Chapter 324: Friends and Evildoers (Part )

"This……"

Yan Wuji never expected that Yun Zhuiyue's third condition was actually related to Luo Tianjin. This matter was not a difficult matter for him, but he was very curious about what deep hatred there was between Yun Zhuiyue and Luo Tianjin.
Yan Wuji's eyes rolled, and he asked tentatively with a smile: "Could it be that Saint Yun and Luo Tianjin have a grudge?"

"He is righteous, and I am evil. Since ancient times, righteousness and evil cannot coexist." Yun Zhuiyue said quietly, "So I want to put Luo Tianjin to death. Isn't that right?"

"That's not what I meant." Yan Wuji waved his hand and smiled, "What I meant is, besides the fact that good and evil cannot coexist, do you and Luo Tianjin have any... personal grudges?"

Facing Yan Wuji's questioning, Yun Zhuiyue just stared at him with her cloudy eyes that were shining with brilliance, without saying a word.

Seeing this, Yan Wuji seemed to be thinking about something, and said calmly: "Yan is just asking casually, without any other intention. To be honest, Luo Tianjin is a stubborn person who is unyielding and unyielding. Sooner or later, the Xianwang Mansion will be a big threat to us. Even if the Yunsheng Lord does not mention it, Yan will never sit idly by and watch him become a stumbling block for us. If this matter happened a year ago, Yan might have thought about it again and again, but today, Yan and Luo Tianjin have already made their differences clear and are incompatible. Therefore, the third condition of the Yunsheng Lord is just a trivial matter for Yan."

"So, Lord Yan Ling agreed to all three of my conditions?" Yun Zhuiyue asked back.

Yan Wuji smiled slightly, nodded confidently and said: "A gentleman's word is as good as a whip to a fast horse."

"Very good, Master Yan Ling, please come!"

After saying that, Yun Zhuiyue pointed towards the altar, where two glasses of wine that had been prepared were placed.

Yan Wuji understood and quickly stepped forward. He and Yun Zhuiyue each picked up a cup. They toasted each other and drank it all in one gulp.

The drink meant that Yan Wuji and Yun Zhuiyue officially joined forces, and their relationship became closer.

Yan Wuji looked up at the many tablets on the Lingwei Mountain and asked curiously, "Saint Lord Yun, may I ask who are the deities enshrined in this ancestral hall?"

"They are all my deceased disciples of Longxiang Mountain." Yun Zhuiyue looked back and stared at the tall mountain of tablets, and said slowly, "The founder of the mountain once set a rule that there are three things that Longxiang Mountain does not support, namely, not supporting idle people, not supporting mediocre people, and not supporting idle people. Corresponding to this, there are three other things to support, supporting people, supporting souls, and supporting orphans. Therefore, after each Longxiang Mountain disciple passes away, his tablet will be enshrined in the ancestral hall, and people will burn incense and kowtow day and night."

"Oh?" Yan Wuji suddenly became interested and asked, "May I ask what is the meaning of these three things to raise and three things not to raise?"

"Don't support idlers, to prevent them from becoming lazy. Don't support mediocre people, to prevent them from living from day to day. Don't support idlers, to prevent them from bringing disgrace to the master. Besides, Longxiang Mountain welcomes everyone, regardless of good or evil, black or white, male or female, young or old." Yun Zhuiyue said, "Once you become a disciple of Longxiang Mountain, although you can't talk about fine clothes and delicious food, glory and wealth, you can have enough food and clothing, and you can protect your descendants. This is to support people when they are alive, support souls when they die, and support orphans after they pass away, so that every disciple of Longxiang Mountain can willingly swear allegiance to you until death, and never have to worry about the future."

"Although Longxiang Mountain has been standing in the martial arts world for many years, I heard that your sect, from the Holy Lord to the Hundred Elephant Envoys, has only a few hundred people in total." Yan Wuji hesitated, "But why are there so many tablets here?"

Yun Zhuiyue gently wiped a tablet with her hand and said in a concentrated voice, "There is one Holy Lord, four Dharma Protectors, ten Impermanence, and a hundred Messengers, no more, no less, no increase, no decrease. This is the rule set by the founder. Although Longxiang Mountain is regarded as a heresy in the martial arts world, it does not participate in many battles in the martial arts world, at least not as many as the six major sects and the four major families. Therefore, not many disciples died in martial arts revenge."

"Then these tablets are..."

"Although our sect doesn't have many members, we have many outsiders visiting the mountain every year because of the 'three supports and three non-supports' rule set by our founder. Most of these people have no sect or school, no one to rely on, or are penniless and desperate. They come here just to fight to the death and find a way to survive. The only way for them to enter Longxiang Mountain is to fight with the disciples in the mountain. If one person dies, another person will take his place." Yun Zhuiyue explained expressionlessly, "According to the rules of Longxiang Mountain, whenever there is a challenge, the disciples in the mountain cannot avoid it and must fight back."

