A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 19 Sword Fight
The eighth day of the fourth lunar month is the 100th birthday of the patriarch Zhang Sanfeng. Now that his beloved disciple has returned and started a family, it can be said that he has double happiness.

The next morning, Wudang was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers. In the Zixiao Hall, everyone sat around Zhang Sanfeng, laughing and chatting. At this time, a disciple came to report that the Emei Sect had arrived.

The Emei Sect's delegation to offer birthday wishes was led by Jingxuan, the eldest disciple of Abbess Miejue, and consisted of seven people. Song Yuanqiao knew that the Wudang and Emei Sects were on good terms, and that his sixth brother, Yin Liting, was engaged to Ji Xiaofu. Therefore, he summoned Yin Liting to greet the Emei group and to ensure they did not break the rules.

Yin Liting was naturally pleased. After inviting the Emei Sect members to sit down, he blushed as he looked at Ji Xiaofu's beautiful face. Ji Xiaofu looked at him with shyness as well. The Emei Sect members, however, were not surprised and continued drinking tea or talking.

The Emei Sect put a lot of effort into the birthday gifts for Master Zhang, including sixteen kinds of jade artifacts, a painting of a hundred longevity symbols, and a bright red brocade robe with fine stitches.

After exchanging a few words with them, Zhang Sanfeng went into the back room.

Just as Yin Liting and Ji Xiaofu were talking, another welcoming boy came in to report that Master Tieqin, the head of the Kunlun Sect, had arrived.

Song Yuanqiao thought that although Sect Leader He was of noble status, there was no reason for his master to go and greet him. He also thought that his fourth brother, Zhang Songxi, was good at dealing with people, so he stopped Zhang Songxi and asked him to go and greet the Kunlun group.

Zhang Songxi accepted the order and went down. He had just walked not far from Jiejian Rock when he heard the sound of arguing. Fearing that something might go wrong on his master's birthday, he quickly ran a few steps.

Beside Jiejian Rock, Gu Xuzheng was arguing with a middle-aged Taoist priest.

Upon seeing Zhang Songxi arrive, the Wudang disciples all greeted him as "Uncle-Master." The middle-aged man glanced at Zhang Songxi and sneered, "Is this how the Wudang Sect treats its guests?" Gu Xu ignored him and said to Zhang Songxi, "Uncle-Master, it is a Wudang rule to unsheathe one's sword before going up the mountain. This Taoist priest resolutely refused, so I had no choice but to stop him." If it weren't for the fact that it was an inauspicious time for bloodshed on his birthday, Gu Xu would have already dealt with Xihua Zi and wouldn't have bothered talking to him for so long.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Songxi said to He Taichong, "Please forgive me, Sect Leader He, but the Wudang rule of removing swords cannot be broken. If you wish to come up the mountain, you must leave your weapons behind." Xihua Zi wanted to say a few more words, but He Taichong spoke up, "It was my disciple's fault. Please forgive me, Fourth Master Zhang. We will remove our swords now." As he spoke, he handed his personal sword to Gu Xu, who took it and said, "Don't worry, Sect Leader He, the weapons will not be lost. If there is any accident, Wudang will compensate you."

Seeing that the sect leader had taken off his weapon, the others also handed over their weapons. Zhang Songxi gestured and said, "Sect Leader He, please."

Not long after the Kunlun Sect arrived, the Kongtong and Huashan Sects followed. The Kongtong Sect was skilled in fist and foot techniques, and few of them carried weapons. They quickly made their disciples hand over their weapons before the five elders of Kongtong went up the mountain. The two elders of Huashan Sect, Gao and Ai, reluctantly handed over their precious swords and followed Xianyu Tong, who was waving a folding fan, up the mountain.

Looking at Xianyu Tong's face, Gu Xuxin felt nauseous. He was determined to ruin Xianyu Tong's reputation today.

The Eagle Cult arrived at the mountain relatively late, mainly because they had too many gifts to transport. By the time they reached the top, it was almost noon.

