They've all become top scholars in the imperial examinations, and you're telling me this i

Chapter 96 He lost face by doing this.

The tent was deathly silent.

The firewood crackled in the brazier, further emphasizing the solidified atmosphere of the small space. The stench of blood mixed with the smell of burning flesh pressed heavily on one's chest.

The soldier who barged in had an ordinary face that you wouldn't notice in a crowd, but the sharp glint in his narrow eyes was like an ice-cold knife, firmly fixed on Chen Guangrui.

Seeing Yuan Shoucheng's expression, Chen Guangrui knew that this was the Black Bear Spirit who had infiltrated through transformation.

Yuan Shoucheng felt his scalp tingle, and his hand gripping Chen Guangrui's sleeve trembled violently, wishing he could shrink into a crack in the ground.

He slapped himself hard, the sharp sound echoing jarringly in the tent, and then began to curse himself.

"I told you to avoid danger and seek good fortune, but you wouldn't listen. I told you to be greedy for those clues and be blinded by greed... Now look what happened, you've gotten yourself into trouble, and your colleagues will laugh their heads off..."

He was filled with remorse, and cold sweat instantly soaked his clothes.

Chen Guangrui's heart tightened, and his gaze swept over the figures moving outside the door.

Call for help? The thought flashed through his mind but was quickly suppressed. Li Jing's elite cavalry might be fierce and brave, but against such an unfathomable old demon, no matter how many came, they would probably just be adding fuel to the fire.

Even with the elite troops of the Tang Dynasty, if this black bear spirit were to make a move, the entire camp of soldiers would likely be in grave danger.

The little demon "Laoyao," who was hanging by chains and already limp like a rag doll, suddenly had a glimmer of hope in his ashen eyes when he saw the soldier's change. "Big..."

The word had barely escaped its lips when a warning glare from the other side abruptly cut it off. It gurgled in its throat, went completely limp, and dared not utter another sound.

The air was so tense it felt like it was about to burst. The flames flickered uneasily, illuminating the "simple" face of the Black Bear Spirit, and also reflecting the tense expressions of Chen Guangrui and Yuan Shoucheng.

No one spoke, only the youngest brother's heavy breathing and the crackling of firewood, each sound striking a nerve.

"Cough cough..." It was the black bear spirit who broke the silence first.

A gentle, almost benevolent smile appeared on his face, and he even nodded slightly to Chen Guangrui, saying, "Sir, there's no need to panic."

His voice was deliberately low and slightly hoarse, just like that of an ordinary old soldier. "This time, it's my fault for not teaching him properly."

He pointed to the youngest son hanging there, his tone carrying just the right amount of self-reproach, "These good-for-nothings under my command, greedy for that little bit of worldly reward money, ran out to do this heinous thing, disturbed the army, and caused the deaths of innocent people. As their leader, I am truly ashamed."

He paused, then looked earnestly at Chen Guangrui, "Sir, you did the right thing by capturing it. This beast deserves severe punishment. I've come to take it back; once we're back, it will be severely punished according to the mountain rules, without any leniency! As for your army,"

His tone became increasingly gentle, "You'll be passing through my Black Wind Mountain territory tomorrow, right? Rest assured, sir, there will be absolutely no obstruction. Not only will there be no obstruction, but I will also restrain my men so that no one dares to disturb our army for even a moment."

So easy to talk to? Is there something fishy going on?

It seemed like an equal exchange: Chen Guangrui released the people, and the Black Bear Spirit wouldn't block his way.

But since you're so powerful, why don't you just kidnap them and slaughter these elites? You're a monster, after all.

Chen Guangrui's suspicions deepened. This black bear spirit was being far too humble and understanding, to the point that it made Chen Guangrui uneasy.

Not only will he not stop them, but he will even "restrain" them? Is this true or false? Is he genuinely trying to appease them, or does he have ulterior motives? Li Jing's army is about to cross his territory.

Yuan Shoucheng, observing Chen Guangrui's expression, noticed the distrust on his face and, fearing he might anger this gentleman, quickly whispered urgently...

"Oh my, my sir! Why are you thinking so much? They have such sincerity and the ability to sneak up on us so quietly. If they really intended to make a move, the two of us, along with those thousands of people outside, would probably be dead by now! What's the point of talking about whether you're reassured or not?"

His meaning was crystal clear: since this brave man is reasonable, we must not use foul language with him.

Chen Guangrui understood this principle. With such a disparity in strength, a direct confrontation would be suicidal. He was about to gracefully agree to let the Black Bear Spirit take the youngest son away.

Unexpectedly, just as he was hesitating and weighing his options,
"No need!" The black bear spirit suddenly spoke up, the gentle smile on his face vanished instantly, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes. It was so fast that it made people's hearts tremble. He suddenly raised his hand and slapped the youngest brother who was hanging there from a distance!
"Pfft!" It sounded like an overripe, rotten watermelon being smashed by a heavy hammer.

