Yue Buqun clutched the old wound on his chest, and the memory of being slashed by his uncle from the Sword Sect, losing consciousness, and only surviving because he wasn't finished off, resurfaced in his mind.
Why were the Sword Sect members, rather than the Qi Sect, the ones who saved Mount Hua from its peril?
Heaven has no eyes!
Just as Yue Buqun's mentality was about to explode, Li Lin uttered the name of the person from the Sword Sect, "Feng Qingyang".
Huh? Uncle Feng?
That's not impossible.
Yue Buqun immediately stopped complaining and blaming others.
Although Feng Qingyang was a member of the Sword Sect, he was actually a neutral party.
The kind that even the Sword Qi Sect combined couldn't defeat.
Back when the duel took place on Jade Maiden Peak, it was only because the Sword Sect and the Qi Sect united as one and tricked her into going to Jiangnan to get married that the two sects were able to fight.
Otherwise, the two factions would never have fought.
"Qing, then he's my grand-uncle?" Yue Lingshan said.
"Sword Saint Feng Qingyang?" Lao De Nuo's face paled. "He... he's still alive?"
Yue Buqun was actually quite surprised. Uncle Feng was at least seventy or eighty years old. Although his swordsmanship was divine, for a member of the Sword Sect who did not emphasize internal energy cultivation, this age was already considered the twilight years.
In fact, before this, he had long thought that after learning everything about Mount Hua, Uncle Feng would stay in Jiangnan, get married, have children, and die in despair.
"My grandmaster uncle is very powerful?" Yue Lingshan looked at Li Lin.
"Junior Sister, there's no need to be so formal." After confirming that Mount Hua couldn't be destroyed, Lao De Nuo changed his attitude again. "Feng Qingyang, Grand Uncle Feng is a great figure whom even the abbot of Shaolin and the head of Wudang Sect must respect. His swordsmanship is divine and invincible!"
"Everyone in the Five Peaks Sword Sects is full of admiration!"
"Hmph, Lao De Nuo, with my Uncle Feng here, your Songshan... hmph." Yue Lingshan finally felt relieved.
Yue Buqun, who was eavesdropping, straightened his back a lot more. "I have connections!"
"I'm afraid Uncle Feng won't get involved." Lao De Nuo's mood had calmed down. "Just now I was also afraid that his grandfather would take up his sword and storm Mount Song, but I suddenly remembered what Young Master Li said. Yue Buqun will die, but Mount Hua will not be forgotten."
"Yue Buqun's teaching of martial arts is full of craftsmanship."
"When the disciples practiced boxing and swordsmanship, if they deviated even slightly from the prescribed form, he would immediately correct them. Every move had to be practiced to perfection, without the slightest error, before they could receive his approval."
"It can be described as pedantic and extremely foolish."
"As long as Yue Buqun is around, Mount Hua is destined to never be restored."
"His father probably disliked Yue Buqun for a long time and was secretly training a disciple to replace him."
"You—" Yue Lingshan wanted to retort, but couldn't find the words.
Yue Buqun's face was also flushed, and he could only console himself in his heart. "The Sword Sect's path of progress is too fast. If one gets addicted to it and falls behind the proper path of Qi cultivation, how can one become a true master?"
He thought this way, but forgot the characteristic that his own school's qigong could improve even in his sleep after one had mastered the basics.
Feng Buping and Feng Qingyang are both skilled in Qi cultivation. In the original timeline, the Qi Sect was superior to the Sword Sect, hence the joke that the Sword Sect used Qi to suppress others.
"You're not entirely right," Li Lin said. "Feng Qingyang has long been disillusioned with Mount Hua. All he's done is live in seclusion on the Cliff of Contemplation to eliminate potential enemies. He has no intention of interfering in the change of leadership. Although he does intend to pass on his swordsmanship, he hasn't yet found anyone he's interested in."
"Moreover, you don't know that your Songshan sect has already found Feng Buping, Cheng Buyou, and other members of the Sword Sect, and is preparing to use them as an excuse to seize Yue Buqun's position as sect leader."
