An unexpected encounter with the sleeping Little Dragon Girl leads to the annihilation of the Quanzh

I don't know if it's a lie or not.

Zhu Ziliu's gaze shifted to the Quanzhen disciples who were still diligently splashing oil. "But I know that reputable sects wouldn't resort to such despicable methods. Burning down someone's ancestral graves and property—what's the difference between that and banditry?"

His words were soft, yet they silenced Quick-Knife Third Sister.

Yes, they came to punish the demon, but now it seems that the actions of the Quanzhen Sect are even more demonic than the demon himself.

"and……"

Zhu Ziliu paused, a look of doubt flashing in his eyes. "When I was young, I traveled to Zhongnan Mountain and met the third-generation disciples of the Quanzhen Sect. I vaguely remember Lin Ye; he was the least talented and the most bullied. How could someone who was trampled underfoot by everyone suddenly become a 'demon' that required the entire Quanzhen Sect to deal with? What exactly happened during that time?"

"A good-for-nothing either had a stroke of luck or... was framed."

Quick-Knife Third Sister scoffed. Having roamed the martial world for many years, she was the least likely to believe such one-sided stories.

"The Quanzhen Sect claims he killed Yin Zhiping, but what evidence do they have? Witnesses? Physical evidence? Or is the Quanzhen Sect's word the evidence?"

The two looked at each other and saw the same thing in each other's eyes—doubt.

Does the side with more people necessarily represent justice?

Does the loudest voice necessarily hold the truth?

That young man named Lin Ye spoke words of wisdom.

He simply stood there quietly, regarding the hundreds of martial arts heroes before him as nothing more than a swarm of buzzing summer insects.

The woman beside him had an even colder look in her eyes.

There are only three things in her world: herself, the men around her, and the enemies who try to invade their world.

She held her sword steadily, and the pure, unadulterated killing intent made even the expert swordswoman, Quick Blade Third Sister, feel a chill run down her spine.

These two men don't look like desperate fugitives at all.

They are even more...

A god angered by a swarm of ants.

The moment the thought crossed her mind, even Quick-Knife Third Sister was startled.

Two hundred li outside Zhongnan Mountain.

The setting sun, like blood, dyed the desolate official road a poignant crimson.

In a dilapidated earth god temple, the Golden Wheel Dharma King sat cross-legged, his palms slowly placed on Huo Du's back.

His powerful internal energy flowed like warm water, repairing the meridians in his body that had been broken by the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms.

Huo Du's face was ashen, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his body convulsed from time to time due to the excruciating pain.

His handsome face was now contorted with pain and humiliation, his eyes filled with resentment.

"Master...Master..."

He spoke with difficulty, "That Guo Jing... is unreasonable, and his martial arts... are too fierce... This disciple... this disciple was careless for a moment..."

"No need for further explanation."

The Golden Wheel Monk's voice was calm and unwavering, revealing neither joy nor anger. "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. I just didn't expect that a Guo Jing would emerge from the Central Plains martial arts world, who could cripple Darba's arms in a single move."

Darba, standing to the side, was groaning and his arms hung limply at his sides, clearly indicating that his bones were broken.

Although he was honest and straightforward, there was a hint of resentment in his eyes as he looked at Huo Du.

If it weren't for my senior brother Wang Zi's insistence on provoking Guo Jing, I wouldn't have ended up like this.

Huo Du felt Darba's gaze and felt even more ashamed and indignant.

He had hoped to gain merit before the Mongol Khan, which is why he volunteered to contact the Quanzhen Sect. However, before he could even begin, he was severely injured by the brute Guo Jing, losing all face.

The Golden Wheel Monk withdrew his hand, and Huo Du felt a sweet taste in his throat. He spat out another mouthful of stagnant blood, but his breathing was finally much smoother.

"Your injuries won't heal in three to five months."

The Golden Wheel Monk said calmly, taking out a small porcelain bottle from his robes and pouring out two black pills. "Take these first to protect your heart."

Just then, a Mongolian warrior strode in from outside and knelt on one knee.

"Grand Preceptor, our scouts report that there's a big commotion at Zhongnan Mountain. The Quanzhen Sect has gathered hundreds of martial arts practitioners and is besieging the Tomb of the Living Dead, saying they want to kill a traitorous demon named Lin Ye."

"Oh?"

The Golden Wheel Monk raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "A traitorous demon? That's interesting. The Quanzhen Sect is the largest sect in the Central Plains martial arts world, with at least eight or ten thousand disciples. To purge one sect requires such a massive mobilization, and even outside help?"

Huo Du, panting, didn't forget to seize the opportunity to show off: "Master, you don't know. The Quanzhen Sect is most fond of seeking fame and reputation. It must be that the traitor did something to make them lose face, so they have to go to extremes to set an example for others, and at the same time show the whole martial arts world their 'acting on behalf of Heaven' power."

Although his words were speculation, they hit the nail on the head.

Upon hearing this, the Golden Wheel Dharma King suddenly burst into laughter.

"Haha...hahahaha!"

The loud laughter shook the roof of the dilapidated temple, causing dust to fall in a flurry.

Huo Du and Darba were bewildered and stared at their master in astonishment.

The Golden Wheel Monk's laughter ceased, and a cold, all-knowing glint flashed in his eyes.

"If you want to find fault, you can always find a pretext!"

He slowly stood up, walked to the temple gate, looked in the direction of Zhongnan Mountain in the distance, and a deep sarcasm appeared on his lips.

