A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 304 The aftermath
Ni Qingfeng's cold words startled Shangguan Yun slightly, but were quickly followed by boundless anger. He stared at Ni Qingfeng with a sinister look in his eyes and said coldly, "Master Ni, you must understand the principle that loose lips sink ships. Although you are highly skilled in martial arts, the Tianshan Sect does not yet have the strength to contend with the entire martial arts world. If we fight to the death, your Tianshan Sect will be destroyed today!"

As soon as Shangguan Yun finished speaking, he raised his right hand. People from various sects following behind stepped forward and surrounded the Tianshan Sect and Liubo Sect. They held weapons and stared coldly at their enemies.

Seeing this, Shen Henian snorted coldly. Since the two sides had already torn off their masks, there was nothing more to say. In the end, it all came down to strength. With that thought, Shen Henian pointed his long sword at the outside and glanced at the other side. Fu Tianjiao and the other disciples were also watching their opponents warily.

"Hall Master Shangguan, you are quite arrogant. My Tianshan Sect is not easily intimidated. Things have come to this point, and our two sects are now like fire and water. Hall Master Shangguan, this battle is inevitable. Since that is the case, let's make our move. However, Hall Master Shangguan should think carefully. White-headed Eagle and the others have all disappeared. If they take this opportunity to go to Zhongxin Hall, I wonder if the people Hall Master Shangguan left behind can hold them off?"

Ni Qingfeng, without drawing his sword, slowly walked to the front of the Tianshan Sect and looked at Shangguan Yun calmly. Upon hearing this, the latter was taken aback at first, then his face turned very ugly, but he quickly suppressed his emotions and said sternly, "The White-headed Eagle is nothing to worry about. Daoist Ni, if the Tianshan Sect is willing to leave half of the spoils behind, I can guarantee that you will all descend the mountain safely. This is already the biggest concession I have made. If Daoist Ni still does not agree, we will have no choice but to ask for your guidance."

Shangguan Yun was still somewhat wary of Ni Qingfeng. After much deliberation, he finally backed down. You see, before, Shangguan Yun had no intention of leaving anything behind for the Tianshan Sect.

Ni Qingfeng's face remained expressionless upon hearing Shangguan Yun's words, while Shen Henian seemed lost in thought.

“Junior brother, Sun Yun and the other seven are seriously injured and need to be treated as soon as possible. Tian Jiao and the others are also almost all injured. Fighting them is a bad strategy. We have already gained an advantage today, so why not back down? We can get the wealth again, but the lives of our disciples are the most important.”

Shen Henian used the secret method of telepathy to convey his considerations to Ni Qingfeng. Upon hearing this, the latter was silent for a moment before saying to Shen Henian, "I will listen to Second Senior Brother. I will leave the rest to Second Senior Brother."

After Ni Qingfeng finished speaking, he glanced at Shangguan Yun, and with the latter's solemn expression, he turned and retreated to the back. Shen Henian, on the other hand, sheathed his sword, stepped forward slowly, gave Shangguan Yun a rough bow, and said solemnly, "Hall Master Shangguan, our Tianshan Sect can leave half of our wealth behind."

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Yun felt a sense of relief. He had been under considerable pressure due to his confrontation with the Tianshan Sect, so it was all the better that the Tianshan Sect was willing to back down.

"So good."

As soon as both sides expressed their stance, the tense situation on the field immediately eased. Shen Henian waved his hand to the people behind him, and the Tianshan disciples immediately placed half of their valuables on the ground and opened the wooden box. Inside, they saw that the box was filled with all kinds of treasures. The gold, silver and pearls were so dazzling that it was hard to open one's eyes. The martial arts manuals were even more coveted by sects such as the Divine Blade Sect.

"Master Shangguan, we take our leave."

Looking at the crowd, Shen Henian sneered inwardly. He called to the Tianshan disciples, took the remaining valuables, and carried the injured disciple away from the sight of the various sects. But just then, a disciple from the Divine Blade Sect suddenly shouted, "Who knows if you took the best things and left behind some worthless items?"

As soon as the disciple uttered those words, Meng Yu, the sect leader of the Divine Blade Sect, changed his expression drastically. Before he could stop him, a sword light flashed past, and in the blink of an eye, the Divine Blade Sect disciple's hair crown was cleaved off, and all his hair was injured by the sword energy, falling down one by one from his head, quickly piling up on his shoulders, and then falling to the ground along with his robes.

"you!"

The disciple was terrified, his face pale as he looked at Fu Tianjiao, who had sheathed her sword. Meng Yu, seeing this, was shaken and pondered in his mind that he probably couldn't have easily withstood that sword strike either. If he had been careless, it wouldn't have been impossible for him to have been seriously injured.

