Ch.227: Burning Flames of Karma; Demonic God Descends Upon Royal Capital 2

"Lord Rain Master!" Xie Lian called out.

The Rain Master was riding the black ox, her head held high, and she inclined her head in greeting towards him. Pei Ming was carried on the ox behind her, having been burnt by raging fires and drenched into a drowned rat by the pouring rain, his hair was a complete mess, an utter bundle of misery. When he blearily blinked open his eyes, he realized it was actually the Rain Master who had caught him. Although the other was wholly focused on driving the ox, not looking at him at all, nonetheless his current state of not-handsomeness was exposed to everyone, and he felt rather embarrassed, immediately sitting up.

"Lor…"

Yet unexpectedly, the moment he opened his mouth a ring of black smoke was spewed from his mouth.

Rong Guang was enraged. "I can't believe you needed a woman to save you, and it's Yushi Huang, too; Pei Ming, you're such an embarrassment!"

Pei Ming was vexed, and when he opened his mouth another string of black smoke rings came out. "Can you shut up!"

On the other end, Pei Su and Banyue welcomed the Rain Master who smoothly landed and was supporting Pei Ming upright; on this end, upon the body of that fiery demonic giant, millions of bits of rubble were rolling down. The falling rocks were still burning with blazing fires, each crashing towards the ground rapidly like a meteor shower.

The rain enveloping the skies was coming down harder, but the fires refused to be extinguished. It seemed Jun Wu had strengthened the spiritual powers within the flames. Even if the raindrops could put out the fires it'd be useless, since giant boulders would still fall to the ground and the royal capital would no doubt suffer thousands of giant craters, killing and wounding a great number. Nevertheless, this giant divine statue was pulling strenuously at the giant, so Xie Lian couldn't break away, and he didn't know how many martial gods were present, whether they could catch the rocks without fail.

Terribly anxious, Xie Lian turned to Hua Cheng. "San Lang, what…??"

Hua Cheng was standing right behind him, and he placed his hand over Xie Lian's. "There's no need for gege to worry, just focus on hanging on here, and don't mind what goes on below."

His voice was right next to Xie Lian's ear, his breath warm and gentle, and he flicked his chin slightly, gesturing for Xie Lian to look. Xie Lian gazed to the direction Hua Cheng was pointing, and saw that from outside the human array there came a red- clad figure who was approaching slowly, with his hands behind his back. Xie Lian squinted and felt himself turning dumbfounded.

That's…Hua Cheng?

Another Hua Cheng??

What was going on? Xie Lian whipped around. Wasn't Hua Cheng standing right behind him?

Hua Cheng chuckled lightly. "Don't be so alarmed, gege. This one here is the real San Lang, no lie, exchange if fake."

Then, the one down there was the clone Hua Cheng left behind when he left? No wonder Jun Wu hadn't suspected Hua Cheng had snuck into the Heavenly Capital earlier. And here Xie Lian actually puzzled over whether Jun Wu had eyes watching down there. Perhaps it wasn't that he wasn't monitoring, but that under his watch, "Hua Cheng" was still guarding the royal capital, so of course he wouldn't suspect anything.

Shi Qingxuan didn't have the time to look at the sky, and didn't see Xie Lian and Hua Cheng up there either. When he saw a "Hua Cheng" come by, he quickly called out.

"CRIMSON RAIN SOUGHT FLOWER!!! You've finally come back! What the heck were you doing leaving for so long, have you thought of a way to connect with His Highness? No no no, you best think of a way to help me deal with the situation here first, do you see all those fiery rocks coming down from the sky? Think, fast! Blow a breath or make those endless little butterflies go up and chase them away or something, otherwise we'll die…"

"Hua Cheng" didn't speak a word, coldly allowing Shi Qingxuan to say that giant pile of words in one breath. Finally, as if he was growing impatient listening, he cut him off directly.

"Deal with it yourself."

Shi Qingxuan exclaimed, "Deal with it myself? Don't joke at a time like this, I'm not His Highness, I can't understand your jokes. How do I deal with those rocks on my own…"

Before he finished his sentence, "Hua Cheng" seized his back collar, and yanked him out of the human array directly.

Shi Qingxuan reacted amazingly fast; the moment he left the array he pulled the people on his left and right together so the human chain wasn't broken. Yet unexpectedly, after "Hua Cheng"

had pulled him out, he wasn't done; a hand came swinging, smacked him, and sent him flying out.

The beggars were all shocked. "OL' FENG!?"

Some complained loudly at "Hua Cheng", "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HITTING PEOPLE??"

Although Shi Qingxuan was sent flying, he only tumbled and rolled a few times, sprawled on the ground, and he immediately crawled up. "It's fine it's fine, I didn't die! He didn't really hit me, he was just lending spiritual powers!"

