Hall of Great Wisdom

The Hall of Great Wisdom is a branch of the Beggar Clan shown as an active center of political calculation during the uncertainty over who will succeed Qiao Feng as clan leader. Its members’ debate reveals both the branch’s influence in shaping a leadership bid and the unsettled consequences of Qiao Feng’s expulsion of Quan Guanqing.

Leadership Debate

At a gathering by a bonfire in a mountain valley, members discuss whom to recommend as the Beggar Clan’s next leader. Some support Elder Song, others Elder Wu; a third faction argues that Quan Guanqing has the courage and resourcefulness the clan needs, though he was expelled by Qiao Feng. His supporters propose first securing his readmission at the coming general assembly, citing his role in exposing Qiao Feng, and then putting his name forward for leadership.

Quan Guanqing resists that sequence on grounds of appearance and reputation: if he accepts the nomination, others may say he exposed Qiao Feng out of personal ambition to replace him. The exchange shows that the question is not simply who possesses ability, but whether a candidate’s motives will be trusted. Members answer that the elders may be stronger in martial arts, yet Quan’s strategic judgment is unmatched; others press him to return as a hall master or take an elder’s position, even if he does not become clan leader. The discussion thus presents several possible routes back into the clan’s hierarchy while demonstrating how closely status, perceived loyalty, and political usefulness are intertwined.

Meeting with Duan Yu

The deliberation is interrupted by word that Prince Duan of the Dali Kingdom has come to the valley. Quan Guanqing rises and leads the members to greet him, noting that the Beggar Clan does not ordinarily deal with the House of Duan, but that the family is renowned for its martial arts and deserves a formal welcome. The visitors meet at the valley entrance, where Quan recognizes Duan Yu from their earlier encounter at the Apricot Forest. Duan Yu had witnessed Quan’s humiliating expulsion by Qiao Feng, a memory that briefly embarrasses Quan, though he quickly composes himself and offers a courteous greeting. Duan Yu says that his father has sent him to convey a matter to the clan, leaving the purpose of his visit to be disclosed later.

The Xingxiu Sect Intrusion

The gathering’s political business is soon overshadowed by news that two mute messengers have died. Beggar Clan members report to Quan that the alleged killer claims to belong to the Xingxiu Sect and to serve its Divine Elder. Quan recognizes the danger associated with the Old Freak of Xingxiu, whose poison and martial skill are feared, and decides that the dispute need not involve the clan. His caution is abruptly tested when the person he has dismissed as a ghost appears before him, speaking from among his own people and challenging him for calling the Xingxiu subordinate a ghost. The scene turns the branch’s assembly from a debate over leadership into an immediate confrontation with a threat it had hoped to avoid.

Narrative Role

The Hall of Great Wisdom’s gathering connects a local contest over Beggar Clan succession with the wider movement of the story: Duan Yu arrives on behalf of the House of Duan, while the Xingxiu Sect’s presence brings danger into the valley. The branch is not merely a meeting place; its members’ competing recommendations make visible the clan’s fractured politics after Qiao Feng, and Quan Guanqing’s insistence on avoiding the appearance of self-interest shows how reputation can shape a bid for authority even before a formal decision is made.