A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 22 The Wind Rises
When Xie Xun arrived at Wudang, Zhang Cuishan and his wife brought Zhang Wuji to greet him. Upon seeing Xie Xun, Zhang Wuji happily shouted, "Godfather, Godfather!"

Hearing a familiar voice, Xie Xun hurried toward the source of the sound. Gu Xu, fearing he might fall, quickly helped him up. Zhang Cuishan took a few quick steps, grabbed Xie Xun's hands, and exclaimed excitedly, "Brother, you've finally come!"

"Brothers, I'm sorry to have worried you. Fortunately, that young Taoist priest escorted us all the way, and nothing went wrong. Where is Wuji? I heard his voice. Let me see him quickly."

Zhang Cuishan called Zhang Wuji over and placed his hand in Xie Xun's. "Father, Wuji misses you so much. Please don't leave again, okay?" Zhang Wuji was afraid his father would leave, so he asked softly.

"Alright, alright, Godfather will stay on the mountain from now on and never leave again. He will wait for Wuji to get married and take care of me in my old age until he dies." Xie Xun longed for family affection. Only in this way could he forget everything and just want to live a simple and peaceful life.

After dealing with Cheng Kun, I can finally live the life I want.

Gu Xu stepped forward and said to Xie Xun, "Senior, Grandmaster Uncle and the others are waiting for you in the Zixiao Palace. Let's hurry over there." The arrangements for the follow-up plan still need to be carefully reviewed.

Xie Xun nodded upon hearing this, and the group quickly arrived at the Zixiao Palace.

All six heroes of Wudang were present. After exchanging greetings, they sat down. Song Yuanqiao spoke first: "Lion King, I'm sure Gu Xu has already told you. The plan is fourfold: first, to allow you to avenge yourself and eliminate Cheng Kun; second, to relinquish the Dragon-Slaying Saber and let Wudang take over, so that any other sect in the martial world that wants to seize the saber will have to come to Wudang; third, to allow Lion King to take the opportunity to retire from the martial world and live a simple life in Wudang; and fourth, to allow Wudang to overpower Shaolin and lead all the sects in the martial world, so that it won't become a disorganized mess that can be defeated one by one by the imperial court. At the same time, it is also to contribute to the future cause of the Ming Cult. The invitations have already been sent out, and we are just waiting for the representatives from each sect to arrive."

The plan was actually quite simple. The only person who needed to be sacrificed was Xie Xun, which was also the most crucial element. Xie Xun was a smart man and knew that he would have to pay the price for what he had done. However, with Wudang mediating, he was at least able to keep his life and enjoy his later years.

"I understand what Master Song means, and I have no objection," Xie Xun said, treating himself as just a tool and waiting patiently.

"Master Uncle, your disciple has sent people to inquire and found out that three eminent monks from Shaolin Temple, Du'e, Du'jie, and Du'nan, have come out of the mountains to avenge Master Kongjian. Yang Xiao, the Left Guardian of the Ming Cult, the White-browed Eagle King and the Green-winged Bat King, the Five Wanderers, He Taichong and his wife from Kunlun, the Five Elders of Kongtong, the Two Elders of Huashan, Abbess Miejue, Shi Huolong from the Beggar Clan, and others have also arrived one after another. In addition, Hao Mi and Bu Tai from Hejian, Yue Shenqiang, and others have also appeared in Hubei." Gu Xu told Song Yuanqiao and others the news he had obtained.

"I didn't expect that even the eminent monks of the Du generation would come out of the mountains. It seems that they really want revenge, to seize the Dragon-Slaying Saber, and to suppress Wudang. Cheng Kun is probably involved in all of this." Xie Xun was very impressed by the scale of the event and thought that most of the experts from both the righteous and demonic factions had come.

"Shaolin is determined to avenge its previous defeat. These three eminent monks are not easy to deal with. I heard that the three of them have mastered the Vajra Subduing Demon Circle, which is incredibly powerful. As for the likes of the Hejian Twin Fiends, they are also troublesome." Gu Xu had long anticipated that this matter would cause a stir in the martial arts world, so he was not surprised. This was just right. No matter how many people came, Wudang was confident that it could handle them all.

