A man in the martial world, a reincarnated sword immortal.

Chapter 105 Ten Years in the Blink of an Eye, A Challenge to Tokyo!

Among those many martial arts figures.

Wearing a straw hat, Kumārajīva watched Zhongyuan ride away on an eagle.

Then look over there at Li Qiushui, who is lying there motionless.

A complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

Ming Cult!

Bright Summit!

the other side.

Having recovered some of their injuries, Chu Wanli, Gu Ducheng, Fu Sigui, and Zhu Danchen gathered around Duan Yu.

Duan Yu had all his internal energy drained, but that wasn't the most important thing.

Because he didn't care about his martial arts skills at all.

From beginning to end, the only person he cared about was the fairy sister.

He looked lost and absent-minded, muttering to himself.

"Why did the fairy sister want to kill me?!"

"Why did you kill me?!"

The four retainers were helpless when they saw this.

Chu Wanli said, "Today, the young master almost died at the hands of that old hag."

"If it weren't for Leader Zhong's help..."

"The consequences would be unimaginable."

"Upon returning to Dali, this matter must be reported to the Prince and His Majesty."

The other three nodded.

Today, they have truly received a great favor from Zhong, the leader of the Ming Cult.

Time is merciless.

Time flies.

In the blink of an eye, ten years have passed.

Throughout history, the martial arts world has never lacked legendary figures.

If we talk about the past ten years...

Who is the most prominent figure in the martial arts world? In the past, some might have said, "Qiao Feng in the North and Murong in the South."

But now, the saying "Qiao Feng in the North, Murong in the South" has long become a thing of the past.

In the past decade, the most renowned person in the martial arts world has been only one person: Zhong Yuan, the leader of the Ming Cult, known in the martial arts world as the Divine Sword Master!

It is a small town that is some distance from the Shaolin Temple on Mount Song.

Right now, there are some martial arts practitioners gathered in the inn in that small town.

The reason is simple: recently, a powerful band of bandits has been robbing and plundering in the Songshan area.

A group of self-proclaimed righteous figures in the martial arts world are joining forces to hunt down that gang of bandits.

Since Shaolin Temple announced its closure ten years ago.

It seems that Shaolin Temple has truly stopped interfering in matters of the martial world, and as a result, bandits have appeared in the Songshan area.

This would have been completely impossible many years ago.

after all.

Mount Song is the territory of Shaolin Temple.

Anyone who dares to cause trouble on Shaolin's territory is going against Shaolin.

However, Shaolin's glory days are now over.

Ten years.

The Ming Cult has gradually become a pivotal force in the martial arts world of the Song Dynasty.

"Have you heard? The Tibetan Great Wheel King, who fought against the Ming Cult's leader Zhong ten years ago and was defeated by Zhong with a single sword strike, has returned to the martial world!"

"This time, he's inviting Zhong, the leader of the Ming Cult, to a rematch!"

"Do you think Master Zhong chose where he set up the final battle?"

"Isn't it Bright Summit?"

"Of course not!"

"It was located within the Imperial Palace in Tokyo!"

"what?"

"This cult leader is incredibly audacious!"

"That's the imperial palace! How can we allow him and that Tibetan monk to come and go as they please!"

"Even the most powerful martial arts grandmaster would probably be defeated by the well-equipped Imperial Guard."

"Who could possibly know?"

"In recent years, the Ming Cult has become increasingly powerful, but its leader, Zhong, has rarely made a move."

"Nobody knows where he is now."

"Perhaps, in the eyes of that Master Zhong, the imperial palace was no different from any other place, just a place he could come and go as he pleased."

"It is said that the Tibetan Great Wheel King has just returned to the martial world and has already defeated several masters from the Western Regions."

"He traveled from west to east, defeating several sect leaders, including those from Kunlun, Kongtong, and Qingcheng."

"He intends to challenge Master Zhong again with the momentum of a great victory."

"Such a magnificent and earth-shattering battle."

"I wonder who will ultimately win!"

"That must be Sect Leader Zhong. The title of 'Central Divine Sword' is well-deserved!"

"In the past ten years, no one has been able to shake the position of the Divine Sword."

"Even the Beggar Clan's Dragon Leader, who has gradually stabilized the Beggar Clan's position over the years, is no match for him!"

"yes."

Five years ago, at the Junshan Conference, the Beggar Clan's leader, Long, said that the Ming Cult's leader, Zhong, was the number one martial artist in the world, far surpassing him.

Just as the group was talking.

Outside the inn, a copper bell rang.

A young man dressed in black, with a long sword at his waist, strode into the inn.

I found a place to sit down, ordered some food and drinks from the restaurant, and started eating heartily.

Not long after.

But then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from outside the inn.

Then, a group of bandits rushed in, wielding long knives. One of them raised his hand, covering half of his blood-stained face, and pointed at the young man in black in the inn.

"Big brother!"

"That's the kid!"

"He gouged out my right eye, and he even threatened to wipe out all the villages in our Funiu Mountain area."

The leader of the bandits had a fierce face and his eyes gleamed with a sharp light!

He snorted coldly at the young man in black.

"Kid!"

