The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, becoming a disciple of Yue Buqun.

Their strong desire to return to Mount Hua stemmed from their wish to place the memorial tablets of their master and father on the ancestral tablets of the Mount Hua sect, rather than letting them wander outside like lost souls.

Their strong desire is to recognize their ancestors and return to their roots.

After Cheng Buyou had vented his emotions a little, Feng Buping patted Cheng Buyou on the shoulder.

"Junior brother, from now on, just as Senior Brother Yue said, don't say we are from the Huashan Sword Sect anymore, we are from the Huashan Sect."

Cheng Buyou nodded, his voice choked with emotion.

"Yes, senior brother."

……

"Master, where are they going?"

Linghu Chong couldn't help but ask, "What's bothering me?"

Yue Buqun smiled faintly: "Junior Brother Feng and the others have been living in seclusion in the mountains for decades. Although they do not concern themselves with worldly affairs, they still have a few disciples. This time, they came down the mountain to bring their disciples back to Mount Hua."

Linghu Chong nodded in realization.

At this moment, Yue Buqun looked at Jiang Ning: "Ning'er, after dinner, go to the back room. I have something to say to you."

Jiang Ning was somewhat surprised, but still nodded.

"Yes, Master."

The other disciples didn't think anything was wrong either. It was probably because Jiang Ning had performed exceptionally well this time, and Yue Buqun wanted to give Jiang Ning special tutoring.

"Alright, everything's fine now. You can all go about your business."

Yue Buqun then spoke to his disciples.

Ning Zhongze gave a soft snort and left.

Upon seeing her retreating figure, Yue Buqun's gaze froze slightly, and he called out to Yue Lingshan, who was about to leave.

"Shan'er".

Hearing Yue Buqun call her name, Yue Lingshan turned around and asked in confusion, "Father, what's wrong?"

Yue Buqun hesitated for a moment, but still said, "Go to the kitchen and make some ginseng soup later. I used up a lot of energy just now and need to replenish my qi and blood."

Yue Lingshan was bewildered.

"okay."

……

evening.

Jiang Ning, who had finished dinner, arrived at the back hall early to wait. Before long, Yue Buqun also arrived.

"Master."

Jiang Ning said.

"Ah."

Yue Buqun nodded, then smiled and said, "I'm sure you have many questions in your mind right now. Go ahead and ask."

Jiang Ning smiled slightly, then his smile faded as he asked, "Was this a spur-of-the-moment decision, Master, or had you already planned to do so?"

Yue Buqun also suppressed his smile and said, "It was a spur-of-the-moment decision."

Jiang Ning nodded.

If it hadn't been a spur-of-the-moment decision, Yue Buqun wouldn't have kept it from him.

Yue Buqun continued, "Originally, when Feng Buping and the Songshan Sect came to Huashan to put pressure on us today, I was also prepared to kill Feng Buping and completely eliminate the hidden danger of the Sword Sect. However, in the end, I found that this person was quite good-natured and could calmly face death after defeat. So I wanted to try to subdue him."

The memorial tablets on the altar in the back hall were indeed placed there by Yue Buqun before, but not specifically for the purpose of subduing the Sword Sect. Rather, it was because once a person dies, their life is over, and Yue Buqun was too lazy to investigate the dead. But Feng Buping and the others were still alive.

Although today's decision was made on a whim, Yue Buqun has also set up a series of tests.

He deliberately led Feng Buping around to the back hall, hoping to evoke Feng Buping's memories. Once those memories were stirred, he would take Feng Buping to the back hall to show him the plaque with the sword aura soaring into the sky, and finally let Feng Buping see the memorial tablets on the altar.

There are three processes in total, each a test for Feng Buping. If Feng Buping fails to meet even one of the standards, Yue Buqun will not consider recruiting him.

Fortunately, Feng Buping performed well in the end, proving himself to be a respectful person, which reminded Yue Buqun of himself and his master.

That's why Yue Buqun finally gave Feng Buping a chance.

What he said to Feng Buping at the end was obviously a lie. He didn't have the time or energy to erect memorial tablets for the dead Sword Sect disciples. He just said it to give Feng Buping a way out, to make him think that he returned to Mount Hua voluntarily, rather than that the Qi Sect was giving him a handout in a victorious manner.

