A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 92 The past

Lu Huanong turned the prayer beads, looked at Guihai Yidao, and said with melancholy, "Eighteen years ago, your father did not hesitate to cultivate the extremely dangerous Xiong Ba Tianxia in order to win the title of the number one swordsman in the world. Although he succeeded in cultivating it, his temperament changed drastically after that."

Upon hearing this, Guihai Yidao's eyes narrowed slightly. It turned out that the problem of Xiong Ba Tianxia was inherent, not his own fault.

"After your father mastered the Overlord Blade Technique, he challenged Badao and defeated him. However, he did not know that the inner demon had already taken root in his body. I have been with him day and night, how could I not know about the changes in this matter?"

"What happened next?"

"Later, I consulted with your father's sworn brothers, Master Liaokong of Shaolin Temple, Qilinzi of Qilin Sect, and Jian Jingfeng, the number one swordsman in the world, to discuss countermeasures. But before we could even discuss it, a horrifying thing happened, and because of this, your father is no longer human."

As Lu Huanong spoke, sadness appeared in her eyes, and her brows furrowed in worry. Gui Haiyidao, upon hearing this, clenched his fists and asked in a deep voice, "Not human, then is it a demon?"

“That’s right. Your father was away from home for several months back then. The next time I heard news of him was at the Bixie Manor, and it was about a tragic incident.”

"The Evil-Repelling Manor is a place that shelters people with all sorts of intractable diseases,"

"Master Liaokong and the other two discussed with me for a long time, and finally went to Bixie Manor. When we arrived, we found that none of the more than three hundred people in Bixie Manor survived. Blood flowed like rivers in the manor, like an infernal hell, which was horrifying. But your father was sitting in the main hall, dressed in blood, like a demon who had come out of hell. His chilling tone made people shudder."

Gui Haiyidao imagined the scene from back then, his whole body as if stained with blood, the stench of which seemed to linger around his nose for a long time. Gui Haiyidao's face turned a little pale, but Lu Huanong continued speaking as if she hadn't noticed.

"Master Liaokong and the other two questioned your father sternly, asking why he had committed such a heinous crime. Your father claimed that he was sending them to their release, but Master Liaokong and the others did not believe his one-sided story. After examining the wounds, they discovered that these corpses had all been tortured to death, and there was still a violent aura of blades in the wounds."

“Yidao, as someone who cultivates the Hegemony of the World, should know that this sword technique emphasizes using killing to nourish the sword. But your father took an even more perilous and wrong path,” Lu Huanong said in a deep voice as he looked at Guihai Yidao.

"Mother, I can control myself," Gui Haiyi said, touching the secret manual hidden in his chest with his right hand.

"After a dispute, your father's murderous intent ran rampant, and Master Liaokong and the other two had no choice but to join forces to attack. However, the three of them were ultimately no match for the power of Xiong Batianxia and were all seriously injured. Just as your father was about to take their lives, I made my move."

Lu Huanong raised his eyes, staring intently at Gui Haiyi, and said, word by word, "Taking advantage of your father's unpreparedness, I used that black iron dagger to plunge into your father's neck, killing him instantly."

After listening, Guihai Yidao gradually relaxed his right hand, took a deep breath and said, "As expected, Mother. Father has only himself to blame, and he has no one else to blame. Now that I know the whole story, let's leave it at that."

Gui Haiyi stood up, looked at Lu Huanong and said, "I may not be coming back in the future, Mother, please take care."

Although he knew the truth, he couldn't face his mother and had to avoid her.

Watching her son leave, Lu Huanong sighed deeply, lamented the injustice, closed the temple gate, and began chanting sutras. As the incense smoke rose, she seemed to see the happy family of three from years ago.

Despite having suspected it beforehand, Guihai Yidao still found it absurd to hear his mother's words with his own ears. His mother had killed his father, but he couldn't take revenge. Who could he tell about his bitterness?

After leaving Shuiyue Nunnery, Guihai Yidao rushed for several miles and then wildly practiced his swordsmanship in a forest, venting his frustrations. After half an hour, Guihai Yidao finally sheathed his sword and stood still to calm himself down. Just then, Guihai Yidao heard a sound, raised his hand, and the scabbard flew horizontally and stuck into a tree next to him.

