At this moment, the Martial Demon stood radiant with triumph, so exhilarated that he seemed ready to break into a long, resounding song. Suddenly, he raised his right hand and traced a circle in the air.
The warriors of the Justice Alliance immediately dropped to one knee and shouted in unison:
"Leader of the Justice Alliance, wise and benevolent!"
"Leader of the Justice Alliance, hero among heroes!"
"Leader of the Justice Alliance, unifier of the martial world!"
These men were all highly skilled martial artists, each voice carrying the power of ten ordinary men. When they reached the final cry of "Leader of the Justice Alliance, unifier of the martial world," not only the members of the Justice Alliance but also many of the gathered heroes around the arena joined in. Their thunderous roar shook the heavens and the earth.
When the shouting finally subsided, the Martial Demon raised his hand for silence and said,
"You have all worked hard. Rise."
Hundreds of voices answered together:
"Thank you, Alliance Leader!"
and everyone stood.
The Martial Demon then turned toward Master Wutian and said calmly:
"Master, hear me out. The victor becomes king; the defeated become captives. Why not join the Justice Alliance and help uphold justice in the martial world?"
Master Wutian's clever scheme had backfired; he had tried to steal a chicken only to lose the rice used as bait. Moments earlier, he had been struck from the air by the Martial Demon's palm and sent crashing to the ground, coughing blood.
Knowing that appearances mattered little when life itself was at stake, he had immediately sat down to circulate his internal energy and heal his wounds. Streams of white vapor rose from the crown of his head like steam from a boiler.
As he listened to the Martial Demon's grandiose speech and attempts to remake his reputation, a tremor passed through his heart.
"If I kneel and surrender now," he thought, "would I not become a laughingstock before the world?"
This demon slanders me, deceives me, humiliates me, and mocks me. How should I respond?
Then he remembered an old Buddhist teaching:
"When evil exists in the world, I remain calm and composed."
After circulating his energy several times, his injuries unexpectedly improved greatly. Rising to his feet, his face now glowing with vitality, he pressed his palms together and said:
"This humble monk admits that today his skills are inferior and willingly concedes defeat. But to ask me to join the Justice Alliance—that is asking the impossible."
The Martial Demon was startled.
To recover so quickly from such severe injuries revealed an astonishing mastery of internal martial arts.
His tone softened.
"Master, your learning and cultivation are beyond ordinary men. I deeply admire you. As for joining the Justice Alliance, there is no need to rush. We can discuss it at length in the future."
To his surprise, however, Master Wutian replied with unwavering righteousness:
"Those who practice martial arts should uphold benevolence and justice. Forgive my bluntness, but your so-called Justice Alliance is not righteous at all. Though I suffered humiliation beneath your palm today, I still know what righteousness means. Joining your alliance is absolutely impossible!"
The gathered heroes were stunned.
Yet they could not help admiring him.
All recognized that Master Wutian was a man of unbending integrity.
Immediately, cheers erupted from every direction.
"Master Wutian, a true hero!"
"Master Wutian, benevolence conquers all!"
In an instant, the situation shifted.
Though defeated, Master Wutian remained composed and seized the moral high ground. Before countless witnesses, he boldly criticized the Justice Alliance without fear or hesitation.
The Martial Demon had misjudged the situation.
Earlier, he had failed to press his advantage and finish his opponent. Consequently, Master Wutian had been given a chance to recover.
While the Martial Demon basked in victory, Master Wutian had quietly healed himself. Now he stood tall and proud, showing no sign of submission.
Instead, he openly insulted the Justice Alliance.
As alliance leader, the Martial Demon could not afford to appear weak.
His voice turned stern:
"Master Wutian is indeed a hero, and I respect him greatly. But the Justice Alliance is not nearly as vile as he claims. Today you have spoken recklessly and insulted my alliance. I will not forgive it!"
Though exhausted and drenched in sweat, Master Wutian showed no fear.
With solemn dignity he declared:
"Though I am but a common man, and though my courage may be no more than a common man's courage, for the sake of justice in the martial world I must fight to the death today."
His passionate words stirred the crowd.
Blood surged through their veins.
Cheers rang out once more:
"Master Wutian, a true hero!"
"Master Wutian, benevolence conquers all!"
The disciples of the Wutian Sect shouted even louder:
"Master Wutian, boundless Buddhist power!"
"Master Wutian, whose might shakes the world!"
The years following the An Lushan Rebellion were troubled times.
The world had declined, morality had weakened, and wicked doctrines flourished. Ministers murdered their rulers; sons murdered their fathers.
The martial world was equally chaotic.
Where, in such an age, could true morality be found?
Yet strangely, the more conflicts arose, the more people spoke of righteousness.
Who was truly right and who was truly wrong remained difficult to determine, for in the martial world strength often spoke louder than principles.
That righteous heroes of the orthodox sects constantly discussed justice was nothing unusual.
More curious was that even members of the underworld now proclaimed themselves champions of justice.
But perhaps the blame lay partly with the so-called righteous men themselves—those who spoke endlessly of loyalty and brotherhood in public while secretly plotting against one another behind closed doors.
In such an environment, nearly everyone in the martial world styled himself a hero and claimed to represent justice.
Thus, neither Master Wutian's nor the Martial Demon's constant talk of righteousness seemed particularly strange.
The Martial Demon glared fiercely and said:
"Master, think carefully. This time I shall show no mercy."
Master Wutian, having cultivated Buddhist discipline for many years, knew that courage was required at this moment.
He recalled the words of Guiguzi:
"With the wise, speak broadly; with the learned, speak through reasoning; with the eloquent, speak to the point; with the noble, speak through influence; with the wealthy, speak of lofty things; with the poor, speak of profit; with the humble, speak with modesty; with the brave, speak with courage."
Master Wutian replied firmly:
"Righteousness and evil cannot coexist. Make your move."
The Martial Demon shouted:
"What is righteousness? What is evil? How dare you claim justice for yourself?"
Before the last word had left his mouth, he drew a deep breath, gathered power into both arms, and unleashed a palm strike.
Master Wutian lowered his shoulders and slipped aside.
Cheers and cries of astonishment erupted from the spectators.
The applause continued without end.
Master Wutian called out:
"This humble monk's loyalty and righteousness shine as clearly as the sun and moon for all the world to see!"
His character was as pure and noble as a refreshing breeze beneath a clear moonlit sky.
The Martial Demon merely glanced at him sideways and sneered.
"Your words are laughable."
Consumed by fury, he attacked with ruthless ferocity.
His strikes were powerful and relentless.
Master Wutian had already fought two formidable opponents in succession. His internal energy was no longer steady, and the injury from the earlier palm strike remained severe.
Now he dared not meet the Martial Demon head-on.
Instead, he leaped high and ducked low, retreating and evading, moving east and west in constant flight.
The Martial Demon's attacks poured forth without end, while Master Wutian continued to withdraw...