Shangguan Yun's face remained expressionless, but his apprehension towards the Tianshan Sect only intensified. Fu Tianjiao's "Silver Dragon from Beyond the Heavens" move had reached a level of consummate skill, and there were few in Zhongxin Hall who could easily withstand it.

"Do you even have a place to speak here, gentlemen? It is my fault for not managing my subordinates properly. Please forgive me."

Meng Yu pressed the disciple who had spoken to the ground with a palm strike, gave a wry smile, clasped his hands in apology to everyone, and the Tianshan Sect members continued to walk out without even giving Meng Yu a glance.

Led by Yin Songyue, the Liubo Sect followed behind and headed outside. Shangguan Yun watched Yin Songyue leave with a cold eye, already determined to wipe out this traitor. Dealing with the Tianshan Sect was a bit too much, but he could crush the small Liubo Sect with a single finger.

Ni Qingfeng brought up the rear at the last moment. When he passed by the Divine Blade Sect, he glanced at Meng Yu with a cold look, which made the latter tremble all over. After Ni Qingfeng left, Meng Yu felt that his back was soaked with cold sweat.

"Hall Master?"

As Shangguan Yun watched the Tianshan Sect members leave, he snorted coldly and gave an order to the Sun and Moon Duo to distribute the valuables. In no time, almost every survivor from each sect had received a reward and was all smiles.

"Master, what Ni Qingfeng said just now might not be without merit. Since White-Headed Eagle and the others aren't here, and the Zhongxin Hall is quite empty, perhaps..."

Yue Sha looked very worried. Although the White-headed Eagle and the others had lost their foundation, they were also less restrained. If they were to deal with Zhongxin Hall, almost none of the remaining people would be their match.

"With Madam at Zhongxin Hall, even if we are outmatched, we can hold out for a few days. After a short rest, leave a team to search the mountains. You two will come back to Zhongxin Hall with me immediately."

"Yes!"

The Sun and Moon Duo agreed and turned to leave, while Meng Yu, who had obtained the Shaolin Subduing Demon Saber Technique, approached them.

"Master, the Tianshan Sect is so arrogant today that we have no choice but to eliminate them. Should we ambush them on their way back to the mountain?"

Meng Yu also had his own plans. Almost all the Tianshan Sect members were injured and at their weakest. If he could eliminate them, wouldn't all their wealth be his?

As long as Ni Qingfeng and Shen Henian are distracted, the rest of the people are no threat.

"If you don't want to die, then go. Ni Qingfeng alone can wipe you all out. Do you believe it or not?"

Shangguan Yun snorted coldly. If it weren't for the deaths of Gao Liang and the others, the Divine Blade Sect would still have some strength, and Meng Yu would still be relatively easy to use. Shangguan Yun wouldn't have given him a warning.

"What the hall master says is right. I was arrogant." Meng Yu felt embarrassed as he listened to Shangguan Yun's unfriendly tone.

Seeing this, Shangguan Yun didn't say much. When he saw the Sun and Moon Duo return, he nodded to them, and the three of them quickly ran down the mountain under Meng Yu's puzzled gaze.

Meng Yu's eyes flickered slightly. After pondering for a while, he looked at the crowd still making a ruckus in the arena, called out to his trusted disciples, and then all the people from the Divine Blade Sect withdrew from Bailing Mountain.

Meanwhile, the Tianshan Sect group had already reached the foot of the mountain. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Shen Henian, Yin Songyue, the leader of the Liubo Sect, took the lead and left with her disciples. After discussing with Ni Qingfeng, Shen Henian decided to return to the Sihai Inn to rest first, and then return to Tianshan after the disciples' injuries had healed.

While the Tianshan Sect was traveling on horseback, Tang Entangde and others hid in a cave at the foot of Bailing Mountain. Watching the Tianshan Sect depart, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"The disappearance of White Head and Green Monster seems to have been planned in advance. If we hadn't acted quickly, we would probably be dead by now."

The Living Yama's face was very ugly at this moment. Although he had successfully escaped, very few of his disciples had survived.

Upon hearing this, Zhong Yue said in a deep voice, "The Tianshan Sect has already retreated, which will ease our pressure somewhat. It's easy for Bai Tou to leave, but we'll become like rats crossing the street. Unless we flee to distant lands, there will be no place for us in the Central Plains martial arts world."

The current martial arts landscape is quite clear: the Tianshan Sect and the Zhongxin Hall are locked in a standoff. On the surface, the Zhongxin Hall is more powerful than the Tianshan Sect, but in terms of the number of experts, the Tianshan Sect has two top-tier masters, Xue Wanshan and Ni Qingfeng. Both sects have their own strengths, and if they were to fight, the outcome would be hard to predict.

