Chapter 145: How Many Floors Must One Carry a Bag of Rice?

Guarding his father-in-law’s face while so forcefully pressuring someone else’s daughter—Linghu Chong truly lived up to the reputation of a roguish wanderer of the martial world. In modern terms, he was nothing less than a scoundrel.

Linghu Chong spoke with carefree ease, yet this left Ren Yingying in a painful dilemma: torn between her beloved and her own father, she found herself utterly unable to choose.

Such a predicament was a century-old conundrum—like the classic “If your mother and girlfriend both fall into the water, whom do you save first?”—truly a cruel trap.

“Brother Chong, why don’t you join the Sun Moon Sect? With my father’s protection, Master Fang Zheng wouldn’t dare harm you,” Ren Yingying frowned, having pondered deeply and believing she had found a perfect compromise.

Though Ren Yingying appeared to have roamed the martial world for decades, she was, in truth, a novice. During her adventures, she was always guarded by the venerable Green Bamboo Elder; her father was Ren Woxing, and Dongfang Bubai cared for her well too. Being a second-generation disciple of the sect, her exploits were more like playing a game than true wandering.

After all, whether in the underworld or the righteous path, who would dare offend Ren Woxing, Dongfang Bubai, and the Sun Moon Sect to cause her trouble? Accustomed to her lofty status, Ren Yingying found herself at a loss when Linghu Chong suddenly forced her to make a life-altering choice, leaving even the usually decisive woman bewildered.

“Of course, Yingying chooses her father first. It’s just the fickle whims of fate and the caprices of destiny,” Linghu Chong’s expression instantly shifted as he thought bitterly within.

“Miss Ren, are you sure? With your father Ren Woxing’s protection, Master Fang Zheng wouldn’t dare touch me? Master Fang’s junior brother, Fang Sheng, was the one whose head I severed and hung on a flagpole—and it was already scorched black by lightning!” Linghu Chong forcibly suppressed his inner pain, putting on a forced smile as he spoke.

“Even if the Great Leader Ren protects me, Miss Ren, do you truly believe it’s because of your plea or because I am your beloved? That’s just your wishful thinking. The Great Leader Ren safeguards me for my eyes,” Linghu Chong pointed to his eyes, “With these eyes, the poison of the Three Corpses Brain Pill can be cured. The Great Leader Ren will rely on me, using the cure for the Three Corpses Brain Pill as bait to lure your Sun Moon Sect disciples into servitude.”

“In the end, the Great Leader Ren only cares about himself!” Linghu Chong said coldly, then took a long, harsh gulp from the wine flask at his waist.

“Brother Chong, I…” Ren Yingying glanced at Ren Woxing and then at Linghu Chong, her heart torn in agony.

“Enough. Don’t call me Brother Chong anymore. Call me Young Hero Linghu or simply Linghu Chong. Your inner turmoil shows your love for me is shallow. If you truly loved me, you would stand unwaveringly by my side, not hesitate or waver!” Linghu Chong said faintly, feeling a profound despair, as if nothing could hurt more than a broken heart.

“But Brother Chong, it’s not that I don’t love you. It’s just that your life hangs by a thread now. Only by joining my sect can you escape death…”

“Are you asking me to betray my master? Is there no place in my sect for the little junior sisters I cherish—Yilin from Mount Heng, Liu Qing from the same mountain, and Qu Feiyan? And do you really think I have no chance to turn the tide? If I, Linghu Chong, dare to stand here, it means I have my own trump card.”

“What trump card?” Ren Yingying’s face immediately brightened, a smile breaking through her worry.

Alas, to Master Fang Zheng, Ren Yingying’s smile was nothing but pure mockery.

“Master Fang Zheng, don’t fall for Linghu Chong’s scheming!” Ren Woxing quickly warned.

“Linghu Chong, no need to flaunt such clumsy tricks,” Fang Zheng said coldly, staring at Linghu Chong with a grave voice.

“Don’t be impatient. My trump card is coming soon…” Linghu Chong did not even glance at Ren Woxing or Fang Zheng, keeping his eyes fixed on Ren Yingying as he spoke softly, “Yingying, I’ll give you one final choice: will you stand with me or with your father?”

“What about my father?” Ren Yingying’s face shifted from joy back to worry.

“Don’t worry. After all, he is my father-in-law. I promise he will have a secure and peaceful life for the rest of his days,” Linghu Chong declared confidently.

“In that case, Brother Chong, I choose you!” Ren Yingying immediately stepped to Linghu Chong’s side.

“Miss Ren, do well in disciplining your daughter,” Fang Zheng said coldly, displeased.

“Demon Fang Zheng, perhaps you should first learn to discipline your own demonic sons and grandsons…” Linghu Chong laughed loudly.

No sooner had Linghu Chong finished speaking than a monk burst in from outside the mountain gate, bloodied and with a broken arm, crawling desperately to Fang Zheng’s side. With a heavy thud, he collapsed, weeping and shouting, “Abbot, our martial arts manuals have been stolen, and the Buddhist scriptures burned to ashes!”

Fang Zheng and Ren Woxing hurried to look toward the mountain foot, where thick smoke billowed fiercely, the fire raging wildly.

Hearing this, Fang Zheng staggered, his vision darkening, nearly collapsing. The successive blows caused him to cough up a mouthful of fresh blood.

“Brutal! This is the death knell of Shaolin!” Ren Woxing’s eyes widened as he stared at Linghu Chong, deeply impressed by his ruthlessness. In all the world, there were few he admired—now Linghu Chong was added to that list.

For a sect, its heritage was paramount. In a religious sect like Shaolin, the heritage lay in martial arts and Buddhist scriptures, each complementing the other, forming the foundation of Shaolin’s power. Now, with the martial arts manuals stolen, scriptures burned, and Fang Sheng beheaded by Linghu Chong, if Fang Zheng and other senior members fall, Shaolin will utterly decline…

The chilling thought made Ren Woxing shudder involuntarilyI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.