Chapter 88 Zuo Lengchan accepts the challenge, a principled gambler
Yue Songtao's appearance surprised everyone.

Immediately afterwards, Yue Songtao's gaze swept over Liu Zhengfeng.

"Brother Liu, don't be afraid. I just came from Hengshan. I have already driven away Tang Ying'e, the Sixth Guardian sent by Zuo Lengchan. Your family is safe and sound."

"what!"

Liu Zhengfeng was stunned at first, and then he was filled with surprise!
Originally, he had planned to compromise for the sake of his family, but he never expected that Yue Songtao would suddenly appear out of nowhere.

A series of unexpected events left Lu Bai and Le Hou at a loss for a moment.

Especially Yue Songtao, who released his aura very forcefully as soon as he arrived. Lu Bai even felt that he was slightly suppressed by the other party.

If a real fight breaks out, it's still unclear who will win and who will lose.

Moreover, Li Ming was watching the show leisurely next to him.

With Yue Songtao's strength, he would definitely not lie to them about such things.

If we fail to capture Liu Zhengfeng's family, we will lose the capital to control him.

Now in Qixia Town, it is difficult to take action, and Yue Songtao, a grandmaster, suddenly appears out of nowhere, making Lu Bai look unhappy.

He thought for a moment, turned back and discussed with Le Hou for a few words, then turned around.

"Okay, I have learned a lot today, but Alliance Leader Zuo is nearby. I will report this to you and give you an explanation."

Having said that, Lu Bai turned and left.

Le Hou and several other Songshan disciples followed closely behind.

Zuo Lengchan is nearby?
Everyone was extremely surprised!

Before, Lu Bai kept saying that he would bring Liu Zhengfeng back to Songshan for punishment, and everyone thought that Zuo Lengchan was far away in Songshan.

Yue Songtao, on the other hand, was not nervous at all. He even shouted to Lu Bai, "Brother Lu, please go back and explain clearly that I, Yue Songtao, want to fight with Zuo Lengchan to determine the winner and compete for the position of the leader of the Five Mountains to bring glory to our Huashan sect. Let him accept the challenge and don't be a coward!"

What greeted him was Lu Bai turning around and glaring at him fiercely.

The disciples of the Songshan School came and left quickly, and soon they were gone.

Everyone present then relaxed a little.

Then his eyes focused on Yue Songtao.

Especially Yue Buqun. When Yue Songtao first appeared, he was full of anger, but now, his expression was very complicated.

Yue Songtao actually broke through to the Grandmaster level!

No wonder the master wanted to pass the position of the head of the sect to him even though he married his daughter Ning Zhongze to him.

It was also said that Yue Songtao had an extremely high talent for martial arts and was the one most likely to become the number one in the Five Mountains Sword Sect in the future.

For a moment, Yue Buqun didn't know whether he should be happy or jealous.

The good news is that the Huashan Sect has gained a new Grandmaster, and its strength has increased dramatically. This gives Yue Buqun, who is determined to revive his sect, greater hope.

What makes me jealous is that Yue Songtao, this guy, owes a lot of bad debts and goes out to avoid creditors. It seems that he does not do his job every day, but he can still be promoted to a master. This is too infuriating!

Yue Buqun himself was able to break through this level only by enduring the pain and practicing the Sword of Exorcism.

In comparison, he felt extremely unbalanced.

But no matter what, the appearance of Yue Songtao has greatly increased the strength of the Huashan Sect, and it can now compete with the Songshan Sect.

Moreover, what Yue Songtao had just said, that he wanted to fight for the position of leader of the Five Mountains and bring glory to the Huashan Sect, really touched Yue Buqun's heart and brought about a warm feeling.

The anger I felt towards him also subsided a lot.

"Perhaps Brother has really changed during these years away from home, and has gotten rid of his bad habits, turning over a new leaf. If so, then all the suffering he has endured over the years is not in vain..."

Yue Buqun's expression softened a lot.

Thinking that this time, whether it was himself or Yue Songtao who defeated Zuo Lengchan and won the position of alliance leader, they would work together in the future to manage the Huashan Sect well and would definitely be able to restore the glory of their sect!

At this time, Mr. Mo Da and Liu Zhengfeng had already stepped forward and expressed their gratitude to Yue Songtao.

After hearing Yue Songtao's assurance that Liu Zhengfeng's family was indeed safe and sound, he was completely relieved.

But until this moment, Liu Zhengfeng was still unwilling to say that he had any connection with the Demon Cult, and his face was full of guilt.

Master Dingyi and Taoist Tianmen also came over and exchanged a few words with Yue Songtao.

