Chapter 26: Heroes’ Assembly ✕, Martial World Party ✓

Chapter 26: Hero Assembly? More Like a Martial Arts Party

Shan Zheng, the one who had been jumping the highest, was driven away, ending his tenure in utter disgrace. It was easy to foresee that after such a devastating blow, even if his old bones didn't wither away from grief in the short term, he would never be able to show his face in the martial arts world again. The entire Shan family of Mount Tai would likely spend a long time as pariahs, unable to hold their heads high in the江湖 (Jianghu).

To kill a man and destroy his reputation—there is no cruelty greater than this.

After this incident, the martial arts bigwigs present realized that among the crowd gathered for this Hero Assembly, very few were truly determined to risk their lives fighting Qiao Feng. With Shan Zheng’s bloody example before them, anyone who insisted on attacking Qiao Feng—especially without concrete evidence of his crimes—would be positioning themselves against the majority and risking becoming the next Shan Zheng.

However, with so many heroes gathered, leaving in such a disheveled and shameful state would be an embarrassment. After some hesitation, the bigwigs turned their eyes toward Xue Muhua, one of the initiators of the assembly and the only one among the three founders still capable of walking. The implication was clear: you started this, and now that things have devolved into this mess, it is your responsibility to save the situation.

Xue Muhua felt his scalp tingle under their gazes. As the most famous physician in the world of *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils*, his reputation was substantial, but if this matter weren't handled well, he would inevitably become a laughingstock and fodder for gossip. That was a scenario he desperately wished to avoid.

What to do?

Xue Muhua’s gaze swept across the crowd and locked onto Zhang Fang. His eyes lit up, and he said in a low voice, "Tanzhi, what do you think?"

His tone was uncharacteristically stern. The implication was clear: you caused this mess at the Hero Assembly, so you are responsible for cleaning it up. Otherwise, not only would he lose face, but so would your father and your uncle. And if that happened, the three of them would deal with you together!

Zhang Fang, who had assumed his part in the matter was over and was just about to check the contents of his "Weapon Treasure Chest (Bronze)" while his luck was still good, was slightly stunned. He thought to himself: I’ve already handled things to this extent; can’t you so-called bigwigs even manage a proper conclusion? This is a golden opportunity to win hearts and expand networks!

But as he looked at the eager, expectant eyes of these martial arts elites, he had to admit: fine, they really were incapable of handling it. If they had any real wit, they wouldn't have ended up in this "Gracious Manor Hero Assembly" debacle in the first place.

Helplessly, Zhang Fang closed his private interface, walked over to Xue Muhua, and whispered a few words in his ear. The physician nodded repeatedly and said, "Excellent. I agree. You go ahead and handle it."

Zhang Fang: "???"

Wait, what do you mean "you go ahead and handle it"? Shouldn't someone of your stature be the one to personally handle such networking and relationship-building? As for me... once this mission is complete, will I even be coming back to this *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils* world...

Wait, given the existence of that "Mutual Hardship" plot point, I suppose I will have to return.

Fine! Since it is your kind intention, I shall accept this sweet task.

Authorized by the Divine Physician, Zhang Fang stepped into the center of the courtyard and raised his arms. "Heroes! My family’s elders and Uncle Xue invited you all here today with three primary objectives in mind."

"First, to clarify the truth about Qiao Feng’s background and actions. Is he Han or Khitan? Has he truly committed the heinous crimes of murdering Deputy Chief Ma of the Beggar Sect, his own adoptive parents, or Master Xuan Ku of Shaolin?"

"We have already achieved half of this goal today. Regardless of Qiao Feng’s lineage, the deaths of Deputy Chief Ma, his adoptive parents, and Master Xuan Ku are shrouded in many doubts. It is too early to draw conclusions."

"You are all heroes of the martial arts world; naturally, we must ensure that no good man is wronged, and no villain escapes justice. Therefore, we must continue our investigation. Currently, our clues are insufficient to identify the true culprit, so we must continue to gather evidence. This requires our collective effort."

As soon as Zhang Fang finished, echoes of agreement erupted throughout the crowd. Whether they would actually investigate was a matter for later, but for now, they needed to be loud enough for the Divine Physician to notice them.

Satisfied with the support, Zhang Fang pressed his hands down to quiet the crowd. He continued, "At the very least, before the truth is clear, we should not rush to throw our lives away fighting Qiao Feng. If we are to kill someone merely for being a Khitan, we might as well go to the border and wait for the Liao soldiers. They frequently raid our Song territory; they are certainly easier to kill than Qiao Feng, and any one of them is surely more sinful than he is."

"Do you all agree with this logic?"

The bigwigs present frowned inwardly. Much of their desire to target Qiao Feng stemmed from his Khitan heritage. But after Zhang Fang’s words, that could no longer be used as a justification. Before they could protest, the crowd roared with even greater enthusiasm:

"Young Master You is right!"
"Young Master You is wise!"
"We support Young Master You!"

Seeing this, the bigwigs wisely kept their mouths shut. One cannot defy the public will—not even the bigwigs!

Having blocked off the primary excuse for attacking Qiao Feng, Zhang Fang remembered his goal of networking. "Since you all agree, the first theme of this assembly is settled. Now, let me speak of the other two matters."

The crowd fell silent again.

"The second theme is to build a consensus and promote the development of our martial arts community. Gracious Manor has prepared countless jars of fine wine. For the next seven days, we will hold banquets daily. I hope you will take this opportunity to gather, exchange ideas, make friends, and make our community more united and cohesive!"

This was essentially offering free food and drink under the guise of "promoting exchange." Since they could also make new friends, no one had any reason to object. Another round of cheering followed.

However, once Zhang Fang spoke of the third matter, the food and wine suddenly felt a little less appetizing to some.

"The third theme is 'A Healthy Martial Arts World.' For the next month, the Divine Physician will personally examine every hero present to check for hidden illnesses or old injuries. Once discovered, the Divine Physician will provide treatment or offer professional advice on recovery. There will be no consultation fee!"

With those words, the entire Gracious Manor erupted into a frenzy.