Jianghu Demolition Squad

Martial Arts Competition Under The Heavens (Part Eleven)

Zhu Ji took a sip of tea and smiled, “Why is Si Ming so interested in the grudges between these three families?”

Qing Jiu said, “Watching a play is more engaging when you know the entire script. Understanding the causes and consequences makes it all the more intriguing.”

Zhu Ji put down his teacup and clasped his hands in his sleeves, “Si Ming is right. I can’t remember where I left off last time.”

“Ren Qingkuang was infatuated with Yun Zhaoyue.”

“Yes! Yes! The two of them were indeed a perfect match in terms of talent and beauty. It’s a pity that the falling flower had feelings, but the flowing water was heartless.” Zhu Ji looked towards the martial arts competition stage and let out a long sigh, “When the misfortune began, it was just like today, during the World Martial Arts Competition…”

Qing Jiu pondered for a moment and asked, “Sixteen years ago?”

Zhu Ji said, “Exactly! At that time, there were undercurrents of trouble at the Jiuxiao Manor. Yun Zheyue was already pregnant. Jun Lin, under the orders of his father, the old Manor Master Jun Dingtian, led a group of disciples to the Wuwei Palace to participate in the World Martial Arts Competition. Meanwhile, Jun Dingtian’s adopted son, Jun Zhen, was planning to bring his own son, Jun Haokang, to secretly plot to seize control of Jiuxiao Manor.”

Qing Jiu said, “Wait a moment, Jun Haokang?”

Zhu Ji asked, “What’s the matter?”

Qing Jiu mused, “Haokang…” She recalled the father and son who had fought for the Aihong Sword in King Cheng’s Tomb. The man Yu’er had killed, the masked father seemed to have called him Haokang…

Could there be such a coincidence in this world?

Zhu Ji sighed, “Manor Master Jun Dingtian was righteous and kind. He took in the orphaned and destitute Jun Zhen as his adopted son, raising him with care, teaching him martial arts, and ensuring his well-being. Despite holding a respected position, Jun Zhen’s greed was insatiable. He harbored no gratitude, focusing instead on usurping the position of Manor Master of Jiuxiao Manor, plotting to kill his father and brother to seize the manor. Such a person is worse than a beast.”

Qing Jiu frowned, showing a look of disgust, and asked, “What happened next?”

Zhu Ji said, “The two knew Ren Qingkuang hadn’t given up on Yun Zheyue. Realizing they couldn’t take Jiuxiao Manor with their own strength, they contacted Ren Qingkuang and conspired with him. It was a perfect match of mutual interests. Jun Zhen wanted the manor, Ren Qingkuang wanted Yun Zheyue.”

Qing Jiu laughed, “Borrowing a knife to kill, not only could he obtain Jiuxiao Manor, but if he was careful afterward, he could also push everything onto Ren Qingkuang, saving himself from trouble. Jun Zhen had it all figured out.”

Zhu Ji nodded in agreement, “I think so too. Jun Dingtian had two sons, the elder Jun Aoran and the younger Jun Lin. According to age, this adopted son Jun Zhen was ranked second, and Jun Lin had to call him Second Brother.”

“After Jun Zhen secretly plotted against the Jiuxiao Manor, joined forces with Ren Qingkuang to kill Jun Dingtian and Jun Aoran. After seizing the manor, he could easily claim that all his actions were motivated by Ren Qingkuang’s obsession with Yun Zheyue, thus clearing his name.”

“Once he took over the manor, even if Jun Lin returned, given Jun Lin’s character, he would believe that the eldest brother should be respected and wouldn’t challenge him for it. By then, if Jun Lin sought revenge against Ren Qingkuang, the two would clash, likely leading to mutual destruction. Not only would this eliminate Jun Zhen’s major threat, but he would also reap the benefits. His planning was truly devious.”

Qing Jiu saw him talking non-stop, showing great contempt for Jun Zhen, and shook her head with amusement.

Zhu Ji spoke until his mouth was dry. He sipped some tea and sighed, “Rumors in Jianghu suggest that Jun Zhen poisoned the Master of Jiuxiao Manor. This made it easier for Ren Qingkuang and the Juelong Sect members to defeat the old Manor Master and Jun Aoran. Normally, with the old Manor Master’s skill level, he wouldn’t have struggled against these petty outlaws. Unfortunately, while one can guard against thieves day and night, it’s much harder to protect against a traitor within the family. That scoundrel, Jun Zhen, feared that keeping the old Manor Master and his Eldest Brother alive would lead to endless problems, so he ruthlessly decided to eliminate them…”

Qing Jiu asked, “What about Yun Zheyue?” She had a premonition that the upcoming events were what she really wanted to know.

