Chapter 198: Chapter 198

Sha Chen was also very troubled.

He had not expected the reason for Kui Mulang’s deep-seated hatred towards him to actually be Matchmaker messing up the red threads of fate.

Now, as Kui Mulang caused havoc, Matchmaker observed from a distance in the sky.

Sha Chen’s expression was grave. He did not wish to go out rashly because Matchmaker’s power was far from simple; he was of the rank of the Chan Sect’s twelve Golden Immortals—perhaps not quite a Quasi-Saint, but not far off either.

With such strength, if Sha Chen went out and got entangled with him, the odds would be grim.

But if he didn’t go out, Kui Mulang might start to torture Lady Di Yong.

As for Bai Huaxiu, Sha Chen couldn’t care less about her.

She likes me, what does that have to do with me!?

After all, Lady Di Yong was ultimately Sha Chen’s contracted beast and had been sent out on a mission to search for treasures. She probably carried quite a few valuable items.

Sha Chen felt it would be a great loss if she died easily.

Kui Mulang was still yelling outside the Flowing Sand River, incessantly cursing and demanding Sha Chen to roll out and meet his death.

Yet, Kui Mulang dared not come closer.

Bai Huaxiu’s look was one of despair, but also determination; no matter how the demons hit and cursed her, she did not even frown.

The torment that Kui Mulang inflicted was mostly upon her.

From love to hatred, he went to great lengths to torture Bai Huaxiu.

However, he did not force himself upon her. What he most enjoyed doing was displaying his prowess with other women in front of Bai Huaxiu to humiliate her.

But Bai Huaxiu was unmoved.

She acted as if she couldn’t see it. That, in fact, incensed Kui Mulang even more.

Lady Di Yong looked somewhat disheveled. Several times Kui Mulang tried to shame her, but she threatened to self-destruct to avoid those situations.

Now that they were here, Kui Mulang had torn off half of their clothes, leaving them in a very sorry state.

Their bodies were covered with whipping marks.

Kui Mulang said, "Scream! Whoever gets Sha Chen to come out, I will spare her life."

Bai Huaxiu turned her head away disdainfully.

Enraged, Kui Mulang moved forward and began to slap her face left and right, causing it to swell and her hair to become disheveled.

Bai Huaxiu spat out a mouthful of blood and said, "You’ll never compare to him. Give up that idea. Even if I die, I won’t like you."

Kui Mulang, seething with fury and thundering with anger, said, "Damn wench! You and I were ordained by heaven to be together; the Jade Emperor bestowed you upon me. Why are you defying heaven’s will?"

Bai Huaxiu snorted coldly. "Ridiculous heavenly will. My fate is in my own hands, not heaven’s. The only person I like is General Sha Chen. You’re not even worthy to carry his shoes."

Lady Di Yong laughed softly. "Good sister, well said. Indeed, he’s not even worthy to carry our master’s shoes."

"Yellow Robe Fiend, I’ve heard about you coming to provoke my master before, only to have your subordinates killed by him while you barely escaped with your life. And now you dare to challenge him again?"

Lady Di Yong said with a mocking face, "Are you not afraid my master will kill you as well?"

A flicker of terror crossed Kui Mulang’s eyes; Sha Chen was his lifelong nightmare.

Having recently broken through to the Daluo Golden Immortal Realm, he also harbored some psychological scars, nearly going mad from cultivation deviation.

The mere mention of Sha Chen now still scared him, chilling his courage.

Kui Mulang snorted coldly. "If he dares to come out, I will surely kill him. He is a Daluo Golden Immortal, and so am I. How can he possibly be stronger than me?"

Lady Di Yong said, "Laughable. You compare yourself to my master?"

"He stepped into the Daluo Golden Immortal Realm even earlier than you did, so his strength must also be greater than yours. You might as well give up. In this lifetime, you will never be his match."

Lady Di Yong’s words were a devastating psychological blow, instantly enraging Kui Mulang and filling him with murderous intent.

He roared, "I can’t kill him, but I can surely kill you!"

"Let me tell you, you only have three breaths’ time. If he doesn’t come out, I will kill you. I mean what I say."

Lady Di Yong tilted her chin, gesturing for Kui Mulang to look at her smooth arm.

Mockingly she said, "Look at my arm. What’s on it?"

Kui Mulang looked and huffed, "Other than bloodstains, what else?"

Lady Di Yong smiled. "Exactly, not a single hair. You want to kill my master? You haven’t got a shred of a chance!"

