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

Night was falling.

A roadside tavern.

It was packed with people, as dark as night.

A middle-aged man, despite his weathered appearance, was in high spirits, as if he had taken some kind of drug. With one foot on a stool and one arm supporting his leg, he was spitting as he spoke to the group of drinkers around him.

A bearded man said, "Brother Wang, is what you're saying true or false? I heard that Wuming fought the Qingcheng Sect leader for two hundred moves before barely winning by one move. From what you're saying, even the mighty Pagoda-Bearing Hand, Crane Hand, and Great Songyang Hand are no match for this Wuming."

Although he possesses the unique skills of both Shaolin and Wudang, it's hard to believe that the Qingcheng Sect Leader alone could defeat the three great protectors of the Songshan Sect!

Some listeners nodded silently. They only knew the general idea and naturally had doubts, thinking, "This Wang Laoqi is too good at talking nonsense."

Wang Laoqi, who had been excited, noticed their skepticism, pursed his lips, took a small sip of wine, looked around, and said mysteriously, "Brother Zhang, do you know what Wuming's real name is?"

With just one sentence, he left everyone speechless, wondering, "What does this nameless person have to do with this matter?"

Wang Laoqi didn't care about their thoughts at all, and sighed to himself, "If I hadn't gone to Master Liu's mansion with my master and seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it either! Alas, someone's martial arts can be cultivated to such a level. In his eyes, all the martial arts masters are just bullshit!"

A muffled voice came from the crowded throng: "Keep bragging. How many people went to Master Liu's mansion? Do you even count them? You're just sitting in the main hall, how could you possibly see who's sitting in the VIP seats? And what's Wuming's real name? Do you even know?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Laoqi's voice immediately rose eight octaves: "I, Wang Laoqi, am naturally not qualified to speak or meet him!"

It's a pity that he was sitting in the corner of the hall, just one table away from me. His voice was as clear as gold, and I could hear him clearly.

Later, he went to the front, and I couldn't squeeze to the front. But when we left the Liu residence, he was right at the main gate. Hey, I got a clear look at him. That handsome and dashing demeanor, that heroic and spirited air, that air of looking down on all the heroes of the world—I haven't seen anyone like that in my forty-seven years.”

One of them chimed in, "So you rushed back without stopping, just to let us know that you, Wang Laoqi, weren't bragging. Too bad, you don't even know what the other person's name is!"

Wang Laoqi slammed his fist on the table: "What I just said was not made up. Let me tell you, this nameless man's real name is Yun Changkong."

"Since they're called Wuming (meaning 'nameless'), would they really mention it on purpose? Or did someone tell you that?"

Wang Laoqi snorted coldly: "What do you know? When Wuming revealed Yun Changkong's name, he was lecturing the disciples of Songshan Sect."

According to several martial arts elders, including He Sanqi, his natural expression indicated that he was simply used to saying the name and it just came out without thinking; it definitely wasn't a fake name!

A young man said thoughtfully, "This is really strange. Since he has a name, why does he call himself nameless?"
Isn't this unfilial? Besides, are there any other martial arts figures in the world with the surname Yun who are exceptionally outstanding?

"Yeah yeah!"

"A true man does not change his name or surname. He says that being nameless is unfilial. I wonder how heartbroken his parents would be if they heard that?"

The tavern was immediately filled with noise.

Wang Laoqi, as if he were used to it, said, "On the way here, I heard many martial arts seniors speculate that Yun Changkong is not that troublesome and does not have that many taboos."

Whenever he makes a move, he becomes a force to be reckoned with in the martial arts world. In his eyes, all sects, whether righteous or demonic, are the same; none of them are superior to the other!

Unfortunately, he needed to use this opportunity to deal with the Songshan Sect, so he concealed his strength, playing around with Tian Boguang and Yu Canghai until the Songshan Sect launched a major attack on Liu Zhengfeng. Only then did he reveal his full power, delivering a decisive blow! He wanted to prevent the Songshan Sect from learning of his martial arts skills prematurely and hiding behind the scenes, never to emerge again. How could that make Lu Bai and the others admit to the Five Mountains Alliance's conspiracy?

Upon hearing this, a series of coughs, choked by alcohol, echoed throughout the tavern, with everyone thinking, "You really don't want to live!"

At this moment, an older man dressed in a somewhat refined manner slowly spoke up: "Whether it is Wuming or Yun Changkong, their martial arts skills are indeed high."

But I have heard that the three great protectors of the Songshan Sect also suffered from being caught off guard. I am not trying to belittle them, but it is not necessarily as miraculous as Brother Wang said!

