Chapter 113

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that Abbot Fangzheng of Shaolin Temple had a somber expression, showing none of his usual kind and gentle demeanor.

Although Zuo Lengchan was ambitious, he was still very clear about the strength of the Songshan Sect.

Although he was confident that he could overpower the other four sects of the Five Mountains Sword Sect, he was still no match for prestigious sects like Shaolin and Wudang.

When the leaders of Shaolin and Wudang arrived today, he felt that it had brought him much prestige, but he was also quite wary, fearing that something might go wrong.

Seeing Fang Zheng’s expression now, I couldn’t help but feel a sudden unease, a sense of foreboding rising within me.

Fang Zheng stood up, first clasped his hands together in greeting to everyone, and then said: “Fellow martial arts practitioners, a few days ago our temple suffered a calamity. Evil people secretly infiltrated the temple and set fire to the Sutra Repository!”

“ah!”

“Good heavens, the rumors in the martial arts world were true!”

“The Shaolin Temple’s scripture pavilion was burned down?!”

The room immediately erupted in a frenzy of discussion, as everyone began to murmur amongst themselves.

On that day, the Shaolin Temple was engulfed in flames, visible from miles away. Although Fang Zheng immediately issued a gag order, some rumors naturally leaked out under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

Although most of the people present had heard about what happened that night through various channels, given the prestigious reputation of Shaolin Temple, they did not believe the arson theory and assumed that the fire was accidentally started by the monks.

Everyone was shocked to hear Fang Zheng admit it himself today.

“Master, have you captured that villain?” Someone who was on good terms with Shaolin Temple quickly stepped forward to ask.

Master Chongxu also looked concerned, but his eyes unconsciously drifted towards the Huashan Sect. He recalled the plan Nie Yun had told him that day and couldn’t help but marvel at it inwardly.

“I originally thought he was just framing someone for murder and stirring up conflict between the two factions, but I never expected him to cause such a huge commotion!”

Looking at Nie Yun, whose face showed no sign of abnormality, Chongxu felt even more that this young man was terrifying. “In this way, there is no possibility of resolving the hatred between the two factions, and he can take this opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. What a brilliant plan!”

“Amitabha! That thief was scheming and plotted against the unsuspecting. Although I severely injured him, I was unable to capture him!”

Fang Zheng explained a few words to everyone, but he was also extremely helpless.

After the fire at the Sutra Repository that day, various rumors quickly spread throughout the martial arts world.

By the time he realized what was happening, his words had become increasingly absurd, even including claims that the Shaolin Temple had offended the gods and been struck by divine fire.

His candid admission today is partly a ploy to gain moral high ground, but also partly a result of being forced into it.

“Fortunately, it was discovered early, and the fire only destroyed half of the first floor, resulting in the loss of many Buddhist scriptures. The martial arts manuals on the second and third floors were undamaged because they were guarded by dedicated personnel; only the attic was severely damaged…”

Nie Yun listened from the side and chuckled inwardly. Before setting the fire, he had already used sleeping pills to kill all the disciples guarding the library, and all the martial arts manuals were reduced to ashes.

Fang Zheng said this only to glorify himself, while also not wanting the martial arts world to know that his sect’s lineage had almost completely died out.

Fang Zheng dismissed everyone’s questions and then turned to Zuo Lengchan again.

“They’re here!”

Zuo Lengchan thought to himself, then quickly stood up and asked with concern, “That villain is so heartless and has committed such a crime. It must be a conspiracy of the Demonic Sect! Master Fangzheng, if there is anything my Songshan Sect can do to help, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Indeed, there is something I wish to ask you, Benefactor Zuo,” Fang Zheng said coldly. “Do you know who set the fire that day?”

“This…” Zuo Lengchan felt increasingly uneasy upon hearing this and became secretly wary. “I, Zuo, am unaware of this.”

