Chapter 16: Starting with the Treasure!

Frustrated that he couldn't catch up, he rolled his eyes and decided to ask Yu Canghai to slow down. He immediately began yelling at him, spewing out all sorts of nasty words.

Yu Canghai, being a seasoned veteran of the rivers and lakes and now in possession of a valuable treasure, continued his pursuit without paying any heed to the harsh insults hurled at him. However, the problem lay in the fact that Du Yu hailed from the future world, equipped with countless new ways to swear. Rather than calling Yu Canghai "scum" or "shameless" like his ears were used to, Du Yu took advantage of Yu Canghai's son, Yu Renyan. He made fun of Yu Renyan, pointing out how he didn't resemble his father in any way, with dissimilar eyebrows, nose, and eyes. This provoked laughter from many martial arts masters, even earning a secret smile from Yue Buqun, who had always harbored animosity towards Du Yu.

How could Yu Canghai, a renowned martial arts master, bear such insults and hope to maintain his standing in the arena? His eyebrows furrowed, his murderous intent surged, and as he continued to move forward, he deftly launched a sleeve arrow in retaliation.

While Du Yu was engrossed in his cursing and yelling, he suddenly noticed a sleeve arrow hurtling towards him, piercing his body with a resounding thud. Like a wounded bird, Du Yu let out a piercing scream and collapsed heavily onto the ground.

Despite his health having recovered to full in recent days, Yu Canghai's hastily thrown sleeve arrow managed to inflict a devastating blow, draining 23 points of Du Yu's health in one strike, severely injuring him.

As the martial arts masters engaged in combat on the front lines, Yu Canghai turned around and shot an arrow. Although Du Yu was already injured, he managed to slow his breathing and evade Yu Canghai's attack. Yue Buqun caught up with Du Yu, thrusting his sword towards him, and the two engaged in combat once again. Yu Canghai found himself with no way to escape.

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Du Yu exclaimed, "What the hell! I nearly risked my life for a sword manual to ward off evil!"

Many masters surrounded Yu Canghai, including Master Fang Sheng, who clasped his hands together and said, "Master Yu, why persist? Why not hand this item over to this old monk?"

Seeing that he couldn't achieve his goal, Yu Canghai rolled his eyes, directed his gaze at Du Yu—whom he blamed for his current predicament—and shouted, "I'll return the items to their original owners!" With a forceful motion, he hurled the cassock and burden at Du Yu.

Du Yu found himself both amused and exasperated. This fake sword manual had originally been a smokescreen he had created to confuse others, but now it had returned to his possession. Observing the intense gazes of all the masters, Du Yu criticized Yu Canghai for being like a backstabbing killer, much like himself.

Master Fang Sheng chimed in, saying, "Please return the benefactor to Shaolin Temple."

Lin Zhennan added, "Return the property to its rightful owner."

Yue Buqun lightly shook his feather fan and smiled, "Indeed," but his piercing gaze made Du Yu shudder.

Though Yu Canghai remained silent, his malicious eyes never strayed from Du Yu's vital points.

Fei Bin smirked, saying, "Leader Zuo is still waiting for this evil sword manual."

Wang Peng, Qingkong, Shi Guoliang, the bespectacled man, Wu Liang, and others joined the group. Though out of breath from the chase, their eyes fixated on Du Yu with ill intent.

With only one copy of the evil sword manual available, it was impossible for everyone to obtain what they desired. Following Shi Guoliang's previous example, mishandling the situation could lead these masters to view the weak Du Yu as nothing more than an ant that could be dispatched with a single finger, easily crushed.

Du Yu's health plummeted to a mere 17 points as Yu Canghai unleashed another dart, killing him.

Time was running out, with only four minutes remaining.

Du Yu's forehead dripped with cold sweat.

Luckily, he possessed a strong determination and remained calm in the face of significant events. With a gleam in his eyes, he stepped forward and spoke loudly, "Respected martial arts seniors and comrades, listen to me."

He directed his gaze at Master Fang Sheng, who clasped his hands together and said, "Amitabha, please speak, benefactor. The old monk was remiss earlier when Guoliang was attacked unexpectedly. Anyone who plots against the benefactor now will become an enemy of Shaolin."

Master Dingyi chimed in, "Indeed. I, Hengshan Dingyi, won't spare anyone who interferes and prevents someone from finishing their sentence!"

Assured by Shaolin and Hengshan's support, Du Yu felt more at ease, knowing he had at least four minutes. He continued, speaking slowly, "Everyone knows that this evil sword manual was left behind by the Lin family's Yuan Tugong. Logically, it should be returned to the Lin family."

