Chapter 23

When Yue Fangxing and Linghuchong returned to Huashan, it was already evening. The people on the mountain were doing their evening prayers and greeted the two warmly as they saw them return.

However, the two had just returned to the mountain gate and had matters on their minds, so they only gave a brief response and then went straight to pay respects to Yue Buqun.

At this point, the two finally breathed a sigh of relief. After all, they were still rookies in the江湖 (jianghu), and although they had tried to remain calm these past few days, they were indeed quite anxious. After all, anyone carrying a secret manual of supreme martial arts would not dare to relax.

Yue Buqun was in the "Xuan You Bu Wei" pavilion when he saw Yue Fangxing and Linghuchong burst in, their faces filled with joy and relief. He frowned deeply and said sternly, "Chong'er, Xing'er, look at you now. Where is the composure I taught you?"

It was no wonder Yue Buqun was a bit angry. Linghuchong was one thing, as he had always been like that, but Yue Fangxing was usually very steady and calm, much like himself. These two were the ones he had high hopes for to revitalize Huashan. Now, after a trip in the jianghu, they had become like this. How could he be satisfied?

Yue Fangxing and Linghuchong, upon hearing this, realized they had shown too much emotion and lost their composure, which was a major taboo in practicing high-level internal skills. Therefore, they did not dare to argue and respectfully agreed.

The two calmed down but did not speak. Yue Fangxing went out to check the surroundings, saw no one, and nodded to Linghuchong, who then said, "Master, your disciples have something important to report."

Yue Buqun was slightly startled. Seeing their expressions and actions, he had a vague sense of foreboding. Now, hearing Linghuchong's words, he became even more serious. He knew that although his senior disciple was usually a bit frivolous, he was serious about important matters. Seeing his son's serious face, he knew something significant must have happened. Therefore, he asked solemnly, "Chong'er, tell me in detail. Has something major happened in the jianghu, or have you caused some trouble?"

Linghuchong was momentarily stunned, realizing his master had misunderstood. He quickly explained, "Master, it's not about the jianghu, and my junior brother and I haven't caused any trouble. We found the inscriptions left by the great master Chongyang on Zhongnan Mountain and obtained a scripture."

Upon hearing this, Yue Buqun could not help but stand up abruptly. He naturally knew the name of Chongyang, the master of Huashan's ancestor, Haodatong, and the first person in the world at that time. His expression became even more serious, and he stood up to check outside again before saying to the two, "What exactly happened? Tell me in detail."

Linghuchong did not dare to be negligent and recounted how they searched, entered the ancient tomb's secret passage, and escaped. He concluded by saying, "This time, it was all thanks to my junior brother's planning that we were able to find the scripture and return safely. I do not take any credit."

Yue Buqun, upon hearing Linghuchong's account, understood why the two had looked so relieved and joyful when they entered the room. He imagined they must have been anxious and fearful these past few days. However, he could not blame them; even he might not have remained calm with such a significant discovery, let alone two young rookies.

Yue Buqun let Linghuchong recite a few lines, and immediately realized it was a supreme and rare scripture. He interrupted, "Chong'er, Xing'er, you must not reveal this to anyone. Otherwise, not only will your lives be in danger, but Huashan might also face a great disaster." He looked at the two, his expression more serious than ever.

Yue Fangxing and Linghuchong responded in unison, swearing not to leak any information. After obtaining the scripture, they had not practiced it yet, but they knew its power. Many disputes in the jianghu had been caused by martial arts manuals. If the news of Huashan obtaining the Nine Yin Manual leaked, it would certainly bring a great disaster, and Huashan would not be safe.

Yue Buqun let out a slight sigh of relief but remained cautious, pacing and saying, "Not only that, you must also be careful of some people on Huashan, to avoid any slip-ups."

Yue Fangxing had a vague idea, but Linghuchong was confused. However, he was intelligent and, upon hearing Yue Buqun, had some suspicions. He asked, "Are there spies from other sects on Huashan?"

Yue Buqun sighed deeply, clearly reluctant to speak, but he slowly said, "Chong'er, Xing'er, now that your martial arts have improved, it's time for you to know some secrets of the Five Great Sword Sects."

Linghuchong and Yue Fangxing were startled, knowing that their master was about to reveal some secrets of the Five Great Sword Sects, and they listened attentively.

Yue Buqun sighed deeply and slowly said, "You may have heard that decades ago, Huashan was the strongest among the Five Great Sword Sects, far surpassing the other four. However, about twenty years ago, Huashan suffered a major setback, resulting in the loss of most of the senior experts, leading to our current state."

