The Reversal of Heaven Begins with The Smiling, Proud Wanderer

In his haste, he parried with his sword, but with a "crack," the Heaven-Slaying Sword severed his longsword in two and, with its remaining force, sliced ​​open his abdomen and internal organs.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Mu dealt with the three men. Without pausing, he leaped onto the corridor and glanced at the Songshan disciples who were besieging the east wing.

At this moment, on the bluestone ground outside the east wing, the bodies of two servants were still warm, and the blood of a Hengshan Sect disciple meandered down the stone steps, accumulating into a small blood pool in the corner of the wall.

Liu Zhengfeng's wife held their young son tightly in her arms, while their eldest daughter hid behind her mother, only her terrified eyes peeking out as she stared intently at the approaching Songshan disciples.

"Grab that woman!"

The leader of the Songshan disciples grinned maliciously and kicked the carved wooden door hard. The door shattered into several pieces, and amidst the flying wood chips, his long sword, gleaming with cold light, was already aimed at the woman's face.

Just then, a green shadow flashed through the corridor like lightning, and the gust of wind brought by the Heaven-Slaying Sword went straight for the Songshan disciple's back.

Kill with one blow.

Lin Mu's swordplay continued unabated. He lightly tapped his left foot on a pillar, his body suddenly turning around. The Yitian Sword drew a delicate arc, and the sword light poured down like a waterfall.

Before the other disciples of Songshan could even see the moves clearly, they had already clutched their throats and fallen down unwillingly, none of them able to withstand even half a move from him.

"Who goes there? How dare you interfere in the affairs of my Songshan Sect!"

With a furious shout, a gray figure darted over; it was none other than Lu Bai, the Crane Hand, one of the Thirteen Protectors of Songshan.

He had been lying in ambush outside the backyard when he heard the sounds of fighting and rushed over. He was shocked and furious to see the countless dead bodies under Lin Mu's sword.

Lu Bai's pupils contracted sharply as his gaze swept over the broken swords and corpses on the ground—the cuts on those broken blades were as smooth as mirrors, clearly indicating that they had been severed by the opponent with a single sword strike!

What swift movements! What a sharp sword!

Martial arts manuals and divine weapons have always been coveted by people in the martial arts world.

Although Lu Bai did not recognize the Heaven-Slaying Sword, he could tell that it was a rare and powerful weapon that could cut through iron like mud.

Greed and fear intertwined in his eyes.

Lin Mu stood leaning on his sword, his green robe fluttering in the breeze, and said loudly, "You are from the Songshan Sect? Impossible, absolutely impossible. The Songshan Sect is a prestigious and righteous sect. How could you do such a thing as scaling walls to commit murder and wiping out an entire family? You must be members of the Demonic Sect, trying to sow discord."

"You clumsy sorcerer, don't even think about fooling me."

Lin Mu's voice was loud and clear, not only could everyone in the backyard hear it clearly, but even the guests in the front hall could hear it clearly.

Chapter 9: Taking the Initiative

Upon hearing Lin Mu's words, Lu Bai's heart skipped a beat, and he knew something was wrong.

The Songshan Sect originally planned to first control Liu Zhengfeng's family, and then, once Fei Bin in the front hall revealed the "evidence" of Liu Zhengfeng's collusion with the Demonic Sect elder Qu Yang, they would have a legitimate reason to "clean house."

At that time, the Songshan Sect will be "acting on behalf of Heaven," reaping both fame and fortune.

But the young man in the blue robe's words were like a bucket of dirty water poured over their heads, nailing them to the pillar of shame for "indiscriminately killing innocent people."

It's important to understand that controlling Liu Zhengfeng's wife and children is not the same as directly killing them.

The former can earn a reputation for being "strict and impartial," while the latter will be branded as a "beast."

What does one rely on to establish oneself in the martial arts world?

It's about reputation, it's about morality!

If the Songshan Sect becomes a villain who doesn't even spare women and children, who will still respect Zuo Lengchan as their leader in the future?

Who would still bow down to the Songshan School?

"Don't you dare make false accusations, brat!"

Lu Baiqiang composed himself and said sternly, "Our Songshan Sect is acting on the orders of Alliance Leader Zuo to clean up our own ranks. We are merely temporarily keeping an eye on the Liu family members; how could we have ever intended to harm them in the slightest?!"

"I bother."

Lin Mu spat on the ground, the tip of the Yitian Sword trembled slightly, and pointed at the servant's corpse lying in a pool of blood: "These corpses, which are still warm, are they made of paper?"

He took half a step forward, his voice suddenly rising, making the eardrums of everyone in the courtyard buzz: "The servants of the Liu family are just ordinary people trying to make a living, and the disciples of Hengshan are all of the same righteous path as you. What have they done wrong? What crime have they committed?"

"Aren't they flesh and blood, born of parents? Aren't they human beings?!"

The last few words were almost shouted out. Lin Mu pointed his sword at Lu Bai: "You came in and started slashing and killing indiscriminately, every move deadly. You call that no intention to harm?"

"If I hadn't intervened in time, the elderly, women and children of the Liu family would have all suffered at your hands."

