The Prodigal Disciple of Mount Hua: Seizing All Opportunities

The sky was just beginning to lighten.

The entire city of Fuzhou has been engulfed in a storm of rumors.

A message is spreading like wildfire through the city's teahouses, taverns, docks, and marketplaces.

"Hey, did you hear? Something terrible has happened!"

"What's wrong? Why are you talking so mysteriously so early in the morning?"

"The Lin family's Evil-Repelling Sword Manual! It's been found! It's in the old house in Xiangyang Lane!"

"Really? Who told you that?"

"Pshaw, how could that be fake? The night watchman saw it with his own eyes last night! He said he saw Yue Buqun from the Huashan Sect sneaking into the Lin family's old residence! He searched the Buddhist hall for half the night, and left in a fit of rage!"

"What? The Gentleman Sword has become a thief?"

"Hey! What gentleman's sword? Even immortals would be tempted by unparalleled martial arts! Think about it, if there weren't any treasures there, would Yue Buqun have bothered sneaking through a rat hole in the middle of the night?"

"That makes sense... Since Yue Buqun couldn't find it, that means the sword manual must still be inside!"

"That's right! That's unclaimed property of the Lin family; whoever grabs it keeps it!"

Rumors spread like a plague with wings, through the mouths of beggars, thugs, and porters at an alarming rate.

The versions of the story became increasingly outlandish. Some said that Lin Zhennan appeared in a dream to guide the way, some said that golden light shone into the sky from the old house, and others said that Yue Buqun had actually obtained the sword manual.

But all the rumors ultimately point to a common destination.

The Lin Family Old House in Xiangyang Lane!

The once peaceful city of Fuzhou instantly erupted in excitement.

Wang Jiaju, with his eyes red, led the disciples of the Golden Saber Sect out of the gate.

Monk Yuankong even skipped his morning prayers, gathering the martial monks with his staff.

The remnants of the Qingcheng Sect, wandering martial artists, and powerful underworld figures lurking in the city swarmed towards the south of the city like vultures smelling carrion.

Greed completely overwhelmed reason at that moment.

……

Juchunyuan Inn, second-floor private room.

Outside the window, the noise of people was deafening.

Chen Qianyang sat by the window, his expression indifferent as if he were detached from the situation.

Across from him, Guo Jing frowned deeply.

Huang Rong stood to the side, peering through the window at the surging crowd below, her beautiful eyes filled with vigilance.

"What...what exactly is going on?" Guo Jing couldn't help but ask, "Sect Leader Yue...would he really do such a thing? Breaking in and stealing in the dead of night? This is too..."

He lived a life of integrity and uprightness; it is truly unimaginable that the head of a prestigious and righteous sect would commit such despicable acts.

Moreover, he had a very pleasant conversation with him yesterday and considered him a close friend, so he wanted to entrust Yang Guo to him.

"There's no smoke without fire." Huang Rong turned around, her gaze falling on Chen Qianyang. "Brother Jing, haven't you heard the rumors? Some people saw it with their own eyes. Besides, if it weren't true, why would these martial arts figures be so crazy?"

She looked at Chen Qianyang, a half-smile playing on her lips: "Brother Chen, you were guarding outside the mourning hall all night, you should know something, right? Could it be that you leaked this information?"

Chen Qianyang met Huang Rong's scrutinizing gaze with a calm smile.

"How could I, as your disciple, dare to speak carelessly about my master's affairs? Besides, Sister Huang thinks too highly of me; I don't have the ability to spread the news throughout the city overnight."

Guo Jing was confused, but Huang Rong understood perfectly.

The kid was saying he didn't dare to speak recklessly, not that he was defending his master.

The implication is self-evident.

"Three men can make a tiger," Chen Qianyang said slowly. "What really happened last night is no longer important. What is important is that everyone's attention has been turned to the Lin family's old residence in the south of the city."

If there truly is someone secretly watching, trying to muddy the waters, then their plan is about to succeed.

"Little brother, you mean...?"

"If that sword manual is really in that old house, it will likely lead to a bloody disaster."

Guo Jing was completely bewildered, feeling that what he had seen in Fuzhou City today had exceeded his previous expectations.

"Then...then isn't Pingzhi in danger?" Guo Jing asked anxiously. "The whole city is watching him, convinced that only he knows the exact location of the sword manual. If he goes to the old house..."

