Chapter 112

The next day, Nie Yun led the Huashan Sect members up the stone steps to the top of the mountain.

When they reached the halfway point of the mountain, four disciples from Mount Song came up to greet them. They were very respectful, but their expressions inadvertently revealed a hint of arrogance.

The leading disciple said, “This junior disciple from Songshan Sect respectfully welcomes Headmaster Nie of Huashan Sect. Our sect’s Left Headmaster is waiting for you on the mountain.”

Feng Buping snorted coldly: “Zuo Mengfeng has quite the airs. It seems he thinks the merger is a done deal?”

“Uncle-Master Feng is joking.”

The disciple remained unfazed, still greeting everyone with a smile, “The senior uncles and fellow disciples from the Taishan, Hengshan, and Hengshan sects all arrived yesterday. The arrival of Sect Leader Nie and all the fellow disciples makes the Songshan sect feel extremely honored.”

As Nie Yun ascended the mountain, he noticed that every step was meticulously cleaned, and every few miles, several disciples of Songshan prepared tea and snacks to welcome the guests. This demonstrated that the Songshan Sect had made thorough preparations for this event. However, it also revealed that Zuo Lengchan was determined to obtain the position of leader of the Five Mountains Sect and would not tolerate any obstruction.

He pulled back Feng Buping, who was about to speak, and said calmly, “Uncle-Master, there’s no need for further words.” He nodded to the Songshan disciples and continued walking up the mountain.

After traveling for a while, several more disciples from Mount Song came up to greet Nie Yun and said, “Sect Leader Nie, the Left Sect Leader sent us to guide you and explain the beautiful scenery of Mount Song.”

Looking at the barely suppressed arrogance on their faces, Nie Yun shook his head inwardly and smiled, “In that case, please lead the way.”

After walking for a while, the group suddenly heard a thunderous roar of water. Two jade dragons hung down from the cliff, forming a double waterfall that cascaded down, twisting and turning, leaping and rushing. The group climbed the peak from the side of the waterfall.

The disciple from the Songshan Sect leading the way said, “This is called Shengguan Peak. Sect Leader Nie, how does it compare to the scenery of Mount Hua?”

Nie Yun sighed and said, “Who do you feel closer to, your mother or your senior brother’s mother?”

The man choked for a moment, then said unwillingly, “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 in the world. Headmaster Nie, please look at this magnificent scenery. No wonder emperors of all dynasties established their capitals at the foot of Mount Song.”

“When heroes are absent, even a mere scoundrel can rise to fame!”

Nie Yun smiled slightly and said, “Back then, the mighty Han and Tang dynasties had all nations paying tribute. How powerful they were! The city of Chang’an, where Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Taizong of Tang lived, was so far from your Mount Song, but it was right next to our Mount Hua. The Northern Song Dynasty established its capital in Kaifeng, which was quite close to you, but when I think of the humiliation of Jingkang, it was simply shameful to the core!”

He glanced at the man, saying nothing, but the mockery in his eyes was clear.

“You…” The man was furious upon hearing this, but due to his status, he could not retort. He could only lead the way in a sullen mood and said no more.

The summit of Mount Song was formerly known as “Junji”. The Junji Zen Temple at the summit of Mount Song was originally a large Buddhist temple, but in the last hundred years it has become the residence of the head of the Songshan School.

The Huashan Sect members arrived at the summit, and then the sound of drums and music began. Zuo Lengchan, wearing an earth-yellow robe, led twenty disciples, took a few steps forward, and greeted them with clasped hands.

Nie Yun, being a junior, immediately bowed and said, “Nie Yun of Mount Hua greets Sect Leader Zuo.”

Zuo Lengchan said, “Brother Nie is handsome and young, yet he has taken charge of the Huashan Sect. He is truly a young hero, and this is something to celebrate.”

He paused for a moment, then continued, “Brother Tianmen of Mount Tai, Master Mo Da of Mount Heng, Abbess Dingxian of Mount Heng, and many other martial arts friends who have come to offer their congratulations have all arrived. Please go and meet them.”

Nie Yun didn’t bother with formalities and went inside after exchanging greetings.