It's well known that the leader of the Songshan Sect possesses unparalleled martial arts skills. Since assuming the position of leader of the Five Mountains Alliance nearly twenty years ago, he has never publicly displayed his abilities. Who could possibly know the true extent of his martial arts prowess?

Everyone nodded in agreement.

The old man continued, "Brother Wang, you said Yun Changkong is handsome and dashing, full of vigor?"

Wang Laoqi said, "That's right!"

The old man said to everyone, "Since that's the case, Yun Changkong must not be very old. Throughout history, there have been many people who have quickly mastered internal strength. It's not surprising that they could gain a hundred years of internal strength by eating the inner core of some exotic beast or some rare herb."

But the way of martial arts lies not only in internal strength, nor only in martial skills, but also in martial arts knowledge and experience, isn't that right?"

"That's right!"

"That's the truth!"

The old man picked up his wine glass, took a slow sip, and said, "Then, Alliance Leader Zuo is a contemporary martial arts master who has been famous for decades. There are only two or three people in the world whose martial arts are comparable to his. As for his martial arts knowledge, how could a young junior possibly be able to match him?"

Wang Laoqi said, "Even if what you said makes some sense, Yun Changkong is still young. What about in a few more years?"

The old man took another small sip of wine, hesitated for a moment, and then put down the cup and said, "Can you guarantee that Yun Changkong has a few more years to live? There's more to this world than just martial arts skills."
The guests sighed in unison: "Indeed, the Songshan Sect suffered such a great loss, how can they pretend nothing happened? If their martial arts are inferior, what about their schemes and tricks?"

As they talked, night fell.

This is just one corner of the martial arts world, but it reflects the overall situation of the vast martial arts world, demonstrating Yun Changkong's current popularity and revealing the true nature of people in the martial arts world.

Liu Zhengfeng retired from martial arts and invited more than a thousand people, including famous martial arts masters and heroes.

However, many people attend the conference for different reasons. Some want to take this opportunity to broaden their horizons, while others want to accumulate some bragging rights.

The idea that good and evil cannot coexist is just a slogan; how many people have truly taken it seriously?

It's simply that Liu Zhengfeng put the concept of good and evil being the same into practice, while others kept it to themselves.

Otherwise, in the original story, the love affair between Linghu Chong and the Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect was known to the whole world, so how many people would use this to drive them to their deaths?

For example, in the original storyline, the Songshan Sect killed Liu Zhengfeng's son and wife, and was cursed by Liu Zhengfeng's daughter as being ten times more vicious than the Demonic Sect, resulting in a bloody end where they were cleaved in two.

It's common knowledge that fights and killings are frequent in the martial arts world, but once someone has been captured, such a ruthless act of cutting them in two is extremely rare, let alone killing them. Given Lu Bai and his companions' smiling demeanor, who has stood up to speak a word of justice?

Therefore, Yun Changkong's vicious methods of killing and destroying the spirit of the Songshan Sect at the Liu Mansion made his name spread far and wide like a startled rainbow.

Some people scoff at the name Yun Changkong and dismiss it with disdain because they haven't seen it, and the rumors about him are often absurd, bizarre, and exaggerated.

Some were even more eager to try their luck, wanting to defeat "Yun Changkong" with their swords.

Some people watched cautiously, wary, because they were witnesses to the Liu family's affairs.

But in any case, the three characters "Yun Changkong" are like a huge boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up huge waves, and like a tornado, sweeping across the world.

"Yun Changkong?"

In a quiet room of Shaolin Temple, a thin old monk, fingering his prayer beads, said calmly, "Does this person truly possess the unique skills of our temple and Wudang?"

An old monk with a wrinkled face said, "That's what everyone in the martial arts world says. It's a consensus among the three great protectors of the Songshan Sect."

"Senior brother, in my opinion, if Yun Changkong weren't a disciple of Daoist Chongxu, how could he dare to confront the Songshan Sect so directly upon his emergence?"

Master Fangzheng shook his head: "If someone truly possesses the martial arts of this temple, then they could never be from the Wudang Sect."

Fang Sheng nodded slightly and said, "That's the Demonic Sect!"

……

At the summit of Wudang Mountain, an old Taoist priest with white hair and beard stroked his beard, his brows furrowed: "You say that Yun Changkong is a prized disciple trained by Master Fangzheng, or a disciple of a master from Blackwood Cliff?"

A middle-aged Taoist priest bowed and said, "Master, this Tai Chi Fist and Sword is a secret of Wudang that is not passed down. How does Shaolin Temple know about it? I think it is probably someone from the Demonic Sect!"

