[Fantasy] The New Smiling Proud Wanderer (Complete) - 1-3

[Synopsis] Do you remember the beautiful and magnanimous Holy Maiden Ren Yingying from the original novel? Do you remember Yue Lingshan, the junior sister who died for love? Do you remember Dongfang Bubai, the peerless beauty and number one martial arts master in the new version of Smiling Proud Wanderer? Do you remember Qu Feiyan, the beautiful but short-lived girl comparable to Huang Rong from the original novel? Do you remember Ning Zhongze, the stunningly beautiful and sexy mature woman? In this book, a modern person sacrifices himself to save Earth and transmigrates into the body of Linghu Chong. He will eliminate all enemies, reign supreme for eternity, unify the martial arts world, become the supreme martial arts overlord, and at the same time obtain all the beauties to build the most powerful harem.

Chapter 001: Died to Save Earth

Summer in Beijing is extremely hot. The usually bustling streets are now sparsely populated. Only a few people hurry by, holding briefcases above their heads to shield themselves from the scorching sun.

However, at that very moment, a middle-aged man with a sleazy appearance suddenly rushed out of a nearby shop and began running wildly down the street.

Even more surprisingly, seemingly out of nowhere, a dozen or so pedestrians dressed in various styles appeared from all corners of the street, subtly forming a circle around the runner.

...

Wang Hao, carrying a Japanese adult film he'd snagged in a very discreet shop, was happily walking home. The scorching sun couldn't dampen his joy.

He couldn't help but be happy; the disc he was holding was a diamond collector's edition featuring Aoi Sora, containing over a dozen of her most glamorous and classic films. This was a top-quality item he'd been drooling over for ages! Today he finally got his hands on it, and his face was beaming with delight. Even though it cost him half a month's food money, Wang Hao still felt it was a steal.

Wang Hao, drooling and daydreaming about enjoying a great movie at home, was completely oblivious to the fact that someone was rushing towards him from behind. And so, tragedy struck.

"Get out of the way!" A middle-aged man with broken Mandarin suddenly rushed past Wang Hao, shoving him aside. Caught off

guard, Wang Hao stumbled and fell forward to the ground. The diamond-encrusted collectible he was carrying slipped from his grasp, arcing through the air before landing in the middle of the road.

"Whoosh!" Cars sped past, their wheels crushing the disc, feeling as if crushing Wang Hao's heart. At that moment, Wang Hao's heart felt like those shattered pieces, so painfully painful. He felt his heart break into pieces in an instant.

...

"Nakamoto Shiro, you can't escape!" A tall, burly man suddenly blocked the middle-aged man's path, shouting.

The scurrying, lecherous middle-aged man had stopped. He realized he was surrounded by several people on all sides. Nakamoto Shiro knew these were China's most elite agents; escape was impossible.

"Heh heh! That's right, I can't escape, but you can't do anything to me!" Nakamoto Shiro chuckled nonchalantly.

The man who had spoken first before Nakamoto Shiro said again, "Nakamoto Shiro, you'd better hand over the stuff! You've missed your chance!"

"Hahaha! That's hilarious. The thing you're talking about, it must be the small nuclear warheads I bought from Russia!" Nakamoto Shiro's words were shocking. "You saw it yourself, it's not on me at all!"

Hearing this, the expressions of those surrounding Nakamoto Shiro changed slightly.

"That nuclear warhead has long been hidden somewhere in the center of Beijing, and I've already set the detonation device!" Shiro Nakamoto suddenly pulled out a remote control from his pocket and continued, "As soon as I press this, the entire central area of Beijing will be reduced to nothingness with a deafening roar."

The burly man could no longer maintain his composure, his face filled with panic. He knew very well that although he had already moved some important national leaders to safety as soon as he learned of the nuclear warhead in Beijing, some things were not so easy to move in a short time.

For example, the tens of millions of people in Beijing—even if a small nuclear warhead wasn't very powerful, if it detonated in the central area, the force would be enough to take many lives instantly.

However, what was even more terrifying was the nuclear-binding automated strategic system in the central area of Beijing. The

nuclear-binding system was a strategic deterrent system commonly used by almost all major nuclear powers. Simply put, this system meant that if any country dropped a nuclear warhead on Beijing, the capital of China, or even any other city... The system would then activate autonomously, sending hundreds of nuclear warheads from across the country flying to cities worldwide, including Japan, the United States, and Russia.

At that moment, other countries possessing nuclear warheads and implementing similar nuclear annexation strategies would also immediately send their nuclear weapons to various parts of the world. Like Skynet's world-ending destruction in the movie *Terminator*, the end of the world would arrive in an instant.

Naturally, nations wouldn't launch nuclear attacks against each other; this was merely a shared nuclear threat. However, the grown man knew very well that Nakamoto Shiro was a madman kicked out of his faction, someone who didn't care about anything anymore. With a single press of the switch, he could drag the entire world down with him to hell.

Cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead. The grown man watched Nakamoto Shiro laugh maniacally, feeling only icy coldness and utter weakness. As one of China's, and even the world's, top-tier agents, he was utterly helpless, forced to watch as Nakamoto Shiro shook the remote control up and down.

...

Wang Hao lay on the ground, staring at the shattered debris, his heart bleeding. Then, a surge of anger erupted like a volcano.

"Waaaaah! My little Kongkong!" Wang Hao felt his anger level instantly surpass the 100-point mark; rage welled up from within, and malice took hold. The usually mild-mannered man was now like a raging bull. Seeing the

middle-aged man who had bumped into him stop, Wang Hao, his eyes red, immediately charged forward.

Running, Wang Hao kicked the man in the back, sending him sprawling to the ground. Still not satisfied, Wang Hao went forward again and began a brutal stomp on the fallen, lewd-looking middle-aged man.

"Waaaaah! You owe me my little Kongkong! You owe me half a month's worth of food!" After stomping on him, Wang Hao spat and continued, "Even if you do pay, you can't mend my wounded heart!"

The surrounding agents stared in disbelief, their eyes wide, at the remote control smashed to pieces, their minds blank. The apocalyptic crisis was thus resolved, and the burly man suddenly felt that the world was truly insane!

"Baka!" The bruised and battered Nakamoto Shiro suddenly pulled a pistol from his pocket and pointed it at the smug Wang Hao.

"Not good!" The surrounding agents reacted immediately, trying to rush forward to rescue Wang Hao.

"Bang!" A gunshot rang out, but the agents were too late. Wang Hao, who had saved the world, fell dead, shot in the heart by Nakamoto Shiro, his face filled with astonishment.

The agents immediately became enraged and surrounded the fallen Nakamoto Shiro. As for what tragic fate awaited Nakamoto Shiro, Wang Hao had no idea, for he was already dead.

All around was a rolling sea of yellow clouds, and a long white road stretched out above it, winding and extending thousands of meters towards a massive palace.

Along this winding, narrow road, a densely packed, seemingly endless queue stretched out, filled with clumps of white cotton candy. To Wang Hao, they appeared as cotton candy, but in reality, they were the souls of the dead, commonly known as ghosts.

Wang Hao stared dumbfounded at the scene before him, speechless for a long time. Was this the underworld? So, was he really dead? Those damned Japanese, all they did was step on them a few times! Did they have to take his life? Wang Hao was utterly devastated. To open his eyes after death and see this was truly a devastating blow.

"Hey! Everyone, please line up properly! Don't form two lines, form one! Please maintain order and don't cut in line!" a man in a shirt, tie, and glasses shouted through a megaphone.

If you ignored the two pointed horns on his head, he looked every bit the model of a successful white-collar worker. Wang Hao watched speechlessly as the "messenger of the underworld" approached, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead from exhaustion.

"Eh~! Sir, you're new here, aren't you?! You still have a physical body; you must have been a great philanthropist in your past life!" The white-collar-looking messenger, maintaining order in the queue, suddenly spoke as he reached Wang Hao's side.

Wang Hao looked around, then pointed to his own nose and said, "Are you talking to me?"

"Of course! Sir, you are a great philanthropist who has a physical body after death; you don't need to wait in line~!" The white-collar messenger bowed, his face full of respect and admiration.

Hearing this, Wang Hao realized that he wasn't like the ghosts he saw before, just a white cotton candy, but a "person" with hands and feet.

"Could it be that after I died, I'm different from these ghosts? I have a body?" Wang Hao couldn't help but wonder.

"Sir, please follow me. I'll take you to see Lord Yama, the King of Hell. He can send a great philanthropist like you directly to Heaven!" the underworld official said to Wang Hao, who was lost in thought.

"Oh! Okay!" Wang Hao finally snapped out of his narcissism and nodded in agreement.

Following the official, Wang Hao wore a smug expression as he passed through the long queue. Although he didn't know why he had suddenly become a great philanthropist, possessing an excellent physical body and these privileges, he was extremely proud, completely devoid of any sadness or dejection he should feel after his death.

"Maybe it's because I used to help old ladies cross the street and give a few cents to beggars! That's why I became a great philanthropist!" Wang Hao thought, head held high. He had no idea that in the moment before his death, he had saved the entire Earth.

After traversing the long road, Wang Hao finally arrived at the palace he had seen long ago. Up close, the grandeur of the palace was even more apparent, a completely antique Chinese-style building. However, when Wang Hao looked up at the plaque hanging above the palace, he immediately showed a look of utter shock.

Wang Hao was sweating profusely because the plaque read "Welcome" in English.

"Is this considered keeping up with international standards? Even the underworld is doing this!" Wang Hao thought to himself, utterly speechless.

Upon entering the palace, Wang Hao found the main hall to be incredibly spacious. The entire enormous space contained only a huge desk and an equally enormous person.

Seeing this, Wang Hao was no longer surprised. He was quite resilient; after being shocked once or twice, he had developed a high degree of immunity.

When Wang Hao looked up and saw the giant before him, whose size was more than ten times that of a normal person, he already guessed that this was the person in charge here—the King of Hell. Of course, the most conclusive evidence was the identity plaque on the desk, which clearly read "King of Hell" in large characters.

The enormous Yama King, with his full beard, was slightly startled when he saw Wang Hao appear before him. He asked with some surprise, "Who are you? Having a physical body after death is something only those with immense merit can obtain!"

"Hmm, let me check!" The Yama King in the suit, without waiting for Wang Hao's reply, pulled out a huge book and began flipping through it.

"Hmm, found! Deceased Wang Hao, 24 years old, from Beijing, China… What?! How is this possible? Sixty-four billion sixty-five million merit points, how is this possible?!" A huge voice suddenly rang out in the hall, making Wang Hao's ears ring.

Wang Hao looked up and saw the Yama King staring at his book in utter astonishment, his eyes wide open.

"Sixty-four billion merit points! How on earth do you even manage that?! You'd have to save the entire planet!" Yama muttered to himself, finally snapping out of his daze. Looking at Wang Hao under the table, he spoke with a serious expression, "Wang Hao, how did you manage to accumulate over sixty-four billion merit points? That's enough to make you a god!"

"Well, Your Majesty, I don't know either. Maybe it's because I often do good deeds! I'm a good person," Wang Hao immediately replied, feigning honesty.

Hearing Yama's words, although he didn't fully understand, anyone could hear the benefits. Sixty-four billion merit points? Become a god directly? Wang Hao felt like his luck had turned around; he didn't understand how this had happened.

"Also, what are merit points?" Wang Hao asked weakly.

King Yama coughed and said, "Hmm~! Merit points? They're the points a person accumulates through good deeds throughout their life. Every action a person takes in their lifetime becomes merit points. When a person's merit points are negative, it means they are an evil person and will go to hell after death. Wang Hao, you have 6.4 billion merit points. You can go directly to Heaven to become a god. Are you willing?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Hao was overjoyed, thinking, "Being a god would be wonderful!"

But suddenly, Wang Hao remembered something. He had watched mythological dramas like "The Lotus Lantern" and "The Fairy Couple," where it was said that gods couldn't touch women. He wondered if it was true.

So, Wang Hao asked, "Um, King Yama, can gods get married?"

"Of course not!" King Yama said. "Heaven has its rules; gods are not allowed to marry!"

"Damn! If I don't become a god, can I still do other things?" Wang Hao asked.

"Ah? You don't want to be a god anymore? Are you sure... well, okay then! You can enjoy a superior reincarnation!" King Yama said.

"What is superior reincarnation?" Wang Hao asked疑惑地.

"Superior reincarnation means I can reincarnate you into any era or any world, making you a character in that world! At the same time, I can also give you memories of your past life and the skills you desire, such as martial arts, strategy, and so on!" Yama said.

"What? So I can really go to any world? Even the worlds of martial arts novels?" Wang Hao asked excitedly.

"Of course, you can go to any world! But you must be reincarnated as a person in that world!"

"Then I want to go to my favorite martial arts world, the world of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, and become the protagonist Linghu Chong, is that possible?" Wang Hao said happily.

"Linghu Chong? Sure, sure! Also, what skills do you want?" Yama asked.

"Skills, of course!" Wang Hao laughed. "I want profound martial arts, like the Northern Darkness Divine Art, the Lesser Formless Art, the Six Yang Palms of Tianshan, the Plum Blossom Hand of Tianshan, the Life and Death Talisman, the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, the Six Meridian Divine Sword, the Great Shift of the Universe, and the Lingbo Microwave; I also want a body immune to all poisons, a space as big as China that I can freely enter with others, like a paradise, and a body that can integrate and cultivate any martial art with twice the results with half the effort—that's enough!" Wang Hao said.

"This? But except for the Nine Swords of Dugu, I'll grant you everything else... Don't glare at me, it's a rule that the skills you acquire cannot be all the martial arts of that world. The Nine Swords of Dugu is a martial art from that world, and I can't pass it on to you! If you want it written down, you'll have to learn it yourself in that world! In addition, there's another rule: anyone who participates in this kind of reincarnation will have a restriction on them before the age of twenty-four, preventing them from entering that final line of defense with a woman! Someone, take him to the Path of Reincarnation!" Yama said to one of his subordinates.

"Understood, Your Majesty!" Without another word, he grabbed Wang Hao and dragged him away!

Wang Hao: Damn it, no touching women before the age of twenty-four, you son of a bitch!

...

Chapter 002 Becoming a Disciple of Yue Buqun

The first year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty was the second year of the eleven-year-old Wanli Emperor's ascension to the throne. Now, with a new emperor on the throne, everything in the court needed to be rebuilt, but in the countryside, not much had changed. The people still worked at sunrise and rested at sunset, doing what they had to do.

It was nearing the end of the first month of the lunar calendar, at the foot of Mount Hua, in the ancient capital of "Chang'an"—although

the masters of the Huashan Sect were mostly martial arts practitioners, they still had to go out to buy New Year's goods every year.

On this day, Yue Buqun, the head of the Huashan Sect, and his wife Ning Zhongze, along with their outer disciple Song Daren, originally wanted to come to Chang'an to buy some New Year's goods, but they were caught in a heavy snow that blocked the roads, and it was already late, so they had to stay in Chang'an and wait until the next day.

You might be thinking, isn't Linghu Chong Yue Buqun's eldest disciple? In fact, Linghu Chong was indeed Yue Buqun's eldest disciple, but he was Yue Buqun's personal disciple, not his first disciple.

Personal disciples are what are known as inner disciples. Although the Huashan Sect has many disciples now, they are all outer disciples; there are still no true inner disciples. Outer

disciples, while still disciples, don't learn the essence of Huashan martial arts. They only learn some rudimentary internal energy and common moves, handling various miscellaneous tasks and resolving minor disputes for the Huashan Sect. Correspondingly, outer disciples are less constrained. Once their martial arts reach a certain level, they can choose to leave Huashan and roam the martial world on their own. They can also use the Huashan name to do business and earn considerable profits.

Inner disciples, on the other hand, are completely different. They not only receive personal instruction from their masters but also enjoy a prestigious status. Furthermore, after achieving a certain level of skill, they have the right to take on disciples. Inner disciples must also abide by strict sect rules and regulations and are never allowed to betray their sect.

Otherwise, what kind of organization would the Huashan Sect have with only Yue Buqun and his wife?

In the middle of the night, Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze were suddenly awakened by the sound of a baby crying outside the window. Curious, they ordered their disciple, Song Daren, to go and investigate.

A moment later, Song Daren returned carrying a ragged, unconscious child.

"Master, Mistress, look! This child, I don't know whose he is, collapsed at the inn's entrance in this snowy weather," Song Daren said.

The couple were startled. Yue Buqun stepped forward and saw that the child's clothes were tattered, his hair disheveled, and his face and hands were covered in grime—clearly a beggar.

Yue Buqun frowned, took the child's pulse, and said, "He fainted from hunger. It's alright! I'll use my internal energy to revive him. Daren, go to the kitchen and get him some food!"

"Yes, Master!" Song Daren handed the child to Yue Buqun and went to do so.

Ning Zhongze stepped forward and stroked the child's hair, sighing, "Poor child, I wonder who his parents are, how could he be so hungry?"

Yue Buqun shook his head and said, "Let me wake him up first, then we'll ask!" With that, Yue Buqun placed his hand on the child's back and began slowly channeling his inner energy.

Stimulated by the inner energy, the child quickly opened his eyes, weakly looking at Yue Buqun, and softly said, "You...who are you..."

"Child, you're awake? What's your name? How did you get here? Where are your parents?" Ning Zhongze said kindly.

"I...I'm called Linghu...Linghu Chong..." the child whispered. The person

in Yue Buqun's arms at this moment was naturally Wang Hao, who had transmigrated. Yama had directly possessed him, placing him in the body of Linghu Chong, who was now unconscious at the inn's entrance, thus leading to his encounter with Yue Buqun and his wife.

Three months ago, a plague struck Linghu Chong's village, killing both his parents. Linghu Chong was left to beg for food in the martial world. Today, cold and hungry, he collapsed at the inn's entrance. Had it not been for the rescue of Yue Buqun and his wife, he would likely have starved and frozen to death. At the same time, Wang Hao officially became Linghu Chong, receiving his memories and the martial arts he desired.

"Linghu Chong?" Yue Buqun was taken aback, then laughed, "A good name. Are you hungry? I'll have my disciple get you some food! Once you've eaten, tell us why you came here."

Linghu Chong (hereafter referred to as the protagonist!) weakly nodded. He was truly hungry; he hadn't expected to be so hungry so soon after transmigrating.

A short while later, Song Daren brought several steamed buns and a bowl of thin porridge. Linghu Chong wolfed them down, finally feeling a little better. Looking at his attire, he felt somewhat depressed. How did he end up transmigrating as Beggar Chong?

"Child, are you full?" Ning Zhongze asked with a smile.

"Yes, I'm full. Thank you, Master and Madam!" Linghu Chong replied politely, his eyes scanning Ning Zhongze. She appeared to be about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, with a slender figure, curvaceous and alluring, a truly stunning beauty.

Linghu Chong didn't yet know who these two were, but judging from their appearance and demeanor, he knew they were extraordinary people, and thus spoke respectfully.

Yue Buqun, pleased with Linghu Chong's polite demeanor, chuckled and asked, "Linghu Chong, how did you end up fainting alone at the inn's entrance? Where are your parents?"

Linghu Chong quickly replied, "I have no parents. They died of the plague a few months ago. I've been wandering alone ever since."

Ning Zhongze, upon hearing this, felt a pang of pity. She patted Linghu Chong's head and turned to Yue Buqun, saying, "Brother, this child has no parents. Why don't we take him as our disciple?"

Yue Buqun nodded, saying, "That's a good idea! This child speaks politely, and when I channeled my internal energy into him earlier, I discovered his exceptional talent. He's a good candidate for martial arts; I like him from the start." He then approached Linghu Chong and asked, "Child, would you be willing to become my disciple?"

Linghu Chong immediately asked, "What? You know martial arts?" The Yue Buqun couple nodded.

Linghu Chong was overjoyed, thinking, "I now possess unparalleled martial arts manuals in my mind; all I lack are basic martial arts knowledge and the names of acupoints. These two possess extraordinary bearing, so their martial arts skills must be considerable. They can certainly help me."

Immediately, Linghu Chong knelt down and kowtowed three times to Yue Buqun, saying, "Linghu Chong greets Master." Yue Buqun quickly helped him up, saying, "Good, Chong'er, from now on you are a disciple of my Huashan Sect."

Huashan Sect? Linghu Chong was shocked upon hearing this, thinking, "No way, could these two be…?

" Ning Zhongze walked over and said, "Chong'er, let me inform you that I am your master's wife, and also your master's mistress. Your master is the head of the Huashan Sect, surnamed Yue, named Buqun, known in the martial arts world as the 'Gentleman Sword.' You must remember that."

These words were like a bolt from the blue, leaving Linghu Chong stunned. He thought in surprise, "I never imagined that I, Linghu Chong, would end up becoming Yue Buqun's disciple. But it's all good; being close to the source gives me an advantage. If I can find a way to get my beautiful master's wife and that young girl Yue Lingshan while I'm at the Huashan Sect, that would be fantastic. As for Yue Buqun, he's a hypocrite; he should just castrate himself to practice swordsmanship! Hahaha..." Linghu Chong thought filthyly.

Chapter 003 Becoming a Disciple and Practicing on the Cliff of Contemplation

The next day, Linghu Chong went up Huashan with Yue Buqun and his wife, along with Song Daren.

Huashan is one of the Five Sacred Mountains of China, and the most precipitous and dangerous of them all, known as "the most dangerous of the Five Sacred Mountains." With Linghu Chong's current martial arts skills, it would be impossible for him to climb Huashan alone, but with Yue Buqun and his wife by his side, it was no problem.

Linghu Chong learned from Yue Buqun that the Huashan Sect currently had over twenty disciples, all of whom were outer disciples. Yue Buqun intended to accept him as his first disciple, a direct disciple. Furthermore, Yue Lingshan had been born but was only three years old, while Linghu Chong himself was ten, seven years older than her.

Meanwhile, Linghu Chong had already taken a hot bath and changed into new clothes at the inn. While not exactly handsome, Linghu Chong was of decent appearance and quite satisfied with himself.

At this moment, Yue Buqun, carrying Linghu Chong, and Ning Zhongze ascended Huashan together, with Song Daren following behind. In Yue Buqun's arms, Linghu Chong felt Yue Buqun's incredible speed and agility, seemingly comparable to his own riding speed in his previous life. He couldn't help but admire the martial arts prowess of those who practiced martial arts, thinking that now that he possessed a profound martial arts manual, with diligent practice, he too would surely become a top master.