"Who's there? Show yourself!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a man dressed as a member of the Dragon Guard Manor walked out. Guihai Yidao, seeing the man's attire, remained vigilant.

"This is a secret letter from the Divine Marquis to you. Please keep it safe."

The letter flew in, and Guihai Yidao reached out and grabbed it. The red-lacquered envelope landed in his hand. After opening and reading it, Guihai Yidao frowned, but quickly relaxed and said to the messenger, "Tell my godfather that I will return immediately."

The messenger received the message and left immediately.

"With Duan Tianya gone from the Dragon Guard Manor, my godfather will have lost one of his allies. It seems I need to get back as soon as possible."

After resting for a while, Guihai Yidao immediately headed to Hulong Manor. To save time, he bought a horse along the way, but it took him six days to get back to the manor.

As soon as he stepped into the manor, someone told him that Shenhou was waiting in the main hall, so Guihai Yidao hurriedly went to the main hall.

"Godfather," Guihai Yidao asked after bowing, "Godfather, is there something important that you've arranged for me to be transferred back so urgently?"

"There was no other way to bring you back so quickly. Tianya and Haitang were both away, the Dragon Guard Manor was short-handed, Cao Zhengchun was being aggressive, and my godfather was finding it difficult to hold on."

"If Godfather has any instructions, just give them to Yidao to carry them out."

"Alright, I've received word that Cao Zhengchun is preparing to deal with Cheng Shifei. I'm worried that Haitang might not be able to handle it alone. Go and meet them, and take them back to the manor as soon as possible. I have other matters to discuss."

"Yes," Guihai Yidao replied, understanding that his adoptive father intended to promote Cheng Shifei to fill the vacancy left by Duan Tianya. However, being able to be with Haitang made everything worthwhile.

"This is their lodging. Pack your things and set off tomorrow," Zhu Wushi handed a slip of paper to Guihai Yidao. After reading it, the latter held it in his hand, and it soon turned into powder. Zhu Wushi nodded upon seeing this.

East Factory
"Master, the Thousand-Faced Gentleman and the Five Poisons of Shanxi have arrived in Quyan Town."

After receiving the message by carrier pigeon, the third-ranking officer immediately came to report to Cao Zhengchun.

"Very good, take care of the thugs and Haitang on the way, but be careful not to hurt Princess Yunluo," Cao Zhengchun instructed. After all, Princess Yunluo was a member of the royal family and was favored by the Emperor and Empress Dowager. If something happened to her and Zhu Tiedan found a handle against her, he would definitely die without a burial place.

The Emperor would not interfere much in the struggle between the Eastern Depot and the Dragon Guard Manor, but if it was detrimental to the royal family, it would be a breach of the Emperor's bottom line, and no one could withstand the Emperor's wrath.

Moreover, Cao Zhengchun recently felt that his emperor's mentality had changed drastically. He used to be depressed, but now he seemed to have regained his vitality. Cao Zhengchun wondered if the emperor had some trump cards up his sleeve.

"Rest assured, Supervisor, we have already instructed them to do their best not to harm Princess Yunluo."

"That's good. It's a pity that Guihai Yidao didn't fall into demonic possession as I expected, which is a missed opportunity."

"However, Zhu Tiedan's decision to transfer him back to the Dragon Guard Manor was another bad move. It seems that I still have some chance. If I can eliminate the three secret agents of Earth, Profound, and Yellow in one fell swoop, let's see what Zhu Tiedan can use to fight me."

"By the way, has there been any movement from the Eight Great Sects?"

"Reporting to the Supervisor, the other seven factions are relatively stable, only the Qingcheng Faction, which is under close surveillance, has shown some unusual activity. Recently, a major event has occurred on the mountain."

"What's the big deal?"

"Qingcheng Sect Leader Qingsong suddenly announced his abdication, passing the leadership to a little-known disciple named Lu Yungang. This is a brief biography of him."

