15: Chapter 15 Bridging the Gap

Zhang Sanfeng stepped off the boat, his feet sinking into the cold sand.

"Master!"

Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan knelt and crawled forward a few steps, rushing before Zhang Sanfeng. He slammed his forehead heavily into the sand, sobbing heart-wrenchingly.

Ten years of homesickness, longing for his Master, and fear for the future all erupted in this moment.

"Rise," Zhang Sanfeng said, extending his hand. A gentle Protective Aura lifted Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan to his feet.

Looking at his fifth Disciple, whose face was weathered by the elements and who had long since lost his youthful vigor, Zhang Sanfeng sighed inwardly. His tone was calm: "It has been ten years, Cuishan. You have suffered."

That single sentence caused Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan to break down in tears once again.

He had expected his Master to blame him—to blame him for marrying a demoness from the Ming Cult and for not returning for ten years. Yet, the first words his Master spoke were simply to ask if he had suffered.

"Master! This Disciple is unfilial! I have failed you! I have failed the Wudang Sect!"

Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan bowed deeply to Zhang Sanfeng once more, his voice choked with sobs and his face full of guilt.

"The past need not be mentioned again."

Zhang Sanfeng waved his hand, his gaze passing over Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan to look at Yin Susu, who was standing at the doorway of the wooden hut nearby, holding her child. Her face was pale, and her body was trembling slightly.

When Yin Susu met Zhang Sanfeng's gaze, she shuddered, subconsciously taking half a step back and clutching Cult Leader Zhang Wuji even tighter to her chest.

She knew in her heart that while the Diamond Sect had dealt the fatal blow to Third Master Yu Daiyan years ago, the root cause had been her mosquito-needle weapon.

Had she not wounded Third Master Yu Daiyan, he would not have lost the ability to resist, nor would he have ended up permanently paralyzed.

For years, she had lived in guilt and fear, dreading a return to the Central Plains. She feared the Wudang Sect would seek revenge, putting Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan in an impossible position between his sect and her, ultimately leading to his ruin.

Now, the people from the Wudang Sect had arrived, and Zhang Sanfeng had come in person. Her retribution had finally arrived.

Yin Susu's mind was in turmoil; she was even prepared to take her own life if it meant ensuring the safety of Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan and her child.

Yet, Zhang Sanfeng beckoned her over and spoke slowly, his tone gentle and devoid of any blame: "Susu, come here."

Yin Susu was stunned. Unable to believe her ears, she stood rooted to the spot, motionless.

Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan immediately turned to Yin Susu, extending his hand with reddened eyes. "Susu, come here. Quickly, pay your respects to Master."

Yin Susu bit her lip, held Cult Leader Zhang Wuji tightly, and walked over step by step. She stopped before Zhang Sanfeng and bowed her head deeply.

Her voice was hoarse: "Yin Susu pays respects to Grandmaster Zhang. The matter of accidentally injuring Third Master Yu Daiyan years ago was entirely my fault; it had nothing to do with Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan."

"Whatever punishment Grandmaster Zhang deems fit, I will accept. I only beg that you do not blame Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan, and do not make things difficult for my child."

As she spoke, she prepared to kneel, ready to bear all the blame herself.

But just as her knees were about to bend, a gentle Protective Aura supported her, preventing her from kneeling.

Yin Susu looked up sharply, staring at Zhang Sanfeng with a face full of confusion.

Looking at her, Zhang Sanfeng spoke calmly: "The Wudang Sect has already investigated the ins and outs of what happened back then. While you were wrong to wound Third Master Yu Daiyan with your mosquito-needle, you had no intention to kill, nor did you foresee the subsequent events."

"The ones truly responsible for Third Master Yu Daiyan's paralysis were A'Er and A'San of the Western Regions Diamond Sect, along with the Ruyang Princes Mansion and Cheng Kun behind them."

"The masterminds have already been brought to justice. The Karma has been settled, and this matter ends here."