Lin Mu, in the guise of a righteous champion, raised his voice and angrily rebuked, "Whether you are demonic cultists or disciples of the Songshan Sect, committing such an act of annihilation and slaughter is no different from being beasts, and is intolerable to the laws of heaven."

"Today, I, Lin Mu, will stand here to uphold justice and slay you wolves in human skin!"

Having seized the initiative and placed himself on the moral high ground, Lin Mu gave Lu Bai no chance to explain and immediately swung his sword to kill him.

"you wanna die!"

Lu Bai was speechless, and in his anger and embarrassment, he drew his sword.

He was famous for his "Great Songyang Hand" and his swordsmanship was among the best of his generation in the Songshan School. At this moment, his sword moves were like a storm, and the tip of his sword was piercing Lin Mu's vital point with a shrill whistle.

Lin Mu's eyes narrowed, and instead of retreating, he advanced.

The Heaven-Slaying Sword seemed to come alive in his hands. With a slight tremor, the blade drew a bright silver arc, seemingly slow, but in fact, it struck first despite being behind.

With a crisp clang, like the sound of metal clashing, Lu Bai's longsword, forged from a hundred times of refined steel, was broken in two like a withered branch. The broken blade fell to the ground with a clatter, bouncing a few times on the stone slab before coming to a stop.

"impossible!"

Lu Bai looked on in disbelief and took three steps back before regaining his balance.

His eyes were filled with horror as he looked at the long sword in Lin Mu's hand.

What kind of divine weapon is this? It can cut through iron like mud!

Shocked, Lu Bai had already decided to retreat, intending to first go to the front hall to meet up with his other fellow disciples before taking down the person in front of him in one fell swoop.

Would Lin Mu give him a chance to catch his breath?

With a flick of his wrist, the Heaven-Slaying Sword flashed again, its cold light swift as a shooting star, its chilling aura aimed directly at Lu Bai's neck.

Lu Bai hastily leaned back to dodge, but the sword still grazed his left neck with a "pfft," and blood gushed out like a spring, staining his chest red.

He clutched his neck and staggered to the ground, making hoarse noises in his throat. The last thing he saw in his eyes was endless terror and resentment.

Almost at the same moment Lu Bai died, a series of hurried footsteps came from the backyard entrance.

Liu Zhengfeng, carrying a long sword, charged forward first.

His clothes were disheveled, his hair was loose, and his face was flushed from the intense fighting; he had clearly rushed all the way from the front hall.

Yue Buqun, accompanied by Linghu Chong and Yue Lingshan, followed closely behind.

Yue Buqun still maintained a dignified appearance, but there was a hint of seriousness in his eyes; Linghu Chong looked on with curiosity, constantly observing the scene in the courtyard; Yue Lingshan gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, her face pale.

When Master Dingyi of the Hengshan School saw the corpse on the ground, she put her hands together and chanted Buddhist mantras.

Master Tianmen of the Taishan Sect was the most upright and incorruptible. Upon seeing the corpses scattered on the ground, his eyes widened in anger, and his hand holding the whisk trembled.

Fei Bin and Ding Mian, their faces ashen, rushed into the backyard. They had been dealing with Liu Zhengfeng in the front hall, but came over after hearing the commotion in the backyard.

Other martial arts figures followed into the backyard, and were immediately taken aback by the sight before them.

More than twenty corpses of Songshan disciples lay scattered around, limbs and broken swords strewn everywhere. The thick stench of blood mixed with the smell of dust was so strong that it made people want to vomit.

Lu Bai's body lay face down in front of the east wing door, blood still gushing from his neck, forming a dark red pool on the bluestone slab, which was particularly conspicuous.

Liu Zhengfeng's gaze swept over the corpses of several familiar servants, and his eyes instantly reddened.

Then he saw Lin Mu protecting his wife and children, and then looked at his wife and children who were safe and sound. How could he not understand what had happened?

Liu Zhengfeng quickly stepped forward, then bowed deeply to Lin Mu, his voice tinged with lingering fear: "Young brother, no... benefactor! If it weren't for your righteous intervention, my entire family would have been wiped out today!"

"I was foolish before and failed to heed your wise advice. I am truly ashamed!"

Liu Zhengfeng's wife, along with her son and daughter, quickly curtsied, tears welling in their eyes. They choked up and could not speak, only repeatedly kowtowing, filled with relief and gratitude for surviving such a calamity.

Yue Buqun stroked his beard, his gaze sweeping over Lin Mu several times, lingering particularly on the chillingly sharp Yitian Sword for a moment, a hint of surprise and apprehension flashing in his eyes.

Just now, Liu Zhengfeng and Fei Bin exchanged blows in the front hall for only ten breaths, yet this young man was able to kill Lu Bai and dozens of Songshan disciples in such a short time. Such skill probably already surpasses that of ordinary martial arts masters.

Looking at the clean, smooth cuts of those broken swords, it was clear that they were broken by a divine weapon, and the sword in the opponent's hand was definitely not an ordinary item.

When Fei Bin and Ding Mian saw Lu Bai's corpse, their expressions instantly turned extremely ugly.

