HSSB547: Trapping a Martial Saint
Virtually everyone looked unconsciously towards the Northern Ocean Clone.
The Northern Ocean Clone spread his palm wide, light flickering as a figure surfaced.
It was only a single figure.
Shi Jun.
Seeing this, many thoughts flashed momentarily through everyone’s minds.
“Calm your heart,” Yan Zhaoge said calmly, Shi Jun uncharacteristically silent as he nodded quietly.
Seeing this, Yan Zhaoge exchanged glances with Xu Fei, both understanding that Shi Jun had put his emotions into his relationship with Shen Ying in their interactions over this period of time.
Shi Jun hated evil and rose at the sight of injustice, feeling empathy for the weak. This was true.
However, he had a tough personality. Someone having set him up and tried to harm him, after having learnt the truth, it would only cause an intense backlash.
Like Yan Zhaoge and Xu Fei, Shi Jun was also someone who cared not about a person’s gender in having decided to act.
Therefore, Shi Jun was not at all conflicted over the fact that the one who had set him up was a female. However much she pleaded and added pitiful, he would still not have let her off.
However, his current silence was due to the fact that Shen Ying’s current position within his heart was special. She was not just someone whom he had seen as merely having saved from an injustice.
When the truth came to light in such a situation, it would only hurt all the much more, leading to more hatred as well.
No one knew how Shen Ying had acted in front of Shi Jun.
Had she been completely candid and resigned to her death or had she, finally free of the inner turmoil in her heart, felt relieved to be atoning for her sins?
Had she been greatly regretful, having indeed once wanted to set Shi Jun up yet gradually fallen for him over their interactions over this period of time, having gradually become unable to bear it?
Had she been tearful as she yearned for death or had she closed her eyes and merely waited?
There were various other methods as well…
Many of these instantly surfaced in Yan Zhaoge’s mind. As for that kind of tearful weeping to the heavens and earth as she made a bitter vow to defend herself, Yan Zhaoge didn’t even consider it, not thinking that Shen Ying might have done such a thing at all with how she was.
Still, whether it was Yan Zhaoge or Xu Fei, neither asked Shi Jun about the specifics of what had happened. Xu Fei merely patted his disciple’s shoulder gently.
The martial practitioners of the other sects had yet to disperse, all looking somewhat hopefully at Yan Zhaoge yet not bearing too much hope.
Those of Water Crystal Palace and the Spirit Returning Sect were secretly sending sound transmissions over to the Changli Mountain martial practitioners, clearly hoping that they would help to persuade him.
As the leading Elder of Changli Mountain looked at Yan Zhaoge, he saw that the latter’s gaze was warm as it calmly met his.
The heart of this Changli Mountain Elder jolted slightly as he came to a realisation, “He is helping our sect by letting Water Crystal Palace and the other sects owe us.”
“While this person is tyrannical and acts flamboyantly, being ruthless and brutal in his actions, he is not completely unreasonable and arrogant…”
As he pondered, this Changli Mountain Elder bowed solemnly towards Yan Zhaoge, “The forces of Evil are rampant. Currently, the Dao is diminished and Evil propagates. We hope that Mister Yan can provide assistance, bringing salvation to the defenceless masses.”
Yan Zhaoge nodded slightly, “With the defenceless masses under threat, this Yan will naturally make a move.”
Yan Zhaoge having finally expressed such a stance, they could finally heave a sigh of relief.
Yan Zhaoge smiled, saying, “You can set your hearts at ease. The forces of Evil cannot overturn the heavens.”
While he was still saying this now, everyone gradually came to a realisation as they felt that he was full of confidence.
Yan Zhaoge said, “Let’s go.”
Saying thus, he led them along on their way.
While Yan Zhaoge had sowed much enmity with the side of Good in the Vast Ocean World, he actually still leaned towards Good rather than Evil.
This was not related to the categories of Good and Evil. The martial art that a person cultivated in did not have anything to do with that person’s character.
There were similarly underhanded scum on the side of Good and great heroes on the side of Evil.
However, it was also not that all on the side of the Good were actually hypocrites. There were indeed many immoral sinners on the side of Evil.
