Chapter 14: Today, the Martial Arts World is Not Seen

Clang, clang, clang!

Following the melodious and heavy tolling of the bell, Wudang Mountain gradually awakened from its slumber.

One by one, the young Daoist acolytes emerged from the temples to perform their daily morning lessons, burning a few sticks of incense and reciting several passages of scripture.

Afterwards, the entire Wudang Mountain became busy; the relevant acolytes went into the mountains to chop wood and fetch water.

Meanwhile, the corresponding guest-welcoming Daoists headed to the foot of the mountain early to greet those arriving from all over to celebrate Zhang Sanfeng's hundredth birthday.

It was not just the guest-welcoming Daoists; the six of the Wudang Seven who were still on Wudang Mountain also rose early, and after finishing their morning lessons, they prepared together to handle the upcoming celebration.

The hundredth birthday of the Wudang founder, naturally, had to be held as grandly as possible.

At the same time, they had not forgotten the words Zhang Sanfeng had spoken in their ears yesterday.

"Do you think Fifth Brother will really come? It's been so long since we've heard any news of him."

Mo Shenggu was still somewhat uncertain.

Yin Liting was also a bit unsure; after all, Zhang Cuishan had truly been missing for many years.

Recently, Master had indeed gone down the mountain for a trip and had even cured Third Brother Yu Daiyan, who had been paralyzed in bed for years; perhaps he had heard some news of Fifth Brother at the foot of the mountain.

But if Master had news of Fifth Brother, why not just bring him back directly, instead of waiting for Fifth Brother to rush over himself for his hundredth birthday?

Yu Lianzhou said firmly: "Fifth Junior Brother will definitely come. When has Master ever lied?"

He had gone to the Kunlun Mountains once, and by following Master's mysterious guidance, he had been able to find a long-lost divine art within the continuous mountain ranges of Kunlun.

Having had such an experience, Yu Lianzhou felt even more convinced of Master.

Just as they were talking, a guest-welcoming Daoist ran up with a face full of joy: "Fifth Knight Zhang has returned! Fifth Knight Zhang has come up the mountain with his wife and child!"

Yu Lianzhou was overjoyed: "Quick, quickly bring them over!"

"Hm? You say he also brought his wife and child? He has already married and had children?"

Amidst the joy was surprise, and beyond the surprise, he felt it was reasonable.

"That's right, Junior Brother is talented in both literature and martial arts; having disappeared from the Martial Arts world for ten years, it is normal for him to have married and had children. This is a good thing. I wonder who the sister-in-law is?"

Musing to himself, his joy grew even greater.

He had long been obsessed with practicing martial arts and had no intention of marriage, but now hearing that his favorite junior brother was not only alive but had also married and had children, he was also happy in his heart.

"It's bad, it's bad! It seems Fifth Knight Zhang's son is injured."

Another guest-welcoming Daoist hurried over, his face full of panic.

The expressions of the six Wudang disciples all changed.

"What happened?"

As Yu Lianzhou spoke, he was already walking quickly toward the foot of the mountain.

Although he was asking, he already had a guess in his heart.

Back at the Wangpanshan Sword Trial Assembly, countless fellow martial artists had gathered, and the Wudang Iron Pen Silver Hook, Zhang Cuishan, had also been there.

But in the end, the martial artists present suffered countless casualties; analyzing the remnants of the battlefield, it should have been the Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun who swept the entire field with his Lion Roar.

All the figures who attended the trial assembly died, and those who survived were left in a daze, becoming demented.

The whereabouts of the Dragon Slaying Saber and the Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun became a mystery from then on.

And the Wudang martial artist Iron Pen Silver Hook Zhang Cuishan also disappeared in that great battle, his whereabouts unknown to this day.

Now that Zhang Cuishan had appeared at the foot of Wudang Mountain with his wife, once the news leaked out, martial artists would naturally take action, wanting to pursue the whereabouts of the Dragon Slaying Saber.

