10: Chapter 10 Uncovering the Mastermind

Three days later, at the foot of Wudang Mountain.

Yu Lianzhou and Zhang Songxi, leading elite Disciples of the Wudang Sect, escorted the prisoner carts and returned to Wudang in a grand procession.

Inside the prisoner carts, A'er and A'san were locked in iron chains, covered in wounds, and had long since lost their previous arrogance.

In the adjacent prisoner cart, members of the Ruyang Princes Mansion were locked up, each one looking ashen and trembling in fear.

The Wudang Sect Disciples along the way, upon seeing the few people in the carts, were all filled with righteous indignation; they surrounded the carts and cursed incessantly.

It was these very people who had harmed Third Master Yu Daiyan for ten years and caused the Wudang Sect to lose face; now that they had been captured alive, how could one not be filled with hatred?

The news quickly reached Zixiao Palace. Upon hearing the news, Third Master Yu Daiyan trembled all over and insisted on sitting in his wheelchair to personally see the culprits who had ruined his life.

Zhang Sanfeng led the Seven Heroes of Wudang to gather in the main hall of Zixiao Palace to hold a trial.

"Bring them up!" Yu Lianzhou let out a low shout.

Two Wudang Sect Disciples escorted A'er and A'san, whose martial arts had been partially crippled, into the main hall and shoved them forcefully onto the ground.

Immediately after, the steward of the Ruyang Princes Mansion was also brought in; he knelt on the ground, not daring to lift his head.

Inside the hall, the Seven Heroes of Wudang lined up on both sides, their gazes like blades, staring fixedly at the people on the ground, filled with murderous intent.

Zhang Sanfeng sat upright in the main seat, expressionless, as the Pure Yang Dao Rhyme around his body slowly radiated outward, pressing down on the group like Mount Tai.

A'er and A'san felt a terrifying pressure sweep over them, as if a great mountain were pressing on their backs; their bones were creaking, and even breathing became extremely difficult.

The two were top-tier experts in the Jianghu, having practiced the Great Strength Diamond Finger to the pinnacle, yet before Zhang Sanfeng's pressure, they were like ants, unable to even conceive a thought of resistance.

They had long heard of the prestige of Zhang Sanfeng, but they had always assumed it was merely an exaggeration from Jianghu rumors; furthermore, this hundred-year-old Daoist was supposedly at the end of his rope, with his time running out.

But now, they realized that the rumors were not only not exaggerated, but had severely underestimated the terror of this Wudang Ancestral Master.

"Kneel!"

Seeing the two still struggling to hold on, Yu Lianzhou kicked them in the back of their knees. Their knees buckled, and they fell heavily to the ground, their foreheads striking the bluestone floor with a dull thud.

"Speak!"

Zhang Sanfeng spoke slowly, his voice low but carrying a chill that pierced through the heart. "Ten years ago, was Third Master Yu Daiyan injured by the two of you?"

A'er and A'san exchanged a glance, gritting their teeth and stiffening their necks, remaining silent.

They were people from the Ruyang Princes Mansion, backed by the imperial court; even if captured by the Wudang Sect, they did not believe the Wudang Sect would dare to do anything to them.

"You won't speak?"

Zhang Sanfeng smiled faintly, his eyes devoid of any warmth.

"Lianzhou, dislocate their jaws so they don't bite their tongues to commit suicide. Then, crush their fingers one by one."

"I want to see if their bones are as tough as their Great Strength Diamond Finger."

"Yes, Master!" A cold light flashed in Yu Lianzhou's eyes as he stepped forward.

A'er and A'san turned deathly pale instantly.

They had spent their lives cultivating the Great Strength Diamond Finger, and their greatest pride was their fingers.

Now, the Wudang Sect wanted to crush their fingers and dislocate their jaws, not even giving them a chance to commit suicide!

Before Yu Lianzhou could move, A'san collapsed instantly and shouted loudly:

"I'll talk! I'll talk! We did it! Ten years ago, it was the two of us brothers who used the Great Strength Diamond Finger to crush all the tendons and bones of Third Master Yu Daiyan!"

"Why did you do this? Who instructed you?"

Zhang Sanfeng continued to ask, his tone remaining cold.

"It... it was the Ruyang Princes Mansion that made us do it!"

A'san spoke hurriedly, fearing that if he spoke too slowly, he would end up with his finger bones crushed.

"The Prince ordered us to use the turmoil surrounding the dragon slaying saber to deal with the Seven Heroes of Wudang, incite conflict between the Wudang Sect and the Heavenly Eagle Cult, and cause the Central Plains Martial Arts World to fight amongst themselves! We were just following orders!"

"Following orders?"

Third Master Yu Daiyan sat in his wheelchair, staring fixedly at A'san, his eyes splitting with rage, his voice hoarse.

"Following orders, you crushed all my tendons and bones, leaving me paralyzed for ten years?! What did I do wrong?!"

A'san felt his skin crawl under Third Master Yu Daiyan's gaze and lowered his head, not daring to speak.

