Chapter 69: Those Who Obey Me Will Prosper

  Yin Tianzheng is not some inexperienced young man, he's not naive enough to think that the Heaven Eagle Sect's large-scale action could be hidden from Guangming Peak. Although it seems like there's no one in charge at Guangming Peak right now, the Left Envoy of Guangming, who holds the highest power within the Ming Cult, has left for Situofeng to live in seclusion, but not all of the personnel from the four gates have left, and the five scattered people are always outside. In reality, Guangming Peak is still under Yang Xun's control. Yin Tianzheng and Yang Xun have clashed many times over the years, and they both understand each other's temperament very well. As the saying goes, the person who understands you best in this world is not your friend, but your enemy. Therefore, before departing, Yin Tianzheng had already written a letter to be sent to Situofeng.

  In this era of flying geese and swift horses delivering messages, letters were not as easily delivered as they would be thousands of years later. This letter had taken half a month to arrive at Zu Wang Peak from the Tian Ying Sect's headquarters via express horse relay.

  Yang Xiao was slightly surprised when he received the letter, as the messenger's long robe had a black eagle embroidered on it, clearly from the Tianying Sect. However, the seal on the envelope was in the shape of flames, resembling sacred fire, and the bold handwriting on the envelope read "Yang Zuo Shi personally opened" which undoubtedly came from Yin Tianzheng, the White-Browed Eagle King. Yang Xiao couldn't help but laugh.

  "What kind of trick is Yin Tianzheng playing?"

  Since Yin Tianzheng led the crowd to establish the Heavenly Eagle Sect and became the sect leader, Yang Xiao had argued with him many times about this matter. Yin Tianzheng always frowned and scolded him as a power-hungry petty man, never even calling him "subordinate". He changed all the symbols of the Heavenly Eagle Sect to the Spread Wing Black Eagle, and for many years, he didn't use the Sacred Flame Pattern of the Ming Cult again, nor did he call himself the Left Envoy... If it wasn't for the fact that he had received a secret report saying that the recent movements of the Heavenly Eagle Sect were suspicious, he would have suspected that this letter was forged to deceive people.

  Yang Xiang waved his hand to dismiss the crowd, opened the envelope, unfolded the letter, and a calm smile suddenly froze on his face. After a moment, this usually elegant and proud Guangming Left Envoy quietly walked to the table, sat down, closed his eyes, and meditated for a moment. Silently, he folded up the letter again and slowly reopened it, looking at it several times. The letter still had only a few short lines, but those few lines stirred up a storm in his heart, making him wonder if he was dreaming.

  The Young Master of the Yang Sect has welcomed back his daughter. In a few days, he will ascend to the Summit of Radiance to officially bestow her title and unite the sect members, restoring the glory of the Bright Sect.

  Yang Jia Jiang's daughter...

  Yang Xiang felt that he was still in his prime, far from the age of declining memory. He clearly remembered that Yang Jiao's master had been married for many years without having a child, until that year when his wife became pregnant. At that time, the sect celebrated grandly, congratulating Master Yang on having an heir... Unfortunately, who would have known that such joy would end in tragedy.

  Yang Xiao still remembered that at the time, he had not seen the leader of the Sun Sect for a long time and was worried. He took risks to send people to search for the sect's headquarters, but unexpectedly found the silent body of the leader in the bedroom of the leader's wife, while the leader's wife was nowhere to be found... He was extremely shocked and did not know who in the world could have sneaked into the Ming Sect's headquarters to assassinate the leader without making a sound. After repeated investigations, he could not find any reason or trace of the leader's wife. To maintain stability, he suppressed this matter and announced to the outside world that both the leader and his wife had passed away.

  After that, it was a mess on the top of Guangming Peak. His good brother Fan Yao was not in the sect at that time and had no news afterwards. He disagreed with the two Dharma Kings and later fell out with the Five Wanderers. Seeing that the Ming Cult was divided into four or five factions, he left Guangming Peak for Zuowang Peak. However, after his departure, Guangming Peak still couldn't produce a leader. The Five Wanderers' virtues and achievements were not enough to convince the crowd, and they had been outside for many years. Qingyi Bat King had a name but no power...