Kui Mulang was instantly enraged, tearing off Lady Di Yong’s arm on the spot, blood spattering everywhere.

Then he reached out and pressed her head down. "What good does angering me do you?"

He took the severed arm, put it in his mouth, and began to chew it in front of Lady Di Yong, his face ferocious.

Lady Di Yong had actually been panicking inside all along, her face pale. She had feigned composure earlier only to defend Sha Chen.

Now, with Kui Mulang cruelly tearing off her arm and eating it before her eyes, terror shattered her courage. Her body went limp, her beauty faded, and she was in tears.

Bai Huaxiu too was pale and frightened.

They might be haughty, but that didn’t mean they were entirely without fear.

Witnessing Kui Mulang’s brutality brought them to the brink of collapse, their complexions turning deathly pale with fright.

Lady Di Yong screamed, "Master, Master, save me!"

Bai Huaxiu despaired. "General for Folding the Curtain, it seems we are destined in this life but fated never to be together. In the next life, I still want to marry you."

Kui Mulang laughed coldly, his face fierce. "Weren’t you so defiant? What are you scared of now!?"

Then, he was about to inflict more cruel violence.

But he suddenly felt extreme fear, retreating again and again, hiding behind several of his subordinate great demons.

From the distance, a streak of light shot out from the Flowing Sand River, piercing through the bodies of those several great demons and slaying them on the spot.

When the projectile was three feet from Kui Mulang, he crushed it in his hand.

Kui Mulang popped his head out, looking towards the Flowing Sand River, his face ferocious and cold. He said mercilessly, "Sha Chen, I thought you were going to continue playing the tortoise with its head drawn in. Have you finally dared to show yourself?"

From the direction of the Flowing Sand River, the waters parted.

A phantom-like figure appeared—it was Sha Chen.

He had not wanted to show himself, but he had no choice.

Although he also feared that Matchmaker might suddenly make a move, after much deliberation, he felt the possibility of Matchmaker intervening was not high.

Since Matchmaker wanted to sabotage Buddhism’s great endeavor of fetching the scriptures, letting him engage in mutual slaughter with Kui Mulang would be the best outcome.

Stepping into the fray personally would only provide fodder for others’ gossip.

Moreover, he had left a clone inside his cave abode, ready to use up all its qi and blood to draw the Sky Shaking Bow and shoot the old man dead if Matchmaker took action.

Though the likelihood was not high, Sha Chen believed that with the Sky Shaking Bow and the Shooting Sun Divine Arrow, he had enough to deter Matchmaker.

Still, to be cautious, he decided to first present an illusory figure; if he could convince Kui Mulang to leave directly, all the better.

Seeing Sha Chen, Kui Mulang felt a surge of malice and said, "Sha Chen, do you intend to save them?"

Sha Chen replied, "No."

Kui Mulang’s tone stumbled. Not following the script!?

A cold snort followed. "If you don’t want to, then why show up?"

Sha Chen said, "You called me out by name, making such a fuss outside. If I didn’t show up, wouldn’t that make people think I’m inferior to you?"

Kui Mulang said, "Isn’t it quite normal for you to be inferior to me?"

Sha Chen retorted, "It seems you’ve forgotten just how wretched you were before."

He then ignored Kui Mulang’s roaring and anger, simply stating, "I am right here. Why are you standing so far away?"

"From that distance, you can’t hit me. If you don’t have the guts, then scram."

Kui Mulang hesitated, confused and angry. "You come out if you have the guts!" For original chapters go to N0velFire.ɴet

Sha Chen countered, "You come here if you have the guts."

The two of them started to exchange verbal blows, taunting each other.

Matchmaker in the sky, with a disciple by his side, chuckled with delight.

The disciple said, "Master, your strategic brilliance is unparalleled. With a minor scheme, you’ve induced them to quarrel, disrupting Buddhism’s arrangement and even framing the Chan Sect."

Matchmaker laughed. "It’s still a bit of a pity. After Kui Mulang left the Sect of Interpretation, he no longer counts as a disciple of Martial Uncle Tongtian; he’s considered a member of the Heavenly Court now, I suppose."

The disciple added, "Even so, this still damages the relationship between the Heavenly Court and Buddhism."

Matchmaker stroked his beard. "Indeed, I have always disliked the increasing closeness between the Heavenly Court and Buddhism. The Jade Emperor’s intent to weaken the Chan Sect’s position in the Heavenly Court is sheer folly."

