“Brother Nie, how could Snow White be so foolish as to accept something just because it’s given to her?”

“Brother Nie, that Sleeping Beauty sleeps for so long without showering or brushing her teeth, doesn’t she smell bad?”

“Brother Nie, why doesn’t Cinderella’s glass slipper disappear?”

“Brother Nie…”

Nie Yun stared at the chattering Qu Feiyan with a dark expression, wishing he could take off his pants and use his “weapon” to shut her up.

After Nie Yun revealed his identity that day, Qu Yang and his grandson were completely taken aback. They never expected that they would actually drink and chat with the leader of the Huashan Sect and owe him a huge favor.

However, Qu Yang didn’t think too much about it, because he was in a hurry to save his good buddy Liu Zhengfeng.

Before setting off, he held Nie Yun’s hand and said, “Young Master Nie, I’m afraid there will be a lot of fighting on my way. Fei Fei lost her parents at a young age and has been relying on me for survival. I don’t want her to get hurt, so I can only entrust her to you now. Please take good care of her for me.”

After a dramatic scene of crying and pleading, with cries of “I won’t stay, Grandpa, I want to stay with you!” and “Be a good girl and stay here to take care of yourself,” Nie Yun was blessed with a little girl.

To cheer Qu Feiyan up, Nie Yun started telling her fairy tales from his past life. Unexpectedly, the little girl’s mood improved, but her curiosity was also piqued.

“Stop, stop, stop! Why are you asking so many questions just to hear a story?”

Nie Yun stopped Qu Feiyan, who was about to speak, and said, “I’m thirsty and don’t want to talk. I just want to find a place to sleep.”

After saying that, he turned and left.

Qu Feiyan stood there and stomped her foot angrily, “You stingy thing! You promised Grandpa you’d take good care of me, and now you’re getting impatient with just a few questions. I’m so pathetic!”

Then she started crying in the street.

“Grandma, I give up.” Nie Yun patted her forehead helplessly. “Ask, ask, just keep asking.”

“Hehe…” The little girl lowered her blindfold, not a single tear in sight. She thoroughly enjoyed Nie Yun’s indulgence and pampering!

Nie Yun gave a “I knew it would be like this” look, but he wasn’t angry at all.

Being with a beautiful and lovely young girl makes everything I do enjoyable, not to mention the way she looks at me with such affection. If I keep raising her for a few more years, until she’s all curvy and attractive…

hey-hey……

And so, the two of them chatted and laughed, wandering around and exploring all the fun places in the city.

Qu Feiyan grew up with Qu Yang and was loved like a precious gem, but the love from an elder was certainly different from the older brother-like love from Nie Yun.

She thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful and novel way of getting along, and Nie Yun’s occasional impatience but always responsive attitude further satisfied the little girl’s vanity. Coupled with the endless stories, jokes, and anecdotes, Qu Feiyan felt that her Brother Nie was simply a treasure trove, and a great treasure that made her increasingly intoxicated.

The Hidden Dragon Hunting Heart Technique has once again made its presence felt, and Nie Yun, as a user, expressed great satisfaction.

Over the next few days, Nie Yun stopped wandering around and instead sat quietly in his room to regulate his breathing and get himself into the best possible condition.

Although Qu Feiyan was mischievous, she knew what was important, so she stayed in the inn and stopped clamoring to go out.

On the day of the “Golden Basin Washing Hands” ceremony, Liu’s residence was packed with guests.

Liu Zhengfeng had a wide circle of friends. Besides fellow practitioners from various martial arts sects, many wandering martial artists came to offer their congratulations. The prestigious sects were naturally greeted by Liu Zhengfeng himself, while the lesser ones were received by his disciples.

As noon approached, the mansion was already packed with guests, numbering no less than four or five hundred inside and out.

Master Dingyi of Hengshan, Taoist Tianmen, the head of Taishan Sect, Zhang Jin’ao, the deputy leader of the Beggars’ Sect, Tie Laolao of the Goddess Peak of the Three Gorges of Sichuan and Hubei, Pan Hou, the leader of the East China Sea Sand Gang, Shi Qing and Min Rou of Xuansu Village, and others arrived one after another.

These people were all quite famous, and they were all seated at the head of the table in the hall.

As the group was chatting, they suddenly saw Liu Zhengfeng enthusiastically leading a young man toward them.

The man had sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, a face as beautiful as jade, and a spirited and radiant demeanor.

Behind him followed a young girl with bright, dark eyes that darted around; she was clearly a clever girl.

As the group was wondering what was going on, Abbess Dingyi suddenly stood up and said with a smile, “Sect Leader Nie.”

