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

However, Jia Bu and Shangguan Yun reached out and plugged their ears to stop the sound of the zither, but no matter how hard they plugged their ears, a faint, almost inaudible sound of the flute still penetrated their eardrums.

The sound of the flute was originally high and low, soft and loud, and at this moment, when it was at its lowest, they covered their ears, and the tune went down even lower.

The sound was even lower. But because the pitch was low, each syllable was still clearly audible, making it even more alluring.

Jia Bu Shangguan Yun was captivated by the beautiful music and put his hands down again.

Suddenly, Ren Yingying's zither music entered their ears again, but this time the music was less exciting and more peaceful.

The melodious sounds of the zither and the mournful tones of the flute gradually calmed everyone's excited hearts.

This green bamboo forest seemed to resonate with the sounds of the zither and flute, the great principles of heaven and earth. Everything was still, yet it moved slowly forward, giving one the illusion of being in another world.

Everyone's face was flushed, as if they were drunk on fine wine, or as if they had seen their first love or sweetheart, filled with intoxication.

However, Yun Changkong's flute music suddenly shifted, becoming mournful and moving, while Ren Yingying's zither music, which had been flowing gently, suddenly spread out. It was as if seven or eight people were playing the zither at the same time, the music unrestrained and boundless, seemingly vast and limitless, echoing the flute music, rising and falling in perfect harmony, making everyone's souls drift away.

As Yun Changkong's flute music shifted, it soared into the heavens, howling through the wind and clouds. The crowd, too, followed the flute music, experiencing moments of sorrow, anger, worry, and joy.

The weaker members of the demonic sect suffered what appeared to be an epileptic seizure, foaming at the mouth and convulsing all over their bodies. Some tore at their clothes, scratching their chests raw, enduring unbearable pain.

Jia Bu, Shangguan Yun, Green Bamboo Elder, and others all knew that there were some martial arts masters with profound internal strength who could captivate people's hearts with their voices. Whether it was causing the opponent to lose their mind or to die on the spot, it was all controlled by the person playing the sound.

While calming himself down, Jia Bu thought to himself, "If we let them continue playing, we will surely fall into his trap. We must not just defend and not attack."

He suppressed his racing heart and shouted, "Brother Shangguan, let's go together!" With a sway of his body and a flick of his left hand, a shower of light flew into the sky.

Shangguan Yun understood his thoughts. This kind of sonic attack required a single, uninterrupted burst of energy.

Just like sonic attacks such as the "Lion's Roar," to injure someone from a distance, one must have a strong terrain and be able to exert continuous force.

(Referencing Ren Woxing's stunning of the four friends of Plum Manor and Linghu Chong in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, he roared continuously in the tunnel, his voice echoing back and forth; Xie Xun's Lion's Roar on Wangpan Island in The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, he roared continuously from a high platform; Yang Guo's long roar to subdue the beasts, all involved sustained exertion of power over a long period of time, rather than a single shout that many people believe ended the battle.)
In this process, if a master resists your whistling and attacks you, you will have to be distracted to deal with it, and your true energy will not be able to be fully concentrated, and your skill will be broken.

Therefore, when Xie Xun was surrounded by the Beggar Clan elders and the Three Envoys of Wind and Cloud, he dared not unleash the Lion's Roar. And some people even went so far as to deafen him in order to kill him, because they knew that if you were to attack with your voice while defending against the attack, you would be courting death.

Many masters, when defending against attacks, dare not even speak, fearing that they will be forced to lose their breath, their internal energy will reverse, and they will die a violent death. (Refer to Li Qiushui's battle against Tianshan Tonglao in the Western Xia Imperial Palace and her three crossings of the Shaolin Temple back mountain where she fought against eight masters. They were clearly on their own turf and could have called for help, but why didn't they? It wasn't that they couldn't think of it, but that they dared not divert their strength to shout when facing a siege of masters, otherwise they would die before they could call for help.)

At this moment, Hou Jiabu threw the "Black Blood Divine Needle" at Yun Changkong, not aiming to hit him, but to interrupt his flute playing.

The hundred or so subordinates he brought were all capable members of the Sun Moon Sect, and their martial arts skills were quite good. Even if a few dozen of them escaped the illusion and used crossbows to shoot poison water, even if they all died in this battle, it might still ruin Yun Changkong.

The "Black Blood Divine Needle" is feared by even the most reputable sects, for the needle is as thin as a cow's hair and contains a deadly poison that can kill instantly upon drawing blood. At this moment, hundreds of flying needles formed a dark gleam under the moonlight, shrouding the sky.

