The Prodigal Disciple of Mount Hua: Seizing All Opportunities

The aged voice seemed to possess a magical power, instantly dispelling the tense atmosphere in the room.

"Go ahead and fight, keep fighting." The old man stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes sweeping over the two men with a mocking tone.

Although he appeared old, he possessed an extraordinary and independent demeanor.

Feng Buping's raised sword froze in mid-air.

The ferocity and rage on his face vanished the moment he saw the old man appear, replaced by shock and ecstasy.

The long sword in his hand clattered to the ground, but he was completely unaware.

Feng Buping wiped his hands, then his knees buckled, and he knelt heavily before the old man.

This proud and arrogant swordsman was now weeping uncontrollably, his voice trembling: "Disciple, disciple Feng Buping, pays respects to Uncle-Master Feng! Uncle-Master, you are still alive! I have been searching for you for so long!"

He pounded his head heavily on the rocks, his words earnest: "I beg Uncle Feng to come out of seclusion and restore the Huashan Sword Sect! Sweep away the remnants of the Qi Sect from Yue Buqun's lineage and restore the true lineage of the Huashan Sect!"

The old man referred to as Uncle Feng was none other than Feng Qingyang.

He glanced at Feng Buping kneeling on the ground, his eyes filled with exhaustion and helplessness.

"Bu Ping, haven't you figured this out after all these years? Dao lineage? The Sword Sect is a Dao lineage, but isn't the Qi Sect one too? If you and your fellow disciples hadn't been so obsessed with the struggle between sword and qi, blinded by greed, how could the great calamity of fratricide on Jade Maiden Peak have occurred? Now I am a recluse, and I no longer care about the grudges and disputes of the martial world."

"If it weren't for those Qi Sect people using a trick to send Uncle Feng away, our Sword Sect wouldn't be in this state." Feng Buping raised his head, his eyes filled with resentment. "Now that the Huashan Sect is so weak under that hypocrite Yue Buqun, does Uncle Feng really want to stand by and watch?"

"Alas, even if I were at Mount Hua that day, I couldn't have changed anything." Feng Qingyang sighed. "Besides, I was also thinking of avoiding disaster at the time, so I don't regret my decision back then."

"But......"

"There's no need to say anything more. I'm already a dying man. All the conflicts of that year have nothing to do with me. Your efforts to lure me out are probably in vain."

"Uncle-Master! Right now, Mount Hua is surrounded by powerful enemies. I'm afraid Yue Buqun can't hold it back. The Huashan Sect's lineage might be cut off."

Feng Qingyang laughed heartily: "There is no such thing as an everlasting foundation in this world. Even if the Huashan Sect is truly destroyed, it has nothing to do with me, a man from the mountains."

Feng Buping was about to persuade him again, but was silenced by Feng Qingyang's increasingly sharp gaze.

"But you, kid, are cunning and ruthless. You're much more formidable than him." Feng Qingyang turned to look at Chen Qianyang, who had struggled to his feet and was now sitting cross-legged to recover.

A sharp, all-knowing glint flashed in those cloudy old eyes.

"I'm curious. It's not surprising that Feng could guess I was here, but it's strange that you're also playing along with him."

"Greetings, Grand Uncle Feng, this disciple truly did not know..." Chen Qianyang hurriedly stood up and bowed.

"Don't play dumb with me. This old man isn't blind. From day one, I saw through your act. He's in charge of coercion, and you're in charge of survival. You seem to be controlled at every turn, but in reality, you're carefully planning every step. Today, you're practicing the Five Mountains Sword Technique on the stone wall, yet you keep talking about being a master of the Sword Sect. You're just trying to use this trick of the weak overcoming the strong to provoke this old codger into action."

Feng Qingyang's tone was calm, but every word was like a needle: "I don't like you. You're too scheming, even more so than your master Yue Buqun. Get out of here before I lose my temper."

Chen Qianyang was shocked; Feng Qingyang had actually seen through his plan.

He knew all along that Feng Buping's purpose in coming here was not simply for his own sake, but to lure out Feng Qingyang, a big shot from the Existing Sword Sect.

All I need to do is passively cooperate with him, show my talent, and lure him out by dueling with Feng Buping.

Just like Linghu Chong and Tian Boguang in the original novel.

But unexpectedly, the old man saw through the plan at a glance.

Was I too obvious?

Chen Qianyang was about to answer when Feng Buping, who was standing to the side, couldn't hold back any longer. He crawled two steps on his knees and pointed at Chen Qianyang urgently, saying, "Uncle Feng, you've misunderstood! This boy knows you're here, but he probably didn't tell Junior Brother. He's not Junior Brother's son."

"What? Not?" Feng Qingyang's body suddenly trembled, and his sharp eyes refocused on Chen Qianyang's face.

He examined it carefully for a long time.

After a long while, the sharpness in his eyes gradually turned into a trace of sadness. "No wonder, no wonder, no wonder. It must be my disciple who told you that your stubbornness and unwillingness to admit defeat are just like his back then."

Chen Qianyang was overjoyed, realizing that his adoptive father was actually Feng Qingyang's disciple.

No wonder Feng Buping was so scheming against me; he was planning to lure Feng Qingyang out by having me do it.

So, this explains why the original owner's life was spared.

"How is your father... He decided to retire, so why did you become a disciple of the Huashan Sect?"

Chen Qianyang knew his chance had come. He stopped pretending and, despite his injuries, bowed deeply to Feng Qingyang once more.

He then recounted the entire story, from the massacre of his family that day to his later joining the Huashan Sect, omitting only the role Feng Buping played in the process.

Feng Buping showed gratitude. He knew that with Feng Qingyang's temperament, if he knew that Feng Qingyang was in cahoots with Zuo Lengchan, he would definitely not let him off the hook.

Upon hearing that Chen Buwei was dead, Feng Qingyang's expression darkened, and his gaze towards Chen Qianyang softened.

"Master Feng's eyes are truly discerning; my tricks are indeed beneath my notice. I admit I am cunning, but this world is treacherous, and honest people have no place to survive. I want to live, I want to avenge my entire Chen family, and I also want to stand at the pinnacle of this martial world and see the scenery there!"

His gaze suddenly turned fervent, as if two flames were burning within it: "What this junior seeks is nothing more than 'swift retribution'! Please grant my request, Grandmaster Uncle!"

These words, though arrogant, were also so sincere as to be truly moving.

Feng Qingyang remained silent for a long time.

Looking at the young man before him, he seemed to see his only disciple from many years ago.

After a long silence, he sighed again, a sigh filled with helplessness and regret.

There was also a sense of relief that I had finally been touched.

"So be it, so be it... All that happened back then is like smoke in the wind. I once swore never to interfere in the affairs of the martial world again, but since you are Buwei's son, I will make an exception today and teach you a true sword technique. If you can learn it, not to mention Feng Buping, even Zuo Lengchan will be no match for you."

He turned to Feng Buping, his tone indifferent, "Feng Buping, listen carefully. What I pass on is not the martial arts of my Huashan Sect. I can pass it on to whomever I want. Do you have any objections?"

Feng Buping was taken aback upon hearing this, then repeatedly kowtowed, "This disciple dares not! Martial Uncle's teachings are truly correct!"

Feng Qingyang, with an arrogant expression, uttered each word clearly: "This sword technique is called the Nine Swords of Dugu!"