The sun had set behind the hills. After a long day, Linghu Chong and Gu Santong decided to look for an inn to have a decent meal. Upon reaching Dengfeng City, they finally stopped by at the nearest inn.
A waiter came to serve them right away. Gu Santong abruptly ordered two plates of drumsticks and five bottles of high quality wine.
Linghu Chong reached his hand into his pocket and noticed that he did not have any silver pieces left. He Brother Gu, I hope that you have enough silver pieces to pay for the meal, he softly whispered.
Gu Santong narrowed his eyes and beamed. Little Brother, your brother here also does not have any silver pieces.
Linghu Chong dropped his jaw wide open. How are we going to pay then? he asked astonishingly.
Your brother here has good light skills (qinggong). We can take off before they even notice anything, Gu Santong grinned mischievously.
Linghu Chong was shocked by his words. His master and master-wife kept telling him in the past that members of the devil cult are crafty and dishonest. Now that he finally got to see it with his own eyes, he was starting to believe them.
Brother, butbut these people here work so hard to earn a living. If we just take off like that it would not be so appropriate, he said in a childlike facial expression, behaving like exactly like Gu Santong.
Gu Santong frowned at Linghu Chong without saying a word. He casted a quick glance around the premise looking for something.
Linghu Chong also started looking around the premise as he tried to figure out what was in Gu Santongs mind. I hope that he is not thinking of robbing anyone in here to pay for our meal he thought.
Gu Santong raised an eyebrow at a table above them with a mischievous grin. Wait for me here, he said.
Linghu Chong immeidately looked towards the same direction. His eyes dropped wide open the moment he saw the table above them. It was his junior martial brother Yue Lingfeng occupying the table. He had a young girl and a young man accompanying him.
Junior Martial Brother is alive he whispered delightedly.
By then, Gu Santong had already leaped to the floor above them and stood right behind Yue Lingfeng.
Yang Lianting stood up and glared at Gu Santong viciously. Old man! What are you trying to do? If you dont want to die you better get lost now! he shouted.
Gu Santong folded his arms and started chuckling. Stinky kid, if you can win old man here in a fight I will go away. If you cant, you will have to pay for my meal.
Nonsense! Ive never heard of such a thing before! Yang Lianting responded angrily.
The moment he finishing saying the word before, he felt a sudden numb all over his body.
Gu Santong appeared right beside Yang Lianting, with his index and middle finger striking Yang Liantings right shoulder. He was so fast that no one saw how or when he made his move.
Yue Lingfeng immediately reached his hand towards the handle of a sword on the table.
Ren Yingying grabbed him by his arm and signaled him not to do anything.
She could tell that Gu Santongs martial arts skills were far more superior than any of them. Senior, I apologize if my friend here offended you in anyway. Were just commoners stopping by here for a meal. I hope that you can leave us alone, she greeted Gu Santong with her hands cupped.
Gu Santong raised his hand and pushed his palm against Yang Liantings face, knocking him off to the floor. Lass, you seemed to be more polite than your stinky friend. Very well! Old man will not bother you anymore but you must pay for my meal, he said with a faint smile.
Ren Yingying nodded. It is an honor to meet a great martial arts expert like senior here today. Hence, it is an honor to buy you a meal, she said with a smile.
Linghu Chong made his way to the floor above him. Junior Martial Brother Yue! Youre alive after all! he called out.
Yue Lingfeng turned his head to look at Linghu Chong confusingly. Brother, do we know each other? he asked.
Linghu Chong knitted his brow. You dont know who I am? he asked astonishingly.
Ren Yingying immediately rose from her seat and bowed at Linghu Chong. Young Master, you must have mistaken my friend for someone else, she interrupted.
Linghu Chong smirked and responded angrily, Mistaken? Isnt his name Yue Lingfeng? How could I not even recognize my own martial brother?!
Yue Lingfeng looked at Ren Yingying. Yingying, this brother here is my martial brother? he asked confusingly.
