Chapter 117 All Killed (Bonus Chapter for 2900 Nutrient Solution) The world...
Upon hearing this, Li Chen smiled helplessly.
Well, so they've stopped doubting the demon realm and started to doubt her because of some rumors.
But since things have already come to this point, if she were to refuse now, it would only increase the suspicion against her.
Thinking of this, she no longer hesitated, raised her hand to untie the ties, and slowly took off the straw hat.
The old man was advanced in years and had seen many storms, yet his face remained calm and composed, showing no surprise whatsoever. He simply asked in a deep voice, "Master Chenjin said earlier that he had seen that demon god statue. So, did you intentionally conceal your appearance because you knew that your appearance was almost identical to that of the demon god statue?"
Li Chen did not evade the question, and answered frankly, "Yes and no."
Seeing her honest answer, the old man nodded slightly, his expression showing approval. He seemed quite satisfied with her answer. "I believe this matter has nothing to do with the Zen community, nor with Zen Master Mingcun. However, I have visited the Zen community many times in the past, but I have never heard of your name."
“Even if you, layman, are often sent out on business by Zen Master Mingcun, it is not impossible that you would not have left any trace in the Zen practice community. And it is indeed only in recent years that you have suddenly become famous in the Zen practice community and the human world.”
As he spoke, he paused slightly, his gaze falling quietly on her face as he observed the changes in her expression. He continued, "Laywoman, you were not previously in the Zen meditation community, and your appearance is identical to that of the demon statue. Furthermore, you concealed something about this matter yesterday. With so many coincidences combined, don't you think... it's too suspicious?"
Li Chen listened without showing any surprise, as she had already anticipated this.
She was about to explain when Han Shannan, standing beside her, spoke first, unable to hold back, "There are plenty of people in this world who look exactly alike. So what if that demon statue looks a bit like her? She even looks like the Sword God! You're not going to suspect that the demon statue is related to the Sword God, are you?!"
Li Chen glanced at him helplessly.
The child's intention to speak up for her was good, but unfortunately, she wasn't good with words and liked to bring up the most sensitive topics. Now, who knows, some people might actually start to doubt the mysteriously fallen sword god.
Li Chen, seeing the gazes coming from all directions, gave a slightly embarrassed smile. He glared at Han Shannan without making a sound, then said with a smile, "The child is still young, and children speak without thinking."
Although Li Chenjin said that, the people around him clearly did not intend to let it go.
Their gazes swept back and forth across Li Chenjin's face before they began whispering among themselves.
"According to what that Eastern Sect Leader said, she does seem to resemble the Sword God somewhat..."
"Although they look similar, their auras are completely different, and if you look closely, they are not that similar."
"Could it be that the demon statue and the sword god are really related? Have you noticed that the demon statue only appeared in large numbers after the sword god's fall...?"
"Are you out of your mind? If the Sword God were still alive, he would have stabbed you a hundred and eight times over upon hearing that!"
"I don't think it has anything to do with the Sword God, but whether it has nothing to do with her is uncertain. Everyone has seen the Sword God's character, but this Hermit of Dust's End really appeared in the Zen meditation world inexplicably. Who knows if he didn't deceive Zen Master Mingcun?"
"Nonsense! Zen Master Mingcun possesses profound cultivation and great supernatural powers, capable of seeing five thousand years into the past and five thousand years into the future. With such supernatural powers, you might be deceived, but Zen Master Mingcun would not be deceived!"
Listening to the various discussions below, Zeng Shujin remained expressionless. He simply spoke in a calm tone, interrupting the crowd, "I am quite familiar with Zen Master Mingcun and also have some connections with Layman Chenjin. I can vouch for Layman Chenjin."
"Moreover, the Zen and Dharma cultivation communities have contributed a great deal of effort to the matter of those demon statues, and Layman Chenjin has also done a lot of work. As for their appearance, there are many people in the world who look alike, so it is not surprising. I know that there is some unease in various parts of the cultivation world because of the demon statues, but I ask you all not to make wild guesses, so as not to hurt Layman Chenjin's feelings."
Since Zeng Shujin had already said so, these guests naturally had to give face to the host, so they all stood up, cupped their hands to Zeng Shujin, and then cupped their hands to Li Chenjin.
Regardless of what these people were really thinking, Zeng Shujin had already spoken, and the matter could only be left unresolved in this muddled way.
Now that Li Chenjin's matter has been put behind us, it's time to get down to business.
Then another person stood up, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect towards Zeng Shujin, and said, "Sect Leader Zeng, please forgive my frankness, but we know very little about the Demon God Statue. And for some reason, all the records about this matter have disappeared, and we cannot find them in ancient books either."