Yue Fangxing, upon hearing this, knew that the setback was likely the dispute between the sword and qi factions. Yue Buqun had never mentioned this before, so he pretended not to know. Linghuchong, however, was even more confused and asked, "What exactly happened? How did Huashan fall to this state?"

Yue Buqun was silent for a long time before saying, "It was a disgraceful incident in Huashan. Since so many years have passed, it's best not to mention it again."

Linghuchong and Yue Fangxing, seeing Yue Buqun's sad expression, did not dare to ask more and listened as he continued.

"Since Huashan has declined, the Songshan Sect, led by Zuo Lengchan, has become increasingly prosperous. Therefore, when the Five Great Sword Sects chose a new leader, Huashan naturally could not compete with Songshan, and Zuo Lengchan became the leader. I accepted this, but Zuo Lengchan still does not trust Huashan and has been testing us these past years. Hmph, does he really think I don't know?" Yue Buqun's expression grew colder as he spoke.

Linghuchong was shocked. He had always thought the Five Great Sword Sects were united, but he never imagined there were such secrets. Yue Fangxing, although he knew some, thought about his father's efforts to support the sect over the past twenty years, enduring countless hardships and having to be cautious even on Huashan, and felt a deep sense of sorrow.

Yue Buqun sighed for a moment, then composed himself and informed the two of some people to be wary of, including Laodenuo and others they did not often interact with. He concluded, "Even though the inner disciples have clear backgrounds, you must still be cautious. I always feel something is not right."

Yue Fangxing and Linghuchong listened carefully, greatly surprised. They never imagined there were so many spies on Huashan, even among the inner disciples, which was truly alarming. As to why they were not cleared out, both were intelligent and understood the fear of alerting the enemy and bringing in new, more hidden spies.

After finishing, Yue Buqun instructed the two to act as usual, practicing and resting as they normally did, to avoid arousing suspicion. "I listened to the content of the scripture, and it is profound and obscure. I don't understand many parts yet and need to study it carefully. We will discuss it further in a few days. Remember, do not write it down. Any leak will bring great disaster."

Yue Fangxing and Linghuchong respectfully agreed. At this point, they finally relaxed, looking exhausted. They had been very tired these past few days, and now that they could finally relax, they felt even more drained.

For the next few days, Yue Fangxing and Linghuchong, apart from greeting everyone upon their return, showed no unusual behavior and continued their usual practice and training on Huashan. The people on Huashan did not notice anything unusual, and no one knew what was happening in secret.

A few days later, Yue Buqun, Yue Fangxing, and Linghuchong began discussing the scripture's martial arts on the Chao Yang Terrace. This terrace was the most open, and no one could hide around it. Yue Buqun and Yue Fangxing often practiced here, and adding Linghuchong did not raise suspicion. Therefore, Yue Buqun chose this place to study the scripture.

Yue Fangxing and Linghuchong first compared their notes to avoid any omissions, then passed the information to Yue Buqun. The Nine Yin Manual was extremely profound, and even with decades of martial arts experience, Yue Buqun could not immediately decipher it. However, since Huashan's lineage was from Quanzhen, and the Zixia Divine Skill was also from the Daoist tradition, they would not go down the wrong path like the Black Wind Duo. Yue Fangxing, with ten years of martial arts practice, had almost self-taught the Hunyuan Skill and had read many martial arts notes from predecessors, combining them with his past knowledge to form his own insights. Although Linghuchong's martial arts knowledge was not as extensive, his intelligence and high comprehension allowed him to offer unique perspectives. Therefore, the three discussed and gained much from each other.

Fortunately, the Nine Yin Manual inscribed in the stone chamber was incomplete, only meant to counter the ancient tomb sect's martial arts, making it relatively simple. Otherwise, Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü, who had not yet entered the jianghu, would not have been able to practice it successfully. Therefore, Yue Buqun, Yue Fangxing, and Linghuchong spent less than a month deciphering the martial arts in the scripture. Although they could not complete the missing parts, they could practice the relatively complete sections like the Muscle Changing Classic, the Acupoint Unlocking Secrets, the Breath Holding Secrets, and the Soul Transferring Technique.

During this time, they also discussed the sword techniques on the ceiling. Yue Fangxing practiced them many times, but the techniques were simple and he had not yet grasped their essence, so they did not help much. They had to give up on this.

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