Chapter 654: Lending a Hand

Ren Woxing snorted irritably. “Ask him yourself. I came to the Henan branch to eliminate those within the cult who had been bought by the Ming Cult. Who would’ve thought I’d run into this guy? As soon as he found out who I was, he attacked without a second thought.”

Seeing Song Qingshu’s questioning gaze, Jiumozhi couldn’t help but smile bitterly. “Little junior brother, you know my greatest pleasure is seeking out strong opponents for duels. Back in the Forbidden City, I was defeated by Dongfang Bubai. After returning to Tibet, I secluded myself and trained diligently, believing my martial arts had greatly improved. I wanted to challenge Dongfang Bubai again and reclaim my honor, only to later find out that he had already been dethroned by this Master Ren and had disappeared. Since Ren Woxing was capable of defeating Dongfang Bubai, his skills must be extraordinary. Fighting him would be just as good. But I worried he might refuse, so I struck first to force his hand.”

“Little junior brother?” Ren Woxing was surprised by Jiumozhi’s way of addressing Song Qingshu.

Song Qingshu smiled wryly. “Back in Tibet, I once learned the esoteric teachings passed down by Lotus Sage at the Nyingma Temple. In a way, I can indeed be considered the Great Monk’s junior brother.”

A glint of surprise flashed in Ren Woxing’s eyes. No wonder Song Qingshu possessed such terrifying martial prowess at such a young age—his encounters were truly extraordinary. He had even learned the supreme arts of Tantric Buddhism.

Song Qingshu then introduced, “Maha Cakra Vajra, this is my father-in-law, Ren Woxing, the current Cult Master of the Sun Moon Holy Cult.”

Jiumozhi thought to himself,

‘Every time I see you, you’re surrounded by different beauties. Now you’ve even become Ren Woxing’s son-in-law? No wonder Master taught you the Joyful Meditation Method.’

Jiumozhi clasped his hands together and greeted respectfully, “I am Jiumozhi, honored to meet Master Ren. Your Cosmic Absorption Technique truly lives up to its reputation—I am deeply impressed. I apologize for any offense earlier and hope you will forgive me.”

Ren Woxing’s expression eased slightly, and he quickly responded, “Your Flaming Blade Art is also remarkable. I am humbled in comparison.”

As the two exchanged flattery, Song Qingshu suddenly remembered Zhang Sanfeng and quickly introduced him. “This is my grandmaster, Zhang Sanfeng.”

“Your grandmaster?” Both Jiumozhi and Ren Woxing were stunned.

Since Song Qingshu had never openly identified himself as a Wudang disciple, neither of them had made the connection before.

Ren Woxing was especially taken aback.

‘To have trained such a formidable disciple like Song Qingshu, this old man’s martial arts must be beyond imagination.’

Jiumozhi, on the other hand, was puzzled.

‘How come my master never mentioned having another master?’

But when he saw Zhang Sanfeng’s Daoist robes, he realized his mistake. This had nothing to do with Tantric Buddhism—Song Qingshu’s grandmaster was simply from Wudang.

Zhang Sanfeng smiled gently and stepped forward. “This humble Daoist, Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang, greets the Great Maha Cakra Vajra and Cult Master Ren.”

“Zhang Sanfeng?!”

Both Jiumozhi and Ren Woxing inhaled sharply. Whether one was a demonic cult leader or a Buddhist monk from the western frontier, they all knew the weight of that name. Zhang Sanfeng was universally acknowledged as the number one master of the Central Plains.

For this reason, despite his arrogance, Ren Woxing had always warned his followers not to provoke Wudang. Likewise, though Jiumozhi had challenged countless martial artists, he had never dared to trouble Wudang Sect.

“Greetings, Grandmaster Zhang.” The two quickly bowed in respect.

“No need to be so formal,” Zhang Sanfeng said with a light wave of his hand. Before they could react, a soft force lifted them back to a standing position, as if invisible hands had gently propped them up.

Ren Woxing’s heart tightened.

‘I didn’t see him move at all, not even his sleeves. This level of mastery is beyond my reach.’

Jiumozhi was even more astounded.

‘This technique resembles Shaolin’s Animitta Kalpa Finger, which exerts force without a visible form. But even Animitta Kalpa Finger requires a specific movement to release energy. How did he do this without any visible action?’

Song Qingshu was unaware that Zhang Sanfeng’s subtle display had already intimidated two great martial artists. Seeing them momentarily silent, he thought of the urgent matter at hand—rescuing Song Yuanqiao and the others. He cupped his fists and said, “We have urgent business to attend to and cannot stay here long. I hope you both understand.”

Ren Woxing, ever observant, noticed the concern in Song Qingshu’s expression and asked, “Son-in-law, you seem troubled. What has happened?”

Jiumozhi also spoke up, “Yes, junior brother. Tell us—though my skills are lacking, I may still be of some help.”

Song Qingshu hesitated momentarily. Given that Shaolin Temple was filled with formidable fighters, having these two as allies might not be a bad idea. Seeing that Zhang Sanfeng had no objections, he explained the situation regarding Song Yuanqiao and the missing Wudang disciples and mentioned their plan to investigate Shaolin.

Ren Woxing’s expression darkened as he sneered, “Your troubles are my troubles, son-in-law. Besides, those bald monks at Shaolin have always colluded with Left Leader of Mount Song Sect to oppose our Sun Moon Holy Cult. I’ve long disliked them. Count me in on your trip to Shaolin!”

Jiumozhi also laughed heartily. “Junior brother, I had already planned to visit Shaolin next to experience their so-called 72 Ultimate Techniques. This is perfect timing—let’s go together!”

Zhang Sanfeng frowned slightly. These two were powerful, but neither followed the righteous path. Their intentions were obviously less than noble. Traveling to Shaolin with them would tarnish Wudang’s reputation.

Song Qingshu understood his concerns and quickly added, “Grandmaster, they are our allies. With their help, our chances of rescuing my martial uncles will be much greater.”

Zhang Sanfeng hesitated but ultimately nodded. “Very well. However, I ask that you both avoid unnecessary conflict with Shaolin.”

“Of course, we will follow your lead, Grandmaster Zhang.” Though Ren Woxing and Jiumozhi didn’t fully agree, they dared not argue with Zhang Sanfeng.

With these two powerhouses joining their ranks, Song Qingshu felt significantly more confident. As they journeyed toward Shaolin, he couldn’t help but think,

‘If not for Grandmaster’s reservations, I would’ve gathered an even stronger force. Aside from these two, I could have called in Dongfang Bubai, Xiao Feng, Ouyang Feng, Yang Miaozhen… If I had them all, I’d turn Shaolin upside down.’

‘Wait… If Ren Woxing saw Dongfang Bubai, they’d probably start fighting each other. And Xiao Feng still sees Shaolin as his sect—he likely wouldn’t help me either…’

As Song Qingshu was lost in thought, Ren Woxing suddenly asked, “Qingshu, some time ago, Yingying mentioned that she was going to the Golden Serpent Camp to find you. Have you seen her yet?”

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