novel-bin Chapter 101 Before the Battle
Chapter 101 Before the Battle
The rumors in Hengshan City intensified, but Zhao Yu, who was at the center of the storm, remained calm and composed.
He took some time to return to the Southern Song Dynasty and entrusted Huang Yaoshi with the backlog of affairs in the court.
Meeting Lin Chaoying calmed his mind.
Everything is moving in a positive direction, and Zhao Yu can now stay in the world of Swordsman and solve the biggest problem.
After returning to Hengshan, Zhao Yu secluded himself in the inn to meditate and adjust his condition.
Although he believed his internal strength was far superior to Dongfang Bubai's, he still dared not be careless in the slightest.
The most distinctive feature of the Sunflower Manual lineage of martial arts is its speed.
When speed reaches its extreme, it can break through all laws under heaven.
Zhao Yu had personally witnessed the speed of the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual, but that was only an incomplete version. As the original Sunflower Manual, Dongfang Bubai's speed would only be more terrifying.
Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit, let alone when facing the world's number one master.
Moreover, Dongfang Bubai is no rabbit, but a great white shark. Zhao Yu must use all his strength to defeat him.
Zhao Yu had adjusted himself to his peak condition, with his mind and body in perfect harmony, just waiting for the day of the decisive battle.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Early that morning, Ren Yingying sent a message that Dongfang Bubai's troops had arrived outside the city and would reach the South Gate tower in half an hour.
Zhao Yu slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them.
He changed into a black outfit, tied his long hair up, and pushed open the door to walk towards the south of the city.
At this time, the south gate of Hengshan City was already packed with people.
The city walls, the streets, and even the rooftops were packed with martial arts enthusiasts watching the spectacle.
Some came specifically to watch the battle, including disciples from the Five Mountains Sword Sect and many disciples from other sects.
Everyone craned their necks, peering towards the city gate tower.
murmurs rose and fell among the crowd.
"Hey, who exactly is this Zhao Yu? I've never heard of him before!"
"Who knows? But I heard that the death of the Qingcheng Sect Leader Yu was related to him, so his martial arts skills must be quite good."
"What's the use of being good? That's Dongfang Bubai! Even Ren Woxing, who was so powerful back then, was still ousted by him. I think Zhao Yu is in big trouble today."
"You can't say that. What if this person is skilled in martial arts? Today's show is sure to be a spectacle."
Before this, although Zhao Yu had accomplished many great things, he was still unknown in the martial arts world.
The sudden appearance of someone challenging Dongfang Bubai piqued everyone's curiosity.
Zhao Yu walked slowly through the crowd, listening to the surrounding discussions, his expression unchanged.
Just then, a hand suddenly grabbed his sleeve.
"Brother Zhao!"
Zhao Yu turned around and saw that Yue Lingshan's face was full of anxiety, with Linghu Chong and Lin Pingzhi following behind her.
"It's you." Zhao Yu smiled. "You're covered in sweat; you must have been exhausted these past few days."
After news of the Sun Moon Cult's large-scale invasion spread, the Five Mountains Sword Sects began to join forces to prepare for war, and Liu Zhengfeng's retirement ceremony naturally became unimportant.
Meanwhile, due to the large number of martial arts practitioners coming and going, Hengshan City was in chaos. Liu Zhengfeng had no choice but to ask other sects for help, and the Huashan Sect was no exception.
Over the past few days, Yue Lingshan has been busy with various tasks and is indeed quite exhausted.
"Oh dear, what time is it? Why are you still talking about this?"
Yue Lingshan stamped her foot and said anxiously, "Brother Zhao, how could you be so foolish? Dongfang Bubai is a demon with unparalleled martial arts skills and kills without blinking an eye. Challenging him is just suicide!"
"If things go wrong, you..."
She paused here, unable to continue.
After a moment, Yue Lingshan finally spoke up: "Why don't you come with us?"
"This time, besides the Songshan Sect, the other four sects have sent many experts. If we join forces, we will surely defeat the Demonic Sect. Even if you have a grudge against the Demonic Sect, you can take revenge when everyone attacks together. With us supporting you, it's better than you fighting alone."
"The people from Songshan Sect haven't arrived yet?" Zhao Yu didn't answer, but looked at Linghu Chong instead.
Linghu Chong nodded, a hint of disdain on his face: "Only a few disciples came, saying they were entangled by the Demonic Sect on the way and will arrive later. Hmph!"
Zhao Yu sneered and remained silent.
Zuo Lengchan's thoughts are self-evident.
Ding Mian and Fei Bin had already arrived at Hengshan, but they had remained hidden, simply because they wanted to use the Sun Moon Sect to weaken the strength of the other four sects.
This kind of personality, which only knows how to hide in the shadows and plot, is destined to never achieve anything great.
To unite the Five Sacred Mountains into one sect, intrigue alone is far from enough.
"Brother Zhao!" Yue Lingshan shook his arm in annoyance. "I'm talking to you about serious matters. Why are you asking about the Songshan Sect?"
When Linghu Chong saw Yue Lingshan looking up at Zhao Yu, his heart suddenly skipped a beat, and a strange bitterness flashed through his mind.
"My junior sister..."
He quickly shook his head: "No, definitely not. Young Master Zhao has helped Mount Hua a lot, and my junior sister is a chivalrous person; she only wanted to save someone."
Linghu Chong convinced himself in his heart.
On the other side, Zhao Yu gently pulled back his sleeve: "I appreciate your kindness, but challenging Dongfang Bubai is my own decision, so you don't need to try to persuade me anymore. You see, even Sect Leader Yue didn't try to persuade me, which means he understands this principle as well."
He knew, of course, that Yue Buqun wasn't unwilling to persuade him, but rather that he hoped he and Dongfang Bubai would both suffer heavy losses.
Ideally, he would die at the hands of Dongfang Bubai, so that Yue Buqun could legitimately search for the whereabouts of the Evil-Slaying Sword Manual among his belongings.
However, there was no need to say these things in front of Yue Lingshan.
Yue Lingshan tried to explain for Yue Buqun: "No, my father..."
He opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak, unsure how to explain.
"Young Master Zhao thinks so highly of me, and I am truly grateful."
A gentle voice came from the side, and Yue Buqun walked over slowly, accompanied by Abbess Dingyi and a middle-aged man.
Behind Abbess Dingyi stood Yilin, her face filled with worry.
Zhao Yu was somewhat surprised. Could it be that Yue Buqun had also come to persuade him not to go into battle?
However, before the other two could speak, the middle-aged man on the side laughed first: "I never expected that such a young hero would come from Hengshan and even kill that villain Tian Boguang. I, Liu, have failed to personally welcome him, which is quite impolite."
Zhao Yu suddenly realized that the person in front of him must be Liu Zhengfeng.
However, among these three, it seems that only Abbess Dingyi is truly worried about Zhao Yu.
Putting aside everything else, the people of the Hengshan Sect are indeed exemplary models of righteousness.
As expected, Abbess Dingyi spoke first: "Young Master Zhao, I know you are highly skilled in martial arts and have a chivalrous heart. But Dongfang Bubai is no ordinary person, and you must not act rashly. Why not heed my advice, take a step back, and consider the matter further?"
"Yes, Young Hero Zhao," Liu Zhengfeng echoed, "As long as the green hills remain, there's always hope. Dongfang Bubai has committed many evils and will face retribution sooner or later. Why risk your life?"
Yue Buqun stroked his long beard and said a few meaningless words, clearly not sincerely trying to persuade Zhao Yu.