Chapter Ninety-Six: How Many in the Mount Heng Sect Have Practiced the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual?

At that moment, Linghu Chong was desperately gulping wine down his throat. Yue Buqun’s furious roar seemed to come from the far horizon, yet at the same time it sounded as though it were right beside his ear. With his eyes red as fire and his neck stiff, Linghu Chong shouted, "This disciple is innocent."

Yue Buqun turned livid with rage. Just as he was about to stride forward and thunder at him, Yang Xin stopped him. Yang Xin took two steps forward and stood suspended in midair, cupping his hands as he said, "Fellow heroes of the martial world, my Mount Hua Sect wishes to deal with some private sect affairs here at Wild Goose Return Tower. I ask all of you to excuse us."

No one present at Wild Goose Return Tower said another word. They hurriedly cupped their hands in reply and withdrew at once. As for those who had wanted to stay and watch by force, had they not seen Yang Zhenren standing in the air? Such a feat of martial skill had never even been heard of before. Since this man could stand aloft in midair, he surely had the power to kill as well. No matter how great the spectacle, one’s own life came first.

"You two stay behind!" Yang Xin said casually, glancing at Qu Feiyan and Qu Yang.

That one indifferent glance made Qu Yang and Qu Feiyan feel as though they had encountered their mortal enemy. Their hair seemed to stand on end, and even their blood felt as though it had frozen. They hastily nodded.

"Are there any disciples of the Hengshan Sect here?" Yang Xin asked the crowd as it was dispersing.

After the others had gone, only one disciple in Hengshan attire remained. He cupped his hands and said, "Mi Weiyi pays his respects to the Grand-Uncle Master of Mount Hua Sect and to Uncle Yue."

With a sweep of his hand, Yang Xin sent a booklet flying from his grasp. It contained the Hengshan Sect’s sword technique. It floated in the air before Mi Weiyi’s eyes as Yang Xin said, "Take this book and tell your master, Liu Zhengfeng, to hurry back to Wild Goose Return Tower at once!"

"Yes, Grand-Uncle Master!" Mi Weiyi dared not delay. He immediately tucked the booklet into his robe and hurried back toward the sect at full speed.

Yang Xin’s utterly unheard-of methods had frightened Mi Weiyi badly. He did not dare linger for even a moment and pushed his lightness skill to the limit.

"Linghu Chong, the so-called Linghu hero, consorting with villainous rabble—do you still have any semblance of our righteous martial-world image? You are bringing disgrace upon my Mount Hua Sect!" Yue Buqun said angrily.

Yet Linghu Chong paid him no heed at all. He only kept pouring wine into his mouth, apparently still brooding over Tian Boguang’s death.

"Old Yue, there’s no need for that," Yang Xin said lazily.

"There really is no need," Yue Buqun said with a long sigh, shaking his head. "I am only angry that he cannot distinguish right from wrong. I never imagined a man could be so stubborn."

"I have done nothing wrong; the wrong one is the whole world... People like that exist in every world," Yang Xin said, shaking his head.

Looking at the whole tale of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, Linghu Chong’s protagonist’s aura was truly terrifying. Time and again he could turn danger into safety, and beauties and peerless arts seemed to fall into his lap as though it were only natural. Yet Linghu Chong showed not the slightest gratitude; instead, he acted as if everything were his due. That was what enraged Yue Buqun most: Linghu Chong’s utterly self-righteous manner.

"You immortals have people like Brother Linghu too?" Qu Feiyan asked with a grin.

"Brother Linghu?" Yang Xin was speechless. Was Linghu Chong poisoned, or did he possess some kind of intelligence-draining aura? Even a little girl he had only just met was already calling him Brother Linghu...

Qu Feiyan was mischievous and clever, but when Yang Xin thought of such a lovely young girl being killed after appearing for only one or two chapters, he could not help feeling a touch of regret. So he said coldly, "If you do not want to die, keep your mouth shut!"

Qu Yang flew into a rage. No one had ever dared speak to his precious granddaughter in such a way. Yet he could only burn with anger inwardly; on his face, not the slightest change showed. He merely gripped Qu Feiyan’s hand tightly, telling her to make less trouble.

