Chapter 88: The Decision

Upon hearing the report from the Heavenly Dao Alliance disciple, Huo Yuan's heart tensed. Could it be that Ning Wan Jun had been recognized?

Li Yun Tian immediately stood up, his expression darkening. "The demons of the Evil Sect dare to cause trouble at Shaolin? Who are they?"

"Young Master, there are a few women outside. One is a nun, unknown to us, but the other is a woman in white, whose face is covered. However, she has a servant with her, and that servant is known to be the personal attendant of the Holy Maiden of the Evil Sect. Therefore, it is highly likely that the woman in white is none other than the Evil Sect's Holy Maiden."

"The Holy Maiden of the Evil Sect? You mean Ning Wan Jun?"

"It is probably her. Our men are monitoring the situation and awaiting your orders, Young Master."

Li Yun Tian turned to Huo Yuan and said, "Abbot, the Evil Sect's forces are moving quickly. Ning Wan Jun, the Holy Maiden of the Evil Sect, is said to be the daughter of Mo Tian Xie, taking her mother's surname. Since she has come to Shaolin, she must have ill intentions. Do not worry, we of the Heavenly Dao Alliance will handle this matter for you."

With that, Li Yun Tian waved his hand and led his subordinates out.

Huo Yuan felt uneasy. Ning Wan Jun had always worn a veil when she traveled, and now her disguise was compromised by Xiao Cui. Huo Yuan knew that she and her companions usually came to Shaolin without bodyguards, so if the Heavenly Dao Alliance were to surround them now, things could get dangerous.

To Huo Yuan, there was no difference between the righteous and the demonic factions. Ning Wan Jun was his friend, and he would not allow her to come to harm at Shaolin.

Though directly confronting the Heavenly Dao Alliance wasn't ideal, if Ning Wan Jun were in danger, Huo Yuan would be prepared to fight them all, even if it meant killing every last one of them.

Li Yun Tian and his group headed out, and Huo Yuan followed closely behind.

As they arrived outside, they saw Ning Wan Jun and her companions standing in front of the Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda, preparing to offer incense. The Heavenly Dao Alliance members were quietly watching from a distance, waiting for Li Yun Tian to arrive.

Huo Yuan quickly scanned the surroundings and saw Guan Shan Yue nearby. He beckoned her over and whispered a few instructions. Guan Shan Yue nodded and quickly left.

Li Yun Tian's group gradually surrounded the entrance of the Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda, closing in on Ning Wan Jun and her companions.

Due to the popularity of the Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda, Ning Wan Jun and the others had to wait their turn. They were accustomed to this, but today, the atmosphere felt increasingly strange.

It wasn't just Ning Wan Jun and her companions who felt it; the common people coming to offer incense also noticed something was off. Some martial artists had gathered near the entrance, glaring at the group of beautiful women. It was clear that trouble was brewing.

Afraid of getting caught in the conflict, many people slowly backed away, but they didn't leave. They merely stood around, watching the scene unfold.

Lin Yi turned to Ning Wan Jun and asked, "Sister Ning, what are these people doing?"

"They are from the Heavenly Dao Alliance."

The Heavenly Dao Alliance's distinctive uniforms were well-known in the martial world of Henan.

"Why are they surrounding us?" Lin Yi, still naive about these matters, didn't understand the gravity of the situation.

Xiao Cui spoke up angrily, "The Heavenly Dao Alliance is a group of self-righteous fools who claim to be upholding justice. They're actually full of scoundrels, abusing the common people while pretending to be virtuous."

"Hmph! Evil Sect demons, stop trying to talk big. Surrender quietly, or else you'll regret it when the sword strikes!"

The speaker was Li Yun Tian. Huo Yuan hadn't expected him to act like such a villain in front of others, considering how respectful he was when facing him.

Xiao Cui angrily retorted, "Little brat, who do you think you are? Get lost, the Heavenly Dao Alliance thinks it's important in Henan, but in our Evil Sect, you're nothing but a clown!"

"Haha! Still boasting even when you're about to die! Ning Wan Jun, you thought your veil could hide you, but the 'Twin Beauties of the Evil Sect' have quite the reputation! Too bad today, you still fall into my hands!"

Lin Yi's face turned pale. She looked at Li Yun Tian and said, "This... this benefactor, please don't threaten the ladies. The Buddha will punish you."

"Little nun, who are you? Since when did the Evil Sect have nuns? Do you know Master Yi Jie? If you do, I won't hold this against you, but if you don't, get out of my way. I'm a righteous man, trained by Master Yi Jie. As long as Ning Wan Jun surrenders, I will show mercy, but if she resists, I'll have no choice but to teach her a lesson!"

Just then, a voice rose from the crowd, "What Heavenly Dao Alliance? A bunch of bullies! We're just common folk, not involved in your martial world business. These ladies come here with sincerity, and they've always been kind to us. You can't arrest them!"

"Yes! What right do they have to arrest people? They're not even officials!"

"I know! The Heavenly Dao Alliance is a bunch of bastards. A while ago, they came to our homes and searched them. It was them!"

