Chapter 446 September th
Huashan, also known as Taihuashan, was once inscribed in a poem by Kou Zhun: "Only the sky is above, and no other mountain is equal to it."

The Sword Discussion Arena is located on the top of Mount Hua, high up in the mountains, in the middle of the clouds and mist. Since the heyday of the Huashan Sect, it has been known as "a thousand feet above the clouds, with your feet on the sky, and a sword that challenges the wind and thunder of the world".

Its height, danger, steepness, ruggedness, beauty and grandeur are all unique among the Five Mountains and are the work of nature.

With the efforts of Shen Dongshan, the richest man in the Song Dynasty, the former dilapidated, narrow and winding sword arena has changed a lot. Today, the top of Huashan Mountain covers a large area and can accommodate thousands of people.

The entire summit of Mount Huashan is built in the shape of a Chinese character “U”. In the middle is a sword-discussing platform neatly paved with huge bluestones three feet square, which is also the arena for this martial arts conference.

The sword arena is 199 feet long, symbolizing the heroes of the nine provinces. It is 188 feet wide, symbolizing the heroes of the eight directions. At the four corners of the sword arena, there are four sky-high flags with designs of Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird and Black Tortoise, symbolizing the protection of the four symbols. On the ground in the middle of the sword arena, there is a huge relief of a dragon and a tiger fighting, symbolizing the fight between dragons and tigers, the supreme of the martial arts world.

Outside the arena is a red brick corridor, which is a few inches lower than the arena. It is about three meters wide and surrounds the arena, implying tolerance and a square outside and a round inside.

In this circle of open space, there is a flag every few feet, with large dragon and phoenix characters embroidered on it, representing the major sects, families and forces in the Central Plains martial arts world.

In front of each flag, there was a row of neatly placed armchairs, all made of top-quality golden nanmu wood, for the leaders and elders of various forces to rest while watching the battle.

Outside the corridor is a large open space paved with gravel. This is a place for ordinary disciples from various sects and wandering knights without any sect to watch the battle.

From the gravel open space to the red brick corridor, and then to the bluestone arena, the top of Huashan is surrounded by circles, layer by layer, and the closer you get to the center, the stronger the "storm", the higher the status, and the more solemn and dignified it becomes.

The top of Mount Hua is surrounded by steep mountains and dangerous ridges. The distance between them and the Sword Discourse Arena ranges from dozens of feet to only thirty or five feet. Although not as high as the Sword Discourse Arena, the difference is not far, so one can see the martial arts events from a distance.

On the ninth day of the ninth month, before dawn, the mountains around Huashan were already crowded with people who didn't get an invitation but didn't want to miss the martial arts conference. They scrambled to occupy a good position, just to see more clearly.

Because of this, before the martial arts conference officially began, the mountains around Huashan were already in full swing, and the fighting was very exciting. In order to compete for a better position, these martial artists from all over the world had countless conflicts and frictions.

As the day dawned, the mountains and fields were already crowded with people.

However, the sword arena at the center of the vortex was still empty and silent. Only the flags standing around fluttered in the wind, making a series of "fluttering" sounds, which touched people's hearts and made people feel excited and eager as if a storm was about to come.

The Central Plains Martial Arts Conference, which has been anticipated for a hundred years, finally sees the light of day today.

The Central Plains martial arts world, where many heroes fought for power and hundreds of schools of thought contended, was about to welcome a new master who could hold the heaven and earth in his hands and step on the sun and the moon. For everyone in the martial arts world, this was a rare honor. They were all extremely grateful to be in the present moment and were excited to witness it with their own eyes.

Amidst the anticipation and long-awaited calls, the first figure finally appeared on the deserted top of Mount Huashan.

Then, one after another, in groups of three or five, they came from all directions... The atmosphere on the surrounding mountains became more and more lively.

"Look! That's Shaolin's abbot Xuanming. Do you know who the young monk following him is? He is the top master of the younger generation of Shaolin, Wuchan. Don't be fooled by his young age, but he has already mastered the Yi Jin Jing to perfection. His internal strength is far more powerful than that of ordinary people."