"As the rightful heir, he is doomed to die."

Chen Qianyang coldly uttered four words.

"Then we have to go save him!" Guo Jing tried to stand up, but the movement aggravated his internal injuries, causing him to groan in pain.

"Brother Jing!" Huang Rong quickly pressed him down. "You're still seriously injured. Going to such a chaotic place now won't save anyone; you'll only get yourself killed!"

"But……"

"Brother Guo, Sister Huang is right." Chen Qianyang stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the smoke and dust rising from the direction of Xiangyang Lane in the distance.

"Fuzhou is now a powder keg that could explode at any moment."

Any spark could ignite a bloody massacre.

Moreover, we cannot stop Lin Pingzhi.

Now that the news has been leaked, the person most anxious is probably this young master Lin.

He is now eager for revenge and to find his ancestral heirloom. He will go even if it means facing mountains of knives and seas of fire.

We can't stop those greedy martial arts practitioners. Faced with the temptation of unparalleled martial arts skills, there's no reasoning with them.

"Little brother, you must have a way, right?" Huang Rong stared at Chen Qianyang with her bright eyes. After spending the past few days with him, she had come to regard this young man as her pillar of support.

Chen Qianyang turned around, his expression somewhat ambiguous.

"Since we can't stop them, let's join them."

His voice was steady and powerful, conveying a sense of decisiveness.

"Join?" Guo Jing and Huang Rong were both taken aback.

"Not bad." Chen Qianyang walked to the table, dipped his finger in tea, and drew a circle on the table.

"Instead of letting them fight in the shadows, it's better to put everything out in the open."

We can't be the stray dog ​​that steals food, but we can be the shepherd with the stick.

We will enter as 'protectors'!

Huang Rong's face lit up with realization, and she clapped her hands and laughed, "I understand now."

Chen Qianyang laughed and said, "That's right, we're going to escort Lin Pingzhi to the old house in a grand manner! We want to tell everyone that it's only right for the Lin family to reclaim their family heirlooms! With Master Guo and the Huashan Sect here, who would dare to commit violence in broad daylight? Who would dare to defy the world and openly steal them?"

Guo Jing's eyes lit up: "Excellent! As long as we're here, those scoundrels won't dare to cause trouble!"

Huang Rong gave Chen Qianyang a deep look, and she understood the deeper meaning behind his words.

Chen Qianyang is trying to use the pretext of "righteousness" to forcibly suppress the chaos and force everyone to play by the rules.

Yue Buqun is a "gentleman's swordsman," and he would never dare to openly snatch something under the watchful eyes of everyone.

Reputable families, concerned with their reputation, wouldn't dare to take direct action.

In this way, what was originally a hopeless situation turned into a game of strategy that was out in the open.

However, this involves extremely high risks.

Once out of control, everything will perish.

"Brother Chen, this is quite risky," Huang Rong said softly.

"The risk is huge, and it will put us in the spotlight. It will be harmful and not beneficial to us," Chen Qianyang smiled slightly, his smile full of confidence. "So, Brother Guo, Sister Huang, are you two willing to join in on this losing proposition?"

"I, Guo Jing, have always been upright and honorable. How could I possibly back down in such a situation? What do danger and profit have to do with me?" Guo Jing made a generous promise.

Huang Rong looked at Guo Jing's righteous and awe-inspiring appearance, then glanced at Chen Qianyang.

He cursed inwardly, thinking that this Chen kid was treating Brother Jing like a fool again.

But she said, "I'll listen to Brother Jing."

Chen Qianyang laughed heartily, his tone bold: "Good, let's go and see when the 'Evil-Repelling Sword Manual,' which everyone in the world has been dreaming of, truly appears in the world... what kind of wonderful faces will these so-called heroes and valiant men show?"

"Let's go."

Chen Qianyang helped Guo Jing up and walked towards the door.

"The show is about to begin."

As Huang Rong watched his retreating figure, a sudden chill ran through her.

What exactly is this young man doing this for?

Want the sword manual? Want to save someone?

Is the intention to stop this disaster, or to escalate the situation further?

Huang Rong understood the young man even less.

Everyone has things they want, but this person seems to be in the middle of it all, yet their mind is elsewhere.

She shook her head, called to Yang Guo who was already rubbing his hands together outside the door, and quickly followed him.