Chapter 2847: Self-Invited Trouble
The entire small town, including several hills within a hundred miles, was stained red by the blood of Great Saints.
The immense energy contained in Great Saint blood, hotter than magma, should have caused the soil to burn and the snow to melt. Yet here, all the blood seemed to have lost its energy, flowing only like red water.
The one-eyed gray-robed old man stood at the center of the blood pool, no longer attacking. His gaze fell upon the four delectable-looking Lobby Masters of the Goddess Twelve Pavilions, but he had no mood to appreciate their beauty. With a sinister grin, he said, "They're all dead, and the item isn't on them. So, is it on you?"
The four Lobby Masters were all top-tier existences among Great Saints, figures who could look down upon the mortal world, yet now each of them had lost their composure.
They wanted to flee, but they knew they absolutely could not escape.
Not only was the opponent's cultivation powerful, but his methods were also ruthless.
In the end, the gap between a Great Saint and a False God was still too vast.
Ye Manman forcibly suppressed the fear in her heart and said, "The item is not on us."
"At this point, you still want to deceive me?"
The one-eyed gray-robed old man chuckled, then added, "Actually, there's no need for this. In the end, that item will return to the hands of the Goddess Twelve Pavilions anyway."
Ye Manman's gaze was resolute. "At this point, why would I deceive a False God? If you insist on forcing me, I'll have no choice but to self-detonate my Sacred Source and take you down with me. With my level of Spiritual Power attainment, it would be very difficult for you to stop me, wouldn't it?"
"Why go that far? My master wishes to befriend the Goddess Twelve Pavilions, not make enemies."
The one-eyed gray-robed old man was clearly somewhat wary. As he spoke, his form retreated rapidly like a black wind.
The two battle servants who had been standing behind him charged forward instead.
"Our goal is only to seize that item. Don't harm the lives of the four Lobby Masters," the one-eyed gray-robed old man instructed. At the same time, Divine Qi emanated from his body, forming a Divine Qi Domain that ensnared the four Great Saints of the Goddess Twelve Pavilions who were trying to escape.
"What if they've hidden the item?" one of the battle servants asked.
The one-eyed gray-robed old man said coldly, "Then perform a Soul Search."
The four Lobby Masters naturally refused to sit idly by and wait for death. Being subjected to a Soul Search would not only damage their cultivation foundation but also expose the secrets of the Goddess Twelve Pavilions, which would mean certain death upon their return.
However, suppressed by a False God's Divine Qi, how could they be a match for the two Great Saints of the Darkness Temple?
In a moment, the woman holding the flute was struck by a battle servant's hammer and fell from mid-air. Before she could hit the ground, the battle servant grabbed her slender waist with a hand as large as a winnowing fan and pressed her heavily to the ground.
His five fingers were like iron bars, pinning her down so she couldn't move.
Severely injured, her protective Dao Domain shattered, and she coughed up large mouthfuls of blood from her crimson lips.
The battle servant's other hand, with black electric currents crackling from its fingertips, reached for the flute-holding woman's head, intending to perform a Soul Search.
"Lu Yi."
Ye Manman flew over rapidly, trying to save the flute-holding woman, but was sent flying by a whip-like strand of Divine Qi from the one-eyed gray-robed old man. A deep, bloody gash appeared on her chest, as if cut by a blade.
The remaining two Lobby Masters, even burning their Sacred Blood and exerting all their strength, could only fight to a draw with the other battle servant.
Accompanied by the laughter of the Darkness Temple battle servant, the flute-holding woman struggled in pain, as weak and delicate as a little white lamb cornered by a hungry wolf.
"Your Darkness Temple bullies people too much..." the flute-holding woman said.
"Bang!"
A sound like knocking on wood came from within the inn.
The sound waves, like giant waves, pierced through the one-eyed gray-robed old man's Divine Qi Domain and struck the battle servant who was pinning down the flute-holding woman, sending him flying. He tumbled backward, his human skin cracking open, transforming into a black beast dozens of meters tall.
