Unparalleled Duo
Chapter 45 - 45 31 Chunkong

45: Chapter 31 Chunkong 45: Chapter 31 Chunkong A stalemate was something no dealer wished to see.

The arena duel was organized by Sun Yixie, who busied himself for a great part of the day, only for it to be thwarted by a mysterious man in a black mask.

Understandably, he was quite displeased.

But regardless of his feelings, there was nothing he could do; the man in black had vanished without a trace, and he had no connections with Zheng Mukai and Ge Shi.

Even if he did inquire about the incident, they were unlikely to tell him anything, so Brother Sun had no choice but to let it go.

It wasn’t until later, after Sun Yixie had attended the Youth Hero Conference and returned to Xuzhou City, that he learned the full story through Miss Chuxue, but that’s an aside for another time.

Now, back to the journey of Sun Yixie and Huang Donglai…

They stayed an extra day in Xuzhou to catch the spectacle and then embarked on their journey the next morning.

Since leaving Hangzhou City, the duo had been traveling for over twenty days, encountering various adventures that deepened their sense of being part of the martial world.

Today, they finally arrived near Luoyang.

In this heartland of the Central Plains, where many famous mountains reside, they would inevitably pass by Song Mountain if they continued northwest on the official road.

On Mount Song, there are two sects: one is the Song Mountain Sect, and the other is the Shaolin Temple.

Within the Martial Arts universe, Shaolin was no longer the “North Star of Taishan,” but it still maintained a very respectable position as one of the oldest and strongest sects.

The Song Mountain Sect, also a prestigious school, was somewhat less powerful than Shaolin overall.

Although geographically close, the two sects bore no enmity or competitive relationship, partly because their martial arts and regulations were distinct, catering to different “markets.”

Not everyone in this world is willing to become a monk just to learn martial arts.

For lay disciples, Shaolin Temple had strict entry requirements.

Even if one was accepted, the highest martial arts they could learn were those from the Dharma Institute.

The Zen superior martial arts that required simultaneous study with Buddhist Law in the Scripture Pavilion were basically inaccessible.

The Song Mountain Sect, however, had fewer restrictions.

You didn’t need to become a monk, nor were they overly selective with their disciples.

As long as you were talented and diligent without committing errors, you could pursue dreams of becoming a Sect Leader.

Even if you didn’t make a name for yourself, you could leave the sect and wander the martial world…

Oh, of course, if you learned any superior techniques, you’d have to renounce them before leaving the sect.

If not, no one would stop you from leaving if you hadn’t learned them.

As Sun Yixie and Huang Donglai arrived in a small town at the foot of Song Mountain, they clearly felt the influence and foundation of these two sects.

Many of the fields around the town belonged to the Shaolin Temple and the Song Mountain Sect, and a few inns in the town held their shares since they consistently housed young people hoping to join the sects.

The town’s blacksmiths, carpenters, fabric shops, tailors, and more all depended on these two sects for orders for weapons and clothing.

In short, most businesses in the town were somehow linked to these two sects, already forming a kind of symbiotic economy.

This was the typical operation model for major sects in the Great Ming universe.

As kids, whether through martial arts novels or films, many details were generally overlooked, such as—

Where exactly did the money of those free-spending heroes come from?

How did martial arts families sustain their luxurious life of constant training and internal conflicts?

Did well-known sects charge a registration fee?

How much food, water, and cooks did a sect with over five hundred members consume daily?

How many people and logistical resources were needed to deliver food and water and handle their kitchen waste?

How were their personal hygiene issues, like bathing, addressed?

And what about the medical facilities?

Indeed, many practical problems should, theoretically, be logically addressable.

For an evil sect, all these details could be waved off by pillage and plunder.

But for reputable sects…

without assets, stable income, or professional management, they could not possibly operate.

Forget about five hundred people, even if you only had fifty members, managing their daily necessities like clothing, food, shelter, and travel could consume all your time.

Would you even have time to teach martial arts?

Thus, the larger sects in the Great Ming universe should be seen not so much as sects but as enterprises—with departments like finance, human resources, and logistics being indispensable besides the Sect Leader.

Sun Yixie and Huang Donglai did not yet fully understand these aspects until they started their own organization and realized how challenging management and operations could be.

Luckily, at this moment, they were just two “Little Heroes,” without much reputation, thus free of responsibilities and able to roam the martial world carefree.

After spending half a day in the town at the foot of Song Mountain, filled with remarkable tales of Shaolin Temple and Song Mountain Sect—and questioning the authenticity of these stories—they contemplated visiting the mountain.

However, they couldn’t just go up.

Because those were sects, not tourist spots; they needed a good reason to visit, not just “we wanted to see.” If it were that easy, spies from evil sects would come and go freely.

Had Sun Yixie and Huang Donglai been famous in the martial world, it would have been another story.

Just mentioning their names and expressing their admiration for the Sect Leader or Abbot could potentially get them invited for a meeting, maybe even a cup of tea and a new friendship.

Unfortunately…

neither of them had that status yet.

Huang Donglai’s title of Young Master Huang might have been slightly useful, but Sun Yixie was really in a position where no amount of talking could get him past the gates.

Thus, they stayed in the town only for one night, setting off again the next day.

Unexpectedly, just as they were leisurely riding out of town and before they even reached the official road, someone from behind called out to them.

“Ahmitabha… Esteemed masters, please wait.”

The voice came from behind them and sounded rather youthful.

They pulled on their reins, stopping their horses, and turned around to see.

A young monk, about sixteen or seventeen years old, dressed in monk robes and with the ordained scars on his head, stood there.

He was handsome, with bright eyes and white teeth.

He had his hands joined in a gesture of respect, bowing slightly toward them.

“This little master, may I ask what brings you here?” Sun Yixie, seeing a monk had stopped them, first thought the monk might be seeking alms, so he casually asked, prepared to give some Copper Coins and be done with it.

Yet, the monk’s response caught him off guard: “I am Chunkong, a disciple of the Shaolin with the ‘Chun’ generational name.

Forgive my boldness, but may I ask…

are you two masters heading to Luoyang to attend the Youth Hero Conference?”

The two men exchanged glances, a look passing between them, then Huang Donglai responded, “May I ask… Monk Chunkong, why do you think so?”

He responded with a question, reciprocating the probe.

Chunkong was upfront and honest, stating, “Ahmitabha… Simply because the direction you’re leaving from leads to the northwest official road, which goes straight to Luoyang unless there’s a detour.

Moreover, seeing that you two masters are about my age and both possess Inner Strength, and one of you carries an extraordinary Weapon… Hence I guessed that perhaps you were intending to attend the Youth Hero Conference before the Mid-Autumn Festival.”

Indeed, being not far from Luoyang City and with their distinctive traits, it wasn’t hard to deduce such details.

“I see,” acknowledged Huang Donglai, nodding.

With things said this plainly, there was no need for further roundabout talks, “Indeed, I am Huang Donglai, and this is my brother Sun Yixie.

We are indeed on our way to attend the Youth Hero Conference.

May I ask if Monk Chunkong has any advice for us?”

“Ahmitabha… Not at all, not at all,” Chunkong spoke humbly and sincerely, “I stopped you because I have been tasked by my master to also attend the event in Luoyang.

Just now, when I arrived here and saw Master Huang and Master Sun apparently also heading to Luoyang, I dared to inquire.” He paused, then bowed again, “Actually, I have a rather presumptuous request… If it’s convenient for you two masters, may I travel with you?”

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