Fighting evil with evil

The moment the thought arose, even he felt a flicker of instinctive resistance.

This bordered on the demonic path!

But then the hell on earth before his eyes, and the black-clad man's madness that defied every human bond, poured over him like a basin of ice water, extinguishing that last bit of pointless, hidebound scruple.

Against good people, he would naturally scorn such methods and never use them. That would cross his moral line.

But what about someone like Mingyang, whose status was sufficiently "noble," yet whose monstrous crimes made death too good for him?

They trampled lives and desecrated human bonds. They no longer deserved to be called human!

Wouldn't such people make the most "perfect" experimental subjects?

That way, he could carry out Heaven's justice, eliminate a scourge, and gain "rewards" to strengthen himself-all with a single stroke!

At that thought, Lu Changfeng felt as though he had pushed open a door into a new world.

Perhaps his previous understanding of the Noble Physician's Canon had been too narrow.

Perhaps the essence of this Medical Canon was not to make him fawn over the powerful and curry favor with the nobility. Quite the opposite-its true purpose was to exploit and punish those nobles! Save those who deserved saving, punish those who deserved punishment, and draw nourishment from these sin-laden "nobles" to forge a path toward the supreme realm!

One thought brought everything into focus.

Lu Changfeng saw the light. The last trace of hesitation vanished from his eyes, replaced by a cold, resolute gleam.

This path of fighting evil with evil strayed from the proper way, yet it seemed... better suited to this cruel world.

At that thought, Lu Changfeng relaxed completely and looked toward the Sun-Burning Temple. "...You dog. You'd better pray you never fall into my hands... otherwise, I'll make you taste every kind of agony and test countless methods of medicine and poison on you. You'll be unable to live or die! That 'noble' status of yours will make perfect feed for my Medical Canon!"

And there were Wu Sansi, the Great Vehicle Sect, Medicine King Valley...

Lu Changfeng thought to himself that dealing with enemies did not necessarily mean killing them. Wasn't it just as good to make their lives worse than death and squeeze every last bit of use out of them?

Meanwhile.

Inside an inconspicuous meditation room in the rear hall of the Sun-Burning Temple.

The black-clad man staggered inside, swiftly shut the door behind him, and triggered a mechanism. With a soft click, the bookshelf against the wall slid silently aside, revealing a dark secret passage leading downward.

He slipped inside, and the bookshelf immediately returned to its place.

Below the passage was a sparsely furnished stone chamber, where a young Daoist in blue-green robes was waiting anxiously. Seeing him enter, the young Daoist hurried forward to support him. At the touch, he felt the man's disordered qi and turned pale with shock, blurting out, "Father! You're injured?!"

"Watch what you call me!"

The black-clad man tore off his face covering, revealing none other than True Person Mingyang, the master of the Sun-Burning Temple. His face was pale, however, and a trace of unwiped blood remained at the corner of his mouth.

He drew a deep breath, suppressing his churning qi and blood, and said hoarsely, "I took a strike from Taiping and Mu Qinghong... The Heavenly Pivot Falling Star Palm is unmatched in sheer force, and the Great Pagoda Hand is as heavy as a mountain. Together, they truly are formidable!"

The young Daoist said urgently, "I'll go back and fetch medicine!"

"No need!"

The black-clad man jerked his hand up, his sharp gaze sweeping the hidden chamber. "This place has been exposed. We can't stay! Go at once and make those disciples and grand-disciples of 'Mingyang' upstairs 'take their own lives.' Then bring the remaining tai sui essence and burn down the temple. We'll leave through the secret passage immediately!"

A flash of resentment crossed the young Daoist's face. "Father! Are we really going to hand Taiping the foundation we've spent years painstakingly building, along with the Blood Tai Sui, for nothing? We finally persuaded the Cave Master of the Ultimate Bliss Cave in the Miao Borderlands to come help us in person. He's almost here..."

"Fool!"

The black-clad man cut him off sharply. The outburst aggravated his injuries and made him cough twice, but his gaze only grew darker. "Hurry up and do as you're told. Be quick, and be absolutely careful. Don't show yourself in person!"

He paused and raised his head, as though he could see the night sky through the stone walls. A trace of apprehension entered his voice. "The Cloud-Howling Eagle... I'd never mistake that feathered beast's cry. He followed me all the way to the temple. I'm afraid Taiping is watching our every move!"

The young Daoist shuddered in alarm at his words. "Then if Taiping and the others bring their people to attack right now..."

The black-clad man snorted coldly, a vicious gleam flashing in his eyes. "If they dare come... they won't leave so easily! Still, Taiping is suspicious by nature, and Mu Qinghong hasn't recovered from her serious injuries. They probably won't recklessly launch a frontal assault. But..."

He changed tack as the black-clad figure who had ruined his plans flashed through his mind, and intense killing intent surged into his eyes. "There's a young man with Taiping whose medical skills are quite impressive. His technique seemed to be Golden Needles Delivering from Calamity. That needle technique is far beyond what an ordinary physician could master... Do you know where he comes from?"

"A young man... skilled in medicine... with Taiping..."

The young Daoist pondered briefly, then his eyes flashed and he answered at once, "You must mean Lu Changfeng, Father. He was originally an itinerant physician in the streets. Half a month ago, Xue Chongjian suddenly developed a strange illness. Neither the Director of Medicine at the Princess's Residence nor the Chief Physician of the Imperial Medical Bureau could do anything. The Inner Guard dragged him into the residence, and he cured Xue Chongjian's neck syncope with just one needle and one push. So they kept him there as Director of Medicine. They say his medical skills are remarkable. Word has also come from the Prince of Liang's Residence that he has mastered the Medicine King's supreme art, the Shennong Glazed Glass Art, and can counter the Rebirth in Ultimate Bliss Powder and the Immeasurable Seal..."

"What?!"

For the first time, the black-clad man's face showed shock he could not conceal. "You're saying he can counter the Rebirth in Ultimate Bliss Powder and the Immeasurable Seal? And he's mastered the Shennong Glazed Glass Art? Is that information reliable?"

"The news just came from the Prince of Liang's Residence. It should be true."

The young Daoist nodded firmly. "Precisely because of that, Wu Sansi seems quite wary of him as well. The Great Vehicle Sect also couldn't resist making a move against him, but suffered heavy losses... Several of the Great Vehicle Sect's Secret Branches were wiped out last night because their Holy Maiden tried to capture him, only to be captured instead. The Inner Guard has launched a sweeping manhunt, and Yang Kaitian is still on the run..."

The black-clad man narrowed his eyes and paced a couple of steps. "As expected of the Medicine King's successor. He truly lives up to his reputation..."

He stopped abruptly, the killing intent in his eyes growing stronger. This time, however, something else mingled with it. "This boy... cannot be allowed to live! But with all his medical skills and cultivation arts... killing him outright would be far too wasteful."

He looked at the young Daoist, his voice low and dangerous. "Find a way to learn his movements and routines. If a suitable opportunity arises... I want him alive!"

The young Daoist nodded solemnly. "I understand, Father."

Only then did the black-clad man's expression ease slightly. He took an exquisite jade vial from inside his robes, a trace of relief appearing on his face. "Fortunately, these past few months of research weren't wasted. Though we've lost the Blood Tai Sui itself, we've already extracted plenty of essence, and the new pill formula is complete. Once we've moved somewhere safe, we can proceed with the next stage of the plan... It's time for the skies over Chang'an to change!"