Zhu Ji said, “Speaking of Yun Zheyue, she truly lived up to her reputation as a hero of her generation. It’s said that she was pregnant at the time and powerless to resist. Seeing the internal strife in the Jiuxiao Manor and knowing that the reason for Ren Qingkuang’s intervention because of her, she made a swift decision and agreed to leave with Ren Qingkuang on the condition that he save the manor’s people.”

“Ren Qingkuang, living up to his name, was reckless and arrogant, agreed to Yun Zheyue’s request without a second thought about the consequences for Jiuxiao Manor.”

“The Juelong Sect immediately betrayed their alliance. Ren Qingkuang led the Juelong Sect members to wipe out Jun Zhen and his son’s followers. Jun Zhen and his son never expected Ren Qingkuang to disregard their alliance just because of Yun Zheyue’s words. In the chaos, they were no match for Ren Qingkuang in battle and fled without a trace, severely wounded.”

“The old Manor Master, Jun Dingtian, and Jun Aoran were killed, leaving behind only Jun Aoran’s two young daughters. Jiuxiao Manor suffered numerous casualties and was severely weakened. The remaining members of the manor were unable to stop Ren Qingkuang and could only watch helplessly as he took Yun Zheyue away.”

Zhu Ji sighed repeatedly, shaking his head. If he had a folding fan, he would have struck a pose of commenting on the affairs of jianghu, “This Sect Leader Ren was madly in love, having done so much, only to lament, ‘Able to possess the beauty’s body, but not her heart.'”

“Yun Zheyue proud and stubborn by nature, refused to be humiliated. Considering her unborn child, she reluctantly cooperated with Ren Qingkuang during her pregnancy. After giving birth to the child and finding an opportunity to send the child away, she drew her sword and took her own life.”

Qing Jiu raised her eyebrows, already grasping a thread of thought.

Zhu Ji continued, “After Yun Zheyue’s death, Ren Qingkuang was overcome with grief and became unpredictable. He renamed the Juelong Sect to the Moonless Sect. When Jun Lin returned to the manor and learned the full story, he went to the Moonless Sect to demand Yun Zheyue’s return, only to find he was too late. Devastated by the news of Yun Zheyue’s death, he was consumed with sorrow and grief. He confronted Ren Qingkuang and returned from the battle severely injured.”

“By the time Yan Beili heard the tragic news, it was even later. At that point, no one knew if Ren Qingkuang had burned, buried, or hidden Yun Zheyue’s body. Yan Beili and Jun Lin couldn’t even retrieve her remains.”

“Yan Beili harbored hatred for Ren Qingkuang for driving Yun Zheyue to her death, and resented Jun Lin for failing to protect her as he had promised. He came to hate both the Moonless Sect and the Jiuxiao Manor. Over the past decade or so, the hatred between the three forces has only deepened.”

Qing Jiu asked, “What about the child? What about Yun Zheyue’s child?”

Zhu Ji said, “That’s unknown. Ren Qingkuang lied to the two, saying he killed the child to let the child accompany its mother. But the truth, the truth… Hehe…” Zhu Ji looked at the stage and smiled. Qing Jiu had witnessed his insightful and quick-witted nature when he was storytelling in Rong City. Seeing his gaze on Yu’er, she knew he had already figured out a thing or two.

Qing Jiu smiled and murmured, “Sixteen years…”

She observed the three figures on the stage. Ren Qingkuang’s demeanor was wild and reckless, showing clear disdain for both Yan Beili and Jun Lin. Jun Lin’s expression was one of deep, painful anger towards Ren Qingkuang but was somewhat more polite towards Yan Beili. And Yan Beili, he seemed displeased with both of them.

Qing Jiu observed for a while and laughed inwardly, “Ha! What a tangled web of fate!”

The two spoke in low voices. With everyone’s attention on the martial arts competition stage, in this open space, few people heard their conversation, not even Yan Li and Qi Tianzhu beside them. They were only thinking of going on stage to rescue Yu’er.

Jun Lin had persuaded Yan Beili to clarify Yu’er’s identity first, so Yan Beili abandoned the idea of fighting with Ren Qingkuang. On the martial arts stage, a confrontation had started because of Yu’er and was also resolved because of her.

However, this matter was far from over. Whether it was the Wuwei Palace, Shaolin Temple, Mingjian Manor, Moonless Sect, or Jiuxiao Manor, there were many questions surrounding Yu’er. They wanted to find out the answers and were thinking about how to bring her into their own camp.

