Devouring Evil Martial Arts, Eliminating Demons from All Heavens

Chapter 169 Alarms All Sects
As evening fell, thunder and lightning roared across the sky, followed by a thorough rain.

An ancient town in Jiangnan, with its white walls, black tiles, and bluestone paths, appears even more elegant and graceful in the rain.

From a high altitude, the seven large ponds scattered throughout the town appear vibrant and full of life even in the rain.

Fish would occasionally surface, even leaping out of the water, splashing water and eliciting laughter and shouts from the nearby children.

This is Qixingtang.

It is said that this ancient town was already very prosperous during the Northern Song Dynasty, but by the end of the Song Dynasty, despite being located in the Jiangnan region, the town was plagued by frequent droughts and floods, rampant epidemics, and the people were suffering.

The ancestors of the Murong family surveyed the land and water here, assessed the terrain, and commanded a group of martial arts practitioners to change the straight stream to a winding stream on the east side of the town, resembling the arc of a Tai Chi symbol.

They also repaired the ponds and ancient wells in the town, eventually creating a total of seven large ponds, each connected to the water veins, so that water could be stored and drawn regardless of the rise and fall of the water level, and there would be no more worries about drought or flood.

The Murong family thus settled down and gradually became a prominent family. Although the main family mansion was only located in a small town, it had a reclusive style, showing that they never forgot their roots.

In fact, in recent generations, the Murong family has become increasingly prestigious. They have businesses in more than ten large cities and counties in the surrounding area, and they also run the Jiangnan Poetry Society in the capital.

The townspeople had long held the Murong family in high esteem and were themselves quite humble. Nothing could offend them, and the Murong family treated them with great leniency.

In the martial arts world, the Murong family is becoming increasingly formidable, displaying the sharp edge of swordsmen and proving to be a force to be reckoned with.

Anyone who slightly offends the Murong family will be met with a thunderous strike.

The current head of the family, Murong Shijie, wore a jade crown, had deeply etched eyebrows, and three strands of black beard hanging down to his chest. He was inspecting things in a cool, large room in the southwest corner of the mansion.

There were two ice coffins in the room. One of them contained an old woman who lay face up, and her body showed no signs of injury.

The other person was a dwarf old man with a face that was both resentful and horrified, as if he had seen something shocking before he died.

These two were highly capable assassins in the Murong family's secret service, but they were hastily buried in a mass grave in Yongchun County.

Not long ago, the Murong family discovered clues, exhumed the body, re-prepared its remains, and transported it back to the Murong family in an ice coffin.

"It has been confirmed that the leader of the Giant Whale Gang, the head of the Sea Sand Sect, the fourth elder of the Hainan Sword Sect, and the Three Yin Wind Fiends also died in that battle."

The steward of the Dark Hall said, "They tracked Yongchun down because of the Fire Mystic Technique, but now the Fire Mystic Technique has appeared at the Southern Shaolin Temple."

"The young man who killed them seems to be a master of hard martial arts, and must have a close relationship with the Southern Shaolin Temple."

Murong Shijie stroked his long beard: "Southern Shaolin is already surrounded by wolves. Do you think you can break the deadlock with the Fire Mystic Technique? It will only attract more covetous eyes. It is unwise."

The steward of the Dark Hall said, "Our clan originally had a property near the Southern Shaolin Temple, and in recent years, we have successively sent more people with martial arts skills."

"We were just looking to get a share of the profits after the Southern Shaolin Temple fell. Should we make them focus their attention on the Fire Secret Technique?"

Murong Shijie nodded: "Since they dare to raise the banner of resisting the Japanese pirates, I predict that the Japanese pirates will take action soon..."

He paused for a moment after saying this.

"That kid surnamed Chu even calls himself a hermit from overseas. Hmph, he's probably in the Southern Shaolin Temple."

“They killed someone we’ve painstakingly trained for years; they can’t be let off lightly.”

"I will personally go to Quanzhou to oversee the situation and take control."

A hint of excitement flashed in the eyes of the steward of the Dark Hall. He said, "It's been fifteen years since the last time the head of the family took action himself."

Murong Shijie said leisurely, "A long sword is a dangerous weapon, and I do not wish to use it recklessly, but how can it be left unused for many years?"

"It's time for it to drink the blood of a master once more."

Murong Shijie's ears twitched slightly as he heard the sound of clothes rustling in the wind outside the door.

A nimble figure hurried across the courtyard and arrived at the gate.

The steward of the secret hall also noticed this. Before anyone could knock on the door, he calmly turned around, opened the door, and took a letter.

But when his gaze swept across the letter, his body suddenly froze.

Murong Shijie frowned: "What?"

The steward of the secret hall turned around, still somewhat stunned: "Chen Zuqi attacked the Southern Shaolin Temple today..."

Murong Shijie asked in surprise, "Has the Southern Shaolin Temple been destroyed today? I haven't even had time to set off yet, and the people I arranged beforehand probably won't be able to seize much benefit."

The steward of the secret hall felt a dryness in his throat and said in a hoarse voice, "No! Chen Zuqi... he's dead!!"

Murong Shijie's expression changed, and he took the letter.

Southern Shaolin... Tianjushi...

The letter clearly stated that the Japanese pirates set fire to the mountain, causing unrest.

Chen Zuqi attacked the Great Buddha Hall, but was killed by Chu Tianshu, a lay Buddhist from the Southern Shaolin Temple!

