Be a proper Taoist priest in The Condor Heroes

Chapter 43 Let's become a handyman

Inside the main hall of Chongyang Palace, the flickering candlelight made the bloodstains on the floor appear even more gruesome.

Zhao Zhijing lay sprawled on the cold gold bricks, a deep, bone-revealing claw mark on his chest still bleeding. His left arm hung limply at his sides, clearly having lost most of his fighting ability. It was the injury Su Yan had sustained during their earlier exchange.

He was panting heavily, cold sweat mixed with blood streaming down his forehead. Through his blurred vision, he could only see Su Yan carrying a long sword, walking step by step towards him. The tip of the sword was hanging down, yet it carried an invisible sense of oppression.

"Zhao Zhijing, now that things have come to this, do you still want to struggle?"

Su Yan's voice was calm and even, without anger, only a detached indifference that seemed to have seen through everything.

Zhao Zhijing struggled to lift his head, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, his laughter as hoarse as a broken gong.

"Great...very good! So you were all on guard against me from the very beginning!"

He coughed twice, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his gaze sweeping across the empty hall before returning to Su Yan.

"You've all seen through my elaborate schemes to build a faction and connect with the Mongols. Don't you think I'm just a clown jumping around on the beam?"

Su Yan nodded slightly, without denying it.

"You did hide it quite well, but unfortunately your movements were too obvious."

He recalled the encrypted letter he had intercepted half a month ago. Zhao Zhijing thought he had done a good job of keeping it secret, but little did he know that the sap from the unique black horn orchid in the back mountain, which was stuck to the edge of the letter, had already exposed his connection with outsiders.

"I became suspicious when you sent your trusted disciple to deliver a message to the back mountain late at night."

He paused, then looked calmly at Zhao Zhijing.

"Later, I used divination to predict that there would be bloodshed within the sect; when I surveyed the back mountain, I also found that the energy of the plants and trees near the forbidden area was disordered, and there were obviously outsiders coming and going frequently; in addition, your recent methods of recruiting disciples have been too hasty, the amount of silver given as rewards is far beyond the norm, and the sect's accounts are in complete disarray. With these flaws put together, the answer is already obvious."

He immediately reported these discoveries to six division commanders, which led to the current tight net. The so-called lack of preparedness was nothing more than bait to lure the snake out of its hole.

Just then, a series of steady footsteps came from outside the main hall. Qiu Chuji, Ma Yu, and the other six entered together, still carrying the lingering smoke and killing intent.

Clearly, the two top-tier Mongolian fighters outside have been dealt with by them.

Qiu Chuji had the most fiery temper. As soon as he stepped into the main hall, he saw Zhao Zhijing lying on the ground, seriously injured, and pointed at him in a fit of rage.

"Zhao Zhijing! You traitorous disciple! Our Quanzhen Sect has treated you well, how dare you collude with the Mongols and betray our sect!"

Sun Bu'er stood to the side, her brows furrowed, and gently shook her head, her tone full of disappointment.

"Zhijing, you joined the church at a young age, and we had high hopes for you. We never expected you to do such a heinous thing."

Wang Chuyi looked at his disciple on the ground, staggered forward, his eyes filled with disbelief and heartache.

Ma Yu's expression was solemn, and Hao Datong and Tan Chuduan also sighed repeatedly, full of regret.

Outside the main hall, the sounds of fighting gradually subsided. In the dim light of dawn, Yin Zhiping led his disciples in, escorting dozens of rebellious disciples.

Not all of these disciples were dejected. The seven or eight disciples at the front of the line stood tall and straight, their backs straight despite being bound by ropes. They stared intently at Zhao Zhijing on the ground, who was Zhao Zhijing's core confidant whom he had personally promoted and devoted himself to teaching for many years.

"Grandmaster! This matter has nothing to do with anyone else; it is all because we voluntarily followed Senior Brother Zhao!"

The leading disciple was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old and named Li Mo. He was Zhao Zhijing's first disciple. When his parents died, Zhao Zhijing took him in, taught him martial arts, and provided him with food and clothing.

At this moment, he broke free from the suppression of the Quanzhen disciples behind him and roared.

"Brother Zhao has treated us with boundless kindness, and we believe everything he says and do whatever he sets out to do! Now that we have failed, you may kill us or torture us, it is all up to you, and we will never regret it!"