  Isn't it that the wife of the former leader escaped and gave birth to a child who grew up safely, and now Yin Tianzheng has found her? If she were a man, it would be easier to say, but as a woman wanting to succeed as the leader, where does Yin Tianzheng get the confidence to think she can win over the crowd? Even if she is the daughter of the former leader, she currently has no foundation in the sect. Even with the support of Bai Meiying, if her own abilities are insufficient, it's likely that...

  Yang Xiang suddenly stopped and recalled the clear and cold voice that recited "The sky is vast, its length is long, the earth is thick, its width is wide, the moon is bright, its light is won, the sun is shining, its yang is upright, the sacred fire is shining, the sacred light is radiant, not leaving or abandoning, words and deeds are forever inherited". At that time, he was shocked and inexplicable. After the event, he even investigated Zhang Zhenren's closed-door disciple thoroughly. There were very few rumors about her in Jianghu, but he still personally sneaked into Wudang territory to investigate some of them. Most of the rumors said that Xue Zhu, the Snow Bamboo Heroine, was like an immortal descending to the mortal world, a talented and gifted person. As for her life experience, it was only known that she was an orphan who was picked up by Zhang Zhenren and brought back to Wudang Mountain...

  Wait a minute.

  Orphan.

  According to the information gathered, Xue Zhu is about 15 years old this year, and the mistress of the sect became pregnant 15 years ago...

  Could it be...

  This...

  How could the closed-door disciple of Wudang Zhang Zhenren be willing to risk the world's great evil, abandon his heroic name and reputation, and travel thousands of miles to Guangming Peak?

  Wudang Snow Bamboo is recently renowned, known as "The Number One Sword in the World"!

  Yang Xiao thought for a while and felt a headache. By the time he came back to his senses, the letter had been crumpled up by him. He forced a smile and comforted himself, thinking that it might just be a coincidence, and who would have thought that a great hero like him would run to the "Demon Sect". Yin Tianzheng had sent someone to deliver the letter, if he didn't go to Guangming Peak to meet him, it would seem like he was afraid. When the time came, he would know who it was when he saw the person.

  Half a month's time had passed, and Yin Tianzheng's party had already traveled several hundred miles. Fortunately, Zu Wang Peak and Guangming Peak were both located in Kunlun, so the distance was much shorter. By the time Yin Tianzheng and his companions arrived at Guangming Peak, Yang Xiang had already brought the Wind, Cloud, Thunder, and Lightning Gates, as well as some of the remaining disciples who had stayed behind on Guangming Peak, to wait outside the main hall.

  The two groups of people met briefly, and those from the Ming Cult felt that something was off.

  After a while, everyone suddenly realized and was even more shocked.

  The robes of these Tianying Sect members were not embroidered with black eagles, but with flames, completely in the style of Mingjiao's law robes. Since Bai Mei Ying Wang led the crowd out, this is something that has never happened before!

  Yin Tianzheng and Yin Ye Wang walked at the front, while Yin Susu, due to her marriage with Zhang Cuishan, had to avoid suspicion and did not stand at the front as the leader of the Purple Micro Hall. Instead, she disguised herself as an ordinary member and blended into the crowd. As for Yao Guang, she was wrapped in a white cloak, sitting on a sedan chair carried by two tall and sturdy men, walking about ten feet behind Yin Tianzheng and Yin Ye Wang, making her extremely conspicuous in the crowd.

  Yang Xian swept a glance over the Tianying Sect crowd, thinking to himself that the White-Browed Eagle King was indeed going to support a new leader, even changing back into his ceremonial robes. He raised his head again to look at the girl on the sedan chair, and the sarcastic words he had intended to say froze in the cold autumn wind.

  Even if they haven't seen each other for several years, the girl's figure has grown more slender and refined, her features and temperament are unforgettable.

  This person is actually a true disciple of Zhang Zhenren, the current number one sword in the world, Wudang Snow Bamboo!

