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

Huang Zhonggong's expression changed, but he quickly regained his composure, waved his hand and smiled, saying, "Wait for tea in the flower hall, I will go to greet you personally right away."

Ding Jian responded and turned to run away quickly.

Huang Zhonggong looked back at Yun Changkong with a serious expression and said, "Ren Woxing has already escaped his predicament. Your magnanimity is evident in your clear explanation of the advantages and disadvantages, allowing me to make my own choice. You are not willing to cause future regrets, which truly makes you a first-rate person. I believe that you are not on the same path as Tong Huajin and Feng Erzhong."

Now that Ren Woxing has escaped, my four brothers and I have suffered disgrace and ruin because of this affair of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. That is our own fault, so please leave!"

Yun Changkong sighed and said, "I am unworthy of the Grand Master's frank words. I only know that the Grand Master is a hero of the world and naturally cherishes his reputation as if it were his life."

If Ren Woxing escapes his predicament, you will inevitably feel that you have failed in your duty, and you are afraid that you might have a moment of despair and commit suicide.

The head of the manor imparted the "Seven-String Invisible Sword" to me without reservation. Though we are not formally master and disciple, our relationship is one of master and disciple. While I wish to help Ren Woxing escape his predicament, I do not wish for your blood to be spilled at Plum Manor!

Yun Changkong knew that in the original story, Huang Zhonggong, after Ren Woxing escaped, returned the Guangling San to Linghu Chong and immediately committed suicide. One reason was that he did not want to be controlled by Ren Woxing's Three Corpse Brain God Pill, and the other was that he had failed in his duty, suffered disgrace, and had no face to live with.

His purpose in coming to Plum Manor was to save several lives, so even though Ren Woxing had already escaped, he still intentionally gave him a hint so that Huang Zhonggong could realize his mistake.

Not directly exposing him is to save him face.

If they just walked in and said that Ren Woxing had already left and that we should just run away, wouldn't that make them seem like irresponsible villains?

Such blatant bullying deserves Huang Zhonggong's death, given his scholarly pride!
Therefore, it was explained in advance that Dongfang Bubai had assigned them to guard Ren Woxing because he considered them as "dirty gloves," and they were merely henchmen to be used and discarded.

Whether Dongfang Bubai usurped power or assigned them tasks, he was unjust first. Even if they failed in their duties, it doesn't count as disloyalty.

Bringing up the matter of Hei Baizi again is to tell them that I could have rescued Ren Woxing from him long ago, but I didn't because of our past friendship and the sense of brotherhood we shared. Now that things have come to this, you can think about yourselves; it's not like you've ruined your reputation.

Huang Zhonggong naturally understood this point, and looked at Yun Changkong with a slight smile, saying, "If my lifelong reputation is ruined by you, then it will not have been in vain."

He said to Hei Baizi, "Second brother, our distinguished guest has arrived. Let's go and see him together. Even if we die, we'll die with peace of mind."

Hei Baizi was also a renowned hero in the martial arts world. He had a deep brotherhood with Huang Zhonggong and the other two. However, he was greedy for the power of Ren Woxing's "Star Absorbing Skill" and secretly made a copy of the key behind his brothers' backs. He never thought of letting Ren Woxing escape.

Now that things have come to this, he straightened his back and strode away with Huang Zhonggong.

Yun Changkong watched the two leave, sighed, and thought to himself, "People really shouldn't have hobbies."

In the original story, Liu Zhengfeng, and the Four Friends of Plum Manor, all lost their lives and fortunes because of their hobbies.

Huang Zhonggong walked along the corridor until he reached the third courtyard, where a window in a large hall shone brightly.

Ding Jian and Shi Lingwei stood on either side of the steps, looking on with serious and vigilant expressions.

Before Huang Zhonggong could ask, Shi Lingwei said, "The guests have arrived and are now being entertained by the Third and Fourth Masters with tea."

Huang Zhonggong and Hei Baizi quickly entered the room, only to find Tu Biweng and Dan Qingsheng sitting around a pine wood table, talking with the four of them.

Bald-Pen Weng and Danqing Sheng were the first to stand up and bow. The other four remained seated.

Huang Zhonggong cupped his hands and said, "I was unaware of the arrival of the four elders. I am deeply sorry that I was unable to personally welcome you. Please forgive me."