Zhang Cuishan's martial arts cultivation back then was not considered weak among the Wudang Seven; presumably, others could not force Zhang Cuishan using hard tactics, so they seized Zhang Cuishan's child to use as leverage.

The guest-welcoming Daoist quickly explained the situation, and it was indeed much the same as Yu Lianzhou's guess.

The group hurriedly went down the mountain and met the anxious-looking Zhang Cuishan halfway down.

Zhang Cuishan was holding an eight or nine-year-old child in his arms, and a woman of outstanding beauty was following beside him.

The child's face was pale, his lips blue-purple, and he was shivering all over; even Zhang Cuishan himself was emitting a cold aura. It was clear the child had been injured by some kind of sinister palm force.

"Fifth Brother..."

Yu Lianzhou could not care about catching up; he placed a hand on the child's pulse, and his expression changed instantly.

The finger placed on the pulse felt a stinging pain; a strand of sinister energy seeped through, which he eliminated as soon as his internal energy circulated.

But the eight or nine-year-old child before him did not have such strength; sensing it slightly, the child's five internal organs were currently filled with yin energy.

If not for Zhang Cuishan exhausting his internal energy to protect the child's heart meridian, the child would have already died.

"Quick, quickly go find Master!"

Yu Lianzhou's face looked as if it were wrapped in a layer of ice. The child was only eight or nine years old, his features not yet fully grown, but one could already see an eight or nine-part resemblance to Zhang Cuishan. At this moment, curled into a ball, his thin body shaking uncontrollably, it made his heart ache.

As he spoke, he took the child himself and, with a few leaps, headed up the mountain; Zhang Cuishan and the woman hurriedly followed.

Zhang Xuan: @Zhang Sanfeng True Person, how do you plan to handle what comes next?

Just after waking up, Zhang Xuan could not wait to harass Zhang Sanfeng in the Chat Group.

Mainly, he wanted to see that famous scene.

He wanted to see that elder leading the Shaolin group say: "Let's go together; I don't believe he can kill us all."

That was a top-tier classic, not to be missed.

Of course, the reason he was so concerned was also because Zhang Sanfeng was truly a stand-up guy; yesterday he had sent him so many benefits, both the Nine Yang Divine Art and the Kunlun Flat Peach.

If possible, regarding this matter, Zhang Xuan still wanted to help this hundred-year-old man.

On Wudang Mountain, Zhang Sanfeng was quite calm. Zhang Xuan had already told him in detail about what would happen at his hundredth birthday, and had also explained the origin and sequence of events.

Regarding what was about to happen at his hundredth birthday, Zhang Sanfeng was not unfamiliar with it at all.

Having had the previous Nine Yang Divine Art and Black Jade Ointment, Zhang Sanfeng already trusted Zhang Xuan quite a bit.

Hearing Zhang Xuan's inquiry, he was not anxious.

Zhang Sanfeng: No need to worry too much; I have already considered it.

When my hundredth birthday arrives, the Six Great Sects will gather at Wudang Mountain, primarily to build momentum and inquire about the whereabouts of the Dragon Slaying Saber.

My fifth disciple, on one hand, feels extreme guilt in his heart because he heard that Daiyan has been bedridden for ten years, and the matter was caused by him.

On the other hand, Yin Susu, the daughter of Yin Tianzheng of the Heavenly Eagle Cult, impersonated him ten years ago and slaughtered everyone in the Dragon Gate Escort Agency, which is difficult for him, a man who has always been upright, to accept.

Thirdly, he and Xie Xun have already become sworn brothers, and knowing that Xie Xun is blind and has no way to defend against the many overt and covert attacks in the pugilistic world, he is unwilling to reveal Xie Xun's whereabouts.

In reality, if he did not speak on that day, the Six Great Sects would not dare to coerce him too much, out of respect for this old Daoist.

Seeing this, Zhang Xuan admired Zhang Sanfeng's sophistication while also admiring Zhang Sanfeng's strength.

