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

Under the old locust tree sat a young man in tattered and dirty clothes. His face was sallow and his eyes were closed. It was Linghu Chong.

Surrounded by several people, the same five Shaolin monks he had met before.

The old monk grabbed Linghu Chong's hand, extended his right hand, and placed two fingers on Linghu Chong's acupoints, "Taiyuan" and "Jingqu." He immediately sensed a strange and powerful internal force emanating from the other man, which jolted the old monk's fingers away.

The old monk's brow twitched, and Xin Guoliang, Yi Guozi, and the others were also taken aback.

This old monk was none other than Master Fang Sheng, the first generation of Shaolin Temple, who was a fellow disciple of Abbot Fang Zheng. He was one of the top masters of the "Fang" generation. It was simply unbelievable that he could take someone's pulse and have his fingers flicked away.

Little did they know that Linghu Chong possessed the combined true energy of the Six Immortals of Peach Valley and Monk Bujie. Fang Sheng was indeed skilled in martial arts, but it was not surprising that he was repelled by the combined power of these seven masters when he was caught off guard.

Master Fang Sheng's white eyebrows trembled slightly as he shook his head and said, "He's not from the Huashan Sect. How can you say he's Linghu Chong, a disciple of Huashan?"

Yi Guozi said, "Uncle, you are wise. Last night on Wubagang, he claimed to be Linghu Chong, a disciple of the Huashan Sect."

Xin Guoliang said, "That's right, we didn't lie."

Knowing Xin Guoliang's honest nature, Fang Sheng asked with a puzzled look, "That's strange. How could a disciple of the Huashan Sect have learned a kind of evil internal energy?"

Upon hearing this, Yi Guozi thought to himself, "Oh dear, Uncle-Master, you've figured it out." He said, "Uncle-Master, this kid is indeed using unorthodox martial arts, otherwise Senior Brother Xin and I wouldn't have been caught off guard!"

The monks of the "Fang" generation in Shaolin Temple are of very high seniority. Although they are from different sects from the Five Mountains Sword Sects, they are a generation older than the leaders of the various sects in the Five Mountains Sword Sects.

Therefore, Xin Guoliang, Yi Guozi, and others were of a higher generation than Linghu Chong. Yi Guozi's act of fighting Linghu Chong already had the air of an elder bullying a younger one, not to mention that he had two fellow disciples from Shaolin present. So, after being driven back by Linghu Chong on Wubagang, the two of them had no face to stay any longer.

But after descending from Wubagang, they encountered Master Fang Sheng and two others. After telling him about it, Master Fang Sheng also found it strange that a disciple of the Huashan Sect could beat a Shaolin disciple so badly.

Furthermore, Yi Guozi mentioned that there was a gathering of heretics at Wubagang, which might be detrimental to Shaolin Temple, so Master Fang Sheng decided to come and take a look. However, they found nothing there, and on their way back to Shaolin Temple, I encountered the unconscious Linghu Chong.

Master Fang Sheng stared at Linghu Chong, thought for a moment, took out a porcelain bottle, and said to Xin Guoliang, "Give him one pill."

Yi Guozi recognized the pill at a glance and said, "Uncle-Master, this is a sacred healing medicine of my Shaolin Temple. How can it be given to someone who colludes with unorthodox sects?"

Master Fang Sheng said, "As a Buddhist disciple, you should be compassionate. If you do not cultivate Zen principles, your martial arts will never reach the highest level."

Yi Guozhi's face flushed red, and he dared not say anything more.

Xin Guoliang pried open Linghu Chong's mouth and gave him a pill. Master Fang Sheng said, "I need to perform a ritual for him."

The others responded, and Fang Sheng placed one palm on Linghu Chong's "Baihui" acupoint and the other on his "Lingtai" acupoint, his eyes slightly closed, his eyelids drooping, and his gaze inward.

Yun Changkong and the others knew that he was going to use his internal energy to save Linghu Chong, and couldn't help but think, "This is indeed the demeanor of a high-ranking Buddhist monk."

Although Xin Guoliang and others were stationed at various locations to maintain strict vigilance, they kept glancing at them.

After a long while, Linghu Chong's face contorted in pain, and he was sweating profusely. Suddenly, he cried out, "Junior Sister, Junior Sister!"

He had just regained consciousness, still disoriented, when he opened his arms and tightly embraced the old monk Fang Sheng, crying out, "Junior Sister, Junior Sister, they're all going to kill me, you..."