"Gu Xu, give the order to all disciples to keep to their duties and not let any people with ulterior motives take advantage of the situation. Anyone without an invitation is not allowed to go up the mountain, and those who violate this rule will be executed without mercy." Since we want to solve the problem openly and honestly, we cannot allow any conspiracies or treachery to occur.

Gu Xu nodded in agreement and went to give the instructions.

On Wudang Mountain, the atmosphere was relaxed on the outside but tense on the inside. Seven days later, all the sects gathered again at the foot of Wudang Mountain, led by Kongru and the Three Elders of Shaolin, along with more than ten disciples of the Yuan generation.

Kunlun He Taichong suffered a setback at Gu Xu's hands and originally decided not to interfere anymore. However, Ban Shuxian insisted on her way, forcing He Taichong to come and even calling on her two junior brothers to help, attempting to get her hands on the Dragon Slayer Saber.

The Five Elders of Kongtong were second only to Shaolin in terms of their scale this time, with a group of thirty-two people. The reason for this was that Xie Xun had raided the mountain many years ago, killing people and stealing treasures, causing the valuable treasures to be lost. This was an irreconcilable enmity.

The Huashan Sect members were mostly there to make up the numbers, with the only exception being Abbess Miejue of Emei.

Since the Emei Sect formed a marriage alliance with the Wudang Sect, they have looked down on the Shaolin Sect even more. When Kongru sent someone to invite Abbess Miejue to discuss the matter of Xie Xun, Abbess Miejue coldly replied, "Emei will personally go to Wudang to inquire about this matter, so there's no need for you to trouble yourself, Master." After saying this, she led her Emei disciples up the mountain, showing no respect to the Shaolin Sect whatsoever. Those who saw this frowned, wondering if the Emei Sect had "betrayed" them. After all, Abbess Miejue's brother had died at the hands of Xie Xun. Could such a great grudge be so easily abandoned?

After Abbess Miejue went up the mountain, Kongru said to Du'e, "Uncle-Master, I'm afraid we can't count on the Emei Sect anymore. What should we do next?" Kongru knew that his position was not secure, so he consulted his three uncles on everything.

With a sallow face, Du'e twirled his prayer beads and said in a hoarse voice, "Let her go." Then he closed his eyes and remained silent. Kongru looked at Dujie and Dunan, but still received no instructions, so he had no choice but to leave the tent.

When Cheng Kun saw Kong Ru come out looking bewildered, he pulled him aside and asked without any politeness, "What did those three old men say?" Kong Ru hurriedly replied, "They didn't say anything."

Cheng Kun looked displeased and scolded, "Damn old fools! We invited them out of the mountains to unite the four sects, but who knew they would be so stubborn and insist on a fair and square martial arts competition? Foolish! If they weren't still somewhat useful, we would have sent them to keep Kongxing company long ago." Cheng Kun became more and more agitated as he spoke, and his voice inevitably grew louder. Kongru was worried about attracting attention, so he quickly let him into the tent.

"Isn't the Kunlun Sect trying to seize the Dragon-Slaying Saber? Just follow my plan and spread the word. Let that brainless Ban Shuxian scout ahead for me." Cheng Kun was still resentful about being injured by Gu Xu, but he didn't dare to be reckless. He was determined to test the strength of Wudang. Success would be best, but failure wouldn't harm him much.

Kongru was both shocked and frightened when he saw Chengkun's ferocious face, but he dared not disobey him. After listening to his instructions, he hurriedly went out to make arrangements. He was so obsequious in front of Chengkun that he had no manners as an elder at all.

Not long after, the Kunlun Sect received news that the Wudang Sect had arranged for Xie Xun to stay in a cave on Shenguang Cliff, where the Dragon-Slaying Saber was also located. Upon hearing this, Ban Shuxian immediately called on He Taichong and the other two to sneak up the cliff under the cover of night and steal the precious saber.

He Taichong sensed something was amiss and advised Ban Shuxian not to act rashly. Wudang was certainly on high alert, and since he had an invitation, why not go up openly and honestly? Doing some petty theft would really damage the reputation of the Kunlun Sect.

