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

Chapter 59 The Harm of the Demonic Cult
Yun Changkong said, "You wouldn't be trying to get me to reveal Xie Xun's whereabouts, would you?"

"Indeed!" Abbess Miejue nodded and said, "In this world, there is no one else who could have done it but you."

Yun Changkong chuckled and said, "Master, you're exaggerating too much."

"I am not exaggerating!" Abbess Miejue gazed into the distance and said slowly, "Back then, Xie Xun stole the Dragon-Slaying Saber on Wangpan Island and its whereabouts became unknown. Everyone present at the time, except for Bai Guishou of the Eagle Sect, was stunned into idiots by Xie Xun's Lion's Roar."

However, the Heavenly Eagle Sect's stronghold is located in Nanbeihu, near the sea. Due to the terrain, various factions have fought each other, resulting in countless deaths, but they have not been able to find out Xie Xun's whereabouts. Bai Guishou was also killed by Minjun two years ago. It is likely that only Yin Tianzheng knows Xie Xun's whereabouts.

However, his martial arts skills are profound; to date, no one who has fought him has lasted more than ten moves. Apart from Zhang Sanfeng, even the leaders of the major sects, though no weaker than him, have no guarantee of victory.

He sighed and said, "Our lives are not only our own, but also the rise and fall of our sects. We are afraid of seeking glory only to be disgraced. So naturally no one dares to challenge him, including myself."

You're all alone, and your martial arts skills are superb. Tell me, who else but you could do this?

Chang Kong smiled and said, "Is it possible that Yin Tianzheng didn't know Xie Xun's whereabouts either? Or perhaps Bai Guishou never knew back then?"

He had long known that Yin Tianzheng didn't know Xie Xun's whereabouts, but he couldn't say it outright. After all, he wasn't Yin Tianzheng!

Upon hearing this, Abbess Miejue was somewhat lost in thought. After a long while, she reached out and tucked the stray hairs from Miejue's forehead into her monk's hat, saying, "That's possible! But for many years, the Eagle Sect has never responded to this matter. If the leader of the Yintian Zhengyi Sect were to utter a single word, then unnecessary sacrifices could be avoided."

In the martial arts world today, the righteous sects and the demonic sects are locked in a bitter struggle, bound to fight to the death. Saving some of that trouble would be a great help to the martial arts world!

Chang Kong thought to himself, "She wants to get a clean break, which is a piece of cake for me. But it's a good opportunity to test Abbess Miejue's intentions and see if I'm good enough to fall for her honey trap!" On a whim, he said, "Xie Xun and I have no grudges against each other, why should I ask?"

Abbess Miejue snorted and said, "Xie Xun indiscriminately kills innocent people, his hands are stained with blood. He is also the Dharma King who protects the Demonic Sect. If he doesn't die, wouldn't he kill even more people?"

Yun Changkong shook his head and said seriously, "Master, you are a Buddhist, and you should be free from worldly attachments. You should not be too attached to thoughts of good and evil."

"Fine, you have your way, but as I said before, whether he deserves to die or not is none of my business."

Seeing his solemn expression, which made him look like a virtuous monk, Abbess Miejue asked angrily, "What brings you here to practice martial arts?"

After questioning him, she saw that Chang Kong looked up and ignored her, so she softened her tone: "We martial artists value chivalry. Just like in the Demonic Sect, there are many people with extraordinary wisdom and profound martial arts skills. If they can follow the righteous path, it will be a blessing for all living beings."

But what about them? Confident in their superior martial arts skills, they do whatever they want! Yang Xiao, the Left Guardian of Light, commits rape and plunder; the Golden-Haired Lion King indiscriminately kills innocent people; the Green-Winged Bat King sucks human blood; and Yin Baimei's children are despicable, ruthless, lewd, and shameless, having harmed the three heroes of Wudang, as everyone knows.

The Five Wanderers are ruthless killers who act on their whims without blinking an eye. The Five Elements Banner has organized numerous uprisings, calling themselves a righteous army, but in reality, they are just as cruel and despicable as the Mongol Tartars!
You have met Monk Peng and know that he and Zhou Ziwang started a rebellion, but why did it fail so quickly? It was all because the leader only cared about his own selfish desires. The Mongol soldiers slaughtered and burned in order to suppress the rebellion, but what about these so-called righteous troops?

They looted wantonly, just like the Yuan soldiers. This rabble only knew how to coerce the people, unaware of their own evil deeds!

Yun Changkong asked why he had helped her, but Abbess Miejue kept repeating the Ming Cult's faults. He thought to himself, "This nun really hates the Ming Cult!" He then said, "The Ming Cult..."

