Chapter 743: Chapter 743

Zhao Gongming left with the overjoyed Bull Demon King.

Shi Ji walked in and sat across from Bai Jin with a look of concern, "Older brother, Kui Niu is after all our teacher’s mount. Is it really appropriate to punish him so severely?"

Bai Jin spoke leisurely, "Having dwelled amongst demons in the Lower Realm for countless eons, Kui Niu has developed some unsavory habits. Now that we are calling him back, naturally he must be thoroughly reformed.

A rigorous punishment will serve to remind him and correct the bad habits he picked up during his time amongst the demons in the Lower Realm."

Shi Ji expressed his worry, "I’m afraid he will hold a grudge against older brother."

Bai Jin chuckled, "Hold a grudge against me? No, he should be thanking me!"

A grateful voice came from outside, "Older brother, thank you! Once I’ve passed through this ordeal, I’ll treat you to a drink."

Bai Jin turned and called out, "Make a good transformation, and start anew as an ox."

Shi Ji was stunned; Kui Niu truly felt grateful to his older brother!

Shi Ji then said, "Older brother, what if Princess Iron Fan doesn’t forgive Kui Niu? Could it be that the Ming He Sect Master would really kill Kui Niu?"

"That won’t happen. I’ve already made all arrangements with the Ming He Sect Master. It will definitely be a complete and satisfactory conclusion—letting the Bull Demon King live, reuniting Princess Iron Fan’s family in harmony, and resolving the discord between the Ming He Sect Master and his daughter, Princess Iron Fan. What a perfect ending!"

Shi Ji exclaimed, "Older brother, you really are incredible!"

"It’s only right for fellow disciples to help and be amicable with one another. I’ve merely done what an older brother should do."

Bai Jin added, "Right, Brother Gongming put Kui Niu’s Pipa Bone on first, locking his cultivation, then you can proceed with the punishment."

He sighed, "I truly am a good older brother."

Shi Ji was speechless.

Tap-tap-tap—a series of footsteps sounded as Yang Jiao arrived at the entrance of the courtyard, bowing respectfully and said, "Master, Gold Star Taibai has brought the Blood Sea Asura for a visit."

Bai Jin stood up and walked outside, with Shi Ji also getting up and following him out.

Bai Jin walked all the way to the Judicial Temple’s reception hall.

Inside the hall, Gold Star Taibai and Asura King Prithu were sipping tea. Upon seeing Bai Jin enter, they quickly stood up and bowed, "We greet Your Eminence!"

Bai Jin cupped his fist in return and then gestured with a wave of his hand, "No need for formalities! Please be seated."

Gold Star Taibai and Asura King Prithu took their seats again as guests.

Bai Jin settled in the host’s seat.

Taibai smiled and said, "Asura King Prithu wished to see Your Eminence, so I was commanded by Your Majesty to guide him here. We first went to the Gouchen Emperor Palace but you were not there, so we came to the Judicial Temple."

Asura King Prithu said with admiration, "Gold Star spoke the truth. Your Eminence is always diligently at his post, day and night, whether at the Gouchen Emperor Palace or the Judicial Temple. It is indeed our fortune in the Three Realms to have such an Emperor."

Bai Jin laughed heartily, "I am merely performing my duties, I daresay not slack!"

"I wonder for what matter does the Asura King come to the Heavenly Court?"

"Your Eminence, I am here by command of the Sect Hierarch to invite Your Eminence to a banquet in the Blood Sea."

"An invitation from the Ming He Sect Hierarch is not to be delayed."

Bai Jin looked at Gold Star Taibai and said, "Please trouble Gold Star to pass along to His Majesty that I will heed the Ming He Sect Hierarch’s invitation to the Blood Sea, and my return date is uncertain."

Gold Star Taibai bowed respectfully, "Understood!"

Bai Jin rose and walked to the head seat, extending his hand to gesture and said, "Asura King, please!"

Bo Xun courteously responded, "Emperor, after you!"

Bai Jin led Bo Xun towards the outside.

