The Prodigal Disciple of Mount Hua: Seizing All Opportunities

"You scoundrel, how dare you do this!"

A clear whistle came from the mouth of the canyon, filled with surprise and anger.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a figure in green appeared as swiftly as lightning.

It was Yuan Chengzhi who had just arrived.

He discovered that Mei Jianhe and the others had descended Chaoyang Peak early in the morning and rushed over.

Unexpectedly, he was still one step too late. As soon as he appeared, he saw Mei Jianhe being stabbed through the body, which shocked him.

Although he was highly skilled in martial arts, he was still under twenty years old.

Without a second thought, they charged at the masked man in black.

However, the masked man's eyes remained cold.

He glanced at Chen Qianyang, who was frozen in shock, and Mei Jianhe, who was already dead.

It was as if he had just crushed a bedbug.

The two Chaoyang Peak disciples had long since abandoned Lao Denuo and Yue Lingshan, and charged towards the man in black from the left and right respectively.

You should know that Mei Jianhe is Gui Xinshu's beloved disciple and the number one among the third generation of Chaoyang Peak.

Now that they are dying here, these few ordinary disciples will inevitably bear the blame.

"Watch out!" Yuan Chengzhi's warning had barely been issued when...

The man in black had already moved. His figure was like a ghost, and the speed of his long sword was like a dragon emerging from the sea.

It instantly swept past the two Chaoyang Peak disciples.

Two muffled thuds were heard, and the two people didn't even have time to scream.

His heart meridian was shattered by the sharp sword energy casually unleashed by the man in black, and he died on the spot.

His face was still frozen in terror.

"Those guys from Chaoyang Peak are a bunch of useless trash!" The man in black waved his hand casually, completely unconcerned.

"Leave your life behind!" Yuan Chengzhi had already arrived at this moment.

Amidst the roar, a surge of power swept through his entire body.

He used the "Tiger-Taming Step" of Mount Hua, his movements swift and steady.

With a flick of his wrists, he unleashed the exquisite move "Clouds Across the Qinling Mountains" from the Hunyuan Palm technique.

With a whooshing sound, the palm struck directly at a vital acupoint on the black-clad man's chest.

A look of surprise flashed in the man's eyes, as if he had not expected to encounter someone so young yet possessing such profound inner strength in this place.

He snorted coldly, and instead of retreating, he advanced, thrusting out his sword swiftly with a backhand. The tip of the sword flickered and transformed into several cold points, aiming directly at Yuan Chengzhi's Laogong acupoint in his palm.

Although Yuan Chengzhi was furious, he was not a reckless person.

Knowing the sword's fierce and ruthless power, they dared not resist with their bare hands.

With a sudden change in his palm technique, he transformed hardness into softness, employing the method of deflecting and striking force from the Hunyuan Palm, attempting to grab the opponent's wrist.

Unexpectedly, the man in black was extremely experienced in combat and his swordsmanship was unpredictable. With a flick of his wrist, the blade had already bypassed the edge of his palm like a venomous snake and was slashing towards his forearm.

Yuan Chengzhi hurriedly withdrew his hand and retreated, his footwork flowing smoothly as he narrowly avoided the sword strike, but his sleeve was already ripped open by the sharp sword energy.

He felt a chill run down his spine, realizing he had encountered a formidable opponent. He immediately focused his mind and calmed himself, his palms flashing as he defended himself flawlessly, managing to fight the man in black to a standstill for a time.

"Mu Renqing has indeed taken on a good disciple," the man in black murmured in praise.

Clearly, they were wary of Yuan Chengzhi's strength.

His gaze swept over Chen Qianyang, who stood frozen with his sword in hand, once again.

He thought to himself, "This kid's plan is flawless."

That's enough about this matter; there's no need for further fighting.

With this in mind, he stopped fighting Yuan Chengzhi, feinted with his sword, and his figure drifted backward like a ghost, blending into the shadow of the cliff. After a few leaps, he disappeared behind the treacherous rocks.

Their arrival was truly abrupt and bizarre, while their departure was swift and decisive.

Inside the canyon, only the heavy, lingering stench of blood remained, silently permeating the air.

Only then did Chen Qianyang seem to recover from the huge shock he had just experienced.

His hand loosened its grip, and the sword embedded in the plum blossom and the longsword in his chest fell silently to the ground.

His face was as pale as paper, he staggered back several steps, his lips trembled, his voice shook, and his eyes were filled with disbelief.

"Junior brother!" Yue Lingshan exclaimed and rushed forward to support Chen Qianyang's swaying body.

Her voice trembled with tears: "Don't scare me! Everyone saw it. Mei Jianhe's death isn't your fault; it was that masked villain who killed him!"

Chen Qianyang silently gave his senior sister a thumbs up in his heart.

It was best for her, as an observer, to say this, so as to avoid making herself look awkward.

Yuan Chengzhi had regained his composure by this time, and he did not immediately pay attention to the two of them.

With a somber expression, he checked the breaths of Mei Jianhe and the other two disciples, confirming that all three were dead, before slowly standing up.

After hesitating for a moment, he looked at Chen Qianyang, who was still sitting on the ground looking lost and dejected, with complicated emotions.

His tone became steady: "Senior Brother Chen, although Junior Nephew Mei was severely injured by that masked man, she ultimately died by your sword, didn't she?"

