A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 24 Urgent Rain

Dark clouds loomed over the square, and rain poured down. Although it was midday, the square appeared somewhat dim.

Du'e and the other two stepped onto the dueling platform, looking at the half-dead Xie Xun, their feelings were very complicated.

“Amitabha, Xie Xun, you are currently powerless to fight. This humble monk does not wish to take advantage of your vulnerability. If you are willing to convert to Buddhism, we can avoid conflict. What do you say?” Du’e did not want to use force, so he gave Xie Xun a “bright future”.

Upon hearing this, the crowd below cursed inwardly. The old monk had a good plan. If Xie Xun agreed, not only would the Ming Cult be disgraced, but the Dragon-Slaying Saber would also fall into Shaolin's hands. Sure enough, these monks had no good intentions.

Zhang Cuishan was extremely worried from below the stage, seeing his sworn brother seriously injured, but he couldn't go up, lest he disrupt his senior brother's plans.

Abbess Miejue naturally understood the meaning behind Du'e's words. Her face showed displeasure, and she thought to herself, "The Shaolin sect is indeed full of crooked and evil ways. No wonder Song Yuanqiao and the others look down on them." However, she was not worried about Shaolin succeeding at all, after all, there was still Wudang.

Upon hearing this, Xie Xun sat up straight and said hoarsely, "I appreciate your kindness, Master, but I am deeply sinful for causing the death of the monk Kongjian. I have truly let down Shaolin. Please, all three of you, make your move. I will not resist. It is just a pity that the villain Cheng Kun has not been found yet, and I will never have the chance to take revenge."

Seeing that the situation was hopeless and Xie Xun was determined to die, Du'e wrapped his prayer beads around his hand and unleashed a powerful Vajra Palm strike. Even the rainwater was forced to scatter by the force, creating small holes on the ground, which shocked everyone.

"What a domineering Vajra Seal!" Song Yuanqiao's face was solemn. Seeing Xie Xun close his eyes and accept his death, Zhang Cuishan couldn't help but turn away and shed tears.

Everyone seemed to see Xie Xun's brains splatter under this palm strike. Just as the Vajra Palm was about to hit, a figure suddenly rushed into the arena and also swung out a palm. The two palms collided, and the two internal forces fought against each other. The area around them became a vacuum, and the rainwater was squeezed and shot out in all directions like arrows.

Seeing this, the onlookers mustered their strength to defend themselves, and it took them a while to recover. When they looked again, the two people in the field had separated, and Du'e and the other two were standing together.

"Wudang will not stand idly by. With Gu Xu making a move, Shaolin will probably not gain any advantage. But how do we deal with the problem posed by the monk Kongjian?" Abbess Miejue looked at Gu Xu in the arena and pondered how he would break the deadlock.

"Master Gu Xu, what are you trying to do by stopping me? I swear I will not rest until you tell me the reason." If it weren't for Gu Xu, Du'e wouldn't have asked.

Based on the intelligence gathered, Gu Xu, despite his young age, is already a top-notch expert, having defeated He Taichong and Kong Wen. Even I dare not underestimate him.

“Master Du’e, I only wanted to prove one thing, something concerning the monk Kongjian,” Gu Xu felt it was time to move Cheng Kun, this pawn.

“Nephew Kongjian? He died at Xie Xun’s hands, that’s undeniable.” Du’an had the most violent temper, and he would definitely get emotional if Kongjian’s death was mentioned. Du’e pressed his hand down lightly, and asked while fiddling with his prayer beads, “Is there any explanation for this?”

Gu Xu did not reply. Instead, he looked at the Shaolin seats and said angrily, "Cheng Kun, now that things have come to this, do you still want to run away?" As he spoke, he used his lightness skill to fly into the air, his five fingers forming a claw, grabbing at Cheng Kun who was trying to escape. The latter was shocked. Seeing that his retreat route had been blocked by Song Yuanqiao, he ruthlessly struck out with a palm, but he did not expect that Abbess Miejue would stab out with her Yitian Sword and cut off two of his fingers.

