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

Yilin couldn't see the people's backs anymore, so she quickly jumped out and asked, "Big brother, will they stop?"

Yun Changkong shook his head and said, "I don't know."

Yilin said, "I didn't expect you to not kill anyone this time."

Yun Changkong said solemnly, "Yilin, in your eyes, am I just a butcher?"

As soon as Yilin spoke, Dengjue realized he had misspoke and hurriedly said, "Big brother, I didn't mean that at all, please don't take it to heart."

In Yilin's eyes, Yun Changkong wasn't a butcher, but he was certainly a skilled killer, mainly because his reputation in the martial arts world consisted of killing Tian Boguang, Songshan Sect masters, unorthodox practitioners, and members of the Demonic Sect. Aside from that, there was nothing else worth mentioning.

Therefore, he had enough prestige in the martial arts world, but in the eyes of a kind-hearted person like Yilin, it was inevitable that she would feel fear.

Yun Changkong remained silent for a while, then his brows relaxed and he smiled, "Actually, you're not wrong. When I threatened this guy surnamed Zhao, he was unwilling to admit it. But as soon as I let him go, he revealed the truth. It was actually out of gratitude. It seems that coercion by force may not be as effective as winning people over with virtue. Perhaps this is the way of the martial world."

Yilin smiled and said, "My master often says that no matter how big the matter is, it is not bigger than the principle of reason. You just asked him about his background. It is a matter of face, and perhaps even life."

But since you let him go, he'll naturally be grateful. After all, escaping Brother Yun's clutches is a stroke of luck, and it's also thanks to your previous formidable reputation.

Yun Changkong glanced at her and smiled, "You don't need to comfort me. Actually, in the martial arts world, this person is not bad. Although he has ill intentions, he still has some magnanimity. Letting him go is no big deal. However, since they came here to ambush, someone must have arrived. Perhaps it's the Hengshan Sect. Let's go and take a look."

Yilin nodded and said, "Okay!"

Yun Changkong pulled up the Zen staff with his left hand, and with his right hand supporting Yilin's left arm, he ran out as if his feet didn't touch the ground.

Yilin felt as if her body was floating, weightless. Moreover, Yun Changkong was carrying a Zen staff, dragging her along. His movements were slow and clumsy yet fast, and his feet were almost silent. His lightness skill was truly unparalleled. Yilin felt both admiration and gratitude.

In Yilin's mind, Yun Changkong's martial arts skills were undoubtedly the best in the martial arts world. However, the reason why he pretended not to know martial arts in the inn was all because of her.

Yun Changkong didn't say it, but Yilin understood in her heart. That's why she felt peaceful, calm and happy when she was with Yun Changkong, and she wanted it to stay that way forever.

This feeling also made her feel ashamed, as if she had let down her master and even more so, her senior brother Linghu.

She clearly likes him, so why is she so greedy for being with Yun Changkong? Is she just like Yue Lingshan?
This feeling made Yilin extremely ashamed; she felt like she was a bad person.

Especially in the last few days, Yun Changkong has been unusually cold to her. She thinks that it might be because Yun Changkong thinks that a nun like her has developed worldly desires and still cares about her senior brother Linghu.

Little did he know that Yun Changkong never felt there was anything wrong with Yue Lingshan falling in love with someone else.

It's simply that Lin Pingzhi chose the wrong person to entrust his mission to.

But there's nothing inherently wrong with falling in love with someone else!

There's no logic in liking someone that means you have to stick with that person.
Men can be passionate, and it's not necessarily wrong for women to be passionate as well.
Let's not laugh at each other!
In a short while, Yun Changkong ran more than ten miles, grabbed Yilin, and they were already on a treetop.

Yilin knew something was amiss ahead, so she didn't dare to breathe too loudly.

Ahead lay an open space with many figures on guard. Three people sat in a circle in the middle. Yilin listened intently, but because of the distance, she could not hear them clearly.

She was very anxious and thought to herself, "They are so vigilant, they must be discussing something important. How can I get closer?" She glanced around and saw that she was about seventeen or eighteen feet away from those people, but the surroundings were empty and there was no cover.

Turning his head, he saw Yun Changkong listening intently, and quickly whispered, "Brother, what are they talking about?"