Before Chen Qianyang could respond, Yue Lingshan exclaimed, "Yuan Chengzhi, what do you mean? Everyone saw it just now. My junior brother was also injured by that villain. Mei Jianhe deserved it. To be honest, my junior brother's mistake was unintentional."

Chen Qianyang reached out and stopped Yue Lingshan, indicating that she didn't need to say anything more.

At this moment, he seemed to have recovered, and he slowly stood up straight.

The panic and confusion on his face gradually faded.

Regaining his usual composure, he met Yuan Chengzhi's scrutinizing gaze.

"Uncle Yuan is right, the man did indeed die by my sword, but so what?"

"What?" Yuan Chengzhi's pupils shrank.

"Your Chaoyang Peak members stole our Huashan Sect's medicinal herbs first, and Mei Jianhe then laid an ambush here, intending to kill us and seize our supplies. He deserved to die for coming here to ambush us." Chen Qianyang's voice was not loud, but it was firm and powerful: "I killed him both to protect myself and to preserve the reputation of my Huashan lineage, even without that masked man..."

Chen Qianyang snorted: "He's the only one lying here today! Uncle Yuan is highly skilled in martial arts and can distinguish right from wrong. Does he really intend to hold me, the victim, accountable for such a scoundrel who betrayed his master and harmed his fellow disciples?"

"You!" Yuan Chengzhi was stunned for a moment. Firstly, his eloquence was not good to begin with, and secondly, he thought that this matter was a private grudge between Mei Jianhe and Chen Qianyang.

Unexpectedly, this also involves the interests of two sects. It seems that Mei Jianhe really came to kill people and seize the account books.

Yuan Chengzhi cursed inwardly, but as a disciple of Chaoyang Peak, he could not and would not lose face at this moment.

Although he was simple and honest, he was by no means dull-witted.

Although he was quite far away, he could still discern something from Chen Qianyang's seemingly unsteady yet rhythmic steps and the perfect angle of the long sword's final "connection".

All of this was too unexpected, too precise.

Based on a martial artist's sixth sense, he was certain that the kid did it on purpose.

However, he had no evidence.

All the signs at the scene pointed perfectly to an "accident".

If he were to launch an attack based on his intuition at this moment, not only would he fail to win over the public, but he would also solidify his reputation as "bullying others by abusing his power."

At this moment, Laudenuo also "walked over and cupped his hands in greeting to Yuan Chengzhi."

"Uncle Yuan, my junior brother Chen is young and impetuous, and his words are often impulsive. Please don't take it to heart. However, to be fair, your side was indeed at fault today. Now that Junior Nephew Mei has died so suspiciously, if this matter gets out, I'm afraid the martial arts world will say that our Huashan Sect is fighting amongst ourselves! At that time, I'm afraid it will only fulfill the wishes of some people and make us a laughing stock in the martial arts world!"

His words seemed to be an attempt to mediate.

However, his remarks repeatedly steered the current situation toward the level of "factional struggle".

This made Yuan Chengzhi even more hesitant.

My master has long since stopped interfering in sect affairs, and neither of my two senior brothers are on the mountain. I must not lose my composure.

Yuan Chengzhi took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his anger.

He glanced at Chen Qianyang, who seemed completely unaffected, and then at Laudenuo, who looked sincere.

He knew that what had happened today had become an unsolved mystery.

"Enough," Yuan Chengzhi's gaze returned to calm. "I have noted what happened to Chen Qianyang today. I will have the bodies of Junior Nephew Mei and the others brought back to Chaoyang Peak. I will investigate them thoroughly once I return. As for that masked assailant, my Chaoyang Peak lineage will definitely pursue him to the end!"

Having said that, he said no more, and with a resolute air, he leaped up and quickly disappeared at the other end of the canyon.

Watching Yuan Chengzhi's departing figure, Chen Qianyang straightened up with Yue Lingshan's help.

He knew that he had not convinced Yuan Chengzhi.

But so what? Yuan Chengzhi, with his personality, would never use suspicion against him.

Just then, the long-absent cheat code activated once again.

[Current world flow has changed: 3%]

The next reward milestone is 5%.

[Reward Received: Yin-Yang Mystic Pendant]

(Effect: The jade pendant has an ancient and simple design, containing both Yin and Yang energies, which can adjust themselves according to the wearer's internal energy nature. When cultivating Yang internal energy, the jade pendant emits a mysterious ice energy, helping to condense the heart fire and stabilize the foundation; when cultivating Yin internal energy, it circulates a warming energy, protecting the meridians and resolving stagnation. Long-term wear can accelerate internal energy cultivation, its effect being like a portable cold jade bed, where Yin and Yang complement each other, and water and fire are balanced.)

Chen Qianyang was secretly delighted. His internal energy cultivation had lagged behind considerably, and obtaining such a treasure would allow him to better refine his internal strength.

I vaguely remember that this Mei Jianhe, in the original novel of Sword Stained with Royal Blood, later tricked Yuan Chengzhi.

By killing him here, I'm essentially changing the course of events.

Knowing that killing such insignificant people would be much easier, Chen Qianyang couldn't help but have some bad thoughts.

Just then, Laudenuo walked over, looked at Chen Qianyang's pale face, and sighed: "Junior Brother Chen, this matter... alas, after returning to the mountain, I will explain the whole story to Master."

Chen Qianyang nodded: "Thank you for your trouble, Second Senior Brother."