Chapter 455 Bestowing the Law (1)
Having made a great harvest, Ji Rong stayed in Xizhou for another two months. As soon as Qing Zhizi left, she and Ji Zhuang captured the entire Wu Xue Falcon clan of Wu Ruo Dong Tian.
Then she branded the Blackblood Falcon and all the cultivators of the Longgunfish Clan above the Mortal Demon Realm with slave marks symbolizing punishment, ordered the armored soldiers to watch over them, and sent them to the Great Empty City to dismantle shops and arrest vendors.
Few cultivators would have imagined that the Aohui Cave, which had been there for many days without making a move, would suddenly start clawing without stopping.
The blood and flesh trade in the empty city was completely wiped out in two days, leaving only the prostitute business and a few scattered eateries.
Ji Rong looked at the cages of slaves and cages of traders and said, "Sister Qingqing, these flesh and blood traders all think they have connections and influence, so you'll have to work hard to teach them."
Gu Qingqing grinned and said, "What's so difficult about that? You took the lead and demolished the Great Empty City efficiently, and then handed over the disposal authority to me completely. If I still can't do a good job, I might as well bury myself."
Gu Qingqing first treated the traffickers to food and drink in a kind manner, but did not allow them to move freely. After finding out their so-called background, she wrote down the punishments for each of them and demanded an exorbitant ransom, also setting a time limit for their redemption.
She had the ransom note engraved on two leather scrolls, one large and one small. The smaller scroll was included in the daily affairs of Xizhou along with other trivial matters and sent to the Dragon and Phoenix Palace by the Mountain Rhinoceros. The larger scroll was hung on the Great Sky City Wall so that all passing cultivators could see it.
Ji Rong and Gu Qingqing's actions drew constant attention from the Western Continent forces. As soon as the high ransom was offered at the Great Empty City, their leaders came to Aohui Cave with generous gifts to pay their respects, trying to distance themselves from the events described in the scroll.
Gu Qingqing delegated all such visits to Ji Rong, while she and Ji Zhuang served Ji Rong from the left and right.
Ji Rong couldn't refuse, so she beckoned Shi Ming to sit at her feet, a gesture that resembled that of an ancient deity.
Ji Rong accepted the treasures offered by the leaders of these blessed lands, but did not agree with their claims.
She said, “You say you have no relation, but they can say for sure what date and what items they gave to your disciples. Since it is a fact, why are you in such a hurry to deny it?”
Other masters of blessed lands are alright, but many small shop owners go to great lengths to bribe their disciples just to make themselves appear more established.
However, Jueming, the True Lord of Mingyang in Puji Cave, blushed with embarrassment after being spoken to by Ji Rong, because three of his disciples were involved.
Since becoming an immortal, he has always been a man of his word, but no one has ever questioned him like this to his face. Feeling embarrassed, he felt flowers bloom under his feet and was about to turn away and ride the lotus.
Puji Cave Heaven has always touted itself as a righteous and honorable place, and has a great reputation. In the past, they were the ones who handled most of the injustices in the Western Continent.
But because of this, they can not only obtain some treasures during the trial, but also openly capture many creatures whose cultivation is genuine and far superior to that of the breeding farm.
So, after their first private sale, they were attracted by the high purchase price and from then on, they couldn't stop.
Now, there are as many as eight flesh-and-blood shops deeply connected to them in the empty city.
Ji Rong would not let Jueming leave.
Her mind sank, her three bodies became one, and she grabbed Jueming by the back of the neck and began to fight him. As she fought, she said, "In the entire Western Continent, you have the most cultivators. I, Lord Ji, admire you the most, but you shouldn't have betrayed the unjust side after claiming to be the judge."
"Jueming, those cultivators you sent to be slaves and used as flesh, were their sins really that great? Even if they were, they shouldn't have become the flesh and blood of your Puji Cave Heaven to hoard wealth. You have no right to dispose of them."
After she finished speaking, brown tree roots, shimmering with golden light, emerged from under her feathers. They attached themselves to Jueming's feet and pulled the lotus flowers beneath his feet away.
"Ah...! Heretical...path!" Jueming cried out in horror as he saw the roots suddenly emerging from Ji Rong's body. He unleashed all his magical treasures at Ji Rong and moved swiftly to try and escape.
But it was no use. He could only think about it in his mind, and then he could only watch helplessly as his body and soul knelt down beneath Ji Rong's roots.
"Ancestral tree, ancestral tree, I wish to return..." Countless tiny cries emanated from his lotus throne, penetrating his heart.
The lotus petals beneath his feet began to shatter one by one, and Jueming felt that the immortal path that had been painstakingly born within him was gradually losing its supporting soil.
Ji Rong only peeled off the outermost three layers of lotus petals from Jueming's lotus. When only the glowing lotus core and a few tender petals remained, she turned the roots around and stabbed them into Jueming's eyes.
Only after pounding the root into two holes did Ji Rong retract it into her body. She solemnly said, "What I am, others may not know, but you should know now."
The disciples you have taken in are hypocritical, which shows that you are blind. They offer you a lot of treasures, but you do not inquire about their origin, which shows that you are also blind in your heart. However, since your heart is inclined towards the light, you can become an immortal through the righteous and bright path, so I will still let you walk this bright path.
Let's go back and thoroughly clean up Puji Cave.
If you continue to allow your disciples to commit evil deeds in your name, I will personally shatter your foundation, behead you, and hang your head atop the Great Empty City, making you the first immortal to be utterly destroyed in name, body, and lineage.
Ji Rong's words were like a brand, imprinted on Jueming's rapidly healing wounds. With his blind eyes open, he followed the path in his memory, taking heavy and desolate steps back.
The moment he went blind, he finally saw.
Behind the light lies darkness. He couldn't explain it all, his heart was unclear, he deserved it.
He needs to relearn this technique!
Ji Rong intimidated the people of Xizhou, and seeing that the minor cultivators in the Hundred Caves Pool had recovered, he bid farewell to Gu Qingqing and led them and the gaunt Shi Ming to Xuewan River in Buzhou.
Having witnessed Ji Rong's strength and kindness firsthand, Shi Ming no longer had any intention of running away.
Although Shi Ming possessed the cultivation level of an emperor, she lacked effective techniques and her combat strength was insufficient, so she could only perform tasks such as carrying and cleaning.
In the Xuewan River, Nisha had led his people to clear away the top layer of silt.
After finishing their work, the Yellow Donkeys returned to the Wild Donkey Paradise in the Bingtian Mountains. Only Dengzhi diligently stayed by the river, occasionally carrying the mud piles that the Nisha tribe had pushed up to the foot of the mountain.
Now the Xuewan River is much wider and deeper, with aquatic plants growing on the riverbed. When it rains, flying fish have a place to go, and even in the deeper parts of the water, a few clever fish can be found. They wave their fins and sway in the river, adding a lot of vitality to this snowmelt river. As a result, there are also more fish in the downstream Meishui River.
With schools of fish swimming in the water and Venerable Ones patrolling the shore daily, some passing birds and beasts gradually came to drink and fish. The faint spiritual energy in the water nourished their bodies, making them reluctant to leave. They simply dug holes and built nests nearby and stayed.
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