A Long Grind to Daoist Monarch-Chapter 103 - 97: Lay Down the Butcher’s Knife—Become a Buddha or a Demon? (Part 2)

Raising flags to revolt, robbing the rich to give to the poor, if placed on Green Forest Dao, might just earn the title of "hero."

Colluding with demons and slaughtering civilians, however, would be despised by all and seen as a vile act of a "great traitor."

"Every word is true! Fifth Leader! It's really the Great Leader, his commanding presence, I'll never forget it even after ten years!"

Xu Sanyin vowed earnestly, almost swearing an oath to the heavens.

"Old Five, it might truly be Big Brother, I just sensed a thread of Qi... quite like the 'Great Pagoda of Nine Heavens' Big Brother practiced."

The Second Leader, Blood Vajra, stepped through the gate, his upper body bare, his skin like it was coated in sticky red lacquer, akin to a golden idol in a temple, very striking.

"If Big Brother were alive..."

Eight-armed Ape's face twitched:

"What we're doing today might get us subjected to the torture of the Three Knives and Six Holes!"

Blood Vajra seemed not to care, retorting:

"Of the seven branches under Red Eyebrow, Benevolence, Righteousness, Wisdom, Faith, Loyalty, Courage, Fierceness! Which ones are left now?

Even if Big Brother were still in the world, could Red Eyebrow make a comeback? Without so many refugees, such severe calamities, who would follow us to seize mountains and proclaim kingship?

Moreover, Big Brother's ways are unsustainable, us brothers came up the mountain for big bowls of wine, large chunks of meat, large shares of gold and silver, didn't we?

But the rules Big Brother set are really hard to stomach!

This world is inherently one where people prey on people, and we should trample on those fat-brained rich households, the noble aristocrats, and drink their blood!"

Eight-armed Ape remained silent, even though a decade had passed, the words "Heaven-defying Saber" still carried weight in his heart.

That influential name of the leading Big Brother was indeed a heavy weight across the Green Forest Dao in all of Yihai Prefecture.

"Old Five, what are you hesitating for now? The Demon King is about to emerge, a drawn bow cannot shoot backwards, it took us such effort to seize Black River County, if we don't do this deal, how can we stand our ground in the future?

By then, we'd be condemned by everyone, with nowhere to go, a dead end!"

Blood Vajra raised his eyebrows, a fierce look in his eyes:

"If Big Brother still cares for old ties, he should understand our difficulties!"

Eight-armed Ape glanced over the bright and spacious He Family Mansion, thinking back on years spent nestled in the mountains, sleeping on straw mats and broken beds:

"Second Brother, what do you intend to do?"

Blood Vajra's expression turned fierce:

"Call in Old Four, we'll first talk, then act!"

Eight-armed Ape pondered for a moment, then nodded:

"Big Brother has the softest heart, with the old camaraderie between us, he should not make things difficult for us.

Once we meet, mention Sixth Brother, whose head was hung on the city gate, Third Brother, trampled into mush, and Seventh Sister, who had feelings for Big Brother, yet was slain by a Daoist Official from Yuanyang Temple with a single sword… Surely Big Brother will feel guilt."

Blood Vajra agreed:

"Old Five, you think thoroughly."

...

...

"Uncle Dao, after you became the Red Eyebrow Leader, how did you get into Tongwen Hall?"

Bai Qi moved a grandmaster's chair to the courtyard entrance of Tongwen Hall, while he himself sat on a small wooden stool, listening intently.

"It's a long story, honestly, after I ate that Unicorne Viper's gall, I was reborn, my skills grew stronger, my sinews and bones became extraordinary, and I was called the leading Big Brother in Green Forest Dao, seeing all sorts of superior martial arts, broadening my horizons, I created a technique called 'The Great Pagoda Technique'."

Lao Dao reminisced, a bit more animated.

"Once, I met a traveling old monk, who guided me further to perfect it into 'The Nine Layers of Infernal Pagoda'.

I was then not even forty, almost set foot into the Circulation of Qi, and gradually became arrogant, especially after a match with several Squad Leaders from Pai Bang, I took none of them seriously.

Until I encountered Young Master at Chaotian Sect, only to be half-dead after three punches."

Bai Qi rubbed his chin, surprised that his unpolished, miracle-loving Instructor had such an unparalleled, formidable side.

It's said shallow waters can't raise a Flood Dragon, why did such a mighty dragon who could stir waves on Nu Yun River come to Black River County?

"But, I still wouldn't yield."

Lao Dao didn't seem ashamed of being defeated by Ninghai Zen, instead, he saw it as a point of pride.

"Hanging on by a thread, I realized after those three punches, I wanted to further evolve 'The Great Pagoda of Nine Heavens' into the perfected 'The Twelve Passes of Infernal Pagoda'!

So, I stiffened my neck and asked Young Master to give me two years to master my martial arts and then challenge him again."

Bai Qi thought, with Ninghai Zen's uninhibited and carefree nature, it's indeed possible he'd let Uncle Dao off.

"Young Master took me to a farmhouse to recuperate, forbade me from using the Heaven-defying Saber's name, had me tend horses as a Groom.

At that time, I thought it was intentional humiliation, so I bottled my frustration and agreed."

Lao Dao's eyes filled with a deep nostalgia, as if the passage of every moment reflected back from his eyes, with the sense of great rivers flowing east under the setting sun.

"Ten days, it only took me ten days to improve my condition by thirty percent, I believed in six more months I could gather my Qi Blood anew, then break and reconstruct, to train 'The Twelve Passes of Infernal Pagoda'.

On the twelfth day, the village I stayed at was ransacked by bandits, claiming the Red Eyebrow name.

Young Master mocked me as a false hero acting in righteousness. Even then, I wouldn't concede, I established the virtues of Benevolence, Righteousness, Wisdom, Faith, Loyalty, Courage, Fierceness, and set rules not to kill the old, weak, women, and children, not to rob innocent civilians, not to commit wicked deeds... among others!

Surely it was due to losing the core leader, causing the subordinates to rebel, and then I asked around, only to learn such raids and plunders in Fulong Mountain's towns happened countless times.

I was so furious my hair stood on end, still refusing to believe it, for I founded the Red Eyebrow, raised the banner back then, to provide a meal for the villagers… So I charged out and slaughtered those murdering and plundering scoundrels, and guess what happened, Young Master Qi?