"Sect Leader Zeng has gathered the leaders of all realms together, presumably to persuade us to return and gather our disciples to join the sword cultivators in facing the demon race that nearly wiped out the entire cultivation world more than seven hundred years ago. But even if everyone is gathered, what are our chances of victory? And even if we do win, how many casualties will it cause?"
At this point, he paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. Seeing that many people stood up to agree with him, he continued, "Sect Leader Zeng, in your reply, you didn't explain these matters, nor did you mention any future plans. This suggests that you probably don't have any good solutions either. If the final solution you come up with is merely to react to each move as it comes, then the younger generation in the cultivation world will inevitably suffer heavy casualties."
"Although this action is for the sake of all living beings, if we are to use the flesh and blood of so many younger cultivators to pave the way for all living beings, to exchange our lives for the lives of others, I cannot agree with that. Who in this world does not love life and hate death? Are the lives of those mortals precious, but the lives of us cultivators are not?"
No sooner had that person finished speaking than another person shouted, "Then what do you want? Let the people of the sword cultivation world rush to the front, wait until the younger generation of the sword cultivation world is almost dead, and fight that demon god statue to the death, then you can take action and reap the benefits?"
The man snorted and said, "This sect leader is really good at labeling people. I was just telling the truth, and yet I'm being accused of being a coward."
"Since this sect leader is so righteous, not caring about the lives of his juniors, and even less about whether his sect will be lost in the future, then why don't you lead your disciples to the front and let me see just how fearless you and your juniors are?"
The other man's face changed drastically, and he slammed his fist on the table, exclaiming, "This is utterly absurd! Is this how those unorthodox sects talk?!"
Upon hearing this, the man's lips curled into a mocking smile. "This sect leader is joking. This is merely a means of self-preservation. My sect is a small, insignificant one, with no more than ten thousand members including the spirit beasts. To make me the vanguard is no different from leading my disciples to their deaths. Must my entire sect perish in this matter to be considered a righteous sect? How is that any different from your long-dead Sword God?"
"Insolence!" The man who had spoken to him was so angry that his hair stood on end. He immediately shouted, "You wicked man, how dare you spout such nonsense in the Wanshan Sect! You deserve a beating!"
The man sneered, seemingly unconcerned, "If you're so capable, then go ahead and hit me!"
The argument between the two intensified, and because the Sword God was involved, the scope of the quarrel began to expand, turning the once relatively peaceful hall into a noisy mess in the blink of an eye.
Looking at the increasingly chaotic scene before them, those who had not yet started a fight looked at each other, feeling bewildered and completely puzzled.
How could they start arguing like that?
Also, how did this matter get involved with the Sword God?
The Sword God isn't a brick that can be moved wherever it's needed. So why do other people keep mentioning him?
Li Chen was also quite helpless, especially when he heard the man say "the sword god who died young," he almost spat out his wine.
She really couldn't understand how this could be related to the Sword God who had died so long ago.
Before Zeng Shujin could step in to appease them, Shen Zhengyuan waved his hand, and the two who had been arguing suddenly fell silent, collapsing onto the table and overturning a pile of fine wine and food. This caused everyone around to stop talking instantly. Only the two elders who had come with them rushed to their sect leader, calling out to him in a panicked tone.
Seeing that everyone's gaze was instantly focused on Shen Zhengyuan, Li Chen couldn't help but lower his voice and whisper to Shen Zhengyuan, "You should let Shu Jin handle this matter. Your sudden intervention will inevitably cause dissatisfaction among people towards the cultivation world."
"Oh, really?" Shen Zhengyuan said. "I thought you didn't want to put Zeng Shujin in a difficult position."
Li Chenjin: "..."
She silently closed her eyes and stopped speaking.
In any case, based on her observation, those two people were still alive. As long as they were alive, nothing serious could happen.
After all, Shen Zhengyuan often does things that are not typical of upright people, and because he does such things so often, others have become accustomed to it.
Therefore, going crazy for a long time isn't entirely without its benefits. For example, in situations like this, no one will think about whether Shen Zhengyuan is at fault or not; they'll only wonder if they'll be the next one to get into trouble.
The peace talks were silent for a long time before someone finally dared to stand up and said somewhat shakily, "I...I've heard a rumor that hundreds of years ago, when the Demon God statue nearly wiped out the entire cultivation world, it was...it was the Dharma Cultivation world that quelled the matter, and Ancestor Shen..."
As he spoke, he glanced cautiously at Shen Zhengyuan. Seeing that Shen Zhengyuan's expression remained unchanged and he didn't even give him a look, he continued with some relief, "And since Elder Shen was the one who rebuilt the Dharma Cultivation World, he must have personally experienced what happened back then. Moreover, the Dharma Cultivation World and the Zen Cultivation World have always been on good terms. Sect Leader Zeng just said that the Dharma Cultivation World and the Zen Cultivation World contributed the most to the matter of the Demon God Statue. I wonder..."