Disciples of the Chan Sect were numerous within the Heavenly Court, second only to those from the Sect of Interpretation.

However, most of the Sect of Interpretation’s followers had perished during the Investiture of the Gods, their names on the Investiture of the Gods list, while the Chan Sect’s followers were the flesh-and-blood victors.

Thus, most of the Chan Sect occupied high positions, while the Sect of Interpretation’s followers were suppressed.

The number of Buddhism’s followers was paltry in comparison.

To balance the power within the Heavenly Court, the Jade Emperor intended to introduce Buddhism, actively supporting it and targeting the Chan Sect.

As a disciple of a Chan Sect Saint, Matchmaker naturally could not tolerate this development.

It was not suitable for him to confront the Jade Emperor directly, but he could sabotage many of the Jade Emperor’s decisions, including the scripture-fetching agreement between the Jade Emperor and Buddhism.

The disciple asked, "Master, will they truly come to blows?"

Matchmaker responded, "Rest assured, they will. And it’s very likely that Kui Mulang will kill Sha Chen."

The disciple questioned, "Although Kui Mulang is formidable, he’s probably still no match for Sha Chen. Can he really win?"

Matchmaker chuckled. "I have already informed the other twenty-eight constellations of the situation here in advance. They are likely on their way."

Stroking his beard, he pondered, "What a pity. If Sha Chen had come out a bit later, it would have been perfect."

"But never mind that. Since he has shown himself, I will employ a spell to detain him later. Once the twenty-eight constellations arrive and join forces, Sha Chen will undoubtedly be doomed."

His gaze was profound as he murmured, "It is said that Buddhism values Sha Chen highly. If he dies, Buddhism will unleash its fury on the twenty-eight constellations, implicating the Sect of Interpretation. By then..."

Unable to contain it, Matchmaker burst out laughing, thoroughly pleased with himself.

Kui Mulang and Sha Chen were no longer engaging in a war of words but were in a standoff.

Sha Chen felt something was amiss. He had heard Matchmaker’s words, and as a precaution, he carried the Wanli Soul Chasing Mirror on him, keeping an eye on Matchmaker’s actions.

The old man thought he was perfectly hidden, but little did he realize that his every move and word were under Sha Chen’s surveillance.

I didn’t expect Matchmaker to have informed the other constellations. If they all come together, combining forces, they might indeed cause me some trouble.

He had to think of a plan.

Sha Chen said, "Li Xiong, do you dare to make a wager on a fight with me?"

Kui Mulang asked, "What are the terms of this wager?"

Sha Chen explained, "We shall fight. You cannot dodge; you can only resist with your spells. If I can’t defeat you with one move, you win, and you can do with me as you wish. If I defeat you, I’ll spare your life, but from then on, you must swear an oath to let go of your hatred and owe me a favor."

He intended to trick Kui Mulang; if there was a chance to make him indebted, then he could have him deal with Matchmaker.

Furthermore, this would give Sha Chen an extra pair of eyes within the Heavenly Court.

Kui Mulang sneered. "What a joke! You think you can defeat me in one move? I am Li Xiong, Kui Mulang of the twenty-eight constellations! Even if I stood still and let you hit me, you wouldn’t be able to defeat me in one move!"

Confident and brash, he quickly accepted.

After Sha Chen made his vow, Kui Mulang went to the edge of the Flowing Sand River territory, stood still, and laughed uproariously. "You think you can defeat me in one move? Sha Chen, come on! You’ll pay the price for your arrogance. If you can’t defeat me, get ready to become my lackey!"

He spread his arms and said, "Come, let’s see how you’ll defeat me in just one move!"

Sha Chen raised his hand, and instantly, it transformed into a sky-overshadowing palm print. On it, Imperial Gods’ Thunder gathered, and within it was the Samadhi True Fire.

The thunder and fire formed a magnetic field, condensed into one force, covering the giant palm print, which instantly smashed Kui Mulang into the Flowing Sand River.

His Legal Body shattered.

Kui Mulang spat blood, his eyes glazed, his consciousness blurred by the impact.

One thought occupied his mind: How has his physical body grown stronger again!!?

The Dragon Binding Rope instantly wrapped around him, binding Kui Mulang.

The Undefined Flying Rings also encircled his head, while the Giant Que Sword rested on Kui Mulang’s neck.

Kui Mulang was defeated.