Upon hearing this, onlookers realized that the young man was none other than Nie Yun, the newly appointed leader of the Huashan Sect.

Min Rou’s heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t expected that this handsome man, whom she had such a good impression of, was already the leader of a faction wielding power.

Nie Yun greeted everyone with a smile. He didn’t feel that being the main character meant he had to act arrogantly. He believed that being polite was never a bad thing and that harmony could bring wealth.

After everyone was seated, Dingyi specifically thanked Nie Yun.

Tianmen Daoist asked curiously, “Master, you and Sect Leader Nie… you’ve known each other for a long time?”

Ding Yi laughed and said, “The other day, Nie Yun took action and killed the heinous Tian Boguang with his sword. I am happy that there is one less villain in the world.”

Although Yilin was kidnapped by Tian Boguang and her innocence was not lost, gossip could still cause trouble. Therefore, Dingyi did not tell outsiders about this matter, but only praised Nie Yun’s achievements.

Everyone was shocked to hear that the young Nie Yun had managed to kill Tian Boguang.

You should know that in the world of martial arts, defeating someone is easy, but killing them is very difficult.

Tian Boguang committed numerous crimes across the country without being caught, all thanks to his unparalleled martial arts skills and agility.

Although everyone despised his behavior, they were all helpless against his ability to escape.

Moreover, Tian Boguang himself was a renowned swordsman and a top-notch expert in the martial arts world, yet he was unexpectedly killed by the unknown Nie Yun.

The few people who had previously looked down on Nie Yun because of his young age immediately put away their contempt.

Hearing about Nie Yun’s achievements, Liu Zhengfeng was secretly astonished.

The reason he was so enthusiastic before was because he learned from Qu Yang that Nie Yun had spoken up for him out of righteousness, and he was grateful. Now he was determined to make good friends with this young man.

That’s how realistic the world of martial arts is: if you have the biggest fist, you’ll be respected.

Hearing the praise from everyone, Nie Yun was not complacent. Instead, he sighed deeply and said, “Women in this world are confined to their boudoirs from a young age, following the rules and regulations. After marriage, they must be filial to their parents-in-law and raise their children. They live a life of obedience and virtue, which is already hard. This Tian Boguang, relying on his high martial arts skills, has ruined the chastity of countless women and caused many to die of resentment. I only regret that I did not kill him sooner.”

Upon hearing this, the men present didn’t seem to think much of it, but the women’s eyes sparkled, and they secretly admired it.

Dingyi’s Hengshan Sect is entirely composed of women, many of whom are abandoned baby girls or women abandoned by their husbands. Having traveled the martial world for many years, she naturally understands the harshness of the world towards women and the contempt men have for them.

Hearing Nie Yun say this now, she was immediately impressed and felt a sense of goodwill towards him.

Min Rou then compared Nie Yun to her husband again. Although Shi Qing was gentle and considerate to her, as an ancient person, his male chauvinism was deeply ingrained. He would never have thought that a woman’s life was hard.

Compared to Nie Yun now, they are worlds apart.

Looking at Nie Yun’s handsome face, Min Rou felt for the first time that she had married the wrong person.

Startled by the thought in her mind, she quickly lowered her head.

Qu Feiyan looked at Nie Yun with great admiration: “I didn’t expect Brother Nie to be so skilled in martial arts and so considerate of girls. He’s really amazing! I wish I could learn martial arts from him. That way I could see him every day, and when I grow up, I can…” In a short moment, Qu Feiyan was already thinking about the name of the child she and Nie Yun would have.

If Qu Yang saw her shy, demure smile, which she had never shown before, he would definitely regret his foolish act of sending himself into the lion’s den.

********************

Everything was the same as in the original story, except that no official delivered an imperial edict to grant Liu Zhengfeng the position of a military commander. With Nie Yun’s reminder, Liu Zhengfeng naturally wouldn’t waste his time.

At noon, just as Liu Zhengfeng was about to put his hand into the water, he suddenly heard someone outside the door shout sternly: “Stop!”

Liu Zhengfeng raised an eyebrow and gave Xiang Danian a wink, but continued to put his hand into the basin without stopping.

“Liu Zhengfeng!” The person who entered was both surprised and angry to see that Liu Zhengfeng ignored his words. He raised his hand and unleashed a flash of silver light.

Xiang Danian had been on guard all along, and upon seeing this, he quickly drew his sword and swung it to knock the hidden weapon away.

By this time, Liu Zhengfeng had already stirred his hands in the basin of water a few times. He took the white silk cloth handed to him by Mi Weiyi and wiped the water droplets off his hands. He turned around and looked at the person who came in, and said with a smile, “Who do we have here? It turns out to be my nephew, Qianzhangsong Shi, from the Songshan Sect.”

