Chapter Eight: The Avenger

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The dusk faded away, and night descended.
The sudden rain had ceased; neither stars nor a bright moon were visible.
At Mount Heng Sect, the residence of Liu Zhengfeng.
Inside the main hall, voices surged like a roaring sea. Over two hundred people sat scattered throughout, bustling with lively chatter and laughter. The servants of the Liu household came and went, promptly serving fragrant tea, pastries, and carefully prepared fine wine.
Though the outer hall remained noisy, the inner chamber was considerably quieter. Here sat disciples from major sects, along with their leaders. The nuns of the Mount Heng Sect gathered around one table, joined by disciples from Mount Hua Sect, Mount Tai Sect, Qingcheng Sect, and others...
Although calm on the surface, the atmosphere was far from peaceful.
The faces of the Mount Hua Sect disciples were somewhat grim. Not long ago, Daoist Tiansong arrived at the Liu residence bearing the severely injured Chi Baicheng. Upon learning that Chi Baicheng’s wounds were inflicted by the lecherous bandit Tian Boguang, the Mount Tai Sect leader, Daoist Tianmen, immediately berated the Mount Hua disciples harshly.
When it was discovered that Linghu Chong from Mount Hua had been drinking with Tian Boguang, even the host, Liu Zhengfeng, found it difficult to calm Daoist Tianmen. Yet upon hearing that Chi Baicheng’s condition was no longer critical, he finally relaxed.
At that moment, a clear and tender voice called from outside the door: “Master, I’m back!”
Ding Yi of Mount Heng immediately relaxed upon hearing the voice but shouted sternly, “Yilin is back? Hurry and come in!”
All eyes turned toward the entrance. As the curtain was lifted, everyone’s eyes brightened. A delicate young nun stepped timidly into the inner hall. Her face was like the rosy dawn, her eyes clearer than autumn waters, her skin as smooth as congealed cream—her radiant beauty captivated all who looked, making it hard to look away.
For a long moment, no one could help but feel sorrowful that such a beautiful girl had chosen the monastic path.
Yilin approached Ding Yi and respectfully bowed, calling out, “Master…” Just as she uttered two words, she suddenly burst into tears, sobbing, “Master, I... I almost couldn’t see you again.”
Her voice was not only clear and melodious but also extremely endearing. Her slender hands grasped Ding Yi’s sleeve, her innocent and aggrieved expression tugging at everyone’s hearts.
Suddenly, a commotion arose outside. Several men in blue cloaks hurried in, carrying two heavy wooden panels.
Lying atop the panels were two bodies—indeed, two corpses.
At Qingcheng Sect, the leader Yu Canghai glanced briefly, then his eyes widened in shock as he rushed to the bodies.
“Who did this? Which villain killed my disciples?”
The deceased were Luo Renjie and Yu Renhao of Qingcheng Sect. Yu Canghai turned, his face frostbitten with fury, casting a cold glare at Yilin.

