Chapter 107: Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell

The Songshan Sect's martial arts tournament was a major event in the martial world of Henan, and all the prominent factions in the region received invitations. Regardless of whether they were righteous or evil, all the sects gathered together.

At the foot of Mount Song, there was a small town. All the inns in the area had been booked by the Songshan Sect to accommodate the various factions attending the martial arts event. The town's inns were now completely devoid of any regular citizens.

When Huo Yuanzhen arrived, it was already dusk.

As the carriage reached the entrance of the town, a person was already waiting. Upon seeing Huo Yuanzhen's carriage approaching, they quickly stepped forward to greet them.

"Are you masters from Shaolin Temple?"

The Buddhist sects in Henan were few, and now that the Fahuang Temple had disappeared, there were even fewer large-scale monasteries. Among the Buddhist sects that had received invitations, only Shaolin Temple remained, which was why the person waiting asked this question.

"Indeed!" Hui Wu replied from the carriage.

"Please follow me."

The person leading them appeared to be an ordinary disciple of the Songshan Sect. Nearby, several elderly figures of higher status stood, but they did not approach, clearly considering Shaolin Temple not yet worthy of their attention.

Hui Wu urged the carriage to follow the disciple through several winding streets, finally arriving at an inn.

The disciple led them to the second floor of the inn.

"This room in the corner is yours. You may stay here. Meals are served in the hall downstairs. The day after tomorrow, you will head up the mountain," the disciple said before turning and walking away.

Huo Yuanzhen did not mind his attitude and entered the room with Hui Wu and the others.

Although it was a bit secluded, the room was clean, and they settled in for the time being.

Hui Wu and Hui Niu went to get food, while Huo Yuanzhen sat by the window, silently receiving information transmitted by the Golden-eyed Eagle.

At the foot of Mount Song, various forces were gathering. With so many factions present, the situation was dangerous, and Huo Yuanzhen needed detailed intelligence to determine who could be allies and who were enemies. Only with this information could he act decisively.

The Golden-eyed Eagle's main target for observation was the one-eyed old man. Huo Yuanzhen was eager to learn who this person was.

Now, he knew the old man's whereabouts—he was staying in a house about fifty miles from here and had not left the premises. Huo Yuanzhen could not ascertain any further details.

"Hm! People from the Zhongyue Sect!"

The Golden-eyed Eagle had spotted some individuals from the Zhongyue Sect, which immediately caught Huo Yuanzhen's attention.

Led by Songshan disciples, the Zhongyue Sect members went to another inn, one that was much better than the one where Huo Yuanzhen was staying. After all, they were affiliated with the Tiandao Alliance.

The Buddhist and Taoist sects had been causing Huo Yuanzhen trouble, and he suspected that the people behind them might be from the Zhongyue Sect.

Currently, with only the Zhongyue Sect and Shaolin Temple at Shaoshi Mountain, they had a reason to target him. If the Tiandao Alliance wanted to attack, they would have done so directly. It was only because the Zhongyue Sect lacked strength that they might resort to hiring others.

Of course, Huo Yuanzhen had no proof, and his suspicions were of little use.

After noticing the Zhongyue Sect, Huo Yuanzhen also noticed several other sects. Among them, the beggars caught his attention.

The Demon Sect was reputed as the largest sect in the world, but in terms of actual numbers, they were probably outnumbered by the Beggar Sect.

However, the Demon Sect had strict internal discipline, and its members were skilled in martial arts, while the Beggar Sect was more chaotic, with its fighting power much weaker than the Demon Sect.

The Beggar Sect had a branch in Henan, and its branch leader was a five-bag disciple at the peak of the acquired realm.

Their attendance at the martial arts tournament was unexpected by Huo Yuanzhen. Normally, as the so-called largest sect in the world, the Beggar Sect would never join any faction like the Tiandao Alliance. However, they were here, probably just to go through the motions.

Moreover, Hua Wujie would not force the Beggar Sect to join the Tiandao Alliance. This meant that the Beggar Sect was likely here in the role of an ally.

If the Beggar Sect decided to support Hua Wujie, things could get difficult.

Huo Yuanzhen was troubled, mentally debating how he could create a rift between the Beggar Sect and Hua Wujie.

At this moment, Hui Wu returned with food. After setting it down, he told Huo Yuanzhen, "Master, people outside are saying that the Demon Sect's two protecting Dharma kings have arrived in Henan, preparing to team up and wipe out all those gathered by the Songshan Sect."

"The protecting Dharma kings of the Demon Sect?" Huo Yuanzhen asked, intrigued.

"Yes, Master, do you know of the Four Demon Kings of the Demon Sect?"

"No," Huo Yuanzhen replied. His knowledge of the martial world was limited, and he had no idea who these four Demon Kings were.

