The Prodigal Disciple of Mount Hua: Seizing All Opportunities

That night, the moon was bright and the stars were few.

Inside the Huayin City Inn.

The dim light of the oil lamp inside cast a long shadow of the boy.

Chen Qianyang sat alone at the table, casually flipping through the account book in front of him.

My thoughts, however, had already drifted away.

This ledger is actually not important; as a trigger, it has already achieved its purpose.

He could roughly guess the identity of the person behind the scenes.

But... how should I conduct myself right now?

All was quiet outside the window, except for the sound of the night watchman's clapper coming from the distant street.

The repeated knocking made the night seem even more desolate.

Suddenly, a chilling aura spread out from behind without warning.

That chilling feeling was as if it could pierce your very bones.

That sharp, chilling aura, like a venomous snake's tongue, was rapidly approaching.

Chen Qianyang felt a chill run down his spine, and alarm bells rang in his mind.

He didn't have time to think it through; all the internal energy in his body had already been activated.

With a flick of his wrist, the sword at his waist was drawn swiftly. Without even looking, he unleashed a backhand strike, employing the style of Su Wu herding sheep.

He then swiftly thrust his weapon behind him.

This sword strike can be said to have been achieved by him using his ability to understand the sword heart, combining the essence of the Three Great Swords and his insights into the sword techniques of the Huashan Swordplay.

It appears to be a solid defense, but it actually incorporates offense within its defense, making it incredibly swift.

This was arguably the strongest move he could unleash at that moment.

A soft hum came from behind, the voice carrying a hint of surprise.

The newcomer clearly hadn't expected this kid to react so quickly and use such ruthless swordsmanship.

There was a ding sound.

The clanging of metal was jarring and chilling.

Chen Qianyang felt as if his longsword had pierced an invisible wall.

A surge of pure and powerful energy erupted from the sword.

Not only did it instantly shatter his unparalleled sword momentum, but the incomparably sharp sword energy also penetrated his body, causing his right arm to go numb.

His blood and qi surged, and he almost lost his grip on the long sword.

This person's martial arts skills are far beyond imagination.

He was terrified and dared not fight head-on. In a moment of quick thinking, he used the force of the sword's recoil to leap forward and then suddenly turned around.

But in the dim light of the room, there was another person present.

The man was about forty or fifty years old, dressed in black, with a thin face and high cheekbones.

A pair of sharp eyes flashed with a cold light as they looked at Chen Qianyang with great interest.

The chilling sword intent emanating from his body only accentuated his menacing aura.

Chen Qianyang's pupils narrowed slightly; he knew that the newcomer's martial arts skills far surpassed his own.

He is probably no less than Yue Buqun, truly unfathomable.

"Who are you?" Chen Qianyang asked in a deep voice, his hand holding the sword trembling slightly with vigilance.

A slight smile tugged at the corner of the man's lips as he said mockingly, "Weren't you looking for me?"

"Are you the murderer?" Chen Qianyang never expected that the murderer he was looking for would actually come to his door.

"Hmph, your reaction is quick. Your swordsmanship has improved quite a bit in just a few months. Your sword strike just now was ruthless and decisive, showing some of Chen Buwei's style back then. It's a pity, a pity, you're still far from mastering it."

He knew my father. Chen Qianyang's mind stirred slightly. Could this person be one of Zuo Lengchan's men?

This makes sense; he killed the people in the pharmacy, bringing the conflict between Mount Hua and Chaoyang Peak to light.

It is likely intended to incite conflict between the two sides, thereby allowing the Songshan Sect to profit from the situation.

Chen Qianyang thought quickly and tentatively asked, "Alliance Leader Zuo, what do you want me to do?"

"Good lad!" The man in black was clearly taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Your mind is quite different from your father's."

"Since you've guessed it, I won't waste my breath on you. That old bastard Zuo Lengchan might actually have been useful in sparing your life that day. Now that you've guessed that it was the Songshan Sect that wiped out your whole family, you should know why they spared your life."

"Of course I understand."

"Not bad, not bad. You know how to be patient and how to assess the situation. Very good. Keep your body strong and hone your martial arts skills. You might have a chance to take revenge in the future."

Chen Qianyang's mind raced. Judging from the black-clad man's words, he seemed to have no respect for Zuo Lengchan and even suggested that Chen seek revenge against the Songshan Sect.

This person was clearly not from the Songshan sect; he must have been a skilled fighter recruited by Zuo Lengchan.

"Senior, you must have something to teach me. I am all ears." Chen Qianyang sheathed his long sword and bowed slightly.

"It's convenient to talk to smart people." The man in black chuckled. "However, the poison in your body was administered by Zuo Lengchan, and there's nothing I can do about it. Just follow my orders, and the antidote will be given to you when the time comes."

"Otherwise, I can take your life at any time. Your master Yue Buqun can't protect you. If you want to live, you can only obey me. If things go well, I will show you the way, and you will also receive plenty of benefits."

Chen Qianyang sighed inwardly. He was poisoned by Zuo Lengchan, and according to the six-month period, he only had three or four months left.

The feeling of being controlled by someone who can take your life at any time is truly unpleasant.

