Chapter 81: The World Has No More Four Evils

“Take Ye Erniang away and keep her under close watch—I’ll have great use for her later.”

Zhang Jie instructed with a distant gaze.

Ye Erniang was not born evil; she became this way for a reason:

She had once been a gentle, virtuous common woman living below Shaolin Temple.

She fell in love with Xuan Ci, the current abbot of Shaolin, and bore him Xu Xu.

Afterwards, she was retaliated against by Xiao Yuanshan, the aggrieved party beyond Yanmen Pass—the infant was stolen, her face mutilated, and she descended into madness.

She began stealing other people’s babies, tormenting them, then killing them, earning her infamous reputation.

At the heart of this tragedy lies one chief culprit: Abbot Xuan Ci of Shaolin Temple!

A monk, not content with eating vegetarian meals and chanting sutras,

he broke the precept of lust and fathered Xu Xu with Ye Erniang.

He broke the precept of lust—that’s his own affair, after all;

it’s Shaolin’s internal matter. They could merely punish him or force him to return to lay life.

But after Ye Erniang began stealing and killing infants, he turned a blind eye—that was going too far.

Thousands of infants have been stolen and murdered by Ye Erniang over the years—his sin is truly monstrous!

Zhang Jie wanted to grab Xuan Ci by his robe and demand: Where are your sutras? Where is your Buddha?

Has your compassion been eaten by dogs?

Moreover, Ye Erniang’s martial skills were likely taught by Xuan Ci himself,

since she came from a peasant family with no access to martial training.

In other words, Xuan Ci taught and enabled a demon who specialized in kidnapping and murdering infants!

‘Damn it!’

The more Zhang Jie thought about it, the angrier he became—he wanted to crush Xuan Ci’s skull right then and there!

“Xuan Ci and Shaolin Temple must pay!”

Zhang Jie made his decision.

With an abbot like Xuan Ci, Shaolin Temple is no good place.

“Understood.”

Fan Bailing, unaware of Zhang Jie’s fury, gave the order.

Though he didn’t know why Zhang Jie kept Ye Erniang alive,

he knew Zhang Jie always acted with purpose—never without reason.

“Younger brother, what about Yun Zhonghe?” Su Xinghe asked.

“Bring him to my quiet chamber later.”

Zhang Jie replied, his thoughts shifting.

Yun Zhonghe, a lecher who ruined innocent people’s reputations, deserved to die.

Since he lacked the special qualities of Duan Yanqing or Ye Erniang,

Zhang Jie would just have to work harder—he’d take his cultivation energy.

“Alright,” Su Xinghe nodded.

Hearing Zhang Jie casually decide the fates of Ye Erniang and

Yun Zhonghe, Yue Laosan trembled in fear.

He didn’t yet know what would become of Ye Erniang, but Yun Zhonghe’s fate was clear,

and Duan Yanqing’s corpse still lay in Feng Asan’s hands!

“Elder, what do you plan to do with me?”

Yue Laosan asked, forcing courage into his voice.

“You?”

Zhang Jie sized up Yue Laosan.

Yue Laosan immediately puffed out his chest, striving to present his best spirit and vigor to Zhang Jie, hoping for mercy.

Even ants cling to life—how much more so a man like him?

At the same time, Yue Laosan’s dossier surfaced in Zhang Jie’s mind.

Though listed among the wicked, Yue Laosan’s actions were far milder than those of other villains,

known for his straightforwardness, loyalty, and trustworthiness, especially toward Duan Yu.

He ultimately died saving Duan Yu, killed by Duan Yanqing.

He saw Duan Yu’s exceptional physique at Wuliang Mountain and forcibly tried to take him as a disciple, only to be outwitted and made Duan Yu’s disciple instead.

He was deeply bound by promises, accepted defeat gracefully, and though he grumbled about Duan Yu, he gradually came to respect him inwardly.

At Mantuo Manor, when Duan Yanqing sought to kill Duan Yu, Yue Laosan fought to the death to protect him,

insisting Duan Yu was his master, and was finally impaled through the chest by Duan Yanqing’s steel staff.

Overall, Yue Laosan was impulsive, hot-tempered, and often acted with comedic flair,

but he was simple-minded, pure-hearted, and had a certain naive charm.

Zhang Jie realized Yue Laosan was exactly the talent he needed:

Fan Bailing and the others respected him deeply and obeyed his every command,

but they were Su Xinghe’s disciples—he couldn’t freely command them.

Yue Laosan could perfectly fill this gap.

Though reckless and impulsive, he was more than sufficient as a enforcer.

‘Besides, Water Margin has Wu Song as its face—how can I fall behind?’

Zhang Jie decided to take Yue Laosan as his personal lackey:

“You’ll follow me from now on.”

“Thank you, Master, for sparing my life! Thank you, Master, for sparing my life!”