  Yin Tianzheng saw Yang Xiao's face as pale as a ghost, and in his heart, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction amidst the surprise. He thought that after years of fighting, he had never seen Yang Zuo look like this before. His face remained expressionless, but he took a step forward and shouted: "Today, I welcome back the daughter of the former leader of the Yang sect! The former leader did not appoint a successor before his death, and our sect has been in chaos for many years. Now that the young leader has returned, she should be the new leader. Why doesn't Yang Zuo come forward to pay his respects?"

  Yang Xiao was also an old hand, and although he had lost his composure for a moment, he quickly regained it and took a step forward. "What evidence does the Eagle King have to prove that she is the daughter of the leader of the Yang Sect?" he asked loudly.

  Yin Tianzheng was well-prepared and immediately took out the Iron Flame Token that Yao Guang had temporarily entrusted to him.

  "This is the Iron Flame Edict of Yang Jiao's master, if it wasn't for his own daughter, how could it be in someone else's hands?"

  Yang Xiang knew that Yin Tian Zheng was a straightforward person by nature and not someone who would play with sinister plots, so he wasn't afraid of him having ulterior motives. He immediately stepped forward to take the Iron Flame Order, and after taking a look at it, he was stunned.

  The Iron Flame Order is a token of faith among the Ming Cult, and according to different identities and statuses, the Iron Flame Orders are also slightly different. The shape of the sacred fire on the order is the same for everyone, but only the sect leader has a picture of the sun, moon, and light on the back.

  The material of Tiyan is special and outsiders can hardly imitate it.

  This Iron Token is genuine.

  Yang Xiao was stunned for a while, collected his thoughts and handed the Iron Flame Order back, saying: "This... is indeed an object of the Yang Sect Master."

  Yin Tian Zheng took out the evidence, Yang Xiao was unable to refute it and could only acknowledge that this girl in front of him was indeed the daughter of Yang Ding Tian.

  Yin Tianzheng carefully put away the iron order, raised his head and said with a loud voice: "How could I, an old man, speak falsely! The young master has returned safely, it can be seen that the wise lord is protecting him. Does Yang Zuoshi still have any opinions?"

  Yang Xiao looked at Yin Tianzheng, glanced around and saw that many people in the four gates of Fengyun Leidian also had a happy expression on their faces. It was clear that they were both surprised and delighted by the return of the Young Master of Shaoguang. He then looked up at the white-clothed girl on the sedan chair, saw that she was not wearing a Taoist robe under her cloak, and did not wear a Taoist crown on her head. He had doubts in his heart, so he took a few steps forward, but was stopped by Yin Ye Wang stretching out his hand. The two men looked at each other for a moment, Yang Xiao gave up the idea of continuing to approach, cupped his hands and bowed, saying loudly: "Yang Xiao, the Left Envoy of Guangming, pays respects to the Young Master of Shaoguang, dare ask what is the name of the Young Master?"

  Yang Xiang thought that as a Wu Dang disciple, he would never lie about his name and surname. If the other party reported the name "Snow Bamboo", the many sect members present might not be happy to accept a fake Wu Dang mechanical master.

  Yang Xiang thought it was a good idea, thinking about what to say next, but he never expected that after waiting for a while, the words he got were not "Snow Bamboo".

  "Yang Zuo's envoy is exempt from courtesy, my name is Yao Guang, North Dipper Seven Stars, Breaking the Army Yao Guang of Yao Guang."

  Yao Guang slightly raised his hand to signal the other party to get up, and his eyes were also full of smiles.

  We meet again, Yang Xiao.

  Yang Xiang suddenly said: "It was snow all along—" He started to say the word "snow", but suddenly reacted to what he had just heard, which seemed not to be "Snow Bamboo", and was stunned.

  Zhang Zhenren's closed-door disciple, has actually changed even his name?!

  Jade Light, Jade Light of Breaking the Army?

  What's going on here?!

  Yin Ye Wang smiled and said: "Yang Zuo Shi was wrong. The young master's surname is Yang, his name is a taboo character, and there is no word 'snow' in it."