"I wonder if Elder Shen has any methods?"
Everyone knew that the person who should be asked the question was Shen Zhengyuan, but no one dared to ask, just waiting for someone like him to be the first to step forward.
After all, Shen Zhengyuan's reputation was extremely bad. He was ruthless in killing people, and he would kill whenever he wanted, without caring who the other person was or what their background was. So they were really worried that if they said something wrong, they would be killed.
Furthermore, although the peace talks are still being held in the sword cultivation world, this is only because the Sword God's influence has not yet dissipated. In reality, the true ruler of the cultivation world is now the magic cultivation world. If they die at Shen Zhengyuan's hands, they cannot demand an explanation from him, nor can they seek revenge. They can only swallow this bitter pill.
Shen Zhengyuan lifted his eyelids and quietly looked at the person who had asked the question. The person's forehead broke out in a sweat, his neck went cold, and his legs trembled. He felt that the next moment, he would be forced to cut off his own tongue and then swallow it back down, just like the person who had offended Shen Zhengyuan before.
His voice trembled as he turned to Li Chenjin and said, "Chenjin, Layman Chenjin... You are a disciple of Zen Master Mingcun and a Daoist companion of Elder Shen. I wonder... I wonder if you have any insightful opinions?"
As he spoke, he smiled at Li Chenjin, but the smile was filled with fear and bitterness, even more unsightly than crying. He clearly wanted Li Chenjin to smooth things over for him, so that Shen Zhengyuan would not be in a bad mood and would also make him swallow his own tongue.
Li Chen noticed his gaze and felt a headache coming on, after all, she was also in trouble here!
But while she was in trouble, it wasn't in her nature to stand by and watch someone die. So she could only cough lightly and glance at the person next to her without making a sound.
Seeing that Shen Zhengyuan's expression was relatively good, it was likely that he was not dissatisfied with that person, but simply felt that the person was not worthy of talking to him, which was why he did not want to pay attention to him.
Since Shen Zhengyuan doesn't want to kill her, things are much easier to handle. After all, with outsiders present, even if Shen Zhengyuan is angry or unwilling, he will still give her some face.
She coughed lightly again, then smiled sweetly at Shen Zhengyuan. Seeing that Shen Zhengyuan still didn't even want to look at her, she awkwardly touched her nose, feeling that her smile had been in vain.
"Um... Chen... Ah, Yuan, have you and my master reached any conclusions? The peace talks are currently underway, and all the sect leaders are gathered here. Why don't we discuss it?"
“Simple,” Shen Zhengyuan said. “Just kill all the evil people in the world.”
Li Chenjin: "..."
Han Shannan: "..."
The people present: "..."
He had expected that the people around him would be shocked by Shen Zhengyuan's words, but to his surprise, they all remained calm. It seemed that they were used to Shen Zhengyuan saying things like "kill people" without any surprise.
But while those around him didn't take Shen Zhengyuan's words to heart, Han Shannan did.
Hearing Shen Zhengyuan's words, he felt a great shock in his heart and asked in a tremor, "If you kill all those with evil intentions, how many people will be left in this world?! Is your method meant to deal with that demon statue, or is it meant to deal with your own people?! You and that demon statue aren't in cahoots...?"
"cough!"
Before Han Shannan could finish speaking, Li Chenjin coughed. Han Shannan immediately stopped talking, covered his mouth with his hand, and cautiously observed Li Chenjin's expression. He saw Li Chenjin glare at him fiercely.
Li Chen knew perfectly well how much Shen Zhengyuan hated that demon statue. Almost everyone around him had died directly or indirectly at the hands of that demon statue. If Han Shannan continued to speak so recklessly, even if his master's wife screamed until the sky broke, Shen Zhengyuan probably wouldn't let him off the hook.
Fortunately, Shen Zhengyuan only glanced at Han Shannan, seemingly not caring much, and then said, "What Mingcun and I are going to do is none of your business. Even if we told you our plans, you wouldn't be of any use. Instead of thinking about these things, you should manage your own sects and try to minimize the number of deaths."
"Don't blame me for not advising you. This peace talks have caused quite a stir and gathered so many so-called experts from all walks of life. If that demon god really had any brains, he would only try to kill all of you now, and then kill the younger generation in your sects to prevent future troubles."
As he spoke, Shen Zhengyuan stood up, and the dozen or so people who had come with him also stood up.
But the moment they stood up, everyone around them changed their expressions.
The magic arrays scattered throughout this place were all set up by the magic cultivation world. If Shen Zhengyuan suddenly felt like doing something, at least 30% of the people in the entire sword cultivation world would die.