On the verdant trail, Bo Xun looked around with confusion and hesitated before saying, "Emperor, this does not seem to be the way we came in."

Bai Jin smiled and said, "This is another gateway, which also leads outside."

Bo Xun nodded, perhaps this was a shortcut! He did not ask further.

Moments later, faint screams of agony could be heard.

"Ah~ so painful, I know I was wrong."

"It hurts me so badly, poor old Niu."

The screams grew louder and louder.

Bo Xun was intrigued and turned to look at the sternly guarded palace next to him, curiously asking, "Emperor, what is this place?" Newest update provıded by novel⸺fire.net

"This is the prison of the Judicial Temple, also known as the Heavenly Prison, where the Bull Demon King from the Lower Realm is being punished."

The Bull Demon King? Bo Xun instantly smiled, recalling how the entire Asura Clan had raged when they learned their princess had been wronged, including the four great Asura Kings, who wished to flay and debone him. But since Princess Luo Cha did not consent and they were outsiders, they did not intervene. Now, hearing the Bull Demon King’s miserable screams within the Judicial Temple lifted his spirits; the sunlight seemed a tad brighter.

Elsewhere, Gold Star Taibai returned to Zining Palace, where the Jade Emperor was browsing the Three Realms Mall inside the grand hall.

Gold Star Taibai bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Emperor Gouchen has already headed to the Blood Sea."

"Uh-huh, I know." The Jade Emperor casually replied, his attention fully on the Three Realms Mall, wondering if the new Golden Dragon Fish released by the East Sea Dragon King tasted good.

Gold Star Taibai rose and said, "Your Majesty, Jiang Ziya keeps asking me when he will get his share."

The Jade Emperor instantly looked up and said irritably, "Isn’t the Westward Journey still underway? What’s the rush?"

Gold Star Taibai tactfully suggested, "Your Majesty, the corpses of the Demon Kings on the mall have almost sold out. Maybe you should give him something anyway, or else Jiang Ziya will lack motivation to work!"

The Jade Emperor immediately frowned and asked, "Lack of motivation? That won’t do! How much was sold in total?"

Gold Star Taibai respectfully replied, "A Golden Immortal Demon King was sold for ten thousand Merit Coins, a Taiyi Demon King for one hundred thousand Merit Coins, and a Daluo Demon God for one million Merit Coins. A total of three Daluo Demon Gods, eleven Taiyi Demon Kings, and eighteen Golden Immortal Demon Kings were sold for a grand total of four million two hundred eighty thousand Merit Coins."

The Jade Emperor laughed heartily and said, "Worth that much? The bank won’t lend me money, but I have ways of making it."

"Mostly, great powers purchased them, like Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad, Emperor Gouchen, Ming He Sect Master, Immortal Zhenyuan, and so on."

"Uh-huh! Only they could afford it, and afford to eat it." The Jade Emperor was not surprised.

"Four million two hundred eighty thousand divided by twenty percent to Jiang Ziya is eight hundred fifty-six thousand, and the same amount for me, with two hundred fifty-six thousand eight hundred going to Your Majesty."

The Jade Emperor took a sharp breath in, and in the blink of an eye, over four million turned into just over two million; it pained him greatly to part with so much money.

The Jade Emperor’s eyes flickered; he coughed and said in a serious tone, "What four million and eighty-some million? It really gives me a headache to calculate. Let’s round it up! Total three million Merit Coins, giving Jiang Ziya twenty percent makes it six hundred thousand."

Inside, Gold Star Taibai felt chilled; with just a single word, the Jade Emperor managed to vanish two hundred fifty thousand Merit Coins? How could he do this?

He urgently pleaded with righteousness, "Your Majesty, I feel this is not proper. For dealings in the world, credibility is most important for longevity. We mustn’t lose Your Majesty’s image of wisdom and valor over a few Merit Coins."

"Of the remaining three million sixty-eight thousand Merit Coins, twenty-five percent for you equates to ninety-two thousand Merit Coins, rounding up to ninety thousand."