Upon seeing the needles approaching, Yun Changkong did not stop playing his flute. He stepped forward with a powerful stride, his body spinning rapidly. With a flick of his sleeves, he created an unparalleled whirlwind, and hundreds of bamboo leaves, like hundreds of arrows, crashed into the rain of needles.

With a hissing sound, the needle-like rain disappeared without a trace amidst the crisscrossing starlight on the bamboo leaves.

Yun Changkong used a leaf to block the needle, and his lips never left the edge of the flute, yet the sound of the flute did not stop at all.

Jia Bu and Shangguan Yun only then noticed the bamboo leaves flying around their heads. Looking up, they saw bamboo leaves falling in a continuous stream, like raindrops gushing from a spring.

Yun Changkong's internal energy surged stronger and stronger, and the sound of his flute rolled around. Even with Jia Bu's decades of internal cultivation, he felt his blood boiling and his heart racing. He couldn't control himself and felt a sense of despair. He knew that killing Yun Changkong was a pipe dream. If he didn't leave now, he wouldn't be able to leave at all. So he turned around and ran away.

Yun Changkong moved like lightning, shooting out and landing on a bamboo pole. With a graceful spin, he blocked Jia Bu's path.

Jia Bu bit his tongue, his mind cleared, and with a flick of his wrists, he flashed forward, covering more than ten feet.

His martial arts skills were extraordinary. As he darted out, black light flashed, and he had already withdrawn a pair of judge's pens, each two feet long, to protect the gate.

However, he was overthinking it. Yun Changkong did not attack, but simply walked slowly towards him, playing a flute tune.

With his right hand, Jia Bu swiftly struck Yun Changkong's wrist with his acupoint-striking brush, while with his left hand, he used the same brush to strike several major acupoints on Yun Changkong's left side. The strikes were sharp, ruthless, and skillful, producing a hissing sound like a steel whip or iron mace, demonstrating the depth of his skill.

Yun Changkong stepped backwards, his movements as fluid as flowing water, retreating more than ten feet.

Jia Bu turned and charged out from the side. Yun Changkong followed closely, blocking his way again. Although Jia Bu was startled, he swung his judge's pen with a whoosh, aiming for the enemy's wrist, and then brushed the enemy's chest with his left pen.

His moves were swift and unpredictable, yet Yun Changkong moved again, seemingly floating more than ten feet away as if someone were pulling him from behind.

Seeing that he didn't make a move and was just playing the flute, Jia Bu felt increasingly uncomfortable. His blood was boiling in his chest, and he felt a sweet taste in his throat. He cursed inwardly, "That kid is ruthless."

Jia Bu knew that Yun Changkong was playing the cat-and-mouse game again. When a cat catches a mouse, it never eats it directly, but plays with it first. At this moment, he had become the mouse.

Actually, he was wrong. Yun Changkong was not trying to play tricks on him, but rather to verify his martial arts skills.

Yun Changkong had always wanted to create a martial art that used sound to attack, so he specifically learned the piece "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer." However, this piece was too profound, and it was a variation of "Guangling San" played by Ji Kang.
This piece, "Guangling San," describes Nie Zheng's assassination attempt on the King of Han. Nie Zheng killed the King of Han and was later killed by warriors. Therefore, it depicts both Nie Zheng's heroic determination to die and the feelings of Nie Zheng's sister.

The two siblings shared a deep bond. After Nie Zheng's death, his sister went to collect his body, ensuring his name would be remembered for generations. This act was filled with a refined and affectionate sentiment.

Moreover, while the main melody of this piece is on the zither, the mournful and low-pitched sound of the xiao (vertical flute) is indispensable, but unfortunately, this is extremely difficult.

In Liu Zhengfeng's words, his skill in playing the xiao (vertical flute) was unparalleled throughout the world. Just like Green Bamboo Elder, who was proficient in both the qin (a seven-stringed zither) and the xiao, he simply couldn't play it.

As Su Dongpo described the xiao (vertical bamboo flute) in his "First Ode to the Red Cliff," it is "like a lament, like a yearning, like weeping, like a complaint; its lingering sound is delicate and continuous; it makes the hidden dragons in the deep valleys dance and the widows on their lonely boats weep." This is because the xiao is connected to one's spirit and energy; it is what the heart is attached to and what one feels deeply. A person without feelings cannot play a good xiao.