Ban Shuxian was furious when she heard this, and said, "If we don't take advantage of the faction of people, how can we succeed? If we go up openly, we will only be a foil for the Shaolin Sect. Wudang must be focusing on Shaolin now, which is a great opportunity. I guess not only us, but others will also take action when they hear the news. When the situation is chaotic, we will only take the Dragon-Slaying Saber and not harm Xie Xun."

Ban Shuxian's words touched He Taichong. Seeing his wife's face growing increasingly gloomy, He Taichong immediately agreed, and Ban Shuxian then smiled at him.

As night fell, Wudang Mountain was dotted with lights, while four people were climbing up the Chenguang Cliff behind the mountain. Two were in front and two were behind, the one in front moving quickly and the one behind moving slowly. Just as they reached the middle of the mountain, more than a dozen disciples guarding the mountain spotted them and sent out a signal. They then formed a formation to block them. The two in front did not even look and quickly moved, their figures blurring as they crossed the sword circle. The two behind them crashed into it.

A flurry of swords and spears erupted as the Wudang disciples, relying on their formation, managed to hold off the two attackers. However, the newcomers were Kunlun masters, and within a short time, four of them had been injured, their sword circles broken. The two disciples, no longer willing to linger, hurried forward to reunite with their senior brother.

As soon as they reached the mountaintop, they saw that their senior brothers had already engaged in combat with others. Their opponents looked very young, but their kung fu was extremely high, and they were still gaining the upper hand in the battle against two opponents.

After finally reaching the mountaintop, He Taichong and his wife encountered Gu Xu. In order to finish the battle quickly, the two used the Yin-Yang Sword Technique to attack Gu Xu.

The latter, however, had already seen through the flaws in the Yin-Yang Sword Technique. Upon engaging, he launched a fierce and relentless attack, his sharp sword piercing the weaknesses at every turn, leaving both of them exhausted and mentally drained.

Seeing her junior brother arrive, Ban Shuxian was overjoyed and hurriedly called out, "Junior brother!" The two rushed forward to help. The four attacked, but Gu Xu remained calm and composed. With a turn of his sword, he neutralized all four attacks. At the same time, he switched the sword to his left hand and launched a surprise attack with his right palm. He Taichong never expected Gu Xu to have such a move. He hurriedly withdrew his sword, but with a crack, the sword broke, and the right palm struck him solidly. He Taichong groaned and fell out of the battle circle, unable to get up.

Ban Shuxian watched as He Taichong was sent flying, and let out a furious cry. Her sword light grew even sharper, and the remaining two also joined the attack. Gu Xu didn't want to get entangled any longer, so he attacked with both his palm and sword. After three moves, the long sword in Ban Shuxian's hand was actually cleaved in two by Gu Xu's sword. The blade flipped and lashed at her body, breaking several bones. The other two were the focus of Gu Xu's attack. He struck their heart meridians, and after screaming, only two still-warm corpses remained.

Upon seeing this scene, He Taichong and his wife broke out in a cold sweat, their faces beneath their masks turning deathly pale.

Gu Xu reached out and pressed the pressure points of the two men, then ripped off their masks. He said in a low voice, "As expected of Headmaster He of Kunlun. A renowned figure in the martial arts world, to do such a despicable thing is truly shameful." He Taichong, who was already vomiting blood due to internal injuries, became even more agitated upon hearing this, and his injuries worsened.

"Since you two are not following the right path, I can only deal with it afterward," Gu Xu instructed the disciples who had rushed over to lock the two up and leave them for further processing.

Although he had dealt with the four people, Gu Xu knew that more people would probably come up the mountain soon, so he sat cross-legged on a large rock, closed his eyes to rest, and the only sound on the quiet cliff top was the howling of the wind.

Half an hour later, the mountaintop was disturbed again.

"Now that you've all arrived, please show yourselves," Gu Xu shouted down the mountain with his inner strength. In no time, seven figures arrived in a flash.

The two Fiends of Hejian exchanged glances with the others, and then the five of them surrounded Gu Xu with their weapons, while Hao Mi and Bu Tai rushed towards the cave.

Gu Xu stood up and glanced around. Among the five people, there was a skilled spearman. Based on his physique, weapon, and internal strength, Gu Xu identified the newcomer as Yue Chuan, the Spear Master Yue. It was not difficult to guess that the other people were his four sworn brothers.