Ren Yingying shook her head. Like I said he must have made a mistake.
She then placed a sack of silver pieces on the table and pulled Yue Lingfeng away with her.
Linghu Chong darted towards them and got in their way. Young lady, until you clarify everything youre not going anywhere! he asserted.
Ren Yingying glared at Linghu Chong annoyingly. I will not allow this stinky kid to foil my plan! she reached for the handle of a gold plated short sword tied to her waist and thrust it at Linghu Chongs throat.
Linghu Chong immediately dodge the attack and swung his arm at Ren Yingyings face, knocking her off her feet.
Yue Lingfengs anger started swelling the moment he saw Ren Yingying being hurt. He angrily drew his sword and started attacking Linghu Chong brutally. How dare you hurt my Yingying!
Linghu Chong dodged and parried the attacks with his bare hands. Hes using the Huashan Sects swordplay! He has to be Junior Martial Brother Yue!
Yue Lingfeng leapt above Linghu Chong and slashed the sword downward with full force.
Linghu Chong evaded the strike and simultaneously sent his elbow at Yue Lingfengs abdomen.
Great skills! Gu Santong cheered.
Yue Lingfeng returned to the ground and stumbled backwards. Just as he was about to make another move, Ren Yingying grabbed him by the shoulder and darted out through a window.
Dont run! Come back here! Linghu Chong shouted.
Just as he was about to go after them, Gu Santong somersaulted into the air and landed in front of Linghu Chong. Brother, dont bother going after them.
Linghu Chong hummed angrily. But why? I want to find out why is Junior Martial Brother Yue pretending not to know me?
Gu Santong pointed towards Yang Lianting who was still lying on the floor unmoving. We can ask that stinky kid there, he beamed.
The cave was rather dim. Gu Santong splashed a pail of boiling water at Yang Liantings face to wake him up.
Yang Lianting felt his skin burning and instantly opened his eyes, crying in pain.
Linghu Chong pointed a knife at Yang Liantings throat. If you dont want to die, you better tell me what happened to my Junior Martial Brother Yue? he said ruthlessly.
Yang Lianting started to shiver. Young HeroI am just a servant to my Young LadyI dont know anything he stammered.
Gu Santong abruptly pushed Linghu Chong aside and slapped Yang Lianting on his face. Its an insult to the Divine Sun Moon Cult to have a coward like you as a disciple!
Linghu Chong looked towards Gu Santong astonishingly while he regained his balance. More devil cult members? It this my lucky day or unlucky day? Its the second time today that Im encountering members of the devil cult. he thought.
SeniorI am not sure what youre talking aboutI dont know any divine cult Yang Lianting said softly.
Gu Santong swung his hand and slapped Yang Lianting on the face once more. That stinky lass was holding the Divine Sun Moon Cults most precious item, the Holy Short Sword. Only a high ranking person in the cult is able to possess that item. How dare you say that you dont know anything? he snarled.
Linghu Chong knitted his brow as he gazed at Yang Lianting. Looks like the girl together with Junior Martial Brother Yue is also a member of the devil cult. I am not sure if its Huashans fortune or misfortune that two of its disciples are now being linked with the devil cult.
That stinky lass must be that villain Ren Gouxings daughter! Gu Santong continued. (Ren Gouxing means The Dog Does As It Wish. Gu Santong was actually insulting the divine cults previous leader Ren Woxing by addressing him as a dog).
Yang Lianting smiled faintly and replied, Senioris part of the divine cult too?
Gu Santong made a spitting gesture. Youre not qualified to ask me who I am!
SeniorI am just are followerplease dont hurt me Yang Lianting pleaded.
Gu Santong pressed his lips as he glared at Yang Lianting annoyingly. If it wasnt for giving face to that lass on Dark Wood Cliff old man would have fed you to the dogs up on Dark Wood Cliff! But as the saying goes, when you hit a dog you must also see who is its owner, he grumbled.