Yan Beili was the first to speak, “Miss, it was the Mingjian Manor’s lack of vigilance that frightened you. Please come to the main seat. I’ll apologize to you.” Yan Beili smiled kindly, his face amiable, and he lowered his posture considerably, making Yu’er lower her guard a little.

The elder from the Wuwei Palace was an impulsive one. Seeing that if Yu’er agreed, Yan Beili would take her away, and he still had unresolved doubts, he needed to keep Yu’er there first. He called out, “There’s no need for Manor Master Yan to apologize. This matter wasn’t your fault to begin with.”

At this point, the elder glared at Ren Qingkuang and turned his head to Yu’er, saying, “Just now, there were two mistakes in your sword technique. Come with me, and I’ll offer further guidance.” He had the air of a teacher. The supposed mistakes in the sword technique were just an excuse to trick Yu’er into going with him.

Master Kongming of Shaolin Temple gave a slight bow to everyone and chanted, “Amitabha, miss, this humble monk has something to ask you. Would you be willing to come with this humble monk and have a private conversation?” Abbot Kongming spoke truthfully and didn’t make any pretenses.

Yu’er, holding these two in high regard as they were the masters of Yan Li and Qi Tianzhu, didn’t know whom to agree to and was quite troubled.

Hua Lian and the others saw that Yu’er was caught in the middle of a fight between the five major sects. They had come to the Mingjian Manor in disguise to avoid unnecessary trouble, but now that Yu’er had taken the stage and competed, making a big splash, it had become even more troublesome than before. If they went to rescue Yu’er, they could naturally take her away, but this would inevitably expose their identities. If they didn’t step forward, Yu’er would be at a loss and helpless.

Thinking over it, they felt overwhelmed, pondering, “It’s one thing for Wuwei Palace and Shaolin Temple to seek out Yu’er, but how have Mingjian Manor, Jiuxiao Manor, and the Moonless Sect also gotten involved with her?”

Hua Lian said, “Qing Jiu,” wanting Qing Jiu to make a decision, but he saw that Qing Jiu was distracted, looking towards the main gate and softly murmuring, “What’s taking so long?”

Hua Lian raised his voice, “Qing Jiu!”

Qing Jiu turned to look at him and asked, “What’s the matter?”

Hua Lian said, “Should we go up and take Yu’er away?”

Qing Jiu’s ears twitched as she heard an unusual sound in the wind. She smiled and said, “It’s not appropriate for us to go.”

Hua Lian was stunned, “I know it’s not our place, but we can’t just leave little Yu’er to fend for herself, especially with those old demons looming over her, ready to pounce. What if they scare her?”

Qing Jiu shook her head, “Yu’er is braver than you think. She won’t be easily frightened.”

Hua Lian was exasperated, “I’m not joking with you!”

As they spoke, a sudden gust swept through, drawing their eyes skyward. A blue silhouette dashed across the tower, approaching swiftly with a hearty laugh, “This martial arts competition is so lively. Looks like this old man came at the right time.” This person’s voice was full of vigor and had a strong presence.

The words reached everyone’s ears, causing them to experience a persistent ringing and a vibration in their chests. They couldn’t help but be shocked. How many people in the world could possess such skill?

As the figure descended onto the stage, and everyone clearly saw his appearance. A mix of surprise and joy erupted as they recognized him, exclaiming, “It’s Elder Jie Qianchou!”

Yan Beili quickly stepped forward to greet him, “Elder Jie presence is an immense honor. My apologies for not greeting you sooner. Forgive us.”

As one of the Four Sages, Jie Qianchou was revered by all. However, now that all four of them had retreated from the world, it was difficult to find any news about them. Only Jie Qianchou would occasionally set foot in jianghu. Yan Beili had even sent a letter to Xiaoqing Mountain, hoping that Jie Qianchou would attend the World Martial Arts Competition. If he attended, it would naturally enhance the prestige of the event. But knowing that Jie Qianchou disliked crowds, Yan Beili didn’t have high hopes. Seeing him appear now, he was both surprised and delighted.

Jie Qianchou waved his sleeve and said, “This old man has always done as he pleases. This time, I came up the mountain without notifying anyone, so you can’t really be blamed…”

Halfway through his sentence, his eyes glanced at Yu’er, and then he glared at the few people beside her, asking, “What are you all doing surrounding my disciple?”

Caught in surprise, everyone stood still for a moment, slowly coming back to their senses. They turned to Yu’er and exclaimed, “Elder Jie, you said that this little girl is your disciple?!”