"The lands beyond are not necessarily safe either. We are already outnumbered and isolated. Going to a place where we know no one would be suicide. I do have a good place to go, but I don't know what you all think?"

Upon hearing Zhong Yue's words, Tang En's heart stirred. He glanced at everyone, and the Living Yama's eyes lit up. He said urgently, "Brother Tang, tell us where you are going so that we can all discuss it."

Zhong Yue and Sha Tiweng also looked over, and Tang En then said, "Miao territory."

"Miao region?"

The three members of the Living Yama Sect were first startled, then fell silent in contemplation. Miao territory was very close to Sichuan, and the Tang Clan was familiar with its geography. It was a good place to go, but it had always been a taboo in the Central Plains martial arts world because of the infamous Gu poison of Miao territory. The former leader of the Qingcheng Sect, Daoist Tiansong, had died at the hands of a Miao girl. Later, the Qingcheng Sect killed him, which led to a disaster. In just three days, the Xuanfeng Temple of the Qingcheng Sect was burned to the ground, and all three hundred members of the sect died.

Afterwards, the Emei Sect went to investigate and learned that the person had been poisoned by a Miao Gu poison. After this incident, the entire martial arts world turned pale at the mention of the Miao region, making it a major taboo.

However, after careful consideration, Zhong Yue thought that Miao territory was not a bad place. Regardless of Tang En's purpose, at least their interests were aligned now, and he wouldn't easily harm them. Another reason was that they could use Miao territory's fearsome reputation to evade the pursuit of Zhongxin Hall, giving them time to recuperate. Most importantly... "Fortune favors the bold, and perhaps Miao territory's Gu poison could become a powerful weapon for some martial arts world." Zhong Yue glanced at Tang En imperceptibly. If he obtained the Gu poison inheritance, he wouldn't have to fear the Tianshan Sect and Zhongxin Hall anymore.

“I think this place is a good place to go. What do you think, Living Yama and Shatieweng?”

Upon hearing this, the Living Yama pondered for a moment, then looked intently at Tang En and said solemnly, "Since we're already in this predicament, a desperate gamble might still allow us to survive. Brother Tang, I'll go with you to Miao territory. Old Sha, what about you?"

The Living Yama turned to look at the silent Shatiewong to the side.

"I agree."

When Sha Tiweng saw that Zhong Yue and the Living Yama had both made their decisions, he immediately and decisively replied.

Sha Tiweng was self-aware; he knew his martial arts skills weren't particularly high. His only notable skill was his ability to teleport underground, but that alone wouldn't be enough to stop the pursuit of Zhongxin Hall. He decided to stay with Zhong Yue and the others for a bit of safety.

When Tang En heard that everyone agreed to go to Miao territory, he was overjoyed, but he did not show it on his face. He stood up and said, "We should not delay. Let's leave immediately after dark."

Everyone agreed with this. Just then, Tang De, who had been observing the outside of the cave, suddenly tensed up and turned to the crowd, saying, "Shangguan Yun has brought the Sun and Moon Duo down the mountain."

Upon hearing this, Tang En was also startled. He pressed his hands down lightly and said softly, "Everyone, please do not make any noise."

As he spoke, Tang En went to the observation hole and looked out of the cave. He saw Shangguan Yun and the other two riding away on horseback without stopping. Tang En looked puzzled, but then his eyes lit up.

"Brother Tang, how is it?" Living Yama asked softly, noticing the slight change in Tang En's expression.

"Shangguan Yun and the other two have already left. Judging from their hurried expressions, they must have something important to do."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Yue already had a guess in his mind. He looked up and met Tang En's gaze. Tang En looked at the question in Zhong Yue's eyes and nodded.

"What are you talking about? What's really going on?"

The living Yama had a fiery temper, and seeing Tang En and Zhong Yue exchanging glances, he couldn't help but become irritable.

"If I'm not mistaken, Shangguan Yun was probably worried that the White-Haired Old Monster and the Green-Robed Monster would harm Zhongxin Hall, which is why he left in such a hurry."

After Zhong Yue finished speaking, the Living Yama's face lit up with joy, and he clapped his hands and said, "Very likely. This White Head is a man who holds grudges. Zhongxin Hall led the various sects to destroy his White Ridge Mountain, and he will definitely seek revenge in every way. That Green Robe Old Monster is also a profit-driven man. Zhongxin Hall's foundation is much larger than White Ridge Mountain. Getting even a little bit from it would be enough for him to enjoy endlessly. Hmph, these two have certainly made a good calculation. We've all become the ones who suffer the consequences."

