Chapter 136: Ren Woxing, Beaten by Reality

"There are quite a few small sects nearby, but..."

"Excellent! Follow me, Left Envoy Xiang, and we shall go and subjugate them." Before Xiang Wentian could finish his sentence, Ren Woxing interrupted him. Impatient to restore his internal energy through the Star-Sucking Great Art and eager to begin building his own power base, he strode ahead.

Xiang Wentian opened his mouth, wanting to tell Ren Woxing that times had changed and the pugilistic world was no longer what it once was. However, Ren Woxing, desperate to regain his strength, refused to listen to a word further.

In Ren Woxing’s mind, only Dongfang Bubai and Abbot Fangzheng of Shaolin were worthy rivals. As for the others? Mere trifles. To subjugate them was a favor; these minor sects weren't even qualified to consume his Three-Corpse Brain-Spirit Pill, let alone contribute their internal energy.

Ren Woxing departed in high spirits, only to return in utter dejection.

Having spent over twenty years imprisoned in the West Lake, Ren Woxing had barely re-emerged into the world of martial arts before he was met with a bitter reality check—the society had taught him a harsh lesson.

Within the Sun Moon Holy Cult, few people practiced the Evil-Ward Sword Manual. Because even if one were ruthless enough to castrate oneself to gain immense power, the Cult still controlled its members through the Three-Corpse Brain-Spirit Pill. Since one’s destiny remained in the hands of others regardless of one's strength, there was no essential difference in practicing the sword manual, so they might as well indulge in pleasure while they could.

Consequently, many in the Sun Moon Holy Cult adopted a defeatist attitude and ignored the manual. However, martial artists in the wider world, driven by greed and the desire for fame, practiced it fervently. Later, when the Xianyue Sect released the "Spring of Female Rebirth," it completely set the entire martial arts world ablaze. Any minor sect wishing to make a name for itself ruthlessly castrated their members and took up the Evil-Ward sword techniques.

Ren Woxing, unaware of this, charged in with reckless arrogance and got his head bruised for his trouble. A tiny sect near Plum Manor, the Seven-Star Hall, beat Ren Woxing and Xiang Wentian until their faces were black and blue, teaching them a lesson in humility.

The Seven-Star Hall was originally known as the Black Tiger Gang—though even that name was too generous. It had been a group of seven small-time thugs who survived by collecting protection money. One day, the Evil-Ward Sword Manual descended from the sky, and the seven wept with joy.

Determined to get ahead, they castrated themselves and, capitalizing on their proximity to the source, practiced the techniques early. They carved out a massive empire—well, several streets. They used to collect protection money on only one street; now, they controlled seven.

The leader of the Black Tiger Gang felt the name lacked sophistication, so he kidnapped a scholar and forced him to rename it. The scholar used the Big Dipper as a gimmick, naming it the Seven-Star Hall. The hall was divided into seven smaller branches: Tianshu, Tianxuan, Tianji, Tianquan, Yuheng, Kaiyang, and Yaoguang. The leader was delighted, feeling that his status had been elevated significantly.

After seizing seven streets, the Seven-Star Hall stopped expanding and closed its doors to cultivate, intending to storm Shaolin, seize their scriptures, and trade them for the Spring of Female Rebirth. They were in the midst of this intense training when Xiang Wentian and Ren Woxing attacked.

Ren Woxing had initially looked down on such a minor sect, but a dragon in shallow water is bullied by shrimp, and a tiger on the plains is mocked by dogs. Not daring to challenge the Sun Moon Holy Cult directly yet, he had hoped to rally minor sects to build momentum, only to hit a wall.

How long had the Seven-Star Hall even existed? These seven thugs had never heard of Ren Woxing, and even if they had, they wouldn't have cared. What was more important than mastering divine techniques, storming Shaolin, and obtaining the Spring of Female Rebirth? As for "great imperial ambitions," that was a matter for after they secured the spring. Without another word, both sides drew their blades.

Two thugs were no match for Ren Woxing and Xiang Wentian; four thugs were still suppressed but managed to trade blows; six thugs forced Ren Woxing and Xiang Wentian onto the defensive; and when the Hall Master finally appeared, the seven of them together forced Ren Woxing and Xiang Wentian to flee in a panic, leaving Ren Woxing questioning his own existence.

"The wind is blowing hard—retreat!" Ren Woxing shouted a slang term he hadn't used in decades, and he and Xiang Wentian fled back to Plum Manor.

The Seven-Star Hall did not pursue. Ren Woxing’s Star-Sucking Great Art had caused them some damage, so they simply noted the debt and returned to their grueling practice, waiting until they obtained the Spring of Female Rebirth to settle the score.

"Left Envoy Xiang, what is going on? Why is this world so unfamiliar? Are all sects so savage? Does even a tiny Seven-Star Hall practice the Sunflower Manual?" Ren Woxing asked after purging the Sunflower energy from his system.

"They aren't practicing the Sunflower Manual; it's the Evil-Ward Sword Manual," Xiang Wentian said faintly, a hint of melancholy in his tone.

"Explain in detail." Ren Woxing realized that after his release, the world had become unrecognizable. Linghu Chong alone was enough to suppress him, and whenever he fought him, he could only muster eighty percent of his power. And this Seven-Star Hall—twenty years ago, there were no such savage sects!

"It is a long story. I remember it was the first rain of the tenth year of Xuande, slightly later than the one in the ninth year, at a tavern outside Fuzhou..." Xiang Wentian began to recount the changes in the martial arts world over the years in a tone almost like an aria.

Ren Woxing’s veins bulged. If Xiang Wentian weren't his last remaining loyal subordinate, he would have slapped him across the face. Fortunately, he suppressed his rage and listened carefully.

"The Xianyue Sect? Yang Xin! Why is he everywhere? Left Envoy, are you saying that the turmoil in the martial arts world is all caused by Yang Xin?" Ren Woxing inhaled deeply, secretly shocked by Yang Xin’s ruthlessness and grand design.

Back in the day, Ren Woxing had only used the Sunflower Manual to trap Dongfang Bubai, and he had paid for it with twenty years of imprisonment. Look at Yang Xin: a single Evil-Ward Sword Manual had not only ensnared the entire martial arts world but also Shaolin and Wudang, and even the Sun Moon Holy Cult was dragged in.

Viewed this way, the entire world was in chaos because of Yang Xin, which meant all these changes were within his grasp.

"The Xianyue Sect!" Ren Woxing spat, then looked at Xiang Wentian. "Let’s go. We’re heading to Shaolin."

"To save the Young Miss?" Xiang Wentian’s eyes lit up.

"No, to join forces with Shaolin and resist the Xianyue Sect!" Ren Woxing finished, waving his hand to stop any further questions. The two then traveled by night and hid by day, stealthily making their way toward Shaolin.

As for Linghu Chong...