Chapter 348: Xunyang River
At the beginning of late spring, Yin Baimei, the head of Kunlun Sect, led the second elder Yin Hefeng, the third elder Leng Kongyang, and more than 600 disciples under his command, and marched out of Kunlun Mountain and headed straight for Jiangzhou. On the morning of March 1st, they gathered at the bank of Xunyang River, preparing to cross the river and attack Jueqing Valley.

This matter had been spread all over the city a month ago, and it was a hot topic. All the martial arts sects in the Central Plains were eagerly waiting for Kunlun Sect's "feat".

In name, Yin Baimei held the banner of "suppressing alien races and upholding justice". In fact, Yin Baimei was upset about the "Seven Star Sword Formation" of Jueqing Valley and the fact that he stole the martial arts of Kunlun.

It is well known that a unique martial arts school is the foundation for a martial arts school to stand firm in the world, and "stealing skills" is the biggest taboo. Once a martial arts school is used by others, it will not only bring disgrace to the school and attract criticism, but will also plant hidden dangers in the future and even be replaced.

In the final analysis, Jueqing Valley's "stealing" of Kunlun Sect was regarded by Yin Baimei as a great shame and humiliation for Kunlun Sect, and even more as a serious threat that would hinder the long-term prosperity of Kunlun Sect.

Because of this, Yin Baimei did not hesitate to mobilize his army and start a war. First, he wanted to end his relationship with Jueqing Valley. Second, he wanted to take this opportunity to establish his prestige in the martial arts world and show the courage and bravery of Kunlun School, who could saw off the horns of a dragon head and pull out teeth from a tiger's mouth.

On a warm spring morning, the mountains are bright and the water is beautiful, the river breeze is blowing gently, and the water is calm.

Yin Baimei stood by the river, looking into the distance, his mind a little dazed. At this time, three large ships and dozens of small boats were ready in the river. Hundreds of Kunlun disciples boarded the ships one after another under the command of Leng Kongyang in an orderly manner.

The gray-haired Yin Hefeng came to Yin Baimei's side and asked in a low voice: "I'm afraid there will be a fight when we go to Jueqing Valley. Has the Sect Master really made up his mind?"

"If I had not made up my mind, why would I have gone through so much trouble to come here from a thousand miles away?" Yin Baimei's tone was as cold and calm as the river in front of him. "If we don't get to the bottom of this matter, how will Kunlun Sect survive in the future? Last year, I sent Leng Kongyang to ask Xiao Zhirou for an explanation, but he returned in humiliation with wounds all over his body. As the head of Kunlun Sect, if I remain indifferent to this matter, it will not only discourage my disciples, but also make outsiders think that all of my disciples are cowards who bully the weak and fear the strong. This is related to the reputation and foundation of the sect, and I cannot sit idly by."

"Master, what you said is absolutely right." Yin Hefeng smiled bitterly, then changed the subject and said with a worried look on his face, "However, rumors in the martial arts world say that Jueqing Valley, Longxiang Mountain, and the Mongols are all birds of a feather. If we attack Jueqing Valley, we may be retaliated by Longxiang Mountain and the Mongols."

"What are you afraid of?" Yin Baimei snorted coldly, "Everything is based on reason. Now, Jueqing Valley has stolen my Kunlun martial arts, so they are in the wrong first. We are upright and have nothing to fear, so what do we have to fear?"

"Although we are right, I am afraid that these heretical demons will be unreasonable and unreasonable." Yin Hefeng said, "Now that the news has spread, I think Jueqing Valley must have taken precautions. To be honest, I am not afraid of Jueqing Valley, but I am worried that if we rush into the tiger's den rashly... we will suffer a great loss. After all, most of Kunlun disciples are landlubbers. Once they are trapped in the surging river, they will be unable to take care of themselves, let alone fight with others."

After saying that, Yin Hefeng pointed to the endless vast river and said in a serious tone: "Master, the river may seem calm, but who knows how much murderous intent is hidden beneath the surface of the river?"

"According to you, what should we do?"

"Send out a call to heroes to invite all the heroes in the world to join us in encircling Jueqing Valley!" Yin Hefeng suggested, "With more people, we can show our skills to the public and pool our ideas for the benefit of all. This way, our chances of winning will be greatly increased."

