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

The crowd heard the powerful and majestic voice, which seemed to shake the entire restaurant, and knew that it was a deliberate display of internal strength.

Yun Changkong looked at Daoist Chongxu and saw him nod and smile, his eyes full of encouragement.

Yun Changkong thought to himself, "This old Taoist is of high status. He doesn't come to the Three Treasures Hall without a reason. He's testing my martial arts skills, probably hoping that I will fight Zuo Lengchan so that I can subdue him and achieve my own goals."

"What a pity, as you can see, I can't even beat you. I suppose you'd be too embarrassed to give me more responsibility. I wonder how Zuo Lengchan will try to smooth things over!"

Yun Changkong knew that Fang Zheng and Chongxu had tricked Linghu Chong into dealing with Zuo Lengchan at the Five Mountains Assembly by using the righteousness of the martial arts world as a pretext. Little did he know that Zuo Lengchan had already come up with a plan to deal with Linghu Chong: "My swordsmanship is not as good as yours, so I will deal with you with my fists and palms."

At that time, Linghu Chong's "Breaking Palm Style" and "Breaking Qi Style" were far from perfect, and his fist and foot skills were even worse. Therefore, he only asked to fight with his sword. This made Zuo Lengchan hesitate. However, once it really came down to a life-or-death situation, Zuo Lengchan would definitely use his fist and palm techniques. It was very likely that Linghu Chong would die under the Cold Ice True Qi.

At most, Zuo Lengchan would say, "I'm furious. I broke my promise and I'm too ashamed to join forces with the sect. What else can I do?"
At that time, apart from a few women who were infatuated with Linghu Chong, who would care that the great hero Linghu Chong lay dead on Fengchan Terrace?

Moreover, Yun Changkong hates it when people ask him to do things in the name of some grand cause. Besides, he and Zuo Lengchan have already privately agreed to postpone the martial arts competition.

Unfortunately, Yun Changkong had already spoken, and heroes from all over the world were in an uproar. Zuo Lengchan, as the leader of the Five Mountains Alliance, had three junior brothers whose lives were at stake. If he did not accept the challenge, how would he face the martial arts world in the future? This was something that made him very hesitant.

Yun Changkong was not only exceptionally intelligent and deeply understood human nature, but also possessed the advantage of foresight, thus seeing everything clearly. He did not want to be used as a tool by Chongxu, but he also wanted to see how Zuo Lengchan would handle this thorny matter, so he immediately said, "Please come in!"

As for the heroes, they all thought that Zuo Lengchan must have sent his junior brother to issue a challenge, so that he could give a strong counterattack on Yun Changkong's matter of hanging the gate and issuing the edict.

Therefore, everyone's eyes were fixed on the stairwell.

Master Chongxu, Chenggao, and Qingxu all walked to the side. Chongxu sat down, and his two disciples stood on either side of him, effectively blocking half of Chongxu's body.

As the crowd speculated, a yellow figure drifted past the stairwell, and a tall, bearded old man strode in. His temples bulged, indicating that he possessed extremely high levels of both internal and external martial arts skills. Some in the crowd recognized him as Tang Ying'e, the Fifth Protector of the Songshan Sect, also known as the Iron Palm with the Bearded Beard. He was also the Vice Sect Leader of the Songshan Sect, and usually handled sect affairs on behalf of Zuo Lengchan.

Tang Ying'e clasped his hands in greeting to Yun Changkong and said, "Greetings, Hero Yun, and greetings to all the heroes." The assembled heroes all rose to return the greeting.

Yun Changkong chuckled inwardly, thinking, "This old fellow is putting on airs as soon as he walks in." He clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "Let me say it again, I dare not accept the title of 'great hero.' Brother Tang, what advice do you have for me?"

Tang Ying'e said loudly, "I have come here to deliver a handwritten letter from Senior Brother Zuo to Brother Yun."

Yun Changkong smiled.

Tang Ying'e took out a letter from his pocket, and with a wave of his hand, the letter was blown by the wind from his palm and floated to Yun Changkong's front, hovering in mid-air.

Everyone was startled; Tang Ying'e, known as the Iron Palm, indeed possessed extraordinary palm power.