“Heh…” Fang Zheng sneered, “That man was dressed in black and masked, completely concealing his face, but unfortunately his martial arts clearly revealed his origins. Benefactor Zuo, those ‘Eternal Dragon,’ ‘Layered Green and Floating Azure,’ and ‘Jade Well Heavenly Pool’ are all your Songshan Sword Techniques, aren’t they?”

Zuo Lengchan was greatly shocked and quickly said, “These moves are indeed my Songshan sword technique, known to everyone in the martial arts world. Why do you say that, Master?”

“That masked man in black is using your Songshan sword technique!” Fang Zheng shouted sternly.

This statement shocked everyone present even more than Fang Zheng’s earlier remark about the burning of the Sutra Pavilion. The martial arts heroes were so stunned that they forgot to speak, staring blankly at Fang Zheng as if they could not believe their ears.

The only sound at the Fengchan Terrace was the whistling wind, but it soon became bustling with noise.

The crowd was buzzing with discussion, with all sorts of opinions being expressed.

Zuo Lengchan frowned and quickly said, “Master, although our Songshan Sect cannot compare with Shaolin and Wudang, we still have a small reputation in the martial arts world. It’s not surprising that a few of our sword techniques have been passed down. Moreover, in the past hundred years, our Five Mountains Sword Sect has fought many battles with the Demonic Sect. Not to mention our five sects, even members of the Demonic Sect can probably imitate a few moves of the Five Mountains Sword Technique. Master, please don’t fall for this provocation!”

Upon hearing this, Dingxian and Dingyi exchanged a glance, a hint of shock in their eyes. Tianmen and Mo Da also subconsciously looked at Nie Yun, recalling Nie Yun’s monstrous talent when they were researching how to decipher the Songshan Sword Technique on Mount Hua.

Nie Yun smiled broadly, showing no sign of anything amiss, and even raised his teacup to the group.

Although the four of them had some guesses in their hearts, none of them spoke.

“Are you joking with this old monk, Benefactor Zuo?”

Fang Zheng slammed his hand on the table. “That man’s Songshan swordsmanship is so skillful, every move is perfect, both in form and spirit. He is in no way inferior to the Taibao of your Songshan Sect, and may even be on par with you. It is obvious that he has immersed himself in it for decades, practicing diligently and assiduously to reach such a level. If someone from another sect could reach this level by simply learning through combat, wouldn’t your Songshan Sect become a laughing stock? Is your Songshan swordsmanship so weak that it can be learned at a glance?”

Zuo Lengchan narrowed his eyes slightly, a hint of anger in his voice: “Master, as a monk, you shouldn’t speak so aggressively. This matter hasn’t been investigated yet, and you’re already being so aggressive towards my Songshan Sect. That’s going too far! My Songshan Sect has no past grudges or recent enmities with Shaolin, so why would we do such a thing?”

“Hmph! The monks in my temple saw it clearly that day. That person’s martial arts style was exactly like that of your Songshan Sect. How could it be faked?” Fang Zheng did not believe Zuo Lengchan’s explanation at all.

He and several old monks had already reviewed the events of that night several times, and they had even reconstructed the black-clad man’s martial arts skills.

Nie Yun had already mastered the Songshan sword technique to perfection. Moreover, in order to make his performance more realistic, he even specially obtained a longsword in the style of the Songshan School. Coupled with his profound internal strength, let alone the Shaolin School, even Zuo Lengchan would probably mistake him for a senior elder of the Songshan School.

One side firmly denied it, while the other refused to back down, and the atmosphere quickly became tense.

Nie Yun observed coldly and saw that although Zuo Lengchan’s face showed anger, he was still trying his best to restrain himself. So he stood up and said, “Everyone, please calm down and listen to what I have to say.”

The two men turned to look at Nie Yun, secretly wondering to themselves.

“Master Fangzheng is a highly respected and compassionate man. I don’t think he would falsely accuse Leader Zuo out of thin air. Moreover, the Shaolin Sect is the leader of the martial arts world and holds a prestigious position. How could they possibly come looking for trouble with the Songshan Sect without a reason?”

