Looking up at the sun overhead, Yi Chen turned around and coldly said to the terrified members of the Evil Tiger Gang.

“You bunch of scoundrels from the Evil Tiger Gang, killing you all might be too harsh for some.”

“But if I kill every other one of you, surely some would slip through.”

“Today, I’ll give you a chance to live. I’ll only kill half of you, as long as you individually go inside with my junior brother and confess your misdeeds.”

“The half who have committed the fewest wrongs, I will spare your lives. You better seize this opportunity and incriminate each other; do not deceive yourselves.”

“Don’t even think about lying or framing someone else. With my current level of cultivation, I can sense your lies. Line up and go in one by one.”

…

…

…

One and a half hours later.

Under a row of chestnut trees halfway up Mount Zhui Long, a series of small mounds had risen.

“Blessings be as boundless as the heavens, go in peace.” Yi Chen, accompanied by his junior brothers, performed a bowing gesture towards the mounds.

As the saying goes, knowledge and action must go hand in hand.

Ultimately, Yi Chen implemented the path of righteousness he had just comprehended.

Members of the Evil Tiger Gang were slaughtered by him until only the lone survivor stood before them now.

A burly man with a childish face and two fierce dogs, was frantically kowtowing to Yi Chen and the others.

The speed of his kowtowing was so fast it almost produced afterimages.

Qu Goushi had every reason to be scared. Aside from him, everyone else from his group was slapped to death by this Taoist who called himself Yi Chengzi.

This was his first mission since joining the gang, and he hadn’t expected the gang to be wiped out entirely, with him personally having to bury them.

Especially the vice-leader, who liked to cackle, met an even worse fate. The Taoist claimed to have “slipped,” requiring two slaps before the head was properly squashed in…

Qu Goushi believed it was intentional.

Yi Chen spared this foolish big guy for a reason.

After some interrogation, it turned out that despite his large stature, he was only twelve years old, blessed with extraordinary growth…

He had joined the Evil Tiger Gang to avoid being bullied, barely getting involved in any misdeeds.

“Alright, Qu Goushi, stop kowtowing. Considering you’ve just joined and have committed few evils, I will lightly punish you as a warning today. If you oppress the good again, I will kill you!”

Watching Qu Goushi kowtowing like pounding garlic, Yi Chen flashed and slapped him away with two slaps, knocking out several teeth and swelling his face to resemble a pig’s head.

Seeing this, the Tibetan Mastiff and the Wolfdog lying on the ground, pretending to be dead, were so scared they tucked their ears back, closely pressing against their foreheads, pitifully afraid for their dog lives, showing a cunning appearance full of spirituality.

Yi Chen glanced at the two animals, shook his head, and proclaimed:

“Those who offend Hidden Dragon Temple, no matter how far, will be slapped.”

“Dogs are no exception.”

The dogs despairingly closed their eyes.

Pia, Pia, two muffled sounds, and dog teeth scattered all around.

After the slaps, Yi Chen, with a flourish, turned and led his brothers, who were full of confusion, down the mountain.

Yi Chen couldn’t be blamed for going back on his word. After creating a prisoner’s dilemma for those evil-doers, they began to incriminate each other to save their own lives. Their deeds were so vile that even Qing Yunzi, a genuinely kind person, couldn’t help but kick them a few times.

From bullying widows to desecrating graves, kidnapping children, trafficking women, forcing good people into prostitution, running gambling dens, to usury.

There was nothing the Evil Tiger Gang wouldn’t dare to do.

Aside from a newbie who had recently joined the gang, the rest had more or less blood on their hands. Yi Chen, with no choice, took back his word about only killing half of them, once again putting the principle of righteousness into action.

…

At night, under the moonlight that draped the room in a layer of cold gauze, Yi Chen, fresh from a bath, sat upright on a grandmaster’s chair (TL Note: This is a grandmaster’s chair https://www.yangtse.com/zncontent/1747684.html) , eyes closed in meditation. Next to him on the tea table were two cups of steaming hot tea.

“Did you know I was coming, senior brother?” Qing Yunzi arrived like a breeze but didn’t take a seat. Instead, he stood respectfully to one side, looking askance.

Qing Yunzi wasn’t being rebellious; he was born with a squint.

“Qingfeng and Mingyue have gone to sleep?”