Yun Changkong, however, did not take it to heart. He blew a breath, and the letter instantly shot towards Tang Ying'e. He said, "Please read it aloud, Your Excellency."

Tang Ying'e had no choice but to accept it, his expression uncertain, clearly indicating that he had a great dilemma he could not decide.

Yun Changkong, with his keen insight, naturally guessed everything correctly.

Zuo Lengchan made peace with Yun Changkong because he had no chance of winning. If he were to be defeated by a younger generation, it would be a disgrace to the martial arts world. How could he then have the face to unite the Five Mountains Alliance?

Even if he defeated Yun Changkong, there would be no real benefit, nor would it mean he could kill Yun Changkong. He really didn't want to provoke such a powerful enemy who had no sect and no family. That's why he made a pact with Yun Changkong.

With heroes from all over the land in turmoil, he naturally needed a plausible excuse to end the war. So he wrote a letter, hoping that Yun Changkong would readily back down after reading it, thus saving face for himself. However, to his surprise, Yun Changkong didn't even accept the letter and instead had Tang Ying'e read it aloud.

Just as Tang Ying'e was caught in a dilemma, a voice as loud as thunder shouted, "Hey Tang, is this letter poisoned? So you want Yun Changkong to read it himself?"

Tang Ying'e turned his head and saw a fat monk. He thought to himself, "This monk's inner strength is quite profound. Who is he?" He said, "Who is the master? How can you utter such foul language? Aren't you afraid of going to the hell of having your tongue pulled out?"

The monk Bujie laughed loudly and said, "What kind of background does the monk Bujie have that he doesn't accept into big temples or small temples? Everyone is here to watch Zuo Lengchan and Yun Changkong's duel. Why don't you read what letter he wrote so that everyone can hear it and boost their morale?"

In the martial arts world, regardless of skill level, everyone values ​​reputation highly. Tang Ying'e interpreted Monk Bujie's words as a deliberate disrespect for the Songshan Sect, and was naturally furious. However, seeing Monk Bujie's nonchalant manner, Tang Ying'e realized that he would not dare to be so bold unless he was confident in his martial arts skills. As the saying goes, "A true master does not reveal his abilities," so Tang Ying'e assumed he must be an extremely powerful figure. That's why he inquired about Monk Bujie's background.

However, everyone was already used to it. If a big monk could say something like this, dragging his nun daughter along to find a son-in-law, what was wrong with him saying such absurd things?
Yun Changkong, not wanting to listen to the monk Bujie's nonsense, said, "Brother Tang, is there really some unspeakable difficulty you have?"

Tang Ying'e was now in a dilemma, so he could only grit his teeth, tear open the envelope, and read: "Brother Yun, please accept my humble opinion: Since the founding of the martial arts world, it has been divided into the righteous and the evil, which are irreconcilable and have caused great damage to the vitality of our martial arts world through bloody battles."

Since its founding by our patriarch, our sect has been renowned and has stood against the Demonic Sect for hundreds of years without falling. Although I am not talented, I have heard of the ancient righteous men who were "unyielding to force." However, what you said is not without reason. Moreover, you are exceptionally talented and a rare genius in the martial arts world.

Now, I have a thought: evil and heretical sects are frequently appearing in Luyu. The Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect and Linghu Chong, a former disciple of the Huashan Sect, are having an affair and colluding with each other. They are harming Shaolin and Kunlun disciples on Wubagang. The Huashan Sect Leader Yue has put righteousness into killing his own family. Our Five Mountains Sword Sect should follow suit.

As the leader of the Five Mountains Sword Alliance, Leng Chan is a role model for the martial arts world. He should uphold justice and not do things that please his enemies or hurt his own. He will not tolerate treacherous villains who betray their masters and ancestors and forget righteousness for lust. However, the scoundrel Linghu has disappeared without a trace. Fortunately, the Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect has fled to Luoyang. I invite you to compete with her in chasing him.

Those who gain will triumph and enjoy the respect of the righteous path in the martial arts world; those who lose, though defeated, will not be ridiculed by the martial arts world for their contributions.
Leng Chan, for the sake of justice in the martial arts world, for the sake of our reputations, and for the sake of the lives of countless fellow martial artists, naturally expects that you, being a man of great righteousness, will not refuse such a benevolent act for the benefit of the martial arts world.

