The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, becoming a disciple of Yue Buqun

Page 151

“What Junior Nephew Jiang did was to hunt down the demoness of the Demonic Sect, which angered her and led to her revenge. Dealing with members of the Demonic Sect is what we righteous people should do, especially my Five Mountains Sword Sect. Just because the demoness is powerful and we are afraid of retaliation, do we not take action against her?”

Zuo Lengchan reprimanded him in a cold voice.

His junior brother harbored hostility towards Jiang Ning, mainly because of the Qingcheng Sect incident.

Before his death, Zuo Lengchan's master left him thirteen junior brothers, who would later become the Thirteen Protectors.

The Thirteen Protectors each had their own duties to handle the affairs of the Songshan Sect for him. For example, Ding Mian and Fei Bin were tasked with going out on business for him, Tang Ying'e handled internal affairs for him, and the other junior brothers also had their own responsibilities.

The person who just spoke is mainly responsible for contacting Yu Canghai.

Yu Canghai had frequently corresponded with this person in the past, as he was in charge of diplomacy between the Songshan and Qingcheng factions, and they had developed a certain relationship over the years.

More importantly, Yu Canghai would send gifts to the Songshan Sect during festivals to maintain their relationship, and he would also send one to Yu Canghai. Not to mention that Yu Canghai would often send him gifts and things on ordinary days.

Now that Yu Canghai is dead, and even his disciples have been wiped out by Jiang Ning, they will no longer send him gifts. Without this source of income, this man is very dissatisfied with Jiang Ning.

Cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents. If it weren't for Zuo Lengchan keeping him in check, he probably would have already secretly caused trouble for Jiang Ning.

Zuo Lengchan knew about his relationship with Yu Canghai and that his junior brother had received many gifts from Yu Canghai, so it was normal for him to be dissatisfied. However, he couldn't just show it like that, as it would make him seem naive and give others the impression that the Five Mountains Sword Sect was not actually harmonious.

The speaker was a high-ranking member of the Songshan Sect, and to a certain extent represented the attitude of the Songshan Sect's leadership. Such a clear expression of dissatisfaction with the Huashan Sect was to reveal the true situation of the Five Mountains Sword Sect to Chongxu and Fangzheng. Zuo Lengchan's face was very ugly.

No matter how they discuss things internally, or how dissatisfied they are with the Huashan Sect, they cannot show this attitude openly, much less in front of outsiders. To outsiders, the Five Mountains Sword Sects must appear united and harmonious, as if they were all of one mind and as close as family.

Ding Mian, Lu Bai, and Fei Bin were all silent, but the man who spoke couldn't control his emotions; he'd lived such a long life in vain.

He even mocked Jiang Ning for the retaliation he incurred by dealing with Ren Yingying, which was unacceptable and a crucial point that should never be mentioned.

The Five Mountains Sword Sect and the Demonic Sect have been fighting for a hundred years, and their hatred is irreconcilable. To deal with the Demonic Sect's high-ranking members, they must do everything in their power to kill them, even if it means incurring retaliation. This is the only way to show the Five Mountains Sword Sect's firm determination to fight against the Demonic Sect.

If we are to criticize someone for this, we should criticize Jiang Ning for acting rashly and ultimately letting the demoness escape, which led to this calamity, rather than criticizing Jiang Ning's behavior.

The speaker's actions were a mockery of Jiang Ning, not only negating Jiang Ning himself, but also negating the Five Mountains Sword Sect's actions against the Demonic Sect and its stance. This was a fundamental error, and if it got out, it would be a devastating blow to the reputation of the Five Mountains Sword Sect.

At that time, rumors will spread throughout the martial arts world that the Five Mountains Sword Sect, seemingly at odds with the Demonic Sect, is actually all bark and no bite. They are so afraid of the Demonic Sect that even their disciples who want to eliminate the demons and defend the righteous path are reprimanded by their elders. Zuo Lengchan will not tolerate this.

Zuo Lengchan couldn't say much to people from other sects like Yu Jizi and Yu Panzi, but he was quite ruthless when reprimanding his junior brother, Zuo Lengchan.

Zuo Lengchan's tone was very stern, and his expression was extremely cold.

"That's what senior brother taught me."

Upon seeing Zuo Lengchan reprimanding him, the person who spoke quickly lowered his head and admitted his mistake.

Seeing that he admitted his mistake, Zuo Lengchan did not pursue the matter further, and the matter was dropped.

In fact, he was also very dissatisfied with Jiang Ning's elimination of Yu Canghai. Originally, the Qingcheng Sect was a pawn that Zuo Lengchan had planted in Sichuan. He still had some use for this pawn, but before he could use it, it was eliminated by Jiang Ning. He was also dissatisfied, but he could endure it.

Those who achieve great things keep their thoughts to themselves and act accordingly, without seeking advice from the masses. If one cannot even control the slightest concern for gain or loss, and cannot keep things to oneself, what can one possibly accomplish?