Yun Changkong had never been able to play "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" well, so Qu Yang and Liu Zhengfeng told him to find someone to learn from and improve together. In fact, they hoped that he could find a kindred spirit and companion who could inspire him and help him understand the subtleties of the piece, since it was beyond the scope of what Liu Zhengfeng could teach.

Just like Wang Chongyang and Zhang Sanfeng, they taught the Seven Masters of Quanzhen and the Seven Heroes of Wudang, they could teach them moves and techniques, but they didn't have the ability to help people understand and apply what they learned.

That's why Yun Changkong wanted to find Ren Yingying, hoping to have a conversation with her and make further progress on his martial arts path. However, he didn't expect that due to some rumors and misunderstandings, and because he and Ren Yingying clashed as soon as they met, and both of them were proud people, Yun Changkong was unwilling to ask her for help, so he put the matter aside.

Today, he happened to be surrounded by a group of people who even used poison water. Yun Changkong knew that he had to knock down all the water guns of these more than a hundred people at once, so he had to launch a group attack.

Moreover, he couldn't accidentally hurt Ren Yingying, Green Bamboo Elder, and the others, so he played the "Swordsman Song". He knew that Ren Yingying and Green Bamboo Elder must have studied the score and knew the melody, so he could prepare in advance. Besides, the two were not weak, so he could hurt the enemy without hurting his own people.

If you use a technique like "Lion's Roar," it won't distinguish between friend and foe.

Ren Yingying was incredibly intelligent and immediately understood Yun Changkong's intention. She then matched her zither music with Yun Changkong's flute music, which created this great power.

In terms of martial arts, Yun Changkong was far superior to Ren Yingying, but in terms of qin and xiao skills, he couldn't even match Ren Yingying's skill. Therefore, when Ren Yingying played the qin, she deliberately matched it with his xiao.

Yun Changkong's flute playing was grand but lacked subtlety, while Ren Yingying's zither playing was unparalleled. Yun Changkong and Ren Yingying shared the same spirit and resonated with each other.

Ren Yingying's zither skills brought out the wonders of Yun Changkong's flute playing. Yun Changkong's internal strength was far superior to Ren Yingying's. The two were of one mind and spirit, using great strength to control small strength. As a result, the sounds of their zither and flute playing became more and more wonderful, both grand and subtle.

At first, the crowd was able to control themselves, but as the music continued, it rose and fell, and people were moved by joy, anger, sorrow and happiness. At the high points, people's blood rushed and they wished they could laugh out loud. At the low points, it was like weeping and lamenting, and people felt melancholy and resentment.

Everyone was moved by the music, sometimes laughing, sometimes crying, sometimes happy, sometimes angry, unable to control themselves.

This is why Yun Changkong's musical knowledge was not so profound, and his research on using music to harm people was insufficient, which is why masters like Jia Bu still had room to resist.

Even so, although Jia Bu was not controlled like the others, he was still filled with fervor. Knowing that he could not hold on, he shouted loudly when he saw that Shangguan Yun did not join him in attacking, "Shangguan Yun, are you dead?"

Shangguan Yun was not dead, but he had already disappeared when Jia Bu fled.

Jia Bu's eyes darted around, and he saw someone rolling on the ground, but he couldn't find Shangguan Yun. Cold sweat broke out, and he immediately knew that Shangguan Yun had abandoned him. He couldn't help but fall into despair.

Just then, the sound of the zither was like a bullet bouncing and popping like a bean, and the sound of the flute soared into the sky like an eagle striking the heavens, with the momentum of a lone rider breaking through the enemy lines and being invincible.

Jia Bu's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to burst out of his throat. He dropped the judge's pen from his hand, tore at his clothes, and yelled, "Don't beat! Don't beat!" trying to stop his heartbeat. Then the music of the zither and flute changed its tune again, sounding like the soft murmurs of lovers under the moonlit flowers.

This marks the end for Nie Zheng, and also the conclusion of *The Smiling, Proud Wanderer*, signifying that though the hero is dead, his spirit lives on. Flowers bloom and fade, and every year heroes and heroines laugh and roam the world. The spirit of chivalry endures, hence the latter part of the melody becomes vibrant and tender.

Suddenly, Jia Bu shouted, "Kill! Kill! Come at me all at once! What do I, Jia Bu, have to fear!" His face was flushed, and he gesticulated wildly, striking repeatedly with a gust of wind, but none of his palms landed squarely. He broke bamboo and wood as if he had gone mad.

