I, the transmigrated villain, please wait, gentle master.

Chapter 159 The Xiang River Breaks and the Jade Mountain Collapses (8)

In fact, Xiaoxiang Pavilion was not just a brothel.

This is the only place among the 108 border markets where prohibitions and rules can be disregarded.

It is directly governed by the Ten Kings of Hell.

Black and White Impermanence are in charge of assisting.

The nine elder brothers above the Ten Kings were all busy managing the various hells and didn't pay much attention to things at the border market.

The border town was merely a habitat for human spirits waiting to be reincarnated. To the rulers of the land, this rabble was no different from ants building nests on the ground; one step and the anthill would collapse.

They're just ants that you could crush with a single finger.

Not worth paying attention to.

Their only worth mentioning is that they can serve as nourishment for the Ghost Emperor's cultivation at certain times.

In the past few centuries, no one could have imagined that a thousand-mile dike could be breached by an ant hole.

Among this group of neglected dead, a rebellious brat, ignorant of the world's laws and regulations, was born.

For thousands of years, the supreme power and status of the Ghost King and Ghost Emperor have been challenged in the most serious way.

That rebellious little devil, whose soul was torn apart and who was thrown into various hells to be suppressed for 130 years, was still not completely destroyed.

He was like Sun Wukong in the story of Laozi throwing him into the Eight Trigrams Furnace; his vitality was terrifyingly tenacious. Not only did he survive, he became a major threat.

He is now the number one rival of both the mortal realm and the cultivation world.

Li Tingyun's glorious deeds served as a wake-up call to the local rulers and a warning to them.

The local authorities gradually began to pay more attention to the control and management of the border markets.

They implemented many preventative measures, such as setting up a special office in Tiankui City, the most important of the 108 border markets, named "Xiaoxiang Pavilion".

Yes, in the beginning, this building, which was obviously more magnificent and towering than any other building in the market, was not a place of singing birds and dancing flowers and green willows at all, but a "hall of administration" for the centralized management of many matters in the market.

A real "courtroom"!

The court was fully managed by the youngest brother of the Ghost Kings, the Tenth Prince, who was relatively free.

Black and White Impermanence were his two henchmen, the bailiffs.

As the saying goes, "to face each other in court," the court is where officials of all ranks work, and it should be solemn, dignified, simple and steady.

But in reality, from the elegantly written plaque at the entrance to the dazzling renovations and decorations on each floor, Xiaoxiang Pavilion has absolutely nothing to do with those eight characters mentioned earlier.

This caters to the aesthetic preferences of the Tenth Prince.

He is a person who "loves beauty". He loves food, beautiful women and fine wine.

He also had a collecting obsession, enjoying collecting all sorts of rare and precious treasures, which he displayed in the Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

He naturally turned a public courtroom into his private residence.

Furthermore, since it is said to "go to court," someone must come forward to file a complaint and demand justice, otherwise the title will not be in vain.

But this is something that could never happen in the border market.

All the injustices in the market originate from the local rulers themselves. Who are you, sir, and how dare you accuse me?

Therefore, there were no complicated official duties or tedious paperwork in Xiaoxiang Pavilion, only pleasant music and the sounds of zithers and flutes.

The Ten Kings lay crookedly on the chaise longue placed on the ninth floor of the pavilion, with a thick, long tail trailing from their waists.

The offering table in front of them was piled high with fruits, dried meat, and pastries.

Holding a sleeping black cat in his arms, he asked the two figures, one black and one white, outside the curtain:

"Has Li Tingyun, that annoying dog, finally been thrown out?"

"Yes. May I ask what Your Highness intends to do with the cat?"

"You masturbate for a while, then you let it go, what else can you do?"

"..."

The Ten Kings stroked the black cat's glossy fur, buried their heads in the cat's lap, and took a few deep breaths.

"This one is a great contributor to our region. If it weren't for this little black cat that can 'dispel evil spirits,' that unkillable Tai Sui would escape to the human world and cause trouble, attracting the attention of cultivators. Those people love to meddle in other people's business, which would be a big problem for us."

The Ten Kings grabbed the black cat by the hind leg and examined it, muttering, "How come Si Wuxie doesn't know how to raise a cat? No wonder he's having an affair with that dog that Li Tingyun keeps. I remember that dog was male too, right? The little thing is really good at playing around. They say dogs resemble their owners, could it be that Li Tingyun is also a homosexual..."

Fan Wujiu said indignantly, "Your Highness, Li Tingyun has always been a tyrant in this region, even his dog is so arrogant! Don't you think they deserve to die?!"

The Ten Kings grabbed a handful of walnuts, muttering, "Damn it, damn it all."

Fan Wujiu: "Then why do you do nothing and let them ride roughshod over you?"

The ten kings chewed and chewed, "Because if I were to do anything, I would be the one to die."

Fan Wujiu: "..."

The Tenth Prince grabbed another handful of almonds. "Why don't you go and get rid of Li Tingyun for me?"

Fan Wujiu: "..."

The ten kings chewed again, "See, you're afraid of death too, aren't you?"

