Starting With The Martial Arts Holy Fire Order

That day, Hu Qingyang saw Ling Yihan practicing martial arts in the courtyard and happily rushed over to share the news.

Ling Yihan smiled slightly. “Is that so? Such wonderful news—let’s go!”

Hu Qingyang asked curiously, “Go… where?”

Ling Yihan lightly tapped her on the nose, smiling. “Silly girl, of course we’re going to congratulate the Golden Lion King!”

“All right! I’ll go and get Sister Dai Qisi to come with us.” Hu Qingyang eagerly ran off towards the training grounds to find Dai Qisi, who was busy instructing the Five Elemental Flags.

Soon, Ling Yihan, accompanied by the two beautiful ladies, Dai Qisi and Hu Qingyang, rode a carriage to Xie Xun’s residence. On the way, Ling Yihan even bought a golden locket as a gift for Xie Xun’s newborn son.

“Leader, what brings you here?” Xie Xun quickly came out to greet Ling Yihan, bowing respectfully upon seeing him arrive with Dai Qisi and Hu Qingyang.

Ling Yihan smiled warmly, “No need for formalities, Golden Lion King. You didn’t even let me know about the birth of your son. If not for Sister Qingyang, I’d still be in the dark!”

He took the golden locket from his sleeve and handed it to Xie Xun. “This is a little gift for the child. Please accept it!”

Xie Xun tried to decline, but Ling Yihan pressed the locket into his hand, leaving him no choice but to accept.

“Leader…”

Lady Xie, overhearing their conversation, tried to rise from her bed to greet Ling Yihan.

Ling Yihan quickly gestured for Hu Qingyang to hold her down. “Sister, there’s no need for such formalities. You’ve just given birth and need to rest. Don’t worry about these customs—just focus on recuperating.”

Dai Qisi looked at the baby in the cradle, her heart filled with tenderness. “Such an adorable baby! Has he been named yet?”

Lady Xie shook her head, smiling. “He was just born last night, and we didn’t know if it would be a boy or girl, so we haven’t named him yet.”

Xie Xun turned to Ling Yihan, “Since the Leader is here, why not bestow a name upon my child?”

Ling Yihan smiled thoughtfully, “Since it’s a boy, may he grow up fearless. Why not name him Wuji?”

Lady Xie murmured, “Wuji… Xie Wuji… What a wonderful name!”

“Thank you, Leader, for bestowing this name upon my child!” Xie Xun beamed, clearly pleased with the name.

Hu Qingyang couldn’t help but compliment, “Xie Wuji is such a lovely name! Brother Ling, I never knew that aside from martial prowess, you’re also a master of words—a true talent!”

Dai Qisi nodded, “Indeed, I could never have thought of such a name.”

“Oh, stop flattering me, you two. If we’re talking about true talent, then no one surpasses Golden Lion King among us,” Ling Yihan laughed, waving off their praise.

Xie Xun quickly protested, “Leader, you’re too kind. You’ll make me blush.”

Ling Yihan shook his head, smiling. “Golden Lion King, I’m not just flattering you. I’ve long heard that you’re well-versed in classical texts, with an impressive knowledge of both history and martial tales. I can’t compare to you in that regard.”

Ling Yihan’s praise was sincere. In the original story, Xie Xun was known for his vast knowledge. When he traveled with Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu to Fire and Ice Island, he cursed the emperors of every dynasty and even mentioned legendary figures like Guo Jing, Huang Rong, Yang Guo, and Zhang Sanfeng. This intellectual prowess was why Yang Dingtian had considered him a potential successor over others like Yang Xiao and Fan Yao.

After chatting with Xie Xun and his wife for a while, Ling Yihan took his leave with Dai Qisi and Hu Qingyang, returning to Bright Summit by carriage.

“Brother Ling, the Mid-Autumn Festival is in three days. How will you spend it?” Hu Qingyang asked suddenly from inside the carriage.

“Yes, I’ve never celebrated Mid-Autumn in Persia. This year will be my first, and I’d love to spend it with you and Sister Qingyang,” Dai Qisi added.

“Mid-Autumn… the full moon…” Ling Yihan’s expression suddenly turned serious as if something had just occurred to him.

“Brother Ling, what’s wrong? You look troubled,” Hu Qingyang asked, concerned.

Dai Qisi, noticing his change in expression, also looked worried. Ling Yihan shook his head. “It’s nothing, just a thought. Actually, let’s not return to Bright Summit. How about we spend Mid-Autumn with Golden Lion King and his family? After all, I just disciplined him recently, so this could be a good opportunity to ease things over.”

Hu Qingyang laughed, “Brother Ling, you worry too much. Golden Lion King isn’t that petty.”

“Indeed, Brother Xie wouldn’t mind,” Dai Qisi nodded in agreement.

Ling Yihan looked at the two of them, smiling. “It won’t hurt to visit anyway. The more, the merrier. Let’s make it a plan.”

Ignoring any objections from Dai Qisi and Hu Qingyang, he directed the carriage back towards Xie Xun’s residence. He also decided to keep this visit a surprise, planning to appear unexpectedly on the night of the festival, much to the puzzlement of the two women, who didn’t understand his intentions.

On the night of Mid-Autumn, as Ling Yihan had anticipated, Xie Xun invited Cheng Kun to his home as a guest for the festival, where they enjoyed mooncakes under the moonlight.

Xie Xun became heavily intoxicated, while Cheng Kun, who harbored a long-held grudge against the Ming Sect, seized the opportunity. Under the guise of drunkenness, he attempted to assault Lady Xie. Xie Xun’s parents witnessed the attack and tried to intervene, only for Cheng Kun to kill them in cold blood.

As he was about to proceed with his despicable actions against Lady Xie, a drunken Xie Xun stumbled into the room. Upon seeing him, Cheng Kun lifted the cradle containing Xie Wuji, prepared to crush the infant to death.

At that critical moment, Ling Yihan appeared in a flash, swiftly seizing baby Xie Wuji from Cheng Kun’s grasp and subduing him.

When Xie Xun regained consciousness and saw the scene before him, he was horrified. Anger surged within him as he confronted his master. “Master, why? Why would you kill my parents, assault my wife, and even try to kill my newborn son?”

With his acupoints sealed by Ling Yihan, Cheng Kun sneered coldly, “Indeed, you and I shared a strong bond as master and disciple. But first Yang Dingtian stole my junior sister, and then Ling Yihan drove her to her death. Such blood feuds must be avenged!”

Ling Yihan responded coldly, “If revenge is what you seek, then come for me. Golden Lion King risked his life to save you, yet you repay him with treachery. You’re lower than a beast!”