Unparalleled Double Harmony

Chapter 652 Give Me Some Face

Chapter 652 Give Me Some Face

Although Di Bujuan and Hu Wenzhi's martial arts skills were far inferior to those of the old guys from Zhenxia Hall, the gap was not so large that they would be captured alive in the blink of an eye. So, at this moment, they were undoubtedly acting.

Since they've already started acting, it means they must have figured out the identities of the six masked men; otherwise, they wouldn't have dared to approach so confidently and get captured.

As for how they figured it out, it's actually quite simple...

First of all, it was obvious that Di and Hu had met with the people of Zhenxia Hall during the day; because they were going to disguise themselves and blend into the crowd before going up the mountain, it was very necessary to have the old men remember the difference between their appearance before and after the disguise. Otherwise, if things got chaotic, the old men wouldn't be able to tell their own people apart and might accidentally hurt each other.

Secondly, it was thanks to Hu Wenzhi... Everyone should remember that Old Hu was mediocre in other aspects, but he was exceptionally good at eavesdropping. In terms of hearing alone, even Di Bujuan couldn't compare to him. So, just now, almost immediately when the masked man said "Manager Sun," he realized the other party's identity and guessed the intentions of these old men.

Therefore, while Sun Yixie was arguing and pretending to be a pervert, Hu Wenzhi had already quietly discussed the current situation with Di Bujuan and agreed to put on this play.

"Don't move! Chief Di is in their hands!"

"Don't move! Don't move at all!"

"Damn it... If you dare to lay a finger on Chief Di, you won't be leaving this courtyard today!"

At this moment, apart from the Shaolin and Wudang disciples who remained silent due to the presence of their leaders, almost all the other martial arts practitioners in the courtyard immediately shouted out their support after hearing Chief Di's call, creating a scene of great enthusiasm.

Don't think these people have any ulterior motives or are just putting on an act... In fact, Di Bujuan's reputation in the martial arts world is just that high right now.

If you don't believe me, just think back. From the Seven Heroes Gathering to Wujian Manor, from the Six Kings' Contest to today's Wudang Rebellion, which time didn't Chief Di make a brilliant showing in front of his fellow practitioners?

Although he himself was always the kind of ruthless hero with flexible bottom lines who could resort to any means necessary, in this series of major martial arts events related to Shuang Xie, Di Bujuan was repeatedly pushed to the position of bearing the pressure and often played the role of the key figure...

Many times, things didn't go as planned by Boss Di, and he was often forced to fight fights he didn't want to fight and couldn't win, but in the end, he always survived.

This is all due to timing, luck, and fate.

Judging by actions rather than intentions, not only the martial arts practitioners present, but even the members of the True Hero Hall would consider Di Bujuan a true hero.

This is why, when Di Bujuan asked Lin Dong if he was there to invite him to join the True Hero Hall, Lin Dong refused him with the words, "You should get better first and practice your martial arts some more." Lin Dong didn't say that Di Bujuan had any problems with being a "true hero."

In conclusion, how could everyone not be excited that a "pillar of the righteous path" like Chief Di has now been captured by the enemy?

"Fellow practitioners! My life or death is a trivial matter, but please calm down and listen to me..." Seeing that his fellow practitioners were giving him face, Di Bujuan continued his act with peace of mind. "Forgive my bluntness, but the martial arts of these Hunyuan Star Gate people are unfathomable. I'm afraid that even if we risk our lives and are completely wiped out, we still won't be able to stop them..."

His first sentence was addressed to those in the crowd who were completely unaware of the disparity in combat strength between the two sides.

Such people... are actually the majority. Even many mid-level leaders of Shaolin and Wudang are at this level, and even some leaders of second- or third-rate sects are at this level.

If Di Bujuan doesn't bring this matter up and discuss it openly, then his subsequent actions will be impossible to carry out.

"Hey! Chief Di, how can you boost the morale of others while diminishing our own?" Just then, a nobody from the martial arts world suddenly appeared out of the crowd and promptly uttered this classic line of a brute.

But it was clear that this man was not some mindless brute; his true identity was a bodyguard from Yuxiu Manor.

It was precisely because this fellow could see how outrageous the martial arts skills of those six masked men were that he couldn't wait to jump out and make fun of Chief Di.

After all, he didn't know where these masked men came from, and he was really afraid that if the two sides started fighting, he and all the righteous martial arts practitioners in the courtyard would be killed by the other side.

fortunately……

"Amitabha..." Before the assassin could finish speaking, Master Jizhen, who had just exchanged blows with two masked men, took over the conversation. "This benefactor, you have misunderstood Chief Di..." The old monk paused, then continued in a heavy tone, "This old monk can testify that Chief Di's words are all true. The martial arts of these people... alas, this old monk himself is inferior."