With two sharp "thuds," two disciples of the Demonic Cult had their skulls shattered by Jia Bu's palm strikes. Jia Bu laughed loudly, "I, Jia Bu, am invincible! Kill!" He then struck two more disciples with his palms.

These demonic cult disciples were already in unbearable pain and unable to resist. They were either sitting cross-legged on the ground or rolling on the ground. Who knew that Jia Bu would suddenly appear and disappear, and in an instant, he killed all of the more than one hundred demonic cult disciples.

Gradually, the sound of the zither faded away, then stopped abruptly with two tinkling sounds, and the sound of Yun Changkong's flute also ceased.

When the music ended, Ke Yun Chang Kong's internal energy surged, leaving behind only broken grass and trees, and corpses scattered everywhere.

Jabu was finally free. He felt an indescribable sense of relief and his blood flowed freely. Suddenly, with a "poof," he spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground.

His mind is in turmoil; even if he doesn't die, he'll go mad.

Green Bamboo Elder leaped up, laughing heartily, and said, "What a fine 'Laughing at the World'! If I hadn't read the score and known the direction of the notes, and hadn't foreseen it in advance, I probably would have followed in Jia Bu's footsteps."

It turns out that Green Bamboo Elder was a master of music, and in theory, his sensitivity should be stronger than that of someone who is not musically inclined. Therefore, in the original story, Green Bamboo Elder had warned Master Yi, who was leading the Wang family and the Huashan Sect to find him to authenticate the musical score, not to try to play the piece.

He was able to escape unharmed for two reasons: firstly, he had seen the score with Ren Yingying, and secondly, the piece was not primarily about killing.

"Alas, such a wonderful and exquisite piece of music has been used by you and me as a killing technique."

Ren Yingying was already standing beside Yun Changkong.

Her cheeks flushed, her eyes sparkled, and her expression, though shy, revealed a strange excitement. She was filled with emotion: "I never thought that the two of us would one day join forces against an enemy, and that we could be so harmonious?"

Ren Yingying possessed extraordinary musical skills, yet no one appreciated them. Now, playing a duet with Yun Changkong, she not only expressed her feelings but also utterly defeated Yang Lianting's men. She felt an indescribable joy and sweetness in her heart, but the thought that it was Yun Changkong filled her with sadness.

The entanglement of love and hate has always been a source of distress, a problem that countless philosophers throughout history have been unable to resolve, and Ren Yingying was no exception.

Yun Changkong glanced at Ren Yingying's face and said quietly, "I've finally understood what it means to be ruthless yet compassionate."

Ren Yingying's face was as rosy as the morning sun, full of energy. Upon hearing this, her peach-blossom-like face suddenly turned cold and stern. She said, "Skill is close to the Dao, and it is not wrong for emotions to arise from the heart, but that refers to ordinary people, not me. With my skills in playing the qin and xiao, whether I have emotions or not depends entirely on my personal will. Please don't misunderstand."

Yun Changkong smiled slightly: "I said that skills are passionate but people are heartless, I didn't say that you have feelings for me. What did you think I meant?"

Upon hearing this, Ren Yingying blushed and turned away, saying, "Get lost, I hate the sight of you."

But this time, Yun Changkong did not retort.

Ren Yingying found it strange and turned to steal a glance, only to see Yun Changkong with his eyes closed, seemingly lost in thought.

After a long while, Yun Changkong finally exhaled and said, "Would you like to tour this beautiful landscape with me and discuss how to perfectly integrate this melody into your internal energy to injure people invisibly?"

Yun Changkong was just thinking that this piece of music still has many flaws.

He knew full well that he had encountered opponents far inferior to himself, such as Jia Bu and Shangguan Yun. Moreover, the two were wary of Ren Yingying and dared not harm her unless absolutely necessary. Furthermore, the two were not of one mind, which was why he had annihilated them with a single song.

If it were a group of skilled musicians working together, my piece would be no match for them.

Because others can gang up on you, they won't give you a chance to play at your own pace. Therefore, this piece needs to be improved. We can't let Ren Yingying, a master of music, get away with it.

Ren Yingying replied, "You, Master Yun, are carefree and unconcerned about everything, a carefree person who plays around in the world. I am not like that!"

Yun Changkong's actions are unpredictable. How could she casually agree to travel with him? What kind of talk would that be?
Suddenly, a sweet giggle rang out, followed by a bright, captivating voice that said, "Big brother, I'll keep you company instead."

A group of women walked into the woods, the one in the lead with alluring eyes and a beautiful, colorful dress; she was none other than Lan Fenghuang.

