Chapter 9

Today is the day when the great hero Liu Zhengfeng of Hengshan Sect is retiring from the martial world. The city of Hengshan is filled with festive cheer, and hundreds of guests have streamed in, including fellow martial artists from the other sects of the Five Mountains Sword Sect, renowned heroes from the江湖, and even some unsavory characters.

Some of these people knew each other well, while others had only heard of each other's names and had never met. For a moment, the hall was filled with greetings and introductions, and the noise grew louder. The other sect leaders of the Five Mountains Sword Sect, seeing the mix of people, including some despicable individuals, frowned deeply, all feeling that Liu Zhengfeng had lost his sense of self-respect by associating with such people, tarnishing the reputation of the Five Mountains Sword Sect.

It was now the second hour of the morning, and Liu Zhengfeng returned to the inner hall, leaving his disciples to entertain the guests. He had just sat down when he saw a black flash and, looking up, noticed a black iron needle embedded in the wooden panel to his right.

Upon closer inspection, Liu Zhengfeng recognized it as the famous "Black Blood Divine Needle," the signature暗器 of his close friend Qu Yang. When used, a cluster of black needles would rain down, and anyone hit would surely die. It was a notorious and vicious暗器 of the Sun Moon Cult.

However, this flying needle was not shot using Qu Yang's "Flower Rain" technique but was instead driven into the solid wood with sheer hand strength. The needle, only three inches long and as fine as a cow's hair, had only a tiny tip exposed. Liu Zhengfeng slapped the area beside the needle, and with a burst of palm energy, the needle shot out, but it was already broken in two.

Liu Zhengfeng drew a sharp breath. The Black Blood Divine Needle was as fine as a cow's hair, with a diameter of only a few micrometers. If not examined closely, it would be hard to notice. A slight force would cause the delicate needle to twist and break. Even Qu Yang, after decades of practice, found it difficult to apply force to it and could only use his internal energy to shoot a cluster of needles with the "Flower Rain" technique, applying potent poison to ensure its lethal power.

This Black Blood Divine Needle, though as delicate as Qu Yang's, had been driven into the solid wood without any damage, demonstrating a skill far surpassing Qu Yang's. It was no wonder there was no poison on it.

Liu Zhengfeng carefully wrapped the Black Blood Divine Needle and placed it in his chest. Following the direction from which the needle came, he walked to a bamboo grove in just a few breaths. There, he saw a young man in his early twenties, dressed in fine silk, with a jade ring in his hair and a sharp, star-like gaze, sitting under the bamboo. A pretty girl of about twelve, seeing Liu Zhengfeng, called out in surprise.

"Grandpa Liu!"

Liu Zhengfeng was startled and asked, "Doctor Sai, why have you brought me here? And why have you brought my niece?"

While speaking, he secretly gripped a fine wire sword, remaining vigilant.

Chen Ang, who had been standing nearby when Mu Gaofeng was killed by a dart, knew that Liu Zhengfeng might not be able to defend against the Black Blood Divine Needle. With Chen Ang's intentions unclear, Liu Zhengfeng could not help but be cautious.

Seeing Liu Zhengfeng's tense demeanor, Chen Ang understood and stood up, bowing to him. "This little girl insisted on following me. If you know her family, I'll entrust her to you."

Qu Feiyang, hearing that she was a nuisance, huffed coldly and turned her head away.

Seeing Qu Feiyang's reaction, Liu Zhengfeng felt reassured. His relationship with Qu Yang was a secret that could not be revealed, as it would bring disaster not only to the Five Mountains Sword Sect but also to the Sun Moon Cult. Their interactions were kept extremely secret.

Given their life-and-death friendship, if Qu Yang's granddaughter were in the hands of an enemy, Liu Zhengfeng would risk his life to save her.

"Today is my grand retirement ceremony. Since you're here, Doctor Sai, why not join us for a drink?" Liu Zhengfeng smiled warmly and bowed.

"Today might not be your grand day but a day of great misfortune for your family," Chen Ang shook his head. "Seeing the Black Blood Divine Needle, you still harbor侥幸. Do you really think no one knows about your relationship with Qu Yang?"

Liu Zhengfeng's face darkened, and he said coldly, "Doctor, your words confuse me!"

"Don't panic, put away your soft sword. We are friends, not enemies!" Chen Ang laughed, spreading his hands to show he was unarmed. "Do you know that within this city, Ding Mian, Lu Bai, and Fei Bin of the Thirteen Protectors of Songshan are hiding with the banner of the Five Mountains Sword Sect's leader? What do you think they are here for?"

"The banner of the leader?" Liu Zhengfeng pondered. "Leader Zuo is highly respected. If he sends the banner, it must be for an important matter!"

Chen Ang smiled and looked at him. "Why deceive yourself? Zuo Lengshan has been plotting the unification of the Five Mountains for a long time. He is no longer satisfied with being the leader of the Five Mountains. You, Liu Zhengfeng, are the pillar of Hengshan. He sees you as a thorn in his side. With this legitimate pretext, next year's today might be the anniversary of your family's death!"

