Chapter 68: The Inside Story of the Ming Cult

  Yin Tianzheng's single kneel was no trivial matter.

  Not to mention that the two are still considered relatives, Yin Tianzheng is also Yao Guang's brother-in-law. Just talking about their age and Jianghu experience, there is a huge difference between them. Yin Tianzheng is over 60 years old, while Yao Guang is not yet in his prime years. Although Yao Guang is now known as the "Number One Swordsman Under Heaven", Yin Tianzheng has been famous for many years and is known as the White Eyebrowed Eagle King. With Yin Tianzheng's proud personality, he would not have humbled himself to a junior like Yao Guang just because of his reputation as the "Number One Swordsman". It is impossible that there isn't a major reason behind this.

  At this point, Yao Guang would be even more foolish if he didn't know that it must have something to do with the Iron Flame Order.

  Yao Guang's gaze fell on Tie Yanling.

  Yin Tianzheng held the Iron Flame Token with both hands, only to feel that this token was as heavy as a thousand catties, and the flame pattern on it seemed to scorch his hands.

  It's actually like this, it's actually like this!

  If the people in front of you had never been homeless, they would have respected the young master. How could the Ming Cult, a large sect, end up in such disarray today?

  The Glorious Left Envoy wields power and is self-important, the Glorious Right Envoy has disappeared without a trace. Two of the four great Dharma Kings have gone missing: the Purple Robed Dragon King has broken away from the teachings and left, the Golden Furred Lion King has fallen into exile overseas. The remaining Azure Winged Bat King refuses to submit to anyone, and in a fit of rage, he led his followers out and established the Heavenly Eagle Sect. For years, the Five Elements Flag and the Glorious Left Envoy have been at odds, constantly fighting each other. Do you still remember the prosperity of the Yang Sect during its heyday? Do you still recall the grand ambitions of that time?!

  "...belonging to the lower... White Eyebrow Eagle King Yin Tianzheng... seeing the death of the Young Master, Train of Death TXT download."

  Lessons from the Master.

  Yao Guang's heart skipped a beat as he finally understood the origin of the Iron Flame Order.

  The person in front of him was one of the Four Great Divine Kings of Mingjiao, Bai Mei Ying Wang. It's absolutely impossible to mistake him for someone else, which means... that Tie Yan Ling... actually belonged to the previous generation's leader of Mingjiao!

  How is this possible?!

  How is it possible?

  Yao Guang couldn't believe it at all.

  From Kunlun Guangmingding to Wudang Mountain, it's not just a hundred miles apart. Who would take an infant still in swaddling clothes and secretly send him from Guangmingding all the way to the entrance of Wudang Mountain?

  If it's said with good intentions, this is taking someone's children away.

  If it's a bad intention, why not just strangle it directly and be done with it.

  If her master wasn't Zhang Sanfeng, would she have let that infant die in the mountains as soon as she saw Tie Yanlei?

  If her master were not Zhang Sanfeng, which other orthodox sect's master would be willing to impart his lifelong learning to the child of a demonic cult?

  If her master wasn't Zhang Sanfeng, but rather Kunlun He Taichong or those good-for-nothings from Kongtong, who knows whether they would have raised her to be ignorant and unaware, making her fight against her own parents, or teaching her to acknowledge her ancestors and return to her roots, actually turning her into a loyal spy?

  All sorts of thoughts in between, simply thinking about it makes one feel chilled to the bone.

  Now that she thinks back, Yao Guang feels that she is truly fortunate to have met Zhang Sanfeng in this life. Such an open-minded master is probably one in a thousand. Although he knew her background was unusual, he treated her without any prejudice, taking care of her and teaching her wholeheartedly. Only when she grew up and showed a firm mind did he tell her the reasons behind everything. Moreover, this master had never instilled in her the idea that one should draw their sword against the demonic sect at the slightest sign, nor had he deliberately emphasized the distinction between good and evil. Before, she thought it was because Zhang Sanfeng's years of cultivation had made his mind open-minded, but now she realizes that he was considering her feelings thoroughly, not wanting her to be torn apart and lose face after learning the truth.