“They just went to bed.”

“Sit down.”

“Thank you, senior brother.” Qing Yunzi then took a seat.

“Do you think I was too violent today?”

“Yes and no.”

Yi Chen picked up his teacup and gently blew on the foam, not drinking it, as if talking to himself:

“I was picked up by Master at the age of eight, an orphan who seldom had a full meal.”

“Back then, I would fight with others over a bite to eat, just like a wild child.”

“Without being tough, you can’t stand firm.”

“Senior brother has never been what you’d call a good person in the strict sense.”

“Just after Master passed away, the Evil Tiger Gang came knocking, and there must be other forces behind them testing the waters.”

“Black Tiger at best was a second-rate expert who has achieved some skill through diligent practice. Where did he get the audacity to challenge Hidden Dragon Temple with his elites? Master had offended many, but he also had no shortage of friends.”

“They wouldn’t dare, nor could they afford to take down Hidden Dragon Temple.”

“But still, they came.”

“It shows that someone was backing them.”

“Master had his secrets, and so do you, junior brother. Our Hidden Dragon Temple has something that others covet.”

“Senior brother, I…” Qing Yunzi started to speak but was interrupted by Yi Chen raising his hand.

Yi Chen looked into Qing Yunzi’s eyes and said solemnly:

“Master and you have your reasons for not telling me, and you don’t need to. I was blind before. Junior brother, you’ve cultivated the Minor Pure Yang Technique to the fourth level, haven’t you? You are the true legacy Master left for Hidden Dragon Temple.”

“But do you know why Master chose me as the head of Hidden Dragon Temple?”

“It’s not because I’m the eldest disciple, but because you’re not ruthless or cunning enough.”

“Junior brother, you have a truly compassionate heart, a pure and innocent nature, but you can’t fight against those evil spirits lurking in the shadows. You could be sold and still be counting the money for them.”

Qing Yunzi: “……”

Yi Chen drank the tea in one gulp and laughed:

“I’m just a stubborn rock without Spiritual Awareness, and I don’t understand what Master meant by Spiritual Awareness before he died. But I know, among us four brothers, if anyone is most likely to awaken and comprehend ‘Spiritual Awareness,’ it must be you, junior brother.”

“It doesn’t matter if my hands get dirty. You don’t need to share your secrets with me, just acknowledge me as your senior brother. I can’t buy much time for you, so don’t let down Master’s expectations.”

“The future of Hidden Dragon Temple depends on you.”

After a moment of silence, Qing Yunzi said with a pained expression:

“Senior brother! I’ve recently had some insights while reciting the scriptures, but it’s like looking at flowers in the fog. I’m not sure how to express it.”

“How did you know?”

Yi Chen smiled, stood up, ruffled Qing Yunzi’s neatly arranged hair, messing it up in a few strokes, and then slowly replied:

“Among our four brothers, my Taoist name is Yi Chengzi, Qingfeng and Mingyue are too young, only you, junior brother, were named Qing Yunzi by Master, and Master’s Taoist name was Bai Yunzi.”

“Qing Yun implies rising straight to the sky.”

“You are the one who truly inherits Master’s hopes, the real successor of Hidden Dragon Temple.”

“You are so much like Master.”

“Today, I will teach you a lesson.”

“To kill is to protect life, to cut down karma, not people.”

“In these tumultuous times, you must not be merciful. Let your eldest brother handle the dirty work.”

After speaking, Yi Chen took out a set of night clothes he had prepared, put them on in front of Qing Yunzi, and then left the room with a clear voice:

“All sins fall upon me.”

“The qi of all heavens whirls.”

“My Tao grows stronger.”

As his voice echoed in the room, when Qing Yunzi tried to follow his senior brother’s figure, Yi Chen had already vanished into the night.

The era of Bai Yunzi had passed; now it was Yi Chengzi’s turn to take charge. He needed to send a small shockwave through Hidden Dragon Temple to those lurking in the shadows.

The next day, a devotee came to Hidden Dragon Temple to offer incense and brought news.

The remaining eighty key members of the Evil Tiger Gang in Qingniu Town were all eradicated, truly leaving none behind.

The headquarters of the Evil Tiger Gang was also burned to the ground, and the people rejoiced!

(End of the chapter)