So at this moment, rather than discussing, everyone was venting. Venting their fear of the unknown fate, and their helplessness toward the current situation. Yet the more they vented, the more stifled they felt inside. In the end, it was as if a ball of boiling oil was stuck in their throats, ready to erupt at the slightest spark.

“Rumble—!” Just then, several flashes of light suddenly appeared outside the window. Immediately after, a muffled thunder rolled overhead, shaking the roof of the Grand Hall and sending dust trickling down.

“Damn you, heavens! If you’ve got guts, strike me down!” Fifth Master Frank Thompson propped himself up with his iron staff and leapt to his feet. Every wrinkle on his face stood out, making him look especially fierce. “I’m standing right here! If you can’t kill me, watch out or I’ll poke a hole in you myself!”

“All right, Fifth, save it! Don’t tempt fate! Who told you to keep killing in front of the Buddha just now?” Second Master Brian Scott quickly stood up, running around to close the windows while joking to lighten the mood.

The leader must not show weakness. If even they couldn’t hold on, the underlings would only fall into deeper despair. There’d be no need for Zhao Yanshou to send troops to suppress them—everyone would fall into chaos on their own.

“I’m not afraid! I’ll chop up this gilded rotten wood and burn it for firewood first!” Third Master Richard Foster had no understanding of Brian Scott’s good intentions. He stood up with his back against a pillar, half of his iron-spined snake spear pointing at the Buddha’s face. “You’re just a coward who bullies the weak and fears the strong! I’ll say it right here: if you’ve got guts, go strike down that lackey Zhao Yanshou, and I’ll immediately rebuild your golden body. From then on, I’ll devote myself to Buddhism, eat vegetarian, and chant sutras for life…”

“Crack!” Before he finished, another flash of lightning struck. The Buddha’s smoke-blackened face was illuminated in a golden glow. Torrential rain, driven by the wild wind, burst open several windows on the west side of the Grand Hall that hadn’t been secured, washing the golden brick floor beneath the windows until it gleamed. Right after, a ghostly blue rolling thunderball drifted in, hovering in midair, slowly spinning above the heads of the bandit leaders inside the hall.

“Ah—!” Even the bold Richard Foster and the others were scared out of their wits by this bizarre sight. The hair on their heads stood up one by one, like flames, swaying toward the rolling thunderball.

“Bang!” Just as everyone thought they were truly doomed and closed their eyes to await death, the door was suddenly pushed open from outside. An iron axe flew through the air, striking the rolling thunderball like a mallet and sending it flying several feet away. “Boom!” It smashed into the Buddha’s belly, exploding in a cloud of smoke.

“Who’s the reckless fool? Trying to kill me?!” Fifth Master Frank Thompson, hair disheveled, swung his iron staff toward the door. That axe had nearly grazed his scalp—half an inch lower and it would have taken his life.

“Uncle Five, it’s me, Little Ben!” At the door, a friendly voice called out, completely unfazed by Richard Foster’s “repaying kindness with enmity.”

“So it’s him! No wonder he’s so reckless!” Everyone smiled wryly and turned their heads. Through the flickering lightning, they saw a figure like an iron tower—one hand holding a shield, the other a short axe, with another axe strapped to his back, blocking the wind and rain outside the door.

“I threw the axe to save you! Don’t worry, I never miss!” The newcomer grinned, showing a mouthful of white teeth. “What was that weird thing just now? Why was it floating above your heads, not moving at all? Oh no! The Buddha’s on fire! Put it out, quick! If we’re any later, we’ll have nowhere to sleep tonight!”

Note 1: Zhao Yanshou, a notorious traitor during the Five Dynasties period. He repeatedly led Khitan troops to invade, just to become a puppet emperor. However, after the Khitan ruler Yelü Deguang destroyed Later Jin, he went back on his word and refused to make Zhao emperor. He only gave him a yellow robe, making him parade around in it.

Note 2: Shi Chonggui, adopted son of Shi Jingtang. After ascending the throne, he was deeply ashamed of Shi Jingtang’s betrayal and refused to continue as a puppet emperor. This angered the Khitan ruler Yelü Deguang, who led a massive invasion. Shi Chonggui resisted fiercely, defeating the Khitan troops multiple times. Unexpectedly, his uncle Du Chongwei defected with his army, leading to the fall of Bianliang and the destruction of the country.

Note 3: Huangfu Yu, a fierce general of Later Jin, was forced to surrender to the Khitan by his commander Du Chongwei. The Khitan ruler Yelü Deguang admired his bravery and wanted to make him the vanguard in attacking Bianliang. Feeling too ashamed to take the role, Huangfu Yu starved himself to death.

Note 4: Liu Zhiyuan, Gao Xingzhou, and Fu Yanqing were three famous warlords of Later Jin. During the Khitan invasion, all of them pledged allegiance to Yelü Deguang.

Chapter One: Sharpening the Sword (Part Two)

“Ah! How bitter, how bitter!” Everyone turned around in unison, just in time to see smoke curling from the Buddha’s split belly. No longer caring whether the newcomer’s axe had been reckless or not, they grabbed whatever they could and rushed to put out the fire.