Chu Tong leaned on a big tree, craning her neck to look into the distance. She saw Yun Yinghuai displaying his might and couldn't help but smile. She thought to herself, "So the bloodshed here is because someone betrayed us. Sigh, what's the point of fighting and killing? You can lose your life in no time. These people are really stupid."
Suddenly, Yun Yinghuai leaped into the air, his feet landing on Shen Zhanyang's sword. Shen Zhanyang's wrist couldn't withstand such force, and his arm fell. Yun Yinghuai took advantage of the moment, his body sinking down, and amidst the gasps of the crowd, he slapped Shen Zhanyang's face with a palm. With a loud "bang," Shen Zhanyang's head was shattered by Yun Yinghuai's internal force, instantly turning red and splattering brain matter everywhere! Yun Yinghuai released his grip, and Shen Zhanyang's body swayed twice before collapsing to the ground with a thud.
A deathly silence fell over the crowd. Yun Yinghuai raised his head, calmly gazing at the throng, and slowly said, "Those who do not wish to die, surrender!"
The crowd began to stir, their expressions uncertain as they looked at Yun Yinghuai's demeanor, their resolve wavering.
Chu Tong nodded repeatedly, muttering to herself, "It seems this crisis has been resolved." Just as she finished speaking, she heard a series of hurried footsteps, followed by a voice emanating from within: "Now that things have come to this, how can we give up halfway? Yun Yinghuai, this old man is ready to learn from you!"
Chu Tong was startled and quickly craned her neck to look. She saw an old man in blue leading a couple hundred men rushing towards Yun Yinghuai from all directions. The man looked to be over sixty years old, with a square mouth, broad nose, and a burly build. He strode up to her, raised his sword, and pointed it at Yun Yinghuai, saying, "Does Hero Yun think that killing Shen Zhanyang will solve everything?"
Yun Yinghuai's heart sank, but his face showed no fear. He carefully examined the man the man had brought, and then sneered, "Zhang Huanqiang, you colluded with outsiders to kill your own brothers. What ruthless methods you have!"
Zhang Huanqiang spat fiercely and said, "Enough with the idle talk. Since you've come to die, I'll grant your wish!" With that, he waved his hand and shouted, "Attack!" He then took the lead and charged forward with his broadsword.
The followers of the Cloud Peak Sect stood rooted to the spot, somewhat bewildered. Yun Yinghuai was, after all, the former leader of the Cloud Peak Sect. Although he had been expelled from the sect a year ago, his influence remained, especially given their recent display of unparalleled bravery. For a moment, they dared not draw their swords against him. Zhang Huanqiang, however, had brought non-sect members. These men responded to his call and drew their weapons, charging towards Yun Yinghuai.
Seeing this scene, Chu Tong panicked like an ant on a hot pan, muttering, "Oh no! One fat pig just died, and now so many flies have come! Yun Yinghuai can't fight them all; this is going to be very bad!" She strained to see ahead, only to see Yun Yinghuai swing his palms, instantly felling three people to the ground. Seeing the upheaval within the Cloud Peak Sect, Yun Yinghuai was filled with gloom and murderous intent. He unleashed his full power, elbowing, punching, slashing, and kicking, instantly enveloping him in a flurry of swordplay, and soon blood and flesh flew everywhere.
Chu Tong stared intently at the open space. Suddenly, Yun Yinghuai looked towards the tree where she was hiding. Chu Tong's spirits lifted, and she heard Yun Yinghuai laugh loudly, "Show me what you've got! Even if I die here, someone will avenge me! Those who don't want to die, hurry up and leave!"
Chu Tong was stunned upon hearing this, realizing that Yun Yinghuai was urging her to leave quickly. A chill ran through her: "Could it be that Yun Yinghuai is already on the verge of collapse?" Thinking this, she looked up again and saw the crowd swarming towards Yun Yinghuai like wasps. Chu Tong frowned anxiously, saying, "This won't do! I... I must find someone to save him!" With this thought, Chu Tong quietly slid down from the tree and ran along the wall. Reaching the gate, she saw her horse still tied to the tree. Chu Tong quickly untied the reins, mounted the horse, and looked around, completely at a loss. She vaguely remembered that there was a branch of the Tonghua Society in Linzhou City, so she spurred her horse and galloped towards the market.
She rode straight to the edge of the woods, only to see a dozen or so men on horseback galloping past at the entrance. Chu Tong looked closely and recognized the riders as the same officials she had encountered at the restaurant in Linzhou City. A plan formed in her mind, and she shouted "Giddy up!" spurring her horse to give chase.
