Chapter 445: Ninety Contest

Hu Gonglie, an old hand who had experienced many ups and downs, might not have been particularly alarmed even when facing execution. Yet, when he learned the identities of the other three sitting around the fire, he was just as dumbfounded. The censor Huang Shang was one thing, but a Spring and Autumn White Bear, Yuan Zuozong, was enough to startle Hu Gonglie, let alone the hereditary Heir Apparent of Beiliang who was also present. After accompanying Gu Dazhu to another bamboo building for a secret discussion and learning that Gu Dazhu was about to depart for Beiliang, Hu Gonglie immediately requested to move his entire family. In his words, he was merely surviving in Caishi Mountain and might be beheaded by the Liyang court any day as a sacrifice. It would be better to go to Beiliang and secure an opportunity for his descendants to earn military merits. Gu Dazhu neither objected nor made a promise, simply patting Hu Gonglie's shoulder before their departure.

Xu Fengnian was unaware of the content of the two former Southern Tang officials' reunion. After sending Huang Shang back to the bamboo building, he received a secret letter carried by a military falcon, a spiritual creature personally trained by Chu Luxian, Beiliang's top spymaster. The letter concisely detailed two matters: first, that hidden families, like Wang Lin's, who were entrenched in Liyang, were beginning to emerge and align themselves with Beiliang. The second matter was somewhat baffling: a mad monk, both Buddhist and demonic, had emerged from Lantuo Mountain. After leaving the mountain, he had miraculously regained his youth. Even Li Dangxin had been unable to stop him. The letter advised His Highness to be careful when traveling north and to avoid encountering him. Xu Fengnian wrote about Gu Dazhu and Huang Shang, released the military falcon, and sat with Yuan Zuozong, who had not left, in front of the fire. He tossed the distinctively written secret letter into the charcoal, where a wisp of smoke curled upwards. Xu Fengnian bent down, picked up the fire tongs, and lightly covered the charcoal with some ash. He said softly, "The martial arts world isn't peaceful either. Lantuo Mountain is probably unhappy that Two Zen Temple produced a white-robed monk who lifted the Yellow River. This monk, when he left the mountain, was an aged man who had lived for over a century, but by the time he reached the Central Plains from the Western Regions, he had become a young man. He went on a killing spree along the way, which is far from being a Vajra-like, demon-subduing act of righteous fury. I don't know what he truly wants to do. When I first met the dragon-guarding monks from Lantuo Mountain in Beiliang, they only said that a female Dharma King with six forms wanted to cultivate with me. I eagerly ran back to my pavilion to consult the secret records. Besides discovering she was an old woman in her forties, which was a great disappointment, I also learned that before that Six-Pearl Bodhisattva, Lantuo Mountain had three even older monks. One of them had drawn a circle on the ground and remained within it for nearly forty years, which was even more astounding than the withered sword of the Wu Family Sword Tomb. At that time, I hadn't yet practiced swordsmanship and didn't understand the freedom of immortals, so I just wondered how he survived without eating or drinking. Now, thinking about it, I was truly narrow-minded. I estimate this monk has mostly gone mad. Anyway, for one person to almost single-handedly cut through the entire martial arts world, I think only Liu Songtao, the Demon Cult Master from a century ago, had such spirit. Each generation of the martial arts world produces its own distinguished figures. Liu Songtao's generation also had sword immortals and saints of the three religions coexisting, both complementing and constraining each other. Furthermore, it has always been widely believed that there is a heavenly path above martial arts. Since one has reached the peak of martial arts after countless hardships, most are righteous figures like the old man in sheepskin and Deng Ta'a, who carry on the legacy. Even Wang Xianzhi, who was praised for being able to fight fiercely with Lu Zu, was not considered an evil figure. It's truly rare for Liu Songtao and this mad monk to dare to defy the world's conventions and show no fear of divine retribution. It's a pity the one riding the ox isn't here; otherwise, this monk wouldn't be able to rampage. A single sword strike from the enlightened Wudang Martial Grand-Ancestor would have sent him to the West."

Yuan Zuozong extended his hands towards the fire, feeling the warmth of winter, and smiled faintly. "If this monk can truly stand on par with Liu Songtao, then even Qi Xuanzhen, who acts on behalf of Heaven, might not be able to stop him with one sword."

