Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

The two men spoke in a harsh tone, completely lacking the humility of Buddhist disciples, and were used to being condescending.

Before Chen Zhan could speak, a clear and sharp female voice suddenly came from behind him, breaking the stalemate: "If I remember correctly, Mount Song is the Mount Song of the Great Song Dynasty, not the Mount Song of Shaolin, right?"

"The Great Song Dynasty has now swept across the land, incorporating the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun and the Northwest into its territory. Could it be that Shaolin intends to establish a state within a state in the heart of the Central Plains, setting its own rules and regulations, and not belonging to the territory of the Great Song Dynasty?"

Chen Zhan slowly turned his head and saw Gu Yu walking towards him.

She had also changed her attire, wearing a plain blue long dress with a cinched waist, her long hair tied up high, a sword at her waist, and her face was also disguised, shedding her former coquettishness and gaining a more mature look. Her eyes still carried a bit of liveliness, but also added a touch of sharpness.

More than a year had passed since Chen Zhan emerged from seclusion in Zhongnan Mountain and began traveling the world alone.

Before leaving, Chen Zhan left a letter for Gu Yu, asking her to finish dealing with the trivial matters of the Huangting Sacred Sect and then meet him at the foot of Mount Song.

However, I didn't expect that Grain Rain would come so coincidentally.

Gu Yu walked quickly to Chen Zhan's side, looked up at him, and said in a playful tone with a hint of self-satisfaction, "Master, did I arrive just in time?"

Chen Zhan nodded slightly: "Yes, not bad, you've come at the right time."

The two chatted casually, completely disregarding Xu Ming and Xu Yan in front of them.

Xu Ming and Xu Yan's faces turned pale and then red, and cold sweat gradually appeared on their foreheads. They had been cultivating for many years, but this was the first time they had ever seen such a sharp-tongued and imposing girl.

That's hard to refute.

Although Shaolin is powerful, it is ultimately located within the territory of the Song Dynasty. If it dares to call itself a country within a country, it would be tantamount to treason.

The two could only raise their hands in a gesture of respect once more, their staffs still crossed in front of the stone steps, their expressions arrogant, neither speaking nor yielding.

By this time, more and more pedestrians had gathered, stopping to watch and whispering among themselves.

Initially, when Shaolin forcibly set up checkpoints and demanded name cards, some martial arts figures stepped forward to argue, but they were all suppressed by Shaolin monks with force.

Over time, no one dared to step forward easily anymore.

Seeing Chen Zhan and Gu Yu openly confront the Shaolin gatekeeper monks and speak so sharply, everyone was astonished.

Chen Zhan glanced at the crowd, then at the two monks locked in a stalemate, nodded slowly, took out a plain name card from his robes, and handed it to Xu Ming.

He said calmly, "One of you may go up the mountain and present this name card to Abbot Xuanci."

Xu Ming and Xu Yan exchanged a glance, pondering to themselves.

The two men before me were extraordinary in bearing and sharp in their words; they were certainly not ordinary people or wandering martial artists.

The two dared not refuse directly, for fear of offending someone they shouldn't have.

A moment later, Xu Ming spoke and instructed Xu Yan, "Xu Yan, go up the mountain and personally hand this name card to Master so that he can review it and make a decision. Do not delay."

Xu Yan nodded, took the name card, carefully put it away, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Xu Ming: "Alright, senior brother, please wait a moment, I'll be right back."

After saying that, he turned around and quickly climbed the stone steps.

Xu Ming remained where he was, clasping his hands together in front of Chen Zhan. His tone softened slightly, but he remained vigilant: "Benefactor, please wait a moment at the foot of the mountain. If the elders of the temple agree to let you pass, I will respectfully welcome you up the mountain and will not dare to obstruct you any further."

Chen Zhan didn't speak again, his gaze slowly turning to Gu Yu, his eyes flickering slightly.

Gu Yu instantly understood Chen Zhan's meaning, a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips, and she moved slightly.

The next moment, the long sword at his waist was suddenly drawn, and a streak of icy blue sword light, as fast as lightning, swept out instantly, its chilling aura aimed directly at Xu Ming.

Xu Ming was greatly alarmed. Caught off guard, he had no time to react, not even to raise his staff to defend himself.

With a soft "whoosh," the sword flashed.

The monk Xuming's body was split in two, and blood gushed out, splattering onto the white stone steps in a horrifying sight. The corpse collapsed to the ground with a thud, and the monk's staff was also knocked out of his hand and rolled to the side.

"what--!"

The crowd below immediately let out a terrified scream and retreated, their faces filled with horror and disbelief.

No one expected that this seemingly delicate girl would be so ruthless, striking without warning.

Moreover, the Shaolin monks of the Xu generation guarding the gate were so weak in martial arts that they were killed by her with a single sword strike, without even a chance to resist.

Chen Zhan remained calm, as if nothing had happened.

He walked straight past the corpses and bloodstains on the ground, strolling calmly up the stone steps, his expression unchanged.

