Fellow Daoist! That scoundrel has written a new book again.

Chapter 354 Pieces and Sacrificial Pieces

When Zhu Wu received the information he wanted and left the Star-Picking Tower alone, the Ink Trace Bookstore was holding a competition.

The city was unusually lively because of this novel event.

I hope you will pause for a moment.

This was originally a promotional event for Ink Trace Bookstore, and the selected topics were naturally from several recently popular storybooks.

"Dear readers, the first question for our Ink Trace Bookstore is—was Shi Huai's decision not to completely eliminate Shi Jin a mistake or a brilliant one?"

Back then, Wuyu and Youdao were two different aliases among the readers who often gathered to debate. In order to accommodate these two "big shots," Mohen Bookstore was expanded more than a decade ago.

After years of development, this place has become a gathering place for refined conversations.

It can accommodate many people who come to watch the spectacle.

Although there was money involved, it was not a formal competition.

Whether you're a refined gentleman or an ordinary person, as long as you're not afraid to show your ignorance, you can go on stage and express your thoughts freely.

Even if the discussion is commonplace, one can still receive a participation prize of a few coins.

If you get a lot of "paper flowers", you can get a good ranking and compete for the grand prize.

Because the competition was promoted in advance, and because of the previous incident of Xiao Dingdang "discontinuing the update", which generated a lot of buzz, everyone already knew the easy-to-understand rules.

As soon as the question was asked, someone immediately stepped forward.

Those scholars, proud of their status, were unwilling to be the "brick" that dredges up the broth, but the hoodlum was not afraid; he was only after those few coins!

With his agile skills, the hooligan leaped onto the stage with a side somersault, and even the "warm-up act" arranged by Gu Lang couldn't outmaneuver him.

His voice was strong and assertive, and he spoke with great confidence.

"In my opinion, this is definitely a mistake. Leaving such a potential source of trouble means it might try to sabotage me in the future!"

"Isn't this just creating trouble out of nowhere?"

"We gangsters have to be ruthless. Whoever harms me, I'll harm them in return. In my previous life, Shi Huai was dead. After being reborn, he didn't have a temper at all. He's a complete coward!"

"In my opinion, not only should Shi Jin die, but the entire Shi family should be killed."

After a lengthy and impassioned speech, the scoundrel succinctly concluded—

"Kill them all! Leave no one alive!"

Upon hearing this, a rare but exceptionally enthusiastic cheer erupted from the audience.

"Big brother is right!"

"kill!"

"That's just how tough we, the Green Dragon Gang, are!"

……

Li Fuwei's expression was particularly interesting. The shill he had arranged was complaining to Gu Lang: "Do you know what? He kicked me in the chest!"

Using his divine sense as a cultivator, Gu Lang located the members of the Azure Dragon Gang and counted their numbers.

Then he counted out a few coins from his money pouch, threw them towards the direction of the Green Dragon Gang, and said:

"Alright! Here, collect the money for your eldest brother!"

As the copper coin traced an arc through the air, the Green Dragon Gang disintegrated!

The scoundrel jumped down, and a fight broke out among the group before he was dragged away from the scene.

The shill, who was there to warm up the crowd, took the opportunity to go on stage and recite his prepared speech. He was serious about being a shill!

These words were remarkably down-to-earth, easily understood by anyone, and even contained a few witty remarks that could inspire those with genuine talent and learning to challenge him.

As expected, the next person to take the stage was Wang Simiao, who was known for his quick wit in Beixuan City.

She is not yet twenty years old, but she has already prepared herself to become a staff member in the city management office. She is just waiting for the right age to take the exam.

After taking the stage, she first made a joke:

"I thought it was some kind of hero who would kill without batting an eye, but it turns out to be the Green Dragon Gang fighting over ten coins!"

"Although I also think he should be killed, it is hard to believe that these words came from the mouth of the leader of the Green Dragon Gang. I'm afraid that you might think that if you listen to him, you will end up like him. What should we do then?"

After the audience burst into laughter and turned their attention back to her, Li Simiao then began to speak seriously:

"Actually, what that 'hero' just said is true. He said that if trouble is caused by no reason, there is no way to guard against thieves for a thousand days.

Even without past grudges, there can only be one head of the family.

"If you get it, I'll lose it. Even if I don't want it, Jin will still think I'm trying to fight for it."

"With all this guessing, nobody can trust anyone else."

"Who knows, their dispute might cause countless troubles and involve countless people. In the end, there could be quite a few murder cases!"

"...

"In that case, it's better to cut the Gordian knot and eliminate Shi Jin alone. This will resolve the conflict. Blindly backing down will only create chaos. The war is not about seizing power, but about ending the conflict!"

The disciples of Zhaixinglou stationed here were also watching the commotion.

"Indeed, some people are quick-witted; there is no difference in the level of reasoning, but there is a difference in the level of expression."

"That's why Li Simiao was able to quickly shift everyone's attention to her after the farce, and she didn't put on airs of a refined scholar in the streets. She was also able to raise the banner of 'righteousness' at the end."

"Whether he has any knowledge or moral character is unknown, he can certainly be considered a capable person."

"By the way, have the results of the Star-Picking Pavilion's personal disciple assessment come out yet?"

"Not yet, it'll be in the next few days. Have you heard? Zhu Wuyao, who was highly favored before, might not get the position of personal disciple..."

"what?!"

"I heard that someone answered better than her. Although Senior Sister Gu admires Zhu Wuyao, in order to be fair to all fellow disciples, she still argued with the elders and demanded that all disciples be treated equally."

"Senior Sister Gu is truly a person of noble character and integrity..."

Zhu Wuyao stood in the crowd.

She looked at the people debating on the stage and listened for a long time.

When this story was first written, the conflict between the two had just begun. Now, only a few months later, the story of Shi Huai and Shi Jin in the story continues, but the two people who were the prototypes for them have already been "determined" to be the victor.

Zhu Wuyao listened from the audience for a while, then turned around.

He walked south alone.

Even after traveling a considerable distance, the voices of debate could still be heard due to the breadth of his divine sense. The scene within the Purple Qi Mystic Realm was previously silent, but now, the sounds of the wind and human voices were clear enough.

"It's nothing more than a struggle between pawns and sacrificed pieces."

"If Shi Jin is kept, she may become the winner or she may become the loser."

"But if we kill Shi Jin, the situation from the past life will continue into this life."

"Shi Huai is still trapped in the scheme set up for the two of them by the Shi family couple in the previous life. She will only become a pawn in the scheme."

"Such writing is neither a masterpiece nor a failure."

"It's just a vulgar piece of writing."

"There is the sorrow of the fox mourning the death of the rabbit, but the most tragic thing is that the fox that has eaten the meat is not sad but happy, thinking that it has gained an advantage, and acts like a petty person who is gloating over the misfortune."

"Little did they know that winning or losing is not up to them, and advancing or retreating is not up to them. Today the cunning rabbit is dead, but tomorrow a guillotine may be on their head."

"To treat Shi Jin as an enemy is laughable, utterly laughable..."