Chu Tong soon caught up with the caravan. She searched around and saw the scarred-face man galloping at the front. Chu Tong quickened her pace and rushed to his side. Just then, they reached a fork in the road. She took a deep breath, suddenly leaned forward, grabbed the golden token at the man's waist, and yanked it hard. With two sharp "swoosh" sounds, the token was in Chu Tong's hand. She laughed loudly, "This golden token, I'll borrow it for a moment!" Then she ran off down another road.
Several angry roars came from behind, followed by the rapid clatter of hooves. Chu Tong turned around and saw all the officials chasing after her, shouting, "Catch that bitch! She stole the gold medal!"
Chu Tong laughed loudly, turned around, winked, and shouted arrogantly, "Come on! Come on! You bunch of turtles and tortoises, come and catch me!"
The swift cavalry, who had served the emperor for many years, were all proud and arrogant, receiving the highest honors in every prefecture and county they visited. They had never been so thoroughly mocked before, and immediately spurred their horses to chase after Chu Tong. Thus, on the official road, one could see more than a dozen officials struggling to catch up with a girl in a light red dress, their horses' hooves kicking up clouds of dust.
Chu Tong knew that although she was riding a fine steed, her riding skills were far inferior to those of the swift cavalry that could travel eight hundred li. She knew she couldn't keep up for long. At this moment, someone had already caught up with Chu Tong. She gave a sharp shout and turned her horse around. The horse then rushed straight into the woods.
Chu Tong found it much easier to run through the woods. After running for a while, she saw people surrounding her from both sides. One of them drew a steel knife from his waist and slashed at her head. Chu Tong twisted her body and jumped off the horse, rolling a few times on the ground before leaping up and chuckling, "A bunch of fools, nothing special!" With that, she took a breath and used the "Lotus Steps" technique to run forward, sometimes to the left and sometimes to the right.
A series of angry curses came from behind her, followed by the sound of a steel knife being drawn. Chu Tong gripped the gold medal tightly in her hand, thinking to herself, "Amitabha, may the Bodhisattva protect me, success or failure depends on this!"
The officers chasing Chu Tong also saw the corpse in the woods and, sensing something amiss, decided to give up the chase. However, they were forced to retrieve the gold token from the girl's hands. What annoyed them most was that they had almost caught her several times, but the girl was agile, dodging left and right, making it impossible to catch her. Although the swift cavalrymen were skilled in martial arts, they weren't exactly top-tier guards, and for a time, they were locked in a stalemate with Chu Tong.
As Chu Tong ran, she felt her strength waning. With the garden of the Cloud Peak Sect close at hand, she gritted her teeth and swung her legs with all her might, rushing inside in one breath. Then she shouted, "Sect Leader Yun! The reinforcements have arrived! The reinforcements have arrived!"
The dozen or so officials rode in on horseback, following Chu Tong all the way to where the crowd had gathered. There, they saw a pile of corpses in the courtyard, and Yun Yinghuai was fighting back, his eyes bloodshot.
The crowd was first startled to see a young girl rush in, shouting, "Sect Leader Yun, reinforcements have arrived!" They were then utterly dumbfounded when they saw a dozen or so cavalrymen dressed as government officials charge in. Before they could recover, Chu Tong spotted Zhang Huanqiang. She ran straight over, threw the command token into his arms, and yelled, "Sect Leader Zhang, the command token you had me steal is here!" Then she dashed off.
The scarred man roared, "How dare you! So it was you who instigated people to steal the official's possessions! I am a fourth-rank guard of the court, come and die!" With that, he swung his sword. The situation suddenly became chaotic. One side heard, "Master Yun's reinforcements have arrived," while the other side heard, "Master Zhang, the command token you had your men steal is here." Without saying a word, the two sides immediately started fighting, and half of the people who had been swarming to kill Yun Yinghuai were immediately divided up by the officials.
The long-standing rule in the martial arts world is to avoid conflict with officials. Whether martial artists commit arson, murder, or robbery, they always keep their distance from government officials. While one can make countless enemies in the martial arts world, there may still be room for maneuver later. However, openly opposing the government and killing an official of the court would bring truly serious trouble. Therefore, everyone was momentarily intimidated, hesitant to harm the officials even slightly, and some, fearing trouble, even secretly slipped away along the wall.
Yun Yinghuai was also startled by this sudden change. He knew who was behind it as soon as he heard the voice. He was afraid that the other party had too many people and he couldn't resist them, so he wanted Chu Tong to leave quickly and get away from the trouble. He didn't expect that the little girl would always do things unexpectedly and instead bring in an official from the imperial court as a savior!