Xu Fengnian laughed heartily. "There are two biggest pronouncements in the world: one is the emperor's 'mandate of heaven,' and the other is the 'acting on behalf of Heaven' by the land immortals of the three religions. Since I'm not involved in either, I can only watch the show. Oh, by the way, Second Brother Yuan, do you know what exactly happened with Liu Songtao? Although Deer-Chasing Mountain was forcibly branded as a 'Demon Cult' by the martial arts world, in my opinion, apart from their unpredictable movements and decisive actions, they were actually much better than the hypocrites among the so-called righteous figures. Moreover, successive cult masters took 'contending for mastery of the world' as their mission, not just being bloodthirsty demons. There are also very few rumors about Liu Songtao's deeds in the martial arts world."

Yuan Zuozong narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "When I was young, I heard an eccentric say that Liu Songtao once traveled the martial arts world many times, making countless enemies. When he was on the verge of reaching the realm of heaven and man, this Demon Cult Master was in seclusion at Deer-Chasing Mountain. For some unknown reason, an ordinary-looking woman was said to be his lover. She ended up wandering the martial arts world and met a tragic, horrifying end. In short, not only the righteous martial arts figures, but also many emperors and high officials took part in her suffering. The woman was finally hanged in public, still naked before her death. Liu Songtao somehow learned of this and forcibly broke out of seclusion to carry her coffin back to Deer-Chasing Mountain. After that, it was a catastrophe that no one could prevent. At that time, the land immortals all avoided his edge; it wasn't that they all showed weakness to the truly invincible Liu Songtao, but rather that most were unwilling to act. Looking back now, we can see that the mastermind behind that conspiracy had a scheme so grand and cunning, it was only surpassed by Huang Sanjia's subversion of the Spring and Autumn period."

Xu Fengnian's face darkened, and he bit his lip, saying nothing.

Yuan Zuozong bent down, picked up a scorching hot piece of charcoal from the fire, gently crushed it, and said indifferently, "The hermit who told me about this said that Liu Songtao, before his death, once laughed and remarked, 'I know I won't attain immortality in this life, so why rush to commit so many evil deeds? Since my past life is already predestined, why not live a good life purely?' Although I suspect it's mostly a fabrication by later generations, it truly leaves a bitter taste. Such words should have been immortal maxims passed down by sages, yet they were attributed to a bloodthirsty demon. No wonder the land immortals of that generation of the martial arts world failed to attain enlightenment. If I, Yuan Zuozong, had lived in the same era as Liu Songtao, I would certainly have killed a few more people for him."

Xu Fengnian sneered, "No wonder Master once said that Yama in the underworld laughs at how people in the mortal world are not like humans."

Yuan Zuozong poured himself a cup of wine, raised his head, and drained it. This peerless general, who was even more ascetic and disciplined in Beiliang than Chen Zhibao, the 'Little Butcher,' gazed at the empty wine cup in his fingers and muttered to himself, "Godfather has come this far, and he has a clear conscience towards everyone. Yuan Zuozong is just a warrior; I don't think about cultivating myself, managing my family, governing the state, or bringing peace to the world. In these years, I've also witnessed many dirty people and deeds within Beiliang, and I've stood by idly, only thinking that after Godfather is gone, someone can step forward. As long as he stands on the border of Liangmang, he can make Beimang's million cavalry dare not advance south by even one step."

Xu Fengnian shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

Yuan Zuozong smiled. "To not disgrace the Beiliang blade in this life is enough."

Xu Fengnian suddenly said, "For some reason, since returning from Beimang, I often have the same dream: I stand on a high place, seeing millions of armored dead people surging towards me, and behind me are also millions of ghostly elite soldiers. Beside me, a large banner stands, on which is written not 'Xu' but 'Qin'."

Yuan Zuozong said helplessly, "I'm fine with battle formations, but interpreting dreams is beyond me."

Xu Fengnian also didn't want to trouble himself unnecessarily and laughed, "Second Brother Yuan, shall we discuss the steps for reorganizing the Beiliang army?"

Yuan Zuozong laughed heartily. "Then I'll need a few more pots of wine."