Zhang Sanfeng spoke lightly, but in reality, his level of strength is unrivaled throughout the entire pugilistic world; one could say he is an existence akin to a background board.

The top-tier Xuanming Elders of the pugilistic world—it could be said that apart from the highly skilled Zhang Wuji, it is difficult for anyone else to steadily suppress the Xuanming Elders, yet the Xuanming Elders are at the level of being defeated in one move by Zhang Sanfeng.

One can imagine just how terrifying Zhang Sanfeng's strength is.

When Zhang Sanfeng says he is giving the Six Great Sects face, in reality, it is he who is giving the Six Great Sects face.

If one were to truly force the old Daoist to act, it would truly be one move per person.

The reason Zhang Cuishan died in the original state of affairs was, in truth, more because he could not get past that hurdle in his own heart.

His third senior brother, who was like a brother to him, was left paralyzed because of his wife.

Moreover, paralyzed for ten years, having lost all his martial arts, living in pain every day.

His wife, who he believed to be upright, was actually a devil who wiped out entire families; with multiple factors combined, plus the coercion of the Six Great Sects, Zhang Cuishan could not accept such a situation and simply chose to die to prove his integrity, while simultaneously washing away the stain on Wudang caused by him.

Zhang Sanfeng: Now, the most serious matter has already been resolved because of a fellow Daoist; Daiyan's martial arts have mostly recovered, and Cuishan does not need to feel so guilty.

As for the Six Great Sects gathering at Wudang Mountain... no need to worry too much; this old Daoist will step forward to handle it.

On Wudang Mountain, in front of the plaza before the Purple Heaven Palace, the Six Great Sects have now gathered; after the Emei Sect representative respectfully presented the corresponding gifts, they turned and left.

They have always had an excellent relationship with Wudang; their founder and the True Person have a convoluted history.

Among the Six Great Sects, only they were sincere in wishing Zhang Sanfeng a happy birthday; after presenting a longevity robe and exchanging polite gestures, they went down the mountain without even stopping.

"May we ask Hero Zhang the Fifth to come out and meet us?"

"Does Wudang not pride itself on being an upright sect? Why are you now mixed up with a demon cult enchantress?"

"We request Hero Zhang the Fifth to come out for a meeting; we have a blood feud with Xie Xun. Regarding the Wangpan Mountain incident back then, only Hero Zhang the Fifth survived, and we wish to inquire about the past events..."

Many figures led by Shaolin gathered, especially the figures from Shaolin, who stood at the very front even though they had not spoken.

With them as a signal, other pugilistic figures naturally began to clamor; under normal circumstances, they would not dare to clamor wantonly on Wudang Mountain.

If Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu had returned directly to the Heavenly Eagle Cult, they certainly would not have dared.

After all, the demon cult would truly act without a word if they disagreed.

No matter what, Wudang Mountain is still an upright sect, and with Shaolin Temple leading the charge, they were not afraid to clamor a bit.

Amidst the clamor, Kong Wen, who was leading the Shaolin group, suddenly saw his pupils contract.

The one who walked to the very front was not Zhang Cuishan, but the Wudang founder, Zhang Sanfeng.

Zhang Sanfeng, in his Daoist robes with white hair and a white beard, did not look old despite being a hundred years old; instead, his complexion was ruddy.

Even though hundreds of martial artists surrounded Zhang Sanfeng, inexplicably, Zhang Sanfeng's aura alone was stronger than all of them combined.

The leading Kong Wen of Shaolin Temple retreated two steps without changing his expression, but was immediately pushed to the front again by those behind him, his expression involuntarily changing.

Zhang Sanfeng looked at the hundreds of martial artists with a beaming smile, his voice neither high nor low, yet it rang clearly in everyone's ears.

"This old Daoist knows nothing of any Dragon Slaying Saber or Heavenly Sword; I only know that today is this old Daoist's hundredth birthday. If you have come to offer birthday wishes normally, then you are all friends; once you have offered your wishes, you may descend the mountain."

The crowd was vaguely clamoring, especially on the Shaolin side.

