Chapter 32: The Eastern Girl Has Taken a Liking to Me

  "Who would have thought that the great White-Browsered Sword Immortal, Lao Tzu's most esteemed disciple and the renowned hero of the Jianghu world, would be chased away by a group of shop assistants who don't even know any martial arts? This is such a loss of face for the Mount Hua Sect. If your Master, the Gentleman Swordsman, finds out about this, he'll definitely give you a good scolding."

  The moon hung in the sky, and two slightly disheveled figures lay down in a lush green field, panting heavily. Dongfang Bubai saw Linghu Chong gasping for breath and couldn't help but tease him with a smile.

  "Don't joke around, it's just stealing wine to drink, at most I'll get beaten with a board, but if Master finds out that I laid hands on ordinary people, I'll be punished to face the wall and reflect on my mistakes."

  Linghu Chong's heart still had lingering fears, "Let's say it again, we martial artists are for uprooting the strong and helping the weak, supporting justice, how can we bully the weak and take advantage of ordinary people? Isn't this the chivalrous spirit?"

  Listening to Linghu Cong's naive words, Dongfang Bubai sneered: "You newcomers to the Jianghu world are indeed ignorant of its depths. Haven't you heard that once you enter this world, it's like entering a deep sea? It's common for people to draw their swords at the slightest disagreement. This world is only a stage for the strong; the weak can only be enslaved and oppressed. What justice can there be?"

  "Dong brother, you're so refined and courteous, I didn't expect you to see through the essence of Jianghu for the first time. That's right, the nature of this Jianghu is indeed survival of the fittest, where those with higher martial arts skills and stronger abilities are more likely to gain others' respect and fear."

  Linghu Chong casually put his arm around Dongfang Bubai's shoulder and chatted with him.

  "A martial artist, if he doesn't have a firm conviction in his heart, how can he reach the pinnacle? Some people practice martial arts to protect their family and country, some to revive their sect, some for chivalry, to uphold justice and help the weak, and some to unify the rivers and lakes, to dominate the world. No matter what it is, there must be a conviction, a persistence."

  "And I, Linghu Chong, have neither the ambition to claim kingship nor the desire to uphold justice and maintain world peace. I practice martial arts simply because I don't want my fate to be controlled by others; I want to have enough ability to protect myself, and guard those I love and who love me."

  Eastern Unbeaten stared blankly at the spirited Lin Hu Chung, falling into a brief pause. Suddenly, as if sensing something, she slapped away Lin's hand on her shoulder, and a flush of red flashed across her cheek. She hastily changed the subject: "The place you mentioned earlier, Thoughtless Cliff, is where the Five Mountains Sword Sect and the Ten Elders of the Sun-Moon Divine Cult had their showdown back then."

  "The place where our Five Mountains Sword Sect and the Devil Cult's elder had a showdown was at Si Gu Yan? I've never heard of it, Brother Dong, how did you know about it? However, in our Mount Hua Sect, there is only one Si Gu Yan, with steep cliffs surrounding the mountain on all sides. It's where past generations of Mount Hua Sect's predecessors and disciples who have committed errors go to receive punishment."

  Linghu Cong feigned curiosity and said, following Dongfang Bubai's words, he gradually turned to sensitive topics, wanting to express his own views, further narrow the distance between them, and gain Dongfang's favor. After all, in Dongfang Bubai's perception, their positions were opposing.

  Dongfang Bubai's tone was ethereal as he spoke to Linghu Chong, "Over 70 years ago, the Day and Night Cult was at its peak, with talents abounding and its power shaking the Jianghu. The Five Mountain Sword Schools gathered at Mount Hua's Reflection Cliff to discuss countermeasures. The ten elders of the Day and Night Cult led their followers in an attack on Reflection Cliff, engaging in a fierce battle with the masters of the Five Mountain Sword Schools."

  "What was the outcome in the end? I'm sure our orthodox school emerged victorious." Linghu Chong asked with feigned curiosity.

  "I'm afraid I've let you down, although both sides suffered heavy casualties, but in the end, it was the Cult Master who emerged victorious." Dongfang Bubai sneered slightly: "Are you saying that the Cult Master won by using despicable means? Orthodox people always say that evil cannot defeat righteousness, and they regard it as a universal truth. I suppose, as the eldest disciple of Huashan Sect, you think so too, which is only natural."

