Arhats Subduing Demons: Starting with The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber

A long laugh rang out, clear and refined, yet the treetops rustled and everyone's ears hummed, revealing an exceptionally profound skill.

Everyone was taken aback. It was just getting dark and the moon had not yet risen when people nearby immediately raised torches.

However, Yue Lingshan was overjoyed and blurted out, "Hero Yun!"

As they were speaking, a person gracefully descended from the treetop, dressed in light robes and with his hands behind his back. He emerged calmly, his eyes filled with a warm and gentle smile. Who else could it be but Yun Changkong!

The others were all startled when they heard Yue Lingshan shout, and they all stared at her.

Yun Changkong said, "Miss Yue doesn't seem to be doing well."

His confident and dignified appearance filled Yue Lingshan with both joy and surprise, causing her heart to pound again.

When Lin Pingzhi saw her beaming with joy, his face turned pale and he frowned deeply.

The middle-aged woman opened her eyes wide, her sharp gaze piercing, and said coldly, "So it's Young Master Yun. We have been very negligent."

Master Yuling said, "We seven have long wished to meet you. It is truly wonderful to be able to pay our respects here." Everyone clasped their hands in greeting.

Despite their polite demeanor, Xi Bao and the others moved quickly, surrounding Yun Changkong. More than ten other unidentified individuals also joined the encirclement.

Dozens of gazes fell on Yun Changkong, and no one looked at Yue Lingshan or Lin Pingzhi.

Yun Changkong ignored him, still smiling, and returned the greeting with clasped hands, saying, "I'm very glad that you all don't mind me being an uninvited guest!"

The one-eyed woman, her face cold, asked in a chilling tone, "What brings you here, sir?"

Yun Changkong said loudly, "I've come to ask you all for a favor."

This one sentence startled everyone.

Yue Lingshan and Lin Pingzhi were also impressed; they could never imitate such eloquence and poise in their entire lives.

These two extraordinary individuals from Tongbai, along with Madam Zhang and others, though not renowned in the martial arts world, were all exceptionally skilled, especially fierce. In the original story, Yu Canghai nearly lost his life after three rounds of attacks from them. However, a person's reputation is but a tree's shadow; compared to Yun Changkong's formidable name, their decades of hard-earned fame were insignificant.

Madam Zhang said in a gloomy tone, "Your Excellency is famous throughout the world, while we are unknown. What favor do you expect from us?"

Yun Changkong said, "None of you are well-known. I'm afraid you are not among them, are you? Speaking of which, I am also friends with her. So, should I accept this favor or not?"

His words stunned everyone present, including Zu Qianqiu.

Yun Changkong was incredibly clever. He felt that Zu Qianqiu had deliberately lured him here so that he could witness this scene, and his intentions were obvious.

Yun Changkong had already heard that Ren Yingying's subordinates wanted to capture Yue Lingshan and the others, but since they hadn't gotten away with it in the original story, he hadn't paid much attention. But now that he'd encountered them and seen them bullying the two, to turn a blind eye was simply not human!
In Yun Changkong's view, the behavior of Ren Yingying's group was truly unsettling.

If you want to know how to flatter Ren Yingying and Linghu Chong, that's your personal business. But targeting Yue Lingshan and Lin Pingzhi not only subject them to undeserved misfortune, but also completely lowers Ren Yingying's status.

Moreover, these guys, under the guise of working for Ren Yingying, didn't forget to interrogate her for the Evil-Slaying Sword Manual. Therefore, Ren Yingying must have wanted to kill them, but it was inconvenient for her to do so herself, which is why she lured me here.

Originally, it didn't matter whether these people were killed or not, but the thought of being used by this woman made Yun Changkong feel somewhat resistant, which is why he was delayed for a while.

Madam Zhang was deeply grateful to Ren Yingying, unlike the others. She was filled with anger and immediately snorted coldly: "I admire the demeanor of Hero Yun, but the Holy Maiden has ordered that your head be taken. Are you aware of this?"

Yun Changkong said "Oh," and then said, "Are you all really so obedient that even the interrogation of the Evil-Slaying Sword Manual was her order?"

I've heard that Miss Ren is a gentle, affectionate, and kind-hearted young lady. You all so readily resort to violence; if she finds out about this, your fates will be dire!

Upon hearing this, the group was startled, their faces changing color, and they cursed inwardly, "That brat is so cunning, he even knows how to sow discord!"

Lin Pingzhi and the others had no idea who Miss Ren was. Yue Lingshan asked, "Who is this Miss Ren?"