Then he looked up and saw Yue Buqun.

"Brother!"

Yue Buqun was inexplicably touched when he saw his senior brother turning over a new leaf, and he stepped forward to speak.

Yue Songtao came over, pulled him aside, and lowered his voice.

"Well, Junior Brother, to be honest, I came back this time to compete for the position of the leader of the Five Mountains, but I ran into a little trouble along the way, so I would like to ask you for help."

"What's the matter?"

Yue Songtao rubbed his hands together. "This is not the time when I just got here. I couldn't help but play a few rounds at the roadside gambling den. My luck is not very good today, and I lost more than ten taels of silver. I want to see if you have enough money... I want to make back my money..."

As Yue Songtao spoke, the muscles on Yue Buqun's face gradually twisted.

"Get out of here!"

Before Yue Buqun could draw his sword to stab him, Yue Songtao had already tactfully distanced himself.

"Look, if you don't want to lend it, then don't lend it. Why are you in such a hurry?"

Yue Songtao muttered a few complaints and shifted his gaze, seemingly aiming at several other fellow travelers.

This immediately made the other people a little nervous.

Back when Yue Songtao was still the head of Huashan and had not yet disappeared, everyone lent him a lot of money.

However, it is easy to lend it out but difficult to get it back, which has left me with some psychological trauma.

Nun Dingyi frowned and advised: "Senior Brother Yue, gambling is not a good thing, please don't make mistakes."

Taoist Tianmen also shook his head and refused: "If it's other matters, it's okay to borrow money, but if it's gambling, I'm sorry that the channel can't help you."

Looking at Mr. Mo Da again, Yue Songtao was even more speechless.

Mr. Mo Da usually likes to dress up as a ragged wandering performer, carrying a worn-out huqin and performing performance art everywhere.

Now he looks like he needs help more than Yue Songtao.

After bumping into the wall, he looked up and saw Li Ming who was also looking at him.

Yue Songtao straightened his robe and bowed to greet him.

"This person must be Master Li. During my wanderings, I have heard a lot about Master Li's deeds. I am lucky to meet him today. Master Li is indeed as handsome and talented as the rumors say."

Yue Songtao first flattered Li Ming and became familiar with him, and then began to think about how to ask him for money.

Li Ming was also observing Yue Songtao.

As expected, in this world, Yue Songtao is still a gambler by nature.

Li Ming vaguely remembered that in "Wulin Wai Zhuan", Yue Songtao also fought for the position of leader of the Five Mountains and defeated all the masters of the Five Mountains sword sects.

But later he deliberately let the game go and lost to Mo Xiaobei.

Although he lost a game, Yue Songtao used the competition for the leader of the Five Mountains to open the market, placed a reverse bet, and created a big upset, which directly earned him a fortune.

Not only did he pay off his gambling debts, but he also made tens of thousands of taels of silver.

Thinking of this, Li Ming's eyes became playful.

Yue Songtao went out to avoid gambling debts and had no news for several years. Now he suddenly appears to compete for the position of the leader of the Five Mountains, and he is not a gambler...

Could it be that he still wants to do something similar?
Seeing that Yue Songtao had an expectant look on his face and was still thinking about how to start the conversation, Li Ming also became interested and took out a silver note.

"Senior Yue, do you want to borrow money? I happen to be a bit well-off."

When Yue Songtao saw the banknotes, his eyes lit up.

"Oh my, how can this be so embarrassing."

While saying sorry, Yue Songtao couldn't wait to take the banknote.

"Master Li is indeed straightforward and loyal. I, Yue Songtao, have made friends with you. From now on, we can call each other brothers."

Yue Songtao and Li Ming exchanged a few polite words, then couldn't wait to find an excuse to get away and ran towards the gambling den at the other end of Qixia Town.

Seeing this scene, Yue Buqun's face was filled with disappointment.

I originally thought that Yue Songtao had changed his character, but unexpectedly, he was still addicted to gambling!

It seems that he has simply changed from a gambler at the innate level to a gambler at the grandmaster level, and nothing else has changed.

Master Dingyi and a few others also felt sympathetic.

Tong Xiangyu had been watching from the sidelines. When she saw this scene, she couldn't help but pull Mo Xiaobei over and educate her in a low voice.

"Don't learn these things in the future, understand?"

Mo Xiaobei nodded.

However, just as things calmed down, several female nuns from the Hengshan Sect brought by Master Dingyi soon arrived.

"Master, Lu Bai left, but Le Hou didn't leave. He even brought people to monitor outside Qixia Town, saying that Uncle Liu must not be allowed to leave."

Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but feel a little worried.

Looking at Liu Zhengfeng, he still seemed unwilling to say more, so everyone didn't ask more questions, but they already had a grudge in their hearts.

Today, the four sects united and said they wanted to re-elect the leader of the Five Mountains, but this offended Zuo Lengchan greatly, and most of them were a little worried.

I don’t know how things will develop next... The storm ended, but there was no fighting, so Li Ming returned to the martial arts gym.

But after thinking about it for a while, he always felt that something was wrong.

Zuo Lengchan insisted on having Lu Bai show up in town, which felt a little unusual.

If he really wanted to deal with Liu Zhengfeng, he would have plenty of opportunities on the way out of Qixia Town.

I always feel like something is wrong...

After thinking for a while, a disciple came running and said that Yue Songtao wanted to see him.

Wow, Li Ming calculated the time.

I gave him a silver note worth one hundred taels, and in less than half an hour, he lost it all?
It’s fast enough.

Li Ming nodded, and soon, Yue Songtao, with nothing in his hands but a sword at his waist, walked in.

As expected, I lost everything.

Even Li Ming couldn't help but sigh that gamblers are really good at squandering money. No wonder Yue Buqun's face was full of resentment when he saw him.

After Yue Songtao sat down, he first expressed his gratitude and chatted for a few words, but he was too embarrassed to ask for money again.

Li Ming was a little curious and asked actively.

"Brother Yue, there's something I don't understand." Yue Songtao had mentioned before that he wanted to address each other as equals, so Li Ming didn't hesitate.

"Master Li, please speak."

"With Brother Yue's current strength, it shouldn't be difficult to get money, right? And there don't seem to be many people in the underworld who have the strength to collect debts from you. Why is it still so difficult for Brother Yue?"

Li Ming was indeed curious.

If a Grandmaster wants to make money, there are many ways for him to do so. Apart from anything else, just stealing some money is enough for him to squander.

Moreover, Yue Songtao lost all his money in the gambling den, but he actually admitted defeat. If he were an unreasonable person who showed off his strength, he would not come out empty-handed.

Hearing Li Ming's question, Yue Songtao became serious for a rare time and spoke in a serious tone.

"Master Li, you are wrong. Yue just loves gambling, but he is not a thief or a debtor."

"In Yue's opinion, once you sit at the gambling table, it doesn't matter how strong you are, it all depends on your luck. You have to accept the loss if you lose. Yue looks down on those who can't afford to lose and still bully others by taking advantage of their power."

"I see."

Li Ming was quite surprised. It turned out that Yue Songtao was a gambler with principles.

No wonder the leader of Huashan was forced to hide from his debts but did not refuse to pay.

He is a rare... wonderful person.

"Brother Yue, did you come back this time to compete for the title of the Five Mountains Alliance? Or..."

As if he sensed the hidden meaning in Li Ming's tone, Yue Songtao felt a little guilty and laughed.

"Let's not talk about this for now. It's getting late. I wonder if Yue will disturb Master Li's dinner?"

Li Ming immediately understood what he meant. It turned out that Yue Songtao had even lost his meal money.

"If Brother Yue doesn't mind, please stay for dinner."

"Really? I'm so sorry..."

Yue Songtao was very happy and agreed reluctantly.

On the other side, Lu Bai left Qixia Town and met Zuo Lengchan after walking out for a short while.

Zuo Lengchan was actually not far away.

At this time, I was standing on a slope, looking at the two hastily buried graves in front of me.

The two signs in front have the names of Fei Bin and Zhong Zhen written on them.

The Songshan disciples around looked at this scene and dared not speak, as if they were afraid that their words would anger Zuo Lengchan.

After Lu Bai arrived, he first bowed several times in front of Fei Bin and Zhong Zhen’s graves, and then recounted the whole story.

"Alliance Leader Zuo, they are going too far. They even questioned your position as the leader. And there's Yue Songtao. I haven't seen him for a few years. I don't know what kind of luck he has, but he has also reached the Grandmaster level."

Lu Bai kept complaining to Zuo Lengchan.

But Zuo Lengchan waved his hand, telling him not to continue, and he didn't seem to be in a hurry at all.

"That's perfect, we can solve all the problems at once."

"Well, what the leader means is..."

Lu Bai was a little confused.

"Liu Zhengfeng is not worthy of my coming all the way here. Since they think I am not worthy of leading the Five Mountains Sword Sect, then we can resolve all the disputes at once and merge the sects directly. In addition, there is also Li Ming..."