Nie Yun’s words made Fang Zheng nod repeatedly, but made Zuo Lengchan grit his teeth in anger.

His face turned ashen as he said, “Sect Leader Nie, what do you mean by that?”

Nie Yun smiled slightly, “Alliance Leader Zuo, on the day that Uncle Liu Zhengfeng of the Hengshan Sect retired from the martial arts world, you arranged for people to kidnap his family. The three nuns of the Hengshan Sect were also besieged by people you sent to impersonate the Demonic Sect. My Huashan Sect was also betrayed by your spies who were sent to join your sect long ago. With all these things happening one by one, I really can’t find any reason to believe that you are innocent!”

Nie Yun’s revelation of this matter caught Zuo Lengchan off guard, and everyone present was thoroughly entertained.

“No way? How could Zuo Lengchan do such a thing?” This was a young swordsman who admired Zuo Lengchan.

“Heh… Look at the way he acted when he wanted to merge the factions, he’s clearly an ambitious guy!” This was an old fox who had been in the underworld for many years.

Zuo Lengchan sneered, “If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext. Sect Leader Nie, you are young and impetuous, and you speak recklessly. Aren’t you afraid of tarnishing the reputation of the Huashan Sect? If Senior Brother Yue were alive, he would not be able to rest in peace!”

“shut up!”

Ning Zhongze shouted, “Zuo Lengchan, even now, you still dare to mention your late husband? Back then, you painstakingly arranged for Lao Denuo to become a spy in my Huashan Sect to help you pass on messages, but Chong’er discovered it and that scoundrel actually killed him! I will settle this blood debt with you today!”

“good!”

Ignoring Master Dingxian’s attempts to stop her, Abbess Dingyi stood up and glared angrily at Zuo Lengchan. “The assassins you sent that day killed several of my Hengshan Sect disciples. If it weren’t for Senior Sister’s mercy, I would have killed them all long ago! They admitted that they were acting on your orders. Are you saying they’ve wronged you?”

“Amitabha!”

Master Dingxian chanted a Buddhist prayer, “Left Sect Leader, you are now the leader of the Five Mountains Sword Alliance, with such a prestigious position. Why must you merge the five sects and appoint one person as the leader? Such a large-scale conflict, causing injury and harm to our fellow practitioners, would surely make us a laughingstock among the heroes of the world. Although our sect consists of weak women, we are determined not to submit to tyranny. The Hengshan Sect will not comply with the Left Sect Leader’s proposal to merge the sects.”

Tianmen Daoist also stood up and said to Zuo Lengchan, “Zuo Lengchan, you just asked me if I agreed to the merger. Now I’ll tell you, the Taishan Sect has been established for over three hundred years since its founder, Daoist Dongling. I am unworthy and incompetent, unable to carry forward the Taishan Sect, but this foundation of over three hundred years cannot be severed from my hands. This merger proposal is absolutely unacceptable. Just now, Sect Leader Nie gave my Taishan Sect face by not revealing our sect’s shameful deeds, but I will let the world know about your conspiracy.”

He turned to the crowd and said, “Heroes, Zuo Lengchan bribed several elders in my sect, plotting to seize my position as sect leader. If it weren’t for Sect Leader Nie’s reminder, I’m afraid my Taishan Sect would have become Zuo Lengchan’s possession.”

Although Ning Zhongze, Abbess Dingxian, and Taoist Tianmen were not the most skilled in martial arts, they were all upright, chivalrous, and highly respected in the martial arts world.

Now that the three of them have launched an attack at the same time, most people in the room believe what Nie Yun said, and Zuo Lengchan has been completely branded as an ambitious schemer and a conspirator.

“Very well, very well!” Zuo Lengchan laughed in anger, then turned to Chongxu and asked, “Daoist Chongxu, what do you have to say?”

Chongxu sighed, saying nothing, but his face was full of regret.