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Yilin, frightened by his gaze, shook her head repeatedly, saying, “I... I don’t know.”
Upon hearing this, Yu Canghai’s eyes grew colder and more severe. He stepped forward, making Yilin visibly more anxious.
Seeing his disciple frightened, Ding Yi rose angrily and shouted, “What do you want? She said she doesn’t know—do you not have ears? Yu Canghai, do you think Mount Heng has no one to answer you?”
Yu Canghai also feared Ding Yi. Though confident, he had no absolute certainty of victory in a fight with her. Moreover, her senior sister Ding Xian, though gentle by nature, was renowned for her supreme martial skill. Even if he defeated Ding Yi now, it could invite endless trouble later.
At that moment, a faint sigh came from the side.
Everyone turned to see Liu Zhengfeng standing beside the corpses of Luo Renjie and Yu Renhao, his eyes heavy with worry. He examined the shattered fragments of a sword blade lying on the ground.
There were two swords, but aside from the hilts, the blades were broken into twenty-six pieces.
At first, Yu Canghai was too enraged by the sight of the bodies to notice the twenty-six sword fragments. His fury had drawn everyone’s attention, so no one else saw them either.
But now, Liu Zhengfeng’s scrutiny drew all eyes to the twenty-six broken pieces.
Yu Canghai stared at the fragments, suddenly speechless... The twenty-six broken edges were uniform, with no difference in length. This was no ordinary divine weapon. The skill of the person who wielded it must be no less than his own.
Daoist Tianmen spoke up, “What a sharp weapon—able to cut through iron like mud?”
Liu Zhengfeng replied slowly, “It is not a weapon.”
Yu Canghai’s voice was grave: “Third Master Liu, do you know the details?”
Liu Zhengfeng hesitated but, under Yu Canghai’s intense gaze and considering the dead were disciples of Qingcheng Sect and Yu Canghai’s own apprentices, he finally sighed and said, “This person uses his fingers as swords. The technique is from Wudang, the Thirteen Divine Swordforms of the Divine Gate.”
At these words, the assembled crowd’s expressions changed dramatically. Who could have imagined that it was the Thirteen Divine Swordforms of Wudang, and moreover, wielded with fingers? How great must that person’s martial prowess be? That someone from Wudang had mastered the Divine Gate’s Thirteen Swordforms with just their fingers?
Everyone was puzzled, skeptical, and incredulous.
Daoist Tianmen also showed doubt, asking, “Junior Brother Liu, how can you be sure it is the Divine Gate’s Thirteen Swordforms? To my knowledge, no one has practiced the Divine Gate’s Thirteen Swordforms in nearly a hundred years. Even Daoist Chongxu has never studied it, let alone... you say it is wielded with fingers?!”
Liu Zhengfeng looked around at the crowd, shook his head with a wry smile, and said, “You all are unaware, but I do not speak without cause. The reason I say this is because three years ago I heard my senior brother mention a certain person.”
The crowd’s curiosity deepened. Liu Zhengfeng composed himself and continued, “Three years ago, a young prodigy came to Hengshan. His original intention was to climb the Tianzhu Peak of Hengshan to seek a rare medicinal herb. However, our disciples clashed with him, and my junior nephew’s three-foot-long sword was broken into thirteen pieces by that person’s fingers.”

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Ding Yi added, “That person used the Thirteen Divine Swordforms of the Divine Gate?”
Liu Zhengfeng nodded, “Correct. This was witnessed firsthand by my senior brother.”
Yu Canghai’s face tightened but he still asked, “If this was seen by Master Mo, then it must be true. Third Master Liu, can you tell me who this person is?”
Liu Zhengfeng said, “His reputation precedes him. Surely you all can guess who he is?”
Daoist Tianmen understood immediately: “Junior Brother Liu is speaking of the Wudang master, Ren Yi, the young hero Ren?”
Ding Yi smiled, “I have heard that Daoist Chongxu took a fine disciple. In recent years, the fame of the Wudang master has reached even my ears. I did not expect this white-haired youth to have such a high level of martial skill.”
At this, murmurs filled the hall...
Everyone began discussing the Wudang master Ren Yi. In recent years, although Ren Yi had killed many, he had also saved countless lives. Among the younger generation, his name was the most renowned.
Yu Canghai’s expression darkened greatly upon hearing this.
He had long wanted to kill Ren Yi. Now that he knew Ren Yi was indeed in Hengshan City, how could he sit still? He shouted, “Qingcheng Sect disciples, follow me!”
In an instant, more than ten men followed him and left the hall.
Everyone knew he was going to seek vengeance. Ding Yi snorted, “Does Yu Canghai think he can bully the weak?”
Liu Zhengfeng said seriously, “Sect Leader, you may not know, but several Qingcheng disciples were killed by young Master Ren just a few days ago. Yu Canghai may truly take action himself... to avenge his apprentices.”
Daoist Tiansong whispered a few words to Daoist Tianmen, and both immediately followed Yu Canghai out.
With Mount Tai Sect gone, many others also began to leave...