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

Chapter 32 Entanglement of Grudges

Peng Yingyu was quite different from other high-ranking members of the Ming Cult. He and his junior brother Zhou Ziwang rebelled, but were defeated by the Yuan Dynasty. He knew that the Ming Cult alone could not drive out the Mongol invaders, so he wanted to unite with the major sects of the world to join forces with the Ming Cult.

However, the enmity between the two sides was too deep. His power was not enough to intimidate people, and his virtue was not enough to win people's hearts. In his attempts to persuade them, he ended up losing an eye himself.

But he didn't give up and kept traveling around. Until today, when he saw the vast sky, he felt he had seen hope.

So when Yun Changkong and Yin Yewang started fighting, he struck Yin Yewang with his palm, just wanting to prevent the two from getting into a fight and getting out of control. After all, Changkong's enemies were only Yin Wufu and Yin Wulu, but they had been immobilized by Yun Changkong's acupoints and had no chance to use their abilities.

The dust had settled, but it wasn't beyond repair yet. He wanted to persuade him again, even going so far as to bring up Zhang Sanfeng and lavishly flatter Yun Changkong.

However, Yun Changkong was not swayed by flattery. At his age, no matter how good his martial arts skills were, they were all thanks to the "Jade Pendant." How could he have the face to accept such high praise?

Yun Changkong laughed loudly and said, "Master Peng, I feel embarrassed whether I accept your high praise or not. I am where I am today not because of my own ability, how dare I compare myself to Master Zhang?"

You're right, driving out the Tartars is a matter of righteousness!
To be honest, I know you somewhat. I've thought about and imagined for many years how you people have the spirit to sacrifice your homes and families to drive out the invaders. If we were in your shoes, I would definitely not be as good as you!
That's why I admire people like you.

People like you are the backbone of a nation and the guarantee that our Han people can defeat powerful enemies no matter what foreign enemies we encounter or how many dangers we face!

The world losing one Yun Changkong is no big deal, but losing one person like you is a tremendous loss. That's why I don't want to hurt you and am willing to say a few more words to you! But when the three members of the Yin family pressured my father back then, didn't they know that he was also a hero who was determined to expel the Tartars and put his ambitions into action?

Yun Changkong was no ordinary person; he naturally understood Monk Peng's intentions and reasoning, so he was certainly right.

What the world truly lacks now is a figure who can eliminate the conflict between good and evil and unite heroes from all over the world to overthrow the Tartars. The protagonist Zhang Wuji can almost be said to have emerged at the right time.

Yun Changkong will not delve into the original historical developments!
In the world of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, without Zhang Wuji, the expulsion of the Tartars might not have been possible, and it might have required many more years of sacrifice.

Because in this world, although there are constant uprisings, they cannot unite. Even the Ming Cult itself is fragmented and uncoordinated!
It was Zhang Wuji who solved this problem, saved the six major sects, and resolved the conflict between good and evil. His act of repaying evil with kindness not only made the righteous sects grateful, but also made the Beggars' Sect, Wudang Sect, Shaolin Sect, Kongtong Sect, Huashan Sect and other sects willing to unite with the Ming Cult to start an uprising together!
They also obtained Yue Fei's military strategy and Guo Jing's experience in fighting the Mongols for many years. In this way, the Ming Cult rebels had no martial arts gangs to hinder them and could fight the Yuan Dynasty in one fell swoop.

Even the woman in yellow looked favorably upon Zhang Wuji.

Despite her aloof and arrogant nature, which inevitably made her somewhat bossy, she was extremely kind to Zhang Wuji because he was doing important things like resolving hatred in the martial arts world and fighting against the Mongols.

This coincides with the responsibility that the woman in the yellow shirt bears!

Therefore, she obtained the secret of the sword from Zhou Zhiruo and gave it to Zhang Wuji.

Yun Changkong understood even more clearly that the woman in yellow teaching him martial arts was not because she had fallen in love with him, but because she valued his background and "martial arts talent" so that he could accomplish great things.

Therefore, when descending the mountain, he sent a message through his maid to leave himself room to maneuver. In reality, he wanted to avoid taking his anger out on others, committing more killings, and earning a bad reputation.

Even now, Yunhe hasn't told Yun Changkong where he stored the supplies he stockpiled when he started his rebellion, because he wanted to see if his son was up to the task.

