Chapter 6, Passing on the Skills to Yue Buqun
Like Linghu Chong, Yue Buqun also wished to change Linghu Chong's perspective, aiming to make him realize that the correct way to practice martial arts in the Huashan School is to primarily focus on internal energy cultivation, supplemented by sword techniques.
With a swift sound, Linghu Chong's quick sword stirred up a whirlwind. The final move of the Dugu Nine Swords, the Breaking Sword Technique, was unleashed, and yet, Yue Buqun, a top master of the martial world, surprisingly could not withstand even ten moves before being pointed at the throat by Linghu Chong's sword
"Chong'er, what kind of sword technique is this?" Yue Buqun was taken aback, nearly losing control of himself.
Yue Buqun held the sword in his reverse grip, his expression relaxed, presenting an air of nonchalance, as if he did not regard Linghu Chong at all.
"Confused! You have already strayed from the path. I have said before, cultivate your inner strength to the utmost; with the ability to pluck leaves and flowers, all things in the world can be transformed into sharp swords. Why must you focus solely on mastering any particular sword technique?" Yue Buqun replied angrily, "The most correct way to practice martial arts is to primarily focus on Qi Gong, supplemented by sword techniques."
This martial world has never been fair. The Songshan Sect is powerful, thus it represents the righteous path of the martial world, where wrong is deemed right. Meanwhile, our Huashan Sect is in decline, and as your master, I must endure. One day, our Huashan Sect will rise again and dominate the martial realm. Yue Buqun said solemnly: "Chong'er, you and I, as master and disciple, will join hands to create the glory of Huashan."
There is also the Songshan Sect, with Zuo Lengchan being treacherous and cunning, ruthless and merciless, even more shameless than Yu Canghai. Each of the Thirteen Protectors of Songshan behaves tyrannically, bullying the weak and dominating the market. The disciples of the others are all individuals who bully the weak and fear the strong, committing numerous wrongdoings
"How did you come to know about this?" Yue Buqun was taken aback, his face losing color.
In those years, when Ren Woxing was practicing his skills and became possessed, he did not kill Zuo Lengchan during their confrontation. Instead, he allowed Zuo to take advantage of the situation and ascend to the position of leader of the Five Mountains Sect, a position that had always belonged to our Huashan Sect.
"Master, your disciple dares to ask for your guidance!" Linghu Chong decided to confront Yue Buqun directly, aiming to change Yue Buqun's perspective.
"Good! Good! Good!" Yue Buqun exclaimed three times loudly, his lips trembling with excitement as he stammered, "Well done, Chong'er. I did not misjudge you. The revival of our Huashan Sect is in sight..."
"The Demon Sect is indeed an evil cult, a great menace to the martial world. As long as it remains, the rivers and lakes will never know peace!" Yue Buqun declared loudly
I am a person of righteousness; whenever I encounter those from the demonic sect, there is no need to inquire about right or wrong. One should harbor enmity towards evil as one would towards a foe, and eliminate them without hesitation
Linghu Chong did not use the black iron heavy sword; instead, he picked up an ordinary long sword and said to Yue Buqun: "Master, be careful, I am about to strike!"
To practice martial arts, one must establish a solid foundation and choose the correct path. Once one strays into the wrong direction, all efforts may be in vain, and one may even fall into the trap of obsession. Therefore, I intend to impart the Zixia Divine Skill to you, and you must diligently cultivate it
In the past, the Five Mountain Sword Sects besieged the Blackwood Cliff of the Demon Cult. Zuo Lengchan framed all the townspeople who died from the plague, accusing them of being killed by the Demon Cult. My master’s wife spoke out for justice at that time but was reprimanded. Is Zuo Lengchan really a good person?
Linghu Chong was filled with indignation
The disciple will surely follow the master, promoting the Huashan Sect to greatness, dominating the martial world, and shaking the world with its power!" Linghu Chong proclaimed with great ambition, saying: "Master, it is said that in the past, the Huashan Sect was divided into the Sword Sect and the Qi Sect. The predecessors of the two sects fought fiercely due to differing ideologies, ultimately leading to the decline of the Huashan Sect.
The leader of the Qingcheng Sect, Yu Canghai, despite being a generation's master, possesses a narrow mind and repays kindness with enmity. The disciples he has trained are nothing but scoundrels of the martial world. I have personally witnessed the character of the so-called Four Talents of Qingcheng; the number of innocent lives lost at their hands is no less than eight hundred, if not a thousand.
"Master, in fact, over the past two years, I have received the teachings of an unparalleled master while wandering in the martial world. I have learned an extraordinary sword technique and plan to focus solely on swordsmanship, hoping to achieve great success soon and contribute to the glory of our Huashan Sect," said Linghu Chong.