After the third-in-command finished speaking, he presented a file. Cao Zhengchun took it and read it carefully. He sneered and said, "This person's identity is highly questionable. If it weren't for my close monitoring, I really wouldn't know what's going on. Zhu Tiedan, you really have some skills. This Lu Yungang and his ilk must be your trump cards."

"Pass on my order: cause some trouble for the Qingcheng Sect and see what this new sect leader is really made of."

"Yes"

Quyan Town

Shangguan Haitang, Cheng Shifei, and Yunluo were having dinner at an inn. A few days ago, the three of them had stayed at the invitation of the Giant Whale Gang leader for a while, but recently they received orders from Zhu Wushi to return to the Dragon Guard Manor. "Haitang, why is Uncle Huang so anxious to call you and Cheng Shifei back?" Yunluo asked casually, placing a meatball in Cheng Shifei's bowl.

"I don't know, but my godfather always has his reasons for doing things. Let's hurry up and eat, we still have to keep going."

“Listen to Haitang, we’ve been out long enough. Your brother and mother must be worried about you,” Cheng Shifei said, picking up a meatball and stuffing it into his mouth. He raised an eyebrow at Yunluo, his wicked look making Yunluo blush.

Seeing this, Shangguan Haitang chuckled. After a while, seeing that the three had almost finished eating, Haitang paid the bill and bought some dry food, meat, and water. The three of them headed north towards the rising sun.

Under the cover of moonlight, Haitang and her two companions found a dilapidated temple to rest, but in the middle of the night, Haitang and Cheng Shifei were both awakened.

"The formation I set up has been triggered."

Someone is coming.

Shangguan Haitang and Cheng Shifei exchanged a glance. The latter nodded and extinguished the open flame. In an instant, the dilapidated temple was plunged into darkness and silence, with only the occasional sound of Yunluo turning over.

“There are five people who came, and their skills are mediocre,” Cheng Shifei said quietly to Haitang while listening attentively.

Shangguan Haitang's heart sank. Since they dared to come, they must have found out their identities. It seems they have some means to do so.

As she was pondering, she heard a rustling sound coming from outside the dilapidated temple. Haitang, with her keen sense of smell, caught a stench and looked out in the moonlight. She saw that the ground was covered with a dense mass of centipedes, scorpions, snakes and other venomous insects.

"Not good!" Seeing the commotion, Haitang knew who the newcomers were. She opened her personal bag, took out two packets of medicine powder, and handed them to Cheng Shifei.

"Sprinkle this powder all over the room, make sure to cover every nook and cranny," Haitang said, then quickly woke Yunluo, who was rubbing her sleepy eyes, unaware of what was happening.

Cheng Shifei evenly sprinkled the powder from the medicine packet into the temple. Just as he finished, the door of the dilapidated temple collapsed. Yunluo saw what had broken in and almost screamed, her whole body trembling uncontrollably.

A swarm of dark, crawling creatures surged in like a black tide, hovering outside the circle of medicinal powder. Yunluo, clutching Haitang's hand, asked in a trembling voice, "Haitang, where did these things come from?"

"We've been targeted by the Five Poisons of Shanxi. These five are wicked and have reportedly joined the Eastern Depot. This operation must have been orchestrated by Cao Zhengchun."

Seeing the increasing number of poisonous creatures, Haitang felt extremely uneasy. The powder could only provide temporary relief; once the smell dissipated, these creatures would be drawn to it.

"Cheng Shifei, use your Flaming Palm move."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Shifei suppressed the tingling sensation on his scalp, gathered his strength, and unleashed two fiery dragon palm strikes that swept away the poisonous insects in front of him, leaving only a pile of charred corpses on the ground.

Seeing that it was working, Yunluo hurriedly ran to Cheng Shifei's side and kept encouraging him. However, the poisonous insects seemed endless. For half an hour, they did not decrease at all. No matter how strong Cheng Shifei was, he began to be unable to hold on. White smoke kept coming out of his head, indicating that his internal energy was gradually being depleted.

"Haitang, hurry up and think of a way, Cheng Shifei is about to collapse," Yunluo said anxiously, regretting her shallow skills and inability to help.