If he were to emerge from the mountains with extraordinary martial arts skills, only to end up like the Golden Lion King—whose fame resounded throughout the world, yet was met with scorn and condemnation—he would be unable to raise the banner of righteousness.

Even though Yun Changkong understood everything, just thinking about how he had only been here for three days, yet he had fawned over Yin Wushou, then painted his face black, and was rushing about in a donkey cart, fearing he would be killed before even reaching Zhongnan Mountain!
The experience of being on tenterhooks, sitting in a dilapidated car and being rocked for hundreds of kilometers, would perhaps have faded for him if he were a child, just like Zhang Wuji, as he grew older.

But Yun Changkong has the soul of an adult, and everything is deeply ingrained in his mind.

He was thinking, "I don't care about your lofty ideals, right or wrong. What I've suffered today, you have to pay back."

He'll be good to whoever treats him well!
He'll be ruthless to whoever is ruthless to him!
This is the belief he should uphold!

Whether it's right or wrong doesn't matter!
Therefore, Yun Changkong's purpose in coming to Jiangnan was not only to seek revenge, but also to take the opportunity to repay a favor.

This is the most important thing!
As the saying goes, a gentleman owes heaven and earth a debt, but he owes no favors to others!
Then we need to pay attention to the methods and approaches!
This affection belongs to Yunhe, Zhang Songxi, and the woman in yellow; how could I possibly disappoint them?
My father, Yunhe, earned a reputation for good character throughout his life!
Zhang Songxi, a renowned swordsman!
The woman in yellow is also a descendant of a great hero!
If Yun Changkong is a despicable person, then who does he live up to?
Peng Yingyu was speechless for a moment after hearing Chang Kong's words.

This was because Peng Yingyu believed that Yun Changkong was a member of Shaolin Temple, the most prestigious martial arts sect in the world, and respected by all. Yun Changkong was only sixteen years old this year, and he had single-handedly defeated veteran masters like Yin Wufu and Wu Lu, who had been famous for over thirty years, plus Yin Yewang. What master at such a young age could match his achievements? It was simply unprecedented.

He must be highly valued by his master, which is why he didn't hesitate to swallow his pride and bring up Zhang Sanfeng, just to flatter Yun Changkong.

He thought that Chang Kong was so young, and with such praise from him, he might become arrogant and back down at the first sign of trouble. That would create the possibility of turning enemies into friends, joining hands, and driving out the Tartars.

But I never expected Yunhe to do this!
However, the same thing will naturally not be understood uniformly by people from different perspectives.

Yin Wulu, standing to the side, was filled with indignation, because he felt resentful towards Yun He, but he couldn't say it now.

Yun Changkong squinted and said, "Why don't you bring out my family's escort flag? Are you waiting for me to really invite you to dinner?"

Yun Changkong knew all too well that for ordinary people, the word "death" would terrify them to the point of wetting their pants.

Those who are afraid of death will only think that killing will instill fear in others.

However, people like Yin Wufu and Yin Wulu simply do not exist, as can be seen from Yin Wushou's past behavior in the Yun family.

Those are stones from a cesspool, smelly and hard!
They really don't value their lives.

Not only other people's things, but also your own.

If a person is not afraid of death, and is treated with death, then what meaning is there in seeking revenge or venting anger?

As Yun Changkong knew, how could he not know that Miejue had cut off dozens of arms of Ming Cult members at once, and was about to cut off another arm, yet not one of them yielded?

This will horrify those who have had their arms chopped off!

There's a good reason why these people are called demons.

Yin Wufu shook his head with a wry smile and said, "We can't produce the flag anymore. We gave it to the Wudang Sect!"

Yun Changkong said in a deep voice, "What do you mean? Are you kidding me? If you want to say that you threw away the flag or didn't bring it with you when you went out today, that's a valid excuse. I can have the flag maker from your Sky Eagle Sect make one for me right now. What are you trying to do by bringing up the Wudang Sect?"

Yin Wufu said, "We met your father in Xiangyang that day. Later, we seized the flag and gave it to my son-in-law when we went up Wudang Mountain to deliver it as a gift. He and his daughter committed suicide at Zhang Zhenren's birthday banquet. We have been unable to go up Wudang Mountain since then."

Yin Wulu interjected, "One should always be grateful and repay kindness!"