Respectfully submitted by Zuo Lengchan of Mount Song!

After Tang Ying'e finished reading the letter, the assembled heroes fell silent.

Yun Changkong's eyes also flickered, thinking: "What a Zuo Lengchan, he really knows how to play politics, he can do things like this."
He used the long-standing conflict between good and evil to cover up the fact that personal struggles are not a blessing for the martial arts world, and then transformed it into a joint effort to deal with the evil cult and benefit the martial arts world.

If I disagree, I'll be labeled as someone who doesn't understand the bigger picture, or someone who's siding with the evil cult.

If I want to beat him, I have to agree to mess with Linghu Chong. Actually, there are no consequences. I can crush him with a flick of my wrist. But if I mess with the Holy Maiden, wouldn't that be stirring up a hornet's nest?

Those puppets who took the Three Corpse Brain God Pill will either go mad or die; how could they possibly let me get away with this?
"Well, even if I do nothing, Zuo Lengchan can simply say he's off to deal with the Demonic Sect and traitors—a matter of great importance to the martial world—so naturally he has no time to fight me. No one can say anything against him. He has to save face too. Brilliant, truly brilliant. How can this old fellow, a martial artist, be so cunning!"

The crowd was somewhat stunned. The reason why Yun Changkong's hanging edict on the gate caused such a sensation in the martial arts world was because the two sides in this challenge were extremely unusual.

One is the renowned leader of the Five Mountains Alliance, whose fame has been long established; the other is a rising star who has just entered the martial arts world and whose reputation is already formidable.

Most people originally thought that Yun Changkong and Zuo Lengchan were a good match, and that Yun Changkong had a great chance of winning. They thought it would be interesting to see the leader of the Five Mountains Alliance suffer a disgrace.

However, in the battle just now, Yun Changkong failed to defeat even an old man from the Wudang Sect. As Zuo Lengchan, who was known as one of the three great masters of the righteous path along with Master Fangzheng and Daoist Chongxu, he did not have much hope for the outcome.

Unexpectedly, Zuo Lengchan wrote such a letter.

Although his words were neither humble nor arrogant, Yun Changkong was, after all, someone who had killed three of Zuo Lengchan's junior brothers, so this was somewhat of a sign of him bowing his head! Why did he have to go to such lengths?

However, some people on the field naturally understood the deeper meaning behind Zuo Lengchan's actions. With his great reputation, he was unwilling to suffer any setbacks. Moreover, he wanted to unify the Five Mountains and stand on equal footing with Shaolin and Wudang, so he naturally acted with extra caution.

For example, Master Chongxu knew Zuo Lengchan's ambitions. Once he unified the Five Mountains, he would become the third largest sect in the world. Although he could not directly threaten the position of Shaolin Temple, Wudang, as the second largest sect, would be the first to be affected. Therefore, he wanted to meet with Yun Changkong to see how deep his martial arts skills were, and then persuade him of the greater good, so that he could use Yun Changkong to defeat Zuo Lengchan and make him lose face in the martial arts world.

Chongxu Daoist was not one of those ignorant people who thought Yun Changkong was his equal. He knew that masters in the world often did not want to reveal their true strength. Although he used the Taiji Sword, he was unable to force Yun Changkong to reveal his true abilities.

This is actually the most common "true masters don't reveal their skills," which is why even with his and Master Fangzheng's high level of martial arts and great reputation, they were helpless against Zuo Lengchan.

Because, who can be sure that Zuo Lengchan was only proficient in the Songshan School's teachings, or that he had other secret skills that he kept hidden from others?

As the leaders of their respective sects, they bear the honor and disgrace of their sects. Victory or defeat does not only represent their personal interests, so they naturally dare not act rashly. If they were to engage in a martial arts contest, it would be conducted in private, such as the case of Ren Woxing and Zuo Lengchan.

They would never make such a big show of it as Yun Changkong, as if they wanted the world to know. Chongxu and the others, like Zuo Lengchan, were all afraid that a single misstep would damage the reputation of their sect.

