Chapter 84 Selling the First Title

"Wait a minute!"

A clear shout rang out in front of the main hall of the Liu residence.

Liu Zhengfeng strode out of the hall, followed by several disciples. He stepped forward, first bowing respectfully to the Qingcheng Sect members, his gaze lingering on Changchunzi for a moment before he said respectfully:

"Could it be the presence of the Qingcheng Sect's senior, Daoist Changchunzi? I, Liu Zhengfeng, have long admired your esteemed reputation, and to meet you today is truly an honor beyond measure."

Changchunzi nodded slightly in return: "Nephew Liu, there's no need for such formalities. I've been out of the world for many years, and I never expected to witness your retirement ceremony."

Liu Zhengfeng hurriedly said, "It is an honor for me that you have graced my humble abode with your presence, senior." He then turned to Yu Canghai, clasped his hands in greeting, and said:

"Sect Leader Yu, I am also saddened by your son's situation. However, today is the day I retire from the martial world, and I hope that you will give me some face and quell my wrath."

Yu Canghai stared intently at Sarutobi Higetsu, gritting his teeth as he said:

"Brother Liu, it's not that I'm disrespecting you, but the hatred for killing my son is irreconcilable!"

At this moment, the heroes in the hall also came out one after another. Yue Buqun saw that the two sides were about to draw their swords, and that the elder of the Qingcheng Sect, Changchunzi, was still alive. He was startled, but his face remained calm. He secretly regretted his words yesterday, in which he praised the Fuwei Escort Agency and satirized Yu Canghai. He felt that he had been a bit rash.

Just then, a Buddhist chant rang out:

"Amitabha."

An old monk with a wrinkled face slowly walked out; it was none other than Master Fang Sheng of Shaolin Temple.

Master Fang Sheng walked between the two sides, put his palms together and said to Chang Chunzi, "Thirty years have passed since we parted, and you still have the same demeanor as before. You are truly a blessing to the martial arts world."

Changchunzi finally opened his eyes and returned the greeting: "Master, your Buddhist teachings are becoming increasingly profound. How is Master Fangzheng?"

"My senior brother is well-versed in Buddhist principles and is doing well."

Upon seeing the appearance of the Shaolin monk, Yu Canghai had no choice but to restrain himself and clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "Greetings, Master Fang Sheng."

Master Fang Sheng put his palms together and said, "Sect Leader Yu."

Master Fang Sheng looked around at both sides of the conflict, and then said:

"I deeply sympathize with Sect Leader Yu's grief over the loss of his son. However, Benefactor Liu is about to retire from the martial world, and heroes from all over the land are here to congratulate him. If we were to resort to violence here, it would not only ruin Benefactor Liu's joyous occasion but also offend all the heroes."

He paused, then continued:

"In my humble opinion, we should quell our anger for now and settle our scores after Benefactor Liu has completed the ceremony. At that time, I will not interfere but will simply observe from the sidelines. What do you say?"

Yu Canghai's face turned ashen, and he was about to speak—

Changchunzi slowly spoke, "Revenge must be taken, but courtesy must also be observed. Having killed the Qingcheng Sect members, do you think they'll escape?"

He didn't even lift his eyelids while speaking, but the confidence in his words was palpable to everyone present.

Master Fang Sheng put his palms together and said, "Daoist Master, you are deeply righteous. This old monk admires you."

Yu Canghai took a deep breath, suppressing his eagerness, and said coldly:

"Very well! Brother Liu, I'll give you this face. Master Fang Sheng of Shaolin and my uncle have both spoken; if I were to persist, I would appear ungrateful. Once you've washed your hands and left this Liu residence, my Qingcheng Sect and the Fuwei Escort Agency will be locked in a life-or-death struggle!"

After saying that, he waved his hand and led the Qingcheng disciples to retreat to the side.

Madam Wang sneered:

"Although your son wasn't killed by the Fuwei Escort Agency, it doesn't matter. Now that you're here, it's a fight to the death. Even the Heavenly King himself can't save you."

Changchunzi opened his eyes and glanced at Madam Wang, a murderous intent flashing within him.

Shi Potian stepped forward, stood in front of Madam Wang, and said:

"Old Taoist priest, you should not help Yu Canghai. He is destined to die. Although your martial arts are not bad, you cannot save him. You should go back. You did not participate in the massacre of the family, so I will not kill you."

