Chapter 08

Sin

"Forgive me, Jon Li. If it's any comfort, I will die soon after you."

Jon's face turned red, veins bulging as he struggled desperately against Huo Zheng's iron grip. He clawed and beat at the monk's hands, but his efforts were futile, akin to fighting a statue. Huo Zheng's body was unyielding, as if made of steel rather than flesh.

As his consciousness began to slip away, Jon mustered the strength to whisper, "Why..."

Huo Zheng, his gaze fixed on the approaching cultivators who were now quickly closing in to form a tight circle around them, responded, "If they achieve their goal, all will be lost. It is very unfortunate, my benefactor, but the demonic cult cannot have you alive by tomorrow."

Jon's mind reeled with disbelief and confusion. What bullshit is this guy spouting? he wondered as his consciousness teetered on the brink. Then, as though Huo Zheng had sensed Jon's bewilderment, the grip on his neck loosened slightly.

Without warning, Huo Zheng leaped into the sky, carrying Jon with him.

Jon was too shocked and oxygen-deprived to scream, his body dangling helplessly as they soared over the garden. The cultivators below, instead of pursuing, gathered around where Chun Liang had fallen, likely assessing the condition of their young master.

Huo Zheng's powerful leap crossed the expanse of the garden in moments, landing on the far side with a force that jolted Jon, causing him to fade in and out of consciousness.

By the time Huo Zheng touched down and released him, Jon had fainted multiple times, his heart racing erratically from the terror of the experience.

Lying on the ground, Jon's pulse hammered with the fear of impending death. He was convinced Huo Zheng was about to kill him. Tears mixed with rage filled his eyes as he got up and feebly punched and screamed, his fists flailing against the monk's solid form. Jon's resistance was more a statement of his defiance than an effective defense, a raw expression of his refusal to die passively.

Huo Zheng watched silently as Jon expended the last of his energy in futile resistance, the monk's face etched with deep sadness and regret.

After a final weak strike from Jon, the fight drained out of him. Jon's breaths were ragged and painful through his broken nose, and his vision blurred as he collapsed to his knees, his body unable to sustain the effort, starved of oxygen.

Then, in the quiet that followed Jon's spent fury, Huo Zheng finally spoke, his voice tinged with solemnity. "Jon Li. I believe you deserve to know the reason you are dying. You are a tragic victim of the circumstances."

He paused, ensuring he had Jon’s blurred attention before continuing. "For years, the demonic cult has been seeking a way to make the Heavenly Demon, Chun Ma, ascend to immortality. Your death and blood, as one from another realm, are the final components needed for his ascension to become an immortal."

Gasping for breath, Jon managed a weak chuckle, his saliva mixing grotesquely with the blood in his mouth. He looked up at Huo Zheng, who regarded him with a sorrowful expression. "Don't look at me like that," Jon wheezed.

His voice was faint but laced with defiance as he continued, "I don't plan on being anyone's sacrificial lamb, and I sure as hell don’t need your pity. But what I don't get is why you’d want to off me yourself."

Huo Zheng, his face shadowed by the weight of his decisions, responded solemnly. "In our world, there are three major factions within the jianghu: the orthodox, the unorthodox, and the demonic cult. Each faction maintains a balance, keeping each other in check. But the demonic cult... they are the most dangerous, irreverent, and immoral of the three. If the Heavenly Demon attains immortality, he will break this balance and plunge our world into chaos."

Jon nodded slowly, understanding the gravity of the situation but still reeling from the personal implications.

With shaky legs, he pushed himself to stand, grimacing. "Aaah... fuck me, I ended up in the classic 'forces of good versus evil' trope. Why can't I just have a nice, slice-of-life, isekai genre, with overpowered abilities, dumb luck, and even a harem? Instead, I have to fight fucking Aang in avatar mode. " he lamented, very seriously.

Huo Zheng watched Jon with a curious expression, clearly puzzled.

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Jon, catching the man's look, asked, "Hey, you're a monk, aren't you?" Huo Zheng nodded in affirmation. Jon continued, "Aren’t you guys supposed to have a no-killing rule? In the novels I read, monks were usually strong like you but peaceful and considered life sacred."

Huo Zheng's face took on a somber cast and, ignoring the last part Jon said, replied. "Yes. And that is a sin I shall bear in hell, if it can save the world from the rule of the Heavenly Demon," he declared, his voice resolute.

Jon's heart pounded ferociously, fear and adrenaline coursing through him as he faced Huo Zheng, whose presence alone commanded terror.

Despite all this, Jon maintained his composure and met the monk's gaze directly, understanding the futility of fleeing or physical resistance against such a formidable opponent. Damn, all I have is 'talk no jutsu' now, Jon thought.

He recognized the weight of the moral code that monks like Huo Zheng lived by; taking any life was a serious violation, but the taking of an innocent life, particularly that of someone uninvolved in their world's conflicts, was an even greater sin. Jon saw this as his leverage, his potential key to swaying Huo Zheng's resolve.