Although Linghu Chong has recently gained some fame in the martial arts world, it is still somewhat insufficient in the eyes of Yue Buqun, who has been renowned for many years. Yue Buqun does not believe that Linghu Chong possesses martial arts skills that surpass his own. In Yue Buqun's view, small second- and third-rate sects like the Black Wind Stronghold and the Changle Gang can be easily destroyed with a mere flick of his hand
The confrontation between the Huashan Qi Sect and the Sword Sect resulted in heavy casualties among the masters of both sects, leaving only your ancestor severely injured, barely surviving for a few years. Before passing away, he entrusted the position of the Huashan Sect leader to my master. " Yue Buqun recounted the events of that year, " Your ancestor instructed my master to ensure the Huashan Sect flourished. My master has always been diligent and has not dared to be negligent. Although there has been some improvement in the martial world, it remains ultimately powerless to change the situation.
"Hahaha, good! I never expected that after two years of wandering in the martial world, you have actually gained some insight," Yue Buqun suddenly burst into laughter. After a while, he restrained his smile and said seriously: "What is the martial world? It has always been a place of flashing blades and bloodshed, where the strong dominate everything. If they say you are a cult, then you are a cult; if they say you are a villain, then you will be hunted down by the world. Chong'er, you used to be gentle and straightforward. Although you spoke slickly, your heart was quite rigid, and there were some things that I could not explain to you."
However, as the disciple traverses the martial world, he discovers that this is not the case. The disciple encounters many so-called righteous individuals who, on the surface, appear virtuous, yet in reality, are engaged in thievery and prostitution, exhibiting a ferocious temperament. Their acts of murder and plunder, along with their despicable and vile methods, far exceed those of demonic sects. These individuals, who are worse than pigs and dogs, are the true embodiment of evil and heresy.
This swordsmanship is called the Dugu Nine Swords, created by the unparalleled master Dugu Qiubai, who once dominated the world and sought a defeat that eluded him. It is divided into nine styles: the General Decision Style, the Sword Breaking Style, the Saber Breaking Style, the Spear Breaking Style, the Whip Breaking Style, the Rope Breaking Style, the Palm Breaking Style, the Arrow Breaking Style, and the Qi Breaking Style. This swordsmanship is profound and extensive, rendering its practitioner invincible. The disciple has contributed the sword manual to the master, enabling the master to surpass Zuo Lengchan and to teach some simple techniques to the junior disciples, thereby enhancing our overall strength. We will surely surpass Mount Song and dominate the world.
Linghu Chong took out a copy of the Dugu Nine Swords manual that he had long since transcribed from his bosom and handed it to Yue Buqun, of course, the most profound techniques were not included in the transcription
This is the swordsmanship obtained by the disciple through a fortuitous encounter. The predecessor who left this legacy instructed that the identity of the swordsmanship's practitioner must not be disclosed. Seeing that Yue Buqun's expression darkened somewhat, Linghu Chong chuckled and said: "However, I am not one to strictly adhere to rules. This predecessor has been dead for several hundred years, and there was no instruction prohibiting the disciple from using it to revitalize the sect"
On the contrary, some so-called members of the demonic sect are free-spirited, openly expressing their true feelings, and many are those who save lives and heal the wounded; they are all good men. They resemble the righteous more than those of the righteous path. The disciple does not understand, why is this?" Linghu Chong suddenly raised his head and gazed directly at Yue Buqun.
"Absurd! Chong'er, you have already strayed onto the wrong path and fallen into the demonic way." Yue Buqun said angrily, "You are still young; how many people have you encountered, and how many experiences have you had? The demonic sect is cruel and violent, often exterminating entire families. How many martial artists have tragically died at the hands of the demonic sect, and how many renowned figures in the martial world have bravely fought against it, sacrificing their lives for the peace of the jianghu?"
"The Demon Sect is an evil cult, but where do these righteous sects come from?" Linghu Chong retorted, "Among the so-called righteous sects of the martial world, the Songshan Sect, which is the leader of the Qingcheng Sect and the Five Mountains Sword Sect, is no better than this Demon Sect."
The reason why Zuo Lengchan is so arrogant is simply because he believes that the talent of the Huashan Sect has dwindled. Aside from Zuo Lengchan, the Songshan Sect has the Thirteen Protectors, all of whom are top-tier experts in the martial world. Even though my master is not weaker than Zuo Lengchan, who can stand against the Thirteen Protectors of Songshan? The entire Huashan Sect has only my master’s wife left. Moreover, the number of disciples in the Songshan Sect is vast, and their overall strength far surpasses that of our Huashan Sect, which is why we are subjected to such oppression.
Master, you have taught us since childhood that our Huashan Sect is a righteous faction in the martial world, dedicated to punishing evil and eliminating wrongdoing, aiding the weak and upholding justice. Linghu Chong murmured to himself, "And the Demon Sect is an evil cult, the greatest malevolent force in the martial world, composed of individuals who kill without hesitation, indiscriminately slaughtering the innocent and endangering the martial community."