The scene was utter chaos. Zhang Huanqiang was furious. First, a young girl rushed in and threw him a gold medal. Then, he was inexplicably accused of "inciting others to steal items belonging to an official of the court," and immediately a fight broke out with the government officials. The situation was now extremely unfavorable for him. He shouted, "Men, retreat!" and then fought his way out, with his elite cavalry giving chase. Leaderless, the men lost their will to fight and quickly dispersed.
Chu Tong emerged from her hiding place in the courtyard. Seeing Yun Yinghuai standing blankly in front of Miaoyun Pavilion, she rushed over and grabbed him, asking, "Yun Yinghuai, are you hurt?"
Yun Yinghuai stared at Chu Tong with deep eyes. He suddenly opened his arms and hugged Chu Tong tightly, whispering, "The Yunding Sect and I thank you!"
Chu Tong blushed and was about to say something when the door of Miaoyun Pavilion creaked open.
Frequently taking advantage of the wind to soar to the clouds
As soon as the doors of Miaoyun Pavilion opened, a round little face peeked out, followed by a seven or eight-year-old boy. He wore a purple-brown jacket embroidered with gold phoenix tails, had two horns on his head, and his fair face shone with bright, sparkling eyes, making him look exceptionally handsome. The boy paused for a moment when he saw Yun Yinghuai embracing Chu Tong, then immediately lowered his eyes, clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, and said in a childish voice, "Hua Jizhen greets Master. How are you, Master?" He then secretly glanced at Chu Tong a few times with his big, round eyes. Yun Yinghuai quickly released Chu Tong. Chu Tong noticed the boy's gaze, frowned, and made a face. Jizhen stuck out his tongue and looked away.
Yun Yinghuai bent down to help the child up, saying, "Jizhen, there's no need for such formalities." At this moment, Shi Yiqing coughed lightly and walked to Yun Yinghuai's side: "Sect Leader, Shen Zhanyang and Zhang Huanqiang had planned this all along. They invited my father and Hall Master Bai to the main gate for a meeting, and then poisoned the well water in the courtyard, causing all two hundred brothers in the main gate to become weak and unable to fight. My father and Hall Master Bai led their brothers from their respective halls to fight them, but there was a hunchbacked old man among them who was very powerful. My father was seriously injured, and Hall Master Bai took advantage of the chaos to fight his way out, but unexpectedly..."
Chu Tong thought to herself, "A hunchbacked old man? Could he be the big monkey who knocked me and Yun Yinghuai off the cliff in Tianyu Mountain?"
Yun Yinghuai raised his eyebrows slightly, his eyes flashing, and said, "I understand." After saying that, he turned and walked into Miaoyun Pavilion.
Chu Tong was about to follow when she felt her skirt being tugged. She looked down and saw the boy named Hua Jizhen speaking to her in a soft voice, "Heroine, please come with me to save our brothers who have been poisoned."
Seeing Hua Jizhen's cheerful and innocent demeanor, Chu Tong pinched his cheek and chuckled, "Alright." Then she followed him towards the back garden of the Cloud Peak Gate. The little boy hummed a song and skipped along. Suddenly, Hua Jizhen stopped, and then a sharp killing intent surged forth! A shout of "Hey!" rang out, and a cold light shot straight towards Chu Tong's face!
Chu Tong was immediately taken aback and hurriedly dodged to the side. Hua Jizhen flicked his wrist and attacked Chu Tong's left shoulder again. Although he was only seven years old, his moves were incredibly fast and fierce. Chu Tong dodged two attacks, but then saw Hua Jizhen's third move aimed at her right leg. In desperation, Chu Tong quickly twisted her body and grabbed Hua Jizhen's right wrist with her right hand. Hua Jizhen, however, retaliated with a backhand strike. Chu Tong retreated two steps to avoid the sword's shadow, and then struck Hua Jizhen's wrist with a palm strike. A cry of "Ah!" was heard, and Hua Jizhen's sword fell to the ground. Chu Tong followed up and punched Hua Jizhen's shoulder. The little boy couldn't take the force and fell to the ground with a cry of "Ouch!" Seeing that Chu Tong was about to raise her fist again, she hurriedly waved her hands and said, "I won't fight anymore! I admit defeat!"
Chu Tong angrily asked, "Why did you want to kill me?"
Hua Jizhen pouted and said, "I never intended to kill you. I test the martial arts skills of any woman who is obsessed with my master, to see if she is a good match for him." After saying that, he glanced at Chu Tong and immediately hung his head dejectedly, saying, "It seems that you don't have much skill either. My master is a peerless hero, renowned throughout the martial arts world. If he's going to woo someone, he should woo a beautiful and skilled heroine, not a woman like you."
Chu Tong snorted and said, "What do you know, you little brat? Your master just happens to like embracing women like me."
