Chapter 19

"Really? How so, tell me quickly." Feng Qingyang had been sparring for two days, feeling very pleased. His good impression of Su Zhong increased, and now hearing Su Zhong talk about the origin of the *Evil-Repelling Sword Technique*, Feng Qingyang's curiosity was piqued. He also wanted to know the background of this extraordinary martial art.

Yue Buqun felt somewhat uneasy under Su Zhong's gaze, but upon hearing that the *Evil-Repelling Sword Technique* was related to Huashan, he couldn't help but think of a lost Huashan martial art, the *Sunflower Manual*. Suppressing his anxiety, Yue Buqun sat calmly, ready to listen.

"Speaking of the *Evil-Repelling Sword Technique*, we must first talk about its predecessor, the *Sunflower Manual*." Su Zhong's words caused a change in the expressions of those on Sigu Cliff.

"Indeed, it is related to the *Sunflower Manual*!" Yue Buqun thought to himself.

"The *Sunflower Manual*?! Isn't that Dongfang Bubai's martial art?" Feng Qingyang frowned. Could this Lin family have ties to the Cult of Darkness? He then chuckled, "At my age, should I still be so naive? Whether it's the Cult of Darkness or not, what does it matter to me?"

Su Zhong, ignoring the various thoughts of the others, continued, "The *Sunflower Manual* was created by a eunuch from a previous dynasty. This person was highly intelligent but, unfortunately, of low birth, and became a eunuch at a young age. All profound martial arts follow the meridians and emphasize the balance of yin and yang. With his physical deficiency, he naturally couldn't practice high-level internal energy. However, being a martial arts genius, he took a different path. He created a technique that only eunuchs could practice, the *Sunflower Manual*. The sunflower is a flower that faces the sun, and naming it after the sunflower means that this technique's internal energy is yang and powerful, comparable to the scorching sun!"

"But the rumor in the martial world is that the *Evil-Repelling Sword Technique* is ghostly and extremely cold. Why is that?" Ning Zhongze asked, puzzled.

"Ning girl, that's because the internal energy is too yang, leading to yang transforming into yin. Externally, it appears as an extremely cold technique," Feng Qingyang sighed. "Yang transforming into yin, how powerful must a technique be to have such an appearance! Indeed, only a eunuch, someone with a physical deficiency, could practice such a yang technique. If a normal person practiced it, they would die from excessive desire."

Yue Buqun's expression had been poor since Su Zhong mentioned that the *Sunflower Manual* was a eunuch's martial art. Now, understanding the principle, his expression became even darker.

Su Zhong didn't care about Yue Buqun's mood.

"Later, the *Sunflower Manual* fell into the hands of the Red Leaf Zen Master of Southern Shaolin. He found the technique too bizarre and wanted to burn it, but he couldn't bear to see such a unique art disappear. He wanted to study it thoroughly and change its nature. However, two young heroes from Southern Shaolin arrived. They were your Huashan ancestors, Yue Xiao and Cai Zifeng. Upon discovering this martial art, they had the idea to steal it. Due to the short time and fear of being discovered, each of them memorized half. When they returned to Huashan, they found that the two halves didn't match. Each thought the other had made a mistake, so they practiced according to their own memory. This is the origin of the Huashan sword and qi dispute."

"Ah!" Ning Zhongze covered her mouth, shocked.

Yue Buqun's expression was dark. The sword and qi dispute, though a family disgrace, was a war sparked by differing ideals. Though it didn't sound good, it had a unique pride.

But now, Su Zhong was telling him that the sword and qi dispute wasn't a martial dispute at all, but a misunderstanding caused by two thieves. In simple terms, it was a matter of poor character and limited knowledge.

Yue Buqun was very angry. He didn't believe these words. If it weren't for Feng Qingyang's silence, he would have drawn his sword and killed Su Zhong.

Su Zhong, seeing Feng Qingyang's ashen face, felt some sympathy. This man's life had been destroyed by the sword and qi dispute. But the reality was so cruel; the so-called sword and qi dispute was just a joke.

"Later, when Red Leaf Zen Master discovered this, he sent his disciple, Du Yuan, to Huashan to persuade them. However, Du Yuan was tempted by the secular world and became interested in this unique art. He tangled with Yue Xiao and Cai Zifeng, learning the content of the *Sunflower Manual* from them. After memorizing it, he left Huashan, returned to secular life, and achieved fame with his incomplete *Sunflower Manual*."

At this point, everyone in the room had already guessed who this person was. Yue Buqun and Feng Qingyang looked at Su Zhong with strange expressions, clearly shocked by their guesses.

"You guessed right, Du Yuan is Lin Yuan Tu," Su Zhong said calmly. "He was a eunuch."

Lin Pingzhi's face turned red, and he lowered his head, not speaking. Yue Lingshan looked at Lin Pingzhi curiously, making him even more reluctant to look up. This was a family disgrace, and if it spread in the martial world, it would cause a huge uproar.