"Look, Huo Zheng," Jon began, his voice steady despite the internal turmoil, "I get the stakes here, and I respect the tough spot you're in. But killing an innocent man, someone dragged into this mess from another world who hasn’t done anything to deserve this, isn't that crossing a line even for you? It's not just a sin; it’s a monumental injustice. Surely, there's a different way, a path that doesn’t require you to stain your soul for the supposed greater good."

Jon paused, letting his words hang in the air, hoping they would resonate with the monk's deeply ingrained values and sense of righteousness, aiming to ignite a spark of doubt or, better yet, a realization that there could be another solution.

He watched Huo Zheng intently, his own body tense with anticipation and stress, sweat beading on his brow. When the monk finally spoke, the words were like a balm to Jon's frayed nerves. "You're right..."

Jon's heart leaped. It worked? For real? It fucking worked! he marveled silently, scarcely able to contain a triumphant whoop.

Huo Zheng's voice trembled as he continued, "I... I ask for your forgiveness, Jon Li." Tears welled in the monk's eyes, his voice breaking with emotion. Mucus trailed from his nose as he struggled to speak through sobs. "I almost committed the greatest of sins, because of my own lack of determination. Killing an innocent man." Jon was not an innocent man.

Seeing the burly monk so overcome with emotion was an odd sight for Jon. Instinctively, he reached out, patting Huo Zheng's back in an awkward attempt at comfort. "There, there, buddy, it happens to everyone, you know? You're just human; we're not perfect."

But in his mind, a frantic voice was screaming, Oh my god, you're wasting time here! What if that guy comes back with his goons, or stronger people arrive? I feel like my plot armor's about to crack! Yet outwardly, he maintained the consoling façade, repeating "there, there" to Huo Zheng, whose sobbing showed no signs of abating.

Jon, sensing the urgency of the moment and the unpredictable nature of their situation, pitched his idea to Huo Zheng while continuously scanning their surroundings for any sign of impending threat. "Here's the thing, why don't we leave together and try to find a solution to all this? You go to Shaolin or wherever you want, and I go back to my world, everyone's happy, yeah?"

Huo Zheng slowly lifted his head, tears still streaking his face, yet his eyes held a resolved look that Jon hadn’t seen before.

Jon's throat tightened with apprehension, unsure of the monk's next words.

Huo Zheng closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, then exhaled.

"Anger clouds, stillness clarifies. Act from calm, not storm." he said, now much more relaxed.

What the fuck? Jon thought.

Huo Zheng continued, "This is where my life in this world ends," Huo Zheng stated with a sorrowful yet determined tone. "I will not make it past the cult's doors." Jon recalled the suicidal indication of Huo Zheng's earlier actions, his heart sinking at the confirmation of the monk’s intent.

Huo Zheng, his voice steady, laid out his final plan. "Listen to me, my benefactor. I will stall for time, and you will leave through that door over there." He pointed to a nondescript door partly shrouded in the garden's shadow. "It leads to a lower pavilion used by the cult's travelers, where merchants and non cult and non-cult affiliates come and go."

He continued, "Find and enter one of the carts there and stay hidden until you reach Hanian. It's a region beyond the reach of the demonic cult." Huo Zheng’s instructions were clear, offering Jon a tangible escape route, albeit one that demanded he leave the monk to face his grim fate alone.

Jon interjected with a sense of practical concern, "Whoa, whoa there, wait a minute. I appreciate this, I really do, but I'm naked, don't know much about this world, and even considering I make it out of here alive, how do I find a way to go back to my world? Who do I go to? Shaolin?"

At the mention of Shaolin, Huo Zheng’s reaction was immediate and intense. He seized Jon by the arm, urgency etched on his face. "No! Do not go to Shaolin! Or any of the orthodox faction sects for that matter, too few people to trust" he implored with a fierce whisper. "Do not trust anyone, benefactor. Do not make my mistake. Stay hidden as much as possible, and discreetly find a way for yourself."

Jon, taken aback by the intensity of Huo Zheng's warning, had a thousand questions swirling in his mind. But there was no time. Huo Zheng's eyes suddenly took on a distant, almost delirious look as a sad yet warm smile crept across his face. He quickly lifted Jon with ease.

"My mind...argh!" He shook his head, something clearly going wrong, then continued, "I–If he is still alive...find Wei Long..." he muttered, words slurring as if reciting a fevered dream. "Tell him what happened to me here...how I fell..."

Huo Zheng trailed off, gaze seeming to refocus on Jon with sudden clarity. "He will be an ally to you then, if heavens are on your side. Farewell, Jon Li. May you find your way back to your home, and may you find the strength to forgive me," he said frantically.

"Wai- aaaaargh!" Before Jon could respond, he found himself hurtling through the air towards the door, his shout muffled by the rush of wind. Mid-flight, Jon heard Huo Zheng’s voice echoing in his mind, a solemn whisper: "Godspeed, and be careful. They will all look for you, benefactor."