The newcomer was none other than Shi Dengda, a disciple of the Songshan Sect. He did not expect that Liu Zhengfeng would not pause the ceremony to listen to him. Now that the ceremony of washing hands in the golden basin was over, Liu Zhengfeng had already retired from the martial arts world, and it would be difficult for them to do anything else.

With his plans completely disrupted, Stendhal was furious and said to Liu Zhengfeng, “I just told you to stop, why did you continue?”

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhengfeng’s smile vanished instantly. He coldly said, “Although I am not talented, I am of the same generation as Alliance Leader Zuo. How dare you, as Alliance Leader Zuo’s disciple, be so rude? Is this how people from your Songshan Sect speak to their elders?”

Shi Dengda never expected that Liu Zhengfeng would seize on his angry words, and his momentum immediately faltered. He gritted his teeth, cupped his hands, and said, “This disciple acted rashly in a moment of panic. Please forgive me, Uncle Liu.”

Liu Zhengfeng nodded and said, “Alright, what brings you here, my dear nephew?”

Stendar was speechless for a moment. He suggested that Liu Zhengfeng suspend the ceremony, but Liu was unaffected and completed it directly. At this point, any talk of him temporarily postponing the ceremony by order of the Left Alliance Leader would be meaningless.

At this moment, shouts, curses, and the clash of weapons came from the backyard of the Liu residence. Everyone present changed their expressions, and several disciples from the Songshan Sect rushed out from the back hall. The leader came to Shi Dengda’s side and said anxiously, “Something’s wrong. The Liu family members have all disappeared. The backyard is full of Hengshan Sect disciples. They were prepared, and we’ve lost many of our men.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than a large group of people rushed out from the back hall, all of them Hengshan Sect disciples wielding long swords.

Stendhal was both shocked and furious, never expecting that his meticulously planned scheme would repeatedly fail.

He looked at Liu Zhengfeng and said, “Uncle Liu seems to have been prepared. In that case, don’t blame your disciple for being impolite.”

After saying that, he clapped his hands three times. At that moment, more than a dozen people shouted in unison from the rooftop, outside the gate, in the corner of the hall, in the backyard, and all around: “Disciples of the Songshan Sect pay their respects to Uncle-Master Liu.”

Everyone was taken aback. On the roof, a dozen or so people were dressed in yellow robes representing the Songshan Sect, while the people in the hall were dressed in all sorts of different outfits. Clearly, they had infiltrated the hall beforehand and were secretly monitoring Liu Zhengfeng. Among the more than a thousand people, no one had noticed them.

However, Stendhal’s expression changed drastically, and he couldn’t help but shout, “How can there be so little?”

At this moment, three more people landed on the roof. The one in the middle was of medium height and extremely thin, with two mustaches on his upper lip. He was Fei Bin, the Great Songyang Hand of the Songshan Sect. The one standing to the east was a fat man with a burly build. He was Ding Mian, the Pagoda-Bearing Hand of the Songshan Sect. The one to the west was extremely tall and thin. He was Lu Bai, the Crane Hand of the Songshan Sect.

Fei Bin’s face turned ashen, and he said to Liu Zhengfeng, “Senior Brother Liu, you truly have remarkable skills.”

Liu Zhengfeng remained calm and said, “I dare not accept such praise. Since Senior Brother Fei is threatening me with my family, I cannot sit idly by and wait to die.”

The two sides engaged in a heated exchange, neither willing to back down. The people in the hall, having discerned the Songshan Sect’s despicable actions from their words, were filled with indignation. The hot-tempered Abbess Dingyi spoke up righteously: “Brother Liu, don’t worry. Everything in the world boils down to reason. Don’t be fooled by their numbers and power. Are our friends from the Taishan, Huashan, and Hengshan Sects just here to eat and do nothing?”

Fei Bin, however, calmly played his trump card: “Alliance Leader Zuo has ordered us to investigate with you: What secret collusion does Senior Brother Liu have with the Demonic Sect Leader Dongfang Bubai? What conspiracy have they set up to deal with my Five Mountains Sword Sect and all the righteous sects in the martial arts world?”

These words shocked everyone, and the way they looked at Liu Zhengfeng changed.

Liu Zhengfeng said, “I have never seen Dongfang Bubai before, so I don’t know what you mean by that?”

Lu Baiyin said in a low voice, “Senior Brother Liu, I’m afraid that’s not true. The Demonic Sect has a Dharma Protector Elder named Qu Yang. I wonder if Senior Brother Liu knows him?”

Ding Mian suddenly asked in a stern voice, “Do you know Qu Yang?” His voice was extremely loud, and when he suddenly shouted in the hall, it sounded incredibly powerful.