"I have also made another preparation. If Feng Buping still does not repent in the end, I will make him swear before the spirits of the ancestors of Huashan that he will never again call himself a disciple of Huashan, completely removing his identity. Then I will announce to the entire martial arts world that Huashan will no longer have the Sword Sect as a branch sect. Otherwise, we will just let him go down the mountain. The people of Songshan Sect will inevitably use them to make trouble later. This way, we can prevent Songshan Sect from interfering in my Huashan Sect in this way in the future."

Yue Buqun was shrewd and insightful, and he always thought things through before acting. Although the capture of Feng Buping today was sudden, he had made thorough preparations.

Jiang Ning nodded, then smiled and said, "Master is absolutely right. However, it is extremely difficult for people to change their ingrained ideas. I only hope that the two of them can completely forget their identity as members of the Sword Sect in the future, otherwise it will be a problem for my Huashan Sect."

Yue Buqun also smiled and said, "I think what you said earlier was very good."

"Everyone will have new perspectives and new choices after experiencing a new stage. Now, I have made a new choice and am willing to give them a chance to choose. As for what they think, that's up to them. If they are still stubbornly clinging to their delusions and are only feigning submission in order to restore the Sword Sect in the future..."

At this point, Yue Buqun's smile vanished, and he extended his hand, palm up, then flipped it over and pressed it down.

"Then don't blame me for being ruthless."

"Can be destroyed with a flick of the wrist"—this is Yue Buqun's true attitude towards Feng Buping and his companion.

After saying that, Yue Buqun looked at Jiang Ning and smiled, "However, I believe that as long as I am here and you are here, they will not cause too much trouble."

Jiang Ning's growth rate is terrifying. I believe it won't be long before he surpasses the original Jiang Ning. The current Feng Buping and Jiang Ning's talent and aptitude are Yue Buqun's true source of confidence.

Jiang Ning nodded. He would not let Yue Buqun down. He was already firmly bound to the Huashan Sect.

Since Yue Buqun had already thought it through clearly, Jiang Ning naturally had no objections. In fact, he originally had no objections either; he would do whatever his master thought.

Jiang Ning smiled slightly: "If I had known that Master wanted to subdue the Sword Sect, I wouldn't have needed to kill Cong Buqi."

"No, you still have to kill him. You've done nothing wrong by killing him."

On the contrary, Yue Buqun said with a serious expression: "Although my views on the sword qi dispute have changed, it does not mean that they have changed. It is very difficult for people to change their own fixed ideas."

"Although the sword energy dispute is an internal struggle within my Huashan Sect, it is essentially a struggle between two sects. Throughout history, any struggle must involve bloodshed; a struggle without bloodshed is not a true struggle."

So many people died in the sword qi battle back then; it was a brutal struggle.

"Bloodshed is not enough to awaken them, and death is not enough to change them."

"Only the most gruesome death, the imminent threat of death, can break their ingrained beliefs."

The conflict between sword qi has had consequences for decades. So many people died back then, and the number of survivors could be counted on one hand. Yue Buqun is not naive enough to think that he can change things without anyone dying. There is no such thing as a free lunch.

Compared to the Sword Sect masters' massacre of Qi Sect disciples back then, with both sides suffering wave after wave of casualties, Jiang Ning's situation is already considered good.

"And you don't need to worry too much about Feng Buping and the others feeling resentful after you kill Cong Buqi."

During the day, Feng Buping and Yue Buqun talked a lot in the back hall. Feng Buping also revealed the purpose of the Songshan Sect's visit to them, which was indeed as Jiang Ning had said.

Feng Buping's plan was to feign agreement with the Songshan Sect for the time being, use their influence to get Yue Buqun to agree to reopen the Sword Qi Competition, and then turn against the Songshan Sect when he regained control of the Huashan Sect.

Before going up Mount Hua, Feng Buping was very confident in his Gale Sword. In his mind, he would not only use the Gale Sword to take back the Mount Hua Sect, but also take back the position of leader of the Five Mountains Alliance.

However, what Feng Buping did not expect was that Yue Buqun's martial arts skills far surpassed his own, and his grand ambitions collapsed before they even began.