If there were still a few people who felt something was off about the sudden arrest of Di and Hu, Master Jizhen's words have now completely dispelled their doubts.

However... what followed was a rapidly rising fear and despair.

At this moment, Sect Leader Yao also spoke up: "Indeed, although my martial arts skills are far inferior to Master Jizhen's, I can still see... Alas... what Master and Chief Di said is true."

Here, Master Yao's intentions were somewhat different from those of Master Jizhen.

Master Jizhen had already disregarded life and death at this moment, and since monks do not lie, he said whatever he thought. He told the truth only to avoid Di Bujuan being misunderstood by everyone.

But Sect Leader Yao was deliberately trying to diminish his own prestige, because he didn't want to die...

It's not that Yao Zhizu is afraid of death, but the main problem is that most of Wudang's leadership is standing in this courtyard right now. If a fight breaks out and leaves all the high-ranking members of Wudang, including him, the sect leader, here, then the "destruction of Wudang" will basically be completed in the literal sense.

Comparing the Shaoshi Mountain massacre side by side, although Shaolin also suffered many casualties, at least most of the leadership team, led by Sanji, were not affected. How come when it comes to Wudang, "injury" has to be upgraded to "head blown out and heart ripped out"?

If we consider the worst-case scenario, assuming that Sect Leader Yao and all the high-ranking members of Wudang actually died here today, could the remaining people still hold onto Wudang's foundation? Would the fate of the Tianqi Gang repeat itself on them?

Therefore, Yao Zhizu was not afraid of dying in battle, but rather that the centuries-old foundation of Wudang would end in the hands of his successor as sect leader...

In that case, when people in later generations mention Wudang, it's hard to say how many of the sect leaders will be remembered, but they will definitely be able to name Zhang Zhenren, who founded the sect, and "the last one before its destruction"... Who would want their name to be passed down in this way?

Therefore, Sect Leader Yao quickly stepped in to speak, trying to calm everyone's fighting spirit and see if there was any room for negotiation.

"This...is this really true?" The assassin from Yuxiu Manor was undoubtedly a master of acting. At this moment, he suddenly stopped being "reckless" and changed his demeanor, revealing a shocked and cowardly expression.

With the joint endorsement of the three major sect leaders and the atmosphere created by a comedian, everyone in the courtyard finally accepted without a doubt that "we will be completely wiped out if a fight breaks out."

"Brother Sun!" At this moment, the stage for Di Bujuan was set, and he was about to start his show. "For the sake of our past friendship, would you also like to hear a few words from me?"

But as soon as he finished speaking, Sun Yixie sneered and said, "Hmph... Chief Di, you must have some misunderstanding, right?" His tone was incredibly smug, as if he had been holding back for a long time. "Some things that you think are friendships may just be mutual exploitation in our eyes."

This statement sounds like a rejection, but the real point is to "disassociate oneself from the issue."

It was obvious that the moment Di Bujuan and Hu Wenzhi were "automatically captured," Sun Yixie had already realized that the two were on his side. He even vaguely sensed that Di Bujuan and Hu Wenzhi knew those masked men, so he was now cooperating with Di Bujuan's performance.

However, precisely because he was about to finish this charade with Di Bujuan, he had to distance himself from him at this moment.

After all, Di and Hu still need to return alive. When Chief Di stands up to negotiate on everyone's behalf, no one will take his "friendship" too seriously. But once things calm down, it's hard to say... It's always good to be cautious and take precautions.

"Tch...this shameless scoundrel."

"Little man!"

"I really misjudged you in the past..."

As expected, Sun Yixie's words garnered a lot of praise, along with dozens of angry or disdainful glances.

"However..." Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Sun Yixie continued, "Since Chief Di is willing to condescend to speak, I don't mind giving you face and listening to what you have to say."

Upon hearing this, Di Bujuan thought to himself, "As expected of Brother Sun, with this kind of rhetoric, I can proceed more smoothly from here on out." He paused, "Alright, let's not talk about friendship, let's just talk business..." He continued, "I have a business deal to do with you now, I wonder if you'd like to take it?"

"Hahaha..." Sun Yixie laughed smugly, then said sarcastically, "It's an honor for the dignified leader of the Canal Gang to condescend to talk business with a fishmonger like me... But I wonder what kind of business it is?"

Judging from this, it seems that Brother Sun is getting quite good at playing villains and is now quite comfortable with it.

Upon hearing this, Di Bujuan readily replied, "I propose that I act as your hostage to ensure your safe retreat down the mountain unharmed. In exchange, you refrain from attacking anyone present. What do you say?"