"The Four Demon Kings are among the top martial artists in the world. Along with the three Elders and two Reverends, they form the highest echelon of the Demon Sect. These ten people are the sect's strongest combatants, each possessing extraordinary martial skills."

"Tell me about these Four Demon Kings."

"In the Demon Sect, the two Reverends, three Elders, and Four Demon Kings are all at the peak of the innate realm. The Four Demon Kings are: the Sea-roaming Dragon Zhang Jing, the One-eyed Tiger King Zhou Qin, the Colorful Phoenix Luo Caiyi, and the Iron-armed Golden Bull Sun Shan."

"One-eyed Tiger King!" Huo Yuanzhen was taken aback. Could the old man he encountered today be one of the Demon Sect's protecting Dharma kings?

Hui Wu, sensing Huo Yuanzhen's confusion, clarified, "It's very likely. I didn't realize this earlier, as the Demon Sect's protecting Dharma kings are far removed from us. But now that I think about it, the one-eyed old man we saw today might very well be the One-eyed Tiger King Zhou Qin."

"Who's the other Dharma king here?"

"The other one is the only female among the Four Demon Kings, the Colorful Phoenix Luo Caiyi."

"A woman?" Huo Yuanzhen asked, surprised.

"Yes, she's a woman. Luo Caiyi is quite mysterious. Over the years, she's rarely been seen, but whenever she appears, she's always dressed in colorful clothes, wielding twin swords. Her kills are as effortless as chopping vegetables, and no one has ever survived under her sword. Among the Four Demon Kings, she's the most fearsome."

Huo Yuanzhen pondered for a moment and asked, "If these two really plan to attack the people gathered for the martial arts tournament, do you think they'll be able to withstand them?"

Hui Wu scratched his head. "It's going to be tough. If the old man is truly the One-eyed Tiger King, no one here would be able to fight him. His Tiger-Crane Double Form has reached the pinnacle of martial arts. Even Hua Wujie wouldn't last twenty moves against him. Plus, Luo Caiyi's sword skills are unmatched. In group battles, she's a killing machine. If they fight seriously, even hundreds of people wouldn't be enough to stop her."

Huo Yuanzhen nodded and gestured for Hui Wu to rest.

Hui Wu and Hui Niu stayed in the outer room, while Huo Yuanzhen stayed inside. As soon as he left, Huo Yuanzhen began to pack his belongings and survey the terrain. Although he didn't need to leave immediately, it was best to be prepared. If a fight broke out, he needed to make sure he could escape swiftly through the safest route.

This wasn't about fleeing but about ensuring his survival. The Tiandao Alliance was welcome to deal with the Demon Sect on their own. If the situation turned dire, Huo Yuanzhen would simply leave, as he still had the mission of rebuilding Shaolin Temple.

By now, Huo Yuanzhen was almost certain that the Demon Sect would make a move against the Songshan people. The One-eyed Old Man had already warned him that Songshan was not a safe place, and it was time to go.

He had originally planned to ally with others to oppose Hua Wujie, but now it seemed unnecessary. He would go along with the events, then find a chance to escape.

Over the past two days, despite rumors spreading that the Demon Sect was preparing to attack, no one had seen any of their people in town. Some of the more reckless martial artists believed it was just a bluff. With so many forces gathered at Songshan, the Demon Sect wouldn't dare strike now.

Of course, those with this mindset were mostly rookies who didn't understand the gravity of the situation. The veterans in the martial world weren't so naive.

After hearing about Luo Caiyi's reputation, many began to secretly consider leaving. However, the town had been tightly guarded by Songshan disciples, and no one was allowed to leave before the martial arts tournament was over.

Huo Yuanzhen sent the Golden-eyed Eagle to continue monitoring the One-eyed Old Man's house, but for two days, there was no movement. The old man had not even stepped outside, which left Huo Yuanzhen confused.

Two chaotic days passed, and Huo Yuanzhen stayed in his room, cultivating his Pure Boy Skill.

On the morning of the first day of October, Huo Yuanzhen checked again using the Golden-eyed Eagle and found that the old man's house was still silent. There was no sign of anyone inside, not even a shadow.

The Golden-eyed Eagle was a flawless surveillance tool. It could detect targets from miles away, and within thirty miles, it could spot even the smallest creature. It had been monitoring the area around the old man's house, and if he had left, Huo Yuanzhen would have known.

But no one appeared.

This made Huo Yuanzhen uneasy. The old man must have used this house to shed his traces and disappear.

Now, Huo Yuanzhen had no choice but to stay in the town. With the time approaching, he reluctantly followed the crowd up Songshan Mountain.

He hoped that the One-eyed Tiger King and Colorful Phoenix would come late, so he could find a chance to slip away quietly.