"That's right, it's your lips!"
Heaven's Eye proclaimed with such certainty yet all the monks and cultivators were
perplexed, "Why is it the lips?"
"How can the essence of evil only be on the lips? A Lip Balm Spirit?"
Xie Lian's hands instantly flew to cover his mouth without thinking.
He hadn't thought that the essence Hua Cheng had stained on him after having
embraced and kissed an entire night at Qiandeng Temple hadn't faded.
Heaven's Eye pointed at him, "Well, well, well, do you all see? He's conscious of his
guilt!"
Xie Lian immediately dropped his hands, and forced himself to suppress the urge to turn
around and see what expression Hua Cheng wore after having heard, even though his
face was covered in bandages and nothing could be mustered anyway. He explained
gently, "Um, my fellow Dao friend, you've mistaken. Actually, it's because my living is a
little strained, so each household item is used for various purposes, like this pot."
He raised the clay pot in his hand and said earnestly, "Although I use this to catch
ghosts sometimes, but normally I use it to pickle vegetables. The pickles pickled in this
pot have a unique flavour, once you eat it you'll naturally... if you don't believe me, you
can all try it yourself."
...Technically, this wasn't impossible. The monks and cultivators were all somewhat
doubtful, but the villagers all covered their mouths too, "HUH? Xie Daozhang, do you
mean to say that all the pickles you gave us from before were pickled like this too?"
"Then won't our mouths all be full of the essence of evil too?"
Usually when the villagers offered him fruits and vegetables, he would return his
gratitude by giving them his pickled vegetables. He quickly waved his hand, "Don't
worry, the jars I use to pickle for everyone are different!"
Heaven's Eye said angrily, "Are you dumb in the head?! Aren't you afraid eating stuff
like this will cut down your lifespan? Stop wasting your breath, there's still people hidden
in your shrine and it's not just one person! Move aside!"
This time, afraid that the village head will stop him again, before he even finished
speaking he charged forward. Seeing the situation change so quickly, Xie Lian hurriedly
backed into the house, picked up the passed out Quan Yizhen from the ground, madly
shook his collar and cried next to his ear, "Qi Ying! Listen well! I am going to feed you
that Incorruptible Chastity Meatball!"
Hearing this, Quan Yizhen's eyes suddenly flashed open. At the same time, Heaven's
Eye who just charged in shrieked, covered his forehead, and leapt back out. "DON'T
ANYONE GO IN! THERE'S AN AMBUSH!"
Sure enough, the crowd of monks and cultivators didn't dare to move, and they
gathered around to shield him, "Heaven's Eye-xiong, what did you see?"
Heaven's Eye said, "I didn't see anything, only an immense, blinding white light!"
"Oh no, Dao-xiong! Your heaven's eye is smoking!"
Heaven's Eye felt his forehead, and sure enough, that red mark on his forehead had
turned into a black mark, and it was emitting a soft waft of white smoke like that of a
blown out candle. Shocked and dismayed, he exclaimed, "What... WHAT?!"
Ling Wen lazily put down her half eaten steamed bun and wondered, "It's so noisy
outside, what's going on?"
A monk said, "Heaven's Eye-xiong, look, there are two children and a woman plus this
cultivator inside that shrine. There are four people. Which one is 'him'?"
Heaven's Eye rubbed hard at his forehead, but he just couldn't reopen his eye. That ball
of white light was the spiritual aura of Quan Yizhen. When a heavenly official sensed
themselves about to face extreme danger and their lives challenged, the spiritual aura
shielding their body would explosively expand. Xie Lian was using that moment of when
that blinding, strong light exploded to blind that cultivator Heaven's Eye. It wasn't like
Xie Lian ruined ten years of his cultivation, he just wouldn't be able to open his eye in
the next few days, that's all. Then, Xie Lian picked up the plate holding the meatballs.
Quan Yizhen was fully awake now, and he grabbed Xie Lian's hand forcefully, croaking,
"I won't eat it."
Xie Lian reversed the hold and held his hand, "Don't be scared, this isn't for you!"
The band of masters heavily surrounding Puqi Shrine all shared looks with each other,
and almost uniformly shouted, rushing forward. However, before Xie Lian could meet
them, they were bounced away by an invisible barrier.
From the skies above, a deep voice sounded, "You old monks and foul cultivators are
like flies, have you all become obsessed with harassment? You dare pursue me all the
way here, are you all tired of living?!"
"Hua, Hua, Hua..."