"Ha!" Sun Yixie certainly wouldn't agree immediately. If he didn't contradict Di Bujuan and pull him back, how would the others understand the benefits of this deal? "Chief Di, you're really joking. You're already in my hands, aren't you a hostage? Besides, you yourself said that if a fight breaks out, even if everyone in this courtyard dies, it won't stop us. So whether I need you as a hostage or not is up to me. Do I need you to 'protect' us?"

“Brother Sun, you are mistaken.” Di Bujuan waited for Sun Yixie to finish speaking before slowly saying, “Admittedly, the martial arts of your Hunyuan Star Gate are very high. Even if there are only eight of you now, you are still better than the dozens of people here. But... now that we’ve started talking, what do you think the martial arts heroes present will do when they start fighting, knowing that they will die as soon as the battle begins?”

“This…” Sun Yixie pretended to hesitate for two seconds, then gave an answer that even those present might not have considered, “You mean… they would fight to the death with the thought of ‘one more or one less’?”

“That’s right,” Di Bujuan said. “We can’t stop you, but can you escape unscathed? And which of you… is willing to be the one sacrificed?”

Upon hearing this, Sun Yixie's expression immediately changed.

At the same time, the six old men from the True Hero Hall also cooperated by giving each other a look that said, "Oh dear, I'm starting to waver."

On a side note, when Sun Yixie started "stealing the show" before, these old guys were a bit confused. But now that Di Bujuan has come out and is acting with Brother Sun, and is gradually revealing his intentions, these guys from Zhenxiatang have caught up with the rhythm and have started to chime in.

Their wavering was witnessed by everyone, which immediately rekindled the hope of life in many people.

Once people have hope, they tend to lose their composure and vigilance to some extent.

Even worse, some people will simply give up thinking and jump into obvious scams or traps.

“Brother Sun, I remember you said during the day that the Shaoshi Mountain massacre was not your doing,” Di Bujuan continued, seeing that the groundwork had been laid.

“Yes, I did say that,” Sun Yixie said.

"So the message 'First kill Shaolin, then destroy Wudang, only Hunyuan will reign supreme in the martial world' was also left by someone to frame you?" Di Bujuan asked again.

“Yes,” Sun Yixie added, “the problem is that it seems like people don’t really believe it.”

“Whether you believe it or not… we can discuss it further,” Di Bujuan said. “But since you, Brother Sun, also said that it wasn’t you who wanted to ‘first destroy Shaolin, then annihilate Wudang,’ does that mean… you didn’t need to fight with the people here in the first place, much less go so far as to exterminate them?”

"Heh... I almost forgot myself if you hadn't mentioned it." Since the conversation had already come to this point, Sun Yixie simply included the purpose of their trip up the mountain in the conversation as well. "Tonight I originally came to settle accounts with that bastard Chunxin, but it was you guys who suddenly appeared and surrounded us in the house, which led to the current situation."

With his words, at least in the eyes of Master Jizhen and Sect Leader Yao, tonight's events were logically complete, and this loop did indeed retain the possibility that "the Hunyuan Star Gate was indeed framed."

“Very well.” Di Bujuan continued, “Assuming what Brother Sun said is true, shouldn’t you accept the deal I’m proposing?” As he spoke, he glanced at everyone in the courtyard, “If the Shaoshi Mountain incident is the work of some other force, then wouldn’t your sect fighting to the death with so many fellow practitioners here just be exactly what those truly evil people want?”

Upon hearing this, the assassins from Yuxiu Manor in the crowd all felt a chill run down their spines.

Fortunately, Di Bujuan didn't elaborate too much on the topic. He continued, "So in my opinion, why don't we all compromise?" He looked at his fellow martial artists and said with a righteous expression, "I, Di Bujuan, humbly request that you all give me face and let Brother Sun and his companions go down the mountain... During this time, I am willing to personally act as a hostage and vouch for both sides with my life."

As he spoke, he looked at Sun Yixie and said, "Brother Sun, the strength of your sect is now evident to all. You can use this retreat to prove that you have no intention of 'destroying Wudang,' can't you?"

Before Di Bujuan could finish speaking, Sun Yixie's face was already showing various feigned hesitations and anxieties.

Meanwhile, everyone else in the courtyard, including Master Jizhen and Sect Leader Yao, were all giving Di Bujuan a thumbs up in their hearts. They secretly praised Di Bujuan for his courage, wisdom, quick thinking, eloquence, and ability to navigate complex situations. Not only did he manage to turn a tense and deadly situation around with just his words, but he was also willing to risk his life to ensure everyone's safety. He truly deserves to be called a pillar of the righteous path in the martial arts world.