"Hiss!" Yan Wuji was horrified and said in astonishment, "How could such a strange thing happen?"

"That's right! Under this rule, Longxiang Mountain has taken in many vicious criminals over the years. Most of them are despised by the upright martial arts circles, and even have many enemies in the martial arts world." Yun Zhuiyue smiled casually, "It is precisely because of this that Longxiang Mountain is regarded as a heretic demon by the famous and upright sects."

“Having said that, those who survived the test of time day after day are undoubtedly true masters, experienced warriors, and ruthless.” Yan Wuji said with emotion, “I finally understand why Dragon Elephant Mountain is known as one of the four great martial arts sects along with Jade Dragon Palace, Jueqing Valley, and Peach Blossom Sword Island. They are indeed really capable. The Dragon Elephant Ranking can conquer heroes all over the world, and it further demonstrates your sect’s transcendent status in the martial arts world. I admire you! I admire you!”

"Master Yan Ling, you are too kind. Every sect in the martial arts world has its own set of rules. Otherwise, they would not have survived until now." Yun Zhuiyue was not surprised by praise or criticism, and replied calmly, "Now that our two families have joined forces, I am willing to be open and honest with Master Yan Ling about anything to show my sincerity."

"Of course." Yan Wuji nodded and smiled, "As the saying goes, a thousand cups of wine are not enough when you meet a bosom friend, but a single word is too much when you are not on the same page. Since the Holy Lord Yun has been frank with me today, please forgive me for asking one more question. Just now, the Holy Lord Yun said that Longxiang Mountain can ensure that his disciples have no worries about food and clothing, and even protect their descendants. May I ask... is there a financial sponsor secretly supporting your sect?"

Hearing this, Yun Zhuiyue's eyes moved slightly, and he asked in a neutral tone, "What do you mean by that, Master Yan Ling?"

"Haha..." Yan Wuji smiled faintly and bowed, "The Holy Lord Yun treated me honestly, so I should treat others honestly. To be honest, I have been living in the mountains these days, and I happened to see a large number of carriages and horses quietly entering the mountains in the middle of the night. Judging from the wheel tracks, it seems that the items on the carriages are quite heavy. I also saw that the escort was carrying a knife and a sword, and was very careful, so I inferred that the items on the carriages must be very valuable. I guess it might be gold, silver, and jewelry. More importantly..."

Having said this, Yan Wuji turned his strange eyes to Yun Zhuiyue, and seeing that Yun Zhuiyue's eyes were calm and there was nothing unusual, he continued, "More importantly, although those escorting the car were wearing cloth clothes and straw hats, their body shapes, eye movements, and the tacit understanding between them gave me a clue."

"What clues?" Yun Zhuiyue pretended to be confused and asked even though he knew the answer.

"The people escorting the car are all well-trained soldiers!" Yan Wuji said bluntly, "I wonder if my guess is right?"

Yun Zhuiyue looked at Yan Wuji with interest, and said with a mysterious smile: "How about Master Yan Ling, guess again, where are these soldiers from?"

"Longxiang Mountain is a heretical sect in the martial arts world, but it has been able to live peacefully in the heart of Dali for decades. Unless there is the secret support of the Dali royal family, how can it live so happily?" Yan Wuji smiled, "As I expected, those soldiers are all soldiers of the Dali royal family, and the financial backer who has been silently supporting Longxiang Mountain is the Duan Dynasty."

After Yan Wuji revealed the secret, Yun Zhuiyue was not panicked at all. On the contrary, she looked at Yan Wuji with admiration and said straight to the point: "Yes, Longxiang Mountain has always had a secret connection with the Dali royal family. Of course, we also understand the rule of 'taking money from others and helping them get rid of disasters'."

"Understood! Understood!" Yan Wuji waved his hand and smiled, "Everything is just as Saint Yun said. Every sect in the martial arts world has its own rules and its own way of survival. There is no right or wrong, only suitable or not."

"Master Yan Ling specifically mentioned this matter. I think it's more than just a casual question."

"Saint Lord Yun is very perceptive, I admire you." Yan Wuji said with a smile, "I have already regarded Saint Lord Yun as my own, so I speak frankly and honestly. If I have offended you, I hope you will forgive me."

"Speaking!"

"To be honest, although Dali is an independent country, it has been submitting to the Song court for many years and respecting the emperor of the Song Dynasty as the orthodox of the nine provinces. Our Great Mongolian Empire wants to swallow up the Great Song Dynasty in the south, so it is necessary to eliminate the lackeys of the Song court, and Dali..." Yan Wuji stopped talking here, but the deep meaning of his words was self-evident, and Yun Zhuiyue also understood it very well. "If you can be the master of the Central Plains, who would be willing to live in a corner of the south?" Yun Zhuiyue asked in a veiled manner, "The Tianshan Jade Dragon Palace has a close relationship with the descendants of the Liao Dynasty. They call the shots in the Western Regions, but Ren Wuya still wants to rule the Central Plains. Isn't this the reason?"

