The Villain's Counterattack

Traveling in the martial arts world is really not something that ordinary people can endure, especially when traveling alone and having to keep their eyes open when eating and sleeping. From the capital to Huashan, Sun Yuankai only took small paths at the beginning. He was robbed twice by black shops and three times by bandits in three days, and finally died in bed.

After using up four of his six resurrection chances, Sun Yuankai was really scared. He changed from hiding during the day and going out at night to traveling during the day and staying in villages at night. He also stole property from rich families to accumulate capital. Finally, he hired a martial arts school and escort agency in a big city to escort him all the way.

Sun Liuyuan had experience in long journeys before, but he had only done so once, when he rushed from his hometown to the capital, and he was escorted by the Beggars' Gang. He didn't have to worry about anything along the way, and this experience really scared him.

The Wuguan Escort Agency had a lot of experience in traveling far and wide, and was well-informed. Sun Yuankai disguised himself as a small manager of a business and said that he was going to Huayin County to take over the business. Along the way, he talked about business, covering everything from food, clothing, housing and transportation. He fooled the group of martial artists and got them to know a lot of gossip in the underworld.

"A murder occurred in the capital. The victim was a leader of the Beggars' Sect, rumored to be connected to the Demonic Cult. A pockmarked rickshaw driver was ambushed after infiltrating the Beggars' Sect stronghold. Before escaping, he swore at the Beggars' Sect members for their cunning and deceit, accusing them of refusing to hand over the Demonic Cult's 'Star Absorbing Art' and threatening to make them pay. This attracted countless attention. Many Demonic Cult masters rushed to the capital to investigate. Demonic Cult leader Ren denied the rumors of the martial arts being lost, claiming that the technique had many drawbacks and was no longer practiced."

"Your news is old news. Zuo Lengchan, the Songshan Sect's top master, has always been domineering, but he has always been suppressed by Mr. Huashan Yue. This time, he personally led several Songshan guards to the capital to investigate the truth of the matter, but in the end he came to an inexplicable conclusion. He said that the truth lies with a Beggar Gang disciple named Sun Laoliu. This news was confirmed by an elder of the Demon Sect. She once said that this person is quite mysterious and has the ability to resurrect from the dead."

"Nonsense! Resurrection is the ability of gods. There are no gods in this world. But I seem to have heard that Sun Laoliu can transfer souls, a very powerful evil magic that can make people see illusions. The elder of the demon sect was deceived by his illusion and mistakenly believed that he could bring the dead back to life. The best evidence is that Ge Changlao said that he once captured Sun Laoliu with his own hands and blinded him, and blood flowed all over the ground. However, Sun Laoliu later came back to life and disappeared, without even a trace of blood. If this is not an illusion, what else can it be?"

"We can't participate in such a major event. You are young and ignorant, and you don't know how powerful the previous Demon Sect Leader was. But I, an old man, have witnessed his legendary life since he was at the peak of his career. Speaking of this Sect Leader Ren, there are three people who are very important to him in his life. The first is his master, the previous Sect Leader Ren, and the second is the Eastern Sect Leader who came after him. It is said that the Eastern Sect Leader dominated the martial arts world for more than ten years and was known as the world's number one master, three points stronger than Sect Leader Ren. He once imprisoned Sect Leader Ren for a full twelve years, until..."

"Tsk~" Everyone raised their middle fingers. "You've told this corny story at least eighty times, if not a hundred. You were lucky enough to participate in the Songshan Sword Contest and witnessed the climax of their battle, the utter chaos and darkness of the sun and moon, right?"

"If we talk about the best masters, Huashan has to be the best. Generation after generation, they've produced top masters. Not only has their legacy been passed down, but they've also been generously rewarded by the current master. This is all thanks to the merits of Sect Leader Yue. No, we should respectfully address him as Mr. Yue." The big man's face was filled with admiration as he spoke. "A mere warrior can become the master of the world. How magnificent, Mr. Yue!"