"That's right! Kill us if you want, it has nothing to do with Senior Brother Zhao!"

Another disciple also loudly echoed.

"Senior Brother Zhao has never treated anyone unfairly. Whenever someone in the sect is in trouble, he always lends a helping hand; when we encounter obstacles in our training, he stays up all night to break down our moves; in the cold winter, he gives his own heater to his disciples... We are willing to follow such a senior brother!"

Qiu Chuji was so angry that his face turned ashen, and he angrily rebuked him.

"Foolish! He colluded with foreign enemies and betrayed his sect; he is a sinner for all time! And yet you remain obstinate!"

What is betrayal?

Li Mo retorted with red eyes.

"Senior Brother Zhao is simply seeking fairness! He has toiled for the sect for half his life, so why should he give up the chief position to Senior Brother Yin? Why should Senior Brother Su, a latecomer to the sect, receive your utmost favor? Is it just because of his superior martial arts? We follow Senior Brother Zhao not to cause trouble, but to ensure that a truly capable person leads the sect!"

These words resonated deeply, and the hall fell silent for a moment.

At the end of the line, several thirteen- or fourteen-year-old disciples were already pale with fright, tears welling up in their eyes. One of them, a boy named Little Stone, was originally an orphan from the foot of the mountain. He had been brought back to the sect by Zhao Zhijing for less than two years. Zhao Zhijing treated him with exceptional gentleness, often bringing him snacks and teaching him basic swordsmanship.

At that moment, he broke free from the hands of the disciples who were escorting him, stumbled and crawled to Zhao Zhijing, hugged his leg and burst into tears.

"Senior Brother Zhao! Save me! I don't want my martial arts to be crippled, I don't want to be a servant! I didn't betray you on purpose, I just... I just wanted to learn martial arts from you..."

This cry instantly struck Zhao Zhijing's weak spot.

He trembled, ignoring the sharp pain in his chest, and with great difficulty raised his intact right hand to gently stroke the top of Xiao Shitou's head, his voice hoarse but soothing.

"Don't cry... it's your senior brother's fault for dragging you down."

He looked at his loyal disciples, his eyes filled with guilt and emotion.

"Why...do you do this?"

"It is our blessing to be able to follow Senior Brother Zhao!"

Li Mo shouted loudly.

"We have long ago sworn an oath to live and die with our senior brother!"

Looking at his disciples, some sworn to follow him to the death, others pleading for help in fear, Zhao Zhijing's eyes instantly reddened. Throughout his life, he had been competitive and unwilling to lag behind, but he had never imagined that he could inspire such unwavering devotion in these disciples. The pain in his chest seemed to lessen, leaving only a complex mix of emotions: the感动 of being recognized, the guilt of having burdened his disciples, and a poignant sense of tragic heroism at knowing the situation was hopeless yet still being followed.

Ma Yu watched this scene with a complex expression in his eyes, and said in a deep voice to the rebellious disciples.

"Those among you who voluntarily follow Zhao Zhijing in his rebellion will have their cultivation revoked and will be forced to do menial work in the back mountains for three years; those who were young and misled but did not harm anyone will be punished by copying Taoist scriptures one hundred times and will be placed on probation at the school."

"Disciple is not convinced!"

Li Mo roared.

"If you're going to punish us, then punish us all! We will not live alone!"

Qiu Chuji was about to erupt in anger, but Ma Yu stopped him by raising his hand. Ma Yu looked at Zhao Zhijing, his tone heavy with sorrow.

"Zhijing, look at these disciples. They are loyal to you, yet you have led them astray. Considering your many years of hard work for the sect, and with these disciples pleading for you, I will spare your life today."

He paused for a moment, then announced the outcome of the investigation.

"Your internal energy cultivation is hereby abolished. You will go to the back mountain with your willing disciples to chop wood and carry water, repent and start anew."

Zhao Zhijing didn't speak, but slowly withdrew his hand from stroking the small stone. His gaze swept over Liu Zi and Su Yan in the hall, then fell on the disciples who had sworn to follow him to the death, his eyes gradually becoming deep and unfathomable. He neither immediately agreed nor objected, but simply lay on the ground, his heavy breathing particularly clear in the silent hall.