The Sword Saint's Outburst

The cawing of crows was intermittent, echoing through the mountains again and again. As the wind blew, the withered, yellowed mugwort rustled noisily. Nothing met the eye but withered grass upon withered grass. The setting sun stained the horizon that same sickly, withered yellow.

Gazing into the distance and rubbing his shriveled belly, the man in grey said helplessly, "Brother Jia, we've run far enough; we should have shaken off the Mount Hua Sect's eyes and ears. Let's stop here to rest and let the men get something to eat!"

Surveying this band of remnants, Elder Jia nodded.

Ever since they descended from Mount Hua, they had lived a life of hiding and fleeing. They dared not walk the main roads, nor enter the cities, terrified of being tracked by the people of the Mount Hua Sect.

As elders of the Sun Moon Divine Cult, they were big shots wherever they went. Neither of them had experienced such a life of sleeping in the wilderness for many years.

But there was no help for it; this job had been too big. If nothing went wrong, their names were likely already at the top of the Five Mountains Alliance's kill list.

The entire Guanzhong Martial Arts Alliance was searching for their tracks; if they weren't careful and cautious, they wouldn't even be able to make it out of Guanzhong.

Without needing extra orders, the accompanying disciples automatically split into two groups: one to gather firewood, the other to hunt. Only Elder Jia and Elder Zhou remained, sitting on the ground.

"I never imagined the Mount Hua Sect hid so deep. Aside from Feng Qingyang, there is actually such a formidable young expert."

"If I'm not mistaken, 'Cai and Yao' were merely decoys placed in the open to attract the world's attention. This expert hiding in the shadows is the true successor they have been cultivating."

Elder Jia sighed.

As enemies, the Sun Moon Divine Cult naturally had no shortage of spies planted within the Mount Hua Sect. Even this sneak attack had been carried out with the cooperation of an insider who neutralized the mountain guards, allowing them to slip in smoothly.

But even the wisest man may err. No one could have predicted that a cheat-like Li Mu would pop out of nowhere.

Elder Zhou laughed. "Brother Jia, there is no need to worry. The Mount Hua Sect's fortune is indeed robust, but they have suffered a heavy blow this time."

"I did a rough count of our achievements. This raid didn't just take out several of their sect's veterans; it also killed nearly a quarter of their inner disciples. They won't be able to recover for at least eight or ten years."

"The Mount Hua Sect is not an iron monolith. If their Eastward Expansion Plan fails as well, that old fox Ning Qingyu won't have an easy time either. It's quite possible this is the beginning of the Mount Hua Sect's decline from its peak."

"With this merit, who in the Cult would dare look down on you and me, brother?"

Hearing Elder Zhou's words, Elder Jia's complexion improved significantly.

In a sense, failing to complete the job entirely was a good thing. If they had truly slaughtered the Mount Hua Sect's mountain gate, the sect would likely have hunted them down like madmen.

To be targeted by a major power—unless one hid at Black Wood Cliff and never came down for the rest of one's life—meant being caught sooner or later.

Seeming to think of something terrifying, Elder Jia said uneasily, "Brother Zhou, something feels wrong. The forest is too quiet."

Hearing the warning, Elder Zhou's expression shifted as he realized the problem. Nearly a stick of incense had passed, and so many disciples had entered the woods, yet not a single one had come out.

"Are you looking for me?"

A voice came from behind them. The two turned around, and their hair stood on end.

"Feng... Qing... Yang!"

As they shouted the name, both men channeled their full internal energy and fled in panic, one to the left and one to the right.

Clearly, they only remembered that one must flee immediately upon encountering an expert, forgetting the consequences of exposing one's back to a top-tier swordsman.

A flash of sword light flickered, and Elder Zhou, who reacted a step slower, fell to the ground. Elder Jia, who had outrun his companion, fared no better; after running a hundred paces, he was still overtaken by the sword light.

From start to finish, the two were solely focused on fleeing, never mounting any effective counterattack. Otherwise, given their martial arts, if they had joined forces, they could have at least held out for a hundred or so moves.

If one had stayed behind to cover the other, perhaps one might have escaped.

Unfortunately, there were no "ifs." They were both people who had climbed the ranks in the Demonic Cult; neither possessed a spirit of self-sacrifice.

Killing the two was like killing two chickens. Only after beheading them did the gloomy expression on Feng Qingyang's face relax slightly.

It was clear his mood was terrible. Evidently, the Demonic Cult's sneak attack on Mount Hua had truly enraged this Sword Saint.

At this moment, Mount Hua disciples emerged from the forest one after another; it was clear that more than just Feng Qingyang had participated in the interception.

Indeed, this force was the Mount Hua Sect's party sent to intercept the Ten Elders of the Demonic Cult. However, by the time they arrived, the main force of the Demonic Cult had already retreated to Shanxi, and news of the attack on the mountain gate had followed immediately after.

Realizing they had been tricked, the group decided on the spot to keep the invading Demonic Cult members in Guanzhong to wash away the shame of the mountain gate being raided.

A Mount Hua Sect acting with full force was terrifying. Not only were the major martial arts factions of Guanzhong mobilized, but the aristocratic families in the countryside were also called upon.

Although the Demonic Cult party had been extremely cautious, no matter how they covered their tracks, it was impossible to avoid everyone's eyes.

Relying on a few clues, their whereabouts were soon exposed. In the end, they were cornered here by the people of the Mount Hua Sect.

"Junior Brother Feng, the Demonic Cult members have been dealt with. Let's return to the mountain! We can use their heads to pay respects to..."

Before Zhou Qingyun could finish, Feng Qingyang interrupted, "No, this is not enough!"

"Senior Brother Zhou, you take the men back first. Once I have taken the heads of the other eight, I will return to the mountain to pay respects to Master."

Hearing Feng Qingyang's words, Zhou Qingyun's expression changed. The Ten Elders of the Demonic Cult were all peak first-rate experts; even though two had been killed, eight remained.

Adding in the accompanying cultists, even if their entire force went, they might not necessarily win.

Worried that Feng Qingyang had been blinded by hatred, Zhou Qingyun hurriedly advised, "Junior Brother, revenge can wait for another day. Once we return to the mountain, we can gather our martial arts peers and demand justice from the Demonic Cult together."

"The debt of a master's murder is irreconcilable; how can I borrow the hands of others!"

Feng Qingyang said with ironclad resolve.

"Senior Brother Zhou, please rest assured. This junior brother has his own plans. Although these old devils are formidable, they will always have times when they are separated. As long as they dare to be alone, I will collect their heads."

"Besides, with my skills, if I wish to leave, who in this world can stop me?"

Seeing Feng Qingyang's attitude was resolute, after a moment of contemplation, Zhou Qingyun nodded.

He felt quite at ease regarding Feng Qingyang's martial arts. As long as he did not clash head-on with the main forces of the Demonic Cult, it could be said that he could roam the world at will.

"Since Junior Brother has already made up his mind, this elder brother will say no more."

"Please be sure to exercise caution on this journey, Junior Brother. Should you have any need, just send a letter, and this Zhou and all our fellow disciples will certainly come to your aid."

"For now, I wish you a smooth journey. When the day of your success arrives, we shall drink and rejoice together once more."