Chapter 2641: Light Divine Temple Judgment Hall
Shu Yong regretted it!
If he had known that the "good thing" Shu Qianchi mentioned was so extraordinary and so disgraceful to scholarly decorum, he would have continued selling calligraphy.
Selling calligraphy was still better than selling corpses.
That was right; the earlier calligraphy stall had turned into a corpse stall.
There were two corpses in total.
One was said to be a demigod, with twelve angel wings on its back and translucent, sparkling skin. Even in death, it still emitted a bright holy light. The killing intent it released could startle cultivators below the Great Saint realm.
Cultivators below the Saint King realm probably couldn't even approach its corpse; getting close would risk falling.
The Angel Clan was a major clan in the Paradise Realm, with countless members. But Great Saints who could cultivate twelve angel wings were few and far between. Shu Yong couldn't recognize who this was lying on the ground.
The other corpse was pitch black, its skin surface covered in profound illusionary Dao inscriptions.
Even without being activated, ordinary Great Saints who approached within ten zhang would instantly fall into an illusion, becoming dazed and confused.
At this moment, there were already seven Great Saints trapped in illusions, wandering near the corpse stall like walking corpses. This showed how terrifying the illusionary Dao inscriptions on the corpse were. Ordinary Great Saints couldn't handle them at all; it was truly a priceless treasure.
Shu Qianchi was in the process of dismembering the corpse.
The Angel Clan demigod's body had already been divided, stacked into over a dozen parts.
The twelve angel wings were piled together, with a sign placed in front that read: "Demigod Wings, can be refined into flying-type secret treasures. One pair, two hundred Divine Stones. Single wings not sold separately, no bargaining."
The words were written by Shu Yong.
Shu Yong swore that writing these disgusting words was absolutely not for the sake of getting Divine Stones from Shu Qianchi. He was a principled and upright person.
But the hatred between the Book Realm and the Paradise Realm faction ran deep.
The Paradise Realm faction had countless experts and strongly supported the Confucian Realm, constantly targeting the Book Realm. Book Realm cultivators had suffered many losses but found it hard to retaliate.
Writing these words and participating in selling the Angel Clan demigod's corpse brought him a sense of satisfaction, as if a great revenge had been exacted. But on the surface, he couldn't show it.
Thinking of this, Shu Yong added another line to the sign: "Paradise Realm cultivators, ten percent off."
"Brother Shu, what do you think of this writing?" Shu Yong asked.
Zhang Ruochen was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said, "Fine, no problem. Continue; I've already dug out the Sacred Source!"
"Isn't the price too high?"
Shu Yong had no experience in this area and worried it wouldn't sell.
Zhang Ruochen said, "The wings of a demigod angel have already nurtured divine charm within; they are extremely rare and precious. Two hundred Divine Stones, I think it's still too low. But since we're short on Divine Stones lately, consider it a bargain sale!"
Zhang Ruochen needed Divine Stones not only to activate the Sundial but also to buy other cultivation resources, which cost a lot.
As for Zhen Yuan, after careful thought, Zhang Ruochen felt the chance of being recognized was very low. Most likely, Zhen Yuan had seen his face and guessed he was some cultivator from the Kunlun Realm in disguise, possibly even mistaking him for Wen Di.
Anyway, his grandmaster had already told him not to hold back, so he naturally had nothing to fear.
But writing was still out of the question.
It was too easy to reveal flaws and too easy to expose himself.
This Angel Clan demigod with twelve wings was naturally the second-ranked killer of the Tian Sha organization, the Emperor Killer, Fu Gu.
A moment later, Zhang Ruochen peeled off the skin from Mo Yang.
Aside from this skin, the physical body of a Spiritual Power Great Saint like Mo Yang wasn't worth much.
Around the corpse stall, more and more cultivators gathered to watch.
It was too shocking!
Two neatly dressed Confucian scholars selling corpses on the street, dismembering them into pieces, shattered everyone's worldview. Even more shocking was that one of the corpses was a twelve-winged Angel Clan demigod.
Not every Angel Clan demigod could cultivate twelve wings; ten wings were the norm.
"Shu Yong? Oh my god, it really is you. I thought I had mistaken you."
A dashing man in white, holding a folding fan and with a green brush stuck in his hair, stepped through the illusion and came to the corpse stall, exclaiming in shock, "Where did these two corpses come from? You, the Yong Shu Sheng, how could you do something like this? This is disgraceful to scholarly decorum, disgraceful!"
Shu Yong showed an awkward expression, unsure how to answer.
"I've never seen such a sight. I must paint it."
The man in white looked for a while, took the brush from his hair, and began sketching in the void.
As soon as he set the brush down, heaven and earth rules converged beneath it, forming a scroll over a zhang long.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Who is this?"
"Hua Chunqiu," Shu Yong said in a low voice.
Zhang Ruochen found the name familiar. After thinking carefully, he remembered and said, "The one who painted the 'Nine Immortal Beauties'?"
Shu Yong nodded.
"Brother Hua, are you painting again?"
Another person pushed through the crowd and walked straight toward Hua Chunqiu. This man was draped in a red robe, burly, with dark skin, like a bull.
Seeing this person, Zhang Ruochen showed a hint of surprise and couldn't help but smile.
Shu Yong's expression changed slightly, and he said, "This man has a significant background. He is the son-in-law of the Truth Hall Master, a top figure from the Feng Shen Camp. Don't let his simple appearance fool you; his talent is extraordinary."
Zhang Ruochen acknowledged Xiang Chunan's cultivation talent and nodded lightly.
But how did this simpleton Xiang Chunan become sworn brothers with the suave Hua Chunqiu?
They didn't seem like they would get along.
"Bang!"
The scroll in front of Hua Chunqiu shattered, broken by Xiang Chunan's collision.