"What Ming Cult?" Abbess Miejue raised her eyebrows: "A demonic cult! Where is their 'brightness'? Do you know why they are called demons?"

Chang Kong raised an eyebrow: "Isn't it just a difference in stance and beliefs?"

"Not only that!" Abbess Miejue shook her head: "For example, Buddhism emphasizes saving all sentient beings and eliminating all evils in the world. Regardless of whether people believe in Buddhism or not, it looks at the karmic connection and will not force you to believe in Buddhism."

Taoism pursues the pure and tranquil path, and many people will become what you call the mysterious and self-possessed, which, to put it bluntly, means only caring about themselves and not caring about others! Therefore, I admire Zhang Sanfeng's martial arts skills, but not his character. I can see clearly without even reading the letter he wrote to me that he wanted to save the evil offspring of the Demonic Sect, so I ignored it regardless of the relationship between the two sects!
Because in his eyes, he only thought of Zhang Wuji as the son of his beloved disciple Zhang Cuishan, never considering that my own brother was killed by his disciple's sworn brother, and he resolutely refused to reveal his whereabouts, yet he still wanted me to save his son. I, Miejue, am not that magnanimous, much less that despicable!

Yun Changkong smiled, his respect for Abbess Miejue growing unconsciously. He felt that this nun was truly genuine!

At this moment, it actually makes people feel closer to them!

Abbess Miejue exhaled again and said, "Buddha wants to save all sentient beings, while Taoism wants to cultivate one's own virtue."
Whether people believe it or not, it doesn't cause much harm, because they all want people to refrain from committing crimes and to regulate their behavior. If you want to return to secular life, that's perfectly acceptable!
But the Demonic Cult is different.

Once you enter the church, you must not leave; otherwise, you will die!

In reality, it poisons your mind, imprisons your soul, and enslaves your actions!

Yun Changkong gasped.

Abbess Miejue continued, "You just said you were a good person, but killing and robbing is not a good thing."

“Yes!” Yun Changkong nodded.

"But the Demonic Sect is different. They believe they are strong and that they have no wrongdoing in raping, plundering, or killing innocent people."

The evil cult claims to illuminate the world with light, but I haven't seen it. I only know that the evil cult has a long history of perverse and perverse actions.

The thirty-first leader was deprived of his soul by Heaven and lost the Sacred Flame Token. The thirty-second leader was a figurehead. By the time of the thirty-third leader, Yang Dingtian, they all maintained their power by force. Which of them actually did anything as they claimed in their slogans?

Their actions are utterly evil, yet they are unaware of it!
Even if you destroy his physical body, he will still believe that his sacred fire is inextinguishable, and therefore they will not die, because the Venerable One is eternal and indestructible!

Are such people and sects extremely harmful to the world? Shouldn't we extinguish their sacred flame and let them vanish into thin air?

Yun Changkong felt a chill run through his body. This chill wasn't from the rain soaking his clothes, but from being shocked by these words.

He thought of the Ming Cult's Five Elements Flags, where hundreds of people had their arms chopped off by Abbess Miejue, yet not a single one cried out in pain or begged for mercy. This was something that couldn't be summed up simply by the word "tough guy."

It's impossible for hundreds of people to be this rigid!
Then consider Zhu Yuanzhang's rule over the country and his use of the eight-legged essay system for selecting officials. Wasn't this a form of intellectual suppression? He also enfeoffed his sons as kings, and the entire country was made to support the Zhu family. Later, the number of Zhu family kings almost burst the entire country. Wasn't this enslavement?
A chill ran through him from the depths of his heart, and he couldn't help but think, "While she may be a bit extreme, it's true. The Ming Cult is indeed a demonic cult now. It wasn't until Zhang Wuji took over that he issued strict orders to restrain the followers. But later, the power of the Ming Cult fell into the hands of Zhu Yuanzhang, and he was merely a figurehead leader. But how could I change any of this? Should I go and kill Zhu Yuanzhang? Where is he? And even if I killed him, would it really change anything?"

Chang Kong thought for a long time before sighing: "Master is a righteous person, and exterminating demons is your belief, but I am not."

All I know is that when the Mongols destroyed the Song Dynasty, countless civilians died. Not to mention ordinary people, even with the great martial arts skills of Guo Jing and the meticulous planning of Chief Huang, didn't they all die fighting for the city?
But did it finally end?
No!

We want to kill the Tartars and reclaim our land, but this will still result in the deaths of many, many people.

Even if we successfully drive the Mongols out of the Central Plains, once they return to the northern deserts, will they lose their desire to march south or their ability to do so? No, I think we will still have to fight, and people will still die!