  Imagine if today's events weren't happening to a person who had lived for several lifetimes, but rather to a mere fifteen-year-old child. How would they accept that they had suddenly transformed from a proper young master into the descendant of a demonic cult? It's possible they might have even taken their own life on the spot.

  Not to mention a 15-year-old child, even if it were one of her current seniors, not every one of them would be able to accept it calmly.

  Yao Guang's mind turned a hundred times, and in an instant, even more thoughts of gratitude towards Zhang Sanfeng surged up. It wasn't until he came back to his senses that he remembered there was an elder kneeling before him, and hastily bent down to help them up.

  "Please get up and speak, Uncle Yin."

  Yao Guang still addressed him as "Uncle", Yin Tian Zheng was startled, looked up to see Yao Guang's expression was calm despite the surprise, and in his heart he praised Zhang Zhenren for teaching a good disciple and Yang Jiaolong for raising a good daughter. He stood up respectfully and handed back the Iron Flame Order with both hands.

  "The Master has been away from the sect for many years and returns safely today, truly a blessing from heaven to our sect. As for the details, please allow me to report them to you slowly."

  Yao Guang took the Iron Flame Order and slightly shook his head, saying: "Uncle Yin, even if my birth father was the former leader of the Ming Cult, I am no longer a member of the Ming Cult... Uncle Yin doesn't need to address me in this manner."

  Yin Tianzheng shook his head and said, "The ritual cannot be abolished. The Young Master is the son of the former Master and the daughter of the sect, he is naturally a member of our sect and should succeed as the Master... Now that the Ming Sect is fragmented, how can the Young Master's return not be the will of heaven?"

  "...Mr. Yin doesn't need to give me such a compliment, let's talk about my parents' situation first, and then other things."

  Yao Guang still called Yin Tianzheng "Uncle" before, which means he still recognized himself as a member of the Wudang Sect, and from Zhang Cuishan's side, he addressed him according to their generation order, that is, to distance himself from the Ming Cult. Yin Tianzheng understood his intention, so he explained again and still called him "Young Master".

  Now Yao Guang suddenly changed the title of "Uncle" to "Master", with a very clear implication of fake Master Mechanic.

  Yin Tianzheng claims to be the Dharma King of Mingjiao, but he is actually a subordinate of the sect leader. How can he talk about loyalty when he has established his own sect? Now, seeing the "Young Master" for the first time in many years, he immediately kowtows and pays homage, how can this gain trust from others?

  Yin Tian Zheng had been in the jianghu for a long time, and naturally heard the mocking tone in the two words "sect leader". He didn't feel angry in his heart, but instead felt that the young master's sharp thinking at this age was excellent talent. He raised his hand and pointed to the Bagua Pavilion in the garden, saying: "It's a long story, please move forward, young master."

  Young master, rather than young teaching master.

  Missing a word, the meaning is not much different, but it sounds more intimate and avoids the word "Mingjiao" that is too dazzling.

  Yao Guang put away the Iron Flame Order and walked calmly into the pavilion.

  Yin Tian walked into the pavilion, but did not sit down, and instead stood with his hands behind his back, looking at Yao Guang.

  The two of them locked eyes for a moment, and in the end, it was Yao Guang who sat down first, gesturing to the other person to speak up.