Chen Zuqi's body has been sent to the Quanzhou government office, with an imperial envoy present to witness the event.

Back then, this pirate king repeatedly charged into battle along the coast, always leading the charge. The government had already drawn his portrait and recorded his true appearance.

The Murong family members mingled in the crowd and observed; the faces of the corpses were indeed identical.

But what truly proves the identity of the Pirate King is the aura of inner strength emanating from that corpse.

He had probably been dead for two or three hours, yet there was still a faint trace of internal energy emanating from his corpse.

Therefore, the sheer amount of internal energy that corpse possessed in the moments before its death was truly astonishing.

Aside from Chen Zuqi himself, where else among the Japanese pirates could you find such a top-notch master?
"Even after two hours of death, his inner strength has not yet dissipated..." Murong Shijie murmured these words, his expression changing several times, his eyes shifting between light and shadow.

The more skilled you are, the more you can appreciate how terrifying this kind of thing is.

Such a person was actually killed.

The steward of the secret hall asked in a daze, "Master, are we still going to Quanzhou?"

He had barely finished speaking when he came to his senses and realized he had asked a stupid question.

He was truly shocked by the news on paper, and he lost his composure.

Upon hearing this, Murong Shijie's expression indeed turned even more unpleasant.

"The long sword is a dangerous weapon; any rash action will surely bring misfortune. Let's put it away for now."

Murong Shijie coldly uttered these words, still somewhat unable to let go of them, and read the letter over and over again.

"An overseas hermit? Could he really be some overseas hermit? How could the Southern Shaolin Temple possibly have such a master?"

Murong Shijie pondered for a moment, then said, "The spies from Liuyun Prefecture should also know about this news, right?"

"But we still need to show our attitude and report the information we've gathered to Liuyun Prefecture as soon as possible."

Xiahou Manor, nestled in the Taihang Mountains.

The elderly, whose numbers have recently decreased, sat in their armchairs, looking at the letter in their hands.

After the initial shock, he seemed somewhat relieved.

"That rascal has actually turned misfortune into a blessing in disguise."

Master Xiahou muttered to himself, but the thought of his second son leaving home made his teeth ache.

"You good-for-nothing! You haven't come back for years. Who knows who you like? Does that girl deserve to wait for you? You bastard! You bastard!"

He slapped the letter to pieces, still furious. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he summoned the butler.

"Prepare a generous gift for me, and choose carefully. This is to be sent to the Southern Shaolin Temple."

The old steward asked, "Is there any pretext for this gift?"

"Apprenticeship Ceremony!"

Master Xiahou roused himself and laughed heartily, "Manor Lord Tian, ​​thank you for helping to discipline my good-for-nothing son. Our Xiahou family should naturally offer this apprenticeship gift in return."

Within days, news of Chen Zuqi's defeat and death spread like wildfire throughout the country.

First, they had been keeping an eye on the various forces and sects of the Southern Shaolin Temple for a long time, and received reports from their own spies.

Soon, their news spread and corroborated each other, causing a huge uproar in the martial arts world.

There were all sorts of opinions, and many figures in the Southern martial arts world changed their minds and were eager to build a good relationship with the Southern Shaolin Temple.

However, some people are still observing, and some even feel threatened because the Southern Shaolin Temple, under the guise of fighting against Japanese pirates, has wiped out many gangs that had previously impersonated pirates, and are considering quickly seeking refuge with another sect.

It wasn't until news spread from the capital that the biggest leader among the Japanese pirates was brought to justice and executed.

As a result, the story of the Southern Shaolin Temple's resistance against Japanese pirates became a hot topic of discussion among the people.

The image of Chu Tian Jushi has been interpreted in dozens of ways in the streets and alleys.

By this time, the news had reached beyond the Great Wall.

In the frigid lands beyond the Great Wall, rivers freeze for seven months of the year.

In some narrow sections of the river, where the water is only a few dozen feet wide, the ice can be more than ten feet thick.

The large wooden houses on both sides of the river, with colorful ribbons fluttering in the wind, resemble an army camp or an ancient tribe.

Wild animal pelts were used to block doors and windows or hung high up.

Painted wood, slightly carved, stands inside and outside the camp, depicting the faces of ghosts and gods, exuding a mysterious and wild atmosphere.

This is where the best group of knife makers from beyond the Great Wall live together. The furnaces are blazing red, and the smoke from the chimneys rises in wisps, seemingly scattering even the wind and snow.

This is also one of the most important halls in the infamous demonic sect. The music and banquet are melodious and enchanting, as if people are brought to the temple of ghosts and gods, where they rejoice and shout together.

The man, wrapped in a heavy fox fur coat, sat sideways by the fireplace, most of his face hidden beneath the snow-white fur.

Outsiders could only vaguely see his eyebrows, which were slightly white at the ends, and his cold eyes.

"Kill Chen Zuqi?"

His voice was clear and strong, but it became somewhat hoarse and aged towards the end.

"Investigate! Find out all the information about this Hermit Tian since he appeared in the martial arts world."

"I need the most detailed information."

"Furthermore, send people out to sea to Japan. Now that Chen Zuqi is dead, I'm afraid the people he supported will not be able to shoulder the heavy responsibility, and Japan will be in chaos again."

"We can't let Liuyun Mansion keep controlling our raw materials and sales channels. We should make our profits in Japan and let them be in chaos and fight each other as much as possible!"

The news of Chen Zuqi's tragic death will soon be transmitted back to Japan through the efforts of certain individuals.

(End of this chapter)