  "Dong brother, you underestimate me, Linghu Chong." Linghu Chong grasped Dongfang Bubai's slender and weak shoulders with one hand, his face showing discontent.

  "I, Linghu Chong, am not that kind of obstinate and unrepentant person. Is there absolute justice and evil in this world? Are all reputable families composed of righteous gentlemen, while all members of the demonic sect are utterly depraved?"

  Linghu Chong's eyes sparkled with spirit as he stared intently at Dongfang Bubai, and instead of being persuaded, he lectured: "Brother Dong, you should know that among the so-called noble and orthodox sects, there are also cunning and ruthless villains who are guilty of all evils. And within the demonic cults, there are also people with grand ambitions, who share a bond of loyalty, forget life and death, and dare to love and hate with abandon. Brother Dong, you're a scholar, unfamiliar with the dangers of the jianghu world; don't be misled by superficial appearances."

  Linghu Cong's words, heavy with emotion and sincerity, struck a chord in Dongfang Bubai's tender heart, as if after traversing the vast expanse of the mundane world for countless lifetimes, he had finally found a kindred spirit. Since taking over as the leader of the Day Moon Divine Sect, he had been feared, despised, and ostracized by the people of the Jianghu world, who saw him as a ruthless killer with no qualms about taking lives - the embodiment of evil itself.

  Actually, few people know that the ones she killed were all depraved and evil, deserving of death. Those so-called righteous sects didn't kill any less than the demonic cults. Why are they considered to be upholding justice? Dongfang Bubai is also a wicked person. It's just that Dongfang Bubai is too proud, and she doesn't bother to explain herself to the world. Linghu Chong, as the representative of the righteous sects, the direct disciple of the Huashan Sect, unexpectedly gave her an impartial and objective evaluation, making her feel like she had found the only kindred spirit in the world.

  Linghu Chong gazed at the moved Dongfang Bubai with a daze, softly saying: "Don't think about it anymore, Brother Dong. After you've experienced some things, you'll understand. Today we have wine, today we get drunk. Come, let's drink."

  Linghu Chong took a big gulp, then handed the wine gourd to Dongfang Bubai. Perhaps she was shocked by Linghu Chong's words and became dazed, forgetting to push away his hand on her shoulder, taking the wine gourd and drinking from it with her head thrown back.

  In her drunkenness, she recalled the last time she returned to Hei Mu Ya from Si Shui Nian Hua, when her maid Yu Niang had poisoned her for the sake of a love affair with a disciple of Song Shan Pai, and had taken her own life for love. This incident had deeply moved her heart, making her constantly ponder the significance of all that she had done with such careful consideration. Being the number one martial artist in the world was not enough; her heart began to yearn for familial love and romantic love. That's why she came here again to clear her mind, never expecting to run into someone who could understand her, which truly surprised her.

  "Dong brother, are there any sisters or relatives like that in your family? I still think you're like the girl I met at Shuiyuan years ago." Linghu Cong asked intentionally.

  Dongfang Bubai was somewhat annoyed, and she slapped away Linghu Chong's big hand. With a mixture of shame and anger, she said: "Your eyes must have gotten sand in them, you can't tell men from women! Do you want to come and verify it?"

  Looking at Dongfang Bubai with open hands, Linghu Chong naturally didn't dare to come and verify again, lightly patted his shoulder and said casually: "Ah, if it's not then it's not, I don't have the habit of touching men."

  Having said that, he lay down on the green grass with his hands clasped behind his head.

  "Linghu Cong, if your loved one is a member of the demonic sect, what would you do? Would you uphold the traditional style of the renowned school and prioritize justice over family ties, or would you elope with your loved one to a distant land and live in seclusion?" Dongfang Bubai suddenly asked in a soft voice, gazing up at the starry sky.

  When he heard this, Linghu Cong's heart skipped a beat. Hadn't he been waiting for this moment all along? He knew that Dongfang Bubai had let his guard down and had taken a liking to him. If he could carefully choose his words, he might just be able to capture Dongfang's heart, and even in his dreams, he would laugh with joy.

  (PS: Thanks to book friend kuygg for the reward, the heroine of this book is from the East, those who don't like it please do not enter)