※※※

In the Hall of Righteousness of the Huashan Sect, Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze sat at the head of the table, while Linghu Chong knelt on the ground. Beside them, an old woman held a beautifully sculpted little girl, none other than Yue Lingshan, who had just learned to speak and walk.

At this age, Yue Lingshan was still quite naive; looking at the kneeling Linghu Chong, she smiled gently and waved her little hands.

Yue Buqun, having just returned to Huashan, was eager to take Linghu Chong as his disciple.

Taking a disciple meant accepting a direct disciple, the so-called inner disciple. Although the Huashan Sect had many disciples, they were all outer disciples; there was still not a single true inner disciple.

At this moment, Yue Buqun, with a solemn expression, said loudly, "The founder of my Huashan Sect was He Datong, one of the Seven Masters of Quanzhen Sect at the end of the Southern Song Dynasty. Although he was of dull talent, he deeply understood the teachings of his master, Wang Chongyang, the greatest martial artist in the world. Therefore, my Huashan Sect is also a branch of Taoism."

Yue Buqun paused slightly before continuing, "Back then, when the Mongols were powerful, He Datong's disciple, Li Zhichang, had no choice but to leave Zhongnan Mountain and come to Huashan to re-establish the Huashan Sect. It has been more than two hundred years since then. Since its establishment, my Huashan Sect has always been at the forefront of resisting the Mongols, and later became one of the six major sects in the Central Plains, serving as a model for martial arts sects in the Central Plains."

"Although some unworthy disciples emerged from Mount Hua afterward, our Mount Hua Sect continued to grow stronger, even reaching a level comparable to Shaolin and Wudang. However, twenty years ago, an internal strife struck our sect, causing it to decline. From this day forward, you must remember that the Mount Hua Sect's principle is to control the sword with internal energy. No matter what, the cultivation of internal energy is the key."

At this point, Yue Buqun seemed to recall Yue Feng's obsession with internal energy and continued, "Of course, swordsmanship is also very important. Internal energy is the method, and swordsmanship is the technique; neither should be neglected. In addition, there are many precepts that Mount Hua disciples must abide by. Junior Sister, you will explain these precepts!"

Ning Zhongze nodded with a smile upon hearing this. She glanced at Yue Feng with displeasure, but for some reason, her face was full of smiles as she spoke: "The first precept of our sect is against betraying one's master and ancestors, and disrespecting elders. The second is against bullying the weak and harming the innocent. The third is against adultery and lewdness, and against harassing women. The fourth is against jealousy among fellow disciples, and against killing each other. The fifth is against abandoning righteousness for profit and stealing property. The sixth is against arrogance and offending fellow disciples. The seventh is against associating with bandits and colluding with evil spirits. These are the Seven Precepts of Mount Hua, and all disciples of our sect must abide by them."

Although Ning Zhongze's tone was gentle, Linghu Chong replied, "Yes, disciple will remember."

Yue Buqun nodded in satisfaction and said, "Alright, from today onwards, you are my disciples."

"Yes, Master!" Linghu Chong replied.

Yue Buqun stood up and said coldly, "Linghu Chong, you have now joined the Huashan Sect. You must strictly abide by the sect rules. If you violate them, you will be punished according to the severity of the offense. Those who commit heinous crimes will be executed without mercy. Our sect has stood in the martial arts world for hundreds of years. Although we can compete with other sects in terms of martial arts, temporary strength or weakness is insignificant. What is truly important is that every disciple of our sect cherishes the reputation of our sect and must not commit crimes or kill innocent people. You must remember this well."

Linghu Chong nodded and said, "Yes, disciple will remember Master's teachings." In his heart, however, he thought: You talk a good game, but you hypocrite have a very thick skin.

Yue Buqun smiled and said, "Our sect isn't like other sects, with so many rules and regulations. You just need to follow these seven precepts, always remember to prioritize benevolence and righteousness, and be a virtuous gentleman. Your master and mistress will be very happy." Linghu Chong agreed, thinking to himself, "To be a virtuous gentleman like you? To end up like you, having my manhood cut off? I won't do that, so I resolutely refuse to be that damn virtuous gentleman."

And so, Linghu Chong officially joined the Huashan Sect...

※※※

At this moment, Linghu Chong, holding a long sword, was climbing towards the Cliff of Contemplation, thinking as he climbed, "Finally, I can start practicing those peerless martial arts, and I don't have to listen to that hypocritical master's long-winded lectures anymore. That's great."

He had been on Huashan for two years. During these two years, Yue Buqun had taken in two more disciples, Liang Fa and Shi Daizi, and Linghu Chong, like the original Linghu Chong, often made small mistakes, which gave Yue Buqun and his wife a lot of headaches.

Furthermore, Yue Lingshan is now five years old, and Linghu Chong accompanies her daily practice, play, and fruit picking, making her quite attached to him.

On the very night Linghu Chong arrived at Mount Hua, he entered the space given to him by Yama, a veritable paradise of unparalleled beauty. It contained inexhaustible medicinal herbs, food, and magnificent houses. Linghu Chong even discovered a divine spring within, which, according to the information gleaned from the space, seemed capable of granting immortality and even reviving the dead. This overjoyed Linghu Chong; he drank from it himself and secretly gave some to Ning Zhongze to help her maintain her youth.

As for Yue Buqun, naturally, he wouldn't give it to her.

In the past two years, Yue Buqun had taught Linghu Chong some internal energy cultivation techniques and swordsmanship from the Mount Hua sect. While these techniques weren't particularly remarkable, Linghu Chong already possessed top-tier secret manuals, and what he lacked now were these basics. Linghu Chong was inherently intelligent. When he first transmigrated, he only had the martial arts manuals in his mind. After two years of study, he understood their meaning. So, he deliberately broke some serious sect rules, and Yue Buqun punished him by making him meditate on the Cliff of Contemplation for a year. This suited Linghu Chong perfectly, and that very night he eagerly went up the cliff, because only in that secluded place could he practice.

Arriving at the cave on the Cliff of Contemplation, he saw a smooth, large rock on the ground. He patted the rock and said, "Stone, oh stone, you've been lonely for many years. Today, Linghu Chong will keep you company." Sitting on the rock, his eyes barely a foot away from the rock face, he saw the three large characters "Feng Qingyang" carved on the left side of the rock face. Carved with a sharp weapon, the strokes were powerful and half an inch deep. He pondered, "I wonder if Feng Qingyang is here to peek? If he is, it would be wonderful to learn the Dugu Nine Swords."

However, now was not the time to worry about such things; practicing his skills was the most important thing. Linghu Chong sat on a rock and began practicing the secret manual of the Beiming Divine Art. Since this was internal energy cultivation, Linghu Chong wasn't worried about being seen. Although he had practiced the internal energy techniques Yue Buqun had taught him over the past two years, his physique was different now, so even with internal energy, he wasn't afraid.

Thus, Linghu Chong stayed on the Cliff of Contemplation, with his meals delivered by his fellow disciples. Besides eating and sleeping, he spent his days practicing the Beiming Divine Art. The Beiming Divine Art was practiced extremely quickly. The scroll listed thirty-six diagrams of the Beiming Divine Art, and Linghu Chong had mastered them all in just over three months. Now, all eight extraordinary meridians in his body could absorb the internal energy of others. Moreover, the manual of the Beiming Divine Art also explained how to transform the absorbed true energy into pure Beiming True Qi, so there was no need to worry about the backlash that would occur with the "Star Absorbing Technique." Furthermore, this divine skill could cultivate its own Northern Darkness True Qi, without necessarily absorbing the true qi of others.

One day, Linghu Chong practiced the skill once, knowing he had mastered it and would only need to absorb the internal energy of other schools in the future. He then decided to begin practicing another divine skill—the Lesser Formless Skill.

Unlike the Northern Darkness Divine Skill, the Lesser Formless Skill did not progress rapidly. After practicing for over ten days without any improvement, Linghu Chong was not discouraged. He continued patiently practicing breathing exercises and meridian circulation. After more than a month, he gradually felt refreshed and his internal energy had improved.

From then on, Linghu Chong became engrossed in practicing the Lesser Formless Skill, diligently working day and night. After several months of such practice, he felt his internal energy flowing smoothly through many meridians, which was very comfortable. However, he had only been practicing for a short time, so this divine skill was not yet fully mastered.

One day, Linghu Chong practiced the Lesser Formless Skill once and suddenly had a whim to try walking the Lingbo Weibu (Lingbo Steps). He began to walk according to his memory.

The Lingbo Weibu (Lingbo Steps) is based on the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching. The user moves in a specific order, stepping on the hexagram positions, completing a large circle from the first step to the last. Linghu Chong had already thoroughly studied the I Ching before coming to the Cliff of Contemplation. He had memorized the steps by rote, but now, combining the I Ching with the Lingbo Weibu, he felt its profound mysteries.

A day passed, and he had mastered two or three tenths of the steps. After dinner, he practiced a dozen more steps before going to bed. In a hazy, half-asleep state, his mind was filled with thoughts of acupoints like Shaoshang, Tanzhong, Guanyuan, and Zhongji, as well as the hexagrams of the I Ching such as Tongren, Dayou, Guimei, and Weiji.

A month later, Linghu Chong had mastered the Lingbo Weibu (Lingbo Steps) technique to a high degree. He was now confident that his escape skills were among the top three in the martial arts world. Moreover, each step of the Lingbo Weibu was closely related to internal energy, so each time Linghu Chong practiced it, his internal energy would increase.

One day, after practicing the Lingbo Weibu once, Linghu Chong couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Boy..." Suddenly, an old voice interrupted Linghu Chong's laughter, "I've been watching your footwork for days, but I can't guess which school it belongs to. Even Yue Buqun couldn't possibly have created such a wonderful footwork. Where did you learn it?"

Linghu Chong was startled and turned around to see an old man with a white beard and green robe standing at the cave entrance, his expression depressed, his face ashen. Upon seeing him, three words flashed through Linghu Chong's mind: Feng, Qing, Yang!

Chapter 004 Learning the Dugu Nine Swords

At that moment, Linghu Chong, overjoyed, bowed and said, "Grand-disciple Linghu Chong greets Grand Uncle Feng!"

The white-bearded, green-robed old man asked in surprise, "How did you know I was Feng Qingyang?"

Linghu Chong dared not say that he had already learned everything from Jin Yong's books, so he could only make up a story: "Grand-disciple saw that Grand Uncle Feng's name was carved on a large rock in the cave, and since no outsiders have ever come to the back mountain, I guessed that you were the Grand Uncle Feng who left his name."

Feng Qingyang chuckled and said, "I didn't realize you were so clever. It's rare that someone in the world actually knows my name. Alright, stand up and speak."

Linghu Chong knew this old man had a strange temper and dared not disobey, so he quickly stood up.

"Let me ask you," Feng Qingyang said, "where did you learn that footwork you just used?" "It couldn't possibly have been that brat Yue Buqun's idea, could it?"

Linghu Chong quickly fabricated a story: "Replying to Grandmaster Feng, before I joined the Huashan Sect, I was taught by a strange man. He instructed me to practice diligently, and he also taught me many other skills. I only began practicing them after I joined the sect!"

"Ah? A strange man? Who could teach such wondrous footwork?" Feng Qingyang asked疑惑地. In Feng Qingyang's eyes, that footwork was the ultimate expression of lightness skill. He found it amazing, hence his question.

"I'm sorry, Grandmaster Feng, I promised that senior that I would never reveal his identity, so please don't take offense!" Linghu Chong said.

Feng Qingyang, unperturbed, said, "Your footwork and lightness skill are among the best in the world. However, Linghu Chong, as Yue Buqun's disciple, you practice martial arts from another school. This violates the rules of the sect!"

Linghu Chong, his expression unchanged, smiled slightly and said, "Grandmaster Feng, I think you're wrong. Why bother with so many worldly rules? As long as I, Linghu Chong, use my martial arts for good and do good for the world, what does it matter if I practice martial arts from another school? A person who is rigid and inflexible is not a true man!"

Feng Qingyang was overjoyed and laughed, "Good! Good! What a clever and carefree young man! Far superior to that brat Yue Buqun!"

Linghu Chong nodded, noticing his sickly and haggard face, and asked with concern, "Grandmaster, are you hungry? I have some dry rations hidden in my cave." He then went to fetch them.

Feng Qingyang shook his head and said, "No need!" He squinted at the sun and said softly, "The sun is so warm. It's been a long time since I've basked in the sun. You're just my type. By the way, tell me why you practice martial arts and swordsmanship? Is it to become famous throughout the world? Or to dominate a region?"

If it were the real Linghu Chong, he might have answered that it was to revitalize the Huashan Sect, or to make Huashan famous, or to help the weak and punish the strong. However, the current Linghu Chong was not like that.

Linghu Chong replied, "Grandmaster Uncle is mistaken. I have three purposes for practicing martial arts."

Feng Qingyang, intrigued, asked, "Alright, tell me, what are those three purposes?"

Linghu Chong said, "First, I practice martial arts and swordsmanship to strengthen my body, protect myself, and also protect my beloved woman from harm."

Feng Qingyang nodded, "You're telling the truth, but what do you know about a beloved woman at such a young age?" Suddenly, Feng Qingyang paused, softly reciting, "My beloved woman... my beloved woman..." as if lost in a distant memory. After a long while, he asked, "What about your other two purposes? Why didn't you mention them?"

Linghu Chong continued, "Second, I hope to quell the conflict between the Five Mountains Sword Sect and the Demonic Sect, and reduce the harm to the martial world. " "Let's settle our scores and grudges, and restore peace to the martial world." Feng Qingyang said, "That's probably not as easy as you think, but your ambition is considerable. Go on, continue."

Linghu Chong continued, "Thirdly, I hope that in my lifetime I can do something meaningful for the people and the nation. Life is short, why waste it on the grudges and feuds of the martial world?"

When Linghu Chong finished his third purpose, Feng Qingyang clapped his hands and laughed loudly, "Good, very good! I didn't expect you to have such a broad mind. It's truly rare. I'm afraid even the Shaolin and Wudang sects don't have such a broad mind!" Actually, the first purpose was Linghu Chong's most basic wish; the second and third were just things he used to deceive Feng Qingyang.

At that moment, Linghu Chong thought that if he could learn the Dugu Nine Swords from Feng Qingyang, that would be wonderful. So he knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "I hope Grandmaster Feng can guide me in martial arts. I will be eternally grateful!"

Feng Qingyang was taken aback, then said, "You're quite to my liking, kid. Logically, since you're Yue Buqun's grand-disciple, I shouldn't be passing on my martial arts to you. I've lived in seclusion for so many years, and I'd like to do something meaningful in my remaining years… Alright then! Come with me." With that, Feng Qingyang walked into the cave.

He came to a stone wall, suddenly picked up a large rock, and smashed it against the wall, instantly creating a large hole. Linghu Chong immediately recognized this as the secret cave inscribed with the sword techniques of the Five Mountains Sword Sect.

Feng Qingyang turned and said, "Come in with me." Linghu Chong agreed, took a torch, and followed Feng Qingyang inside.

Once inside, Linghu Chong saw a narrow passage. Looking down, he suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. Beside his feet lay a skeleton. Just as he was about to bend down to look at the skeleton, Feng Qingyang pulled him back, saying, "Never mind that, come with me." He led him further in.

Upon entering the cave behind, they saw a large rock protruding from the right-hand cliff several feet above the ground, resembling a platform. Below this rock, sixteen large characters were carved into the stone wall: "Five Mountains Sword Sect, shameless and despicable, defeated in martial arts, resorting to underhanded tactics." Four characters were arranged in four rows, each character about a foot square, carved deep into the rock with an extremely sharp weapon, reaching several inches in depth. The sixteen characters were angular and sharp, conveying a sense of tension and impending doom. Beside these sixteen large characters were countless smaller characters, all curses such as "despicable and shameless," "utterly shameful," "incompetent," and "cowardly," covering the entire wall with insults.

Feng Qingyang pointed to a section of the stone wall and said, "Look over there." Linghu Chong looked and saw a line of characters carved there: "Zhang Chengyun and Zhang Chengfeng completely break the Huashan Sword Technique," followed by many illustrations, presumably the Huashan Sword Technique and its counter-methods.

Then, Feng Qingyang showed Linghu Chong the sword techniques and counters of other schools. He then walked back to the stone wall displaying the Huashan sword techniques and said, "These moves are indeed the ultimate techniques of our school. Most of them have been lost, and even that kid Yue Buqun... hehe... doesn't know them. However, although the moves are wonderful, if each move is used separately, it can still be countered by others..."

Upon hearing this, Linghu Chong's heart stirred, and he immediately understood what Feng Qingyang meant. Feng Qingyang said, "Do you understand? Tell me." Linghu Chong said, "Is Grandmaster Uncle saying that if each move is perfectly executed, the enemy will have no way to break through? The highest level of swordsmanship is that the mind moves with the will, no moves are better than moves, there is no sword in the hand but a sword in the heart, achieving oneness with the sword?"

Feng Qingyang stared at Linghu Chong in disbelief, overjoyed, and said, "I originally thought you had good aptitude and high comprehension. But I never expected your aptitude and comprehension to reach such a level! To have such insight at such a young age, it seems that I, Feng Qingyang, have finally found a successor. It is truly the will of Heaven!"

He was overjoyed as if he had discovered a priceless treasure. After speaking, he pointed to the corpses on the ground and said, "Do you know? These ten skeletons are the ten elders of the Demonic Sect. These elders of the Demonic Sect were indeed remarkable and intelligent people, who were able to break through the high moves of the Five Mountains Sword Sect so cleanly and thoroughly. However, they did not know that the most powerful moves in the world are not in martial arts, but in conspiracies, tricks, and traps. If you fall into someone else's cleverly arranged trap, no matter how skillful your martial arts moves are, they will be completely useless... Chong'er, you must remember this from now on, remember this!" As he spoke, he raised his head, his eyes blank, obviously recalling countless old events.

He spoke with great bitterness, his expression filled with immense indignation. Linghu Chong hesitated to respond, so Feng Qingyang continued, "In terms of martial arts alone, these elders of the Demonic Sect cannot be said to have truly grasped the essence of superior martial arts. They don't understand that techniques are static, but the person executing them is dynamic. No matter how skillfully you counter a static technique, against a dynamic one, you'll be helpless and at the mercy of others. This word 'dynamic,' Chong'er, you must remember it well. When learning techniques, you must learn them flexibly; when using techniques, you must use them flexibly. If you are rigid and inflexible, even if you master tens of millions of ultimate techniques, you'll still be helpless against a dynamic one." True masters are ultimately defeated. Countless fools within the Five Mountains Sword Sects believe that mastering their master's sword techniques automatically makes them masters. Hmph! Memorizing three hundred Tang poems means you can recite poetry even if you can't compose it! Memorizing others' verses might allow you to write a few doggerel, but without originality, can you become a great poet?"

Linghu Chong nodded, agreeing with this statement. Everything requires integration and understanding; transforming the essence of others into one's own is the only way to achieve true mastery. As Lu Xun said, we should adopt a "take what you need" approach, drawing on the strengths of others, discarding the dross, and absorbing the essence.

Feng Qingyang said, "Just as you said, to truly reach the realm of a master is to achieve a state of no moves. No matter how perfectly one executes a sword technique, as long as there are traces to be found, the enemy will have an opening. But if you have no moves at all, how can the enemy break your moves? You must remember, only by reaching the state of no moves and no forms, where the sword moves only with the heart, can you reach the realm of a master. Do you understand?"

Linghu Chong said, "Although I cannot fully understand, I will try my best to comprehend it!"

Feng Qingyang continued, "Chong'er, remember this: just as you need meat to cut, and wood to chop, you need firewood to chop; if the enemy wants to break your sword moves, you must have sword moves for them to break. If an ordinary person who has never learned martial arts takes a sword and swings it wildly, no matter how knowledgeable you are, you cannot guess what their next move will be." He slashed wherever he pleased. Even the most skilled swordsman couldn't break his moves, because there were no moves; the concept of 'breaking' was meaningless. However, those who had never learned martial arts, though lacking moves, could be easily defeated. Truly superior swordsmanship, on the other hand, could subdue the opponent but could never be subdued. He picked up a dead man's leg bone from the ground, casually pointing one end at Linghu Chong, and asked, "How will you break Linghu Chong's move?"

Linghu Chong was completely bewildered, having no idea what kind of move this was. After a moment of surprise, he said, "This isn't a move, therefore it cannot be broken."

Feng Qingyang smiled slightly and said, "That's it. Those who practice martial arts, wielding weapons and using their fists and feet, always have moves. You only need to know how to break them, and you can defeat your enemy with a single strike."

"What if the enemy also doesn't have a move?" Linghu Chong asked.

Feng Qingyang said, "Then he's also a top-tier expert. The outcome of their fight is up to you; perhaps you're better, perhaps he is." He sighed and said, "In this world, such experts are extremely rare. If you're lucky enough to encounter one or two, that's your greatest fortune. I've only met three in my entire life. You're a lively young man, very much to my liking. I'll now teach you swordsmanship."

Linghu Chong was overjoyed and said, "Thank you, Grandmaster Uncle!" Feng Qingyang said, "As long as you don't regret it later!"

Linghu Chong was taken aback, thinking, how could he regret it later? He wasn't the Linghu Chong from the original story; he would only regret it if he couldn't learn the Dugu Nine Swords. In a flash, he understood. It must be that the Dugu Nine Swords wasn't the Huashan sect's original swordsmanship; Feng Qingyang was probably worried that Yue Buqun would blame him if he found out. But he wasn't the real Linghu Chong; he wasn't as pedantic as the Linghu Chong in Jin Yong's novels. What was there to be afraid of?

He immediately bowed and said, "This is the greatest fortune of my life, and I will never regret it. To receive the sword teachings from my grandmaster is truly my blessing." Feng Qingyang said, "Alright, when did you learn to flatter? Fine, I will teach you." He added, "If I don't teach you, in a few years, this sword technique will be gone forever." He smiled as he spoke, clearly delighted.

For a period of time afterward, Linghu Chong devoted himself to learning the Dugu Nine Swords from Feng Qingyang on the Cliff of Contemplation.

