars' Sect must attend to an important internal matter. As Hall Master of the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness, I need you to serve as a witness. From this day forward, the affairs of the Beggars' Sect will also be the affairs of the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness. Do you accept?"
Li Jian had no idea what Chief Fei was planning. Nor did he know whether he was worthy of such responsibility. Yet knowing Chief Fei's reputation for justice and integrity, he believed the request could not possibly violate the principles of chivalry.
Without further hesitation, he answered firmly,
"No problem."