Chapter 227 Willow Leaf Copper Coin
Late at night, in the guest room on the second floor of Chenfu Inn, the dim candlelight reflected the solemn expressions on the faces of Liu Xunyi, Xunzhen, and Chen Yong.

The three of them sat around the table, on which was placed the willow leaf copper coin.

"Master Liu, how much do you know about the 'willow leaf copper coins'?" Chen Yong asked.

Liu Xunyi's face showed a look of reminiscence, and he hesitated and said: "I only heard about this anecdote from hearsay. About fifty years ago, there was a pair of chivalrous lovers in the martial arts world. The girl was named 'Huaying' and the boy was named 'Ye Tong'. Huaying studied medicine, and it was said that her medical skills were comparable to Hua Tuo's, unparalleled in the world. Ye Tong was a martial arts fanatic, with unfathomable martial arts skills. He was a top master who looked down on the world at that time. It is said that the ancestor of the Qin family, 'Qin Gang', once challenged Ye Tong to a battle on the top of Kunlun Mountain. The two had a competition, and in the end, Qin Gang lost to Ye Tong by one move. People in the martial arts world at that time used a sentence to describe the Ye Tong couple, which was 'one flower, one leaf, one life, one death.' Huaying was kind-hearted and saved countless people, while Ye Tong was warlike by nature and killed people like flies."

Hearing this, Xunzhen couldn't help but be curious and asked, "What happened next?"

Chen Yong smiled bitterly and said, "As the saying goes, a doctor is like a parent. Huaying knows that life is not easy, so how can she tolerate someone killing innocent people? What's more, that person is the husband she loves all her life. In the end, Huaying and Ye Tong parted ways due to their incompatibility. After that, Huaying traveled around the world, practicing medicine to save people, and her medical skills became more and more sophisticated. Because she loved peach blossoms and brewed a nourishing and healthy medicinal food called 'Peach Blossom Cake' and gave it to the poor, she was respected as 'Peach Blossom Granny' and had the reputation of 'the best doctor in the world'. As for Ye Tong, because he was hurt by love, he shut himself up in the depths of Kunlun Mountain and concentrated on practicing martial arts, almost crazy."

"Grandma Peach Blossom? Peach Blossom Village?" Xunzhen murmured to himself, "It seems that Ye Tong still hasn't forgotten Huaying."

"Of course." Liu Xunyi replied, "Back then, after he separated from Granny Taohua, he had no desire in life and was obsessed with martial arts. He even became an obsession and became more violent. In the following few years, he challenged masters from various sects one after another and never lost. His battle with Qin Gang in Kunlun was also during that time. Since Ye Tong's weapon was a 'willow leaf sword', he used 'willow leaves' as a token. Anyone challenged by him would receive a special 'willow leaf copper coin' as a challenge letter in advance. Over time, the 'willow leaf copper coin' became Ye Tong's unique token, and its meaning gradually evolved from the original 'challenge letter' to an 'invitation letter'."

"Invitation?" Xunzhen frowned slightly and asked suspiciously, "What do you mean?"

"Because Ye Tong was almost invincible back then, there was no one in the martial arts world worthy of his challenge." Liu Xunyi explained, "At the same time, his identity also changed dramatically, from a martial arts hero to the head of the Kunlun Sect. Therefore, the meaning of the 'willow leaf copper coin' as his token naturally changed. Ye Tong's status, prestige, and even deterrence in the martial arts world back then were even greater than that of the Northern Sage King today. Therefore, no matter who received the 'willow leaf copper coin' at that time, they would immediately put down everything and rush to Kunlun Mountain as soon as possible to accept Ye Tong's invitation."

"This..." Xunzhen was surprised, "Ye Tong is actually the head of Kunlun Sect? Why is there no news about such a powerful person in today's martial arts world?"

"To be precise... he was the former head of Kunlun Sect. More than 20 years ago, Ye Tong had already voluntarily given up the position of head and left Kunlun Mountain alone." Chen Yong corrected, "Ye Tong and Hua Ying were originally disciples of Kunlun Sect. As the best among Kunlun disciples, it is reasonable for Ye Tong to succeed the position of head. But what Sect Master Liu said just now is wrong. Although Ye Tong's martial arts are high, he is not invincible. Although he is hard to beat, he is by no means undefeated."

"Oh?" Hearing this, Liu Xunyi immediately became interested and said hurriedly, "I'd like to hear more details."