Haha, there are no winners in this war; it's always the ordinary people at the bottom who suffer. Now you want to destroy the demons, but are the righteous immortal? You might still not get what you want!
"But Master, you have your ideas. I also wish for a peaceful world, free from war!"

"Heh, may the world be at peace, and may there never be war!" Abbess Miejue laughed sadly, "That's just wishful thinking!" "Yes, I have ideas, but they're impractical!" Yun Changkong said loudly, "Do you think I don't know that? That's precisely why I want to mind my own business and not care about anything else!"

Abbess Miejue had intended to take this opportunity to lecture him, but he shut her down with a few words, leaving her no choice but to nod: "Everyone has their own ambitions. But finding out Xie Xun's whereabouts will also be of great benefit to you!"

Chang Kong asked, "What are the benefits?"

Abbess Miejue stared at him and said, "Since you say you have no master, then where did you get your Shaolin internal strength?"

The rumors circulating in the martial arts world now say that you possess the Nine Yang Manual, and that this manual caused a major upheaval at Shaolin Temple back then.

Zhang Sanfeng was indeed a genius of his generation, but he only achieved what he has today because of the Nine Yang Manual. He single-handedly shook the position of Shaolin Temple as the martial arts master that had been accumulated over thousands of years. How could Shaolin Temple not be angry?
The Buddhist community is compassionate and wouldn't make things difficult for you over baseless accusations. However, if you had won your fight with Yin Tianzheng, how could you have stood by and watched your sect's supreme martial arts be passed on to an outsider?

Yun Changkong smiled and said, "Since I dare to learn, I am not afraid of the consequences, so there is no need for you to worry about it, Master!"

Abbess Miejue nodded and said, "Good ambition! But if there is a ready solution, why not do it? Why do you have to fight with others?"
Back then, Xie Xun killed the monk Kongjian. If you just expose him, how could Shaolin Temple have the nerve to make things difficult for you? They'd even have to thank you. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?

Yun Changkong laughed heartily, his hands behind his back: "When the time comes, I'll just say one thing: it seems that Shaolin martial arts can only be fully utilized in the hands of me, Yun Changkong, isn't that right?"

Seeing his posture, Abbess Miejue's face darkened, her lips trembled, and she slowly said, "If you say it like that, a good thing will turn into a bad thing!"

"Haha..." Yun Changkong laughed, "Just kidding, nun. One should know one's place. I'm not some chivalrous hero who upholds justice. As long as you promise me one thing, I'll take responsibility for finding out Xie Xun's whereabouts!"

Abbess Miejue nodded and said, "As the saying goes, if one's virtue is not commensurate with it, the calamity will be severe; if one's ability is not commensurate with it, the disaster will be great. You are indeed a remarkable person! Tell me your conditions!"
“Simple!” Yun Changkong said slowly, “You will marry your disciple Zhou Zhiruo to me as my wife.”

"How dare you!" These words ignited Abbess Miejue's arrogance, and she retorted sharply, "What kind of person do you take me for!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his right palm rose, this time using a mysterious skill to unleash energy from a distance. A gust of wind mixed with drizzle rushed toward his chest.

Yun Changkong stretched out his palm and swept it downwards, deflecting the wind from the palm to the side, and said, "Look, you are not willing to make any effort to achieve your goal, so why should I make any effort for nothing!"

Abbess Miejue was taken aback. She closed her eyes and said bitterly, "Zhiruo is a good match for you, but she is still young!"

Hearing this, Yun Changkong felt a sense of satisfaction, but also couldn't help but sigh, thinking to himself, "Zhou Xiaoniu is ultimately just a tool!" He said, "Master, I was just joking, don't take it seriously!"

He had no intention of marrying Zhou Zhiruo; that woman's nature was unpredictable. She seemed harmless, but no one knew what might cause her to turn evil. Moreover, she obeyed her master's orders, stabbing without hesitation, regardless of the sharpness of the Heaven-Slaying Sword or whether the victim could withstand it—it was terrifying to even think about!
However, when Abbess Miejue heard that he was just joking, her face darkened.

Seeing her smug expression, Yun Changkong knew something was wrong and said, "Xie Xun has the Dragon-Slaying Saber, which contains a great secret. Who wouldn't want to possess it and become the supreme master of the martial arts world?"

I don't really have any designs on your disciple, and besides, I wouldn't dare to disrespect you. I only wanted to secretly find out Xie Xun's whereabouts and seize the Dragon-Slaying Saber. However, seeing how much the nun is willing to risk everything for the greater good, I can't help but admire her!
"Alright, I agree. I'll ask Yin Tianzheng about Xie Xun's whereabouts."

