Elder Xu’s death turns a report of a killing into a public call for vengeance and a new stage in Xiao Feng’s search for the hidden “leading big brother.” The Beggar Society blames Xiao Feng before establishing his guilt, while the former chief, moving among mourners under a changed appearance, sees how far the society has fallen from the disciplined organization he once led. The killing’s decisive significance lies in this double consequence: it intensifies the society’s hostility toward Xiao Feng and brings him closer to people he hopes can disclose the secret behind the old affair.

News of the Death

Traveling south in disguise with A’Zhu, Xiao Feng tries to avoid recognition by speaking little and drinking only a small amount at meals. In Sanjia town, the two hear Beggar Society members talking outside the noodle shop where they are eating. One reports that Elder Xu has died and describes the killing as a murder committed by the “evil traitor” Xiao Feng. The report shocks Xiao Feng; he and A’Zhu exchange a look, but the conversation offers accusation rather than proof.

The beggars also say that the condolence gathering will begin two days later in Weihui, Henan, where the society’s elders and members will attend the memorial and discuss how to capture Xiao Feng. Their conversation makes the death immediately political: mourning and deliberation about the fugitive chief are to occupy the same gathering. Because Xiao Feng understands the society’s coded slang, he also learns that his former influence remains a concern—members are warned not to speak carelessly where his subordinates might overhear them.

The Memorial in Weihui

Xiao Feng and A’Zhu decide to go to Weihui in the hope that the gathering may offer a clue. A’Zhu cautions him to control his words and behavior among his former subordinates, and Xiao Feng agrees. When they arrive, the streets are crowded with Beggar Society disciples. Their disorderly conduct—eating noisily in restaurants, slaughtering animals in alleys, and harassing people in the streets—contrasts with the rules and vigorous discipline Xiao Feng remembers from his years in charge.

The sight saddens him. Although the society and Xiao Feng have become enemies, he still regrets that the work he devoted himself to has been undone so quickly. His reaction gives the memorial a meaning beyond the investigation: Elder Xu’s death brings Xiao Feng face to face with the deterioration of the institution that was once his responsibility, even as he is treated as its adversary.

A Public Accusation and a Private Search

After hearing members’ slang, Xiao Feng learns that Elder Xu’s memorial tablet has been placed in an abandoned garden in the west of the city. He and A’Zhu buy incense, candles, paper offerings, and animal heads, then join the other visitors to pay their respects. The tablet is marked with fresh blood, a Beggar Society custom signifying that the deceased was killed and that the society must avenge him. Around it, mourners denounce Xiao Feng without realizing that he is among them.

Surrounded by senior members, Xiao Feng worries that his disguise may fail and leaves with A’Zhu rather than risk being recognized. As he departs, he reflects that one fewer person remains who knows the identity of the hidden “leading big brother.” The thought links the memorial directly to his investigation: Elder Xu’s death is not only a loss but also a narrowing of the circle of people who may know the truth.

In the alley, Xiao Feng recognizes Granny Tan and then spots Zhao Qiansun, both moving stealthily. He knows that the two had once been fellow disciples and that their personal attachment had not ended. He considers following them not simply out of curiosity, but because Zhao Qiansun knows the identity of the “leading big brother,” and he suspects that Granny Tan and Grandpa Tan may know it as well. He sends A’Zhu to wait at the inn and pursues them, turning the memorial’s aftermath into an opportunity to press his search.

Consequences and Retrospective Context

The account later places Elder Xu’s death among the deaths and accusations surrounding Xiao Feng’s effort to discover the hidden figure. Zhiguang tells Xiao Feng that people believe he killed Elder Xu, Grandpa Tan, Granny Tan, and Zhao Qiansun in pursuit of the truth, and that he also killed Shan Zheng’s family and burned the Shan family manor. Xiao Feng begins to object that he did not kill Elder Xu and the others, but Zhiguang has already left the room to retrieve an object. The exchange preserves an important distinction: the deaths have shaped the accusations against Xiao Feng, but Zhiguang’s statement is what people believe, not a confirmation that Xiao Feng killed Elder Xu.

The scene in Weihui likewise never identifies Elder Xu’s killer. It shows instead how quickly the Beggar Society’s custom converts an unexplained death into a collective demand for revenge, while its members assume Xiao Feng’s guilt. That assumption deepens the break between the society and its former leader. At the same time, the memorial gathers potential witnesses to the “leading big brother” mystery in one place, giving Xiao Feng a reason to risk returning among people who are prepared to capture him.