49 Chapter 49 (Second Update) A Journey Through Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 49 A Journey Through Mountains and Rivers

What I didn't expect was that when I saw the Northern Snow Blade again, I was met with the tragic state of the Yin family...

At this point, recalling the scene, Deyuan once again clasped his hands together, bowed his head, and whispered "Amitabha."

None of those around them expected such a turn of events, and they all stood there stunned, but no one urged them on.

The once-powerful Snow Blade, renowned in the northern frontier, unexpectedly suffered the tragedy of its entire family being wiped out by enemies seeking revenge.

Although Deyuan's trip was aimed at the Northern Snow Blade, what else could he do in the face of this situation?

Bai Cen looked at Wang Sumo.

Although Wang Sumo still rested her chin on her hand, there was a clear sigh in her eyes.

The Eight Treasures Pavilion has also witnessed the rise and fall of martial arts masters, with each new generation surpassing the last. They are either young heroes or old steeds still eager to gallop a thousand miles. The Northern Snow Blade is known for its ferocity and ranks among the top masters.

What does it matter if he's the best in the world? How many people can't help but sigh at the sight of such a hero in his twilight years?

Deyuan continued softly, "I originally went to find Yin Liunian to settle the matter from back then, but I didn't expect to see this mess. He no longer recognizes me, or perhaps, he simply has no intention of recognizing who I am..."

And so, I accompanied him as we buried each of the more than eighty members of the Yin family.

This also includes disciples of the Northern Snow Blade Sect.

There were corpses covered in white sheets all around. I helped him dig a pit and bury one person. Later, the bodies that hadn't been buried yet started to rot.

We worked tirelessly for three days and three nights to bury all the bodies.

His eyes were bloodshot and he looked twenty years older. He looked at me, thanked me, and asked who I was, why I came here, and why I helped him.

When the Yin family was in turmoil, everyone avoided them, lest they get caught in the crossfire.

Only I am here.

Later I told him that I was Liu Henshui of the Linjiang Zhanhai Jue (a martial arts technique).

He snapped out of his numbness, looked at me in astonishment, and after a brief moment of surprise, he regained his earlier numbness and self-mockery, and then said in a deep voice, "I never thought that the one who would be with me to bury my family in the end would be you."

It was you!

Yin Liunian couldn't help but burst into maniacal laughter, unable to stop. He laughed so hard he was doubled over, until his eyes were filled with tears. Finally, his joy turned to sorrow, and he sat down against the trunk of a large tree, remaining silent for a long time.

I stood by his side the whole time, from dusk till dawn...

Later I learned that Saibei Chuixuedao was already facing internal and external troubles when I issued the challenge to him.

At that time, Yin Liunian was already in a state of utter distress and caught between a rock and a hard place. However, if the news of him not accepting my challenge had spread, the Northern Snow Blade would probably have nowhere to hide in the Northern Frontier.

The position of number one in the North is not easy to hold; it is like standing on the edge of an abyss or walking on thin ice. Once you are placed in this position, there will be people in the martial arts world who are eyeing you covetously.

This is especially true in places like the northern frontier.

"If you want revenge, then come at me." He calmly closed his eyes. "Thank you for helping me bury my family these past two days..."

He didn't know that my trip to the northern frontier wasn't to seek revenge. I stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Could you first tell me how Chen was injured?"

Dust has settled, ah!

He probably didn't expect me to suddenly ask about Chen, or perhaps, being a dying man, he casually asked the question that had been bothering him, "You don't know him?"

Liao Chen saved me. If I knew Liao Chen, he should have told me everything that happened back then. That's why I asked this question. Yin Liunian also suddenly realized that Liao Chen and I were not familiar with each other.

Seeing me shake my head, Yin Liunian gave another self-deprecating laugh, "If it weren't for his insistence on saving you, I might not have hesitated in the end, giving him a real chance to rescue you. If you don't nip it in the bud, fate will decide. Go ahead and do it."

Yin Liunian seemed to suddenly understand.