The reason for Yan Zhaoge leaning towards the side of Good overall was practicality. In the area of cultivation, at least, the demonic martial arts that the forces of Evil cultivated in were more bloodthirsty as well as brutal.
Many of them required blood as a sacrifice, sacrificing the life of a great many innocents.
For one to be accomplished in the martial arts of Soul Shocking Island of the Vast Ocean World, for instance, he or she would have to slaughter a large amount of living people on the spot and refine their souls within their own true essence and aura-qi.
The Sacred Evil Sect’s Illusory Shadow Demonic Art required one to steal the life essence of human beings for its cultivation.
Green Snake Island bred countless snakes that fed on human flesh.
The Evil Shifting Sect’s Profound Dark Sabre Qi aside, cultivating in its Blood Ocean Sabre Qi, as its name suggested, required one to kill people and obtain their blood to cultivate their sabre with. The Dim Shifting White Bone Sabre similarly required refining the Yin qi of human bones for cultivation.
For the Dragon Slayer Sect and the Brilliant Thunder Sect that were comparatively more aboveboard, their disciples killed their way out of mountains of corpses and oceans of blood as well.
Some of the demonic martial arts Yan Zhaoge knew that would categorically be considered Evil were no pushovers at all.
The Six Spirit Demonic Fists, whilst being categorised as demonic, were actually already rather upright martial arts. Still, the most direct, ideal way of cultivating in them would be to refine oneself amidst the essence blood of those six types of spirit beasts.
Yan Zhaoge felt that he was not that much of a benevolent person, lacking many inhibitions in his actions as well. Still, he remained rather rejecting of the cultivation methods of most of these demonic martial arts.
Led along by Yan Zhaoge, everyone knew not they were headed, only being able to remain patient.
Xu Fei sat beside Shi Jun. Looking at his disciple, he saw that his expression was already gradually beginning to return to normal.
It was just that Shi Jun’s gaze still showed him to be somewhat at a loss.
Feeling his Master’s gaze on him, Shi Jun swivelled his head to look at Xu Fei, asking quietly, “Master, did I do wrong this time? I was used by someone, nearly causing a great catastrophe.”
Xu Fei shook his head, first saying, “Courageously helping even random strangers in the face of injustice is always the right thing to do.”
“It is just that the situation sometimes being urgent, we would not have the time for too much consideration as we would have to make a swift and prompt decision.”
He said in a moderate tone towards his disciple, “However, the more it is like this, the more vigilant you will have to be. Your opponents might have set a trap, might have reversed truth and falsehood. Sometimes, we will face situations where right or wrong is not such a clear thing.”
“Their target this time was actually Zhaoge. There was no fault of yours in trying to do the right thing. You have no need to blame yourself.”
“You did not do wrong. However, you have to be more careful in the process of doing things.”
Shi Jun nodded upon hearing his words, “This disciple will remember it.”
He swivelled his head to look at Yan Zhaoge before saying softly, “It’s all thanks to little apprentice-uncle Yan this time. I know that it was because he did not want to leave my reputation besmirched and was afraid that I would not be able to mentally accept it that he used such a troublesome method to help me wash away this injustice.”
Shi Jun smiled, “Otherwise, if it was he himself, he would probably have begun the killing immediately, to hell with justification.”
Hearing his words, Xu Fei could not help but smile as well.
Now, Yan Zhaoge’s group suddenly received news.
The Chief of Myriad Sword Pool, Yan Gang, had reinforced Water Crystal Palace with the Sacred Artifact, the Floating Sinking Sword. The Evil Saint Lin Qiancheng had suddenly retreated, his current whereabouts unknown. The Chief of Water Crystal Palace Lin Shi and the Chief of Myriad Sword Pool Yan Gang was currently in the midst of a great battle against the Chief of the Dragon Slayer Sect Zhao Zhong and the Chief of Soul Shocking Island Liu Shuo.
The crisis of Water Crystal Palace could basically already be considered alleviated.
Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this news before they looked simultaneously at Yan Zhaoge.
“Lin Qiancheng chose the most beneficial route available to him,” Yan Zhaoge said.
An Elder of Changli Mountain asked hesitantly, “But where could Lin Qiancheng have gone?”
Yan Zhaoge smiled, “We are precisely heading to surround and trap him now.”