But the leader raised his head and before he could speak, he was looked at by Zhang Sanfeng's half-smiling eyes, and instantly all his words were swallowed back into his stomach.

"Today I do not wish for any other trivial matters. As for other pugilistic grievances, they should naturally be settled in the pugilistic world. Wudang is part of the pugilistic world, but this old Daoist is celebrating his birthday today and does not wish to see the pugilistic world."

The whole place was silent for a moment; no one dared to speak.

A single sentence of "not wishing to see the pugilistic world" was truly earth-shattering, yet Zhang Sanfeng had the strength and confidence to back it up; when he walked the pugilistic world back then, he killed until no one in the pugilistic world dared to claim supremacy.

"Is Wudang going to protect the demon cult enchantress? Are you going to take on all the blood debts of the Dragon Gate Escort Agency?"

Kong Wen did not want to step up, but forced by the situation, the scene was already set here; who would have guessed that an old hermit of the pugilistic world like Zhang Sanfeng would suddenly step forward and be so tough.

If he were to back down now, the face of the leader of the Shaolin pugilistic world would be completely lost; he had no choice but to bite the bullet and say a few words.

In his heart, however, he planned that if Zhang Sanfeng were to be any tougher, he would immediately turn and leave, even if it meant losing face.

Anyway, who doesn't know now that as long as Zhang Sanfeng is alive, he is the leader of the pugilistic world, a legend of the pugilistic world; who can withstand him?

Losing face in front of Zhang Sanfeng is not called losing face.

Zhang Sanfeng looked at Kong Wen calmly and said: "Pugilistic matters are settled in the pugilistic world; I have already spoken clearly enough. Today I do not see the pugilistic world. As for what happens in the pugilistic world in the future, that will naturally be in the pugilistic world."

Kong Wen felt a joy in his heart, having already understood the meaning hidden beneath Zhang Sanfeng's words.

Whether they want to find Zhang Cuishan to ask about Xie Xun's whereabouts in the future, or force Yin Susu to talk, Wudang will not interfere.

But today, no one is allowed to clamor.

Although Zhang Sanfeng was unreasonably tough, this could also be said to be Zhang Sanfeng taking a step back on his own initiative.

Kong Wen was already very satisfied, but the people under him were still gathered behind him, unwilling to retreat.

Kong Wen was helpless and could only signal with his eyes to a sharp-witted monk beside him, who then whispered to explain the relevant meaning.

Hundreds of pugilistic figures gathered in the Purple Heaven Palace plaza, whispering to each other; a moment later, led by Shaolin's Kong Wen, they chanted a Buddha name aloud.

"Amitabha, True Person Zhang's cultivation has become increasingly profound; it was our rudeness. Since we have already offered our birthday wishes to the True Person today, we shall descend the mountain."

A group of martial artists were unwilling, but the terror of Zhang Sanfeng's strength and realm had just been fully displayed; although his words were gentle, his gaze was like lightning, pausing for a moment on the places where many people carried weapons at their waists and hands.

They came for the Dragon Slaying Saber, standing on the moral high ground, using moral pressure to leave the Wudang Sect with no way to act.

But they had to build up momentum first, and under the blade's edge, make Wudang fall into a disadvantageous position before revealing their weapons; only then would it be justified. Now that Zhang Sanfeng had directly pointed out their weapons with his eyes, they were already in the wrong.

After all, Wudang has a rule that everyone must lay down their weapons before the Sword Unsheathing Stone.

On the occasion of Zhang Sanfeng's one-hundredth birthday, carrying weapons onto Wudang is, after all, not a good thing.

Given Zhang Sanfeng's temperament, if he truly cultivates his character, then the matter can be handled.

Seeing Zhang Sanfeng step forward, many figures dared not speak.

A person's reputation is like the shadow of a tree; that Zhang Sanfeng's one-hundredth birthday could bring the Six Great Sects together to offer congratulations is not solely because of the Dragon Slaying Saber.

(End of this chapter)