"Three of the Four Taoist Priests of Wudang have appeared today. This is really rare."

"Lu Tingxiang, the first gentleman in the martial arts world, is indeed dignified and handsome. Look at the woman next to him. Is she Bai Shuang, the most beautiful woman in the legendary Sushui Pavilion?"

"Oh my! It is said that Bai Shuang is a beauty of heaven, a gorgeous beauty. Seeing her today, she is indeed very attractive. This kid Lu Tingxiang is so lucky, I envy him. But he even brought a woman with him to the martial arts conference. Does he think he is just sightseeing? If his father Lu Chongyang knew about this, would he be so angry that he would jump out of his coffin? Hehe..."

"Hush! Don't keep your mouth shut. If the Lu family hears you, you'll be in trouble."

"Bah! If he heard it, then he heard it. Why should I be afraid of him? I dare to think and say it, unlike you guys, who only feel itchy in their hearts when they see beautiful women, but dare not even fart."

"Yes, yes! We don't, you're the only one who farts in your mouth!"

"Fuck you!"

"Ha ha……"

……

"Eh? Why don't the Emei Sect and the Qingcheng Sect sit together with the Xianwang Mansion?"

"This brother doesn't know that Emei and Qingcheng have already parted ways with the Northern Sage King and have now joined the Jinwu Lord."

"Please give me some advice, dear brother!"

"Master Miao'an of the Emei Sect originally had two disciples, named Huichun and Huiqiu. However, the eldest disciple Huichun died tragically in Chenzhou a year ago. It is said that he was hit by the Tang Sect's hidden weapon 'Heavenly Girl's Weaving Clothes'. This account should have been put on the Tang Sect. Master Miao'an even placed her hopes on the Northern Sage King, hoping that he could do justice for her. Unexpectedly, Liu Xunyi from the Sage King's Mansion jumped out to disrupt the situation at a critical moment. Although it was later found out that the Tang Sect was not responsible for this incident, the feud between Emei and the Sage King's Mansion was formed, especially on the second day of August last year, when the Central Plains martial arts world was divided into north and south with Qinhuai as the boundary, the relationship between the two families became more and more distant. As for the Qingcheng Sect, because Master Jinwu pushed Master Zuo to be the head of the southern martial arts world last year, the relationship between the two families became closer and closer. In addition, Master Zuo and the Northern Sage King are now equal in name, so they are no longer as flattering as they were in the past, which naturally makes the relationship between the two families more and more strained."

"I see! Thank you for your advice, sir!"

"It's not just Qingcheng and Emei. Nowadays, even Shaolin, Wudang, Kunlun, and Kongtong have gradually become alienated from the Northern Sage King. Especially after the Jiangzhou incident, the relationship between Palace Master Luo and Jueqing Valley Master Xiao Zhirou was unclear. Palace Master Luo wanted to use the Dragon Boat Festival to restore his reputation, but he didn't expect the scandal of Luo Hongxuan defiling Zhongli Wanying to happen again, and the quarrel ended in a bad mood."

"I heard that a few days ago, a piece of evidence was circulated around Huashan Town, directly pointing out that Luo Tianjin and Yulong Palace were secretly colluding. I don't know whether it is true or not."

"In short, the Northern Sage King has had a bad year and is plagued by troubles. I think he will soon become a lonely man." "What do you mean by 'soon'? He is already a lonely man. This is called 'fortunes change'. A few months ago, he was still prosperous and the Northern Sage King was in his prime, but in the blink of an eye, he has fallen from grace and become a hypocrite despised by everyone."

"Today, not only the six major sects and four great families are here, but even the four great heretics are here. It's really lively. We can take this opportunity to let Luo Tianjin, Xiao Zhirou and Ren Wuya face off to see who is right and who is wrong."

……

"Not long ago, the six major sects and four great families announced that the six major sect leaders and four family heads would not participate in the competition for the leader of the martial arts world this time. If any hero knows the clues, I hope to give me some advice."

"This is a louse on a bald head, it's obvious!"

"What do you mean, brother?"