Having said that, Zuo Lengchan's gaze fell on the graves of Fei Bin and Zhong Zhen, and he patted Lu Bai's shoulder.

"Don't worry, I will help them both get revenge this time."

When Lu Bai heard this, he was stunned at first, then his eyes lit up and he nodded heavily.

Just the next day, disciples of the Songshan School returned to Qixia Town and found Yue Buqun and others.

Inform them that Zuo Lengchan respected their opinions, and three days later, he set up a competition outside Qixia Town to re-elect the leader of the Five Mountains.

This matter is of great importance, so we specially invited Li Ming, the owner of Qianming Martial Arts School, to do the notarization.

Zuo Lengchan agreed so easily?
Mr. Mo Da and his friends were quite surprised. They didn't expect their proposal to go so smoothly.

But when he thought that Zuo Lengchan was nearby, he couldn't help feeling depressed.

When Yue Buqun heard this, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes. He said nothing and turned back into the house.

When he heard that he was invited to be a notary, Li Ming did not refuse and agreed immediately.

Those who can do notarization are generally respected senior figures in the world. This is the first time for Li Ming to do this.

Soon, the news spread like wildfire.

Since Li Ming's rise, some nosy warriors have been stationed in Qixia Town.

Everyone is curious about what strange news will happen in Qixia Town so that they can get the information first.

The news that the Five Mountains Sword Sect was going to set up a competition nearby to re-elect a new leader of the Five Mountains immediately attracted everyone's attention.

In the underworld, the fastest thing is gossip.

Soon, the news spread throughout the nearby martial arts world through the warriors in Qixia Town, and continued to spread outward.

Even Jianghu Monthly, upon hearing the news, immediately printed an extra issue of its tabloid to specifically report on the incident.

The attention this matter has attracted is rising rapidly.

All of a sudden, countless warriors flocked to the Seven Heroes Town, all wanting to feast their eyes on how the new leader of the Five Mountains Alliance was selected.

In the past, when the Five Mountains Sword Sects held an alliance, they would definitely choose to hold it at the mountain gate of one of the sects. Outsiders would not be able to see it at all, and at most they would know the result afterwards.

But for some reason, this time it was arranged outside Qixia Town.

This is a rare opportunity for everyone to feast their eyes!

For a moment, Qixia Town became extremely noisy again.

In the end, there was no place left for the Qixia people to stay in the town, and the surrounding Zuojiazhuang and Shibalipu were also crowded with people who came to watch the fun.

Some even more curious people have already opened a private bet, betting on whether Zuo Lengchan can retain the position of leader of the Five Mountains.

Upon hearing this, all the major sects and underworld forces urgently sent people to observe secretly, intending to get first-hand information.

After all, the selection of the leader of the Five Mountains Alliance will really have a huge impact on the situation in the martial arts world, so we have to pay attention to it.

The election of a new leader of the Five Mountains Alliance quickly became the biggest hot topic in the martial arts world recently, and it is still continuing to ferment.

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye it was three days later.

Early in the morning, Li Ming and Mo Xiaobei stood at the entrance of the town.

"Master, you didn't lie to me, did you? Can I really fight for it?"

Mo Xiaobei asked Li Ming, and for the first time, there was some lack of confidence in his tone.

Although she is usually eccentric, she still has basic self-awareness and doesn't quite believe that she has anything to do with the position of the leader of the Five Mountains.

"Don't worry, just follow the teacher's instructions when the time comes."

Li Ming comforted him and thought of Yue Songtao at the same time. He had a feeling that with him disrupting things today, things would be very lively.

Although Mo Xiaobei didn't know the situation, since his master had spoken, he nodded obediently.

Yue Songtao has been staying in the martial arts hall these days, saying that he wants to compete for the position of leader of the Five Mountains, but he has not been seen practicing martial arts very hard. He still likes to go out and gamble when he has nothing to do.

He had borrowed thousands of taels of silver from Li Ming, but ended up losing it all.

Even Li Ming felt that Yue Songtao's gambling skills were indeed worrying, and it took a lot of skill for him to lose so quickly.

However, Yue Songtao went out early today, probably to prepare for the fight for the position of leader of the Five Mountains.

Behind Li Ming followed Lin Pingzhi, Yang Guo and a group of core disciples of the martial arts school.

It was a rare occasion to see such a lively scene right next to their home, so Li Ming allowed them to take a day off from practicing martial arts.

Yang Guo liked lively places and now he seemed extremely excited, standing on tiptoe to look outside the town.

The open space outside the town, which used to be spacious, is now densely packed with people and warriors from all walks of life.

(End of this chapter)