Yun Changkong smiled slightly but did not answer.

Master Yuling flicked his long beard and said, “Hero Yun, you are mistaken. We interrogated the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual only to frighten the Lin family boy and Miss Yue. All of this was because they spoke disrespectfully to Young Master Linghu, and we had no choice but to do so.”

When Yun Changkong spoke, their expressions changed drastically, but they were relieved after the explanation was finished.

Yue Lingshan quickly interjected, "Who spoke ill of Senior Brother? You're all making baseless accusations!"

Qiu Songnian shouted sternly, "Who said behind Linghu Chong's back that he stole the Evil-Slaying Sword Manual? Hey, damn it, you're supposed to be disciples of a prestigious sect, gossiping behind people's backs, is that considered upright and honorable? What's wrong with us asking?"

Yue Lingshan's face flushed, and Lin Pingzhi lowered his head.

It turned out that the two of them had discussed the origin of Linghu Chong's swordsmanship when no one was around at night. Yue Lingshan said that Lin Pingzhi's temper was exactly the same as her father's. Both of them had doubts about their senior brother, but they didn't say a word. They just focused on their internal training, and as a result, they were captured by the group.

Seeing the expressions on their faces, Yun Changkong felt that this was probably the case. Yue Lingshan was just a little embarrassed, but Lin Pingzhi's eyes flashed with resentment.

The world of martial arts is treacherous because human hearts are unpredictable.

Just like Linghu Chong was hated by Lin Pingzhi, he even asked himself, "I have never offended you, why do you hate me so much!" But he forgot the fact that Lin Pingzhi and Yue Lingshan were captured by the "Northern Desert Twin Bears" in the original plot and tortured to find out about the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual.

At first, they were confused, but later, as the "Chong-Ying Love" became a hot topic in the martial arts world, how could Lin Pingzhi not hate it?

He said to Linghu Chong, "You used to be a powerful figure in the martial arts world, but you died at my hands today. Isn't that a consequence of what happened today?"
To put it bluntly, it's because you, Ren Yingying, like Linghu Chong, you're dating him, and you're using me to vent your anger on him.

Lin Pingzhi carried a blood feud, and from the moment he went to Liu Zhengfeng's house in Hengshan, whether he disguised himself as a hunchback, kowtowed to Mu Gaofeng and called him "Grandpa," or became Yue Buqun's disciple, it was all a heavy burden of humiliation for him. With his proud and arrogant personality, every single thing was a great disgrace, and he held a grudge against it at all times.

Therefore, after mastering the "Evil-Repelling Sword Technique," he naturally had to settle all past grudges, big and small, one by one. However, he did not expect that killing Mu Gaofeng would result in him being poisoned and blinded. If it weren't for this, Linghu Chong, who was seriously injured at the time, might not have had a chance to survive!

After all, in Linghu Chong's opinion, even a master like Tian Boguang might not be able to withstand Lin Pingzhi's three sword strikes, let alone Ren Yingying and the Hengshan disciples.

Thinking of this, Yun Changkong sighed inwardly, "Everything in this world is governed by cause and effect; who can say that anyone is necessarily right?" He said, "Since that's the case, then you've taught them a lesson; it's time for them to leave!"

He walked over to Yue Lingshan and Lin Pingzhi, patted them on the shoulder, and released their pressure points.

Surrounded by people, he acted as if no one else was there.

Yue Lingshan recalled the situation and felt that these people had been let off too easily. As she walked past them, she couldn't help but glare at them fiercely.

All of them stared at Yun Changkong without saying a word.

But Qiu Songnian, who had long harbored resentment towards Yun Changkong's calm and composed demeanor, was now glared at by this glare. He sneered and said, "Great Hero Yun, you can come and go as you please, that's fine. But if you want to take them away, that's far too arrogant." With a whoosh, he drew his monk's knife.

Yun Changkong smiled and said, "As a monk, why do you like drawing your sword so much? I can't afford to offend the Holy Maiden, so please kill them both."

These words surprised everyone once again.

Qiu Songnian was trembling with rage, and he almost made a move, but Yun Changkong just stood there awkwardly. Qiu Songnian felt that if he made a move, he would die. So, despite having a thousand thoughts in his mind, he couldn't stretch out his hand an inch.

Yun Changkong sneered, "You dare not kill her, is that it? Are you afraid that if the Holy Maiden finds out you killed Linghu Chong, she won't give you the antidote for the Three Corpse Brain God Pill? Heh, if that's the case, what are you pretending for here?"