When my son-in-law learned what we had done, he frowned deeply. I thought he thought we had gone too far and was going to chase after them and kill your father and the others. But he stopped us, saying we had gone too far!
Tell me, if it weren't for your son-in-law's intervention, if we had killed your father, would we have spared your entire family? And where would you be today?

We people of the martial world hold grudges very seriously. How you treat me and my elder brother is up to you. But for the sake of my son-in-law, you shouldn't treat my young master like this!

Yun Changkong's face was ashen, but his eyes gleamed. He didn't know this part in his previous life, and he didn't know it now, because Yun He didn't know it either.

With a loud thud, Wang Xiaotian slammed his hand on the table and roared, "Even now, you still don't realize where you went wrong? How dare you say such things?"

Yin Wufu said, "Am I not telling the truth?"

Yin Wulu shouted, "The lives of the entire Yun family were saved by Zhang Sixia of Wudang, and Yun He still wants to send people to cause trouble for the Wudang Sect. Don't you want to settle this matter? Let's ask the heroes of the world, how can such ingratitude be so unreasonable?"

Yun Changkong swayed, and everyone felt a sudden gust of wind rise. Changkong grabbed Yin Wulu by the chest and slapped him twice, making him bleed profusely.

Yun Changkong suddenly appeared beside Yin Yewang again, stepping on him once more as if he had never moved. He lifted Yin Wulu into the air and cursed, "You old bastard, it would have been better if you hadn't mentioned this. It makes me angry just thinking about it! Why did my father seek out the Wudang Sect? Wasn't it all thanks to your Tianying Sect?"

Yun Changkong's guess was correct. The woman in yellow gave him earnest advice, telling him to leave himself some room for maneuver while also observing his behavior.
The real hope is that after he leaves the mountain, he can earn a good reputation in the martial arts world, so that he can gather people's hearts and minds and plan great things in the future. If he becomes infamous and unpopular as soon as he leaves the mountain, he can only remain a lone eccentric in the martial arts world.

In today's world, it is of little use.

Wang Xiaotian was also observing Yun Changkong's character in secret. As a disciple of the Beggar Clan leader, he was far superior to Yun Changkong in terms of status and position.

The reason he was willing to run errands was certainly because he needed someone's help, but how could he bring a coward who relied solely on strength and would stop at nothing to achieve his goals to his master who was unable to move freely?

If that's the case, then it's not saving the master, but harming the master.

Yun Changkong was well aware of this, so he always acted in accordance with reason, rather than simply relying on martial arts to win.

Having a legitimate reason for one's actions is always necessary.

If martial arts alone could accomplish everything in the world, then Yang Dingtian's martial arts skills, aside from Zhang Sanfeng, were almost unmatched, yet he still couldn't command the obedience of other sects! However, Yun Changkong was furious to hear that these people still felt they were right!

Yun Changkong casually tossed Yin Wulu aside, then turned his gaze to Yin Yewang: "Back then, you and Yin Susu plotted against Yu Sanxia for the Dragon-Slaying Saber, but your sister concealed her identity and gave him to the Longmen Escort Agency, which was run by a lay disciple of Shaolin. This was because of the background of Zhang Zhenren of Wudang. The two factions have always been at odds, as everyone knows."

Yu Sanxia is a first-rate figure in Wudang, yet he was sent back to the mountain by the bodyguards of Shaolin Temple. Who wouldn't laugh at him?

Yin Susu said that if the Longmen Escort Agency's escort mission suffered any mishap, not a single chicken or dog would be spared. Haha, what a shameless bastard!

If the entire family is implicated because of one person's mistake, then your Sky Eagle Sect has such a vicious witch who harms the young and old. Shouldn't your entire sect die?
Moreover, if Yin Susu had directly revealed the name of your Tianying Sect when she destroyed the Longmen Escort Agency, I would have respected you Jianghu villains for being upright and honorable!
But she impersonated Zhang Cuishan to commit the murders. To solidify this claim, she even killed the Shaolin monks who witnessed Zhang Cuishan's face to silence them. This was so that the Shaolin monks who saw Zhang Cuishan at the crime scene could escape, allowing them to spread the word throughout the martial arts world, leading everyone to believe that the Longmen Escort Agency massacre was committed by Zhang Wuxia of Wudang!