Upon entering the Zen temple, one sees ancient cypress trees standing tall in the courtyard. There are no Buddha statues in the main hall. Although the main hall is also very large, it is not as grand as the Mahavira Hall of Shaolin Temple. There are less than a thousand people in the temple, and the courtyard is already full. There is no room for newcomers.

Taoist Tianmen from the Taishan Sect, Master Mo Da from the Hengshan Sect, and Abbess Dingxian from the Hengshan Sect had all arrived. Nie Yun and the others greeted each other and then approached a beautiful figure.

A girl with a headscarf was looking at her with great excitement, her eyes filled with joy.

Those clear, watery eyes, glistening with tears, made her appear even more pitiful and exquisitely elegant.

She wore a pure white dress, and her ethereal and pure temperament truly made her seem like a fairy descended to earth.

“Brother Nie, I…I…” The girl’s voice choked with emotion, and she could no longer speak.

Nie Yun smiled and said, “Lin’er, you’ve come too.”

This person was naturally Yilin, who had already returned to secular life. Nie Yun grabbed her hand and felt her fingers were smooth and cool, but her palm was slightly damp.

Yi Lin’s small hand was held by Nie Yun, and a happy and satisfied smile appeared on her face.

Looking at the few strands of hair peeking out from the edge of the headscarf, Nie Yun was very satisfied.

Before he left, he gave the young nun a miraculous medicine to stimulate hair growth, instructing her to boil it into a decoction and apply it to her scalp every day. It seems to be working quite well now.

The Hengshan disciples standing nearby couldn’t help but smile as they watched the two seemingly exchanging flirtatious glances. They would pout and raise their eyebrows, clearly wanting to watch the spectacle unfold.

The two were gazing at each other tenderly when suddenly a hearty voice rang out: “Haha, good son-in-law!”

Yilin seemed to wake up from a dream, quickly withdrew her hand, and said with a blush on her pretty face, “Brother Nie, I’ll go back first.”

Without waiting for Nie Yun to speak, he plunged into the Hengshan team, but his eyes kept sneaking glances at Nie Yun.

Several lay female disciples were whispering something beside her, which made her blush even more. Finally, seemingly unable to bear the teasing, she hid behind Ding Yi.

Nie Yun turned to look at the monk Bujie, whose face was beaming with joy, and sighed inwardly, but still smiled and said, “Your son-in-law greets your father-in-law.”

“Hahaha…” Monk Bujie stretched out his large, fan-like hand and patted him hard on the shoulder. “You little rascal, you finally didn’t disappoint Lin’er.”

Although Nie Yun was not by Yi Lin’s side these past few months, he never stopped sending love letters and gifts, which made his father-in-law, Monk Bujie, quite satisfied with his son-in-law.

After exchanging a few polite words, the group sat down and waited for the conference to officially begin.

After a while, Shaolin’s Fangzheng and Wudang’s Chongxu arrived one after another. However, Chongxu, who was always inseparable from Fangzheng, did not accompany him this time. Instead, he led his disciples up Mount Song alone.

However, Fang Zheng had no time to consider Chongxu’s change in attitude. Since arriving at the mountain, he had been carefully observing the disciples of Songshan, trying to find the culprit who had almost caused the Shaolin School to lose its lineage.

On that day, Nie Yun set the library ablaze, and all the hundreds of years of accumulation in the library were reduced to ashes.

Although many monks later wrote down a considerable amount of the techniques from memory, the vast majority were lost.

As the abbot, he allowed Shaolin Temple to suffer such a humiliating disgrace under his leadership, and he will surely be remembered with infamy for all time.

Fang Zheng felt so angry at the thought that his eyes were bleeding.

Today he brought a full seventy-two martial monks, just to demand an explanation from the Songshan Sect.

“Upholding justice in the martial arts world is the duty of us chivalrous disciples.”

Zuo Lengchan stood on the Fengchan Platform and spoke loudly.

The mountaintop was vast and the wind was strong, but when Zuo Lengchan spoke in a loud voice, thousands of people on the mountaintop could hear him clearly.