He stuttered 'Hua' several times but in the end, Heaven's Eye still succumbed to Hua
Cheng's might and didn't dare call him by his full name. Instead he stammered, "...HUA
CHENGZHU! Stop, stop bluffing. We all know that you've been affected by the imminent
opening of Mount Tong'lu and sealed away your powers. You can't possibly be as
insolent as you usually are right now. Sur, sur, surrender yourself..."
Although the more he spoke the less strength there was in his words, still Xie Lian could
sense Hua Cheng was really angry now, and immediately, he rushed back inside to pick
him up. He whispered, "Don't say anymore! Stop wasting your powers, store your
strength. Leave everything to me!"
Hua Cheng's body was tense at first, but after he was picked up, he seemed to have
calmed down slowly, and replied with a low voice, "Alright."
Holding him, Xie Lian could sense that Hua Cheng's age seemed to have shrunken
again, and was probably no more than a child of twelve or thirteen, and he couldn't help
but be worried. With one arm holding Hua Cheng, and the other hand clutching Fang
Xin, he walked out, "Have you all never thought that the Green Ghost Qi Rong was
deceiving you all?"
Yet unexpectedly, when they heard him, the monks and cultivators all looked confused.
Heaven's Eye asked, "Green Ghost Qi Rong? Deceive us what? Why would he deceive
us?"
Xie Lian frowned slightly, "Wasn't it him who told you all to come here?"
Heaven's Eye clicked his tongue, "Who do you think we are? That we need a 'Savage'
to pass us information? Why would we float on the same boat as him?!"
It wasn't Qi Rong? Then how did information leak?
Before he could think on it more, the monks and cultivators had already started their
attacks. With a swing of his sword, Xie Lian warded off a number of swords and several
staffs. A monk questioned, "Amitabha Buddha, why must this Dao friend protect this
creature of evil?"
Xie Lian wouldn't back down an inch and replied, "Master, no matter what, it's not nice
to ambush people when they're down."
Heaven's Eye shouted, "He's a ghost, not a person! Don't twist rotten logic you
immature young'un!"
Spiritual staffs and treasured swords and blades all came attacking at once, and if Xie
Lian used Fang Xin he might just hurt mortals. By creed of justice, mortals could hit
heavenly officials but heavenly officials could not hit mortals, because they must be
tolerant, generous, compassionate, and loving towards mortals, not fighting with them. If
one dared hit a mortal then merits would be taken. Xie Lian wasn't as unrestrained and
wealthy as Quan Yizhen; he didn't have too many merits in the first place, if more is
taken away he'd be going in the negatives. Thus, he put away his sword and shouted,
"RUOYE, COME! QI YING, WATCH LING WEN!"
When Ruoye bound men it was always aggrieved, but when it bound women it'd change
face. Xie Lian had to call for it twice before it reluctantly peeled itself off of Ling Wen's
hands. The next second, a white flash whipped past the hands of tens of people, and
when their strength became unsteady they could no longer hold on to their spiritual
tools. Bewildered, they all wondered, "What spiritual tool is that?"
"Was that a spiritual tool? ...How come it looks like a white cloth for hanging to me? It
reeks of evil..."
"Whaddayaknow, this brat actually has a couple moves!"
Unexpectedly, just as Xie Lian was in the midst of fending off those masters, Ling Wen
shook her head, cleaned her sleeves and rose to her feet, "Thank you for your warm
hospitality. I will take my leave now."
Xie Lian was taken aback, "Ling Wen, the day's not over yet! Where are you going? Are
you going to break your vow?"
"That's right. I'm going to break my vow." Ling Wen said.
Her voice was confident and determined, like she was saying she was about to slay evil
by heaven's will. Xie Lian couldn't retaliate. A brief moment later, he stated, "The one
who leaked information wasn't Qi Rong, it was you."
Ling Wen smiled, "I may not be a martial god and was bound by Ruoye, but one can
accomplish much with just the communication array."
He knew it! But, how did Ling Wen know that bandaged boy was Hua Cheng? She
barely spoke to him, barely saw him, even Xie Lian hadn't figured it out as fast as she
did!
Seeing that she was about to take her stately leave but Xie Lian still couldn't get away,
he shouted, "QI YING! DON'T LET HER GET AWAY!"
Although he ate an Incorruptible Chastity Meatball earlier, but Quan Yizhen can move
himself off the ground now, his strength returning. Besides, Ling Wen was a civil god,
she was powerless and Quan Yizhen could stop her using not even a finger. Hearing
Quan Yizhen acknowledge "OK!" From afar, Xie Lian relaxed and went back to fighting
the crowd. A moment later, there was a sudden rumble, and the roof of Puqi Shrine was
punched through, the silhouette of a figure blown high into the air.
