The Righteous Assassin；Outwitting the Wicked
Chasing Cloud Elder
Everyone nodded in agreement, except Zhou Qingyun, whose eyes flickered with unspoken thoughts.
Long ago, Abbot Zhitong's master had dueled a sword immortal from
Beneath its pious facade, Ciyun Temple was a den of depravity.
Zhitong and his monks pillaged wealth, abducted women for their pleasure, and recruited allies to bolster their power.
After the Drunken Daoist exposed their crimes, they swiftly rallied their forces to strike back at Ciyun Temple.
Upon learning the truth, Zhou Qingyun gritted her teeth, burning with rage to slaughter the villains.
Ciyun Temple's Love Triangle Meanwhile, chaos erupted in Ciyun Temple between Zhitong and Mao Tai.
Zhitong had gifted his favorite concubine to Mao Tai to secure loyalty, but the woman's seductive skills ensnared Zhitong's soul.
The two often stole moments for secret trysts, while Mao Tai grew increasingly paranoid.
That day, Mao Tai slipped out to search for his disciple
The woman lay on the bed, her eyes coquettish: "You devil, why so late?"
Zhitong pounced like a starved tiger, panting: "Who's better—me or Mao Tai?"
She giggled, arching her back: "Mao Tai reeks of mutton. How could he compare to Your Eminence's vigor…"
A thunderous roar exploded from outside the window: "Whore! You dare?!"
Mao Tai, eyes bloodshot, charged in, a yellow sword-light slashing toward the woman!
Zhitong, naked, scooped her up and scrambled around the room like a monkey in a farce.
One of Zhitong's subordinates intervened, hurling his sword to block Mao Tai.
The trio's clash shook the house.
Just as Mao Tai teetered on the brink of defeat, a golden light streaked through the window—
"Cease this folly!"
A golden ring, glowing and approximately ten feet in diameter, trapped Zhitong and Mao Tai's sword-lights midair, freezing them in place.
Zhitong and Mao Tai gaped in shock.
The newcomer stood over eight feet tall, with a massive head, round eyes, and a pallid face devoid of color, radiating malice. Clad in a flaming kasaya, his large ears adorned with golden rings, he was barefoot and wore hemp sandals—a figure known as "Powder-Faced Buddha" (Note: Monks, like all people, can be righteous or evil).
Powder-Faced Buddha strode in, his kasaya rustling as he sneered: "Fighting over a woman? How pathetic!"
Zhitong flushed with shame, while Mao Tai clutched his wound tightly and moaned.
Powder-Faced Buddha scattered
Zhitong had enlisted yet another formidable ally.
The Mysterious Righteous Assassin
Under Powder-Faced Buddha's mediation, Mao Tai and Zhitong reluctantly reconciled.
After discussing their revenge, the villains resumed their debauchery, each dragging captive women into chambers to violate.
Just as Mao Tai prepared to assault a victim, a gust of wind carried a green sword-light—fast as lightning—straight toward his chest!
Mao Tai yelled, "Ambush!" and leapt aside.
Though he dodged swiftly, the sword grazed his left shoulder, severing his arm.
Howling in pain, the seasoned outlaw barely parried the assassin's follow-up strikes.
Mao Tai's screams drew Zhitong and Powder-Faced Buddha, who rushed to aid him. The assassin, outnumbered, retreated.
They pursued into the temple's outer woods but found no trace.
Returning, they heard clashing steel—Mao Tai was locked in a desperate duel with a young woman in green.
The woman's figure was graceful, her beauty striking. Her sword danced like a dragon, unpredictable and lethal.
Mao Tai, already maimed, dripped sweat under her onslaught.
In a flash, the woman's sword entangled Mao Tai's monastic saber. With a clang, the saber shattered into two dull fragments.
As Powder-Faced Buddha and Zhitong closed in, the woman shouted,
Merging with her sword, she transformed into a green light and soared skyward.
Enraged, Powder-Faced Buddha hurled his Five Venoms Crimson Cloud Sand, unleashing a yellow haze tinged with red clouds.
Thunder rumbled as the sky darkened, echoing with ghostly wails.
"Be careful!" Suddenly, a voice came from the air.
Five Venoms Crimson Cloud Sand—a deadly treasure from Powder-Faced Buddha's master—could kill or incapacitate even immortal swordsmen upon contact.
When the haze cleared, the assassin had vanished.
Powder-Faced Buddha spotted a glint nearby—a foot-long sword, radiant and trembling as if alive.
"The foe must've abandoned this to escape!" he crowed, ordering Zhitong to chase the assassin while he attempted to refine the sword.
As Zhitong left, a whistling wind warned Powder-Faced Buddha of an ambush. He jerked his head aside—too late.
A hidden projectile smashed two teeth from his jaw, blood gushing.
A shadowy figure swooped past, snatching the sword from his grip.
The assailant spun, kicked Powder-Faced Buddha's chest with both feet, then soared away as a green light.
By the time Zhitong returned, the green light had vanished. Powder-Faced Buddha lay unconscious beside Mao Tai.
Chasing Cloud Elder's Mockery
High above, Chasing Cloud Elder lounged, legs crossed: "Drunkyard, losing your sword? How embarrassing!"
The Drunken Daoist glared: "Enough mockery! Help Qingyun clean up this mess!"
Chasing Cloud Elder chuckled: "Relax! She's back."
Zhou Qingyun landed, returning the sword to the Drunken Daoist: "I even kicked that bald donkey twice!"
Earlier, enraged by Ciyun Temple's atrocities, Zhou Qingyun had infiltrated the temple to rescue the captives.
Her first strike severed Mao Tai's arm, then she feigned retreat. When the villains gave chase, she doubled back for another attempt.
Her recklessness nearly doomed her, but the Drunken Daoist intervened, sacrificing his sword to aid her escape.
Unable to bear the loss, Zhou Qingyun risked reclaiming the blade.
The Drunken Daoist scolded: "You're too rash!"
Chasing Cloud Elder roared with laughter: "Well done! These heretics deserve worse! Next time, strike harder!"
The Drunken Daoist shook his head: "Her master, Lady Canxia, foresaw three great calamities awaiting Qingyun!"
As they spoke, crimson streaks pierced the western sky. Chasing Cloud Elder tensed:
"Time to go!"