Arhats Subduing Demons: Starting with The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber

Chapter 125 Murder and Silence

Now, due to the severe drought, the people of Guanzhong are suffering greatly. Granny Jinhua originally wanted to go to Xi'an and follow the Guanluo Avenue to Shandong to go to sea, but she could not resist Yun Changkong's persuasion and had to agree to go with him to Tianjin before going to sea.

The group crossed the Yellow River, entered Shanxi, and then Hebei. Along the way, they heard about various important events: the various sects and gangs in the martial arts world, as well as escort agencies, mountain strongholds, boat guilds, docks, and so on, were all fighting against the Yuan army.

It is also said that heroes rose up in the southeast, and the anti-Yuan righteous army led by Han Shantong, Zhang Shicheng, and Fang Guozhen was the most powerful.

In particular, Guo Zixing, Zhu Yuanzhang, Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, Tang He, and Deng Yu, who were under Han Shantong's command, were renowned and powerful. The Prince of Ruyang failed to defeat them in several battles.

Moreover, the Yellow River breached its banks, turning many areas downstream into a vast expanse of water, flooding farmland, destroying towns, and causing both plague and famine.

Zhao Min's complexion worsened as she walked. In the past, she was always surrounded by attendants, and her subordinates dared not come within six feet of her, so she naturally could not hear such a sound. But now she understood that the heavens could create the mighty Yuan Dynasty, which spanned the four poles and was incomparably powerful, and they could also destroy it.

She was unfamiliar with the names of Han Shantong, Zhang Shicheng, Fang Guozhen, Guo Zixing, Zhu Yuanzhang, Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, Tang He, and others. But she never expected that after one event, these unknown people would become famous figures.

Even with the great talent and strategy of his father and elder brother, and their powerful army, they couldn't defeat these people.

Zhao Min thought to herself that in the past, the weather was always favorable, but now droughts, floods, and wars were occurring all at once, and many famous generals were emerging among the Han people. She couldn't help but think of a saying: "When fortune comes, heaven and earth lend their strength; when fortune goes, even heroes are powerless."

She herself felt that the once mighty Yuan Dynasty was truly doomed!

It wasn't Yun Changkong who said it was impossible!
As they were traveling, it was already evening. Seeing that the sky was darkening and they knew that heavy rain was coming, Yun Changkong jumped up onto a large tree and looked around. He caught a glimpse of a corner of a yellow wall peeking out from behind a tree by the roadside. The group then spurred their horses to the spot and found a dilapidated temple with the three large characters "Mountain God Temple" written on it.

As soon as they entered the temple, a torrential downpour began. The temple was divided into two sections, front and back. They led the horse into the back hall, gathered some scrap wood, and started a fire. Before long, it was already dark.

Granny Jin Hua asked, "Is the Xuanming Divine Palm really that powerful?"

Yun Changkong nodded and said, "They are truly extraordinary. With the power of the Xuanming Elders, there are very few people in the world who can withstand a palm strike from them unscathed. That was five years ago. Now, these two old men are probably even more powerful. Otherwise, Zhang Wuji would not have been injured. If you encounter them, you must not try to withstand their palm strikes out of competitiveness."

Zhao Min smiled and said, "Others would say it's because they're competitive, but weren't you like that back then?"

Yun Changkong said, "I used to break palm force with finger force, but now that the Pure Yang Finger has been broken, I guess I can't use finger techniques anymore."

Upon hearing this, Granny Jin Hua blushed and changed the subject, saying, "You said Yin Liting died, what would Zhang Sanfeng's reaction be?"

Yun Changkong shook his head: "Human hearts are hard to fathom, and I can't fathom the reactions of this kind of person even more."

He truly couldn't understand it. In the original story, Yu Daiyan was crippled and Zhang Cuishan committed suicide because of the Eagle Sect, yet Zhang Sanfeng didn't take revenge!