On Deer-Chasing Mountain, Wang Mao, the 'Broken Spear,' ranked ninth in the new martial arts rankings, stood on the mountaintop. The fierce wind from the cliff lashed at the man's cheeks. Beside him sat an unassuming, short man. The latter always had this temperament; he would sit if possible, never stand. As a young noble from one of Beimang's two imperial clans, he had, at a young age, risen to the ranks of first-grade masters alongside that plump woman who was also an imperial relative. Together, they became the top martial artists of the Beimang imperial family after Murong Baoding. Wang Mao followed that 'demoness' to Liyang's Central Plains because he had lost to her. It was not surprising that the world's ninth-ranked lost to the world's fourth-ranked, who had fought consecutively against Deng Ta'a and Tuoba Bodhisattva. However, if he were Wang Mao, he definitely wouldn't have admitted defeat. The reason he shamelessly came south was that he heard a younger man than him had visited their Beimang and even killed Fifth He. He felt that he should at least kill a Finger Profound Realm master in Liyang to vent his frustration. That woman, who was fatter than him and, worse, two heads taller, always mocked him for only being capable of showing off at home. So he wanted to make a name for himself here so that when he returned, that woman would obediently concede.

The short young man, with his arms crossed, asked seriously, "Wang Mao, do you think Luoyang can stop that mad monk?"

Wang Mao let out a long breath. "Fifty-fifty."

The young man glanced at Wang Mao. "Lantuo Mountain's Six-Pearl Master is merely a Great Vajra Realm master who hasn't reached full perfection, still far from Li Dangxin's truly indestructible Vajra state. How is this monk so powerful then? Luoyang, on the extreme northern ice plains, almost ruined Tuoba Bodhisattva's twenty-year plan. Clearly, compared to her battle with Deng Ta'a in Dunhuang City, Luoyang's strength has improved another level. For someone like her, even a slight upward trend, let alone an entire step up, is incredibly difficult. Since she's already at such a level, the outcome is still only fifty-fifty?"

Wang Mao smiled. "If he's stopped, the Demon Cult Master will become famous throughout the world in one battle. If he's not stopped, we can wait for Wang Xianzhi to leave the city before we depart Liyang."

The young man sighed. "Then it's better if he's stopped."

Both knew that Luoyang, Beimang's top demonic practitioner, had become the tenth leader of the Demon Cult, but they didn't know that the person Luoyang was intercepting was the former ninth leader.

The grandeur of this battle might not be inferior to the decisive battle between Wang Xianzhi and Li Chungang over the East Sea.

The dazed young mad monk, besides knowing his name, also knew that he was truly mad. He felt no remorse when killing, only that these people deserved to die. If he tried to ponder the cause and effect further, his head would split with pain, almost making him writhe on the ground. Knowing he was deranged, he walked his path laughing and crying, involuntarily. Every place he passed and every person he saw, he quickly forgot. He repeatedly wanted to stop and turn back, but he could never do it, as if he was supposed to journey west but went east instead. The Buddhist kingdom was in the west, yet he deliberately walked in the opposite direction, moving further and further away. Only a sliver of lucidity remained, wanting to know what he had left behind in the west and what he was going to pick up in the east. A "useless song" grew from four characters at the beginning to over a hundred characters, spontaneously flowing from his lips without conscious memorization.

The mad monk might have forgotten, but the Central Plains martial arts world was already in a state of extreme trepidation. Besides the world-renowned white-robed monk who first tried to stop this young monk's progress, Wu Liuding, the current Sword Master of the Wu Family Sword Tomb, also blocked his path with a sword. The mad monk's charge shattered Wu Liuding's sword momentum with a single collision. After that, the mad monk's forward speed surpassed even the Wu Family's sword-riding technique. Subsequently, Zhao Ningshen, the most remarkably talented young Heavenly Master of Longhu Mountain, also made a move. A monk and a Daoist faced each other, but did not collide. The monk continued to rush forward with his head down, while this Daoist, rumored to be the reincarnation of the Heavenly Master Abode's first Heavenly Master, retreated synchronously. After persisting for eighty li, Zhao Ningshen stepped aside, allowing the mad monk to continue laughing and walking. Zhao Ningshen then quickly sat cross-legged on the ground, bleeding from his seven orifices, and only barely managed to stop his injuries by taking a secret Dragon Tiger Golden Elixir.

The entire martial arts world feared this monk's unstoppable momentum.

By a great river, the mad monk stopped, just as he had sensed the white-robed monk Li Dangxin earlier. He grinned, then squatted down, cupped a handful of water, and looked down at the muddy water in his palm. Like an ordinary person holding boiling hot water, he hastily spilled it on the ground, stood up, and looked around in confusion.

At that moment, the young monk's face was streaked with tears as he asked himself, "I am here, where are you?"