Chapter 2676 - 2674: Just for Show

Chapter 2676: Chapter 2674: Just for Show

At Mount Wanshou’s Wuzhuang Temple, the winds and clouds gathered for a grand assembly.

None of the loose cultivators had ever thought that Zhen Yuanzi, who had always stayed outside worldly affairs, would be the one to take charge of this matter.

The great kalpa of quantity was arriving; the slaughter kalpa was not yet set.

People were ill at ease. Whether loose cultivators, Heavenly Immortals, the Demon Clan, or the Witch Tribe, all were scrambling to seize fortune for themselves.

Some said that Zhen Yuanzi had surely calculated a great tribulation for himself.

That was why he was taking the initiative and stepping into the field this time.

With the Ancestor of Earth Immortals personally sitting in town, Wuzhuang Temple was truly a gathering of ten thousand immortals.

When Long Fei arrived with Lin Yingying, the outside of Wuzhuang Temple was already packed with people.

He didn’t have anyone announce his arrival, nor did he squeeze forward, just brought Lin Yingying to mingle with the loose cultivators outside.

Some loose cultivators never missed a chance to do business and had even set up street stalls here.

Dark clouds gathered overhead, war drums rumbled like thunder, yet the hawkers doing business here were not affected in the slightest.

Someone drew close to Long Fei, bumped into him, then mysteriously opened his robe to reveal a wilted carrot, asking Long Fei, "Fellow Daoist, want some ginseng? Genuine Guandong Ginseng, ten thousand years on a single root!"

Long Fei waved his hand with a smile and asked curiously, "Aren’t you here to support Wuzhuang Temple? How come you’re doing business instead?"

The loose cultivator said, "With our measly skills, we’re not even worth mentioning; how could we help them with anything! All the big names are inside Wuzhuang Temple today; their help is more than enough. We’re just here to make up the numbers and beef up the momentum."

"That’s true enough!"

Long Fei nodded, then gave the loose cultivator a bit of advice: "Next time you can soak this carrot in ginseng water for a bit. The carrot’s smell is way too strong."

"Got it, I’ll take the lesson!"

The loose cultivator chuckled dryly and went on hawking his carrots to others.

Long Fei glanced around the grounds and sighed to Lin Yingying, "Loose cultivators are loose cultivators. There are plenty of people, but it’s all just a motley crowd."

Lin Yingying said, "That’s only natural. It’s not like they owe Wuzhuang Temple anything, so of course they won’t truly risk their lives for it."

Long Fei asked Lin Yingying with a grin, "So do you think Wuzhuang Temple will hand over Yang Jian’s parents?"

Lin Yingying already knew what had happened in the Heavenly Court.

She shook her head. "Of course not. They were saved by Wuzhuang Temple. How could they easily send them back?"

"Just wait and see."

Long Fei and her found a bluestone to sit on, took out a gourd of wine, poured two cups, and started drinking.

Suddenly the sky boomed with thunder. A resounding crash shook the ground all around.

Wen Jie of the Heavenly Prison Star charged as the vanguard, wielding a Gold-Coiled Dragon Spear, and bellowed down at Wuzhuang Temple, "Shen Gongbao, get your ass out here! I treated you as a brother, and you’ve ruined me good and proper!"

From inside Wuzhuang Temple, a man rode a black panther up into the sky, stepping on the void as he spoke to Wen Jie: "Brother Wen, you’ve mobilized such a large force—what exactly are you planning to do?"

Wen Jie roared in fury, "Don’t play dumb. Hand over Yang Tianyou and his wife to me. Otherwise, the Heavenly Soldiers will press in and leave not a single blade of grass living!"

Shen Gongbao sighed. "Fine. At this point, I’ll speak frankly. The reason I saved Yang Tianyou and his wife this time was entirely by accident. In truth, the one pulling strings behind all this is the Witch Tribe in the Heavenly Court. I was forced by them, and while rescuing the Great Witch, I happened to free Yang Tianyou and his wife as well. If you’ve got grudges to avenge or wrongs to complain about, go settle accounts with the Witch Tribe instead!"

"What?"

Wen Jie raised his brows.

From within the cloud layer, a figure descended at once, his whole body radiating golden imperial qi. He stared sternly at Shen Gongbao and asked, "Are you telling the truth?"

Shen Gongbao clasped his fists and bowed. "Before Emperor Gouchen, who would dare lie? Your Majesty should know, the Witch Tribe dispatched a hundred thousand troops to besiege the Heavenly Prison Star that day. I was coerced by them. Looking across the Heavenly Court, who still dares offend them now? I truly had no choice!"