The four men gave a cold laugh. A thin old man looked up at the roof and said coldly, "The four of us have come together today to ask you a question."

Huang Zhonggong said, "I am all ears!"

The old man stared at him, then suddenly his eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he said coldly, "Master Huang Zhong, the sect leader ordered you to guard Plum Manor so that you could play the zither, drink wine, paint, and have fun here, isn't that right?"

Huang Zhonggong bowed and said, "The four of us have been ordered by the sect leader to guard this important criminal."

It turns out that these four people were Bao Dachu and the other four elders of the Sun Moon Divine Sect.

Bao Dachu said, "This is it. How are the prisoners being guarded?"

Huang Zhonggong remained calm and smiled slightly, saying, "Since we four brothers took up our posts, we have not dared to leave Plum Manor for a moment, and we have even lost contact with our friends in the martial arts world. In the end, we still ended up being enemies with both sides and pleasing no one."

These few words sound quite ordinary, but they subtly convey a sense of grievance.

Bao Dachu looked up at the ceiling and suddenly chuckled, causing dust to fall from the ceiling.

After a moment, he said, "What you're saying sounds vague and unclear. It would be best if you could be more specific."

Dan Qingsheng snorted and puffed out his chest, saying, "Then the criminals should be properly..."

Before he could finish speaking, Huang Zhonggong waved his hand to stop him, and smiled slightly, saying, "Four elders, please understand, that wanted criminal is a secret. The sect leader strictly ordered that no one, regardless of who they are, is allowed to inquire about him unless the sect leader himself is present—"

Bao Dachu reached into his robes, took out something, held it high, and then stood up. The other three seated men also stood up, their demeanor extremely respectful.

The object was about half a foot long; it was a piece of charred black wood with carved patterns and characters on it, and it looked very strange.

Huang Zhonggong and the other two bowed and said, "The arrival of the Black Wood Token of the Sect Leader is as if the Sect Leader himself has come. Your subordinates respectfully obey the Sect Leader's decree."

Qin Weibang said coldly, "We are acting on the orders of the sect leader, firstly for the sake of that prisoner, and secondly because we have heard rumors that the four of you have a close relationship with Yun Changkong and are conspiring to betray the sect. We wonder if this is true or false?"

His words were sharp and sarcastic, and his meaning was even more explicit. Dan Qingsheng's eyebrows twitched, and his face was full of anger. He said, "Although the four of us brothers do not leave Plum Manor, Yun Changkong is renowned throughout the world. Although I have never met him, I have long heard of his name. But as for talking about betraying the sect and conspiring, hehe..."

Just as he was about to retort, Huang Zhonggong stopped him with a look.

Bao Dachu glanced at him, then laughed and said, "What, are you trying to hide this too?"

Huang Zhonggong smiled faintly and said, "You all flatter me. I do know Yun Changkong, but I would never say that he has betrayed the sect!"

Qin Weibang said coldly, "You won't shed a tear until you see the coffin!"

Huang Zhonggong clasped his hands and said, "I would like to hear your insightful opinion."

Bao Dachu waved his hand and said, "Elder Qin, don't be anxious." He added, "If this prisoner is kept alive, he will be a source of trouble. Not only will he bring endless troubles, but he will also become a target of gossip. The four of you should bring him his head now!"

It turns out that although the four elders heard Yun Changkong's challenge to Dongfang Bubai, they still wanted to come to Plum Manor to take Ren Woxing's life.

They are not stupid. Yun Changkong alone may not be able to do anything to Dongfang Bubai, but if he joins forces with Ren Woxing, then it will be a big problem.

However, after exchanging blows with Yun Changkong, their blood and qi were so shaken that they dared not hasten their journey. They could only find a place to recuperate and then arrive. They wanted the Four Friends of Jiangnan to take Ren Woxing's life before discussing anything else.

Dan Qingsheng was furious, thinking, "If you want to kill Ren Woxing, why don't you go and send us? Is his Star Absorbing Skill just for show?"

Just as he was about to lash out, Huang Zhonggong waved his hand to stop him. He sighed deeply and said, "Now that things have come to this, how can I face living in this world? But if I don't understand the ins and outs of this matter, I won't be able to die in peace. Elder Bao, is the sect leader in Hangzhou?"

Bao Dachu raised his long eyebrows and said, "Who said he was in Hangzhou?"