"Ye Tong was brutal, bloodthirsty and murderous back then, but not long after he succeeded Kunlun Sect's leader, his temperament suddenly changed. He restrained himself, stopped blindly challenging others, stopped killing innocent people, and even became gentler and more amiable. All this... was not because he thought he was invincible and felt lonely at the top, but because he was defeated by a man." Chen Yong smiled bitterly, "Not only did that man defeat him easily, but he also woke him up. He made Ye Tong understand that there are always people better than you. After that man's earnest teachings, the arrogant Ye Tong gradually became tolerant and eventually became a respected hero in the martial arts world."

"Who is that person?" Liu Xunyi and Xunzhen asked in unison.

"Shaolin, Master Kongsheng." Chen Yong recalled, "However, this Master Kongsheng is not very famous in the martial arts world. In addition, it has been a long time, and now there are even fewer people who know him. Even in Shaolin Temple, the only people who still remember him are probably some old monks of the 'Xuan' and 'Yuan' generations."

Xunzhen raised his eyebrows and asked, "If that's the case, how do you know all this?"

"Because I was once a disciple of Kunlun Sect." After saying that, Chen Yong showed Xunzhen a rather smug smile, "Ye Tong is such a legendary figure. His deeds have long been the topic of conversation among Kunlun disciples. I am naturally very familiar with them. Haha..."

Liu Xunyi hesitated again and again, but he could no longer suppress his doubts and asked, "More than 20 years ago... Senior Ye was not that old, and was at the peak of his career. Why did he suddenly resign from the position of head of Kunlun Sect? And why did he leave the mountain in such a hurry?"

Chen Yong shook his head helplessly, curled his lips and smiled: "No one knows the reason. But there was a rumor among the Kunlun disciples at that time that the older Ye Tong got, the more sentimental he became. Maybe he missed Granny Taohua too much, so in order not to leave regrets in his life, he decided to go find Granny Taohua, make up for his mistakes, and save his feelings. You also know that heroes have always been unable to resist the temptation of beauty. Things between men and women... Either calm and peaceful. Or turbulent, regardless of everything. How many emperors and generals in the past were willing to give up the entire country for a woman, not to mention a mere position as the head of a sect?"

"If that's true, Ye Tong is indeed a devoted man." Xunzhen said with emotion, "After all, she is his wife. How could he not want to see her again after decades of separation? Just think about it, how many decades can a person live in this world?"

"But since Ye Tong left Kunlun Mountain, there has been no trace of him in the world." Chen Yong said dimly, "It's as if... he has evaporated from the face of the earth. Rumor has it that some people say he lives in seclusion in the mountains, some say he died of old age, and some say he killed too many people when he was young, so he suffered retribution and died tragically in the wilderness. In short, there are many different opinions, and no one can be sure. At the same time, Granny Taohua also suddenly disappeared. Before, Granny Taohua lived in Jueqing Valley, and patients often went there to seek medical treatment, but later..."

"Wait a moment!"

Before Chen Yong finished speaking, Liu Xunyi suddenly interrupted him with a wave of his hand, "Where did Granny Taohua live before?"

"Jueqing Valley." Chen Yong looked at Liu Xunyi blankly and said hesitantly, "What's wrong?"

"Jueqing Valley?" Liu Xunyi repeated slowly with a solemn expression, "But it is Jueqing Valley, one of the four major heretical sects in the martial arts world today?" "Exactly." Chen Yong nodded, "Today's Jueqing Valley is the one with the shortest establishment time among the four major heretical sects in the martial arts world. Because it was quietly established after Ye Tong resigned as the head of Kunlun and Granny Taohua suddenly disappeared."

Xunzhen also gradually realized Liu Xunyi's doubts and boldly speculated: "Then what is the relationship between today's Jueqing Valley and the old Peach Blossom Granny? Or even...what is the connection with Ye Tong?"

"This... should be completely irrelevant." Chen Yong seemed to have guessed what Liu Xunyi and Xunzhen were thinking, and said thoughtfully, "Today's Jueqing Valley is a heresy in the martial arts world. It has nothing to do with Granny Taohua and Senior Ye in the past. I think... it should be that the cuckoo has taken over the magpie's nest."

Liu Xunyi shook his head and said, "The cuckoo took over the magpie's nest? That shouldn't happen! With Senior Ye's martial arts, even if he wasn't the best in the world back then, he could still be ranked in the top three in the martial arts world. And the current Lord of Jueqing Valley, I heard, is not that old, and was even younger and more immature back then, so he can never be a match for Senior Ye. I don't think Jueqing Valley was forcibly occupied by someone... If Granny Taohua has nothing to do with today's Jueqing Valley, then the only explanation can only be..."

