A'Zhu Coaxes Madam Ma into Revealing Duan Zhengchun's Identity is the turning point in Xiao Feng’s search for the person called the “leading big brother”: by impersonating Elder Bai Shijing and guiding Madam Ma through a carefully constructed account, A'Zhu learns that the man is Duan Zhengchun, the South-Stabilizing Prince of Dali. The discovery turns a hidden name into a target for Xiao Feng’s revenge, even as the scene leaves A'Zhu troubled by the danger and by her distrust of Madam Ma.

The Disguise and the Approach

A'Zhu and Xiao Feng go to Xinyang to visit Madam Ma, widow of Ma Dayuan. In a small inn, A'Zhu disguises herself as Bai Shijing, a senior Beggar Society figure, while Xiao Feng becomes a five-bag disciple who can pass as Bai’s attendant. She warns him to speak as little as possible: Madam Ma is observant and might notice discrepancies. The disguise succeeds not only in appearance but in manner. A'Zhu adopts Bai’s solemn, imposing bearing and speech so convincingly that even Xiao Feng, who has known Bai for almost ten years, cannot distinguish her from him.

The pair reinforce the impersonation on their journey. Xiao Feng uses Beggar Society argot with the disciples they encounter, asks after the Society’s leaders, and lets word spread that Elder Bai has arrived in Xinyang. The advance notice is part of the deception: once Madam Ma expects Bai, she is less likely to question details in his supposed arrival. They delay their approach to Ma Dayuan’s house, reaching it at dusk, when the fading light makes the disguise harder to scrutinize.

A Confidence Built on a Secret

A'Zhu presents herself as having come partly to protect her younger sister and partly because she has heard an important secret. Madam Ma, who initially seems unmoved by the news, is offered the prospect of being recommended as a Beggar Society elder. A'Zhu then links that favor to information about Ma Dayuan’s murder, making the conversation appear to serve both Madam Ma’s standing and the Society’s effort to uncover the truth.

When Xiao Feng leaves the room at A'Zhu’s request, he recognizes the method behind the performance: a person who wants another to disclose a secret may first suggest that she herself is sharing something confidential. He waits outside and listens from a window, hoping that even if Madam Ma withholds the name, she will reveal enough clues to continue his investigation.

A'Zhu tells Madam Ma that Zhao Qiansun had claimed to know who killed Ma Dayuan and had ruled out both Xiao Feng and the Murong clan of Gusu. She says the clue came from an earlier Mid-Autumn gathering at the home of the “leading big brother,” attended by Grandpa Tan, Granny Tan, and the murderer. Madam Ma reacts strongly when Zhao Qiansun’s claim is introduced, then loses consciousness when A'Zhu begins to describe the gathering. After she revives, A'Zhu resumes the account, explaining that Granny Tan confirmed it while Grandpa Tan refused to discuss it.

Madam Ma understands that A'Zhu is indirectly asking for the “leading big brother’s” name. She says that the identity must be concealed from Xiao Feng, who might seek revenge for his parents, but suggests that she need not hide it from Bai Shijing. Just as she is about to name him, however, she stops. Her evasiveness shifts the exchange from a direct confession to a puzzle that A'Zhu must solve aloud.

The Clues Identify Duan Zhengchun

Madam Ma supplies several linked clues. The man has a revered position and can command tens of thousands with a word; A'Zhu considers the Beggar Society’s chief and the abbot of Shaolin, but Madam Ma tells her to look southwest. She then makes a hole in the window paper above Xiao Feng’s head and refers to the ability to seal an acupuncture point. When A'Zhu names other famous techniques, Madam Ma pointedly recalls the Purely Yang Finger of the Duan clan in Dali.

A'Zhu initially objects that the Duan clan is the ruling house of Dali and has long had little contact with the Central Plains martial world. Madam Ma counters that members of the clan other than the emperor have visited the Central Plains. She identifies the “leading big brother” as the emperor’s younger full brother, Duan Zhengchun, who holds the title South-Stabilizing Prince. Listening outside, Xiao Feng shakes at the name: after months of traveling and searching, he has finally learned the identity he wanted.

Madam Ma supplies the political explanation for Duan Zhengchun’s presence in the earlier affair. She says that he had been visiting the Beggar Society headquarters when news came that Khitan warriors were advancing on Shaolin to seize scriptures. He led the group toward Yanmen Pass, ostensibly to defend Great Song, but, as Madam Ma recounts Elder Xu’s account, also to protect Dali from the danger of Great Song’s destruction. She describes him as a powerful, generous, and respected prince, and argues that his rank meant ordinary martial artists could not simply order him to act. The explanation makes his participation in the confrontation plausible while emphasizing the exceptional position that kept others from openly naming him.

The Name Becomes a Vow of Revenge

Madam Ma warns that the secret must not spread: Dali’s ruling clan is powerful, and Xiao Feng could wait years for a chance to exact revenge. A'Zhu promises to keep silent, but frames her oath as one that Bai Shijing would bear, not herself—a final turn in the performance that preserves the disguise while reassuring Madam Ma. She then says she will visit Duan Zhengchun in Dali and use the earlier Mid-Autumn gathering to investigate Ma Dayuan’s murder, while continuing to profess belief that Xiao Feng was responsible.

After leaving the house, A'Zhu and Xiao Feng walk away together without speaking. Once they have put some distance between themselves and the residence, Xiao Feng thanks her. His relief at having obtained the name gives way to his fixed resolve: he says he will wait three to five years, or even eight to ten, if necessary, and declares that he will eventually kill Duan Zhengchun. He insists that dying before avenging his parents would leave him unable to rest in peace.

The discovery does not end on triumph. A'Zhu worries that the powerful Duan clan will make Xiao Feng’s revenge perilous, and tells him to be careful. Xiao Feng answers by invoking their promise to pasture cattle and sheep beyond Yanmen Pass, bringing their shared future into direct tension with his determination to pursue revenge. A'Zhu also says that something about Madam Ma has unsettled her, despite the widow’s outwardly pure and noble appearance. The encounter therefore provides Xiao Feng with the answer he sought while leaving both the danger of his course and A'Zhu’s suspicion unresolved.