One would risk his life to save a complete stranger, Liao Chen, who had even used tactics against him; only then would there be Liu Henshui, who would come back to seek revenge but also accompany him to bury his family.

hehe!

Yin Liunian couldn't help laughing.

"I came to find you to ask about the incident when Chen was injured back then, and also because of an unfinished competition. I didn't come here to kill you," I said in a low voice.

He suddenly opened his eyes and looked up at me. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes showed surprise, as if he thought he had misheard.

But in the end, he must have understood what had happened. He said softly, "I have lost all my martial arts skills and am a cripple. I will no longer have your luck and opportunities. We can no longer compete. You should leave."

Looking at him, I found myself spontaneously uttering Liu Guang Sanren's words, "A contest doesn't have to be a martial arts match; we can compete in chess, or in drinking..."

He was stunned for a moment, but soon his eyes lit up with a delighted smile. "Okay, let's have a drinking contest."

The two of us drank for a whole day and night on the dilapidated city walls beyond the Great Wall, from dusk till dawn, and from dawn till midday and then sunset...

The liquor from the northern frontier had a strong effect, and I collapsed to the ground in a daze. When I woke up, it was already the morning of the third day.

Yin Liunian didn't kill me; instead, he waited for me to wake up on the city wall.

"I lost, and I admit defeat wholeheartedly." I stood up. This trip to the northern frontier has resolved my inner conflict, and it's time to say goodbye. I still have other letters from Liuguang Sanren to deliver, and the northern frontier is not a place I want to stay.

"Farewell." I bowed to him, then strode away without looking back.

As we reached the foot of the city wall, he suddenly called out to me, "Liu Henshui."

I looked up at him and saw him standing in the morning light, bowing to me with his hands clasped in a fist salute. At that moment, I saw that he looked thin and frail; the spirited young man of three years ago was now a completely different person, and so were we.

Now, it all suddenly becomes clear: what does it matter who won this competition?

I just laughed it off, saying, "Never again."

Behind me, Yin Liunian's voice called out again, "Do you want to know why I agreed to team up with Chu Mengchen to ambush you back then?"

I froze, turning back to look at him in surprise.

He said in a deep voice, "Back then, as soon as your post arrived, Chu Mengchen came to the northern frontier to find me, saying that he wanted me to join forces with him to get rid of you."

He was in the north, Chu Mengchen was in the southwest, and I was in the south. We agreed to meet in the Central Plains.

My post arrived just before Chu Mengchen's, which only shows that Chu Mengchen knew this would happen a long time ago.

My eyes were filled with shock, and he continued, "You've been set up by him. If I hadn't agreed to his demands, he would have found someone else to get rid of you, Liu Henshui. I promised him I wouldn't tell anyone about this, but now I'm breaking my promise because at this moment, I suddenly regret it. I regret that I shouldn't have done it in the first place, not that I didn't eliminate the threat completely."

I was in complete shock. My mind was flooded with images of the people who had encouraged me to go north to challenge the Northern Snow Blade and the Eight-Sided Formation Umbrella back then, but who were the advisors left with me in the army after the imperial court sent troops to suppress the bandits.

He advised me to collude with the military and have me, along with the garrison troops tasked with suppressing bandits, plunder the people's wealth.

He also encouraged me to go north, saying that one day I would become the number one figure in the martial arts world.

It suddenly dawned on me that everything was interconnected...

I was originally holed up in Jiangnan. The imperial court was suppressing bandits, but the army was using my reputation to make money, so they had no choice but to let me go. At that time, I was arrogant and gradually became unrestrained. The name of the notorious bandit Liu Henshui became more and more famous in the Jianghu.

They were afraid I would get out of control...

It wasn't until that moment that I suddenly understood the truth.

The so-called "Number One in the Martial Arts World" and the "Challenge Letter from the North" were all traps designed to lure me into. From the very beginning, all they wanted was my life. But at the time, I was arrogant and, in addition to the Northern Snow Blade and the Eight-Sided Formation-Breaking Umbrella, I also issued a challenge letter to Lingxu Futian Dust.

That's why there was regret...

