Arhats Subduing Demons: Starting with The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber

Chapter 139 The Greater Good and the Lesser Good
The night was as dark as mist, and the night sky was as clear as black jade, but the bustling mortal world was a night that never sleeps.

Yun Changkong and his wife stopped at the corner of the inn where the Ming Cult was staying.

Zhao Min laughed and said, "This is my first time traveling the martial world at night. You'll have to listen to me from now on."

Yun Changkong said, "I'll listen to you completely? Didn't you say you wanted to see what Miss Zhou was thinking?"

Zhao Min laughed and said, "I've played with the Heaven Sword, but I've never seen what the Dragon Saber looks like. I'd like to get my hands on it and play with it, to see how powerful it is!"

Yun Changkong shook his head and said, "If someone finds out, it's hard to say."

Zhao Min said irritably, "You weren't afraid of sneaking into my house, so what are you afraid of about a mere Ming Cult? Don't ask so many questions, just listen to me."

Yun Changkong felt these were two different things, but seeing that she was in high spirits, he could only smile and say, "Alright."

The two men leaped up, scaled the high wall, and lay down. They saw that in this large house facing south, one spot was particularly brightly lit, and four burly men with swords stood on either side of the door, while others patrolled around every corner.

At this moment, patches of gray clouds appeared, and a strong wind blew. Yun Changkong pondered for a moment, and taking advantage of the wind as cover, he pulled Zhao Min into the air and leaped up, landing lightly in the courtyard, like a leaf falling to the ground.

They crept around the guards and crept to the eaves on the east side. The two of them used a "golden hook upside down" move on the corner of the roof ridge and then flipped over and disappeared under the eaves.

The hiding place had a rectangular wooden window for ventilation, and through the gap in the window, the situation inside the hall could be seen clearly.

The hall was brightly lit, with a banquet table set out. Around the table sat Zhang Wuji, Zhou Zhiruo, Yang Xiao, Wei Yixiao, Zhou Dian, and others. There was also a person with golden hair and closed eyes. Yun Changkong and Zhao Min guessed that this person was Xie Xun, the Golden Lion King.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard, and a man entered, saying respectfully, "Master, Master Peng has arrived."

Zhang Wuji said "Oh," and the others immediately stood up.

Then a physician carrying a medicine bag on his back and holding a tiger-shaped scepter in his right hand suddenly entered. He raised both thumbs and placed them side by side in front of his chest, making the Ming Cult's flame gesture, and said, "Peng Yingyu greets the Cult Leader. I am overjoyed that the Cult Leader is in good health. Ah, thank you, Lion King, for returning."

It turned out that Monk Peng had come in disguise.

The blond man stood up and smiled, "Monk Peng, how are you?"

When this man stood up, he was over nine feet tall, exceptionally imposing, like an iron tower, with a booming voice and extremely abundant vital energy.

Peng Yingyu smiled and said, "It's been many years, but the Lion King's majestic spirit is still as strong as ever. It's truly a cause for celebration."

Xie Xun laughed heartily: "A day in the mountains is like a thousand years in the world. Twenty years have passed since I left the martial world. Many talented people have emerged in the martial world. What's the point of talking about being heroic?"

His tone was filled with dejection and sorrow.

He listened to Zhang Wuji and his fellow believers recount the events in the martial arts world in recent years. He learned that his adopted son's martial arts skills were exceptionally strong, and that Fan Yao had been killed by Yun Changkong. He also learned that the Eagle Sect had been forced to change its name to the White Eyebrow Sect, and that even the Ming Cult had almost been destroyed by Yun Changkong alone.

His martial arts skills are unparalleled in the world.

In Xie Xun's eyes, he might not even have much respect for Zhang Sanfeng's martial arts, but he greatly admired Master Kongjian and Yang Dingtian. Upon hearing what his fellow disciples said, Yang Xiao and the Five Elements Flag Envoy rushed forward, but they were all utterly defeated by him with just a few punches and kicks. Even the leader of the Yang Cult was no match for him.