Zhang Sanfeng raised his hand, pressing down on the emotionally agitated Third Master Yu Daiyan, and continued to ask:

"Was the Diamond Sect founded by the Shaolin Sect's fire-tending monk back then?"

"Decades ago, you defected to the Yuan Dynasty imperial court, specifically to deal with people from the Central Plains Martial Arts World for the court, is that right?"

A'er's expression changed; he hadn't expected the Wudang Sect to have investigated the origin of their School so clearly. He could only bite the bullet and nod: "Yes... our Ancestral Master was indeed the fire-tending monk."

"And what about Cheng Kun? Does this matter have anything to do with the monk Yuan Zhen?"

Zhang Sanfeng's words were like a thunderclap, exploding in their ears.

A'er and A'san instantly lifted their heads, their faces full of shock, looking at Zhang Sanfeng in disbelief.

This matter was a top secret of the Ruyang Princes Mansion; very few people knew about the collusion between Cheng Kun and the Mansion. How could this Wudang Ancestral Master know even this?

Looking at their horrified expressions, Zhang Sanfeng understood.

Sure enough, everything from the original story had not deviated; Cheng Kun had been colluding with the Ruyang Princes Mansion from the very beginning.

"It seems I was not wrong."

Zhang Sanfeng said lightly, his pressure surging once again.

"I will ask you one last time: what role did Cheng Kun play in this? What other plans does the Ruyang Princes Mansion have against the Central Plains Martial Arts World?"

"If there is half a lie, I will let you taste what it feels like to have your tendons and bones crushed inch by inch, making you wish you were dead."

That cold murderous intent made A'er and A'san feel icy all over, and they completely collapsed.

They dared not hold back any longer and recounted how Cheng Kun had colluded with the Ruyang Princes Mansion, how he had plotted to destroy the Ming Cult, and incited the Six Major Sects to fight with the Ming Cult.

As well as all the plans of the Ruyang Princes Mansion to use the internal chaos of the Jianghu to wipe out the Central Plains Martial Arts World in one fell swoop, they told everything in detail.

They even confessed everything about where the Diamond Sect's Secret Manual was stored and all their hidden agents in the Central Plains.

The entire hall was silent.

The seven, including Song Yuanqiao, felt a chill all over as they listened.

They had never dreamed that the plans of the Ruyang Princes Mansion could be so vicious, and that Cheng Kun could be hidden so deeply.

If it hadn't been for Master pointing it out in advance, it wouldn't be long before the entire Central Plains Martial Arts World would have fallen into the trap they had set, doomed beyond redemption.

"Where is the evidence?" Zhang Sanfeng asked.

"We have it! We have the evidence!"

A'san spoke hurriedly, "We have secret letters from the Ruyang Princes Mansion on us, as well as letters communicating with Cheng Kun; they were all in our luggage and were seized by you!"

Zhang Songxi immediately stepped forward and handed a stack of letters to Zhang Sanfeng.

Zhang Sanfeng glanced at them; the contents of the letters matched the two men's confessions exactly—the evidence was as solid as a mountain.

The truth was revealed.

Third Master Yu Daiyan looked at A'er and A'san on the ground and at the stack of ironclad evidence. Ten years of grievances, pain, and unwillingness erupted at this moment, and tears poured out.

He turned his wheelchair and knelt deeply before Zhang Sanfeng in the main seat, kowtowing heavily: "Master! Thank you for finding the truth and clearing my name! This Disciple has no way to repay you in this lifetime!"

"Get up." Zhang Sanfeng raised his hand, using his Protective Aura to help him up. "Clearing the injustice is only the first step. Next, it is time to deal with these evildoers."

His gaze swept over the people on the ground, his tone cold and devoid of any emotion:

"A'er and A'san, being ruthless and having committed countless evils, will have their martial arts completely crippled and be imprisoned in the back mountains of Wudang for life to atone for their wicked deeds."

"As for the steward of the Ruyang Princes Mansion, cut off his ears and send him back to Dadu. Tell Prince Ruyang that Wudang Mountain is not a place that his Ruyang Princes Mansion can covet."

"The Central Plains Martial Arts World is also not something he can manipulate at will. If he dares to stir up trouble in secret again, do not blame me, Zhang Sanfeng, for going to Dadu myself to demand an explanation from him."

In three sentences, the final outcome for these people was determined.

A'er and A'san looked ashen and collapsed to the ground.

Having their martial arts crippled and being imprisoned for life was worse than death for experts like them in the Jianghu.

The steward of the Ruyang Princes Mansion was already so scared that his soul had flown away and his spirit scattered; he couldn't even speak.

After dealing with the few, Zhang Sanfeng looked at the excited Seven Heroes of Wudang and spoke slowly, saying something that made them instantly boil with excitement:

"Third Master Yu Daiyan's injustice has been cleared; next, it is time to go and bring Fifth Master and the others home."

"Pass down the order: prepare the ships and accompany me to the Ice and Fire Island in the East Sea to bring Zhang Cuishan, Susu, and my never-before-seen grand-Disciple back to Wudang."