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

With Fei Bin's words, Liu Zhengfeng's "washing his hands of the business" meeting took a completely different turn.

The crowd was puzzled as to why the Songshan Sect was preventing Liu Zhengfeng from washing his hands of his studies, and they also sensed that Fei Bin's words were malicious. They were all intrigued.

The assembled heroes were completely silent, except for Yue Buqun, who maintained a calm and composed expression.

Yun Changkong's face even showed a slight smile, and he even said something like: "Words of upholding the righteousness of the martial arts world, how shameless."

He was simply waiting for the Songshan Sect to resort to such despicable tactics as kidnapping people's families to serve as irrefutable evidence of their sinister nature to the assembled heroes, and so he remained silent.

Master Dingyi, with her fiery temper, couldn't stand it any longer and said, "Junior Brother Fei, what did you say? Although we don't like Brother Liu retiring from the martial arts world, everyone has their own ambitions. What you're saying about cutting ties with the Five Mountains Sword Sect and becoming an enemy of the righteous path of the martial arts world, isn't that going too far?"

Fei Bin slowly said, "Master Dingyi, the Alliance Leader repeatedly instructed us to stop Senior Brother Liu from retiring from the martial arts world. This is to uphold the righteousness of the martial arts world, to protect the friendship between our Five Mountains Sword Sect, and even more so for the good of Senior Brother Liu."

Master Dingyi looked at Liu Zhengfeng, puzzled.

Liu Zhengfeng gave a wry smile and said, "Brother Fei is right. It's not only about upholding the righteousness of the martial arts world, but also for my own good. In that case, I'd like to ask for your guidance in front of all the heroes."

Before Liu retired from the criminal gang, he not only sent an invitation to the leader of the alliance, but also wrote a long letter to report his intention to retire. If the leader of the alliance really had such a public-spirited intention, why did he not stop Liu beforehand?
Even sending a disciple from Mount Song to deliver a single message was unsuccessful!
Why did Liu invite all his friends here, just as he was about to wash his hands, to suddenly appear and stop them with a flag?

Hehe, if Alliance Leader Zuo's intentions are truly as righteous as Senior Brother Fei says, then I'm afraid I, Liu Zhengfeng, won't be the only one who disagrees, will I?

The assembled heroes nodded in agreement, all thinking, "Yes, we received news of Liu Zhengfeng's retirement half a year ago. Why didn't the Songshan Sect stop him earlier or later, but only now?"

Among the more than a thousand people in this hall, they came from all over the country. If the Songshan Sect really wanted to stop it, they could have easily avoided this "Golden Basin Washing Hands Ceremony".

Thousands of eyes were focused on Fei Bin's face.

Fei Bin was also surprised. His eyes widened, gleaming, and he said sternly, "Senior Brother Liu, don't misunderstand. How could I know the Alliance Leader's intentions? The Alliance Leader only wants to postpone your retirement from the martial arts world for now! You'll understand his intentions then!"

Everyone was puzzled when they heard that Fei Bin hadn't said this.

Then Liu Zhengfeng coldly laughed and said, "Since it's already scheduled, why delay it?"

Hehe, are you unaware of Leader Zuo's intentions, or are you simply unwilling to speak?
Let me, Liu Zhengfeng, tell you this: for us江湖人 (jianghu people), the most important thing is 'trust and righteousness'. Not making promises lightly and keeping your word are the most basic qualities of a person.

I, Liu Zhengfeng, have advertised my business throughout the world. Today, I retire from this life of crime, but your Songshan Sect insists on forcibly preventing me. This is to make me, Liu Zhengfeng, lose my credibility and be despised by others!

So if you want to ruin my reputation, breaking my promise isn't enough. You must also make a big deal out of the word 'righteousness'!
"Because there are over a thousand heroes here, most of whom are Liu's friends. If your Songshan Sect wants to avoid public outrage and harm me, you must make me lose my credibility, thus destroying my foundation. And this is not something you, Senior Brother Fei, can achieve alone."

At this point, he pointed to the roof and said, "Now, friends from the Songshan Sect, please all show yourselves!"

At the same time, two people on the east and west sides of the roof responded, "Good!"

As soon as these words were spoken, dozens of people stood up simultaneously on the rooftop, outside the hall, in the corners, outside the backyard, and in all directions, saying in unison, "Yes, disciples of the Songshan Sect greet Uncle Liu!"