Yun Changkong glanced at her and grabbed Yi Lin's wrist. Yi Lin felt a warm current surge up and her hearing and vision became clear in an instant. She heard someone say, "Boss, since Yun Changkong has intervened, this matter can't be done. I think we should just report back now. There's no need to follow in the footsteps of Junior Brother Lu and the others."

The "eldest brother" said, "Third brother, do you want to die? If the sect leader finds out about this, even if you're not afraid of death, do you want your whole family's heads?"

This man was the old man in black who had fought with Yun Changkong.

The third brother said, "So what if I die? What kind of life is this? What do men seek when they roam the world with swords? Isn't it to make a name for themselves and gain fame before and after their death?"
We three brothers used to roam freely in northern Hebei, how glorious we were! Why did we join the Songshan Sect?
"Isn't it all about upholding the name of a prestigious family and bringing glory to your ancestors? But now, you're always hiding your face. It's only because you're lucky, brother, that ruthless Yun Changkong has changed his ways. If he were killed, no one would even know his name. Isn't that a great injustice?"

The old man said, "Shut your mouth! We're people who live on the edge, we don't talk nonsense!"

The third brother, scolded by him, said in a low voice, "It wouldn't matter if I didn't say anything, but we ran into this today. We were preparing to ambush the Hengshan Sect, but we just happened to run into this evil star, Yun Changkong. With him standing there, who can get past him? I'm afraid even if Alliance Leader Zuo himself came, he would be helpless!"

The eldest brother turned to the other person who hadn't spoken and asked, "Second brother, what do you think?"

The man said, “Brother, we are all our own people here. We are sworn brothers and our feelings are as close as blood. It’s okay to talk about some things. The Left Alliance Leader’s martial arts and strategies are beyond question, but he has been defeated by Yun Changkong several times in a row. How can he bear not to take action to get rid of this thorn in his side himself?”

The eldest brother sighed, "Get rid of Yun Changkong? How easy is that?"

The second brother said, "That's right. We all know how powerful the Left Alliance Leader is. His skill is truly unfathomable. So the fact that he can hold back shows that Yun Changkong is not someone to be trifled with."

He ordered us brothers to commit massacres, that would be one thing, but now that we've run into Yun Changkong, and he's waiting there, do you really believe he doesn't know why we're here? Why should we risk getting into this mess?

The leader pondered for a long time before saying, "The mission that Alliance Leader Zuo entrusted to us must not be ruined. Do you remember that day? That kid Li Li cursed the witch of the Demonic Sect and was suddenly shot to death with a hidden weapon. Who did it? And where did the person who did it go?"

Yun Changkong was taken aback: "Yes, what's going on!"

The third brother said, "Yes, I don't know either. Could it be that someone from the Demonic Sect has really come?"

The old man said, "If it's the Demonic Sect, that's fine, but what if Alliance Leader Zuo comes in person?"

The third brother cried out, "What?" His voice trembled slightly, clearly showing his great fear.

The old man said, "Alliance Leader Zuo is known for his flawless planning. Does he really trust us that much? We're just one group of people. Didn't he already send Junior Brother Zhong to wait for us at Twenty-Eight Stables?"

The second brother's voice trembled as he said, "Is it because he doesn't trust us, or is he going to follow Zhu Yuanzhang's example and kill all of us meritorious officials after we've done the dirty work for him?"

The leader scolded, "What's wrong with you all? You're just spouting discouraging words. Even if Zuo Mengzhang were to become the leader of the Five Mountains Alliance, he wouldn't be able to unite the five mountains into one place. He still needs someone to guard them, doesn't he? He's too busy trying to win us over to be like Zhu Yuanzhang!"

Suddenly, a man dressed in black came running from the mountain path to the north. He approached the three men, whispered a few words to the leader, and then...
The leader's eyes widened, revealing a sharp, piercing light. He said, "The Hengshan Sect is only five miles away. Are we going to do it or not?"

The third brother said, "Boss, even without the advantage of terrain, we are not afraid of the nuns of Hengshan. But Yun Changkong is a troublemaker. He has interfered again. So what can we do?"

Upon hearing this, Yilin almost burst out laughing.

Yun Changkong, however, remained as usual; after all, which protagonist isn't a troublemaker?

