harleyscars Page 424
Page 424
At that moment, Qu Yang, who was not far away, glanced at him again.
"It's weird."
Someone asked in confusion, "We had already surrounded Luoyang City, so how come Shaolin's reinforcements arrived so quickly?"
"It must have been Ning Yanwang who tipped them off!"
Someone asked, "But how did King Yama Ning end up in Luoyang?"
Everyone was puzzled by this.
"Liu Zhengfeng!"
At this moment, someone looked at Liu Zhengfeng and said sternly, "Did you secretly collude with the Huashan Sect to bring Ning Yanwang to Luoyang, and then secretly report to the Shaolin Temple to make the righteous path detrimental to our Divine Sect?!"
Liu Zhengfeng's face was cold at this moment, and he asked in return, "What do you mean by that?"
"what for?"
The man sneered and said, "Don't you understand what I mean? We're going to take action against the Golden Saber Sect in Luoyang, so how did Ning Yanwang, who's hundreds of miles away on Mount Hua, end up here? Is it just a coincidence?"
"I think it was you who secretly tipped off Ning Yanwang and lured him here! So that the righteous path could be at a disadvantage against our divine sect?!"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone looked at Liu Zhengfeng.
"That's right! He used to be a member of the Five Mountains Sword Sect and had a close relationship with the Huashan Sect. He must be the one who secretly colluded with Ning Yanwang!"
Listening to these people's words of condemnation, and even some of them looking at him with increasingly dangerous eyes.
"ridiculous!"
Faced with this situation, Liu Zhengfeng was not afraid at all. He sneered and said, "If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext."
Liu Zhengfeng showed no fear on his face and remained completely calm inside.
"It is true that I was once a member of the Five Mountains Sword Sect, but that is in the past. The Songshan Sect killed my wife and children and is my sworn enemy. I have long since broken with the righteous path and have no further connection with the Huashan and Hengshan sects. If you want to use my identity to make a big fuss, frame me, and try to kill me, why bother? You can just take action directly."
At this moment, Liu Zhengfeng stopped looking at these people and turned to Ren Woxing, saying, "Master, since I surrendered to the Divine Sect in Pingding Prefecture, I have been determined to serve you. During this time, I have worked diligently and never slacked off. I never expected that I would still be ostracized and framed because of my previous identity. If you cannot tolerate me, I will submit to your judgment. As long as you give the order, I will immediately commit suicide."
Before Ren Woxing could speak, Qu Yang stepped forward.
“Master, I have known Liu Zhengfeng for many years. He has truly submitted to our cult and has no ulterior motives. This is definitely not something Liu Zhengfeng did in collusion with the righteous path. Besides, Liu Zhengfeng doesn’t have the time for this. I am willing to guarantee it with my life.”
Upon hearing Qu Yang speak up for Liu Zhengfeng, Ren Woxing finally spoke and looked at the crowd.
"Alright! Let's leave it at that!"
Ren Woxing gave a cold rebuke, and only then did everyone stop.
Ren Woxing continued, "Now is not the time to argue about these things. Now that Shaolin's reinforcements have arrived, the Golden Saber Sect should also have Shaolin's support. How is the Golden Saber Sect doing?"
At this moment, someone stepped forward and said, "Reporting to the leader, there has been no reply yet."
Ren Woxing said, "Notify them to come back."
"Yes."
Before the man could leave after receiving his orders, there was another commotion outside. It was the men who had been besieging the Golden Saber Sect who had returned.
Similar to the siege of Jiangning, the Demonic Sect besieged the Golden Saber Sect, but the Golden Saber Sect had already invited many people to help them beforehand, so they couldn't take down the Golden Saber Sect in a short time. Later, Fang Sheng arrived with his men, and they retreated.
"Master, the Shaolin people are heading towards Green Bamboo Lane. What should we do? Please advise us!"
Upon hearing his subordinate's report, Ren Woxing remained silent, his brows furrowing involuntarily.
I never expected that destroying a small sect like the Golden Saber Sect would be so troublesome, with so many unexpected events.
"The leader."
At this moment, someone spoke up: "Now that the righteous people have arrived, why don't we have a bloody battle with Shaolin!"
No one spoke, and neither did Ren Woxing.
He has no intention of starting a war with Shaolin for the time being. His main goal right now is to expand his own power, gradually devour the righteous sects, and then launch a counterattack against Blackwood Cliff. It is not the time to start a war with Shaolin yet, so he can only be patient for now.
