Ma Ren Pi was located seventy li north of Miyan County, Henan. During the Yan Chang period of the Northern Wei Dynasty, the Eastern Jingzhou Governor, Li Daoyuan, "covered one hundred qing of land, irrigating ten thousand qing, forming an irrigation system similar to a long vine bearing gourds." Today, the stream gurgles, gathering into a lake, with a poem that reads: "Willow rain bright then dark, peach smoke breaks then connects, fighting to discern the wind's intentions, the immortal pond's waterfall echoes the spring."
When Wang Chongyang arrived at this place, the lake's water vapor billowed, appearing as the realm of the Jade Pond. To avoid suspicion and the possibility of his unveiled plot being exposed, making him the target of everyone's ire, he disguised himself as a woodcutter and waited for an opportune moment. Gazing at the swaying poplar and maple forest, a black shadow was frozen by the roadside. Approaching with a shoulder pole and two bundles of dry branches, he identified an old woman squatting, her body bowed and head lowered. Before her sat a basket, with over a dozen crisp cakes placed on a bamboo sieve. Whether it was the tempting aroma or sheer hunger, he couldn't resist speaking to her to buy some. However, she paid him no mind. Wang Chongyang simply placed down some copper coins, took two, and sat down beside her, eating heartily. The old woman didn't even glance at him, as if she hadn't seen him. Soon, two people passed by. Wang Chongyang observed their attire was neat and quite refined, but slightly worn, with holes visible on their shoulders, chests, sleeves, and trouser legs. They were also attracted by the crisp cakes and bought eight from the old woman. The old woman shakily stood up, pushed aside the cakes, and took out a small box, saying, "Sprinkle a little sugar powder on top, it tastes better." As she spoke, she opened the box and poured in orange powder. Seeing the powder fall onto their sleeves, the old woman became flustered and casually took a cloth from the sieve to wipe them clean. The younger of the two men, about thirty years old, politely declined with his mouth, but his face remained tense, allowing the old woman to clean him. The one on the right, seeing Wang Chongyang stand up, sized him up from head to toe. He watched as Wang Chongyang wiped the crumbs from his hands onto his clothes, picked up his bundle of firewood, and walked away step by step. With a look of disdain, he turned his head back to see if the old woman had finished cleaning him.
After Wang Chongyang moved out of their sight, he quickened his pace for several miles, then hid behind a tree to wait. He saw the two men reach sixty to seventy paces away when they suddenly became agitated and flailed as if driving away something. Peering intently, he realized they were being attacked by a swarm of insects. Each insect was like half a red date, buzzing around their upper bodies. Although there were only about thirty of them, they seemed to be resisting, letting out cries of pain from being stung. It was difficult to confirm if these insects were what he suspected, but he could ascertain they were not benign. Wang Chongyang, who had already decided to help, drew the long sword hidden in his bamboo pole and swung it. The insects did not fly very fast, but their bodies were blood red with shiny black markings, suggesting high toxicity. The younger man collapsed on the ground, rolling and scratching his arms incessantly, crying out in pain, making it even more urgent. Although he tried, he forcefully tore off the sleeves of the two men, using the "Lightness as Heaviness" technique, throwing them far into the woods, and then took out incense powder from his robe, leaping up and scattering it in the same direction. This indeed drew the insects deep into the woods. Wang Chongyang then hugged the two men and ran away. After running less than twenty paces, shouts suddenly came from that direction, but he didn't look back.
Stopping by a waterside, Wang Chongyang removed the younger man's torn clothes, ripped them into several strips, soaked them in water, and applied them to their wounds to reduce swelling and pain. The other man was also injured, but likely protected by the younger man, his injuries were not severe. The younger man's arms had multiple wounds that were bruised and oozing pus, and he was semi-conscious. Wang Chongyang examined them and was ninety percent certain these insects were the Water Pattern Mites from the Dali Shanshan Mansion. Water Pattern Mites were not poisonous. When mating, they resembled date fruits, hence their original name, Date Mites. During mating, the female would consume the male's bodily fluids expelled during mating, decomposing the male's body and absorbing the nutrients to nurture its eggs. These insects themselves were not poisonous. If they were bred into venomous insects, people would first raise the male insects in poisonous grass and then mate them with females, thereby injecting toxins into the females. The poisoned females would have blood-red bodies and shiny black water patterns. The female insects, naturally protective of their eggs from toxins, would frenetically bite flowers and branches, expelling toxins. The breeders initially reprocessed these branches to make poison, and later thought of using scents to mislead them into attacking people directly.
Wang Chongyang took out the royal jelly gifted by Lin Chaoying, meant for saving his life, and administered it to the younger man both internally and externally, then applied it to the other man's wounds. The man gratefully said, "I am Mao Dongli of the Hui Yu Gang, and this is my brother Mi Yangxia. May I know your esteemed name?" Wang Chongyang replied, "My surname is Wang... my Daoist title is Chongyang." Indeed, they were from the Hui Yu Gang.
