Chapter 34

Yue Fangxing, upon hearing these words, felt a great hatred in his heart, realizing he had been tricked by this short man, Yu. Just as he was about to speak in his defense, he suddenly heard a long laugh, which made his heart leap with joy. He looked up and hurriedly bowed, respectfully saying, "Father, you’re here!"

A scholar in a green robe stepped out, his right hand waving a folding fan, his attire light and flowing, his demeanor graceful. He smiled and said, "Brother Yu, it’s been many years, and you still enjoy joking with the younger generation. My son has learned the Huashan Hunyuan Gong, which is well-known among the Five Mountains Sword Sects."

The person who arrived was none other than Yue Buqun. With just a few words, he defused Yu Canghai’s malicious intentions. The older generation of the Five Mountains Sword Sects naturally knew about the Hunyuan Gong, but having not seen it for many years, they had momentarily forgotten. Now, hearing Yue Buqun’s reminder, they recalled Yue Fangxing’s palm strike just now, which was indeed the Hunyuan Gong. However, they felt no relief; instead, they were alarmed: Could it be that the Huashan Sect has some hidden elder who taught this skill to the younger generation?

It was not surprising that they speculated this way. After all, internal martial arts were not like external martial arts, which could be learned through trial and error. External martial arts techniques, even if practiced incorrectly, could be corrected. But with internal martial arts, even a slight deviation could result in damaged meridians or, in severe cases, a complete breakdown of the body. Even if outsiders guessed, they would never imagine that Yue Fangxing had accidentally cultivated a similar true qi and then practiced it under Yue Buqun’s guidance. Of course, they suspected that there might be an elder in the Huashan Sect who had passed down the Hunyuan Gong.

Most people in the scene had never heard of the Hunyuan Gong, as it had been absent from the martial world for several decades. Therefore, some of the older generation, who liked to show off, began to explain it to the others. They learned that it was the second most powerful skill in the Huashan Sect, after the Zixia Divine Skill. The power of the Zixia Divine Skill was well-known in the martial world; seeing that Yue Buqun, who was in his fifties, still looked like he was in his thirties, they knew the stories were true. The Hunyuan Gong having such power was also believable. Although they still had some doubts, they did not want to delve deeper and instead agreed, easing the tense atmosphere.

Yu Canghai, seeing Yue Buqun’s arrival and the situation being turned around with just a few words, knew he could no longer gain any advantage. He had always been wary of Yue Buqun, which was why he had been sending disciples to probe the Huashan Sect for over twenty years after its decline. Now, as he was bullying the younger generation of the Huashan Sect, he was caught by Yue Buqun, making him feel somewhat awkward. He coldly snorted and waved his left hand, saying to the Qingcheng Sect disciples, "Let’s go!"

As he was about to leave, his right hand suddenly grabbed Lin Pingzhi. This move was quite sudden, and Yue Fangxing was unprepared. By the time he wanted to stop it, it was too late, and Lin Pingzhi was taken away. Fearing further complications, he could only let it go.

Yu Canghai loudly shouted, "Boy, which sect do you belong to?" His chest was filled with anger, which he could not vent, so he lashed out at this hunchback who had been opposing him.

Lin Pingzhi angrily shouted, "Dog scoundrel, you have destroyed my family, and now you still ask me?"

Yu Canghai was puzzled, "When did I ever meet you, you ugly fellow? What do you mean by destroying your family? Where did you get this from?" But with many people around, he did not want to ask in detail. He extended his arm and said to Hong Renxiong, "Renxiong, take this boy away."

Hong Renxiong replied, "Yes!" and was about to take Lin Pingzhi.

Lin Pingzhi shouted again, "Yu Canghai, I, Lin Pingzhi..."

Yu Canghai was startled, "You... you are Lin Pingzhi of the Fuyi Escort Agency?" He withdrew his arm.

Lin Pingzhi, knowing he could no longer hide, decided to die with dignity. He tore off the plaster on his face and loudly declared, "Yes, I am Lin Pingzhi of the Fuyi Escort Agency in Fuzhou. Your son molested a virtuous girl, and I killed him. You have destroyed my family, and you... you... where have you taken my parents?"