The poor little demon with the pointed beak didn't even have time to beg for mercy or scream before its head, along with half of its upper body, was turned into a spray of blood and flesh by the black bear demon's palm wind.

Broken bones, bits of flesh, and entrails were scattered everywhere, splattering the tent walls and the ground behind. The chains rattled, and the hanging corpse swayed violently a few times, leaving only an empty chest cavity connected to twisted limbs.

The little monster was actually killed by its own boss!

Too fast! Too ruthless! Too sudden!
Chen Guangrui and Yuan Shoucheng gasped for breath, their pupils contracting sharply. Just moments ago they were saying they would "take him back and punish him severely," but in the blink of an eye, they personally took action and smashed their "subordinate" into a pulp on the spot.

The pungent, overwhelming stench of blood inside the tent rose again to a nauseating level.

The black bear spirit swatted at him like a fly, withdrawing his hand without changing expression, even regaining a hint of pity, as if he were doing something extremely ordinary and natural.
"It has committed countless evil deeds and created endless killings. What's the point of keeping it alive? Taking it back to the mountain would only waste more time killing it. As the Buddhists say, 'Cause and effect are real, and karmic retribution must be paid.' Letting it enter the cycle of reincarnation as soon as possible to eliminate its karmic debts is not without compassion. Its death here can be considered a consolation to the fallen soldiers."

Chen Guangrui felt a chill run down his spine. This compassion was truly a cruel kind of compassion.

Killing people doesn't incur karma, but doing evil can increase one's Buddha-nature.

He thought of the lion demon under Manjushri Bodhisattva's command. If only Manjushri Bodhisattva could be as "decisive" as this black bear demon!

The black bear spirit's gaze no longer lingered on the bloodied and mangled corpse, but turned to Chen Guangrui.

"However, there must have been two of them. The 'old cat' who did evil with this beast must have been captured by you, sir. Where is it? Since it is an accomplice, its crimes should also be investigated. I will take it back with it for punishment."

Chen Guangrui felt a slight chill, knowing this was the key point, and answered cautiously.
"That cat demon... has been dealt with. No need to worry."

Of course, Chen Guangrui wouldn't tell them that the cat demon had already been taken to Gao Laozhuang by the two children.

After all, there were more important matters to attend to there. He only said that the matter had been dealt with and didn't say anything more.

"Dealt with?" The black bear spirit's eyes suddenly sharpened as he stared intently at Chen Guangrui.

Seeing that Chen Guangrui's answer was vague, Yuan Shoucheng, fearing he might anger the other party, hurriedly interjected, trying to intimidate him by bringing up his "backer," and said...
"Yes, yes, yes! It's been taken care of! Your Majesty, you don't know, but our Scholar Chen, or rather, Mr. Chen, is no ordinary person. He is a disciple of that great figure from the Tushita Palace in the Thirty-Three Heavens!"

After all, he is a disciple of Laozi, which is a great honor. With such a status being brought up, what can you, Xiong Da Wang, say?

He straightened his back, trying to add some imposing air, and declared, "Under the tutelage of Laozi, a dignified Fire-Burning Daoist!"

"Humph!"

Yuan Shoucheng hadn't expected that before he could even utter the word "person," a cold snort filled with rage and disdain, which sent dust flying from the tent, would rang out.

The black bear demon's face, which had been "kind" just moments before, was instantly filled with a ferocious and malevolent aura, as if all pretense of kindness had been torn away in an instant.

His narrow eyes flashed with golden light, and his terrifying demonic aura, capable of collapsing mountains, erupted without any concealment.

"The Thirty-Three Heavens? One of Laozi's men?" The black bear spirit, who had been polite and earnestly apologizing, suddenly uttered a disdainful tone.
"Good! Very good! If you are ordinary people, then of course I, Old Bear, feel apologetic. I never bully the weak. But if you think you can bully the creatures of Black Wind Mountain just because you have a powerful backer in the sky? Whether you are a firewood maker or a woodcutter, you have bullied me and you still want to let things go?"

"Let's see if your imperial family's methods are tougher, or if the rocks in my mountains are tougher!"

No, how can this person change their attitude so suddenly?
Isn't the contrast a bit too big?

Chen Guangrui almost cursed out loud!
Everything was fine just a moment ago, and now they've started attacking without warning. All I mentioned was the Thirty-Three Heavens.
He felt like cursing. In this world, even mentioning Lao Tzu (the Supreme Lord Lao) didn't work?
Lao Jun, come out here! Someone is not giving you face!

Before Chen Guangrui could think any further, the black bear demon's giant, fan-like hand reached out, its palm radiating a brilliant dark light. A destructive force, capable of tearing through mountains and seas, materialized, whipping up a gust of wind as if ripping cloth. Its five fingers, like hooks, carried a terrifying power capable of crushing rocks, and it swiftly grabbed at Chen Guangrui's crown.

The moment it's used, it's a killing move!
They turned on each other! In that very instant!

(End of this chapter)