Suddenly, Yang Lianting broke himself free from the rope tied around his hands and nudge his way to the cave doorway. He had been quietly cutting the rope with the knife under his sleeve since he regained conscious.
Linghu Chong tried to go after him but Gu Santong hurriedly pulled him back.
What was that for?! Linghu Chong turned around snarled.
Gu Santong beamed mischievously. That dog is part of the divine cult. Old man dont want to do anything that may agitate the lass up on Dark Wood Cliff. She can be frightening when she is angry, he whispered.
Linghu Chong folded his arms and gazed at Gu Santong. Brother Gu, you keep referring to the lass up on Dark Wood Cliff. Who is this lass? he asked curiously.
Gu Santong placed his arm around Linghu Chongs shoulder and walked him out of the cave. Lets find a quitter place to drink. Brother will slowly explain everything to you as we drink, he responded.
The two of them bought six jugs of wine and drank at the top of a mountain, far away from the city limits.
Gu Santong laid under a big tree and poured some wine down his throat.
Brother Gu, can you tell me who the lass is now? Linghu Chong asked inquisitively.
Gu Santong let out a loud burp as he turned his head to look at Linghu Chong. Its a long story. Have you heard of Divine Sun Moon Cults leader Dongfang Bubai? he said.
Linghu Chong immediately knew who he was referring to. So Miss Dongfang is the lass on the Dark Wood Cliff? he covered his mouth and tried to contain his laughter.
Gu Santong felt that Linghu Chong was completely disrespecting him. He snorted, What are you laughing at? If you keep laughing I am going to stop talking!
Linghu Chong bowed with his hands cupped. Please forgive me for being rude, Brother Gu, he said apologetically.
Decades ago, on an autumn evening, my Senior Martial Brother Ying Tianxing, the thirteenth leader of the Divine Sun Moon Cult rescued a village girl and brought her back to the Dark Wood Cliff. He took in the girl as his only apprentice and personally trained her in martial arts, Gu Santong continued. Initially I was confused as to why my senior martial brother would take in a lass. But after observing them for a period of time, I could finally understand why. My Senior Martial Brother and the lass made a deal. The lass has to disguise as a man in order to be his successor.
Linghu Chong finally understood why Dongfang Bubai had been disguising as a man previously. It was her master that made her do so, he thought.
Anyways, this lass is in fact intelligent and has a body structure that was extremely suitable to practice martial arts. In less than a year, she had completely mastered most of my Senior Martial Brothers martial arts skills, Gu Santong continued.
So your Senior Martial Brother must have passed away and handed his position to her? Linghu Chong asked.
Gu Santong shook his head once more. Wrong! After my Senior Martial Brothers mysterious disappearance, Ren Gouxing had the support of the cults ten elders and was appointed as the new leader, he said.
How come they did not appoint Brother Gu as the new leader instead?
Gu Santong just shrugged his shoulders. I am not sure either. But I am glad they did not either. There is no fun being a leader of such a big cult. Too much responsibilities. I would rather roam the central plains, drink all the good wine and eat all the delicious chicken.
Linghu Chong nodded enthusiastically. The best thing in life is to drink the best wine and eat the most delicious chicken!
Gu Santong placed his hand onto Linghu Chongs shoulder. Good brother! Great heroes does indeed share the same views, he said proudly.
So what happened after Ren Gouxing took over as leader? Linghu Chong asked.
After taking in another big gulp of wine, Gu Santong handed it to Linghu Chong and continued. After rising to power Ren Gouxing realized that his martial arts skills were inferior to the lass. Fearing that he may lose his authority he begged me to teach him the Art of Star Absorption.
Brother Gu agreed to impart him the art?
Gu Santong shook his head. Of course not! Ever since I saw that villain enter the divine cult I never had a good impression of him. I would never impart him any of my martial arts skills, he said loudly. In fact, I knew that he would stop at nothing to get his hands on the art. True enough, there was one night he bought me a high quality wine and contaminated it with poison.
