Shaolin Temple has backed down and relinquished its right to deal with Cheng Kun.
Zhang Cuishan nodded in satisfaction, a smile appearing on his face. He looked at Yang Xiao and said, "Left Envoy Yang, wake Cheng Kun up and make him confess his crimes in person! Otherwise people will say that members of our Ming Cult killed someone without teaching him!"
"Yes, sir!"
Yang Xiao clasped his hands in response, took two steps forward, tapped his toes, and channeled his internal energy into Cheng Kun's pressure point. Soon after, Cheng Kun slowly woke up.
He opened his eyes and looked around. There were Shaolin monks, Wudang disciples, Huashan disciples, the Kunlun sect leader and his wife, the Five Elders of Kongtong, Emei disciples, and even members of the Demonic Sect. Many people were looking at him.
His eyes held anger, disbelief, and hatred.
He blinked.
Cheng Kun didn't understand but felt awe.
What happened?
Cheng Kun was completely bewildered; the fragmented memories made it impossible for him to understand the current situation.
"Amitabha! Why are you all looking at this old monk like that?"
He struggled to sit up, put his hands together in prayer, chanted Buddhist mantras, and asked softly.
He looks like a highly accomplished monk, and anyone who doesn't know his true nature would be deceived by his appearance.
This old scoundrel is truly oblivious to his impending doom. Yang Xiao chuckled and shouted, "Cheng Kun, your deeds have been exposed. Confess honestly! Did you collude with the Mongol Yuan Dynasty? Were you plotting to poison the heroes of the martial world?"
"Amitabha! What could possibly be wrong with this old monk? esteemed benefactor, have you mistaken me for someone else?"
Cheng Kun remained unmoved, maintaining the demeanor of a highly enlightened monk.
Yang Xiao was furious upon hearing this. He had heard that Shaolin monks were eloquent and could speak eloquently, but he had never seen it before. Today, he had finally seen it for himself.
The arrogant and overbearing demeanor of Cheng Kun when he ambushed him is worlds apart from the solemn and dignified master he is now.
Such sophistry and deceit are rare indeed.
"A real man should be brave enough to take responsibility for his actions! Cheng Kun, you shameless scoundrel! You don't even dare to admit your own name, how can you have the face to live in this world?"
Yang Xiao spat on the ground, dismissing it with disdain.
How can your ancestors rest in peace in the afterlife?
"No, you shameless scoundrel who doesn't acknowledge his ancestors, even your ancestors would be ashamed to acknowledge such an unfilial descendant! Bah!"
As expected of the Left Guardian of the Ming Cult, Yang Xiao instantly found a way to retaliate, relentlessly accusing Cheng Kun of various crimes in an attempt to provoke him.
Sure enough, Cheng Kun's face twitched, and he finally couldn't hold back anymore.
"Yang Xiao, I regret not killing you with a single blow earlier! I hate that you've lived until now!"
Cheng Kun, however, was unaware of the principle that villains die from talking too much.
If Cheng Kun had killed Yang Xiao and the other seven on the spot after injuring them, instead of boasting and bragging, none of this would have happened.
Indeed, one must never be complacent or carried away by success; one must always remember the importance of humility and prioritize stability in all matters.
Lessons from the past should guide future actions.
Seeing Cheng Kun's exasperated state, Xiao Ning became secretly wary.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Cheng Kun laughed heartily, appearing almost manic.
"Indeed, this old monk has sided with the Mongols, intending to wipe out all the martial artists in the Jianghu! So what?"
"This old monk has lost all his martial arts skills and become a cripple. His life is ruined! So what?"
"I had already made arrangements before coming to Bright Peak. If I didn't return within an hour, the Mongols would detonate the explosives!"
"At that time, with a bang, Bright Peak will be blown to ashes!"
"With you heroes buried with me, I will have avenged my great grudge. What does it matter if I die? I will die without regret!"
"So what if you have high martial arts skills or a prestigious status? Hahahaha!"
"Let them all accompany this old monk to the Yellow Springs!"
"Judging by the time, the one-hour deadline is almost here! Haha!"
Cheng Kun's frantic voice resounded through the sky, and his reckless words caused everyone present, except for Xiao Ning and Zhang Cuishan, to change their expressions drastically.
"What? There were explosives buried down the mountain?"
"Demon! Cheng Kun, you demon! You actually dared to try and drag us all down with you! You are truly wicked!"
"Kill him! Kill this scoundrel!"
"That scoundrel, chop him up and feed him to the dogs!"
Upon hearing Cheng Kun admit to his conspiracy, everyone present cursed him and wished they could beat him to death on the spot.
The leaders of the various sects were preoccupied with how to save their own lives, rather than worrying about killing Cheng Kun.
The Huashan Sect leader, Xianyu Tong, paused, his hand holding the folding fan still, his expression unreadable. He stepped forward and said, "Everyone, since the matter of annihilating the Ming Cult has come to nothing, to prevent any unforeseen complications, why don't we all go down the mountain first?"
When someone steps forward, others immediately chime in.