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

Lu Bai smiled and said, "I wouldn't dare say I'm 100% sure, but I'm 99% confident. If you want to establish yourself in the martial arts world and make a name for yourself, it's not too late to leave now."

Upon hearing this, Abbess Dingyi could no longer contain herself and stepped forward, saying, "What exactly happened? Did Brother Liu collude with Qu Yang because he was swayed by power, or is this the truth? Can anyone tell this old nun?"

Yun Changkong laughed and said, "I'm also quite puzzled. Liu Zhengfeng and Qu Yang are different in their righteous and demonic ways. If they were to become friends, how would your Songshan Sect know about it?"

Lu Bai sneered, "If you don't want people to know, then don't do it in the first place."

Yun Changkong shook his head and said, "Stop talking nonsense. After thinking about it, there is only one reason: someone in the Hengshan Sect is colluding with you. Perhaps there are spies from your Songshan Sect in the Taishan Sect, Huashan Sect, and Beiyue Hengshan Sect."

Otherwise, what evidence do you have to prove that Liu Zhengfeng and Qu Yang are friends? Did you force Liu Zhengfeng to admit it by having his family members held to his back with a dagger?

Yun Changkong felt that the Songshan Sect couldn't possibly rely solely on bluffing in the original storyline. Did they lack any means to prevent Liu Zhengfeng from denying their involvement? He wanted to explore that possibility.

But as soon as he said this, everyone was shocked.

Tianmen Daoist and Dingyi Shitai exchanged a glance.

If that's the case, what will the Songshan Sect do?
Only Yue Buqun stroked his beard, his face expressionless.

Liu Zhengfeng also frowned, thinking, "Yes, I was so careful in befriending Brother Qu Yang, how did the Songshan Sect know? Could it be that what Hero Yun said was true, that someone from my Hengshan Sect has defected to the Songshan Sect?" He heard Qu Yang call Yun Changkong Hero Yun, but he didn't know his real name. He didn't say anything, so naturally he didn't ask Qu Yang.

Lu Bai scanned the crowd, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Fellow senior brothers and sisters, heroes, all of you here are renowned figures in the martial arts world. Why are you able to befriend Senior Brother Liu and travel thousands of miles to attend this handwashing ceremony? Isn't it because you admire Master Liu's chivalry and respect the reputation of the Hengshan Sect and our Five Mountains Sword Sect? Tell me, am I right or wrong?"

The heroes responded enthusiastically.

"That's certainly true!"

Lu Bai continued, "People of such status as Senior Brother Liu, Daoist Tianmen, Abbess Dingyi, and Senior Brother Yue, aren't they all proud and aloof, cherishing their reputations above all else? Think about it, why is Third Master Liu of the Hengshan Sect so servile and subservient to that corrupt official? His ancestors were wealthy and powerful, and he has no need to become an official to make money!"

The assembled heroes nodded in unison, all thinking, "I knew something was wrong a long time ago. How could a mere adjutant make Liu Zhengfeng so servile? It seems I was right!"

Then Lu Bai continued, "The reason why the Left Alliance Leader issued the order to stop Liu Zhengfeng from retiring from the criminal world and also arrested his family members was not to coerce him into admitting that he did not do it!"
Instead, we have solid evidence, but this is a disgrace to our Five Mountains Sword Sect. For the sake of the reputation of the Southern Hengshan Sect, we do not want to make this public and prefer to resolve it privately.

However, this nameless man bullies others by relying on his skills, colluding with Liu Zhengfeng, and repeatedly slandering and coercing my Songshan Sect.

Lu Bai had no choice but to explain the whole story to everyone and ask for their judgment!

"Tell us! Tell us!" The assembled heroes, all eager for excitement, began to clamor as soon as they heard there was going to be a big commotion.
Lu Bai continued, "Alliance Leader Zuo already knew that Liu Zhengfeng was acquainted with Qu Yang, but he said that considering that Senior Brother Liu is a rare talent of our Five Mountains Sword Sect, and that he was deceived by villains and became a traitor, he should be given a way to start anew!"

Liu Zhengfeng felt an inexplicable surge of anger rising to his head, and coldly said, "What does this mean? How am I a traitor?"

Lu Bai said, "I understand perfectly well that the reason why Senior Brother Liu retired from the business was entirely because of Qu Yang."