Even today, Chongxu appears as a decrepit old man, and no one would associate him with the Wudang Sect Leader Chongxu. Moreover, he knows when to stop and has not been defeated in front of others. If he becomes known to the public in the future, it will not damage the reputation of Wudang.

Although there were so many people on the field, very few had actually seen Daoist Chongxu. After all, the face of the Wudang Sect Leader was not something anyone could just casually meet. Many martial arts practitioners would spend their entire lives trying to see him but never succeeded. Those who knew him naturally understood that he had ulterior motives and dared not show off their knowledge or reveal his identity.

Unfortunately, Yun Changkong was harassed for several years in the world of Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber because of his superior martial arts skills.

This time, he has never used his full strength since his debut. He wants everyone to think that his martial arts skills are about the same as theirs, which is the safest way.

After all, he knew that the people of the Songshan Sect and the Demonic Sect were ruthless and vicious, more so than poisonous snakes and ferocious beasts. If he acted too aloof, it would inevitably arouse their suspicion.

Back then, no one would fight you one-on-one; they would swarm you, attacking with poison and poisonous water. Those days would be filled with endless turmoil.

Therefore, when he fought with Zuo Lengchan and Chongxu, he always stopped at the right time, only revealing his strength to make them wary, and never letting them think that he alone could deal with the strength of three or five of them, thus causing them to panic.

Otherwise, they wouldn't care about saving face; they'd only think that the world absolutely cannot allow such a powerful person to exist, and they'd use any despicable means possible. Take Dongfang Bubai as an example: everyone besieged him, so they resorted to underhanded tactics like taking hostages to distract him. Linghu Chong, Ren Woxing, Xiang Wentian, and Ren Yingying were all arrogant, yet they not only didn't feel ashamed, but they also felt it was perfectly justified.

If a martial artist gives off this strong feeling, then they are not far from death.

Because no matter how high one's martial arts skills are, one is still human. It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. Since one feels that victory cannot be achieved through fair play, then one can only deal with a person by any means necessary, and no one can escape this fate. Zhang Sanfeng is a prime example.

If it weren't for Zhang Wuji and the Ming Cult coming to the rescue, the legend of his dominance in the martial arts world for sixty years would have been ended long ago by a few nameless individuals.

Seeing that Yun Changkong remained silent for a long time, Tang Ying'e, unsure of his thoughts, asked, "Brother Yun, what is your opinion?"

Yun Changkong laughed and said, "Sect Leader Zuo, these are truly your heartfelt words. Alright, Linghu Chong's rebellion and the Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect are matters between your righteous and evil sects, so I won't comment. But Alliance Leader Zuo is renowned throughout the land; saying this makes it seem like you're afraid of me, doesn't it?"

Tang Ying'e's face flushed red and then turned pale as he said, "In the martial arts world, everyone says that you are a rising star among martial arts masters, with unfathomable skills. Apart from some of the older generation, you are the most outstanding."

"Now that the Demonic Cult is rampant, Linghu Chong, originally a fine young hero, has been bewitched by a demonic woman, betraying his sect and harming disciples of Shaolin and Kunlun. The Buddhist disciples of Shaolin Temple have always been compassionate; they could easily let the death of a disciple go unpunished. But for us to reignite the conflict would be a misfortune for the righteous path of the martial world!"

Yun Changkong thought to himself, "He's putting Shaolin Temple in a bind again. Zuo Lengchan never stops. I like it."

Monk Bujie rolled his eyes and his steel beard bristled as he angrily said, "According to you, Zuo Lengchan is a good person, a very good person, a good person who brings benefits to the martial arts world. Last time he went to Hengshan City to deal with Liu Zhengfeng's family, it was also for the benefit of the martial arts world."
Tang Ying'e thought to himself, "Could this monk be from Shaolin Temple?" He smiled slightly and said, "Master, why are you so angry? Didn't I just say that your sect's disciple was killed? Can't we just show some Buddhist compassion?"

As for Liu Zhengfeng's matter, my senior brother Zuo also said it was a misunderstanding. It's just that no one understood his good intentions, which led to a bloody incident.

This involves several senior brothers from our sect, as well as Liu Zhengfeng's faults.

