Chapter 161: Chapter 155: Unbearable to See Monsters among Humans, Acting on Behalf of Heaven【Subscribe for monthly tickets please】_1
Marshal Tianpeng was terrified and hurriedly called for help.
Kui Mulang furrowed his brows and said, "You know him? Well, it’s not surprising since you were officials at the same court. It’s not strange that you know each other."
Then he sneered, "Since you’re capable of calling him out, then do it quickly. I’ve been wanting to kill him anyway."
His face was ferocious and his form hideous. He brandished his teeth and claws, wielding his spear and swinging his club.
The monsters under his command were getting ready to tie up Marshal Tianpeng and string him up.
Marshal Tianpeng struggled furiously, but before he could fight the monsters, Kui Mulang suppressed him.
Then he cried out again, "Old Sha, save me! If you don’t save me now, brother, I’ll die at the hands of these monsters."
Kui Mulang sneered, "Not necessarily. You might end up dying in my belly."
Marshal Tianpeng urgently pleaded for mercy, "General Li, we were officials of the same court. You should still be honorable; how can you act like a monster? Let me go, so we can meet again on better terms in the future."
Kui Mulang said, "I am an official in Heaven and a demon on Earth. I can let you go, but only if you can make that wife-stealing, insignificant deity roll out here. Then I’ll spare you."
Stole someone’s wife?
On hearing this, Marshal Tianpeng’s eyes immediately lit up.
So exciting? I never imagined Old Sha, who’s usually so proper, would be involved in something this big and not even include me!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Kui Mulang immediately started beating Marshal Tianpeng with his Wolf Fang Club.
His rage was uncontainable.
Marshal Tianpeng continued to beg for mercy, "It wasn’t me who slept with your wife! Why are you hitting me? Go beat up Old Sha!"
Kui Mulang snorted, "If you don’t call him out, I’ll keep beating you until he does."
Marshal Tianpeng said, "An injustice has its source, a debt its debtor. I urge you to be merciful."
Kui Mulang couldn’t be bothered with that. He tied up Marshal Tianpeng and had his subordinates take turns beating him.
The beating made Marshal Tianpeng wail and curse. He roared in rage, but soon he resorted to pleading for mercy again.
Alas, cursing was useless, and so was pleading for mercy.
These monsters were specifically after Sha Chen. If Marshal Tianpeng hadn’t known him, they would have simply killed him. But since he knew him, they decided to torture him until Sha Chen was willing to come out. After all, Sha Chen was their main target.
However, this wasn’t to say they had no grievance with Marshal Tianpeng; they bore him a grudge as deep as murder and arson.
While Kui Mulang tortured Marshal Tianpeng, he occasionally glanced towards the Flowing Sand River, sneering continuously.
He refused to believe that Sha Chen wouldn’t come out.
After being beaten for an hour, there was still no movement from the Flowing Sand River.
Kui Mulang took matters into his own hands, cutting a piece of flesh from Marshal Tianpeng and roasting it over a fire. He said furiously, "What kind of man are you usually? Such a failure! We’ve beaten you like this, and he still won’t save you."
Marshal Tianpeng, in agony and fury, shouted, "He wasn’t like this before! If anyone’s to blame, it’s you for being too strong! Old Sha is a coward who fears death; he doesn’t dare to come out."
"He once said that if saving me would threaten his life, he wouldn’t do it!"
Kui Mulang snorted, "Since you’re useless, there’s no need to keep you alive. We might as well kill you."
With a wave of his hand, he was about to order his subordinates to kill Marshal Tianpeng.
Marshal Tianpeng hastily begged for mercy, "No, no, no, don’t do it! My good brother, my good pal, General Li, don’t kill me! Give me a chance, let me try to persuade Old Sha."
Kui Mulang said, "You have only one chance. If he doesn’t come out, you die."
Marshal Tianpeng quickly said, "We’re too far from the Flowing Sand River here. He’s probably sleeping and can’t hear clearly. Why not let me get closer to say a few words?"
Kui Mulang sneered, "Stop trying to play tricks on me! You want to take the chance to escape into the Flowing Sand River. Did you think I wouldn’t know?"
What a cunning monster, Marshal Tianpeng thought.
But on the surface, he said bitterly, "General Li, look at me. You’ve beaten me so badly there isn’t an uninjured spot on my body. I’ve practically been pounded into a pork meatball, and I’m tied up. How could I possibly escape?"