He was both shocked that there was such a master in the martial arts world and saddened that he had gone blind. Thinking back to the majestic power of Wangpan Mountain that once intimidated all the heroes, he realized that it was truly gone forever.

Zhang Wuji said, "Master Peng, please sit down! We have just returned from overseas and heard that our sect has become very powerful. Could you tell us more about it?"

Monk Peng sat down and said, "Zhu Yuanzhang, Xu Da, Chang Yuchun and others have conquered cities and territories in recent years and made many military achievements. They have gained great prestige in the Huai and Si regions, which has overshadowed the prestige of our leader Han Shantong."

At this point, he glanced at the young man beside him, Han Lin'er, Han Shantong's son, and knew it was best not to say anything more.

He then said, “Xu Shouhui is also very successful in the Huguang area. In addition, there are Liu Futong, Sesame Li, Peng Junyong, Mao Gui and others, who are rising one after another, making it difficult for the Yuan court to deal with them. However, Fang Guozhen in Taizhou and Zhang Shicheng in Pingjiang Prefecture are enemies of our sect.”

At this moment, the young man stood up and said, "Master, why don't we just go to Dadu and kill that dog Tartar emperor?"

He was Han Lin'er, the one who praised Zhou Zhiruo as a celestial being in front of the inn during the day.

Zhang Wuji's face lit up with joy, and he exclaimed, "What a spirit! That's exactly what I was thinking!"

“No!” Monk Peng shook his head and said, “Brother Han, this Tartar emperor is a good helper to our Ming Cult. We must not let him suffer any harm.”

Everyone was stunned.

Xie Xun pondered for a moment and said, "Is it because this dog emperor is incompetent and tyrannical, and doesn't know how to appoint officials or deploy troops?"

"The Lion King's words hit the nail on the head!" Peng Yingyu clapped her hands and exclaimed.

Han Lin'er asked in surprise, "The Tartar emperor is incompetent and tyrannical, causing great suffering to the people. How can he be our ally?"

Peng Yingyu sighed, “Brother Han, you don’t know this. This Tartar emperor has appointed foreign monks, causing chaos in the court. He also ordered Jia Lu to dig up the Yellow River, which is a waste of resources and manpower, incurring the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people. This has turned the hearts of the people against us, which is exactly what makes it easier for us to succeed!”

Xie Xun nodded and said, "The Mongols were able to conquer the world and sweep away hundreds of countries for a reason."

It would be no exaggeration to say that the Mongol elite troops were unparalleled throughout history and invincible under heaven. It was only because the Tartars fought amongst themselves for the imperial succession that the Mongol strength was greatly diminished. But their formidable army still exists; if someone else were to become emperor, it might not be as advantageous for us to succeed.”

"Lion King's insight is brilliant!" Peng Yingyu nodded and said, "This Tartar emperor is afraid that his throne will be taken away by someone else, so he is on guard at all times."

The Prince of Ruyang was skilled in military strategy, but he deliberately hindered him in every way. The generals in the court were also hostile to each other, divided into camps, and engaged in endless infighting.

Therefore, the sect's great influence was entirely due to those good-for-nothing sycophants who only knew how to boast and flatter.

Heh, no matter how powerful the Mongol soldiers are, if they are led by a scoundrel, they can only fight one battle and lose one battle.

Isn't this Tartar emperor a great ally of ours?

Zhou Dian shouted, "This is outrageous! This old emperor doesn't even trust his own subordinates. What kind of emperor is he? He should just go home!"

Yang Xiao said calmly, "Throughout history, there have been countless instances of fathers killing sons and sons killing fathers for the throne. It's perfectly normal for a Mongol emperor to be wary of a mere prince."