Even though I had already told him that the Mighty Vajra Pointer was a disciple of the Fire-Worker Monk and under the command of the Prince of Ruyang, he still didn't react!
So, who knows how Yin Liting would react after he died?
Moreover, martial arts practitioners cannot judge grudges by common sense. Master Kongjian of Shaolin Temple died at the hands of Xie Xun, yet he became a monk and was accepted as a disciple by Du'e! Kongxing died at the hands of Zhao Min's subordinate, Ah San, but they did not seek revenge!

Granny Jin Hua said, "Then tell me, are Prince Ruyang and Wang Baobao afraid that Zhang Sanfeng will come to avenge the killing of their disciple?"

Yun Changkong pondered for a moment and said, "Are you saying that the Ruyang Prince's Mansion has laid a trap, waiting for someone to take the bait?"

Xiao Zhao asked from the side, "Why did the Prince of Ruyang and his son kill Yin Liting and destroy the Wudang Sect?"

Zhao Min said, "My brother's purpose in killing Yin Liting was not to kill him, but to kill Zhang Sanfeng in order to intimidate other martial arts practitioners!"
We could kill Zhang Sanfeng, so you others shouldn't blindly follow us in rebellion. But since we failed to kill him, old and new grudges may lead this old Taoist to seek revenge. My father and brothers have no reason not to be on guard!

Xiao Zhao smiled and said, "Miss Zhao is very organized and calm. Her father and brothers must be even more capable than her. Young master, you must be careful. That place is a den of dragons and tigers!"

Yun Changkong sighed, "The Yuan Dynasty's military strength is not yet weakened. Today, natural disasters and man-made calamities are rampant in the world. If we want to end all this as soon as possible, the Prince of Ruyang and his son have no choice but to face it. As far as I'm concerned, they are the Grand Marshals of the Yuan Dynasty's army."

Xiao Zhao said, "Personally, they are still your father-in-law and brother-in-law."

Yun Changkong smiled slightly.

Zhao Min asked, "Then how will you begin?"

Yun Changkong said, "There are two paths. The first is to explain the advantages and disadvantages and persuade them. The second is to push them to the brink of death..."

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps were heard coming from afar.
The group thought to themselves, "Who is traveling in the rain at night? They seem to have impressive light-footed skills!"

Just as I was pondering this, I heard a loud shout: "Stop right there!"

The group exchanged glances and recognized the voice as that of Mo Shenggu, one of the Seven Heroes of Wudang.

Yun Changkong thought to himself, "The Wudang Sect is in Hubei, so why did they travel all the way to Hebei? And with Mo Shenggu's martial arts skills, how could he escape from his grasp? This person is no ordinary person!"

Zhao Min said, "Let's go see what's going on!"

He pulled Yun Changkong to leave the temple.

Yun Changkong said, "It's still raining." He then walked towards the horses.

Zhao Min was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "Yes, I was confused too."

Yun Changkong took a raincoat from the horse and put it on her, and the two of them rushed into the rain.

Granny Jin Hua and Xiao Zhao exchanged a glance. They were both touched by Yun Changkong's thoughtfulness and envious of Zhao Min. At this moment, he still cared about the fact that a woman's clothes were wet and therefore unseemly.

Xiao Zhao said, "Mother, let's go take a look too."

"Okay!" The two of them took out their raincoats and put them on.

Yun Changkong and Zhao Min went outside but couldn't see anyone. However, they heard the sound of weapons clashing in the distance. Yun Changkong, carrying Zhao Min, leaped up a large tree and used the branches to catch up with her.

Mo Shenggu and a young man were seen weaving through the arena, attacking and defending with skill. Suddenly, the young man stopped, leaped up, and thrust his sword toward Mo Shenggu's chest.

This sword strike, employing defense as offense, was extremely skillful. Suddenly, Mo Shenggu shouted, his wrist sinking, and his longsword lightly touched and deflected the opponent's blade, causing the sword to slip from the man's hand.

Then Mo Shenggu raised his right foot and kicked him in the chest. The man flew backward for about ten feet before crashing to the ground.

Yun Changkong and Zhao Min couldn't help but think to themselves, "Good!"

Then the man cried out, "Seventh Uncle, why must you be so ruthless?"

