Chapter 72: My Puqi Shrine Will Collapse Supremely (Part One)

"That's right, it's your lips!"

Heaven's Eye proclaimed this with complete certainty, but the monks and cultivators were perplexed.

"Why his lips?"

"How can ghost qi be only on the lips? Is it a Lip Balm Spirit?"

Xie Lian's hands unconsciously flew to cover his mouth.

Hua Cheng had stained him with his scent when they embraced and kissed the night away at Thousand Lights T emple—Xie Lian never could've imagined that it hadn't yet faded!

Heaven's Eye pointed at him. "Well, well, well! Do you all see? He knows his guilt!"

Xie Lian hastily dropped his hands. He forced down the urge to turn and see what expression Hua Cheng wore after hearing that accusation—even though his face was currently covered in bandages and Xie Lian wouldn't have been able to tell.

"Um, my fellow Dao friend, you've mistaken," he explained amiably. "I live a humble life, so each household item is used for many purposes. T ake this jar, for example."

He raised the clay jar in his hand and continued with earnest conviction. "Although I sometimes use this to catch ghosts, I normally use it to pickle vegetables. The pickles from this jar have a unique flavor, and once you eat one you'll naturally… If you don't believe me, you can try it yourself."

…T echnically, this explanation could make some sense.

The monks and cultivators were still dubious, but all the villagers covered their mouths as well.

"Huh?! Xie-daozhang, have all those pickles you've given us been pickled like that?"

"Won't our mouths be full of ghost qi too?!"

When the villagers offered him fresh fruits and vegetables, Xie Lian would usually return the favor by giving them some of his pickled vegetables. He quickly waved his hand.

"Don't worry, I use different jars to make the pickles for everyone else!"

"Are you mental?!" Heaven's Eye said angrily. "Aren't you afraid eating stuff like that will take years off your life?

Enough talk! There's still someone hidden in your shrine—and not just one! Move aside!"

Afraid that the village chief would stop him again, he charged forward before he even finished speaking. Seeing the situation change so quickly, Xie Lian hurriedly retreated into the house. He pulled the unconscious Quan Yizhen upright, madly shook his collar, and shouted into his ear.

"Qi Ying! Listen! I am going to feed you more Incorruptible Chastity Meatballs!"

Quan Yizhen's eyes shot open the moment he heard this. Heaven's Eye had only just barged into the shrine when he immediately leapt back outside shrieking and covering his forehead.

"Don't anyone go in! There's an ambush!"

The crowd of monks and cultivators didn't dare to move rashly, and they gathered around to shield him.

"Heaven's Eye-xiong, what did you see?"

"I didn't see anything! There was an immense, blinding white light!" Heaven's Eye said.

"Oh my gosh, Dao-xiong, this is bad! Your heaven's eye is smoking!"

Heaven's Eye felt his forehead, and sure enough, that red mark on his forehead had turned black. It was emitting a soft line of white smoke like a blown-out candle.

"What…what?!" he exclaimed as the color drained from his face.

Ling Wen lazily put down her half-eaten steamed bun.

"It's so noisy outside. What's going on?"

"Heaven's Eye-xiong, look," a monk said. "There are two children and a woman inside that shrine, as well as that cultivator. Of those four, which one is him?"

Heaven's Eye vigorously rubbed his forehead, but he couldn't reopen his eye no matter how hard he tried. The ball of white light had been Quan Yizhen's spiritual aura. When a heavenly official sensed they were about to face grave danger, or that their life would be threatened, the spiritual aura that shielded their body would expand explosively. It was this flash of protective light that Xie Lian had used to blind the cultivator Heaven's Eye. It wasn't like Xie Lian had ruined ten years of his cultivation, though; he just wouldn't be able to use his third eye for a few days.

Xie Lian picked up the pot holding the meatballs. Quan Yizhen was fully conscious now, and he gripped Xie Lian's hand.

"I won't eat it," he croaked.

Xie Lian reversed the hold and held his hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, these aren't for you!"

The band of masters surrounding Puqi Shrine shared looks with each other, then shouted and rushed forward in near unison. However, they were bounced away by an invisible barrier before Xie Lian could meet them.

A deep voice sounded from the skies above. "You foul old monks and cultivators are pesky as flies. And now you've become addicted to harassment? You dare pursue me all the way here? You're asking for death!"