It wasn't until that moment that I suddenly realized the whole story.

"If you hadn't let Yin Liunian go, you might never have known this in your entire life," Bai Cen sighed.

Master He also sighed, "The reason why the Northern Snow Blade didn't tell you from the beginning was because he had promised the Eight-Sided Formation-Breaking Umbrella, but in the end he still told you the truth, fearing that you would suffer another misfortune, and that he himself..."

Master He looked at him.

"Amitabha." Deyuan put his hands together, then shook his head and said in a deep voice, "I was right under the ruined city wall, and before I could react, I saw him commit suicide."

The ending was so heartbreaking that silence fell once more.

A short interlude from "The Northern Snow Blade" evokes different feelings in everyone who hears it.

Although Lao Qu disliked De Yuan very much, he seemed to have changed quietly. Although it was awkward, he no longer hated him as much as before.

Zhao Tong also visibly breathed a sigh of relief. However, if the Northern Snow Blade were at its peak, De Yuan might not have been able to defeat it. Fortunately, it was Yin Liunian who died in the end, not De Yuan.

As for Wang Sumo, the question was, "So, did you go looking for the Eight-Sided Formation-Breaking Umbrella later?"

Those who enjoy watching the excitement are more curious about what happens later.

It has to be said that what Wang Sumo asked was also what everyone around her wanted to know.

I've been hearing about Deyuan's story for quite some time now, but every story should have an ending, and this one feels like it's nearing its end...

Sure enough, Deyuan put his hands together and said, "Amitabha, this old monk did not go to find the Eight-Sided Formation-Breaking Umbrella, because I promised Liuguang Sanren that I would deliver that stack of letters for him."

"Huh? They really sent it?" Bai Cen couldn't help but exclaim. He had almost forgotten that it was because Liu Guang sent De Yuan to deliver the message that De Yuan went to the northern frontier to meet Sai Bei Chui Xue Dao.

Therefore, even after learning about the Eight-Sided Formation-Breaking Umbrella, Deyuan still did not go to find Chu Mengchen of the Eight-Sided Formation-Breaking Umbrella, but continued to deliver messages for Liuguang Sanren...

At this point, Deyuan's face showed a long-lost gentle smile. "When I went to deliver them one by one, I found that some of these letters were from people Liuguang had helped before, and others were from people he had told before, 'If you don't believe me, I'll wait and see if you regret it.' Then the letters specifically asked me to go and see if they had suffered a loss or regretted it. If they regretted it, I should tell them one more thing: 'If you don't listen to the advice of your elders, you will suffer the consequences.'"

Uh, -_-||.

Everyone around was speechless: "..."

However, this does fit Liuguang Sanren's personality. Although Liuguang Sanren had always been very mysterious, and few people knew what the Three Styles of Qingcheng looked like, it must be said that he suddenly seemed to come alive from Deyuan's description.

These martial arts masters each have their own unique personalities, yet they are all vividly portrayed.

Liu Guang made De Yuan see if those who didn't listen to his advice regretted it—that's brilliant!

"And then what happened?" Zhao Tong rarely asked.

Later, on my way to deliver these letters, strange things began to happen one after another. Suddenly, people in the martial arts world started chasing me, and it wasn't just one or two, but all along the way.

At first, I didn't pay much attention, but later I found that more and more people were chasing me. I started to hide and try not to clash with them. I also gradually heard rumors in the martial arts world that the notorious bandit Liu Hentian had returned to the martial arts world and continued to commit arson, murder, and robbery. He also said that he had wiped out the entire Saibei Chuixuedao family.

ah?

The surrounding area was shocked.

Deyuan sighed softly, and I suddenly realized that this matter was extraordinary.

Although the people who chased me before were also from the martial arts world, I felt that they were all assassins or hired killers who were paid by others to get rid of trouble. But later, more and more people came to kill me because they were indignant.

Moreover, rumors have been circulating that I was seriously injured and lost my martial arts skills, which is why I am hiding in various places.

From then on, I was hunted down by even more people in the martial arts world, and I encountered them almost every day.