Yue Laosan, overjoyed to have saved his life, bowed repeatedly in gratitude.

“Never commit evil again—if you do, even if you flee to the ends of the earth, I’ll find you and punish you according to sect law.”

Zhang Jie warned sternly. Though he admired Yue Laosan somewhat,

if Yue Laosan dared act recklessly again, he’d have no choice but to execute him like Ma Su.

“I dare not! From now on, Master, if you tell me to go east, I won’t go west;

if you tell me to pet a dog, I won’t catch a chicken!”

Yue Laosan slapped his chest in earnest, as if ready to tear out his heart.

“Hah!”

Seeing this scene, like a bear roaring, Fan Bailing and the others laughed good-naturedly.

“Very good,” Zhang Jie nodded.

If Duan Yanqing could control Yue Laosan,

then Zhang Jie, whose martial power far surpassed Duan Yanqing’s, certainly could too.

“Master Shu, dinner is ready,” said Hua Chi Shi Qinglu, one of the Eight Friends of Han Gu.

“Hmm. Everyone, go eat first.”

Zhang Jie waved his hand and led Su Xinghe and the others to the reception hall.

The group, in high spirits, had hearty appetites—

after dinner, Zhang Jie returned effortlessly to his quiet chamber.

“W-what do you want from me?”

In the corner of the quiet chamber, bound tightly, Yun Zhonghe stared fearfully at Zhang Jie.

“What do I want? I want your…”

Before Zhang Jie finished speaking, Yun Zhonghe, judging by his own depraved nature, grew even more terrified:

“No! I’m not that kind of man—I have hemorrhoids!

If you spare me, I can find you any man you want!”

“Damn it! What the hell do you think about all day?”

Zhang Jie, furious at being mistaken for a man with male preferences, kicked Yun Zhonghe hard.

In all the worlds, who didn’t know Zhang Jie was male and preferred women?

“Then what do you want?” Yun Zhonghe was confused.

He had nothing but beauty—no talent, no skills.

Not even gold, silver, or jewels—he didn’t have a hundred taels to his name.

As for martial manuals?

Who in the Jianghu didn’t know Yun Zhonghe knew only one common technique: “Grass Soaring”?

His current lightness skill came entirely from innate talent.

“I want your cultivation energy!”

Zhang Jie spoke and without further words, seized Yun Zhonghe’s head.

Yun Zhonghe had nothing Zhang Jie needed and no obvious weakness—he’d have to forcibly absorb him.

Yunzhonghe had neither what he needed nor any obvious opening, so he had no choice but to forcibly absorb.

"Hmmm~"

Yun Zhonghe suddenly felt a powerful suction coming from Zhang Jie’s hand.

"M-magic..."

Before Yun Zhonghe could finish saying "magic art," he was already sucked dry, eyes rolling back, expression chaotic.

"Trash!"

After several breaths, Zhang Jie tossed Yun Zhonghe, now drained by the Northern Darkness Divine Art, onto the ground like garbage.

Yun Zhonghe had only provided him with a few years’ worth of cultivation energy,

completely unworthy of his title as one of the Four Evil Ones of the World.

"Psst~"

Zhang Jie flicked his finger, and a fingertip force instantly pierced Yun Zhonghe’s heart.

"Come to think of it, Master Jin really despised his cousin."

Gazing at Yun Zhonghe’s grotesque face, Zhang Jie stroked his chin in thought.

Master Jin’s cousin was actually quite handsome, elegant, and talented—just a terrible person.

The name "Yun Zhonghe" was once the pen name of his cousin Xu Zhimo.

Yes, Master Jin’s cousin was the very Xu Zhimo who wrote "Farewell to Cambridge Again."

"Still, Old Xu really wasn’t a decent man."

Zhang Jie shook his head at the thought of Xu Zhimo’s behavior.

He first abandoned his pregnant wife Zhang Youyi, then pursued Lin Huiyin;

after failing to win Lin Huiyin, he took up with his friend’s wife, Lu Xiaoman.

At the same time, he also had an ambiguous relationship with his pen pal Ling Shuhua.

Old Xu was nothing but a complete scoundrel,

especially in an era that championed new lifestyles.

Master Jin, who despised this scoundrel, subtly referenced him in all his works:

Yun Zhonghe, the lecher in "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils,"

Zhu Wu, the traitor who framed Zhang Wuji in "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber,"

and Wang Xiaofeng, the cousin in "The Book and the Sword" who only suspected Shui Sheng.

And Old Xu’s end was equally dramatic:

He died in a plane crash, just like Dai Li and the Black Mamba.

"Thus, the Four Evil Ones are no more!"

Finally, having killed Duan Yanqing and Yun Zhonghe, imprisoned Ye Erniang,

and subdued Yue Lao San, Zhang Jie sighed with great satisfaction.