Chapter 2652: Three Brothers Reunited
Han Qiu possessed a Dark Body and was a rare Dark Way controller in the world. Inside the Sword Mountain, she successfully obtained Sword Dao Essence and the inheritance of a Sword God.
She deeply understood the immense significance of this opportunity, which directly boosted her combat power by a large margin and would benefit her endlessly in the future. Therefore, after coming out, she agreed to make an exception and, free of charge, kill the six sect leaders of the Confucian Realm for Zhang Ruochen.
Before leaving, Han Qiu grew suspicious again and asked, "Sir, do you have ties with the Sacred Bright Zhang Clan?"
Zhang Ruochen did not answer her and walked away over the waves.
Learning about the information regarding Peach Blossom deepened Zhang Ruochen's wariness. Concealing his aura, he rushed towards the residence of the Truth Temple cultivators.
In the Green Pear Garden, he had checked and deduced that the eight cultivators from the Book Realm had been taken away by Xiang Chunan.
Xiang Chunan had always valued friendship and loyalty, so he naturally would not stand idly by regarding the Book Realm's affairs.
It was now noon.
The scorching sun blazed like fire, casting no shadows.
Arriving at the courtyard where the Truth Temple cultivators lived, Zhang Ruochen announced his name. The two old men sitting cross-legged on either side of the main gate both had blazing, sharp glints in their eyes.
Although the name Shu Qianchi had only entered the public eye yesterday,
it could already be said to be thunderously famous.
Selling the corpses of Fugui and Moyang on the street, challenging the Grand Palace Master of the Judgment Hall, and cutting off Gongyang Mu's legs—any one of these deeds alone would shake the world.
"Please wait a moment, Mr. Shu. This old man will go in and report." A green-robed old man quickly walked into the courtyard.
When the courtyard gate opened again, the green-robed old man came out accompanied by Qingsi Xue, the daughter of the Truth Temple's Hall Master.
Qingsi Xue was Xiang Chunan's wife.
She had a physique as burly as an ox, a waist thicker than a bucket, legs like elephant feet, dark skin, thick lips, and exuded an imposing and domineering aura.
With such a figure and appearance, it was hard to imagine she was a woman.
Qingsi Xue showed no kindness towards Zhang Ruochen and said in a deep voice, "So you are Shu Qianchi?"
"Exactly."
Zhang Ruochen performed a Confucian salute, cupping his hands and bowing.
Qingsi Xue snorted coldly, "Another foolish bookworm. Do you know that it was you who caused Shu Yong's death?"
Zhang Ruochen did not defend himself and said, "What happened yesterday was indeed acting on a momentary impulse. I didn't expect the Paradise Realm faction to dare to act so recklessly on Red Dust Archipelago at such a sensitive time. It was my miscalculation."
Seeing that he was willing to admit his mistake and was not the kind of stubborn, self-absorbed fool, Qingsi Xue's anger subsided slightly. "What are you here for?"
"I'm looking for Xiang Chunan," Zhang Ruochen said.
Qingsi Xue said, "He's not here."
Zhang Ruochen showed a hint of surprise. "Where did he go?"
"The Green Pear Pavilion."
"No, he should have already left the Green Pear Pavilion with the Book Realm cultivators," Zhang Ruochen said.
Qingsi Xue looked at him coldly from the side and said, "Don't you know? He had just brought the people out when he was blocked back by the six sect leaders of the Confucian Way."
"The six sect leaders of the Confucian Way can't stop him," Zhang Ruochen said.
Qingsi Xue said, "There's also Lian Xi, the Grand Palace Master of the Judgment Hall, Michael of the Radiant Divine Temple, Yu Ze of the Blade God Realm, Master Yun Zhen of the Talisman Spirit Realm, and Xiao Ming Jun of the Ruiya Realm—all of them are powerhouses on the *Red Dust Peerless List*."
"What a grand lineup."
Although Zhang Ruochen hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he could imagine the tension. "Chunan is the Young Hall Master of the Truth Temple. Dare they make a move?"
"Why wouldn't they dare? They stand on the side of righteousness; they are the weak, the aggrieved. Why can't they strike against the cultivators who bullied them?" Qingsi Xue said.