"Bang!" Wang Xiaotian slammed his hand on the table again and stood up abruptly: "Your people who entrusted the escort said that if the Longmen Escort Agency made a mistake and wiped out the entire family, the Wudang Sect would immediately send several disciples down the mountain to protect the entire Longmen Escort Agency family even if Yu Sanxia was poisoned and crippled. What a chivalrous sect this is!"
Let's say that this is how you demonic cult members exterminate entire families—you're heartless and cruel. But what about Zhang Cuishan?

Is he a member of the Demonic Cult?
He bore the stigma of murder. Chief Escort Yun and the Longmen Escort Agency shared the same food and were closely allies. His entire family, young and old, was wiped out by a Wudang hero. Shouldn't he go to the Wudang Sect, which prides itself on chivalry, and ask them if they were merely seeking fame and allowing their disciples to slaughter the innocent? Monk Peng, don't you think he should ask?

Peng Yingyu sighed, "That's the question!"

"Good!" Wang Xiaotian said, "Chief Escort Yun is an upright person who did not follow the crowd. When they went to Wudang Mountain, it was still some time before Master Zhang's birthday. They were looking for Zhang Cuishan, whom everyone thought was a murderer. Even the Wudang Sect did not make things difficult for them. You dogs overstepped your bounds, seized their escort flag, and forced them to cut off their arms and swear an oath. Even now, you are still shameless enough to say that Chief Escort Yun is ungrateful!"
You need to understand that it was Zhang Sixia of Wudang who was kind to the Yun family, not Zhang Cuishan. If you let a villain who slaughtered an entire family go free just because someone in a sect was kind to someone else!
If people in Shaolin Temple do evil, then no one in the world has the right to interfere, because how many martial arts practitioners haven't received favors from Shaolin Temple?
And wasn't all of this a setup by Yin Susu? Could Chief Escort Yun and his men possibly find a renowned and righteous hero?

Yun Changkong said, "Yin Susu and Zhang Cuishan were captured by the Golden Lion King and have been missing for ten years. The martial arts world was thrown into turmoil because of this case. If it weren't for the maturity and prudence of Master Zhang of Wudang and Master Kongwen of Shaolin, the two sects would have already been fighting each other. Others may not know the inside story, but does your Tianying Sect not know?"
But you vicious villains, your hearts are despicable! You want to incite the righteous sects to kill each other and conceal the truth. If Yin Susu hadn't gone to Wudang Mountain, how long would you have kept this a secret?

Wang Xiaotian said, "People like them, unless they are at their wits' end, would they easily bow their heads?"

Yun Changkong and Wang Xiaotian angrily rebuked and cursed, and everyone from Yin Yewang down looked extremely ugly.

Because, based on their understanding, they knew they were in the wrong and couldn't refute it. This was because when Yin Susu entrusted the shipment, she said she would kill the entire Longmen Escort Agency if things went wrong, but when she actually killed them, she deliberately impersonated Zhang Cuishan.

The Sky Eagle Cult has never taken responsibility for this matter from beginning to end!

Yun Changkong's face was incredibly gloomy as he looked at Yin Wufu and Yin Wulu: "The flag is at the Wudang Sect. I just happen to be passing by. I'll get it myself from there. Now, chop off my hands!"

Yin Wufu and Yin Wulu exchanged a glance and shouted, "Bring me the knife!" Two cult members responded and stepped forward, handing them the knife.

Yin Wufu sighed and said, "Young Master Yun, your martial arts are far superior to ours. Let alone taking one of my arms, what is my life? But the matter of your father was entirely our own decision, and the matter of your family was also decided by my second brother and me. The sect leader and the young sect leader were not involved. I only hope that you can put aside past grievances and stop fighting."

As he spoke, he stretched out his left arm, swung the knife and slashed, and with a hiss, his arm was severed, and blood gushed out.

He winced in pain, his lips trembling, but he didn't utter a sound.

Yin Wulu shouted, "I'll repay everything I owe the Yun family!" With a hiss, a flash of cold light appeared, and his left arm was cleanly severed. The knife in his right hand rang out and stuck into the ground.

Yun Changkong thought they would be in excruciating pain after having their arms cut off, but they didn't utter a sound. Instead, he gave them a thumbs up and said, "Good, damn it, you're really fierce! You guys are real men!"

Yin Wulu let out a cold laugh: "Yun Changkong, no matter what others think, my Tianying Sect and Wudang Sect are related by marriage. Yunhe and you have both received the life-saving grace of Zhang Sixia. If you do not repay this grace, no matter how high your martial arts are, you will be despised by others!"