Yun Changkong and Lan Fenghuang looked at Ren Yingying simultaneously, only to see her furrowed brows and relieved expression. She let out a soft breath, indicating that she had finally put her mind at ease and was not angry.

Yun Changkong exclaimed inwardly, "This is fucking amazing! This actually works?"

In his view, a woman should be furious if she hears her beloved calling another woman in her dream, especially since Ren Yingying has given so much. But this common sense simply doesn't apply to Ren Yingying.

Even Lan Fenghuang found it strange, and she couldn't help but wonder, "Did Linghu Chong put a love potion on the Holy Maiden?"

Strangely enough, Lan Fenghuang actually hoped that Ren Yingying and Linghu Chong would get together, but she really couldn't understand why Ren Yingying was so fond of Linghu Chong.

In her view, Linghu Chong still harbored feelings for Yue Lingshan, and given her pride, she would never accept someone like that, let alone a proud woman like the Holy Maiden. She desperately wanted to ask Ren Yingying what she thought, but knew she couldn't, which frustrated her greatly.

As Yun Changkong's thoughts raced, a gentle breeze blew by, carrying a delicate fragrance to his nose.

He often mingled among women, and his supernatural powers gave him an extremely keen sense of smell. He knew that the fragrance resembled daphne and probably didn't belong to Lan Fenghuang. He immediately stared intently at Ren Yingying's alluring figure and transmitted his voice, "You smell so good. What kind of cosmetics are you using?"

Ren Yingying was thinking to herself, "Does his junior sister dream of killing him? He's really suffering." Suddenly hearing this, she turned around and glared at Yun Changkong, her jade-like face frosty and her expression extremely angry.

This Ren Yingying, filled with resentment and anger, possesses a captivating charm that evokes a different kind of allure compared to Zhao Min, Zhou Zhiruo, and the Purple-Robed Dragon King.

Even though the vast sky and clouds are not entangled in any reverie, one can still feast one's eyes on a beautiful scene.

Seeing that he was neither angry nor upset, but only smiling, Ren Yingying was helpless against him. Suddenly, her expression turned serious, and she solemnly transmitted her voice: "Young Master Yun, although I come from what your prestigious sect calls the Demonic Sect, I am not a person of improper conduct or who does not know how to respect myself."

"If you really consider me a friend, you shouldn't tease me like that!" He gently skimmed off the roof.

She spoke to Yun Changkong in a secret, telepathic manner, so that no third party could hear her. Lan Fenghuang also did not know why Ren Yingying had run away.

Just then, they suddenly heard: "Amitabha!" The voice was clear and ancient, but everyone felt that the voice did not come from their ears, but from their hearts, and they felt a sense of peace in their hearts.

It turned out that Master Fang Sheng was channeling internal energy into Linghu Chong, who was being held by him and dared not resist. Only after the energy channeling was completed did he begin chanting Buddhist prayers.

Ren Yingying and Lan Fenghuang were even more surprised, realizing that the old monk's internal strength was indeed far superior to Ren Yingying's.

Yun Changkong frowned slightly, thinking to himself, "This sudden, sharp rebuke is truly brilliant."

Linghu Chong suddenly changed from his half-dead state to a clear-eyed one, and what he saw was an old monk with a bald head, long white eyebrows that drooped to his cheekbones, and a face full of wrinkles. He hurriedly let go, stood up, bowed, and said, "I am Linghu Chong. May I ask your honorable title, Master?"

The old monk slowly rose, put his palms together, and said, "I am Fang Sheng. These four are all my nephews. This monk's Dharma name is Jueyue, this is my nephew Huang Guobai, this is my nephew Xin Guoliang, and this is my nephew Yi Guozi. You two, Xin and Yi, have met before."

Linghu Chong was greatly surprised: "What a coincidence, I actually ran into a high-ranking monk from the Fang generation of Shaolin?" He glanced at Yi Guozi and Xin Guoliang, and his heart sank: "That was really embarrassing just now."

Upon waking, he discovered that he was not standing before his junior sister, but rather a bald old monk, which initially filled him with embarrassment. However, seeing that Monk Fang Sheng spoke with the air of a virtuous and learned that he was a member of the "Fang" generation of monks and a fellow disciple of Abbot Fang Zheng of Shaolin Temple, he respectfully said, "It is truly an honor for this junior to meet the Buddha!"

Master Fang smiled slightly and said, "Young hero, you are a disciple of the Gentleman Sword, what brings you here? How is your master?"