He glanced at Yue Lingshan and said, "Don't talk nonsense in the future, lest someone catch you talking. Go on."

Yue Lingshan asked, "And what about you?"

Lin Pingzhi said, "Although my martial arts skills are weak, I cannot..."

Yun Changkong waved his hand and said, "These people were just joking with you. They would have let you go even without me, so it doesn't matter whether I'm here or not. Don't bother with all the thank-you stuff!"

In fact, it wasn't that Qiu Songnian and the others lacked the courage to kill Lin Pingzhi and Yue Lingshan, but rather that they had a purpose in doing so.

If they could obtain the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual, Ren Yingying and the others would dare to kill him. However, they had already searched Lin Yue's body. Since they didn't find the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual, killing them would offend Linghu Chong and the Holy Maiden, which would be a loss.

But after decades of wandering the martial world, they are now caught between a rock and a hard place, unable to advance or retreat.

Just then, someone laughed a few times and said, "I've long heard that Hero Yun possesses unparalleled martial arts skills, and seeing him today, I can confirm that he is indeed extraordinary!"

The group turned to look and saw a fat man walking towards them from a distance. Despite his large size, he moved very quickly. In his right hand, he held a jade snuff bottle, and in his left hand, he held a folding fan about a foot long. The fan ribs were shiny black, clearly made of fine steel.

The man cupped his hands to Yun Changkong and said, "I have long heard of your unparalleled martial arts skills. Do you know You Xun?"

Yun Changkong said, "So it was him." He continued, "So it was Brother You. I've heard that your information network is unparalleled in the world."

You Xun laughed heartily: "You flatter me, you flatter me. This is all I'm capable of."

Yun Changkong cupped his hands in greeting and said, "I apologize for the delay."

He did not want to associate with this person, so he, along with Lin Pingzhi and Yue Lingshan, prepared to leave.

It turns out that You Xun had a nickname: "Oil-soaked mudfish, slippery and hard to handle." He was extremely well-informed and had no evil deeds in the martial arts world. When he first appeared, he was highly respected by Linghu Chong and Ren Yingying. Everyone thought he was a harmless person. However, in the end, he wanted to kill Ren Yingying to silence her. He was the most ruthless of them all, so Yun Changkong was extremely disdainful of him.

But then You Xun called out excitedly, "Great Hero Yun, please wait a moment and hear what I have to say."

Yun Changkong pretended not to hear, but You Xun raised his eyebrows and said loudly, "You can't even give me a single word?"

The monk shouted loudly, holding a bowl in his left hand and a cymbal in his right, and with all his might, he was about to pounce into the sky.

Yun Changkong suddenly stopped and said indifferently, "We have different paths and cannot work together. Give me face, and we'll pretend we've never met."

"If you insist on having some rules, I'll play along to the end. Monk, I see you have the worst temper. Why don't you die first?" The monk from Xibao, though seemingly a monk, was actually a villain. He was already resentful of Yun Changkong's arrogance towards them, and hearing this only added fuel to the fire. He grinned maliciously and said, "Well done, Yun Changkong, let's see your magic weapon." As he spoke, the steel cymbal in his hand flew out.

This cymbal is made of pure steel, with exceptionally sharp edges. It flew in with extreme ferocity.

Yun Changkong neither dodged nor evaded, but sneered, "You monk are truly vicious!" He made a fist with his right palm, his index and middle fingers seemingly extended yet bent, and flicked the bowl with a tap. With a clatter, the steel cymbal accelerated towards the monk Xibao.

Seeing the speed of the attack, Xi Bao hurriedly blocked with his left hand holding the bowl. A muffled groan and a loud bang were heard at the same time. The sound was earth-shattering, and everyone around felt their eardrums hurt and their hearts trembled.

Xi Bao was so shocked that his bowl and cymbals flew off, and his body flew more than ten feet backward. He landed and staggered back two steps, spitting out three mouthfuls of blood. He forced a smile and said, "It's not unjust for the monk to die at your hands." As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly spat out a lot of blood, his eyes went blank, and he went limp like mud. With a thud, he collapsed to the ground.

When the others saw that blood was gushing from Xi Bao's seven orifices, they realized that he had been killed by a single blow.

Even though everyone knew that Yun Changkong had profound internal strength, they did not expect this profound method.

But Yun Changkong's eyes flashed with a fierce light as he swept his gaze around and smiled, "If he wants to take my life, it seems he's not going to be able to do it alone. My friends, why don't we all come up together!"

