Entering the Spirit Void 90. The Yin-Yang Mixed Battle

The masked man's action was observed by the destitute scholar, who knew that not only did he have no intention of placing Jie Qingzi in mortal peril, but had placed her on the ground behind him. Thinking of her safety, he secretly nodded without worry.

Master Tian Hong and the others did not know the masked man's true intent. Seeing how swiftly and cleanly he had rendered Jie Qingzi unconscious and laid her aside, their hearts filled with fresh awe. Such skill was rare even in the martial world.

The masked man suddenly dipped his pen and wrote a single line on the jade fan, holding it up for all to see: "Stand still and do not move. Wait for my judgment."

The Yin-Yang Old Monster steadied himself, flicked his wrist, and hurled the soul-severing poison mist ball toward the masked man.

The masked man spotted the incoming projectile streaking through the air and swept the jade fan across it, slapping the ball aside.

The Yin-Yang Old Monster watched the masked man strike the soul-severing poison mist ball and secretly rejoiced, thinking: I wonder if you can escape its lethal mist.

Yet when the ball landed on the ground it did not explode. The Yin-Yang Old Monster grew visibly alarmed and muttered: Could this masked man be using some forbidden art?

Reaching into his bosom, he touched the ball and felt his blood run cold. "Alas, I am doomed."

The soul-severing poison mist ball was most sensitive to moisture. All the balls he carried were damp from cold sweat; the one he had just thrown was likewise soaked. When it fell, the ground was slick with blood that had coagulated into a thick purple-black pulp, like congealed blood jelly. A damp soul-severing ball landing on that surface could never detonate.

Seeing his trump card rendered useless, the Yin-Yang Old Monster vented his fury on the masked man and Jie Yu Hua. "That worthless whore has ruined me. If I do not carve her into bloody pieces, I will not close my eyes in death."

The white-clothed girl was trembling like a leaf in a gale. The masked man saw her shaking uncontrollably and hastily wrote on the jade fan: "Do not be afraid. Everything is under my control."

The girl read the words and immediately stopped shivering. A look of fierce resolve settled on her face.

The air in the Grand Luo Hall was already heavy with tension, and the masked man's sudden appearance made it almost unbearable.

The masked man wrote again and held the jade fan high: "Yin-Yang Sect Leader, come out at once."

He shook the fan. No one stirred.

The white-clothed girl saw the order on the jade fan, glanced sideways at the Yin-Yang Old Monster—who was staring fixedly at the sword in the destitute scholar's hand—and then boldly shouted the same command: "Yin-Yang Old Monster, come out at once!"

The Yin-Yang Old Monster heard the sharp cry, turned, saw the words on the jade fan, snorted coldly, and advanced slowly toward the masked man.

The white-clothed girl had been frightened out of her wits. Even with the masked man shielding her, residual fear lingered. When the Yin-Yang Old Monster approached, her legs gave way and she collapsed to the floor, her face draining of all color.

The Yin-Yang Old Monster walked forward with outward calm, secretly gathering power into his arms.

A foot from the masked man he suddenly roared, leaped high into the air, and struck with both palms.

Those two blows were the sum of his lifetime's effort. His palm force surged like two crashing mountains, rolling up two savage winds that hurtled toward the masked man.

The masked man seemed to have read the old monster's treacherous heart. The moment the Yin-Yang Old Monster moved, he stepped in front of the white-clothed girl and flicked his jade fan, deflecting the fierce wind to one side. Then his golden pen swung out, spraying a string of blood-red orbs straight at the Yin-Yang Old Monster's Lingwu point.

The Yin-Yang Old Monster had believed the masked man was no closer than a foot away, so only his own lethal palm wind could finish him. He never imagined the masked man's skill far surpassed his own. The blood-red droplets were like iron bullets—fierce and numerous—and he could not dodge in time.

The moment the Lingwu point went numb, the Yin-Yang Old Monster shuddered violently. His hands and feet went limp; he dropped to the floor. When he tried to circulate qi and rise, every ounce of power had vanished.

A moment later his blood reversed in his veins. He shivered as though in the grip of a chill, cold sweat pouring down his face.

In the Yin-Yang Hall the brothers watched their leader injured and helpless on the ground. They roared and surged forward to attack the masked man. Then a clear voice rang out: "Do you all wish to die? Is that your wish?"

The brothers halted. Looking up, they saw a green-clothed young woman standing beside the masked man.

This was Jie Yu Hua, the ten concubines' head who had betrayed the sect. Fury rose in their chests, yet the masked man's stern gaze struck fear into their hearts and they dared not advance.

A big man suddenly leaped from the ranks and pointed at Jie Yu Hua, roaring: "You venomous snake! Your heart is blacker than the pit. You did not repay the sect leader's kindness; you seduced outsiders, destroyed our traps and mechanisms, and killed dozens of our brothers. The sect leader was gravely wounded. I want to tear you apart with my bare hands!"

Jie Yu Hua recognized the speaker as the black-faced vajra An Yi Cheng. She did not flinch but smiled faintly and said, "You speak out of righteous anger; I do not mind. But you were born to your parents too. Should you not consider the toil they endured to bring you into the world and hold you in their arms? You may not live long."

