Yue Buqun: My Mount Hua has been time-traveled.

Manager Qian delivered twenty taels of silver.

The amount given was not reduced because Mount Hua was in decline, but it was also not increased because Mount Hua was in decline.

They were so well-behaved, as if the Huashan Sect was still the same Huashan Sect as before, and they carefully protected their self-esteem.

These silver coins weren't as pure white as they appear in TV dramas. Due to oxidation and handling from too many hands, they were dirty and covered in stains and teeth marks.

But it was enough to make Ning Zhongze overjoyed.

She exclaimed with delight, "That's wonderful! With these twenty taels of silver, we'll have enough food for this winter!"

In the great battle between the Sword Sect and the Qi Sect of Mount Hua, the Qi Sect emerged victorious and seized control of Mount Hua.

However, more disciples of the Sword Sect survived.

Before they fled, they took all the silver and money from the entire Mount Hua.

Although the senior and junior students were the victors, they were penniless and struggling to even get through the winter.

However, after the girl's joy came guilt...

Ning Zhongze gently bit her lip and said, "Qixia Town originally belonged to the jurisdiction of our Huashan Sect, but now it has been occupied by underworld forces. I heard that the Poisonous Snake Gang is backed by the Salt Gang, and the Salt Gang and the Beggar Gang have always been enemies. Recently, there have been significantly more Beggar Gang disciples at the foot of the mountain than before. It is clearly Huashan territory, but these people treat Huashan as nothing and brazenly seize our territory!"

The young girl felt a mixture of resentment and guilt.

I refuse to tolerate these shameless scoundrels who prey on the descendants of the deceased!

They felt even more guilty that Manager Qian had taken a risk on his journey up the mountain, yet they had no way to repay him, which was truly a disgrace to their reputation as righteous and chivalrous.

Yue Buqun said softly, "We are currently at a critical juncture for the Huashan Sect, and there is nothing we can do about it. At worst, we can repay and take care of them even more after we have revitalized the Huashan Sect."

Outside the hall, hurried footsteps could be heard.

An old servant rushed in and reported, "Sect Leader, Miss, Master Fei Bin of the Songshan Sect has led his disciples to request an audience."

"The Songshan Sect?"

The brother and sister stood up at the same time, their expressions becoming serious.

The thing I feared most has happened.

Fei Bin is now in his early twenties, in the prime of his life.

But he has already made quite a name for himself in the martial arts world.

His title of "Great Songyang Hand" carries immense prestige, making him a standout among the younger generation of the Songshan School.

His attitude was quite polite when he came up the mountain.

Before going up the mountain, he sent his disciples to present a visiting card, but after arriving at the mountain, when he faced Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze who were there to receive him, his eyes were filled with undisguised contempt.

They wouldn't even wait for three rounds of tea before getting straight to the point.

Fei Bin said, "Junior Brother Yue, I am Fei Bin from the Songshan Sect. I heard that the Huashan Sect has suffered a great calamity, and my master is deeply concerned. He specially sent us to offer our condolences. Furthermore, the Five Mountains Command Flag is a shared token of our Five Mountains Sword Sects. Now that Huashan is in a weakened state, to prevent the flag from being lost, my master asked Junior Brother Yue to prioritize the greater good and hand over the flag to our Songshan Sect for safekeeping."

What a high-sounding and dignified explanation!

This is not a gesture of condolence; it is clearly an attempt to take advantage of someone's misfortune and seize power!

Ning Zhongze was so angry that her pretty face turned red, and her hand gripping the sword hilt began to turn white.

He was about to explode when Yue Buqun stopped him with a look.

He wasn't actually surprised by the arrival of the Songshan Sect.

In the storyline, the Huashan Sect also lost all its elites due to the sword qi dispute. In the end, it couldn't even keep its position as the leader of the Five Mountains Alliance, and it was eventually taken over by the Songshan Sect.

Therefore, Yue Buqun had anticipated this point long ago.

I just didn't expect them to arrive so quickly, without even a moment's pretense or waiting...

No, it's not that I'm unwilling to wait.

Rather, they feared that the other three factions were also eyeing the Five Mountains Command Flag!

You know, even if the Hengshan Sect is full of nuns, are they really so pure and detached from worldly desires, and indifferent to power and influence?

Right now, the Huashan Sect is a piece of fat meat, and it's not just the Songshan Sect that's eyeing them.

Yue Buqun grasped Ning Zhongze's hand, suppressing her anger that was about to erupt.