Hua Jizhen glanced at Chu Tong again, her face wrinkled with self-pity, and said, "A girl should be dignified and virtuous, but you're so vulgar, you even say the word 'fart'! I think the only thing you have going for you is your looks. Master, how did you become such a frivolous person who lusts after women? It must be that Sister Wansheng hurt you too much, which made you start to degenerate..."
Chu Tong heard these words clearly. Her expression changed, but she put on a smile and leaned closer to ask, "Little...little hero, who is this 'Wan Sheng'?"
Hua Jizhen glanced at Chu Tong, blinked his big eyes, and said, "Sister Wansheng? She's beautiful, well-educated, knowledgeable, intelligent, stunningly beautiful, incredibly clever, a beauty that could make fish sink and geese fall from the sky, a beauty that could shame the moon and flowers, a celestial being, a beauty that could topple kingdoms, charming and graceful, and radiant..." As he spoke, he couldn't think of any more adjectives, so he glanced at Chu Tong and said sullenly, "Anyway, she's better than you."
Chu Tong's heart tightened, but she asked with a smile, "Is that Wan Sheng from the Cloud Peak Sect? Does your master... like her a lot?"
Ji Zhen said in a clear voice, "Sister Wansheng isn't from the Cloud Peak Sect. Of course Master likes her. Every time Sister Wansheng comes to see Master, Master's face is expressionless, but his eyes are always smiling. She..."
Just as Hua Jizhen finished speaking, a loud shout came from behind: "Hua Jizhen!" Startled, both Chu Tong and Hua Jizhen trembled. Turning around, they saw Shi Yiqing approaching them, clutching his wound. Hua Jizhen immediately scrambled to his feet, adopting a respectful posture. Shi Yiqing glared at him and said sternly, "Miss Yao is a great benefactor and a distinguished guest of my Yunding Sect. You mustn't be rude!" He then clasped his hands in a fist salute and smiled at Chu Tong, "Miss Yao, the Sect Master was just looking for you. Hurry to Miaoyun Pavilion." Then, he glared at Hua Jizhen again and said, "Come with me to the back garden to help someone detoxify."
When Chu Tong returned to Miaoyun Pavilion, she saw Yun Yinghuai healing a middle-aged man with his internal energy. The man had a striking appearance, a slender build, long, bright eyes, and a beautiful beard; he looked extremely refined and scholarly. This man was Shi Youliang, the head of the Tengwu Hall of the Yunding Sect. Chu Tong glanced at Shi Youliang a few times and thought to herself, "Shi Yiqing and his father look very alike, but this uncle looks like a frail schoolteacher, lacking any of the ruthless aura of a martial arts swordsman." Shi Youliang also subtly observed Chu Tong for a few moments before slowly closing his eyes to continue his breathing exercises. There were still dozens of injured people in the pavilion. Chu Tong stepped forward to help bandage their wounds, and although they declined, they had to agree, but their attitude towards her was very respectful. After a while, Shi Yiqing rescued the poisoned person from the back garden, and everyone busied themselves moving the bodies, washing away the bloodstains in the courtyard, and cleaning up the mess.
Just then, a commotion erupted, followed by a thunderous shout: "Shen Zhanyang, Zhang Huanqiang, you two scoundrels, come to your grandfather Hua and die right now!" As soon as the words were spoken, a burly, fat man wielding a large knife charged in like a whirlwind, followed by more than a hundred people rushing in behind him.
The fat, burly man was taken aback upon seeing Yun Yinghuai, then overjoyed, exclaimed, "Brother Yun, you're back!" He glared angrily and roared, "Where are those two bastards now? I, Hua Ye, will tear them to pieces to avenge our fallen brothers!" As soon as he shouted this, the men behind him all brandished their steel knives and roared, "Yes! Avenge them!" The shouts echoed throughout Miaoyun Pavilion, and the Yunding Sect members sweeping the courtyard rushed forward, their expressions filled with righteous indignation, echoing, "Yes! Sect Leader, let's fight them! Avenge our fallen brothers!" "Sect Leader, give the order, and we will obey without hesitation!" "Sect Leader, our brothers died too tragically!"
Yun Yinghuai silently surveyed the crowd, then slammed his hand on the mahogany table beside him. With a loud crack, the table shattered! The crowd fell silent instantly. Yun Yinghuai shouted, “Fight? Do you expect me to lead you to fight our own brothers? Do you expect us to continue killing each other? The current situation clearly indicates someone is instigating rebellion. I will only punish the ringleader, not the followers! The Yunding Sect cannot afford any more unnecessary bloodshed!”