Zhang Ruochen couldn't help but smile wryly. Qingsi Xue's words weren't wrong.
Gongyang Mu was killed by a Book Realm god, so the Confucian Realm was naturally the aggrieved party.
Xiang Chunan, as the Young Hall Master of the Truth Temple, openly sheltered the Book Realm cultivators and denied the Confucian Realm cultivators a chance for revenge—that was bullying the weak.
If Xiang Chunan were to attack the six sect leaders of the Confucian Way, his reputation would be ruined, and he might even lose his position as Young Hall Master.
More importantly, if he attacked, Lian Xi, Michael, Yu Ze, Master Yun Zhen, Xiao Ming Jun, and the others would have a reason to strike. They couldn't just stand by and watch the Young Hall Master of the Truth Temple act so lawlessly, bullying the weak and undermining unity among the various realms of the Heavenly Court.
After all, this time, the Book Realm was in the wrong; they had committed a grave mistake.
The Confucian Realm was the victim.
As for Shu Yong's death...
That was caused by Peach Blossom, unrelated to the Confucian Realm or the Paradise Realm.
Qingsi Xue's gaze was heavy. "The Truth Temple cannot get involved in this matter. Any cultivator who wanted to help Chunan has been held back by me. Do you understand why I did this?"
"I understand. Right now, Chunan only represents himself. If the Truth Temple's cultivators got involved, then the Truth Temple would become the bully," Zhang Ruochen said.
Zhang Ruochen also understood why Qingsi Xue was so displeased with him. She felt that Zhang Ruochen had implicated Xiang Chunan, caused Shu Yong's death, and now dragged Xiang Chunan into danger.
Qingsi Xue sighed. "Since you are such a clear-headed person, why did you fall into someone else's scheme?"
"Even without yesterday's incident, would Shu Yong not have died?" Zhang Ruochen asked back.
Qingsi Xue fell silent.
Zhang Ruochen said, "The Elegant God of the Book Realm was most likely killed by the Confucian Realm gods long ago. The Four Beauties of the Blue Sea from the Book Realm had already been captured by Gongyang Mu. The Confucian Realm has been plotting to annex the Book Realm for a long time. I just happened to be there at the right time, forcing them to advance their scheming timeline."
"If someone is deliberately plotting against you, you can't avoid it by hiding. You have to face the difficulties head-on and smash through all their schemes."
Qingsi Xue nodded. "You're right. For the Confucian Realm and the Paradise Realm faction to be thinking about annexing the Book Realm at such a sensitive time, instead of uniting to counter the Hell Realm, is truly despicable."
Zhang Ruochen said, "That's because, in their eyes, the Hell Realm can only harm the interests of the Ancient Civilization faction for now, not threaten them yet. Or perhaps, compared to the Hell Realm, the Book Realm is easier to bully."
Qingsi Xue glanced at him. "Now the Confucian Realm has righteousness on their side, and the Paradise Realm faction is powerful. How do you plan to break this deadlock?"
"Turn their scheme against them and kill until the heavens turn upside down."
Having said this, Zhang Ruochen turned and left, heading towards the Green Pear Garden.
When Zhang Ruochen entered the Green Pear Garden, he found Xiang Chunan sitting squarely in the center of the courtyard on a long wooden bench, arms crossed over his chest, his tiger-like eyes blazing brightly, and a Dao Domain radiating in all directions.
Seeing that the person entering was Shu Qianchi, the eight Book Realm cultivators all breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"You actually dare to come here?" Xiang Chunan said in surprise.
Zhang Ruochen walked over and smiled. "Why wouldn't I dare?"
"Those madmen from the Paradise Realm will kill you," Xiang Chunan said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I stirred up this trouble myself, so naturally, I have to settle it personally."
"This matter has nothing to do with Mr. Shu. The Confucian Realm has long intended to annex the Book Realm. Even without yesterday's incident, they would have found another opportunity to make their move during the Red Dust Conference," said Wen Qingxiu, one of the Four Beauties of the Blue Sea, in a gentle voice.
Su Yinxiu said, "The Elegant God could not have killed Gongyang Mu. Everyone knows that it was Peach Blossom who killed our master. How could the Elegant God kill Gongyang Mu out of spite?"