Han Lin'er slapped herself repeatedly and cursed, "Damn it, damn it! Will you dare to come up with any more stupid ideas in the future?" This immediately made everyone laugh.

Zhang Wuji said, "What you all say is very true. I have learned a lot."

Monk Peng laughed and said, "Master is too modest. Now that the Lion King has returned, you can learn from him and you will understand."

Xie Xun smiled wryly and said, "I was just speaking casually. How much insight do I have? But since the Prince of Ruyang was able to bring Cheng Kun under his command and make him serve him, he is no ordinary man. With his abilities, if our Ming Cult wins more battles, he will surely have a day when he leads troops!"

Han Lin'er said, "Since this Prince Ruyang is a capable man, and I have come from Dadu and learned that he is living in seclusion in his residence, let's go and kill him. This way, we can both cut off the Mongol wings and avenge the parents of our leader, killing two birds with one stone."

"Good!" Wei Yi said with a grin, "Burning down Green Willow Manor last time wasn't enough to vent my anger. I haven't had a chance to stretch my muscles since I came to the Central Plains. If I keep holding back, these old bones of mine will rust. Let's just burn Ruyang Prince's Mansion to the ground and utterly annihilate them!"

Zhao Min's nose twitched slightly, and her eyes flashed with a cold light.

Zhang Wuji asked, "Left Envoy Yang, Godfather, what do you think?"

Yang Xiao pondered for a moment: "I think this is inappropriate. Firstly, the Prince of Ruyang's mansion has many capable people. Not to mention Fang Dongbai and others, just the two elders of Xuanming alone are unmatched except by the sect leader. If we force our way in, some of us will inevitably lose our lives."

Secondly, Yun Changkong said he married the daughter of the Prince of Ruyang. Based on this connection, we should go and kill his father-in-law directly.

This person's temperament cannot be judged by ordinary standards. If he felt that we were going to slap him in the face, his martial arts skills were so high that I still feel lingering fear when I think about it now.

If he wanted to save someone, he might not be able to, but if he wanted to kill someone, who in the world could escape him?

Everyone was stunned when they heard this.

Zhou Dian said, "Damn it, that kid's martial arts are indeed superb, and he's also wicked!"

Xie Xun said, "Just who is Yun Changkong? Doesn't he know that to achieve great things, one shouldn't even care about one's own parents and children, let alone a father-in-law?"

Zhao Min sneered inwardly upon hearing this: "For saying that, your whole family deserves to be killed!"

Yun Changkong thought to himself, "No wonder he was taught by Cheng Kun; he's just like Chen Youliang."

Upon hearing Xie Xun's words, Zhang Wuji gasped, speechless for a long time. He thought to himself, "The world calls the Ming Cult a demonic cult, and there's certainly some truth to that. Even with my adoptive father's wisdom, he's so ruthless!"

Zhou Zhiruo said calmly, "Yun Changkong has always been a hypocrite, arrogant, and acts entirely according to his own will. He defied his father's orders for that Mongolian demoness. If we really hurt Prince Ruyang, even if he understands that it is for the greater good, he might change his mind if that demoness whispers in his ear!"

Han Lin'er spat and said, "What kind of hero is Yun Changkong, who can't resist beauty?"
Besides, if he were to be completely infatuated with a celestial beauty like Miss Zhou, I would respect him...

Seeing that everyone was looking at him, he said embarrassedly, "I misspoke again. I was rude. Please forgive me, young lady."

His eyes were filled with reverence for Zhou Zhiruo, truly regarding her as a fairy or goddess.

Zhou Zhiruo knew she was beautiful and that young men would be captivated by her, but she had never encountered anyone as devoted as Han Lin'er, who prostrated herself before her. Her girlish heart was filled with joy, but naturally, her hatred for Yun Changkong only intensified.

Because so far, this is the first person to reject themselves.

Zhao Min, who was outside, blew a breath onto Yun Changkong's neck, blinked, and whispered in his ear, "Does the pillow talk work?" Yun Changkong smiled and nodded.

