A man stands before the heavens, his sword emerges from the Emei Mountains.

Chapter 124 The Murderer, Xie Xun!

The setting sun hung over the distant mountains, its light not intense. In a teahouse outside Mingguang County, Cheng Kun turned his gaze away from the hurried figures of江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) men on the official road.

The simple teahouse had no owner in sight. Cheng Kun was dressed in a gray robe, and when he turned his gaze back to the road, it was difficult for passersby to see his face.

"My disciple said that Dai Qisi returned and kidnapped an old man?"

The person at the same table was a young man surnamed Chen, but his face and hair were dyed with herbs, making him look travel-worn and his face sallow. He said, "Well, my disciple followed the Sky Eagle Sect to the restaurant. When the fight broke out, I was hit by Dai Qisi's cane. Fortunately, I was protected by iron armor, so I was unharmed. I pretended to faint. Yin Yewang, Lingdong Sect, and Qinghai Sword Sect all chased after me. Xianyu Tong, however, was fighting fiercely with an old man in the restaurant. By the way, that old man said that Xianyu Tong harmed his sister."

"Interesting, disciple. Describe the old man's appearance?"

"He was handsome and refined, with dark skin, less than six feet tall, and spoke with a Miao accent."

The young man surnamed Chen gave a detailed description, and Cheng Kun replied without hesitation, "It's Hu Qingniu."

"Hu Qingniu, who stood by and watched someone die?"

"Exactly."

"With Hu Qingniu's treatment, Dai Qisi will surely recover from her injuries."

Cheng Kun nodded, "Since the Purple-Robed Dragon King saved Hu Qingniu, it is not considered a violation of the rules for him to save Dai Qisi as well. However, this will make it really difficult to follow up and capture Dai Qisi."

The young man surnamed Chen laughed and said, "I do have a plan, disciple."

"Please feel free to speak."

"Now, the area around Mingguang County is filled with disciples from various sects, and countless martial arts practitioners are flocking here. Master, you might as well arrange for your best men to use heavy-handed methods to kill a few of them."

"The killer is Xie Xun, the Golden Lion King?" Cheng Kun chuckled in a low voice.

"Master is wise. In time, people in the martial world will only remember Xie Xun and assume he has returned." The young man surnamed Chen smiled slightly, his expression utterly harmless. "Actually, given the current situation, whether Xie Xun is alive or dead is not important. If he is alive, all the major sects will hold him accountable, and how can he defend himself? Who would believe him? If he has already died at Dai Qisi's hands, and the martial world cannot find Xie Xun, I can spread rumors that the Dragon-Slaying Saber has been obtained by the Demonic Sect. Then, all the major sects will hold the Demonic Sect accountable. Master can persuade them, and then all the major sects will rise up against him, which will be a natural outcome. Master can then use the power of the Prince's Mansion to annihilate all the major sects that have fought to the bitter end. Perhaps we can also use Xianyu Tong. Judging from Hu Qingniu's desperate actions, Xianyu Tong has indeed harmed the Hu family's little sister."

Cheng Kun praised, "My disciple is intelligent and quick-witted. You escaped this time thanks to your armor, but you may not be able to escape danger every time you encounter a master in the future. I will teach you a few life-saving techniques."

The young man was overjoyed, but said aloud, "How could my wisdom compare to even a fraction of Master's? Once upon a time, Chen Youliang was nothing but an unknown figure in the martial world, as insignificant as an ant. I am deeply grateful for Master's kindness in teaching me martial arts. From now on, I will serve Master like a beast of burden."

Cheng Kun chuckled softly, "Wealth and honor are born in years of misfortune, and a dragon trapped in distress will surely rise to the clouds. You have the bearing of a hero."

"No matter what, your disciple will always be ready to go through fire and water for you, even unto death."

"Hmm, according to my disciple, who should we kill?"

Chen Youliang said, "The Three Swords of Qinghai, Tang Wenliang of Kongtong, Xihua Zi of Kunlun, and the elders of the Beggars' Sect are all acceptable, as well as that brat Chen Yu of the Emei Sect. Xie Xun killed Miejue's brother, and if Chen Yu is beheaded, Miejue will immediately seek revenge against the Ming Cult."

