Arranging the Follow-up

The next day, After a night of intense fighting, everyone was physically and mentally exhausted. A few people were left on watch, and the rest went back to sleep.

Early this morning, Yue Buqun summoned everyone to Zhengqi Hall for a lecture to stabilize the disciples' morale.

He also separately called Wang Ming and Linghu Chong to the study for private talks, lavishing praise on Wang Ming's progress with the Purple Haze Divine Skill.

Yue Buqun was unaware that Wang Ming had already mastered it, only believing he was about fifty to sixty percent of the way there. Wang Ming didn't volunteer the information. As for what he said to Linghu Chong, Wang Ming had no idea.

Wang Ming stood on a stone cliff, gazing at the distant clouds and mist in the mountains, his state of mind calming accordingly.

Gradually, his thoughts began to drift, contemplating his future direction.

In his previous world, without sufficient strength, he had meddled in every important plot point. While he gained many benefits, he ultimately attracted Zhu Wushi's attention and was wiped out.

Therefore, Wang Ming learned from his mistakes and decided to lie low and avoid unnecessary risks.

As a result, over the past decade in this world, he hadn't even descended Mount Hua once, living like a shut-in.

These past ten years were not wasted.

First, he resolved his inability to understand ancient texts in Mount Hua's academy, unlike his previous life where he held a peerless secret manual but couldn't comprehend a single word, dying without any ability to resist, only to perish humbly and helplessly.

Then, after lying low in this world for over a decade, the cooldown period for the system's world-hopping had also passed. He could now leave the Smiling, Proud Wanderer World at any time, which he considered his greatest safeguard.

Furthermore, after last night's battle, Wang Ming was fairly certain that in a one-on-one fight, he would rank third in the current era.

Wang Ming had held back yesterday, but his combat results were only slightly inferior to Yue Buqun's. This led him to deduce that his strength was definitely above that of Old Yue, and even Zuo Lengchan, with his full power unleashed, might not be a match for him.

The only ones who could defeat Wang Ming were Dongfang Bubai and Feng Qingyang. These two were like eternal shut-ins, rarely venturing out.

Facing Dongfang Bubai, the true First Under Heaven, Wang Ming had no confidence at all. His defeat seemed inevitable, as he was too fast to even escape.

He likely wouldn't be a match for Feng Qingyang either, but given the elder's age, a mutual destruction was possible. While he would certainly die, Feng Qingyang would also be utterly spent.

Wang Ming's suggestion to remain at Mount Hua this time was not only because the natural defenses were advantageous to him but also because he knew of Feng Qingyang's existence. Even if he messed up, there was someone to fall back on.

This was why Wang Ming had come out to deal with the Sword Sect disciples and detain them. If Linghu Chong and the others had killed them, especially using the Nine Swords of Dugu, and then delivered a fatal blow, it would have deeply disgusted Feng Qingyang.

This was likely also the reason why Mount Hua suffered so much misfortune in the original plot, yet Feng Qingyang never appeared.

Wang Ming had already obtained all the resources on Mount Hua that he could. There was no longer any meaning in staying.

Wang Ming had, in this instance, played it safe and leveled up to the maximum before leaving the newbie village. He refused to believe he could still be taken down.

It wasn't that Wang Ming didn't want to lie low until he became the First Under Heaven before leaving, but he had reached his limit.

The Purple Haze Divine Skill was already mastered. Further cultivation would be a slow, painstaking process requiring time.

The Indestructible Vajra Body had also reached a bottleneck, with progress being extremely slow.

Continuing to cultivate yielded minimal results.

However, leaving now felt somewhat improper. He had benefited greatly from Mount Hua's resources, even more so than Linghu Chong. Therefore, he needed to make some arrangements before departing.

Linghu Chong arrived at the cliff where Wang Ming was lost in thought.

"Fifth Junior Brother, what business do you have for me to come to Jade Maiden Peak?"

Linghu Chong was also puzzled. Why would his usually very low-key Fifth Junior Brother, with whom he rarely interacted alone, want to meet him?