Huang Zhonggong said, "How come the sect leader knew about the escape of that wanted criminal just yesterday? And immediately dispatched four elders to Plum Manor?"

"what?"

"The wanted criminal has escaped?"

The Fourth Elder, along with Bald Pen Elder and Danqing Sheng, were all greatly alarmed.

In fact, the Fourth Elder came to Plum Manor to kill Ren Woxing on the orders of Yang Lianting.

Yang Lianting, relying on his favor with the emperor, acted first and reported later, sending out the murderer before going to demand Dongfang Bubai's life, all to ensure that nothing went wrong.

Therefore, the Fourth Elder, along with Bald Pen Elder and Dan Qingsheng, all thought that Ren Woxing was still in prison, but they did not expect that Ren Woxing had already escaped.

Qin Weibang said coldly, "Huang Zhonggong, now that you've captured a wanted criminal, there's nowhere for you to hide, neither in heaven nor in hell!"

Huang Zhonggong sighed softly: "The reason why my four brothers and I joined the Sun Moon Cult was that we wanted to be chivalrous and make a difference in the martial arts world. However, we never expected that the leader of the cult would be so irritable and domineering. My four brothers had long wanted to give up our ambitions."

Until the Eastern Cult Leader ascended the throne, he favored treacherous officials and purged the elders of the cult. The four of us became even more disheartened. We took this assignment, firstly to escape Blackwood Cliff and avoid the intrigues of others, and secondly to live a quiet life by West Lake, finding solace in music and books. For twelve years, we could say we have enjoyed a life of leisure. However, life is full of sorrows and little joy; such is life…

Suddenly, with a "whoosh," everyone, being experts, knew that a hidden weapon was coming and dodged and drew their weapons.

Then a loud bang was heard, sparks flew from Huang Zhonggong's arms, a white light shot out, and with a thud, a dagger was pinned to the ceiling.

Huang Zhonggong even staggered and swayed.

All the people saw was a bright green pine cone in front of Huang Zhonggong, spinning around on the ground.

Everyone was shocked. Dan Qingsheng asked, "Who goes outside?" A hearty laugh came from the doorway. Yun Changkong, dressed in a green robe with his hands behind his back, walked in calmly. Dan Qingsheng was both surprised and delighted by his imposing manner. He said, "Brother Zhao, it's you!"

Yun Changkong nodded to him, clasped his hands in a salute to Huang Zhonggong, and said, "Great Master, since you can no longer stand in the martial world, and you have already died once, you have done right by Dongfang Bubai. Why not retreat to the East Sea with your brothers, or travel to the desolate wilderness and live in seclusion!"

Yun Changkong had long anticipated Huang Zhonggong's intention to do this, which is why he hid in the shadows, let him die once, and then intervened to dispel his suicidal thoughts.

Seeing the anticipation in his eyes and the tears streaming down his face, Huang Zhonggong sighed deeply and said, "Tong Huajin went to great lengths to rescue Ren Woxing, searching for something that would move the hearts of my four brothers. Feng Erzhong's swordsmanship is superb, and his wisdom is profound. He devised this ingenious plan to rescue Ren Woxing. I truly admire him."

Heh heh, since my four brothers and I have received the orders from the Eastern Cult Leader, we have failed in our duties. This is all because of my poor Qin playing, the eldest brother. We have failed the Eastern Cult Leader's trust and have no face to stand between heaven and earth. I only ask that my three brothers have some peace of mind..."

"Brother, please stop talking."

"It's all my fault!"

"It was my greed that got the better of me."

Black and White Zi, Bald Brush Weng, and Danqing Sheng all knelt down.

Ren Woxing was able to duel with Linghu Chong only because the three of them repeatedly begged Huang Zhonggong; otherwise, Linghu Chong and Xiang Wentian would not have had the chance to rescue Ren Woxing.

Yun Changkong said, "You gentlemen are so righteous, your ancient virtues are admirable, I admire you greatly!" Suddenly his eyes flashed and he turned to the four elders.

The four men clenched their fists, looking extremely tense.

Yun Changkong sneered, "You all seem very loyal to Dongfang Bubai. I've shown you mercy time and again, asking you to deliver messages, and you still refuse. If I don't grant your request, I'd be incredibly ungrateful. Draw your weapons, and I'll let you die knowing why!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Weibang showed a look of dissatisfaction and said, "It is said in the martial arts world that your martial arts are unparalleled. We originally thought that a young junior could not possibly have much potential to rival the leader of the Eastern Sect. However, after personally experiencing your skills, we realized that your high level of martial arts at such a young age is undeniable."