From the "General Technique," "Sword-Breaking Technique," and "Knife-Breaking Technique" to the "Spear-Breaking Technique," "Whip-Breaking Technique," "Rope-Breaking Technique," "Palm-Breaking Technique," and "Arrow-Breaking Technique," all the way to the ninth sword, the "Qi-Breaking Technique," the "Spear-Breaking Technique" includes methods for breaking long weapons such as spears, halberds, snake spears, eyebrow-level staffs, wolf-tooth clubs, white waxwood staffs, Zen staffs, and convenient shovels. The "Whip-Breaking Technique" breaks short weapons such as steel whips, iron maces, pressure point stakes, crutches, moth-eyebrow daggers, daggers, broad axes, iron plates, octagonal mallets, and iron awls. The "Rope-Breaking Technique" breaks long ropes, soft whips, three-section staffs, chain spears, iron chains, fishing nets, and flying hammers and meteors. Although each sword and technique is only one, its variations are endless. As one learns it and integrates the previous and subsequent techniques, its power increases greatly.

The last three sword techniques are even more difficult to learn. The "Breaking Palm" technique breaks through the skills of fists, feet, fingers, and palms. If the opponent dares to fight your sword with bare hands, their martial arts skills must be extremely high. Whether they have a weapon or not makes little difference. The world's fist, leg, finger, and palm techniques are incredibly complex. This "Breaking Palm" technique encompasses all kinds of fist and foot techniques, including long fist and short fist techniques, grappling and pressure point techniques, demonic claw and tiger claw techniques, and iron sand divine palm techniques. The "Arrow" in the "Breaking Arrow" technique encompasses all kinds of hidden weapons. To learn this sword technique, one must first learn the art of listening to the wind and identifying weapons. Not only must one be able to deflect the various hidden weapons launched by the enemy with a long sword, but one must also use the force to counterattack, reflecting the enemy's hidden weapons back to injure them.

As for the ninth sword, "Qi-Breaking Style," Feng Qingyang only passed on the incantation and practice method to Linghu Chong, saying, "This style is used to deal with enemies who possess superior internal strength. It is understood through divine insight and resides in the mind. The Dugu Nine Swords is all about offense, forcing the enemy to defend, so you don't need to defend yourself. The creator of this sword technique, the senior Dugu Qiubai, was named 'Seeking Defeat.' He spent his entire life seeking defeat but could not achieve it. With this sword technique, one is invincible, so why bother defending? If someone forces him to retreat and defend, he will be overjoyed. The senior Dugu wielded this sword..." He roamed the world, seeking no defeat, for he had mastered this sword technique to perfection. Even within the same Huashan sword style, the same move could have vastly different power levels, and the Dugu Nine Swords were no exception. Even if you learned the sword technique, if your execution was impure, you still wouldn't be able to defeat the masters of the time. Although you've grasped the basics, to win more and lose less, you might need twenty years of arduous practice before you could truly compete with the heroes of the world.”

Linghu Chong, who had thought that learning the Nine Swords would allow him to roam the martial world, deflated like a punctured balloon upon hearing that twenty years of arduous practice was required to rival the heroes. Seeing this, Feng Qingyang laughed and said, "You don't need to underestimate yourself, kid. I was just talking about the general situation. But with your talent, you'll definitely shine in less than ten years. You should know that swordsmanship can be learned in a day, but one's internal strength cultivation cannot be achieved in a year or two."

Feng Qingyang slowly continued, "Master Dugu is an extremely intelligent person. The key to learning his swordsmanship is 'comprehension,' not rote memorization. Once you understand the sword intent of these nine swords, you can use them without restraint. Even if you forget all the variations, it doesn't matter. In battle, the more completely you forget, the less you are bound by the original swordsmanship. You have excellent talent; you are the perfect material to learn this swordsmanship. Besides, in this world, are there really any truly great heroes? Heh heh, I'm afraid not. Work hard from now on. I'm off."

Linghu Chong was taken aback and asked, "Grand Uncle Feng, where are you going?"

Feng Qingyang said... “I have lived in this back mountain for decades. The other day, I was overjoyed and came out of the cave to teach you this sword technique, hoping only that Senior Dugu’s unparalleled martial arts would not be extinct. Why haven’t you gone back yet?”

Upon hearing this, Linghu Chong hesitated for a moment and said, “Then can I still come to see my grandmaster uncle in the future?”

Feng Qingyang said sternly, “From now on, I will never see anyone from the Huashan Sect again, not even you.” Seeing Linghu Chong’s fearful expression, he softened his tone and said, “Chong’er, we are destined to meet and get along well. In my old age, I am truly delighted to have such a fine disciple as you to teach me sword techniques. If you have me as your grandmaster uncle in your heart, then don’t come to see me in the future, lest you put me in a difficult position. Also, you must not even tell your master about seeing me.”

Linghu Chong said with tears in his eyes, “Yes, I will obey my grandmaster uncle’s orders.”

Feng Qingyang gently stroked his head and said, “Good child, good child!” He turned and went down the cliff.

Linghu Chong followed him to the edge of the cliff, watching his thin figure drift down and disappear into the back mountain. A wave of sorrow washed over him.

After a long while, Linghu Chong sighed and entered the secret cave inscribed with the sword techniques of the Five Great Sword Sects, beginning to learn them.

Since Linghu Chong already had a foundation in the Lesser Formless Skill, and had recently learned the ultimate sword technique, the Dugu Nine Swords, learning the martial arts on the stone wall was extremely easy. After about ten days, he had thoroughly mastered the sword techniques of the Five Great Sword Sects and their counters. So, one day, Linghu Chong picked up an axe and chiseled away all the martial arts on the stone wall. Then, he moved several large stones and sealed the entire secret cave.

※※※

Chapter 005 First Encounter with Zuo Lengchan

Thus, a year passed, and Linghu Chong's "sentence" on the Cliff of Repentance was over.

During this year, Linghu Chong had mastered the Northern Darkness Divine Skill, the Lesser Formless Skill, the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, the Dugu Nine Swords, the Lingbo Steps, and the Five Mountains Sword Technique. However, due to insufficient internal energy, he could not yet cultivate the Tianshan Six Yang Palms, the Tianshan Zhemei Hand, the Life and Death Talisman, and the Six Meridian Divine Sword.

At this time, Linghu Chong followed his second junior brother, Liang Fa (Lao Denuo had not yet joined the Huashan Sect, hence Liang Fa was the second junior brother), who had come to ferry him down the cliff.

From Liang Fa, Linghu Chong learned that Yue Buqun had taken on two more disciples that year: Gao Genming and Lu Dayou, mentioned in the original novel. Gao Genming was ten years old, and Lu Dayou was nine.

Following Liang Fa, Linghu Chong quickly returned to the Righteous Qi Hall. Having not visited the Righteous Qi Hall for three years, Linghu Chong felt a surge of relief.

"Senior Brother, Senior Brother!" A sweet, childlike voice rang out. The adorable six-year-old Yue Lingshan ran over and threw herself into Linghu Chong's arms.

"Oh, dear Shan'er, it's been so long! Did you miss your senior brother?" Linghu Chong chuckled, stroking Yue Lingshan's little face. In his heart, however, he thought, "That damned King Yama said I have a restriction on me, forbidding me from touching women before the age of twenty-four. This is truly frustrating! But I'm thirteen now, and my junior sister is six. In eleven years, she'll be seventeen, just the right time to 'pick' her."

The young Yue Lingshan, unaware that her beloved senior brother was plotting to seduce her, smiled sweetly and said, "Senior brother, I've been eating, sleeping, and studying obediently all year, just waiting for you to come down and play with me!" Linghu

Chong chuckled, about to speak, when suddenly, Yue Buqun's voice came from inside the Zhengqi Hall: "Chong'er, come in!"

Upon hearing this, Linghu Chong quickly pulled Yue Lingshan inside, with Liang Fa following closely behind.

Entering the Zhengqi Hall, Linghu Chong saw Yue Buqun seated at the head of the table, Ning Zhongze sitting beside him, and their third junior brother Shi Daizi standing nearby, along with two unfamiliar children, presumably Gao Genming and Lu Dayou.

Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze looked unchanged, except Ning Zhongze had become even more beautiful and mature, captivating all who saw her.

Linghu Chong immediately knelt down and said, "Disciple Linghu Chong greets Master and Mistress!"

"Rise, Chong'er!" Yue Buqun waved his hand and said.

"Yes, Master!" Linghu Chong quickly stood up.

Ning Zhongze looked Linghu Chong over and smiled, "Chong'er, you've suffered this year in seclusion. Have you learned your lesson and will you never make the same mistake again?"

Linghu Chong had long admired his master's wife and quickly replied, "This disciple knows his mistake and will definitely abide by the sect rules in the future!"

Yue Buqun nodded and said, "It's good that you know. Also, Chong'er, your timing in coming down the cliff is perfect. I just received a letter from Senior Brother Zuo of Mount Song. He wants your master's wife and me to go to Mount Song to discuss important matters. Our Mount Hua sect has very few members, and you are the founding disciple of our sect. I plan to take you to Mount Song to broaden your horizons!"

"Go to Mount Song?!" Linghu Chong was surprised. Could it be that the Five Mountains Sword Sects are now forming an alliance? He remembered that in the Lu Songxian version of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, it was twelve years ago that the Five Mountains Sword Sects formed an alliance at Mount Song and elected a leader! It seems that this time, the Five Mountains Sword Sects are really going to make a big move.

※※※

Mount Song, located in western Henan Province in central-eastern China, was historically known as Waifang, Songgao, and Chonggao, and later as Zhongyue Songshan after the Five Dynasties period. It comprises Taishi Mountain and Shaoshi Mountain, with its highest peak, Liantian Peak, reaching 1512 meters. Covering an area of 450 square kilometers, it stretches over 60 kilometers from east to west. It borders Zhengzhou, the provincial capital, to the east; Luoyang, the ancient capital of thirteen dynasties, to the west; the Ying River to the south; and the Yellow River, the mother river of China, to the north. It is the core birthplace of the Chinese nation and civilization, and

is expected to become a world-renowned scenic spot, among the first batch of sites selected for the World Geopark and World Cultural Heritage lists. Yue Buqun and his wife brought all their outer disciples with them to Mount Song, along with Linghu Chong and the young Yue Lingshan, as Ning Zhongze couldn't bear to leave her daughter alone on the mountain.

On this day, the Huashan Sect group arrived at Mount Song. Halfway up the mountain, four disciples of Mount Song came down to greet them, bowing respectfully. They said, "We, junior disciples of Mount Song, respectfully welcome Headmaster Yue of the Mount Hua Sect. Our Left Headmaster awaits you on the mountain." They added, "The senior and junior masters of the Mount Tai, Mount Heng, and Mount Hengshan sects all arrived yesterday. The arrival of Headmaster Yue and all our senior brothers is a great honor for the entire Mount Song Sect."

Linghu Chong followed his master up the mountain. The mountain path was clean, and every few miles, several Mount Song disciples prepared tea and snacks to welcome the guests, demonstrating the thoroughness of the Mount Song Sect's arrangements.

At this moment, Yue Buqun and his wife returned the greetings according to custom. Suddenly, they heard a thunderous roar of water. Two jade dragons cascaded down the cliff, forming a double waterfall, winding and turning, leaping and rushing. The group ascended the peak from beside the waterfall.

The disciple leading the way from the Songshan Sect said, "This is called Shengguan Peak. Sect Leader Yue, how does it compare to the scenery of Mount Hua?" Yue Buqun smiled faintly and said, "Mount Hua is precipitous, while Mount Song is majestic; both have beautiful scenery."

The man said, "Mount Song is located in the center of the world, within the territory of the Han and Tang dynasties, and was originally the foremost of all mountains. Sect Leader Yue, please look at this magnificent sight; no wonder emperors throughout history established their capitals at the foot of Mount Song." His implication was that since Mount Song was the foremost of all mountains, the Songshan Sect should also be the leader of all sects.

Yue Buqun smiled slightly and remained silent, while Ning Zhongze sneered, "I wonder what kind of relationship we, as chivalrous heroes of the martial world, have with emperors and nobles? Does Senior Brother Zuo often associate with government officials?" The man blushed and said no more.

As they ascended, the mountain path grew increasingly treacherous. The Songshan Sect disciple leading the way pointed out the way, saying, "This is Qinggang Peak, Qinggang Plain. This is the Great Iron Beam Gorge, the Small Iron Beam Gorge." To the right of the Iron Beam Gorge were strange rocks, and to the left was a bottomless abyss. A Songshan disciple picked up a large rock and threw it down into the ravine. The rock struck the mountain wall with a thunderous boom, then the sound gradually faded until it was completely inaudible. Linghu Chong asked, "May I ask, senior brother, how many people have come to Songshan today?"

The man replied, "The Five Mountains Sword Sects combined have at least three or four hundred people." Linghu Chong said, "Every guest who comes up the mountain throws a large rock as a show of force. Before long, this valley will be filled with your Songshan Sect."

Yue Buqun said, "Chong'er, don't be rude!" The man snorted but did not reply.

Upon arriving at the main gate of the Songshan Sect compound, Zuo Lengchan, along with his two junior brothers, Ding Mian (Pagoda-Bearing Hand) and Lu Bai (Crane-Hand), and several other Songshan disciples, waited for Yue Buqun outside.

Linghu Chong observed Zuo Lengchan; he appeared to be around forty years old, not very tall, probably only about 1.69 meters, with a square face, short beard, and an ordinary, indifferent appearance. If he were lost in a crowd, few would likely notice him. Yet, this very person was the number one figure in the martial arts world, even Ren Woxing, the leader of the Demonic Sect, was wary of him. He was also the culprit who would later unleash a bloody storm upon the Swordsman martial world, demonstrating his formidable power.

※※※

Chapter 006 Sword Contest with Zuo Lengchan

Upon seeing Yue Buqun and his wife arrive, Zuo Lengchan immediately smiled and stepped forward, clasping his hands in greeting, "Brother Yue and Mrs. Yue, my apologies for not being here today. It is truly an honor for me to have you both at Mount Hua!"

Yue Buqun, upon hearing this, quickly returned the greeting, saying, "Brother Zuo is too kind. As the number one martial artist of our Five Mountains Sword Sect, how could I refuse your invitation to come to Mount Hua?"

Ning Zhongze was holding Yue Lingshan in her arms. Yue Lingshan was young and quite frightened by Zuo Lengchan, a stranger who wasn't particularly handsome and had a somewhat cold demeanor. Ning Zhongze smiled and said, "Yes, Senior Brother Zuo, you are a first-rate figure in the martial arts world. What important matter brings you to invite us from the Five Mountains Sword Sect today?"

"Hehe, Madam Yue, there's no need to rush. You've all had a long journey. Why don't you go to your rooms to rest first? I've already ordered hot water and food to be prepared. Senior Brother Yue and Madam Yue can also meet the leaders of the other three sects and make some friends. We can discuss serious matters tomorrow!" Zuo Lengchan smiled.

"Then I'll trouble Senior Brother Zuo!" Yue Buqun smiled.

※※※

After entering the Songshan Villa, Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze went to meet the leaders of the other three sects, while Linghu Chong and the other Huashan disciples, led by the Songshan disciples, went to rest in the guest rooms of the Songshan Villa.

The Songshan Sect has many houses. Although they are now full of masters from the Five Mountains Sword Sect, there are still many empty rooms, so Linghu Chong and the other Huashan disciples each have a single room.

Arriving at his room, Linghu Chong sat at the table and drank a cup of tea. Soon, disciples from Songshan brought him food; the dishes were plentiful, including chicken and duck. Linghu Chong ate three bowls of rice, then thought to himself, "I've heard that Zuo Lengchan's martial arts are truly the best among the Five Mountains Sword Sects. I wonder how his skills compare to mine. Perhaps I should go and test them tonight."

Having made up his mind, Linghu Chong decided to go and test Zuo Lengchan's martial arts that night.

※※※

As night fell, Linghu Chong changed into his night clothes in his room, took his long sword, and then went out. Seeing that no one was around, he used his lightness skill to head towards the main courtyard of Songshan

. Leaving the side courtyard, he turned a sharp corner and headed west. He quickly arrived at the main courtyard of Songshan, where he saw faint lights. Linghu Chong gathered his energy and moved lightly, quietly approaching the lights. After taking only a few steps, suddenly, with a whoosh, two men in black, each wielding a weapon, leaped out from behind the corridor beside the path, silently blocking his way. Linghu Chong was startled, thinking, "The Songshan Sect's defenses are quite tight!" Without a word, he suddenly stretched out his right hand, striking with lightning speed. With two light flicks, he struck the two men's pressure points, kicked them aside, and turned to run towards the light.

Arriving there, he saw a stone house made entirely of rock, with an iron window beside it. Linghu Chong rushed over and peeked inside.

He saw that the stone house was brightly lit, and Zuo Lengchan was practicing his fist techniques. He was wielding his fists and feet, performing a set of exquisite palm techniques. These techniques were extremely complex, with unpredictable moves. Each time Zuo Lengchan unleashed a move, his palm seemed to strike several different directions in an instant. With each movement of his palm, Zuo Lengchan's palm emitted strong gusts of wind, causing the surrounding air to surge, demonstrating his formidable internal strength.

Although Linghu Chong had mastered several martial arts techniques, his Beiming Divine Skill hadn't absorbed anyone's internal energy, and his Xiaowuxiang Skill was still underdeveloped due to time constraints. Seeing Zuo Lengchan perform this palm technique, Linghu Chong couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Zuo Lengchan is known as the number one master of the Five Mountains Sword Sect. His martial arts are indeed unique. This palm technique is exquisite, and Zuo Lengchan's internal energy is profound. If I were to fight him, with my current palm technique and internal energy, I'm afraid I could only manage a draw. I wonder how his swordsmanship is!"

With that, Linghu Chong chuckled and called out, "Sect Leader Zuo's skills are indeed impressive. Dare to spar with me?!"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Lengchan immediately noticed Linghu Chong's presence and shouted, "Who's outside?!"

Linghu Chong didn't answer but turned and left.

Zuo Lengchan naturally wouldn't let this "eavesdropper" leave. He grabbed a long sword from the side, opened the door, and chased after him.

And so, Linghu Chong and Zuo Lengchan, one fleeing and the other chasing, soon left the main courtyard of Mount Song. Linghu Chong's internal strength may not have been superior to Zuo Lengchan's, but Lingbo Weibo was the best lightness skill in the world. If Linghu Chong hadn't deliberately held back, he probably would have already shaken off Zuo Lengchan.

Seeing that he couldn't catch up with the man in black no matter what, Zuo Lengchan was secretly alarmed. His Songshan Sect martial arts were unique, his lightness skill was excellent, and he possessed internal energy cultivated for decades. There were very few people in the martial world he couldn't catch. Yet this short, dwarf (Linghu Chong was thirteen years old) was someone he couldn't keep up with. Had the martial world ever produced such a master?

Soon, Linghu Chong reached a deserted mountain peak and stopped. Upon seeing him, Zuo Lengchan immediately drew his sword, stood on the ground, and shouted, "Who are you? Why are you trespassing on our Songshan Sect's territory?!"

Linghu Chong laughed, drew his sword, and shouted, "Enough nonsense, take this!" With that, Linghu Chong thrust his sword at Zuo Lengchan, using the "Eternal Dragon" technique from the Songshan Seventeen Styles Swordplay.

"What?! Songshan Swordplay?!" Zuo Lengchan was stunned, as if witnessing the apocalypse. This dwarf before him was actually using the Songshan Swordplay.

However, Zuo Lengchan was a seasoned veteran. He didn't have time to think and immediately drew his sword to defend. The two instantly engaged in a sword fight.

After exchanging several blows, they both realized that their internal strength was roughly equal. This was the first time Linghu Chong had fought anyone since he learned martial arts, and to encounter a master like him was a great surprise. Naturally, he was overjoyed and immediately unleashed the Songshan Swordplay, quickly striking out to counter Zuo Lengchan.

Zuo Lengchan was arguably the most proficient master of the Songshan swordsmanship in his time, possessing exceptional martial arts talent. While he hadn't yet reached the state of "no fixed moves," he was no longer confined to a single style. He combined the seventeen styles of Songshan swordsmanship, changing his moves with incredible speed. Sometimes, the first half of a move, "Layered Peaks," would transform into "Overlooking the Peaks" in the second half. Even if the ten elders of the Demonic Sect were present and had broken through the Songshan sword techniques, they would still be no match for Zuo Lengchan.

However, despite his exquisite swordsmanship, Zuo Lengchan was helpless against Linghu Chong. Although Linghu Chong also used the Songshan swordsmanship, his techniques were sometimes formless and sometimes without fixed moves. The Songshan swordsmanship was not bound by fixed forms. Sometimes, a move that would never normally be transformed into the next move could be changed at will by Linghu Chong. The subtlety of his moves suggested that he had been immersed in the Songshan swordsmanship for decades.

Meanwhile, as Linghu Chong and Zuo Lengchan exchanged more and more moves, Linghu Chong's fighting experience became richer and richer. At this time, Zuo Lengchan's swordsmanship was agile and unrestrained, so he had very few flaws. However, Linghu Chong's understanding of the Dugu Nine Swords was getting deeper and deeper. After more than two hundred moves, Linghu Chong suddenly changed his swordsmanship. He no longer used the Songshan Swordsmanship, but instead used Dugu Qiubai's Dugu Nine Swords.

The Dugu Nine Swords technique was indeed exquisite. Especially since Linghu Chong had learned the Songshan Sword Technique, his understanding of the phrase "anticipating the enemy's moves" had become even more profound. At this moment, every move of the Dugu Nine Swords anticipated the enemy's moves, attacking his weaknesses. Within a few moves, Zuo Lengchan was already at a disadvantage. Zuo Lengchan was greatly surprised, thinking, "Where did this master come from? His swordsmanship is so high, and the style he's using is extremely strange, attacking the weaknesses in my swordsmanship with every move. In a few more moves, I'm afraid I'll be defeated by him!"

Immediately, Zuo Lengchan... Unwilling to continue fighting, he brandished his longsword, channeling his inner strength to force Linghu Chong back two steps. He then retreated, dropping his sword, and said, "Your swordsmanship is profound, I admire it. Today, I am inferior in skill, but I have not offended you. How about we call it a day?" Zuo Lengchan was the leader of the Songshan Sect, currently the strongest of the Five Mountains Sword Sects. For him to discard his sword and utter such words was a significant loss of face. Zuo Lengchan reasoned that given his status, admitting defeat would surely lead to the end of the fight.

However, Linghu Chong laughed heartily and said, "Not fighting? That won't do! I've already experienced your swordsmanship; now let me see your palm techniques!" With that, Linghu Chong dropped his sword, leaped forward, and unleashed a strike from the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, "The Dragon Regrets," towards Zuo Lengchan.