Everyone knows that although the Hengshan Sect is a major martial arts school, many of its disciples are also fond of music. Senior Brother Liu's "Thirty-Six Styles of Returning Peak and Falling Goose Sword" is indeed exquisite, but his flute playing skills are even more unparalleled.

This foreign wolf is ambitious and cunning beyond compare. He exploited Senior Brother Liu's peculiarities, plotting to lure him into retiring from his martial arts world and joining the imperial court. His aim was to first tarnish the reputation of our Five Mountains Sword Sect, and then, ultimately, to recruit him into the Demonic Sect, making him an enemy of the righteous path of martial arts!

Liu Zhengfeng grew angrier as he listened; Lu Bai's words were a mixture of truth and falsehood, making it impossible to distinguish between them.

The heroes all knew that music and beauty were captivating. The masters of the Hengshan Sect throughout the ages all loved music. The current sect leader, Master Mo Da, nicknamed "Xiaoxiang Night Rain," loved to play the erhu and had the nickname "a sword hidden in the erhu, and the sword's sound comes from the erhu." So it was quite possible that Liu Zhengfeng became friends with Qu Yang through playing the xiao. Many people looked regretful.

Yun Changkong sneered and said, "Lu Lao Er, I think you should just leave Songshan Sect and come to Beijing with me. I'll pay for you to set up a stall and tell stories. With your storytelling skills, you'll definitely become a big hit! We can split the profits 50/50, and we won't have to bother robbing each other."

Yun Changkong had reason to suspect that the Songshan Sect wanted to destroy Liu Zhengfeng's family, perhaps because they were tempted by his family's wealth.

Liu Zhengfeng was a prominent gentleman in Hengshan City. His family had been wealthy for generations. When his friends shopped in Hengshan City, they didn't have to pay the shopkeepers; they would settle the bill together. This speaks volumes.

Zuo Lengchan not only supported disciples of the Songshan Sect, but also masters of unorthodox and unorthodox methods, which required a lot of money!

When everyone heard Yun Changfeng talking about Lu Bai, and then thought about how Lu Bai was going to Beijing to complain to the emperor about the Songshan Sect, they burst into laughter.

Lu Bai mustered his strength and sneered, "I know you're defending Liu Zhengfeng, so you'll naturally deny the facts by saying you don't believe me. But whether the heroes of the world believe him or not, everyone can see for themselves."

He turned around and looked at the gate, saying loudly, "Senior Brother Lu, things have come to this point. If you don't come out, it will be difficult to resolve this matter."

To give an explanation to all the heroes of the land, I can no longer care about your reputation or that of the Hengshan Sect of Southern Yue.

As the voice spoke, an old man walked in through the gate. He was thin and wretched, with a weasel-like face and yellowish eyes, as if he had jaundice.

The leaders of the Five Mountains Sword Sects, including Tianmen Daoren, slowly rose to their feet.

The assembled heroes immediately began to whisper among themselves.
Liu Zhengfeng smiled sadly and said slowly, "So it was you, Senior Brother Lu. Why did it come to this? What have I done to wrong you, Liu Zhengfeng, that you colluded with outsiders to plot against my family?"

This old man was a first-generation member of the Hengshan Sect, a contemporary of Master Mo Da and Liu Zhengfeng, yet he was not well-known in the martial arts world, and many people did not recognize him. However, there were knowledgeable people who could explain it.

This man was named Lu Zhengrong, and his official nickname was "Golden-Eyed Eagle." However, he was talkative and annoying, and people in the martial arts world secretly called him "Golden-Eyed Crow."

Lu Zhengrong angrily said, "Junior Brother Liu, how dare you use the word 'collusion'?"
You've colluded with that devil Qu Yang; that's true collusion!
"The Songshan Sect is the leader of the Five Sacred Mountains Sword Sects. If I don't do this, am I supposed to just watch you, a traitor, ruin the reputation of the Hengshan Sect and cause the righteous path of the martial world to shed blood because of your treacherous schemes?"

Liu Zhengfeng said coldly, "What traitor, what conspiracy, Senior Brother Lu, don't make false accusations!"