We were indeed deeply worried upon hearing your words, which is why we came to investigate your connection with the Four Friends of Jiangnan. Furthermore, Ren Woxing is imprisoned here; if he were to join forces with you, it would pose a great threat to the sect leader!

Bao Dachu said, "It's not that we didn't want to pass on your message, but we thought that since you mentioned Plum Manor, you might know the Four Friends of Jiangnan. We were ordered to take Ren Woxing's head, and we also wanted to find out your background so that we could at least give you some explanation when we got back. Unfortunately, unfortunately... In any case, like Huang Zhonggong, you are doomed to die. What else is there to say!"

These words were reasonable and persuasive. Huang Zhonggong looked sad and suddenly looked at Yun Changkong, saying slowly, "Hero Yun, now that things have come to this, I beg you to let them go. We are all following orders and have no choice in the matter."

Yun Changkong nodded and said, "Alright! I agree, you may leave now!"

Qin Weibang said, "I'll stop here!" He then leaped out the window.

Suddenly, a long laugh was heard coming from afar. Everyone heard a sudden gust of wind outside the door, followed by three loud "bangs".

Yun Changkong murmured, "Interesting!"

He felt that one unexpected thing after another was happening. He thought that the four elders of the Demonic Sect would return to Blackwood Cliff directly, but they still went to Plum Manor. Now, this is another unexpected turn of events.

The elders of the Demonic Sect were alarmed by the change and drew their weapons, ready to rush out. Suddenly, they heard a whoosh from outside the door and something flew straight in.

The object was originally flying towards the elder of the Demonic Cult, but Huang Zhonggong was agile and quickly caught it with a wave of his hand.

When everyone looked, they saw it was a bloody human head.
Upon closer inspection, who else could it be but Qin Weibang?
The elders of the Demonic Sect were both anxious and furious. Bao Dachu brandished his single-edged sword and shouted sharply, "Who goes there!"

Then they heard someone laughing loudly outside. The laughter was so loud it shook the heavens and the earth, like thunder in mid-air. The roof tiles shook and even the rafters rustled.

Except for Yun Changkong, everyone else felt their blood surging and their heads swelling, and they all involuntarily used their internal energy to resist it.

Although the house was spacious, it suddenly shook as if it were about to collapse. With a loud bang, a large hole was punched through one of the walls.

Then a person walked in through the hole in the wall. Although everyone was a martial arts master, they were all greatly surprised to see that the person was coming with such fierce momentum.

The man flicked his sleeve, clearing away the dust, and strode away.

He was very tall, with a snow-white face, black hair, a black beard that reached his chest, and was wearing a long blue silk robe.

Bao Dachu's eyes widened, and he said in a trembling voice, "So it's Senior Ren."

The visitor was none other than Ren Woxing, the former leader of the Sun Moon Sect.

Several elders recognized Ren Woxing. They saw that he had been imprisoned for twelve years, and apart from his pale complexion, his hair and beard were still as black as ink. His internal strength was truly astonishing.

Furthermore, his use of Qin Weibang's severed head to intimidate everyone left them all feeling uneasy.

Ren Woxing turned his gaze to Yun Changkong, then waved his sleeve and sat down in a chair in the middle, saying, "Brother Xiang, Yingying, come in!"

Then Xiang Wentian and Ren Yingying stepped in through the hole in the wall.

Ren Yingying came in, glanced at Yun Changkong, her dimples appearing on her cheeks, and then turned her gaze to the side.

Bao Dachu and the others hurriedly bowed and greeted the Holy Maiden.

Ren Yingying stood behind Ren Woxing. Everyone bowed, but she neither looked at them nor made a sound.

Ren Yingying's title of Holy Maiden was bestowed by Dongfang Bubai, so Bao Dachu and others still had to pay their respects upon seeing her. However, in front of Ren Woxing, Ren Yingying felt it was inappropriate to accept such greetings.

Ren Woxing then pointed to the chair next to him and said to Yun Changkong, "Brother Yun, please sit down!"

Yun Changkong's eyes flashed, and he sat down in a guest chair, saying, "Mr. Ren, what brings you here?"