※※※

05-17
Chapter 007 Scaring Zuo Lengchan

Linghu Chong obtained the secret manual of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms from Yama, which contained the insights of three great masters—Guo Jing, Hong Qigong, and Xiao Feng—on the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. Therefore, this move, "Regretful Dragon Soaring," was naturally extraordinary. Initially, it seemed effortless, but upon encountering resistance, it could instantly unleash thirteen consecutive bursts of power, each stronger than the last, layered upon layer, practically indestructible and unbreakable, just like Guo Jing in his prime.

Zuo Lengchan felt a gentle breeze on his face. Although the wind wasn't particularly strong, even before Linghu Chong's palm strike arrived, it had already made it difficult for him to breathe. Knowing this was bad, he immediately shouted and unleashed the Songshan Sect's ultimate move, the Great Songyang Divine Palm, striking out with both palms to meet Linghu Chong's Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms.

The three palms collided, and both men shuddered. Linghu Chong intensified his palm strikes, unleashing wave after wave of power, surging forward relentlessly. Zuo Lengchan swayed precariously, seemingly on the verge of collapse, but the more Linghu Chong's palm strikes intensified, the stronger Zuo Lengchan's counterattack became, demonstrating the high level of Zuo Lengchan's martial arts.

The two clashed with their palm strikes. Seeing that the force of his "Regretful Dragon" technique was insufficient against Zuo Lengchan, Linghu Chong unleashed a barrage of palm strikes, unleashing the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms upon Zuo Lengchan. Zuo Lengchan, now considering Linghu Chong his mortal enemy, unleashed the full power of his Great Songyang Divine Palm, its techniques intricate and varied.

After dozens of exchanges, Zuo Lengchan's Great Songyang Divine Palm, though exquisite, was ultimately just a series of complex moves. In terms of sheer power, it was far inferior to the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, a supreme martial art that uses brute force to overcome skill. Now, as Linghu Chong's Dragon Subduing Palms, imbued with internal energy, relentlessly and fiercely struck Zuo Lengchan, Zuo Lengchan was already on the defensive.

It's important to note that at this point, Zuo Lengchan hadn't yet cultivated the Frostbite True Qi, and his martial arts were significantly weaker than in the original story. If Zuo Lengchan had cultivated the Frostbite True Qi and used his chilling martial arts to pressure Linghu Chong, he might not have fallen into such a disadvantage so quickly. Now, Linghu Chong was gaining momentum, and seeing that Zuo Lengchan was no match for him, he couldn't help but feel a little bored. Suddenly, a very interesting idea came to his mind: to use his Northern Darkness Divine Art to frighten Zuo Lengchan and see how powerful this martial art was.

Linghu Chong then struck out with his palm, and Zuo Lengchan, seeing this, instinctively extended his own. With a "snap," their palms met, and Linghu Chong simultaneously grabbed Zuo Lengchan's other hand. Zuo Lengchan retaliated with his other hand, and their hands became stuck together.

After Zuo Lengchan's hands were stuck, Linghu Chong immediately unleashed the Beiming Divine Skill. The opponent's internal energy surged into his body as rapidly as water encountering a giant cotton ball.

This was not what alarmed Linghu Chong. What alarmed him was that after Zuo Lengchan's internal energy left his palms, it was immediately purified upon entering his meridians. It fused into his meridians in the purest form, then automatically followed the Beiming Divine Skill's pathway, storing it in the Danzhong and Qihai areas where Beiming True Qi was stored, transforming into the purest Beiming True Qi.

Linghu Chong was overjoyed and couldn't help but think, "This martial arts! In two words, it's amazing!"

Zuo Lengchan felt his internal energy flowing continuously from his palm into Linghu Chong's body. He was terrified, thinking he had encountered the Star Absorbing Technique. He no longer cared about winning; he only hoped to escape Linghu Chong's grasp as soon as possible. Otherwise, if his internal energy was drained, death would be bad, but even if he survived, he would be in a worse state. Without internal energy, he would not only lose his position as the leader of the Five Mountains Sword Sect, but he would also likely lose his position as the leader of the Songshan Sect.

Ultimately, his junior brothers Ding Mian and Lu Bai couldn't be said to have devoted themselves to him to the point of death; rather, it was because he had enough strength to control them. If he lost his internal energy, he would probably be relegated to the lowest level of Mount Song.

Thinking of this, Zuo Lengchan immediately began to circulate his internal energy to resist the suction force of the "Star Absorbing Technique." However, to his despair, the more he circulated his internal energy to resist, the faster it drained away. His hands seemed to be glued to him, and he couldn't break free no matter what he did. Zuo Lengchan felt a chill run through his body in an instant, and a wave of despair washed over him. He thought to himself, "My life is over!"

Suddenly, Linghu Chong released Zuo Lengchan, turned, picked up his longsword, and used his lightness skill to disappear. Zuo Lengchan then heard a loud laugh: "Sect Leader Zuo's internal energy is quite good! Today I've absorbed thirty percent of your internal energy. Do less evil in the future, and Heaven will be watching you! Hahaha..." Amidst the laughter, Linghu Chong was already far away.

Zuo Lengchan, having escaped death, was stunned. He immediately circulated his internal energy to check his body and found that he had indeed only lost thirty percent of his internal energy. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief. As long as his internal energy wasn't completely lost, he could simply go back to practice his internal energy cultivation and take some tonics; he would recover overnight.

At the same time, Zuo Lengchan was secretly alarmed. He thought that this person was proficient in the Star Absorbing Technique, but his stature was small, and his voice was childish, definitely not that of a middle-aged man. He couldn't possibly be Ren Woxing, the leader of the Demonic Sect; he must be his disciple. If Ren Woxing's disciple was so powerful, this demon's power must be even more terrifying!

Furthermore, this fellow could actually wield the swordsmanship of the Songshan School, and many of the Songshan sword techniques he had used during his fight with that man were ones he had never seen before. Could it be that the Demonic Sect had already grasped the intricacies of his Songshan School's martial arts?

Thinking of this, Zuo Lengchan's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

***

After leaving Zuo Lengchan, Linghu Chong immediately returned to his room. The reason he hadn't drained Zuo Lengchan's internal energy and killed him was twofold: firstly, Zuo Lengchan was a formidable figure, and although Linghu Chong despised his actions, he still admired his strategic acumen; secondly, killing Zuo Lengchan now would make the world of *The Smiling, Proud Wanderer* extremely boring, so, out of magnanimity (though he himself was still a child), Linghu Chong spared Zuo Lengchan's life.

Back in his room, Linghu Chong immediately sat on the kang (heated brick bed) and began practicing his martial arts cross-legged. He felt that the internal energy he had absorbed from Zuo Lengchan had been purified and transformed into the Northern Darkness True Qi, and his own internal energy had improved by nearly ten percent. Although it wasn't much, it already made Linghu Chong realize the power of this martial art. As long as he absorbed the internal energy of some more masters, he could cultivate martial arts with high internal energy, such as the Six Meridians Divine Sword. Once he mastered it, he would surely be invincible in the future!

※※※

Chapter 008 The Battle of Fengchan Platform (Part 1)

On the second day, the five leaders of the Five Mountains Sword Sects met at the Fengchan Platform on Mount Song.

At this time, the five leaders sat upright on the Fengchan Platform, each occupying the positions of east, west, south, and north according to the direction of their respective sect's mountain peak, forming the Four Mountains Formation. Zuo Lengchan sat in the middle, at the head. The other disciples of the Five Mountains Sword Sects, except for the eldest disciples of their respective sects who stood beside their masters to serve, were all waiting below the Fengchan Platform, and there seemed to be several hundred of them.

Zuo Lengchan's face was pale, clearly indicating that the battle the previous night had significantly depleted his energy.

At this moment, Linghu Chong took the opportunity to observe the leaders of the other three sects. Tianmen of the Taishan Sect was about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, tall and thin, with a ruddy face, a rough appearance, and fierce eyes; at first glance, he looked like an evil Taoist priest. Mo Da of the Hengshan Sect was around forty years old, short, with a pockmarked face, dressed in coarse linen clothes, and always carrying a huqin (a

two-stringed bowed instrument); he looked like an ordinary person, yet he was the leader of the Hengshan Sect, one of the Five Sacred Mountains Sword Sects. Then there was Dingxian of the Hengshan Sect, accompanied by her junior sister Dingyi. Both nuns were in their thirties, and both were very beautiful, practically beauties, though their monastic robes and shaved heads were a slight flaw.

At this moment, the five sect leaders sat upright. Zuo Lengchan raised the teacup on the table beside him and chuckled, "Today, the five sects of the Five Mountains Sword Sects have gathered at Mount Song. It is truly a grand gathering that is rarely seen in a century. Our sect is deeply honored. I, Zuo, am unworthy to offer you all a cup of tea in place of wine!" As he spoke, he picked up the teacup and took a sip. The other four also drank their tea . Zuo Lengchan

continued, "The four of you have come from afar. If our sect has failed in its hospitality, we hope that the four sect leaders will forgive us!"

Tianmen Daoist interjected, "Sect Leader Zuo, we are all fellow martial artists, so there is no need for formalities. What important matter do you have summoned us here to discuss today?"

Zuo Lengchan said, "Tianmen Zhenren is indeed a man of few words. Very well, I, Zuo, will get straight to the point. I, Zuo..." "I invited the four sect leaders here today to discuss how to deal with the Demonic Sect." Zuo Lengchan glanced at the four sect leaders, paused, and continued, "In recent years, the Demonic Sect has been constantly expanding its power, committing evil deeds everywhere in the martial world, and acting with impunity. Some of us chivalrous people have been innocently killed, some have retreated to the mountains to avoid trouble, and some have succumbed to the Demonic Sect's tyranny. And the Demonic Sect is plotting against our Five Mountains Sword Sect!"

Yue Buqun nodded and said, "Ren Woxing is a demon with extraordinary martial arts skills and many talented subordinates. However, if he attacks our Mount Hua Sect, my wife and I swear to live and die with Mount Hua and will never submit."

Zuo Lengchan said, "To be honest, everyone, last night I had a confrontation with a master of the Demonic Sect!"

"What?!"

"Last night?!"

"How is that possible?!"

Everyone present was shocked. The Five Mountains Sect leaders were all here last night, and yet someone from the Demonic Sect came to Mount Song? They were incredibly audacious!

Linghu Chong chuckled, eager to hear Zuo Lengchan's account of last night's events.

Zuo Lengchan continued, "Last night, that man was dressed in black, short in stature. After luring me out, I fought him for hundreds of rounds. This fiend was not only skilled in swordsmanship and palm techniques, fighting me to a draw, but he even unleashed the Demonic Sect's Star-Absorbing Technique!"

"What?! The Star-Absorbing Technique?!" The crowd was astonished. The Star-Absorbing Technique was now considered a terrifying art in the martial arts world, feared by all. For someone to actually use it on Mount Song was truly astonishing.

"Could that fiend be a disciple of that demon Ren Woxing? Senior Brother Zuo, how did you deal with him?" Yue Buqun asked

. Zuo Lengchan sighed, "Last night, I almost perished at his hands. Fortunately, I used the divine skill of my Songshan Sect to defeat him! It was truly a close call!"

The four sect leaders were all astonished. Zuo Lengchan's martial arts had always been hailed as the best among the Five Mountains Sword Sects. Now, even his fight against those members of the Demonic Sect was described as extremely dangerous. And that person wasn't even Ren Woxing. Just how powerful had Ren Woxing's martial arts become?

Linghu Chong sneered, thinking to himself that Zuo Lengchan really knew how to distort the facts!

Zuo Lengchan continued, "The Demonic Sect's power is immense; no sect in the martial world can stand against it. If our Five Mountains Sword Sects can unite as one, work together, and trust that this demon, Ren Woxing, might not dare to act rashly."

Abbess Dingxian asked, "What does Sect Leader Zuo mean...?"

"To be honest," Zuo Lengchan said, "I invited you four sect leaders here today to discuss the matter of an alliance among the Five Mountains Sword Sects." As soon as Zuo Lengchan finished speaking, the other four sect leaders were filled with astonishment.

Although the Five Mountains Sects could not compare to major sects like Shaolin and Wudang in the martial world, they each carried their own centuries-old traditions. Previously, while the sects helped each other, it was only within the bounds of reason and morality. Zuo Lengchan's sudden proposal for an alliance was completely unexpected by the sect leaders. If an alliance were to be formed, it would inevitably require electing a leader, something none of them could accept. Each of them usually led their own sect and was not accustomed to taking orders from anyone else. Furthermore, Zuo Lengchan had always been ambitious; forming an alliance with him would be like seeking a tiger's skin. Who knew what strange proposals he might make next after agreeing to this?

Zuo Lengchan continued, "Our Five Mountains Sword Sects have always helped and supported each other. If we could form an alliance, I believe the Demonic Sect would no longer dare to encroach upon and persecute our Five Mountains Sword Sects."

Yue Buqun said, "That's true, but our Five Mountains Sword Sects have different martial arts styles and religious beliefs. If we were to form an alliance rashly, I'm afraid..."

Tianmen Daoist nodded and said, "Sect Leader Yue is right. Moreover, once the alliance is formed, we must choose a person of high moral character, superb martial arts skills, and popular support to serve as the alliance leader. Please forgive my boldness, but even our Five Mountains Sword Sect may not have a suitable candidate, let alone our Mount Tai Sect."

Zuo Lengchan clenched his fist and said, "Choosing a virtuous and capable person is indeed not an easy task. However, with a formidable enemy at hand, if we do not act decisively, we will be at their mercy if the Demonic Sect attacks in the future. Hmph, it will be too late to regret it then!"

"Amitabha. My Hengshan sect in the North only knows how to chant scriptures and worship Buddha, and has never cared about grudges in the martial world. Besides, I don't offend others, so why should others offend me? This humble nun believes that the Demonic Sect might not

dare to attack our sect." Yue Buqun nodded and said, "Our Five Mountains Sword Sects have always been united against common enemies. If the Demonic Sect really dares to attack, even if we have no alliance, our Huashan Sect will definitely rush to our aid without hesitation."

Tianmen Daoren said, "That's right, so whether we form an alliance or not makes no difference."

Zuo Lengchan paused, then turned to Mo Da, the Nanyue Sect Leader who had not spoken until now, and asked, "Sect Leader Mo, what do you think?"

Mo Da was an old hand, and at this moment he chuckled and said, "Our Nanyue Hengshan sect is of low status, how dare we make decisions arbitrarily? The opinions of the four sect leaders present are my opinion."

Zuo Lengchan took in the expressions of those present, then chuckled and said, "Since that's the case, I have nothing more to say. Let's not talk about the alliance for now."

※※※

Chapter 009 Battle at Fengchan Platform (Part 2)

No sooner had Zuo Lengchan finished speaking than a series of explosions rang out, followed by a group of people dressed in black trousers and tight-fitting clothes suddenly emerging from all sides. The five sect leaders and their fellow disciples quickly grabbed their disciples and flew up, gathering on a large rock to survey their surroundings. Just then, a brocade banner appeared from behind them. It was black with a red border, and in the center was a large white sun. In the middle of the sun was a red crescent moon, which shone brightly against the white sun.

Daoist Tianmen looked at the person standing on top of the banner and exclaimed in surprise, "Ah... Ren Woxing!" Everyone was shocked and their gazes followed the banner to the top. There stood a person, none other than Ren Woxing, the leader of the Sun Moon Sect of the Demonic Cult. Below him stood two people whose faces and attire suggested they were the two messengers of light from the Sun Moon Sect.

Linghu Chong looked at Ren Woxing, who appeared to be around forty years old, handsome, with jet-black hair and a tall stature. He exuded an aura of a ruthless and powerful figure. Linghu Chong couldn't help but secretly admire him, thinking, "This man truly lives up to his title as the number one ruthless hero of the Smiling,

Proud Wanderer; he certainly has some skill." Ren Woxing leaped onto the Fengchan Platform, coldly eyeing the five sect leaders standing on the opposite stone. He laughed loudly, saying, "To trouble the five sect leaders to gather here and devise a plan to deal with me, I am truly honored."

Tianmen Daoren asked, "Ren Woxing, what is your purpose in bringing so many men to Mount Song?"

Ren Woxing replied, "I saw that it's rare for the five sect leaders to gather together, so I specially traveled a great distance to experience the exquisite swordsmanship of the Five Mountains Sword Sects."

Zuo Lengchan said, "Sect Leader Ren, with so many of you able to ascend the Fengchan Platform, the Mount Song disciples responsible for guarding the route are likely already in grave danger. " "Too few."

Standing below Ren Woxing, Xiang Wentian laughed loudly, "Left Sect Leader, you can rest assured. Although your disciples were ungrateful and prevented our sect leader from going up the mountain, our sect leader is kind-hearted, and all your disciples died very quickly."

Abbess Dingxian said, "Sect Leader Ren, you have indiscriminately killed innocent people, what a sin..."

Ren Woxing said, "Abbess Dingxian's compassion is truly shameful. Today, for Abbess Dingxian's sake, as long as the five sect leaders agree to join my Sun Moon Divine Sect, I will spare the lives of everyone on the Fengchan Platform."

Everyone was furious. Mo Dao said, "Ren Woxing, you also..." "Isn't that a bit too arrogant?"

Ren Woxing looked at Mo Dadao: "I've heard that Master Mo's performance of 'Night Rain on

the Xiao and Xiang Rivers' was truly masterful. My Right Envoy of the Sun Moon Divine Sect is also a skilled musician; you can have a friendly exchange later." Yue Buqun interjected: "Sect Leader Ren, our Five Mountains Sword Sect and your sect have always kept to ourselves. Your sudden intrusion today seems unreasonable."

Ren Woxing laughed: "So, 'keeping to ourselves' is a fine excuse. But what brings the five sect leaders to the Fengchan Terrace on Mount Song today? Am I truly judging you gentlemen by my own petty standards?" Then, his gaze shifted, and he said coldly... Dao Dao said, "In short, those who obey me live, those who defy me die. The life and death of the Five Mountains Sword Sects rests on the decision of our five leaders."

The crowd glanced around. Of the Five Mountains Sword Sects present on Mount Hua today, the Songshan Sect had the most members, totaling nearly five hundred. However, the Demonic Sect had come prepared; its Black-Clad Cult members, along with elders and experts, numbered nearly a thousand. While Mount Taishi wasn't far from Shaolin's Shaoshi Mountain, it wasn't close either. Moreover, even if Abbot Fangzheng had gathered his experts in such a hasty manner, he might not have gained the upper hand. Therefore, the situation was indeed extremely dangerous.

Only Linghu Chong seemed indifferent, knowing that the Five Mountains Sword Sects couldn't be destroyed today.

Tianmen said, "Ren Woxing, you clearly used underhanded tactics and bullied the weak today; your victory was utterly dishonorable. What kind of hero are you!"

Ren Woxing laughed and said, "Well said! If I were to kill you all like this, I would be ridiculed by my fellow martial artists. They would say that our Sun Moon Divine Sect bullies the weak and oppresses the strong. Very well, to convince you, I will give you one chance. If any one of you five can defeat my Sun Moon Divine Sect, I will leave the Fengchan Platform immediately."

Zuo Lengchan's eyes flashed, and he said in a deep voice: "Master Ren, since you say it, do you have to do it? Do you really want to fight us one

-on-one?" Before Ren Woxing could speak, Xiang Wentian brandished his broadsword and roared, "You bastard! Our Master always keeps his word. You lot, prepare to die!"

Tianmen snorted coldly and shouted in return, "Fine, let me, Tianmen, deal with you, you fiend, first."

Ren Woxing shook his head and said, "You're not qualified. Left Envoy Xiang, you'll lead the charge for me."

Xiang Wentian replied, "Your subordinate obeys." With that, he drew his sword and jumped into the arena. Seeing this, Tianmen also flew into the arena and engaged Xiang Wentian and Xiang Wentian in battle.

Linghu Chong watched as Tianmen and Xiang Wentian clashed. After only a few moves, he secretly shook his head. The Mount Tai sword technique was indeed exquisite, but Tianmen was rigid and inflexible, unable to apply it flexibly. Xiang Wentian, on the other hand, moved with effortless grace, not bound by fixed forms. Moreover, Tianmen's internal energy was far inferior to Xiang Wentian's. He feared Tianmen would be defeated in no more than fifty moves.

Sure enough, after forty-eight moves, Xiang Wentian kicked Tianmen to the ground. He then coldly said, "Excuse me," and retreated to his original position.

Seeing their leader defeated, the Mount Tai disciples rushed forward to help Tianmen back to their camp. The remaining four, witnessing this, thought to themselves that if even a mere Bright Messenger was so powerful, one could only imagine the strength of Ren Woxing's martial arts. It seemed a fierce battle was inevitable today.

Ren Woxing sneered, "Tianmen, I didn't expect your sword to be as valiant as you are—brave but reckless. You've disappointed me greatly.

" The four sect leaders exchanged glances, and Mo Da interjected, "I just heard Sect Leader Ren praise Right Envoy Qu for his mastery of music. I'd like to ask him for his opinion. What does Right Envoy Qu think?"

Qu Yang remained silent, turning his gaze to Ren Woxing. Ren Woxing nodded and said, "Right Envoy Qu, feel free to spar with him."

Qu Yang nodded in agreement. Then, he and Mo Da flew to the center of the arena. One played the zither, the other the erhu, and the two simultaneously used their instruments as weapons, engaging in combat. Then, Mo Da flipped his hand, tossing the erhu high into the air, and then drew a sword from it, continuing his duel with Qu Yang.

At this moment, Master Mo Da was using the "Thirteen Forms of Hengshan Clouds and Mist," a unique sword technique of the Hengshan School. When unleashed, Mo Da's slender longsword seemed to transform into countless invisible sword shadows, enveloping Qu Yang.

Although Qu Yang was shrouded in sword light, he skillfully wielded a zither, creating an impenetrable defense. While Master Mo Da's swordsmanship was exquisite, he couldn't immediately overcome him.

Linghu Chong, observing Mo Da's swordsmanship, was impressed by the exquisite moves, but Mo Da's swordsmanship was also fluid and lightning-fast, completely different from the rigid and inflexible Tianmen technique. He had grasped the true essence of the Hengshan School's swordsmanship and couldn't help but secretly admire Mo Da, who truly deserved his reputation as a master in *The Smiling, Proud Wanderer*.