Feng Qingyang's expression changed. "Everyone must swear a blood oath that no one will spread what is said here!" He stared intently at Yue Buqun.

"I don't care if it spreads. They can say bad things about my family behind my back, but if they mention it to my face, they'll have to try my sword. Anyone who spreads rumors, I'll take their head," Su Zhong said indifferently.

"No, this isn't just about your family; it also concerns the reputation of Huashan," Feng Qingyang said sternly.

Everyone in the room understood the importance of this and one by one swore an oath. Yue Buqun was no exception. He could use Lin Yuan Tu to his advantage, and Su Zhong could use Huashan. This was no good for anyone, so he didn't oppose the oath.

After everyone swore, the atmosphere relaxed.

"Does that mean practicing the *Evil-Repelling Sword Technique* or the *Sunflower Manual* requires castration?" Yue Buqun's expression was extremely strange. Feng Qingyang, however, was more calm. He was old and had seen countless extraordinary techniques. Although the cultivation conditions of the *Sunflower Manual* were harsh, he quickly accepted it.

"Doesn't that mean Dongfang Bubai..." Ning Zhongze suddenly said, but couldn't finish.

Su Zhong chuckled, "Yes, he was also a eunuch. And do you know what happens when this technique is practiced to its highest level?"

"What?" Yue Buqun was very concerned.

Su Zhong looked at him meaningfully, then at Lin Pingzhi, and smiled sinisterly. "When practiced to the highest level, due to the excessive yang and yin, the person's nature changes. They become more interested in makeup and bright, colorful clothing. Most importantly, the stronger their martial arts, the more feminine they become. In the end, they will unconsciously develop a preference for men."

"What?!" Yue Buqun's expression was extremely unpleasant. Feng Qingyang's face twitched. The three younger people were stunned, finding this too fantastical to believe.

"Dongfang Bubai, a great hero, why has he done nothing for so many years? Instead, he let a minor like Yang Lianding rise to power?" Su Zhong asked.

Others might not know, but as the leader of Huashan, Yue Buqun certainly did, and as his wife, Ning Zhongze naturally knew as well.

"You mean...?" Ning Zhongze couldn't believe her guess.

"Yes, if I'm not mistaken, he has been hiding on Blackwood Peak, embroidering and dreaming of being a good husband and father." Su Zhong smiled maliciously, making everyone in the room shiver.

Yue Lingshan's face turned pale, and she unconsciously grabbed her mother's sleeve. This was terrifying and disgusting just to hear.

Seeing everyone's pale faces, Su Zhong found it very amusing. However, seeing their expressions, he knew he couldn't continue. If he said anything more, they would start cursing him.

"The *Sunflower Manual* was given to Dongfang Bubai by Ren Woxing. This man's mind is truly deep. He saw that Dongfang Bubai had a second heart but still gave him this poisonous technique. Even if he became the leader, he would become neither man nor ghost, with a cruel and vicious mind. Truly astonishing."

Such a ruler's mind was too powerful, with countless plots and schemes. Su Zhong admitted he couldn't do it and didn't care to think about such schemes. He preferred to crush everything with absolute power, and the *Life-Taking Sword* was created for this purpose.

"Let's not talk about this. I mentioned the *Sunflower Manual* today not only to tell you its story but also for another reason. This is one of the reasons I came to Huashan." Su Zhong suddenly said, "When the Cult of Darkness attacked Huashan and stole the *Sunflower Manual*, the ten elders were trapped and died on Huashan. Are you interested in seeing their remains?"

"You know?" Feng Qingyang was surprised.

"Of course. I didn't know before, but I found out after coming to Sigu Cliff." Saying this, he drew his sword and casually threw it into the cave on Sigu Cliff.

The sword, imbued with Su Zhong's internal energy, hit the wall with a loud bang, creating a large hole.

"Yesterday, I noticed something odd about the sound here and, considering where the Cult of Darkness people were trapped, I guessed that this might lead to that cave. It seems I was right." Su Zhong stepped forward and entered the cave.

"Five Mountains Sword Techniques?! I didn't expect to find lost techniques of the Five Mountains Sword School here!" Yue Buqun exclaimed in surprise.

But when he saw that the ten elders of the Cult of Darkness had broken through the Five Mountains Sword Techniques, his expression changed. "How could this be?!"

"Stupid, the quality of a sword technique depends on the person using it. You're not a block of wood; techniques are dead, but people are alive. Even if I gave you the *Nine Swords of Dugu*, you wouldn't be able to defeat Lin Yang's basic sword technique," Feng Qingyang scolded.

Yue Buqun's face turned pale, not knowing how to respond. Today, he had been shocked too much. His ancestors turned out to be thieves, the sword and qi dispute was a joke, and the lost techniques of the Five Mountains Sword School were all broken. Moreover, the *Evil-Repelling Sword Technique*, which he had high hopes for, turned out to be a eunuch's technique. All these changes were too much for him to handle.