CHAPTER 291: CHAPTER 286: HEROINE AND DEMONESS

"Junior Brother." Ye Qiu’s eyes brightened when she saw Ji Nan, "You’ve come at just the right time."

"Senior Sister, Master, Madam, are you all alright?" Ji Nan dismounted from his horse, his attire was more luxurious than before, but his smile still belonged to that handsome and bright young man.

"We’re fine." Ye Lingxian gave him a slight smile, "But why is Ba Dao with you?"

"He was sent by Father Emperor to protect me."

Upon hearing this, Ye Qiu suddenly realized why it was so easy for the Demon Sect to sweep through the Central Plains Martial World in her past life. Chongjian Manor, due to Yin Shaochen, chose to remain neutral, and the Demon Sect controlled her Junior Brother, making both Ba Dao Cliff and the court reluctant to act. On top of that, having controlled some people, the Demon Sect faced no obstruction in her previous life.

However, in this life, firstly the Demon Sect’s Third Guardian, Thousand Faces, met an untimely death, and Ye Qiu then destroyed the secrets collected by Chongjian Manor, reducing the number of threatened people significantly. Following that, the Fourth Guardian was poisoned by Ye Qiu, Leng Zhao Yue’s schemes were exposed, and finally, in this life, Ji Nan returned safely to the Imperial City. These series of events not only reduced the Demon Sect’s allies but also increased their adversaries.

Earlier, Chongjian Manor and the Demon Sect had fiercely clashed for a period, causing both sides to suffer substantial losses. Even if they joined forces now, they wouldn’t pose much of a threat anymore.

The Great Protector of the Demon Sect, the highest skilled in martial arts within the sect, is now held up by Master Liao Ran, and although Yin Tianhe is ranked third on the Hero Ranking, he was poisoned by the Rainy Pear Blossom Needle earlier and is now merely being chased around by Ba Dao.

Medicine Valley is very close to Jiangning City, and many forces from the world gathered within. Hearing that Medicine Valley was under siege by the Demon Sect, many righteous martial artists also came to help. Coupled with the original forces of Medicine Valley and those brought back by Ji Nan, the numbers of Chongjian Manor and the Demon Sect dwindled, making their defeat only a matter of time.

In the capital, Ji Heng, Wu Yang, and Wu Ming, along with the Second Guardian were fiercely battling. Ji Heng and Wu Yang, being slightly weaker in martial arts, had recruited many skilled fighters over the years. The longer the fight dragged on, the more likely the Demon Sect’s downfall became.

Especially after the Demon Sect’s Second Guardian was poisoned by the Rainy Pear Blossom Needle, Wu Ming alone found it hard to contend against both Ji Heng and Wu Yang.

The outcome was decided when night fell; the Second Guardian and all the members of the Demon Sect in the capital died, Wu Ming had his Dantian destroyed by a tearful Wu Yang. Although he didn’t die, he could no longer use martial arts for the rest of his life.

"Yin Tianhe is about to lose." Ye Chongtian said as he watched the struggling Yin Tianhe and Ba Dao, one faltering and retreating with unstable breath, and the other growing stronger and more fluent in combat, Yin Tianhe had no way out.

"It’s a pity that the centuries-old reputation of Chongjian Manor is ruined by his hands," Ye Lingxian sighed, "and we don’t know where Sister Shuanghua is now, or what she’ll do in the future."

"She’s not worth your sympathy," Ye Chongtian said, hugging his wife’s shoulders, "She must have been aware of Ye Chongtian’s actions over these years but she neither intervened nor did she save those innocent people. Because of those so-called leverages, countless talented individuals have died at the hands of Yin Tianhe these years."

"When Qiuer first told us, I didn’t believe her, but now I truly understand that you can know the face but not the heart."

"Where do you think you’re escaping?" Suddenly, a thunderous shout, it turned out that Yin Tianhe sought to flee as things turned sour.

Unfortunately, with Ba Dao here, it seems he is unlikely to escape today.

Over there, the battle between Liao Ran Monk and the Demon Sect’s Great Protector also gradually reached an outcome. Liao Ran’s attacks, unlike the Great Protector’s fierce strikes, were steady and under control at every step.

"Benefactor, thank you for the concession." Liao Ran pierced the palm of the Great Protector with a Buddha Bead, and in a blink, the man was subdued.

With two leaders captured, this battle swiftly drew to a close.

"I, Ye Chongtian, thank all of you for your help. There are medicinal herbs inside Medicine Valley. Please allow me to treat everyone if it is not too much trouble. Everyone who contributed today can claim ten bottles of Elixir for free from the Medicine Hall. Thank you, heroes!" Ye Chongtian deeply bowed to all the people from the Jianghu present; it was truly fortunate that Medicine Valley was saved.

"Medicine King, you are too courteous."

"Yes, eliminating evil is what we should do."

"I never expected Chongjian Manor to be colluding with the Demon Sect."

The crowd buzzed with discussion, eager to spread today’s events throughout the martial world. Hearing Ye Chongtian announce that they could collect ten bottles of Elixir from the Medicine Hall, everyone was overjoyed.

These martial artists inevitably suffered bumps and bruises while navigating the world, and the Medicine Hall’s medicine was famously efficacious and hard to acquire. Ten bottles of Elixirs were enough to last them many years.

Today, they had only dealt with some minor thugs and hadn’t even been injured; they felt they had profited from this.

"What should we do with these two?"

"How about this, first destroy their martial arts, and three days later in Jiangning City, publicly execute the Demon Sect members, and on the same day, let all the heroes criticize Yin Tianhe," suggested Ji Nan.

"That’s a good idea!"

"We’ll definitely be there in three days."

"Pah, and to think I once admired Yin Tianhe as a hero, only to find out he’s in league with the Demon Sect."

The crowd murmured amongst themselves, and no one objected; thus it was settled.

"Amitabha Buddha." Master Liao Ran twirled his Buddha Beads but said nothing more.

"Master, Mistress, since things here have wrapped up, I’ll be heading back to the capital now."

"Good, take care on the road, and thank your Father Emperor for me."

"Before coming here, Father Emperor said it was his duty. He and Mother Queen also mentioned that after the matters in the capital are settled, they will come to visit you, to thank you for raising me so well and teaching me so much," Ji Nan said, his face slightly flushed.

"It’s because you are outstanding," Ye Lingxian said with a smile, patting his head. "Go on, don’t let your parents worry."

"Yeah."

Three days later, on the Martial Arts Arena of Jiangning City, the Demon Sect Great Elder was beheaded amidst cheers from all the martial forces.

Afterward, Yin Tianhe was brought forward. The first order of business was the removal of his name from the Hero Ranking, followed by a litany of his crimes. Finally, amid the jeers of the martial artists, an extremist from the Jianghu world struck him down with a sword. His corpse was thrown into the burial mound and the reputation of Chongjian Manor was utterly ruined, its influence dissolving overnight.

When Yin Shaochen was revived by Leng Zhaoyue, the first news he heard was this: Chongjian Manor was gone, his father had become a martial arts pariah with an unaccounted corpse, and his mother had vanished without a trace.

Why? Why had it come to this?

Yin Shaochen, distraught, lay on a shabby bed in a small inn. Now he and Leng Zhaoyue were being hunted by the entire martial world, and they dared not show their faces.

"Shaochen, shall we escape to the frontier? A place where no one knows us," Leng Zhaoyue cautiously suggested.

"You go ahead, I won’t join you," Yin Shaochen closed his eyes, devoid of vitality, "I have to find my mother, and I need to recover my father’s corpse."