Chapter 78: The Fight (Part 2 of 2)

"Absurd!" Yicheng faced me, stepping over the corpses scattered on the ground. He frowned, eyes sharp, locking onto mine with deliberate emphasis, saying slowly:"A demon harms people. As a Taoist, if you don't slay it but let it live, what if it returns to seek revenge someday?"

I pulled out talisman papers and the Seven Star Sword, already prepared. I planned to stop Huangtian's revenge. Even if it meant interfering with karma and facing retribution, now that Liu Ruoyi was safe, my wish was fulfilled. But I truly couldn't bring myself to wipe them all out completely. Maybe you'd call that hypocrisy—eating meat while preaching non-violence.

But I believe that a true Taoist's first priority is to have a clear conscience. At first, I felt guilty towards Liu Ruoyi and intervened despite the consequences. Now that Huangtian died because of me, I feel guilty toward her again. Facing her descendants, I still want to remain guilt-free.

"If it seeks revenge, that's fate. The entire weasel family has been slaughtered. Wiping them out completely—aren't you afraid of heaven's punishment?" I said sternly.

Yicheng's smile disappeared. His face turned cold as frost, his eyebrows furrowed into a fierce scowl, eyes narrowed with anger. He said,"If you don't kill the snake, the trouble will never end. I thought you had Buddha's heart, but you're selfish, sparing the demon out of fear of divine punishment. The Buddha said, 'If I do not enter hell, who will?' Since I see demons harming people, I cannot stand by and do nothing. If you insist on being stubborn, you're no different from the demon!"

Damn it! I swear I'd never been this angry before. He called me a demon Taoist! Forget it—I didn't care anymore. Gripping the Seven Star Sword, I raised my eyebrows with an air like walking over corpses.

"Black big one, get lost! I'll block him here. Remember to do good deeds and don't let me lose my virtuous merit!" I shouted, then slapped five talismans on the ground and cast "Frighten Soul" repeatedly—because I feared being bitten by the dogs.

The black-yellow weasel knelt to me like a human, kowtowing three times, then swiftly jumped over the yard wall. Yicheng immediately charged at me angrily, and with one lightning-fast strike, he punched my face: "I'll kill you, demon Taoist!"

You might imagine a magical duel from movies, but real fighting depends on physical strength. I swung the Seven Star Sword and slapped him back. I stuck talismans on my right arm to unlock my body's potential.

We wrestled fiercely. I kicked his abdomen hard, yelling,"You're a demon monk! Wanting to kill everything! How can Buddha have disciples like you?"

He grabbed his belly and hit my eye socket:"A demon is a demon—even if it's transformed, it's still a demon. Demons deserve death!"

I stumbled back and got mad, throwing aside my medicine pouch and throwing punches:"I think you're a demon too!"

Yicheng dodged and swung his prayer beads, wrapping them around my sword. We tangled fiercely. Fighting him was tough—he was a monk, bald-headed!

I lost hair in clumps, tore his robes, scratched bloody lines on his face, and tore his prayer beads necklace. But he was stronger, grabbing my neck and beating me hard. I bit his chest muscle crazily.

Yicheng screamed sharply and hit me harder. I snarled,"Let go! Or I'll bite you to death!"

"Are you a dog? Let go now!" he cursed back.

After more than ten minutes, Jiang Shiyu and Cui Hai rushed out and pulled us apart.

Fighting Huangtian didn't hurt me, but wrestling with Yicheng tore my only good shirt.