"Uncle-Master Feng won't make a move?" Lao De Nuo asked excitedly.
"That's not right either. After Yue Buqun dies, he might intervene and take Ning Zhongze his disciple," Li Lin said. "He might also intervene from the beginning, Feng Buping Cheng Buyou will return to the Huashan sect. Huashan will truly have no more distinction between Qi and Sword."
"For the position of sect leader, external forces have been attracted. Even though Feng Qingyang is extremely disappointed with Huashan, he will not stand idly by."
Upon hearing this, Lao De Nuo was not disappointed; he could simply ignore Huashan and treat them like dirt.
Moreover, Feng Qingyang is already in his seventies and doesn't have many days left to live.
Guji Guji
A faint sound, like a large beast grinding its teeth, came from where Yue Buqun was. He directly plucked a section of tree trunk from the tree, crushed it, and ground it into powder.
Feng Qingyang, you bastard! Even with Mount Hua in such a state, you still look down on me. I am the true leader of Mount Hua!
"Why would Grandmaster Feng do this?" Yue Lingshan asked.
"When the two sects of Mount Hua were fighting, Feng Qingyang was in Jiangnan getting married. After receiving the news, he rushed back to Mount Hua, only to find that the experts of both sects had been almost completely wiped out and they had suffered a crushing defeat. He then realized that the story of his marriage in Jiangnan was actually a big deception."
"I must say, the Qi Sect is truly despicable. This scam was actually a conspiracy between two sects. The Sword Sect genuinely wanted to find a marriage partner, while the Qi Sect..."
"His father-in-law was secretly commissioned by the Huashan Qi Sect to buy a prostitute to impersonate a young lady, thus keeping him tied down in Jiangnan."
"By the time he returned to Jiangnan, his fake father-in-law and his entire family had already fled and disappeared."
"They're just taking advantage of Feng Qingyang's good temper and not afraid of him settling scores later."
"That's true. If he weren't so good-tempered, with his martial arts background, he would probably have become the sect leader long ago."
As Li Lin spoke, he flipped through the Akshaya records of the world.
At the same time, he lamented that Shaolin Fang Zheng and Chongxu were not human.
When preparing to win over Linghu Chong and slander Yue Buqun, his words were nine parts truth and one part falsehood.
They claimed the entire pot belonged to the Huashan Qi Sect, and even said that Feng Qingyang circulated in the martial arts world that Feng Qingyang, out of anger and shame, committed suicide because of this.
Even if Linghu Chong confronted Feng Qingyang, they could claim they didn't know him and had only heard about him.
After all, there is still 'Nine Truths'.
"Our ancestors from Mount Hua are too..." Yue Lingshan blushed with embarrassment.
"The decline of Mount Hua is no injustice!" Lao De Nuo gloated. "Indeed, the rise of Mount Song is the will of Heaven!"
Yue Buqun, his face flushed with the same embarrassment as his daughter's, said, "Uncle Fengfeng, I misunderstood you. Thank you for sparing my life."
"It's finally here." Li Lin looked into the distance.
After drinking the last sip of cold tea, the pot was empty.
"What?" Yue Lingshan was about to ask when she heard the sound of horses' hooves.
But Li Lin didn't hear the sound of horses' hooves.
Although the founder of the Qingcheng Sect in this world did not create the "Crane Cry Nine Heavens Divine Skill", this divine skill is still the source of Qingcheng martial arts in this world.
He could sense a similar, more fundamental energy flowing within the visitor's body.
"Yu Canghai." Li Lin smiled as he looked at the newcomer.
While the ability to ward off evil is beneficial, it cannot fully unleash its extraordinary power.
Li Lin's speed has exceeded the limits it can handle.
But the [Pine Wind Swordplay] gave him a completely different feeling.
[Bixie] is just fast.
[Pine Breeze] is swift and agile.
The latter is more in line with the physique he cultivated using the "Crane Cry Nine Heavens Divine Skill".