"Furthermore, you are the wife of my fifth Disciple, my daughter-in-law, and most importantly, the mother of Cult Leader Zhang Wuji."

"Today, I have brought your father to personally escort your family of three back to the Wudang Sect—back home."

"Home?" Yin Susu shuddered, looking at Zhang Sanfeng in disbelief, her eyes filled with bewilderment.

"That's right, home," Zhang Sanfeng nodded and continued.

"Rest assured, I have personally healed Third Master Yu Daiyan's injuries. He can walk normally now, and his martial arts have even broken through to the Middle Stage of the Xiantian Realm."

"He no longer blames you, nor will he turn against Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan because of the past. Everyone in the Wudang Sect accepts you as our fifth sister-in-law and as a daughter-in-law of Wudang."

"The burden in your heart should be set down."

This sentence struck Yin Susu like a thunderclap.

Third Master Yu Daiyan's injuries were healed?! The Wudang Sect was not only not holding her accountable, but they were also welcoming her home?!

She looked up sharply at Yin Tianzheng standing behind Zhang Sanfeng, tears instantly welling up in her eyes.

Yin Tianzheng looked at his daughter, his eyes reddening as he nodded, his voice choked with emotion: "Susu, what Grandmaster Zhang says is true. Third Master Yu Daiyan's injuries really have healed. Father has come to take you home."

For ten years, the heavy boulder that had weighed upon Yin Susu's heart crashed to the ground in this moment.

The guilt, fear, and obsession in her heart dissipated entirely.

She could no longer hold back; she crouched on the ground, holding Cult Leader Zhang Wuji, and burst into uncontrollable sobs.

The repression and pain of these past years were completely released in this moment.

Watching his wife weep and then looking at his gentle Master, Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan felt filled with gratitude.

He bowed deeply to Zhang Sanfeng once again: "Master's great kindness is such that even if this Disciple were to be shattered into pieces, I could never repay even a fraction of it!"

Zhang Sanfeng helped him up and nodded slightly.

He knew that Yin Susu's emotional knots had been untied. The tragedy of Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan and his wife committing suicide in the original story had been completely averted at its root.

Just then, a deafening roar suddenly came from the direction of the wooden hut.

"Who dares to harm my sworn brother and sister! Who dares to harm my child, Cult Leader Zhang Wuji!"

Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun appeared, wielding the dragon slaying saber, his golden hair standing on end and his eyes wide. His Killing Intent surged, and he charged toward them like an enraged lion.

He had heard the commotion from behind the wooden hut and seen the people from the Central Plains Martial Arts World on the ship. He assumed they were from the Six Major Sects, having come to hunt him down and seize the dragon slaying saber.

With the dragon slaying saber in hand, the Killing Intent surrounding Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun became almost tangible, sending a bone-chilling coldness through anyone even dozens of paces away.

He had been arrogant his whole life and had killed countless people, yet he treated Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan's family of three as his own kin. He would risk his life against anyone who dared to harm them.

"Third Brother Xie! Don't!" Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan immediately stepped forward and shouted, "This is my Master, Grandmaster Zhang of Wudang! They are not enemies!"

But Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun was already blinded by his Killing Intent and could not hear a word of it.

Blind, he relied entirely on his hearing to determine positions. He heard the footsteps of many, sensed the presence of countless Jianghu experts, and assumed they had come to surround and annihilate him.

"Zhang Sanfeng?!" Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun roared, stopping in his tracks and holding the dragon slaying saber horizontally before him.

"I respect you as a legend of the Martial Forest, a man who has upheld justice his whole life. But today, if you dare to touch my sworn brother's family, I, Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun, will make you taste the power of the dragon slaying saber, even if it means I am shattered into pieces!"

Although blind, his Aura remained incredibly domineering. Even when facing Zhang Sanfeng, the legend of the Martial Forest, he showed not a shred of fear.

Yu Lianzhou, Yin Tianzheng, and the others nearby instantly darkened their expressions. They drew their weapons, shielding Zhang Sanfeng and staring intently at Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun.