Linghu Chong's arrival snapped Wang Ming out of his reverie.

"Eldest Senior Brother, do you still like Junior Sister?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Linghu Chong's expression instantly turned somber. If he hadn't known that Wang Ming didn't usually play pranks, he would have thought Wang Ming was deliberately rubbing salt in his wounds.

Lin Pingzhi, eager for revenge and wanting to improve his martial arts, had been constantly flattering Yue Lingshan, hoping to indirectly get closer to Yue Buqun. However, his efforts backfired. While Linghu Chong was meditating on Mount Hua, Lin Pingzhi had seized the opportunity and stolen his affection.

"What if I do? Junior Sister likes Little Linzi now," Linghu Chong said dejectedly.

"If you promise me three things, I can help you win back Junior Sister's heart."

"Really? Don't say three things, even a hundred is fine," Linghu Chong agreed without hesitation.

"No need, three is enough. Just listen to me finish listing the three things."

Wang Ming turned around and glanced at Linghu Chong, then continued.

"The first thing is to abstain from alcohol. No matter if they are righteous or evil, a few drinks with you and you'll make friends with them.

The second thing is to maintain your integrity. Stay away from members of the Demonic Cult. While there are true heroes among them, associating with them is a mistake."

"I can't do that. They kill people without asking about right or wrong. They are all good men of strong character," Linghu Chong said unhappily.

"Do you know why the Sword Sect came to our mountain this time, and why the masked figures attacked last night?"

"The Sword Sect wants the position of Sect Leader. The black-clothed figures are after Little Linzi's ancestral sword techniques."

Wang Ming looked into Linghu Chong's eyes and said slowly, "No! It's because of you."

"Fifth Junior Brother, what nonsense are you talking about?"

"At Huiyan Tower, you offended the Hengshan Sect and the Mount Tai Sect simultaneously, and also offended the Qingcheng Sect, causing Mount Hua to lose three allies. Furthermore, by promising to take Lin Pingzhi as a disciple without prior consultation, you forced Master to accept the troublesome Lin Pingzhi, making Mount Hua the target of universal criticism."

The original plot was for Lin Pingzhi to become Yue Buqun's disciple, but he had no intention of accepting him; Old Yue wasn't that foolish.

After being stunned by the trio's actions, Lin Pingzhi asked Yue Buqun to take him as a disciple at his parents' grave. Old Yue refused. First, Linghu Chong jumped out, saying he had promised Old Yue in front of Lin Zhennan and his wife. Then, Ding Yi of Hengshan Sect chimed in to pressure him, and finally, his daughter delivered a backstab, forcing him to swallow this bitter pill.

After Wang Ming said that, Linghu Chong's confidence wavered a bit.

"The Mount Hua Sect isn't as formidable as you imagine. Mount Hua lacks senior experts, and there are no fellow disciples of Master's generation to support him. You could say Mount Hua relies entirely on Master's reputation as the 'Gentleman Sword'.

A good reputation attracts allies from the righteous path. Those who wish to harm Mount Hua will think twice before acting. If the Demonic Cult attacks Mount Hua, righteous sects will come to their aid. Zuo Lengchan would fear Shaolin and Wudang directly labeling the Songshan Sect as heretical, making them targets for everyone."

Wang Ming saw Linghu Chong's dejected mood, which proved he wasn't entirely heartless.

"As soon as you descended the mountain, you befriended the world's greatest lecher. Then, in front of the righteous alliance, you aided the Demonic Cult elder Qu Yang and the Five Peaks traitor Liu Zhengfeng. You tarnished your Master's reputation, which is why the Sword Sect used the excuse of improper disciple training to seize the sect leadership. In this world, besides black and white, righteous and evil, there is also 'stance'!"

"'Stance?'" Linghu Chong was confused. Yue Buqun's teachings only covered chivalry and righteousness.