  Yin Tianzheng's words were indeed lengthy, starting from the history of Mingjiao and going all the way to the construction of the Great Brightness Temple in the Tang Dynasty. Just as he was about to continue, Yao Guang interrupted him with a strange expression, asking him to directly reveal the original owner of the Iron Flame Order. Yin Tianzheng changed his tone and began talking about Yang Dingtian, the 33rd leader of Mingjiao, describing him as a martial arts prodigy with exceptional skills and intelligence, who was widely respected. During his time, Mingjiao flourished, united in purpose, gathering many skilled fighters, causing the six major sects to tremble with fear. As Yin Tianzheng reached the climax of his story, an old man with white hair burst into laughter, clapping his hands. Yao Guang's expression turned unpleasant, but before she could speak, Yin Tianzheng seemed to notice her emotions and paused for a moment before continuing. He spoke about how Yang Dingtian refused to submit to the demands of the Persian religion, leading to a near-split with the main sect, describing him as a man of iron will and strong principles. Yao Guang finally couldn't bear it anymore and opened her mouth, saying: "Mingjiao has developed in China for hundreds of years, long becoming its own faction, what connection does it still have with the Persian barbarians? There's no need to listen to the commands of that so-called main sect, throwing their envoy off the Brightness Peak would be enough."

  Yin Tianzheng was taken aback for a moment.

  All the Ming Cult followers have some awe for the Persian Grandmaster, just like ordinary people's innate respect for royalty. So when Yang Guo refused the Persian Grandmaster's order, everyone thought he was extremely brave and resolute, but they didn't expect that the girl in front of them would say something shocking, throwing someone off the Bright Peak is a dead end, she wants to directly break with the Persian Grandmaster!

  Like father, like daughter.

  Yin Tianzheng nodded thoughtfully and looked at Yao Guang with a piercing gaze, saying: "The late Master Yang would be delighted to know this. To put it simply, during Master Yang's time, the sect was thriving... But 15 years ago, after Master Yang's sudden death, since he had not appointed a successor, the Left and Right Messengers of Light, the Four Great Law Kings...". He paused again, feeling embarrassed about leaving the sect to establish his own, and continued with a thick face: "The Five Wanderers... and others had different opinions, fought among themselves, and couldn't elect a Master that everyone would respect... Later, the Right Messenger of Light disappeared, and Xie San's brother took the Dragon Slaying Knife, which has been lost ever since..."

  Yao Guang nodded in agreement and concluded: "And so a good Ming Cult was torn apart, busy with internal strife, just short of being attacked by the orthodox sects."

  Yin Tianzheng nodded awkwardly.

  Yao Guang now understood why Yin Tianzheng was so enthusiastic about it.

  In short, the current Ming Cult is a situation where no one submits to anyone. You say you want to be the leader, what makes you qualified? Is it because of your martial arts skills? Alright, your martial arts skills are high, but we don't submit to you. Those who have some ambitions may not even have good martial arts skills, so they just hold out like this for over a decade, with losses such as high-level disappearances in between. She thought for a moment and suddenly looked at Yin Tianzheng with a subtle expression.

  "Since both you and Uncle Shang are from the Ming Cult, why did he go after the Dragon Slaying Sword?"

  Yin Tianzheng shook his head, "I don't understand this matter either. Others only say that I want to snatch back the Tulong Sword and kill Xie San Di to vent my anger, but in fact, I have been sending people out to sea every year to search for him, worrying that Xie San Di would encounter an accident at sea, even if he were stranded on a deserted island. It's not a common occurrence, it's better to bring him back to the Central Plains. If Xie San Di had contacted me, borrowing the Tulong Sword from him wouldn't be difficult, but after the death of Yang Jiao Zhu, Xie San Di's family suffered a huge change, and his temperament changed greatly, I couldn't fathom his thoughts... If it were in the past, Xie San Di was well-versed in both literature and martial arts, meticulous in thought, and had superior intelligence, if he wanted to become the sect leader, I, as his second brother, would also be willing to lend my support."

  Yao Guang understood as soon as Yin Tianzheng said this, and immediately knew why the Tianying Sect was so eager to send people out to sea to download the Left Hand Seal Demon TXT. If they could find Xie Xun back, not only would they be able to restore their brotherly affection, but also retrieve the Tulong Knife. At that time, Yin Tianzheng might even become the new leader of the sect. Now, it was clear that Yin Tianzheng had placed his hopes on her. From Wu Shixiong's perspective, she and Yin Tianzheng were still relatives, and in the Ming Sect, she didn't know anyone else, so naturally, she would rely heavily on Yin Tianzheng. This could be considered a meritorious act. However, from his enthusiasm to find a new leader for the Ming Sect to end its current fragmented state, it was clear that he wasn't indifferent to the sect either. It was likely that he had fallen out with the current Guangming Zuoshi in the sect and was too proud to back down, so he led his followers to leave the sect and establish their own.

