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

Chapter 156 Even the most romantic man eventually faces adversity.

Hengyang City is only a few dozen miles away from Hengshan City; a fast horse can reach it in a single whip.

For several days, it had been raining continuously in this area, making the roads muddy and slippery. Yun Changkong had also drunk a lot of alcohol. Although he had expelled some of the alcohol, a lot of it remained in his body. Now that it was taking effect, he staggered out of Hengyang City and headed towards Hengshan.

Mount Heng is renowned for its unparalleled beauty among the Five Sacred Mountains. Every five miles offers a different view, every ten miles a different vista, with layer upon layer of peaks, lush vegetation, and swirling clouds and mist, resembling a white jade ribbon wrapped around a verdant emerald. Everything is green, everything is beautiful, a picturesque landscape.

Yun Changkong was originally an ambitious man who hoped to travel all over the world and see all the beautiful women in the world. However, in the world of Yitian, he went a bit too far. In addition, due to the conflict between the Han and the Mongols, he had to do everything he could because of the greater good, and he was really not in control of his own destiny.

Now that I've arrived here, and can see the beautiful scenery through the haze, I can't help but miss the bright and pretty Zhao Min. If she were with me, traveling and exploring the world together would truly be a joy.

Here, even if he slaughters everyone in the martial arts world, no one will accuse him of being unjust or weakening the anti-Yuan forces, right?
"What can I do to keep Zhao Min by my side for a long time?"

"How exactly did I manage to travel through time like this? What conditions needed to be met?"

Yun Changkong pondered deeply, but the more he thought about it, the less confident he became.

In the end, one can only be "physically in the world, but mentally at court," lamenting "deep affection, yet shallow fate." It is precisely because of this that one experiences the pangs of unrequited love, the lingering longing, and the feeling of being adrift like a boat without moorings. And is this a situation unique to oneself? This is merely a small consolation.

The more he thought about it, the more his thoughts drifted back to his past life. There were countless stories of couples falling in love and growing old together, but how many of them actually achieved that? There were more divorces than marriages.

It's like how people in the martial arts world talk about seeking revenge and vengeance all the time, but how many of them can actually do it?

Aren't most of them just making compromises?
Just like Linghu Chong and Yilin meeting Tian Boguang!

They have no right to seek personal revenge!

One has to be on friendly terms with the lecherous thief, and the other has to drink with him. What pleasure is there in that?

Lin Pingzhi was in the same boat. With the Fuwei Escort Agency destroyed and his parents about to be arrested, what could he do? Could he feel any satisfaction?
Yun Changkong felt that he had gained the power to not be bullied, but he had lost all the autonomy that ordinary people have. Perhaps this was the price!

So all we can do is accept it as it is.

With that thought in mind, Yun Changkong staggered all the way into Hengshan City, where he saw a bathhouse and went inside.

He tossed the fifty-tael silver ingot to the shop assistant, telling him to buy himself a nice outfit, and gave him the rest as a tip.

The man had never seen such a lucky charm before, and he went off happily.

After taking a bath, Yun Changkong immediately fell into a deep sleep, but his mind was filled with memories of the past and the figures of people he had met.

Sometimes Zhao Min, sometimes Zhou Zhiruo, sometimes the Purple-Robed Dragon King, sometimes Xiao Zhao, and finally, the pitiful appearance of Yi Lin, as well as Qu Feiyan's every smile and frown, and her words about making Yi Lin return to secular life and become her wife, appeared in my mind. I even saw a scene of myself and Yi Lin putting our hands together and chanting Amitabha Buddha as we went into the woods.

Yun Changkong suddenly realized: "Good heavens, so I really do have the potential to be Tian Boguang? But Yilin is really beautiful, no less than Zhou Zhiruo. If I could really have some fun with her, the sense of accomplishment would be amazing!"