His original intention was to hope that Liu Zhengfeng would turn back from the brink, but his senior brothers Ding, Lu, and Fei deeply hated the Demonic Sect and did not consider that Liu Zhengfeng had not done anything wrong and only wanted to live in seclusion. This is why the chivalrous spirit of Master Yun was moved. In fact, this is a great loss to our martial arts world!
But this time Linghu Chong was different. The Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect was causing trouble in the martial world, all for his sake. Linghu Chong even assassinated Shaolin disciples and confronted his senior brother Yue because of this witch.

The whole of Henan is talking about how Linghu Chong and the Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect are having a passionate affair and their wedding is just around the corner. Hmph, is it for the Huashan Sect to find a wife or for the Demonic Sect to make a bet on finding a son-in-law?

Senior Brother Yue, having reached his limit, expelled him from the sect and even wrote letters to various sects. Please take a look.

As he spoke, he pulled out another letter.

Monk Bujie reached out and took it. Before she could even look at it, Yilin immediately took it. Upon seeing it, her eyebrows and eyes instantly turned red, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Tang Ying'e smiled and said, "This must be a junior disciple of the Hengshan Sect. I suppose your Hengshan Sect's Abbess Dingxian has also received this letter."

He immediately said, "I will read the letter to you all."

Yue Buqun, the head of the Huashan Sect, bows deeply and presents this letter to the head of the Songshan Sect: I, Yue Buqun, have unworthyly assumed the position of head of the Huashan Sect. Recently, my sect's rebellious disciple, Linghu Chong, has been found to be unruly and repeatedly violated sect rules. He has also recently associated with wicked and unorthodox individuals. Despite my incompetence and attempts to discipline and punish him severely, there has been no significant improvement. To uphold the integrity of the martial arts world and the reputation of the righteous sects, I hereby expel the rebellious disciple Linghu Chong from our sect.

From this day forward, this traitor is no longer a disciple of our sect. If he again colludes with wicked people or wreaks havoc on the martial world, we implore all righteous friends to join us in punishing him. I am filled with shame and trepidation as I write this. My words have failed to express my true feelings; I hope you will forgive me.

The monk Bujie burst into laughter.

Tang Ying'e frowned slightly and asked, "Why is the master laughing?"

The monk Bujie said, "That's good. Linghu Chong has been expelled from the Huashan Sect and is no longer with that girl. Let him go to the Hengshan Sect."

"Lin'er, you can be his little sister now, and later he can be his wife. You don't need to be so sad anymore, and I can rest assured!"

The crowd burst into laughter, and Tang Ying'e was also taken aback.

He thought this was a highly respected monk from Shaolin Temple, but he turned out to be a madman! All his previous sarcastic remarks about Shaolin Temple were for nothing.

Monk Bujie then said to Yun Changkong, "Yun Changkong, don't worry, that Linghu Chong is a stubborn brat, he probably won't join the Hengshan Sect. I still think you're the best..."

Yilin, however, was not worried about Linghu Chong at all. Taking advantage of her father's inattention, she turned and ran away.

The monk Bujie shouted, "Lin'er, wait for me!"

Everyone was both amused and exasperated; where did this mad monk come from?

After the two left, Tang Ying'e also said, "I'll take my leave now."

Yun Changkong said casually, "Alright, then please tell Alliance Leader Zuo that his martial arts are unfathomable, not to mention his unparalleled resourcefulness. Why should I needlessly make such a sworn enemy? Just don't do anything that makes people think that what I said today was just to save face, that would not be good."

Tang Ying'e looked ashamed and said, "Farewell!" He turned and left.

After he left, the old Taoist suddenly burst into laughter. While everyone was still wondering what was going on, he stood up and said to Yun Changkong, "The Yangtze River's back waves push the front waves, and heroes emerge from among the young. Only today do I realize that there are heavens beyond heavens and people beyond people. Who is your esteemed master? Tell me, so that I may be utterly defeated!"

Yun Changkong laughed and said, "We are evenly matched, how can you say that? I cannot beat you."

Seeing that Tang Ying'e and Zuo Lengchan were showering him with flattery, and that Yun Changkong had actually agreed to such an obvious delaying tactic, it was clear to Master Chongxu, with his keen insight, that he simply loved flattery and had condescended to this extent.

