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Chapter 233 Decision? Compromise

As soon as Chen Guangrui finished speaking, the hall fell into a deathly silence.

The Pleiades star lord's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints, and his body shuddered almost imperceptibly.
He never expected that Chen Guangrui would so directly reveal the secret of this cup of tea.

A tidal wave of emotions and a chilling coldness surged through him. This Chen Guangrui knew everything. He knew there was something wrong with the tea. He knew about Chen Guangrui's relationship with the Pleiades Star Lord, this place, and his mother, Pilanpo. Was he trying to force him to drink this deadly poisoned tea?

The green-robed Taoist priest, Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord, also had a sudden change in expression, but he reacted extremely quickly. Almost instantly, an even warmer smile appeared on his face than before. He subconsciously leaned forward half a step, raised his voice, and deliberately tried to smooth things over.
"Oh dear, Marshal, you're too kind. You flatter me. All the tea I'm brewing comes from the same pot, from the same ancient tree, picked at the same time, and personally roasted and brewed by me. There's no difference at all. They're all the same. The only slight difference in color is due to the different light and angle. You're too kind, Marshal."

He tried to defuse the deadly crisis with words and laughter.

"Oh? Are they all the same?" Chen Guangrui's gaze was like a nail, firmly fixed on the Pleiades Star Lord's bloodless face. His hand, which was offering tea, remained firmly suspended in mid-air, motionless. His tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable, cold sense of oppression, "Since you haven't drunk any yet, changing them... wouldn't hurt, would it?"

He paused slightly, then his voice suddenly turned cold, like an icicle:
"Or... does the Star Lord find this tea of ​​mine unpalatable?"

As Pleiades looked at the teacup handed to him, his heart felt as if it were being repeatedly fried in a frying pan.

To answer or not to answer?
Cold sweat almost soaked through the lining of his official robe, and fine beads of sweat on his forehead glistened in the sunlight. But he forcibly controlled every muscle in his face, striving to maintain the last vestiges of dignity and composure of a celestial official.

By this time, he understood.

Chen Guangrui had long been aware of the relationship between the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord, the Spider Demon, and his mother.

Back when they were at Zhuogou Spring, Chen Guangrui had hinted at it to him once, but at the time he thought it would be best if he could just gloss over it and get away with it.

When he arrived at Huanghua Temple, he realized something was wrong. At that moment, he had a wicked idea. Just as Chen Guangrui had said, if something happened to Chen Guangrui at Huanghua Temple, it would be the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord's problem, and it would have nothing to do with him. In that case, he would get rid of Chen Guangrui, a potential threat, and he would not be at risk.

Unexpectedly, Chen Guangrui used a cup of poisoned tea to force him to submit.

Should I drink this cup of tea or not?

If you don't drink it, it proves that you have something to hide. Did you communicate with the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord beforehand? How dare you plot against someone sent down by the Great Heavenly Venerable?

He was aware of the toxicity of the tea, and although it wouldn't cause him much harm, he was certain that Chen Guangrui would take further action after he drank it.

This forces me to make a choice.

Pleiades was in a dilemma. Normally, if this matter involved his mother, Bodhisattva Virupa, he would definitely consult with her first.

But Chen Guangrui's attack at this moment was to leave him no room to maneuver.

What should we do?
At this point, there was no way to smooth things over. If the problem couldn't be resolved, Chen Guangrui would definitely have a hundred ways to complain to the Great Celestial Venerable.

Li Tianwang is a case in point.

He knew that Chen Guangrui was Laozi's man, and now the Great Celestial Venerable also favored him, so his situation was delicate. If he were to be unjustly accused, what kind of punishment would he receive?

Hard to say.

He took a deep breath, his gaze no longer fixed on Chen Guangrui, but suddenly he angrily rebuked the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord.

"Master Daoist!!!"

This shout was like a thunderclap!

"You just said that all tea is the same? Then why is the color of the tea in the Marshal's cup different from the tea in our cups? Open your eyes and take a look."

He pointed to the teacup in Chen Guangrui's hand. Under the light, the tea in that cup did indeed appear to be darker and richer in color. He then suddenly pointed to the teacup in front of him, as well as the remaining tea at the bottom of the empty cup in front of the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord. The remaining tea color was obviously much lighter.