Thinking about it this way, Yun Changkong felt that Tian Boguang deserved to die even more. After all, I could do things like picking flowers, how could you do it?
Yun Changkong is naturally open-minded and his ideas are different from those of ordinary people.

After all, the world of martial arts is a dog-eat-dog world.

Those who ultimately stand at the top of the pyramid either ran out of some mountain or crawled out of some cliff, or like myself, jumped out of a foreign land, obtained a martial arts manual, and practiced for a year to become stronger than others for a lifetime. The embellishment of being surrounded by beautiful women is even more indispensable!
This situation is a huge mockery of those who work hard, diligently, and strive to improve themselves.

Those from reputable and righteous sects, when they act chivalrously, inevitably suffer punishment. Some with wavering resolve naturally envy those who commit evil deeds in the underworld, evil sects, and demonic cults.

Because after they learn martial arts, they can enjoy themselves to the fullest.

People from reputable families must strictly control themselves.

Controlling the evil in human nature is not so easy!
Therefore, the opposition between the righteous path and the underworld seems to be a matter of course, but in reality, many people in the righteous path do things in the underworld. This is the situation in the underworld, and it is also due to human nature!
Who doesn't love power? Who doesn't love enjoyment?
Therefore, given the current situation, Yun Changkong didn't think there was anything wrong with his thoughts. In the world of Yitian, he restrained himself every day for the sake of national righteousness between the Han and the Mongols, only to suffer for his own sake.

Now that we're in this world, what's wrong with being a little more carefree and enjoying ourselves to the fullest?
After thinking about it, Yun Changkong ordered the attendant to cut and comb his hair, and changed into the outfit that the shop assistant had bought for him. He wore a blue silk brocade robe with water patterns, black satin shoes with white soles, a black silk gauze hat, and a moon-white brocade belt. The shop assistant also bought him a folding fan to make him look like a young master.

After Yun Changkong finished dressing, he looked in the mirror. He had been living in seclusion on Peach Blossom Island and was already well-groomed and had a striking appearance. This outfit made him look carefree yet refined.

I stepped out of the bathhouse and began to stroll around Hengshan City.

The streets were bustling with people, mostly carrying knives and swords. There were men and women, old and young, some of average age, some handsome, some ugly, and some neither handsome nor ugly.

With horses and donkeys, this is a scene of heroes and villains vying for power in the martial world.

Yun Changkong was there, yet he felt an indescribable sense of unfamiliarity and desolation.

He knew that a huge change was brewing here, just waiting for someone to light the fuse, and Liu Zhengfeng's family was the sacrifice!
Yun Changkong strolled along, when suddenly thin wisps of cloud filled the sky.

The misty rain in Jiangnan comes and goes so quickly. Looking up, he saw the sky had turned dark and gloomy, and he knew the rain wouldn't stop anytime soon. He had just bought a new set of clothes and wanted to take shelter from the rain.

Just then, a young girl said in a half-coquettish, half-scolding voice, "This weather is really uncooperative; I wonder when this rain will stop." Her voice was clear and delicate.

Yun Changkong turned around and saw a man and a woman, an old man and a young man, walking side by side.

The man was a white-haired old man who was still quite nimble, and the woman was a young girl with a face full of pockmarks.

But Yun Changkong had sharp eyes and could tell at a glance that the ugly girl was in disguise, and that her disguise was not very skillful.

Her large, clear eyes, thin, delicate lips, and slender figure all indicated that this girl was a natural beauty; the pockmarks on her face were simply incongruous with it.

Women, especially beautiful women, can evoke many thoughts in people.

This doesn't necessarily have to be a matter between men and women; curiosity counts too.

Yun Changkong stared intently at the two of them, and they noticed him in return.

As the saying goes, looks are 30% natural and 70% about how you dress.

Yun Changkong was already a handsome man, and this new outfit only accentuated his extraordinary appearance and ethereal grace.

The girl seemed somewhat displeased as he stared at her and said, "Second Senior Brother, what do you mean by 'all that glitters on the outside, but rotten inside'?"

