Chapter 79: This Blinding Scene

Laudeno stood motionless, cradling Zuo Lengchan’s corpse in his arms. His gaze wandered aimlessly across the crowd below the stage, eyes lost and unfocused. He slowly walked a few steps toward the edge, and suddenly a strange light flickered in his eyes. Then, clutching Zuo Lengchan’s lifeless body, he leapt from the platform.

Below, a fathomless abyss yawned.

It was only at this moment that the crowd of martial heroes below seemed to awaken from a dream. Even Zheng Jian was left dumbstruck—he had never imagined Laudeno would do such a thing. The tragic, twisted bond between master and disciple had reached a point that was simply unbearable to witness.

All around the stage, countless heroes covered their faces, unable to look on. Good heavens—this tortured affair between Zuo Lengchan and his disciple Laudeno had ended with Laudeno flinging himself off the cliff with his master’s body. It was… unspeakable.

Atop Mount Hua, Master Yue staggered faintly, a maelstrom of emotions surging within him. He felt an unshakable dread—had it not all begun with the Evil-Resisting Sword Manual? Recalling Zuo Lengchan’s sharp, piercing voice and the peculiar elegance of his raised pinky, Master Yue shuddered from head to toe, ever more grateful that he had avoided this path of no return.

The Evil-Resisting Sword Manual turned out to be not only ineffective against evil, but unspeakably perverse.

Lin Pingzhi stared blankly at the farce unfolding in the martial world. His father Lin Zhennan’s warnings now resonated more deeply than ever, and it became clear to him that his grandfather could not be Lin Yuantou’s actual son—for Lin Yuantou, originally a monk, had castrated himself for sword practice upon returning to secular life, making descendants impossible.

The assembled heroes were dazed for a long time, unable to comprehend what they had seen. In truth, there was nothing so shocking about Zuo Lengchan’s defeat—martial contests of kings and losers were commonplace. But the emotional drama between Zuo Lengchan and his disciple before his death had truly stunned all present.

A taste for men was not something often discussed, but the martial world was rife with eccentrics; there were far stranger things even among the great clans. But Zuo Lengchan was the Alliance Leader, and his partner was his own disciple. This was simply too… too outrageous.

At last, it was Master Fangzheng who first regained his composure. Being a monk, he was more detached about such matters. “Amitabha,” he intoned, “I congratulate Master Yue. Your disciple has defeated Master Zuo, and as per the agreement, you are to ascend as the leader of the Five Mountains Sword Alliance. Congratulations, indeed!”

With these words, the crowd slowly recovered. That’s right—the victor of this great contest would become the new leader of the Five Mountains Sword Alliance. Was Yue Buqun to be the new Alliance Leader?

Winner in life—truly a winner! This thought emerged simultaneously in the minds of many heroes. See? If you take on the right disciples, you can win without lifting a finger!

Next, Priest Chongxu of Wudang spoke up: “Master Fangzheng is right. Master Zuo made a wager before his death, witnessed by all present. Though he is gone, the wager stands. Master Yue, please take the stage as the new leader of the Five Mountains Sword Alliance.”

The leaders of the Taishan and Hengshan Sects, Priest Tianmen and Master Dingxian, along with Mr. Mo Da of Hengshan, all joined in inviting Master Yue to ascend the platform.

A bit embarrassed, Master Yue was about to demur when Zheng Jian shouted from above, “Master, don’t be modest! I risked my life to win this for you—just accept it with a little reluctance!”

Master Yue: “…”

Laughter erupted from the crowd, the joking easing much of the awkwardness from before.

The Songshan disciples, without a leader and still reeling from Zuo Lengchan’s scandal, were in total disarray. After a long moment, it was the Yin-Yang Master Le Hou who stepped forward with a wry smile. “The Songshan Sect is too ashamed to face our peers. We will honor our bet and have no objection to Master Yue taking over as Alliance Leader.”

Master Yue hesitated a moment, then finally walked onto the altar. Once the crowd quieted, he declared in a loud voice, “Since you all hold me in such esteem, I shall not refuse. I will serve as acting leader of the Five Mountains Sword Alliance. As for daily affairs, each sect’s head will continue to manage their own. With Master Zuo gone, I propose that brothers Le, Zhong, and Tang handle Songshan’s routine matters together.”

He referred to Le Hou, Zhong Zhen of the Nine-Curved Sword, and Tang Ying’e.

This arrangement met with the approval of all the sects.

For Priest Tianmen and Mr. Mo Da, maintaining the unity of the Five Mountains Sword Alliance while preserving the independence of their own sects was ideal. Since Yue Buqun had no intention of merging the sects, nothing could be better.

Master Yue continued, “It’s late, and everyone has worked hard today. Please come to the Songshan Zen Monastery for rest, food, and wine.”

The crowd cheered and began to head toward the monastery in groups.

When Master Yue descended from the altar, Master Fangzheng and Priest Chongxu came to offer their congratulations. For them, this outcome was precisely what they had hoped for, so naturally they voiced their support.

After congratulating Master Yue, Fangzheng and Chongxu approached Zheng Jian. “Amitabha. Young friend, you are still so young, yet your swordsmanship has reached perfection. It is a blessing for the righteous path. I am truly impressed.”

Zheng Jian grinned. “Master flatters me. My skills are trifling and hardly worthy of your praise.”

“You are too modest, young friend,” Priest Chongxu replied. “Years ago, Master Feng’s swordsmanship was already legendary. You received his true teachings—a rare fortune that inspires envy. In the future, the heavy task of resisting the Demon Sect will fall to the younger generation like you…”

Hearing this, Zheng Jian cursed inwardly at the cunning of these two old foxes. They had used Zuo Lengchan as their pawn for so long, and now, with Zuo Lengchan barely cold, they were already eager to ensnare him.

…

The news of the Songshan Five Mountains Sword Alliance Gathering soon swept across the martial world, raising the prestige of Mount Hua to new heights.

The impact of this gathering was profound. Master Yue, in a single leap, had become Alliance Leader; the resurgence of Mount Hua was now a foregone conclusion.

As for the Songshan Sect, their loss was immense—not only had they lost their strongest master, Zuo Lengchan, but the final scandal involving Laudeno had utterly destroyed their reputation, making them the laughingstock of the martial world.

After deliberation, Le Hou and the others decided to close the gates of Songshan and seal the mountain for ten years.

Yu Canghai of the Qingcheng Sect had been deeply shaken by the events of the gathering. He was privy to many secrets: the previous head of Qingcheng, Elder Changqing—Yu Canghai’s own master—had been known as the foremost swordsman west of the Three Gorges, and once dueled with Lin Yuantou, only to lose.

It was for this reason that Yu Canghai coveted the Evil-Resisting Sword Technique for years. Even after annihilating the Lin family, he failed to acquire it. When Zuo Lengchan’s swordplay suddenly changed, Yu Canghai immediately recognized it as the very technique he had long sought in vain—his shock was indescribable.

Just then, on the main road from Luoyang into Sichuan, two figures dropped from the sky, blocking the Qingcheng party’s path.

A voice rang out, thick with hatred: “Yu Canghai!”

…

(End of chapter)