Cheng Kun screamed as Gu Xu grabbed him and acupunctured him. Gu Xu thanked Abbess Miejue and then carried him to the dueling platform.

Before anyone could react, they saw Master Yuanzhen of Shaolin being captured.

"Master Gu Xu, you?" Du'e stopped Du Jie and Du Nan, who were about to question him, knowing that Gu Xu would not do anything meaningless.

Gu Xu channeled his inner energy into Xie Xun, and although the latter's complexion was still not good, he finally regained some spirit.

"Let me answer this question. Yuanzhen is Cheng Kun. More than twenty years ago, this villain Cheng Kun killed my entire family for his own selfish reasons. When I discovered this, he fled. In order to force him out, I committed all sorts of bloody crimes. Later, the monk Kongjian came out to try to resolve my anger, saying that Cheng Kun had repented and joined his sect. As the saying goes, it is the disciple's fault and the master's fault. The monk Kongjian is willing to stand still and take my Seven Injury Fist. If he is lucky enough to survive, this feud will be over. If he is injured and takes a step back, then Cheng Kun will come out to see me."

Xie Xun coughed a few times, spitting out some bloody chunks of flesh. His face grew even paler as he continued, "I was eager for revenge and immediately agreed to come down here. However, I did not expect that the monk Kongjian had already mastered the 'Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill.' No matter how I attacked, I could not harm him in the slightest. I felt that there was no way to take revenge. In grief and anger, I raised my hand to commit suicide. The monk Kongjian was compassionate and did not know that it was a trap. He reached out to stop me, but was caught off guard and was hit by my Seven Injury Fist. He was seriously injured and could not get up."

“I felt very guilty towards the monk Kongjian, but he didn’t care at all. He said he had lost and then sent a message into the forest, asking Chengkun to come out. But after waiting for a long time, Chengkun did not appear. Only then did the monk Kongjian realize that he had been tricked. I went into the forest to look for him, but I still could not find Chengkun.”

Xie Xun glanced at Cheng Kun lying on the ground and said fiercely, "It was such a heartless bastard who actually laid such a vicious hand on the monk Kongjian. By the time I got back, he was already on the verge of death. As he was dying, he kept saying, 'He lied to me, he lied to me.' The monk Kongjian's eyes were unwilling to close for a long time after he died."

Du'e and the other two were unaware of the details and remained silent for a long time. After a while, Du Jie finally said, "Previously, Cheng Kun cremated Kong Jian's body outside the temple instead of inside. He must have been afraid that we would see through his scheme and pin the crime of killing Kong Jian on Xie Xun. Amitabha, what a vicious heart you have, Cheng Kun. What do you have to say?"

Although Cheng Kun's acupoints were sealed, he could still speak. He said in a sinister tone, "Since the matter has been exposed, I have nothing to deny. That's right, I have to thank that old codger Kong Jian for taking the blame for me and making the Ming Cult bear another blood debt. Xie Xun, you are indeed my good disciple. You have followed my plan step by step. All the grudges and grievances in the martial arts world over the years have been my schemes, all for the purpose of ruining the Ming Cult and causing the various sects in the martial arts world to kill each other."

The people present were bewildered by the series of messages, and felt a chill run down their spines at Cheng Kun's viciousness, realizing that their own sect had been manipulated by someone else.

The crazed Cheng Kun disregarded everything and loudly proclaimed, "The elites of the six major sects are all here now. If the imperial court sends troops to besiege us, do you think you can escape? Hahaha."

The expressions of the five factions changed drastically. If the imperial court was really at the foot of the mountain, those with high martial arts skills might be able to escape, but those with weaker skills would probably be doomed. After all, martial arts practitioners would suffer a lot when facing an army. The elder masters of the five factions couldn't help but feel anxious, and they couldn't even care about Xie Xun's matter for the time being.

"It seems you're quite pleased with yourself, thinking that by siding with the Prince of Ruyang's mansion you can deal with us. Didn't you notice that there are no members of the Ming Cult among those present today?"

Cheng Kun's wild laughter stopped abruptly, and then, as if he had thought of something, his expression turned quite ugly.