"You have a good eye."

"Master, please have some tea." Chen Youliang picked up the teapot and poured tea.

"Your disciple is thoughtful."

While drinking tea, Cheng Kun told Chen Youliang about an internal energy cultivation method and a martial arts technique. Chen Youliang was quick to learn and memorized it perfectly in less than half an hour, grasping its essence.

As dusk settled, Chen Youliang placed a few copper coins on the table, and the two men rose and disappeared into the fading twilight.

A campfire burned in the pitch-black night, its light emanating from a makeshift thatched hut built by hunters in the mountains, where several stragglers of the Kongtong Sect sat.

A breeze blew in from outside, gently stirring the flames.

A disciple of the Kongtong Sect asked, "I wonder if our martial uncles have searched for Dai Qisi's whereabouts?"

"Dai Qisi is seriously injured. Once caught, she will be captured easily."

"Tsk tsk, the Purple-Robed Dragon King is truly stunningly beautiful. If one could be close to such a woman even once in one's life, one would die without regrets."

"Junior brother, be careful what you say."

"There are no outsiders here," the Kongtong Sect disciple said nonchalantly.

The wind howled like a tiger, and a dark figure wielding a spiked club silently approached from the mountains.

The topic of the Purple-Robed Dragon King was briefly mentioned in the thatched hut, and then someone else spoke up: "Are the Three Swords of Qinghai looking for that brat Chen Yu?"

"That can't be right."

The word "ba" had barely left his lips when the flames inside the thatched hut dimmed sharply, and a black figure burst in like lightning.

"Who?"

"what!"

Flames flickered wildly inside the thatched hut, and the sounds of spiked clubs striking bodies echoed incessantly. A Dongpai disciple flew out, smashing through the thatched hut and rolling on the ground, his chest a bloody mess.

In a short while, the thatched hut fell silent, with only the strong, pungent smell of blood spreading through it. The man in black, carrying a spiked club, walked out and disappeared into the forest at a leisurely pace.

The sun hangs over Turtle Mountain, a lone sail comes from the river.

The passenger ship docked, and Chen Yu leaped onto the pier. The bustling scene unfolded before him, with vendors hawking their wares and teahouses filled with the aroma of cooking. Chen Yu's gaze habitually swept across the pier, but he did not see Xiao Zhao.

I wonder if Xiao Zhao is still around?

Chen Yu feigned injury at a restaurant outside Mingguang County, cleverly helping Dai Qisi out of a predicament. The three swordsmen of Qinghai were wicked, so he killed them in retaliation. Dai Qisi rescued Hu Qingniu and left. There was no need for Chen Yu to go through the trouble of searching for Butterfly Valley to find out what was going on. Given Dai Qisi's character, how could she not have imagined that Yin Yewang and the others would definitely go to Butterfly Valley to search?

Therefore, unless Daisy's bad luck is extremely bad, she should be safe.

Chen Yu headed straight for Hanyang, encountering various martial arts figures on their way to Mingguang. He didn't hear anything about Shaolin Temple, nor did he deliberately seek out Cheng Kun.

-

The bigger the storm, the bigger the fish; there will be an opportunity to reveal Cheng Kun's true colors.

Having come from Mingguang, Chen Yu went straight to Luzhou. He boarded a ship at Feishui and entered the Yangtze River. The journey was uneventful. On the passenger ship, he diligently practiced the Wudang Nine Yang Skill. Now, the Yangqiao Meridian, one of the main channels governing the body's Yang energy, showed faint signs of being tempered and unblocked.

Chen Yu went ashore, wandered through the streets and alleys, and walked for several miles. Among the drooping green willows, Jingyun Temple came into view.

A gentle breeze blows, and the clouds drift lazily.

Several disciples from Mount Emei were leading eight or nine newly recruited people in standing meditation in front of the temple.

"Senior Brother Chen is here."

A sharp-eyed female disciple spotted Chen Yu and exclaimed in delight, rushing forward to greet him. From just that one sentence, Chen Yu guessed that Miejue, Yang An, and the others had not yet arrived in Hanyang.