Bai Cen sighed softly, "These people wouldn't dare show their faces when you still possessed martial arts skills; but upon hearing that you've lost them all, they all want to take advantage of the situation, perhaps even becoming famous in the martial arts world. Human nature, indeed."

Zhao Tong also said, "Although you didn't actively seek out the Eight-Sided Formation-Breaking Umbrella, he heard about the Northern Snow Blade and was worried that you would go to him, so he struck first; he also spread the news, first bribing assassins to create momentum, and finally inciting the whole world to attack you. He is extremely vicious!"

If even the greatest villain says something is extremely wicked, then it must be extremely wicked!

Wang Sumo nodded in agreement.

Bai Cen crossed his arms and said slowly, "Actually, there is another possibility."

Everyone around stopped and turned to look at him.

Bai Cen sighed, "Didn't you just mention there was another scoundrel of a advisor? He deliberately encouraged you to take on the challenge of the Northern Snow Blade and the Eight-Sided Formation-Breaking Umbrella, and then secretly bribed the Eight-Sided Formation-Breaking Umbrella to sabotage you. Since he's already determined to kill you, he should be the one most worried now that he hears the news of your return to the martial world. He's afraid that one day you'll come to your senses, kill the Eight-Sided Formation-Breaking Umbrella, and then think of him, so he's striking first."

It must be said that Bai Cen's words were a wake-up call for everyone.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

Bai Cen continued, "The saying goes, 'To kill someone is to destroy their spirit.' As long as the people he hires use these names, it won't just be these people; everyone in the martial arts world will want to kill you. They'll kick a dog when it's down, smash its windows, and see who else they'll kill if not you."

Wang Sumo also recalled, "So, Master He and the old man were like this back then?"

Master He nodded. "Yes, wherever we went, we heard that the notorious bandit Liu Henshui had returned to the world, committing all sorts of evil deeds, including burning, killing, and looting. That's why we went to find Liu Henshui."

"This trick of using someone else to do the dirty work is really clever. I think that scoundrel of an advisor is very cunning. Who knows how many high-ranking officials in the court and the army are involved behind the scenes? The court is corrupt, what can the Jianghu do? This time the disaster relief grain is also adulterated everywhere, and who knows how many people will starve to death..." Bai Cen said in a deep voice.

The world of martial arts is vast, yet small; it is powerless before these forces.

A brief silence fell over the surroundings. Deyuan sighed softly, "Amitabha. After that, when others chased me, I hid. I had promised Liuguang that I would do it. I delivered those letters while hiding, just like when I went to the northern frontier, I saw all walks of life. These letters contained my nightmares, things I dared not go to in my sleep. Liuguang remembered them for me. I must face these things eventually, so I have been hiding all this time."

"When Liuguang and I were together, we did all sorts of things. Sometimes I would disguise myself as a noodle vendor, sometimes as a Taoist priest, and once I remember when I was being chased by two benefactors, I disguised myself and went to hide in the army. But I didn't expect to encounter the invasion of the Northern Di, who were massacring civilians at the border. At that time, several children of the Lu family of Nanyun died in battle at the border. On the battlefield, we fought hand to hand, blood flowed like rivers, and corpses piled up like mountains. At that time, I only had national hatred and family hatred in my eyes, nothing else. That was also the first time I drew my sword since I left Qingcheng."

Everyone around was stunned. "..."

"I spent several months in the army, almost every day I was on the verge of death, but it was worth it to live. It was then that I realized that the soldiers who fought bloody battles on the border were all full of courage, completely different from the garrison troops I had seen in Jiangnan. But the battlefield is ultimately cruel. We were ambushed, and I was seriously wounded. Although I was lucky enough to survive, my injuries were extremely severe. Even if time were to come again, it would not be able to heal me."

The old man suddenly remembered, "But you ran away that night? You clearly said you couldn't get out of bed."

Deyuan sighed, "I have no choice but to run; I have to crawl if I have to."

Old Master Qu & Master He: "..."

