28: Chapter 28 Settles the Feud Between the Ming Cult and Shaolin

The next day, the square in front of the Great Hall of the Shaolin Temple was already bustling with people.

Previously, Zhang Sanfeng had sent out messages, and the Ming Cult's Left Emissary Yang Xiao, White-Browed Eagle King Yin Tianzheng, Bat King Wei Yixiao, along with the Five Wanderers and the flag leaders of the Five Elements Flags, had all arrived at the Shaolin Temple.

Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun, who had been living in seclusion in the back mountains of the Shaolin Sect, also arrived at the square with the permission of Abbot Kongwen.

All the monks of the Shaolin Sect had also gathered here.

On the steps of the Great Hall, Zhang Sanfeng sat in the main seat, with Abbot Kongwen accompanying him to one side. The high monks of the Shaolin Sect and the upper echelon of the Ming Cult were lined up on both sides, and the entire square was silent.

Everyone's gaze was focused on Cheng Kun, who was tied up tightly in the center of the square.

At this moment, Cheng Kun had lost his ruthlessness from the day before; his face was pale, and his eyes were unfocused.

"Bring him up!" Following Abbot Kongwen's command, two Shaolin martial monks stepped forward and forcefully pressed Cheng Kun down onto his knees.

Zhang Sanfeng spoke slowly. His voice was not loud, but it clearly carried across the entire square: "Cheng Kun, today, in front of everyone from the Shaolin Sect and the Ming Cult, let's settle the sins you have committed throughout your life with everyone here."

Cheng Kun suddenly raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the people in the square before finally landing on Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun.

"Everything I have done in my life was for revenge! Yang Dingtian stole the one I loved and ruined my life. I destroyed his Ming Cult and killed his followers; what is wrong with that?"

Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun walked forward slowly and stood before Cheng Kun.

Although he was blind, his figure remained upright. There was not a shred of Killing Intent on him, only a sense of indifference.

"Cheng Kun, we were master and Disciple. I respected you like a father, yet for your own selfish revenge, you killed my entire family of thirteen, not even sparing my child who was less than a year old."

"You defected to the Yuan Dynasty court, instigated the Six Major Sects and the Ming Cult to slaughter each other, and wanted to help the Tatars destroy the Central Plains Martial Arts World, plunging the world's common people into misery. Was this also for revenge?"

Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun's voice grew heavier with each sentence. Every word was like a heavy hammer, striking hard at Cheng Kun's heart.

Cheng Kun's face turned from green to white, and he roared hysterically: "So what? As long as I can destroy the Ming Cult, as long as I can exact my revenge, I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me!"

This statement instantly incited the indignation of the Shaolin monks and the members of the Ming Cult in the square.

"You monster! You are truly incorrigible!"

Abbot Kongwen shouted angrily, "For your own personal grievances, you harmed your fellow martial artists and nearly destroyed the entire Central Plains Martial Arts World, yet you still do not repent!"

Left Emissary Yang Xiao also stepped forward, looking at Cheng Kun with icy eyes.

"Cheng Kun, the grudge between the Ming Cult and you should be settled today. You killed Cult Leader Yang Dingtian, instigated internal strife in the Ming Cult, and tore the Ming Cult apart. We will settle this debt today."

Zhang Sanfeng raised his hand, his gaze falling on Cheng Kun once again: "Cheng Kun, the evidence is irrefutable. Even if you try to argue in a hundred different ways, you cannot escape your guilt."

Looking at the angry gazes of the people around him, Cheng Kun knew he would surely die today, so he decided to give up and let things take their course.

"I admit it! I admit it all! My only regret is that I couldn't destroy the Ming Cult with my own hands, and I couldn't make you, Zhang Sanfeng, fall into my hands! Even if I die, I will never bow my head to you!"

"Good, very good." Zhang Sanfeng nodded indifferently, then stood up and said loudly, "Today, I shall settle the grudges between you and the various sects in front of everyone."

"Cheng Kun, you killed the innocent, instigated conflicts in the Jianghu, and nearly destroyed the Central Plains Martial Arts World. Your crimes are heinous and intolerable to heaven and earth."

"In consideration of the holy monk Kongjian, who lived a life of kindness and sacrificed his life to try to redeem you, I will not take your life today. I will only cripple your martial arts to prevent you from doing evil again."

As his voice fell, Zhang Sanfeng gathered a wisp of Pure Yang Qi at his fingertip and struck out like lightning, consecutively tapping Cheng Kun's Dantian and the key acupoints along his twelve main Meridians.