"Who do you think you are?!"

"Dare to cause trouble for my Funiu Village!"

"I, Yang Jin, am not an unknown person either."

"If you are willing to cut off your own right hand, I will not kill you today."

The young man in black didn't even glance at the bandits, but continued eating in silence.

The bandit whose eyes had been gouged out said to his bandit leader, "Brother!"

"Why waste your breath on him!"

"If we don't kill this brat today!"

"How can my Funiu Village possibly survive?"

Upon seeing this, the bandit leader nodded slightly and gestured to his left and right.

The bandits on both sides immediately drew their knives and rushed forward to attack the man in black.

The man in black casually slapped the bamboo tube on the table, knocking two chopsticks out.

He casually tossed the two chopsticks, which instantly pierced the foreheads of the two bandits who were charging at him.

The two bandits died instantly.

Upon seeing this, the bandit leader narrowed his eyes and said in a cold voice, "Attack together!"

At this time.

The man in black finished eating the last piece of steamed bun in his hand.

With a whoosh, he drew his longsword.

He leaped out, moving as if into an empty field, and amidst the flashing sword light, the dozen or so bandits were gone.

Along with the bandit leader, they all collapsed to the ground within a few breaths.

After the man in black had killed all the bandits...

The group of martial arts practitioners who had been watching from the sidelines finally came to their senses.

One of the men, mustering his courage, called out to the man in black, "May I ask your esteemed name, young hero?"

"Young hero, your elimination of Yang Jin of Funiu Village is a great achievement for the people."

"I am Tao Zongwang, and I wish to erect a longevity tablet for you, young hero!"

Upon hearing this, the man in black remained calm, put his hands behind his back, and said, "I am Fang La, the Left Guardian of the Ming Cult."

"Punishing evil and promoting good, upholding justice, is the duty of members of the Ming Cult."

"No need for the longevity product."

"I'll trouble you all to deal with these bandits; I have some urgent business to attend to."

immediately.

The man in black casually left behind a broken silver ingot.

"Shopkeeper, this is compensation for the damaged tables and chairs."

"Let's go!"

The words fell.

In the blink of an eye, Fang La was already outside the inn, riding a fast horse and speeding away.

All that remained in the inn were many people with expressions of amazement.

"Good heavens!"

"It's actually Fang La, the Left Envoy of the Ming Cult!"

"I heard that Fang La only served as the Left Envoy of the Ming Cult for three years!"

"However, it already has a great reputation in the martial arts world."

Three years ago, Sima Lin of the Qingcheng Sect succeeded as the sect leader and became enemies with his junior brother Zhu Baokun.

"The two got into a fight, and then Fang La intervened and revealed the truth."

"It turns out that Zhu Baokun was ostensibly a disciple of the Qingcheng Sect and Sima Lin's junior brother, but in reality, he was an undercover agent sent by Du Lingzi, the leader of the Penglai Sect."

"Fang La quelled the matter, and Zhu Baokun submitted to Fang La's command. Later, Sima Lin challenged Du Lingzi of the Penglai faction to a duel, but it was Fang La who intervened and stopped the two factions from fighting."

"It can be said that Fang La was the most renowned young member of the Ming Cult."

"I've heard that this Fang La is a direct disciple of the Ming Cult's leader, Zhong."

"I don't know if it's true or not!"

"I guess it's probably true. Back then, the Ming Cult's leader, Zhong, first served as the Left Guardian of Light before ascending to the position of Ming Cult leader."

"Moreover, Fang La's greatest skill was swordsmanship. The Ming Cult's Nine Swords of Horizontal and Vertical Swords is now renowned throughout the martial arts world."

"Fang La also made significant contributions."

"Fang La appeared in the Songshan area and wiped out the bandits of Funiu Village."

"It truly relieved the region of its troubles."

Outside the inn.

Fang La spurred his horse and galloped towards the Funiu Village.

You must not only cut the weeds, but also remove the roots.

Although Yang Jin, the chief of Funiu Village, is dead, there are many other capable leaders in Funiu Village.

There were also two other leaders causing trouble.

Therefore, he had to wipe out Funiu Village in one fell swoop.

The cult leader's guess was absolutely correct.

Behind Yang Jin is the Shaolin Temple.

The martial arts that Yang Jin displayed just before his death were clearly the Shaolin Temple's Tiger-Taming Fist.

Without the support of Shaolin Temple, how could Funiu Village have grown so powerful in just two years?

In the Songshan area, no gangsters have ever dared to provoke or extort money from others.

Even with the Shaolin Temple closed to the public, no bandits in the martial arts world dared to establish themselves near the temple in the past few years.

However, this Funiu Village is different.

Not only has it taken root, but it has also gained considerable momentum.

The leader is right. Although Shaolin Temple appears to be closed off from the world, it has actually been secretly observing the situation in the martial arts world, waiting for an opportunity to act.

at the moment.

The Song Dynasty had a new emperor.

Prince Duan, Zhao Ji, was incompetent and had only been on the throne for less than a year when his true colors were already revealed.

Cai Jing and others whom he heavily relied on used the guise of inheriting the new laws to commit all sorts of evil deeds.