The other battle servant was also hit by the sound waves, turning into a massive Great Saint-level beast.
In an instant, the blood-stained snowy land fell silent.
Only the sound of wind and snow remained.
"This..."
The one-eyed gray-robed old man, the two Great Saint-level beasts, and the four Lobby Masters of the Goddess Twelve Pavilions all stared at the inn in shock.
After a moment.
"Haha, I never expected there to be a hidden expert here. Then the item must be on you!"
The one-eyed gray-robed old man's gaze darkened, and he waved his arm.
Immediately, the two Great Saint-level beasts roared to the sky, their bodies surging with black lightning. They pushed off the ground with all four feet, unleashing a battle might that shook the soul, charging towards the already tilted inn.
The beasts' bodies grew larger and larger.
One of their claws was as big as the inn itself.
But before they could even reach it, their bodies cracked and they flew backward.
When they landed on the ground, the two Great Saint-level beasts had turned into dust and sand, including their Sacred Bones and Sacred Sources.
Seeing this, the one-eyed gray-robed old man was utterly terrified, his hair standing on end, his whole body cold.
The four Lobby Masters exchanged glances, their eyes filled with disbelief.
Zhang Ruochen, holding two pieces of a wooden clapper, walked out of the inn.
The sunken and collapsed small town rose back up, the ground became flat, the earth fissures closed, and everything returned to its original state.
Zhang Ruochen sat on a stone under the old locust tree, began tapping the clappers, and softly hummed a tune.
"Bang! Bang! Bang..."
Just two pieces of wood, yet they produced a mysterious rhythm, like pearls striking jade, like a pouring rain, like thunder between heaven and earth, like clear wind and misty clouds.
The four Lobby Masters of the Goddess Twelve Pavilions, who used pipa, flute, harp, and sheng as their battle weapons, were naturally masters of music.
But they had never seen the instrument in the old man's hands before.
The music played by the instrument was not exactly highbrow art, yet it contained the great Dao of the world, harmonized with heaven and earth, and could directly strike the soul of a cultivator, shaking their inner being.
When thunder came, their bodies trembled.
When a clear breeze blew, they felt an unprecedented comfort in their bodies, and the pain from their previous injuries vanished.
When the pouring rain fell, they couldn't help but raise their hands to shield themselves.
...
In reality, there was no thunder, clear breeze, or heavy rain. They were merely immersed in Zhang Ruochen's musical composition. Zhang Ruochen had not used any illusion techniques; they had lost themselves in the illusions they imagined, even forgetting that they possessed the cultivation of the Great Saint realm.
When Zhang Ruochen stopped, they finally snapped back to reality.
"What incredible musical attainment! To produce such an intoxicating melody with such a simple and clumsy instrument," said the flute-holding woman named Lu Yi, deeply impressed.
"This is no longer just a melody. He has entered the Dao through music, reaching a realm we cannot comprehend."
"Could it be... a senior expert of the Divine Realm?"
...
The eyes of the four women all showed respect.
By playing such a piece, the other party clearly did not wish to continue the slaughter.
Using a melody that harmonized with the Heavenly Dao, he was telling them to back off.
The one-eyed gray-robed old man was already frightened. He quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "I am Mo Yuntu of the Darkness Temple, paying respects to the senior. With your cultivation, senior, taking that item is no issue for me. However, my master is determined to obtain it. May I ask for your name, senior? I need something to report back."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Who is your master?"
"My master is one of the Twelve Spirit Gods of the Darkness Temple, Qing Xuan." When the one-eyed gray-robed old man said this, a look of pride appeared in his eyes.
He even felt that if the other party were sensible, they should voluntarily hand over the item.
After all, how many cultivators in the world dared to offend the Darkness Temple?
Even fewer dared to be enemies with Spirit God Qing Xuan.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Then go back and tell your master that the item is not on me. As for my name, there's no need for you to know."
The one-eyed gray-robed old man's gaze darkened, but he dared not act out. "Very well! I will relay these words exactly to my master."
