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

Yun Changkong gazed at Ren Yingying's fair, delicate face with its dimples, and couldn't help but feel utterly captivated.

In truth, he knew that the reason he came to Plum Manor was simply to prevent this woman, who was as beautiful as an angel, from dying a violent death.

In the original storyline, she found her life partner in Green Bamboo Lane and was not controlled by the "Three Corpse Brain God Pill." Her father was also rescued by her lover and escaped.

However, his arrival created a butterfly effect that was beyond his expectations, so he wanted to salvage the situation as much as possible.

Therefore, it is essential to ensure that Ren Woxing escapes alive. As for whether he can fight Dongfang Bubai, while that is certainly what he desires, it is not entirely indispensable.

Now that Ren Woxing and his daughter both feel that he harbors ulterior motives, he cannot prove it, nor does he want to explain it.

All that remained was a long silence.

A gentle night breeze blew, yet the silence was so profound that only the clearly audible heartbeats of the two remained.

Seeing that Yun Changkong remained silent for a long time, Ren Yingying's lips trembled for a while before she finally spoke in a very low voice, "Do you really have to do that to be willing to open your heart to me?"

Yun Changkong asked, "What?"

Upon hearing this, Ren Yingying felt a surge of anger, but she also glared at him reproachfully and said softly, "I'm just asking you, if I didn't... that, would you still keep it from me?"

Yun Changkong paused slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He understood Ren Yingying's meaning: having a relationship with her was important, but not that important, given Yun Changkong's lofty state of mind—able to endure loneliness and await prosperity. Now, Ren Yingying's words made it seem as if he was blackmailing her.

“Miss Ren?” Yun Changkong sighed. “I don’t necessarily want to consummate our marriage. The issues you discussed with me are extremely risky secrets for me. I would never reveal a word to you unless I was certain that you were of one mind with me. Of course, I understand you, and I know what kind of person I am…”

Ren Yingying's cheeks flushed red, her brows trembled, and she said softly, "Who am I, and who are you?"

Yun Changkong glanced at her, knowing that she had some expectations in her heart, and said, "You come from an extraordinary background and are aloof and cold, so you naturally dislike encountering a lecherous person like me."

However, firstly, my martial arts skills are decent enough that you can't do anything to me, and secondly, no one has ever said anything like this to you before, so you can't help but feel a sense of curiosity.

But I'm a laid-back person, content with whatever comes my way, especially when I see a beautiful woman. Regardless of whether there's a future, I like to flirt with her a bit. In my eyes, it's harmless. But in this day and age, perhaps that's considered promiscuity…”

Ren Yingying chuckled and said, "At least you have some self-awareness."

Yun Changkong smiled and said, "You smiled, that's good."

To be honest, my feelings for you are nothing more than lust for your stunning beauty, and your shy nature has given me a touch of wickedness.

To be more precise, I know you're shy and afraid of what others might say about who you like, but I just want to hear who you say you like!
This person is Linghu Chong; I treat it as a joke, just for fun. If this person were me, I would feel immense pressure, which is not my true self.

Ren Yingying pouted and said angrily, "Do you think you're so great? Humph, do you think I can't get married and have to choose between you and Linghu Chong?"

Seeing that she was still charming and beautiful even in her anger, Yun Changkong thought, "She truly loves me and is happy with me, which is good. It's just a pity that even if our love is unwavering, we may still end up like Minmin and the others. I'm heartless, yet I've caused so much suffering to several good women. Why should I seek momentary pleasure and hurt her even more?"

He then said, “Miss Ren, I know you seem aloof, but once you fall in love, you will not care about life or death.”

I'm the kind of person who doesn't value anything, whether it's family or love.

Simply put, I take things as they come; gains and losses don't change much for me.

Ren Yingying had been pampered and arrogant since childhood. The people of the Sun Moon Sect treated her like a goddess, showing her both reverence and fear. However, she had never met someone as understanding and considerate as Yun Changkong. Therefore, many of Yun Changkong's actions should have been something she disliked, but unexpectedly, she couldn't bring herself to hate him. In fact, she felt sad and resentful because of Yun Changkong's tendency to leave her at the drop of a hat, and unknowingly, a thread of affection began to bind her to him.

