Chapter 37

The Shaolin Temple, a name that makes one feel powerless just by hearing it, has weighed heavily on the hearts of every martial artist for centuries. The Beggar Sect has fallen, the Quanzhen Sect has withdrawn from the martial world, and the Ming Sect has scattered... These sects were once the most powerful forces in the martial world. During their heyday, all other sects would retreat, but where are they now? The Shaolin Temple, however, has always been the pinnacle of the martial world, renowned for its seventy-two supreme skills. Today, it is even the implicit leader of the righteous path. Knowing that such a sect might be one's enemy, anyone would feel powerless, no wonder Yuer Qun was so restless.

Now, Yuer Qun's martial arts have greatly improved, his wife Ning Zhongze, his son Yue Fangxing, and his disciple Linghu Chong are all quite capable, but compared to the Shaolin Sect, they are negligible. Not to mention others, the current abbot of Shaolin, Fangzheng, is the foremost figure of the righteous path, and his junior brother Fangsheng is no less than the leaders of other major sects. These two, along with a few disciples, are as powerful as the Huashan Sect, let alone the various hall leaders and elders in the temple.

Yue Fangxing had long guessed that it was the Shaolin Temple, but he pretended not to know to guide his father. If Yuer Qun didn't know where the *Kuihua Manual* came from, Yue Fangxing would have to reveal it himself, pointing out the root cause of the Huashan Sect's current situation to avoid any侥幸 (侥幸 means侥幸, but in this context, it means '侥幸' or '侥幸'). Therefore, when he saw Yuer Qun's changing expression, he knew that he had already figured it out. He didn't try to console him until Yuer Qun calmed down and mentioned the Shaolin Temple.

Seeing his father calm down, Yue Fangxing felt a bit relieved and feigned surprise, saying, "The Shaolin Temple? Could they have released the information? How is that possible?"

Then he answered himself, "No wonder, the *Kuihua Manual* is so miraculous. Even if it were kept in the Shaolin Temple's branch in Quanzhou, the protection should have been extremely strict. How could outsiders have access to it? And no great effort was made to retrieve it afterward? There are indeed many suspicious points."

Yuer Qun, having understood this astonishing fact, seemed much older and said tiredly, "Indeed, our Huashan ancestors had many suspicions about this, but for decades, we have been in constant conflict with the demonic sect, suffering heavy losses. Later, we faced internal turmoil, nearly leading to our destruction, while the Shaolin Temple has always been prosperous. Therefore, there was nothing we could do, and we could only keep it in our hearts. Alas! What a pity for the Five Mountains Sword Sect's ancestors!" His tone was extremely desolate as he thought of the many peers and seniors who had died over the years.

Seeing his father in such a state, Yue Fangxing did not want him to dwell on it. He quietly approached and whispered in his ear about the *Piyu Sword Manual*.

Yuer Qun, seeing his seriousness, knew he was worried about eavesdroppers and must have something important to report. But when he heard the content, he still found it hard to believe and exclaimed, "Really?" He then got up and carefully checked to ensure no one was around before asking Yue Fangxing for more details in a low voice.

Yue Fangxing lowered his voice and continued, "When I heard that the Qingcheng Sect was targeting the Fuwei Escort Agency, I paid attention and infiltrated Fuzhou City. I accidentally discovered the location of the Lin family's old residence and went in to investigate. I found the sword manual by chance and memorized it. I also set the fire."

After the initial surprise, Yuer Qun, recalling the truth he had just realized, knew that if they were not careful, it could still be a great disaster. He forced himself to calm down and asked in a low voice, "Who else knows about this?"

Yue Fangxing replied, "I did this alone, without encountering anyone, and I disguised myself to ensure no one would know. Although the fire was sudden, I have already blamed it on the Qingcheng Sect."

