togophonebook 67. Let's owe each other another favor.
67. Let's owe each other another favor.
"Commander, I may be facing a great calamity."
Faced with Su Huanzhen's heavy words, Teng Xie simply said, "Again, Su Xianren, you forgot to add... not just 'again,' you should say you're facing another and yet another great calamity."
What he meant was, "What's a big deal for you, Su Huanzhen, when disaster strikes? In every show you're in, you've faced a major crisis."
"Ah, General Zhan is rubbing salt into my wounds, causing me immense pain."
"Let's say something nicer. Your composure in the face of imminent collapse is truly admirable. Speaking of which, is it His Holiness the Pope who could put such pressure on you, Your Holiness?"
"Yes, that's right. His Holiness the Pope came to the Glazed Wonderland and once again forced me to cooperate with him. Of course, I couldn't agree. And this time, His Holiness the Pope was quite displeased."
"His Holiness the Pope has visited the Crystal Wonderland three times with deep affection, yet he still cannot win the heart of the Virtuous Lady. I fear he will set the Crystal Wonderland ablaze."
However, if he only possesses a keen sense of perception, he likely lacks the confidence to resort to force, so... a divine eye?
"Uh, did the War General use the word 'fragrant heart'?"
"That's not the point. The point is, the Eye of Heaven?"
"Ah, just as the War General predicted, the Heavenly Eye refused to exchange the Unbreakable Protection for the Hibiscus Bone. As a result, the Hibiscus Bone switched sides and helped Bei Chen Yuan Huang obtain the Unbreakable Protection."
"Alas, with two divine artifacts in hand, His Holiness the Pope can no longer suppress his ambition to dominate the world."
"Ah, if Bei Chen Yuan Huang were still a wise ruler, it wouldn't be so bad for him to lead the martial world. But I really can't agree with Yi Liu's actions."
After saying that, Su Huanzhen couldn't help but stare at Teng Xie, who calmly said, "Of course I am too. I killed His Holiness the Pope with a single blow before. If he were to put himself above me, wouldn't he be taken over by the Demon Realm?"
"Speaking of which, since Su Xianren described His Holiness the Pope's situation in such detail, it's clear that the Heavenly Eye has contacted you?"
"That's right. He once again proposed to join forces with Su to deal with Bei Chen Yuan Huang, but refused to reveal any more information, only saying that he would contact me again later."
"They won't act until they see the rabbit."
"The problem is that, judging from Bei Chen Yuanhuang's attitude, he is very likely not to give me any more time."
"Sage Su, it might not be too late for you to gather your heroes now. Figures like Ao Xiao Hong Chen, Luan Shi Kuang Dao, Jian Zi Xian Ji, and Fo Jian Fen Shuo, along with some experts from Wan Sheng Yan and Xuan Zong, will surely be able to sweep away the entire enemy force and annihilate Yi Liu once again."
Su Huanzhen agreed, but then what? The righteous path and the Yi Liu will both suffer heavy losses, and the schemers hiding in the shadows will be waiting to pounce... Will you then say "times have changed" again?
"Hey, Sword Master and Senior Buddha Sword are both recuperating from their injuries, and Mad Blade and the others are either in seclusion or traveling. I can't contact any of them right now."
"If that's the case, isn't the righteous path on the verge of collapse? Oh dear, this is extremely bad."
"However, the righteous path is just an appetizer. Bei Chen Yuan Huang's initial targeting of me is merely to eliminate unfavorable factors. His true goal must be to collect all the divine artifacts, and the War Commander is the primary enemy on his list."
"Oh dear, that would be even worse, and it would make me even more unhappy. Sage Su, how about I seal off the Demon Realm and join forces with you to submit to Yi Liu? You become the Prime Minister, and I'll become the Grand General. Together, we can overthrow the Pope and bring down Yi Liu?"
Uh... to be honest, he is really skilled at this, but can you do it?
"Does the War General truly intend to do so?"
Just kidding, trying to ease the tension. After all, His Holiness the Pope, with two divine artifacts in hand, still puts a lot of pressure on me.
Su Xianren, just tell me your plan. Do you want me to confront His Holiness the Pope? If so, I agree in principle. But if you're only thinking about pushing me to the top and making me fight His Holiness the Pope to the death, then I only agree in principle.
Besides, you know me well; I never do anything without a benefit. And don't tell me that eliminating His Holiness the Pope would also greatly benefit me; you'll have to give me even more.
Upon hearing this, Su Huanzhen felt a little relieved. The other party's words indicated that they were more inclined to agree than to refuse.
"What else can I, Su, offer to Commander Zhan?"
"Let me do you another favor. Although owing too many favors, whether it's you or I, is quite dangerous, I might need this one soon... After all, you know very well that Xuanzong, Wanshengyan, and Tan Wuyu have never stopped their actions. Speaking of which, Tan Wuyu still owes me his life. You see, this is the result of making you owe favors."
"Hey, Commander, I also do not want this situation to happen. I assure you that as long as you maintain the current policy of the Demon Realm, even without any sentimentality, I will do my best to mediate between you and all parties and strive to find a way that can be accepted by all parties."
"As expected, talking to you, Su Xianren, is truly delightful... By the way, you're not just going to let this favor go, are you?"
"Ha, of course not. I will always remember your kindness, General Zhan."
"Well, you don't need to remember it so clearly. After all, it's kind of creepy to think about you all the time. Anyway, let's get to the point. What action do you think His Holiness the Pope will take? How do you plan to respond and what are your follow-up plans?"
Upon hearing this, Su Huanzhen's expression turned solemn, and he said in a deep voice, "I believe that His Holiness the Pope will use the power of the two divine artifacts to forcefully coerce me, and then use my failure to pressure the righteous path. In this way..."
after that.
Public pavilion.
The Public Pavilion, which is usually bustling with people every day, was even more crowded today.
The reason, of course, is that a duel concerning the overall situation of the martial arts world is to be held today in the public pavilion.
So, does nobody really care?
On the open field not far from the pavilion, Teng Xie looked at the crowd of martial artists surrounding the dueling protagonists, Su Huanzhen and Beichen Yuanhuang, leaving only a hundred-zhang radius around them, and couldn't help but sigh, "People of the Bitter Realm, you're sick, you're really sick."
Upon hearing this, the surrounding martial artists couldn't help but look at Teng Xie from afar, wondering who was sick? What was wrong? What are you talking about?
But no one dared to step forward and ask questions... In fact, the open space left by the martial arts practitioners looked like a gourd from above. The large open space was for the main characters of the duel, while the small open space was naturally reserved for the infamous Demon Realm War General.
Yes, with a notorious reputation, recently someone has brought up the story of Tengxie's attack on 37 gangs and his ruthless killings, spreading rumors that the demon realm will inevitably continue to plague the Central Plains in the future.
Fortunately, Teng Xie wasn't short of accomplices. Po Xuanqi, whom he had brought along to watch the spectacle, immediately asked, "Boss, what kind of illness is it?"
"This disease is called compost mania. It's silent and insidious, killing without a trace—it's truly terrifying..."