Chapter 215 Zuo Lengchan's Ambition

Zuo Lengchan had extremely high standards for himself. He saw himself as more than just the leader of the Songshan Sect and the leader of the Five Mountains Sword Alliance; he had higher aspirations.

It is extremely foolish for someone in a position of power to never show their true emotions.

"Left Alliance Leader is right."

Chongxu then spoke up: "At this juncture, we should think about how to deal with this crisis in order to avoid causing an even greater calamity."

Chongxu didn't mention how Zuo Lengchan reprimanded his junior brother or how he maintained the unity of the Five Mountains Sword Sect; instead, he changed the subject.

"Heaven cherishes life and should reduce killing to avoid causing great suffering to the people. In my opinion, we should focus on persuasion to resolve this conflict."

Fang Zheng spoke.

He and Chongxu still wanted to avoid this bloody battle, as it would not be good for either side. Their main purpose in coming here was to mediate the fight; otherwise, they wouldn't have brought so few people.

"The abbot is right. So, in your opinion, how should this be resolved?"

Zuo Lengchan agreed with Fang Zheng's idea. He was also reluctant to fight, not because he was afraid of these people, but because he felt it would be a losing proposition. It would be best to resolve the matter without bloodshed.

"Um……"

Fang Zheng pondered for a moment, then asked the Songshan Sect disciple, "Who is the leader among these people?"

The disciple quickly replied, "They seem to be called the Four Immortals of Peach Valley. They were sent by the demoness, but these four are not in charge. A man named Sima Da is in charge. I heard that there was a mutiny among them, and Sima Da was replaced. Now a man surnamed Jia is in charge."

Fang Zheng nodded upon hearing this, seemingly lost in thought.

Since Ren Yingying didn't personally take action but instead sent these so-called Four Immortals of Peach Valley, and these four haven't even shown up yet, there must be something fishy going on.

“Abbot, since these so-called Four Immortals of Peach Valley were sent by the Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect, why don’t we negotiate with them and persuade them to leave?”

Chongxu then spoke.

"Yes, what the Taoist priest said makes sense."

Fang Zheng nodded upon hearing this; he shared the same thought.

"I'm afraid they won't agree to negotiations."

Zuo Lengchan frowned and said something at this moment.

"hehe."

Fang Zheng smiled upon hearing this: "Leader Zuo, do not worry."

"I have already written letters to the leaders of the Kunlun Sect, the Emei Sect, and the Beggar Clan. They should be joining us soon. We might as well wait here for a few more days and then head to Mount Hua after we have joined up with the other righteous sects. I'm sure the Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect will give me some face."

The major righteous sects in the world today are Shaolin, Wudang, Kunlun, Emei, and the Five Mountains Sword Sect. With all the major righteous sects present, as long as the demonic sect doesn't start a war between good and evil, Fang Zheng has confidence.

As the leader of the righteous path, he knew the current situation within the Moonlit Cult and was certain that Ren Yingying would not dare to start a war lightly.

Upon hearing this, Zuo Lengchan nodded slightly, as if acknowledging Fang Zheng's words, but his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Shaolin is now the leader of the righteous path, which is reflected in every aspect. Just like what Fang Zheng said, it seems that he only needs to send a letter to be sure that Kunlun, Emei and the Beggars' Sect will come. This confidence reflects absolute confidence.

But that is indeed the case. Nowadays, apart from the Five Mountains Sword Sect, all other sects in the martial arts world follow Shaolin's lead, including the Kunlun, Emei, and Beggar Sects.

Knowing this, Zuo Lengchan wanted to merge the Five Mountains Sword Sects.

The Five Mountains Sword Sects are now located in five different places, which are far apart. Although their names sound impressive, their deterrent power is still not as great as that of Shaolin and Wudang.

Only by merging the Five Mountains Sects, integrating resources, and combining forces can they overwhelm Shaolin and Wudang, and dominate the martial arts world. Only then can Zuo Lengchan accomplish more and realize his greater ambitions, instead of the current situation where, although the Songshan Sect is nominally the head of the Five Mountains Sword Sects and he is the leader of the Five Mountains Alliance, he only has a title and his actual influence is not as great as Shaolin's.

"In that case, let's wait here as the abbot has suggested."

Zuo Lengchan said.

They weren't in a particular hurry to support the Huashan Sect.

tick.

The rain started to fall again, drizzling down from the sky.

Seeing this, everyone returned to their tents to take shelter from the rain.

After saying goodbye to Fang Zhengchongxu, Zuo Lengchan returned to his own tent.

Inside the tent were only Zuo Lengchan, Ding Mian, Fei Bin, and other members of the Songshan School.

As soon as Zuo Lengchan returned to his tent, he turned to look at one of the men, his expression stern.

"Junior Brother Han, don't say those things again, especially in front of outsiders."

The person who was seen was the one who had just mocked Jiang Ning.

“I know you’re unhappy about Yu Canghai, but how could you say it like that? We have other things to do besides supporting the Huashan Sect. If your words get out and the Huashan and Hengshan Sects find out, what will they think? The favor will be gone, and instead, resentment will grow. Wouldn’t it be even more difficult to merge the sects?”