"What is it?"

Xunzhen looked at Liu Xunyi who looked hesitant and interrupted, "It should be the time when Huaying and Ye Tong reunited as a couple, and they put aside their past grudges and decided to retire from society together and live the rest of their lives happily."

Chen Yong pondered, "You mean... after Granny Taohua and Elder Ye reunited, they left the Jueqing Valley together. Then, some unrelated outsiders came by mistake and occupied the deserted Jueqing Valley, and then created the martial arts cult of today?"

Liu Xunyi nodded vaguely and said, "This can explain why Granny Taohua suddenly disappeared from the martial arts world not long after Senior Ye left Kunlun Mountain. I guess... they must have retired together."

"Since you've retired, what about this 'willow leaf copper coin' today..." Xunzhen picked up the copper coin on the table with two fingers, looked at it carefully with interest, and said nonchalantly, "If Ye Tong and Hua Ying were alive today, they would be at least nearly ninety years old, right?"

"Senior Ye is of the same generation as the Qin family's ancestor, and should be the same age as Mr. Pan." Liu Xunyi nodded in response, "By this calculation, he is at least over eighty years old."

"This couple, one is a top master, the other is a living Hua Tuo. It's not surprising that they can live to this day without any harm." Xunzhen pondered carefully, "But what I can't understand is that during the more than 20 years since they disappeared, many earth-shaking events happened in the martial arts world, and they turned a blind eye to them and didn't care. Why... did they suddenly appear today? Could it be that these two old men in their 80s want to return to the martial arts world?"

"This……"

After Xunzhen said this, Liu Xunyi and Chen Yong could not help but look at each other, speechless for a while.

"Actually, this copper coin is for the mansion master." Chen Yong explained, "But the mansion master has the same doubts as you, and Shaolin sent a letter asking for help, inviting the Xianwang Mansion and the six major sects to go to Hexi together on the second day of August. Therefore, the mansion master was busy with many things and had no time to go to Chenzhou. He had to send a fast horse to ask you to come here instead, and arranged for me to bring this 'willow leaf copper coin' to meet you here."

"Shaolin invites the Xianwang Mansion and the six major sects to go to Hexi?"

Hearing this, Liu Xunyi was immediately shocked and said, "No wonder the Emei disciples and Qingcheng disciples said those things in the lobby of the inn just now. I think the Emei and Qingcheng sects have also received the invitation from Shaolin."

"Shaolin invited the Xianwang Mansion and the six major sects to help, so the Hexi Qin Clan will definitely not sit still and wait for death." Xunzhen sneered, "As I expected, Qin Ming has already asked for help from the four major families and the Golden Sword Clan. That's why the Shuzhong Tang Clan and the Xiangxi Teng Clan united against the same enemy and confronted Emei and Qingcheng just now in the lobby."

Liu Xunyi's mind moved, and he exclaimed: "In this case, wouldn't the six major sects and the four major families be clearly divided and hostile to each other? If we are not careful, a bloody storm will be set off in the martial arts world that will involve a wide range of people."

"The mansion master guessed that this should be the reason why Ye Tong intervened in this matter." Chen Yong said in a serious tone, "Although Ye Tong is not the leader of the martial arts world, his status and prestige in the martial arts world back then were only inferior to that of the martial arts leader in name. Today, although he has disappeared for more than 20 years, the elders of various sects still miss him and even have some respect for him. Therefore, at this moment when the Central Plains martial arts world is facing an unprecedented crisis, it is indeed the most appropriate for him to come forward to quell this matter."

"So..." Xunzhen slowly spread out the copper coins in his hand and said doubtfully, "All those people in the hall today are carrying 'willow leaf copper coins' and invited by Ye Tong?"

Looking at Xunzhen who seemed to be thinking about something, and Chen Yong who looked determined, Liu Xunyi hesitated subconsciously, and murmured to himself: "Time has passed, and things have changed. Today's martial arts world is no longer Ye Tong's world, and his prestige and status are far less than before. Senior Ye has been in the martial arts world for half a lifetime. Could it be that he doesn't know the truth that 'people leave and tea gets cold, and people disperse after the song ends'? What's more, he has not shown up for more than 20 years. Today, he suddenly invited all the heroes in the world to gather in Chenzhou. Could it be that he really wants to rely on his seniority to resolve the grievances between Shaolin and the Qin family with his own strength? If so, this Senior Ye... is too naive..."

……

(End of this chapter)