The mastermind behind the scenes starting with the calamity of all races

Yun Jie smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.

Hong Yitang raised an eyebrow and nodded. His wife then took over the conversation, saying, "May I ask how you are addressed?"

Yun Jie smiled and said, "Yun Jie, Yun as in white cloud, Jie as in hero."

"Okay, not bad."

Although she had never heard of the name Yun Jie, the lady did not think much of it and continued, "Don't stand there, come in and sit down so we can chat."

Yun Jie didn't stand on ceremony and followed the two into the lobby, then casually found a seat to sit down.

Just as the three sat down, a disciple came in carrying a pot of tea. He poured a cup for Yun Jie first, and then for Hong Yitang and his wife, since Yun Jie was a guest and should be served first.

"please."

Hong Yitang raised his hand and said.

Yun Jie smiled slightly, picked up the tea on the table, and took a sip.

Yun Jie has drunk many kinds of tea, but the one he is drinking now is not even in his league. Of course, it is not bad. On the contrary, it tastes quite good, sweet and fragrant. It's just that Yun Jie has drunk too many good teas, so he says it is not in his league.

After finishing her tea, before Hong Yitang could even speak, the lady asked impatiently, "I heard from my disciples that you want to join our Sword Sect?"

"That's right. I believe I have some strength, so I dared to come. I hope the sect leader and his wife will allow me to come." Yun Jie said with a 'humble' expression.

"Do you wish to take on the position of elder?" the lady asked again.

“Yes, that’s right,” Yun Jie smiled and said, “Although I lack experience, I don’t think I’m suitable to be a disciple right now.”

"You're right, I really can't teach you anything at the late stage of breaking 100."

This time, it was Hong Yitang who spoke. After all, as the sect leader, he couldn't let his wife say everything. He had to speak to show respect, otherwise people would easily think he was putting on airs.

"The sect leader has discerning eyes."

Yun Jie cupped his hands in a gesture of praise.

"But I'd like to know, given your age and strength, why did you choose to join our Sword Sect? You know, the benefits in our Sword Sect aren't that great. Why didn't you go to the Martial Guard or the Patrol Division? If it were you, you would definitely be able to pass the test, right?"

As expected, Hong Yitang couldn't just let Yun Jie join the Sword Sect all at once. Although he also wanted to recruit elders, he couldn't just recruit them randomly. If he wasn't careful, the Sword Sect could easily get into trouble. So he had to find out the details, otherwise he wouldn't feel at ease.

Yun Jie smiled slightly and said, "Other forces are certainly good, but has the sect leader ever heard the saying, 'Better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond'? My strength is indeed not weak, but it's not that great either. Even if I go to the Martial Guard or the Patrol Division, I won't get much attention. They don't lack martial artists who have broken through the hundred-man mark. Unless I can break through the thousand-man mark, otherwise..."

Hong Yitang nodded, reluctantly accepting Yun Jie's explanation. Then, he asked in a friendly tone, "Where do you live? Don't misunderstand, I'm just asking casually. It's okay if you don't answer."

How could it be unrelated? Given his personality, he would never accept someone of unknown origin.

However, Yun Jie was prepared. The next moment, a look of sorrow appeared on his face, and his mood became depressed. He lowered his head slightly and said in a low voice, "To be honest, I fled from Linjiang. Not long ago, a drastic change occurred in Linjiang, and countless people lost their heads. On that day, I don't know how many people died; it could be described as a river of blood..."

The next moment, Yun Jie looked at Hong Yitang and said excitedly, "It's too terrifying, it's really too terrifying. Sect Master, you don't know, I dare not stay in Linjiang any longer. Anyway, my family is long gone, so I chose to come to Yinyue. After inquiring, I heard that the Sword Sect has a good reputation, so I wanted to give it a try."

Hearing Yun Jie's words, Hong Yitang slowly put down his teacup, his expression grave. "I've heard about what happened in Linjiang. It's true, as you said. From the Governor's Office to the Administrative Office, the army, and so on, everyone in Linjiang, from top to bottom, was wiped out. Now, only some civilians who haven't committed any crimes remain in Linjiang..."