"How great, Mr. Yue!" Everyone responded in unison, and then laughed loudly, attracting the attention of countless passers-by on the road. A middle-aged swordsman in a white robe with a long flowing beard looked at them, and could not help but shook his head slightly. He squeezed his legs together and rode away on his horse.

"See? That's the so-called heroic demeanor. Ever since Mr. Yue rose to prominence, this scholar-swordsman look has attracted many to follow suit. Even if Mr. Yue were in person, if they weren't acquaintances, they probably wouldn't recognize him. It's simply because he has too many admirers."

"Do you think that hero is Mr. Yue? Judging from his appearance and attire, he seems to be exactly the same as in the legend."

"Haha, you also said it was just appearance and attire. Any handsome middle-aged man wearing a white scholar-swordsman outfit, exuding a touch of elegance, and carrying a long sword, looks like Mr. Yue to you. But this person is probably not Mr. Yue. In the past few years, Mr. Yue has been traveling far and wide to promote 'Yangwu Neigong' and 'Junzi Jianfa'. After visiting all the capitals of the Ming Dynasty, he no longer traveled alone, but was accompanied by his wife, Lady Ning. They were inseparable and their love was unparalleled, the envy of others."

"As for Lady Ning, there's some truth to that. The reason she's not Madam Yue is because she's said to be incredibly skilled in martial arts, but she's been reluctant to show it off, fearing she'd steal her husband's limelight. Huashan's most visible masters include the first-generation Sword Saint Feng Qingyang, the second-generation Gentleman Sword Master Yue, and the third-generation, current Sect Leader Linghu. The sect boasts over two dozen top-tier masters, and rumors spread that the female lineage also boasts exceptionally skilled individuals. The suspects are Madam Yue, Lady Ning, and the current Sect Leader's wife, Madam Lingshan, Lady Yue."

"Hey, why isn't it the pink-dressed fairy Lin Feifei?"

"Although the Pink Fairy is also a third-generation disciple and is considered a senior disciple of Sect Leader Linghu, there's actually a significant age gap. Many of her martial arts skills were taught by Sect Leader Linghu and his wife. Her current achievements are likely funded by silver." The leading elder shook his head slightly and said, "As the saying goes, those who practice literature are poor, while those who practice martial arts are rich. The resource consumption of martial artists should not be underestimated. The Pink Fairy's martial arts training alone would likely cost her at least a thousand taels of silver in a year, perhaps even more."

"Rich man! If I could marry this daughter, I wouldn't have to work hard for the rest of my life." A young man said with longing. "The gate of Mount Hua is difficult to enter. After becoming famous, Mr. Yue limited the number of disciples he could have, as if he was afraid of becoming too powerful."

The smart ones among the crowd looked at each other and smiled, thinking in their hearts: Mr. Yue, you are a great man!

Yue Buqun: I wouldn’t dare, thank you for the compliment.

"Ms. Lin is probably too distracted to love. All she wants is to surpass her brother."

Sun Yuankai's interest piqued upon hearing about the Lin family. Suddenly, when he heard about Lin Feifei's brother, he couldn't help but ask curiously, "Doesn't the Pink Fairy have only one brother? How come she has another brother? And from what you're saying, this brother is even more powerful than the Pink Fairy?"

"Haha, nothing to worry about. That hero Lin has been gone for many years, so let's not talk about him anymore." The old man laughed and said, "As for whether he was powerful or not, he was the champion of the Songshan Sword Contest back then. Don't you think he was powerful? The Lin family's 'Exorcism Sword Technique' is also a unique skill in the martial arts world."

They stopped at a tea stall on the roadside. When the middle-aged swordsman in white who had returned heard them talking about the Lin family's "Sword Technique to Exorcise Evils", he spat out a mouthful of tea and coughed repeatedly, attracting everyone's attention. However, his face flushed and he returned to normal. He raised the bowl slightly to everyone, drank the tea in one gulp, left a few coins, and rode away.

"Master, not only does he mount the horse with grace and ease, but he also sprays water so handsomely. But I wonder how he managed that unique face-changing skill?"

The old man cast his gaze towards the receding white figure and slowly uttered four words: "Purple Cloud Divine Art!"