As he spoke, he took a step forward, his previous demure manner completely gone. He had always been like a wealthy country gentleman, with a touch of nobility and a hint of rusticity, but now he suddenly exuded a vigorous and heroic air.

Knowing that his martial arts skills were no match for his junior brother's, Lu Zhengrong took two steps back. Ding Mian also slowly stepped forward and said coldly, "What, do you want to kill me to silence me?"

Suddenly, Yun Changkong said, "Third Master Liu, why are you in such a hurry? Let them talk, what's the harm?"

Liu Zhengfeng said "yes" and took a step back.

Lu Bai laughed and said, "Senior Brother Lu, these are all my friends from the righteous path of the martial world. Most of them have a blood feud with the Demonic Sect. If you make what you have seen and heard public, no one will look down on you. On the contrary, they will say that you are putting righteousness before family!"

Lu Bai and his group came to deal with Liu Zhengfeng, and they could not afford to fail. However, they were also afraid that Liu Zhengfeng would deny everything to the death. In front of the heroes of the world, they could not simply use force, lest it arouse public indignation and be detrimental to the Songshan Sect. Therefore, they prepared a backup plan.

Lu Zhengrong had long since pledged allegiance to the Songshan Sect, but they didn't want him to show himself unless absolutely necessary, lest it alert the other four sects. However, Yun Changkong interfered, and since they couldn't defeat him, his words made it seem as if the Songshan Sect was using hostages to frame Liu Zhengfeng. So, they had no choice but to throw Lu Zhengrong out.

Lu Zhengrong is Liu Zhengfeng's senior brother from the Hengshan School. Who wouldn't believe him?

Lu Zhengrong glanced at everyone, sighed, and said, "That day, I went down to Hengshan on business. Unexpectedly, in a valley at the foot of Luoyan Peak in Hengshan, I heard a strange piece of music. It was a sound I had never heard before in my life. Out of curiosity, I followed the sound and saw my junior brother Liu playing the zither with an old man."

Although I am the senior brother, I have great respect for this junior brother. Seeing that he was playing music, I was about to leave when I heard the old man say, "Brother Liu, our Divine Sect is about to harm the Five Mountains Sword Sect. This Zuo Lengchan is also very ambitious. We should make plans soon!"

Lu Bai sneered, "It's not surprising that people from the Demonic Sect are speculating about my senior brother; they're just being petty and judging others by their own standards."

Yun Changkong sneered and remained silent.

Lu Zhengrong said, "Although I am a member of the Hengshan Sect, the Five Mountains Sword Sects are allied and share weal and woe. If any sect acts improperly and is laughed at by the martial arts community, the other four sects will share the shame. Moreover, the prosperity of the Five Mountains Sword Sects is largely thanks to Alliance Leader Zuo. Although I respect my junior brother, I heard this old man talking about a divine sect, so he must be a member of the demonic sect. I had no choice but to come forward and eavesdrop."

Lu Bai said, "You dared to eavesdrop on their conversation? Aren't you afraid they'll kill you to silence you?"

Lu Zhengrong said, "Yes, I was a little scared at first, but as long as I thought that in order to prevent my Hengshan Sect from being disgraced and to prevent my fellow martial artists from being harmed by evil forces, what does it matter if I die?"

I heard Liu Zhengfeng say that he also saw the perilous situation and was determined to retire from the criminal world and no longer pay attention to this matter.

But then I thought, what is the purpose of martial arts training for righteous people like us? Isn't it to slay demons, uphold justice, and maintain the integrity of the martial arts world?

If Liu Zhengfeng were to back down upon hearing what the elder of the Demonic Sect said, wouldn't that be tantamount to watching the rise of evil and the decline of the righteous? If everyone followed suit, what would become of them?
Moreover, the members of the Demonic Sect are treacherous and cunning; they may have some hidden agenda behind forcing my junior brother Liu to leave the martial world!

Master Dingyi said, "So you informed the Left Alliance Leader?"

Lu Zhengrong said, "That's right!"

Tianmen Daoist interjected, "Why don't you tell Master Mo that he is the true leader of your sect?"

Lu Zhengrong sighed and said, "Junior Brother Liu's martial arts skills have long surpassed Senior Brother Mo's. The two of them have always been at odds. If I tell him, and it harms Senior Brother Mo, wouldn't I become a sinner? I have no choice but to ask Alliance Leader Zuo to step in and consider the reputation of my Hengshan Sect, and also give Junior Brother Liu a way to start anew!"