"Hua…Hua…Hua…" Heaven's Eye stuttered "Hua" several times, but in the end, he still succumbed to Hua Cheng's might and didn't dare call him by his full name.

Instead, he stammered, "...H-H-Hua-chengzhu! S-stop bluffing. We know you've sealed away your powers to avoid the effects of Mount T onglu's imminent opening. Th-there's no way you're your usual insolent self. S-s-surrender yourself…" The more he spoke, the less strength there was in his words. Xie Lian could tell that Hua Cheng was really angry now, and he rushed back inside to gather him into his arms.

"Don't say anymore!" he whispered. "Stop wasting your powers, conserve your strength. Leave everything to me!"

Hua Cheng's body was tense at first, but he seemed to slowly calm down after being picked up. "All right," he replied in a low voice.

As he held him, Xie Lian could sense that Hua Cheng's age had regressed again; he was now probably no more than twelve or thirteen. Xie Lian couldn't help but be worried. With one arm holding Hua Cheng and the other hand clutching Fangxin, he walked out.

"Did none of you consider that you were deceived by the Green Ghost Qi Rong?"

Unexpectedly, the monks and cultivators looked confused at this.

"Green Ghost Qi Rong? What did he lie about? Why would he deceive us?" Heaven's Eye asked.

Xie Lian frowned slightly. "Wasn't he the one who told you to come here?"

Heaven's Eye clicked his tongue. "Who do you think we are? You think we'd need a wrath to tip us off? Why would we float on the same boat as him?!"

It wasn't Qi Rong? Then how did the information leak?

Before Xie Lian could consider it further, the monks and cultivators launched their attacks. Xie Lian blocked strikes from multiple swords and several staves with a single swing of Fangxin.

"Amitabha Buddha, why must our Dao friend protect this creature of evil?" a monk questioned.

Xie Lian wouldn't back down an inch. "Master, it's not nice to ambush people when they're down, no matter who they are."

"He's a ghost, not a person! Don't cling to outdated morals, you immature young'un!" Heaven's Eye shouted.

Countless spiritual staves and treasured swords came attacking at once. If Xie Lian unsheathed Fangxin, he might hurt one of the humans present. Morally speaking, mortals could hit heavenly officials, but heavenly officials could not hit mortals. Heavenly officials must be tolerant, generous, compassionate, and caring toward mortals, and never squabble with them. Merits would be deducted if one dared to hit them. Xie Lian wasn't as unrestrained as Quan Yizhen, nor was he as wealthy. He didn't have many merits in the first place, so he'd end up in the negatives if he incurred a fine.

Thus, he put away his sword and shouted, "Ruoye, come! Qi Ying, watch Ling Wen!"

Ruoye was always aggrieved when it had to bind men, but it'd change face when asked to bind a woman. Xie Lian had to call for it a couple times before it reluctantly peeled itself from Ling Wen's wrists. In the blink of an eye, a white flash whipped the hands of every monk and cultivator in the mob, loosening their grips on their spiritual weapons.

Bewildered, they all wondered, "What kind of spiritual weapon is that?"

"Was it a spiritual weapon? ...It looked like a white silk band that someone would use to hang themself. It reeks of evil…" "Whaddaya know, this brat actually has a couple moves!"

T aking advantage of Xie Lian fending off the mob of masters, Ling Wen shook her head, dusted off her sleeves, and rose to her feet.

"Thank you for your warm hospitality, Your Highness. I will take my leave now."

Xie Lian was slightly taken aback. "Ling Wen, the day's not over yet! Where are you going? Are you going to break your vow?"

"That's correct. I am indeed going to break my vow," Ling Wen said.

Her voice was unapologetic, like she was stating that she was about to slay evil by heaven's will. Xie Lian was struck speechless by it. Moments later, he said, "It wasn't Qi Rong who leaked the information. It was you."

Ling Wen smiled. "I may not be a martial god, and I was bound by Rouye, but one can accomplish much with just the communication array."

He knew it! But how did Ling Wen know that the bandaged boy was Hua Cheng? She barely spoke to him and barely even saw him—Xie Lian hadn't figured it out as fast as she did!

Xie Lian still couldn't get away from the fight, and he saw that she was about to take her stately leave. "Qi Ying!

Don't let her escape!" he shouted.