Then another person stepped forward and made a suggestion.
"Master, in my opinion, since the righteous forces have already arrived, I'm afraid a large number of troops will follow. The situation is unfavorable to us. From a strategic perspective, I suggest we avoid their sharp edge first, and then organize our forces to launch a counterattack."
Ren Woxing didn't speak, but nodded after a while.
"Yes, pass the word down and tell the brothers to withdraw from Luoyang."
Upon hearing Ren Woxing's order, everyone withdrew to prepare, Liu Zhengfeng also withdrew, and Qu Yang also went out.
"Brother Liu."
Hearing someone call his name from behind, Liu Zhengfeng stopped and turned to look at Qu Yang.
Qu Yang looked at Liu Zhengfeng, hesitating to speak: "Brother Liu, you..."
Before he could finish speaking, Liu Zhengfeng turned and left.
Chapter 575: The Mission Accomplished
……
By the time Jiang Ning and Fang Zheng arrived at the Golden Saber Sect, the battle had already ended.
Wang Yuanba was organizing the members of the Golden Saber Sect to collect the corpses on the ground. Others, including Fang Sheng, were doing the same thing.
They were all cleaning up the bodies on the ground. Some people were crying when they saw a body on the ground; it must have been their brother or family member.
The streets outside the Golden Saber Gate were littered with corpses, a testament to the ferocity of the battle.
The arrival of Linghu Chong and Fang Zheng from Jiangning also drew attention.
"Nephew Jiang."
Upon seeing Jiang Ning, Wang Yuanba immediately put down his work and came over to ask with concern, "Nephew Jiang, I heard that many members of the Demonic Sect attacked you. How are you? Are you injured?"
Jiang Ning nodded slightly and said, "Thank you for your concern, Sect Leader Wang. I am fine."
Wang Yuanba breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at Fang Zheng and cupped his hands, saying, "The entire Golden Saber Sect thanks Abbot Fang for leading your temple to provide support. The Golden Saber Sect is deeply grateful."
"Amitabha."
Fang Zheng put his hands together and said, "Sect Leader Wang, there is no need for such formalities. Upholding the righteous path is the responsibility of Shaolin. In fact, this is Shaolin's fault. If it weren't for Young Hero Linghu rushing to Shaolin in the middle of the night yesterday, I would not have known that such a big change had occurred in Luoyang. If Ren Woxing had succeeded, it would have been Shaolin's fault."
Wang Yuanba was taken aback, then said, "To be honest, Abbot, after the people from the Demonic Sect left yesterday, I sent members of the Wang family to Shaolin to ask for help. Did your temple not see any members of my Wang family?"
Fang Zheng was also surprised: "Shaolin has never seen any of Master Wang's disciples before."
Having said that, Wang Yuanba understood that either the people he sent had escaped or had been killed by the Demonic Sect.
Thinking of this, Wang Yuanba couldn't help but feel a chill of fear. If Jiang Ning hadn't arrived, his Golden Saber Sect would probably still be foolishly waiting for Shaolin's support, and would have been wiped out long ago.
Wang Yuanba couldn't help but look at Jiang Ning, wanting to express his gratitude again, but upon seeing Linghu Chong next to Jiang Ning, he said, "This must be Young Hero Linghu."
Although Wang Yuanba had never met Linghu Chong, Linghu Chong was still easy to recognize. After all, among so many people, only Jiang Ning and Linghu Chong had hair, while the others were all bald.
Linghu Chong bowed and said, "Junior Linghu Chong greets Sect Leader Wang."
Wang Yuanba said repeatedly, "Nephew Linghu, there's no need for such formalities. If it weren't for you, my Golden Saber Sect would have been destroyed. I will always remember your kindness to my Wang family."
Linghu Chong replied that it was only right.
Watching the two talk like this, Fang Zheng's deeply lined face showed little expression.
Jiang Ning then asked, "Sect Leader Wang, what is your casualty situation?"
Wang Yuanba said, "The Demonic Sect came with great force, and we suffered many casualties, but in the end, the result was good. With everyone's concerted efforts, the Demonic Sect was finally defeated."
Wang Yuanba didn't go into details, but one could imagine that many people must have died.
At this moment, Fang Sheng also came over, along with others. These were all local forces from Luoyang who had come to help after receiving Wang Yuanba's request for assistance.