Now, hearing him talk about gains and losses, saying they hadn't changed him at all, he became even more angry and said, "Gains and losses are a matter of fate. Does losing your wife mean nothing to you? Don't you care about your reputation, or the distinction between good and evil? If not, why did you refuse when my father wanted you to join the cult? Can you explain yourself more clearly? Can you explain yourself clearly?"

"Why wouldn't I dare?" Yun Changkong laughed. "And why wouldn't I? When you talk about wives, how should I put it? Take Linghu Chong as an example. He gave up on himself because of Yue Lingshan's change of heart. You think he is very affectionate and loyal, which is rare in the world. You admire him very much."

So, if it were me, this situation would never happen to me. It's not that I'm so confident that the person I love will never change their mind or stay with me. It's just that even if she leaves, I won't care about the outcome. Of course, you can say I don't care about them, that I don't love them enough, or you can interpret it as heartless and ungrateful. It doesn't matter; in this respect, I don't care what others think of me.

Yun Changkong paused and said, "As for the reputation between the righteous and the demonic, I do care about it, but this concern is not about the reputation of the righteous and the demonic, but rather that my conscience does not allow me to do certain things."

For example, many members of your demonic sect are capable of achieving their goals by harming young girls and abusing women, so I disdain associating with them.

Ren Yingying said, "It was a slip of the tongue to say that you are heartless and ungrateful. Shaolin and Wudang are the leaders of the righteous path. They also tried to befriend you, but you turned them away. Why is that?"

Yun Changkong said, "Firstly, I don't like being bound by organizations, and secondly, these people all call themselves chivalrous."

Haha, what is a knight-errant?
Many of them simply do not understand that chivalry lies not in the level of martial arts skills, but in the depth of virtue; the realm of chivalry lies not in the prominence of fame, but in the reality of helping the world.

It means being able to use one's own strength as an ordinary person to relieve the suffering of the people, continue the legacy of chivalry, and promote the glory of morality.

In this way, the chivalrous spirit can shine as brightly as the sun and moon; their chivalrous character can serve as a model for future generations!

But now?

Where is there a knight-errant?

They all used the name of chivalry to pursue fame and fortune. When Liu Zhengfeng became acquainted with Qu Yang, the Songshan Sect threatened him with his entire family. More than two thousand so-called righteous martial arts heroes went, but only Master Dingyi stood up for Liu Zhengfeng.

They all judge by birth, as if the so-called chivalrous path has no bad people, while the demonic sect is full of villains. Ha! With such a chivalrous path, who is worthy of my service, Yun Changkong?

Ren Yingying sighed softly and said, "It's rare to find someone as open-minded and reasonable as you. Of course, only you would dare to say such a thing."

Perhaps, as you said, all conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows, and you haven't taken anything seriously.

“That’s right!” Yun Changkong nodded and said, “Bodhidharma’s ‘Four Practices for Entering the Path’ says, ‘There is no self in one’s own body, and one’s joys and sorrows are all predestined.’ Even if one gains honors and other such things, it is due to past causes that one has obtained them. When the conditions are exhausted, they will all be gone. What is there to be happy about? One should accept gains and losses as they come, and one’s mind should not increase or decrease.”

These myriad forms of life, with their cries and laughter, endless and boundless, are all ultimately nothingness, or rather, nothingness at all.

But this is something that ordinary people cannot understand.

Even someone like your father, a self-proclaimed tyrant with extraordinary abilities, was blinded by the ways of the martial world and its intricacies, which is why he became "once bitten, twice shy." He never considered that once he reached that position, he would forever be an object of covetousness.

Since everyone has desires, why have emperors throughout history not lived long? Is it really because they were drained of their bodies by women? No, the vast majority of them were under too much psychological pressure and dared not trust anyone.

Just like practicing harmful and self-destructive divine skills such as the "Star Absorbing Technique" and the "Sunflower Manual," the core is to enable practitioners to quickly obtain true qi and internal energy. People's temperament will change drastically, and they will become more and more utilitarian.

Interacting with others often involves calculating interests and weighing gains and losses.

It's not surprising that Dongfang Bubai changed his attitude towards you, but just watch, your father and Xiang Wentian will definitely make winning over Linghu Chong a necessary step, but your father is just trying to entice him with money, thinking that everyone likes fame and power, and if he can't win him over, he will resort to coercion.