The two looked down and saw that it was Song Qingshu. Mo Shenggu held a long sword to his throat and said angrily, "Exterminate him completely? Don't you know that leniency can breed evil?"

Song Qingshu said, "Tolerance is enough to nurture evil. What about Zhang Wuji? He protects the Demonic Sect at every turn. When the Golden-Haired Lion King indiscriminately kills innocent people, he doesn't care. When Yang Xiao rapes his sixth uncle's fiancée, what did he do? Why don't you go and kill him?"

Mo Shenggu's face turned ashen: "You have the nerve to compare yourself to Wuji!"

Song Qingshu said, "Why can't I compare? Zhang Wuji can't distinguish between good and evil, and he protects the Ming Cult, causing Grandmaster and Wudang to be repeatedly disgraced. Even if Fifth Uncle knew this in the afterlife, he would not rest in peace!"

Mo Shenggu said angrily, "Do you think I'm blind? Qingshu, you've always been a good man, but on Bright Peak you first turned against Yun Changkong, and now you're against Wuji."

Let me tell you, Wuji's most hateful trait isn't that he protects the Ming Cult, but simply because he's the object of affection for Miss Zhou from the Emei Sect!

Song Qingshu's face flushed red when he realized that Song Qingshu's true feelings had been exposed.

Mo Shenggu's face turned purple, but he also sheathed his longsword: "Your grandmaster, your father, and we all have high hopes for you, hoping that you will take charge of Wudang in the future. But why have you become so pathetic because of matters of love?"

Just then, Yun Changkong heard the wind rustling and saw Granny Jin Hua and Xiao Zhao rushing over, stepping on the treetops.

In the heavy rain, Mo Shenggu and the others did not notice anything. Zhao Min pursed her lips, looked at Yun Changkong, and then smiled.

Song Qingshu said, "I just like Miss Zhou, how is that so bad? What have I done that makes you, Seventh Uncle, say such things about me?" Mo Shenggu said, "It is common for gentlemen to pursue beautiful women, but what have you done?"
Leaving aside your slander of Wuji, what have you done this time when we are going to Dadu to avenge your third and sixth senior uncles?
In the dead of night, you spied on the sleeping quarters of the Emei heroine. If this gets out, how are you any different from those lecherous scoundrels?
"Your grandmaster, your father, how can our Wudang Sect still have the face to show anyone?" Mo Shenggu gritted his teeth, feeling utterly disappointed.

Song Qingshu sneered, "Yang Xiao raped Aunt Ji. If our Wudang Sect doesn't take revenge, how can we face anyone?"
Yun Changkong and that Mongolian demoness were having an affair and publicly declared her to be his wife. No one dared to say a word against him. How could he face anyone?

"I was just checking to see if Miss Zhou was there, what's wrong with that?"

"You're wrong, you're wrong! Of course you're wrong!"

The group heard that the person speaking in the woods had a loud and clear voice, clearly possessing a strong voice.

Granny Jin Hua whispered, "Good! The people from Shaolin Temple have seen this grand spectacle; they're in for a good watch!"

She realized from the man's loud voice that he had mastered the internal martial arts techniques of Shaolin Temple.

Yun Changkong glanced at her and couldn't help but admire her, thinking to himself, "This woman's experience in the martial world is truly admirable."

In a flash, Mo Shenggu said loudly, "Which Shaolin friend is it? I am Mo Shenggu, and I greet you."

A dark figure flew out of the forest like a large bird and landed in front of Mo Shenggu, clasping his hands in a fist and saying, "I have long heard of the great name of Seventh Hero Mo. Seeing you today, I can see that you are indeed extraordinary. I admire you."

Mo Shenggu saw that the newcomer was in his thirties, energetic, and with a fierce demeanor. Although he spoke respectfully, the timing was inappropriate, so he immediately clasped his hands and said, "I dare not presume, may I ask your esteemed name?"

The man in black said, "My surname is Chen, and my given name is Youliang."

Seeing that his shameful affair had become known, Song Qingshu angrily said, "Chen Youliang, haven't you heard of me? What business is it of yours to interfere in my affairs?"