Upon seeing Jiang Ning and Fang Zheng, these people hurriedly came over to greet them, exchanged greetings, and introduce themselves, hoping to gain some recognition.
However, they mostly surrounded Fang Zheng.
After all, given Fang Zheng's status, these forces usually had no opportunity or qualification to see him, so they all gathered around him now.
But no one dared to underestimate Jiang Ning, not only because Jiang Ning represented the Huashan Sect, but also because Jiang Ning himself had a prestigious reputation.
"Everyone, now that the Demonic Sect has been defeated, what should we do?"
At this moment, someone asked.
For a moment, no one spoke. They looked at each other, unsure who would speak first.
Wang Yuanba looked at Jiang Ning and Fang Zheng: "Nephew Jiang, Abbot, what do you two think?"
Although they all came to help his Golden Saber Sect this time, he won't be able to decide what to do next. Jiang Ning and Fang Zheng were the ones who helped him a lot this time, so the decision should be made by the Huashan Sect and Shaolin Temple.
Before Jiang Ning and Fang Zheng could speak, Linghu Chong interjected, "Ren Woxing is currently in Luoyang. Now that the Demonic Sect has been defeated, we should press our advantage and wipe them out in one fell swoop!"
Upon hearing Linghu Chong's words, none of the others spoke immediately; they all looked at Fang Zheng.
Fang Zheng nodded: "Young Master Linghu is right."
"In that case, let's go as soon as possible. My junior brother knows their hideout."
Linghu Chong drew his sword with a whoosh.
Seeing that they were really going to attack Ren Woxing's stronghold, Wang Yuanba did not hesitate and said, "I will organize the manpower right away."
Without much delay, those who were still alive and capable of fighting after the great battle regrouped. Together with the monks and lay disciples of Shaolin Temple, nearly two thousand people headed straight for Green Bamboo Lane under Jiang Ning's leadership.
However, when the crowd arrived, Green Bamboo Lane was already deserted.
"I'm late."
Wang Yuanba sent men inside to search the area, only to find that Green Bamboo Lane was empty. After inquiring with nearby residents, he learned that Ren Woxing had left with his men some time ago and was now presumably gone from Luoyang City to who knows where.
"Amitabha."
At this moment, Fang Zheng said, "Since Ren Woxing has disappeared without a trace, it will take a lot of time to find him. In my opinion, the most urgent task is to deal with the aftermath as soon as possible."
“The abbot is right.”
The others nodded in agreement; those who came to help had also lost many people and needed to handle their funeral arrangements.
Since everyone thought the same way, Wang Yuanba had no objections; for him, things were already as they were.
"What do you two nephews think?"
Wang Yuanba looked at Jiang Ning and the other man to gauge their attitude.
Linghu Chong glanced at Jiang Ning, indicating that Jiang Ning should make the decision.
Jiang Ning smiled and said, "Then let's do it this way."
If it were someone from the Weiyi Alliance present now, Jiang Ning would have chosen to continue the pursuit without hesitation, since Ren Woxing's power is currently at its lowest, making it the best time to kill him. The Emei and Taishan sects would also have continued the pursuit without hesitation.
However, besides Shaolin, the Golden Saber Sect and other forces were present, and their thoughts differed. Shaolin didn't even need to think about it; Fang Zheng definitely didn't want to continue the pursuit, and most of the others felt the same way, otherwise Ren Woxing wouldn't have run away.
Even Shaolin didn't want to continue fighting, so the other forces were even less likely to, which is why Jiang Ning didn't say anything to express his opinion later on.
"I am deeply grateful to everyone for your willingness to help my Golden Saber Sect."
Wang Yuanba cupped his hands in thanks to everyone present.
"Sect Leader Wang, you're too kind. We've known each other for many years. If the Demonic Sect wants to harm the Golden Saber Sect, how can we stand idly by?"
After exchanging pleasantries, Wang Yuanba invited everyone to the Golden Saber Sect, saying he would treat them well. Everyone readily agreed and set off for the Golden Saber Sect.
"It's a pity I couldn't kill Ren Woxing."
On the way, Linghu Chong whispered something to Jiang Ning.
Jiang Ning smiled but didn't say anything.
……
Beijing.
royal palace.
"His Majesty."
A eunuch hurriedly walked to the imperial study and knelt down in front of Zhu Houzhao.
"Master Chongxu of Wudang Mountain is already waiting outside the hall."