However, Qu Yang's demonic martial arts were also incredibly fast and unpredictable, resulting in a temporary stalemate between the two.

Ren Woxing gazed at the battlefield, pacing back and forth a few times, and said with a cold laugh, "Mo Da, Mo Da, whatever sorrows you have, so many years have passed. You still keep playing this 'Night Rain on the Xiao and

Xiang Rivers,' wallowing in self-pity. Isn't that a bit too pedantic?" Mo Da was also secretly alarmed. This Right Envoy of Music was indeed no ordinary person. He had already drawn his sword, yet the person opposite him still held a zither, fighting him without being at a disadvantage.

The surrounding people were also watching the battle intently. Suddenly, a few tinkling sounds were heard from the zither, and then the strings that were originally inlaid on the zither seemed to come alive, instantly turning into fine threads that flew towards Mo Da. Everyone watched with trepidation, and Mo Da himself was also trembling with fear. Generally speaking, those who use musical instruments as weapons are limited by the shape and material of the weapon in battle, making it difficult to fully utilize their skills. Just like Mo Da himself, he merely concealed a sword within his weapon, using it unexpectedly to gain the upper hand in battle. But Qu Yang, now fighting him, seemed to have no such limitations. He appeared to be one with the zither, his masterful musical skills forcing Mo Da into a retreating position. Qu Yang also interspersed his attacks with music, severely depleting and affecting Mo Da's internal energy and mental state.

Linghu Chong, watching, couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Qu Yang truly lived up to his title of Right Envoy of Light; this skill, using musical strings as weapons, was indeed profound. He had heard in his previous life that Huang Zhonggong from *The Smiling, Proud Wanderer* possessed similar martial arts, but he wondered how it compared to Qu Yang.

Sure enough, not long after, Mo Da was also knocked to the ground by Qu Yang. Hengshan disciples stepped forward and helped Mo Da up.

Once Mo Da stood still, he cupped his hands towards Qu Yang and his group, saying, "Mo Da concedes defeat."

Qu Yang smiled slightly and said, "Qu is a product of the heart. Mr. Mo Da was defeated by his own hand. It has nothing to do with Qu Yang!" Mo Da shook his head and returned to his own camp.

※※※

Chapter 010 Battle at Fengchan Platform (Part 2)

Ren Woxing turned to look at the Hengshan Sect leader and said, "Dingxian, you are devoted to Buddhism and have no killing intent whatsoever. You are definitely no match for me." Dingxian

calmly said, "In terms of martial arts, this humble nun is ashamed to admit defeat. However, if Benefactor Ren insists on going his own way and wants to be an enemy of the Five Mountains Sword Sect, this humble nun will have no choice but to risk her life to accompany you!"

Ren Woxing chuckled and said, "It's just a pity that I, Ren, do not like to fight with women." After saying that, he turned his gaze to Yue Buqun beside him.

Yue Buqun and Ding Xian exchanged a glance, and Yue Buqun said coldly, "Since that's the case, I, Yue, will first experience the unparalleled martial arts of Master Ren."

Ren Woxing chimed in, "Very well, back in the day, I had some connection with Feng Qingyang of your Huashan Sect. I'm also very interested to see if his successor's Huashan swordsmanship surpasses his master's!"

Yue Buqun said, "Please forgive my presumption."

Linghu Chong lowered his head at this moment, thinking that if Yue Buqun had cultivated the Evil-Slaying Sword Technique, he would definitely be able to fight Ren Woxing. However, at this moment, Yue Buqun's skill was not even enough to defeat Xiang Wentian, let alone Ren Woxing.

Ren Woxing drew his longsword, and the two leaped into the arena to engage in a fierce battle. Yue Buqun was now fully focused, his Huashan swordsmanship combined with the Zixia Divine Skill, the blade of which faintly shone with purple light. Every move was exquisite, and he showed no mercy in his attacks on Ren Woxing. In contrast, Ren Woxing's swordsmanship was simple and unadorned, with uncomplicated moves, but every time he unleashed a strike, a violent gust of wind would whistle through the air, and the surrounding ground would be whipped up by Ren Woxing's sword, raising clouds of dust. This demonstrated the power of Ren Woxing's swordsmanship.

The other three leaders of the Five Mountains Sword Sect secretly admired Ren Woxing's martial arts skills. Only Zuo Lengchan frowned, because he saw that Ren Woxing's swordsmanship was powerful, but it was far inferior to the exquisite swordsmanship used by the black-clad man he had fought the night before. If that man was really Ren Woxing's disciple, then Ren Woxing should be able to use that magical swordsmanship. If he used it now, Yue Buqun would definitely be defeated. Zuo Lengchan wondered if Ren Woxing was intentionally playing cat and mouse, teasing Yue Buqun until he had enough before using his ultimate move?

However, Ren Woxing did not use the swordsmanship that Zuo Lengchan had seen the night before. The two exchanged more than fifty moves. At this time, Ren Woxing changed his moves and used a set of swordsmanship with more ancient and powerful moves. At the same time, his internal strength far exceeded Yue Buqun's. At this time, Yue Buqun was forced to defend. Everyone present could see that Yue Buqun would be defeated in less than ten moves.

Sure enough, the next moment, Ren Woxing and Yue Buqun's swords clashed. Yue Buqun's sword was instantly shattered by Ren Woxing's, leaving him powerless to resist. Ren Woxing kicked Yue Buqun to the ground.

After the battle was decided, Ren Woxing snorted at the fallen Huashan sect leader, saying, "Yue Buqun, you have the exquisite Huashan swordsmanship, yet you don't practice it properly. Instead, you insist on practicing that Zixia Divine Skill. You are too ungrateful!"

Yue Buqun glared angrily at Ren Woxing, slowly stood up, and stared silently at the broken sword in his hand. Then, he angrily threw it to the ground and turned back to the other sect leaders.

Ning Zhongze looked quite sad at this moment, but she was helpless and could only step forward to help Yue Buqun up.

Linghu Chong glared fiercely at Ren Woxing, thinking that this devil would stir up trouble in the martial arts world in the future. He didn't care if Ren Woxing killed Zuo Lengchan and Yue Buqun, but if he wanted to destroy the Huashan Sect and make his master's wife sad, that would be unacceptable.

Ren Woxing coldly observed everything. After the sect leader Yue left with his wife, he turned his gaze to the Songshan sect leader who had not yet entered the fray.

"Zuo Lengchan, I've heard that you're the most skilled martial artist among the Five Mountains Sword Sect recently. I hope you won't disappoint me."

Zuo Lengchan smiled and said, "For the sake of the Five Mountains Sword Sect's survival, I have no choice but to accompany you to the end."

Ren Woxing said, "Then draw your sword!"

Zuo Lengchan raised his sword and slowly said, "Speaking of swordsmanship, several of my comrades have been defeated by you, Master Ren, and you two, Left and Right Envoys. How could I dare to repeat the same mistake and compete with you, Master Ren, in swordsmanship?"

Ren Woxing was taken aback and said, "Not swordsmanship? Then what do you want to compete in?"

Zuo Lengchan clasped his hands and said, "Please forgive my boldness, but I would like to compete with you, Master Ren, in fist and internal strength."

"Compete in fist and internal strength?" Zuo Lengchan's words greatly surprised Ren Woxing. He dominated the martial arts world with the Star Absorbing Technique, and this guy actually wanted to compete with him in internal strength. While surprised, he also secretly admired this person. Then he chuckled and said, "You've got guts. Well then, I'll grant your wish."

As Zuo Lengchan flew into the arena empty-handed, the two truly began to fight.

This battle was a matter of life and death for the Five Mountains Sword Sect, so Zuo Lengchan dared not be negligent. He unleashed the full power of his Great Songyang Divine Palm, each move displaying incredible skill and immense power. Ren Woxing, on the other hand, was using the Demonic Sect's ultimate technique, the "Thirteen Dragon and Tiger Palms," each strike wielding immense force. In comparison, while Zuo Lengchan's Great Songyang Divine Palm was complex in its moves, it was far inferior in terms of the raw power of his internal energy. Furthermore, Zuo Lengchan had some of his internal energy absorbed by Linghu Chong the previous night, and although he had meditated and practiced afterward, he had only recovered about 80% of his power. Now, facing Ren Woxing, he had already gradually fallen into a disadvantageous position after at least forty moves. Ren Woxing

, having fought fiercely for a long time, was overjoyed to see Zuo Lengchan gradually losing ground. He was about to unleash his internal energy to amplify the power of his palm strikes and quickly eliminate Zuo Lengchan, this major threat.

Unexpectedly, Ren Woxing suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest, and a large amount of internal energy was surging erratically in his Yuzhen acupoint at the back of his head, making it impossible for him to gather his internal energy.

Ren Woxing was greatly alarmed, realizing that his "Star Absorbing Technique" harbored a great hidden danger, like a malignant tumor clinging to his bone. He constantly used the "Star Absorbing Technique" to absorb the power of his opponents, but since his opponents belonged to different sects and possessed different skills, the various mixed styles of internal energy absorbed into him could not be integrated and used for his own purposes, often causing unexpected attacks. He himself possessed very strong internal energy, and upon sensing the interference of other schools' internal energy, he could immediately suppress it, never encountering any danger before. However, this time his opponent was an extremely powerful master, and the fierce battle had greatly depleted his internal energy, correspondingly weakening the ability to suppress the internal energy of other schools within him. With a formidable enemy at hand, he faced both external troubles and internal worries, inevitably ending up in a sorry state.

Knowing he could no longer fight, Ren Woxing immediately forced Zuo Lengchan back with a palm strike, then retreated, saying, "Sect Leader Zuo's internal strength is indeed extraordinary."

Zuo Lengchan's face darkened, and after catching his breath, he said, "Sect Leader Ren's profound martial arts have broadened my horizons."

Ren Woxing paused, then said coldly, "Since today is the auspicious day for your Five Mountains Sword Sect to discuss an alliance, I will give you one more chance. After you form an alliance, I will wipe you all out in one fell swoop. Don't blame me for being ruthless then."

Zuo Lengchan's defeat was inevitable, and he was naturally delighted that Ren Woxing was willing to stop fighting, so he quickly said, "Alright, our Five Mountains Sword Sect will certainly wait for you."

Ren Woxing glanced around expressionlessly, then said to the surrounding followers, "Let's go." After saying that, he led his group of demonic sect members away.

※※※

Inside a large hall of the Songshan Sect, all the sect leaders were seated.

Master Dingyi snorted coldly, saying, "Letting that fiend Ren Woxing swagger around like that, it just makes me angrier."

Dingxian sighed softly, kindly advising, "Junior Sister Dingyi, a nun must guard against anger. You'll only make yourself a laughingstock among the sect leaders."

Tianmen sighed as well, saying, "Senior Sister Dingyi is absolutely right. Today on the Sealing Platform, several of us were defeated by the Demonic Sect. If this gets out, our Five Mountains Sword Sect will truly lose face."

Zuo Lengchan waved his hand, saying, "Victory and defeat are common in war. Today's battle is not enough to judge heroes. What I'm worried about is that fiend Ren Woxing will eventually make a comeback."

Tianmen Nodding, he said, "Yes, it seems that the alliance of our Five Mountains Sword Sects is indeed urgent."

Zuo Lengchan said, "That's right, when the Five Mountains are of one mind, their strength can break metal. As long as our five sects form an alliance, and everyone is of one mind, I believe the Demonic Sect will also be wary of us."

Ding Xian also nodded and said, "Sect Leader Zuo is right. Mr. Mo, what do you think?"

Mo Da said, "If the sect leaders agree to the alliance, I will naturally follow everyone's opinion."

Zuo Lengchan's face showed a hint of joy, then he looked at Yue Buqun of Mount Hua, who had not yet expressed his opinion, and asked, "Sect Leader Yue, what is your opinion?"

Yue Buqun looked around and said, "In the face of a powerful enemy, for... " Seeking self-preservation, forming an alliance seems inevitable. However, after forming an alliance, a highly respected person must be chosen as the leader. I believe this…”

Zuo Lengchan interjected, “Indeed, the election of the leader concerns the life and death of our Five Mountains Sword Sect; we must proceed with extreme caution.”

Tianmen said, “Speaking of the leader's position, among those present, besides you, Master Zuo, who else is qualified?”

Zuo Lengchan said, “You want me to be the leader? Heh, Master Tianmen, you flatter me too much.”

Abbess Dingxian said, “Master Zuo, you are too modest. On the Sealing Platform, only you could fight Ren Woxing to a draw. I believe everyone would agree that Master Zuo should be the leader.” "I object. Mr. Mo, Sect Leader Yue, don't you agree?"

Mo Da said, "I am not talented, but I will accept whoever is the leader of the alliance."

Yue Buqun naturally did not want Zuo Lengchan to be the leader, but since the other three sect leaders agreed, he dared not object and could only say, "Since everyone agrees, I, Yue, will certainly not object."

It is true that everything is subject to change. Before Ren Woxing appeared, the leaders of each sect treated the Demonic Sect with the mentality of "each minding their own business." After the battle at Fengchan Terrace, the leaders of the various sects were surprisingly united in their previous dissatisfaction and opposition to forming an alliance.

After listening to Yue Buqun's opinion, Tianmen said, "Alright, alright... Since everyone agrees, Sect Leader Zuo, the position of Alliance Leader is rightfully yours."

Zuo Lengchan laughed heartily, "I am honored by the sect leaders' support, and I will gladly accept the position. From this day forward, our Five Mountains Sword Sects will be like one family, united in our hatred of the enemy and bound together by a common spirit."

Tianmen continued, "Yes, we will all be united! Let us fight against the Demonic Sect together!"

※※※

Chapter 011 Dongfang Bubai

On the official road leading to Hebei, Linghu Chong, a mere thirteen-year-old boy, was riding a tall horse.

Ten days had passed since the Songshan Conference. After the conference, Linghu Chong secretly left the Huashan Sect's group that very night, riding alone. He felt his internal energy was not strong enough and needed to absorb the internal energy of some masters. Coincidentally, Linghu Chong also remembered that there was a power struggle taking place on Blackwood Cliff, so he planned to join in the fun and absorb more internal energy from masters, which would be good.

As for whether Yue Buqun and his wife would worry about him, Linghu Chong didn't care much.

That day, Linghu Chong arrived at the location of Blackwood Cliff—Pingding Prefecture!

Upon arriving, Linghu Chong learned from some locals that the Sun Moon Sect was practically the emperor in Hebei, and that eight or nine out of ten local officials were supposedly connected to the Sun Moon Sect, some even being direct members. However, the Sun Moon Sect didn't usually bully ordinary people, so the common folk weren't particularly hostile towards the sect.

After gathering this information, Linghu Chong thought it best to meet some of the Sun Moon Sect's masters and see how skilled they were. However, Blackwood Cliff was heavily guarded and filled with many experts; if he went up, he might not be able to come down again. He needed to find a way to lure some masters down. If he could bring down Dongfang Bubai, who was known as the greatest martial artist in the world, even if he didn't drain his internal energy completely, he could at least absorb four or five tenths of it to replenish his strength!

※※※

Half a month later,

inside the Sun Moon Sect's main hall.

At this moment, Ren Woxing stared grimly at the dozens of Sun Moon Cult members lying on the ground. They were all pale-faced and weak, looking sickly and not at all like martial artists.

Since returning from Mount Song, Ren Woxing had realized that his Star Absorbing Technique contained a great hidden danger. Therefore, he immediately went into seclusion to practice, hoping to find a way to resolve the foreign true energy in his body.

Now, the Dragon Boat Festival feast of the Sun Moon Sect is fast approaching. The Sun Moon Sect worships the God of Fire, so the Dragon Boat Festival is a time for grand celebration every year. Ren Woxing originally wanted to relax, but at this moment, something unexpected happened that shocked him greatly.

It turned out that in the past three days, several groups of disciples from the Sun Moon Sect who went down the mountain to patrol and gather information had been attacked by a mysterious black-clad master. However, none of them were killed; instead, they were defeated, their acupoints were sealed, and then their internal energy was drained by the master using the "Star Absorbing Technique." Including this latest group, this is the tenth group. A total of seventy or eighty members of the Sun Moon Sect have had their internal energy drained. If it were just ordinary disciples, that would be one thing, but the problem is that recently, several elders heard about this incident and personally went down the mountain to find the culprit. However, they also did not escape the fate of having their internal energy drained. These elders were all top-tier martial artists in the Sun Moon Sect, each comparable to figures like Tianmen. Their internal energy had been drained, causing a shockwave throughout the sect.

Furthermore, rumors were spreading within the sect that the current leader, Ren Woxing, was responsible, intending to eliminate his loyal followers after they were no longer useful. This rumor spread rapidly within the sect. While many members didn't believe Ren Woxing would be so ruthless, the Star Absorbing Technique was his unique skill, and since he had no disciples, it was impossible for anyone else to possess it. Therefore, many, including elders and leaders, believed the rumor and remained on guard, fearing Ren Woxing might target them. Given the

potential for internal strife within the sect, Ren Woxing had no choice but to emerge from seclusion early to deal with the situation.

At this moment, Ren Woxing examined the two followers' physical condition and was greatly astonished. Both had indeed had all their internal energy drained, rendering them useless. In this world, apart from his own Star Absorbing Technique, there was absolutely no other martial art capable of causing this. However, the Star Absorbing Technique was a closely guarded secret; who could possibly use it against his subordinates?

Ren Woxing's expression was uncertain. Standing beside him was a beautiful young woman in her early twenties, his wife, Xue Xin. Ten years ago, Xue Xin was a low-ranking female follower in the Sun Moon Sect. She only became his wife after Ren Woxing took a liking to her. Xue Xin's daughter was none other than Ren Yingying, the future heroine of *The Smiling, Proud Wanderer*.

Seeing Ren Woxing's state, Xue Xin wanted to say something, but knew she shouldn't speak at this time, so she simply stood aside.

Three other people stood beside Ren Woxing. Two of them were Xiang Wentian and Qu Yang, the two envoys of the Brightness Sect.

The third was a handsome man dressed in white, holding a folding fan. This man was incredibly handsome, appearing to be only around twenty years old. His skin was fair and delicate, and his features exquisite. If he weren't dressed as a man, most people would mistake him for a woman. This man was none other than the current Vice Leader of the Sun Moon Sect—Dongfang Bubai.

No one knew Dongfang Bubai's origins. All that was known was that fifteen years ago, during the reign of the previous leader of the Demonic Sect, Ren Haifeng, the father of Ren Woxing, a beautiful nine-year-old boy was suddenly brought back and taken as his disciple, personally teaching him martial arts. This boy was Dongfang Bubai.

At that time, Dongfang Bubai wasn't called Dongfang Bubai, but Dongfang Bai. Dongfang Bai's talent for martial arts was practically freakish. In just five years, he had become invincible within the Sun Moon Sect, even surpassing Xiang Wentian and Qu Yang. Only Ren Woxing, the only member of the entire Sun Moon Sect, could fight him to a draw.

Ten years ago, Ren Haifeng passed away, and Ren Woxing succeeded him as the leader of the Sun Moon Sect. On the day of his coronation, he personally bestowed the name Dongfang Bai upon him, and appointed him as the Right Envoy of Light of the sect. Five years later, he was promoted to Vice Leader. At that time, he was only nineteen years old, making him arguably the youngest Vice Leader of the Sun Moon Sect. In fact, Dongfang Bai, also known as Dongfang Bubai, was very likely the next leader!

And Dongfang Bubai indeed lived up to expectations, conquering the martial world for the Sun Moon Sect. In just a few years, he faced countless masters without ever suffering a defeat. Therefore, the martial world even considered Dongfang Bubai to be the number one martial artist in the world!

(The appearance of Dugu Qiubai in *The Smiling, Proud Wanderer* is too far-fetched; changing him to Ren Woxing's father here makes more sense.)

※※※

Chapter 012 Encounter

At this moment, Xiang Wentian glanced at Dongfang Bubai and stepped forward, saying, "Master, this matter must be someone deliberately targeting our Sun Moon Divine Cult. Now we have lost so many disciples and five elders. If we don't find the culprit as soon as possible, I'm afraid some treacherous individuals in the cult will deliberately cause trouble." As he spoke, Xiang Wentian glanced at Dongfang Bubai intentionally or unintentionally.

Dongfang Bubai didn't even glance at Xiang Wentian, and said to Ren Woxing with a calm expression, "Master, I also believe this matter should be dealt with as soon as possible! We must catch this murderer quickly to apprehend the brothers of my Sun Moon Sect who have lost their inner strength!"

"Yes, yes, Brother Dongfang is right!" Ren Woxing nodded and said, "This villain has injured so many brothers of my Sun Moon Sect. I will not be able to quell my hatred until he is torn to pieces! But Brother Dongfang, do you have any good plans?"

Dongfang Bubai smiled slightly and said, "What good plans do I have? I do have a few crude ideas, but I'm afraid I'll make you laugh, Master!"

Ren Woxing laughed and said, "All the brothers here are family. Brother Dongfang, please speak freely!"

"Very well, then I shall speak!" Dongfang Bubai said slowly. "I believe this person and our sect are currently in a situation where we are in the open while he is in the shadows! Moreover, since this thief is proficient in the Star Absorbing Skill, his martial arts are likely extremely powerful! And within our sect, only the leader is proficient in this Star Absorbing Skill. Therefore, I suggest that the leader withdraw all the sentries patrolling the foot of the mountain today, and gather dozens of skilled fighters from our Sun Moon Divine Sect, disguising them as a patrol team. If this person doesn't show himself, fine; but if he does, with the leader's divine skills, coupled with dozens of elders, we can surely capture him with ease!"

Ren Woxing hesitated for a moment upon hearing this, about to speak... Xiang Wentian had already said, "This plan is excellent, but Master, I think it's unnecessary to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Why must you go yourself? As long as I, Right Envoy Qu, and the Vice Master lead a few dozen experts, I think that will be enough to deal with this villain! Master is currently in seclusion, so there's no need for you to take action personally!"

Upon hearing this, Dongfang Bubai's expression turned cold. Just as he was about to speak, Ren Woxing nodded and said, "Brother Xiang is right! Very well then! Brother Dongfang, Brother Xiang, Brother Qu, I order you to immediately lead twenty experts from the Azure Dragon Hall and White Tiger Hall down the mountain. We must capture this villain alive. I will personally rip out his heart in front of all the brothers!"