Xie Lian looked back around, shocked, and shouted to the interior of the shrine, "QI
YING! DON'T FIGHT LIKE THAT!"
It's nothing for martial gods to get tossed around; martial gods all grew up getting
beaten. But no matter how you look at it Ling Wen was a lady heavenly official, and a
civil god at that, if Quan Yizhen fought so ruthlessly, she'd be pulverized!
Yet, the figure who walked out leisurely said, "Bai Jing, don't fight like that."
That voice was cold and crisp, very obviously belonging to Ling Wen. Yet in the moment
she walked out, Xie Lian felt he saw a fleeting illusion, like the one who came out wasn't
Ling Wen, but an extremely tall young man, his aura of vengeance roaring to the
heavens. However, when Xie Lian focused his eyes, it was still the lone figure of Ling
Wen.
Ling Wen was a civil god, that's for certain. If she had hidden her strength intentionally
in the past, she still couldn't deceive Xie Lian, so how could she suddenly blow Quan
Yizhen into the sky???
Hua Cheng whispered, "Gege be careful, she's put on that robe."
So that's it! Although on the surface it looks like Ling Wen was still clad in black, but a
layer of simmering black aura was shielding her, seeming like she had changed into a
completely different person. The killing intent was running wild but her blanched face
was extremely calm, and this formed a peculiar contrast. Xie Lian tried testing the
waters by lunging at her with his sword, and Ling Wen deflected the blow by a wave of
her sleeve. Coincidentally, Quan Yizhen came crashing down from above, and fell to the
ground with a bang just in time to witness this scene. Instantly, his eyes lit up,
"Beautiful!"
Xie Lian's eyes lit up too and also exclaimed, "Beautiful!"
Ling Wen's move just now was truly a beautiful one. No, it should be said, the move the
Brocade Immortal used to help Ling Wen block the attack!
When that Brocade Immortal was donned on others, either they lose their minds or their
blood was sucked dry. However, when donned on Ling Wen, not a single weapon could
pierce through, and she could even attack proactively, instantly allowing a civil god blow
a Martial God of the West away. No one's ever heard that Brocade Immortal had this
incredible ability before. Who would've thought that after she's chopped off the head
and limbs of the Brocade Immortal, it would still allow itself to be used by her?
Now, not only the villagers of Puqi village were shocked, even the band of monks and
cultivators were stunned. Heaven's Eye exclaimed, "What, beautiful?! Is it so good to be
hit? Is there anyone normal inside that shrine? I think not a single soul there is human!"
Quan Yizhen was itching to spar, and he leapt to his feet to attack once more. Ling Wen
said in a low voice, "I said, don't linger around!"
Those words were directed at the Brocade Immortal, but her body wouldn't listen to her,
and her elbow blocked Quan Yizhen's punch before they proceeded to start an all-out
brawl. Fighting and parrying, parrying and fighting, the blows of fists and palms shocked
the old walls of Puqi Shrine and it shook like it was ready to collapse. As expected of
the Brocade Immortal with the potential to ascend; Quan Yizhen was falling behind. Xie
Lian couldn't help but cry, "Um... excuse me, can you both fight further away? Further
away please!"
But before he finished his sentence, those monks and cultivators came surrounding him
again, some forty to fifty blades, swords, axes, staffs, all crashing forward, and Xie
Lian's face dropped, raising his hands, "WAIT, DON'T! NOOO!!!"
And amidst that tragic wail, the Puqi Shrine that had withstood countless battering but
still remained standing finally, truly, completely, collapsed.
Xie Lian was dumbfounded, desolation filled his heart. "I just knew none of my houses
would last for over half a year. Now I really need to beg for donations for reconstruction..."
"Gege, don't be sad. It's just a house, there's plenty around." Hua Cheng comforted.
Xie Lian tried to make himself stay strong, but then Heaven's Eye came stumbling over,
his hand covering his forehead, and he pointed at him, "You young'un with nothing but
tricks! You dare ruin my cultivation! Who's your master? What generation do you belong
to? Which temple are you registered under? What sort of god do you worship?!"
Xie Lian whipped his head over, and a biting chill flashed before his face. He
straightened and stated solemnly, "You ask who I am? LISTEN WELL! — I, AM THE
EMINENT HIGHNESS THE CROWN PRINCE! You riotous radicals, BOW DOWN
BEFORE ME!"
His voice roared like thunder in clear skies, and there were actually a few who almost
fell to their knees, and didn't snap out of it until their companions pulled them up, "What
are you doing? Are you actually kneeling?"
