Chapter 31

As everyone was conversing, a nun suddenly rushed in, her voice trembling as she spoke to Master Dingyi, “Master, I just followed Sister Yilin to the back, and saw her enter the Qunyu Courtyard. Tian Boguang was there, and he killed a senior brother from the Qingcheng Sect!”

In her panic, the nun did not lower her voice, so many people in the hall heard her. They all found it amusing: What bad luck has befallen the Qingcheng Sect? Not only was their sect leader humiliated, but their disciples are being killed one after another. Could this be retribution for the destruction of the Fuwei Escort Agency? However, Tian Boguang is indeed bold, not only killing a Qingcheng Sect disciple but also abducting a Hengshan Sect disciple. Is the Five Mountains Sword Sect to be trifled with?

Master Dingyi, known for her fiery temper, was furious upon hearing the news. She shouted, “What a big dog’s gall this Tian Boguang has! If I encounter him, I won’t spare him!” She then ordered a disciple to lead the way to rescue Yilin.

Yue Fangxing and the Huashan Sect group, seeing this, knew that Linghuchong was likely there and naturally did not fall behind, following the Hengshan Sect group.

Yu Canghai, hearing the nun’s words, was even more enraged. The Qingcheng Sect disciples had been humiliated one after another, and he had been mocked for the "Buttocks Backward Flat Sand Goose Style." He had also lost to a junior due to his carelessness and could not retaliate. Now, hearing that a disciple had been killed by Tian Boguang, his anger was indescribable. He immediately led his disciples to follow Master Dingyi to confront Tian Boguang.

Seeing this, the people in the hall knew there would be a spectacle and followed behind.

Upon reaching the Qunyu Courtyard, Master Dingyi, unable to contain herself, jumped onto the roof and loudly called, “Yilin, Yilin.” She was calling out to Yilin, trying to locate her.

Yue Fangxing, following behind the Hengshan Sect group, shook his head. Master Dingyi, despite her age, was too hasty. This would only alert Tian Boguang to the impending attack. But then he thought: If Tian Boguang can hear her, Yilin should be able to hear her too. She is warning Yilin that help is on the way, so she can hide and avoid tarnishing the Hengshan Sect’s reputation. However, Master Dingyi might not have considered Yilin’s impulsive nature. If Yilin were alone, she might have responded rashly. Fortunately, there is the clever and mischievous Qu Feiyan by her side, who would definitely think of something.

Thinking this, Yue Fangxing had another thought: If I can guess that Qu Feiyan will remind Yilin, then Master Dingyi likely thought of it too. If so, Master Dingyi is not as rash as she appears. It seems everyone has been deceived by her rough and bold demeanor.

While Yue Fangxing was pondering, he heard Master Dingyi shout again, “Tian Boguang, come out now! Release Yilin.”

This was a clever move. It confirmed Tian Boguang’s guilt and cleared the Hengshan Sect of any involvement. Even if Yilin were found inside, it would be seen as her being forced by Tian Boguang, not as a Hengshan Sect disciple willingly engaging in such behavior, thus preserving the Hengshan Sect’s reputation.

Yue Fangxing, hearing this, was no longer in doubt. These old masters, who have made a name for themselves, are not simple. Even Master Dingyi, known for her rough and bold demeanor, is no exception. After all, if Master Dingyi were truly a rough and bold person, the Hengshan Sect would not have entrusted her with leading the group here.

Tian Boguang, a well-known figure in the martial world, would not be intimidated by someone calling him out. From the western room came a burst of laughter: “Is this the venerable Master Dingyi of the White Cloud Nunnery of the Hengshan Sect? I should come out to pay my respects, but I have a few beautiful ladies with me, and it would be impolite to leave them. So, let’s both save face. Ha, ha, ha!”

Several women then giggled together, clearly courtesans from the brothel. Some even cooed, “Good husband, ignore her, kiss me again, hehe, hehe.” The courtesans’ lewd and provocative words grew louder, clearly following Tian Boguang’s instructions to anger Master Dingyi.

Sure enough, Master Dingyi was furious and shouted, “Tian Boguang, if you don’t come out, I’ll tear you to pieces!”