The old Taoist priest said, "It's not necessarily true that Shaolin Temple is unaware of the secrets of Wudang's fist and sword techniques."

When I was young, I overheard your grandmaster mention that a senior member of the Wudang school once fought against the Emei school at Shaolin Temple using Tai Chi Chuan and sword techniques. Shaolin Temple has always kept all the martial arts techniques it has seen in its records. If a martial arts prodigy were to master and integrate them, it wouldn't be impossible!

The middle-aged Taoist priest looked shocked.

The Wudang Sect Leader, Chongxu, looked at the letter in his hand again and sighed softly: "However, this boy is arrogant and sharp-tongued. He should not be a Shaolin disciple. Judging from his behavior, he is quite upright. He is probably from Blackwood Cliff!"
Dongfang Bubai took over the Demonic Sect and remained quiet for ten years; perhaps he was cultivating this successor!

The middle-aged Taoist priest exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be that Dongfang Bubai's successor is not just that one Holy Maiden?"

"Who knows?" Daoist Chongxu gazed at the sea of ​​clouds and said quietly, "Blackwood Cliff has a treacherous terrain. Our sect has failed many times in trying to retrieve the handwriting of Patriarch Zhang Sanfeng. Rumors in the martial world are a mixture of truth and falsehood. Alas, the martial world is becoming more and more unpredictable."

Meanwhile, Yu Canghai, who was returning to the mountain, chuckled coldly: "Good, let all the martial arts practitioners in the world know that it's not that I, Old Daoist Yu, am incompetent, but that this Nameless One is too powerful! It's also a good opportunity for the Songshan Sect to avenge us!"

Meanwhile, at the Junji Zen Temple atop Mount Song, a large group of people knelt in submission. Several stretchers lay in the middle, bearing the bodies of Ding Mian, Fei Bin, and Lu Bai. (Note: Lu Bai had told Yun Changkong it was for his own good, which angered him to death; he died before even reaching Mount Song.)
At this moment, Zuo Lengchan, the leader of the Five Mountains Alliance, flashed a yellow shadow as he swung his broadsword at the wooden stake.

"Senior Brother! Senior Brother Ding and the others have all returned!" It was only when Tang Ying'e, the deputy head of Songshan Sect, reported this that Zuo Lengchan stopped in his tracks.

Zuo Lengchan's eyes flashed like lightning as he glanced at the corpses, tossed his sword to a disciple, and arrived at the front of Junji Temple. He carefully examined the corpses, his cold face showing no emotion.

At this moment, a disciple reported: "Sect Leader, my master said that he was incompetent and failed to fulfill his instructions, which also led to the deaths of Uncle Ding and Uncle Fei. Please punish me, Sect Leader, to uphold the sect rules!"

Zuo Lengchan said calmly, "This is all due to my poor command. It has nothing to do with you junior disciples. Carry them to the back hall and properly pray for their souls to be reborn."

"Yes!"

Zuo Lengchan and Tang Ying'e entered the main hall.

As Zuo Lengchan walked, he said, "I have been planning the unification of the Five Sacred Mountains for years. During this trip to Hengshan, Liu Zhengfeng fled far away, Lu Zhengrong died a violent death, and Mo Da avoided disaster. The Hengshan lineage in the Southern Mountains is now only in name. It's a pity that I lost three of my arms. What do you think?"

Tang Ying'e said, "Senior brother, now that Yue Buqun has taken Lin Pingzhi away, he will surely take the Evil-Slaying Sword Manual into his possession. And now that Yun Changkong has emerged in the martial world, should we stop this merger of sects?"

Zuo Lengchan nodded and said, "If Yun Changkong doesn't die, the plan to merge the sects will ultimately be nothing but a pie in the sky!"

Tang Ying'e said coldly, "The most urgent task is to first find out Yun Changkong's background. At the same time, we should directly impersonate the Demonic Sect, destroy the Huashan Sect, seize Lin Pingzhi, obtain the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual, and then deal with Yun Changkong."

Zuo Lengchan slowly walked to the grand master's chair and sat down: "Yue Buqun claims to be a gentleman, but I think he's mostly a hypocrite. It wouldn't be difficult to kill him, but I'm afraid that if we take action, we'll provoke someone else!"

Tang Ying'e frowned slightly, and after a long while, asked, "Senior brother, are you talking about Feng Qingyang? But isn't he dead?"

Zuo Lengchan said, "Back then, when the sword qi clashed at Mount Hua, almost all the older generation of masters were killed or injured, but Feng Qingyang was the only one whose whereabouts are unknown."