"How is the nunnery?" Chen Yu stopped and asked gently.

"Reporting to Senior Brother, things are going well. Senior Sister Jingxu has gone to Dadu, and Senior Sister Jingyi is now in charge of the temple's affairs. She has recruited more than ten disciples in the past year, and they are all practicing martial arts there. By the way, a few days ago, a security escort agency from Huai'an sent over a shipment of goods, saying that Senior Brother had hired them. The goods inside are Buddha statues."

Chen Yu breathed a slight sigh of relief; the shipment had gone smoothly.

"Master, Junior Brother Yang An, and the others haven't arrived?"

"Oh, is Master coming too? No."

"Hmm." Chen Yu nodded in response. "Where's the Buddha statue?"

"The box hasn't been opened; it's still inside the nunnery. By the way, have you heard quite a bit of news these past few days?"

"Let's talk inside the temple."

"Okay!"

The two walked forward, and the male and female disciples practicing their stances bowed in unison, saying, "Greetings, Senior Brother."

"Junior brothers and sisters, your postures are quite good. Not bad," Chen Yu greeted them with a smile, offering a few words of praise.

After he passed by, a female disciple from Hanyang City exclaimed excitedly, "Senior brother is so handsome!"

"Indeed, so charming."

"It was Senior Brother Chen who rescued the abducted girl."

"I greatly admire my senior brother."

Amidst the chattering sounds, Chen Yu smiled and entered the nunnery. The commotion outside had already alerted Jingyi, and the nun quickly came to greet him through the moon gate not far away.

The rolling dark clouds, like outstretched tentacles, spread from the riverbank. The wind swirled fallen leaves up and down in front of Xiao Zhao, and her mood, like the leaves, rose and fell.

Xiao Zhao is still dressed as a beggar. Recently, she has been going to and from the docks and has heard a lot of rumors that Granny Jin Hua has appeared in Mingguang, Anhui, and that her true identity is the former Purple-Robed Dragon King of the Demonic Sect.

If it were just Granny Jin Hua's claim that she appeared in Anhui, Xiao Zhao might not have believed it. However, since the disciples from various sects who came and went at the dock all mentioned the identity of the Purple-Robed Dragon King, Xiao Zhao had no choice but to believe it.

Her heart was burning with anxiety. She wanted to go to Anhui to inquire and search, but she was also afraid that her mother would arrive in Hanyang and she would miss the chance to meet her.

"Mother, where are you?" Xiao Zhao entered a narrow alley, took a few steps forward, looked back, then turned around and quickly entered a shanty.

"Zhao'er." A familiar voice and figure rushed towards me.

"Mother." Xiao Zhao was overjoyed to see Dai Qisi with her veil lifted. She threw herself into her arms, nuzzled her chest with her head, and then looked up and asked, "Why aren't you dressed up, Mother?"

95

"It's a long story, let's leave this place first."

Xiao Zhao was clever. Recalling the stories she had heard at the dock, she realized that her mother was in a dangerous situation.

"Hmm. Zhao'er, change your clothes. Otherwise, it will definitely arouse suspicion if Mother brings me along."

"Zhao'er has grown up."

Xiao Zhao smiled, quickly changed out of her beggar's clothes, found a set of blue dress, and the mother and daughter left the shanty and disappeared into the spiderweb-like alleyways.

The city of Hanyang was shrouded in dark clouds, and before the rain fell, the air was stuffy and humid.

Chen Yu saw several boxes inside Jingyun Nunnery, all with intact sealing wax.

While he was unpacking the box, Jingyi said, "Recently, people from the martial arts world who have been coming and going at the docks have been saying that the villain Xie Xun has appeared in Mingguang."

""

"What do you mean?"

"Many martial arts practitioners died, all of them were killed by heavy-handed methods."

Chen Yu exerted force with his arm and with a snap, lifted the lid of the wooden box, revealing the Buddha statue inside. He looked at the Bodhisattva containing the Dragon-Slaying Saber and thought to himself that this must be Cheng Kun's scheme. He only needed to arrange the killings, and the people in the martial arts world would guess and eventually pin the blame on Xie Xun.

Is Xie Xun alive or dead? Where is he?

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