Hearing this, Yan Wuji was slightly stunned, then he and Yun Zhuiyue looked at each other, and both of them raised an indescribable cunning smile at the corners of their mouths.

"It is said that a man who knows the current situation is a hero, and the Holy Lord Yun is a hero of the time." Yan Wuji laughed, "He uses it when he can use it, and discards it when he can't. He is not indecisive, and he is not soft-hearted. He is wise! It's refreshing! I admire you!"

"If you want to achieve great things, you must not be soft-hearted." Yun Zhuiyue's eyes flashed with cold light, and he murmured as if talking to himself, "I was too kind-hearted in the past, which led to eternal regret. I still suffer the pain of thousands of arrows piercing my heart day and night..."

"Saint Lord Yun..."

"By the way!" Without waiting for Yan Wuji to ask, Yun Zhuiyue suddenly changed her expression and sneered, "I have another thing I want to give to Master Yan Ling. It can be regarded as a meeting gift today."

"Oh?" Yan Wuji raised his eyebrows and asked curiously, "What is it?"

"Someone, bring him up!"

Yun Zhuiyue gave an order, and a moment later, Li Haitang and Xu Ren escorted a disheveled man covered in scars and tied up, staggering into the Longxiang Temple.

Seeing the man with disheveled hair and unkempt face, Yan Wuji couldn't help but hesitate and said in surprise: "He is..."

"Keep your head up!"

Xu Ren grabbed the man's hair and lifted him up suddenly, revealing a bloodstained and cold face.

This person turned out to be Di Mo, the Black Fan Master from Prince Xian’s Mansion.

"he……"

"He is Luo Tianjin's confidant, and he wanted to sneak into Longxiang Mountain as a spy." Yun Zhuiyue explained calmly, "There were more than a dozen people traveling with him, and I chopped them all into meat sauce and fed them to the dogs. Only this one is left, and I will hand him over to Master Yanling for disposal."

"This..." Yan Wuji hesitated, walked forward slowly, looked at Di Mo carefully, and asked, "Why did Luo Tianjin send you here?"

"Bah!" Di Mo spat out a mouthful of blood and spit, roaring viciously, "The Palace Master sent me to kill you two bastards..."

"Snapped!"

Before he finished speaking, Xu Ren slapped Di Mo's face with his backhand, leaving five red marks on his face, and a trickle of blood flowed out from the corner of his mouth.

"Master Yan Ling, why don't you kill him? To prevent him from talking nonsense in the future." Yun Zhuiyue suggested.

"No!" Yan Wuji shook his head slowly. "Right now, it's not just Luo Tianjin who knows about our alliance, but also the Tang Sect. I expect that at next year's martial arts conference, they will make a big fuss about this and hinder Lord Yun from competing for the position of the leader of the martial arts world. Don't forget, the fundamental purpose of reopening the martial arts conference is to resist us Mongols."

"It doesn't matter." Yun Zhuiyue smiled nonchalantly, "In their eyes, I've long been a martial arts devil who kills without blinking an eye. It doesn't matter if I have another bad reputation. What's more, Luo Tianjin may not stop me from attending the conference."

"Why?"

"Master Yan Ling, don't forget that Jin Fuyu is not an easy person to deal with." Yun Zhuiyue said, "When two tigers fight, one of them will be injured. Therefore, both Luo Tianjin and Jin Fuyu hope that I can help them contain the other party so that they can reap the benefits."

"That's why I have to let him go." Yan Wuji stared at Di Mo and said without turning his head, "When I was in the Xianwang Mansion, Luo Tianjin let me go in order not to offend the Mongolian court. Today, I let his confidant go, which can be regarded as returning a favor to him."

Yun Zhuiyue looked at Yan Wuji's back, a strange gleam flashed in her eyes, and she said in a gloomy tone: "Master Yan Ling is really loyal to Luo Tianjin, which makes others envious."

“Don’t misunderstand, Lord Yun. I will never break my promise to you.” Yan Wuji’s eyes straightened, and he suddenly pulled Di Mo in front of him, saying word by word, “I will spare your life. Go back and tell Luo Tianjin to clean his neck and wait for death!”

"you……"

"bass!"

"Crack!"

"what……"

Before Di Mo could open his mouth to refute, Yan Wuji suddenly took action, instantly pulled out the dagger from Xu Ren's waist, and without hesitation, he raised the knife and chopped off Di Mo's left arm in a flash.

Instantly, blood splattered three feet, and the broken arm flew across. Di Mo suddenly felt a sharp pain rushing into his mind, and he wailed, and then his eyes went black, his neck twisted, and there was no movement anymore.

"You are Luo Tianjin's right-hand man. Today I will cut off one of your arms to serve as a warning to others!"

……

(End of this chapter)