Although he had eaten an Incorruptible Chastity Meatball not long ago, Quan Yizhen's strength was returning, and he could now pull himself upright. And Ling Wen was a weak, powerless civil god; Quan Yizhen could stop her without even lifting a finger. Hearing Quan Yizhen acknowledge "Okay!" from afar, Xie Lian relaxed and went back to fighting the crowd. A moment later, there was a sudden rumble, and a figure was blown high into the air, straight through the roof of Puqi Shrine.

Aghast, Xie Lian shouted toward the shrine, "Qi Ying!

Don't fight like that!"

It was nothing for martial gods to get tossed around; all martial gods grew up getting beaten. But Ling Wen was a female heavenly official, and a civil god at that—she'd be pulverized if Quan Yizhen fought so ruthlessly!

A person strolled out of the shrine's front door. "Bai Jing, don't fight like that," she chided leisurely.

The cool voice obviously belonged to Ling Wen. But the moment she walked out, Xie Lian thought he saw a fleeting illusion—like the one who came out wasn't Ling Wen but an extremely tall young man with an aura of vengeance that roared to the heavens. When Xie Lian squinted, it was still the lone figure of Ling Wen.

Ling Wen was a civil god, that was certain. Even if she had tried to hide her strength in the past, she wouldn't have been able to deceive Xie Lian. How did she manage to blow Quan Yizhen into the sky?!

"Gege, be careful. She put on the robe," Hua Cheng darkly warned.

So that was it! T o the untrained eye, it looked like Ling Wen was still clad in black. But in reality, a simmering dark aura covered her. It was this aura that made it seem like she had changed into a completely different person. Killing intent ran wild in the air, forming a peculiar contrast with the calm expression on her fair face. Xie Lian tried testing the waters by lunging at her with his sword, but Ling Wen deflected the blow with a wave of her sleeve.

Quan Yizhen came plunging down just in time to witness this scene. As he crashed hard into the ground, his eyes lit up in an instant.

"Beautiful!"

Xie Lian's eyes lit up too, and he also exclaimed, "Beautiful!"

Ling Wen's move just now was truly a beautiful one. Or rather, it should be said that the Brocade Immortal's move was beautiful—it had used its powers to help Ling Wen block the attack!

When others wore the Brocade Immortal, they either lost their minds or were sucked dry of blood. But when Ling Wen wore it, there was no weapon that could pierce its defense, and she could attack with such strength that even the Martial God of the West was blown away. Who would've thought that it would still allow her to use its power after she had chopped off its head and limbs?

Now, not only were the villagers of Puqi shocked, even the band of monks and cultivators were stupefied.

"What do you mean, 'beautiful'?!" Heaven's Eye exclaimed. "Is it so good to be hit? Is there anyone normal inside that shrine? I think not a single soul in there is human!"

Quan Yizhen was itching to spar, and he leapt to his feet to attack once more.

"I said, don't linger here!" Ling Wen hissed.

Those words were directed at the Brocade Immortal, but her body wouldn't listen to her. Her elbow blocked Quan Yizhen's punch, which led into an all-out brawl. Fighting and parrying, parrying and fighting, the blows of fists and palms rattled the old walls of Puqi Shrine, and it shook like it was ready to collapse. As expected of the Brocade Immortal, one with the potential to ascend, even Quan Yizhen was falling behind.

Xie Lian couldn't help but cry out to them. "Um…excuse me, can you both fight further away? Further away, please!"

But just as he spoke, the monks and cultivators surrounded him again. Forty or fifty blades, swords, hammers, and staves came crashing forward, and Xie Lian's face dropped as he raised his hands.

"Wait, don't! Nooo!"

Puqi Shrine had remained standing even as it suffered ceaseless abuse over the past few months. But now, punctuated by that tragic wail, it finally completely collapsed.

Xie Lian was dumbfounded, and bleak desolation filled his heart. "I just knew none of my houses would ever last six months. Now I really need to beg for donations for repairs…" "Gege, don't be sad. It's just a house, there are plenty of others around," Hua Cheng consoled him.

Xie Lian tried to stay strong, but then Heaven's Eye came stumbling over, one hand covering his forehead and the other pointing at him.

"You! Young'un! You've got nothing but petty tricks! You dare ruin my cultivation?! Who's your shifu? What generation do you belong to? Which temple are you registered under?