  Yang Xiang had nothing to say and admitted his guilt in one sentence.

  Feng Yun, Lei and Dian, the four gatekeepers, upon seeing this situation, also hurriedly bowed down, saying "Greetings, Master".

  Author has something to say: Yang Xiao: Wait! What about Wudang Snow Bamboo?! What's going on with Yang Yao Guang?!

  。

  Regarding Yao Guang's current life situation:

  In the original work, when Cheng Kun secretly instigated the six major sects to attack the Ming Cult, there was a passage where Cheng Kun launched a sneak attack on Yang Guo and the five scattered people, as well as Qing Yi Bat King, causing this group of people to fall. Then, Cheng Kun activated the "I want to reveal my own secrets mode" that is essential for villains and began to ramble on...

  Yuán Zhēn let out a sigh, and after a moment of distraction, said in a low voice: "Since you must know the truth, I'll tell you about an incident that happened twenty-five years ago. Anyway, you won't be able to leave this mountain alive, so it doesn't matter if I reveal this secret. Ah! Zhōu Diān, what you said is true - this secret passage is a sacred and solemn place for the Ming Cult, where only the Cult Master can enter; anyone else who enters will have committed an unforgivable sin. However, Yáng Dǐng Tiān's wife had entered before... Yáng Dǐng Tiān broke the rules by secretly bringing his wife into the passage..."

  Note that here is a time, twenty-five years.

  I remembered the time I read the book, so I always thought that Yang Ding Tian died 25 years ago. Assuming Mrs. Yang was pregnant with a child at that time, the child would be around 25 years old now. So I used this time point to calculate the age of Yao Guang and matched it up with hers.

  But then, Cheng Kun had something else to say...

  Yuán Zhēn said: "That was a very, very long time ago. Today, I am already an old man of over 70 years... Matters from my youth... Alright, let's talk about it together. Do you all know who I am? Yang Furen is my junior sister in the Buddhist order. My secular surname before becoming a monk was Cheng Kun, and my nickname was 'Mixed Yuan Thunder Hand'!"

  Alright, here Changkun said he was over 70 years old at that time, and Zhang Wuji was also over 20 years old. It was the beginning of the plot of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber.

  "Ah, my master's sister and I are from families that have been acquainted for generations. The two of us had a marriage arrangement since we were young, but little did we know that Yang Dingtian was secretly in love with my master's sister. After he became the leader of the Ming Cult, his power shook the world. My master's sister's parents were greedy and her resolve was weak, so she ended up marrying him. However, after marriage, she didn't seem happy at all. Sometimes when we met, we had to find a very secret place to meet. Yang Dingtian followed my master's sister in everything, never disobeying her even once. She wanted to take a look at the secret passage, and although Yang Dingtian was extremely unwilling, he couldn't withstand her soft and hard demands, so he finally took her into the left-hand sealed demon path. From then on, this sacred and solemn place of the Ming Cult, which had been the most sacred and solemn place for hundreds of years, became the secret meeting place for my master's sister and me... Haha! I've walked in and out of this secret passage dozens of times, so why would I need to use much effort today? On the day Yang Dingtian and my master's sister got married, I went to congratulate them and drank at the wedding feast. At that time, I made a heavy vow in my heart: 'As long as I, Cheng Kun, have one breath left, I will definitely kill Yang Dingtian and destroy the Ming Cult.' I've had this vow for over 40 years, and today I finally see it come to fruition... Haha! My wish has been fulfilled, and even if I die now, I can close my eyes in peace."

  Cheng Kun said that he had been vowing for more than 40 years. Combining with his previous statement that he was over 70 years old, it can be inferred that when Cheng Kun was in his early thirties, his fellow sister married Yang Dingtian. He then began to focus on avenging Yang Dingtian and destroying the Ming Cult. Afterwards, he secretly met with his fellow sister at Guangming Peak for many years until Yang Dingtian died (......).

