Sin Becomes a God

Chapter 27: The Scholar Meets the Soldier

As the apple of the Prince of Ruyang’s eye, when had Zhao Min ever endured such an insult? Just as Zhao Min was about to speak, a deafening “BOOM!” rang out—the roof of the Zhenwu Hall suddenly blew open, creating a massive hole. Tiles and wood shards flew in all directions, mowing down a swath of the Yuan soldiers who had been standing at the ready. A Da, A Er, and A San, who were shielding Zhao Min, reacted instantly and shouted in unison, “Protect the Princess…” Aware that Zhang Wuji, a formidable foe, had launched an attack, He Biweng and Lu Zhangke also gripped their unique weapons tightly and focused their full attention on the situation. Although all five were rare masters of their generation, they searched in vain for a long time amid the swirling dust and the agonized screams of the Yuan soldiers, yet still saw no sign of him. “Cough, cough, cough…” Zhao Min was severely choked by the swirling dust. Once she regained her composure and looked around, she—as a person in power—naturally paid no heed to the lives of those ordinary Yuan soldiers. “Hmph… playing tricks… Since you’re here, Sect Leader Zhang, why not show yourself? Aren’t you afraid I’ll slash your lovely maid’s face to pieces? Or do you want to stand by and watch all the Ming Sect’s masters perish here today? I heard that back on Bright Summit, Sect Leader Zhang single-handedly turned the tide. What’s this? Today, however, you’ve become a coward who hides his head and shows his tail?” Zhao Min said sarcastically. On any other day, had Zhao Min known she was about to face Zhang Wuji and Zhang Sanfeng—two Innate-level martial artists—she, having learned from childhood that a gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall, would certainly have been plotting a way to turn danger into safety. Yet, in the face of Lu Renjia’s venomous words, even the usually cautious and composed Zhao Min lost her composure. “You want to see me? I’ll grant your wish…” No sooner had the words left her mouth than a shadowy figure suddenly appeared before Zhao Min. A Da, A Er, A San, Lu Zhangke, and He Biweng—all standing guard in front of her—never expected “Zhang Wuji” to possess such ghostly speed. He was mere inches away, their faces almost touching. Zhao Min could even feel the warm breath exhaled from the nostrils of the man who seemed to have materialized out of thin air. For a moment, Zhao Min was stunned by the sudden appearance of Lu Renjia. “So… it turns out that Innate Martial Artists truly possess such unfathomable abilities…” Zhao Min thought to herself in disbelief. After all, as members of the ruling class, in their eyes, whether martial arts heroes or sect leaders, were nothing more than pawns; conquering a kingdom relied primarily on a disciplined army, not on the scattered heroes of the martial arts world. It must be said that Zhao Min, played by Zhang Min, looked truly heroic after changing into men’s clothing. She was every bit as impressive as the “Fan Ye” and “Chun Ge” of the real world. Staring intently at Zhao Min, Lu Renjia could see a look of terror flash across her eyes. The corners of his mouth curled upward slightly as he laughed coldly, “As the saying goes, one is willing to risk being flayed alive to bring down an emperor… What do you think would happen if, with skills like mine, I were to assassinate your father or the Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty?” Zhao Min was momentarily speechless with rage. Just as he had said, with that ghost-like speed, he could move in and out of even the largest armies with ease. Although her father was the Grand Marshal of the Yuan Dynasty, commanding a million elite troops, he certainly couldn’t keep all those soldiers by his side at all times, could he? “You… Hmph! Using my family’s lives as leverage—what kind of hero is that?” “Hero? I’ve never claimed to be a hero… I’m merely the leader of the Demon Cult, as you call me. I have no desire to be a hero, because my mother told me that heroes are bound to have a short life… I’m simply returning the favor by using the same tactic you used to blackmail my Grandmaster… It’s a terrible feeling when someone holds your weakness over your head, isn’t it?” Lu Renjia chuckled softly. At that moment, A Da, A Er, and A San—along with Lu Zhangke and He Biweng—didn’t dare make a single move. “Zhang Wuji” was no more than a palm’s width away from Zhao Min; even if all five of them attacked together, they couldn’t guarantee they’d be able to drive “Zhang Wuji” away before he killed Zhao Min. Therefore, they didn’t dare take that risk. Left speechless, Zhao Min’s expression darkened. Adopting an air of resolute defiance, she tilted her head back and thrust out her chest. “I am a descendant of Genghis Khan! The words ‘fear of death’ have never existed in my vocabulary. If you have the guts, kill me right now! Hmph… In any case, once I’m dead, whether it’s the Six Great Sects or every member of your Ming Cult, you’ll all be buried with me! I’ll see if the wise and valiant Sect Leader Zhang has the courage to become a villain for the ages!” Zhao Min, whose cunning and wit rivaled that of any man of her time, spoke thus, and A Da, A Er, and A San naturally understood. The three of them each seized Bai Mei Ying Wang Yin Tianzheng, Qing Yi Fu Wang Wei Yixiao, and Xiao Zhao, holding them in front of them and gripping their necks. “Zhang Wuji… if you dare touch a single hair on the Princess’s head… your maternal grandfather and that charming maid of yours will…” Before A Da could finish his sentence, Lu Renjia suddenly drew the Yitian Sword and swept it upward in a single fluid motion. “Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…” An incredibly sharp, fiery-red sword energy erupted instantly, reducing Zhao Min’s priceless white brocade robe to countless strips of cloth; even the golden crown on her head was cleaved in two by the razor-sharp sword energy. With her