Chapter 599 - Martial Conference

One week later.

The streets of the Cuiyi Town are bustling with people and various activities today. Some people and some activities are the daily ones you will see in the Cuiyi Town, like the merchants and some street singing and dancing. But, today, there are new faces that can be seen, and they are doing new activities that brought more liveliness to the Cuiyi Town.

For instance, some martial artists, whether disciples of some smaller sects that wanted to make their name during the Martial Conference, are dueling against some lone martial artists. This serves as a warm up for the upcoming Martial Conference later, and also serves as entertainment for the passersby, making their small name become known to the ones watching after inquiring the names of the participants of the duel.

Meanwhile, as the passersby watch the duels occurring on different platforms, some suspicious and lithe figures are hiding in the shadows, watching the activities. Then, after ensuring that things are going to their plan, they disappeared.

On the river, a small boat appeared. As it passed by the unmanned boats with only the goods in it, floating on the bank, the two boats, for some reason, the two boats floated along with the boat. After the three boats passed under a bridge, the three boats returned to only one. Meanwhile, the spot where the two boats that disappeared were before, two similar boats replaced them with the same amount of good in it.

This all happened silently, and covertly. In an empty, multiple shadows appeared in black clothes.

"Are all things prepared?" one of them asked.

"Yes." someone answered.

"Good. Things are about to go on stage. The time is near." Somebody laughed.

A smile appeared on their faces before all of them split up, then vanished somewhere.

…

Stable World, Middle Heaven.

Shen Sheng is looking at Ling Shiyi lying on the floor, with the clouds hitting his body but Ling Shiyi didn't move. He is as still as a dead… well, he might be dead at this point. Xiao Hun, outside, didn't dare peek at the door nor just even look back to look at the door.

"Ling Shiyi…" Shen Sheng spoke in a low voice. "You owe me again this time." he frowned before he raised his hand.

Light came out of his hand and hit Ling Shiyi's body that immediately jerked after the light entered his body, ejecting the Foul inside his body that is actually slowly corroding his body. The Foul, after being ejected out of Ling Shiyi's body where it was hiding, immediately tried to find another body to enter. But, as soon as it went out of Ling Shiyi's body, it was instantly hit by Shen Sheng's divine light and the Foul howled in pain after it was being burned!

"Your Highness!" Xaio Hun anxiously called, though he doesn't need to since the Foul can never go near, nor even touch, Shen Sheng.

Xiao Hun sighed and pitied Ling Shiyi. Ling Shiyi was sent to the Middle Heaven by the Upper Heaven, and has long since been passed like a hot potato by the ones residing in the Upper Heaven, until, finally, he was about to die and the emperor had someone send Ling Shiyi to the Middle Heaven's doorsteps. Xiao Hun, the doorkeeper, wanted to shriek in indignance and frustration but how can he fight against those angels, much less the archangels who sent Ling Shiyi in the Middle Heaven?

Ling Si, or 0004, looked at Xiao Hun. "Greetings, Xiao Hun." He spoke with an emotionless voice. 

Xiao Hun coldly sweated and didn't answer. The emperor seems to place importance on Ling Shiyi despite being a 'defective product' for him to have Ling Si send Ling Shiyi to Middle Heaven, somewhere the angels nor archangels shouldn't go to.

Before, when Ling Shiyi was 'born' as an angel, and became an archangel, though barely an archangel, naturally, he has no place in the Upper Heaven, and he can only go to the Middle Heaven. In fact, no one has expected for another angel to be 'born', much less become an archangel instantly at that! After all, it was Shen Sheng who created angels before and even promoted some of them as archangels. But, after he was betrayed by the angels, he never had made one. 

It was already a blessing that Shen Sheng didn't kill all the angels, including the archangels! 

"How is His Highness?" Ling Si asked. This should've been asked as a show of concern, but in Ling Si's town, it sounded nonchalant. 

Xiao Hun still didn't answer. He knows that Ling Si is dissatisfied being sent to the Middle Heaven, for it is Shen Sheng's territory, and Shen Sheng dislikes the angels, especially the archangels. Fortunately, Shen Sheng currently isn't here. 