"Hero invitation? Do you think that if we send out a hero invitation, all the sects will respond? No! Now everyone knows that we are raising an army to attack Jueqing Valley, but who will take the initiative to stand up and lend us a hand? No! Their minds are now focused on the martial arts conference on September 9th. They have no time to be distracted, and they don't want to get into trouble. Therefore, all the sects in the martial arts world are pretending to be stupid. On the surface, they seem to know nothing about our intentions, but in fact, they are closely watching our every move behind the scenes. Under such circumstances, what will be the result if we send out a hero invitation?"

"This..." Yin Hefeng was stunned and hesitated, "Could it be that they will turn a blind eye? Turn a deaf ear?"

"That won't happen. After all, everyone is still on good terms on the surface, and they have to show some kindness to each other." Yin Baimei smiled, "Once we send out the invitation to heroes, they will symbolically send some old and weak soldiers to pretend to strengthen our momentum. In fact, not only will it not help us at all, but it will also add to our burden. More importantly, from now on, our Kunlun Sect will owe many favors, and I am afraid it will take decades to repay them."

"Master, what you said is absolutely right." Yin Hefeng admitted, "It's none of our business, so we'll just ignore it. All the factions in the martial arts world are waiting to see what's going on. Who would sincerely stand against us and fight against the enemy?"

"I have kept silent on purpose, but I actually want to take this opportunity to test the reactions of the various sects." Yin Baimei pondered, "I don't care whether other sects stand up or not, I just want to see how the Xianwang Mansion and Jinjianwu react."

"how do I say this?"

"Everyone with a discerning eye knows that the two most likely to take the throne of the leader of the martial world in September are none other than Luo Tianjin and Jin Fuyu. Right now, they are doing their best to recruit soldiers and accumulate strength, which can be described as a battle between gods and Buddhas, each showing their magical powers. Last year, Deng Changchuan from the Xianwang Mansion came to visit. His real intention was very clear. He wanted me to use the power of the entire Kunlun Sect to help the Northern Xianwang achieve success. Although I promised at the time, I still hesitated in my heart. After all, this matter is of great importance and concerns our lives and property. How can we make a hasty decision?"

Yin Hefeng nodded thoughtfully and said, "So the master wants to use the matter of Jueqing Valley to test the attitudes of Luo Tianjin and Jin Fuyu?"

"good."

"Between the Xianwang Mansion and the Jinjianwu, which side do you prefer, the Sect Master?"

"Of course it's the Northern Sage King. I've known him for a long time, and we've been exchanging courtesies for many years. This friendship alone is far beyond what the Golden Sword Valley can compare to." Yin Baimei sighed softly, then changed the subject and continued, "Besides that, I'm reluctant to send out the invitation for heroes because I have another concern, which is 'don't let family disgrace become public.' People say that I stole someone's skills, but once this matter is publicized, who knows how many rumors will arise? What if someone says that we and the Jueqing Valley are birds of a feather, from the same clan... By then, I really can't clear myself even if I jump into the Yellow River."

"The master was thoughtful and far-sighted. I was negligent."

"But what you just said is not groundless." Yin Baimei's tone softened and he smiled faintly, "If we really fall out with Jueqing Valley, even if we can have the last laugh, I'm afraid we will pay a very painful price. Once our vitality is seriously damaged, how can we deal with the martial arts conference in September?"

Yin Hefeng's eyes lit up, and he asked suspiciously, "Master, what you mean is..."

"Unless it is absolutely necessary, I will not fight to the death with Xiao Zhirou. I hope she can take the initiative to give me a satisfactory explanation."

"Master, Second Elder, look!"

Suddenly, a disciple came hurriedly, pointed at the river, and said urgently: "There is a boat on the river, heading towards us quickly. Brother, please recognize the man on the bow, it is the 'ruthless swordsman' Tang Afu." "Tang Afu? Jueqing Valley?" Yin Hefeng was surprised, "I'm afraid those who come here have bad intentions, and those who have good intentions will not come."

"You came just in time." Yin Baimei remained calm and said with a faint smile, "Just now I was still worried that my Kunlun disciples were not good at swimming. What would happen if they were ambushed in the water? But I didn't expect them to fall into the trap. This saved me a lot of trouble. Tell all the disciples to get off the boat quickly and line up by the river."

"Yes!"

The disciple who was delivering the message was in a panic and almost collided with Leng Kongyang who was coming towards him.

"Kongyang, how many people are here? Is the Lord of the Jueqing Valley, Xiao Zhirou, here?" Yin Hefeng asked.

"There are three speedboats, with no more than 20 to 30 people on board." Leng Kongyang replied, "The leaders are Jueqing Valley's senior disciple Tang Afu and the second disciple Chang Wuhui. There is no trace of Xiao Zhirou. I guess they have heard the news, so they rushed to the Xunyang River to negotiate peace with us."