The second brother said, "For the grand plan of uniting the Five Mountains Alliance, the Left Alliance Leader has spent ten years building up strength and ten years training. As his subordinates, we should just follow orders. As for whether we can win or not, that depends on the situation. We can't just force our way in, can we?"

The eldest and third brothers exchanged a glance.
"it is good."

"Dry!"

The three of them got up at the same time and led the group northward again.

Yun Changkong released Yilin's hand. Yilin was startled and said in a panic, "They still want to deal with the Hengshan Sect. Big brother, please help me?"

Seeing the urgency on her pretty face, with her skin as smooth and delicate as jade, Yun Changkong thought, "This little nun truly has the beauty to make fish sink and geese fall from the sky, and the beauty to shame the moon and hide the moon." He thought to himself, "Who can resist when you ask for a favor?"
"It's a pity you don't need to beg me; I'll help anyway. But perhaps these people just want to go through the motions, or maybe Linghu Chong is here too, so it won't be my turn to act!"

Yun Changkong didn't say much. He didn't follow the others and pulled Yilin northward through the rocks. After turning a few corners, they soon reached a mountain peak.

Just as they were about to continue reading, they suddenly heard the sound of clothes fluttering in the wind. Judging from the sound, it was clearly someone using their lightness skill to run.
The moonlight is exceptionally bright tonight. Looking down from below, one can see dozens of people with flowing sleeves walking towards the hillside.

Yun Changkong focused his gaze and saw that the approaching people were in groups of seven, with five groups in total. They were all about the same distance apart, as if they had formed a formation. Their sleeves fluttered as they moved forward in unison, making them an extremely beautiful sight from afar.

Yilin exclaimed with delight, "It's the Hengshan Sect!"

Yun Changkong had initially underestimated the Hengshan Sect members, but upon seeing this, he thought to himself, "Judging from this formation, it's a method of repelling enemies. If it weren't for that mountain path where only one person could travel at a time, it would be truly difficult to ambush the Hengshan Sect." He then asked, "Your Hengshan Sect's lightness skills are quite impressive. What kind of formation is this?"

Yilin said, "This is our Seven Star Formation. My fellow disciples and I have weak skills and low martial arts, so we rely on this formation to protect ourselves and save our lives."

Yun Changkong nodded slightly, looked at a Chinese cypress tree, grabbed Yilin, and leaped onto it. Yilin asked in surprise, "What are you doing?"

Yun Changkong laughed and said, "Only by standing high and seeing far can you enjoy the show!"

Yilin was stunned. How could she watch the show when it was her own sect's business? She wanted to say a few words of advice, but she regretted that she was not good with words and could not think of any appropriate words. Just as she was in a dilemma, she saw Yun Changkong throw the Zen staff in his hand.

He threw it down from a height, the staff whistling through the air, and suddenly, with a loud clang, it struck a mountain path at the foot of the mountain, the sound like a mountain collapsing, sparks flying everywhere.

A middle-aged nun shouted, "Who goes there!" The Hengshan Sect disciples drew their swords in a flurry, forming a battle formation.

Yi Lin then realized that Yun Changkong was intentionally reminding the Hengshan Sect, and whispered, "This is my Senior Sister Yi He."

At this moment, a gray figure flashed and landed at the forefront. Two cold, lightning-like eyes surveyed the surroundings, and he said loudly, "Dingjing of Hengshan asks which friend has come to wait for me?"

Her voice was sharp and powerful, echoing through the mountains and valleys, rustling in the treetops, demonstrating her profound skill.

The Hengshan disciples behind her all drew their swords and looked around.
Yilin suddenly leaned close to Yun Changkong's ear and said, "This is my eldest grand-aunt, and she has quite a temper!"

Yun Changkong laughed and said, "Compared to your master, who is more ferocious?"

Yilin blurted out, "My master looks fierce but is kind at heart. Even my eldest uncle is afraid of me!"

Yun Changkong smiled without saying a word, watching the movements below the mountain.

After Ding Jing finished speaking, no one responded. Na Yihe continued, "You wicked demons of the cult, if you have the guts, come out and fight us to the death! What kind of heroes are you, sneaking around like this?"