"Please give me your guidance, senior."

The man in black stared intently at Chen Qianyang with piercing eyes, uttering a few words: "Tomorrow, when you return to the mountain, Mei Jianhe will surely ambush you and steal the account books. At that time, take the opportunity to kill him."

"What?" Although Chen Qianyang had already made up his mind, he still feigned surprise on his face: "Why me? With your martial arts skills, killing Mei Jianhe would be a piece of cake. Besides, Mei Jianhe is an insignificant character. What's the point of killing him?"

"You brat, I was just praising your intelligence, and now you're playing dumb with me again," the man in black said. "Zuo Lengchan's intention is to provoke conflict between Mount Hua and Chaoyang Peak. That's why I killed someone the other day."

"Therefore, Mei Jianhe must be killed by you, a disciple of Mount Hua. As for why that kid? Gui Xinshu, the invincible Divine Fist, is extremely protective of his own. If things escalate, even the patriarch of Chaoyang Peak might get involved. Do you understand?"

As expected, Chen Qianyang nodded to himself, but feigned ignorance and asked, "What benefit does this bring to the Songshan Sect? What benefit does it bring to you, Senior?"

"Zuo Lengchan is naturally after his dream of unifying the Five Mountains Sects. As for me, you'll find out when the time comes."

Chen Qianyang pondered the pros and cons, as well as the identity of the person before him.

After a while, he slowly shook his head and said, "It's not that I'm unwilling, but you should know that I have an old grudge against Mei Jianhe. However, I'm afraid I can't comply with your request."

"Oh?" The man in black was surprised again. "Have you thought it through?"

The chilling sword intent spread once more.

Chen Qianyang knew that retreating at this moment would only lead to certain death, so he had no choice but to fight back.

Meeting the other's murderous gaze, he smiled slightly: "Of course you could kill me now, senior. It would just be another Huashan disciple's corpse. With Yue Buqun's intelligence, wouldn't he realize someone is pulling strings behind the scenes?"

"You think I wouldn't dare kill you?"

"This humble one would not dare. Furthermore, if I were to act rashly tomorrow, killing Mei Jianhe would be easy, but has Senior considered how Yue Buqun would deal with me?"

"At best, you'll be expelled from the sect; at worst..." The man in black hesitated for a moment, "They'll suspect you of being a spy, cripple your martial arts, and subject you to severe interrogation."

"That's right. Yue Buqun doesn't really trust me. If I make such a mistake, he will naturally make an example of me. At that time, it's a small matter that the Huashan Sect will lose me as a spy, but it's a big deal that it will affect the senior's grand plan."

He deliberately avoided mentioning Zuo Lengchan's plans, instead pointing directly to the grand scheme devised by the man in black.

It was clear that they had realized that the two were not pursuing the same goal.

This move is precisely to turn the tables and transform himself from a mere victim into a valuable collaborator.

The man in black immediately burst into laughter, and the chill emanating from him vanished instantly.

He stared at Chen Qianyang for a long time, his smile fading before a serious expression appeared on his face: "Good lad, you're much more clever and ruthless than your stubborn, deadbeat father. Tell me, what do you want?"

Become!

Chen Qianyang felt a cold sweat break out on his back, but he had still made the right gamble on the first step.

He suppressed his wildly beating heart and said in a deep voice, "Tomorrow we will escort the account book back to the mountain. Since, as you said, Mei Jianhe will ambush and steal the account book, we can turn the tables on him. At that time, please show yourself. You don't need to show your true face. Just create chaos and attack. The targets can include both me and Mei Jianhe. The more chaotic the scene, the easier it will be to carry out our plan."

I have my own way of making Mei Jian and 'Accident' die in the chaos of battle.

As for me, I am the Huashan disciple who fought valiantly against a powerful enemy, but felt deeply guilty for failing to provide timely assistance.

In this way, even if Yue Buqun is angry, he will only blame me for acting carelessly and provoking a powerful enemy, but he will never suspect that I killed someone on my own initiative.

"Only then can we remain on Mount Hua and serve our predecessors!"

This plan, by diverting the trouble to others, using someone else to do the dirty work, and perfectly protecting oneself, can be described as killing three birds with one stone.

"Good! What a shrewd and ruthless young man! So be it. Tomorrow at noon, Mei Jianhe will ambush us in the First Line Sky Canyon, and I will be there on time. But if you dare to play any tricks..."

Before he finished speaking, he drew his longsword, and a highly refined, chilling sword wind silently grazed past Chen Qianyang's ear.

With a "whoosh," the sword wind had already penetrated the wall behind, leaving a very deep sword mark.

"Don't blame me for being ruthless!"

After speaking, the man in black flickered and disappeared into the shadows outside the window like a ghost, vanishing without a trace.

The bone-chilling cold in the room gradually dissipated.

Only then did Chen Qianyang exhale a long breath, realizing that his back was completely soaked with cold sweat.

This attempt to negotiate with a tiger for its skin is truly like walking on the edge of an abyss; one wrong step and you're doomed.

But in the end, he relied on his quick wit and accurate understanding of human nature to pry open a glimmer of hope for himself in this desperate situation.