"Really…"

Shi Qingxuan examined his hands, then looked at his own body, which was emitting spiritual light from head to toe. "Hua Chengzhu, there's no need to be like this even if you can't see His Highness? If you were lending spiritual powers, then do it nicely, I don't mind eating a few more of those weird-tasting candies, there's no need to hit people, alright. Why don't you focus a bit more on the sky instead, there's still so many rocks up there…"

Just then, "Hua Cheng" flung out his right hand, and tossed something at him. Without thinking, Shi Qingxuan raised his hand to catch, but when he saw what it was he caught, his entire face blanched.

That object was the Wind Master fan!

Seeing this, Xie Lian, on top of the giant divine statue, couldn't hold back and asked, "San Lang, wasn't the Wind Master fan with…the one down there is…?!"

"Pay it no mind," Hua Cheng said. "I called him over at the last minute to lend a hand."

Shi Qingxuan was clutching that dearly familiar fan, his neck stiff, and slowly turned to that "Hua Cheng".

"Hua Cheng" then repeated again, coldly, "Deal with it yourself."

That flaming meteor shower was about to crash to the ground, and the people within the human array could practically feel the heatwaves surging at their faces, sweating both cold and hot sweat.

"Ol' Feng, what you said is true, right? Will everything really be alright?"

The heavenly officials also cried out, "Your Highness, can you please quickly think of a way!"

Shi Qingxuan gripped the fan, veins popping on the back of his hand, and strings of blood slowly crawled over his eyes.

A moment later, he whipped around, and swung his arm!

A whirlwind gusted from flat ground and charged towards the sky. The flaming meteor shower instantly made a U-turn, and flew towards the heavens!

The beggars were originally scared half to death, and seemed to have already prepared to flee at a moment's notice, but they were all completely blown away by this wild wind, their eyes bulging, their mouths hanging, thoroughly shocked.

It was a moment before they uttered, "…A, a god?"

Someone called out, "My god, Ol' Feng, could you actually be a real god?!"

Having swung the fan, Shi Qingxuan's hand was still shaking, he was panting heavily, and it was a good while before his senses returned. He replied arduously, "…D, duh! Didn't I tell you all a long time ago? How's that, didn't I say I wasn't bullshitting!"

"No no, no bull! I believe you now! Wow, Ol' Feng is a god, let's say we know a god, now we've struck it rich, hahahahahahaha…"

"Ol' Feng, let's talk, take us flying when you've got the time sometimes, hey!"

Seeing all this, "Hua Cheng" humphed softly, turning around to leave. Shi Qingxuan was still gripping the Wind Master fan, answering the others' jokes absentmindedly, the colours on his face going red and white, and cold sweat dripped from his forehead. He looked up, seeming wanting to question, but the person was already long gone.

Just then, from within the darkness a distance away from the human array, there came new strange noises.

Squeak squeak squeak, squeak squeak squeak.

Those with sharp eyes cried, "What's that? Those black, furry…rats?"

"And what's that in the back? People? Why are there ashen-white people…"

"They don't look alive…"

"What?" Xie Lian gaped.

It was the Corpse-Eating Rats and Empty-Shelled People. Those monsters from Mount Tong'lu had also been transported here! Those Empty-Shelled People wobbled, walking over with stiffened limbs, and the Corpse-Eating Rats that survived on human flesh also swarmed over like a black tide. It appeared that Jun Wu had stopped caring for anything, stopping at nothing to destroy the human array, willing to bring total chaos to the mortal realm no matter what!

On the other side, the Rain Master instructed Banyue and the others, "Watch over General Pei. I will go protect the array."

Pei Ming was lying there puffing black smoke for a while, but when he heard he got up again. "I'm fine, I can go protect the array."

Then he tried struggling to crawl up, but ended up falling back down again. Even Pei Su couldn't watch anymore.

"Let it go, general. Just…mind your wounds, and let Lord Rain Master go take care of it."

This was probably the first time Pei Ming had been so humiliated in front of a woman, and it was also the first time he had been saved by a woman. He couldn't tell if he was angry or if it was his pride throwing a fit, but his face was swelling. The Rain Master ignored his opinion and smiled.

"There's no need for the general to push himself."

Then she left, riding the black ox.

"LORD RAIN MASTER!" Pei Ming called.

Just then, another hand came crawling up, catching his neck. A voice came hauntingly, "Pei darling…"

Pei Ming was still struggling strenuously, and the moment he heard this voice he was exasperated. "Why are you still around?"

Xuan Ji had actually been around from the beginning, since Banyue had taken her and Ke Mo, who had both been injured by Rong Guang. Hearing that Pei Ming's tone was unkind, she instantly turned malicious.