Linghu Chong's brows furrowed in pain as he slowly said, "Thank you for your inquiry, Master. My master is well."

Although he was expelled from his master's school by Yue Buqun, he felt it was his fault and there was a misunderstanding involved, so he naturally still regarded Yue Buqun as his mentor.

Yi Guozi shouted sternly, "Who killed Brother Tan? What are you doing here!"

Linghu Chong exclaimed in surprise, "Senior Tan is dead?"

Master Fang Sheng slowly said, "He was poisoned by the Five Poisons Sect and also struck by the palm strike of a master from Blackwood Cliff. Does the young hero know who the culprit is?"

Linghu Chong fainted last night and was unaware of the matter, so he said, "I suffered internal injuries and fainted last night. I don't know about the Five Tyrants Ridge, but the Left Alliance Leader of the Songshan Sect is here. You can go and ask him, Master."

The group was stunned. Fang Sheng knew that he was indeed terminally ill, but then he heard Yi Guozi sneer, "How could you say such a thing? Last night you were protecting that witch from the Demonic Sect at every turn, calling her 'old lady' and lying to her. Don't you admit it?"

Linghu Chong smiled slightly and said, "That old lady's nephew is much older than you. Shouldn't I call her 'old lady'?"

As for last night at Wubagang, I was seriously injured. It was Senior Yi who tripped me with a sleeve wind and then tried to strike me with his palm, which caused the misunderstanding.

Linghu Chong was incredibly clever. He claimed that he was seriously injured and shifted all the blame onto Yi Guozi. He figured that Fang Sheng was a senior monk and would not tolerate his four junior disciples making things difficult for him.

Yi Guozi and Xin Guoliang were terrified when they heard this, and broke out in a cold sweat.

The Shaolin Temple has strict rules that do not allow its members to fight each other without cause, especially since Linghu Chong is injured. The two of them are elders, and if things go wrong, they might be stripped of their martial arts skills and punished according to the sect rules when they return.

Yi Guozi's face flushed red and then turned pale with anger. He suddenly shouted sternly, "Linghu Chong, you are supposed to be the eldest disciple of the Huashan Sect. How could you resort to such despicable tricks?"

Linghu Chong slowly said, "Senior Xin witnessed all these events on Wubagang. Since the Venerable Master has personally come, I have already gained a great deal of face. Master, rest assured, although I am seriously injured and it will not be difficult to heal, this matter will not cause any conflict between the Five Mountains Sword Sect and the Shaolin Sect."

This made it seem as if his own serious injury was entirely Yi Guozi's fault. Yun Changkong thought to himself, "Did Linghu Chong learn this scoundrelly attitude from Feng Qingyang or Yue Buqun?"

Master Fang smiled slightly and said, "Young hero's injury was definitely not caused by Junior Nephew Yi."

Yi Guozi said, "My master's eyes are infallible; he can tell at a glance. Do you think you can get away with just spouting nonsense? Where did that woman go?"

Linghu Chong sighed and slowly said, "Our argument started because you were disrespectful to my mother-in-law. If word gets out, it will greatly damage the reputation of the Shaolin Sect."

"Shut up!" Yi Guozi shouted, his face ashen. "Stop pretending to be a good person. Brother Tan died on Wubagang. Do you dare say it wasn't the work of that female demon? As a disciple of the Huashan Sect, are you colluding with evil sects?"

Linghu Chong was already furious after being expelled from the sect by his master. It was his master's wife who told him to go to Shaolin Temple to save his life. She said that if he revealed that he was the successor of the "Dugu Nine Swords", Shaolin Temple might lend a hand out of respect for Feng Qingyang.

Linghu Chong had never cared about life or death, but when he thought of the old woman, he felt both doubt and gratitude, and he couldn't help but worry. That's why he rushed to Wubagang. However, he was too weak and fainted after walking a short distance.

Seeing Yi Guozi's aggressive attitude, he didn't want to say anything more. He bowed to Master Fang Sheng and said, "Master, thank you very much. I'll take my leave now." He then headed towards Wubagang.

Master Fang Sheng asked, "Young hero, you are injured. Where are you going?"

Linghu Chong said, "I said she was an old woman, but they all say she's a young woman. I have to go and find out for sure!"

Master Fang looked at Linghu Chong's retreating figure with a puzzled expression, shook his head, and said, "Young hero, you should know that beauty is often a deadly trap!"

