Chapter 277. The Return of the Sword God (2)

The Great War of Good and Demonic was over, but the Tactician Phoenix, Zhuge Xiuluan, had many things to do. She had to handle the elimination of the remnants of the Demon Cult, and she also had to stay on the battlefield to recover the bodies and give proper compensation to their families. Moreover, she also had to report separately as the leading officer on the scene.

The Tactician Phoenix also became famous after the Great War of Good and Demonic.

No one ignored her anymore just because she was a woman. Although she had suffered a painful defeat in the first clash, she was still recognized by the warriors for her proper judgement of the situation and her ability to take command.

"Lately, the expression on your face has been really interesting, Lady Tactician," the Milky Way Sage remarked with a chuckle while stroking his beard.

"...?" Zhuge Xiuluan stopped playing with her brush. Her face was filled with confusion, seemingly asking what the elder was talking about.

"Well, when you heard the news of the Sword Dragon, or rather, the Sword God's survival, you were as happy as if your beloved had returned alive from the war, but when you heard the rumor that he wasn't coming out of his residence, you became anxious and worried. It's truly quite refreshing."

The Milky Way Sage laughed mischievously as if he found it amusing.

The Tactician Phoenix was usually expressionless and rarely startled by anything. She was still somewhat expressionless, but when they had first met, she had seemed so inhuman that she was more like a doll than a person.

However, she definitely wasn't a doll. After spending some time with her, the Milky Way Sage realized that she was just bad at expressing her emotions.

Moreover, her reaction whenever Zhou Xuchuan was brought up was refreshing and amusing.

Things hadn't changed at all. She seemed fine, but her earlobes turning red made the Milky Way Sage smile at the sight of it.

"There must be a sea of people who want to meet the hero, the Empyrean Overlord, so he most likely is pretending to be ill right now. Thus, you don't have to worry, Lady Tactician," the Milky Way Sage said as if trying to reassure Zhuge Xiuluan.

However, Zhuge Xiuluan didn't respond at all. She simply began to move her brush again and continued writing. Her expression didn't change at all. She was neither flustered nor repulsed by the old man's mischief.

Something like that could be considered rude. However, he knew that she was the type of person who wouldn't speak much unless she was speaking to the masses, so she didn't really care.

Zhuge Xiuluan focused on the pile of documents that were about to pile up again.

Strangely, her heart felt much lighter than before.

Young Master Zhou... I wonder if he's resting well right now.

***

Zhou Xuchuan snuck out of his quarters.

In case someone found out that he had disappeared, he ordered the warriors outside to control the entry and exit so that they wouldn't cause a fuss. He was only going to be gone for a day or two anyway, so he believed it was fine.

Good. First, I'll get revenge. That octopus head... ahem, I mean, the apostate monk.

[1]

There was a secluded mountain about half a day's run east from the village where the Martial Alliance was staying. Zhou Xuchuan sat on the mountainside, examining his sword in various places, waiting for Hong Gao to come.

I can't leave Hong Gao like this.

Hong Gao was a talent of the Shaolin Temple, and he was going to play an important role during the decisive battle with the Dark Heavens Association Lord. Despite that, Zhou Xuchuan couldn't just turn a blind eye to the monk.

At this point, it was questionable if such a future world would even unfold.

There were just too many changes for Zhou Xuchuan to say for sure.

Hong Gao wasn't the Divine Fist but a crazy fool—nothing more, nothing less. He had gone too far in many ways.

He had been saying that it was for the Shaolin Temple's sake, but he still committed the heinous act of killing his own master. He had even colluded with the Dark Heavens Association. He had betrayed the Righteous Faction, and Zhou Xuchuan couldn't ignore him any longer.

More than anything, I already know about Hong Gao's evil deeds, so I can't just leave him alone.

Thus, he had sent a secret letter to Hong Gao through Little Ghost, who had returned last night. The secret letter demanded a meeting, and he said that if the monk refused to appear, Zhou Xuchuan would reveal the truth of what had happened using the name of the Sword God.

Swoosh!

Zhou Xuchuan crossed his arms and fell into his own thoughts.

Swoosh!

The air was suddenly torn apart.

Boom!

A deafening explosion followed as a hole appeared in the middle of a beautiful tree. The tree, which had to be at least a few decades old, tilted to the side and fell to the ground.

Zhou Xuchuan's face was as cold as the northern winds as he looked at the tree that had fallen to the ground in a miserable state.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Fist strikes rained down upon him from the front and sides. Each attack was filled with a fist aura that made the air tremble.

Shing!

Longyuan slipped out smoothly from his waist. He struck the fist force before the blade of his sword could reflect the sunlight.

BOOM!

The fist contained extraordinary power.

It was powerful enough to make even expert swordsmen shiver. The impact was transmitted clearly upon each collision. However, Zhou Xuchuan neither backed down nor wavered.

He simply flicked his wrist and moved his arm, blocking or deflecting every single attack without fail.

"Isn't this too excessive for a greeting?"

Zhou Xuchuan's fierce eyes turned to face the man.