The one-eyed gray-robed old man transformed into a beam of divine light, shot into the sky, and disappeared into the clouds.
The flute-holding woman, Lu Yi, was dressed in a bright blue colorful garment, her skin as crystalline as jade, though there were still traces of blood at the corner of her mouth.
She came outside the inn, bowed to Zhang Ruochen, and said, "Junior Lu Yi pays respects to the senior. I never expected the senior to be such a peerless expert. I was rude earlier, and I hope the senior will not hold it against me."
"If the senior were that petty, would he have saved you earlier?" said the woman holding the harp, letting out a charming laugh.
Lu Yi's face no longer held any trace of cold arrogance; it was full of respect. "That's right. I must also thank the senior for saving my life."
"It's nothing. I saved you because I have some connection with the Goddess Twelve Pavilions and couldn't bear to stand by and do nothing. You may leave now." Zhang Ruochen waved his sleeve and turned to walk back into the inn, then added, "Remember to clean up the mess outside. Don't disturb the peace of this small town."
The four Lobby Masters stood outside, exchanging glances, but ultimately did not leave.
The woman holding the sheng and the one holding the harp went to clean up the battlefield.
Ye Manman and Lu Yi entered the inn, only to see the old senior carrying a bundle of hay to feed the yellow ox.
Ye Manman's voice was soft and beautiful, extremely pleasant to the ear. She said with a smile, "So the senior was a god hidden here in seclusion. It's a pity that Meng Sheng thought you were just a mortal and delivered himself to your doorstep."
Zhang Ruochen ignored them, went to the well to draw water, and prepared to start a fire and cook.
"Senior, let me help you."
Lu Yi hung her jade flute on her belt, quickly walked to the well, and helped Zhang Ruochen draw water.
Her body was full of fragrance, and every smile and frown could captivate all beings, tempting even holy Buddhas to break their precepts, and could make even the most decrepit old man stand tall.
She was not deliberately trying to seduce Zhang Ruochen, nor would she dare to, but she was born with a seductive bone.
Ye Manman said, "That item is of utmost importance to the Goddess Twelve Pavilions. But if it falls into the hands of the senior, it will bring you great trouble, and you will never be able to find peace again. The Goddess Twelve Pavilions is willing to exchange anything with the senior for it."
Zhang Ruochen said, "The item you're talking about really isn't with me, and I have absolutely no interest in it."
No matter how good the item was, Zhang Ruochen had once possessed it and could also give it up. So he truly had no interest in what they were fighting over.
"How is that possible?" Ye Manman said.
Lu Yi frowned. "I think the senior truly doesn't have that item. Otherwise, he would have killed all the cultivators to silence them. Why would he save us? Why would he let Mo Yuntu go?"
"But that item was definitely on Meng Sheng," Ye Manman said.
Lu Yi said, "Then the real trouble is huge. All the cultivators in the world will surely think the item has fallen into the senior's hands. It's very likely that this was a trap from the very beginning."
Although Zhang Ruochen had no interest in the item they were fighting over, hearing Ye Manman and Lu Yi's words, it seemed he was indeed about to be entangled in trouble.
"The Meng Sheng you mentioned, is that the Yasha Clan Great Saint?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
"Exactly."
Zhang Ruochen walked slowly out of the inn, his gaze fixed on the bloodstains on the ground. He sighed. "Meng Sheng is not dead."
"But I saw with my own eyes that he was killed by the Stone Clan Great Saint, Yun Guang," Ye Manman said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "He was faking death. His concealment skills were quite good. Then, while you were all fighting, he escaped through the ground."
"But no one will believe that a cultivator of Meng Sheng's level could escape from under the senior's nose," Lu Yi said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "You don't believe it either, do you?"
Ye Manman and Lu Yi didn't speak, but they honestly nodded with a smile.
Zhang Ruochen sighed again. "Who escapes, who dies, who lives—I shouldn't have meddled in any of it. It would have been best to just be a dying old man. Meddle in one thing, and trouble immediately follows."