Chapter 44

After this incident, everyone found it difficult to stay. Yue Buqun led his disciples out of the Liu residence, preparing to return to the mountain. Although the Songshan Sect had the upper hand today, forcing a man who had retired from the martial world was indeed too much. It seemed the Songshan Sect had deeper intentions. He recalled what his son had said about the Sword Sect, which he had initially doubted, but now he felt it was highly possible. It would be best to return to Huashan as soon as possible.

Yue Fangxing said to Yue Buqun, "Father, Dashi Gege must be somewhere near Hengshan City. We should look for him!" Yue Lingshan, Lu Dayou, and others also chimed in.

Yue Buqun was also very concerned about Linghuchong. He divided his disciples into several groups to search for Linghuchong.

Yue Fangxing went out of Hengshan City alone and headed towards the mountains and forests. He vaguely remembered that in the original story, Linghuchong was near a waterfall. He wasn't sure if the situation had changed with all these events. However, this was a clue, so he went out of the city and followed the stream, specifically looking for the waterfall.

Hengshan had many streams, and by the time the sun set, Yue Fangxing had searched many waterfalls but found none. Feeling somewhat anxious, he suddenly saw a yellow wall faintly visible in the forest, which seemed to be a temple. He thought: In the original story, Lin Pingzhi's parents left a message for Linghuchong in a temple. Could this be the same temple? If so, Linghuchong must be nearby.

Thinking this, Yue Fangxing felt a surge of joy and was about to call out loudly when he suddenly heard a few zither notes from a distance. He wondered: Why would someone be playing the zither in the wilderness? Could it be Liu Zhengfeng and Qu Yang playing the "Smiling, Proud Wanderer" melody? He listened carefully.

The zither music continued, very elegant. After a while, a few soft flute notes joined the zither melody. The seven-stringed zither's sound was peaceful and harmonious, and the clear and gentle flute added to its charm. The zither and flute seemed to be in a dialogue, gradually drawing closer.

Yue Fangxing listened for a while. The zither music gradually became more intense, while the flute notes slowly became softer but continuous, like a thin thread in the wind, adding a sense of deep emotion. After a while, the zither suddenly emitted a sharp sound, as if with a martial intent, but the flute remained gentle and graceful. After a moment, the zither music also became softer, and the two sounds alternated, suddenly changing to sound like several zithers and flutes playing together. Despite the complexity and changes, each note was melodious and captivating. The music made people feel their blood surge, and they couldn't help but stand up. After a while, the music changed again, with the flute becoming the main melody and the zither providing a gentle accompaniment. The flute notes grew higher and higher. Suddenly, there was a sharp sound, and the zither and flute stopped. For a moment, there was complete silence, with only the moon in the sky and the shadows of trees on the ground.

After the music ended, Yue Fangxing came back to his senses. It was already deep into the night. He sighed, "The 'Smiling, Proud Wanderer' melody is truly extraordinary!" He gathered his thoughts and followed the sound.

Linghuchong and Yilin had left the Qunyu Hall and found a place in the mountains and forests outside the city to rest. That night, while they were talking, they suddenly heard zither and flute music and listened carefully, quietly approaching. They heard that one person was Liu Zhengfeng, another was a demon sect elder, and the third was Qu Feiyun, who had helped them at the Qunyu Hall.

The three were talking when Fei Bin suddenly appeared from behind a rock. He and Ding Man and Lu Bai were originally planning to lead a team to Fuzhou to seize the "Evil-Exorcising Sword Manual," but they were worried that Liu Zhengfeng and Qu Yang might not be dead and could cause trouble. They decided that Fei Bin would stay behind to search for a day while the other two led the team. They didn't expect to find them.

Seeing Fei Bin about to kill Qu Feiyun, Linghuchong and Yilin jumped out to block him. Fei Bin, seeing more Huashan disciples, remembered the new and old grudges from the day, and decided to take advantage of the wilderness to kill the two, both to silence them and to vent his anger.

