Strange Ran Deng

The armored soldiers mounted their warhorses and galloped away.

The leading armored soldier offered his warhorse to Gu Changqing, who did not refuse.

"Amitabha!"

The group of several people hadn't gone ten li before they were stopped.

Being stopped was not surprising at all. Although the battle was brief, its repercussions were vast.

It would have been surprising if they hadn't been discovered.

"Lapis Lazuli Bodhisattva?" Gu Changqing glanced over; it was an old acquaintance.

Lapis Lazuli Bodhisattva asked, "Junior Brother Changqing, why have you abducted my senior brother?"

Gu Changqing asked, "Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva killed a minister of my Great Shang and a disciple of my Intercepting Sect. As the Imperial Preceptor and a direct disciple of the Intercepting Sect, shouldn't I hold him accountable?"

Lapis Lazuli Bodhisattva looked at Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva and asked, "Senior Brother, is this true?"

"It is."

Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva nodded helplessly.

He hoped Lapis Lazuli Bodhisattva would retreat, knowing the difficulty. Even he couldn't defeat Gu Changqing, so Lapis Lazuli Bodhisattva certainly couldn't.

Gu Changqing clearly intended to use him as bait, riding him along to lure out experts from the Western Sect and capture them all in one fell swoop.

At this point, he even suspected that Chong Heihu had been killed by Gu Changqing himself, a deliberate frame-up.

Unfortunately, he had no evidence and couldn't figure out how Gu Changqing had obtained the Precious Flower.

If he used the lives of his own disciples and trusted subordinates to draw him out, what was the purpose?

Once exposed, Gu Changqing would be utterly disgraced.

It wasn't worth it!

Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva couldn't understand this point either.

Lapis Lazuli Bodhisattva frowned slightly and said, "Junior Brother Changqing, the dead cannot be brought back to life. As long as you release Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva, we can discuss any conditions."

"There's nothing to discuss!" Gu Changqing said coldly, "If the Son of Heaven breaks the law, he is subject to the same punishment as commoners. Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva publicly murdered a citizen of my Great Shang; he should naturally be handed over to the Great King for disposal."

Lapis Lazuli Bodhisattva frowned again, "Are you saying a Bodhisattva of my Western Sect is not worth as much as an Earth Immortal?"

"What a joke!" Gu Changqing retorted, "Didn't your Western Sect say that the Buddhist Sect treats all beings equally? An Earth Immortal is a being, so a Bodhisattva is not a being?"

"I..."

Lapis Lazuli Bodhisattva was rendered speechless.

"Junior Sister, you should go back, back to Mount Sumeru."

Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva advised, "One must take responsibility for one's own actions. Don't worry about me."

Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva knew in his heart that if he didn't admit guilt, the consequences would only be more severe.

With Gu Changqing in the North Sea, their schemes there were destined to fail.

Gu Changqing was too strong!

Unless the two sect masters personally intervened, no one could do anything to Gu Changqing.

And Gu Changqing had countless magical treasures!

"No!" Seeing Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva say this, Lapis Lazuli Bodhisattva was even more determined not to let go.

"Senior Brother couldn't have killed an Earth Immortal; Senior Brother is innocent!"

"Innocent?" Gu Changqing sneered, "Does Junior Brother Lapis Lazuli intend to break him out of prison?"

"I..."

Lapis Lazuli Bodhisattva was stunned. If Senior Brother is innocent, why would I break him out of prison?

Gu Changqing said coldly, "One who breaks a prisoner out of prison is guilty of the same crime as the murderer!"

As he spoke, he reached out and grabbed, a large green hand reaching for Lapis Lazuli Bodhisattva's head.

How can he be so strong!

Lapis Lazuli Bodhisattva couldn't even last one round before Gu Changqing sealed her Nascent Soul.

"Take her away!"

"Yes!"

Seeing Gu Changqing capture another big fish, the armored soldiers joyfully tied Lapis Lazuli Bodhisattva up.

The Imperial Preceptor truly was the Imperial Preceptor!

After the Grand Tutor arrived in the North Sea, he fought bitterly for three years without success, but the Imperial Preceptor captured two leaders with a single move.

"Junior Sister, you're being foolish!"

"I already told you to leave, why didn't you go?"