The assembled heroes were completely taken aback by this sudden turn of events, their faces filled with astonishment. When did these people enter Liu's residence?

Upon closer inspection, apart from the dozen or so people on the roof who were dressed in the yellow robes characteristic of the Songshan Sect, the people answering questions in the hall and other areas were dressed in various styles, clearly indicating that they had infiltrated the area beforehand.

Among these thousands of people, no one noticed!
Before the crowd could finish speaking, two yellow figures landed at the hall entrance. Their lightness skill and movement were exactly the same as when Fei Bin had landed.
Everyone looked and saw that the man on the east side was a fat man with a burly build. Master Dingyi and the others recognized him as Ding Mian, the second junior brother of the Songshan Sect leader, known as "Pagoda-Bearing Hand". The man on the west side, however, was extremely tall and thin. He was Lu Bai, the third senior brother of the Songshan Sect, known as "Crane Hand".

The crowd of heroes were increasingly horrified as they looked. These two, along with Fei Bin, were the top three bodyguards of the Songshan Sect and were all martial arts elites. Liu Zhengfeng might not be able to defeat either of them, let alone the three of them!

At this moment, they all realized that the Songshan Sect was targeting Liu Zhengfeng, and their talk of doing it for his own good was pure nonsense!

Ding Mian and Lu Bai stopped in their tracks, cupped their hands in greeting, and said, "Please, Third Master Liu, and all heroes."

Master Dingyi shouted angrily, "What are you doing? This is too much of a bully! Brother Liu, don't worry, everything in this world is based on reason. Although the Songshan Sect has many people and great power, do you think our Taishan Sect, Huashan Sect, and Beiyue Hengshan Sect are just sitting around doing nothing?"

Lu Bai spoke softly, then chuckled, "With a nun as virtuous as Abbess, she naturally wouldn't approve of the Songshan Sect's actions. But we're not doing this to offend Senior Brother Liu. Junior Brother Fei is unwilling to reveal the Alliance Leader's intentions because this matter is too serious to be aired in public. But seeing that Senior Brother Liu is determined to go his own way, we have no choice but to resort to this tactic!"

"A last resort?" Liu Zhengfeng shook his head and laughed, "Senior Brother Lu, you've got it. Is there some other method you haven't used? Then please use it all. Why bother with hiding it?"

Fei Bin sneered, "Fine, bring them all out!"

As soon as he finished speaking, more than a dozen people walked out from the back hall. Liu Zhengfeng looked closely and saw that the person walking at the front was his wife, with his daughter Liu Jing and two young sons beside her. Behind them were his seven disciples, and each of them had a Songshan disciple holding a dagger to their back.

Upon seeing this, Liu Zhengfeng understood everything. Yun Changkong's words were absolutely true; the Songshan Sect had come with the intention of annihilating his sect. Zuo Lengchan was indeed ruthless and vicious; he had foolishly harbored any illusions about him.

This scene shocked everyone present. Was the Songshan Sect going crazy?

Why are you arresting Liu Zhengfeng's family members?
You disregard the reputation of your sect, fine!
But to arrest our friends' and family members right in front of us—are they treating us like we're dead?
Many people harbored extreme dissatisfaction with the Songshan Sect and felt great sympathy for Liu Zhengfeng!

Master Dingyi said sternly, "Is the Songshan Sect trying to force Brother Liu to submit by using his family? Humph, let me tell you, this old nun will be the first to object!"

Lu Bai cupped his hands and said, "Master Dingyi, please calm down. The Songshan Sect has no other intention than to ask Senior Brother Liu not to retire from martial arts for the sake of the lives of millions of fellow practitioners in the martial arts world."

Upon hearing this, the assembled heroes were stunned, thinking, "What does it matter to us whether Liu Zhengfeng has retired from his criminal life or not?"

But everyone knew that the Songshan Sect's attack on Liu Zhengfeng was not without reason, and thousands of eyes turned to Liu Zhengfeng once again.

Liu Zhengfeng sneered, "Fine, then tell me. I, Liu Zhengfeng, only have a few disciples, and my children are even more useless. They were all easily held hostage by your Songshan Sect. How can an ordinary person like me pose a threat to the lives of thousands of fellow martial artists? I, Liu, would like to hear your explanation!"

Lu Bai chuckled and said, "Raise the command flag!"