"Hong Gao."

The Shaolin abbot, Hong Gao, appeared with his head held high.

"So you're alive, Benefactor Zhou." His voice was devoid of any emotion. There wasn't even a trace of Buddha's compassion. He felt more like a cold swordsman than a monk.

"Isn't it a little too much for the Abbot of the World's Greatest Shaolin to launch a surprise attack?" Zhou Xuchuan joked while staring deeply at Hong Gao.

However, the atmosphere wasn't light at all.

"Since this is an inauspicious time, I just wanted to check to see whether you were a ghost led by Yin Qi or not."

"I mean, fine if I was a ghost, but what would you have done had I just been a random human?"

"If you're human, then you're obviously Benefactor Zhou. I assumed that it would be okay since you could easily handle my attacks. And aren't you fine after taking all of my attacks?"

"Ha, as expected, Abbot of the Shaolin Temple. I truly admire your insight. Is that why you killed your master personally?"

As soon as Zhou Xuchuan's words fell, a deep bloodlust engulfed everything around him. The bloodlust was so great that the plants and animals around them keeled; the animals and insects ran away as well.

Hong Gao's face and even his neck turned a mottled shade of red and purple due to the tumultuous emotions coursing through him. His veins bulged out from his skin, and the prayer beads in his hand trembled.

Hong Gao's face was distorted horribly as well.

"I won't waste any more words, you apostate. Do you even know what you've done?" Zhou Xuchuan paid no attention to Hong Gao's murderous intent. "In the name of the monkhood, you did something outrageous. Not only did you kill your former abbot and master, but you also colluded with the Dark Heavens Association to sell information about the Martial Alliance."

"...It was all for Shaolin."

"It was all for Shaolin?" Zhou Xuchuan let out a hollow laugh as if he found it ridiculous.

"You were there, too, so you must have heard it well."

Hong Gao glared at Zhou Xuchuan with cold eyes.

"The Iron Fist Demon, Fang Fotong. If we had let that Demon Head go, the Shaolin Temple would have been ridiculed and ignored for its repeated failures. We would decline from them on, and eventually, we would be eliminated..."

"Shut your dirty mouth, Hong Gao." Zhou Xuchuan's cold voice cut off Hong Gao's words.

"What? Eliminated and declined? For Shaolin?" Zhou Xuchuan chuckled hollowly; the monk's words sounded absurd in his ears. "Don't talk such nonsense."

Zhou Xuchuan's eyes narrowed. "Regardless of the reason behind it, you've committed an unforgivable sin."

"Are you saying that my words—the words of a mere monk—are wrong?" Hong Gao glared and raised his voice.

"Who would agree with something like that unless they're crazy?" asked Zhou Xuchuan with a sneer before continuing, "But you're right. If the Iron Fist Demon were allowed to go, the Shaolin Temple would look like a joke.

"The

murim

values relationships more than anywhere else, and those relationships are the reason behind its existence."

Grace and resentment—Zhou Xuchuan's experiences in this life and his past life had told him the importance of these two words. There were many times when a single personal emotion changed the outcome of a battle.

There were many times when someone was blinded by revenge during an important battle, and their quest for revenge caused issues at the critical juncture.

On the other hand, some had unexpectedly given their aid, saying that they were paying off a debt for their past actions.

The Righteous Faction and the Evil Faction.

The Righteous Faction

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placed particular importance on it, as it influenced how people judged one another.

Hong Gao's words seemed like a ridiculous excuse, but he wasn't exactly wrong.

"However, that doesn't absolve you of your crime, deceiving and betraying not only your own sect but the Righteous Faction as a whole."

"That's not all, though," Hong Gao refuted without backing down at all. "If the Iron Fist Demon's reflection and apology were false pretenses, then my actions would be correct.

"In the first place, isn't it absurd to believe the words of a Great Demon Head?"

The Iron Fist Demon, Fang Fotong.

The truth about him was still hidden even after the war.

It was said that only one of the Four Great Guardians, the Western Domination Guardian, had been captured, tortured, and questioned. However, the only answer he gave was, "I don't know."

Since this was all done under the jurisdiction of the Black Shadow Division, it was impossible to believe it outright. There was a huge possibility that Tang Mingren had a hand in it.

"On the contrary..."

Swoosh!

Hong Gao couldn't continue speaking as he reflexively punched upward. Right before his eyes was a sword god.[2]

Clang!

The sword aimed at his neck was struck by his fist and was sent flying upward.

The sword's body emitted a chilling light mixed with moonlight.

Hong Gao looked around, focusing his gaze on Zhou Xuchuan's sword to block the next attack.

Common sense would suggest that this was the right response, but his prediction was spectacularly wrong.

"

Ugh!

"

Bang!

Zhou Xuchuan's fist landed squarely on Hong Gao's chin.

It was an unexpected attack. While the monk's gaze was focused on the sword, the swordsman had aimed for his blind spot. Moreover, he had chosen his fist instead of a sword.

A disciple of Mount Hua? A swordsman—

the people often said this phrase.