After Yun Yinghuai finished speaking, everyone silently lowered their clenched fists. Seeing the silence around them, Yun Yinghuai continued, "I am now burdened with the infamy of betraying my master and ancestors, but I cannot stand idly by while the Yunding Sect is in trouble. If you still consider me the sect leader, then you will have to obey my orders from now on."
As soon as the words were spoken, everyone shouted, "We swear to follow our sect leader to the death!" The gazes directed at Yun Yinghuai varied—some were filled with reverence, others with fervor, and still others with complex emotions. Yun Yinghuai, after all, bore the infamy of betraying his master and ancestors, but his influence remained. Now that he had returned, the followers of the Cloud Peak Sect felt a sense of security, though some couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow: "If our sect leader hadn't left back then, how could the Cloud Peak Sect have suffered this calamity today!"
Yun Yinghuai nodded slowly and said, "Good, very good." His gaze slowly swept over the corpses piled up in the courtyard. When he saw the body of Bai Xun, the leader of Jinghong Hall, Yun Yinghuai paused slightly. His eyes reddened slightly, and he said in a hoarse voice, "Send the order to set up a mourning hall! To pay tribute to the fallen brothers!"
Chu Tong followed Yun Yinghuai into the inner hall. Seeing Yun Yinghuai's furrowed brows, she reached out her small hand and held Yun Yinghuai's large hand, saying softly, "Don't worry, I think the current situation is actually quite good."
Yun Yinghuai was taken aback. Mingying's eyes darkened as she looked at Chu Tong and asked, "Why do you say that?"
Chu Tong chuckled and sat down beside Yun Yinghuai, saying, "Although you swore an oath that you would never return to the Cloud Peak Sect as sect leader until your name was cleared, you still responded to every call of 'sect leader' from the followers. Every word you uttered in the mourning hall just now was in the capacity of a sect leader." Chu Tong sighed, "This shows you're still quite attached to this damned sect leader position. So today's events are extremely advantageous to you!"
Yun Yinghuai's gaze was complicated. Chu Tong glanced at him and slowly said, "Yun Yinghuai, you are a dashing young man in your twenties. You became the leader of the Yunding Sect at such a young age. There must be some who are dissatisfied with the Sugar Master and Salt Master. There are probably even people who are jealous of your youth and good looks. However, because your master's dying wish is for you to be the sect leader, they will naturally have to endure it and act as their grandsons in front of you. It's like when I was a child in a brothel... cough cough. But you suddenly encountered a great change and have not appeared in the martial world for a long time. Those people simply rebelled and wanted to become kings and tyrants in the Yunding Sect. You can take this opportunity to see who is loyal and who is treacherous, wipe them out in one fell swoop, and eliminate the trouble forever."
A cold glint flashed in Chu Tong's eyes as she said, "Besides, those people are all old men with long beards. Having reached such high positions, they must have accumulated quite a few loyal lackeys. To use a phrase from a play, they're about to become too powerful and threaten the master. They've harbored disloyalty towards you, and naturally, they'll be difficult to control in the future. This is a perfect opportunity to eliminate them under the pretext of treason. Hmph, it's a godsend!" At this point, Chu Tong perked up, took a sip of tea, and continued eloquently, "You were forced to leave the Cloud Peak Sect due to an unjust accusation, which greatly damaged your prestige. But this time..." You risked your life to quell the rebellion of your followers, saving so many brothers. Afterwards, you acted swiftly and decisively to stabilize the situation. Now you have won the hearts of the people! The followers of the Cloud Peak Sect have also developed a bond with you through thick and thin, and will forever remember your kindness in saving them, becoming even more loyal to you! You can cultivate new talents from among them. For example, you saved Shi Yiqing's life; you can keep him by your side as a confidant and promote him. Therefore, although the current situation may seem that the Cloud Peak Sect is severely weakened, it is precisely the perfect opportunity for you to rise again. Why should you worry?”
Yun Yinghuai was deeply moved, and his deep, clear eyes shone even brighter. He never expected that such a girl who talked nonsense all day long could see through this, and that her thoughts were even more profound than his!
After finishing her long and eloquent speech, Chu Tong frowned and said to Yun Yinghuai, "But now, you only have one obstacle: the injustice remains unresolved. Returning to Yunding Sect now would be illegitimate and could easily become a topic of gossip in the martial arts world. This is truly a difficult problem..." At this point, she looked at Yun Yinghuai's handsome face and thought to herself, "I originally had a plan called framing someone. I would fabricate some convoluted pretext to pin the crime on the dead hall master, saying that they had premeditated a rebellion and thus framed Yun Yinghuai to expel him from Yunding Sect. But... but my young master is stubborn. If we don't find his master's wife and get to the bottom of this matter, he will definitely not let it go."