Yuer Qun paced and pondered, analyzing the pros and cons of this information for Huashan. Hearing Yue Fangxing's last sentence, he said sternly, "As the leader of a sect, Yu Guan would not be easy to deal with. I saw him leave in a hurry, and he has likely already made a decision. I expect he will do everything to obtain the *Piyu Sword Manual*, even sacrificing some disciples to show that the Qingcheng Sect does not have the manual and to clear their name. Fang'er, in the future, do not mention this to the Qingcheng Sect to avoid appearing deliberate and exposing yourself."

Yue Fangxing was surprised. He hadn't thought that Yu Canghai's hurried departure had this intention. This way, even if the Qingcheng Sect clears its name, it will undoubtedly suffer significant losses. Yu Canghai, in his haste, had thought of this drastic measure, truly not to be underestimated. Although he had taken advantage of the information asymmetry, he couldn't underestimate Yu Canghai. He respectfully agreed.

"Is the *Piyu Sword Manual* that has appeared in the world real or fake?" Yuer Qun asked.

Yue Fangxing replied, "It is real, but I heard it was torn into several pieces and may be damaged." Seeing Yuer Qun's expression of disapproval, he quickly added, "Actually, I originally intended to quietly destroy it and leave, but I thought of some rumors and decided to do this."

Yuer Qun asked curiously, "What rumors?"

Yue Fangxing replied, "I recently heard that Left Alliance Leader wants to merge the Five Mountains and is planning to take action against the other four sects besides Songshan. The Golden Basin Washing Ceremony is intended to target Uncle Liu."

Yuer Qun was shocked. Left Lengshan's intention to merge the Five Mountains and become the leader of the Five Mountains Sect was no longer a secret, and it was widely known. But everyone thought it would take time, not expecting it to start so soon, and to target Hengshan Sect's Liu Zhengfeng. This was clearly to establish authority and intimidate others!

Liu Zhengfeng, though not the leader of the Hengshan Sect, was second only to the leader, Mo Da, who was often away from the mountain. Liu Zhengfeng handled most of the sect's affairs, making him the de facto leader of Hengshan. He was in his prime, and his sudden decision to retire had caused much speculation. Now it seemed he had heard the news and wanted to retire early, but it was uncertain whether he could pass through safely.

But what excuse would Left Lengshan use to take action? Yuer Qun was doubtful and asked.

Yue Fangxing thought for a moment and replied, "I don't know the specific reason, but it seems to be related to a demonic sect elder named Qu Yang. The clever and mischievous little girl I saw at Liu's residence today is his granddaughter, Qu Feiyun."

Yuer Qun's face changed dramatically when he heard about the demonic sect. He had been thinking about how to protect Liu Zhengfeng, but now he immediately gave up the idea. The granddaughter of a demonic sect elder freely entering and leaving Liu's residence clearly indicated a close relationship. The Five Mountains Sword Sect and the demonic sect had been in conflict for decades, with deep-seated hatred that could not be resolved in a few words. Many of Yuer Qun's peers and fellow Five Mountains Sword Sect disciples had died at the hands of the demonic sect, and the two sides were in a life-or-death struggle. Unless one side was completely defeated, there was no possibility of reconciliation.

Now that Liu Zhengfeng had a relationship with a demonic sect elder, even if he had not leaked any secrets of the Hengshan Sect, if this were known by outsiders, how would the Hengshan Sect be viewed? How would the other four sects react? The Five Mountains Sword Sect was a loose alliance, and once it became disunited, it would be easily defeated by the demonic sect. Liu Zhengfeng's actions were not just a personal issue of betrayal but a matter of life and death for the Five Mountains Sword Sect. No wonder the Hengshan Sect did not send anyone besides Liu Zhengfeng and his disciples to the Golden Basin Washing Ceremony. If the truth were revealed at the ceremony, the Hengshan Sect might have to clean house, leading to internal strife and making a mockery of the situation.

Yue Fangxing, being young, did not fully understand this. Yuer Qun sternly warned him not to have any thoughts of rescuing Liu Zhengfeng, to avoid involving the Huashan Sect.