"This matter cannot be taken lightly!" Yang Xiao lowered his head and pondered: "The Beggars' Sect is on good terms with Yun Changkong, but they are not very convinced of our authority. This time, Shi Huolong sent his eldest disciple to accompany us on this voyage. The Dragon-Slaying Saber is now in our hands, and they are already dissatisfied. They have declared that they want to be at Yun Changkong's disposal. If we are not careful in the matter of the Prince of Ruyang, we may create another great enemy, and the anti-Yuan forces will be in jeopardy."

Everyone fell silent upon hearing this.

Han Lin'er said with a bitter face, "Yun Changkong is Yun Changkong, we can't touch him, but does that mean we have to avoid his Mongolian father-in-law too? How can we accomplish anything big like this?"

Wei Yixiao sneered, "When he killed Right Envoy Fan that day, he knew perfectly well that Fan was a Ming Cult brother who had infiltrated the Prince of Ruyang's mansion. This shows his true nature; in his eyes, no national righteousness matters as much as his own happiness. If we were to deal with the Prince of Ruyang, with the instigation of that Mongol princess, he might very well become an enemy of our Ming Cult again. We can only kill the Prince of Ruyang by surprise, but if he does the same to us, then things will be very difficult!"

"Choose the lesser of two evils!" Xie Xun said coldly. "If Yun Changkong disregards righteousness, and given his formidable martial arts, if we can't defeat him by force, can't we outsmart him?"

Zhou Zhiruo glanced at Xie Xun: "Hero Xie, do you have any clever ideas for outsmarting him?"

Yang Xiao said, "The sect leader is well-versed in medicine and it shouldn't be difficult for him to concoct medicines that are undetectable to others. We should each prepare a portion. If we see Yun Changkong, we can invite him for a drink, which shouldn't be a problem!"

Zhang Wuji felt a chill run down his spine and said, "The medicine is easy to prepare, but Brother Yun..." He glanced at Zhou Zhiruo and said, "But Yun Changkong has ultimately been kind to everyone. If we deal with her in this way, wouldn't we be ungrateful and despicable? What kind of heroes would we be?"

Xie Xun said, "As the saying goes, a petty person is no gentleman, and a man without ruthlessness is no true hero. If you don't harm others, they will harm you. The Prince of Ruyang's Mansion has never been lenient with our Ming Cult, so we should repay them in kind."

Yun Changkong has shown us kindness; we only wish that he won't be bewitched by the Mongol witch, won't help Prince Ruyang, and that we treat him well!

Zhang Wuji thought to himself that Yun Changkong had never wronged them. Although he had married a Mongolian princess, he still felt bad about treating him like this.

Xie Xun said calmly, "Our Ming Cult takes over the fight against the Yuan Dynasty as our top priority. Anyone who can threaten this great cause is an enemy. Why should we treat them with the heart of a bodhisattva?"

He snorted again, still indignant, and said, "How could your mother be so ruthless and cruel, yet you become so indecisive? Just like your father, with so many stinky words, how can you lead the Ming Cult, how can you be the leader of the martial arts alliance?"

Zhang Wuji sighed, looked away, and remained silent.

The hall fell silent for a moment.
Wei Yixiao said, "Master, have you forgotten what Cheng Kun said that day? Yun Changkong is the most ruthless and heartless person. He seemed to have saved us on Bright Peak that day, but in reality, we could have turned the tide even without him."

What's most hateful is that he knew Cheng Kun was detrimental to our sect, so when did he ever warn us? He only offered help when we were in dire straits; his heart is not pure!
Moreover, given the current chaos and the unprecedented momentum of rebellion against the Yuan dynasty, if we hesitate to act out of consideration for him, and the Tartar emperor is forced to send the Prince of Ruyang to lead the army, killing him will not only be difficult, but the number of our brothers who die or are wounded will likely be in the tens of millions!