"Make way! They are not competing for the position of leader of the martial arts world. They are simply making way for Lord Luo and Lord Jinwu. They are the two most likely to take the throne of leader. Who dares to get in the way at this critical moment?"

"Isn't that right? Why did I hear that there was something about Peach Blossom Sword Island here?"

"Peach Blossom Sword Island is nothing! Back then, Peach Blossom Immortal was driven out of the Central Plains by Lord Luo and swore never to set foot in the Central Plains. Now his descendants have gone back on their word and made a comeback. The result will be digging their own graves and there will be no return."

"That's wrong! I heard that Yuwen Xiu is now acting on orders, holding the token bestowed by the emperor, calling himself... Wulin Hou."

"What 'monkey'? A fat monkey or a skinny monkey? Besides, officials are officials and people are people. We can't interfere in the affairs of the court, and they can't interfere in the affairs of the martial arts world. Yuwen Xiu wants to use force to suppress others, but he will only end up dead."

"Longxiang Mountain has always been self-righteous, but I didn't expect that they would come to Huashan to join in the fun this time."

"If they don't come, how can we update the rankings on the Dragon Elephant Ranking? How can people in the martial arts world be so noble? They are all fake! They are just self-righteous! When they see benefits, they run away faster than anyone else. The truly noble people have already retired to the mountains and wilderness, so why would they mingle in the martial arts world?"

"I heard that Yun Zhuiyue is very close to the Mongols."

"Yun Zhuiyue is just like Yu Wenxiu, neither of them is a good person. Humph!"

……

"Everyone, here's the latest news from the gambling house outside. Jin Fuyu is 1 to 1, Luo Tianjin is 1 to 3, is there anyone who wants to raise the bet?"

"There are so many people participating in the martial arts conference, why are there only two of them gambling?"

"Brother, you may not know that Jin Fuyu and Luo Tianjin are set in stone, so we've started betting early. As for the others, they haven't expressed their opinions yet, so no one can predict. After the martial arts conference begins, anyone who expresses his intention to compete for the position of leader will open a bet. Don't worry! Don't worry! Maybe there will be a good thing of 100 to 1 or 100 to 1. As long as you dare to place a bet, you will definitely make a lot of money. Haha..."

"I remember that not long ago, Luo Tianjin was one to one, and Jin Fuyu was one to three. How come in just a few days, the two of them have become so harmonious?"

"Brother, things are different now. Jin Fuyu is a good horse. At first glance, his strength may not be the strongest, but he has endurance and is steady enough. He is very likely to fight to the end. On the other hand, Luo Tianjin was the best horse with the best chance of winning the championship, but he stumbled and got stuck in the mud. Now he can't save himself."

"Since ancient times, heroes have been unable to resist the temptation of beautiful women. The entanglement between the Northern Sage King and Xiao Zhirou is doomed to be unlucky. Alas! What a pity, what a pity!"

……

For a moment, people were talking in a variety of ways and the noise was deafening.

Shouts, cheers, laughter, and sarcasm were heard one after another.

The various aspects of human nature are fully reflected on the top of Mount Hua today. Whether in the government or in the underworld, there are more bystanders than in the hands of the authorities. There are more people who take advantage of others’ misfortunes than those who help the needy.

Today, the weather is sunny and the sky is clear, which is a rare good day.

Amid the noise all around, people from all walks of life appeared on the top of Mount Huashan one after another. They gathered in groups of three or five, arm in arm, talking and laughing, apparently in a very good mood.

In a short while, the summit of Huashan Mountain was already crowded with people, and it was extremely lively. People from all walks of life were looking for their own seats, walking or stopping, sitting or standing, in a hurried but orderly manner, complicated but not chaotic.

Luo Tianjin and Jin Fuyu sat on the east and west sides of the sword-discussing arena, facing each other and gazing at each other from a distance, but their moods and expressions were very different.

"Boom!"

Half an hour later, a gong sounded that resounded through the sky, and the noisy scene gradually quieted down. Everyone present held their breath and stared at the empty sword-fighting arena.

Until, a thin, hunched old figure slowly appeared on the stage.

……

(End of this chapter)