He sighed softly, "Brother Fei is quite right. Huashan has suffered such a great calamity and is indeed powerless to protect such a precious treasure as the command flag. However... this matter concerns the reputation of our Five Mountains Sword Sect. If I hand it over like this, wouldn't people misunderstand that the Songshan Sect is bullying the weak? It would also make people think that our Five Mountains Sword Sect is not united, but has always been fighting each other. In that case, we will inevitably be ridiculed by the Demonic Sect, who will say that the Songshan Sect is despicable, shameless, and vile, acting like a prostitute while pretending to be virtuous. It will also make Wudang and Shaolin look down on us."

Fei Bin's eyebrows twitched repeatedly.

He gritted his teeth and asked, "So what are you planning to do?"

"Speaking of this matter, I actually had this idea a long time ago. In fact, I have already sent my disciples to deliver invitations to the major sects."

Yue Buqun said, "One month from now, I will open the gates of the Huashan Righteousness Hall and hold a ceremony to relinquish the alliance. I sincerely invite all martial arts practitioners to witness this. At that time, my Huashan Sect will personally hand over the Five Mountains Flag, which will fulfill the bond of brotherhood among the Five Mountains Sword Sects. What do you think of this, Senior Brother Fei?"

Fei Bin's expression instantly turned somewhat unpleasant.

He knew from his arrival that the Huashan Sect would not easily submit.

The sect leader also instructed that they could act as they saw fit.

He just didn't expect that this Sect Leader Yue, who looked a few years younger than him, would be so troublesome.

Handing over the command flag in front of all the heroes of the world?

Wouldn't the Songshan Sect be misunderstood by everyone as engaging in underworld activities of taking advantage of others' misfortunes and extorting money?

But the other party's words were watertight and morally sound, and he couldn't find a single reason to refute them.

Fei Bin could only manage to squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth: "Good! What a considerate Sect Leader Yue! We'll come back to learn from you again in a month!"

Having said that, he looked at the tea the old servant offered and sneered, "What kind of shabby place is this? This inferior tea is worthy of my sip?"

He angrily spilled the tea and stormed off!

"Take care, Senior Brother Fei."

Yue Buqun, however, remained unhurried, offering his words of advice while sitting motionless in the main seat, watching him stride away from Mount Hua.

Ning Zhongze bit her lip reluctantly and asked, "Senior brother, when did you send people to deliver invitations to the various sects?"

Yue Buqun sighed, "I was just bluffing him. Otherwise, if he wanted to kill us to silence us in this remote mountain area, the two of us would be no match for his many hands."

"I see."

Ning Zhongze breathed a sigh of relief, then asked, "Senior brother, you...you're just going to agree to hand over the Five Mountains Command Flags like that?!"

"What else? Resist? With what? Just the two of us siblings, and a dilapidated mountain gate?"

Yue Buqun sighed, "The situation is beyond our control. We can't possibly hold onto the Five Mountains Flag. Since it's destined to be given away, we can only try our best to secure the greatest possible benefit for ourselves."

Ning Zhongze asked, puzzled, "So, holding that so-called 'leaving the alliance' conference will actually help us fight for our rights?"

Yue Buqun explained, "Proactively handing over the command flag is an enormous favor, especially since it's witnessed by various sects like Shaolin, Wudang, Kunlun, and the Beggars' Sect. Do you think the Songshan Sect would still have the nerve to attack us after receiving this benefit?"

Ning Zhongze's bright eyes lit up slightly as she realized what was happening.

She patted her head in surprise and said, "How come I didn't think of that?"

Yue Buqun's gaze fell on the mourning flower at Ning Zhongze's temple.

The girl was already extremely beautiful, but now, dressed in plain white, she looked even more pitiful, truly living up to the saying, "If you want to look pretty, wear mourning clothes."

He asked, "And...Junior Sister, do you still remember Master's dying words?"

Upon hearing this, Ning Zhongze's pretty face flushed crimson.

Her eyes darted around, and she looked away somewhat embarrassedly, saying vaguely, "My father instructed me to marry you as soon as possible so that the Huashan Sect can have many descendants."

"That's not appropriate."

Yue Buqun sighed, "Our master devoted himself to the Huashan Sect. Now that he has passed away, as his only daughter, you should pay your respects with the most solemn mourning rites!"

The term "斩衰" (zhǎn shuāi) is also known as "斩缞" (zhǎn mǐ).

The children would wear mourning clothes, tie hemp sashes, fasten belts, wear crowns with tassels, wear reeds, and carry hemp canes to observe three years of mourning for their deceased father, in order to repay the kindness of adopting and raising him for three years.