In pursuit of a luxurious lifestyle, he procured precious stones and flowers in the Jiangnan region and built the Genyue Garden in Bianjing (Kaifeng).

He also built numerous palaces and temples, and called himself "Emperor of the Daoist Sect".

Continuing to cause trouble like this is definitely not a good thing for the people.

Moreover, and most importantly, the Liao Kingdom to the north was still eyeing them covetously.

In recent years, members of the Ming Cult have been doing good deeds and upholding justice in the martial arts world, accumulating a good reputation.

Their sphere of influence has always been strictly controlled by the leader in the Anhui, Zhejiang and Fujian areas.

The leader's meaning is to build high walls, store up plenty of grain, and delay declaring oneself king.

The Song Dynasty has not yet lost the hearts of the people.

The Ming Cult must remain hidden and develop, waiting for the opportune moment to rise up and conquer the land.

Judging from the current situation.

The cult leader's guess was indeed correct.

Today, he will surely wipe out Funiu Village, and prevent Shaolin Temple from secretly accumulating external forces.

This could cause unnecessary trouble for the Ming Cult in the future.

Fang La spurred his horse and galloped away.

A cold wind is blowing.

It is already the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month.

The Laba Festival has just passed.

The atmosphere in Tokyo is already starting to feel like the year is drawing to a close.

Newly cut New Year banners were hung in the restaurants on both sides of the Imperial Street, and gilded peony lanterns were strung under the wooden eaves outside Fanlou.

at this time.

Inside the restaurants on both sides of the Imperial Street.

Many martial arts figures had already gathered together.

They watched as the sky gradually darkened.

Hope was evident on everyone's face.

It's getting dark!

"I wonder where the Tibetan Great Wheel King Kumārajīva and the leader of the Ming Cult, Zhong, have gone!"

"Tonight!"

"That will be the time of their duel."

"The Divine Sword has been renowned throughout the Song Dynasty's martial arts world for ten years!"

"Tonight, if the Tibetan National Preceptor, the Great Wheel King, can defeat the leader of the Ming Cult..."

"That would be a significant blow to the Ming Cult!"

"Ten years ago, the Great Wheel King challenged the Divine Sword on Bright Peak, but he couldn't even withstand a single blow and slunk off Bright Peak."

"For ten years, we dared not set foot in the Central Plains even half a step!"

"Even if he has made further progress after ten years of seclusion, he is probably still no match for Zhong, the leader of the Ming Cult."

"After all, the name of the divine sword is not just an empty title!"

In a corner of that restaurant.

The middle-aged man wearing a silver mask said to the elder beside him, "Elder Quan, guess who will win tonight, the Great Wheel King or the Central Divine Sword?"

Quan Guanqing raised an eyebrow and said in a low voice.

"Master, I guess it should be that Zhong Shenjian."

The middle-aged man nodded slightly.

"yes."

"It must be that Central Divine Sword. It's been ten years, a full ten years."

"Those scenes from ten years ago are still vivid in my mind."

"If anyone in the world could truly defeat that Divine Sword Master even in a single move, they would undoubtedly be an extraordinary figure."

huh~~~

The cold wind howled.

The sky was getting dark.

Tokyo Imperial Palace.

Inside the Imperial Garden.

Dressed in a sleek outfit, the young Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji, is playing Cuju (ancient Chinese football) with a group of eunuchs.

Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) loved Cuju (ancient Chinese football). When he was in the Duanwang Mansion, he kept a group of people to play the game with him.

Even after becoming emperor, he still couldn't break this habit.

Instead, part of the Imperial Garden was converted into a sports field.

Even in the dead of winter, he wasn't afraid of the cold and was playing football with a group of eunuchs with great enthusiasm.

there.

The person guarding the entrance to the Imperial Garden is Yan Xingzhou, the current head of the Imperial City Guard.

At this moment, Yan Xingzhou's expression was slightly solemn.

As dusk approached.

But His Majesty's enthusiasm for Cuju remained undiminished, and he played for longer periods of time than usual.

This worried him somewhat.

There is no other reason.

This is because tonight is the day that Zhong Yuan, the leader of the Ming Cult, and the Tibetan National Preceptor, the Great Wheel King, are to duel!

They chose the Imperial Palace in Tokyo as the location for their duel.

It can be said that they completely disregarded the Imperial Guards and the Imperial City Guard.

Eleven years ago.

He was defeated twice by that man surnamed Zhong. If it weren't for his grandfather's intervention, he would probably have died at Zhong's hands long ago.

three years ago.

My grandfather died shortly after his encounter with a mysterious man.

He is now in charge of the Yan family.

Fortunately, after Prince Duan ascended the throne, he was lenient towards the Yan family and allowed them to continue to lead the Imperial City Guard.

If that guy surnamed Zhong really dares to come to the palace and act recklessly tonight!

He must make the Zhong family pay a bloody price!

Let it remain forever within this imperial palace!

Only then can I vent my anger!

Just then.

But Zhao Ji looked cheerful as he finally stepped down from the field.

Yan Xingzhou hurriedly went to greet him.

"Your Majesty, it's getting late. I'll have someone escort you home!"