At this point, he glanced at Yun Jie and asked, "What did you do in Linjiang before?"

Yun Jie: "Sect Master, please rest assured, I have not done anything evil. I was originally an orphan, but I was adopted by an old martial arts master who taught me martial arts. He passed away a few years later. After that, a new path emerged, and I obtained the cultivation technique. I hid in the mountains to cultivate secretly. I only recently came out of the deep mountains when I encountered the massacre..."

At this point, Yun Jie's body trembled slightly, and fear appeared in his eyes.

Hong Yitang silently observed all of this.

The next moment, as if remembering something, Yun Jie took out something from his pocket and said, "Sect Master, this is my identification. Please take a look."

As he spoke, he handed it to Hong Yitang and continued, "Please rest assured, Sect Leader, I have never done anything immoral or heinous. Otherwise, I would not have escaped the massacre that happened not long ago."

Hong Yitang nodded slightly. That was indeed the case. According to the intelligence he had received, in Linjiang, anyone whose hands were stained with blood and who had indiscriminately killed innocent people would not survive. Upon learning this information, they were so shocked that they were speechless.

All I can say is, that's ruthless!

Hundreds of thousands, even millions, were killed without hesitation, leaving no one alive. It was an absolutely massive operation, and the person who carried it out was incredibly ruthless.

Hong Yitang thought about it carefully for a while and stopped asking questions, but he made a request: "Let's have a fight. If you satisfy me, you can stay; otherwise... you can leave."

He asked a lot of questions, and the other party's answers didn't have any major flaws. He also couldn't tell if the identity document was genuine or fake. Therefore, Hong Yitang decided to personally investigate Yun Jie's background.

Judging a person's background by their martial arts style is not a problem. Moreover, Hong Yitang considers himself quite knowledgeable, after all, he traveled all over the country in his youth, otherwise he wouldn't have earned the name "Earth-Overturning Sword".

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Chapter 637 "The Budding Form of Power" [Seeking monthly votes! Seeking full subscription!]

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Before he became famous, Hong Yitang was no low-key kid; the title "Earth-Overturning Sword" didn't come easily.

Of the thirty-six heroes of Silver Moon, which one didn't charge in?

They weren't just fighting in the Silver Moon region; they were present throughout the entire Heavenly Star Dynasty, otherwise their names wouldn't have become so widely known.

In each generation of the Silver Moon martial arts world, there are people who leave Silver Moon and travel to other provinces. Anyone with a bit of fame will come to challenge them.

Some people with good tempers are alright; they usually stop when they've had a few rounds and don't hurt anyone's feelings. But if you encounter someone arrogant who doesn't know their own strength and goes all out, like Yuan Shuo, then you'll offend everyone you go.

Back when Hong Yitang was a young man in his early twenties, he had been to many places. Not to mention faraway places, he must have been to Linjiang, which is adjacent to Yinyue.

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"A competition?"

Yun Jie glanced at Hong Yitang and instantly understood his purpose: to test him.

Well then, since that's the case, a contest wouldn't hurt.

Hong Yitang took a sip of tea and said calmly, "Yes, a competition."

The next moment, he smiled and said, "After all, you are going to be an elder. As the sect leader, I need to understand your strength so that I can make the best arrangements for you. What do you think?"

“I’m fine,” Yun Jie nodded.

Yun Jie was not surprised by this request. He had prepared for it in advance, ensuring that Hong Yitang would not be able to see through his true nature.

Seeing Yun Jie agree, Hong Yitang's eyes showed a satisfied look. He was afraid that Yun Jie would refuse, and if he did not agree, he would definitely not accept it.

Then, he slowly put down his teacup. Although he was a low-key person, he was also a decisive and efficient person when he got serious.

“Alright, since that’s the case, let’s have a match right now!” Hong Yitang stared at Yun Jie and said decisively.

Yun Jie looked at Hong Yitang with 'surprise' and asked, "So eager?"

"Well, since I don't have anything else to do, I might as well make it simple. I'd also like to have someone who can help me mentor my disciples."

Hong Yitang gave a wry smile and continued, "You've seen my wife's condition, and with nearly two hundred disciples, I really can't handle it all by myself, so..."