Ink spilled everywhere.
Hua Chunqiu was extremely annoyed; this wasn't the first time.
"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to. It won't happen again next time!" Xiang Chunan said urgently, full of self-blame.
Hua Chunqiu held back his anger, gritting his teeth, and said, "Can you stop following me? I just want to paint a picture in peace."
"I swear, it really won't happen next time! I'll be very careful," Xiang Chunan said.
Hua Chunqiu lost the interest to paint another. What could he do? He could only sigh deeply. How did he end up provoking this simpleton?
He insisted they were fated and kept following him, impossible to shake off.
At this moment, Xiang Chunan noticed Zhang Ruochen and Shu Yong's corpse stall. He walked over in surprise and said, "You two gentlemen, how can you Confucian cultivators engage in this kind of business?"
Shu Yong was embarrassed again, covering his face to avoid the question.
But Zhang Ruochen was completely open, saying, "Just treat it like selling sacred beast meat. At least we can get some Divine Stones."
"You've got character. I like that. Brother, what's your surname?" Xiang Chunan asked.
"Shu!"
"Brother Shu! I am a disciple of the Truth Divine Temple, Xiang Chunan. Just call me Chu Nan!"
...
Zhang Ruochen and Xiang Chunan chatted for a while, quickly becoming familiar, calling each other brothers and talking happily.
Zhang Ruochen learned that Xiang Chunan had married Qing Sixue, the daughter of the Truth Hall Master, and expressed regret, saying they had met too late and missed the wedding feast.
Xiang Chunan was generous, telling Zhang Ruochen they could make up for it tonight; he would treat.
Hua Chunqiu had a good relationship with Shu Yong, deep in friendship. He sat beside him and said seriously, "Using this method to disgust the Paradise Realm faction is quite clever. But where did these two corpses come from?"
"Brother Shu, where did these two corpses come from?" Shu Yong turned to ask Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Found them."
"Found them."
Shu Yong relayed this to Hua Chunqiu.
Hua Chunqiu nodded solemnly and said, "If they were found, that's good. It avoids a lot of trouble. Even if the Paradise Realm faction cultivators come looking for us, we don't have to be afraid, since we didn't kill them."
"Why is it 'us'? What does it have to do with you?" Shu Yong said.
Hua Chunqiu snorted coldly: "You've made such a big scene. How could the Paradise Realm faction cultivators not be angry? Can you, Shu Yong, alone withstand it?"
"Whoosh!"
He unfolded his folding fan.
Hua Chunqiu waved the fan and said, "Am I, Hua Chunqiu, someone who fears trouble? My Painting Realm and the Paradise Realm faction have a deep, irreconcilable hatred. By the way, after these things are sold, can I get a share of the Divine Stones?"
Shu Yong was stunned for a long time and said, "This... I can't decide."
Zhang Ruochen was generous, kicking Mo Yang's corpse over and saying, "Brother Hua is truly a man of iron backbone, a hero who shares hardships. This corpse is yours. I won't take a single Divine Stone from whatever you sell it for."
Hua Chunqiu examined Mo Yang's corpse and saw that this person had a high Spiritual Power in life, using Spiritual Power to refine some special textures on the physical body.
Although its value was far less than the Angel Clan demigod's corpse, it was still full of treasures.
"Brother Shu, you're straightforward. Hua makes you a friend!"
Hua Chunqiu sat behind Mo Yang's corpse, ignoring his own handsome image, and began hawking.
Many onlookers gathered, but no one dared to buy.
After all, those who dared to offend the Paradise Realm faction were few and far between.
"Clatter, clatter."
Hasty footsteps sounded.
A group of cultivators in Radiant Saint Armor surrounded the corpse stall. Each one had strong cultivation, exuding Great Saint aura. There were over twenty in total.
The onlookers all retreated to a distance.
"Yong Shu Sheng and Hua Chunqiu are too bold, directly challenging the Paradise Realm. Look, they've even alarmed the Judgment Hall Master of the Light Divine Temple."
"I wonder who that dead twelve-winged Angel Clan demigod is. How tragic!"
"This Judgment Hall Master is a ruthless character. Yong Shu Sheng and Hua Chunqiu are definitely in big trouble today. They might even bleed here."
Shu Yong and Hua Chunqiu showed no fear, but they became tense.
The Judgment Hall of the Light Divine Temple was comparable to the Adjudication Department of the Destiny Temple, notorious for its ruthlessness and decisive killing. The Judgment Hall Master was a top-tier ruthless figure.
In the past, when he was at the Saint King realm, the so-called leader of the Paradise Realm faction, Zhou Yu, walked out from among a group of Judgment Hall Great Saints.
Seeing Zhou Yu, Zhang Ruochen shook his head slightly and said in a low voice, "He has become ordinary."
Now, Zhou Yu only had the Hundred Shackles realm cultivation and had become mediocre.
But it couldn't be said he was mediocre. Reaching the Great Saint realm was already first-class talent, but it didn't match his former glory.
Compared to Zhen Yuan, Zhou Yu was like two extremes. One became more and more dazzling, while the other became more and more ordinary. His potential was exhausted, and he eventually became just another Hundred Shackles realm Great Saint.
There were too many examples like Zhou Yu. Those who could remain strong, always brilliant, and break through to become gods were ultimately very few.
Most of those who dominated the Saint realm and Saint King realm would gradually become ordinary, eventually disappearing from the world, dying in nameless places.
Being dazzling now didn't mean one would remain dazzling in the future.
The dazzling ones were, after all, a minority.
Zhou Yu stepped aside, making way for the Judgment Hall Master, Lian Xi.
A new generation replaces the old.
Some leap into the nine heavens and transform into dragons; others sink into the vast sea and turn to dust.