It turned out they were fellow disciples, but the age difference between them was too great, and Yun Changkong couldn't help but guess who this ugly woman was.

Then the old man said, "Junior sister, who knows when this rain will stop? Let's find a place to take shelter from the rain."

The girl hummed in agreement, rolled her eyes at Yun Changkong, and followed the old man away.

Yun Changkong became interested and immediately followed.

The girl whispered, "Second Senior Brother, do you think Young Master Lin will come to Hengshan City?"

Although she spoke in a very low voice, Yun Changkong could still hear her clearly.

The old man said, "Although Lin Pingzhi's martial arts skills are poor, he is still quite clever. With Uncle Liu retiring from martial arts and a gathering of heroes, he wants to seek justice for Fuwei Escort Agency and save his parents, so he has no choice but to come here."

The young girl chuckled and said, "It's funny to think of Yu Renhao and Fang Renzhi's expressions. But there's one strange thing."

The old man asked, "What is it?"

The girl asked, "Second Senior Brother, how do you know the Qingcheng Sword Technique?"

The old man said, "This..." but hesitated.

The girl tugged at his sleeve and shook it, saying with a hint of reproach, "Second Senior Brother, say it!"

The old man chuckled, "It seems you won't let me off easy if I don't tell you, Junior Sister."

The girl smiled and said, "It's good that you know."

As the old man and the girl turned the corner, the old man caught sight of Yun Changkong following them a few feet behind. He was startled: "This person is so young, yet his lightness skill is quite impressive. He didn't even notice me behind him."

As he was pondering this, the girl also saw him. She swiftly appeared in front of Yun Changkong and asked in a low voice, "Who are you? What are you doing following us?"

Yun Changkong smiled and said, "There are many paths to take, why would I follow you?"

The girl asked, "Then what are you doing in Hengshan City?"

Yun Changkong said calmly, "I've heard that this place is a gathering of wind and rain. I'd like to see if there are any heroes or beauties here. It would be good to attend and broaden my horizons."

The girl giggled.

Yun Changkong said, "Little girl, what are you laughing at?"

The girl snorted and said, "I'm a little girl, and you're just a big conch shell." Yun Changkong laughed heartily.

The young woman said gracefully, "You look so handsome, but who knew you were just a boastful lunatic? You think you can be a hero? Aren't you afraid of getting beaten to death?"

Yun Changkong smiled slightly, and the old man said, "Junior sister, there's a teahouse here. Let's take shelter from the rain here!" He was experienced in the martial arts world and knew that Hengshan City was full of hidden talents. He couldn't see through Yun Changkong's true abilities, so there was no need to cause trouble.

The girl twisted her slender waist, took a few steps, then turned back and swung her fist, saying, "If you keep following me, I'll teach you a lesson!"

Seeing that the girl was beautiful and had a pleasant voice, Yun Changkong knew that she was probably Yue Lingshan. No wonder Yu Canghai's son was so attracted to her at first sight. He laughed and followed her.

Just as I turned the corner, I suddenly heard several exclamations, and a large group of people rushed out.

The old man and the girl ran over, and Yun Changkong slowly turned the corner and saw a teahouse diagonally opposite the wall.

A teahouse, a very ordinary and unremarkable place.

But for those in the martial arts world, teahouses always hold a special significance, as they are gathering places for all sorts of information.

Although it's mostly hearsay, it's still possible to get the latest news and trends in the martial arts world.

Upon entering, I found the teahouse to be deserted. Apart from two people slumped over a table and a hunchback wearing an oil-baked straw hat sitting at another table, there was no one else.

The old man and the young girl sat down at the same table.

Yun Changkong glanced at the hunchback at first, and seeing that he had seen the old man and the girl, he turned his face to look out the window. He glanced at him a second time and saw that the man had several plasters on his face, his eyebrows were drooping, and the left corner of his mouth was turned up. His appearance was truly shabby.