Rumors say he's dead, but can you really take rumors seriously?

This man's swordsmanship is divine. If we pretend to be from the Demonic Sect and try to destroy Mount Hua, he might suddenly appear and we'll probably suffer losses again!
"If my Songshan Sect were to lose a few more fellow disciples, what would be the point of merging the Five Sacred Mountains?"

Tang Ying'e clasped his hands and said, "Master Chang, we rely entirely on your strategic planning. Please assign the tasks!"

Zuo Lengchan slowly said, "There are three important things to do right now. First, immediately have someone investigate Yun Changkong's background. Whether or not we can find out, we must get him connected with a big figure in the Demonic Sect!"

"Isn't he young? We can use that Holy Maiden of Blackwood Cliff as a pretext to expose his collusion with the Demonic Sect and his conspiracy against my Songshan Sect."

Tang Ying'e laughed and said, "Senior brother is right. If rumors spread in the martial arts world that the Holy Maiden and Yun Changkong are having an affair, hehe, regardless of whether it is true or not, Yang Lianting of the Demonic Sect is eliminating dissidents. If you hear that he is colluding with the Holy Maiden, then he is naturally Yang Lianting's enemy!"
Even if that Holy Maiden had no connection to Yun Changkong, she would still have to kill him to prove her innocence and reputation. The Holy Maiden commands all the extraordinary individuals in the world; no matter how high Yun Changkong's martial arts skills are, he will face difficulties at every turn. In his struggle to protect himself, he will have no time to spare for anything else!

Zuo Lengchan nodded and said, "That's right! For the second thing, you must go to Zhongtiao Mountain in person. There, a successor of the Huashan Sword Sect lives in seclusion. You can reopen the old wounds of the Huashan Sword Qi conflict for him. Firstly, even if Yue Buqun obtains the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual, he will not have time to practice it. Secondly, Feng Qingyang is a successor of the Sword Sect. No matter what, the internal strife of the Huashan Sect has nothing to do with my Songshan Sect!"

Tang Ying'e nodded and said, "This way we can also test whether Feng Qingyang is still alive."

“That’s right!” Zuo Lengchan said coldly, “As soon as we learn that Feng Qingyang has appeared, we will spread rumors that he, the dignified Feng Qingyang of Mount Hua, was actually deceived by the Qi Sect of Mount Hua by a prostitute pretending to be his wife, which led to the Sword Sect’s crushing defeat and near-total death. He is the greatest sinner of the Mount Hua Sect. If Feng Qingyang had any shame, he wouldn’t dare to show his face. Living or dying is no different!”

Tang Ying'e gave a thumbs up: "Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! Since Feng Qingyang doesn't dare to show himself, we'll use the power of the Sword Sect to kill Yue Buqun and seize the Huashan Sect!"

Zuo Lengchan said, "The third thing is to inform Yu Jizi of the Taishan Sect and tell him to plan as soon as possible to seize the position of Tianmen Daoist's leader."

Tang Ying'e said happily, "Yes, this Tianmen Taoist is a tough nut to crack. If he fights with his uncles, who will win and who will lose? The Taishan Sect, like the Hengshan Sect in the south, will be dead in name only."

The nuns of Mount Heng in the north are like lambs, easily eliminated; this merger of sects is a natural consequence!

Zuo Lengchan sneered, "Yun Changkong has committed a great disgrace against my Songshan Sect. I swear to kill him with my sword as a warning to others! However, this man is completely different from those of the righteous sects. He has no regard for his reputation. If he attacks in secret, we must be on guard. From this day forward, we must set up more traps along the way in Songshan and prepare more gunpowder. If he dares to come, let's see if he is indestructible!"

With the involvement of various martial arts sects, Yun Changkong's fame spread further and further, and he was already being hailed as a god by outsiders.

What do you mean by "childhood sweethearts" with the Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect? This trip to the Liu family is to establish the Holy Maiden's authority in the martial arts world so that I can marry her and make her my wife, Lady Yun.

As more and more people are moving forward for the sake of Yun Changkong, there are so many people with the surname Yun being interviewed all over the country.

This greatly boosted the economy. Wherever there were people with the surname Yun, local hotels, inns, and teahouses made a fortune.

Even more so, with Yun Changkong's sudden rise to fame, his clothing and style were also imitated by many, and his blue robe and folding fan sold out several times.

In particular, the Huiyan Tower in Hengyang, which was the place where "Wuming" first became famous, attracts a constant stream of visitors every day.