Liu Zhengfeng looked at his senior brother and trembled all over.

Lu Bai stared at Liu Zhengfeng and slowly said, "Liu Zhengfeng, what else do you have to say?" Liu Zhengfeng smiled bitterly, ignored Lu Bai, and said to Lu Zhengrong, "Senior Brother Lu, even now, you're still pretending."

Lu Zhengrong blinked, pursed his lips, and remained silent.

Liu Zhengfeng's gaze suddenly shifted again, looking at Tianmen Daoist, Yue Buqun and the others, seemingly nonchalant, then at Lu Zhengrong, and slowly said: "The Songshan Sect is now asking you to make my affairs public, ruining my reputation. Does that do you, a member of the Hengshan Sect, any good? Does Senior Brother Mo know this?"

Hmph, you've been keeping it from Senior Brother Mo and siding with the Songshan Sect. Do you think I don't know the reason behind that?
You already harbored a prejudice against Senior Brother Mo, thinking him slovenly and unfit to be the sect leader. Now that you yourself aspire to be sect leader, you've changed your mind, disregarding brotherhood and handing a knife to the Songshan Sect!
Unexpectedly, in the eyes of the Songshan Sect, you are nothing more than a mantis catching a cicada. Today, I, Liu Zhengfeng, am disgraced and ruined, and Senior Brother Mo will also suffer the same fate.

"If you want to become the leader of Hengshan Sect, you'll need the support of all your disciples, but your Senior Brother Lu has too few connections and has no chance whatsoever. If it's a contest of martial prowess for leadership, you have even less hope, and can only pin your hopes on Songshan Sect. But have you ever considered that without me and Senior Brother Mo, does Hengshan Sect even need you?"

Everyone who heard this thought it made sense.
Lu Zhengrong was both shocked and furious. He stared intently at Liu Zhengfeng and said in a hoarse voice, "You are judging a gentleman by the standards of a petty person. I... I was trying my best to avert a tragic calamity for the Hengshan Sect and for you, and to prevent turmoil in the martial arts world!"

"No!" Liu Zhengfeng shook his head: "Your idea is utterly wrong. If I, Liu Zhengfeng, were to die here today, who wouldn't fear the Songshan Sect? That would inevitably stir up endless turmoil, and that would be the real upheaval in the martial world. But I doubt your Senior Brother Lu can understand this point!"

Lu Bai raised an eyebrow and said, "Everyone, do you understand now? Liu Zhengfeng, Alliance Leader Zuo is giving you two choices. One is to kill Qu Yang within a month and bring his head to me to prove your innocence, then we'll let bygones be bygones and remain brothers. Otherwise, my Five Mountains Sword Sect will clean house and eliminate you completely!"

Liu Zhengfeng sneered, "Since the Songshan Sect has put on this show, and is trying to frame Brother Qu Yang and me for nefarious purposes and to eliminate us completely, then so be it. But I absolutely cannot kill Brother Qu Yang."

Lu Bai turned his gaze to Yun Changkong and said, "You heard what Liu Zhengfeng said, didn't you?"

Yun Changkong smiled faintly: "So what if I heard it?"

Lu Bai sneered, "So now, are you going to fight alongside us to uphold justice, or are you going to collude with Liu Zhengfeng and continue to be his accomplice?"

Yun Changkong laughed and said, "Are you out of your mind? I thought you were going to bring up Zuo Lengchan!"

So, your Songshan Sect brought out a martial arts scoundrel who disregards fraternal bonds and colludes with outsiders to deal with his brothers, and now you expect me to fight alongside you for the sake of the Way?

"What kind of logic is this? This kind of blabbermouth who makes baseless accusations deserves to be beaten to death with a single blow; he should be dragged out and beaten to death!"

Lu Zhengrong looked remorseful and said, "I know that exposing Junior Brother Liu's crime of colluding with enemies is not being a true brother. But if I don't step forward and just watch him mingle with the devil, how can I stand by and watch? But what the nameless hero said is true. I, Lu, have no face to stand between heaven and earth for doing such an unjust thing! Now that this wicked man's crimes have been exposed, I, Lu, will die without regret!"