"The Elegant God has most likely met with misfortune," Wen Qingxiu said.
With two top-tier powerhouses from the Book Realm falling in succession, it was like the sky collapsing for any Book Realm cultivator.
They were naturally filled with anxiety and fear.
Wen Qingxiu, Su Yinxiu, Liu Yixiu, and Yu Zhenxiu were Shu Yong's four junior disciples, collectively known as the Four Beauties of the Blue Sea.
Zhang Ruochen looked at them and said, "Do you have any wine?"
The four beauties exchanged glances and shook their heads in unison.
But one old Book Realm Great Saint roared, "How can Mr. Shu ask for wine and not have any?"
With that, he brought out three huge jars of wine.
Xiang Chunan said excitedly, "Excellent! So Brother Shu is a wine lover. Wonderful! Wonderful! Today, we'll drink heartily here and wait for them to come. Let's see if they have the guts to flatten the Green Pear Garden."
"It's only noon, and midnight is still far off. After drinking, we can take a nap and it still won't be too late," Zhang Ruochen said, already filling a bowl. He raised it and said, "This bowl is to make up for your wedding wine."
With that, he drained it in one gulp.
The gate of the Green Pear Garden was pushed open, and Feng Yan walked in. "Wedding wine? Whose wedding wine?"
Seeing Feng Yan, Xiang Chunan quickly pulled him over. "As expected of my brother, you actually came! Come, let me introduce you. This is Shu Qianchi from the Kunlun Realm, a straightforward friend, a passionate man worth befriending."
Zhang Ruochen's gaze fell on Feng Yan.
A thousand years had passed, and Feng Yan appeared more mature. He wore a white holy robe and a green crown, having shed his youthful immaturity, exuding the bearing of a peerless emperor.
If Xiang Chunan's true nature hadn't changed at all in a thousand years, then Feng Yan had undergone a tremendous transformation. He was like a dragon hidden in the clouds, a Kunpeng submerged in the depths of the water. His inner self had matured, becoming a truly extraordinary figure. Even without displaying any techniques, he gave off a grand and overwhelming impression.
Zhang Ruochen and Feng Yan exchanged only a single glance, and they saw through much of each other.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I haven't known Chunan long, but I heard he got married. I regretted not being able to have a sip of his wedding wine, so I thought I'd make up for it today, right?"
Feng Yan sat down and said, "I've heard of your name, sir. You've already shaken the world since yesterday. I'm very curious—with your cultivation and character, haven't you married yet?"
"Well..."
Zhang Ruochen smiled. "I did arrange a marriage, but some accidents happened, and it's been delayed."
"I wonder which family's daughter is fortunate enough to marry a remarkable man like you, Brother Shu?" Feng Yan asked.
Zhang Ruochen lowered his eyes, staring at the wine bowl on the table.
"Slap!"
Xiang Chunan slapped Feng Yan on the head and said, "Why are you asking about someone else's bride? When Brother Shu gets married, we'll go drink the wedding wine together, and then we'll know which family's daughter it is!"
The Four Beauties of the Blue Sea standing nearby couldn't help but laugh. Who could have imagined that someone would dare to slap Yan Di's head like a gourd?
Feng Yan was also quite annoyed. Since emerging from the Nuwa Divine Realm a hundred years ago, the name Yan Di had shaken both the Heavenly Court and Hell. Besides Xiang Chunan, this reckless fool, who would dare to slap his head like that?
After drinking for a while, Feng Yan asked, "Tonight, are you really planning to hold your ground in the Green Pear Garden and fight it out with the powerhouses of the Paradise Realm faction?"
"What do you mean 'you'? It's 'us'. What, is Yan Di planning to leave after drinking?" Xiang Chunan said with displeasure.
"You called me here with a single message—how could I still leave? But the Heavenly Dragon Realm certainly won't ignore the Book Realm's situation; they will definitely take action," Feng Yan said.
As he said, not long after, Ao Xukong and Linglong Fairy, leading a large group of Heavenly Dragon Realm powerhouses, arrived at the Green Pear Garden, intending to take the Book Realm cultivators away.