This time, Tianyin Tianzheng prepared gifts for Zhang Cuishan and Zhang Sanfeng's birthday. The gifts were carefully selected, including the Four Treasures of the Study, silks and satins, antiques and rare items, as well as various precious medicinal herbs, horses and other valuable items.

Looking at these gifts, Yin Susu's eyes reddened. Her father was worried that she would be mistreated at Wudang, which was why he had given such a generous gift. After Song Yuanqiao looked at the gift list, he exclaimed that the gifts were too heavy. Yin Yewang, however, said nonchalantly, "Master Zhang is a renowned figure in the martial arts world. This small token is just a token of my respect. Besides, my sister is already a member of Wudang. Father has nothing else to offer in return but money."

Zhang Cuishan was genuinely taken aback by his father-in-law's extravagant gesture, but after hearing Yin Yewang's words, he felt somewhat at ease.

Of the six major sects, all except Shaolin were present. At noon, a banquet was set up outside the Zixiao Palace, and each sect took their seats.

Gu Xu and Zhang Songxi, who were standing guard to the side, exchanged a glance, and the latter nodded slightly.

To prevent various factions from joining forces to exert pressure, Zhang Songxi decided to take the initiative and said loudly, "Fellow martial arts practitioners, today is my master's 100th birthday. It is really not appropriate to discuss other matters. I hope you will do me the favor."

After Zhang Songxi finished speaking, the leaders of the Divine Fist Sect, the Sea Sand Gang, and other factions remained silent. However, Xi Huazi of the Kunlun Sect shouted, "Fourth Hero Zhang, let's not beat around the bush. We've all come up the mountain today for the whereabouts of the Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun. We hope Fifth Hero Zhang can explain this to us clearly. Once you've explained it clearly, we'll leave the mountain immediately and won't disturb Master Zhang's birthday banquet."

As soon as Xi Hua Zi finished speaking, the crowd in the arena immediately became noisy, especially those from the smaller sects who waved flags and shouted, making a fuss and implying that Zhang Cuishan should reveal Xie Xun's whereabouts.

Zhang Cuishan wanted to speak up and explain, but his wife tugged at his sleeve, and remembering the plan they had made the day before, he had no choice but to remain silent.

Zhang Songxi was furious at Xihua Zi's lack of respect and secretly decided to eliminate the Kunlun Sect from the battle according to the plan. This would not only suppress Kunlun's arrogance but also serve as a warning to others, preventing them from looking down on Wudang.

He then glanced at Gu Xu, who understood and took an ordinary longsword, stepped forward, and stood in front of the noisy Xi Hua Zi.

Gu Xu didn't care much about Xi Hua Zi. His main target was He Taichong, the leader of Kunlun Sect. He had other ideas in mind. Kunlun Sect was still neutral at the moment. If he embarrassed He Taichong, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't side with Shaolin. That would be disadvantageous for Wudang. It seemed he would have to go easy on him a little.

“Brother Xihua Zi, there’s no point in saying more. If you want to see Fifth Uncle, you must get past me. I’ll ask your sect for some advanced techniques. Cheng Xu, go and fetch all the weapons from the Kunlun Sect.”

Cheng Xu accepted the order and left. Soon after, several Wudang disciples arrived at Zixiao Palace carrying more than ten weapons and returned them to the Kunlun Sect. He Taichong frowned upon seeing the situation, but said nothing.

Looking at the composed and unyielding Gu Xu before him, Xi Hua Zi, who had been harboring resentment at Jie Jian Rock for some time, could no longer contain himself upon seeing Gu Xu deliver himself to his doorstep. He drew his longsword and arrogantly declared, "Fine, let me see if your Wudang swordsmanship lives up to its reputation."

He had hoped to provoke his opponent with words, but Gu Xu remained silent, his sword still sheathed, its blade pointing directly at Xi Hua Zi.