“Hahaha…” Zuo Lengchan laughed wildly, then his eyes swept coldly over the crowd, finally settling on Fang Zheng, and he said hatefully, “Master Fang Zheng, I, Zuo Lengchan, have always dared to take responsibility for my actions…”

“You just like sending masked people to impersonate the Demonic Sect, don’t you?”

Before he could finish speaking, Nie Yun retorted, “Alright, you don’t need to say anymore. Your reputation is already so bad, it’s like a lump of coal, you can’t wash it clean no matter what you do.”

Zuo Lengchan’s face turned ashen, and his eyes flashed with a fierce light.

He was more than twice the age of Nie Yun, and was a senior figure in the martial arts world, the leader of the Five Mountains Sword Sect, the third most powerful figure in the righteous path. He had been renowned in the martial arts world for decades, and no one dared to disrespect him. Even Fang Zheng and Chongxu had to give him some respect.

Now, Nie Yun, a junior, is showing him no respect whatsoever, mocking him in front of thousands of people. How could he not be filled with rage?

“Nie Yun, you don’t need to put on such nice words. You went to great lengths today to incite the four factions to besiege my Songshan Sect. Wasn’t it all for the position of Alliance Leader?” Zuo Lengchan roared angrily.

“Do you think everyone covets this damn alliance leader position as much as you do?”

Nie Yun shrugged. “All you do is scheme and plot all day long, working yourself to the bone. Wouldn’t it be better to travel all over the country and see the sights? Wouldn’t it be better to find some beautiful women for a romantic evening? Look at my Shan’er, and look at my Lin’er, both are beautiful and gentle. Just seeing them would add ten years to my life. And look at you, all wrinkled, always frowning like you’re constipated. Do you think I enjoy being around you?”

As he spoke, he pointed to Yue Lingshan and Yilin in the crowd, and everyone couldn’t help but look in that direction.

The two women were extremely embarrassed, their faces flushed red, and they buried their heads in their chests.

Several young disciples around him covered their mouths and chuckled, giving him teasing looks.

Master Dingyi’s face twitched, and even the mortal Master Dingxian shook her head.

“This is utter nonsense!” Ning Zhongze spat.

“You naughty little brother, you only mentioned those two girls!” Lan Fenghuang pouted her red lips, making a mental note of her lover’s mistake.

Zuo Lengchan was nearly driven mad by Nie Yun’s blatant contempt. Just as he was about to rebuke him, Nie Yun preemptively said, “But the tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease. I want to live a peaceful life, but you insist on causing trouble. If you, as the leader of the Five Mountains Sword Alliance, were to act fairly and earn the trust of your fellow martial artists, with your strength and prestige, we would naturally obey your commands without question, and this situation would not have arisen today. But how have you acted as the leader?”

At this point, Nie Yun’s voice gradually rose, “You always talk about the Five Mountains Sword Sects being of one heart and one mind, but in reality, you bully the weak, treating us like subordinates, even like pigs and dogs. If we disobey even slightly, you kill us without hesitation, and always with underhanded schemes. Now, besides your Songshan Sect, who among the other four sects truly trusts you? What right do you, such a treacherous and vicious fellow, have to command the Five Mountains Sword Sects, and what right do you have to promote the merger of sects? Are we just supposed to stretch out our necks and let you slaughter us? Zuo Lengchan! Even if your Songshan Sect isn’t invincible, even if it were, the four of us will not submit to your tyranny. You want to rule the martial world? Keep dreaming!”

“Shut up!” Zuo Lengchan drew his longsword and shouted at Nie Yun.

“Heh…” Nie Yun shook his head and sneered, “If you can’t win an argument, you resort to violence. Zuo Lengchan, you’ve got quite the nerve! But you should settle your score with the Shaolin Sect before talking about merging sects!”

After saying that, he turned around and went back to his seat, crossed his legs, picked up his teacup, and pretended to be watching a show.

Master Dingxian and the others also took their seats, but Fang Zheng had spoken too harshly just now, and now he could only stand alone against Zuo Lengchan.