Chen Youliang laughed and said, "Brother Song, Yang Xiao is the Left Guardian of the Ming Cult, and he has the four sects of Heaven, Earth, Wind and Thunder under his command. What kind of power is that? Yun Changkong's martial arts are unmatched in the world, and he is also on good terms with the Beggar Clan. You are just a third-generation disciple of the Wudang Sect. Your martial arts are not impressive enough, and your virtue is not convincing enough. You still want to compare yourself with them and do not know your mistakes. It's really funny!"

Mo Shenggu coldly said, "Don't meddle in other people's business!"

Chen Youliang smiled and said, "Everyone in the world should mind their own business. I saw injustice on the road today, so why can't I intervene?"

Mo Shenggu's expression hardened: "Seeing injustice on the road?"

Chen Youliang said, "Yes, I saw injustice on the road!"

Mo Shenggu frowned and said, "What makes you say that?"

Chen Youliang said, "Young Master Song is wrong in comparing himself to Yang Xiao, Zhang Wuji, and Yun Changkong, but what he said makes sense!"
It is common knowledge that Yin Liuxia's fiancée was raped by Yang Xiao of the Demonic Sect. Does Zhang Wuji not know this?
But what did he do? He defended the Ming Cult. Where did he put the face of the Wudang Sect and Master Zhang?
Furthermore, Xie Xun, the Golden-Haired Lion King, killed Abbess Miejue's own brother, yet Zhang Wuji, his adopted son, could flirt with Miss Zhou of the Emei Sect. Why couldn't Brother Song, the son of the Wudang Sect leader, express his affections to Miss Zhou?

They are all disciples and grand-disciples of Master Zhang. Why does Mo Qixia show favoritism? Is it because Sect Leader Song is the sect leader, and Zhang Cuishan is deceased and not an obstacle to your succession, that you can let Zhang Wuji go and insist on exterminating the Song brothers?

His words were sarcastic and ambiguous, and Zhao Min, Granny Jin Hua, and Xiao Zhao all knew with their ever-changing expressions that this man was extraordinary.

Mo Shenggu was impatient. He stared at Chen Youliang, gripped the hilt of his sword, glared at him for a moment, and then slowly let go.

Mo Shenggu was burning with anger, but he was worried that if Chen Youliang was not handled properly, it could lead to serious trouble.

Upon hearing this, Song Qingshu felt even more that he had met a kindred spirit. His throat went dry, and a voice seemed to shout in his heart: "Yes, why is Seventh Uncle so harsh on me, yet so magnanimous to Zhang Wuji?"

Actually, he's the youngest. If I'm crippled, he'll easily take over as the leader of Wudang!
Ha, everyone looks out for themselves, or they'll be doomed.

They all sided with Zhang Wuji, when did they ever think of you?

You were humiliated, locked up in darkness, and no one cared about you.

Mo Shenggu took a deep breath and asked, "Who is your master, sir?"

Chen Youliang sighed, "I am a down-on-my-luck wanderer in the martial world, and my master is not as famous as Mo Qixia, so let's not talk about him!"

Seeing that he did not reveal his master's Dharma name, Mo Shenggu assumed that he was just a Shaolin monk of the Yuan generation with no great skills, so he did not press the matter further. He simply said, "Since you are not going to say it, I will not force you. However, it is a matter between our sects, so you should not interfere, lest it damage the harmony between the Wudang and Shaolin sects."

Chen Youliang smiled slightly and said calmly, "Seventh Hero Mo is renowned for his chivalry and possesses profound martial arts skills. If you wish to kill me to silence me, then please do so. In any case, I am here to avenge Brother Song's wrongs, and I will never change my mind, even if it means my death!"

"Nonsense!" Mo Shenggu raised his thick eyebrows: "I just want to bring Qingshu back to Wudang. Why would I kill anyone or silence anyone?"