Seeing Chu Tong frowning and deep in thought, Yun Yinghuai's gaze softened. He gently touched Chu Tong's face and said, "I know you're worried about me, but the current situation is like rowing against the current. We've come this far, and there's no turning back. Besides, my master's dying wish was that I swear to heaven on the day I take over the position that the position of leader of the Cloud Peak Sect can only be passed on to my own children and must not be passed on to anyone else. So I swear I can never betray my master's dying wish."
Chu Tong asked in surprise, "How could your master give such an explanation? He can't even let his own son inherit the position, but he insists that your descendants inherit the position of sect leader." Then she thought for a moment, "Isn't my husband's son also my son?" She glanced at Yun Yinghuai and blushed.
Yun Yinghuai slowly shook his head and said, "I don't know what Master's intention was either." After saying that, he sighed and said, "Master's last instructions also included two auspicious beast tadpole script seals in the sect. If we had these seals, we could ask the Yunding Sect to do two important things. Because Prince Ping of Nanyan saved Master's life, Master gave one to Prince Ping; but the other one, I don't know who has fallen into his hands..."
Chu Tong trembled upon hearing the word "seal," and hurriedly took out the auspicious beast seal from her brocade pouch, handing it to Yun Yinghuai and saying, "Is this the one?"
Yun Yinghuai took it and was immediately taken aback, asking, "Where did you get this?"
Chu Tong said, "It was that ancient temple on that snowy night a few years ago. After I took the jade plum blossom, I casually took this seal as well."
Yun Yinghuai held the seal, glanced at Chu Tong, and his expression gradually darkened.
Just then, someone outside shouted, "Reporting to the sect leader, the mourning hall has been set up."
The mourning hall was set up in Miaoyun Pavilion. A long rosewood table stood at the front of the main hall, with eight thick white candles lit on it and white curtains hanging around it. Members of the Yunding Sect wore white silk sashes, their expressions solemn. More than a hundred people stood in the dark mass of Miaoyun Pavilion, the rest standing in the courtyard. Yun Yinghuai, dressed in mourning clothes, looked even more dashing and handsome. Chu Tong stood in a corner of the mourning hall, looking at Yun Yinghuai with a smile, secretly pleased with herself. "I have good taste," she thought, "choosing such a handsome husband. If I didn't know he was a great hero, I would have thought he was some rich young master like Xie Linghui and the Third Young Master Wang." Thinking of Xie Linghui, a strange feeling welled up inside her, and she silently spat twice. Her eyes met Hua Jizhen's. The little boy was standing beside the fat, burly man, looking obedient. Chu Tong... Chu Tong smiled to herself, thinking, "I just heard someone say that the fat man next to that little boy is actually Hua Jizhen's father, Hua Chunlai, the second-in-command of the Hua Society! Tsk tsk, it's really unbelievable that Hua Jizhen, that little devil, has such a delicate and beautiful appearance, while her father is as fat as Pigsy... Could this child be the offspring of her mother and some handsome young man?" Chu Tong glanced at Hua Chunlai and then at Hua Jizhen. Hua Jizhen glared at her with puffed-out cheeks, then turned her head to look at Yun Yinghuai's imposing back, before helplessly drooping her head again.
Yun Yinghuai held three incense sticks and respectfully bowed before the mourning hall, with the others following behind him in bowing and paying their respects. Yun Yinghuai placed the incense sticks, his eyes fixed on the mourning hall, and declared loudly, "Heaven above, on the day our great revenge is fulfilled, I, Yun, will offer the traitor's head as a sacrifice to you all! Brothers, rest in peace!" After speaking, Yun Yinghuai picked up a bowl of wine and poured it on the ground, his heart aching and he almost wept. A chorus of sobs erupted from below. Chu Tong observed the reactions of the crowd, thinking to herself, "Hmph, in my opinion, some of these people are just wailing and faking their grief to fool my young master, just like when the madam was seriously ill, I wailed all the way from my mother's room to the madam's bedside, each cry heart-wrenching and earth-shattering, as if my own mother had died, but in reality, I wanted nothing more than to kick that old bitch to death."
Chu Tong was lost in thought when she heard Yun Yinghuai say, "As you all probably know, my master, the former sect leader Yun Zhongyan, left a will that whoever possesses the auspicious beast seal of the Yunding Sect can ask the Yunding Sect for a great favor. One of the Yunding Sect's seals is in the hands of Prince Ping, but the whereabouts of the other one are unknown."
Everyone agreed, saying, "That's true."