"Your subordinates obey!" Dongfang Bubai and the other two bowed. As Dongfang Bubai lowered his head, his expression turned cold, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

Linghu

Chong had been having a wonderful time for the past two weeks, absorbing the internal energy of dozens of people, including several elders of the Sun Moon Cult. His internal energy had surged dramatically, his Northern Darkness True Qi was incredibly powerful, and he had mastered the Six Yang Palms of Tianshan, the Plum Blossom Hand of Tianshan, the Great Shift of the Universe, the Six Meridians

Divine Sword, and the Life and Death Talisman. Now, his martial arts were arguably unparalleled! Although his internal energy was abundant, Linghu Chong was still eager to meet the masters of Blackwood Cliff as soon as possible, so he continued to absorb the internal energy of the Sun Moon Cult members, hoping that Blackwood Cliff would send down experts to deal with him.

Today, Linghu Chong vaguely sensed that the Sun Moon Cult might be making a move! Because he hadn't encountered a single member of the Sun Moon Cult despite being masked, Linghu Chong felt that the Sun Moon Cult was probably shaken by his provocation, and that the experts from Blackwood Cliff would likely arrive soon.

Linghu Chong was overjoyed; being able to practice against these experts would be very rewarding!

At

this moment, Linghu Chong was at the foot of a mountain near Blackwood Cliff, roasting a wild boar he had just hunted, preparing to have a big meal.

Just then, Linghu Chong suddenly heard what sounded like heavy footsteps approaching from not far away. Startled, he quickly took out his black mask and put it on, then picked up his longsword and stood up.

He saw a group of people rounding a hillside in the distance, all dressed in black with sun and moon patterns embroidered on their clothes. Judging from their movements, Linghu Chong realized they were all skilled in martial arts and was overjoyed. He immediately stepped forward, sword in hand, and blocked the road, shouting, "Halt!"

The group was none other than Dongfang Bubai and his companions. They had just descended the mountain to search for the murderer, never expecting to encounter Linghu Chong here.

Dongfang Bubai and the others were startled to see Linghu Chong blocking their path. They had brought a disciple whose internal energy had been drained on a stretcher to identify him. At this moment, upon seeing Linghu Chong, the man immediately cried out, "Vice Leader, Vice Leader! It's him! He's the thief! He's the thief!"

Dongfang Bubai, Qu Yang, and Xiang Wentian were all present. Xiang Wentian and Qu Yang were overjoyed to hear that this was the mysterious master, while Dongfang Bubai's face darkened. He slowly stepped out from the crowd, holding a folding fan with black ribs and a pure white surface, called the Qiankun Fan. The fan ribs were made of thousand-year-old cold iron, and the surface was crafted from the finest celestial silkworm silk, making it an impenetrable weapon.

Linghu Chong sized up Dongfang Bubai. He didn't recognize him, but two words immediately came to mind—"Peerless Beauty."

He used the word "peerless beauty" because this man truly deserved it. With

delicate willow-leaf eyebrows, phoenix eyes, lips like crimson dots, and eyes like morning stars, he held a white folding fan, standing there like a willow swaying in the breeze, exuding an indescribable handsome charm.

Linghu Chong had never seen Song Yu or Pan An, but he estimated that even those two young men were no match for the stunningly handsome man before him. Moreover, this man's movements were light and his breathing soft and steady, indicating extremely high internal strength. Linghu Chong couldn't help but frown inwardly, wondering who possessed such skill at such a young age?

Dongfang Bubai looked at the masked Linghu Chong and slowly said, "You have offended our Sun Moon Divine Sect without cause. We have come to demand an explanation. A true man acts with integrity; why not reveal your true face?"

Hearing his clear voice, Linghu Chong inwardly cursed the freak, thinking how such a handsome appearance was a waste.

Linghu Chong then smiled and said, "I am merely an unknown figure in the martial world. I have only recently mastered your sect's Star Absorbing Technique, and that's why I've come to test your skills. As for my true face… there's no need to reveal it!"

※※※

Chapter 013 She's Actually a Woman!

Everyone was immediately taken aback, including Dongfang Bubai. They paid no heed to Linghu Chong's rudeness; what concerned them most was Linghu Chong's claim of mastering the Star Absorbing Skill. This was enough to alarm Dongfang Bubai and the others.

At this moment, Xiang Wentian and Qu Yang stepped forward, scrutinizing Linghu Chong. They both thought, "Although we can't see his face clearly, he's short and speaks in a very childish voice. He must be quite young. How could he have learned such powerful martial arts?"

Thinking this, Xiang Wentian stepped forward and shouted, "Hey kid, who are you?! Why are you stealing my Divine Sect's Star Absorbing Skill?!"

Upon seeing Xiang Wentian and Qu Yang, Linghu Chong was both surprised and delighted. He thought that even if he couldn't fully acquire their skills for the sake of the plot, he should at least absorb some for his own use.

Furthermore, upon seeing these two, Linghu Chong immediately connected the dots and realized the true identity of this incomparably handsome man. He couldn't help but think to himself, "I never imagined that the number one 'demon' in Jin Yong's novels would be so handsome!"

Linghu Chong chuckled and said, "So it's King Xiang and Right Envoy Qu here. I suppose this 'demon' comrade must be Vice Leader Dongfang! My apologies for my rudeness. Today, having absorbed all your power, my own power must have greatly increased!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was enraged, especially Dongfang Bubai. Hearing the term "demon," although he didn't understand its meaning, he knew that anything with the word "demon" couldn't be good, and his face turned pale with anger.

However, the first to step forward was Xiang Wentian. Xiang Wentian roared, brandishing his broadsword, and shouted, "You brat! Such arrogance! Let me, Xiang Wentian, have a go at you first!" With that, Xiang Wentian swung his broadsword, unleashing a fierce "Mountain-Pulling and World-Covering" sword technique, slashing towards Linghu Chong.

Xiang Wentian is now considered the third-ranked master of the Sun Moon Sect, and his strike was incredibly powerful. However, Linghu Chong, having mastered the Dugu Nine Swords, immediately saw the flaw in Xiang Wentian's sword technique. If he were to attack with the Dugu Nine Swords, he would surely force Xiang Wentian back. But Linghu Chong didn't use the Dugu Nine Swords. Instead, he planted his longsword in the ground, swung his hands, and immediately unleashed the Six Meridians Divine Sword. Six invisible sword energies shot from his fingers, and with a loud "clang," Xiang Wentian's broadsword snapped in two.

Everyone was stunned. Even Dongfang Bubai was shocked. This person could actually cut through an opponent's weapon from a distance! Such skill had only been heard of in legends, but this was the first time he had witnessed it; it was truly unbelievable.

At this moment, Linghu Chong was also intent on testing the power of the Six Meridians Divine Sword. He used only the Shaoshang Sword Technique against Xiang Wentian. This sword technique was powerful and vigorous, possessing a force that could shatter the heavens and bring forth a storm. Xiang Wentian, despite his martial arts skills, was like a pistol with unlimited ammunition. At this point, Xiang Wentian couldn't even get close to Linghu Chong, let alone retaliate; he was completely at a disadvantage.

"Brother Xiang, I'm here to help you!" Seeing the situation was dire, Qu Yang quickly grabbed his zither and rushed forward to assist him.

Dongfang Bubai, however, saw through the trick. Linghu Chong's miraculous martial arts relied on invisible sword energy to injure. Even if Qu Yang went forward, he probably wouldn't be able to get close to Linghu Chong. Dongfang Bubai immediately made a decisive move, shouting to his men, "Go forward! Surround this man from all sides and chop him into mincemeat!" Dongfang Bubai's plan relied on numbers. Linghu Chong's Six Meridians Divine Sword was incredibly powerful; no one could get close. Only by surrounding him from all sides could they possibly find an opening in the power of his invisible sword energy and seize the opportunity to strike.

The elders and experts responded, quickly drawing their weapons, shouting, and rushing forward to surround Linghu Chong, charging towards him.

Linghu Chong had already forced Xiang Wentian and Qu Yang back ten steps, preventing them from advancing an inch. They were simultaneously surrounded by the sword energy of Linghu Chong's Six Meridians Divine Sword, unable to escape. Seeing the elders encircling him from all sides, Linghu Chong immediately realized they were using their numbers to prevent his invisible sword energy from attacking so many at once, hoping to find an opening to kill him. He couldn't help but sneer, thinking this must be Dongfang Bubai's idea, but even so, these useless fools could never kill him.

Immediately, Linghu Chong forced Qu Yang and Xiang Wentian back, then, seeing the weapons attacking from all sides, he drew his longsword from the ground and unleashed the eighth move of the Dugu Nine Swords, "Breaking Arrow Style." The longsword struck the eye of the attacking elder with lightning speed.

"Ah!" "Ah!"...

With a dozen screams, the experts of the Sun Moon Sect were instantly blinded by Linghu Chong's Dugu Nine Swords, collapsing to the ground, desperately clutching their bleeding eyeballs and writhing in agony.

Xiang Wentian and the other two were startled. Xiang Wentian blurted out, "Feng Qingyang's Dugu Nine Swords?!"

"Exactly! Dongfang Bubai, you've been watching the show, but it's not so easy!" With that, Linghu Chong dropped his sword and leaped forward. His Six Meridian Divine Sword strike was utterly merciless, unleashing all six meridians simultaneously. In an instant, six invisible sword energies sealed off all of Dongfang Bubai's attacks.

Dongfang Bubai was immediately shocked and tried to defend, but the power of the Six Meridian Divine Sword was simply too great. The invisible sword energies prevented Dongfang Bubai from getting close to Linghu Chong, let alone counterattacking. At this moment, Dongfang Bubai could only use his palms to block the invisible sword energies, but he was already in a sorry state, his clothes torn in several places.

Upon seeing each other, Xiang Wentian and Qu Yang exchanged a glance, both understanding each other's thoughts. This man's martial arts were so high that even if they went forward, they would be no match. There was only one way out: while Linghu Chong was dealing with Dongfang Bubai, they would escape! The two had long resented Dongfang Bubai's killing of meritorious members of the sect. Since they couldn't defeat him, they would flee quickly and let this unknown expert eliminate Dongfang Bubai, thus ridding the sect of a great scourge!

Immediately, Xiang Wentian shouted, "Vice Sect Leader, you hold them off here for a bit. Qu Yang and I will return to Blackwood Cliff to fetch the Sect Leader to assist you!" With that, the two turned and used their lightness skills to quickly depart.

Dongfang Bubai was shocked. Even with his deep-seated cunning, he couldn't help but curse, "Qu Yang! Xiang Wentian! You two bastards! You actually abandoned me! If I don't die, I will avenge this one day!"

Linghu Chong also knew that Xiang Wentian and Qu Yang had escaped, but he didn't stop them. In his opinion, absorbing the internal energy of the dozen or so Sun Moon Sect elders lying on the ground and Dongfang Bubai was enough to greatly increase his power. It was better to subdue Dongfang Bubai first and then absorb some of his internal energy.

Immediately, Linghu Chong's Six Meridian Divine Sword became faster and faster. Dongfang Bubai was now completely powerless to resist, and his outer clothes were almost completely torn apart. Dongfang Bubai couldn't help but cry out in his heart, "My life is over!"

Then, Linghu Chong struck again, and finally, Dongfang Bubai's tattered outer clothes burst open completely, revealing his equally tattered inner garment.

But at this moment, Linghu Chong suddenly stopped, staring at Dongfang Bubai in disbelief. He clearly saw that Dongfang Bubai's exposed undergarment was a small red bodice covering a pair of not-so-large female breasts. Furthermore, judging from her exposed snow-white skin and the absence of a protrusion on her throat, how could this be a man?! Dongfang

Bubai was a complete woman! And a stunning beauty at that!

※※※

Chapter 014 Dongfang Bubai is a D-cup

Linghu Chong, staring at the alluring and beautiful Dongfang Bubai, was completely stunned!

What?! How did the transvestite Dongfang become a beautiful woman? Wasn't Dongfang Bubai a man? How could she be a woman here?! Good heavens! What on earth is going on?! Did Jin Yong make a mistake?!

Seeing her exposed body—her red undergarment and fair skin laid bare before Linghu Chong—Dongfang Bubai was enraged, her face turning pale. Forgetting everything else, she brandished her Qiankun Fan and roared, "You…you've seen my body! I'll fight you to the death today!" With that, Dongfang Bubai charged forward, fan in hand, unleashing a full-force attack on Linghu Chong. Her fighting style was desperate, showing no regard for her own safety; she was determined to fight Linghu Chong to the death.

Seeing Dongfang Bubai's attack, Linghu Chong immediately snapped out of his daze. He thought, "It doesn't matter if she's male or female! I must capture her first!"

In a flash, Linghu Chong spotted an opening in Dongfang Bubai's attack. He formed claws with both hands, unleashing the Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand technique, and with lightning speed, grabbed Dongfang Bubai's wrists and twisted them. Dongfang Bubai cried out, her fan falling to the ground. Linghu Chong then struck her pressure point.

This seemingly simple move actually allowed Linghu Chong to unleash his full martial arts prowess. Furthermore, Dongfang Bubai, enraged, attacked without regard for her own weaknesses, allowing Linghu Chong to strike successfully. Otherwise, given Dongfang Bubai's reputation as the world's greatest martial artist, even if Linghu Chong hadn't used the Six Meridian Divine Sword to fight her, although Dongfang Bubai would ultimately have lost, how could he have been captured in a single move? With her

pressure points sealed by Linghu Chong, Dongfang Bubai, remembering her exposed female identity and being captured by this man, feared she would be humiliated. A surge of anger rose in her chest, and she fainted.

Linghu Chong hadn't expected Dongfang Bubai to faint so easily, and he couldn't help but wonder. However, what Linghu Chong wanted to know most at this moment was whether she was male or female. He wasn't from this era and didn't adhere to any social norms. He immediately untied Dongfang Bubai's hair ribbon, and her cascading long hair fell loose.

As Linghu Chong removed Dongfang Bubai's tattered inner robe and outer trousers, a red bodice and underpants appeared before him. Her curves were alluring, her body radiating a seductive fragrance, and her exposed, fair skin was utterly captivating, tempting one to commit a crime. How could she possibly be a man?

"Tsk tsk tsk, Dongfang Bubai, no, Miss Dongfang, I didn't expect your figure to be so impressive!" Linghu Chong exclaimed in admiration. A closer look revealed a rare and beautiful sight; it was truly a feast for the eyes.

"The only flaw is that your breasts are a little small. Let me check," Linghu Chong said honestly. He then reached out and untied the bodice, casually tossing it aside. To his surprise, he discovered a snow-white silk ribbon binding her breasts, tightly pressing down on them, thus minimizing their protrusion.

Linghu Chong froze for a moment, then quickly untied the ribbon from her chest and threw it as far away as possible.

With her breasts freed, a pair of jade-like peaks stood proudly erect, fully extended, trembling and facing each other against the wind, seemingly arrogantly looking down upon all living beings. Their enormous, round breasts seemed in no way inferior to those of the woman who caused Wang Hao's death in his previous life, yet simultaneously saved the world—the actress who played Cang Laoshi.

Linghu Chong was completely stunned, a surge of lust rising within him. He thought, "Good heavens, these... these jade rabbits are probably at least a D-cup! This... in ancient times, there was no breast augmentation surgery. How could Chinese women have such large breasts? This... this, coupled with such beauty, if they went into the adult film industry in later generations, they would absolutely be a sensation!"

Much later, after gaining a deeper understanding of the mysteries of internal energy cultivation, Linghu Chong realized that all those who cultivate internal energy strengthen their meridians, making them more resilient and robust. Stronger meridians result in a more perfect physique, especially with superior internal energy cultivation; every man can achieve a male model's physique, and every woman a stunning figure. Dongfang Bubai was a prime example.

At this moment, seeing Dongfang Bubai's perfect body, Linghu Chong swallowed hard and reached out his lecherous hand to touch her chest…

But the next moment, Linghu Chong felt as if his acupoints had been struck, rendering him instantly immobile. He was terrified, not knowing what had happened.

Then, he suddenly remembered what Yama, the King of Hell, had said: he couldn't touch women before the age of twenty-four. Could it be… because of this? Immediately, Linghu Chong

silently chanted in his mind that he wouldn't touch women, wouldn't touch women… and instantly, he could move again.

Linghu Chong couldn't help but sigh, "Heavens, isn't this pure mental torture?"

Then, he looked around and saw that the elders of the Sun Moon Cult he had blinded were now holding hands, slowly walking to the corner. Because they were blind, they dared not move quickly; otherwise, they would have been far away by the time Linghu Chong removed Dongfang Bubai's clothes.

Seeing this, Linghu Chong sneered, then leaped forward. He found that they had all been acupunctured, and then he used the Beiming Divine Art to drain their internal energy, then killed them all with a single palm strike!

Having dealt with these people, Linghu Chong felt the large amount of internal energy absorbed from the Sun Moon Cult masters within his body transform into controllable Beiming True Qi in a very short time. His internal energy surged again, and Linghu Chong felt as if he were floating on air, as if he had inexhaustible internal energy. He was overjoyed beyond measure!

At this moment, seeing Dongfang Bubai lying on the ground, almost naked and unconscious, Linghu Chong blushed and quickly put her bodice on. Then he took off the clothes of a cult elder and put them on her, before picking her up and flying away.

He still had many questions for this vice leader of the demonic sect! He wanted to ask this busty beauty, who could be described as having a D-cup, why she disguised herself as a man!

(The fact that Dongfang Bubai has a D-cup is a special setting I made, because Chen Qiaoen also has a D-cup, hehe.)

※※※

05-17
Chapter 015 Forced Kiss and Spanking

Inside a cave near Blackwood Cliff.

At this moment, Linghu Chong helped Dongfang Bubai in, placed his hand on her back, and slowly channeled his internal energy into her body.

After a long while, Dongfang Bubai slowly woke up. Linghu Chong held her in his arms and chuckled, "You're awake?"

Dongfang Bubai slowly woke up and was immediately surprised to find herself lying in Linghu Chong's arms. She tried to use her internal energy to force Linghu Chong away, but when she tried to use her true energy, she found that it seemed to be trapped in her dantian and could not be used. It seemed that Linghu Chong had sealed her major acupoints, blocking her martial arts.

Enraged, Dongfang Bubai broke free from Linghu Chong's embrace. Looking down at her clothes, she nearly fainted from rage. Her clothes were different; Linghu Chong had clearly changed them. Did this mean he had also violated her body? A wave of despair washed over her.

She cried out, "I...I'll fight you, you dog!" With that, she clawed at Linghu Chong, but her martial arts were sealed, leaving her with no internal energy.

Linghu Chong smiled slightly, slowly reaching out to grasp Dongfang Bubai's hand. He pulled her close, lifted his veil, and lowered his head to kiss her lips.

Dongfang Bubai, caught off guard, was stunned and frozen in place. By the time she reacted, her lips had been thoroughly violated by Linghu Chong.

Dongfang Bubai, both anxious and furious, slapped Linghu Chong across the face with her right hand, then forcefully pushed away from his embrace by placing her hands on his chest.

Linghu Chong rubbed his numb left cheek and laughed, "A slap for your first kiss, worth it."

Dongfang Bubai trembled with rage, hiding in a corner and cursing, "Bad guy! Lecher! Vulgar! Pervert! Scoundrel..."

Linghu Chong listened with a smile, arms crossed, not annoyed, but simply admiring her captivating beauty. Gradually, Dongfang Bubai's curses lost their appeal, her voice softened, and her emotions calmed.

At this moment, Linghu Chong rushed forward, pulled her into his arms again, tightened his grip, and kissed her cherry lips once more...

"Slap!" Another slap, followed by another round of melodious curses.

When she was tired of cursing, Linghu Chong rushed forward again, exchanging a slap for a deep kiss.

Another kiss, another slap, another curse.

Another kiss.

...

When Linghu Chong kissed Dongfang Bubai's cherry lips for the fifth time, she didn't resist or scold him. She simply let him kiss her lips calmly. Linghu Chong didn't dare to put his tongue into her mouth, afraid he would bite it off. He only lingered on her full, fruity lips until he was almost out of breath before reluctantly pulling away.

"So sweet. I didn't expect the Vice Leader of the Demonic Sect to be not only a woman, but also have such a delicious mouth!" Linghu Chong smiled.

Dongfang Bubai looked at Linghu Chong with a complicated expression. Her body trembled slightly, and she didn't know what to say. At this moment, she saw Linghu Chong's true face and was secretly surprised. She thought to herself, "This guy looks only thirteen or fourteen years old. How can he have such high martial arts skills?" But when she thought that her first kiss had been taken by a boy more than ten years younger than her, Dongfang Bubai wanted to cry.

"Don't look at me like that. I've seen your body, and I've even taken your first kiss! In our Great Ming Dynasty, according to the rules, once your body has been shown to someone, you're supposed to marry that person!" Linghu Chong looked at Dongfang Bubai mockingly and chuckled.

"I...I can't possibly marry you!" Dongfang Bubai said. "I am the Vice Leader of the Divine Sect, and I must dedicate myself to the sect, to build an everlasting dynasty. How could I revert to my female identity and marry someone?! Today...today you've learned my true gender, and...and you've humiliated me like this. I advise you to kill me now, or I will tear you to pieces in the future!"

"Oh, I see. I didn't expect you to be so disobedient! Looks like I need to teach you a lesson!" Linghu Chong chuckled lewdly at Dongfang Bubai.

Seeing the lecherous glint in Linghu Chong's eyes, Dongfang Bubai was startled and stammered, "You... what do you want to do?! Don't do anything rash! You... you... raping women is despised by the martial arts world. If you're still a hero, you should kill me immediately. If you dare to insult me, I'll haunt you even as a ghost!"

Linghu Chong laughed and said, "Miss Dongfang, don't worry. Although you are beautiful, I still can't take your virginity right now, which is a real pity. However... a little lesson is still possible!"

With that, Linghu Chong pulled Dongfang Bubai around, turning her body so her front was against the stone wall, her full, round buttocks facing him.

"You... what do you want to do?! No... no... Ah! Help! Someone help me!" Dongfang Bubai was shocked that Linghu Chong would manipulate her like this. She struggled desperately, but her internal energy was sealed, and Linghu Chong's strength far surpassed hers. How could she let him succeed?

Linghu Chong simply pulled down Dongfang Bubai's black pants, revealing her pink underpants and plump buttocks.