Liu Yizhen wielded a sword, Zhao Hai wielded a Wu hook, Fang Tiansheng wielded double rings, and Meng Tong wielded a steel whip. These five men were skilled in martial arts similar to He Taichong and possessed a combined attack technique.

Gu Xu glanced at Hao Mi and Bu Tai, but ignored them, since his senior uncle was there to oversee things. The immediate problem was dealing with these five people.

Seeing Gu Xu draw his longsword, Yue Chuan immediately shouted "Attack!" and his spear trembled as it slithered toward Gu Xu like a giant python. The other four also charged forward, determined to hold Gu Xu back.

The longsword grazed past Yue Chuan's spear like a dragon, then, with a burst of power, slashed down. Yue Chuan swung his spear, creating a dazzling display of spear shadows. Seeing Gu Xu leap into the air, Fang Tiansheng swiftly threw a ring from his hand, which whistled as it flew towards Gu Xu. Gu Xu, however, maintained his offensive, striking Yue Chuan's spear with his sword. The powerful internal force that erupted from the ring severely injured Yue Chuan, while the ring struck Gu Xu. Fang Tiansheng's face lit up with joy. This time, with his full power, even Gu Xu, with his profound skill, would suffer some injury. He stepped forward, caught the flying ring, and prepared to deliver a finishing blow.

Meng Tong, who was watching from the sidelines, saw it clearly: the ring appeared to have hit Gu Xu, but it actually grazed past him.

Seeing Fang Tiansheng getting closer and closer to Gu Xu, Meng Tong felt uneasy and hurriedly said, "Fourth Brother, retreat quickly! Second Brother, Third Brother, attack quickly!" He then attacked fiercely with his whip.

Gu Xu had gone to great lengths to devise this plan, so he wasn't about to let Meng Tong and the others ruin it. He stomped his foot, sending up several pebbles, which he then plucked like strings, throwing them to block them. Then, to Fang Tiansheng's incredulous gaze, he pierced through the ring with his sword, striking his heart and killing him instantly.

Liu Yizhen, who came to help, broke out in a cold sweat. He could barely hold his long sword. Fang Tiansheng was not weak, but even he couldn't last a single round. Liu Yizhen was about the same level as him, and going up like this would only be a pointless death. He immediately had the idea of ​​retreating. However, Meng Tong and Zhao Hai saw their brother die tragically, shouted, and attacked with their lives. Seeing their brother fighting desperately, Liu Yizhen had no choice but to charge up again.

Seeing the fierce attacks of the three, but also the many flaws they revealed, Gu Xu deflected Liu Yizhen's longsword with a single sword stroke. However, he was caught off guard by Zhao Hai's Wu hook, which locked his weapon. Meng Tong, who was standing to the side, jumped up and swung his whip at Gu Xu's head, while Liu Yizhen stepped forward and thrust at Gu Xu's vital points from the side.

Despite the combined efforts of the three parties, Gu Xu remained calm and composed. He channeled his strength into his sword with his right hand, then released it and pushed hard. At the same time, he grabbed Liu Yizhen's longsword with his left palm, tilted his body, raised his arm, and used the longsword to block the steel whip.

Zhao Hai thought that by locking Gu Xu's weapon with Wu Gou, he would lose his support. However, Gu Xu suddenly broke the situation with a move. After the long sword broke Wu Gou, it pierced Zhao Hai's chest and abdomen. The force carried him backward, and finally, with a clang, Zhao Hai was pinned to the rock wall. Even when he died, he was still holding the long sword tightly with both hands.

The attacks of Liu Yizhen and Meng Tong were neutralized by Gu Xu's Cloud Hand Double Push. At the same time, a force of both hardness and softness emanated from their weapons, and to their astonishment, their weapons were shattered.

With two loud thuds, Meng Tong and Liu Yizhen were struck in the heart by the force of the palm strikes and were already lifeless after hitting the ground.

Gu Xu glanced at it casually, then drew his longsword and stared coldly at Yue Chuan, which terrified the heavily injured Yue Chuan, leaving him pale as a ghost.

While Gu Xu was fighting the five people, Hao Mi and Bu Tai, not far away, were also facing off against Song Yuanqiao and his group of four.

(End of this chapter)