Cheng Kun let out a shrill scream, his body twitching violently.

He could clearly feel his Internal Energy from the Hunyuan Skill, which he had cultivated his whole life, dissipating from his Dantian like a receding tide. All the Meridians in his body were shattered, and his martial arts were completely crippled.

"No! My martial arts! My martial arts!" Cheng Kun collapsed to the ground, roaring frantically, his eyes filled with despair.

He had relied on his martial arts to plot his revenge his entire life; having them crippled was more painful than death itself.

Zhang Sanfeng didn't even look at him and continued, "Sever his hand and foot tendons so he can never do evil again. I must trouble the Shaolin high monks to imprison him in the back mountains of the Shaolin Temple, where he will recite scriptures and worship Buddha every day to repent for the sins of his life."

"If he shows signs of repentance, let him spend his remaining years in the stone cell; if he remains incorrigible, then use thunderous methods."

Abbot Kongwen immediately bowed and replied, "Grandmaster Zhang, rest assured. We in the Shaolin Sect will strictly guard this monster and will never let him step out of the back mountains again!"

Two Shaolin martial monks immediately stepped forward and dragged him, limp as mud, away from the square.

Watching the figure of Cheng Kun being dragged away, the people in the square all let out a long sigh of relief.

Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun stood in place for a long time without moving, and finally bowed deeply to Zhang Sanfeng and Abbot Kongwen.

Abbot Kongwen looked at Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun, then looked at Left Emissary Yang Xiao, Yin Tianzheng, and the other members of the Ming Cult. He pressed his palms together and bowed deeply: "Benefactors, the Shaolin Sect failed to govern strictly, which led to the emergence of a Rebellious Disciple like Cheng Kun. I, this old monk, apologize to you all here."

"For decades, the Shaolin Sect and the Ming Cult have fought endlessly, resulting in countless deaths and injuries. The root cause of all this was the instigation of that monster, Cheng Kun."

"Today, I promise the Ming Cult here that all past grudges shall be wiped clean."

This statement caused the square to instantly go quiet.

No one expected that Abbot Kongwen would take the initiative to let go of the century-old grudge between the Shaolin Sect and the Ming Cult.

One must know that as a thousand-year-old temple and the leading authority of the Central Plains Martial Arts World, for the Shaolin Sect to do this, they had already laid down all their pride.

Left Emissary Yang Xiao and Yin Tianzheng looked at each other, both seeing surprise in the other's eyes.

They had fought against the Shaolin Sect their entire lives and had thought that this grudge could never be resolved in this lifetime, yet they had not expected that there would actually be a day when they could shake hands and make peace.

Left Emissary Yang Xiao stepped forward, bowed deeply to Abbot Kongwen, and said in a deep voice, "Abbot, you are too kind."

"For decades, our sect has acted in extremes and has committed many offenses. Since the past grudges were instigated by Cheng Kun, and now that Cheng Kun has been brought to justice, naturally, they should be wiped clean."

"That's right!" Yin Tianzheng also said loudly, "The Ming Cult and the Shaolin Sect are both in the Central Plains; we should have been united and worked together to resist the Yuan Court."

"Today, I, Yin Tianzheng, representing the Heavenly Eagle Cult, accept the Abbot's words. From now on, the Ming Cult and the Shaolin Sect shall let go of all grudges!"

Upon hearing this, a relieved smile appeared on Abbot Kongwen's face.

In the square, the Shaolin monks and the Ming Cult Disciples watched this scene, their eyes filled with excitement.

The vendettas that had lasted for decades finally came to an end today.

[System: Detected that the Host has completed the side quest "Resolve Core Grudges," with a completion rate of 100%!]

[Task Reward: The conflict between the righteous and evil factions of the Central Plains Martial Arts World has been resolved. World Fusion increased by another 5%. Current total Fusion is 90%!]

As the System notification ended, a smile appeared on Zhang Sanfeng's face.

Looking at the people in the square shaking hands and making peace, he said loudly, "The grudges between the Shaolin Sect and the Ming Cult are resolved, but the conflicts of the Central Plains Martial Arts World have not yet completely ended."

"Ten days from now, I will host a banquet on Wudang Mountain, summoning all sects and the upper echelon of the Ming Cult to gather at Wudang to resolve all grudges."

Upon hearing this, the people in the square responded loudly, their voices echoing throughout the entire Songshan valley.