After all, Yue Buqun maintained a gentlemanly persona, making it difficult to speak frankly. Linghu Chong had dug many pits for him during Liu Zhengfeng's Golden Basin Handwashing ceremony. Therefore, wanting him to kill without question just because they were from the Demonic Cult was impossible with just a few words. Changing someone's personality was not feasible.

"You are the senior disciple of the Mount Hua Sect. Your every word and action represents Mount Hua. You provoked Mu Gaofeng, and Yu Canghai survived not because you were skilled, but because they showed you mercy out of respect for Master. Similarly, your association with the Demonic Cult will also be attributed to Master. You stand with the entire Mount Hua Sect, hundreds of fellow disciples. Their lives and deaths depend on your every word and action."

"In that case, I truly have brought disaster upon us."

Linghu Chong was utterly dejected, almost to the point of self-isolation. However, he didn't know that Wang Ming's words were a mix of truth and personal agenda.

"For the third matter, I hope Senior Brother will not descend Mount Hua for the next ten years. I fear you might cause Master's death and the downfall of Mount Hua."

Upon hearing this, Linghu Chong looked at Wang Ming in astonishment, not understanding his meaning.

"Never mind the rest, do you agree?"

"Junior Brother has explained it so clearly. Even if not for Junior Sister, I agree."

With that, he left with heavy steps, paying no mind to Wang Ming, who remained in his original spot.

"Sigh!"

Watching Linghu Chong's dispirited back as he slowly walked away, Wang Ming sighed.

Linghu Chong had excellent talent. Given ten years, he would be the number one under heaven. Therefore, binding him to Mount Hua's fate would never be a loss.

In the worst-case scenario, confining him to Mount Hua would eliminate many potential troubles for Old Yue.

Wang Ming had no intention of becoming the young sect leader of Mount Hua. Judging by Old Yue's vigor, he would remain in power for at least another ten to twenty years.

He didn't want to be the perpetually frustrated second-in-command. Moreover, his goals had never been within Mount Hua, nor within this Smiling, Proud Wanderer World. His path forward was towards the myriad worlds.

Despite his current harmonious relationship with Yue Buqun, if he continued to stay, his prestige would eventually threaten him. If some unpleasantness occurred then, it would be him who suffered.

Regardless of who Yue Buqun was in the original plot, he had treated Wang Ming well for the past decade and could be considered a gentleman.

Rather than facing each other with animosity later, it was better to withdraw early to preserve their master-disciple relationship.

"Junior Brother! I've noticed you've been practicing your family's swordplay, but you always seem to miss the mark. Have you considered why?"

After Linghu Chong left, Wang Ming met the second person he had arranged to see: Lin Pingzhi.

"Pingzhi doesn't know. Can Senior Brother explain this problem for Pingzhi?"

"Your swordplay is incomplete. Do you want the Bixie Sword Manual?"

"Senior Brother, you know where my ancestral Bixie Sword Manual is?" Lin Pingzhi asked excitedly.

"I do!"

"Senior Brother, Pingzhi begs you to tell me the whereabouts of the manual. I will repay this kindness with my life..."

Seeing Lin Pingzhi kneel and kowtow, Wang Ming immediately interrupted him.

"You have half an hour to pack your things. Wait for me below Mount Hua. Don't tell anyone, or we won't be able to leave."

With that, he turned and left.

A disciple informed Yue Buqun that Wang Ming was waiting for him in the study. Upon arriving, he didn't see Wang Ming, only a letter. He immediately opened it and read.

"Master, by the time you read this letter, your disciple Wang Ming will have already departed. I hope Master will not worry. Before leaving, your disciple has a few matters to report to Master:

Master need not worry too much about the Mount Hua Sect. Mount Hua still has the Qing generation. His name is Feng Qingyang, and his martial arts are no less than Dongfang Bubai's.

Feng Buping and Cheng Buyou, Master should consider how to deal with them himself.

In the cave on Siguo Cliff, there is the Five Peaks Swordplay left by the Demonic Cult elder, along with its counter.

Senior Brother Linghu Chong has not practiced the Bixie Swordplay. He learned the swordplay from the cave, as well as Grand-Uncle Feng's Nine Swords of Dugu.