Liu Zhengfeng was furious at Chen Ang's blunt words. Zuo Lengshan's ambitions were not yet as obvious as they would later become. In the eyes of the martial world, he was still the fair and impartial leader. Liu Zhengfeng's family's death would later reveal the disunity within the Five Mountains Sword Sect and diminish Zuo Lengshan's reputation.

Liu Zhengfeng, a seasoned veteran, calmed down and thought about the recent actions of Songshan. Cold sweat drenched his back.

Qu Feiyang added, "My grandfather also heard about this and rushed here. Grandpa Liu, he's not lying. The Songshan Sect is indeed planning to harm you."

Liu Zhengfeng's face was uncertain, his mind struggling. He did not want to believe Chen Ang, but every time he tried to leave, he felt extremely uneasy. After several such attempts, his face alternated between red and white. At this moment, a disciple reported, "Master, the imperial envoy has arrived and is asking for you to receive the imperial decree!"

"Have the Songshan Sect people arrived?" Liu Zhengfeng asked.

The disciple was taken aback and bowed. "I haven't seen any Songshan Sect disciples!"

At that moment, a sneer sounded, coming from Chen Ang. A cold light flashed in his hand, and before Liu Zhengfeng could react, a black-clad man on the wall suddenly fell, landing with a thud. Blood gushed from his chest, and he was clearly dead.

The reporting disciple jumped in fright, looking nervously at Chen Ang.

Liu Zhengfeng nodded, waved him away, and quickly approached the man, pulling off his mask. Seeing the man's face, he sighed deeply.

He turned to Chen Ang and bowed. "With Qu Laoxiong as a witness, I trust you. I will arrange for my family's safety and then invite you to take a seat. After today, if you need anything, I will do my utmost to repay you." He left without changing his clothes.

Qu Feiyang, curious, glanced at the black-clad man and looked at Chen Ang with admiration. Being able to hit a hidden expert from dozens of yards away, not only in terms of eyesight but also in暗器 skills, was far beyond her own and almost on par with her grandfather. In the martial world, such skill at her age was extremely rare.

She had not seen Chen Ang kill Mu Gaofeng with a dart, or she would not have been so surprised.

"Let's go!" Chen Ang smiled at her, ignoring her blushing ears, and walked straight into Liu's residence. Qu Feiyang, feeling sulky, kicked the ground and hurried to follow.

Liu's residence was filled with distinguished guests, with about two hundred tables set up inside and out. Seeing Chen Ang enter, Dingshi and Yue Buqun were surprised, wondering why he was there. Yu Canghai was even more uncomfortable, turning his head away to pretend he did not see Chen Ang.

Yue Buqun, despite his name meaning "not a crowd," was very sociable. He approached Chen Ang to greet him and inquire about his background. Some people who had been treated by Chen Ang greeted him respectfully, making him seem very popular and quickly blending into the crowd.

Seeing Chen Ang smiling and greeting everyone, some curious martial artists asked, "Who is this person? He seems to know so many people, even the leader of Huashan Sect, Yue Buqun, is greeting him!"

Someone nearby explained, "This is Doctor Sai, the famous physician who cured the old hero Wang's ulcer. He is said to have the skills of Hua Tuo, capable of performing abdominal surgery and bone scraping to remove toxins. He is a renowned physician in the martial world!"

Hearing this, Dingshi's face twitched, and her usually calm expression faltered. Seeing Chen Ang greeting everyone, her lips trembled, and her disciples looked at her in confusion.

"Nothing! Just a ghost!" Dingshi waved her hand.

Chen Ang sat down next to Lin Pingzhi, shocking Yu Canghai, who wondered when they had become friends. In public, he could only give them a cold look.

At this moment, Liu Zhengfeng emerged from the inner hall, and Chen Ang, seeing no one with him, knew he had pacified the imperial envoy. Liu Zhengfeng was not foolish; he knew the Songshan Sect's intentions and that the martial world generally disliked imperial envoys. He would not receive the decree now and offend the gathered martial artists.

Liu Zhengfeng turned to the crowd and said loudly, "Today, we have many distinguished guests. You are all here to honor me. I, Liu Zhengfeng, am grateful to my master for teaching me martial arts. I have not brought glory to Hengshan Sect, and I am ashamed. Fortunately, my senior brother Mo will lead the sect. I am old and weak and can no longer handle the affairs of the martial world."

He paused, scanning the crowd, and said solemnly, "From today on, I, Liu Zhengfeng, will retire from the martial world and no longer involve myself in its disputes."

The crowd applauded and congratulated Liu Zhengfeng, praising him for his wise decision. Only Dingshi sighed, "Brother Liu, you are... sigh!"

Liu Zhengfeng bowed to the crowd, declined Dingshi's good intentions, rolled up his sleeves, and extended his hands to place them in the golden basin. The hall was filled with congratulations.

Suddenly, a loud voice from outside shouted, "Wait!"

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