Though Qu Feiyan was a spoiled little rascal, she had at least wandered the jianghu with Qu Yang and knew when to act coquettishly and when to remain silent. She understood very well that the man before her was not someone to provoke, so she could only sit there puffed up with indignation.

After a short while, Liu Zhengfeng arrived at Wild Goose Return Tower in great haste with two disciples. He told the two disciples to wait outside, while he entered alone. The moment he stepped inside, he was startled. He saw the Mount Hua Sect’s senior disciple, Linghu Chong, frantically drinking wine, while on the second floor Yang Xin and Yue Buqun were facing Qu Yang and Qu Feiyan across the table.

"Hengshan Sect’s Liu Zhengfeng pays his respects to Senior Brother Yue and to this Mount Hua Sect elder. I thank Mount Hua Sect for its gift of sword technique," Liu Zhengfeng said, cupping his hands.

"Sit," Yang Xin said, pointing carelessly to the seat beside Qu Yang.

Liu Zhengfeng knew full well that his association with Qu Yang had already been exposed, so he simply leapt up to the second floor and sat down beside him.

"Third Master Liu, call your two disciples in as well," Yang Xin said flatly.

"Mi Weiyi, Dainian, come in and pay your respects to the seniors of Mount Hua Sect," Liu Zhengfeng said, though he did not understand why Yang Xin had arranged matters this way.

"Mi Weiyi, Xiang Dainian, pay our respects to the Grand-Uncle Master of Mount Hua Sect." Along the way, Mi Weiyi had already told Liu Zhengfeng and Xiang Dainian of Yang Xin’s miraculous abilities. That was why, though Liu Zhengfeng did not understand the situation at all, he still obeyed Yang Xin without question.

"How long have the two of you been practicing the Evil-Resisting Sword Manual?" Yang Xin suddenly asked.

"The Evil-Resisting Sword Manual?" Liu Zhengfeng and Qu Yang exchanged a glance, both somewhat stunned. The manual had been spreading wildly of late, almost as if everyone had a copy. Neither of them had paid it much mind, because they had been busy playing music together on the qin and flute. They had never imagined that Liu Zhengfeng’s two disciples had already begun practicing it.

"If you would master this divine art, first castrate yourself with a blade." In the martial world, if there were any words more famous than others, these eight were surely the most famous of all. Even Liu Zhengfeng and Qu Yang, who had devoted themselves to music, had heard of them.

"This... my disciple and junior brother have been practicing for more than two months now," Mi Weiyi finally said hesitantly, stepping forward to answer.

"You two!" Liu Zhengfeng pointed at Mi Weiyi and Xiang Dainian, looking heartbroken. "How could you learn such a sinister art?"

"How many people in the Hengshan Sect have practiced the Evil-Resisting Sword Manual?" Yang Xin asked again.

"Aside from a few junior brothers who are deeply infatuated with Junior Sister Liu Qing, the rest of the disciples have all practiced it," Mi Weiyi answered bashfully, every trace of a young girl’s shyness clearly on display.

Liu Zhengfeng slapped a hand to his forehead and let out a long, inward sigh. Finished! The Hengshan Sect is finished! Senior Brother Mo will kill me for this!

"Mi Weiyi, Xiang Dainian, since the two of you have practiced the Evil-Resisting Sword Manual for more than two months, Liu Zhengfeng is no longer your match. And since Liu Zhengfeng is in collusion with the demon cult elder Qu Yang, why do you not depose him and take his place?" Yang Xin pressed step by step.

"One day as a teacher means a lifetime as a father. A benefactor’s kindness is greater than heaven itself!" Mi Weiyi said, word by word.

"So am I! Not just me—every disciple of the Hengshan Sect is the same!" Xiang Dainian answered with equal firmness.

"Third Master Liu, look at yourself, then look at these disciples of yours. Do you not feel ashamed?" Yang Xin said coldly. Even Yang Xin was at a loss for words at Liu Zhengfeng’s sheer foolishness.

"In consideration of your disciples’ loyalty and righteousness, I’ll tell you something for free: tomorrow, the day Liu Zhengfeng publicly washes his hands in a golden basin, will be the day the Hengshan Sect is wiped out!"

"How is that possible?" Liu Zhengfeng, Qu Yang, Mi Weiyi, and Xiang Dainian all changed color at once.