Yun Changkong immediately saw through the act, smiled slightly, and sat down at a table.

The girl snorted when she saw him sit down.

The tea server brought over a plate of pumpkin seeds and a plate of broad beans, saying, "Your shop only offers Dongting Spring, Narcissus, Longjing, Qimen, Pu'er, and Tieguanyin. Your shop."

People from Hengyang and Hengshan often start their sentences with a "ha," and this tea connoisseur is especially adept at it. "Your family" is a shortened form of "you old man," and is a respectful term.

Yun Changkong ordered a pot of Tieguanyin tea. Just then, the old man exclaimed in surprise, "Junior Sister, look!"

Yun Changkong turned his head and saw seven teacups on a table. Surprisingly, each of the seven teacups had been trimmed by about half an inch. The seven porcelain rings lay beside the teacups, yet not a single teacup tipped over.

The girl was also quite surprised and said, "That's a beautiful move! Who cut those seven teacups in half?" As she spoke, she turned her gaze to the hunchback, and seeing that he was looking out the window, she said to Yun Changkong, "Hey, didn't you want to meet a hero? Do you recognize this move?"

Although Yun Changkong didn't know what had happened, seeing the skillful technique, he said, "I don't recognize it. But a person isn't a cup."

The girl retorted, "Oh, are you looking down on this sword technique? Why don't you show it to me and broaden my horizons?"

Yun Changkong laughed and said, "I'm not an actor."

The girl scoffed, "We came in at the same time. I think this is the Hengshan School's Thirty-Six Styles of Returning Wind and Falling Wild Geese Sword, the seventeenth move, 'One Sword Shoots Down Nine Wild Geese.' This is the masterpiece of Liu Zhengfeng, the Third Master Liu." She implied that she was more skilled than Yun Changkong. Yun Changkong indeed didn't recognize it, but that didn't stop him from being able to do it too.

The old man sighed, "Junior Sister, I'm afraid Master Liu's swordsmanship is not yet up to this level."

The girl clapped her hands and said, "Only Master Mo Da, the 'Rainy Night,' could have such skill."

As soon as these words were spoken, seven or eight voices rang out simultaneously. The person who had been sleeping on the table stood up, and five or six others ran out from the inner hall. Some clapped, and some cheered, "Junior Sister has good eyesight!"

Among these people, some were dressed as porters, some were holding abacuses, and one even had a little monkey perched on his shoulder.

Yun Changkong thought to himself, "The Huashan Sect claims to be a prestigious and righteous sect, but all its disciples are neither fish nor fowl. They either do business or act like monkeys. Yue Buqun doesn't care, and Linghu Chong acts like a playboy, so it's normal."

Just then, the girl chuckled and said, "So you've all been hiding here. Hey, where's our senior brother?"

The monkey trainer laughed and said, "Hey junior sister, when you see us, you don't ask about anything else but your eldest brother. Why don't you ask about your sixth brother, me?"

The girl snorted, "You monkey, you're perfectly fine here, neither dead nor rotten, why should I ask you anything?"

The monkey trainer laughed and said, "According to you, Senior Brother isn't dead or rotten, so why are you asking about him?"

The girl spat and said, "I'm not talking to you anymore, Fourth Senior Brother. You're the only good person. Where's Eldest Senior Brother?"
Before the porter could answer, several people laughed in unison, "Junior sister, junior sister, only senior brother is a good person. According to you, we are the bad people."

“I said, Fourth Brother, I just won’t tell her.”

The girl pouted and snorted, "Fine, don't tell me then! You won't tell me the strange and wonderful things my second senior brother and I encountered along the way!"

The porter stepped forward. He hadn't joked with the girl the whole time and seemed to be a simple and honest person. He called out, "Junior Sister, we parted ways with Senior Brother in Hengyang yesterday. He told us to come first. He's probably sober by now!"

The young woman frowned and said, "What? You let him drink again? You got him drunk, didn't you?"