Ling Si knows that Xiao Hun is afraid of him, and he doesn't want to stay here in the Middle Heaven for any second longer. Thus, he bid him goodbye and flew back to the Upper Heaven. Xiao Hun sighed in relief, then, feeling pity towards Ling Shiyi being left cold outside, he decided to drag him back inside the doors where it is warmer. After all, Ling Shiyi has worked here before, though Shen Sheng has never given him any work at all. 

"Xiao Hun." Shen Sheng's voice pulled Xiao Hun back from his thoughts.

"Yes, Your Highness?" Xiao Hun answered and slowly opened the door. He saw Shen Sheng was fixing his robes.

"Send him to the Afterlife Department." Shen Sheng said.

Xiao Hun's eyes went wide, stunned. "Your Highness…" he called.

What does it mean to send an angel, and an archangel at that, to the Lower Heaven where the grim reapers reside? Xiao Hun couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. This not only slaps the Upper Heaven, but also makes the one in question, Ling Shiyi, feel ashamed if he wakes up!

"Are you questioning my decision?" Shen Sheng's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Not only he failed the task that I gave him but he also caused me lots of troubles. On top of that, he even made me heal him!" his voice race and the entire palace shook.

"I don't dare! I don't dare, Your Highness!" Xiao Hun immediately knelt.

"Send him to the Afterlife Department. Don't make me repeat it." Shen Sheng said before he walked past Ling Shiyi whose face regained its color.

"Yes!" Xiao Hun immediately answered and dragged Ling Shiyi back outside. Meanwhile, Shen Sheng sat on his throne before he raised his index finger. In the Upper Heaven, in one of the mountain of clouds, lightning flashed and the entire mountain of cloud shook while Ling Si who is sleeping suddenly coughed out a mouthful of golden blood.

Ling Si cursed how unlucky he was, adding to the fact his code that is related to death. Who told him to finish the fastest with his task and the follow-ups? Next time, he will procrastinate!

…

Normal World 101.

The Martial Conference has finally began, but the sect leaders of the smaller sects feel very uneasy as they sat on their seats. Currently, Zhao Yuwei, whom they thought as Zhao Liwei, is giving speech while Jin Chong sat on the side, looking sick and from time to time would nod on Zhao Yuwei's words. This shows that he will be passing on the seat of alliance leader to Zhao Yuwei. The sect leaders of the smaller sects didn't even flinch and just silently sat on their seats.

This made the sect leaders of the smaller sects feel uneasy. Although their sects are small, they aren't stupid. They know that there is something suspicious that is currently going on here. Of course, they know themselves that they are weaker than the enemies in the dark thus they didn't act. Although they feel more uneasy as time pass, they could only hope for a miracle to happen.

And it is now!

"Sect leader Zhao, may I ask you to a duel?" someone asked as a figure clothes in immaculate white descended from the sky like an immortal.

Zhao Yuwei's speech was interrupted but everyone currently are unable to tear their gazes away from this person who gate crashed.

"Luo Zhilai?!" an elder from a small sect exclaimed when he recognized Luo Zhilai.

After all, it has been more than a decade that passed that they have last seen him, and they never saw him again despite they know that he is just in the Cuiyi Town, doing businesses, for they feel ashamed to face him after they didn't help him and his sect before.

Luo Zhilai ignored them and his gaze is just on Zhao Yuwei. "Sect leader Zhao?" he called.

Zhao Yuwei sneered. "Do you think that you have the right to challenge me?" he asked.

Jin Chong used all of his strength to speak. "Sect leader Zhao… that is a junior sincerely asking for an advice. Why don't you give him a chance?" he asked and challengingly looked at Zhao Yuwei in the eyes.

But, who would have thought that Luo Zhilai would speak directly to Jin Chong. "You don't have the right to call me 'junior', murderer!" he said. He didn't give anyone the time to react and he faced Zhao Yuwei.. "So, another murderer, fake sect leader Zhao Liwei, do you dare fight me?" he asked.