After he finished speaking, Lin Zhennan, Lin Pingzhi, and hundreds of Lin family bodyguards cheered in unison, "That's right! This belongs to the original owner."

Yue Buqun and Yu Canghai's faces turned ashen. Fei Bin sharply retorted, "You, a mere beggar, dare to divide the sword manual before us? You still haven't handed it over..."

Observing the expressions on Master Fang Sheng and Master Ding Yi's faces, Fei Bin snorted coldly, though his eyes betrayed a sinister intent.

Du Yu spoke slowly, "However, the Lin family is weak. With this sword manual, it's like a child holding a treasure, walking in and out of a store. Innocent bystanders will be unaffected, but the child carries a burden. If the Lin family hadn't been led by eminent monks like Yue and Shaolin, they would have been wiped out this time—a true catastrophe. Chief Escort Zhennan, have you considered this?"

Although Lin Zhennan felt humiliated, he could only let out a long sigh.

Yu Canghai had sent his only son to the Fuwei Escort to cause trouble, employing sinister tactics that no one questioned. His Fuwei Escort Bureau had proven incapable of stopping the Qingcheng faction's massacre.

"Therefore," Du Yu continued, "this item can only be entrusted to our martial arts comrades for safekeeping, as it's the best way to protect the Lin family. Without the sword manual, who would seek trouble for the Lin family?"

Many martial arts practitioners replied in unison, "Indeed! If anyone bullies the weak again, we shall not let them get away with it!"

Yu Canghai snorted coldly, but under the intense scrutiny of everyone, he reluctantly said, "My Qingcheng faction has no enmity with the Lin family, so why should we cause trouble for them?"

Lin Zhennan was overjoyed. Yu Canghai's declaration in front of the masters from Shaolin, Songshan,

 Huashan, and Hengshan meant that, at the very least, he couldn't openly deal with Fuwei Escorts. With this promise, it was truly worth its weight in gold.

Although the evil sword manual had been lost, the Lin family had long held ancestral teachings ensuring that no one could decipher its contents. There was no difference between possessing the manual and not having it. It was just a matter of losing the ancestral manual, which was somewhat embarrassing but preferable to the family's extermination. Lin Zhennan clasped his fists together and said, "Since this young brother understands the situation so clearly, Master Fangzheng, Master Yue, and other esteemed individuals, please decide. On behalf of the Lin family, I will not request the return of the sword manual. However, I do hope for a fair distribution."

Du Yu wiped the sweat from his brow, checked that three minutes remained, and cursed inwardly for the slow passage of time. He continued, "Now, let's discuss how to handle this treasure. Master Fang Sheng of Shaolin, what purpose does this item serve in Shaolin Temple?"

Master Fang Sheng joined his palms together and replied, "In Shaolin, we do not crave sword techniques and martial arts. Our only concern is to prevent it from causing harm to the world. If it can be returned to Shaolin, it will be properly safeguarded."

Du Yu inwardly laughed, knowing exactly what the venerable monk would say. He then turned to Master Dingyi and asked, "And you, Master Dingyi?"

Master Dingyi stated, "Our Hengshan swordsmanship follows its own system and does not require this manual. We simply echo the words of the master."

Next, Du Yu directed his attention to Yue Buqun, inquiring, "And you, Head Yue?"

Yue Buqun smiled and replied, "I act to uphold the righteous path of martial arts. If I were to possess this sword manual, I would merely keep it hidden away. Huashan's magnificent swordsmanship suffices; there is no need for me to practice techniques from other sects."

Du Yu nodded and turned to Fei Bin, asking, "Songshan Left Leader, how would you handle this sword manual?"

Fei Bin momentarily struggled for words but quickly realized the appropriate response. "Haha, if the leader of the Left Alliance were to possess this sword manual, he would treasure it and ensure it doesn't disrupt the world."

Du Yu clapped his hands and laughed heartily. He then looked at Yu Canghai and asked, "And you, Sect Leader Yu?"

A hint of malice flashed in Yu Canghai's eyes, but since the previous statements had been high-minded, he couldn't risk tarnishing his reputation by declaring his desire to snatch the manual back for personal gain. He snorted coldly and said, "I second the proposal."

Du Yu nodded with satisfaction. "Since many esteemed masters have expressed their views, the purpose of obtaining this sword manual is to ensure peace in the world and serve noble intentions. Thus, the matter becomes much simpler."

He glanced at the remaining time—only three minutes remained. With this chaos, he had emerged as the sole victor. With the [Evil Resisting Sword Manual] in his possession, there was no better time to leave than now.