Of course, those who live the martial arts world don't have to abide by these rules.

Even Yue Buqun's teacher, Ning Qingyu, explicitly stated that it would be the right thing for the two to get married as soon as possible after his passing.

Ning Zhongze understood Yue Buqun's meaning.

He suddenly realized, "I understand now. Senior Brother wants to completely ruin the reputation of the Songshan Sect, to let everyone see that the Songshan Sect couldn't even wait for the mourning period after the death of the previous leader of the Five Mountains Sword Alliance, and rushed over to disturb the peace of the deceased and humiliate the orphans and widows. How utterly shameless!"

"This child is teachable."

Yue Buqun's expression was gentle, and there was no indication that he was about to intensify the attack on the Songshan Sect.

"But...do I really have to observe three years of mourning?"

Ning Zhongze possesses a unique girlish heart.

Her father urged her to get married as soon as possible, and she herself was ready to enter the bridal chamber with her senior brother at any time.

The result was that she was suddenly put three years behind schedule, which naturally made her feel disappointed.

Of course, it wouldn't be accurate to say that she particularly liked the senior brother in front of her at that moment.

However, her senior brother's deliberate refusal made her feel as if her girlish pride had been hurt.

You have to understand, even if it's just for show.

But with this set of mourning clothes, the two of them will certainly not be able to get married openly for the next three years.

"There's nothing we can do about it."

Yue Buqun sighed, but his gaze unconsciously swept over Ning Zhongze's delicate body, which was like a budding flower in early spring.

As a top-tier figure in the doujinshi (fan-made comics) section.

His junior sister, whether in appearance or temperament, already exudes a dashing and upright female knight-errant demeanor, and her charm is beginning to emerge.

but……

Too young.

In my previous life, sixteen or seventeen years old would have been in high school!

He was okay with kissing, hugging, and licking, but he felt somewhat guilty about doing anything else.

Yue Buqun wouldn't mind supporting her for another two years.

After reaching an agreement.

Yue Buqun immediately wrote several letters in his own hand.

Without disciples, he could only send the few remaining servants under his command to deliver messages to various places in Shaolin and Wudang.

And spread the news as much as possible while on the road.

The news that Yue Buqun, the leader of the Huashan Sect, would personally hand over the Alliance Leader's Flag atop Huashan in a month, for the sake of the Five Mountains Alliance, was spread throughout the martial arts world as quickly as possible.

Afterwards, he took Ning Zhongze and once again set foot on the back mountain of Siguo Cliff.

The battle of sword energy had just ended.

Feng Qingyang has not yet settled down in this place.

The sword techniques hidden in this stone wall are naturally at Yue Buqun's disposal!

Ning Zhongze followed Yue Buqun's footsteps and had just entered the stone chamber.

With just a slight glance, her delicate body felt as if struck by lightning.

He exclaimed in surprise, "Senior Brother! This...this...this is truly the sword technique that our Huashan Sect lost back then?"

When the ten elders of the Demonic Sect invaded Mount Hua, the Five Mountains Sword Sect used a scheme to trap and kill them, but the Five Mountains Sword Sect also suffered heavy losses, and many of the most profound and advanced sword techniques were lost.

Unexpectedly, I discovered a tradition here?

She exclaimed in surprise, "Senior brother, have you been practicing these sword techniques here all this time?"

Yue Buqun laughed and said, "Now you know why I said internal energy can't save Mount Hua, right? At the very least, it's like trying to quench a thirsty thirst with water from afar... Mount Hua is currently in dire straits, with only my brother and I left. In the next month, you must practice day and night and quickly familiarize yourself with these sword techniques!"

"And what about the sword techniques of the other four mountains..."

Yue Buqun sighed, "The Huashan Sect is too weak now. It's not time for these sword techniques to reappear. Just memorize them!"

In fact, there are also techniques to counter these sword techniques.

After Yue Buqun memorized all these moves, he destroyed them all.

He doesn't plan to tell Ning Zhongze for the time being, for a simple reason: it would be pointless.

The Huashan Sect is too weak now. No matter how exquisitely they master these sword techniques, if the enemy swarms them, even if they are made of iron, how many nails can they hammer?

It's better to use it at a crucial moment to make the final decision!

Just like Yue Buqun hiding the Evil-Repelling Sword Technique in the story.

"What you say is true, senior brother."

Ning Zhongze was pleasantly surprised, but then she realized what was happening.

What the Huashan Sect lacks most right now is not exquisite swordsmanship, but disciples who can pass on the swordsmanship.