Fan Wujiu: That makes so much sense, I can't refute it at all.

The Ten Kings, now fully aware of the situation, declared: "In principle, this territory is our home ground. How can we allow others to act so presumptuously?! Unfortunately, this principle is in Li Tingyun's hands. Even our leader can't do anything about him, so what can I, his 'brother among brothers,' do?"

Fan Wujiu was extremely indignant: "It used to be Ren Pingsheng of the Dao Xuan Sect, now it's Li Tingyun of the Taiji Palace. When will this place ever stand up for itself?!"

The Ten Kings, munching on an apple, said, "The future of this land depends entirely on insightful people like you."

Fan Wujiu: "And what about you?"

Ten Kings: "These apples are quite crisp, big and sweet. I'll go to the human world in a couple of days and get a whole box of them."

Fan Wujiu: "Don't you have any lofty ideals or grand goals?"

Ten Kings: "I want to go to the human world and get a box of apples."

Fan Wujiu: "Are the other nine princes and His Majesty secretly plotting to annex the human realm?"

Ten Kings: "I'll get them two cases too."

He tossed an apple to Fan Wujiu and Xie Bi'an, one of them.

"Taste it?"

Xie Bi'an took a bite and exclaimed, "Wow, delicious!"

Fan Wujiu was very dissatisfied.

He wanted to see what kind of apple could possibly dampen the spirit and determination of such an ambitious young man!

He took a big bite and exclaimed, "Tsk, so sweet!"

The three of them enjoyed the fruits, wine, and tea with great relish.

Suddenly, Xie Bi'an realized, "Wait, Your Highness, we seem to have forgotten something."

The Ten Kings sighed, trying to calm him down, saying, "Apart from life and death, everything else is trivial."

"Your Highness, has the charity sale on the second floor of Xiaoxiang Pavilion ended?"

"Oh my god, how could I have forgotten about that?!"

The ten kings hurriedly got up from their beds.

It moved in a serpentine pattern, graceful and alluring, its tail flashing rapidly.

He had just wanted to sneak up here to grab a bite to eat, but now that his stomach was full, his mind was completely blank.

It almost ruined a major event.

He invited a distinguished guest to this charity sale, but I don't know if they arrived yet.

Downstairs, on the second floor, guests thronged the place, and the sounds of bidding rose and fell.

A charity sale, as the name suggests, is a business transaction that "donates to charity".

His Highness the Tenth Prince would occasionally sell his most prized possessions, which he kept hidden in the Xiaoxiang Pavilion, at extremely low prices.

Everyone in the lower realm knows that Xiaoxiang Pavilion is similar to the private treasure pavilion of the Ten Kings of Reincarnation. Therefore, every charity sale he hosts is very lively, and cultivators from all over the world, whether they cultivate immortality or demonic arts, will come to support him.

What if I manage to snag a great bargain?

As soon as the charity sale began, the hosts sold off a number of good items, and the guests were in high spirits. According to the underworld messenger, the highlight of this charity sale was not ordinary items, but a beautiful woman, an extraordinary beauty.

People were in suspense, and no one left early; everyone wanted to wait until the very end to see what would happen.

During the halftime break, someone at the tea table started a conversation.

"Have you heard? That great demon of the Taiji Palace, on a whim, uprooted the Fusang Divine Tree of Penglai in the East Sea to satisfy his own selfish desires, and even built a 'Tianlu Linlang Pavilion' to collect the world's most precious treasures!"

"It is said that it contains countless treasures and secret manuals, rare gems. It is probably similar to this Xiaoxiang Pavilion, but it is also possible that it is even more magnificent and extravagant!"

There's a saying in the cultivation world: "Jade shatters, jade breaks; water is severed, the Xiang River is cut off."

Li Tingyun went to great lengths to renovate the Taiji Hall, and he did so in a very high-profile manner that many people have heard about it.

This added another reason for the pure-hearted warriors in the cultivation world to dislike him.

There are only so many treasures in the world. If he has more, others will have less. If he takes all the treasures for himself, others won't even have a chance to get a share.

This naturally aroused widespread resentment and criticism.

This led to the saying, "The waters of Xiaoxiang are cut off, and the jade is shattered."

Flowing water symbolizes wealth, but all the wealth in the world has been cut off by Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Jade symbolizes treasures, but countless treasures have all been ruined by the Taiji Palace.

How can one not feel deeply regretful?!

It wouldn't be appropriate for everyone to start cursing at the host while they were in Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

They then focused their fire on Li Tingyun, who was not present at the scene.

Even so, not a single person was named. They only dared to use euphemisms such as "that person," "the one surnamed Li," or "the big devil," to indirectly criticize and insult others.

Some people say, "Gold, silver, jewels, rare herbs, and top-grade magical artifacts are useless to cultivators at their peak. How could he possibly stoop so low as to compete with us for resources?"

"None of the great powers in history have been like him. Instead of honestly cultivating in seclusion, he kept meddling in worldly affairs, as if afraid of not attracting the attention of the Heavenly Dao."