Deyuan shook his head. "After leaving the army, I was really in a state of hiding with all my injuries, and I was almost completely out of martial arts. It wasn't until later that I met Benefactor Zhao."

Everyone turned to look at Zhao Tong, who knew that it was time for him to make his appearance.

But what he saw and heard must have been completely different from what Deyuan saw and heard.

Sure enough, Deyuan put his hands together and spoke again, “That time, I was being chased and hid in a temple, disguising myself as an old monk. Over the years, I’ve disguised myself as a Taoist priest quite a few times, but I haven’t disguised myself as a monk much, so I’m still a little scared. But hiding is better than not hiding. At that time, I happened to meet Benefactor Zhao who came to ask for my advice.”

"For most of the hour, Benefactor Zhao kept talking non-stop. At first, I was just pretending to be Deyuan, but as I pretended, I got absorbed in what he said and forgot to run away, so I missed the best time to escape. Later, I was discovered and in the panic, I broke both my legs. Fortunately, Benefactor Zhao came back and saved me. Amitabha, good, good!"

Surroundings: !!

It turns out that Zhao Tong was walking with Deyuan in this way; it was a coincidence, but not entirely a coincidence.

"Where are those people?" Bai Cen asked.

Zhao Tong glanced at him and said coldly, "Kill him!"

around:"……"

Bai Cen was astonished. "You killed him without asking why?"

Zhao Tong glanced at him. "Why should I ask? At a glance, who is good and who is bad between the old bald monk in the temple and those vicious killers? They broke the old bald monk's leg and were about to kill him. Why should I waste my breath talking to them at this point?"

(⊙o⊙)…

This must be what happens when you say "a great demon is a great demon."

“Amitabha.” Deyuan continued, “When Benefactor Zhao saw that this old monk had broken his leg and was seriously injured, he was afraid that someone might harm me, so he has been taking me with him on the road.”

Bai Cen was stunned. "So, the reason why the leader of the Rakshasa Alliance disappeared for ten years, and they couldn't find him anywhere in the martial world, was because Zhao Tong was with you?"

Deyuan nodded.

Okay, this part has stunned everyone once again!

But after hearing Deyuan's story, I felt that there was some truth to the fact that he could keep Zhao Tong in check and that Zhao Tong would be willing to listen to him.

Perhaps, if it were a different story, it would be a completely different one.

"Excellent, excellent! Benefactor Zhao is wholeheartedly devoted to good deeds. What he asked me in the temple was that the internal energy cultivation method he practiced would intensify his murderous intent. Trying to control it with internal energy only made his killing desire stronger. Master Deyuan was a highly accomplished monk. Hearing that Zen could calm the mind, he came to ask how to control the murderous intent brought about by his practice. As a result, when I hid in the temple, Master Deyuan had just passed away. I had no choice but to wear his robe..."

"Shut up!"

Others: →_→

"I insist on telling you."

Everyone: ←_←.

It's obvious that both of them are stubborn, and it's not certain that one of them will win the argument!

Wang Sumo realized that no one understood Zhao Tong better than Liu Henshui.

Zhang Youjin is the "Liu Henshui" of his youth, but Zhao Tong is the "Liu Henshui" of his middle age.

Liu Henshui was also a master at deceiving people.

After all, he had experience in fooling Zhang Youjin before, and he had also learned some methods from Liuguang Sanren...

I reckon Zhao Tong has been subtly brainwashed.

Sure enough, "Amitabha, Benefactor Zhao has come to see this old monk, and this old monk truly knows what to do. Because of the excessive killing I committed before, my martial arts moves still harbor murderous intent. The Flowing Light Hermit taught this old monk how to conduct himself, and this old monk has taught Benefactor Zhao everything. Benefactor Zhao, you can control yourself now, and you no longer need this old monk by your side. I am very grateful for Benefactor Zhao's company these past few days. Now this old monk is about to finish this journey in the mortal world, and I should not have much time left."

This is not just idle talk.

Take the old man to see him.

Although he had taken the blow, only a faint life force remained in his palm strike, indicating that he was nearing the end of his life.