Liu Zhengfeng and Qu Yang were unable to move due to their broken heart meridians. Linghuchong was already severely injured, and Yilin and Qu Feiyun were not strong enough to resist Fei Bin. They were quickly knocked to the ground. Just as Fei Bin was about to stab Qu Feiyun, a loud shout came from the side, and a pellet flew through the air, hitting Fei Bin's sword.

The pellet was fast and powerful, deflecting Fei Bin's sword and causing it to miss. Surprised, Fei Bin quickly pulled back his sword and guarded himself, angrily saying, "It's you again, always ruining my plans."

The person who arrived was Yue Fangxing. He had followed the zither and flute music and arrived just in time to see this scene. Without thinking, he took out a pellet and hit Fei Bin's sword, saving Qu Feiyun's life.

Yue Fangxing sneered, "Uncle Fei, bullying juniors in the middle of the night, what a fine hobby."

Fei Bin, already furious from being blocked multiple times, was about to explode when he suddenly heard a few melancholic erhu notes. The music was sad, like a sigh or a cry, followed by trembling notes, like raindrops on leaves. Linghuchong was greatly surprised and opened his eyes.

Fei Bin was shocked, "Mr. Mo Da of 'Xiao Xiang Ye Yu' has arrived." The erhu music grew sadder, but Mr. Mo Da did not appear from behind the tree. Fei Bin called out, "Mr. Mo Da, why don't you show yourself?"

The music suddenly stopped, and a thin figure walked out from behind the pine tree.

Yue Fangxing had heard of the Hengshan Sect's "Xiao Xiang Ye Yu" Mo Da but had never met him. Under the moonlight, he saw that Mo Da was extremely thin, with hunched shoulders, looking like a consumptive who could collapse at any moment. He never expected the famous Hengshan Sect leader to be such a wretched figure.

Mr. Mo Da held an erhu in his left hand and bowed to Fei Bin, saying, "Brother Fei, how is Sect Leader Zuo?"

Fei Bin, seeing no malice, and knowing that Mo Da and Liu Zhengfeng were not on good terms, replied, "Thank you, Mr. Mo Da. My senior brother is well. Your sect's Liu Zhengfeng has associated with demon sect members and intends to harm the Five Great Sects. Mr. Mo Da, what do you think should be done?"

Mr. Mo Da slowly walked two steps closer to Liu Zhengfeng and said coldly, "He should be killed!" As soon as the word "killed" was out, a cold light flashed, and a thin, narrow long sword appeared in his hand. He suddenly thrust it, aiming for Fei Bin's chest. The move was incredibly fast and dreamlike, a signature move from the "Hundred Changes, Thousand Illusions Hengshan Cloud Mist Thirteen Styles."

This "Hundred Changes, Thousand Illusions Hengshan Cloud Mist Thirteen Styles" was created by a Hengshan Sect master who made a living by performing magic tricks on the streets. His magic tricks relied on misdirection and illusion, deceiving the senses. In his later years, his martial arts skills improved, and he began to incorporate internal martial arts into his magic tricks, which were highly praised by the audience. Later, he reversed the process, integrating his magic skills into his martial arts, creating a variety of techniques. This master was known for his humor and created this martial arts game for his own entertainment, but it later became one of the three great skills of the Hengshan Sect. However, due to its complex and illusory nature, it was not very useful in combat, as opponents were always on guard, and the deceptive techniques were often ineffective. Therefore, the Hengshan Sect did not emphasize this skill and did not teach it to disciples who were too frivolous, to avoid them focusing on illusions and neglecting the solid foundation of martial arts.

Seeing such swordsmanship, Yue Fangxing was mesmerized. This swordsmanship was the opposite of his own Hanyuan Sword Technique, one being extremely illusory and the other being simple. It was very different from his own path.

Fei Bin had never seen such a skill and was greatly alarmed. He quickly retreated, but his chest was already cut by the sharp sword, tearing his clothes and wounding his flesh. Although the injury was not severe, he was both shocked and angry, losing his fighting spirit.