"The unification of our Five Mountains Alliance is already fraught with difficulties. There are bound to be conservatives within us who are trying their best to stop it, and there are also forces outside that do not want to see us merge. Aren't you just giving them something to criticize by saying this?"

"You're supposed to be a senior member of the Songshan Sect, how can you speak so recklessly?"

Zuo Lengchan never thought that merging the sects was a simple matter. Otherwise, he wouldn't have planned for more than ten years, nor would he have thought that Shaolin and Wudang would just stand by and watch a behemoth rise up and would inevitably trip it up. Over the years, he had been careful to cultivate the image of a selfless leader of the alliance, but his junior brother said such things in public, which was really out of the big picture.

"Senior Brother Sect Leader, I know I was wrong, and I will never do it again."

Seeing Zuo Lengchan's sternness and the severity of his words, the junior brother surnamed Han turned pale and admitted his mistake with trepidation. He even bent his knees, about to kneel down, but Zuo Lengchan reached out and helped him up.

"All right."

Zuo Lengchan's expression softened slightly.

"To err is human, to forgive divine. Just be careful with your words and actions in the future. Think carefully before you speak about what you should and shouldn't say."

"Yes, senior brother."

Han Tianpeng nodded repeatedly, but a trace of fear still lingered on his face.

Zuo Lengchan then said, "I have been busy practicing martial arts lately and have no time to attend to the affairs of the sect. Since Yu Canghai is dead, you have nothing to do for the time being. I will assign you a task when we return."

Zuo Lengchan thought for a moment and said, "Hmm... It just so happens that Guyang County has recently been taken over by my Songshan Sect, and no one has taken charge yet. You can take charge of it when we get back this time."

Han Tianpeng's expression brightened upon hearing this.

Guyang County is a county near Dengfeng. Although it is a county, it is very wealthy. There is a large and very rich family there. It is a lucrative post, and he can make a fortune there.

"Yes, I will certainly live up to my senior brother's expectations!"

Han Tianpeng responded loudly, a smile appearing on his face.

Seeing this, Zuo Lengchan smiled slightly and then looked at Fei Bin.

"Have Qinghai Yixiao and the others arrived yet?"

Chapter 216: Raising a Tiger to Cause Trouble

Fei Bin and the others, who had been watching Zuo Lengchan reprimand Han Tianpeng without saying a word, stepped forward and answered after hearing Zuo Lengchan's question.

"Senior brother, Brother Ji and the others have arrived and are waiting for your instructions."

"Um……"

Zuo Lengchan pondered for a moment upon hearing this, then said, "Tell them not to act rashly for now, and to disperse and hide. I will make arrangements later."

"Yes, senior brother."

Fei Bin nodded.

Zuo Lengchan then sat down in the main seat without saying another word, his eyes seemingly deep in thought.

Upon seeing this scene, Fei Bin and the others exchanged glances and silently left the tent without disturbing Zuo Lengchan.

……

"This leader of the Left Alliance is probably getting impatient."

Chongxu spoke as soon as he sat down.

"hehe."

Fang Zheng, sitting opposite him, smiled and shook his head without saying anything.

Even Fang Zheng had to admit that Zuo Lengchan was indeed a powerful leader. If he really succeeded in merging the Five Mountains Sword Sects, then a sect even more powerful than Shaolin and Wudang would definitely emerge in the righteous path. In particular, Zuo Lengchan was not a peaceful person. Merging the Five Mountains Sword Sects was only the first step. He would definitely cause great chaos in the martial arts world afterward, which Fang Zheng would absolutely not allow.

The current state of affairs is fine; there's no need for ambitious people.

However, despite thinking this, Fang Zheng looked quite troubled.

Seeing him like this, Chongxu knew that Fangzheng was also having a headache, but still said, "We still need to stop him as soon as possible."

Fang Zheng nodded, but his brows remained furrowed.

Chongxu suggested, "Why don't we support someone within the Five Mountains Sword Sect to oppose Zuo Lengchan?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Zheng looked at him and asked, "Whom should we support?"

Chongxu thought for a moment and said, "Yue Buqun?"

He had his reasons for thinking this way. Among the Five Mountains Sword Sects, apart from Zuo Lengchan, Hengshan Dingxian was a woman, Tianmen Daoren was hot-tempered and pedantic, and Mo Da was nowhere to be seen. That left only the Huashan Sect and Yue Buqun.

The Huashan Sect has not recovered from the sword qi dispute and has fallen to the bottom. But no matter what, they were once the leader of the Five Mountains Sword Sect. With their past glory, how could they agree to be merged by their former subordinate?

Moreover, Yue Buqun has an excellent reputation in the martial arts world and a very solid mass base. If he does not agree to the merger of the sects, then there is a chance for maneuver. As long as they support the Huashan Sect and Yue Buqun, the difficulty for Zuo Lengchan to merge the sects will be even greater.

"This……"

Fang Zheng hesitated.