Enraged by this, Xi Hua Zi attacked with his sword. While his Kunlun swordsmanship showed some promise, it paled in comparison to Gu Xu's. No matter how fiercely Xi Hua Zi attacked, Gu Xu remained composed. The martial arts veterans watching had already discerned the difference. After several moves, Xi Hua Zi's swordplay weakened, and he switched from offense to defense. Gu Xu had been waiting for this moment. His sword sheath moved like a dragon emerging from the sea, and with a swift move, "Watching the Clouds Emerge from the Peak," he struck Xi Hua Zi's wrist, knocking his sword to the ground. Gu Xu's "I concede!" caused the stunned Xi Hua Zi to blush. After a moment, he silently bowed and returned to the Kunlun Sect's camp.

"What a brilliant move, the Thirteen Swords of the Divine Gate!" He Taichong, who was watching the battle, realized that this move was the essence of the Thirteen Swords of the Divine Gate. Without sufficient skill, it would be nothing more than a poor imitation, and would only be hampered.

His disciple had lost face, and as the sect leader, He Taichong had no choice but to take action. He Taichong thought of another reason: Wudang wanted to establish its authority by taking Kunlun as a target. So he picked up his weapon and stepped forward, saying, "Let me ask Master Gu Xu for his superior skills."

He Taichong, considering himself a senior, disdained to strike first. Seeing this, Gu Xu apologized and drew his longsword, thrusting it straight at He Taichong's left abdomen with the move "Chasing Clouds and Catching the Moon." Before the sword reached him, He Taichong already felt a chilling sword aura on his face. Knowing that his opponent's swordsmanship was superb, he abandoned his contempt and quickly drew his sword, using the move "A Thousand-Foot Cliff" to block the incoming sword.

Gu Xu didn't care that his sword strike hadn't been effective. If this one strike had injured the Kunlun Sect Leader, then it would have been his mistake.

Seeing his longsword blocked, Gu Xu remained calm and composed. He continued to attack He Taichong's left side with his longsword, and changed his sword move to the "Thrust" technique of the Thirteen Swords of the Divine Gate, thrusting towards the opponent's wrist like lightning.

Seeing that Gu Xu had used the Thirteen Swords of the Divine Gate, He Taichong dared not be careless. Moreover, it seemed to be even more fierce than when he had dealt with Xi Huazi. He couldn't help but regret letting Gu Xu make the first move.

Although he thought so, he was, after all, the leader of a sect and had rich combat experience. He held his sword horizontally to his chest, then raised it upwards and used the move "Azure Dragon Emerging from the Sea" to seize the initiative. He followed up with the move "Black Clouds Pressing Down on the City" to not only deflect Gu Xu's attack, but also to press Gu Xu's sword down and take the initiative.

Although He Taichong had the upper hand, after only two moves, he no longer dared to underestimate Gu Xu. He used a combination of seven parts offense and three parts defense. The two then exchanged several more moves. The onlookers only saw two long swords flying up and down, their light dazzling. They found it very beautiful and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

After the two fought for more than ten more moves, Ban Shuxian, who was watching from the sidelines, showed impatience. The dignified Kunlun sect leader couldn't even defeat a third-generation Wudang disciple, which was a real joke to his sect and a disgrace to Kunlun. So she shouted loudly to He Taichong in the arena, "Hurry up and take him down!" Ban Shuxian had a great reputation in Kunlun and was known as the Supreme Sect Leader. Even He Taichong was afraid of her.

Upon hearing Ban Shuxian's words, He Taichong thought to himself, "Although your swordsmanship is extraordinary, your internal strength is inferior to mine. As long as I can cut your sword, my Kunlun Sect will have won this duel."

So he channeled his inner strength, and the longsword began to hum. Seeing this, Gu Xu knew his opponent's plan, so he also channeled his inner strength into his longsword.

With a clang, the two swords clashed, and to everyone's astonishment, each sword broke into several pieces, clattering to the ground. No one expected it to end like this. Gu Xu casually tossed aside the broken swords, clasped his hands, and said, "Thank you, Sect Leader He, for showing mercy."