Gu Yu sheathed her longsword and quickly followed.

By this time, Xu Yan had already walked most of the way up the stone steps.

The name card in his hand was not laminated, and the paper was thin. He was curious and finally couldn't resist.

He stopped and carefully opened the name card, wanting to see what was written on it that made his senior brother so cautious.

The calligraphic work contained only two simple characters, written with vigorous strokes:

(Xuan Yang, the persecution of Buddhism)

"Um???"

Xu Yan's pupils contracted sharply, his whole body trembled, and the name card in his hand almost slipped out of his grasp.

"Suppressing Buddhism!?"

Even if he were incredibly stupid, he could still understand the meaning of the words "suppress Buddhism".

Shaolin is now a powerful force, and the three major Buddhist sects are the most powerful in the martial arts world. Yet someone dares to openly write the words "Destroy Buddhism" and even dares to ask him to deliver them to Abbot Xuanci. This is simply outrageous!
Xu Yan was shocked. Although he found the matter absurd and unbelievable, he dared not delay for even a moment.

He quickly put away the name card, quickened his pace, and headed towards the Shaolin meditation room.

Meanwhile, inside Shaolin Temple, Xuanci's meditation room was already tense and far from peaceful.

Abbot Xuanci sat solemnly in the main seat, his hands clasped together, his eyes closed in meditation, exuding the majesty of a high-ranking Buddhist monk.

Beside him stood several monks dressed in red robes, all of whom were high-ranking monks of the Shaolin Xuan generation. Each of them had a calm demeanor, high martial arts skills, and solemn expressions, their eyes fixed on a figure in the center of the meditation room.

In the center of the meditation room stood a burly man, with a strong build and a resolute face. He was dressed in black and exuded a sharp aura.

His eyes were filled with grief, indignation, and resentment.

It was Qiao Feng who had regained his Khitan identity. Now, he was no longer the leader of the Beggars' Sect, but a member of the Xiao clan of the Liao Kingdom, and the son of Xiao Yuanshan.

Qiao Feng, his voice hoarse, addressed Xuan Ci and the group of high-ranking monks of the Xuan generation, asking, "Abbot Xuan Ci, Master Xuan Ku, I have thoroughly investigated the matter of my parents being abducted and killed back then. It was you who listened to slander and joined forces to abduct and kill my family, taking my parents' lives. Now, the evidence is conclusive. Do you have anything else to say?"

Master Xuanku stepped forward, his face solemn, and slowly nodded: "That's right, I was indeed one of those who ambushed Xiao Yuanshan and his wife back then."

"Xiao Feng, now that you have returned to the Liao Dynasty, acknowledged your ancestors, and restored your Khitan identity, you are no longer a lay disciple of my Shaolin Temple, and you no longer need to call me Master. The master-disciple relationship between us is severed from this day forward." Abbot Xuanci slowly opened his eyes and chanted a Buddhist prayer: "Amitabha, when will this cycle of revenge end? Back then, I was also misled by slander for the sake of the Song Dynasty's foundation, and I deeply regret it now."

"Moreover, I never expected that Xiao Yuanshan was not dead, but instead hid in Shaolin for many years, secretly learning countless profound martial arts of Shaolin, causing endless harm."

He looked at Qiao Feng and said, "Xiao Feng, if you want to avenge your parents, then go ahead and do it."

“You are originally a Liao person, a Khitan person, and you are inherently irreconcilable with my Great Song and my Shaolin. This old monk and my fellow disciples will not surrender and be slaughtered by you.”

The senior monks of the Xuan generation beside him nodded in agreement, their tone firm: "That's right! Back then, we intercepted and killed the Liao general Xiao Yuanshan to protect the territory of the Song Dynasty. Everything we did was for the greater good of our country, and we have never regretted it!"

Upon hearing this, Qiao Feng suddenly burst into laughter, laughing maniacally.

He laughed until tears almost streamed down his face. His laughter was filled with grief, indignation, mockery, and despair, so loud that the windows of the meditation room rattled slightly.

"Bald monks! A bunch of hypocritical monks!"

Qiao Feng stopped laughing and sternly rebuked, "Even now, you're still making excuses and spouting nonsense about national righteousness! You're full of lies, aren't you ashamed!"

“According to my investigation, countless people from the Liao Kingdom have traveled to and from the Song Dynasty over the years, including merchants and envoys. Why don’t you intercept and kill them all? Why target my father specifically?”

"Do you really think I don't know? Back then, Murong Bo sent someone with a fake letter, claiming that my father, Xiao Yuanshan, came to the Song Dynasty to steal Shaolin martial arts. You believed it and, without asking any questions, joined forces to intercept and kill my entire family!"

Qiao Feng's voice grew sharper, and the ferocity in his eyes intensified. "The Dao Master of the Twenty-Four Dao Towers was right. The monk was indeed stupid and extremely hypocritical, daring to do but not daring to admit it!"

"They are capable of indiscriminately killing innocent people, yet they dare not eradicate them completely, leaving me, Qiao, to live on in this world, forcing me to recognize my enemy as my father and my enemy as my master. How laughable! Utterly laughable!"