“Although Nie Yun is young, he is quite calm and composed. It seems that he will not be able to kill someone by using someone else.”

Fang Zheng pondered for a moment, then glanced at Chongxu. “Chongxu has always been prudent and self-protective. He didn’t say a word to Zuo Lengchan just now. What an old fox!”

He sighed inwardly, but said to Zuo Lengchan with a very serious expression, “Benefactor Zuo, today your Songshan Sect must give this old monk an explanation.”

“Why should I confess to something I didn’t do? Master Fangzheng, your Shaolin Temple caught fire and you can’t find the culprit, so you come to my Songshan Sect to demand the person. What kind of logic is that?”

After being mocked by Nie Yun, Zuo Lengchan’s mentality had become agitated and angry. He no longer had the forbearance he had before towards Fang Zheng. “As for the Songshan sword technique you mentioned, that’s just your Shaolin’s side of the story. You want me to confess without any evidence? That’s a joke!”

A cold glint flashed in Fang Zheng’s eyes, and he said in a deep voice, “So, Benefactor Zuo is unwilling to admit it or hand over the arsonist?”

“Heh…” Zuo Lengchan stood with his hands behind his back, his face showing no fear. “Since I, Zuo Lengchan, took on the role of leader of the Five Mountains Sword Alliance, I have devoted myself wholeheartedly to this cause. My Songshan Sect has fought a bloody war against the demonic cult for years, which is why the righteous path of the Central Plains martial arts world has achieved the peaceful and harmonious situation it has today. If it weren’t for my Songshan Sect, the other four sects would have been wiped out by the demonic cult long ago. How could you have the opportunity to bark and howl in front of me today? My promotion of the merger of sects is firstly to gather strength to fight against the demonic cult. Secondly, it is because I have made great contributions and deserve this honor. I didn’t expect that you would try to obstruct the merger of sects because you are unwilling to give up your sect leader positions. You are the truly selfish ones. As for the Shaolin Sect and the Wudang Sect…”

He gave a mocking smile and continued, “Your two sects are incredibly powerful, yet for years you’ve cowered within your own sects, claiming to be monks and unwilling to get too involved in the conflicts of the martial world, allowing the Demonic Sect to run rampant everywhere. If it weren’t for our Five Mountains Sword Sect standing up to resist, this martial world would have long been under the Demonic Sect’s control! Now that you see the power of my Songshan Sect and fear that it will threaten your position, you’ve found an excuse to come and question me, hoping to suppress me. Fang Zheng, you’ve really got a good plan!”

A murderous glint flashed in Fang Zheng’s eyes. He clasped his hands together and said, “Amitabha! Benefactor Zuo, you are now blinded by greed and have become a demon. Although Buddha has a compassionate heart, he also has moments of wrath. Benefactor Zuo, I will ask you one more time: do you admit to arson? Will you hand over the arsonist?”

Zuo Lengchan took a deep breath, looked up at the sky, and turned to the disciples of the Songshan Sect, saying, “Fellow disciples and fellow practitioners, my Songshan Sect has been humiliated to this extent today. I, Zuo Lengchan, am willing to fight with my life to defend the sect and protect the path. Even if my blood is spilled on the spot, I will never let their conspiracy succeed! If you are afraid of death, you may leave on your own and leave the Songshan Sect. I will not stop you!”

Fei Bin could no longer contain himself and raised his arms, shouting, “I swear to follow my senior brother to the death!”

The crowd shouted in unison, “We swear to follow our sect leader to the death and protect the Songshan lineage!”

The disciples of the Songshan Sect were in a frenzy, and not a single one of them backed down.

“Good! You are all good disciples of my Songshan Sect. Today we will fight side by side to resist the foreign enemy!” Even though Zuo Lengchan’s heart was as hard as iron, he felt his eyes burning at this moment.

He turned to look at Fang Zheng, a bloodthirsty expression on his face. “Draw your swords! Form the formation!” With Zuo Lengchan’s loud shout, boundless killing intent instantly filled the Fengchan Platform…