The man holding the abacus chuckled, “Junior Sister, why did you make him drink again? This time, Senior Brother really had a good time. He drank from morning until noon, and from noon until evening. He must have drunk at least twenty or thirty catties of good wine.”

Yun Changkong was taken aback: "Linghu Chong drank so much yesterday, and he still managed to drink two jars with me this morning. He really is a drinking machine!"

"Oh dear!" the girl exclaimed anxiously, "Why don't you all try to persuade him? If Senior Brother drinks like this, won't he ruin his health!"

"This is so unfair!" Yun Changkong couldn't help but exclaim.

The girl turned around and said, "What do you mean there's no justice?"

Yun Changkong thought about how he had drunk more than a jar of Liuyang wine, which had forced out a lot of alcohol, and he was already drunk. He guessed that Linghu Chong was even more drunk, but Linghu Chong had a girl worrying about him, so it was unfair. He said, "It's nothing. I just think that you're making things difficult for your younger brother by having him persuade his elder brother!"

The one with the monkey on his shoulder was Lu Dayou, the sixth disciple of Mount Hua, who was closest to Linghu Chong. He said, "Yes, others may not know, but Junior Sister, don't you know? How can Senior Brother listen to our advice! Unless you, Junior Sister, personally persuade him!"

His words caused everyone to burst into laughter, and Yun Changkong also smiled.

The girl's eyes flashed with anger as she said unhappily, "Six Monkeys, why are you taking the side of outsiders?"

Liu Hou'er hurriedly cupped his hands in greeting: "Junior Sister, please calm down. He was just joking. Please don't take it to heart."

Yue Lingshan rolled her eyes at him and said unhappily, "You're such a smooth talker!"

Then he looked at Yun Changkong and asked, "What are you laughing at when we, your fellow disciples, are talking?"

Yun Changkong said, "When you encounter something ridiculous, of course you'll laugh. Is it any of your business?"

The girl asked, "What's so funny?"

Yun Changkong said, "Judging from what your senior brothers said, the dignified head disciple of the Huashan Sect is actually so obedient to a junior sister. After they get married, he might become henpecked. This is just too outrageous."

The Huashan disciples exchanged glances, and a burly man and the porter-like man stepped forward and walked to Yun Changkong's table.

The burly man cupped his hands and said, "I am Liang Fa, the third disciple of Master Yue of Mount Hua. This is my junior brother, Shi Daizi. May I ask your esteemed name, brother?"

Yun Changkong smiled slightly and said, "Nameless!"

Upon hearing this, the two men knew it was a fake name. They sat down on either side of him and said, "So you are the nameless young hero. Our apologies for not recognizing you!"

Yun Changkong said, "I didn't invite you to sit together!"

The girl sneered, "Didn't you say you wanted to be a hero? Show me what you've got!"

Yun Changkong smiled and asked, "What is your name, young lady?"

The girl said, "I won't tell you!"

Yun Changkong nodded and said, "Alright, since you are all disciples of the Huashan Sect, do you know the daughter of the Huashan Sect Leader, Miss Yue Lingshan?"

The disciples of Mount Hua looked at each other in bewilderment.

The girl's eyes showed surprise as she asked, "What do you want with Yue Lingshan?"

This young girl was none other than Yue Lingshan.

Yun Changkong clapped his folding fan in his hand and said, "Miss, you don't know this, but I heard that Miss Yue is an outstanding beauty among the younger generation of martial arts, so I wanted to see her beauty and that's why I rushed to Hengshan City. But after seeing you, I can't help but be a little disappointed."

The girl said slowly, "What are you disappointed about?"

Yun Changkong said, "Seeing that even with your esteemed appearance, you are so highly regarded by all your fellow disciples, it seems that you have even managed to control your eldest disciple, Linghu Chong. Sigh, then it's better not to look at Yue Lingshan at all!"

(End of this chapter)