The Qingcheng Sect’s attack on the Fuyi Escort Agency had been widely discussed in the martial world, with everyone saying that the Qingcheng Sect aimed to seize the Lin family’s Exorcism Sword Technique manual. Now, hearing that this fake hunchback was indeed "Lin Pingzhi of the Fuyi Escort Agency," and seeing Yu Canghai’s reaction, no one doubted that he was trying to obtain the Exorcism Sword Technique from this young man.

At this moment, Yu Canghai suddenly felt a slight warmth in his hand, followed by a gentle force. The two forces clashed, making Yu Canghai’s arm numb and his chest slightly painful. He could no longer hold on.

Lin Pingzhi, who was closing his eyes, waiting to die, suddenly felt a gentle warmth on his back, and a force entered his body. The hand on his chest loosened, and he immediately took the opportunity to break free and step aside, feeling grateful to the person who had helped him.

Yu Canghai was shocked and stepped back two steps, coldly saying, "What does this mean, Sect Leader Yue? He is not your Huashan disciple."

Yue Buqun replied, "I hope Brother Yu will show some leniency for my sake."

Yu Canghai coldly snorted, "This person killed my own son. How can I not seek revenge for such a grudge?"

Yue Buqun said, "Brother Yu, all his troubles today stem from his act of righteousness in saving my daughter Lingshan in Fuzhou. I cannot stand idly by."

Yu Canghai was about to argue with Yue Buqun when a Qingcheng Sect disciple rushed over, looking exhausted, and whispered something important to Yu Canghai. The others, seeing this, guessed it was related to the Exorcism Sword Technique manual and began to murmur.

Yu Canghai, unable to hear clearly and feeling frustrated, angrily said, "Our Qingcheng Sect is a prestigious sect. What can’t be said? Speak louder!"

The disciple was startled, not knowing why his master was so angry, and loudly replied, "Master, the Exorcism Sword Technique manual has appeared. I have come to report."

The crowd suddenly fell silent, then erupted into chaos, clearly shocked by the news. Someone immediately shouted, demanding more details.

Yu Canghai was even more shocked. If the Exorcism Sword Technique manual had already appeared, then his efforts were in vain. He shouted, "Is this true?"

The disciple replied, "The old house of the Lin family in Fuzhou’s Yanggu Alley caught fire, and the Exorcism Sword Technique manual was found inside. A fight has already broken out, and the news has spread throughout Fuzhou. Has Senior Shen not arrived yet? He left earlier than I did." The Qingcheng Sect’s influence was mainly in Sichuan, and they had no means of communication here, so they had to send people on horseback. To prevent any mishaps, they sent two batches. This person was from the second batch. The first batch had already arrived but was intercepted by Mu Gaofeng. The second batch, though unobstructed, arrived half a day later.

This left no doubt in the crowd that the Exorcism Sword Technique manual had indeed appeared. Just as they were pondering, someone in the crowd coldly said, "Could it be that your Qingcheng Sect staged this? After obtaining the Exorcism Sword Technique manual, you released it to cause chaos in the martial world? Otherwise, why would the fire start only after your Qingcheng Sect had wiped out the Lin family?"

The speaker was Yue Fangxing. Yu Canghai had tricked him earlier, and he seized this opportunity to retaliate, framing the Qingcheng Sect. Even if the martial world did not believe it, any doubt would bring trouble to the Qingcheng Sect. Once the situation got out of hand, the consequences would be severe!

Yu Canghai, hearing this, saw the suspicion in the crowd’s eyes and became furious, "Brat, what nonsense are you spouting!"

Yue Buqun, hearing this, was also enraged. A purple aura briefly appeared on his face, and he said in a deep voice, "Master Yu, children don’t know better. There’s no need to get so angry. Xing, go and apologize to Master Yu." Yue Fangxing then bowed to Yu Canghai.

Yu Canghai’s heart skipped a beat, realizing he had spoken out of turn. If he continued to argue, he might have to face Yue Buqun in a fight. He had no confidence in defeating Yue Fangxing, let alone Yue Buqun. He angrily left.