"Once your father becomes the leader, you, his own daughter and the Holy Maiden, may not be as powerful as you were when Dongfang Bubai was in power. You need to prepare for this in advance."

Ren Yingying was startled. In an instant, everything she had seen and heard from Dongfang Bubai over the past ten years flashed through her mind.

The Dongfang Bubai before becoming the leader, the Dongfang Bubai after becoming the leader, and the Dongfang Bubai of today are not the same person at all. Then what about Father? "Changkong…may I call you that?" Ren Yingying suddenly asked softly.

"Hmm," Yun Changkong responded casually.

Ren Yingying was stunned for a long time, then suddenly whispered, "Since you don't care about anything, why did you give up on attacking my father when I told you I wanted to see you here?"

Yun Changkong thought to himself, "She's really clever. She knew I was going to make a move against his father!" He laughed and said, "Isn't it true that the fairy of Yaochi is bound to summon me? I only envy the mandarin ducks, not the immortals? I understand that kind of romance."

Ren Yingying lowered her head and spat, "Who's the lovebird and who's the immortal? Don't you know shame?" Her eyes darted around, then she gazed at Yun Changkong, and said dreamily, "So, by doing this, doesn't it mean you care about me? Are you telling the truth?"

Yun Changkong sighed and said, "I've told you so much, but you still don't understand. If you take my words seriously, then they are true; if you take them false, then they are false. For example, whether I am a heartless person or a loyal and righteous person, it depends on your heartfelt acceptance. You could say that it's the same with anyone in the world, with everyone's words. You just have to ask for an explanation..."

Ren Yingying stamped her foot and said, "Am I the one who needs to ask for clarification? Aren't you only satisfied when you're forcing me?"

Yun Changkong said, "What have I forced you to do this time?"

Ren Yingying stared at him, her expression extremely confused. After a long while, she sighed and said sadly, "Aren't you forcing me to say that I want to be with you?" As she spoke, her eyelashes trembled, and two tears slid down her cheeks.

Yun Changkong's heart trembled: "Really?" A voice from the depths of his heart emerged with unusual clarity: "Yes, you just think that he fawns over Linghu Chong and hopes that he will fawn over you in the same way. That's why you cling to him and keep looking for reasons. Your heart is despicable!"

Yun Changkong knew he had thought this in his heart, but it wasn't what he meant. Seeing Ren Yingying crying again, he felt very guilty. He had indeed built his happiness on other people's pain. He sighed, "Alright, you're a good girl. I shouldn't have done this. If you want to blame me..."

Before she could finish speaking, Ren Yingying snapped, "You, you're absolutely awful..."

Yun Changkong was taken aback, then frowned and said, "I'm annoying again?"

Ren Yingying glared at her and said resentfully, "You don't understand anything. All the time I've spent treating you like this, you've never understood anything."

She was spoiled by nature, and in the Sun Moon Cult she was used to being bossed around and acting arrogantly. Before she knew it, she had started to act out her temper again.

Yun Changkong gazed at her. Her exquisitely beautiful face was flushed red by the firelight, and there seemed to be tears welling up in her eyes. This noble and willful girl reminded him of Zhao Min, and in an instant, a myriad of emotions welled up in his heart.

"Zhao Min betrayed her family for you, but what about you?"
It's the Purple-Robed Dragon King again, and Zhou Zhiruo again, and now he's here having a good time, completely forgetting about her.

Ren Yingying, a beauty as lovely as a fairy, clearly had a wonderful marriage, but you, for your own selfish reasons, have ruined it. You should leave her now and stop harming this unfortunate woman whose mother died young and whose father is also dying young.

Yun Changkong tried to suppress the sound, but he could still see that Zhao Min, the Purple-Robed Dragon King, Zhou Zhiruo, and Xiao Zhao all had contempt and disdain on their beautiful faces as they looked at him.

In an instant, Yun Changkong couldn't help but sigh, then changed the subject and said, "Miss Ren, to be honest, I'm way past the age of talking about love. That's something you young girls still yearn for. Look at the sky."

Ren Yingying followed his finger and looked up to see a crescent moon and a sky full of stars, an endless vista. She took a deep breath, feeling refreshed, and said, "Do you think you're very old?"

A look of nostalgia crossed Yun Changkong's face. He pointed to the night sky and said, "I didn't have much of a feeling for this boundless starry sky before, but ever since I started practicing martial arts, my favorite thing to do is to look at the starry sky in the dead of night!"