"If Heaven had eyes, it would have been better to just send down a lightning bolt to kill him!"

Some people say, "The immortal and demon cultivator surnamed Li is not on the righteous path, so he will not be able to ascend!"

"It's only a matter of time before he's struck by lightning and dies. But until that day comes, all living beings in the lower realm will forever live under his constant threat."

"A menace like him can only be dealt with by Heaven, unless a savior springs out from a crack in the rock and outwits him!"

Some people even said, "Could that person's spirit be a crow spirit? Crows love to carry gold, stones, and jewels back to their nests to build burrows and attract mates!"

"He's been scavenging for rare treasures everywhere, but these things are of no use to him. Maybe he's like a crow, saving up for his future wife!"

"He already has everything he wants, except for his insatiable desire for a top-grade furnace cauldron—if he has to say what he lacks, it's probably a woman by his side!"

In the center of the lively crowd sat a young man dressed in black, silently listening to the ramblings without offering any comment.

Only this last sentence made him let out a sneer.

I didn't mean anything by it, I just found it funny.

It's hilarious.

The atmosphere instantly turned cold.

Light and shadow are the rarest things in the world, but on each floor of Xiaoxiang Pavilion, there are hundreds or thousands of luminous pearls surrounding four sides, as bright as day. People can clearly see that the man has a cold face and extremely rare sea blue eyes.

The black robe he wore shimmered with dazzling colors, making him look exceptionally luxurious.

If someone knows their stuff, they'll recognize it at a glance as silk.

"Hey, what are you laughing at? You're making me look stupid, you know? You don't say a word, just give me that sour look and insult me ​​with your eyes, what do you mean by that? Enough! Your language is too vulgar, I need to teach you how to behave..."

The person is gone.

Before he could finish speaking, he was gone.

The water blade pierced his lungs, creating a bloody hole, killing him instantly and causing his soul to depart from his body on the spot.

The water, without fixed form, transformed into a giant fish, opening its gaping maw to reveal two rows of sharp serrated teeth. It chewed up the corpse and swallowed it whole, the blood spreading throughout its body, staining the entire crystal-clear fish red.

Someone realized what was happening and pointed at the man, shouting, "I know! You're that piranha from Four Symbols City?!"

The city lord of Xuanwu City did not like this title.

He frowned, and the giant fish instantly swelled several times its original size, reaching its limit, and then exploded with a "bang"!

Everyone was drenched in blood.

A fine, foul-smelling mist of blood enveloped them, and all they could see was a shocking crimson.

Even the King of Hell said, "Ruthless, too ruthless! How about I give you this seat?"

The Ten Kings of Hell raised their hands and waved away the mist, making the "majestic" figure gradually clearer.

When people saw him, it was as if they had seen a savior—it was like turning the world upside down!

That man in black was truly ruthless; even Yama, the King of Hell, would have his name tattooed on his back.

Everywhere there were traces of bloodshed and violence, but his place was the only place that remained a pure land.

But he remained silent, leisurely picking up the wine jug and pouring himself a cup in full view of everyone.

Elegance never goes out of style.

The ten kings dismissed everyone, saying, "The charity sale is over. Everyone, please disperse. I have some personal matters to attend to!"

All the guests were "guests," and before the main event of the charity sale even began, the host casually announced the end of the event. This was against the rules, but on his turf, he was the rule.

Bai Wuchang used illusion magic to control the crowd that was about to cause a riot, while Hei Wuchang drew a huge array to send away all the irrelevant people present. No one complained, and no one said "no".

They all passed away peacefully.

Xue Rendong raised his wine cup and offered it to Yama and the Impermanent One from afar.

No one should say the other is too ruthless; we're evenly matched.

He took a small sip, spat it out, and threw the cup away.

What is that? It's scratching my throat.

It tastes awful.

The ten kings slapped the ground with their snake tails, sternly rebuking him: "Arrogance! Insolence! Rudeness!"

If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too; the Taiji Hall is full of such talents!

"You destroyed my entire floor, do you know that?"

"This place is known for its elegance, but you've turned it into a murder scene!"

"Look at this wall splattered with blood, and look at the ground stained with blood..."

"This place is too dark, too hellish!"

The ten kings were heartbroken.

Throughout the entire region, everyone knows that he, Cui Jue, and Si Wuxie are the three most refined and elegant people!

Now, with Si Wuxie gone and Cui Jue too busy, he is left all alone, indulging in self-pity and solitude.

He had always regarded Xiaoxiang Pavilion as a place of solace, but after this sudden misfortune, he even contemplated suicide by hanging!

Unfortunately, Xue Rendong was a "distinguished guest" he had specially invited.

He brought the trouble upon himself.

The people in the Taiji Palace cultivate both immortals and demons, and are neither entirely righteous nor evil. Immortal cultivators consider them a scourge, while those in the mortal realm see them as a threat.

Logically speaking, Xue Rendong, as one of the city lords of the Four Symbols City, should not have become a guest of honor of the Ten Kings of Hell.

But putting aside their respective identities, the two had several private interactions that were not known to others.

Fate is a very mysterious thing.