Zuo Lengchan said, “Our Five Mountains Sword Sects have always been of one heart and one mind. Since joining forces as an alliance, we have helped each other like one family. As the leaders of the five sects, we have never dared to slacken our efforts over the years. However, although our Five Mountains Alliance has greatly increased in strength, in the past hundred years, our struggle against the Demonic Sect has been a mixed bag, with both sides winning and losing, and we have never been able to achieve complete victory in one battle. In recent years, the Demonic Sect has recovered its strength, and its leader, Dongfang Bubai, possesses unfathomable martial arts skills. It is said that in recent years, no one under his command can withstand three rounds of combat, and he is known as the number one martial artist in the world. On the other hand, our Five Mountains Alliance has not sought innovation or change for over a hundred years, and has remained complacent…” “My fellow disciples from the Five Mountains Sword Sect, along with all members of our sect, though all share the desire to eliminate demons and uphold justice, are hampered by the fact that each of our sects occupies a separate territory, making communication difficult and commands inconsistent. This pales in comparison to the Demonic Sect, whose influence extends across thirteen provinces in the south and north, yet commands are unified and efficient. Recently, I received news that the Demonic Sect has been frequently relocating its disciples, and the turnover of elders and other high-ranking officials is rapid, suggesting a major conspiracy. For over a century, the Five Mountains Sword Sect has been a righteous force resisting the Demonic Sect. This disturbance by the Demonic Sect is undoubtedly aimed at our Five Mountains Sword Sect.”

Listening from below the stage, Nie Yun sneered inwardly: “In the end, all you want is to merge the Five Mountains Sword Sects into one, so that you, the Grand Alliance Leader Zuo, can have unified command and control. But now the other four sects are no longer as easily manipulated as they were in the original story. I’d like to see what tricks you’re going to pull!”

Ning Zhongze frowned and whispered to Nie Yun, “Zuo Lengchan has raised the banner of eliminating demons and protecting the righteous path, wanting to seize the moral high ground. In fact, everyone knows his ambition. After merging the Five Mountains Sword Sect, his next step will inevitably be to merge more smaller sects. If he is really focused on dealing with the demonic sect, that would be fine. But I’m afraid that by then, the disciples he recruits will gradually become a mixed bag and difficult to control. I’m afraid that instead of eliminating the demons, another demonic sect will emerge.”

Feng Buping said bitterly, “This man harbors evil intentions, has a kind face but a cruel heart. He speaks righteously, but all he thinks about is dominating the martial arts world. He only took advantage of the weakness of my Huashan Sect to rise up, and now he is so greedy that he wants to swallow an elephant!”

Nie Yun smiled and said, “Master’s wife and Uncle-Master, there’s no need to worry. No matter how many schemes he has, he will ultimately have to settle things with his fists. Now that all four of our sects have seen through his plot, we will not agree to it at all. Let’s see what he has to say.”

As he spoke, he gestured with his eyes for the two of them to look at the other sect leaders.

Master Mo Da of Hengshan sat in a chair with his legs crossed, a huqin (a two-stringed bowed instrument) resting on his lap, his eyes fixed on the strings, seemingly oblivious to Zuo Lengchan’s words.

The Taoist priest from Mount Tai’s Heavenly Gate had a livid face, his eyes filled with resentment as he stared at Zuo Lengchan.

Master Dingxian of Hengshan remained calm, silently chanting Buddhist prayers. Master Dingyi wore a cold smile, her eyes filled with disdain.

The crowd below the stage were all preoccupied with their own thoughts, while Zuo Lengchan on the stage still spoke passionately: “If we do not unite as one faction and give unified command, we will face great calamity in the future. How will we resist the powerful forces of the Demonic Sect?”

At this moment, an old man in the audience shouted, “What Alliance Leader Zuo said makes sense. Although our Five Mountains Sword Sect is an alliance, we are still allies and cannot work together. I think it would be better to merge the Five Mountains Sword Sect into one Five Mountains Sect.”

Mo Da’s expression changed, and he quickly stopped him, saying, “Senior Brother Lu, you mustn’t speak nonsense.”

“Hey, Sect Leader Mo, Senior Brother Lu is also a member of our Five Mountains Sword Sect. How can we not let him speak? As the sect leader, you can’t be so domineering!”