"That's right! They're the ones who came to our house looking for people! And we lost two eggs!"

In an instant, the crowd erupted in anger. People began loudly criticizing the Heavenly Dao Alliance.

This was completely unexpected for Li Yun Tian. In his impression, the common people were timid and wouldn't dare to oppose martial sects. This was especially true if no one took the lead. But today, something was different.

"Who said that?" Li Yun Tian shouted, trying to locate the instigator in the crowd, but with so many people around, it was hard to identify anyone.

Guan Shan Yue's assigned monks were subtly moving through the crowd, occasionally saying something before quickly changing positions.

As more and more people began criticizing the Heavenly Dao Alliance, a high-ranking martial artist from the Heavenly Dao Alliance, at the peak of the Post-Heaven stage, angrily drew his sword. "Young Master, why waste time talking to these peasants? We should just capture a few of these demon women and leave. If they dare to block our way, one sword strike should be enough!"

Before he could finish his sentence, several stones suddenly flew from the crowd, aimed at the Heavenly Dao Alliance members. The members scrambled to dodge.

The Post-Heaven expert was furious. He jumped into the air, shouting, "Who dares to strike from the shadows!"

Before he could land, a monk leaped from the crowd and confronted him mid-air. "Who dares to cause trouble at Shaolin!"

The two exchanged blows in the air. The monk wielded a cold iron staff, swinging it with such speed that it created a gust of wind. After a few moves, he forced the expert to retreat.

When the expert landed, he saw that the monk before him was tall and muscular. It was the head of the Luo Han Hall from earlier.

Li Yun Tian saw that it was a Shaolin monk and hurriedly said, "Master, it's a misunderstanding! We are here to help Shaolin apprehend the Evil Sect demons, not to be thieves!"

Hui Wu's expression turned cold. "Since you have come to Shaolin, matters should be dealt with by Shaolin. This is the Buddhist Temple, and we do not allow outsiders to act recklessly with weapons here."

Li Yun Tian replied, "Master, we don't want to resort to violence, but the Evil Sect demons will never listen to reason. Only with force will they submit."

"Foolish! It is you who lacks reason. Even if you draw your swords against us, we will never bow to you!"

Xiao Cui retorted angrily. She kept glancing at Ning Wan Jun, wondering why the lady wasn't in a hurry.

"You noisy girl, shut up! You're not allowed to speak here! Ning Wan Jun, if you are indeed Ning Wan Jun, then you must know that you can't escape now. What's the point of struggling? Show your face and let us see what these so-called 'Twin Beauties of the Evil Sect' really look like!"

"Shameless! Our lady's beauty is not for you to see!" Xiao Cui snapped back.

At that moment, Hui Wu suddenly spoke up, "This benefactor, though you are a guest of the Abbot, you are now in Shaolin. If you persist in this, I will have no choice but to ask you to leave."

"Are you just going to stand by while these Evil Sect demons run rampant?" The Post-Heaven expert from earlier was growing increasingly frustrated. After having been forced back by Hui Wu, he couldn't help but speak out.

The Heavenly Dao Alliance members also drew their swords, preparing for a fight.

Li Yun Tian, though angry, could only suppress his feelings. This Shaolin monk was far more formidable than he expected.

"Amid the Buddha's teachings, all beings are equal. All people are inherently good. Shaolin is a place to guide people toward goodness, not concerned with whether they follow the righteous or the demonic path."

The crowd parted as Yi Jie, the Abbot of Shaolin, appeared, and Huo Yuan walked toward the center of the scene.

"Abbot, what...?" Li Yun Tian was taken aback.

Seeing Huo Yuan, Ning Wan Jun slightly tilted her lips under her veil, and she stepped forward, bowing with respect to Huo Yuan. "Abbot, I am fully aware of my deep sins. I have come to Shaolin to seek your blessings and purify my karma."

"Amitabha. Since that's the case, please follow me."

Huo Yuan nodded at Li Yun Tian. "Li benefactor, this matter is for Shaolin to handle. There is no need for you to trouble yourself. The Heavenly Dao Alliance has many pressing matters. Please do not interfere here."

Li Yun Tian opened his mouth but remained silent. He had great respect for Huo Yuan.

Though Li Yun Tian didn't speak, the Post-Heaven expert wasn't satisfied. He stepped forward, as if planning to chase after them.

Suddenly, an old monk appeared in front of him holding a broom. With a gentle sweep, the fallen yellow leaves gathered together in a mysterious manner.

The expert's steps suddenly halted, and in that moment, he felt the monk before him was like a ghost.

He eventually retreated a few steps, turning to Li Yun Tian. "Young Master, this Shaolin is not simple. If we push harder, we may not gain an advantage."

Li Yun Tian pondered for a long time before replying, "Let's go. We will discuss this again at the Martial Arts Conference."

Huo Yuan's conversation with Yi Jie made Li Yun Tian realize that the Abbot might help him. Though the Evil Sect was an enemy of the righteous factions, his future was far more important.