"What are your true intentions? Do you perhaps intend to murder Marshal Tianpeng?"

With that final question, Pleiades was truly enraged. Of course, this anger wasn't directed at the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord, but at Chen Guangrui. Did he really have to push me to this point?
The Taoist priest in the green robe was completely stunned by this sudden outburst. His mind went blank, and he didn't know how to defend himself.

The Pleiades Star Lord didn't give him a chance to explain. He had already made his choice, so he couldn't hesitate any longer.

"What, you dare not drink? You scoundrel, how dare you poison me!" He was furious, his Wind and Fire Wheels blazing with flames, ready to attack!
The Taoist priest was so startled by the sudden, stern questioning and change of expression from the Pleiades Star Lord that he was completely bewildered and at a loss for what to do.

He was speechless, completely bewildered as to why this celestial official had suddenly launched an attack, and could only offer a bewildered explanation.
"Why do you say that, Lord Star Official? I offered you tea out of kindness. If you don't like it, you can simply not drink it. How can you say I'm plotting against you? I'm innocent!"

"Injustice?" The Pleiades star official's face showed even greater anger, as if he had suffered a great injustice and offense. He took a step forward abruptly, grabbed the teacup in front of him without hesitation, and smashed it to the ground along with the teacup.

"Bang!"

Porcelain shards flew everywhere, and tea spilled. What was truly chilling was that the spilled tea, landing on the blue bricks of the ground, made a sizzling sound and instantly produced a visible plume of foul-smelling green smoke, corroding the bricks and stones with small pits, clearly indicating that it was extremely poisonous.

"Hmph, the poisonous smoke is proof, yet you still dare to argue. You scoundrel, you clearly harbor evil intentions."

The Pleiades star official pointed at the poison stains on the ground, his voice icy and chilling, devoid of any semblance of celestial official decorum. At this moment, he only wanted to end this situation as quickly as possible.

"How dare you!" Nezha, who had been waiting impatiently, was enraged at the sight. The flames of the Wind-Fire Wheels erupted, and the Fire-Tipped Spear transformed into a streak of crimson light, piercing straight for the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord's heart. "How dare you poison me! Take this!"

"Insolent brat!" Seeing that his scheme had been exposed, the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord dropped his pretense. His eyes flashed with ferocity, and with a fierce shout, his blue Taoist robe bulged instantly, and countless seams suddenly tore open on the back.

"Pfft!"

Dozens of dazzling golden rays suddenly shot out from his back, instantly enveloping him. When the light dissipated, the Taoist was nowhere to be seen; in his place stood a gigantic and ferocious thousand-eyed centipede demon.

Its carapace is black and shiny, its thousand legs are like hooks, and most terrifying of all are the densely packed compound eyes on both sides of its body that shimmer with an eerie golden light!
These compound eyes opened simultaneously, shooting out countless golden beams of light that were as solid as metal. They intertwined to form a destructive net of light, which not only instantly blocked Nezha's swiftly thrusting Fire-Tipped Spear, but the powerful impact also sent Nezha and his spear flying backward, crashing into a pillar in the hall with a muffled thud.

"Hiss, what a hard shell!" Nezha steadied himself, shook his numb arm, and his golden eyes burned with even more fighting spirit. Clearly, this demon was more troublesome than he had expected.

Chen Guangrui calmly watched the fierce battle from the sidelines, his gaze shifting to the Pleiades Star Lord, whose face was ashen and who was suppressing complex emotions. "Star Lord," he said, his voice not loud, but clear enough to reach the other's ears, "the longer we delay, the more things might go wrong. The commotion here is quite significant; there might be someone watching us from the heavens. The longer we drag this out, the easier it will be for others to discover things they shouldn't see. It's best to finish this quickly."

Upon hearing this, the Pleiades Constellation Lord stiffened slightly. He, of course, understood the meaning behind Chen Guangrui's words:
If this dragged on any longer, and the Heavenly Court discovered his relationship with the centipede demon and even Pilanpo, the trouble would be immense. A resolute yet helpless glint flashed in his eyes. "As the Marshal commands!" Pleiades Star Lord gritted his teeth and replied. Before he finished speaking, a blinding golden light suddenly erupted from his body, and his form rapidly changed and expanded within the golden light.