Zuo Lengchan stopped Mo Da with a single sentence, then smiled at the old man and said, “Brother Lu, you might as well explain in more detail.”

The old man was none other than Lu Lianrong, Mo Da’s senior brother. Although he was a first-generation figure in the Hengshan Sect, he was not very famous in the martial arts world.

His nickname was “Golden-Eyed Eagle,” but he was talkative and annoying, so people in the martial arts world called him “Golden-Eyed Crow” behind his back.

He cupped his hands in greeting to Zuo Lengchan and said smugly, “When the five sects merge into the Five Mountains Sect, their influence will surely increase greatly. Which disciple of the Five Mountains Sect will not benefit? At that time, everyone will be of one mind and obey the sect leader’s orders. The martial arts of our five sects can also be integrated, learning from each other’s strengths and making up for each other’s weaknesses. It is truly a case of a hundred benefits and no harm.”

Mo Da could no longer bear to listen and stood up, shouting, “Senior Brother Lu, how can you, as a disciple of Hengshan, utter such treacherous words? Are we just going to hand over the centuries-old heritage of our Hengshan Sect, the foundation painstakingly built by our ancestors, to someone else?”

Zuo Lengchan sneered and suddenly asked a completely unrelated question: “Master Mo, may I ask where your sect’s Liu Zhengfeng is now?”

Mo Da shook his head calmly and said, “Junior Brother Liu has retired from the martial arts world and gone into seclusion with his family. I don’t know where he is.”

Zuo Lengchan clapped his hands, and a person came out from the back room. Judging from his clothes, he was obviously a disciple of the Hengshan Sect.

The man stepped forward, bowed to the crowd, and said, “I am Lu Chuxue from Hengshan. I greet all my senior uncles, senior brothers, and senior sisters.”

Mo Da felt a chill run down his spine; he knew this person was Liu Zhengfeng’s disciple.

On the day Liu Zhengfeng retired from the martial arts world, most of his disciples, except for a few like Mi Weiyi who accompanied him, stayed at the Hengshan Sect to continue their cultivation. Lu Chuxue was one of them.

A few days ago he said he wanted to go home to visit his parents and leave Hengshan, but unexpectedly he ended up in Songshan.

Zuo Lengchan glanced at Mo Da and said to Lu Chuxue, “Nephew Lu, repeat what you said to me that day in front of everyone.”

Lu Chuxue nodded and said to everyone, “In fact, my master Liu Zhengfeng has been colluding with the elder of the Demonic Sect, Qu Yang, for many years, intending to harm my Five Mountains Sword Sect.”

This statement was truly earth-shattering, causing everyone in the hall to change their expressions.

On the day Liu Zhengfeng retired from his criminal life, the Songshan Sect came to his door to question him, accusing him of colluding with Qu Yang.

However, Liu Zhengfeng denied it outright, and with Nie Yun’s strong intervention, the Songshan Sect not only failed to achieve its goal, but also lost the life of “Pagoda-Bearing Hand” Ding Mian, suffering a crushing defeat.

Now that Liu Zhengfeng’s disciple has come forward to testify about this matter, could it actually be true?

A huge wave of emotion surged within Mo Da, and he quickly stood up and said, “As a beginner, you should not speak recklessly.”

Lu Chuxue’s face was filled with resentment, and he said in a sorrowful voice, “I have served my master for many years and often saw him playing the zither and flute with Qu Yang, chatting and laughing. On the day my master retired from the martial arts world, the Songshan Sect came to question him, but my master refused to admit his mistakes. I was deeply grateful to my master for his kindness, so I did not expose him. I never expected that when I returned home the day before yesterday, I would find that my parents had been brutally murdered by the Demonic Sect…” Tears welled up in his eyes, his body trembled slightly, and he was choked with sobs, unable to speak.

Mo Da plopped down in the chair, his face turning deathly pale. His already sorrowful expression now looked as if he had lost a loved one.

Zuo Lengchan said smugly, “Master Mo, Liu Zhengfeng colluded with the Demonic Sect, and you, as the sect leader, knew absolutely nothing about it. At the Golden Basin Washing Hands Ceremony, I kindly sent someone to dissuade him, but you obstructed me. Do you think you can still sit in this position as sect leader?”