He looked around and said, "The Alliance Leader has ordered us to investigate what kind of collusion Senior Brother Liu has with the Demonic Sect Leader Dongfang Bubai, and what kind of conspiracy they have plotted to deal with our Five Mountains Sword Sect and the righteous comrades in the martial arts world?"

Upon hearing this, the assembled heroes were immediately awestruck, their hearts pounding. The Demonic Sect and the righteous path had been locked in a century-long feud, and at least half of the thousand-plus people in this hall had suffered at the hands of the Demonic Sect. The mere mention of the Demonic Sect evoked hatred in everyone. This Demonic Sect was numerous and powerful, its martial arts skills often surpassing those of the righteous sects. Its leader, Dongfang Bubai, was even hailed as the "Number One Martial Artist of Our Time." If what Lu Bai said was true, wouldn't we be walking right into a trap?

Upon hearing this, the assembled heroes naturally looked at Liu Zhengfeng, only to see him sneer incessantly, seemingly filled with utter contempt and disdain, yet remaining silent.

A man in the crowd shouted, "Third Master Liu, what exactly is your collusion with Dongfang Bubai? Tell me!"

Liu Zhengfeng remained silent, walked to the table, picked up a glass of wine and slowly sipped it. His sleeves hung down straight as blades, showing his strong inner strength and high composure. Everyone couldn't help but be secretly surprised, thinking: "Could Lu Bai be talking nonsense?"

Liu Zhengfeng has now confirmed that there is indeed a huge conspiracy behind this. If no one is manipulating or controlling everything behind the scenes, it can truly be attributed to fate, but obviously it is not!
So, did the great master Zuo Lengchan come?

Even though he knew that Yun Changkong was helping him, he was still a little unsure. After all, Zuo Lengchan's martial arts were so high that few in the world could rival him. If he hid in the shadows and dragged Yun Changkong into it, wouldn't that be putting his life in danger?

Lu Bai said coldly, "Senior Brother Liu, you are really calm. You are still acting like nothing happened. Do you want to sit back and relax?"

Liu Zhengfeng raised his eyebrows and stared directly at Lu Bai, saying, "Me, sitting on the sidelines? You dare to arrest my family members in front of all the heroes? Liu Zhengfeng is nothing, but your Songshan Sect clearly doesn't respect the heroes of the world. Whose influence are you relying on? If Alliance Leader Zuo were to personally come, why not show yourself!"

His words were spoken with great force, and everyone inside and outside the Liu residence could hear them clearly. If Zuo Lengchan were here, he would certainly hear them.

Fei Bin sneered, "Senior Brother Liu, you don't need to sow discord or overthink it. Our Songshan Sect dares not offend any of the heroes here. We just can't let those who collude with the Demonic Sect to plot treason lose their families!"

Liu Zhengfeng suddenly looked at Lu Bai and the others, and slowly said, "I colluded with Dongfang Bubai and plotted a conspiracy, but I don't know where you got this information from, Senior Brother Lu and Senior Brother Fei. Did I, Liu Zhengfeng, tell you this, or did Dongfang Bubai tell you this himself?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Bai felt as if he had been punched in the chest, and his expression became extremely solemn.

They originally thought that Liu Zhengfeng would quickly deny that he didn't know Dongfang Bubai, and then they would bring up the matter of Qu Yang, leaving him no room to think. But they never expected Liu Zhengfeng to pull this stunt.

The assembled heroes all thought, "Third Master Liu is indeed shrewd and capable, living up to his reputation!" They immediately became interested as well.

He Sanqi said, "Yes, since it is a conspiracy, it must be extremely secretive and most afraid of being spied on. How did the Songshan Sect know about it?"

Was it that Master Liu was courting death and told you, or was Dongfang Bubai merely a figurehead who failed to notice he was being spied on?

Lu Baifei and Bin were both taken aback.

Master Dingyi's expression was even more unfriendly; she looked at Lu Bai, then at Fei Bin.

Lu Bai laughed and said, "Since Senior Brother Liu is beating around the bush, I have no choice but to offer my humble opinion and share what I know for everyone's consideration, so we can see if what we say is correct!"

Liu Zhengfeng laughed, "Senior Brother Lu, how could I dare to ask you to do such a menial task? I'm not jade. Fine, I admit I colluded with Dongfang Bubai. He's right here now, ready to wipe out all the heroes!"

These words shocked everyone present. Many people put their hands on their weapons, looked around, and had fear on their faces.

Lu Bai was even more astonished. What was going on?