Just as Haitang was racking her brains for a solution, a melodious flute sound came from outside the temple. Haitang was slightly startled. The tune sounded so familiar. Suddenly, she remembered that it was a tune that her master, Young Master Wuhen, often played.

As the music lingered, the poisonous insects turned away and soon retreated like a tide, disappearing without a trace. If it weren't for the remains on the ground, the three of them would have truly thought it was a dream.

"Could it be Master?" Haitang felt a little relieved. Looking at Cheng Shifei, whose face was pale, she took out a pill and handed it to him.

"Eat it quickly," Cheng Shifei took it, swallowed it in one gulp, and sat cross-legged to practice his internal energy.

Haitang and Yunluo flanked him, watching the outside of the temple warily, when they heard a rough voice echoing around them.

"Who is this master here? The Five Poisons of Shanxi pay homage to the Marquis."

After a while, it was quiet outside the temple and no one answered. Soon, a few muffled groans were heard. Haitang only saw the trees in the distance sway, and then there was no more sound.

After Cheng Shifei regained some of his strength, Haitang boldly stepped out of the dilapidated temple. There she saw several corpses lying haphazardly on the ground. Judging from their appearance, they were none other than the Five Poisons of Shanxi. They had all been killed with a single blow.

"This hidden weapon technique is quite like showering flowers and coins, but if Master came in person, he wouldn't have remained hidden. Who exactly is this person?"

After casually disposing of the corpses, Haitang returned to the temple.

"Haitang, how is it outside?" Yunluo asked worriedly.

"We've been rescued, Cheng Shifei, how are you?"

"It's alright. My strength has recovered to about 70-80%. Haitang, we can't stay here any longer. Let's leave quickly."

“That’s right, there’s still an hour until dawn, so we have no choice but to travel through the night,” Haitang said, looking at Yunluo.

"I can endure hardship, I'll leave immediately," Yunluo was not someone who disregarded the bigger picture. This place had already been exposed, and if they stayed any longer, there would definitely be more disgusting things to come.

Haitang nodded upon hearing this. The three of them took their packages and quickly left. Before leaving, Haitang cleaned up some traces and set up some mazes.

Less than half an hour after the three left, a sinister-looking young man arrived and released a black spider. The spider circled around for a moment before heading off in one direction.

"The Five Poisons of Shanxi are truly useless. They claimed to be absolutely foolproof, but in the end, they still had to send in my Thousand-Faced Gentleman."

Retracting the spider, the Thousand-Faced Gentleman immediately chased after the direction in which Haitang and the other two had left.

After a night of travel, Haitang and her two companions were exhausted. They rested temporarily in a grove of trees after dawn. After eating some dry rations, Yunluo looked at Haitang and said, "Haitang, how much further do we have to go?"

"We're almost there. Just ahead is Quyan Town, where a branch of the Number One Manor under Heaven is located. Once we get there, we can finally get some rest."

"Then let's hurry on our way, the sooner we get there, the sooner we can rest," Yunluo said, pulling Cheng Shifei along as they ran. Haitang shook her head, cleaned up the traces, and followed.

A moment later, the three entered Quyan Town. Yunluo was so captivated by the aroma wafting from the restaurant that she could hardly move, but she still insisted on going to the branch first.

Seeing this, Haitang said to Cheng Shifei, "Take the princess to eat first, I will come to find you after I finish my business."

Cheng Shifei immediately agreed and led Yunluo into the restaurant, while Haitang turned left and right to arrive at an inconspicuous pawnshop.

"Waiter, bring us all your signature dishes," Cheng Shifei said, taking out a silver ingot. The waiter beamed at the sight of the silver and immediately went to inform the kitchen.

Before long, more than ten dishes were served one after another. Yunluo and Cheng Shifei ate heartily. Suddenly, Cheng Shifei's expression changed, and he hurriedly pressed several acupoints on his body.

"Cheng Shifei, what's wrong with you?" Yunluo exclaimed in surprise. Cheng Shifei's face was dark, and a red fleshy growth had appeared between his eyebrows.

"Stay calm, don't make a fuss yet, hurry up and find Haitang," Cheng Shifei said with difficulty.

(End of this chapter)