"Oh oh oh!"

A loud, high-pitched rooster crow, seemingly able to pierce the heavens, suddenly resounded throughout the entire Huanghua Temple!

As the golden light faded, a magnificent, multicolored rooster, as large as a small mountain, suddenly appeared on the spot!
Its crimson crown and golden beak, along with its brocade-like plumage that shimmered with iridescent light in the sunlight, each feather sharp as a sword, exuded an awe-inspiring power and radiated an innate divine might that was supremely yang and strong, capable of defeating all poisonous insects.

The Thousand-Eyed Centipede Demon Lord, at the very moment the rooster crowed, was struck as if by an invisible hammer. The golden light emanating from all its compound eyes instantly dimmed and dissipated, and its massive body trembled violently like a leaf, emitting a terrified hissing cry. It was an absolute suppression and intimidation from the deepest recesses of its bloodline, an irresistible force.

"No..." The centipede demon twisted its body in terror, trying to retreat, but the rooster's divine power was like a cage, pinning it firmly to the spot.

"You wicked creature, submit to the law!" The rooster spoke in a human voice, the very voice of the Pleiades Star Lord, filled with majesty. Its sharp, golden eyes merely glared at the centipede demon.

"puff."

As if all its bones had been removed, the enormous Thousand-Eyed Centipede Demon let out a mournful cry, unable to maintain its massive demonic body any longer. It instantly shrank and went limp, transforming into a foot-long, pitch-black multi-legged centipede that trembled on the ground, unable to move.

That wasn't all. The rooster raised its head and let out another piercing crow, "Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

The sound waves spread out like tangible ripples, instantly sweeping across the backyard of Huanghua Temple.

"Ah!" "Senior brother, save me!" Several terrified screams rang out. In the corner of the backyard, seven colorful figures fleeing in panic seemed to be frozen in place, and then involuntarily revealed their true forms.

Seven giant spiders, each the size of a millstone, brightly colored, and with menacing mouthparts, were also intimidated by the rooster's imposing presence. They lay prostrate on the ground, their eight claws trembling, emitting fearful hissing sounds.

The rooster shook its magnificent feathers and transformed back into human form.

He didn't even glance at the limp centipede and trembling spider on the ground, but bowed to Chen Guangrui, his tone regaining its usual composure.

"Marshal, these poisonous insects and demons will surely cause trouble if left in the mortal realm. I humbly request that they be imprisoned first and handed over to my mother, Bodhisattva Pilanpo, for disposal. The Bodhisattva's abode is secluded and has a demon-trapping formation, which will surely be able to properly imprison them, make them repent and never harm people again."

"Bullshit!" Nezha, who had just suffered a minor setback and was still seething with anger, jumped up immediately upon hearing this, pointing at the monster on the ground and shouting angrily.

"That centipede demon almost poisoned us to death, and those seven female demons, were they just sent to solitary confinement so easily? Who knows if that Pilanpo will let them go because of her! In my opinion, I should have shot them all dead one by one."

"Third Prince!" The Pleiades Star Lord's expression changed slightly, but he suppressed his displeasure and explained.

"Bodhisattva Vimalamitra is a highly virtuous monk in Buddhism, known for his impartiality and strictness, and would never show favoritism. Entrusting the matter to the Bodhisattva demonstrates the Heavenly Court's benevolence..."

"Alright," Chen Guangrui spoke up at the right moment, interrupting their argument. He reached out and pressed down on Nezha's shoulder, who was about to speak again in anger, and calmly looked at the Pleiades Star Lord.

“What the star official says makes sense. The Bodhisattva Pilanpo is highly respected and virtuous; it is best to let her handle this matter. I believe the Bodhisattva will act impartially and will not allow them to cause further harm to the human world.” His last few words were full of meaning.

The Pleiades star official's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately bowed and said,
"Marshal, you are wise. I will certainly convey your message to the Bodhisattva."

"Hey, Chen Guangrui!" Nezha shook off Chen Guangrui's hand in dissatisfaction. "Is that all? That's too easy on them!"