Yun Yinghuai smiled slightly and said, "Now this Miss Yao has another seal on her!" He then pointed to Chu Tong. Upon hearing this, everyone was immediately astonished and began to whisper among themselves, glancing at Chu Tong. Before this, the story of Chu Tong cleverly leading the soldiers to safety from the Yunding Sect had spread throughout the sect in no time. People embellished the tales, exaggerating how Chu Tong was a master of martial arts, how she swiftly rode out of the soldiers, how she fought hundreds of rounds, how she used a "flip-like somersault" to seize the command token for the 800-mile-fast cavalry, and how she used her unparalleled lightness skill to return to the Yunding Sect. With each word, Chu Tong had become a legendary heroine. Now, everyone eagerly looked towards this legendary figure, only to see a girl of sixteen or seventeen, dressed in a light red dress embroidered with apricot blossoms, her hair styled in two buns, standing in the corner of the mourning hall. She was exquisitely beautiful, delicate and fragile, yet possessed a shrewd and clever air about her. Her pair of bright, dark eyes darted about, sparkling with intelligence. This was completely different from the heroic female warrior that everyone had initially imagined.
The crowd erupted in cheers, filled with gratitude for the benefactors of the Cloud Peak Sect, applauding and applauding. Chu Tong was taken aback at first, then stepped forward with a smile and accepted the gift generously.
Yun Yinghuai nodded slightly as he observed this, and then said loudly, "Miss Yao not only possesses the seal, but is also the benefactor of my Yunding Sect. As for what she has proposed, if it does not violate the code of the martial world, the entire Yunding Sect shall obey."
The crowd replied, "Yes, we will obey!"
Chu Tong's face lit up with joy, thinking to herself, "Excellent! Excellent! Then I will ask to marry Yun Yinghuai as soon as possible!" She took out the seal, held it high in her hand, and was about to speak when she saw Yun Yinghuai give her a deep look, and then look around at everyone and slowly say, "Miss Yao just told me that she wants to temporarily serve as the sect leader of Yunding Sect before I clear my name!"
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned, and the room fell silent. Chu Tong was immediately dumbfounded, her heart filled with shock. "My goodness! When did I ever make such a request? What sect leader or window master? I don't care!" She looked at Yun Yinghuai in surprise, only to see him looking at her with a meaningful gaze. In a flash, Chu Tong reacted and quickly put on a smiling face, saying, "Yes, although I am new to the martial world, I have long admired the name of the Yunding Sect. Just now, when I arrived at the entrance of the Yunding Sect, I felt a surge of righteous energy wash over me, and I couldn't help but admire it. If I could be fortunate enough to join your esteemed sect and absorb some of the heroic spirit of your valiant warriors, I would be extremely honored!" She spoke eloquently, her voice clear and melodious, like pearls rolling onto a jade plate, quite pleasant to hear. The crowd couldn't help but chuckle to themselves. The dullards thought Chu Tong was just an innocent and naive girl who wanted to join the Cloud Peak Sect as its leader for a while; but the clever ones immediately understood Yun Yinghuai's intentions and secretly cheered.
Chu Tong had long since guessed Yun Yinghuai's intentions, thinking to herself, "Now that my husband's injustice remains unaddressed, his position as sect leader is illegitimate, so he's letting me, his wife, take over! Anyway, what's mine is his, and what's his is mine, it doesn't matter whether I take over or not, there's no difference. My husband is quite clever." Thinking this, Chu Tong felt a sweet warmth in her heart and glanced at Yun Yinghuai with a smile.
At this moment, Yun Yinghuai continued, "Since ancient times, a person should always keep their word and fulfill their promises. In the martial world, keeping one's word is of utmost importance. Since Miss Yao has this intention, then from this day forward, she shall be the leader of the Yunding Sect!" Yun Yinghuai's last sentence was delivered with great force, and immediately afterward, Shi Youliang and the others led the way, shouting, "Your subordinates pay their respects to the Sect Leader!"
After this shout, all the followers knelt down before Chu Tong, clasped their hands and said, "Your subordinates pay their respects to the sect leader!"
When had Chu Tong ever received such treatment since birth? She was stunned for a moment, only to see Yun Yinghuai standing in front of the mourning hall, nodding and smiling at her. She thought to herself, "Could it be that I will become the leader of the Cloud Peak Sect from now on?" Thinking of this, she looked down at the person kneeling on the ground, as if she was still in a dream.
From then on, Chu Tong became the sect leader of the Cloud Peak Sect. Before long, she became familiar with everyone in the sect, thriving as if in her element. Firstly, she was the benefactor of the Cloud Peak Sect, and everyone was extremely grateful to her; secondly, everyone could see that she had a close relationship with Yun Yinghuai, and therefore respected her even more; thirdly, Chu Tong was always smiling and eloquent, naturally winning people's favor.