Yun Changkong said, "That's right, let's go!"

He was about to take a step.

Lan Fenghuang's eyes darted around, and she suddenly covered her mouth and laughed, saying, "Don't you dare leave like this, someone might kill me!" She dragged out her words, and then chuckled again.

Ren Yingying was at a loss for words with Yun Chang, but now she had someone to talk to. She glared at him and said angrily, "What's so funny about laughing?"

Lan Fenghuang chuckled and said, "Oh, the Holy Maiden's words are so harsh, they frightened this humble woman."

The Holy Maiden snorted and turned to go inside.

Lan Fenghuang said, "Brother, I saw that you were having a good time talking with her, so I didn't follow."

Yun Changkong nodded and said, "I know, but when you do this, do I mean you're innocent, kind, and understanding, or do you mean you don't care about me at all?"

"Guess!" Lan Fenghuang smiled sweetly: "The Holy Maiden may be tough on the outside, but you have already stirred up her heart. Humph, in fact, she must think she is better than me, but you chose me, and she can't bring herself to do it."

Hearing the competitive edge in her tone, Yun Changkong smiled and said, "Let's not talk about that anymore."

Lan Fenghuang said, "Now you've become mortal enemies with the Sun Moon Sect. What are you going to do?"

Yun Changkong was troubled by this matter, and upon hearing this, he gave a forced laugh and said, "I don't know what to do either."

Lan Fenghuang said, "We should make a decision about this matter as soon as possible. That old Taoist told me to attend the meeting tonight, but I don't know what he meant."

Yun Changkong didn't want to discuss the matter further and changed the subject, saying, "I have my reasons, so you can rest assured. However, I have a problem now, and I'd like you to help me make a decision!"

"What?" Blue Phoenix laughed.

Yun Changkong said, "There is someone now. If I rescue him, I can definitely settle the matter with the Sun Moon Sect. But once he gets out, he will definitely cause trouble in the martial world. What should I do?"

Lan Fenghuang smiled and said, "Brother, who in the martial world can outdo you?"

Yun Changkong smiled and shook his head, saying, "It's different. My 'wildness' is a personal kind of 'wildness,' but some people's 'wildness'..."

Just then, Ren Yingying came out carrying a blue package. She bowed to Yun Changkong and said, "Thank you for saving me. I have other important matters to attend to, so I will take my leave now!" She and Green Bamboo Old Man floated away.

Suddenly, Lan Fenghuang stamped her foot and said, "Big brother, aren't you going to chase after them?"

Yun Changkong glanced at Lan Fenghuang.
Lan Fenghuang said, "Don't overthink it. You've offended the Sun Moon Sect. I can only cheer you on. I can't lead the entire sect to fight to the death. I need to bring my disciples back to Yunnan as soon as possible to avoid getting caught up in the conflict between the Holy Maiden and the Eastern Sect Leader. If you want to settle this matter, you have to rely on the Holy Maiden. After all, no matter how high your martial arts are, you are no match for the entire Sun Moon Sect."

Yun Changkong's heart stirred, thinking, "Yes, this Yang Lianting, that bastard, keeps messing with me every day. If I don't get back at him, how can I swallow this insult? But this kid is hiding on Blackwood Cliff, and I can't do anything to him by myself. But am I really helpless?" He nodded and said, "You're right. You really have to take your men back to the Miao village. If anything happens to them because of me, I'll feel bad! Let's go!"

Suddenly a voice came from the woods: "Young Master Yun, would you mind trotting your hands for a moment?"

Upon recognizing the visitor as Daoist Chongxu, Yun Changkong said, "You two have come from afar, and I should obey your orders. However, I have other important matters to attend to, so please forgive my disobedience. I will seek your guidance again next time."

He pulled Lan Fenghuang along, and they swayed away, disappearing from sight in an instant.

A voice from the bamboo grove said, “Master, that piece of music just now was so versatile, sometimes short, sometimes long, sometimes strong, sometimes gentle, with all its variations. It was truly remarkable. But when it came to defeating the enemy, I felt that the woman was calm and composed, without any murderous intent. It was as if Yun Changkong was in charge. What do you think?”

One of them sighed, "What you say, brother, is exactly what I thought. As for the skills of the qin and xiao, their harmony is already a masterpiece." He then sighed again, seemingly with regret, "It's a pity Yun Changkong killed... Alas, perhaps that's why he didn't want to stop Zuo Lengchan. Let's go." (End of Chapter)