Even Liu Zhengfeng's residence was the same.

Although the place was deserted, traces of Yun Changkong's actions remained, which were admired by all who saw them.

But some people were so angry that their faces turned pale.

"After all that investigation, this is the result?"

A cold shout rang out from a bamboo grove somewhere in Luoyang.

"It is said that Liu Zhengfeng and his party have already set sail."

"Have all the land and water ports keep a close watch. And pass on the order: if anyone says anything about Yun Changkong and the Holy Maiden being childhood sweethearts, kill them without mercy!"

"Yes!"

While the entire martial arts world was searching for news about Yun Changkong.

Yun Changkong and Liu Zhengfeng were indeed sailing in the East China Sea.

As the sun set, the setting sun cast countless golden rays upon the sea, shimmering and flickering. Yun Changkong sat on the edge of the bed, the scene unchanged. But did the women, now lost somewhere, still remember this moment when the sun sank into the sea?

His interactions with Zhao Min and the others after they set sail were like a shadow following him everywhere.

Back then, Zhao Min liked to nestle gently in his arms and sweetly call out, "Brother Yun," and when she was being playful, she would say, "Brother Changkong. Xiao Zhao plays the pipa, and the Purple-Robed Dragon King plays the flute."

Zhou Zhiruo often joked, "Hey, why aren't the eyebrows you drew for me as pretty as hers?"

As the days slowly passed, Yun Changkong, with his high level of cultivation, not to mention being indifferent to all things, had long since reached the sublime realm of "water leaving no trace." Yet, there was always a strange thought in his heart that he couldn't shake off.

So he wanted to visit Peach Blossom Island, which is why he went out to sea with Liu Zhengfeng and the others.

Lost in thought, a faint fragrance brushed against her hair. Qu Feiyan leaned on Yun Changkong's shoulder and asked, "Brother Yun, why did you come to sea with us? Don't you want to marry Sister Yilin?"

She said this with a very innocent expression.

Yun Changkong laughed and said, "Do you think Yilin would be willing to be my wife?"

Qu Feiyan pondered for a moment and said, "No, she's too kind, and you're too scary."

Yun Changkong laughed and said, "Since it's so terrifying, why are you still leaning on me!"

Qu Feiyan chuckled and said, "I am a witch, so of course I am not afraid. But Sister Yilin is not. You didn't see how you killed people. Sister Yilin and that Miss Yue didn't dare to look at you."

Yun Changkong said quietly, "Now the world is without morality, demons are growing and morality is declining. Slaughter is the only way to save people. They don't understand."

Qu Feiyan stuck out her tongue and said, "Your martial arts are so good, you're right no matter what you say. But you shouldn't treat girls like that. You should cater to their preferences."

Yun Changkong said calmly, "I'm long past the point where I need to leave a good impression on people."

I am who I am, and what you see is who I am. Whether you say I'm good, ruthless, vicious, or bad, I won't refute it, and I don't care. I don't want to prove anything, and I'm too lazy to prove anything.

But for better or for worse, I'll do it all; it just depends on who the recipient is.

Qu Feiyan listened, seemingly understanding but not quite: "Hmm, Sister Yilin isn't the kind of person you'd be willing to change for?"

Yun Changkong smiled slightly: "It's not just her, no one has ever been able to make me change. Only someone who can accept my bad points and my flaws can truly be with me. If I have to change myself to please her, I'd rather not have it!"

And so are you.

If any man in the future asks you to do this or that, or give up anything, believe me, he is not the right match for you! Turn around and leave immediately. Don't look back. One shouldn't be attached to things, but one must always have self-respect!

Just then, hearing light footsteps behind her, Liu Jing asked, "Brother Yun, is there someone who can accept your flaws?"

"Of course!" Yun Changkong stood up slowly without hesitation and said with a smile, "As the saying goes, strangers meet by chance and their words become intimate, and a single thought can lead to a deep understanding. Our feelings are like the bright moon shining together, and our intentions are like a gentle breeze blowing through our sleeves."

Before words are spoken, the matter between their brows is already clear; before they are spoken, their innermost thoughts are already known.

If one can find a kindred spirit in life, why chase after fleeting fame like the morning breeze?

After reciting the poem, he slowly walked into the cabin.

Qu Feiyan and Liu Jing exchanged a glance. Since their interactions with Yun Changkong, both women felt as if they were bathed in warm sunshine. They seemed oblivious to, or even forgotten, his ruthlessness in the Liu household. They simply felt that Yun Changkong was a gift from heaven, a rare delicacy in the world. (End of Chapter)