How immoral! Linghu Chongs shouted furiously.
Fortunately heavens decided that my life should not end just like that. I pretended to die of poisoning and disappear from Dark Wood Cliff from that day onwards. That villain Ren Gouxing eventually got his hands on a revised copy of the Art of Star Absorption which I purposely kept in my room, Gu Santong chuckled mischievously as he spoke on.
Linghu Chong initially looked at him confusingly. A thought then flashed through his mind. Brother Gu, dont tell me that the revised copy had some flaws in it? he asked.
Gu Santong nodded thrillingly. The revised copy only contained methods of how to absorb ones inner strength but does not have the method of regulating it as your own. He will never be able to utilize whatever inner strength that he had obtained from his opponents. As time goes by the inner strength that had obtain will collide against his own as it was not cultivated by him. If he is unlucky he would die of fire deviation.
Linghu Chong became silent for a moment. Looks like its very complicated to be a member of the devil cult. No one can be trusted. Only the strong will survive, he thought.
True enough after leading the divine cult for about a year or so, the villain Ren Gouxings position was taken over by the lass. I heard that he suffered from a serious illness and had to step down as the divine cults leader, Gu Santong went on. The inner strength that he had absorbed must have started clashing against each other.
So from then on Dongfang Bubai ruled the divine cult and became the martial arts worlds number one? Linghu Chong asked once more.
Gu Santong nodded, I saw great potential in that lass. She may be a female but her intelligence is much higher compared to Ren Gouxing. In fact, even her martial arts capabilities are many levels better than him. If she wasnt born a female, she would have been appointed as my Senior Martial Brothers successor.
The more Linghu Chong thought about Dongfang Bubai, the more he started to miss her. I wonder how she is now he uttered.
Gu Santong raised his brow and looked at Linghu Chong. You know the lass too?
Linghu Chong nodded and replied, Miss Dongfang saved my life more than once. In fact, if she had not exhausted her inner strength to save my life, she would not have sustained a serious internal injury.
Gu Santong suddenly reached his hand out and grabbed Linghu Chongs wrist. He narrowed his brows as he examined Linghu Chongs pulse. What the hell? This is not the right way to save someones life! he shouted in rage. What was the lass thinking? She is probably better in killing someone rather than saving someone!
Linghu Chongs heart swelled the moment he heard Gu Santong scolding Dongfang Bubai. He pulled back his hand and turned away annoyingly. If Brother Gu continues to scold Miss Dongfang, well have no choice but to end our brotherhood here!
Gu Santong was astonished by Linghu Chongs remarks. Someone is throwing their tantrum because I scolded the lass? The two of you must be real close he remarked.
Linghu Chong looked into the dark sky as he started thinking about Dongfang Bubai. There was a wide smile on his face.
Tell me how you the two of you got to know each other quick! Gu Santong said nosily.
If you stop scolding her I will tell you about it, Linghu Chong smirked.
Gu Santong agreed to his terms. She is my senior, my sworn sister. Of course I wont scold her. I was only angry earlier because she treated you the wrong way.
How can she be your senior or sister? She is as young as me! Linghu Chong responded shockingly.
Gu Santong rolled on the ground and started laughing heartily. Its a long story. In that year, my Senior Martial Brother taught her some of the skills which he had learned from the Sunflower Scripture. I have been begging him to teach me as well but he refused. So I asked the lass to teach it to me instead, he explained.
Sunflower Scripture? Linghu Chongs jaw dropped wide open. He had once heard from his master that the Sunflower Scripture contains formidable martial arts skills and is the most sought after manual within the martial arts world.
Gu Santong was impressed with Linghu Chongs knowledge of the martial arts world. Yes. The Sunflower Scripture is the Divine Sun Moon Cults treasure. Only the leader of the cult is able possess it. Do you know the origin of the Sunflower Scripture then?
That actually I dont know, Linghu Chong replied.