Their founder, during the Xining years of Emperor Shenzong, seeing the suffering of the people due to factional strife, indignantly resigned his official post and went to the countryside and mountains to aid the poor. From a distinguished nobleman, he became one who wore his hair unbound and his clothes tattered, like a beggar. His disciples, friends, and those who admired him followed suit in doing good deeds, gradually forming a sect. The name Hui Yu was derived from Ruan Ji's poem, "More hoped for is to destroy pearls and jade, useful for ascending and wandering." Because this sect helped people to the point of neglecting their appearance, the common people often confused them with the Beggar Gang, which also led to friendly relations and their becoming brother gangs. Unfortunately, the previous two leaders, Chief Xu, fearlessly treated righteous fighters on the frontline of Chuzhou and were killed by Jin soldiers. The current Chief Ma sought fame and reputation, so that most of the gang members' actions were merely for show, earning them the ridicule of "clean clothes without reason for tears, busy appearances among people," causing most aspiring gang members to defect to the Beggar Gang, becoming another force within it.
Wang Chongyang, remembering the righteousness of Chief Xu from years ago, abandoned his original plan and offered his assistance. "Layman Wang..." Mao Dongli was about to ask something when the sound of fighting approached. Wang Chongyang stood up and looked back, meeting the gaze of Peng Jiazheng of the Jing Tian Sect, who was observing from the crowd. Peng Jiazheng also recognized Wang Chongyang, thinking of the shop boy from that day, now wielding a sword, clearly a follower intending to steal the scripture. He gritted his teeth and said, "Deceitful villain!" Without hesitation, he unleashed the "Thirteen Styles of Sun Breaking" from his family's "Thirty-Six Styles of Black Breaking Swordplay" to strike first. Wang Chongyang responded with his master's "Four-Point Swordplay," "No Worries Point," his sword following the enemy's movements, channeling the enemy's strength as his own. Peng Jiazheng thought him an ordinary opponent and used sword techniques with internal force to subdue him, but encountered a strong opponent and was unable to break free from his pull. An Rongxun recognized Wang Chongyang at this moment and immediately advised, "Brother Shixiong, it's a misunderstanding." Wang Chongyang moved back two steps, allowing Peng Jiazheng to exit the sword circle, then retracted his moves and bowed, saying, "Sect Leader An, it is indeed a misunderstanding. Allow me to explain later." An Rongxun nodded and gestured towards the distance, where Peng Tingyong was sparring with a man.
The outcome was obvious. It seemed the man would be defeated by Peng Tingyong's "Thirteen Styles of Lightning Breaking," known for its speed, within three moves. Nearby were Xiao Ziru, and another man who appeared injured and anxious. Indeed, after two moves, Peng Tingyong's sword style seemed forward but was actually backward. The man had already been dazzled, and with a lapse in concentration, a long bloody gash was made across his back. Another man stepped forward to support him, and he sealed his acupoints to stop the bleeding, resentfully saying, "Today, our Nong Xiu Gang and the Jing Tian Sect have a grudge to settle!" With that, he hurried away. Peng Jiazheng loudly declared, "Your Nong Xiu Gang, disguised and ambushing, using insects and poison to steal the scripture 'No Harm, No Pain,' will surely be scorned by fellow martial artists..." An Rongxun stopped him, saying, "They are already far away, further words are useless."
Wang Chongyang explained to him, "That night, I was focused on helping the shopkeeper pack. You all left in a hurry, and only later did I realize it wasn't intentional concealment. On the road, I unintentionally overheard that Jin generals had ambushed this place, waiting for whoever found the clues to the hidden book in the brocade pouch, and then would dispatch troops to seize it and kill everyone." After cupping his hands to everyone, he continued, "I have no intention of seizing the scripture. This trip was solely to expose the Jin's intentions. My mission is now complete, and I have other urgent matters to attend to, so I bid you farewell." He then turned to An Rongxun and said, "For the sake of the martial world lineage, please remind other seekers of the book on my behalf."
Xiao Ziru said, "Squire Wang, please wait. Squire Wang's righteousness, strategy, and martial arts are all superior. He should lead the fellow martial artists here to resist the Jin's wicked scheme." He glanced at An Rongxun and continued, "It is a blessing for the Song people to obtain the book, but a disaster for the Jin thieves. The fortune or misfortune of the world rests on Squire's thoughts." Saying this, he knelt before Wang Chongyang.
Wang Chongyang quickly helped him up. At this moment, Mao Dongli interjected, "Yes, who can reach the glorious deeds and reputation of 'The First Person to Righteously Defend Chuzhou,' making everyone convinced." He glanced at An Rongxun and continued, "When I first joined the gang, I followed the late Chief Xu to serve in Chuzhou and witnessed Squire Wang's spirit and demeanor. Unfortunately, my position was low, and I feared Squire Wang might not remember me." Wang Chongyang cried out in shame, wondering why he felt a sense of familiarity. An Rongxun plastered a smile on his face and said, "Brother Shixiong, please don't refuse any longer."
Wang Chongyang was truly uneasy, and feared that before the Jin forces made their move, everyone would have already slaughtered each other, thus diminishing the future strength to resist the Jin army's southern invasion. He could only agree to stay.