Chapter 201 - 200: The Five Great Sects Besiege Gu the God of Slaughter (Part 3)
The dense crowd was still surging relentlessly,
Various banners fluttered in the wind.
Gu Zhan wore an indifferent expression as he gazed at the Celestial Ascension Ladder at the mountain’s base, where more and more people gathered; most of them were from second- and third-rate forces, with the Five Sects at the forefront.
With the emergence of the Lu Family and the Mountain Moving Sect, the people from the Longmen Chen Family, the Pengshui Ma Family, and Changfeng Valley all came forward as well,
The Five Sects had all sent their elite disciples—some brought nearly two hundred, even the smallest group had over a hundred. As for the others from lesser powers, there were even more, densely packed, numbering at least three thousand.
This was nothing like those gangs back in Pingyang City,
These people were the elites of their sects and clans,
Their aura was altogether on a different level,
When this crowd surged, even the air seemed to tremble with them.
"Clang!"
In the morning sun, as Gu Zhan drew his saber, the crimson rays intertwined with the blade’s glimmer, his black robes billowing in the breeze. Gu Zhan dragged his Horizontal Saber, descending slowly,
The Saber scraped along the stone steps, emitting a harsh, grating sound.
Gu Fengwei wanted to stop Gu Zhan,
Yet Gu Mo, who had been silent all this time, suddenly soared through the air, landing beside Gu Zhan and following him downward.
Gu Mo pointed at the burly elder from the Mountain Moving Sect and said, "That man is Sui Qiyuan, the Guardian Elder of Mountain Moving Sect, and their only Second Realm Great Cultivator. The one beside him holding the Fangtian Halberd is their Sect Leader, a First Realm Great Cultivator. Both practice the Horizontal Martial Arts—bold and forceful, their strength is immense."
Gu Zhan nodded slightly, gazing toward them, then said in a loud, clear voice, "If anyone here still holds a grudge against me, Gu Zhan, step forth together!"
As his voice rang out across the land,
The teams from Longmen Chen Family, Changfeng Valley, and Pengshui Ma Family all moved to the front.
"Lord Gu, do you not intend to give us of the Pingyang Martial World a reasonable explanation?"
The Patriarch of Longmen Chen Family, hand gripping his Long Sword, clasped his hands from afar and said, "Lord Gu, whether Lingxi Sword Sect colluded with the Mang Mountain Thieves remains only your word, with no evidence, yet you slaughtered the entire Lingxi Sect. How are you any different from those of Demon Dao?"
"Indeed," At that moment, the Patriarch of Pengshui Ma Family also spoke, "Even the Demon Dao fiends are not as cruel and vicious as you. If you don’t give us an explanation today, we of the Righteous Dao Martial Arts must slay demons and uphold the Dao, bring justice, and demand fairness for Lingxi Sword Sect!"
Gu Zhan continued downward, chuckling coldly, "What a righteous Martial Dao, what a grand pretense! If you are so righteously indignant, why did you stand by and watch me destroy Lingxi’s entire sect?
You talk so prettily, but all you want is to act the whore and set up a memorial arch—hoping to snatch more of Lingxi Sword Sect’s resources, while pretending to avenge them. Truly pathetic and disgusting!"
Someone instantly shouted, "Nonsense! Utter nonsense! Gu Zhan, don’t try to divert the issue. If you do not give a reasonable account today, we, the Righteous Martial World, will carry out justice, slay demons and uphold the Dao!"
Gu Zhan replied coldly, "Lingxi colluded with the Mang Mountain Thieves—the crime is deserving of death! The Lu Family Grand Elder deliberately hindered the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s work; that alone is rebellion. Why shouldn’t they be killed!"
"Evidence? That is just your one-sided claim!"
"Evidence?"
Gu Zhan sneered, "What sort of evidence do you people want? Hmm?"
At this moment, the Patriarch of Longmen Chen Family stepped forward and cupped his hands, saying, "Lord Gu, it’s not just about evidence. While the Embroidered Uniform Guard holds oversight power, it does not have the right to exterminate entire Sects without due process,
Lord Gu, what are you planning with these actions? So many innocent disciples in Lingxi Sword Sect—what right did you have to kill them? To kill recklessly without investigation—what sort of logic is this, Lord Gu?
The only reason your Embroidered Uniform Guard could be rebuilt in Pingyang Prefecture was the unanimous declaration by all the local sects. Now you violate the agreement yourself, yet wish to wield it against us in the Pingyang Martial World. Do you think yourself the second Emperor?"
"Spare us the pointless chatter!"
The Sect Leader Mountain Moving roared, "Gu Zhan acts in defiance of law and reason, slaughtering a whole sect without evidence—he is ensnared in devilry! Today, our Righteous Dao Martial Arts are assembled—all must unite to slay the demon and restore justice to the Martial World!"
Gu Zhan’s eyes narrowed slightly,
At that moment, Patriarch Gu Fengwei of the Gu Family finally lost his calm. Seeing the Five Great Sects approaching fiercely and Gu Zhan showing no willingness to compromise, a bloody battle was on the verge of erupting.
Gu Fengwei knew that Gu Zhan’s cultivation was profound and his combat strength great. Yet he also knew just how formidable their enemies were now,
The Lu Family had three Great Cultivators, Pengshui Ma Family had two, Mountain Moving Sect had two, Longmen Chen Family had two, and the most terrifying one was Changfeng Valley, which remained silent.
It was Changfeng Valley that Gu Fengwei feared most.
Of the seven first-rate powers of Pingyang Prefecture, all sects were relatively equal—except for Changfeng Valley, which was publicly acknowledged as the strongest. Changfeng Valley had the deepest foundation, the highest number of Great Cultivators, and even a Third Realm Great Cultivator among them.
And now, amidst the crowd encircling the mountain,
Gu Fengwei spotted the number one expert of Pingyang Prefecture.
"Everyone!"
Gu Fengwei leapt up and landed swiftly, bowing with cupped fists as he spoke aloud, "Fellow martial friends, since everyone is here for the sake of justice, then let us act according to the proper rules. The reestablishment of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was recognized beforehand by all major Sects of Pingyang Prefecture,
Now, Gu Zhan is the Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand Households. Even if there are issues, they should be resolved by Canglan City or Beidou Bang, not by us of Pingyang. It would be against the rules!"
As Patriarch of the Gu Family, Gu Fengwei held a lofty status within the Pingyang Martial World. His words represented their official stance; with one pointed statement, he revealed the flaws in the other sects’ accusations, rendering those on the mountainside momentarily speechless.
However, the silence didn’t last long,
Within the crowd, a white-haired elder supported by a cane slowly emerged,
Instantly, the entire mountainside square quieted, even the leaders of the Five Great Sects bowed and saluted him.
This man was recognized as the foremost martial expert in Pingyang—the previous Valley Master of Changfeng Valley, Yu Fengxing, known in the Martial World as the Celestial Deformed Leg, a legend throughout the entire Canglan Dao, with stories shrouded in myth.
Crippled from birth, he obsessively studied and modified the Changfeng Valley Martial Arts, ultimately achieving Great Success and creating a kicking technique perfectly suited to his own body.
Yu Fengxing spent his youth secluded in Changfeng Valley, not leaving for thirty years—so long that he was nearly forgotten by the world.
Until one day, Changfeng Valley was beset by powerful foes,
Yu Fengxing, leaning on his cane, left the valley for the first time in thirty years,
And with his disabled leg, stomped several Great Cultivators to death,
From then on, the name Celestial Deformed Leg spread throughout the Martial World.