Her Buddhist name was Yihe, but she was anything but gentle. When she saw the staff being thrown down from the mountain, he didn't see it as a warning. Instead, he felt that the demonic sect was using Buddhist weapons to provoke the Hengshan Sect!
As soon as she finished speaking, a sharp shout came from the left: "Attack!"

Countless hidden weapons rained down from above, striking the Hengshan disciples with lightning speed and whistling sounds.

They saw a blue light, and arrows, darts, plum blossom needles, bodhi seeds and all sorts of other hidden weapons rained down on them, all emitting a blue light, clearly indicating that they had been given a deadly poison that would kill instantly.

Yihe shouted, "Everyone, watch out for hidden weapons!"

At that moment, the Hengshan disciples brandished their longswords, and Master Dingjing's sleeves fluttered. Enemy hidden weapons were shot at, some of which stuck into her sleeves, while others were sent flying by her sleeve force.

Master Dingjing reacted with incredible speed. Upon hearing the shout, she didn't stop, her figure flashed, and in a few leaps, she had already rushed to the left where the voice came from.

Suddenly, a gust of wind arose, and a bronze rod shot up from below, swiftly striking down.
Having experienced countless battles, Abbess Dingjing knew from the sound of the staff cutting through the air that it was heavy and dared not take it head-on. She moved aside to avoid the staff, and her two chain spears, swift as lightning, thrust out one above and one below.

When Abbess Dingjing saw that these people were all skilled martial artists and not just some bandits, she dared not be arrogant and shouted, "Shameless!" She drew her longsword and with a clang, shattered two spears with a single strike.

Suddenly, a gust of wind rose around her waist, and the bronze staff swept down at her waist again. Master Dingjing fought against three opponents without losing her composure. She tapped her longsword against the staff and slashed down with the momentum, but a chain spear had already pierced her right shoulder.

Unable to injure her enemies in time, Abbess Dingjing could only dodge and shouted, "State your names!"

At this moment, one person shouted, three people stepped back, and dozens more people dressed in black rushed out and stood in a semi-circle to block the mountain pass.

Ding Jing's heart sank. Although she couldn't discern their backgrounds, judging from their demeanor, they were all skilled martial artists. While the disciples she brought were all experts from the sect, they seemed somewhat lacking in presence compared to these people.

Fortunately, the Hengshan disciples also formed a sword formation, and the two sides remained locked in a stalemate.

Master Dingjing silently observed these people, who neither attacked nor retreated. She slowly said, "Which of you is in charge? Please come forward and speak."

At this moment, a person emerged from behind a large tree. When Master Dingjing saw that he was dressed in black with a yellow belt and was not wearing a mask, she quickly thought of a man and said coldly, "What is the esteemed name of this elder? Please forgive my poor eyesight."

She recognized the attire as that of a demonic sect elder, and since the other person was not wearing a mask and clearly valued their status, she assumed they were a demonic sect elder.

The old man said, "Master Dingjing, you don't need to ask who I am. Just take your disciple back. If you come any further, we will offend you!"

Master Dingjing thought he was a member of the Demonic Sect and was trying to stop her from going to Fujian to prevent the Demonic Sect from seizing the Evil-Slaying Sword Manual. She coldly said, "Since that's the case, draw your weapons."

The old man frowned and said, "Nothing to discuss?"

Master Dingjing looked around and said, "Will you come one by one, or all at once?"

Yun Changkong secretly praised, "Master Dingjing is a woman, yet she possesses such an extraordinary demeanor; she truly has the air of a grandmaster!"

Suddenly, a person sneered, "Heh, heh, Master Dingjing, don't be so ungrateful. With your little tricks, do you think we're afraid of you?"

Master Dingjing sneered, "Then let's try!" Her longsword trembled and she attacked.

The man saw that although the sword strike was unremarkable, it seemed to contain an even more powerful follow-up move. But at that moment, he suddenly heard two whooshing sounds, and two iron octagonal hammers with long chains flew up and smashed towards Master Dingjing's head.

Master Dingjing raised her sword and flicked it. One of the octagonal hammers sank down and smashed into her longsword, while the other flew upwards and pressed down from below.

Master Dingjing was slightly startled: "What incredible strength! Where did all these skilled fighters come from!"

It should be noted that each of these two octagonal hammers weighed at least twenty pounds, yet the man wielded them with ease, using a soft chain to move the hammers, allowing him to attack and defend at will; his arm strength was truly formidable.