After saying that, he flipped his hand and slapped it down on his forehead.

Before his hand could land, Lu Bai suddenly reached out and grabbed his wrist, sighing, "Senior Brother Lu, why do you have to do this? If it weren't for your righteousness, how would we know that someone from the Five Mountains Sword Sect was colluding with the Demonic Sect? We, the righteous path of the martial world, would all be grateful to you. So don't blame yourself!"

Lu Zhengrong sighed and stamped his foot, looking regretful, and said, "If everyone could understand my heart, I would accept the infamy."

Yun Changkong found it quite amusing and said disdainfully, "Your acting is going too far, old man Lu. I'll teach you how to act sometime. To show your determination, you should at least have a dagger. Whether you're really dead or not doesn't matter. You should at least give people a sense of danger so that it can resonate with them, right?"

Everyone found it hilarious; in this tense atmosphere, everyone was terrified, but he felt as if he were watching a farce.

Ding barely suppressed his anger and said loudly, "Raise the command flag! Brother Tianmen, Sect Leader Yue, Abbess Dingyi, and Liu Zhengfeng have allied with the Demonic Sect and betrayed our enemies. There is absolutely no doubt about it. The Alliance Leader commands that all of us from the Five Mountains Alliance be executed together. Is there anyone who will disobey the flag?"

Liu Zhengfeng chuckled and said, "If you want to kill me, you don't need the Five Mountains Sects; you, Ding Lao Er, alone are enough!"

Ding Mian said coldly, "It's good that you know." A hint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

Yun Changkong laughed and said, "Look how arrogant you are. A flag can't even speak, so how can it be Zuo Lengchan's order?"
I think you're talking nonsense. Otherwise, what if you one day raised a flag again and went to the Mount Tai Sect or the Mount Hua Sect, saying that their sect leaders weren't qualified to be leaders, that they were following some kind of alliance leader's orders and that someone else should take the position? Would they then have to abdicate? In my opinion, this trend must not be allowed to grow!"

Lu Bai was startled and said, "Senior Brother Yue, you are a renowned gentleman who can distinguish right from wrong. Senior Brother Liu is colluding with the Demonic Sect and is so stubbornly unrepentant. What do you think our Five Mountains Sword Sect should do? Should we just let them run rampant in the martial world?"

Yue Buqun's gaze swept over everyone, and he sighed, "Brother Liu, the people of the Demonic Sect are always two-faced. Qu Yang is pandering to you, which is clearly malicious. You must be careful!"

Brother Liu's refusal to kill his friends to protect himself is truly admirable. But may I ask Brother Liu, is Qu Yang your friend, and we are not? Are these thousand-plus heroes less important to you than a single demon?

Liu Zhengfeng smiled calmly and said, "Senior Brother Yue, Liu Zhengfeng is not a child. You all say that Brother Qu is two-faced, but since I met him, he has never said that he wants to harm anyone."

Today, the Songshan Sect has arrested my entire family and is forcing me to kill my friends. Who is harboring ulterior motives? Who is so cruel and vicious?

Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback, finding it quite reasonable!
Ding Mian was both angry and anxious, and said sternly, "Liu Zhengfeng, if you are so stubborn, don't blame me for killing your son first."

Yun Changkong laughed loudly and said, "That's right, you should have done this a long time ago. Why bother making so many high-sounding excuses!"

Kill him quickly, Master Liu! Although I ate your food today, I can't protect your family. But don't worry, everyone in this world has a few family members!

I refuse to believe the Thirteen Protectors of Songshan don't have family or children. They killed your family, so I'll go find their families too. I guarantee you won't be lonely on your way to the underworld. I heard Zuo Lengchan has a son; I'll send him off first before coming down to find you! Don't worry, killing Zuo Lengchan and the Thirteen Protectors might be difficult, but killing their sons and wives, I guarantee I won't spare a single one. Anyway, I'm a ruthless tyrant, a henchman of evil; this is a piece of cake for me!"

These words shocked the entire Songshan Sect.

Ding Mian was stunned, staring at Yun Changkong, unsure what to say. He casually told Fei Bin that with his lightness skill, if he wanted to find his family, who could stop him?
They were speechless!
Seeing Ding Mian's earlier swagger turned into such a sorry state, Linghu Chong couldn't help but chuckle to himself, thinking, "Although this move was a bit underhanded, it was still using poison to fight poison!"