He knew that in the original story, after Ren Woxing escaped, he not only contacted the elders of the sect, but also made the "Three Corpse Brain God Pill," which caused Linghu Chong to stay in prison for several months until he mastered the Star Absorbing Skill and subdued Hei Baizi, at which point he was finally freed.

But now, it has returned today after just one day of running, which is truly unexpected.

Ren Woxing glanced at Xiang Wentian.

Xiang Wentian laughed and said, "When we went to the Jiangnan branch of our sect, we found that these elders had sent a message by carrier pigeon to Blackwood Cliff."

Bao Dachu asked in surprise, "You all knew?"

Xiang Wentian sneered, "We never expected that you would come to Plum Manor to harm the sect leader. That's why we rushed here without stopping, fearing that Brother Linghu would suffer because of this."

Yun Changkong thought to himself, "So that's how it is!"

Bao Dachu's teeth chattered, clearly indicating his extreme fear.

After meeting with Yun Changkong, they sent a message by carrier pigeon to Blackwood Cliff. However, the journey from Zhejiang to Hebei required a change of station for relay. Unexpectedly, Ren Yingying, who was familiar with the power of the Sun Moon Cult, intercepted the message. Fearing that it might endanger Linghu Chong's life, they rushed back to Plum Manor.

Huang Zhonggong suddenly said, "Right Envoy Xiang, you have quite the reputation, actually willingly calling yourself a disciple of the Songshan Sect and devising such a clever scheme. I wonder who this Feng Erzhong is? Please let this old man die knowing the truth!"

Dan Qingsheng already disliked "Tong Huajin," and immediately said angrily, "I knew you weren't a good person, but I never expected you to be the Right Envoy. Hmph, Heavenly King, you're just a name without substance!"

Xiang Wentian clasped his hands and smiled, "Four Lords, for the sake of our Divine Sect's great cause, I've reluctantly agreed to be Zuo Lengchan's senior uncle. As for that Brother Feng, I'm not lying to you. He was indeed from the Huashan Sect and is indeed Feng Qingyang's successor. However, he is actually Linghu Chong, a disciple of Yue Buqun. I hope you will all understand."

Unable to contain his excitement, Dan Qingsheng shouted, "Where has Linghu Chong gone?"

Hei Baizi said, "Fourth brother, don't you understand? This is what's in the dungeon now."

Dan Qingsheng was taken aback and said, "A substitution?"

When Ren Woxing and Linghu Chong were dueling, Ren Woxing used his internal force to knock several people unconscious. He then sawed open the shackles with a steel bar, freed himself, exchanged clothes with Linghu Chong, and put Linghu Chong in shackles again. When the Four Friends of Jiangnan woke up, they also checked and saw that there was still a person locked in the dungeon. They did not dare to go closer to take a closer look and assumed that it was Ren Woxing. They had no idea that he had been switched.

It wasn't until Yun Changkong intentionally reminded them that Huang Zhonggong and Hei Baizi finally realized what was happening.

Ren Woxing sneered and said, "Hei Baizi, haven't you always wanted to learn my Star Absorbing Technique? Today I'll grant your wish!"

Ren Woxing was once famous for his "Star Absorbing Skill". People from both the underworld and the legitimate world were terrified at the mere mention of his name. Although he was imprisoned for twelve years, his influence still remained.

Therefore, although Bao Dachu and the others had been through many battles, they were greatly shaken when they saw him appear.

Hei Baizi was so frightened that his face turned ashen, his legs went weak, and he knelt down with a thud, trembling as he said, "Your subordinate was impolite, please punish me, Master!"

Ren Woxing turned his gaze to Yun Changkong and said, "The Four Friends of Jiangnan are guarding me on the orders of Dongfang Bubai. I don't blame them for following orders. But this one person has been trying to steal my divine martial arts technique. He even said that he would let me go if I taught him the technique. Brother Yun, what do you think?"

Yun Changkong closed his eyes slightly, as if he was listening intently, but after Ren Woxing finished speaking, he seemed not to have heard anything and sat quietly.

Ren Woxing snorted coldly, but Ren Yingying immediately interjected, "If you're unhappy, you can say so. What does it mean by not saying anything?"

Yun Changkong suddenly opened his eyes, his two piercing gazes like cold lightning, staring directly at Ren Yingying's face. He said calmly, "I'm wondering, after all this commotion, will Dongfang Bubai still come?" (End of Chapter)