Looking at her fair, rounded bottom, Linghu Chong felt a surge of lust. The pink underpants gently encased her rounded buttocks, the contours of her alluring anus barely visible. His manhood instantly hardened, and he longed to give her a powerful, throbbing erection. Dongfang Bubai, her pants pulled down, was overcome with shame, tears streaming down her face.

She was now completely convinced that Linghu Chong was indeed about to commit a brutal rape. She struggled desperately, trying to escape his clutches, but to no avail. Since mastering martial arts, she had never suffered such humiliation, and tears flowed like a torrent. At this moment, she stopped pleading and instead cursed, "You wicked villain, you're ruthless! Today... today if you dare... dare to insult me! I... I'll... I'll tear you to pieces one day! You... you... if you let me go now... I... I can... I can let it go!"

Linghu Chong laughed loudly and said, "What a disobedient, savage woman! Looks like I'll teach you a lesson you won't know you're above the law! I'll fucking take it off!" With that, Linghu Chong pulled down Dongfang Bubai's underpants. With a scream from Dongfang Bubai, the underpants were pulled down to her knees. Instantly, Dongfang Bubai's snow-white, tender buttocks were displayed before Linghu Chong.

Dongfang Bubai's buttocks were truly beautiful; such beautiful, mature buttocks had a unique charm. Most men have a fetish for buttocks, and they crave a woman's buttocks immensely, which is why the doggy-style position exists. At this moment, Dongfang Bubai's buttocks were absolutely round, tender, and smooth. The two buttocks were raised high, protecting the pink chrysanthemum in the middle. The fine groove stimulated Linghu Chong's nerves. The white, tender, and smooth fleshy skin made Linghu Chong's blood boil. Linghu Chong swallowed and chuckled, saying, "What a beautiful fat butt. I wonder how great it would be if two men who enjoy male beauty were to have that kind of butt-banging fun!"

"Huh? What? You're attracted to men...?!" Dongfang Bubai, of course, knew about such things as male-male relationships, and was terrified, her face turning pale. She desperately twisted her body, screaming, "No...no...you can't! You can't do this...Help! Help! Help...rape...ah..."

But Dongfang Bubai's movements only made things worse; her full, beautiful buttocks rippled, the smooth flesh seemingly shimmering, her pink anus almost bursting forth. Linghu Chong's blood boiled even more at the sight, and he laughed, saying, "Little girl, you're being naughty, brother's going to spank you!" With that, Linghu Chong raised his large hand, spread it open, and slapped Dongfang Bubai's jade-like buttocks.

With a soft "smack," Dongfang Bubai's buttocks received a hard slap from Linghu Chong. Linghu Chong found the feel incredibly good, while Dongfang Bubai screamed in pain.

"Ah!" Dongfang Bubai cried out, then roared in fury, "You villain, you...you beast in human clothing...you, you dare to spank my butt! I...I won't let you get away with this! When I get out of here, I'll make sure you die a horrible death! Help!"

"Hahahaha, make sure I die a horrible death? I'll give you a good spanking today. Your little butt, Dongfang Bubai, the number one expert in the world, is something most people can't see! If I can touch and spank your butt today, I'll die happy! What's that saying again? 'To die under a peony is to die a romantic death!' Although you're not exactly a peony, at most a thorny wild rose, it's still good to have some fun with!" Linghu Chong chuckled lewdly.

"You...who are you calling a wild rose?" Dongfang Bubai roared.

"Whoever agrees is a wildflower! A ruthless demon like you deserves a good spanking! Take this!" With that, Linghu Chong raised his hand and delivered four more slaps. Dongfang Bubai cried out in pain, cursing incessantly, and several light red marks were left on her buttocks.

Although Linghu Chong disliked Dongfang Bubai's personality, he still held back, only making her buttocks red and sore. Meanwhile, Dongfang Bubai continued to curse with words like "pervert," "scoundrel," and "vulgar," making Linghu Chong feel quite helpless, thinking that this girl was really hard to manage. Then

, Linghu Chong raised his hands again and shouted, "Here we go again! This time I'll show you the power of the dual nature of ice and fire!" He then struck down with another palm, but this time he infused it with the Yin-Yang balance of the "Northern Darkness Divine Art," resulting in another soft "slap."

"Ah..." Dongfang Bubai cried out subconsciously, but then she felt that this blow wasn't just painful; there was also a burning, tingling sensation spreading to her bottom. This feeling was strange; it wasn't exactly painful, yet it felt somewhat pleasurable, like a foot massage—a combination of pain and strangeness, but not unpleasant.

"What...what's happening?" Dongfang Bubai's face was flushed red; she didn't know what was going on, her mind in turmoil.

Meanwhile, Linghu Chong wasn't satisfied. He channeled even more internal energy and struck again.

This time, Dongfang Bubai felt the pain in her bottom lessen considerably, and a strong, tingling pleasure spread throughout her body. She couldn't help but groan, crying out, "Ah... um... ah... so comfortable... ah..."

Hearing this, Linghu Chong laughed heartily, feeling smug. He said, "Dongfang Bubai, do you feel good? How about I give you a few more slaps?"

Dongfang Bubai felt even more ashamed and indignant upon hearing this. She wanted to refuse, but for some reason, a strange heat surged through her body, instantly spreading throughout her entire being. This heat was strange, making her body feel soft and numb, yet she desperately craved more of it. Her mouth involuntarily uttered, "You... you can hit me again!" As soon as she finished speaking, Dongfang Bubai sensed something was wrong, but her body was in such a sensitive state that she couldn't change her mind.

"Fine! You said it! Then I'll grant your wish!" With that, Linghu Chong raised his large hand, channeled his inner energy, and slapped down. With a series of "slap slap slap" sounds, Linghu Chong continued to slap Dongfang Bubai's bottom.

The room was a scene of utter depravity. A beautiful woman in her mid-twenties was lying face down on the stone wall, her naked buttocks raised high, while a boy of about thirteen or fourteen was slapping her repeatedly like a drum. At first, the girl gritted her teeth and endured it, but later she couldn't help but moan loudly.

"Ah... um... ah... you... ah... harder... ah... so good... ah... yes... yes... ah... so good... you really... you really... really good... ah... um... ah... you hit... hit me... it feels so good... I never thought... ah... I never thought spanking... spanking would feel so good... ah... um... ah ah... yes yes... harder... ah..."

Linghu Chong swore as he hit her: "Haha, I never expected this, Dongfang Bubai, you, the number one master in the world, seem so high and mighty..." Actually, I like this kind of stimulation! Your butt is so round and white, it feels especially good to spank it! Such plump buttocks, it feels so good to touch them! Damn, I'm so lucky today, spanking feels so good..."

Dongfang Bubai was already in a daze of passion. The true energy Linghu Chong injected into her body constantly stimulated all her nerves. She felt that her anus was very empty and uncomfortable, and she had to gently open and close her anus to relieve the pain. At this time, the more Linghu Chong spanked her, the more comfortable she felt. She no longer knew any shyness and only hoped that this pleasure would last forever.

Finally, Dongfang Bubai felt the pleasure in her body reach its highest point. Her anus seemed to be about to erupt with a powerful force. She cried out "Ah!" and her anus opened and closed. A strong pleasure spread throughout her body, and a large amount of vaginal fluid gushed out from her anus, soaking Linghu Chong's hands.

Dongfang Bubai had actually reached orgasm from Linghu Chong's spanking! Chapter 016 Taking Care of Dongfang Bubai Seeing that Dongfang Bubai had actually experienced an orgasm from his blows, Linghu Chong couldn't help but chuckle to himself. However, by this point, Linghu Chong's urge to slap her had subsided, and his anger had died down. He decided to let bygones be bygones and not hold a grudge against this woman, so he released her.

At this moment, Dongfang Bubai had just climaxed, and with Linghu Chong's release, her body immediately went limp and she sat down on the ground. Her tender, dark-haired flesh was clearly visible, and her beautiful little honey hole was immediately displayed before Linghu Chong's eyes. The sight ignited Linghu Chong's lust, but he couldn't indulge in his desires at this moment, so he could only silently pray. Dongfang Bubai was panting heavily. Looking at her current state, her pretty face flushed red. She quickly put her underwear and pants back on, then looked at Linghu Chong with a complicated expression, her eyes filled with an indescribable strangeness. Linghu Chong spread his hands, looking completely innocent, and said, "Miss Dongfang, you provoked me first, so I taught you a lesson! And when I hit you just now, didn't you say you wouldn't retaliate later? Even if you do, I'm not afraid of you, and you can't beat me!" Dongfang Bubai looked at Linghu Chong with complicated emotions, and suddenly tears streamed down her face as she burst into tears. Seeing Dongfang Bubai suddenly become sobbing, Linghu Chong was startled and quickly hugged her, saying, "Um... Miss Dongfang, don't cry! You... you... okay, I admit my mistake. I was wrong just now. I shouldn't have been so disrespectful to you! Miss Dongfang... oh dear, Vice Leader Dongfang, please don't cry. I can't stand seeing girls cry!" Linghu Chong's words were the truth. Ever since he was a child, whenever a girl cried, especially a pretty one, Wang Hao would be at a loss, not knowing what to do.

At this moment, Dongfang Bubai, choking back tears, pounded on Linghu Chong's body, crying out, "You... why did you appear... why did you treat me so lightly... I... I... I swore to be a man for life... but... but why did you appear... why did you make me feel... feel like I'm a woman again... I... I hate you... I hate you... you ruined my cultivation... ruined my ambition... I hate you..."

Linghu Chong was completely bewildered by Dongfang Bubai's words, not understanding what she meant. He could only gently embrace her shoulders and whisper to comfort her, telling her not to cry.

Dongfang Bubai cried for a long time, gradually falling silent. Linghu Chong looked down and found that Dongfang Bubai had fainted, and he was immediately taken aback.

From then on, Linghu Chong dared not go out to hunt wild game. After all, the example of Li Kui's mother was right before his eyes. He had to stay by Dongfang Bubai's side at all times, otherwise, if a tiger ate this beautiful woman, it would be terrible!

Dongfang Bubai remained unconscious until nightfall. As night fell, Linghu Chong looked at Dongfang Bubai and suddenly noticed that although she was still fast asleep, her face was flushed, which seemed a bit off. He quickly reached out to check, and to his surprise, her skin was burning hot. He was immediately startled; Dongfang Bubai had developed a high fever.

Generally speaking, people in the martial arts world are naturally strong and rarely get sick. However, Dongfang Bubai's family suffered a great calamity in her early years, forcing her to dress as a man for many years and constantly struggle to climb the ranks in a world of power struggles. Although she had now reached a position second only to the leader of the evil sects, how could a young woman in her twenties not harbor resentment after experiencing all this? Over the years, although nothing usually happened, today, Linghu Chong stripped her clothes, forcibly kissed her, spanked her, and engaged in other indecent acts. In her shock and anger, Dongfang Bubai also rediscovered the joy that women should have. At this moment, crying in Linghu Chong's arms triggered the resentment in her heart, causing her to develop a high fever.

At this moment, Dongfang Bubai, in her delirium and pain, began to ramble incoherently, muttering things like, "Don't kill my parents!", "Let them go, I'm willing to be a man!", "Father, Mother, Xiaobai misses you so much!"...

Hearing this, Linghu Chong couldn't help but sigh inwardly. It seemed that Dongfang Bubai was also a pitiful person. She said her name was Xiaobai, so it seemed that her real name was Dongfang Bai? That was a very nice name.

Naturally, Linghu Chong dared not let Dongfang Bubai continue to be ill. However, lacking medical knowledge, he had no choice but to take out the divine spring water from his spatial storage and feed it to Dongfang Bubai.

The divine spring water indeed had a miraculous effect; less than an hour after drinking it, Dongfang Bubai's high fever subsided. Linghu Chong was overjoyed upon seeing this. He then thought for a moment, went out to gather some firewood, started a fire in the cave, took off his outer garment and draped it over Dongfang Bubai, then took his long sword and went outside the cave to keep watch over her.

The night passed in the blink of an eye…

The next morning, sunlight streamed into the cave, and Dongfang Bubai slowly awoke.

As she sat up, rubbing her still-throbbing forehead, she was startled to find herself covered with a garment. Looking outside, she saw Linghu Chong, dressed in his undergarments, curled up and dozing. Beside her, a warm fire burned, still burning a considerable amount of firewood, indicating it had been added recently. And the person who added the firewood, without a doubt, was Linghu Chong…

He had lit a fire for her, covered her with his own clothes, and slept at the cave entrance, keeping watch for her. Why… why was he being so kind to her? Dongfang Bubai was bewildered.

She felt still somewhat weak, but when she circulated her inner energy, she discovered that the sealed acupoints had been released. The twelve hours had passed, and the acupoints Linghu Chong had placed on her had been released.

Dongfang Bubai let out a long sigh, stood up, and slowly walked towards Linghu Chong.

Linghu Chong wasn't truly asleep; he had only been resting with his eyes half-closed. Hearing the sound, he immediately opened his eyes, jumped up, and upon seeing Dongfang Bubai, smiled slightly, saying, "Miss Dongfang, you're awake?"

Dongfang Bubai looked at Linghu Chong's thin clothes with a complicated expression, then slowly said, "You...you slept at the cave entrance all night?"

"Yes! What if wild animals came in?" Linghu Chong said, "Although this is our first meeting, a man should protect a woman, right? Miss Dongfang Bai!"

Dongfang Bubai was startled and asked, "How do you know my original name?"

"You told me last night when you had a fever!" Linghu Chong said.

"Then...then the clothes I'm wearing...are also yours..."

"Who else but me?" Linghu Chong spread his hands.

Dongfang Bubai fell silent, then said softly, "You...why are you so good to me?"

"Oh, it's nothing, I just felt I should be good to you, so I was! If there needs to be a reason to be bad to someone, then what reason is needed to be good to someone?" Linghu Chong chuckled.

Dongfang Bubai was clearly taken aback by Linghu Chong's words; her small, rosy lips gaped open, and for a moment she didn't know what to say.

Linghu Chong chuckled, waved his hand, and said, "Alright, alright, Miss Dongfang, don't worry about these things. I'm actually quite curious now, how did a young girl like you get involved with the Sun Moon Sect?"

※※※

Chapter 017 Dongfang's Past

(The age gap between Dugu Qiubai and Dongfang Bubai and Yilin in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer is quite ridiculous, so I'm rewriting Dongfang's past here)

Inside the cave, Linghu Chong and Dongfang Bubai sat in front of the fire. Dongfang Bubai looked at Linghu Chong with some complicated feelings, then slowly said, "Fine, this matter has been on my mind for over ten years, so I'll tell you about it now!" As she spoke, Dongfang Bubai looked up at the sky, lost in memories.

"My original surname was Dongfang, and my given name was Bai. My family used to call me Xiaobai! My family was originally from a small town in Cangzhou Prefecture, Hebei. My parents ran a small tavern. Although we didn't live a life of luxury, we were happy and harmonious!" Dongfang Bubai recalled the happiness of those years, and a strong sense of longing appeared in her eyes.

"But when I was nine years old, a major incident happened to my family..." A fleeting look of pain crossed Dongfang Bubai's face as she spoke. "We ran a tavern. My father was the owner, my mother was the cook, and my distant cousin worked as a waiter—just the four of us... But on that day, because the son of the local magistrate, that corrupt official, harassed my cousin's wife, my cousin, in a fit of rage, beat him to death. The magistrate was furious, arrested my cousin, imprisoned him, beat him until he was on the verge of death, and then sentenced him to death on the spot!" Dongfang Bubai's eyes reddened as she spoke.

"My cousin was my father's eldest brother, my uncle's only heir. My father was raised by my uncle from a young age, so naturally, my father couldn't abandon my cousin. But our family was powerless and helpless; how could we save him? Just when the family was at our wits' end, that person appeared..." A hint of hatred flashed in Dongfang Bubai's eyes.

"Who was that person?" Linghu Chong asked after a moment of silence.

Dongfang Bubai lowered his head and said, "Let me tell you slowly. I remember it was the day before my cousin was to be executed in the autumn. My mother took me to deliver food to my cousin, hoping that he... he could have a full meal before he left. Who knew that the dog of a yamen runner at the county government not only wouldn't let us in, but also... harassed my mother... At that time, my mother was about to be humiliated, and I... I was very scared, but... but to protect my mother, I took out the small knife that I always carried with me and stabbed a yamen runner in the thigh!"

"What?" Linghu Chong was obviously surprised.

Dongfang Bubai ignored Linghu Chong and continued, "The yamen runner flew into a rage and started punching and kicking me. My mother cried and screamed, but another scoundrel grabbed her hand and couldn't save me. The common people, who had been oppressed by that corrupt official for a long time, sympathized with me, but none of them were willing to help me... Later, when I was in pain from the beating, I desperately bit the yamen runner's leg... The man immediately flew into a rage and drew his sword, aiming it at my head!"

"Ah?" Linghu Chong's expression changed. A government official publicly brandishing a sword to kill a child—this was utterly lawless! However, Linghu Chong knew that Dongfang Bubai was alright, so he continued listening.

Dongfang Bubai said, "Just when I thought... I was definitely going to die this time, suddenly, a person flew out from the crowd. He was quick and knocked two constables to the ground in one go, saving my mother... I escaped death. When I looked up at that person, I saw that he was an old man of about fifty years old, wearing a black robe and a red belt around his waist, which was the attire of the leader of the Sun Moon Sect... At this time, the two constables who had been knocked to the ground were naturally furious. The two ran into the county government office, and in an instant, more than twenty constables came out wielding big clubs. My mother and I hugged each other, thinking that we were definitely going to die this time, but... but those twenty-odd constables were still knocked down by that person with just a few punches and kicks..."

"My mother and I were stunned! After that man knocked down the constable, he glanced at me, smiled faintly, and said, 'You little girl are quite something. You're so young, yet you can still injure someone with a knife. You have guts.' Then he turned and walked away... But I don't know where I suddenly got the strength, I grabbed that man's leg and begged him to save my cousin..." Dongfang Bubai said, tears welling up in her eyes. "My mother reacted and knelt down, begging that master to help. He glanced at me and calmly said, 'I am not a hypocrite from a reputable sect. I never do anything without reward. If I help you, what can you give me?' At the time, I didn't know what a reputable sect was. I just kowtowed and begged him, saying that if he was willing to help my family, I would do anything... Then he glanced at me, squatted down, and put his hand on my shoulder. I felt a very warm breath flow through my whole body, indescribably comfortable... Later I found out that he was checking my bones..."

"He examined my bones and muscles, sighed deeply, and said, 'You're a good candidate for martial arts, but unfortunately, my Sun Moon Sect never accepts weak women from outside as disciples. You can't expand my territory, and you have nothing to give me, so let go!' With that, he stretched out his foot for me to kick away and was about to leave..."

Linghu Chong was startled and asked, "You're saying the Sun Moon Sect doesn't accept female disciples? Don't you have any female disciples?" Linghu Chong remembered that in his previous life, when he read *The Smiling, Proud Wanderer*, there was a female elder in the Demonic Sect named Sang San Niang!

Dongfang Bubai said, "It's not that we don't accept female followers, but rather that we don't accept women from outside the sect who don't know martial arts. Currently, apart from maids and female martial arts masters from other sects who have submitted, all the female followers in the sect are daughters of the sect's predecessors. They are all descendants of people from our sect, so they can join!"

"I see! Please continue!" Linghu Chong nodded and said

, "At that time, I knew that if he left, my cousin would definitely die, so I don't know what came over me, but I shouted, 'I can be a man! As long as you are willing to help me, I am willing to become a man from now on!'..."

"Ah?" Linghu Chong was completely stunned.

"...When my mother heard this, she quickly told me to shut up. But the man hesitated, then walked back to my side and said, 'Young lady, judging from your physique, you are indeed good material for martial arts. If you disguise yourself as a man, I can indeed take you in! But you must know that once you become a man, you can never be a woman again for the rest of your life. This is not just for a moment, but for a lifetime!'...My mother was completely terrified, but I don't know where I got the composure. I kowtowed and said, 'As long as you can rescue my cousin, I am willing to be a man for the rest of my life.' Seeing my resolute expression, the man nodded, took my mother and me back to my home, and told my parents that he hoped to take me as his apprentice and take me away. At the same time, he could also rescue my cousin and give us enough money to run away. But the price I had to pay was to be a man for the rest of my life and never see my parents again..."

"At the time, my mother absolutely refused, but... but my father thought about it for a long time, and finally, as the head of the family, he agreed... That very night, that man went to the prison and easily rescued my cousin. Then he gave my parents a large sum of money, escorted them out of the city, and then... then he took me back to Blackwood Cliff. That's when I learned that he was Ren Haifeng, the leader of the Sun Moon Sect, who is also the biological father of Ren Woxing, the current leader... From then on, I followed him, disguised as a man, to serve the sect... I practiced my skills desperately every day, and in just a few years, I achieved great success, becoming invincible throughout the sect. After that, I encountered countless masters in the martial arts world... Later, Ren Woxing ascended the throne and became the leader, bestowing upon me the name Invincible, which is today's Dongfang Bubai!" At this point, Dongfang Bubai's expression had darkened considerably.

Linghu Chong sighed deeply after hearing this, and was about to offer some words of advice. Suddenly, a series of footsteps sounded outside, followed by a loud shout: "Brother Dongfang! Are you here?"

※※※

Chapter 018 Blackwood Cliff Power Seizure (1)

Dongfang Bubai's expression changed upon hearing this voice. Then, an old man in black led seventy or eighty men in black into the room. Upon seeing Dongfang Bubai, he was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Brother Dongfang, that's great! You're alright! Is this the thief?" As he spoke, he looked at Linghu Chong, his eyes revealing murderous intent.

How could Linghu Chong be afraid of this old man who appeared out of nowhere? Upon seeing his expression, he knew that he was about to make a move, so he sneered and was about to step forward.

"Wait!" Dongfang Bubai stopped Linghu Chong and then said to the old man, "Brother Tong, this brother is one of our own! I ask you, are the brothers you brought this time our men?"

When Linghu Chong heard Dongfang Bubai address this man as Brother Tong, he was shocked and wondered if this man was Dongfang Bubai's close friend, Tong Baixiong?

This man was Tong Baixiong. Upon hearing Dongfang Bubai say that Linghu Chong was one of their own, he was taken aback, then said, "Brother Dongfang, all those from my Fenglei Hall who came looking for you are our people! Those two scoundrels, Xiang Wentian and Qu Yang, are just pretending to search; they can't find this place at all!"