"We don't need to pay attention to them. This is perfect. Shangguan Yun's attention will only be on them, and we will have less pressure on our side."

“Brother Zhong is right. Fortune and misfortune are intertwined, and who can say for sure? Let’s rest for a while and set off as soon as it gets dark.”

Meanwhile, the Tianshan Sect group returned to the Sihai Inn. Gu Zhen was initially surprised to see them, but then noticed that almost everyone was injured. He hurriedly instructed his servants to prepare medicine for their rooms. After a lot of work, everyone finally relaxed a little.

“Junior brother, this time we have completely broken ties with Zhongxin Hall. After returning to the mountain, we should start making the necessary preparations.”

"Haven't we, the Tianshan Sect, been preparing all along? We'll meet force with force and water with water. If the Zhongxin Hall truly can't tolerate the Tianshan Sect, then let it disappear from the martial arts world completely."

"Second Senior Brother, it's not just the Tianshan Sect that dislikes Shangguan Yun. Zhongxin Hall is also facing a lot of troubles outside. Not to mention anything else, just look at Master Xuanwu, Cha Mulong, and Bi Yusheng. These three are all real experts. Shangguan Yun is already having a hard time dealing with our Tianshan Sect. With these three added to the mix, how much of a chance do you think he has left?"

If Shangguan Yun had achieved the Innate Realm and still possessed the Dragon Pearl, Ni Qingfeng might have been somewhat wary of him. However, now, it's not that Ni Qingfeng is exaggerating; he could almost single-handedly wipe out all the high-ranking members of Zhongxin Hall.

"Junior brother is right, but we still need to improve our preparations. Shangguan Yun is not so easy to deal with."

Shen Henian sighed. His junior brother was still young. In just over twenty years, Shangguan Yun had transformed an unknown Zhongxin Hall into the number one martial arts sect, and he himself had become the leader of the martial arts alliance. Shen Henian simply couldn't believe that he had no other means besides strategy and martial arts.

"Second Senior Brother, you take Tianjiao and the others back to the mountain first. I'll go to Zhongxin Hall to investigate and prepare for future situations."

"Then be careful in everything you do."

Hearing Ni Qingfeng's words, Shen Henian knew he couldn't dissuade him. Besides, with his superb martial arts skills, even Shangguan Yun couldn't do anything to him, so his safety shouldn't be a problem.

After exchanging a few more words, Ni Qingfeng got up and left, returning to his room. After eating, he meditated and practiced his qi until dawn, completely dispelling his fatigue. When he went downstairs, Tianjiao and the others were having breakfast. Upon seeing Ni Qingfeng, they all bowed and greeted him.

Ni Qingfeng nodded to each of them and sat down. After the meal, Shen Henian said to him, "Sun Yun and the others have taken the medicine you gave them and are now able to walk around. We have decided to return to Tianshan today."

Shen Henian was in such a hurry because they possessed a great fortune, which easily attracted the covetous eyes of others. In just half a day, several unfamiliar faces appeared outside the Sihai Inn.

Ni Qingfeng nodded upon hearing this, without saying anything more. Those who were spying outside were just small fry, and his second senior brother and the others could handle them.

"Could you send a message back to Tianshan, senior brother?"

"It's already been sent, Junior Brother, don't worry. With Brother Gu and the branch's manpower nearby, dealing with those petty thieves is a piece of cake."

The injuries on Tianjiao and the others had been healed overnight, and with the help of the Rejuvenation Pill specially refined by Ni Qingfeng, their combat strength had not been greatly reduced. If any fools rushed up, it would only result in a few more corpses.

"Then take care on your journey, senior brother."

After the meal, and after half an hour of rest, the Tianshan Sect members mounted their horses. Since Sun Yun and the other six were still recovering from their injuries, Gu Zhen specially arranged for seven carriages for them to ride in, as well as to transport their valuables.

"Junior brother, see you again at Tianshan."

Shen Henian bid farewell to Ni Qingfeng, bowed to Gu Zhen, and then called out as the wheels rolled and the group headed west.

"Master, Father, take care."

Gu Ming lagged behind, clasped his hands in a salute to Ni Qingfeng and Gu Zhen, then flicked his whip and caught up with the others.

Seeing his son leave, Gu Zhen remained silent. Ni Qingfeng chuckled and said, "Ming'er's martial arts are already good enough to graduate. In another half year, Brother Gu will be able to relax."

Gu Zhen was delighted to hear this; Ni Qingfeng's words gave him peace of mind.

"Brother Gu, it's getting late, and I must take my leave now. We'll meet again another day."

Ni Qingfeng led his horse away from Gu Zhen, and galloped eastward amidst the rising dust.

(End of this chapter)