"Junior Brother Lu!"

Ding Mian gasped in disbelief, then abruptly turned to Lin Mu, his eyes fierce as a wolf's, his aura becoming violent: "You killed him?!"

Fei Bin was even more enraged. He slammed his right hand on the hilt of his sword and pointed at Lin Mu with his left hand, shouting, "What an audacious madman! How dare you slaughter my Songshan Sect disciples and even lay a hand on my Junior Brother Lu!"

"Today I will tear you to pieces to avenge my junior brother!"

"revenge?"

Lin Mu sneered: "I thought only the Demonic Sect would do such a despicable and shameless thing as murdering wives and children. I didn't expect your Songshan Sect to be so immoral and despicable. With such behavior, do you even deserve to call yourselves a righteous sect?"

He looked around and his voice rang out in everyone's ears: "As the saying goes, misfortune should not befall one's wife and children."

"Even if Liu Zhengfeng is guilty, come at him. Why turn your sword on unarmed women, children, and servants?"

"Such despicable behavior is no different from that of beasts."

"Shouldn't such a beastly person die?"

Fei Bin was momentarily speechless when asked the question, then roared angrily, "Nonsense! Liu Zhengfeng colluded with the demonic sect and deserves to die. My Songshan Sect was ordered by the Left Alliance Leader to clean up our own ranks, and his family should be brought to justice as well!"

"rule?"

Lin Mu's gaze swept over the servant's corpse on the ground, and his voice suddenly turned stern: "Who gave you the right to decide life and death?"

The Ming Dynasty's Criminal Code, specifically the section on theft and robbery, states: "Anyone who breaks into a private residence is either committing adultery or theft. If they kill someone while armed, the principal offender shall be beheaded immediately, and the accomplice shall be exiled three thousand li!"

He scoffed and looked at Fei Bin: "I told you to read more books, but you insisted on feeding pigs. You don't even have this much legal common sense."

"Does your Songshan Sect think you're above the law?"

Changing the subject, Lin Mu looked at Liu Zhengfeng and said solemnly, "Moreover, Senior Liu is a third-rank military officer of the imperial court, an official appointed by the court."

"Your Songshan Sect openly attacked the families of imperial officials and slaughtered their servants, which is tantamount to treason. This is an unforgivable crime, and it would not be an exaggeration to exterminate nine generations of your family!"

The accusation of "treason" was slapped on him like a thunderclap in the courtyard.

Let alone Ding Mian and Fei Bin, even Zuo Lengchan, who was far away in Songshan, would probably break out in a cold sweat upon hearing these words.

Since ancient times, heroes have used force to break the law.

The imperial court had long been dissatisfied with these martial arts practitioners, but had not taken action due to the deeply entrenched influence of these sects.

However, if you are accused of "treason," you will be giving others a handle to use against you. Once the imperial army attacks the mountain, no matter how high your martial arts skills or how big your sect is, you will only be wiped out.

After all, this is a low-level martial arts world, and individual martial prowess is far from enough to influence a country.

The surrounding martial arts practitioners immediately began to whisper among themselves, and their gazes toward the Songshan Sect instantly changed.

As the saying goes, a dead Taoist friend will never die if he is a poor Taoist.

No one wanted to be implicated in the major case of "treason," and even the originally neutral individuals quietly took a step back, distancing themselves from Ding Mian and Fei Bin.

Chapter 10: The martial world is not a lawless place!

Seeing that Lin Mu had escalated the nature of the incident to the serious crime of treason in just a few words.

Ding Mian felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head. His face turned ashen, cold sweat rolled down his temples and soaked his collar, and his heart pounded so hard it felt like it was going to shatter his chest.

He retorted hastily, his voice trembling with fear: "You...you mustn't try to confuse the issue and twist the truth!"

"The affairs of the martial world shall be settled within the martial world itself. This has been the rule of the martial world for thousands of years. How dare you, a mere child, use the law to interfere!"

"What rules?"

Lin Mu interrupted sharply, his voice like the clash of metal, booming through the courtyard and completely drowning out Ding Mian's explanation.

His eyes flashed like lightning as he pressed forward relentlessly, his aura growing stronger with each step he took: "What kind of江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) rules can be greater than the Ming Dynasty's 'Great Ming Code'? Can they be greater than the Emperor's laws?"

"Or is it that your Songshan Sect has long harbored rebellious intentions, regarding the laws of the court as worthless and the emperor's authority as nothing?"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly took a step forward, his clothes fluttering without wind, his aura overwhelming, and his voice, carrying with it his inner strength, exploded and clearly resounded throughout every corner of the Liu residence: "Today, your Songshan Sect dares to openly murder the family members of an official of the imperial court, showing utter disregard for the laws of the court!"

"So tomorrow, do you dare to gather a crowd to besiege the government office and slaughter the officials?"

"The day after tomorrow, will we march north, storm the capital, and commit regicide and usurpation of the throne?"

His last words struck like a thunderbolt. He pointed his sword at the heavens, each word ringing out: "The martial world is not a lawless place, much less a place where your Songshan Sect can do as you please."