  Yao Guang thought for a moment about that Guang Ming Zuoshi, and suddenly felt that Yin Tian Zheng, who had fallen out with Guang Ming Zuoshi, looked much more pleasing to the eye.

  "I see, I roughly understand now, but since it's a serious matter, please allow me some time to consider."

  If Yao Guang had clapped her hands and said "Great, I'll take over as the leader of Mingjiao", Yin Tianzheng would have suspected that she was an imposter or a mole. But now, with her serious expression saying she needed to consider it carefully, Yin Tianzheng felt slightly more at ease, telling her not to rush and to think about it slowly.

  As for why the daughter of the leader of the Yang Sect ended up in Wudang Mountain, even Yin Tianzheng didn't know, and could only speculate that it was probably the doing of the Ming Sect's enemies.

  Yao Guang sat alone in the pavilion for half a day and then returned to the house to start writing a letter.

  After writing the words "From your teacher", she paused for a long time before continuing to write, and the last letter only had a few short sentences.

  The Way has surplus, enough to serve the world. The teacher's gate has orders, nothing is not followed.

  The people of the Tianying Sect were clearly instructed by Yin Tianzheng, and their attitude towards Yao Guang became ten times more respectful. As soon as they heard that she was going to send a message, they immediately dispatched someone to ride down the mountain.

  A few days later, Wudang returned a letter, and Yaoguang's hands trembled slightly as he unfolded the letter.

  With her true intention, coinciding with the chaotic times, it was not an opportunity to cultivate and practice Taoism. Having achieved success in learning swordsmanship, she wished to wield her sword across the land, pacify this chaotic world, and borrow the power of the Ming Cult to achieve this more easily. As for recognizing her ancestors and returning to her sect, she had never thought about it; originally, she was only thinking that if her biological parents were still alive, she would repay their kindness in raising her. Now that both her parents are gone, there is no need for that. However, she worried that Zhang Sanfeng would be displeased with her close relationship with the Ming Cult, so she wrote "the master's order is absolute, and I will not disobey". If Zhang Sanfeng wanted her to return to the mountain, she would go back and think of another way.

  Yao Guang slowly unfolded the letter paper, took a quick glance, and suddenly froze.

  As one wishes

  Yao Guang stared at the four words on the letter, and unknowingly her eyes became moist.

  For this trust, for this encouragement, for this heavy deep feeling...

  Do as one's heart desires.

  In the past, her respected teacher had also instructed her in this way. Now she received similar advice from another master, how fortunate she was. Faintly, she seemed to see an old man with white hair and a lean face on Mount Wudang smiling and nodding his head.

  Yao Guang stuck the letter on his chest and after half a day, he found Yin Tianzheng again and showed him the iron flame order once more.

  With a heart as sincere as Yin Tianzheng's, no more words are needed to understand.

  He was overjoyed and immediately gathered the monks to explain the situation, and after preparing for several days, a group of over a hundred people set off towards Guangming Peak.

  The author has something to say: I was stuck on writing this chapter for a long time today, so I asked my girlfriend, "How did ancient people write letters? I just can't think of it."

  Girlfriend brushed back and replied, Yao Guang can write a letter to Zhang Sanfeng like this: Master, I was taken away by An Li to Mingjiao, what do you think, muah muah.

  After watching it, I suddenly felt even more stuck...

  。

  I bought a undershirt last month, it felt warm and comfortable to wear. Thinking that winter still has a while to go, I came back for another one exactly the same. A sad thing happened, I... I wore this new undershirt... and it feels tight... but the size is... the same as before...

  This chapter is Chapter 68 of Mingjiao Neiqing. If you think this chapter is not bad, please don't forget to recommend it to your friends on QQ group and Weibo!