Fei Bin had some brains, but not many. He laughed and said, "It's good that you admit it!"

Liu Zhengfeng smiled calmly and said, "Hehe, of course I have to admit it."

If I were to comply with the Songshan Sect's wishes and not retire from martial arts, I would be submitting to power and breaking my promise. Heh, what kind of Hengshan disciple or martial artist would I be?

"If you do not comply with my wishes, given the formidable authority of the Songshan Sect, you have dared to arrest my family and disciples. This is clearly an attempt to frame me in front of all the heroes of the world, to make me, Liu Zhengfeng, unacceptable to the martial arts community, and to intimidate others!"

Fei Bin sensed something was wrong and said coldly, "What do you mean by 'beating the mountain to scare the tiger'?"

Liu Zhengfeng smiled slightly: "Isn't this tiger just the Huashan Sect, the Taishan Sect, and the Hengshan Sect of the Northern Peak? Do I really need to spell it out for you?"

Lu Bai knew his junior brother had been tricked and said, "Don't change the subject!"

"I'm changing the subject?" Liu Zhengfeng said angrily, "Your Songshan Sect captured my family, held a dagger to their backs, and forced me to admit to something that never happened. All the heroes in the world have witnessed it!"
If I admit to colluding with the evil cult, just as you wish, I will be disgraced and my Hengshan lineage will be destroyed.

If I don't admit it, wouldn't the three great protectors of the Songshan Sect have worked for nothing, and what would become of my entire family?

Upon hearing this, Lu Bai raised an eyebrow, his eyes flashing with anger, and his sleeves moved even though there was no wind.

Master Dingyi stepped forward and sneered, "Senior Brother Lu, if you want to use your power to intimidate others, ask me first if I agree."

Liu Zhengfeng clasped his hands in a fist salute to Abbess Dingyi and said, "Abbess, please don't interfere in this matter."

I am outnumbered and outmatched, and I cannot afford to offend the Songshan Sect. Since they are using my family as a hostage, I admit that I have colluded with Dongfang Bubai to plot against the righteous path of the martial arts world.

Does this reason satisfy your Songshan Sect? Is it enough for you to slaughter my entire family?
"If that's not enough, then throw out the Lightbringers and Guardian Elders of the Demonic Sect to befriend me. I, Liu Zhengfeng, will never deny it!"

After saying that, he went to the table, picked up a pot of wine, poured himself a cup, and slowly drank it.

The assembled heroes all understood that Liu Zhengfeng's words meant that the Songshan Sect had captured their family members in order to frame them for colluding with the evil sect.

Master Dingyi coldly said, "Your Songshan Sect arrested Brother Liu's family members first, and then accused Brother Liu of colluding with Dongfang Bibai. Heh heh, is Brother Liu's family member evidence of his collusion with the Demonic Sect?"

A chorus of boos immediately erupted from the crowd.

Lu Baifei and the others looked at each other in bewilderment. How did they suddenly become the public enemy of everyone in the hall?

Lu Bai, being meticulous, immediately sensed that the matter was getting out of control. If he continued to lie, he would surely lose the support of the people, and then things would be difficult to handle.

Lu Bai's expression immediately changed, and he said sternly, "Senior Brother Liu, whether you are colluding with Dongfang Bubai or not, perhaps that's not entirely true, but do you know Qu Yang, the Dharma Protector Elder of the Demonic Sect?"

Ding Mian, the fat man next to Lu Bai, suddenly shouted, "Do you know Qu Yang?"

He hadn't spoken a word until suddenly, as if a thunderbolt had struck, uttering a sentence that made everyone's eardrums ring and feel extremely uncomfortable.

He was already tall and imposing, and with this shout, he seemed to suddenly grow a foot taller, like a Vajra in a temple, exceptionally powerful.

At this moment, all eyes were on Liu Zhengfeng, waiting to see how he would respond.

But Liu Zhengfeng's expression remained completely unchanged.

Just then, a clear laugh suddenly came from the corner.

Everyone was slightly startled, only to see that the laughter came from a man in a straw hat in the corner.

After eating and drinking his fill, Yun Changkong felt it was time for him to make his grand entrance.

At this moment, the heroes made way for them, and the eyes of the Songshan Sect members all turned to look.

Fei Bin said coldly, "What are you laughing at?"

Yun Changkong ignored him and kept laughing.

Fei Bin was initially furious, then his expression changed.