Liu Zhengfeng said without changing his expression, “I’ve never heard of it, much less seen it.”

“Well, it’s good that you admit it. Since…” Fei Bin was talking to himself when he suddenly noticed that everyone was looking at him very strangely. He recalled Liu Zhengfeng’s words and his face turned red.

Liu Zhengfeng was a man of strong character, courageous and responsible, a true gentleman.

In the original story, the Songshan Sect seized on this point, knowing that he would not deny his friendship with Qu Yang, which is why they dared to interrogate him in public. However, with Nie Yun’s intervention, Liu Zhengfeng had already transformed into a cunning and ruthless man, and would not be so stupid as to admit his guilt.

“You…you…you actually dare to do it but not admit it?” Fei Bin was furious. “You clearly colluded with Qu Yang, attempting to harm my Five Mountains Sword Sect and the righteous path of the martial arts world.”

Liu Zhengfeng laughed heartily, his laughter filled with a sense of desolation and sorrow.

“If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext. Although I, Liu, am no hero, I would never have any collusion with the Demonic Sect! If Alliance Leader Zuo wants my life, he can just come and take it. Why bring up the Demonic Sect? This hypocritical pretense is disgusting!”

“You’re talking nonsense!” the hot-tempered Ding Mian snapped. “You clearly…”

“Enough!” A loud shout suddenly rang out from the crowd, shaking the roof tiles and tableware on the table. Some tiles were even shaken off the roof. Fortunately, everyone present was skilled in martial arts and was not hit.

The members of the Songshan Sect were shocked, and then a young man slowly walked out from the crowd.

Fei Bin looked at the young man and asked sternly, “Who are you?”

The young man’s eyes were cold as he uttered four words: “Mount Hua, Nie Yun.”

“What? You’re Nie Yun!”

Nowadays, the Songshan Sect has a very deep impression of Nie Yun. They wanted to take advantage of Yue Buqun’s illness to push Huashan Sword Sect to the position of sect leader. Unexpectedly, Nie Yun appeared out of nowhere and not only did he not give up the position of sect leader, but he also brought all the successors of the Sword Sect back to the Huashan Sect.

Nie Yun looked at the Songshan Sect members and said coldly, “I thought it was already despicable enough that your Songshan Sect instigated the successors of my Huashan Sword Sect to come up the mountain to compete for the sect leader position, but I didn’t expect that you would even do something like kidnapping family members and forcing others. Your Songshan Sect keeps saying that others are colluding with the Demonic Sect, but I think it is your behavior that makes you the true members of the Demonic Sect!”

“Is what Sect Leader Nie said true?” Ding Yi’s expression changed, and he quickly asked.

“Everyone in Huashan can testify that if it weren’t for the Sword Sect disciples’ profound sense of righteousness and refusal to aid the wicked, the sword qi conflict of decades ago would have been repeated.”

Nie Yun said with lingering fear, “First they plotted to seize my position as the leader of the Huashan Sect, and now they’re trying to slander Uncle Liu of Hengshan. Tomorrow, will they have some other schemes to deal with Hengshan and Taishan? Let me guess, are they going to send people to impersonate members of the Demonic Sect to ambush the Hengshan Sect? Or are they going to collude with the elders of Tianmen Daoist’s sect to seize his position as leader?”

Dingyi and Tianmen Daoist both felt a chill run down their spines. Some things are better left unsaid; once revealed, anyone who isn’t a fool can understand. They exchanged a glance, both believing Nie Yun’s words to some extent.

“I’ll kill you!” Ding Mian, enraged, struck Nie Yun with a palm, the powerful gust of wind from which stung the faces of those around him.

“Well done!” Nie Yun swayed and struck out with a palm, meeting Ding Mian head-on.

Ding Mian felt as if his palm had struck iron and stone, and then a surge of powerful internal energy came from Nie Yun’s palm and went straight to his heart.

“ah!”

A scream rang out, and Ding Mian coughed up blood and flew backward. Fei Bin and Lu Bai hurriedly put their palms on Ding Mian’s back, but they were also pulled back several steps before they could regain their balance.

This scene shocked everyone in the hall, and all eyes turned to the handsome and heroic figure on the stage.

“Ding Mian, the Pagoda-Bearer? Heh…” Nie Yun sneered. Although he didn’t say anything, the sarcasm was clear.

“Senior Brother Nie…” Yi Lin, who had been with the Hengshan Sect disciples and hadn’t entered the main hall, was practically starry-eyed. With her simple mind, she naturally couldn’t understand why such a powerful senior brother had been injured by Tian Boguang that day.