The hammer struck with great force, and Master Dingjing could not easily take it head-on. She moved like a dragon and her momentum was like a whirlwind, trying to launch a surprise attack from the side.

However, she suddenly felt a gust of wind beside her, and another blow came down. Then she snatched three more people away. Two of them were wielding knives, and one was wielding a pair of judge's pens. They surrounded Abbess Dingjing.

If it were a one-on-one fight, Abbess Dingjing would naturally not be afraid. However, the terrifying thing about being surrounded is that before you can finish your move, someone else will attack your vital points.

If you have to defend yourself, then the other side will attack you, which forms a chain of attacks. If you take advantage of the situation to attack others, they can still help each other.

Therefore, no matter how high one's martial arts skills are, if the other side creates this situation, and if one cannot break the connection as soon as possible, it is only a matter of time before one dies in the Northwest.

Master Dingjing knew this well. Her longsword created a series of sword shadows, as fast as the wind and as fast as lightning. If it weren't for the mutual rescue among the group, they would probably have been hit by the sword. She cursed inwardly, "This old nun is over sixty years old, yet she can still use such a fast sword."

At this moment, the Hengshan disciples formed a sword formation and began to fight the enemy. The most miserable ones were the three heroes of Jibei. They thought that if they didn't let the Hengshan Sect cross the mountain, they would eventually have an explanation.

Unexpectedly, this old nun Dingjing has such a temper. If they go all out, they might end up provoking Yun Changkong.

Now they're in a bind!
Yilin was even more shocked. She felt that if she stood by and watched her fellow disciples fight, what kind of Hengshan disciple would she be? So she went down to help.

But Yun Changkong held him back tightly, saying, "This is a good opportunity for the Hengshan Sect to train its troops. Just watch."

Yilin was about to ignore it when she heard a strange voice rang out: "Damn it, jumping around like that in broad daylight, are you jumping frogs?"

The voice was extremely loud, shaking the surrounding area and piercing the eardrums; one could immediately tell it came from a master.

The nuns found it even more amusing; talking about broad daylight at night was pure nonsense.

In a flash, a military officer strode confidently and arrogantly down the mountain path.

Yihe was in the middle of a fight, and he had already stood in front of a man wielding a chain gun.

The man was taken aback. He saw that the newcomer had a full beard and dressed like an official of the imperial court. He immediately raised his gun but did not fire. He pointed the tip of the gun at the man's chest and shouted, "Who are you!"

The officer sneered, his voice like the cry of an owl in the cold night, and said, word by word, "Your master is Wu Tiande, the military commander of Fuzhou!"

"By order of His Majesty, I have come to arrest thieves and robbers. Damn it, you bunch of petty thieves, surrender now! Do I have to do it myself?"

Everyone was stunned and stopped fighting; some even looked down the mountain.

Yun Changkong suddenly realized: "He really came!"

Yilin found it amusing and laughed, "It would be great if this general could just take them away."

Just then, someone shouted, "Listen to this corrupt official spouting nonsense! He's the only one!"

The officer cursed, "You son of a bitch, you call me a dog official, but you're the real thief! You're robbing people on the road here, and now that I'm here, you're trying to run away? You're truly lawless! I've caught you all, and I'll take you to the yamen. You'll each get fifty lashes, your buttocks will be bruised and bleeding, and you'll all be screaming 'My God!'"

The Hengshan disciples frowned upon hearing this, thinking to themselves, "This is a madman." Yi He stepped forward, drawing his sword to protect himself, ready to parry any spear thrusts from the enemy.

One person said, "Kill him!"

The officer then drew his sword again and cursed, "Damn it, at the last minute, this ancestral sword has rusted. Humph, if this sword hadn't rusted, I would have chopped off all ten of your heads, you petty thief."

The man wielding the gun laughed loudly, and seeing Yi He protecting the officer's chest, he immediately shouted, "Go to hell!" and swung his gun at the officer's waist.

Yihe was startled and cried out, "Watch out!"

The officer drew his sword, tearing it off scabbard as he went, yelling, "Ouch!" He lunged forward, the tip of his scabbard striking the gunman's vital point in the waist. The man collapsed to the ground without a sound. (End of Chapter)