"Oh!"

With a muffled thud, Qiao Feng, amidst his wild laughter, suddenly unleashed a palm strike.

Surprisingly, the palm strike was not aimed at the Shaolin monk in front of him, but at his own left arm.

Caught completely off guard, he struck with his palm, and his left arm snapped off instantly. Blood gushed out, splattering onto the floor of the meditation room and onto the Buddha statue, a horrifying sight.

“Master Xuanku, you have taught me martial arts for more than ten years. Your kindness is as deep as the sea.”

Qiao Feng's face was pale, but he didn't pause in his speech.

"This arm is returned to you. From this day forward, I, Qiao, have no further connection with Shaolin. Our past master-disciple relationship is now wiped clean."

From now on, there will only be a blood feud between us!

Master Xuanku's expression changed drastically, a trace of guilt and regret flashing in his eyes. He sighed repeatedly, "Why did it have to be this way? Why did it have to be this way!"

Qiao Feng paid no heed to Xuan Ku's lament, nor did he care about the excruciating pain and bleeding in his arm, where blood gushed out.

He turned around and walked step by step toward the door of the meditation room.

Xuan Ci and the group of high-ranking monks of the Xuan generation looked at each other with complicated expressions, but none of them stepped forward to stop them.

They knew in their hearts that although Qiao Feng had lost an arm, his martial arts skills were terrifying.

At this moment, filled with grief and indignation, they are willing to do anything. If they were to forcibly stop them, it would surely result in mutual destruction and be a losing proposition.

As soon as Qiao Feng stepped out of the meditation room, he was met by the monk Xu Yan, who was rushing towards him.

Xu Yan looked flustered and uneasy. He just kept running forward and only glanced at him briefly before lowering his head and running quickly into the meditation room.

Qiao Feng did not fall down, nor did he pay attention to Xu Yan. He took a few steps, took out a bottle of pills from his bosom, poured out one pill, swallowed it, and tore off a piece of his clothes to tightly wrap around the severed arm to forcibly stop the bleeding.

Although one arm was severed, it did not kill him.

With his skill level, he wouldn't have been captured so easily and allowed to be beaten and killed by others.

As the sun set, its blood-red rays reflected off Qiao Feng's body, making him appear somewhat miserable and disheveled.

He gritted his teeth and walked down the mountain step by step. He had just descended a few stone steps when he encountered Chen Zhan and Gu Yu, who were slowly walking up the mountain.

Both of them were stunned for a moment.

Chen Zhan never expected to encounter Qiao Feng here.

At this moment, Qiao Feng had lost an arm and was covered in blood, making him a completely different person from the Beggar Clan leader he had met in Yan Yun.

The two originally intended to pass each other without disturbing each other, but Chen Zhan suddenly stopped and said calmly, "Master Qiao, it seems that you have broken with Shaolin?"

Qiao Feng paused, slowly turned around, and looked at Chen Zhan and Gu Yu.

He felt that Chen Zhan had an extraordinary air about him and looked vaguely familiar.

However, because Chen Zhan had undergone bone-changing surgery, he did not recognize him and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you? How do you know my identity? And how do you know that I broke with Shaolin, rather than coming here to fight?"

Chen Zhan smiled and said, "Qiao Feng, the leader of the Beggars' Sect, is a very famous figure who is well-known throughout the martial arts world. It's not surprising that he is known."

"As for why I knew you were breaking ties, rather than attacking?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Qiao Feng's severed arm and the chaotic aura surrounding him, and said calmly:
"Because you can't fight your way out."

After saying that, he didn't linger, turned around, and continued walking up the mountain.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Feng became intrigued, his pride ignited. Ignoring the blood still dripping from his arm, he quickly stepped forward, blocking Chen Zhan's path, and said in a deep voice:

"Does Your Excellency mean that I, Qiao, am no match for the Shaolin monks?"

"Yes."

Chen Zhan nodded slightly, his tone still calm, "If you had the ability to fight your way out, Shaolin would already be a river of blood by now."

"hehe."

"You have a good eye."

"Qiao admitted that he knew he was no match for them. He had just lost an arm and was seriously injured. It would have been unwise for him to fight the Shaolin monks alone. He did not want to die in vain."

"But after just one month of recuperation, I, Qiao, will definitely return to Shaolin and wreak havoc to avenge my parents!"

Chen Zhan shook his head without saying a word, then turned around and walked up the mountain.

Seeing this, Qiao Feng's arrogance grew even stronger, and he asked sharply, "You don't believe me?"

Chen Zhan didn't stop walking, but slowly shook his head:
"It's not that I don't believe it, but Master Qiao's martial arts skills are superb, so perhaps he can do it."

"However, you will not have the chance in a month."

Qiao Feng was taken aback, his eyes filled with doubt. Just as he was about to ask further, he heard Chen Zhan's voice again.

"Because today I will make it flow like a river of blood." (End of Chapter)