Upon hearing this, Abbess Miejue understood, but also felt a sense of doubt: "You also know the secret of the Dragon-Slaying Saber?" She added, "Could it be that you learned it from Shi Huolong?"

Yun Changkong thought to himself, "Does Shi Huolong know too? Hmm, very likely! Huang Rong is the leader of the Beggars' Sect, and so is her son-in-law Yelü Qi. There's no reason the Beggars' Sect wouldn't have this information!" He then said, "I don't think this secret is anything special, so I won't mention it. Anyway, when I ask Yin Tianzheng about Xie Xun's whereabouts, you can just listen in, right?"

"Fine!" Dejected, Abbess Miejue walked to the edge of the cliff, waved her sleeves, and jumped off!

"Wait for me!" Yun Changkong also leaped down.

Both of them were highly skilled in martial arts. When they fell several feet, they either reached out and pressed each other down to dissipate the force of the fall, or they braced themselves against the mountain wall with their feet, and thus they swayed and floated down from the high cliff.

As luck would have it, when they were still about ten feet from the foot of the mountain, two people were walking briskly along the mountain path. One of them said, "That kid Yun Changkong is actually in cahoots with the Mongol Tartars! It's unbelievable! He's really disgraced his father!"

Another sneered, "You're ignorant, aren't you? Back then, Zhang Cuishan even stooped to such low levels because of the demonic women of the Demonic Sect, completely disregarding the reputation of Zhang Sanfeng and the Wudang Sect. Compared to Zhang Sanfeng, Yunhe is nothing!"

"Alas, although the Demonic Sect is despicable, the Right Envoy of Light went undercover to gather secrets, but he, in order to please a woman, actually reported to the Mongols."

"Hmph, I thought Yun Changkong was a hero for taking down the Eagle Sect, but it turns out it was all for a Mongolian princess. Does this slut have that much magic?"
"Pah, what a fucking shameless person!"

Yun Changkong and Abbess Miejue possessed profound inner strength, and they heard these words as they were falling, feeling slightly taken aback.

After they landed, they saw that the two men were dressed in tattered clothes, like beggars, and carrying several cloth bags on their backs, so they knew that the other party was a member of the Beggars' Sect.

Abbess Miejue turned to look at Changkong: "What's going on here?"

Yun Changkong had a vague idea of ​​what was going on. He pointed at the two of them and said, "If I said this was slander against me, would you believe me?"

Abbess Miejue said, "Zhang Cuishan has willingly defiled himself, ruined his reputation, and implicated Wudang, all because he couldn't control himself from women. You'd better watch yourself!" With a series of movements, she disappeared into the darkness without a sound.

Yun Changkong felt a chill upon hearing this. Such rumors harbored extremely malicious intent, starting with martial arts manuals to incite people's greed.

He then claimed that his act of revealing Fan Yao's identity was entirely for the sake of the Mongolian princess's beauty, which not only angered the Ming Cult but also disgusted the righteous heroes!
Not only did he incite the Ming Cult to retaliate against him, but he also labeled him a traitor for his actions against the Eagle Cult.

Yun Changkong was fully aware of this wicked scheme.

What's terrifying is that he knew it was a trap, yet he had no choice but to step into it!
Are we not going to have a duel with the Sky Eagle Sect?
To earn a reputation for being afraid of war?
But if we go and win, we'll expel the Sky Eagle Cult from the fold!

Isn't it just as rumored, that they're working for the Mongol Tartars?

At this moment, Yun Changkong sorted out all his thoughts. The source of this rumor must be Fan Yao of the Ming Cult!

Of course, Zhao Min definitely played a part in it.

No wonder she wanted to save Fan Yao. All that talk about master-disciple relationship was just an excuse. What she wanted was to use the Ming Cult to force the martial arts world to leave her with nowhere to go!

Perhaps, he was even thinking that if he had nowhere else to turn, he could seek refuge under her command, just like the Beggar Clan elder "Eight-Armed Divine Sword" Fang Dongbai!
But Yun Changkong was not afraid. He was a lone wolf and had nothing to fear from these schemes. However, he thought to himself, "Now that I am caught in the vortex, I don't know how many people in the martial arts world will be moved by my presence. If I go to Wutai Mountain with Wang Xiaotian, my own life is not guaranteed, and I might even end up killing him!"

"Well, we finally got our hands on the Black Jade Bone-Mending Ointment; we have to get it to Wudang Mountain. Otherwise, all our hard work will have been for nothing."

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(End of this chapter)