Refuse to trample on the pride of heaven

Chapter 337: Greed of the World

He flicked his wide sleeves lightly, made a gesture with his fingertips, and a ray of clear light burst out from between his eyebrows, transforming into the pure air of Xuantian, cleansing the foul air in the temple.

The pilgrims who were originally kowtowing crazily were shocked by the sudden clear light. They looked up one after another, and the turbid desires in their eyes were slightly suppressed, revealing a bit of confusion.

Liu Jiqian flicked his sleeves, and the jade token of the chief disciple of the Wenxian Sect slipped out from his sleeves.

The token was suspended in the air, and the clear air flowed like moonlight, reflecting the mottled bloodstains in front of the niche in every detail.

"Everyone, I am the chief disciple of the Immortal Sect, Liu Jiqian. I came here to eliminate demons and defend the Way... Please listen to me."

Liu Jiqian's voice was as gentle as jade, but it carried an unquestionable majesty: "This 'Bodhisattva' is not a true god, but a demon. It feeds on your greed, eats away the earth veins, and harms all living things. If you continue to be stubborn, you may be doomed."

Before he finished speaking, there was an uproar in the temple.

The pilgrims looked at each other in bewilderment, and then someone shouted back, "Nonsense! The goddess appeared and blessed us, how could she be a demon? Even if you are an immortal master, you can't slander the gods!"

"That's right! The Queen is merciful and has bestowed upon us treasures, gold, silver, and many children and grandchildren. What right do you have to say that she is a demon?" another person echoed, his eyes full of fanaticism.

Liu Jiqian sighed softly and glanced at the pilgrims. He saw the dark red in their eyes, and it was obvious that they had been deeply bewitched by the demon.

He said no more, and lightly tapped his fingertips. The magic sword on his waist hummed, and the undried green demon blood on the scabbard suddenly lit up and turned into a sharp sword energy, pointing directly at the statue.

"How dare you!" Upon seeing this, the pilgrims became furious and rushed forward to try to stop Liu Jiqian. Some even picked up incense burners and candlesticks and threw them at him.

Liu Jiqian did not move, but his sword energy was so strong that it shattered all the incense burners and candlesticks.

His eyes were slightly cold, but his voice was still gentle: "Everyone, don't make the mistake. This demon feeds on your greed. If you don't get rid of it, it will eventually bite you back."

"Bullshit! The Queen is a deity, and you with silver hair and golden eyes are probably the demon!" A pilgrim roared, his eyes bloodshot, and he rushed towards Liu Jiqian regardless of everything.

Liu Jiqian frowned slightly and flicked his fingertips. A stream of clear air pushed the pilgrim back several steps, but did not hurt him at all.

He sighed in his heart. Whether these mortals were deeply bewitched by the demons or were deceiving themselves and willing to associate with the demons, words could no longer awaken their reason.

"In that case, don't blame me for being ruthless." Liu Jiqian whispered, but there was no emotion in his eyes.

The reputation of the "Immortal Master" is there, and people always cherish their lives.

"You...you dare to disrespect the gods!" someone shouted in a trembling voice, but he didn't dare to move forward and could only put his hope in the ethereal gods.

It's ridiculous to say that for the so-called desire, they turned a deaf ear and dumb even though they knew it was strange. For the sake of this "Bodhisattva" whose authenticity they couldn't tell, they even dared to go against the monks. But when it came to the real thing, they hesitated and started to bluff.

After all, it is human greed that makes people bet on the huge gains after the small probability is achieved.

Liu Jiqian sighed softly, and drew his magic sword. The sword light was like frost, instantly illuminating the entire temple. As the sword energy swept across, the pilgrims were frightened by the sharp sword energy and retreated one after another with fear in their eyes.

The sword's tip emitted a crescent-shaped arc of light, and wherever the clear light passed, the evil spirit was like boiling soup poured on snow, slicing off the evil spirit attached to the pilgrims' bodies, but deliberately avoiding the vital points of mortals.

Even though I couldn't see the reason behind it, I was still frightened by the aura. However, when I thought about what would happen if the "Bodhisattva" was really eliminated...

The farmer kneeling in front had bloodshot eyes bulging out of his sockets. "You immortal masters are usually so high and mighty, living freely and at ease! But when my village was attacked by demons and disasters occurred one after another, where were you? How come I never saw any trace of you! Now, we have finally found this glimmer of a way to survive, but you come to block us!"

Liu Jiqian frowned slightly and dodged the ignorant man, but he saw that these pilgrims seemed to have courage out of nowhere and started to choke boldly.