Moreover, Zhou Xuchuan's title was the Sword God, was it not?

Hong Gao couldn't have imagined that Zhou Xuchuan would use his fist.

Hong Gao took to the skies and crashed into the ground.

"Didn't I tell you not to talk nonsense?" Zhou Xuchuan looked down at Hong Gao with cold eyes. "How did you become so crazy, Divine Fist?"

Hong Gao was once the world's ray of hope and idol.

It was also true for Zhou Xuchuan, a common disciple of the Mount Hua Sect.

Thanks to the Divine Fist, the Shaolin Temple was supposed to produce many talented disciples. They would help and save even more people in the future.

Hong Gao had also risked his life in the decisive battle against the Dark Heavens Association Lord and even inflicted a fatal wound on the latter. He was supposed to be a hero among heroes.

That was why Zhou Xuchuan believed that the monk would definitely get better even though he had such a ridiculous temper the last time he saw him. This was why he not only respected Hong Gao but was also worried about the latter.

In addition, he was worried that he would change the Divine Fist's fate due to unnecessary interference, which was why he had simply left him alone.

"Heh." Hong Gao laughed ominously as he stood up. Then, his voice sounded sinister as he asked, "So, are you thinking of killing me, a little monk?"

"..."

"If you truly care about the peace and well-being of the

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and intend to destroy the Dark Heavens Association, you cannot kill me, the small one. No, you should avoid causing conflict in the first place."

The monk's eyes shone sinisterly.

"The current

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is so weak that we can't even spare a single small or medium-sized sect in the upcoming battle. So, if the Abbot of the Shaolin Temple passes away in less than a year, the Shaolin Temple and even the Righteous Faction

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will face unprecedented chaos."

The Highest Peak Shaolin Temple and the Thousand-Year Shaolin Temple weren't titles given without reason.

The Divine Monk had passed away, which meant that the Shaolin Temple had lost its Absolute Master. However, the Divine Monk's death didn't mean that the Shaolin Temple had lost their reputation and power.

One could tell just by looking at their performance throughout the Great War of Good and Demonic. The monks of the Shaolin Temple, including their Arhats, were truly strong.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that they were the pillars, the hopes of the Righteous Faction. If the Shaolin Temple were to fall, the anxiety of the Righteous Faction

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would increase rapidly.

"Don't worry."

Hong Gao approached Zhou Xuchuan and stopped beside him.

"I only cooperated with them for a short time out of necessity, and I have no intention of joining hands with them anymore."

Hong Gao was sincere.

"I don't intend to let a subversive force like the Dark Heavens Association conquer the

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. If you have any doubts, you can put up surveillance around me as you wish."

Even though he can kill me whenever he wants, he won't. Since I'm the abbot, Zhou Xuchuan can't kill me.

This was his conviction.

Hong Gao really had no intention of joining hands with the Dark Heavens Association anymore. The value of his life was in the prosperity of the Shaolin Temple.

𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

On the contrary, he intended to use the Dark Heavens Association as a stepping stone to save the

murim

from its crisis and make the Shaolin Temple the greatest force of all time.

"There are times in life when one has no choice. I, a mere monk, had made my own choice, and so will you, Benefactor Zhou."

Zhou Xuchuan was a hero. He wasn't just a hero capable of only showing off his strength. He was a true hero who knew how to face reality. That was why he had to be a bystander for the sake of the

murim

.

Hong Gao rolled the prayer beads in his hand with his thumb and walked past Zhou Xuchuan.

The moment he took his next step—

"

Ugh!

"

Hong Gao vomited blood. His face distorted like a rag, and his eyes were filled with disbelief and shock.

"What, what is this...?!"

He looked down with eyes of disbelief. He saw a sword piercing through his chest.

"Why, did you think we would have some kind of grand ending like in a novel?"

"Why, why...?"

"There will be some kind of announcement from the Martial Alliance in the near future."

Zhou Xuchuan continued speaking without listening to Hong Gao's answer.

"It's about how the disciple of the Divine Monk, the Shaolin Temple Abbot, and the Hundred Paces Fist Monk, was assassinated by the evil force, the Dark Heavens Association."

"...!"

"Your words certainly make sense, Hong Gao. If two Shaolin Temple abbots die one after another, the

murim

will be thrown into chaos."

"Then, why...?!"

"Because I believe in the Shaolin Temple," Zhou Xuchuan answered without hesitation.

"The Shaolin Temple has done many things throughout their long history as the leader of the Righteous Faction. Just like how the temple prospered under the Divine Monk, it spread the Dharma and showed mercy, saving countless people."

There was a reason everyone revered the Shaolin Temple.

Zhou Xuchuan twisted his sword with force.

"

Ugh!

"

"Divine Fist, no, you crazy apostate. Your mistake is that you had no faith in Shaolin and abandoned it."

1. An insult for Shaolin Monks, as, well, you know, they're all bald like octopi. ☜

2. This is a form of wordplay because 신 can mean both body and god, so it's a sword god/blade. ☜