  The question is, what exactly is the time point of "twenty-five years ago"? Is it that the two had a secret meeting for over ten years? This Cheng Kun has indeed been walking back and forth in the secret passage... Moreover, when Yang Dingtian died, Cheng Kun was also over forty years old.

  Continuing to ponder the original work, Cheng Kun discovered that Yang Dingtian had been killed by him, and his sister had died for love. Feeling unfulfilled, he occasionally found his own apprentice and discovered that Xie Yun was actually doing much better than himself, having a wife and children while serving as the leader of the Ming Cult. Suddenly unable to bear it, he began plotting to destroy the Ming Cult. He pretended to be drunk and attempted to take advantage of Xie Yun's wife, then killed Xie Yun's entire family, forcing Xie Yun to seek revenge.

  Xie Xun once said: "I was ten years old that year, and due to an unexpected opportunity, I became a disciple of a highly skilled martial artist. My master saw that my talent was not bad, so he treated me with great favor and taught me his ultimate skills. The relationship between my master and me was like father and son. At the time, my respect and admiration for my master were probably no different from yours for your respected teacher. I left my master's side at the age of 23 and traveled to the Western Regions, where I met a group of friends with great backgrounds. They treated me as their brother, and that was when I met your father, White Eyebrow Eagle King. Later, I got married, had children, and our family lived happily together. When I was 28 years old, my master came to visit me for several days, and I was overjoyed. My whole family treated him with great hospitality, and during his leisure time, he also gave me some pointers on my martial arts skills. But unexpectedly, this famous martial artist in the Jianghu turned out to be a beast in human skin. On the 15th of July that year, after getting drunk, he suddenly committed a violent act against my wife..."

  (By the way: Xie Xun was 23 years old when he joined Mingjiao, and by the time he was 28, he had already become one of the four great Dharma Kings. Look at this promotion speed!!!)

  Later, Xie Yun said, "In that year, the person I admired and respected most in my life deceived me, causing my family to be destroyed and my parents, wife, and children to all die overnight. Therefore, I cut off my finger and swore an oath: as long as there is a Xie surname, I will never believe anyone again. This year I am 41 years old, for 13 years, I have only been with beasts, I believe in beasts, not people. For 13 years, I have killed fewer beasts and more people."

  After comparing the two paragraphs, everyone understands that Xie Xun's words are correct. In other words, Cheng Kun was killed by Yang Dingtian after he killed Xie Xun's entire family when Xie Xun was 28 years old, indirectly leading to Xie Xun's subsequent killing spree and theft of the Dragon Slaying Sword.

  The question is, the experience of this character Xie Xun in the original work is relatively clear. He and Zhang Cuishan became sworn brothers, and then they lived on Ice Fire Island for more than 20 years. In other words, according to Xie Xun's words, it can be inferred that 13 years before he went to Ice Fire Island, Cheng Kun killed his whole family. So, during the period when Zhang Wuji was on Bright Peak, Cheng Kun died of anger at Yang Dingtian, which should be around (13+20+some) almost 30 years ago, this is a relatively consistent rhythm. The question is, what does Cheng Kun's words "25 years ago" mean? Is there no major event at this time point?

  Everyone also knows that Jin Lao's subtle differences in time points are not an exception, and this inexplicable time I will just consider it as him forgetting to write...

  But I've already set the timeline based on this point 25 years ago, so it can't be changed. So let's just blur the time a bit and pretend that Yang Dingtian died 25 years ago, Xie Xun's revenge is also shortened by a few years, and all other times are adjusted accordingly...

  It's not easy being a fanfic author, sticking to the original work's framework and seeing if there's anywhere that can be slightly modified, dancing in shackles while worrying about the original author digging this kind of hole... anyway, plot comes first, let's just ignore it for now.

  Oh, right, I mentioned earlier that I was going to explain Yao Guang's current situation. Well, currently, she is the daughter of the Lord and Lady of Yang Jiao.

  This chapter is Chapter 69 of "Following Me Will Bring Prosperity". If you think this chapter is not bad, please don't forget to recommend it to your friends on QQ group and Weibo!