Chu Tong was nominally the sect leader, but in reality, Yun Yinghuai handled all the sect's affairs. Chu Tong spent her days wandering around, killing time. A series of unexpected events deepened the bond between Chu Tong and Yun Yinghuai. Seeing her idle, Yun Yinghuai asked Shi Yiqing's wife, Chu Yue, to teach Chu Tong a few self-defense techniques. However, Chu Tong was always lazy and refused any hard work, always finding countless ways to shirk her duties. Chu Yue, however, was dutiful and eventually taught Chu Tong a few boxing moves.
When Chu Tong was bored, she teased Hua Jizhen and learned from the boy that the Tonghua Society and the Yunding Gate were indeed closely related. Hua Chunlai was originally the leader of the Tonghua Society, but during a cargo transport mission, he was ambushed by bandits and seriously injured. He was rescued by Yun Yinghuai, who wanted to give him a fortune to express his gratitude. Yun Yinghuai refused, and the two became sworn brothers. Hua Chunlai's actions were always unpredictable; to remember the life-saving grace, he called himself the second-in-command and honored Yun Yinghuai as the "leader." Yun Yinghuai initially objected, but later had no choice but to let him be. Chu Tong then tried to inquire about Wan Sheng from Hua Jizhen, but the boy, contrary to his usual behavior, remained adamant and refused to reveal a single word to Chu Tong.
A month passed in the blink of an eye. One day, after discussing matters with someone in the hall, Yun Yinghuai returned to the inner room and found Chu Tong asleep in a chair by the window, hugging a cushion. Yun Yinghuai frowned slightly, walked over, picked her up, and carefully placed her on the embroidered couch in the inner room. Then he took a quilt and covered Chu Tong with it.
Chu Tong seemed to be fast asleep. Yun Yinghuai sat quietly by the bed, watching her for a long while, then gently brushed away the stray hairs from her forehead. He slowly leaned down, stopping less than half an inch from Chu Tong's forehead, and chuckled softly, saying, "Get up, stop pretending to be asleep." It turned out that just as Yun Yinghuai was about to kiss Chu Tong, he suddenly felt the little one beneath him breathing slightly rapidly, and he immediately guessed that Chu Tong was pretending to be asleep.
Chu Tong opened her eyes and sat up, saying, "I was asleep, but I woke up when you hugged me."
Yun Yinghuai grasped her hand and said, "The affairs of Yunding Sect have been mostly settled. Tomorrow you will come with me to the capital of Nanyan."
Chu Tong immediately perked up, her eyes shining, and asked excitedly, "What are we going to the capital for?"
Yun Yinghuai laughed and said, "You seized the command token of the Eight Hundred Mile Swift Cavalry. This matter could be big or small. The worst thing is that it could be used by someone with ulterior motives to make a big deal out of it, which would be very detrimental to the Yunding Sect. A few days ago, I wrote a letter to Prince Ping and asked him to help settle this matter. Now that you are the sect leader of the Yunding Sect, you should naturally come with me to the capital to thank the prince."
Chu Tong nodded and said, "Aren't you afraid those traitors will come after us if we leave?"
Yun Yinghuai snorted, a cold glint in his eyes, and said, "The capital is only three or four days' journey from here, and we can return soon. The Yunding Sect has its own arrangements. The mourning hall in Miaoyun Pavilion has not been cleared, and blood debts must be repaid in blood, but the time is not yet right. If we act prematurely, we might alert the enemy." After saying that, he smiled slightly and patted Chu Tong's head, saying, "I know you've been holding back these days. It just so happens that you've never been to the capital of Nan Yan. I'll take you to some interesting places to visit when the time comes."
Chu Tong nodded vigorously, cupped Yun Yinghuai's face and gave him a quick kiss, then said with a grin, "Thank you, husband!" After saying that, she jumped off the bed and ran out.
Yun Yinghuai was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled and touched his cheek, muttering to himself, "This little girl really dares to say anything."
The next day, Chu Tong and Yun Yinghuai set off for the capital. The journey was safe, and three days later, in the afternoon, they arrived at the Prince Ping's residence. Yun Yinghuai presented his visiting card to the gatekeeper, and soon a servant came forward to lead the way. The Prince Ping's residence was extremely luxurious, with pavilions, waterside terraces, carved beams, and painted rafters, all exuding exquisite craftsmanship. Small groups of maids moved about the residence, and Chu Tong noticed that all of them were slender, graceful beauties. They didn't shy away from Yun Yinghuai, a man from out of town, but instead stared at him and whispered among themselves.