Yun Changkong showed no mercy and did not strike, but once he did, he would show no mercy!
The group consisted of outlaws from the martial arts world, but seeing Yun Changkong's smiling yet menacing aura, they couldn't help but feel fear.

Madam Zhang opened her mouth as if to speak, but then closed it again.

You Xun's eyes flickered slightly, and he said solemnly, "We have no grudge against Hero Yun, nor are we afraid of death. It's just that..." He found it difficult to say, paused, and then said, "We are under orders and have no choice but to obey. Since we are inferior in skill, what is there to say?"

Yun Changkong sneered, "Can we leave now?"

You Xun smiled wryly, "What are you saying? Actually, we didn't dare offend Young Master Linghu. We planned to return his junior brothers and sisters by dawn, but we didn't expect Hero Yun to intervene, causing this misunderstanding and costing Monk Xibao his life. Alas, what a pity."
Upon hearing this, Yun Changkong replied sincerely, "So that's how it is. Why didn't you say so earlier? I was unaware of the details. Please forgive me."

The group felt as uncomfortable as if they had swallowed a fly, because Yun Changkong knew all too well what was going on.

They simply dared not speak out because of his martial arts skills and ruthlessness.

Yun Changkong suddenly burst into laughter and said, "Night owl, if you don't come out soon, I, Yun, will have to come and urge you to come."

The group was taken aback, but then they heard a burst of laughter. One of them said, "I thought I was well hidden, but I still couldn't escape your notice." As he spoke, a figure moved and stepped out.

It was none other than the "Night Owl" Ji Wushi.

Upon seeing this, Yue Lingshan blurted out, "Oh, you really are not a good person. You used a diversionary tactic to lure my father away!"

Ji Wushi gave a cold snort and said, "The Purple Cloud Divine Skill, though excellent, has its limitations."

For Young Master Linghu's sake, Miss Yue, please refrain from speaking ill of others behind their backs in the future; you will surely find happiness and peace. Otherwise, even Hero Yun wouldn't be able to protect you all the time!

As he spoke, he clapped his hands, and several people carried two sedan chairs over.

Ji Wushi said, "Return Miss Yue and Young Master Lin safely to Young Master Linghu."

Yue Lingshan looked at Yun Changkong.

Yun Changkong nodded and said, "Go. Now that things are clear, as long as I don't die, they won't harm you because of your senior brother."

Yue Lingshan snorted: "When did my senior brother associate with these crooked and evil people? Did you know that?"

Yun Changkong laughed and said, "Then go ask him yourself."

Lin Pingzhi said, "My master has never known who this important person is who could entrust Doctor Ping to treat my senior brother's illness. Could it be this Holy Maiden?"

Yun Changkong laughed and said, "Go ask him yourself."

Yue Lingshan pouted and said, "What is the background of that Miss Ren? I've never heard of the so-called Holy Maiden. I grew up with my senior brother, and I didn't know he knew any other girls?"

Yun Changkong smiled and said, "If you can't figure it out, then don't think about it anymore. You'll understand everything in the future anyway!"

Seeing that he knew nothing about the matter, Yue Lingshan shook her head and said, "Forget it, I won't ask anymore. Anyway, Senior Brother has a lot on his mind and hasn't been close to us for a long time."

At the same time, he bowed deeply to Yun Changkong and said, "Thank you!" before getting into the sedan chair.

Lin Pingzhi clasped his hands in a respectful gesture and boarded the sedan chair.

Several sedan chair bearers carried the sedan chair away quickly, disappearing into the darkness in no time.

Yun Changkong laughed and said, "Alright, other people's business is over, but who will give me, Yun Changkong, an explanation for today's events?"

Several people looked at each other.

Ji Wushi said, "May I ask, Hero Yun, if we have been impolite in any way? Please tell me, and I will report to the Holy Maiden for severe punishment."

Yun Changkong chuckled and said, "You all feel so welcome here; there's no rudeness on my part. But let me ask you, where is my Blue Sect master? Where has that woman Ren Yingying taken him?"

Ji Wushi paused for a moment, then said, "This..."

At this moment, Zu Qianqiu said, "Please, Young Master Yun, give us some face."

"Face?" Yun Changkong sneered, "Ren Yingying wields so much power that you all obey her every command, so you can't help but put on airs. But what face do you have to talk about with me?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces showed displeasure. Qiu Songnian coldly said, "So, Brother Yun, are you determined to show off your skills?"