Of course, as listeners, we should all understand that, like the previous "highlights," sometimes it's not that Di Bujuan is particularly capable, but rather that the right timing, location, and people pushed him to the top. In this case, it was the information gap and the cooperation of others that allowed him to display such a fearless and righteous attitude in front of others, and to create the illusion that he could turn the tide with just his words...

In any case, Chief Di's overall abilities at least met the minimum requirements for "favorable timing, location, and human factors," which is much higher than many people who always think "their abilities are superior and their opportunities are just good."

"Hmm..." After a moment, Sun Yixie, seeing that the atmosphere had eased enough, replied, "It sounds like... Chief Di, your deal is indeed a win-win situation. If I don't do it, it would seem like I'm acting impulsively." He paused, then pointed towards Di Bujuan's direction, "However, I'm still not comfortable with you as a hostage alone, so I have to add a clause... bring your Mr. Hu, the fourth leader of the Canal Gang, along too. I don't think you'll refuse, will you?"

This was something he did on a whim. Firstly, it created the impression that "I'm still negotiating," making the transaction seem more authentic. Secondly, he considered that leaving Hu Wenzhi alone would be a potential problem, so it was safer to take him along to "compare testimonies."

Moreover, his request was easy for others to understand—assuming that Di Bujuan was fearless and had already planned to explode during his time as a hostage, taking along one of Di Bujuan's trusted brothers would be an extra layer of insurance.

"I don't care!" Before Di Bujuan could even speak, Hu Wenzhi roared, "I never intended to abandon the gang leader and live on my own. I'll go with you, we'll die together!"

Seeing that Lao Hu cooperated seamlessly, Di Bujuan nodded slightly at him with satisfaction and said nothing more.

Just when things seemed to have been settled and were moving in the direction everyone hoped for...

"Wait!" Master Jizhen spoke again, "Other matters can be handled as Chief Di says, but you cannot take the woman in the room away!"

One thing at a time, the old monk wouldn't selectively forget about saving people just because the two sides had temporarily ceased hostilities.

However, his words genuinely caused many of those present who felt they had escaped death to curse him inwardly...

"Hmm?" Upon hearing this, Sun Yixie immediately glanced sideways, his mouth twisted, revealing a very displeased expression.

This startled a large group of people, including Master Yao, so much so that they broke out in a cold sweat.

Two seconds later, Brother Sun chuckled wickedly again: "Hehe... It seems Master has misunderstood. I said I would take this girl away for two reasons: first, I was afraid that Chunxin would try to bluff and distort the truth after waking up; second, I was also afraid that Shaolin would do something unjust for the sake of its reputation or to protect its own... After all, she's just a girl, all alone and vulnerable. If she were intimidated or misled, she would either be tortured to death or scared to death. But seeing Master's reaction later, it seems I was overthinking it. Now I believe Master will handle Chunxin's matter impartially and will not show favoritism, so I don't need to take her with me."

His words are a mix of truth and falsehood; it all depends on how the listener interprets them.

Most people felt that this guy had just been lustful, but now that the situation had changed, he had to find a way to back down. However, a few people thought that what he said made some sense. If the Hunyuan Interstellar Gate was really innocent, this explanation seemed to make sense.

From Sun Yixie's perspective, the matter is quite simple—since things have come to this point, he can only make things difficult for Ling Louzhu and let her escape according to the original plan.

Although there are certain risks in Ling Louzhu staying here, given Ji Zhen's serious attitude, if they don't back down, all the efforts that Brother Sun and Di Bujuan made together might be in vain. So they can only choose to trust Ling Louzhu's ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

Thus, their journey came to an end.

What happened to Chunxin afterward, how Ling Louzhu escaped, and how Di and Hu returned to Wudang with their mission, guiding everyone to change their attitude towards the Hunyuan Star Gate and begin preparing to besiege Wawu Mountain... we'll discuss these in a later chapter.

Let's return to Huang Donglai and his group's journey...

While Sun Yixie and Di Bujuan were "negotiating," Yun Shili, carrying Chun Kong in one hand and taking the spine from the table with the other, was already running towards the back mountain with the Three-Character King and Huang Donglai.

Of course, they couldn't possibly take the kidnapped Master Jiren and Master Jishan with them when they jumped out of the hole in the roof, so they left the two old monks behind.

Having lost their hostages, they would certainly be unable to escape a second round of pursuit by the crowd.

So, those who had been tricked away by Huang Donglai in the front hall of the Zhenwu Hall, after realizing what had happened and joining up with the people in the back hall, formed a large group of menacing and foul-smelling pursuers.

Not only were they chasing after us, but also... don't forget there were still quite a few people in the forbidden area behind the mountain. Those people had also gotten wind of the situation and were coming over.

And so, Huang Donglai and his group, by sheer coincidence, encountered a "double blockade" at the narrow path leading to the back mountain.