Liu Zhengfeng bowed deeply: "Thank you for your chivalrous help, hero!"

Yun Changkong shook his head and said, "I'm not helping you, I just can't stand these hypocrites!"

Liu Zhengfeng shifted his gaze and stared at Yue Buqun again, saying calmly, "Senior Brother Yue, if someone were to capture my family and force me to kill you, tell me, would I kill them or not?"

A purple aura rose on Yue Buqun's face.

Liu Zhengfeng shook his head with a wry smile and said, "Actually, let alone your Senior Brother Yue, I wouldn't kill a friend to protect myself, even if it were anyone else here! Brother Qu, don't even mention a hint of your intention to harm me, I wouldn't consider him a friend!"

Everyone who heard this was deeply moved!

In the martial arts world, loyalty is of utmost importance. Liu Zhengfeng said this, and even if some people disagreed, they secretly admired him.

Yun Changkong laughed and said, "Third Master Liu's frankness and courage in admitting his secrets is what truly makes him a great man and a true gentleman!"

His words had a hidden meaning, and everyone looked at "Gentleman Sword".

"You flatter me!" Yue Buqun, his expression now as usual, shook his head and said, "Brother Liu's consideration for friendship is indeed admirable. However, the Demonic Sect has committed numerous evils, harming upright gentlemen and innocent people in the martial world. Brother Liu, you only got along well with the zither and flute for a moment, and you have become somewhat unable to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong. You have misunderstood the word 'friendship'."

He then looked at Yun Changkong: "The nameless hero roams the martial world. If he could expose this highly conspiratorial matter and reveal their true colors and sinister intentions to the world, he could save the martial world from disasters. That is what a true hero is, and that is what makes people believe in him!"

Liu Zhengfeng shook his head and said, "Senior Brother Yue, you don't like music, so you can't understand what I mean. Words and writings in this world can lie and fake, but the sound of the qin and xiao is the voice of the heart, and it can never be faked."

My friendship with Brother Qu is entirely due to our harmonious playing of the qin and xiao, and our mutual understanding. Otherwise, I would never have made a friend as upright and noble as Brother Qu!

Yue Buqun sighed, shook his head, and had nothing more to say.

Yun Changkong's calm voice broke the strange silence, saying, "The way of music lies in 'intention' and even more so in 'spirit.' As the saying goes, it is easy to compose a mournful sound and imitate a sorrowful tune, but to have a sound that pierces the clouds, one must have a soaring spirit. This is the same principle as the way of martial arts when one reaches an extremely high level. However, to comprehend this point is beyond the reach of ordinary people, so they do not believe what you have to say!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhengfeng felt a deep sense of kinship and clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "You are truly a kindred spirit!"

Yun Changkong smiled slightly.

Lu Bai sneered, "Since you know you can't convince us, why do you still insist on interfering? Are you trying to intimidate us with force?"
"Heh, though I know your martial arts are superb, and we are no match for you in a one-on-one fight, which hero of the righteous path in the martial world hasn't licked blood from the edge of a knife? How could we possibly submit to your tyranny?"

Yun Changkong smiled and said, "Is that so?"

With that, he flicked his sleeve, and a strong wind arose.

Yun Changkong had already rushed in front of Lu Zhengrong. Before Lu Zhengrong could draw his sword, he struck out with his palm. Yun Changkong grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward, causing him to fall. His left hand was already gripping the back of Lu Zhengrong's neck.

Yun Changkong's speed was so fast that it was dazzling, and everyone was shocked. Lu Bai and Ding Mian were also skilled in martial arts. They both drew their long swords, one slashing at the waist and the other thrusting straight at the chest.

With a wave of his sleeve, Yun Changkong sent Lu Bai's sword flying, which then collided with Ding Mian's sword with a clang.

The two men's arms went numb, and they stumbled back three steps. Ding Mian's eyes widened, and he shouted sharply, "Tai Chi Swordplay?"

Yun Changkong laughed heartily: "Say whatever you want!"

They retreated to their original spot and threw Lu Zhengrong to the ground. (End of Chapter)