Gu Xu ignored him and addressed the crowd below in a loud voice: "Gentlemen, the Ming Cult is preparing to march down the mountain. If they give the signal, it will be time to launch a counterattack. You need not worry."

"Master Gu Xu, what's going on?" Du'e asked hastily, not even caring about Xie Xun. He wasn't afraid of dying, but he was afraid of dying in vain, especially dying at the hands of the Tartar soldiers.

Everyone else turned their gazes over, sensing something amiss in Gu Xu's words. "Gentlemen," Gu Xu said, "a few days ago, our sect discovered that some Tartars had broken up and infiltrated Hubei Province. To avoid alerting them, we didn't tell you. Please forgive us. Now, Ming Cult experts are leading their troops down the mountain to meet the enemy. We're just waiting for the signal to come down and kill them, ensuring those Tartars never return."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a melodious bell rang out from the foot of the mountain, striking three times in a row.

Gu Xu nodded to Song Yuanqiao, who said, "Gentlemen, the Tartars are already surrounded. This is the perfect opportunity to launch a counterattack. If anyone does not wish to participate, they can take shelter from the rain on the mountain. Gu Xu, immediately gather the Wudang disciples and come down the mountain with me to fight the enemy."

Gu Xu accepted the order and left, leaving Zhang Songxi and Zhang Cuishan to guard the mountain. As for Cheng Kun, he was imprisoned and to be dealt with later.

Seeing that Wudang was taking the lead, the masters from various sects were unwilling to tarnish their own sect's reputation. They immediately arranged their men to go down the mountain with Wudang, vowing to kill as many Tartars as possible.

The rain intensified, but the battle at the foot of the mountain was exceptionally fierce. The Prince of Ruyang's mansion, heeding Cheng Kun's advice, deployed all its elite troops, only to fall into an ambush. Lu Zhangke and the Eighteen Vajras barely managed to hold the situation back, but were ambushed and injured by Ku Toutuo. Had it not been for the rescue of the Eight Heroes of Divine Arrows, they would likely have lost their lives.

Wang Baobao, mounted on horseback, wore a cold expression. The Eight Heroes of Divine Arrows protected him. Seeing the situation worsening, resentment towards Cheng Kun began to grow. His plan had backfired, making him a sitting duck. Now, trapped in this predicament, he feared that if the martial artists on the mountain all rushed down together…

Wang Baobao dared not think any further and commanded his men to break through the encirclement as quickly as possible. Just when the battle was at a stalemate, the forces of the six major factions appeared in Wang Baobao's sight, which frightened him so much that he turned pale and hurriedly shouted, "Break through quickly!" The Eight Heroes of Divine Arrows and the Eight Vajras risked their lives to protect the young prince, clearing a path with their own flesh and blood. After twelve people were killed or wounded, they finally managed to send Wang Baobao out successfully.

Lu Zhangke and the Eighteen Vajras, who were deeply embroiled in a fierce battle, were not so lucky. Without their commander, these Tartars were nothing more than scattered soldiers, their formation in disarray. How could they possibly withstand these martial arts masters, who swiftly reaped the lives of the Tartars as if cutting vegetables and melons?

Lu Zhangke and the Eighteen Vajras first fought against the Ming Cult's Left and Right Envoys, the Green-Winged Bat King, the White-Browed Eagle King, and the Five Wanderers, and then faced off against masters from various Wudang and Shaolin sects. In a short time, they were almost all killed or wounded. Finally, Lu Zhangke was beheaded by Abbess Miejue with a single sword strike.

The army collapsed like a house of cards. The Five Elements Banner troops were well-coordinated and deployed, and the elite troops of the Prince of Ruyang's palace were annihilated, except for a small number who escaped with Wang Baobao.

The cold rain soaked their robes, but the hearts of the martial arts masters were burning with excitement. Some even laughed heartily, shouting "That's great! That's great!" Even the usually stern Abbess Miejue showed a rare smile.

The Ming Cult sent people to clean up the battlefield, while the other high-ranking members were invited to go to Wudang Mountain.

Inside the Zixiao Palace, the lights were on, and masters from various sects sat in order, amidst laughter and cheerful conversation.