This is the last reason why he was wasting so much time here.
"My son—"
Yu Canghai's shout made Li Lin's face darken.
You son of a bitch, I just called your name and you came to pick up my son? Who's your son?
Then
Snap!
Li Lin suddenly appeared beside the horse, and Yu Canghai, who was not very tall to begin with, was sent spinning like a top.
"Please calm down, Abbot Yu, your son is not dead yet," Li Lin said with a smile, the strip of white cloth in his hand standing upright as if supported by something.
Yue Buqun was perched on the tree, nearly lost his balance and fell headfirst to the ground.
He recognized the white cloth in Li Lin's hand.
That was the headband tied around Yu Renyan's head after he fainted.
How... how could someone possess such martial arts skills!
Yu Renyan was about ten feet away from this young master.
The abbot was about a hundred feet away from this young man.
In an instant, the young master removed Yu Renyan's headscarf, appeared beside Yu Canghai, and used the headscarf to pull Yu Canghai off his horse.
This martial arts skill is simply unheard of and unseen before!
No one could hear the shock in Yue Buqun's heart.
Yue Lingshan and others also noticed these details.
Although the Qingcheng disciples who followed Yu Canghai stood tall with their swords drawn, they were trembling with fear.
They had no choice but to be afraid.
Their view was not blocked by the horse, and they could see more.
Because Li Lin was suspended in mid-air, under the sunlight.
This is not a magic trick, but a real fact.
For a moment, they even overlooked Yu Canghai, whose left cheek was swollen.
Until he spoke again.
Who are you?
Yu Canghai had a pretty good idea that the miserable state of his son and disciple was probably related to this person, but he dared not get angry.
She had to endure the excruciating pain and force a smile.
"Li Lin." Li Lin seemed somewhat disinterested.
Because everyone only noticed his speed, he was flying in mid-air at the moment, and did not notice his skill.
They swelled up Yu Canghai's old face, but didn't damage his hearing.
Such a clever use of force went unnoticed by anyone.
The same applies to Yu Canghai, who was also infected.
"If you can satisfy me by performing the [Nieyun Swordplay] once, you will live."
Li Lin is running out of patience.
They even changed their plans.
He initially only paralyzed Yu Renyan, clearly intending to spare Yu Canghai's life so that he could take good care of Yu Renyan and let him spend his life in pain.
"Yes." Yu Canghai's smile deepened.
The next moment, he drew his sword and began to leap and bound.
Judging solely from his movements, it's somewhat comical.
But when combined with a sword, it gives him a sense of freedom and ease, as if he were walking on clouds.
But if we only look at the sword...
The sword disappeared into the azure clouds that his body had transformed into, appearing and disappearing unpredictably, as if it could appear from any corner and strike out.
"Indeed, this can be described as swords soaring through the clouds." Li Lin had already deduced the subsequent moves after seeing only one move.
Because his [Crane Cry Nine Heavens Divine Skill] is the fruit, while [Pine Breeze] and [Riding the Clouds] are the branches and leaves.
Phew——!
Li Lin drew his sword.
He also leaped up, soaring hundreds of feet in a single bound.
His body transformed into azure clouds.
The sword pierces the sky.
The crane cries in the ninth heaven.
The Daoist priest rides on the clouds, accompanied by the pine breeze.
The cry of cranes, the blue clouds, the wind in the pines, the sword-wielding Daoist—all that's missing is the bright moon to create a Zen-inspired ancient painting.
Everyone present forgot to breathe.
Ignoring the risk of being exposed, Yue Buqun climbed directly to the top of the tree and secured the best viewing spot.
Yu Canghai burst into tears, shouting like a madman, "This... this is the Qingcheng Divine Skill! This is Qingcheng!"
There was a time when he thought that his short stature was perfect for the "Nieyun Swordplay," which focused on agile movement. That's why his master, Chang Qingzi, took him as a disciple.
But now.
It turns out that the key is [tiptoeing], which is more suitable for people with long arms and legs!