As soon as he said this, Lu Lianrong and several disciples of the Hengshan Sect started arguing below, shouting that they were not convinced and that he should step down immediately.

Amid the commotion, someone suddenly said coldly, “Leader Zuo’s methods are truly unchanging; he’s getting better and better at impersonating others to commit murder!”

The man’s voice was clear and bright, and as soon as he spoke, he completely suppressed the noise, and the Fengchan Platform immediately fell silent.

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Nie Yun who was speaking.

A cold glint flashed in Zuo Lengchan’s eyes as he said with a forced smile, “What makes you say that, Sect Leader Nie?”

Nie Yun ignored him and instead asked Lu Chuxue, “You said the Demonic Sect killed your parents, do you have any evidence?”

Lu Chuxue said through gritted teeth, “The neighbors said that the killer was dressed in black and masked, just like a disciple of the Demonic Sect who has killed many people in the martial arts world. Moreover, they all heard the killer say that he was a member of the Wind and Thunder Hall of the Demonic Sect.”

Nie Yun shook his head and said helplessly, “They are dressed in black and masked, obviously not wanting to reveal their identities. Then they say they are members of the Demonic Sect. Don’t you find that a bit strange? If they were afraid of being exposed, it wouldn’t be difficult for them to kill all your neighbors. Why leave a few alive so you can know their identities?”

Lu Chuxue was taken aback by the question.

Nie Yun continued, “The Demonic Sect is what our Five Mountains Sword Sect calls them, but their disciples certainly wouldn’t call their sect that. They would say the Sun Moon Divine Sect. Have you ever heard a scholar call himself a pedantic scholar or a bookworm? Or have you ever heard a county magistrate call himself a dog official?”

Mo Da’s eyes lit up, and he quickly said, “That’s right. Those people wanted to impersonate the Demonic Sect, but they didn’t expect that they would use the same term so casually. They must be people from our righteous path, maybe even from our Five Mountains Sword Sect. They killed your parents and then framed the Demonic Sect, making you betray your sect.”

As he spoke, he gave Zuo Lengchan a meaningful look.

Lu Chuxue also seemed to wake up from a dream. He turned to look at Zuo Lengchan, his eyes showing suspicion.

That’s how many things are; you don’t realize it until you talk about it, and then you discover a whole host of problems.

The people inside the hall also began to discuss among themselves that in recent years a group of vicious criminals had appeared in the martial arts world, committing murder, robbery, and all sorts of evil deeds.

They were dressed in black and masked, never revealing their true faces, but all claimed to be disciples of the Demonic Sect.

Looking back now, it seems that some people with ulterior motives were using the name of the evil cult to profit themselves.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Zuo Lengchan quickly asked, “The murder can be carefully investigated, but it is a fact that Liu Zhengfeng colluded with Qu Yang. Does Sect Leader Mo still intend to protect him?”

Mo Da knew he was indeed in the wrong, so he had no choice but to remain silent.

Zuo Lengchan, however, refused to let him go and continued to press him: “Sect Leader Mo, you keep saying that the Hengshan Sect has a hundred-year-old heritage and you are unwilling to hand it over to others, otherwise you would be letting down your ancestor. Does Liu Zhengfeng’s collusion with the Demonic Sect mean he is worthy of your sect’s ancestor?”

Mo opened his mouth, but in the end remained silent.

Zuo Lengchan continued, “By uniting our Five Mountains Sword Sect, we can strengthen the education of our disciples and prevent traitors like Liu Zhengfeng from reappearing. He colluded with the Demonic Sect, yet he caused the death of my junior brother Ding Mian. If this is investigated, it will result in rivers of blood. Master Mo, don’t you agree?”

His words sounded peaceful, but their meaning was quite aggressive.

Mo Da snorted, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Zuo Lengchan smiled slightly and said, “The Southern Hengshan Sect has no objection to the merger proposal. Brother Tianmen of the Eastern Taishan Sect, what is your sect’s opinion?”

Tianmen Daoist’s eyes widened, and just as he was about to speak, someone stood up and said, “Sect Leader Zuo, this old monk has a question to ask you.”