"Using your skills to show off?" Yun Changkong sneered as he lunged at Qiu Songnian.

Qiu Songnian's vision blurred, and he felt a gust of wind rush towards him. He wanted to draw his knife, but he was no match for Yun Changkong's ghostly and illusory movements. He felt a tightness around his neck, as if an iron band had been added, and his whole body was lifted into the air. His body was weak, and with two hissing sounds, his monk's knife was already stuck in the ground.

Everyone was already familiar with Yun Changkong's high level of martial arts, but no one expected that he had reached such a level.

Zu Qianqiu thought to himself, "Since he has such martial arts skills, the Eastern Sect Leader will be even less able to tolerate him. No wonder she urgently summoned the Holy Maiden Blackwood Cliff. She herself is also very worried."

Yun Changkong grabbed Qiu Songnian by the neck with one hand, his eyes as cold as ice, and swept them over, saying, "I don't usually like killing people, but I'm very unhappy today."

With a wave of his hand, Qiu Songnian flew more than ten feet away with a whoosh, crashing into a pine tree with a crackling sound. He lay limp on the ground, dead without uttering a sound.

Only then did everyone realize that the rumors in the martial arts world were absolutely true. Yun Changkong could kill people with ease and without batting an eye. They cursed inwardly, "Who is the real evil heretic heretic here?"

Yun Changkong turned his gaze to You Xun: "Aren't you well-informed? Where can we find Master Lan now?"

You Xun felt as if his neck was about to snap in two; his teeth chattered. "I really didn't know! I..."

Yun Changkong suddenly flicked his sleeve, and a finger strike silently hit You Xun in the chest. A spurt of blood spurted out, and he fell to the ground with a thud.

Yun Changkong shook his head and said, "Your slippery hands are nothing but empty fame, and your supposed good connections are also nothing special. You have no reason to live!"

Several people felt a chill run down their spines!

"madman!"

"If we don't act now, we'll all die!"

Jade Spirit Daoist, Madam Zhang, and the two wonders of Tongbai all shared this thought.
Madam Zhang brandished her short sword and shouted, "I'll fight you to the death!"

The group rushed forward.

"Fight? Do you have the strength?" Yun Changkong's gaze grew even colder. With a swift movement of his palms, the weapons of several people were thrown from their hands and instantly returned to them.

Several screams were heard, and they all fell to the ground.

He moved too fast; Zu Qianqiu and Ji Wushi didn't even see it clearly before Madam Zhang's dagger pierced Yu Ling Daoist's heart, and Yu Ling Daoist's hammer struck Madam Zhang's head. The two extraordinary figures of Tongbai struck each other's feet with their crutches.

The venomous snake, about three feet long and as thick as a wine cup, coiled around Yan Sanxing's neck several times.

Several people, some injured and some dead, lay scattered on the ground. Yun Changkong said slowly, "Every Tom, Dick, and Harry wants to give me recipes. It seems I've been too polite to you!"
"So, you two, will you give me a phoenix, or should I send you to the Western Paradise to see Buddha? Or will you wait for your Holy Maiden to come and save your lives?"

Ji Wushi's expression changed drastically, and he said, "Why must you make things difficult for those of us who are following your orders?"

Zu Qianqiu smiled faintly and said, "Oh! So Brother Yun is displeased because of this." He paused, then said to Ji Wushi, "Brother Ji, let's not beat around the bush. The Holy Maiden received news of your actions in capturing Miss Yue and Lin Pingzhi, and she is very dissatisfied. She only spared you because of your good intentions, which are different from those who covet the Evil-Slaying Sword Manual..."

He looked at Yun Changkong and said, "You may not understand now, but you will understand when you meet Sect Leader Lan."

Yun Changkong smiled with his hands in his sleeves: "Don't you understand? Are you using me as a tool? If I don't comply, I'll disappoint Miss Ren, wouldn't that be letting down the beauty's heart? That's not what I want, don't you think?"

Zu Qianqiu nodded.

Yun Changkong chuckled and said with a sigh, "Actually, you used to scold me, saying that everything was caused by me and that I was heartless and ungrateful. After thinking about it, I realized that you were right!"

"But after listening to all that nonsense you've said, I've decided, you should just die!"

As he spoke, he swayed slightly and was now less than three feet away from Zu Qianqiu, placing his hand on his shoulder.

In an instant, Zu Qianqiu felt as if a mountain was pressing down on him, and he cried out, "Help!"

Then, a soft chuckle was heard. (End of Chapter)