"Power and discourse have always been in the hands of these so-called righteous sects. If they say Lin Ye is black, then even if Lin Ye is all white, he will be stained black. If they want to say he is white, even if he is guilty of heinous crimes, he can be molded into a prodigal son who has turned back to the right path."

As the Mongolian national advisor, he was all too familiar with this kind of trickery of manipulating public opinion and defining friend and foe.

In the eyes of martial arts practitioners in the Central Plains, wasn't he, the Golden Wheel Monk, also a "demon" and a "villain" who attempted to seize control of the Central Plains?

But who cares about the truth?

"Does Master mean... the Quanzhen Sect is putting on an act?"

Huo Du's mind was racing.

"Whether it's acting or not is unimportant."

The Golden Wheel Monk turned around, his gaze profound. "The important thing is that this play has drawn in the two strongest forces in the Central Plains martial arts world—the Quanzhen Sect and Guo Jing. This is a good thing for us."

His gaze swept over the two good-for-nothing disciples, his voice carrying an undeniable authority.

"You all stay here and recover well. Your master is going to Zhongnan Mountain to see this spectacle with my own eyes."

He wanted to see just who this "demon" Lin Ye was, who had driven the Quanzhen Sect to such a state.

He also wanted to see how these self-proclaimed righteous martial artists from the Central Plains would stage this farce of "those who obey me prosper, those who oppose me perish."

Perhaps, hidden within this chaos lies his grand plan to invade the south from Mongolia...

New opportunities.

The figure of the Golden Wheel Monk transformed into a golden light and disappeared into the blood-red sunset.

Inside the dilapidated temple, only Huodu's unpredictable face and Darba's painful groans remained.

Zhongnan Mountain, in front of the Tomb of the Living Dead.

The wind was cold, carrying the astringent scent of the pines and cypresses in the mountains, and it felt like fine ice shards on people's faces.

Hundreds of figures, a dark mass, blocked every inch of the path leading to the ancient tomb.

The swords in their hands reflected a chilling glint in the afternoon sun, creating a dazzling sea of ​​light.

The light was so bright it made people unable to open their eyes and made them feel uneasy.

At the very front of the crowd were the Taoist priests of the Quanzhen School.

The leader, Qiu Chuji, had a bristling beard and hair, his face turning a deep purplish-red. The long sword in his hand hummed, ready to be drawn at any moment to drink people's blood.

Ma Yu, Wang Chuyi, and the others beside him also had grim faces, their eyes filled with a mixture of anger and murderous intent.

Beside them stood a burly man with a square face.

He had thick eyebrows and big eyes, a resolute expression, and an aura of righteousness between his brows.

Guo Jing.

Guo Jing, known in the martial arts world as the "Northern Hero".

At this moment, this renowned swordsman was staring ahead with a sorrowful yet resolute gaze.

There were only two people standing there.

Lin Ye, dressed in a blue robe, stood tall and straight like a pine tree.

His face was expressionless, showing neither fear nor anger, only an almost indifferent calm.

These hundreds of menacing martial arts practitioners before us are nothing more than a noisy flock of crows in the mountains.

Standing beside him was Little Dragon Girl.

She was still dressed in white, more beautiful than the snow on the mountaintop.

Her exquisite face was untouched by the dust of the world, and her eyes were as clear and cold as a deep pool, reflecting no trace of the chaos and clamor of this world.

She simply stood quietly beside Lin Ye, not taking a single step back.

Her hand was gently held in Lin Ye's palm.

That warmth was the only reality she could perceive at that moment.

"Lin Ye! You traitor who betrayed your master and ancestors! Kneel down and accept your death!"

In the crowd, someone shouted at the top of their lungs, like a spark that instantly ignited the entire powder keg.

"Kill this fiend! Avenge Senior Brother Yin Zhiping!"

"The traitors of the Quanzhen Sect deserve to be punished by everyone!"

"Master Guo is here! Those fiends, don't even think about running rampant!"

Shouts of battle, curses, and the clash of weapons mingled together, forming a murky sonic wave that rose into the sky, startling the birds in the forest into scattering.

Faces were distorted by "justice" and contorted by "anger".

The way they looked at Lin Ye was as if he were a lamb to the slaughter, a demon already doomed.

Lin Ye's gaze slowly swept over the ocean of "justice" before him.

He saw Zhao Zhijing being supported by several junior brothers in the crowd.

That familiar face, which had once swaggered in front of him countless times, now appeared somewhat pale due to the pain.

But Zhao Zhijing's eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, filled with resentment and glee.

He even gave Lin Ye a smug, provocative smile.

See, this is what happens to you.

This is what happens when you offend me!

Lin Ye understood the message in his eyes, but felt nothing; in fact, he found it somewhat laughable.

This is what a prestigious and upright sect looks like.

Lin Ye was nothing more than a scoundrel who took pleasure in bullying his fellow disciples.

Lin Ye was nothing more than a lecherous thief who killed a woman who attempted to rape an innocent woman.

And so, he became a demon.

Therefore, these self-proclaimed chivalrous and righteous sects rose up against him, determined to grind him to dust.

Their swords were not pointed at the perpetrators, but at those who exposed evil.

They didn't want to kill the beastly Yin Zhiping, but rather the one who exposed Yin Zhiping's shameful deeds and the stain of the Quanzhen Sect to the world.

Even murder can be judged from different perspectives.

When members of reputable families commit murder, they call it "eliminating evil and protecting the innocent" or "acting on behalf of Heaven."

Lin Ye, who only wanted to live and protect those around him, was labeled "outrageous" and "deserving of death."

Really...

What a black-and-white world of martial arts!