Linghu Chong paused for a moment, glanced back at Master Fang Sheng, and laughed, "Master, Linghu Chong doesn't have such a high level of understanding, haha..." He laughed and left.

Yi Guozi said, "Uncle-Master, he must be looking for that demoness. If we follow him, we'll definitely find her!"

Master Fang Sheng pondered for a moment and said, "That makes sense." The others then followed Linghu Chong.

Yun Changkong and Lan Fenghuang straightened up after seeing them cross the hillside, when they suddenly heard a sigh beside them.

Blue Phoenix called out, "Holy Maiden." She flew down from the roof and saw that a piece of bark had been peeled off the locust tree, revealing snow-white flesh with several lines of small characters carved on it: "We part ways here."

Lan Fenghuang looked into the distance and sighed, "Brother, I really don't understand what's so good about Linghu Chong that makes the Holy Maiden so upset? She seems to have lost her soul. Could it be that she really has some kind of illness?"

Yun Changkong smiled slightly and said, "Actually, I've always been curious about this question, so I've made many guesses, and the only explanation I can come up with is that it's a predestined marriage. You might not believe it, but do you now? The fact that she and Linghu Chong separated last night, yet were still able to meet today, speaks volumes!"

Lan Fenghuang said, "Then let's go take a look."

Yun Changkong shook his head and said, "I'm not going. This joke is not interesting to watch. If I get agitated, I might become like Tian Boguang, which would be bad."

He spoke without thinking, but the listener took it to heart. Lan Fenghuang said, "What? You really want to get together with the Holy Maiden?"

Her beautiful eyes blinked as she gazed intently at the vast sky.

Seeing her charmingly naive demeanor, Yun Changkong felt even more delighted. He couldn't help but gently pinch her nose and asked with a laugh, "Do you like it?"

Lan Fenghuang shook her head, shook off his grip, and frowned, saying, "I don't like it, but I don't like the Holy Maiden either. Linghu Chong is simply inexplicable, muddle-headed, and superficial. I increasingly feel that he is not worthy of the intelligent and elegant Holy Maiden. It would be better if she followed you."

Yun Changkong stared in astonishment and said, "You're so magnanimous?"

Lan Fenghuang shook her head and said, "It's not that I'm being magnanimous, but I'm just telling the truth. The Holy Maiden is very pitiful. She seems to be in a high position and has great power, but in reality, she is not under his control at all. Linghu Chong even calls her 'Junior Sister' in his dreams. Let alone being devoted to the Holy Maiden, he can't even guarantee his own safety."

"The Holy Maiden followed her, and it seems she's truly fulfilling your prophecy of beautiful women having tragic fates! Unlike you, who sees everything in the world as so effortless and under your complete control!"

Yun Changkong smiled slightly and said, "Thank you for thinking so highly of me. There are also things I am powerless to do."

I can also tell you that I've enjoyed interacting with beautiful women since I was a child. As for being with the Holy Maiden, so far, I've had two kinds of feelings: one is that she makes me feel calm and indifferent, as if nothing has moved me.

Another feeling was anger rising within me. I was very indignant about her behavior and words, but it wasn't exactly an outburst, so it probably had nothing to do with love.

Unlike meeting you, I only wanted you, the leader of the Five Poisons Sect, who is covered in poison, to bring me joy. Who else in the world can compare?

His serious demeanor startled Lan Fenghuang, and her heart pounded like a deer's. She said, "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. But the Holy Maiden is a close friend of mine. Now that the Shaolin monks are with Linghu Chong, something might happen. Let's go and see."

Yun Changkong shook his head and said, "Nothing has changed; this is their opportunity!"

"An opportunity?" Lan Fenghuang's eyes lit up. "What do you mean?" With a thought, she quickly added, "That's right, you said the Yi Jin Jing could heal Linghu Chong's injuries."

Yun Changkong smiled slightly: "Yes, if Shaolin Temple were to encounter the Holy Maiden, not only could their marriage be arranged, but their lives could also be saved!"

Lan Fenghuang hesitated for a moment and said, "But the Holy Maiden is a member of the Demonic Sect, and she even killed the Tandi people."

Yun Changkong laughed heartily and said, "The Buddhist sect is open to all who are destined. Linghu Chong is Feng Qingyang's successor, which is one kind of destiny. Secondly, the martial world may seem peaceful, but in reality, there are undercurrents and the atmosphere of various figures vying for supremacy is very intense."