The old man looked at him and asked, "Why didn't you go find the Eight-Sided Formation-Breaking Umbrella?"

In the old man's eyes, living a carefree life in the martial world means leaving no regrets. Since he had already looked for the Northern Snow Blade, why not also see the Eight-Sided Formation Umbrella?

Even though everyone was hunting him down before, so much time has passed that the past has long since faded away. Now, even if he went there, no one would recognize Liu Henshui in this state.

So the old man didn't understand.

"Amitabha." Deyuan put his hands together and smiled without saying a word.

Wang Sumo looked at the old man and said softly, "Because he knew he would be exposed. Most importantly, if Zhao Tong knew the reason—no, even if Zhao Tong didn't know the reason—once he encountered the Eight-Sided Formation-Breaking Umbrella, the Eight-Sided Formation-Breaking Umbrella would definitely fight him out of guilt. Fighting him would mean fighting Zhao Tong. He was afraid that Zhao Tong wouldn't be able to defeat him, or that if he did, he would be gone and Zhao Tong would be hunted down by the entire martial world. Thirdly, and most importantly, he was afraid that Zhao Tong would become a second him. He had finally taught Zhao Tong to control his killing intent, and he didn't want all his efforts to be in vain. So, compared to regret, Deyuan cared more about Zhao Tong. That's why he preferred not to go to the Eight-Sided Formation-Breaking Umbrella..."

Wang Sumo's words were a wake-up call, and everyone around suddenly realized what was going on. Deyuan chuckled, "Miss Wang is indeed clever."

Wang Sumo continued, "You did break both legs before, but you recovered afterward. The reason you still lied to him was because he couldn't walk easily because of your broken legs, so he had to stay with you. If he stayed with you, he wouldn't kill people indiscriminately."

“Yes, this old monk chanted scriptures for him,” Deyuan said with a smile.

Surroundings: (⊙o⊙)…

However, it is indeed somewhat funny.

Old Qu was exasperated. "Can you do that? Aren't you a fake monk?"

Deyuan smiled and said, "I learned it on the spot. When I go to a temple, I learn a new scripture. I have to recite a different one each time, otherwise I will be discovered."

The people around were also stunned.

The most shocked person must be Zhao Tong!!!

Wang Sumo sighed, "They really have a knack for it. They can learn it after just one listen. It might not work for others!"

The old man chimed in, "He can play any role convincingly! But when he played a noodle stall vendor, he fooled me and Lao He so much that we were complaining about other martial arts sects at his noodle stall. I don't know how much of that he overheard."

Deyuan continued, "I heard it all, and I still remember it."

Old Master Qu: "..."

It seems that Master He also remembered this matter, and he coughed lightly while clenching his fist.

Bai Cen lowered his head, suppressing a laugh.

Only Zhao Tong cared about Deyuan: "Are you really not going to look for the Eight-Sided Formation-Breaking Umbrella?"

Zhao Tong frowned. Regardless of whether he was Liu Henshui or not, in Zhao Tong's eyes, he was Deyuan.

Deyuan said gently, "It's not necessarily bad for life to have regrets. But compared to regrets, this old monk would much rather see Benefactor Zhao..."

Zhao Tong interrupted, "I'll go with you."

Deyuan politely declined, saying, "Benefactor Zhao has already escaped the sea of ​​suffering, so why should you return and waste these ten years?"

"You're talking nonsense!"

Surroundings: (⊙o⊙)…

I wonder how Deyuan got through these past ten years.

Meanwhile, Old Master He stroked his beard and said gently, "If you don't mind, I can actually come with you."

Compared to Zhao Tong, everyone was even more surprised by Master He.

Master He calmly said, "I can accompany you through the mountains and rivers to complete this task. Others will not cause trouble when they see the Longevity Gentleman Sword, and they will believe what I say. I can also protect you and prevent you from doing evil deeds. What do you say?"

[Author's Note]

Post it early today

I've been counting down the days. I owe you two more chapters. The first one was from the day before yesterday, and that one was an extra chapter because I used up 6000 nutrient solutions!! Wow, so fast!