Feng Buping originally thought his strength was about the same as Yue Buqun's, but in reality, the other party was far superior to him. After winning, Yue Buqun did not kill him or drive him down the mountain. Instead, he opened his heart and was willing to accept the Sword Sect again. Before this, Yue Buqun had even enshrined the memorial tablets of the Sword Sect's predecessors together with the ancestors of the Huashan Sect.

At that time, Feng Buping only had two paths before him: either refuse and leave Mount Hua, or return to Mount Hua, merge the Sword and Qi sects, and restore the original Mount Hua Sect.

There's no need to think about which option to choose anymore.

As for Cong Buqi's death, given their respective positions at the time, Jiang Ning fought for the Qi Sect, while Cong Buqi fought for the Sword Sect. Both sides were willing to fight to the death. If Jiang Ning hadn't killed Cong Buqi, he would have been killed by Cong Buqi. There's not much they could say about it.

Everyone present witnessed the situation. The two were evenly matched, and Cong Buqi even used the Deadly Three Immortal Swords combo, aiming to kill Jiang Ning. If Jiang Ning didn't kill him, he would be killed. Even Cong Buqi didn't hold back. Under those circumstances, the two were extremely close. If Jiang Ning were to be killed by mistake, even Yue Buqun wouldn't be able to do anything about it. Under such circumstances, it's unrealistic to demand too much of Jiang Ning.

Life and death are preordained; one cannot blame others.

They were naturally a little upset about Cong Buqi's death at Jiang Ning's hands, but that's what struggle is all about. Struggle inevitably involves death; without bloodshed, it's not a struggle.

Moreover, although Feng Buping didn't say it, he also sensed that Cong Buqi seemed to have a lot of ideas, unlike Cheng Buyou. At that time, even Cheng Buyou, the number one expert of the Sword Sect, hadn't said anything. When Ding Mian and the others proposed a best-of-three series, Cong Buqi was the first to agree and the first to speak up.

He seems to be getting too close to the Songshan Sect.

Jiang Ning nodded. Since Yue Buqun had already said so, there was nothing more to say, but his expression still showed some hesitation.

"However, Master, when you announced the unification of the sword energy of the Huashan Sect during the day, Master's wife didn't seem very happy. She..."

These Huashan disciples didn't care. They weren't even born when the sword qi conflict happened. Their resentment towards the Sword Sect came from Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze. Although Yue Buqun planned to reconcile with the Sword Sect, Ning Zhongze was completely unaware of it beforehand. Having personally experienced that brutal struggle, it wouldn't be easy to persuade her.

Yue Buqun's expression stiffened slightly upon hearing Ning Zhongze's name.

Yue Buqun gritted his teeth and comforted his disciple, saying, "Don't worry, your master has a way."

Chapter 116: Done

After bidding farewell to Jiangning, Yue Buqun brought a bowl of ginseng soup that had already been cooked from the kitchen to the door of the room.

It was already dark, but the Suoyoubuwei Pavilion was still brightly lit. The pale yellow candlelight cast a shadow on the window, indicating that the person inside was still awake and sitting by the window waiting for someone to return to their room.

Yue Buqun stood at the doorway, holding a bowl of ginseng soup, looking at the figure in the window, somewhat hesitant.

Seemingly aware that someone was already standing outside the door, the figure inside the room did not move, but a faint, cold snort came from within.

Yue Buqun sighed, drank the ginseng soup in the bowl in one gulp, then threw the bowl behind him, gently pushed open the door and went in, closing the door behind him.

……

Early the next morning.

Yue Buqun opened the door and came out from the inner room.

For some unknown reason, Yue Buqun's face seemed a little pale after a night's rest, and he had faint dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept all night.

Yue Buqun leaned lightly against the door with one hand and placed the other hand on his lower back. Although his face was slightly pale, he looked relaxed.

Exhausted, Yue Buqun arrived at the training ground.

Cong Buqi's body has been disposed of, the bloodstains on the training ground have been washed away, and the crater has been filled in. Although it is still somewhat uneven, it is not too different in general.

It was still dark, but some Huashan disciples were already practicing their swordsmanship in the training ground.

Not only were there disciples from Mount Hua, but some disciples from Mount Heng were also practicing swordsmanship, though their sleepy expressions suggested they hadn't woken up yet.