Tian Boguang laughed, “If I don’t come out, you’ll tear me to pieces. If I do come out, you’ll still tear me to pieces. So, I won’t come out! Master Dingyi, this place is not suitable for a nun. It’s best you leave. Your esteemed disciple is not here; she is a strict and disciplined young nun. How could she be in such a place? Isn’t it strange for you to come here looking for your disciple?” Tian Boguang, despite his notorious reputation, knew not to truly provoke the Five Mountains Sword Sect and was trying to exonerate Yilin, though no one would believe him.

As a nun, Master Dingyi could not easily enter a brothel. She angrily shouted, “Set fire to this den of scoundrels and see if he comes out!”

Tian Boguang laughed, “Master Dingyi, this place is a famous spot in Hengyang City called the Qunyu Courtyard. If you set it on fire, it will be said in the martial world that the Qunyu Courtyard in Hunan Province was burned down by Master Dingyi of the White Cloud Nunnery of the Hengshan Sect. People will ask, ‘Why did Master Dingyi, a venerable and virtuous nun, come to such a place?’ Others will say, ‘She was looking for her disciple!’ They will then ask, ‘Why would a Hengshan Sect disciple be in the Qunyu Courtyard?’ This will greatly tarnish your sect’s reputation. I, Tian Boguang, fear nothing in the world except your esteemed disciple. I would avoid her at all costs, so how could I dare to provoke her?”

Hearing this, Master Dingyi was so angry that steam seemed to rise from her ears. She kicked the roof tiles to pieces but had no immediate plan.

Seeing Master Dingyi’s predicament, Yue Fangxing was about to step forward to help, both to gain favor with the Hengshan Sect and to test his own martial skills. However, he noticed Yu Canghai’s figure dart forward, and he paused: Since someone else is stepping up, I won’t go. Let this short Yu Canghai and Tian Boguang fight. This way, I can observe his skills and gauge the difficulty of rescuing Lin Pingzhi’s parents.

Yu Canghai stood on the roof opposite Tian Boguang and coldly asked, “Tian Boguang, did you kill my disciple Peng Renqi?” Peng Renqi was the disciple killed by Tian Boguang, whom Yu Canghai had always valued. Enraged, he immediately confronted Tian Boguang.

Tian Boguang laughed, “My apologies, my apologies! Even the Qingcheng Sect’s leader has graced us with his presence. The Qunyu Courtyard will now be famous throughout the martial world, with business booming and customers overflowing. I did kill a young man. His sword skills were mediocre and somewhat resembled Qingcheng Sect techniques. I didn’t have the time to ask his name.”

Hearing this, Yu Canghai was furious. With a swoosh, he entered the room. Immediately, the sound of weapons clashing like a string of pearls filled the air as he engaged Tian Boguang in combat.

Yue Fangxing, listening to the sounds of their weapons, assessed their skills. He had fought Tian Boguang before and understood his abilities. From the sounds, Tian Boguang had improved over the past year, his knife skills faster than before. No wonder Linghuchong fell to him. Yu Canghai, the short man, also had some genuine skills. His fast sword techniques could match Tian Boguang’s fast knife, likely the Qingcheng Sect’s renowned Pine Wind Sword Technique.

Yue Fangxing estimated that if he were to fight Yu Canghai one-on-one, he could probably win, but it would not be easy. Capturing Yu Canghai to exchange for Lin Pingzhi’s parents would be difficult. Recalling how Ren Woxing almost subdued Yu Canghai with a single move in the Shaolin Temple, he was secretly alarmed. He realized he was still far from the level of top-notch experts like Ren Woxing. Even with preparation, he might struggle to protect himself.

Despite this, Yue Fangxing had no good solution. The higher one’s martial skills, the harder it is to improve, especially after reaching the level of a first-class expert. It’s possible to go decades without progress. According to Yue Fangxing’s own estimation, without any special opportunities or encounters, it would take another five to six years to perfect the Huanyuan Gong. As for his sword and palm techniques, he had reached a bottleneck and needed intense practice to improve. If things went well, he might break through soon; if not, it could take decades. This was why he left the seaside, to seek opportunities for breakthrough and to advance further in the impending martial world turmoil.