Xie Xun said, "That's right. Great matters come first, personal matters second. We must prioritize righteousness over petty ones. The life or death of the Prince of Ruyang concerns the rise and fall of the Han and Mongol fortunes, and even more so, it concerns hundreds of thousands of brothers in the Ming Cult."

"Maintaining peace and stability is a matter of public duty, while Yun Changkong's kindness to us is a matter of personal obligation. If we were to refrain from taking action against the Prince of Ruyang simply because of his feelings, thus giving him the opportunity to command troops, wouldn't we be harming the people of the world for our own selfish gain?"

Zhang Wuji said, "Then can we talk to Brother Yun first? He really can disregard national righteousness for a woman..."

Zhou Zhiruo suddenly stood up and said, "Excuse me, everyone!" and walked out of the hall.

"Zhiruo!" Seeing her like this, Zhang Wuji remembered what she had said about Yun Changkong. Although he didn't believe it, if he called her Brother Yun again, she might really commit suicide. Seeing all the brothers looking at him, he said sullenly, "Zhiruo, where are you going?"

Zhou Zhiruo said, "I feel a little dizzy, I'm going out for a walk."

Zhang Wuji sighed in despair.

Xie Xun slowly said, "Wuji, as long as we can drive out the Tartars and restore China, you can die, I can die, anyone can die! If you want to ask, how do you ask? Tell him, 'Hero Yun, we want to kill your father-in-law,' how do you expect him to answer?"

Peng Yingyu said, "Yes, this matter is a dilemma for him, whether he agrees or not. Wei Zheng, a famous minister of the Tang Dynasty, once said, 'A good minister has the people at heart,' and that is what is truly remarkable. Personal relationships are just minor matters compared to this, and not worth mentioning!"

Yang Xiao nodded and said, "That's absolutely right. What are one's own life, death, honor, and disgrace compared to the common people of the world?"

Zhang Wuji said sadly, "You're right!"

Yun Changkong heard that the Ming Cult members were only concerned with expelling the Tartars, completely disregarding the code of chivalry, moral integrity, and moral principles.
I felt that these people were clearly greedy and disregarded morality, yet they talked about righteousness; it was utter nonsense.

If it weren't for the fact that driving out the Tartars and restoring China was also a personal aspiration, and with Zhao Min by his side, he could easily jump down and slaughter all these bastards.

Suddenly the curtain was lifted, and a delicate, fair hand emerged, following Zhou Zhiruo out.

Even though Yun Changkong was angry, he was suddenly struck by her beauty. Zhou Zhiruo was already beautiful, and now she was not wearing any hairpins or jewelry. Her skirts were fluttering, and although she looked listless, she appeared even more graceful.

Zhou Zhiruo was overwhelmed with conflicting emotions. She felt conflicted and guilty, and the constant clash of these feelings tormented her, making it difficult for her to sleep at night. Hearing the conversation among the Ming Cult members only exacerbated her inner turmoil.

She harbored hatred for Yun Changkong, but also had other feelings for him.

Yun Changkong is not only the person who has rejected him so far, but also the only person who understands him.

Only she herself knew that when Abbess Miejue agreed to let her marry Yun Changkong, she did not refuse in the slightest.

Zhang Wuji was someone I had fed once out of respect for Zhang Sanfeng. How could I have known back then whether he had been tortured to death by the Xuanming Divine Palm? Why would I be thinking about him all the time?
But today, as she listened to the Ming Cult members discussing, a dashing, handsome, gentle, and tall figure slowly emerged in her mind and heart. Whenever she thought of what Yun Changkong had said to her that day, how well he understood her, something she had never experienced before, her ears would burn.

However, he didn't want himself!

Why would he rather marry a Mongol man and carry his burdens than be with himself?
Zhou Zhiruo never understood!