He Taichong was initially shocked and furious, his face turning ashen. He, the leader of his sect, had actually fought to a draw with Gu Xu, losing all face. But after hearing Gu Xu's words, he felt a little better and smiled, saying, "Daoist Gu Xu's swordsmanship is superb, worthy of being a disciple of Wudang."

He knew his own situation best. In the exchange just now, he knew that Gu Xu's internal strength was far superior to his own. Gu Xu's words were just to give him a way out and prevent him from losing face in front of the martial arts heroes. He remembered this favor.

These words, regardless of the individual thoughts of the other sects, left the Kunlun disciples extremely embarrassed. After all, they had previously said that Wudang swordsmanship was nothing special, but now their sect leader had given them a resounding slap in the face.

Ban Shuxian's face was unusually ugly, and she was secretly angry, but she managed to suppress her anger and curse him out of consideration for He Taichong and the Kunlun Sect.

Seeing that the Kunlun Sect had been defeated by Wudang, the crowd began to consider retreating.

Just then, a loud Buddhist chant clearly reached everyone's ears, and the Kongtong and other sects knew that Shaolin had arrived.

Zong Weixia and the others secretly thought that it would be better for Shaolin to take the lead in order to avoid offending the Wudang Sect.

With light footsteps, Kong Wen and his group of twelve, along with Du Dajin and others from the Longmen Escort Agency, appeared outside the main hall. To avoid being impolite, Song Yuanqiao stepped forward to greet them.

As soon as Kong Wen entered the main hall, he saw that the Kunlun people looked unwell and noticed the broken sword on the ground. He suppressed his thoughts, sat down, and took a sip of tea. Kong Wen then told Song Yuanqiao his purpose: the first matter was the massacre at Longmen Escort Agency, and the second matter was the whereabouts of Xie Xun, the Golden Lion King.

Upon hearing Kong Wen speak, Song Yuanqiao was not surprised at all. As arranged beforehand, he had Zhang Songxi step forward and begin to argue with Shaolin.

Kong Zhi was narrow-minded, arrogant but incompetent. In terms of eloquence, he was no match for Zhang Songxi. Before long, Zhang Songxi said, "There is no real evidence of the Longmen Escort Agency massacre," and "In the world of martial arts, loyalty is paramount, and one cannot betray sworn brothers." In addition, Yu Daiyan was crippled by the Mighty Vajra Finger. Before the matter was clear, Kong Zhi was left red-faced, sweating profusely, and speechless.

While Kongzhi and Zhang Songxi were exchanging questions, Kongwen also took the opportunity to ask Xianyu Tong of the Huashan Sect what had happened. Xianyu Tong was fluent and quickly explained the situation. Upon learning that He Taichong had fought Gu Xu to a draw, Kongwen was deeply moved.

Considering the stature of Master Tieqin, the leader of a sect, that he suffered a setback at the hands of a third-generation disciple, such a defeat would likely be a significant blow to the reputation of the Kunlun Sect if word got out.

What he was thinking on a deeper level was that, in addition to Zhang Sanfeng, an unshakeable mountain, the Wudang Sect also had seven outstanding second-generation disciples. Although Yu Daiyan was crippled, his disciples were even more outstanding than their master. Furthermore, the other third-generation disciples in the arena were also talented. If this continued, wouldn't it suppress the prestige of Shaolin? This was not good news for Shaolin, which had always been the leader.

He looked up and saw that although Gu Xu was dressed in a simple Taoist robe, he still had a great demeanor. He was handsome and elegant, and had a very good appearance. In addition, his martial arts were superb and he was not old. With him around, Wudang would be safe for at least a hundred years.

Thinking of this, Kong Wen twirled his prayer beads, pondering the best strategy. After Kong Zhi was at a complete disadvantage, the arena fell silent. Kong Wen paused, nodding to Xian Yutong, who was smiling beside him.

The latter rose gracefully, then waved a folding fan, took a step forward, and raised his hand to bow to Song Yuanqiao and the others.

(End of this chapter)