"Yes! We finally have a way to survive! You claim to be the ones who slay demons and defend the Way, but you don't care about the lives of the mortals below!"

"We don't care about any demons, we are willing to do it! There are so many demons in this world, you don't want to get rid of them, but you want to take care of the empress who gave us hope. Aren't you trying to force us to death?"

"The immortal master must have seen it wrong! The queen appeared last month and cured my mother's tuberculosis! Even if she is a demon, I will admit it! Those demons are harmful to people, but the queen is not! She is a bodhisattva who saves people from suffering and distress, and she has come to save us!"

The pilgrims knelt and crawled, forming a flesh wall, their cloudy eyes filled with spider-web-like bloodshot.

The old woman grasped the baby's swaddling clothes as a shield and pushed forward, hissing like an owl at night: "Those who slander the queen will be punished by heaven! It can't be considered as acting on behalf of heaven!"

The young man bit his nails and laughed foolishly: "Last night the Queen gave me a gold ingot... How could there be such a generous demon?" There were broken bones embedded in the cracks between his nails.

"It's easy to say, but I haven't seen the true face of your queen yet."

Liu Jiqian's expression was stern, and his eyes swept through the crowd like lightning. He said loudly: "You said that we are usually invisible, and because we have not benefited, we also abandoned the day and night running of the real demon-slayer monks? Demons are treacherous, if we have to witness them even if it is our duty, how can we defend the way? Isn't it hypocritical?"

"What you call a way out is nothing but being deceived by the demon. It tempts you with small benefits, but secretly plots against your life and soul. When the time is right, you will die. Is this also called a way out?"

"It is said that the 'Goddess' cured my mother's tuberculosis, so I believe she is a bodhisattva who saves people from suffering. But have you ever thought that there is no such thing as goodness without reason in the world? Even gods and immortals need incense and offerings, but this Goddess does not want these?"

"You keep saying you've found a way to survive, but this way out is clearly just drinking poison to quench your thirst!"

He fixed his eyes on the greasy-faced wealthy businessman and said sharply, "If your wealth and honor require your life, and you have a fortune but your soul is lost, what is the joy of being rich?"

Then, his eyes turned to the thin-faced scholar: "If the price of fame is the separation of wife and children, and high position and generous salary lead to the separation of the whole family, what is the point of fame?"

Then, he looked at the old farmer with a face full of vicissitudes: "If the price of a good harvest is the separation of children and grandchildren, it is like a full granary but a difficult time for the whole family to gather together."

The young and beautiful woman who was noticed avoided looking at him: "If the price of beauty is the disappearance of the soul, it is like a blooming flower withering suddenly, and no one will look at your beauty."

Then he said to the peasant woman who was desperately seeking a child, "If your child must be exchanged for blood and tears, and you die with your beloved child in your arms, how can this child return home?"

"A debt owed in the open, and a debt paid in the dark, are you still willing to do this?"

Liu Jiqian looked around at everyone, his expression solemn, and said slowly: "Gentlemen, the true fulfillment of prayers should be based on the principles of heaven, humanity, down-to-earth, and diligence. It should not rely on this mysterious and unpredictable 'Empress'."

Everyone was speechless and looked away.

Sword energy burst out from the spirit platform, but it was not directed at mortals.

Liu Jiqian put his fingers together and slashed the scabbard at his waist. The frosty sword light was like a silver dragon swinging its tail, plowing a three-foot gully on the bluestone slab.

The clear steam rising from the ditch burned the filthy offerings on the ground into gray powder. The hands of those who still wanted to stuff the money bags under the feet of the statue were instantly burned to pieces.

"God have mercy!" The most ferocious man just now suddenly collapsed to the ground, with fishy stains all over his crotch.

The baby in the old woman's arms suddenly burst into tears. Seeing Liu Jiqian approaching, fear flashed in the old woman's eyes and she did not dare to act rashly.

"Don't be afraid." Liu Jiqian's fingertips condensed dew and touched the crying baby's brow.

The immortal with silver hair and golden eyes showed compassion on his face, and under his fingertips, the baby's crying gradually stopped.

"It's not the will of heaven that's confused, it's people themselves that are confused, you guys should go home quickly."

Liu Jiqian fluttered his wide sleeves to brush away the scattered pilgrims out of the temple gate, and when he turned around, his golden pupils shone with a bright light.

The scabbard tapped the ground lightly, and thousands of sword energies surged like tides under the moon, but turned into a gentle breeze when touching the corner of a mortal's clothes. The copper bells on the eaves rang in unison, washing away the crazy mumbling and driving away the pilgrims out of the door.