"Th-that's weird, I did it before I realized it..."
Xie Lian proclaimed sharply:
"I, AM OVER EIGHT HUNDRED. OLDER THAN ALL OF YOU COMBINED. I'VE
CROSSED MORE BRIDGES THAN ALL THE ROADS YOU'VE WALKED."
"I, POSSESS SHRINES AND TEMPLES ACROSS THIS LAND; MY DEVOTEES AND
WORSHIPPERS ARE SPREAD TO ALL FOUR SEAS. IF YOU DON'T KNOW MY
NAME, IT'S BECAUSE YOU ARE IGNORANT AND UNLEARNED OF THE WORLD!"
"I, DO NOT WORSHIP GODS."
"I, AM GOD!"
When the mob heard this speech that was so shameless yet spoken with an
incomparably impressive air, they were all stunned, and subconsciously dropped their
jaws. "...HUH???"
Xie Lian made up all that nonsense because he was waiting for this very moment. He
flung that plate in his hand, and all those white little meatballs shot out through the air
like iron pellets, scattered in all directions, and without any misses, they were hurled
right into the open mouths of all those people in shock. Then he wiped away his sweat,
"Will everyone please forget everything I just said. I'm actually only just a scrap collector!"
Everyone who ate a meatball instantly dropped their faces, "HUH?! WE, WE'VE BEEN
HAD!"
A few who were quicker on their feet stopped the meatball with their swords, but when
they brought the swords before their eyes, those meatballs were actually still spinning
rapidly, creating sparks with the blades from the friction. The mob were terrified,
"WHAT... WHAT IS THIS HIDDEN WEAPON?!?! Incomparably solid with a peculiar
shine, could this be? The legendary..."
"That's right!" Xie Lian claimed, "It's the legendary Incorruptible Chastity Pellets!
Exceedingly poisonous, and if eighty-one cups of clean water aren't drunken within a
day to detox, then they will explode in your stomach!"
Although no one had ever heard of such a thing before, but the mob grew even more
horrified, "OI! IS IT REALLY THAT POISONOUS?"
"Either way we gotta go drink water! The antidote is only water! Let's get outta here! GO
FIND WATER!!!"
In an instant, a large number of the crowd who fell for the trick fled.
On the other side, Ling Wen was fighting more and more aggressively, and she actually
had both her hands strangling Quan Yizhen as she picked him up. Obviously having the
upper hand but Ling Wen didn't look pleased at all, and she barked with a low voice,
"Bai Jing! Are you going to kill him? There's no need to fight anymore, let's just go!!!"
Fortunately, Xie Lian had one meatball left, and just as Ling Wen said the word "go",
with his swift hands he lobbed a meatball into her mouth.
Instantly, the light in Ling Wen's eyes was extinguished, like it was sucked out by the
thing she swallowed, and the black aura surrounding her person also lightened a shade.
With an expression like she was forcing back the urge to vomit, she glanced at Xie Lian,
her lips soundlessly quivering, then after enduring for a while, she threw Quan Yizhen
onto the ground, and left with her hand supporting her temple.
Quan Yizhen jumped to his feet, chasing after her. Xie Lian had wanted to follow after
them too, but that mob of monks and cultivators blocked his way and they shouted,
"EVERYONE, HANG ON! MORE REINFORCEMENTS ARE ON THEIR WAY!"
More?! He couldn't stay in Puqi Village any longer, he best leave first and think later. In
hot pursuit of Ling Wen, Quan Yizhen soon disappeared. Xie Lian cradled Hua Cheng in
his arms and said, "Hold on tight to me!" Then, tipping his feet to bolt, he surpassed the
mob and fled.
Hua Cheng followed his instruction and embraced him tightly. For some reason, this
scene felt familiar to Xie Lian, but, he had no time to reminisce the past; this affair
needed to be reported to court as soon as possible. Without thinking, he sent a
message to the private communication array: "Ling Wen, something's happened! I..."
Ling Wen: "...I know."
Xie Lian: "...So sorry to bother you."
An instant later, it was Ling Wen who cut off the communication first.
Xie Lian was speechless too. In the past, he had always communicated with Ling Wen
directly, and now that it was Ling Wen herself who was the problem, he hadn't yet had
the time to wrap his head around it, and actually reported the incident to her, so he
didn't know whether to laugh or cry either. Xie Lian entered the public communication
array and yelled as he dashed with Hua Cheng in his arms, "EVERYONE! PLEASE
ALERT THE WHOLE COURT! LING WEN'S RUN AWAY WEARING THE BROCADE
IMMORTAL!!!"