Everyone knew that Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun was a formidable martial artist with a violent temper. His Seven Injury Fists were incredibly domineering, and with the dragon slaying saber in hand, a single misstep could lead to disaster.

Zhang Sanfeng raised his hand to stop the others and slowly stepped forward. He looked at Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun, who stood with the dragon slaying saber and Killing Intent, and spoke calmly. His voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun's ears.

"Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun, you have slaughtered the innocent your whole life, and your debts of blood are countless. But are you truly happy in your heart?"

This single sentence caused Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun to shudder, and his Killing Intent momentarily stalled.

"You have killed so many people—have you achieved revenge? No. You are merely using slaughter to numb yourself, to cover up the pain and despair within your heart."

Zhang Sanfeng continued, piercing through the deepest obsession in his heart with a single statement.

"The person you truly want to kill has never been the innocent people you have implicated, but your Master, Cheng Kun—the man who is now the Shaolin Sect monk Yuan Zhen."

"Cheng Kun!" Hearing these words, Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun's eyes split with rage. His whole body trembled, and he gripped the dragon slaying saber tighter, roaring furiously: "How do you know?! How do you know about Cheng Kun?!"

The murder of his entire family by Cheng Kun was the greatest pain and obsession of his life. Very few people knew of this; how could Zhang Sanfeng, who stood before him, know it so clearly?

Zhang Sanfeng smiled faintly and continued: "I not only know he is your Master, but I also know that in order to take revenge on the Ming Cult, he slaughtered your entire family, forced you to slaughter the innocent, and stirred up conflict between the Jianghu and the Ming Cult."

"He is currently hiding in the Shaolin Temple under the alias Yuan Zhen, having secretly defected to the Ruyang Princes Mansion. He is plotting to destroy the Ming Cult, inciting the Six Major Sects and the Ming Cult to slaughter each other so he can reap the benefits."

"If you want revenge, you will never achieve it by slaughtering the innocent. It will only stain your hands with blood, sink you deeper and deeper into hatred, and ultimately lead to your total destruction."

"Lay down your blade and come back to the Central Plains with me. I will help you kill Cheng Kun with your own hands, resolve the grievances of your life, and comfort the souls of your family in heaven."

Zhang Sanfeng's words, every single one, were like heavy hammers smashing into Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun's heart.

He had been trapped in the obsession of revenge his whole life, as if walking in darkness.

Never before had anyone like Zhang Sanfeng pierced through his heart, seen his pain, and offered to help him take revenge.

The dragon slaying saber in his hand fell to the sand with a clang.

This arrogant, ruthless Golden-Haired Lion King bowed deeply toward Zhang Sanfeng, his voice hoarse and filled with endless sorrow: "Grandmaster Zhang... Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun... Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun thanks Grandmaster Zhang!"

He had been unruly his entire life and had never submitted to anyone, but today, he was completely won over by Zhang Sanfeng.

Zhang Sanfeng looked at Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun, who had let go of his obsession, and nodded slightly.

He had not only resolved Yin Susu's emotional knots and rewritten the tragedy of Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan and his wife, but he had also resolved Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun's killing tribulation, bringing this Golden-Haired Lion King into his own camp.

Three days later, everything on Ice and Fire Island was packed up.

Zhang Sanfeng led Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan's family of three, along with Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun, onto the Wudang Sect's ship.

Yin Tianzheng followed closely behind with the Heavenly Eagle Cult's fleet.

The six ships raised their sails, facing the morning sun, and sailed away from Ice and Fire Island, speeding toward the Central Plains.

On the ship, Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu stood at the bow holding Cult Leader Zhang Wuji, watching Ice and Fire Island grow smaller in the distance, their eyes filled with anticipation for the future.

At last, they could go home.

But they did not know that at this moment, the Central Plains Martial Arts World was already in an uproar over the news of their imminent return.

Upon learning that Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun was returning with Fifth Brother Zhang Cuishan, the Shaolin Sect, Emei Sect, and the other five major sects were all leading their Disciples and rushing toward Wudang Mountain.