The high monks of Shaolin Temple are not just those who chant Buddhist scriptures and eat vegetarian food; they are well aware that powerful figures are currently stirring up trouble.

As the number one martial arts sect in the world, Shaolin Temple has always been a pillar of the martial arts community. Many dislike them and want to dethrone them. Therefore, joining forces with Ren Yingying at this moment would not be a bad choice. So, even if your good friend kills people from Shaolin Temple, he will be fine!

Lan Fenghuang was completely convinced of him, and immediately said with great enthusiasm, "Yes, if the Holy Maiden could..." At this point, she frowned and said, "But that's not right. I've heard people say that the Yi Jin Jing is the supreme internal skill of Shaolin Temple, and it's rare to see one even once every few hundred years. Even if she were willing to pass it on to Linghu Chong, could he master it?"

Yun Changkong laughed and said, "You're right. The threshold for cultivating Yi Jin Jing is extremely high. It requires breaking through the 'self-image' and 'other-image'. Although many eminent monks in Shaolin Temple have tried to cultivate it, they often come up empty-handed because they find it difficult to reach this state of mind."

Lan Fenghuang said, "Yes, if he can't master it, he'll still die anyway. Wouldn't the Holy Maiden have wasted her time?"

Yun Changkong sighed and said, "That's because you don't understand Linghu Chong, or you've been deceived by his appearance. You've heard so many praises of him as being deeply affectionate, righteous, and heroic, but little do you know that Linghu Chong is a capable person. He has extraordinary talents and exceptional comprehension. He's also a ruthless person."

You saw how he didn't care about his own life, and you saw and heard him tell Yue Lingshan how much he loved her. But when he saw the Holy Maiden, didn't he stare at her intently? Where was Yue Lingshan then?

You can watch it again. Even after he gets together with the Holy Maiden, he can still think about Yue Lingshan. He is helpless against Yue Lingshan, but he finds the Holy Maiden easy to deal with.

He keeps saying that his sect is the most important thing, but he was expelled from the sect and he still lives a good life.

And if he ever decides he doesn't want to live anymore, he can drag his sworn brothers, martial arts masters, and confidantes down with him, claiming that even in a hundred years, we'll all die anyway, so what's the big deal?

Lan Fenghuang was taken aback: "If you say that, isn't this person a heartless, ruthless beast?"

Yun Changkong laughed and said, "If you're going to insult someone, you can say it like this. If you're going to praise someone, you can say that they can take things in stride and let them go. So they won't have any obsessions in their hearts, and you can say they're free from all worries. Then they can naturally cultivate the Yi Jin Jing."

Lan Fenghuang was stunned and murmured, "Now that you say it, I understand why the Holy Maiden said you were heartless and ungrateful. But my thoughts are even more correct now. How can we let the Holy Maiden be bullied like this?"

Yun Changkong smiled and said, "It's a matter of one willing to hit and the other willing to be hit. Although I made a prediction, the Holy Maiden disagrees."

Even if you're friends, talking too much about matters of the heart will only damage your relationship! Just like the Holy Maiden would surely advise you to leave me.”

"Pfft..." Lan Fenghuang chuckled, "You're such a clever little devil, you know everything. But I'm glad you didn't mention your wife in front of me."

But how do you explain the old monk's comment about "a beautiful woman and a skeleton"?

Yun Changkong smiled and said, "Buddhism speaks of 'beauty is but a skeleton,' which is why practitioners need to contemplate and sever desires. This is why they emphasize the illusory nature of beauty and the fleeting nature of youth, so that they can achieve something in their cultivation."

Some people say this because they have suffered emotional trauma and been taken advantage of by women.

Or perhaps they are just incompetent men who have liked many women, but none of them are interested in them. They can only watch their goddesses fall in love with others, which leads to misogyny, yet they think they are detached from reality.

Little did they know that their incompetence was the reason they failed to win the favor of women. As for me, with the will of a demon or Buddha, I can do whatever I want; that's naturally out of the question.

"Hehe..." Lan Fenghuang laughed heartily and said, "Then which category does the old monk belong to?"

Before he could finish speaking, Yun Changkong's gaze sharpened as he looked into the distance. He began to speak, and suddenly a clear, aged voice uttered a Buddhist chant, saying, "This old monk belongs to the first category."

Lan Fenghuang hurriedly looked in the direction of the sound and saw an old monk standing gracefully on a hillside with a smile on his face. (End of this chapter)