Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 913 – The Incident in the Temple

After the array broke, the blue-clothed visitor suddenly attacked, the Great Western Continent’s scheme was exposed, and Wang Po and Bie Yanghong joined together to engage in a thunderous assault. As a result, Huai Bi’s actions became less conspicuous.

But many people had not forgotten.

Like the disciples of South Stream Temple, or Xu Yourong.

She looked at Huai Bi and calmly asked, “Just what did Shang Xingzhou promise you that you would do such a thing?”

Huai Bi knew that she was now in a most concerning situation. Gritting her teeth, she replied, “I do not understand your meaning.”

Xu Yourong ceased her questioning. She turned to Chen Changsheng and requested, “Your Holiness the Pope, please comprehend the laws.”

On the plateau, when Chen Changsheng put a stop to the closing of South Stream Temple, he had relied on his right as the Pope to comprehend the laws.

Xu Yourong was making this request partially to borrow his authority, but also to show to the disciples of South Stream Temple that he had this power.

Even though she was the Holy Maiden, she was still a woman with far too many things to keep in mind.

Regardless of the considerations that served as the basis for Huai Ren’s decision to close South Stream Temple, Huai Bi’s conduct on the plateau was utterly unacceptable.

Her conduct would be similarly unacceptable in any other sect, so the laws of the church naturally had clear punishments for her crimes.

“Either cripple her cultivation and exile her from the sect.”

Chen Changsheng recalled the scriptures of the church he had memorized as a child, then continued, “Or imprison her so that she can reflect on her errors.”

Huai Bi instantly paled, and she turned to Huai Ren, hesitant to speak.

Huai Ren wanted to plead for mercy on her behalf, but then she suddenly recalled how she, Huai Shu, and Huai Bi had traveled the world together for many years, how a Daoist from the Monastery of Eternal Spring had suddenly sought them out, and they had gone to the capital to meet the venerable Daoist Shang Xingzhou. She couldn’t help but begin to doubt, her thoughts sluggish.

Xu Yourong looked at Huai Bi and asked, “Yuan Yueqin, which do you choose?”

Huai Bi noted Huai Ren’s silence and believed that her senior sister had abandoned her. Hate rose from her heart as she clenched her teeth and asked, “Imprisonment? How long are you prepared to imprison me?”

Xu Yourong replied, “The day you understand where you were wrong is the day you will be released.”

Huai Bi coldly laughed, and then shrilly said, “You just want to imprison me in Holy Maiden Peak for the rest of my life! How can I do as you wish!”

Xu Yourong’s expression did not change as she calmly asked, “It seems that you are choosing the former?”

The former was crippling her cultivation and exiling her from the sect, the same punishment Mu Jiushi had received in the Li Palace. However, that princess of the Great Western Continent had her own clan’s techniques to protect her after her cultivation of the Orthodoxy’s methods was crippled. In contrast, Huai Bi had cultivated nothing but the techniques of South Stream Temple. If this were crippled, how was she any different from an invalid?

Huai Bi turned even paler and spite gushed out of her eyes. “If I choose neither?”

Xu Yourong calmly replied, “Then I will have to represent the ancestors of the temple in directly carrying out the laws of the church and rules of the temple.”

Huai Shu seemed to resolve herself, stepping forward to stand between Xu Yourong and Huai Bi.

This Daoist nun of fiery personality had no desire to come to blows with the current Holy Maiden. She just subconsciously did not want to see what might happen next.

The disciples of South Stream Temple thought differently. Swords began to brightly hum and sword intent rose up. The several hundred disciples seemed to be standing in random positions, but they were actually forming an extremely complicated sword array. The energy of this sword array was boundless and awe-inspiring, blocking off all paths down the mountain.

At this sight, Huai Ren sighed. Looking at Huai Bi, she advised, “If you look at your heart and find no shame, your self-reflection will only last a few days. I will wait for you at the base of the mountain.”

Senior Sister, how can you be so… stupid!”

Huai Bi appeared extremely aggrieved as she said, “It’s obvious that the Holy Maiden wants to use me to establish her power. Do you think she actually needs any evidence or reflection?”

Her junior sister’s sincerity shook Huai Ren’s will. She took a step forward, intending to speak with Xu Yourong.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew through the thatched cottage. Sword intent rose up, but in a passive state, while a harsh and cold Qi enveloped the area.

All this came from a sword, a very thin, long, and straight sword. The body of the sword was pitch-black, its surface glossy and smooth. It seemed to be constructed of black jade.

This sword of black jade was gripped in Huai Bi’s hand.

Its cold and sharp edge was held in front of Huai Ren’s neck, only a hair from her throat!

Huai Bi had used the opportunity given by Huai Ren stepping forward to capture her!

Huai Ren’s complexion was somewhat pale, perhaps because the sword intent had inflicted internal injuries, or because her junior sister’s sneak attack had wounded her heart.

Arrogant laughter resounded through the cottage.

Huai Bi looked at Xu Yourong and Chen Changsheng, a proud expression on her face. Her smile gradually faded, her voice turning cold.

“Correct, you spoke rather well. Everything was my plan. The venerable Daoist promised me that as long as South Stream Temple was closed for ten years, I would become Holy Maiden.”

Chen Changsheng asked, “What if Yourong broke the wall and left seclusion?”

Huai Bi coldly snorted. “Do you think that if I did all this, she would have any chance of exiting her seclusion normally?”

If she could not break out of her seclusion of her own volition, then what awaited Xu Yourong was naturally death.

“I truly did not expect you to relinquish the Great Dao for a man and break out of your seclusion.”

Huai Bi continued, “As for the rest, it was actually very simple. It wasn’t difficult to use the continued existence of South Stream Temple to convince this senior sister of mine who has rocks for brains, and it was far too easy to trick this violent but simple-minded other senior sister.”

At this point, Huai Shu finally understood what was going on. She was absolutely furious, her body shaking, but she didn’t dare move.

The frigid black sword was still at Huai Ren’s throat.

Huai Ren’s complexion paled even further, her eyes turning dimmer, and one could faintly make out a tinge of sadness in their depths.

Popopopop. Huai Bi’s finger descended like the wind, blocking off several of Huai Ren’s meridians and sealing off the vital Ethereal Palace.

A gasp of shock rose from within the thatched cottage: “The Divine Finger of the Worldstream!”

“Correct, I used the Divine Finger of the Worldstream. Senior Sister has no more chance to counterattack.”

Huai Bi sternly said, “You juniors actually had the audacity to disrespect me. If there’s a chance, I’ll definitely let you try out the feeling of thousands of ants running through your body!”

As she spoke, Huai Ren’s complexion went from pale white to green, seeming in terrible pain. It was clear that she was currently enduring the pain inflicted by the Divine Finger of the Worldstream.

Ping Xuan, Yi Chen and the other disciples of South Stream Temple were infuriated at this sight, but out of fear of the black sword, they did not dare step forward.

“Of course, I have no hopes that this is enough to force you to step down.”

Huai Bi coldly said to Xu Yourong, “Aren’t you one of those most ungrateful and unfeeling people of Zhou? Just let me leave.”

Xu Yourong ignored her. She looked at the captured Huai Ren and said, “See, Martial Aunt. Martial Aunt perhaps has good intentions, but this world has always been bad.”

Huai Bi didn’t understand her meaning, and her voice turned even harsher. “Just quickly withdraw the sword array!”

Xu Yourong continued to ignore her and quietly gazed at Huai Ren.

Huai Ren’s expression turned even gloomier.

The pain inflicted by the Divine Finger of the Worldstream? Compared to the pain of being betrayed by the junior sister one doted on for centuries, it truly wasn’t much.