"Negotiation? Are they afraid?" Yin Hefeng asked suspiciously.

"Don't take it lightly." Yin Baimei's eyes turned, a plan came to mind, and he quickly ordered, "First find out their purpose. If the negotiation fails, capture them all and use them as bargaining chips for negotiating with Xiao Zhirou."

"The leader is wise."

In a few words, Tang Afu's boat had reached the bank of Xunyang River and stopped about thirty meters away from the shore.

"Who is coming?" Chang Wuhui's voice was the first to sound at the bow of the ship, and from the tone he sounded quite unfriendly.

"You're asking even though you already know the answer!" Leng Kongyang said in a deep voice, "A few months ago, I fought with you. Have you forgotten it so quickly?"

"Oh! So you are the third elder of Kunlun Sect." Chang Wuhui sneered, "Last time you trespassed into Jueqing Valley and trampled on the Ruthless Flowers, the Valley Master spared your life, which was already a special favor. Now you don't repent, and you dare to attack again?"

"Stop talking nonsense! The leader of Kunlun Sect is here, quickly ask Xiao Zhirou to come out and answer!" Leng Kongyang shouted.

"The Valley Master is busy with many things and has no time to take care of other things. If you have something to say, please feel free to tell me. I will convey it to you." Tang Afu's cold voice sounded quietly.

He was not like Chang Wuhui, who was full of hostility towards Kunlun Sect and whose every word was full of sarcasm. Instead, he was calm and expressionless.

"Ruthless Swordsman, how have you been recently since we last met in Hexi?" Yin Baimei was neither happy nor angry, he smiled calmly, and his words showed a bit of concern of an elder for the younger.

"Master Yin, there is no need to exchange pleasantries. We have never met before, let alone any friendship. Please speak frankly if you have anything to say." Tang Afu's narrow eyes coldly scanned the hundreds of Kunlun disciples waiting on the shore, and said with a hint of meaning, "From the looks of things today, it seems that Master Yin is not here to reminisce about the past."

"Since the Merciless Swordsman is so straightforward, I won't beat around the bush." ​​Yin Baimei said with a smile, "I'm sure both Master Xiao and you know exactly why I came here. I came here today for no other reason than to get a clear explanation from Master Xiao."

"Explain?" Tang Afu snorted faintly and asked, "What is there in Jueqing Valley that I need to explain to you, Sect Master Yin?"

"About stealing my skills!" Yin Baimei's expression changed, and his tone suddenly sank. "Tang Afu, you are a smart man, you should know that today's matter cannot be easily resolved with a few words. So you don't have to waste your breath and argue with me word by word. I advise you to invite Master Xiao to come out and confront me as soon as possible. Today's matter will definitely not be left unresolved. As for retreating to the valley and avoiding seeing him... it is definitely not a wise move!"

"What? You dare to threaten us?" Chang Wuhui said contemptuously, "Don't you see where we are? How dare you speak nonsense here? You simply don't know your place."

"Whether it is a threat or not is not decided by me, but by Valley Master Xiao." Yin Baimei ignored Chang Wuhui's sarcasm and chuckled, "I have been in the martial arts world for decades and have been to many places. But no matter where I am, no one has ever dared to ignore my words. As for whether I am talking nonsense? Who doesn't know how high the sky is and how deep the earth is? Don't worry, the answer will be known soon."

"you……"

"From what Master Yin said, it seems that we must meet our Valley Master today?" Tang Afu waved his hand to interrupt Chang Wuhui's rebuttal and said faintly, "If we insist on stopping us, Jueqing Valley will be stained with blood and corpses will be everywhere today. I wonder if this is what Master Yin meant, is it correct?"

"It's not wrong." Yin Baimei nodded without denying it. "After all, this is about the honor and survival of the Kunlun sect, and it will have to be resolved sooner or later. There's no way to avoid it. Today, I personally led 600 Kunlun disciples. Although I want to retreat unscathed, I am also prepared to die without returning."

"Master Yin has said this. It seems there is no room for negotiation between us." Tang Afu smiled coldly, and then slowly drew out the ruthless sword in his hand.

With a slight "clang" sound, a silver light flashed, a chill was overwhelming, and the sharp sword tip was pointing directly at Yin Baimei on the shore.

"In this case, there is no point in saying more. Tang, I dare to ask Master Yin to give me some advice!"

……

(End of this chapter)