Gu Santong playfully pulled long hair and his face showed that he was very pleased with himself. Since were sworn brothers I will tell you its origin.
Linghu Chong return to his seat and looked at Gu Santong attentively.
Divine Sun Moon Cult is actually associated with Ming Sect. The Ming Sect was originally the largest martial arts group during the Yuan Dynasty era. It was Ming Sect that played a major role in helping Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang establish the Ming Dynasty. After rising into power, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the extermination of Ming Sect. He was afraid that there will come a day when members of the Ming Sect would rebel against him. Many members of the Ming Sect were killed in an ambush. Those who survived went into seclusion and started another group, now known as the Divine Sun Moon Cult, Gu Santong explained.
Wow. Who would have expected the Divine Sun Moon Cult to have such a fascinating history Linghu Chong said excitingly.
The Sunflower Scripture is in fact a compilation of the two greatest martial arts manuals, Nine Yin manual and Nine Yang Scripture. Ming Sects leader Chief Zhang Wuji and Emei Sects leader Abbess Zhou Zhiruo complied the two martial arts manuals and produced the Sunflower Scripture. Its been said that the Sunflower Scripture contains formidable skills and great healing techniques, Gu Santong continued.
Your Senior Martial Brother must be the number one martial artist then? Linghu Chong remarked.
Gu Santong shrugged and replied, I am not sure about that. No one knows if he ever completed learning the skills written inside the scripture. All I know is that he imparted parts and parcel of the skills within the manual to the lass. No matter how hard I begged the lass she would not teach me any of it. So in the end I kneeled at her and called her my sworn sister.
Linghu Chong looked at Gu Santong in disbelief. Brother Gu kneeled at a junior over a martial arts skills? He had always thought that he was the only martial arts enthusiast. After hearing Gu Santong he admitted defeat.
I am a martial arts enthusiast. If I hear about a great martial art I would want to learn it or at least have a chance to challenge it. After kneeling outside the lasss room for seven days and nights, she finally agreed to spar with me using the Sunflower Scripture skill which she had learned, Gu Santong said pleasingly. That was how we became sworn siblings.
Linghu Chong shook his head with a grin. Miss Dongfang probably did not know how to deal with you anymore. Beating you up would be disrespectful and imparting you the skills that she had acquired would violate the cults regulations.
Gu Santong chuckled and continued, Thats right. Come to think of it, Ive not seen the lass for many years now. Is she still as hot tempered as before?
Linghu Chong reached his hand out for the jar of wine. Well, I have to admit that she is fierce at times.
Gu Santong suddenly grabbed Linghu Chong by the shoulder.
Linghu Chong frighteningly shrugged him off. What was that for?
Brother, now that I have told you what I know its your turn to tell me how you got to know that lass? I am surprised how she could befriend with someone from the righteous sect like you, Gu Santong said.
Linghu Chong obligingly told Gu Santong everything about him and Dongfang Bubai. He started from the time they met at the brothel to the time he fell into a coma without missing a single detail. There was a wide smile on his face as he spoke about it. He was in fact reminiscing some of the good times that he has had with Dongfang Bubai. Especially during the time they drank at the grassland and spar inside the Repentance Cliff.
Gu Santong returned to his feet and placed his hand behind his back. Interesting indeed. Since youre such good friends with my sworn sister, Ill have no choice but to utilize my inner strength to unblock your meridian points.
Unblock my meridian points? Linghu Chong asked confusingly.
Gu Santong nodded. Once Ive done that, Ill teach you some inner energy cultivation method so that you can regulate the different streams of inner energy inside your body and transform it into one, he spoke with much excitement. And then, I will impart you my Art of Star Absorption so that you can speed up the process of increasing your inner strength.
He playfully pulled long hair and beamed mischievously. Hopefully you will get to encounter Ren Gouxing someday and use the Star Absorption that Ive imparted to you to teach him a lesson. The more he thought about it, the more excited he became.