Ren Yingying asked curiously, "Is there some explanation for this?"

Yun Changkong gave a wry smile: "There's no particular explanation. I'm just in a valley where I practice boxing and swordsmanship during the day. At night, when I have a rare chance to rest, I feel a rare sense of peace when I look at the mysterious and endless night sky."

I feel that I am insignificant compared to this vast universe, which is why I can be at peace and without desires.

But then one day, I met a beautiful woman.

Ren Yingying was startled and didn't know what to say for a moment, so she lowered her head and added a few more pieces of firewood.

Yun Changkong said, "If you say you have the heart of a young girl, reserved and proud, then she could be called aloof and arrogant. But you are both equally beautiful, so beautiful that you are unforgettable at first glance. But me? I'm still the same old me, always making jokes. What do you think that means?"

Ren Yingying smiled mischievously: "She wouldn't have given you a good beating, would she?" Then she playfully stuck out her tongue: "Oh, I misspoke. You are the peerless young master Yun, how could she possibly beat you!"

Yun Changkong laughed and said, "Then you guessed wrong. She beat me up badly, but I didn't lose out. I held her in my arms, so I guess I got the better deal."

Ren Yingying couldn't help but smile, covering her mouth as she said, "You really have no shame."

Then, feigning nonchalance, he smiled and asked, "Is she your wife?"

Yun Changkong shook his head and said, "No!"

"Then why?" Ren Yingying said, "She is as beautiful as a fairy, and her martial arts skills are superb..."

Yun Changkong felt a surge of emotion and sighed, “I used to think the same way. Life is only a hundred years long. As long as we are happy and safe, we don’t need fame or fortune, nor do we have to bow down for a few bushels of rice. That’s carefree. We can do whatever we want. Isn’t that great?”

But without realizing it, my thoughts changed. I realized life is short, and I should do something worthwhile to make it worthwhile. Love is just a little embellishment, not that important! So after that, I never thought about marrying her.

Ren Yingying opened her big eyes and said, "In your opinion, what kind of things should you do to make it worthwhile?"

Yun Changkong revealed a smile with hidden meaning: "In my life, I have experienced too much. For example, I have been unable to fulfill my filial duties to my parents. Although I have cultivated superior martial arts and can do things that ordinary people cannot do, in the end I can only watch helplessly as I am separated from my wives."

The fortunes and misfortunes involved are impossible to explain; perhaps everything is predetermined and cannot be changed.

He sighed and looked at Ren Yingying: "Do you believe in fate?"

Sensing Yun Changkong's emotions, Ren Yingying suddenly revealed a rare gentle smile and said, "I believe you!"

Yun Changkong pressed further, "Why?"

Ren Yingying blushed and said, "I didn't really feel that way before, but ever since I met you and Young Master Linghu, and then my father was freed, I've felt like I'm being controlled. It makes me think like this!"

Yun Changkong laughed loudly and said, "You also feel like you're being manipulated? I've known for a long time that I've been manipulated. So, do you like it this way?"

Ren Yingying said shyly, "I'm so annoyed, and you still say that." She paused for a moment, then said, "However, I think fate has been very good to me."

He murmured as if talking to himself, "I also lost my mother when I was young. I have no memory of her. My father was the leader of a cult and rarely spent time with me. Then suddenly..."

But now he's appeared again. I'm thinking, perhaps even without Uncle Xiang and Young Master Linghu, you would have still stepped in to save my father. It's just that you're too mysterious, as if you knew they were coming back and were just waiting!

Yun Changkong laughed heartily: "I have the special ability to predict the future."

"Nonsense!" Ren Yingying giggled.

The two exchanged a smile, instantly easing the tension. Yun Changkong, looking at her radiant smile, had a sudden thought and said, "In truth, fate is unpredictable and elusive. Whether you believe it or not makes little difference. As long as you can face it with equanimity and a calm mind, and make the right choices in life, even when you encounter hardships and difficulties, you can still understand the world and not be bound by it."

You were born a woman, full of fantasies and dreams about love. I have a story to tell; would you like to hear it?

Ren Yingying raised an eyebrow, a hint of interest flashing in her eyes, and said, "I certainly love listening to your stories, but..." (End of Chapter)