"None of us lacks brothers and sisters, as close as hands and feet. Yet the Yin-Yang Old Monster, for his own base lust, cared nothing for the pain of separating living people, abducting them to drain yin and suck yang. If they refused to lose their purity, he killed them. Think carefully—does that kind of behavior have any right to it? Does it have a conscience? Do you help him commit evil and feel no shame?"

The black vajra fell silent, head bowed. At last he raised his eyes and said, "The sect leader's actions were wrong and he deserves punishment, yet our mechanisms and traps are ruined and our brothers lie dead and wounded. How are we to answer?"

Jie Yu Hua smiled coldly. "The traps harmed too many lives; they should be destroyed. Those who assisted the tyrant deserve no less than death."

Another man stepped forward, jabbing a finger at Jie Yu Hua and snarling: "You snake woman, you are wasting breath. Other people's lives are lives, so are our brothers'. Do not hide behind this masked bastard's skill and spout nonsense. Kneel before the sect leader and accept the sect's rules—or be hacked to pieces."

The masked man heard the insult. His eyes widened, two beams of fierce light shot out, and his golden pen flicked, ready to spray lethal droplets.

The speaker saw those eyes fixed on him and shuddered.

Jie Yu Hua recognized the man as the two-faced vajra Dong Guo Rui. In the months she had observed him, she knew he was hot-tempered but honest, though stupid and unable to distinguish right from wrong. She waved him down.

He laughed. "Lives are lives. But think calmly—who is truly at fault? Does the Yin-Yang Old Monster's daily conduct run counter to human ethics?"

The two-faced vajra lowered his head and muttered: "The sect leader sought immortality, abducting young men and women, draining yin and sucking yang, and killed many. His deeds were truly wrong."

He suddenly looked up again. "The sect leader committed many evils and death is his due, yet our brothers died too cheaply."

Jie Yu Hua saw his tone soften and continued: "Heaven's net is vast; nothing escapes it. If they had not aided the sect leader in his crimes, lived by conscience, how could they have been punished?"

Both vajras lowered their heads, shame weighing on them.

Jie Yu Hua spoke again: "If you can repent your past, you may still live. If you cling to delusion, the corpses on the ground are your only example!"

The Yin-Yang Hall brothers bowed their heads in thought. Silence filled the hall.

Master Tian Hong and the others forgot their own danger, staring blankly at the masked man and Jie Yu Hua, unsure how to proceed.

Jie Yu Hua asked: "Have you decided? Will you live in peace, or will you protect the Yin-Yang Sect and help the sect leader continue his crimes against the world?"

One man's evil or good depends on a single thought. It is not that he meant to be evil, but the pressure of environment or the desire for power and position clouds the mind and tempts one toward the abyss.

When death looms, the heart awakens and one sees one's error.

After careful thought they realized Jie Yu Hua spoke truth. The sect leader's deeds had indeed injured the conscience and violated human ethics.

A big man suddenly stepped forward, raised his hand, and said: "I will listen to your words. From now on I will turn from evil to good and start anew."

A chorus of agreement followed. "Those who know the times are heroes. Here, at this moment, surrender or die! Who does not cherish his own life?"

Jie Yu Hua looked at the speaker and saw it was the red-faced vajra Gong Yang Long. She swept the hall with her eyes and said: "Since you are willing to follow my advice, go home and live as ordinary men. But you must give up your martial arts. Do you agree?"

The red-faced vajra nodded. "The pot does not leave the mouth of the well. If you wish to be an honest man abiding by the law, what use is martial skill? I am willing to renounce my arts and leave the jianghu."

The others nodded in agreement.

Jie Yu Hua's solemn face softened into a faint smile. "Good. Throw down your weapons, then come forward one by one and accept the abolition of your martial arts."

The clang of swords and blades falling filled the hall. The red-faced vajra was the first to approach Jie Yu Hua.

Jie Yu Hua felt a deep emotion. Tears welled in her eyes and spilled over, followed by choked sobs.

The red-faced vajra stood before her, sighed, and said: "Lady, do not grieve for us. I do not regret my martial arts; I feel only relief. Doing evil against my conscience has at last brought peace to my heart. From this day I will be an honest man."

Jie Yu Hua wiped her tears and said: "I am not crying for you giving up your skills. I feel my power is too small to achieve what I hoped—no blood would be spilled and the Yin-Yang Old Monster would lay down his butcher knife."

The destitute scholar glanced at Master Tian Hong and murmured: "Old monk, her heart of compassion is no less than yours, the heart of those who leave the family."

Master Tian Hong nodded without answering, his gaze fixed on Huang Si Lou treating Huang San Lou's injury.

Huang Si Lou was sweating heavily; Huang San Lou's eyes remained closed. He stepped forward and used his internal energy to assist Huang Si Lou in healing the wound.

The red-faced vajra said: "Such an act of self-sacrifice to save others deserves to be recorded on a stele."

Jie Yu Hua sighed. "I feel that human life is like a drop in the sea, insignificant. Especially I am a daughter. I seek neither fame nor infamy. Better to rot with the grass and trees than to do good deeds and accumulate merit, seeking this life with a clear conscience."

The masked man felt a pang in his heart. He blinked and thought: I have caused too many sins in the Fa Men Temple.

The destitute scholar smiled softly and said: "This female knight has a pure heart. If she entered the Buddhist path, she could attain enlightenment."

The old beggar said: "Poor fellow, no more Confucian nonsense. If you do not become monk or nun, can you not ascend to heaven?"