Song Yuanqiao then said to Du'e, "Master, now that the crisis has been resolved, it's time to continue dealing with the Golden Lion King's matter."

The others immediately stopped talking, while the Ming Cult members remained seated, showing no intention of offering assistance, which was puzzling.

Du'e, his fingers twirling prayer beads, said calmly, "Now that the truth is clear, and we are not unreasonable people, as for Xie Xun, although his nephew Kongjian did not die directly at his hands, he is still culpable. Moreover, he personally committed the other bloody crimes. In order to avenge the victims of the five major sects, he must be punished. Let him cripple his martial arts to atone for his sins and hand over the Dragon-Slaying Saber. What do you think, Hero Song?"

Upon hearing this, everyone agreed that it was indeed a good idea. Song Yuanqiao nodded and said, "Let's do it this way. From now on, Xie Xun will stay in Wudang to cultivate himself and never concern himself with the affairs of the martial world again. Gu Xu, go and fetch the Dragon-Slaying Saber."

After a moment, Gu Xu came out from the back hall with the Dragon-Slaying Saber and placed it on the offering table under everyone's watchful eyes.

When Abbess Miejue saw the Dragon-Slaying Saber, she didn't show it on her face, but she was extremely excited inside. However, considering her previous agreement with Wudang, Abbess Miejue calmed down.

"Amitabha, Master Song, this Dragon-Slaying Saber originally belonged to Xie Xun and should have been entrusted to Wudang for safekeeping. However, this humble monk is unable to see through the illusion, so I wish to compete for it. Please do not take offense."

At the level of Du'e, he only cares about upholding the reputation of Shaolin and nothing else. He is only asking Wudang for a challenge because of the Dragon-Slaying Saber.

The Kongtong and Huashan sects remained unmoved, while Kunlun, since its leader disappeared, has acted as if it were invisible.

"Master, you flatter us. In that case, Song Yuanqiao and the others will ask for your guidance. However, to avoid damaging the harmony between our two families, we will stop here. I wonder if that is acceptable, Master?"

"Amitabha Buddha, well done, well done."

Du'e and the other two were the first to walk out of the hall. It was still raining outside, but the rain had lessened a bit.

After stepping onto the dueling platform, Du'e said, "Hero Song, the three of us have practiced a formation called the 'Vajra Subduing Demon Circle.' Hero Song, you may choose any of us. There is no limit to the number of people. Once this formation is broken, we will admit defeat."

Song Yuanqiao glanced at the three people who had already set up their formation. He thought for a moment that this martial arts competition was about the contest, not about life and death, and he didn't want to bully the weak with numbers and make people look down on Wudang. So he called Yu Lianzhou and Gu Xu to go forward and break into the formation together.

The three of them wielded five-foot-long black ropes as weapons. Their positions were mutually supportive, allowing the others to quickly provide support when one side was in trouble, making them well-rounded in both offense and defense.

Song Yuanqiao and his two companions stepped onto the stage with their swords. Du'e and his two companions chanted a Buddhist prayer, and the black ropes in their hands coiled towards them like three black dragons. As the black ropes trembled, the surrounding air was torn apart, making a popping sound.

Gu Xu moved swiftly, his sword clashing with Du'e's black rope. The collision of their internal forces shook the rope apart. Du'e, holding the rope, shook it into several loops, trying to secure Gu Xu's sword. Gu Xu, however, went with the flow, flipping his sword and using gentle force to pull the rope closer inch by inch. This made Du'e realize something was wrong. Just then, another black rope attacked from the side. It turned out that Du Jie had seen Du'e's predicament and had abandoned his opponent to provide support.

While Gu Xu and Du E were entangled, Song Yuanqiao faced Du Jie, and Yu Lianzhou faced Du Nan. Du E, who had the strongest power, was tied up. Now, Du Jie withdrew his Black Rope to attack Gu Xu. Du Nan was fighting two against one and was immediately at a disadvantage. Du Nan was the weakest of the three. Under the strong attack of Song and Yu, the range of movement of the Black Rope became smaller and smaller, and was eventually forced to shrink to three feet around his body.

(End of this chapter)