"That's good then!" Dongfang Bubai breathed a sigh of relief, then said, "Brother Tong, you go out first. I have something to say to this brother, and then we'll go back!"

Tong Baixiong, though puzzled, dared not disobey Dongfang Bubai and quickly led his men out.

Dongfang Bubai turned his head, lowered his head, gritted his teeth, then blushed and whispered, "Um…you still haven't told me your name!"

"I…I'm called Linghu Chong!" Linghu Chong smiled.

“Linghu Chong…” Dongfang Bubai repeated the name twice, then said, “You…you could come back to Blackwood Cliff with me?”

“Back to Blackwood Cliff?” Linghu Chong was taken aback. “What for?”

“It’s for you to join my sect, but we won’t reveal your identity yet…I…I’m currently working on something, and once it’s done…you…I’ll make you the vice leader of this sect, how about that?” Dongfang Bubai said, blushing. She didn’t seem like the world’s number one martial arts master at all; she looked like a shy little girl!

Seeing Dongfang Bubai’s girlish demeanor, Linghu Chong’s heart fluttered, but he still said, “Miss Dongfang, I think I won’t go to Blackwood Cliff! I’m not interested in joining the Sun Moon Sect either, but I’ll stay here temporarily. If you want to see me, you can come anytime! If you have any difficulties, you can also come to me!”

“Oh, you…if you’re not leaving, that’s naturally good…” Dongfang Bubai was somewhat disappointed, but upon hearing that Linghu Chong was staying in this cave, she was still somewhat happy. Even though she didn’t know why she was happy that Linghu Chong wasn’t leaving.

※※※

A month later.

Xiang Wentian rode his horse at breakneck speed through the grass, only stopping briefly to drink some water before continuing his journey. It turned out that Xiang Wentian had left Blackwood Cliff on business half a month prior, only to unexpectedly learn that Dongfang Bubai intended to execute his close friend and sworn brother, Elder Shi Qinglong, within the Divine Cult. He rushed back to Blackwood Cliff

to rescue him. Unfortunately, by the time Xiang Wentian arrived, he was too late to save his comrade. When he entered the side hall, Elder Shi was already covered in wounds and about to commit suicide.

"Elder Shi, no!" Xiang Wentian cried out.

Elder Shi glanced at Xiang Wentian but ignored his pleas, choosing to end his life before him.

Xiang Wentian rushed over, helped his dying friend to his feet, and said in a pained voice, "Elder Shi, why were you so foolish? Even if it was a big problem, I could still help you solve it."

Elder Shi stammered, "Xiang...Left Envoy Xiang, you...you help me report to the Sect Leader that I absolutely did not do anything to betray the Sun Moon Sect."

Xiang Wentian watched Elder Shi breathe his last, his heart filled with anger. He put down Elder Shi's body and shouted at the crowd standing beside him, "Speak, why did you do this?" "

Left Envoy Xiang, I was only acting on the orders of the Vice Sect Leader. I don't quite know the reasons either," the executioner said slowly.

"Hmph! It's Dongfang Bubai again," Xiang Wentian sneered, thinking to himself how much better it would have been if he had died at the hands of that mysterious expert a month ago!

※※※

Inside a room of the Sun Moon Sect, Dongfang Bubai was holding a meeting with a group of sect members.

Dongfang Bubai gently waved his folding fan and slowly said, "The most urgent matter at present is to select the most suitable person to succeed Elder Shi. I wonder who you would recommend?"

Just then, Xiang Wentian rushed in and, facing Dongfang Bubai sitting in the main seat, asked sternly, "I ask you, what crime did Elder Shi commit that you forced him to his death!"

"You scoundrel, how can you be so insolent in front of Vice Leader Dongfang!" Tong Baixiong retorted to Xiang Wentian's question without fear.

Xiang Wentian turned to Tong Baixiong and shouted, "Tong Baixiong, I'm not asking you, shut up."

Tong Baixiong angrily shouted "You..." but before he could finish, Dongfang Bubai interrupted him.

Dongfang Bubai, without changing his expression, said slowly, "Left Envoy Xiang, you can talk things out calmly. Why lose your temper like this?"

Qu Yang also stepped forward and advised Xiang Wentian, "Yes, don't be so impulsive."

Xiang Wentian turned around and said, "Impulsive? I ask you, why did you watch him force Elder Shi and the others to their deaths?"

Qu Yang seemed to have a lot to say, but at this moment, he really didn't know what to say.

Tong Baixiong said coldly, "Shi Qinglong secretly colluded with the Five Mountains Sword Sect and plotted against our Sun Moon Divine Sect. He deserves to die."

Xiang Wentian turned to Tong Baixiong and said, "Elder Shi has always been loyal. Back then, during the battle of Tianshan, he risked his life to rescue the Sect Leader from the mountain. How could he collude with the Five Mountains Sword Sect?" Dongfang Bubai

sneered, "If Left Envoy Xiang doesn't believe me, here is a letter. You can take it and read it carefully." As he spoke, he took out a letter from his pocket, stood up, and handed it to Xiang Wentian. As soon as Xiang Wentian received the letter, Dongfang Bubai continued slowly, "This letter was written by Shi Qinglong himself, congratulating Zuo Lengdan of Songshan on his ascension to the position of leader of the Five Mountains Sword Alliance. You, Left Envoy Xiang, should know his handwriting best."

Xiang Wentian was silent after reading the letter. It was indeed Shi Qinglong's handwriting; what more could he say? Since he still harbored countless doubts about Shi Qinglong's alleged betrayal, he could only accept it without evidence.

Tong Baixiong said, "Colluding with the Five Mountains Sword Alliance is clearly aimed at our Sun Moon Divine Sect. To write a congratulatory letter like that—their intentions are obvious."

Xiang Wentian tore the paper to shreds in grief and indignation, still unable to quell his anger.

Dongfang Bubai looked at Xiang Wentian and said, "Left Envoy Xiang, even if Elder Shi had no intention of betraying the sect, it's common knowledge in the martial world that our Sun Moon Sect is an enemy of the Five Mountains Sword Sect. For him to do this is truly outrageous."

Xiang Wentian said, "Even if it were true, Elder Shi doesn't deserve to die."

Dongfang Bubai turned to Qu Yang and said, "Right Envoy Qu, what are the rules of the Sun Moon Sect for dealing with those who do things that harm the sect?"

Qu Yang glanced at Xiang Wentian and replied in a deep voice, "All shall be executed."

This was exactly what Dongfang Bubai wanted from him. Then, with a slight smile, he said, "I know that Left Envoy Xiang and Shi Qinglong have always been like brothers, but I am acting according to the rules because I bear the heavy responsibility entrusted by the sect leader. Please don't take offense, Left Envoy Xiang." At the same time, he thought to himself, "You two old guys abandoned me a month ago, and now you know what's what, don't you?"

※※※

Chapter 019 Blackwood Cliff Power Seizure (2)

In a pavilion at Blackwood Cliff, Qu Yang was also very depressed. He could only play the zither to express his feelings.

Xiang Wentian stood beside him and listened to the music. He was also very irritable. He turned around and complained to Qu Yang, "You still have the mood to play the zither?"

Qu Yang stopped and slammed his hand heavily on the strings. He said in a low voice, "If I don't play the zither, what else is there to do!"

Xiang Wentian said, "I really don't understand why you didn't help when he was dying. You let Dongfang Bubai bully others."

Qu Yang sighed deeply, "I didn't help? If I hadn't insisted that Elder Shi's crime did not extend to his wife and children, and sent people to escort the Shi family members away from Blackwood Cliff, the Shi family would probably have been wiped out long ago." Xiang Wentian was

stunned and looked Qu Yang up and down again. After thinking about it carefully, he understood the reason. Given Dongfang Bubai's ambitions and methods of eliminating dissidents in recent years, Qu Yang must have gone through considerable trouble to ensure the Shi family's survival at Blackwood Cliff.

Thinking of this, Xiang Wentian bowed to Qu Yang and said apologetically, "I was wrong, I misunderstood you." Then, his tone shifted coldly, "It's all the leader's fault for going into seclusion at this time. By leaving all the affairs of the sect to Dongfang Bubai, he was able to take the opportunity to eliminate dissidents and kill those who opposed him."

Qu Yang sighed softly, shaking his head, and said calmly, "Even if the leader were still in power, the situation wouldn't be the same."

Xiang Wentian said, "Although the leader has a bad temper, at least he would listen to our opinions and would never act unilaterally like Dongfang Bubai."

Looking at Xiang Wentian's determined eyes, Qu Yang could only shake his head helplessly. Then he stood up and said to Xiang Wentian, "By the way, I've already resigned from my position as Vice Leader. In a few days, I'll be leaving Blackwood Cliff with Feiyan."

Xiang Wentian turned around, and Qu Yang's words surprised him greatly. "Ah? You're leaving?"

Qu Yang nodded and said in a deep voice, "Yes. I've thought it through very clearly. My personality is simply not suited to the ways of the martial world. I plan to find a secluded place to live out the rest of my life after leaving Blackwood Cliff."

Xiang Wentian said, "If even you leave, then the sect will lose another person to check Dongfang Bubai."

Qu Yang chuckled self-deprecatingly a few times and sighed helplessly at Xiang Wentian, "It's an inevitable trend, and no human power can stop it." Then he looked at his brother of many years and continued, "Brother Xiang, since I can't share a meal with you on the Dragon Boat Festival this year, you can stay here tonight and drink with me all night long." After saying that, he picked up the wine cup on the stone table and drank with Xiang Wentian.

※※※

As the Dragon Boat Festival feast drew nearer, Dongfang Bubai, Xiang Wentian, Xue Xin, and a lovely little girl stood outside the stone chamber where Ren Woxing had been in seclusion at Blackwood Cliff, preparing to welcome their leader out of seclusion.

As the stone door opened, Ren Woxing emerged.

"Yingying," Ren Woxing greeted the approaching little girl. Xue Xin also stepped forward, and Ren Woxing took their hands, leading them into the center of the room.

Yingying was overjoyed to see her father, exclaiming, "Daddy, you're out of seclusion! I missed you so much!"

Ren Woxing affectionately patted his daughter's back, smiling happily, "Good girl, Yingying."

Then he smiled at Xue Xin, "Xue'er, I haven't been by your side these past few days. You won't resent me, will you?"

Xue Xin chuckled, "How could I? You have your own matters to attend to, how could you neglect them because of a woman like me!"

Ren Woxing chuckled again, gently hugged Xue Xin, then looked around, sighed softly, and asked, "Where is Qu Yang?"

Dongfang Bubai bowed to Ren Woxing. He said in a deep voice, "Reporting to the Master, I originally intended to persuade Right Envoy Qu to finish the Dragon Boat Festival banquet before leaving, but he..."

Ren Woxing impatiently interrupted Dongfang Bubai, saying, "That's just Qu Yang's personality. Right Envoy Xiang, now that Qu Yang is gone, you don't need to worry about him always dragging you to listen to his new music."

Xiang Wentian said, "I'm just worried that the sect will lose a useful person."

Ren Woxing laughed a few times, "With you and Brother Dongfang in my Sun Moon Divine Sect, what is there to worry about?"

Hearing the Master say this, Xiang Wentian was extremely anxious. Just then, Yingying said to Ren Woxing, "Father, after you come out of seclusion, will you go into seclusion again?"

Ren Woxing lovingly touched his daughter's little face and said softly, "Children are not allowed to ask about these adult matters. Go and play by yourself." Watching his daughter's happy figure as she left, Ren Woxing smiled happily.

Dongfang Bubai stepped forward and said, "The Sect Leader has been in seclusion for many days. I believe he must be practicing some unparalleled martial arts."

Ren Woxing replied, "Whether it's an unparalleled martial arts or not, it's too early to say. By the way, has anything major happened outside while I was in seclusion?" Xiang

Wentian interrupted Dongfang Bubai before he could answer, saying, "Nothing happened outside, but something did happen inside the sect."

Dongfang Bubai raised his hand to interrupt Xiang Wentian, saying, "The Sect Leader has just emerged from seclusion and must be very tired. I'll have my men prepare everything for the Sect Leader so he can bathe and change clothes before going out to feast with the other elders."

Ren Woxing nodded in agreement, saying, "That's good. The Dragon Boat Festival feast is an annual grand event for our Sun Moon Sect. We can discuss anything after the Dragon Boat Festival."

Hearing Ren Woxing's reply, Xiang Wentian had to put aside his many thoughts for the time being.

In the main hall of Blackwood Cliff, the leaders of the various departments of the Sun Moon Sect were gathered together for the sect's annual grand gathering.

After several rounds of drinks, Dongfang Bubai raised his glass and stood up, saying, "Elders, tonight we are able to gather with our leader, so we should all toast him. Congratulations on your early unification of the martial world!"

Ren Woxing laughed heartily, listening to the cheers of his subordinates. He then joined in, saying, "Unify the martial world! Haha... Ha... Come on, everyone,

bottoms up!" As soon as Ren Woxing finished speaking, shouts of "Cheers!" rang

out from below. Ren Woxing looked very happy. Xuexin picked up her chopsticks and served her daughter some of her favorite dishes, saying, "Come on, Yingying..." Suddenly, Xuexin noticed her daughter counting "eighteen, nineteen, twenty" on her fingers and asked curiously, "What are you counting?"

Hearing Xuexin's question, Ren Woxing and the others turned to look at

Yingying, who was looking up at him intently. Yingying said, "Counting people."

"Counting people?" Ren Woxing asked doubtfully.

Yingying said, "Father, Mother, I remember it most clearly. The year before last, the Dragon Boat Festival dinner was the most complete. Last year, Elder Chen and Elder He were missing. This year is even worse; Uncle Qu and Elder Shi are gone too. Father, Mother, why are there fewer and fewer people every year?"

The little girl's words pleased Xiang Wentian. This daughter of the sect leader was the most clever and quick-witted. Although her words today were just a child's question about the less lively atmosphere due to fewer people, they also revealed the real problem existing in the sect. Looking at Dongfang Bubai sitting on the other side, he saw that the other party's expression had changed several times. This was the result that Xiang Wentian wanted to see most. The sect leader wouldn't listen to his own words, but now that his daughter had said that the number of people was decreasing year by year, it should remind the sect leader to be wary.

Ren Woxing, however, unexpectedly did not ask any further questions, but just smiled faintly. Xuexin's expression also changed slightly, then she interrupted her daughter's question with a single sentence, "Oh, little one, don't ask so many questions. Come on, let Mom put some food on your plate."

Seeing that Ren Woxing didn't press the matter further, the crowd below smiled and echoed their leader's words, "Come...eat!"

Just as Xiang Wentian was feeling helpless, Dongfang Bubai stood up and came to the center of the hall, saying, "I beg the leader's permission to resign from my position as vice leader."

Ren Woxing asked, "Brother Dongfang, what makes you say this?"

Dongfang Bubai replied, "I am incompetent and unworthy..." "I am truly ashamed to have lost so many talented individuals in our sect, and I have no right to assume the position of Vice Leader. I beg the Leader's permission."

Ren Woxing said, "Brother Dongfang, you flatter me. How can this be blamed on you?"

Dongfang Bubai said, "Leader, there's no need to comfort me. Putting aside other matters, I am already ashamed to face the Leader for failing to retain Right Envoy Qu."

Xiang Wentian said, "Leader, Right Envoy Qu has followed you for many years and made many contributions. His sudden resignation must have a reason."

"Indeed, I implore the leader to issue an order so that Right Envoy Qu can return to Blackwood Cliff."

Ren Woxing said, "I know Qu Yang's personality best. He has long desired to retire. Now that he can play the zither for pleasure all day long, it is not necessarily a bad thing. Why should we force him to do something against his will?"

Xiang Wentian said, "But Right Envoy Qu..."

Ren Woxing interrupted Xiang Wentian and said, "Brother Xiang, today is the Dragon Boat Festival. Let's not ruin everyone's enjoyment over these things. Come on, tonight we must drink until we drop. Let's drink again."

"Cheers..."

※※※

Chapter 020 Blackwood Cliff Power Seizure (3)

In the stone chamber where Ren Woxing was in seclusion, he was trying his best to circulate his internal energy to dissolve the true energy that he had previously absorbed using the Star Absorbing Technique. Time passed little by little, but Ren Woxing was still unable to completely dissolve and absorb the true energy. He gradually became impatient.

Another cycle passed. Ren Woxing tapped an acupoint on his left shoulder to end his practice, muttering in astonishment, "Impossible! Is there really no way to resolve the backlash from this true energy?" Just then, Xiang Wentian's voice came from outside the door.

"Xiang Wentian requests an audience with the Master."

Ren Woxing felt a little impatient and said coldly, "I have already given orders that no one is allowed to disturb me during my seclusion without my permission."

Xiang Wentian said, "This subordinate knows his fault, but the matter is of great importance, and this subordinate must report to the Master in person."

Ren Woxing said, "If you have anything to discuss, you can consult Brother Dongfang. Don't bother me." Ren Woxing coldly dismissed Xiang Wentian.

To everyone's surprise, Xiang Wentian did not leave. Instead, he continued to shout, "Reporting to the Sect Leader, this matter is related to Dongfang Bubai. I request an audience with the Sect Leader."

Although Ren Woxing was unhappy, he was also concerned about what Xiang Wentian had said. So he wiped the bloodstains left from the backlash when he used his internal energy, tidied his slightly disheveled hair, and then opened the stone door.

As Xiang Wentian entered the room, Ren Woxing also rose and walked to the center, saying, "Left Envoy Xiang, speak quickly, I need to hurry and practice."

Xiang Wentian said, "Master, do you remember what the young lady said last night?"

Ren Woxing said, "You mean Yingying mentioned that fewer and fewer people attend the Dragon Boat Festival banquet each year?"

Xiang Wentian nodded, "Yes, although the young lady is young, children speak without thinking, and she did indeed point out a fact concerning the life and death of our Sun Moon Divine Sect."

Ren Woxing had also observed Dongfang Bubai's actions over the past two years, but his immediate priority was dealing with the backlash from his own internal energy. As long as nothing too outrageous happened, he turned a blind eye to Dongfang Bubai's daily behavior. This time, Xiang Wentian's relentless pursuit of the truth made him slightly impatient. Looking at Xiang Wentian, he said coldly, "What exactly do you want to say? Stop beating around the bush."

Although Xiang Wentian was usually a careless person, it didn't mean he couldn't see the leader's impatience. However, fearing that what he was worried about might happen later, he continued, "In the past two years, since the leader has often gone into seclusion to practice his skills and entrusted the affairs of the sect to Dongfang Bubai, many problems have arisen in our Sun Moon Divine Sect."

Ren Woxing said, "The problems you mentioned are..."

Xiang Wentian said, "Ultimately, there is only one reason, and it lies with Dongfang Bubai alone."

Ren Woxing turned and looked at Xiang Wentian deeply, saying, "Left Envoy Xiang, you seem to have a great prejudice against Brother Dongfang."

Xiang Wentian shook his head and said, "This is not prejudice. Ever since Dongfang Bubai took over..." After seizing real power, he began to eliminate dissidents and appoint his cronies to build his own power base. Elder Shi's death is a good example.

Ren Woxing stopped Xiang Wentian from speaking, saying, "You are being too suspicious. Shi Qinglong's correspondence with Zuo Lengdan of Songshan violated the rules of our Sun Moon Sect. Brother Dongfang executed him according to the law. How can that be considered eliminating dissidents!"

Xiang Wentian said, "Sect Leader, have you noticed that in the past two years, all those who violated the rules and were executed by Dongfang Bubai were people who had followed you for many years and were loyal to you? Sect Leader, I have always been convinced by your decisions, but this time, entrusting the affairs of the Sun Moon Sect to Dongfang Bubai seems..."

Ren Woxing had never paid much attention to what Xiang Wentian mentioned before. Now, thinking about it more carefully, it did seem a bit suspicious. However, he was always stubborn and self-willed, believing that his decisions were always right and he would never make a mistake. Therefore, when he heard Xiang Wentian's almost accusatory words, he felt even more displeased. "Seems like what?"

Xiang Wentian knew that he had truly touched the leader's sore spot this time, but having come this far, he could not back down, so he continued, "Seems terribly wrong."

Ren Woxing snorted coldly and said, "How dare you criticize this leader! Insubordination! What is your punishment?"

Xiang Wentian said, "If I can save the Sun Moon Sect from its dire straits, I would not fear death."

Ren Woxing said, "If Brother Dongfang truly harbored ulterior motives, he would not have resigned from his position as deputy leader last night."

Xiang Wentian hurriedly argued, "Leader, this is Dongfang Bubai's tactic of feigning retreat. How could you be so foolish as to believe him?"

Ren Woxing's face turned ashen, and he said in a sharp voice, "You dare to say that I... " "Foolish? Xiang Wentian, you seem to be getting more and more presumptuous."

Xiang Wentian took a few steps back, but his face remained fixed on Ren Woxing. He said, "Master, it's you who has changed. These past two years, you've only been focused on your secluded cultivation, neglecting all matters of the sect, big and small. That's

why Dongfang Bubai had the opportunity to take advantage. Master, you can't make the same mistake again." Ren Woxing angrily turned his head away from Xiang Wentian's face and said coldly, "Xiang Wentian, since you're so dissatisfied with me, you can leave Blackwood Cliff like Qu Yang. Why keep contradicting me and courting death?"

Xiang Wentian looked at Ren Woxing in surprise and said, "You want me to leave Blackwood Cliff?"

Ren Woxing said, "Everyone has their own ambitions. I never force others. If you want to leave, then leave."

Ren Woxing couldn't bear his honest but unpleasant words. At this moment, Xiang Wentian felt very sad and disappointed, and he also had the thought of leaving this person who had followed him with all his might for so many years.

He nodded and said, "Very well, since the Master is so determined and refuses to listen to my advice, there's no point in me staying at Blackwood Cliff. Please accept my bow, Master." With that, Xiang Wentian bowed to Ren Woxing and turned to walk towards the door. Reaching the door, Xiang Wentian stopped and said sadly, "Master, from now on you've lost another loyal person." He then left the stone house without turning back.

Ren Woxing's arrogance and unwillingness to lower himself caused those around him to leave him one by one, giving those who had always coveted his power a golden opportunity to seize it.

"Go...go...all of you, get out!" Ren Woxing's angry voice rang out, then he whispered the name of Dongfang Bubai, the instigator of this whole affair, thinking that he really should take some action.

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