Years ago, the two ancestors, Yue Su and Cai Zifeng, visited Shaolin Temple and secretly read the Sunflower Manual. Due to time constraints, neither could read the entire book at once. They each read half, and later returned to Mount Hua.

After returning to Mount Hua, the two ancestors jointly studied it. Unexpectedly, when they cross-referenced the techniques in the book, they were completely mismatched and couldn't align at all. Both were convinced the other had misread the book, and only their own recollection was correct. This led to the division of Mount Hua into the Sword and Qi factions.

Chan Master Hongye of Shaolin discovered this matter not long after. He knew that the martial arts recorded in this manual were not only profound but also extremely perilous. The most difficult part was the first stage. As long as the first stage could be overcome, the rest would be manageable. However, any slight deviation in the first stage would immediately result in death or injury. Hongye immediately dispatched his most favored disciple, Chan Master Duyuan, to Mount Hua to persuade Yue and Cai not to practice the martial arts in the manual.

Chan Master Duyuan arrived at Mount Hua, and Yue and Cai treated him with great respect. They admitted to secretly reading it, offering their sincerest apologies, and at the same time, they sought his guidance on the martial arts recorded in the scripture. Little did they know that although Duyuan was Hongye's favored disciple, he had not been taught the martial arts from the manual. Duyuan did not clarify this. He listened to them recite the scripture and casually explained it, secretly memorizing it. Chan Master Duyuan's martial arts were originally very advanced, and he was also extremely intelligent. Hearing a line of scripture, he would improply interpret it with a few sentences, making it sound quite reasonable.

However, what Yue and Cai had recorded was already limited, and after this retelling, it was inevitably discounted further. Chan Master Duyuan stayed at Mount Hua for eight days before taking his leave, but he never returned to Shaolin afterward. Not long after, Chan Master Hongye received a letter from Chan Master Duyuan, stating that his worldly desires were difficult to suppress, and he had decided to renounce monastic life, feeling too ashamed to face his master again.

The news that Mount Hua possessed the peerless martial art, the Sunflower Manual, also spread outside. Soon after, the ten elders of the Demonic Cult attacked Mount Hua, and a great battle ensued at the foot of the mountain. Most of the ten elders of the Demonic Cult were severely wounded and defeated. However, both Yue Su and Cai Zifeng were killed in this battle, and their recorded copy of the Sunflower Manual was also seized by the Demonic Cult.

Chan Master Duyuan's identity after returning to secular life was Lin Yuantu. This is why the Evil Warding Swordplay and the Sunflower Manual are similar. Lin Yuantu was renowned throughout the land. The reason Lin Pingzhi's Evil Warding Swordplay couldn't even defeat the junior sister was that he hadn't overcome the first trial of this martial art.

This first trial is: 'To practice the divine skill, one must first castrate oneself.'

Master needs to revitalize Mount Hua Sect. Like Shaolin and Wudang, it requires faith and a connection to the imperial court.

Mount Hua Sect is actually a branch left behind by the Quanzhen School of the Northern Song Dynasty. Master could explore in this direction.

In the past, Mount Hua Sect was the Alliance Leader of the Five Mountains, which threatened the status of Shaolin and Wudang, and also alerted the imperial court. The Sunflower Manual is clearly a martial art from the palace.

Master, you shouldn't think about eliminating the Sun Moon Holy Cult; that was also fostered by the imperial court. "Chivalry offends prohibitions" – from the imperial court's perspective, martial artists are unstable elements. To them, good and evil are the same. The imperial court supports Shaolin and Wudang as righteous sects and the Sun Moon Holy Cult as an unrighteous one, in order to gather martial artists and deliberately pit them against each other. This wears down the strength of martial artists so they won't threaten the imperial court.

I wish Master and Mistress good health.

After reading the letter, he opened the accompanying book, on the cover of which was written "Illusion Sword."

Yue Buqun had people search Mount Hua for Wang Ming, but he had long since disappeared.