Yun Changkong said calmly, "My Yun family will naturally repay the favor Zhang Sixiamen owes. You can wait and see how I repay it!"

Yin Wulu laughed and said, "Then I'll wait and see!"

After saying that, he lowered his body, flew straight up, and crashed into a pillar of the restaurant.

"Second uncle!"

"Second Master!"

Amidst the cries of Yin Yewang and the followers of the Sky Eagle Cult, Yin Wulu slammed his head against a giant pillar, his brains splattering out instantly, and he collapsed to the ground dead.

Even if their death wasn't exactly tragic, it was still incredibly moving!
Yun Changkong couldn't help but raise his eyebrows; he had to admit that he didn't have that kind of courage.

As he pondered this, Yin Wufu let out a long sigh and said, "So be it! So be it! My brothers are all gone. What face do I have to live in this world?"

As he spoke, he raised the knife in his hand and, with a "whoosh," slashed it down towards his own neck.

Seeing one man die and another about to commit suicide, Peng Yingyu was both anxious and angry, and shouted, "Please don't die!"

This is clearly not going to work!
With a hiss, a head flew off, and blood gushed three feet from its cavity.

With a thud, Yin Wufu's body collapsed to the ground.

In an instant, the building fell silent.

Similarly, it was filled with murderous intent.

All eyes turned to the sky, filled with hatred.

Yun Changkong witnessed this tragedy when he was eleven years old, and simply said, "The three Yin brothers have always been inseparable. It is quite rare for them to die together at the hands of one person."

Everyone was furious, but Wang Xiaotian laughed and said, "I think it's because the feng shui of this Drunken Immortal Pavilion is bad. Changchunzi killed Jin soldiers here in the past, and Brother Yun killed someone again today. Just give him some more silver."

When the crowd heard him compare Yin Wufu and Wulu to the Jin soldiers, if it weren't for the fear of Yun Changkong and Yin Yewang, they would have already unleashed a hail of arrows and riddled the boy with holes.

Yun Changkong said with a smile, "You said Haiyan County is only a few dozen kilometers away from here, why is Yin Tianzheng so slow? It's already dark. Waiter, light the candles!"

"Sigh, sigh..." Several men were busy lighting candles.

Wang Xiaotian chuckled and said, "I suppose Eagle King doesn't think his son can handle Brother Yun!"

Yin Yewang shouted, "I came here without informing my father, so it's natural that he was slow to arrive after receiving the news. Why are you all in such a hurry?"

Yun Changkong chuckled: "With you by our side, what's the rush? No rush, not at all!"

Yin Yewang fell silent.

Yes, I'm trapped in their hands, unable to move a single finger. I can't even emulate Yin Wufu and Yin Wulu. If I give the order to fire arrows, the followers will certainly not dare to obey because of my father!

What can he do besides fly into a rage of impotence?
Thinking about it this way, I felt much more at ease.

When his father arrives, he can simply have him and Yun Changkong and the others shot dead.

Peng Yingyu could only sigh and think that with Yin Tianzheng coming, no matter how much she tried to persuade him...

He couldn't persuade Yun Changkong.

Suddenly, a whistling sound came from afar. The sound was as faint as a whisper, but it was sharp, piercing, and soul-stirring. Yin Yewang suddenly cried out, "Father is here!"

Yun Changkong's spirits lifted, and he looked out the window.

Night had fallen, and the moonlight reflected on the lake, making the water as smooth as a mirror. Looking to the north, a large ship was seen approaching, with many smaller boats gathering from all directions.

As soon as the whistling stopped, many large conch shells began to hum. The ship had three stories, and torches were held high. A large black eagle was painted on the ship, its wings spread wide, looking fierce.

Seated on a chair at the bow of the ship was a bald, elderly man in a white robe with wide sleeves. He was clearly a large man, and even seated, he was as tall as the followers behind him.
Chang Kong laughed, "This is quite a show of force, brother. We've gone a bit too far today; we're probably doomed. Don't blame me if you die!"

Wang Xiaotian whispered, "My son got arrested, but I'm making a bigger show of it than him! Haha..."

Chang Kong laughed loudly, looking up at the sky.

"look!"

Wang Xiaotian pointed to the lake as he spoke.

(End of this chapter)