It was because Yun Changkong's laughter was extremely clear and sharp, yet so high-pitched, with a delicate and clear tone that lingered in the air.

They were all well-informed experts who knew that this person's internal strength was profound and no less than their own.

Seeing this, Fei Bin gathered his energy in his dantian and spoke in a deep voice, saying, "This matter concerns the integrity of our martial arts world. You must not be arrogant and make a fool of yourself."

Yun Changkong's laughter subsided, and he slowly rose, saying, "I've traveled all over the world and met many heroes and valiant men, but I've rarely seen martial arts scum like you who spout benevolence and righteousness but have vicious hearts!"

Fei Bin snorted loudly, his face turning extremely ferocious, and he shouted sharply, "Who exactly are you?"

With a gentle wave of his sleeve, Yun Changkong caused a blur before everyone's eyes.

He floated more than ten feet across the ground as if his feet didn't touch the ground, and arrived in front of Liu Zhengfeng.

Have you ever seen such an elusive and unpredictable movement technique?
Even top-notch masters like Ding Mian, Fei Bin, and Lu Bai, who were known for their skill and daring, couldn't help but feel a sudden unease and took a step back in unison.

As for Yue Buqun, Master Dingyi and others, they found it even more unbelievable. Could his lightness skill really be so superb?
How could Yu Canghai possibly withstand two hundred moves from him?

Having witnessed Tian Boguang's lightness skill, Linghu Chong felt that his own lightness skill was more than ten times better than Tian Boguang's. He couldn't help but think, "This nameless hero's lightness skill is so high that it is like a ghost or a phantom, something I have never seen before."

If he wanted to escape, who in the world could catch him? Alas, given his unparalleled martial arts skills, why did he need to flee?

Yun Changkong deliberately displayed his lightness skill to shock the entire audience, and his full display of speed made it almost unbelievable that a human could be so fast.

Yun Changkong smiled at Liu Zhengfeng and said, "Third Master Liu, I've been listening for a long time. You're really too tactless."

Seeing that he had stepped forward and displayed his lightness skill, Liu Zhengfeng felt reassured. He thought that even if something major happened, he would want to leave, and the Songshan Sect would definitely not be able to stop him. He breathed a sigh of relief and bowed, saying, "Please enlighten me, great hero."

Yun Changkong said, "What's there to advise on? The Songshan Sect has such a large army pressing in, capturing your family, and the Five Mountains Alliance Leader is so powerful, all to make you admit that you conspired with Dongfang Bubai to harm the Five Mountains Sword Sect and even your fellow martial artists. They also exposed Qu Yang, this elder of the Demonic Sect. They went to great lengths to do that."

If you don't acknowledge that you and Qu Yang are sworn brothers, bound by life and death, and that Dongfang Bubai has shown you great favor, even wanting to make you the Grand Steward of the Sun Moon Sect so he can hand over the leadership to you, and that the Songshan Sect, having failed in its goal, harbors resentment, do you think your entire family still wants to live?"

Upon hearing this, the assembled heroes secretly found it amusing, while the Songshan Sect was absolutely furious.

The three masters of Songshan Sect looked extremely grim. They had originally planned to first imply that Liu Zhengfeng was colluding with Dongfang Bubai, but he would definitely deny knowing him. Then they would implicate Qu Yang.

Ding Mian used his profound internal strength to shake Liu Zhengfeng's mind. Even the slightest hesitation from him would be enough for a top-notch expert to see through his scheme.

But things didn't go as they expected at all!

The way the heroes looked at them was suspicious; even their silence spoke volumes about the deception.

Fei Bin's face was filled with murderous intent. He chuckled coldly and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, as if he was about to strike.

Yun Changkong was extremely sensitive to murderous intent. He glanced sideways and said, "What? You want to kill me? Damn it, you think you can kill me, a reasonable person like me?"

Is there any justice left?

General Liu, you are a legitimate military officer of the imperial court. How can they treat you like this? Is there no law left?
Today, the Songshan Sect arrested your whole family and framed you. Tomorrow, I will go to Beijing to file a complaint, seize the family members of the general appointed by the emperor, and force him to admit to colluding with the evil sect. What are you trying to do?
In my opinion, this is probably because the leader of the Five Mountains Alliance can't satisfy the appetite of the Left Grand Master. He wants to be the leader of the Five Mountains Alliance, the emperor of the martial arts world, and seize the world! (End of this chapter)