Changchunzi, who was originally aloof and detached from worldly affairs, suddenly became so angry that he laughed instead.

"Good, good... I didn't want to come at first, but now it seems I made the right decision. There's no better way to avenge my senior brother than by killing a prodigy of the Lin family."

Master Fang Sheng of Shaolin, Yue Buqun, and the other heroes were stunned for a moment, looking at each other in bewilderment. Was this young镖头 (bodyguard) really so arrogant? They didn't know how to mediate.

Liu Zhengfeng looked worried and said, "Senior..."

Changchunzi said, "Nephew Liu, there is no need to worry. We can wait. We will discuss this after the conference."

Liu Zhengfeng breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Lin Zhennan.

Lin Zhennan clasped his hands and said, "We will naturally comply with Third Master Liu's generous gesture. After Third Master retires from the criminal world, we will make the Qingcheng Sect pay for their blood debts."

Liu Zhengfeng nodded and said loudly:

"Very well! In that case, please, heroes, take your seats in the hall. I have prepared a simple meal; please remain seated for a moment, and I will wash my hands when the auspicious time arrives!"

He was the one in charge of washing his hands. After saying this, he handed over the task of entertaining the guests to his disciples Xiang Danian, Mi Weiyi and others, and went down to make preparations himself.

The surrounding guests gradually dispersed, but many remained, watching and whispering. Someone muttered:

"Even the Qingcheng Sect's leader, Changchunzi, has been summoned out of seclusion. This time, the Fuwei Escort Agency is probably doomed."

Another person said:

"That's not necessarily true. Didn't you see that young镖头 Lin was calm and composed, spouting nonsense, even saying he wouldn't kill Changchunzi? He's probably just too confident to back down."

Amid the discussion, everyone followed Liu Zhengfeng into the hall.

The hall was filled with distinguished guests. Master Fang Sheng of Shaolin and Daoist Ling Xu of Wudang sat at the head of the table on the left and right, respectively. Changchunzi did not want to sit in the head seat and sat with the Qingcheng Sect members.

Zhang Jin'ao, the vice leader of the Beggars' Sect, and many elders from the Five Mountains Sword Sect, including Master Tianmen of Mount Tai, Yue Buqun, Master Dingyi of Mount Heng, He Sanqi, and Master Xia, have all arrived, along with countless heroes and warriors from all walks of life.

There are probably no fewer than a thousand people.

The Qingcheng Sect members were seated in the left corner, facing the Fuwei Escort Agency across the hall.

After Changchunzi sat down, he closed his eyes to rest, as if everything around him was irrelevant. Jia Kunlun, on the other hand, stared coldly at the people from the Fuwei Escort Agency, his gaze sharp as knives, and whispered to Yu Canghai:

"Senior brother, we thought that Japanese ronin was just a nobody, but we didn't expect his martial arts to be so strange. The Fuwei Escort Agency has suddenly gained a top-notch expert, which adds another variable to the situation."

Yu Canghai gripped his teacup so tightly his knuckles turned white. He stared at Luo Renjie and Li Renhong, who were sitting opposite him at the Fuwei Escort Agency, his eyes filled with a murderous intent. The tea in his cup trembled slightly, a testament to his own turmoil.

He said slowly, "No rush. Uncle-Master Changchunzi is here; he has his own plans. Today, we will surely destroy the Fuwei Escort Agency here and eliminate any future troubles."

Across from the group from the Fuwei Escort Agency, Madam Wang pulled Luo Renjie aside and asked, "Is that Changchunzi very skilled in martial arts? How does he compare to Yu Canghai?"

Luo Renjie said, "I don't know either. I've been in the Qingcheng Sect for so many years and I've never seen this grandmaster uncle."

Lin Zhennan asked Shi Potian, "Ping'er, what do you think? Are you confident?"

Before Shi Potian could speak, Sarutobi Riyue said disdainfully:

"Rest assured, Madam. Even if Changqingzi were to be resurrected, he would be no match for our lord, let alone an old man who is about to die. Before our lord, these thousands of people here are nothing more than pawns to be sold in Seoul."

Shi Potian smiled but didn't say anything. Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he looked towards the door. To his surprise, someone he never expected had arrived.