This is the true sword, this is the [Nieyun Swordplay], this is the true Qingcheng Divine Skill!
Others also thought Yu Canghai was crazy.
Even the disciples of the Qingcheng Sect thought the same thing, "Master has gone mad. How could our Qingcheng Sect have such a divine skill? If we did, why would we treasure the Bixie Swordplay?"
The Daoist leaped down from the Cloud Top and looked at Yu Canghai. "This indeed originated from Qingcheng. It was created by the [Qingcheng Patriarch], but he did not leave it in the founding of the sect."
"What is its name?" Yu Canghai had completely forgotten about his son, fame, and fortune. In his eyes now, Li Lin was a god, his Sovereign Lord. Only Qingcheng and Songfeng Temple could be considered equal to him.
"[The Crane Cry Nine Heavens Divine Skill]," Li Lin said.
"Good, good name." Yu Canghai laughed so hard he scratched his ears and cheeks. With his height and imposing presence, he looked like a monkey.
But the onlookers had no intention of making fun of them.
If this were applied to Mount Hua, it would be as if Patriarch Chen Tuan descended from the Cloud Top and appeared before the disciples of Mount Hua.
"Heroes, heroes, and outstanding individuals," Yu Canghai suddenly called out the names of his disciples.
The three immediately dismounted and approached.
Pfft
Blood splattered everywhere, and the three men perished from the sudden flash of sword light in Yu Canghai's hand.
The sword was so fast that the three of them didn't even have time to be shocked, and their faces still showed respect.
"Master has gone mad!" a Qingcheng disciple shouted, and hurriedly spurred his horse to flee towards the tavern.
The same applies to the other disciples.
In the end, only one disciple remained, timid but with a resolute glint in his eyes.
"Human courage," Yu Canghai repeated.
"Here." This name belonged to the disciple who left.
"Why don't you run away?" Yu Canghai asked.
"Without Master, Renyong would still be just a beggar on the roadside. Renyong's life originally belonged to Master." The disciple dismounted and walked to Yu Canghai.
"Good boy. Do you know why I killed Ying and the others?" Yu Canghai asked again.
Yue Buqun had already realized Yu Canghai's intentions. "Why did the abbot go to such lengths?"
"Father!" Yue Lingshan looked up.
"Master." Lao De Nuo took a step back, already thinking of an escape route.
Yu Canghai also recognized the voice. He simply shook his head and continued, "Because they are like me, not good people. They have all lost the principles of Qingcheng and forgotten what it means to [guard the void and attain emptiness]."
"Renyong, I've never liked you. I think you're cowardly and have no Sichuan spirit whatsoever."
"But I've only just realized that you are the real Qingcheng person."
"Only you, as the new leader of Qingcheng, can possibly bring back the divine skills of our founding master and gain the favor of Grandmaster Li."
Upon seeing Lin Pingzhi in the crowd, he understood Li Lin's bias.
What he needed to do was to change Li Lin's impression of Qingcheng.
Even if it costs them their lives, they would not hesitate.
"Master—" The disciple was about to speak when Yu Canghai silenced him by striking his pressure point and stuffed something into his arms.
"Master, I have a request for you. Please kill Renyan and Renhao. They are better off dead than alive as cripples."
After speaking, Yu Canghai looked at Li Lin.
"Master Li".
"Go ahead," Li Lin said, raising an eyebrow.
"After Canghai passes away, could you please look after Qingcheng?" Yu Canghai asked.
"Qingcheng will not perish," Li Lin said.
"That's good, that's good." Yu Canghai suddenly raised his arm and slapped his forehead.
Snap!
His palm strike was the "Heart-Shattering Palm," capable of splitting the heart into nine pieces with a single blow.
When it fell on him, blood flowed from his seven orifices.
"Nephew Renyong, I will also look after Qingcheng." Yue Buqun directly tore off his face mask.
The disciple only looked at Li Lin.
"What's your name?" Li Lin asked.
The disciple's speech acupoint was immediately released, "Li Renyong."