"Or do you need to prepare? If so, I can give you some time," Hong Yitang asked.

Yun Jie immediately shook his head: "That's not necessary. Besides, with my mediocre skills, there's nothing to prepare. Let's get started."

"Great, that's satisfying!"

Hong Yitang slapped his thigh, then stood up. "Come on, follow me to the backyard. The backyard is a better place to make your move."

"By the way, you don't mind if I let some of my disciples come and watch, do you?" Hong Yitang asked, his eyes gleaming.

Before Yun Jie could speak, he continued, "Don't misunderstand, it's like this. I see you're not very old. If I don't let my disciples see your strength, they might be dissatisfied. So, why not let them see it for themselves? What do you think?"

Hong Yitang's question was seemingly inquiring, but it was actually an inevitable statement. Since he had already said so, how could Yun Jie refuse?

However, Yun Jie didn't say much. Watching the battle was fine, it saved him a lot of trouble. He nodded and said, "I'll accept your offer. No problem, I have no objection."

"Alright, I'll notify them now and have them come over," Hong Yitang said with a slight smile, satisfied.

Then, he gave his wife a look, and she understood. She nodded to Yun Jie and said, "Excuse me, see you later."

Yun Jie smiled and nodded, then watched her leave.

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"Come with me."

Hong Yitang walked ahead to lead the way for Yun Jie.

Soon, the two arrived at the backyard.

The backyard was quite large, taking up almost a third of the entire encampment. It was flat and open, with a layer of stone slabs laid flat on the ground. Several shelves were placed on both sides, displaying various weapons, with swords being the most numerous type.

There was no way around it; Hong Yitang's name was Earth-Overturning Sword, so both his wife and disciples mostly used swords.

Besides, it's the Sword Sect, what else can Sword Sect disciples use if they don't use swords?

Judging from the layout here, it is clearly a martial arts training ground, a place specifically for the disciples of the Sword Sect to practice.

Hong Yitang turned around, looked at Yun Jie, and asked, "What weapon do you use? See if there's one here that suits you."

Yun Jie nodded, walked to the shelf on the right, picked up a standard longsword, weighed it in his hand, and chuckled, "I'll use this."

Hong Yitang's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "Oh, you use a sword too?"

Using a sword would be wonderful, since almost all of his disciples use swords. If Yun Jie didn't know how, he really wouldn't know what to assign him.

Although disciples of the Sword Sect also need to practice fist and foot techniques, they mainly focus on swordsmanship. Apart from geniuses, few people can master all aspects of martial arts. For disciples of the Sword Sect, as long as their fist and foot techniques are passable, that's enough.

Faced with Hong Yitang's question, Yun Jie said "very modestly": "I know a little bit. I once came across a sword technique by chance. Later, I was so interested in learning it that I practiced it casually. I would appreciate your guidance later, Master."

Upon hearing this, Hong Yitang didn't suspect anything. He smiled and nodded, saying, "No problem, no problem. I might not be able to help with other things, but when it comes to swords, I do know a little bit about them."

Yun Jie glanced at him and said, "Not bad, young man. Your humility is starting to resemble mine. Not bad at all."

As things stand, Yun Jie is quite satisfied with Hong Yitang; he's much better than Yuan Shuo.

Of course, this is not to say that Yuan Shuo is inferior to Hong Yitang, but rather that Hong Yitang is more to Yun Jie's liking.

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Not long after.

The lady led several dozen disciples of the Sword Sect from the front yard.

This time, Hong Yitang and his wife brought fifty or sixty disciples to recruit disciples in Baiyue City. Most of the others stayed at the Sword Sect headquarters. Now, apart from a few who are still at the front to greet those who come to register, the rest have all been called over by his wife.

Anyway, she didn't think highly of Yun Jie and Hong Yitang's fight. She believed the match would end soon, and then she could let her disciples take care of their own business.

"I've brought everyone with me. When would you like to start?" the lady said, looking at Yun Jie and his companion.

Hong Yitang nodded, then looked at his disciples and instructed them, "You all go to the sidelines with your mistresses to watch the battle, observe carefully, and learn well."