Chen Youliang glanced at Song Qingshu and said, "What difference is there between bringing Brother Song back to Wudang and killing him?"
Can someone who spied on the female knight-errant of Emei at night really take over the Wudang Sect and accomplish great things?
Once he is disgraced, wouldn't his childhood sweetheart, Miss Zhou, whom he has long admired, be handed over to Zhang Wuji?
For a lovelorn man like Brother Song, living a life worse than death is unbearable. Why doesn't Mo Qixia, out of consideration for their uncle-nephew relationship, show mercy and let him go? Let him repent and start anew.

Yun Changkong and the others all knew that this person was going to provoke Song Pingshu's hatred.

Sure enough, Song Qingshu glared at Mo Shenggu's back, his eyes flashing with a fierce light.

Mo Shenggu, with his back to him, was completely unaware of what was happening. He was still looking at Chen Youliang in front of him and laughed loudly, "Well, a mere lay disciple of Shaolin dares to interfere in the affairs of our sect. Now, make your move!"

Chen Youliang said, "Very well, Mo Qixia is exceptionally skilled and renowned throughout the martial arts world. It would be my great honor to spar with you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly stopped and leaped into the air. He crossed his palms, feinted with his left palm, and struck Mo Shenggu’s face with his right palm.

Mo Shenggu snorted, ignoring the attention-grabbing tactic, and swung out his right palm.

With a "snap," their palms met, and Chen Youliang was sent flying backward in mid-air, somersaulting. After landing, the force of the impact still lingered, and he couldn't help but take three steps back.

Mo Shenggu also took a step back, slightly surprised. This kid's internal strength was similar to that of his sect's Nine Yang Skill.

In the blink of an eye, Song Qingshu straightened his feet, sprang up, and unleashed both palms simultaneously.

With a loud thud, it struck Mo Shenggu squarely in the back. This was his vital point; even with his internal energy protecting him, all he heard was a cracking sound as his bones broke.

Mo Shenggu never expected his nephew to ambush him. He was thrown into the air, his throat throbbed, and with a thud, he crashed to the ground several feet away, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Mo Shenggu was in pain, shocked, and furious. His face was filled with disbelief. He turned to look at Song Qingshu and said in a trembling voice, "What a... Heaven-Shaking Iron... Palm! Qingshu, you did well... well done! Ugh..." He spat out another mouthful of blood.

Song Qingshu was pale, his hands were trembling, and he said in a trembling voice, "Seventh Uncle, Seventh Uncle, why are you siding with Zhang Wuji? You forced me to do this."

He didn't know why, but when he saw Seventh Uncle's back, he used the full power of the Wudang School's "Heaven-Shaking Iron Palm" and hit him.

Song Qingshu's martial arts skills were incomparable to those of Yun Changkong and Zhang Wuji, but he was actually a person with extremely high martial arts cultivation, one of the best among the younger generation. His palms could easily split stone tablets. Therefore, he had already broken Mo Shenggu's ribs and caused his internal organs to churn, leaving him seriously injured.

Yun Changkong and the others stood by and watched, with Granny Jin Hua and Zhao Min completely unconcerned about Mo Shenggu's life or death.

Yun Changkong knew that if he didn't let Mo Shenggu get involved, it was because he absolutely didn't believe Song Qingshu was so ruthless.

In the original storyline, the Wudang heroes clearly saw Mo Shenggu's note saying "There has been a change in the sect, and it is urgent to clean it up." They immediately thought of the kind-hearted Zhang Wuji and did not suspect Song Qingshu at all!
If he were to stop him, Song Qingshu would offer a series of sophistry, and perhaps with Chen Youliang's silver tongue, those brainless members of the Wudang sect would be able to convincingly accuse him of having an affair with the Mongol princess and harboring ulterior motives, thus making it seem plausible that he would frame both the Shaolin and Wudang sects.

After all, Yin Liting died at the hands of Wang Baobao.

"Brother Song!" Suddenly, Chen Youliang exclaimed in surprise, "How could you do this? I was trying to help you, but you actually murdered your uncle? Such treason is despicable. I misjudged you!" With that, he turned and left.

Without hesitation, Song Qingshu leaped forward, grabbed his longsword, and slashed at him.

"You're going to kill me to silence me!?"

(End of this chapter)