hair in disarray, Zhao Min looked like a panicked little bird, her hands clamped tightly across her chest—but this violent movement only served to accentuate the startling cleavage beneath. Originally, they had relied on holding a hostage to make Lu Renjia hesitate to act, but to their surprise, he actually struck. The three flustered servants felt their hearts sink. “Princess…” “All of you, turn your heads away! Anyone who dares to look will have their eyes gouged out by me!!!!” Ah San bellowed at the soldiers who were staring intently at Zhao Min. “Put your little schemes aside… I’ve told you: if anything happens to Xiao Zhao, I’ll strip you naked, break your limbs, and sell you into slavery—where a thousand men will abuse you and ten thousand will torment you… Don’t test my patience…” Where in her entire life had Zhao Min ever endured such humiliation? Overwhelmed by frustration, she felt a sense of helplessness—like a scholar facing a soldier, where reason is of no use. Overwhelmed by her frustration, Zhao Min could only resort to cursing like any ordinary woman: “Zhang Wuji… if you’ve got the guts, kill me! Even if I die and become a ghost, I won’t let you off the hook!!!!” “Pfft! I wasn’t afraid of you when you were alive—why would I be afraid of you as a ghost? Your Yuan Dynasty has killed so many Han people; if all of them had become ghosts, they would’ve devoured you alive long ago…” Lu Renjia said disdainfully. In a war of words, how could Zhao Min possibly be a match for Lu Renjia, a modern-day man? Feeling the chill creeping over her, Zhao Min snapped, “You’re ruthless! I’ve lost today… but there’s no way you’ll trade my life for the lives of everyone in the Six Great Sects!” Hearing Zhao Min say this, both Lu Renjia and Zhang Sanfeng breathed a huge sigh of relief. At this moment, Zhao Min was no longer insisting on using the Ming Sect’s elite fighters and the hundreds of Wudang disciples as leverage, which meant she had backed down. Since he had used the “Performer’s Mask” to take on Zhang Wuji’s appearance, Lu Renjia naturally had to play the role of a dutiful son and virtuous grandson. Lu Renjia turned to Zhang Sanfeng and cast a questioning glance his way; Zhang Sanfeng slowly nodded. Lu Renjia smiled at Zhao Min and said, “I never intended to trade your life for the members of the other six major sects you’ve imprisoned… As long as you release everyone from the Ming Cult and withdraw from Wudang, shall we call today’s events even?” Zhao Min glared venomously at Lu Renjia’s hypocritical smile and said harshly, “You little thief, after humiliating me like this today, you still think you can force me to comply? Hmph… Unless you agree to one condition of mine, there’s no point in discussing anything further…” Before Lu Renjia could speak, Xiao Zhao—whose throat was being choked by Ah Er—cried out urgently, “Young Master… don’t agree to this witch’s demands!!!” Lu Renjia waved his hand to signal he was unharmed, then smiled at Zhao Min. “One condition? You’re not going to make me disable my martial arts, are you? Or do you want me to take my own life? Or perhaps surrender directly to the Yuan Dynasty? Hmph…It seems I’d better just break your arms and legs and sell you into a brothel. After all, all of us in the Ming Sect regard death as nothing; we’ve long since cast life and death aside by daring to rise up against the tyrannical Yuan Dynasty. To put it bluntly, we’re just lowly ruffians with worthless lives! I’ll use the life of a Yuan princess, along with those of the Prince of Ruyang and the Yuan Emperor, to accompany them on their journey to the afterlife. I’m sure they won’t have any complaints…” “Hahahaha… Wuji’s right! With an emperor to accompany me on my final journey, this White-Eyebrowed Eagle King has lived a life well spent…” “Nothing more to say. For me, Wei Yixiao, to have a princess take the fall for my worthless life as I die—that’s more than enough to make it all worthwhile… Hahahaha…” “The Sect Leader is wise… We, your subordinates, swear to die without regret…” Ignoring the blades pressed against their necks, the members of the Ming Sect all shouted in unison. “Did you hear that? You are a princess, a member of the imperial family… We’re just worthless lives. Those with nothing to lose have nothing to fear—we’re earthenware pots… You’re porcelain… Who’s afraid of whom?” Lu Renjia said coldly. “Hmph… Zhang Wuji!!! If you defeat my three servants along with the Two Elders of Xuanming today, I’ll release all of you from the Ming Sect and the Wudang School! Do you dare?!!!” Zhao Min shouted in a coquettish voice. At that moment, the icy voice of the “Evil God System” echoed in Lu Renjia’s mind. “Three unknown enemies have appeared… Final mission for the Qualified One: take on five at once… Mission failed; annihilation. Mission reward: E+ rank martial art, *The Nine Yin Manual*.” When Lu Renjia glanced back at the three servants Zhao Min had mentioned, he was taken aback. After all, this was the world of the film adaptation *The Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Demon Cult Leader*, where Huogong Touduo—the man who’d lived for over a decade despite having his spine broken—was still lurking beneath the cliffs on the back mountain of Wudang. Unlike in Jin Yong’s original *The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber*, where the Vajra Sect was established in the Western Regions, among these three servants, aside from the elderly leader—whom he could surmise was Dongfang Bai, the “Eight-Armed Sword God” and former head of the Beggars’ Sect’s Four Great Elders—the identities of the other two burly men remained unknown. Although Lu Renjia couldn’t figure out the identities of the other two besides Dongfang Bai, his combat power had now soared to the terrifying figure of 16,000, and with the Yitian Sword in hand, why should he be afraid? A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “I’ve faced millions before… what are these five men to me?”