Chapter Thirty-Three: The One Feared by All

It was Hou Renjie of the Qingcheng Sect who had been shouting, but another voice rang out right beside him, as clear as if it were whispering in his ear.

Before anyone could feel fear, Renyi had already raised his hand. A sharp, destructive aura, like a blade unsheathed, slashed out from his palm.

The wind of his palm sliced into Hou Renjie’s neck. Immediately, Hou felt himself soaring into the air... yet it did not feel like his own body that was flying, for his body remained below—those clothes, that posture...

Could it be...?

Hou Renjie’s consciousness stopped abruptly. He could not think further. He could no longer think, no longer see; he had lost the capacity to think, the capacity to perceive.

Everyone watched as Renyi used his palm as a blade to sever Hou Renjie’s head. It was just like when he wielded a sword: beautiful, terrifying, and possessing a strange, haunting elegance.

Then, the surrounding Qingcheng disciples saw the rolling head and the figure in white robes with silver hair. They were so terrified they nearly wept, but before a cry could escape them, Renyi struck again.

There were no flowery techniques, just a simple palm strike.

Without variation or follow-up, these men were sent flying before this strike—a move of such stark, absolute simplicity.

Renyi struck six times, each blow landing squarely on their chests. As they flew backward, erupting in sprays of blood, they were incapable of any further movement.

They collapsed like piles of mud.

"It’s the fiend, Renyi!"

Someone bellowed. The gathered heroes retreated in horror, as if witnessing a god or a demon, instantly clearing a wide space around him.

When Abbot Fangzheng saw Renyi, his expression shifted. Renyi stood amidst the crowd, surrounded by the heroes, yet his aura—one of disdain for all under heaven—was unmistakable.

He swept his gaze across them; who could fail to notice the mockery and contempt in his eyes?

Master Fangzheng sighed softly: "It seems Young Hero Ren’s martial arts have reached even greater heights."

Renyi chuckled lightly: "That is thanks to the Abbot’s assistance." After saying this, he walked up to Taoist Priest Chongxu of Wudang and bowed respectfully: "Renyi, a junior disciple, pays his respects to Priest Chongxu."

Seeing that Renyi still held his former sect in regard, Fangzheng smiled, but Priest Chongxu took a step back: "Young Hero Ren has already left Wudang. I cannot accept such a bow."

Renyi sighed slightly and said: "Very well."

Zuo Lengchan let out a cold snort and sneered: "So, you are Renyi?"

Renyi turned around, looked him up and down, and asked: "And who might you be?"

Zuo Lengchan replied: "You have killed my Songshan disciples without cause and slaughtered hundreds of our martial arts colleagues. I, Zuo Lengchan of Songshan, am here. Do you not intend to give the martial arts community gathered here an explanation today?"

"Zuo Lengchan? An explanation?" Renyi smiled faintly. "You are quite calculating, dragging in all the righteous sects with your words. But I do not care. The explanation you want? What kind of explanation is it?"

Zuo Lengchan retorted sharply: "Fiend, you kill at will... Call us bullies for our numbers or say we disregard martial arts tradition if you wish. But if you think you can walk away unscathed today, you hold the righteous path of the martial arts in too much contempt."

Yue Buqun of Huashan suddenly spoke up: "The fiend is addicted to slaughter. Regardless of the cost, we cannot let you go today."

"Indeed! You must pay for the three hundred lives of our Central Plains martial arts brothers."

"Fiend Renyi, see how much longer you can be arrogant! Today is your death day!"

Facing the thousand people in the hall, Renyi mocked: "If I want to leave, no one can stop me. If I choose not to leave, few here will survive... Since you seek death, I shall send you on your way!"

As his voice trailed off, his sword was drawn.

The moment they saw him draw his sword, all sound ceased instantly.

Zuo Lengchan watched, shocked; he truly could not have imagined this fiend possessed such spirit and power. Nearby, Ren Woxing and his companions were even more astonished.

Is this the fiend rumored in the martial world? Is this the figure whose reputation has surpassed Dongfang Bubai?

Is his sword truly this terrifying?

The sword was drawn, and silence fell. Renyi took a step forward, and at that single step, every hero present—save for Zuo Lengchan, Abbot Fangzheng, and Priest Chongxu—retreated!

At this, Abbot Fangzheng intervened: "I ask that Young Hero Ren show mercy with your sword!"

He did not speak to plead for Renyi, but rather to ask for mercy on behalf of the crowd. The heroes felt a surge of indignation in their chests, but upon seeing the fiend stop, they could not help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief. Their previous courage, along with their voices, had vanished.

"The Abbot has seen it himself; they are the ones seeking death."

"This..."

Fangzheng was momentarily speechless. Priest Chongxu stepped forward: "If I ask you to sheathe your sword, will you listen or not?"

Renyi sheathed his sword instantly and said slowly: "The Priest has the grace of a teacher toward me. If you ask me to sheathe my sword, I will listen to you."

Priest Chongxu nodded and asked: "Since early spring, in less than half a year, I have often heard news of your evil deeds. Why have you acted this way?"

Renyi replied indifferently: "I have my own reasons."

Priest Chongxu said: "But no one in the world knows your reasons."

Renyi laughed: "Because I do not wish to waste my breath on others."

The remark was delivered with nonchalance, yet it infuriated many. Though his expression remained calm, who could miss the contempt in his words?

Ordinary people do not do things without purpose, and even in the martial world, one usually needs a reason to kill. But in his eyes, any reason was merely a waste of words he couldn't be bothered to speak.

Among those present, Zuo Lengchan was the most incensed. His hands, clasped behind his back, were clenched so tightly he seemed on the verge of attacking to finish off the fiend.

Priest Chongxu sighed: "If I wish to know, would you be willing to tell me?"

Renyi looked at Priest Chongxu and asked slowly: "What is it that the Priest wishes to know?"

Priest Chongxu stared at him: "Why did you kill Master Yu and his disciples?"

Renyi replied coldly: "That dwarf Yu plotted to obtain the 'Bixie Sword Manual.' By chance, I encountered his only son, Yu Renyan, in Fuzhou. Yu Renyan was insolent toward me, so I taught him a lesson. Unfortunately, his fellow disciples cared only for the 'Bixie Sword Manual' and delayed his treatment, leading to his death. Later, the Qingcheng Sect sought revenge, and the result is as you know, Priest."

Priest Chongxu nodded: "And at the residence of Master Liu, why did you kill the men of Songshan?"

Renyi chuckled: "Zuo Lengchan intends to annex the Five Mountains Sword Sects. He attacked Hengshan first, then co-opted several elders from the Hengshan and Taishan sects. He then sent his own junior brothers to contact the disciples of the Huashan Sword Sect to force the Huashan leader to abdicate. If I am not mistaken, the various nuns of Hengshan have already been secretly harmed by now, haven't they?"

Abbot Fangzheng was astonished. Renyi had remained in the library tower the entire time and had never left; how could he possibly know these things?

Zuo Lengchan bellowed: "Stop your babbling! My Five Mountains Sword Sects have stood together for years against the demonic cult. How could I, Zuo Lengchan, commit such base acts? Claiming my Songshan sect intends to annex the other four is nothing but your slander!"