Fortunately, Shen Zhengyuan hadn't completely gone mad. Although his words were harsh, he had no intention of going on a killing spree. He simply said, "The peace talks are about a peace treaty between all realms. The Dharma Cultivation Realm agrees to extend the peace treaty. As for the rest, please do as you please. I will return to the Pure Realm first."
After saying that, he turned to look at Zeng Shujin, sizing him up and down, a slightly enigmatic smile on his lips, and said, "Sect Leader Zeng, we'll meet again someday."
"Of course, if there is no important business in the future, please do not send letters to disturb my peace. I hope we will never meet again."
As soon as he finished speaking, a magic array suddenly appeared beneath his feet.
Then, in the blink of an eye, Shen Zhengyuan and the dozen or so people from the cultivation world, along with Li Chen, were all gone...
The dogs all disappeared from the spot, leaving Li Chenjin behind.
Although everyone around him knew that Shen Zhengyuan's temperament was unpredictable and he was indeed someone who didn't give face and could leave at a moment's notice.
But previously, they saw that Shen Zhengyuan and Li Chenjin had a very good relationship. Why is it that now they would rather take Li Chenjin's dog away than take Li Chenjin away?
However, this was inevitable. The two were like heaven and earth, their personalities and ideas were worlds apart, so it was inevitable that they would quarrel because of their differences. It must have been very difficult for Li Chen to get along with Shen Zhengyuan.
Despite the hardships, they still hoped that Li Chen could bear it and not be separated from Shen Zhengyuan.
After all, with Li Chenjin around, he could still persuade that madman. If Li Chenjin were gone, it would be hard to say who Shen Zhengyuan would kill for fun.
Everyone around remained silent, silently analyzing the situation. Only Han Shannan couldn't help but ask, "Why did he take the sweet rice balls with him and not you? Did you two have a fight?"
Li Chen glanced at him helplessly and said, "Aren't you just asking a question you already know the answer to?"
Upon hearing Li Chenjin's words, Han Shannan remembered something and couldn't help but laugh, saying, "Is Shen Zhengyuan so narrow-minded? Aren't you just..."
As he spoke, he glanced at the people around him, leaned close to Li Chenjin's ear, and whispered, "You just hugged Sect Leader Zeng, what's the big deal? If you ask me, even if you really got together with Sect Leader Zeng, it wouldn't matter. In our demon realm, it's very normal for a demon to have multiple partners. As long as there's no betrayal, nothing is impossible."
Seeing that she was trying to persuade her to find another Han Shannan at every opportunity, Li Chen sighed and said, "Don't talk nonsense. He's just having a disagreement with me, but that's a small matter. What couple doesn't have disagreements? Even your parents had their disagreements when they were together, right?"
"So all of this is fine, all of this is fine. Instead of thinking about these things, why don't you think about whether you would like to come with me to the meditation community as a guest after this peace meeting?"
Han Shannan said, “What’s the point of visiting your Zen meditation community? If I go, you’ll definitely make me memorize scriptures again. I’ve already memorized more than a dozen, and I don’t want to memorize any more for the time being.”
Li Chen sighed again and said, "That's such a pity. I've seen quite a few birds in the meditation community, and many of them don't know how to build nests. Every time they build one, it collapses halfway through, and I have to find a plank to support it. But that's not a long-term solution. I was thinking that after you go, you could teach them so they wouldn't keep bothering me. Sigh..."
"Looks like we'll have to find planks again. But suitable planks are really hard to find..."
Li Chen was spouting nonsense, half-truths and half-lies, but Han Shannan took it all in. He instantly forgot about Shen Zhengyuan and the sweet rice balls, his eyes shining as he exclaimed, "Really?! That's great!"
"Let me tell you, the nest I built for the birds is really sturdy! I'll teach you how to build it later, so you won't have to go through the trouble of finding planks for them, you can just build one for them directly!"
Li Chen casually replied, "Ah... Cultivator Han is truly amazing, unparalleled in the world, and the nest he built is the sturdiest."
"Hmm? Learning how to build a nest? Well, we'll see, we'll see..."
Because of Shen Zhengyuan's actions, the peace talks quickly came to an end. In addition, Zeng Shujin said that he would think about what the sect leaders had said and give a reply the next day. Therefore, just as Li Chenjin had said, there would be a third peace talks.
However, this time when the event ended, unlike the previous one where many people looked gloomy, most people were all smiles.
After all, Shen Zhengyuan had said before he left that they didn't need to worry about the matter of the Demon God statue.
Since some people are willing to rush to the front, they naturally won't say much. After all, why not take advantage of this opportunity to reap the benefits?
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