Emperor Gouchen barked, "Then where are the Four Great Witches now?"

Shen Gongbao shook his head. "That, I have no idea."

"Spineless thing! Secretly consorting with the Witch Tribe—you’re practically aiding King Zhou’s tyranny!"

Emperor Gouchen cursed him loudly.

Up in the sky, Wen Zhong snorted, "Gouchen, if you want to talk, then talk. Why drag King Zhou into it?"

Although the Shang dynasty had fallen, Wen Zhong still regarded King Zhou as his sovereign.

King Zhou now held office in the Heavenly Court, his name recorded on the Investiture of the Gods. But his current position was merely the Lord of Marital Bliss, in charge of marriages, under Yue Lao’s command.

Emperor Gouchen ignored Wen Zhong and scolded Shen Gongbao, "You colluded with the Witch Tribe and released a major criminal of the Three Realms. That is a great crime. You will come back to the Heavenly Court with me at once and explain everything clearly to the Jade Emperor."

Shen Gongbao shook his head. "That won’t do. I’ve already turned my back on darkness and submitted to the Minor Celestial Court. Right now the Witch Tribe holds power and blinds the Jade Emperor. If I go back, it would certainly be a dead end."

"Do you believe I won’t kill you right now?"

The flames on Emperor Gouchen’s brow were practically blazing out.

A Daoist below spoke sharply, "Who dares kill people in my Wuzhuang Temple?"

His voice wasn’t loud, yet carried immense majesty.

Law followed his words; even the void rippled with his speech.

Emperor Gouchen stared downward and grumbled, "Grand Immortal Master Zhen Yuanzi, must you wade into these muddy waters?"

The Daoist stood on the ground, his green robe fluttering in the wind, and said coolly, "I’m not interested in the affairs of your Heavenly Court. However, on the territory of my Wuzhuang Temple, anyone who dares kill and spill blood is making things difficult for me, Zhen Yuanzi."

A Quasi-Saint had spoken; even Emperor Gouchen did not dare act rashly.

Shen Gongbao clasped his fists to him, then turned back into Wuzhuang Temple.

Wen Jie cried out anxiously, "Your Majesty, we can’t let that scoundrel leave!" ℴ

"Do you have any other solution?"

Emperor Gouchen rebuked him, then turned back and ordered Wen Zhong and the three Marshals of Tianyou, "I’m going to seek reinforcements. You three will hold Wuzhuang Temple under siege and must not let the criminal escape. Before I return, no one may start any conflict with Wuzhuang Temple!"

"We obey!"

Wen Zhong and the others clasped their fists. They hadn’t planned to fight it out here anyway.

They were all just Heavenly Gods doing a day’s job for a day’s pay.

Only the three Marshals of Tianyou were truly devoted to the Heavenly Court, but they belonged to Emperor Ziwei’s faction and weren’t planning to waste effort here either.

After Emperor Gouchen left, the wind-and-thunder wings behind him trembled as he flew toward Zhongnan Mountain.

The loose cultivators below watched, unsatisfied, "He’s just leaving like that?"

"That’s way too boring."

"At least they could’ve had a fight!"

"No fun, no fun at all!"

"With Grand Immortal Master Zhen Yuanzi here, who would dare make trouble?"

"True enough!"

"Come, come, don’t miss out as you pass by—top-grade ten-thousand-year ginseng!"

"..."

Outside Wuzhuang Temple, the loose cultivators started hawking on their own again.

Lin Yingying watched with interest. "This Emperor Gouchen looks familiar, like someone I know!"

"Lei Zhenzi, right?"

Long Fei chuckled softly.

Lin Yingying said, "Yes, yes, that’s him. I remember what he looks like, and it’s exactly the same."

Long Fei said, "He is Lei Zhenzi. Back then he was ordered to descend to the mortal world and assist West Qi in destroying Shang."

Lin Yingying suddenly understood. "No wonder. At the time of the Divine Enthronement, Lei Zhenzi rendered great service but wasn’t granted any official post. So he was actually Emperor Gouchen."

Long Fei drank with a smile. "Zhen Yuanzi is not someone to trifle with, but Gouchen’s background isn’t small either. Just wait for the show."

"Which side are you on, exactly?"

Lin Yingying rolled her eyes at him, unable to keep from worrying about Yang Tianyou and his wife.

After hearing their story, she felt great sympathy for that tragic couple.

They just fell in love and got married, and ended up condemned as serious criminals. It was utterly inhumane, completely unjust.