At this moment, upon hearing that the Ming Cult members were going to deal with him, she realized that she was actually somewhat attached to him, which made her think more and more, and more and more about wanting to go far away.

Even when members of the Ming Cult greeted her, she didn't hear them.

Yun Changkong and Zhao Min watched as Zhou Zhiruo walked out of the inn, looking distracted. Yun Changkong wondered, "Where is she going so late?"

Just as he was pondering this, Zhao Min gently exhaled, tugged at his collar, and pointed at Zhou Zhiruo.

Yun Changkong's sleeves billowed high, and with his left hand holding Zhao Min's, he soared upwards. It was as if an invisible force was gently lifting him into the air, and he flew away like a floating arrow.

His lightness skill has now reached a state of perfection; even with a person in his arms, he is still as swift as a bird, soaring through the air silently.

Zhao Min whispered, "Brother Changkong, even if our Great Yuan is to be defeated, the Ming Cult is full of schemes but lacks righteousness. In the end, they are not the kind of people who can bring peace to the world and bring happiness to the people. They are just empty slogans."

Yun Changkong agreed wholeheartedly and nodded.

The two floated out of the inn. Zhao Min pointed at Zhou Zhiruo, who was walking slowly ahead, and said, "Take her away."

Yun Changkong asked, "Why?"

Zhao Min whispered, "You promised to listen to me! Don't worry, I won't hurt her."

Yun Changkong felt empty inside, realizing that "martial arts chivalry" and "heavenly justice" were all illusions, and that only the beauty in his arms was real. He immediately rushed towards Zhou Zhiruo.

Zhao Min chuckled. Zhou Zhiruo heard the laughter behind her and was startled. Although she was exhausted, she was suddenly invigorated. Her martial arts skills were not weak. Just as she was about to draw her sword and turn around, she suddenly felt a numbness in her "Lingtai" and "Shendao" acupoints on her back. Her whole body stiffened and she could not move.

Yun Changkong had already darted behind Zhou Zhiruo, his left palm forming a halberd-like shape, striking her pressure points with lightning speed. He then wrapped his arm around her slender waist, tucking her under his arm, and leaped onto the rooftop.

Zhou Zhiruo was always very clean, and being treated like this made her feel ashamed and indignant. Although she couldn't move, she could smell a familiar scent.

She had been in the same room with Yun Changkong and Zhao Min, and immediately felt a surge of heat in her body, her breathing became rapid, and she felt as if her body was about to explode.

Zhao Min whispered in Yun Changkong's ear, "Don't worry about anything later, just watch me."

Yun Changkong nodded, his body as light as a wisp of smoke, running across the rooftops, his breathing gradually becoming rapid.

It wasn't that his internal strength wasn't deep enough or his lightness skill wasn't good enough; it was simply that he was holding a beautiful woman in his arms and had another woman between his legs, who looked like a ball of cotton and was emitting a rolling heat.

Yun Changkong ran out of the city in one breath and only put the two women down at a stream.

He patted Zhou Zhiruo's shoulder, instantly releasing her pressure points.

Zhou Zhiruo was made dizzy and nauseous by his sudden movements, but her acupoints were restricted, so she could not speak or move her hands. As soon as the acupoints were released, she immediately bent over and dry heaved.

Yun Changkong was taken aback: "Could she really be pregnant?"

Zhao Min asked with a grin, "Miss Zhou, how many months pregnant are you?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhiruo was about to burst into a tirade when she saw Yun Changkong standing beside her, and her face flushed red.

No matter how fiery a young girl's temper may be, she will never reveal it in front of certain men.
This is human nature.

Besides, Zhou Zhiruo isn't that kind of person!
Zhou Zhiruo circulated her inner energy and slowly asked, "What do you want to do with me after kidnapping me?"

Yun Changkong said in a low voice, "You guys talk! I need some peace and quiet!"

They walked away.

He didn't know what Zhao Min was going to do, and he didn't want to ask.

(End of this chapter)