What god do you worship?!"

Xie Lian whirled around, and a biting chill flashed over his face. He straightened and replied with intense and furious dignity.

"You ask who I am?! Listen well! I am His Eminent Highness the Crown Prince! Bow down before me, you riotous, unruly horde!"

His voice boomed like a bolt from the blue. There were actually a few who dropped 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…" Xie Lian continued in a sharp tone.

"I am over eight hundred years old. Older than all of you combined! I have crossed more bridges than all the roads you have walked!

"I possess shrines and temples across this land! My worship has spread to the four seas! If you do not know my name, it is because you are uneducated and ignorant of the world!

"I do not worship gods— "I am god!"

This speech was incredibly shameless, yet it was spoken with an incomparably impressive presence. The mob was astonished and stood there silent and slack-jawed.

"...Huh?"

Xie Lian had made up all that nonsense because he was waiting for this very opportunity. He flung forth the pot in his hand, and the little white meatballs shot through the air and scattered in all directions like iron pellets. Without a single miss, each and every one landed in the open mouth of one of the shocked monks and cultivators.

Xie Lian wiped away his sweat. "Will everyone please forget everything I just said? I'm actually only a scrap collector!"

The face of everyone who ate a meatball drained of all color.

"Huh?! We…we've been had!"

A few who were quicker on their feet had stopped the incoming meatballs with their swords, but when they peeked around to inspect, those meatballs were still spinning rapidly on their blades and creating sparks from friction. The mob was terrified.

"What…what is this hidden weapon?! Incomparably solid with a peculiar shine—could this be? The legendary…" "That's right!" Xie Lian declared. "They're the legendary Incorruptible Chastity Pellets! They are extremely poisonous, and they will explode in your stomach if you don't drink eighty-one cups of plain water within a day to flush away the toxin!"

Although none of them had ever heard of such a thing before, the mob grew even more panicked.

"Hey! Is it really that poisonous?!"

"Either way, we gotta go drink water! The antidote is just water! Let's get outta here! Go find water!"

In an instant, a large portion of the crowd had fallen for the trick and fled.

On the other side of the temple grounds, Ling Wen was fighting with increasing aggression. She picked up Quan Yizhen in a stranglehold. But despite having the obvious upper hand, Ling Wen didn't look pleased at all.

"Bai Jing! Are you trying to kill him?" she barked with a low voice. "There's no need to fight anymore! Let's just go!"

Fortunately, Xie Lian had one meatball remaining. Just as Ling Wen said the word "go," he lobbed a meatball into her mouth with his swift hands. The light in Ling Wen's eyes was extinguished in an instant, like it had been snuffed out by the thing she had swallowed. The black aura surrounding her body also lightened a shade. With an expression like she was forcing back the urge to vomit, she glared at Xie Lian, her lips quivering soundlessly. After enduring for as long as she could, she threw Quan Yizhen to the ground and left the scene with her hand supporting her temple.

Quan Yizhen leapt to his feet to chase after her. Xie Lian wanted to follow, but the mob of monks and cultivators blocked his way.

"Everyone, hang on! More reinforcements are on the way!" they shouted.

More?! He couldn't stay in Puqi Village any longer. It would be best if he left first and thought later. Quan Yizhen was nowhere to be found; his pursuit of Ling Wen had already carried him far away.

Xie Lian cradled Hua Cheng in his arms. "Hold on tight to me!"

He bounced off from his toes into a sprint, easily outpacing the mob in an instant. Hua Cheng followed his instructions and embraced him tightly. For some reason, this felt familiar to Xie Lian, but he had no time to reminisce about the past; this affair needed to be reported to the Heavenly Court as soon as possible. Without thinking, he sent a message to the private communication array as he always did.

"Ling Wen, something's happened! I…" "...I know," Ling Wen said.

"...So sorry to bother you," Xie Lian replied.

An instant later, Ling Wen cut their communication first.

Xie Lian was also speechless. He had always communicated directly with Ling Wen in the past, but now Ling Wen herself was the problem. His brain hadn't caught up, and he'd actually reported the incident to her. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

As he dashed away with Hua Cheng in his arms, Xie Lian entered the public communication array to frantically inform the others of the situation at hand.

"Everyone! Please alert the whole court! Ling Wen ran off wearing the Brocade Immortal!"