Fei Bin immediately counterattacked, but Mo Da's first move had given him the advantage, and his subsequent moves were continuous, like a snake, weaving through Fei Bin's sword light, forcing him to retreat continuously without a chance to speak.

Yue Fangxing, Linghuchong, and others were amazed by Mo Da's ghostly swordsmanship. Yue Fangxing had thought he could match a sect leader, but seeing Mo Da's skills, he realized that while his internal strength might be sufficient, his technique and combat experience were still lacking. If he were to fight Mo Da, he could only defend himself with the Hanyuan Sword Technique.

Drops of blood splattered between the two swords. Fei Bin dodged and blocked, but could not escape Mo Da's sword light. Blood gradually formed a red circle around them. Suddenly, Fei Bin let out a long, mournful cry and leaped high. Mo Da stepped back, inserted his sword into the erhu, and turned to leave. The "Xiao Xiang Ye Yu" melody played behind the pine tree, gradually fading away.

Fei Bin fell after leaping, a stream of blood gushing from his chest. During the intense battle, he had used the Songshan Sect's internal strength, which, when combined with the sword wound, forced the blood to spurt out violently, creating a bizarre and terrifying scene.

Yue Fangxing sighed, thinking that Fei Bin was a top-notch expert. If he had fought Mo Da fairly, he might have lost but would not have died. However, losing the initiative in the "Hundred Changes, Thousand Illusions Hengshan Cloud Mist Thirteen Styles" was fatal. This kind of life-and-death battle between top experts was what Yue Fangxing lacked, and this fight deeply moved him, giving him new insights.

Liu Zhengfeng then said, "Nephew Yue, thank you for sending the message last night. Are my family safe?"

Yue Fangxing replied, "Although the Songshan Sect is not willing to let it go, with so many heroes present, they cannot have their way. Your family is now safe."

Liu Zhengfeng chuckled, knowing that Yue Fangxing's words had deeper meanings. However, he was severely injured and knew he did not have much time left. Knowing his family was safe, he was content and did not ask further. He said, "Nephew Yue, you are a true hero. I have a request, will you agree?"

Yue Fangxing said, "I will do as you command." He then asked, "Is it about Miss Qu? Rest assured, I will do my best to protect her." Now that his family was safe, the two must be worried about Qu Yang's granddaughter, Qu Feiyun. Although she was from the demon sect, Yue Fangxing, seeing their impending death, decided to agree first.

Qu Yang said, "That's not necessary. You are a disciple of a prestigious sect, and it would be inconvenient for you to be with Feifei. I have a few old friends in Luoyang. Just take her there."

Qu Feiyun, hearing her grandfather's words, knew he was near death and tears welled up in her eyes. She said, "Grandfather..." but could not continue.

Yue Fangxing looked at the two, knowing that Qu Yang's friends in Luoyang were likely Lüzhuweng and Ren Yingying. Although he did not want to be involved with the demon sect, he thought it would be convenient to escort Qu Feiyun, so he agreed.

Qu Yang looked at Liu Zhengfeng and said, "Liu and I were passionate about music and spent years creating the 'Smiling, Proud Wanderer' melody. We believe this melody is unique and unprecedented. Even if there were another Qu Yang, there might not be another Liu Zhengfeng, and even if there were another Liu Zhengfeng, there might not be another Qu Yang. Even if there were both, they might not be born at the same time or meet and become friends. To find two people who are both skilled in music and internal strength, with similar interests and abilities, to create this melody together, is extremely difficult. If this melody is lost, Liu and I will regret it in the afterlife."

He then took out a book from his chest and said, "This is the score for the 'Smiling, Proud Wanderer' melody. Please take it and find a successor to carry on our work."

Liu Zhengfeng said, "If this melody can be passed on, Liu and I will die content."

Yue Fangxing, having heard the melody and admired it, bowed and took the score from Qu Yang, putting it in his chest. He said, "Rest assured, I will do my best."