Chen Guangrui didn't speak, and even the Pleiades Star Lord didn't move. He simply gave an order, and the centipede demon and the spider demon left on their own.

It's as if they suddenly had a change of heart and went to the Bodhisattva Vimalamitra to apologize.

Lingxiao Palace.

Auspicious clouds swirled, and celestial music drifted softly. The atmosphere at the court assembly was solemn.

Venus, standing beside the imperial steps, holding a jade tablet, stepped forward from the crowd and reported loudly.
"Reporting to the Great Heavenly Venerable. The newly appointed Marshal Tianpeng, Chen Guangrui, has been ordered to descend to the mortal realm for inspection and has achieved a resounding victory in his first battle. According to reports from the Thousand-Mile Eye and the Wind-Following Ear, the Marshal and his entourage wiped out two demon lairs yesterday, in a single day."

His voice was clear and resonated throughout the hall.
"First, at the Cleansing Spring on Pansiling, seven spider demons who were causing trouble in the human world were subdued. Second, at Huanghua Temple, a thousand-eyed centipede demon with profound Taoist skills and who was causing havoc in the area was subdued. The demonic atmosphere was completely swept away, and the area was peaceful."

Upon hearing this, a murmur of discussion and admiration immediately arose in the hall.

"Oh?" The Jade Emperor, seated high on his throne, seemed to show a hint of satisfaction on his face, which was bathed in auspicious light. "Two demon lairs vanquished in a single day? Minister Chen is indeed capable. What do you, my fellow immortals, think?"

"Congratulations, Great Heavenly Venerable! Congratulations, Great Heavenly Venerable!" Many celestial officials immediately bowed and offered their congratulations. "Marshal Tianpeng displayed thunderous might in his first battle, which is truly a blessing for the Heavenly Court and a boon for all living beings in the Three Realms. Great Heavenly Venerable has discerning eyes and knows how to appoint the right person to the right position!"

Amidst a chorus of compliments, Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, standing at the forefront of the celestial ranks, had a face so gloomy it could drip water. He gripped the last remaining, dilapidated base of the pagoda tightly in his hand, his knuckles white, his lips pressed together, and he remained silent.

The Jade Emperor's gaze seemed to sweep over Li Jing before returning to Taibai Jinxing. "Jinxing, do you know the origins of these two demons?"

Venus lowered his head slightly and answered in a steady voice.

"Reporting to the Great Heavenly Venerable. According to our investigation, the centipede demon calls himself the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord. He has been entrenched in Huanghua Temple for many years and is skilled in poisons, concocting harmful poisons. The seven spider demons are his fellow disciples, entrenched in the Zhuogou Spring of Pansiling Ridge, and are no good either."

He paused, lowered his voice slightly, and seemed somewhat hesitant, "But the origins of these centipede demons and spider demons seem to have some connection with the Bodhisattva Pilanpo of the Western Buddhist sect."

He spoke only briefly, but the immortals in the hall were all quick-witted and immediately understood the deeper meaning behind his words. Many of the immortal officials showed expressions of understanding or contemplation on their faces.

The Jade Emperor's voice revealed no emotion, only a calm majesty.
"I see. It actually involves eminent bodhisattvas from the Western Buddhist tradition. This matter is of utmost importance and requires utmost caution."

He pondered for a moment, then instructed, "Venus, draft a decree to truthfully inform the Buddha of the Great Thunder Temple on Mount Ling of all the details here, especially the possible connection between the demons and the Bodhisattva Pilanpo. Please make your holy decision, Buddha."

"Your subject obeys the decree." Venus bowed and accepted the order.

The Jade Emperor then asked, "Minister Chen has distinguished himself in his first battle and is full of vigor. Do you know where he has gone on his inspection tour now?"

Venus immediately reported: "Reporting to the Great Heavenly Venerable, it is reported that Marshal Tianpeng and his party have left the territory of Pansiling and are traveling west on clouds. Judging from their direction, it seems that they are heading towards the territory of the Western Liang Women's Kingdom."

"The Women's Kingdom of Xiliang?" The Jade Emperor's voice seemed to carry a faint hint of interest. "Yes, I understand."

(End of this chapter)