"In the Primordial World, strength is revered. Even if I am innocent, what does it matter? If my strength is inferior, and the strong say I am guilty, then I am guilty."

Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva continued to lecture Lapis Lazuli Bodhisattva, who remained utterly bewildered.

How is he so strong?

How long has he even been cultivating?

How is this possible?

The cavalry troop advanced, constantly encountering experts from the Western Sect.

Initially, Gu Changqing would chat with them for a few moments, but eventually, he simply suppressed them directly.

This kept the armored guards extremely busy.

The horses could no longer carry so many captives.

So, they cut down wood, built several flatbed carts, and simultaneously sent someone back for reinforcements.

There were too many captives; they couldn't handle them all.

The carts were filled with various Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and Vajras...

Exhausted but happy!

It wasn't that they had never captured prisoners before, but they had never captured immortal prisoners.

One could say this was the most glorious moment of their lives.

All the glory was brought by the Imperial Preceptor alone.

Gu Changqing observed the Western Sect experts and mused, This should fetch a good price. Chong Heihu deserves the most credit for this!

When Sangharama Honored One of the Western Sect saw Gu Changqing's invincible might, he felt a shiver run down his spine.

Too monstrous!

Where did Tong Tian find such a disciple?

He just took a stroll in the North Sea, and the Western Sect was almost completely wiped out.

No justice!

Sangharama Honored One, terrified, fled far away. He didn't return to the Western Sect but instead went to Vulture Peak Cave.

"Sangharama requests an audience with Senior Martial Uncle Ran Deng."

"Come in."

Ran Deng's voice emerged from Vulture Peak Cave.

"Senior Martial Uncle Ran Deng, please, quickly save our Western Sect!"

As soon as Sangharama Honored One entered Vulture Peak Cave, he immediately cried out, "Gu Changqing has captured many of our Western Sect experts! Our Western Sect is almost completely annihilated in the North Sea!"

Ran Deng was startled upon hearing this. "Who did you say?"

"Gu Changqing!" Sangharama Honored One added, "Gu Changqing, the youngest disciple under Saint Tong Tian."

"Oh."

Ran Deng nodded, then with a flick of his hand, he suppressed Sangharama Honored One.

"Wh-why?"

Sangharama Honored One was utterly bewildered.

We're partners, aren't we?

Why are you suppressing me, old man? We're on the same side. Gu Changqing is the enemy!

It's so hard to guess what these big shots are thinking.

Sangharama Honored One was not only bitter but also utterly desperate.

After suppressing Sangharama Honored One, Ran Deng immediately sent a flying sword message to Yuanshi:

Senior Brother, Gu Changqing has arrived in the North Sea and has captured all the Western Sect experts. Please come quickly to the North Sea, lest Tong Tian seize the initiative.

After sending the message, Ran Deng carried Sangharama Honored One and pursued Gu Changqing.

In the blink of an eye, he saw Gu Changqing and his companions, along with the captured Western Sect experts.

The Western Sect experts rejoiced when they saw Ran Deng, but upon seeing Sangharama Honored One in Ran Deng's hand, they were again utterly bewildered.

What's going on?

Shouldn't Ran Deng be directly suppressing Gu Changqing?

Why did he suppress Sangharama Honored One instead?

"Senior Martial Uncle Ran Deng?"

Gu Changqing looked at Ran Deng with a curious expression.

What is this guy up to?

Ran Deng threw Sangharama Honored One towards Gu Changqing and chuckled, "Nephew Changqing came to Vulture Peak Mountain, so why don't you come to Vulture Peak Cave for tea?"

"Tea?"

Gu Changqing looked utterly bewildered. Wasn't this guy colluding with the Western Sect?

Why would he want to drink tea with me instead of trying to kill me?

Ran Deng then continued, "This Sangharama Honored One should be the last high-level expert of the Western Sect in the North Sea. Nephew Changqing, you wouldn't believe it. Ever since these fellows arrived in the North Sea, there hasn hasn't been a single day of peace."

"For Nephew Changqing to wipe out the Western Sect this time, and restore peace to the North Sea, it is a blessing for the North Sea and a fortune for the world."

Gu Changqing: Is this not the real Ran Deng?

Western Sect: This isn't how the script goes?