Unexpectedly, Yun Changkong completely ignored the challenge and refused to accept the favor.

Yun Changkong had long since passed the age of competing for fame and fortune. He had no interest in even defeating Zhang Sanfeng, so what difference would it make if he defeated Chongxu, the leader of Wudang?
If he hadn't never seen Tai Chi swordplay before, he might not even have been interested in fighting. Now that you, Chongxu, have said you've lost, I'll say it's a draw. That way, Dongfang Bubai, Zuo Lengchan, and Yue Buqun won't harbor any malicious intent towards someone as selfless as me.

Master Chongxu then said, "May I have a word with you in private?"

Yun Changkong shook his head and said, "The wine is cold, the food is cold, and eating it will give me diarrhea. The Wudang Sect is a place for cultivating immortality. You can endure hunger, but I can't. Let's eat first and talk about it later." With that, he walked into the table.

Yun Changkong had only wanted to talk to him earlier to escape the madman, Monk Bujie, but now that Monk Bujie was gone, there was no need to talk anymore.

Master Chongxu was stunned.

The Taoist Qingxu beside him had a gleam in his eyes and said, "Don't be so arrogant, sir. The old master spoke to you personally, which is quite a show of respect..."

Before he could finish speaking, Daoist Chongxu waved his sleeve, stopping him, and said, "Indeed, there is no such thing as a person with a great reputation. I am convinced today." As he spoke, he clasped his hands together, bowed, and turned to walk straight towards the stairwell.

Seeing that he was being disrespectful to Yun Changkong, Yun Changkong was not ashamed or angry. He was indeed extraordinary and had the demeanor of a grandmaster. Yun Changkong felt a sense of respect for him and said, "Daoist, I am not ignorant. I know that you have a great background. Ordinary people would never be able to see your face in their entire lives. Even if you went to the imperial palace, you would be an honored guest."

But I understand your thoughts perfectly, while you know nothing of mine. Therefore, I welcome our martial arts exchange, but if you have any other intentions, I cannot help you!

Upon hearing this, the old Taoist priest's expression changed, and the assembled heroes were all astonished. Ordinary people rarely see such a person in their entire lives, and even the imperial palace is a place of honor. Who is it?

Besides the sect leader, Master Chongxu, who else in the Wudang Sect could have this honor?
But they really couldn't believe that this old man, who looked like a beggar, was the leader of the Wudang Sect.

After pondering for a moment, Daoist Chongxu turned to Yun Changkong and said, "I did come here for your challenge against Alliance Leader Zuo. Now, you may do as you see fit."

Qingxu sneered, "Hmph, this is clearly a diversionary tactic, so clumsy that it can't even fool a three-year-old."

Cheng Gao interjected, "These words are clearly a delaying tactic. You actually believed them so easily; you've fallen into their trap!"

Upon hearing this, Yun Changkong smiled and said, "I have a different opinion."

Chongxu raised his eyebrows and said, "Tell me about it."

Yun Changkong said, "Given the prestige of the Left Alliance Leader, he must have the intention to ease the situation. However, this delaying tactic suits my purposes perfectly. As for who will fall for it, only heaven knows."

Yun Changkong considers himself a scumbag, not some righteous and benevolent person overflowing with a sense of justice. Naturally, he hopes the martial arts world will be a bit more lively. As long as no one provokes him, he's happy to watch the show.

Chongxu Daoist's expression hardened as he said, "But he used the matter of Linghu Chong and the Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect to argue with you about who won. How do you interpret that?"

Yun Changkong was slightly taken aback, and asked in confusion, "What does this have to do with me? If he wants to kill Linghu Chong and that Holy Maiden, let him go!"

He thought to himself, "That old bastard Zuo Lengchan is just looking for an excuse to avoid war, just like Yue Buqun led his disciples away from Mount Hua. This is called using a pretext to avoid disaster."

Chongxu Daoist gave him a deep look, shook his head and said, "Your cleverness has backfired!" With that, he went downstairs and left.

Suddenly, a commotion arose outside, surprising everyone. (End of Chapter)