Then he added, "Besides, how could I possibly escape right under your watchful eye, General Li? That would be like trying to teach an expert his own trade."
This strategic retreat to advance made Kui Mulang exceptionally smug.
He was indeed convinced that Marshal Tianpeng couldn’t escape right under his nose. He had absolute confidence he could kill him before Marshal Tianpeng managed to flee. Even if Sha Chen came out from the Flowing Sand River to rescue him, Kui Mulang was confident he could take them both on.
What’s more, this time he had brought a large number of subordinates—all formidable monsters, every one of them at the True Immortal Realm, with a few being Golden Immortals. Those few Golden Immortals had even been brought down from the Heavens by him. They were his trusted aides of many years, powerful and utterly obedient.
He wasn’t afraid of Sha Chen coming out; he was only afraid that Sha Chen *wouldn’t* come out.
So he said, "Fine, I’ll let you get closer to talk. If you fail to draw him out, I’ll flay you, pull out your tendons, gouge out your heart and lungs, and cut out your kidneys to roast and eat."
This frightened Marshal Tianpeng so much that he quickly clamped his legs together, trembling violently, and nearly wet himself. He hurriedly assured Kui Mulang that Sha Chen would definitely come out to rescue him.
The monsters pushed Marshal Tianpeng to the riverbank and made him start calling for help.
「At this moment.」
In the sky far away, within the Thunder Eye, deities from the Thunder Department were watching this scene. They looked at each other in dismay, all recognizing Kui Mulang’s identity and knowing that the one captured was Marshal Tianpeng.
Taoist Master Bi said, "What should we do? Marshal Tianpeng has been captured by General Li, and General Li intends to kill him! Should we report this to the Heavenly Court?"
Taoist Master Chen said, "There’s no need for the time being. General Li’s target is the Great General for Folding the Curtain. If he truly manages to lure out the Great General, could Kui Mulang still get away with acting so wantonly?"
The other Heavenly Masters also nodded, and they all chuckled. They had experienced Sha Chen’s formidable power. Although Kui Mulang was powerful, they suspected he was probably no match for Sha Chen.
Just then, Taoist Master Gou arrived.
He had already been reprimanded by his Higher-up. Furthermore, Master Wen had reported truthfully, and it was said he would likely be punished by the Jade Emperor. If that were all, he could still accept it. But there were also rumors that the Jade Emperor might demote him. If so, wouldn’t that strip him of his official status and power?
Taoist Master Gou had been rather listless these past few days. Master Wen had ordered him to temporarily suspend his official duties. But, indignant, he had come here intending to hurl a few more lightning bolts at Sha Chen, wanting to make him submit and yield sooner.
Then, he witnessed the scene unfolding before him.
He was stunned for a moment, then asked, "Why does Kui Mulang harbor such a deep-seated hatred for Sha Chen?"
The deities shook their heads.
Taoist Master Bi said, "Senior Brother Gou, didn’t Master Wen tell you not to come? Why aren’t you resting at your residence?"
Taoist Master Gou declared, "I cannot bear to see demons plaguing the mortal realm! I must let the righteousness in my heart spread throughout the world."
All the immortals curled their lips, clearly skeptical of his proclaimed righteousness.
Taoist Master Gou ignored their expressions and simply asked, "How did Kui Mulang come to have such enmity with Sha Chen? When he came here causing trouble before, I thought they were just fighting over territory."
The immortals shook their heads, indicating their ignorance. Only after listening more carefully did they begin to understand.
It turned out that Sha Chen had a feud with Kui Mulang over a stolen wife, and with Marshal Tianpeng over the burning of his home.
Afterwards, Taoist Master Gou’s expression turned peculiar.
Taoist Master Bi said, "Senior Brother Gou, we should start calling down the lightning. Besides, Kui Mulang is causing such a huge disturbance, his demonic aura soaring to the heavens and violating Heavenly Law. Shouldn’t we apprehend him?"
Taoist Master Gou said righteously, "Apprehend him? Why? We shouldn’t meddle in others’ affairs. Just focus on our own duties."
"Also, let’s hold off on the lightning for now. It won’t be too late to call it down after Sha Chen comes out."
He then explained, "Don’t think I am seeking revenge. It’s simply that Sha Chen is in his abode, and we don’t know if he’s actually being punished. Once he comes out, it will be the perfect time to call down the lightning and supervise him simultaneously."