"Why am I still here? I'VE ALWAYS BEEN HERE! What are you doing, staring at Rain Master? Have you changed your affections? You want to go chase after her now, huh? WHAT'S SO GOOD ABOUT HER! I WON'T ALLOW IT!"

"…"

Pei Ming finally couldn't endure this any longer. He shoved her away, exclaiming angrily, "Xuan Ji, why does your brain only think of things like this, even at a time like this?? It has nothing to do with changing affections, I've barely exchanged words with the Rain Master!"

This was the first time he moved against Xuan Ji, and Xuan Ji was harshly shoved onto the ground, completely stunned.

It was a good while before she said incredulously, "Pei darling, I think of you because I love you, is that so wrong? You have never been so mean to me before, do you really hate me so much?"

Pei Ming used the sword to help himself stand up. "I can't get through to you."

Xuan Ji still wouldn't give up. "TELL ME! Are you really going to leave me? I've done so much for you, aren't you touched at all, seeing me become like this? Don't you feel guilty at all?"

"HAVEN'T I TOLD YOU HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO ALREADY?" Pei Ming shouted.

Xuan Ji was stunned and dumbfounded. She didn't know what to do, but her hands tangled the hems of his robes in a death grip, hopping staggeringly with her broken legs. "Pei darling…Pei darling…wait, why don't we talk a bit more…"

Banyue watched her. While she knew it was Pei Ming who had abandoned Xuan Ji first, this female ghost also killed countless after, and tried to kill them time and time again. Still, looking like this, she was a little pitiful.

Pei Ming looked back at her, and in the end, he only said, "Xuan Ji, it's time you wake up."

"Wake up what," Xuan Ji was confused.

"That you've become this way, I'm part of the reason, but a majority of it is by your own decisions. You've done so much, but you can only move your own heart; I'm a steel-hearted man. Rather than love me, why don't you go love yourself."

He yanked back his robes from Xuan Ji's hold, and left without looking back.

At the human array, after Shi Qingxuan swung the fan, he didn't have much spiritual power left. After a mess of a panic, they could only have the Rain Master and several of the martial gods go and defend first. Yet unexpectedly, right then, there was a rowdy commotion coming from all around:

"Quack quack, is this the royal capital quack, such big houses quack!"

"What fuss are you making, Chengzhu's houses are bigger!"

"Yeah, and they're not as pretty as Chengzhu's houses either!"

From the ends of the streets, the alleyways, the eaves, all sorts of weird-shaped heads appeared, extremely lively. All of a sudden, all the monsters and ghosts from the Ghost City had swarmed out!

When Heaven's Eye and company within the human array saw, they shouted impatiently:

"WHAT'S WITH THOSE GHOSTS! GO AWAY! GO BACK! WE'RE AT THE FOOT OF THE EMPEROR, HOW DARE YOU ALL COME MESS ABOUT AT THE ROYAL CAPITAL!"

"You pig spirit, you dare show your face in front of me!"

"I'm not hallucinating, am I…that's a duck…a duck beating a rat?"

Instantly, a round of graveside apples were slung over:

"SHUT UP, YOU NASTY CULTIVATOR! WE'RE GIVING YOU SOME FACE HERE, SO SHAMELESS!"

"IF IT WASN'T ON CHENGZHU'S ORDERS, WHO'D WANNA COME!"

"WHY DON'T YOU KNEEL AND THANK US!"

The eyes of those Corpse-Eating Rats that had swarmed in like black tide were flashing red, yet the situation was playing out much differently than what they expected. When they came charging murderously, a band of monsters and demons much bigger than they were came to greet them. That band was smashing and stabbing randomly with pitchforks and rakes like they were starving, with an even more vicious red light flashing from their eyes.

"SO MANY RATS!"

"Come come come, hehehe, I've been waiting for a long time for you! I've never had aperitifs that've been aged two thousand years, it must be super flavourful!"

"Can we eat all this?"

"Chengzhu said if we can't eat them all, we can sell them!"

Those Corpse-Eating Rats saw the situation going downhill, and retreated in terror. The Empty-Shelled People were tripped by the rats who had lost their heads. The dire situation was instantly dispelled, and Xie Lian sighed again in relief, turning his head back.

"Thank goodness for San Lang."

Hua Cheng smiled. "They wanted to come themselves, it has nothing to do with me. Rather than this, gege, be careful."

His tone suddenly turned serious at the last two words. Xie Lian moved his gaze back and saw that fiery demonic giant was making a new move, placing its hand by its waist, as if it was going to pull something out.

Xie Lian's heart lurched.

It was a sword.