As the dust settled, Zhexiu's figure appeared in front of Xiao Zhang.
He wore a single garment, and his sleeves and trousers had been cut very short, unable to hide the metal thorn-like hairs sticking out of his body.
Ten incomparably sharp and tough claws protruded from his hands, glinting with a cold light and making one shiver in fear.
Even more frightening was that his face was also covered in hair, his teeth incomparably sharp, and his eyes were a crazed red.
Seeing this scene, the crowd burst into cries of terror, and like a tide, they desperately retreated.
Zhexiu paid no attention to these things, only stared at the blue-clothed Daoists.
These Daoists were very strong, but even more frightening was that they were very dangerous.
Experts did not necessarily represent danger, and no one understood this principle better than Zhexiu.
Therefore, he did not hesitate to go into Berserk mode immediately, using his strongest state to face the enemy.
… …
… …
Several Daoist swords buzzed, vibrating at an extremely high frequency in the morning light.
The blue-clothed Daoists slightly frowned at Zhexiu. They said nothing, nor did they attack.
Although Zhexiu had spent his childhood fighting on the snowy plains of the northern border, he had always been very famous in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
The blue-clothed Daoists only needed a glance to recognize this young expert from the Wolf tribe.
Wofu Zhexiu, the most dangerous of the younger generation of cultivators.
This was a publicly acknowledged fact, even though it had been a very long time since he had displayed his terrifying experience and willpower in battle.
If Zhexiu had insisted on protecting Xiao Zhang, today would have been a bitter battle, perhaps even a bloody one.
But the Daoists were only wary, not afraid.
They very calmly determined that Zhexiu could not change the final outcome, that Xiao Zhang would assuredly die.
They had stopped not because Zhexiu had suddenly appeared, but because they knew where Zhexiu had gone after leaving the snowy plains and who he had been with this entire time.
As expected, in the next moment, the crowd at the bottom of the stone steps retreated to the sides like a tide.
Chen Changsheng walked up the stone steps.
All of Fengyang City became incomparably quiet.
No one here recognized Chen Changsheng, but the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty were all believers of the Orthodoxy, so who would not recognize the Divine Staff in his hand?
Who in the entire continent was qualified to wield this Divine Staff?
Finally, someone awoke from their daze and let out a cry of alarm, causing all of Fengyang City to wake up.
Still like a tide, countless people knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Chen Chang Sheng. Countless pious and respectful voices combined together, like thunder.
"I pay my respects to Your Holiness the Pope."
Chen Changsheng arrived at Zhexiu's side and turned to look at the blue-clothed Daoists.
The green-clothed Daoists kneeled down to Chen Chang Sheng. Their expressions were respectful and there was no sign of unwillingness on their faces.
Chen Chang Sheng nodded.
The officials present and the court experts from the Ministry of Justice also knelt down.
Chen Changsheng turned to Xiao Zhang, looked at the rather worn-out white paper on his face, recalled the scene from their first meeting in Xunyang City, and couldn't help but sigh.
Even now, he did not look at the prefectural magistrate.
The magistrate's expression fluctuated for a moment. In the end, he lifted his official robe and knelt down.
Xiao Zhang didn't kneel, because he didn't have the strength. Of course, even if he had a lot of strength, he wouldn't kneel to Chen Chang Sheng.
Chen Changsheng had been Pope for three years now, especially in the recent period. With his reappearance and the matter of the Cinnabar Pill, his reputation on the continent had been rising.
In Xiao Zhang's eyes, he was still that talented youth from Xunyang City with a tough personality, but just as boring as Wang Po.
In short, in his view, Chen Changsheng was a junior, so why should he kneel?
Xiao Zhang asked, "Why are you here?"
Chen Changsheng replied, "I just happened to be passing by."
This was naturally an excuse, and no one would believe it.
Xiao Zhang asked, "What do you want to do?"
Chen Changsheng replied, "I want to absolve you of your crimes."
After saying this, he raised the Divine Staff in his hand.
Next, he only needed Xiao Zhang to kneel, and then he would lightly tap the tip of the Divine Staff three times on Xiao Zhang's head to complete the absolution ceremony.
"Wait!" The prefectural magistrate forcefully suppressed the fear in his heart and said to Chen Changsheng in a trembling voice, "Since when can the Li Palace interfere in the affairs of the court?"
According to the laws of the Great Zhou and a few unwritten rules, the Li Palace normally could not interfere in the affairs of the court.
Chen Changsheng finally glanced at the prefectural magistrate, but he still said nothing.
"According to the laws of the Great Zhou, as long as it is not a crime of rebellion, His Holiness the Pope has the right to absolve."
Hu Thirty-Two had arrived at some point and impassively said to the prefectural magistrate, "What rank did you get in the Grand Examination that you don't even know this?"
The prefectural magistrate's complexion became abnormally nasty. He was familiar with the laws and scriptures of the church, so he should have known that the Pope had the right to absolve, but the previous Pope had not used it in his several hundred years on the throne. Let alone him, perhaps even the ministers of the court had forgotten about this matter.
The words he had spoken earlier had been so sonorous and forceful, so powerful that they still seemed to be echoing.
"You willfully slaughtered the innocent. Even ten thousand deaths cannot atone for it.
"Thus, you are wicked beyond redemption."
But not long after he said these words, the Pope appeared in front of him and said that he would absolve Xiao Zhang of his crimes.
This was the privilege of the Pope. It didn't matter if you were wicked beyond redemption or wicked beyond redemption. If I absolve you, then you are not guilty.
Tang Thirty-Six also arrived. Pointing at the blue-clothed Daoists, he said, "If the Orthodoxy is not allowed to interfere in the affairs of the court, why would these Daoists of the Monastery of Eternal Spring dare to kill people on the street? Lord Prefectural Magistrate, shouldn't you first have these people arrested and thrown into prison? "
The blue-clothed Daoists did not change their expressions, but the prefectural magistrate's complexion became even more unsightly.
At this moment, Xiao Zhang suddenly said, "I won't kneel to you."
If he insisted on not kneeling, how could the absolve ceremony be completed?
No one had expected that just as the matter was about to be resolved, another problem like this would suddenly appear.
Tang Thirty-Six looked at Xiao Zhang and prepared to say a few harsh words, but Chen Changsheng stopped him.
"It's fine if I stand higher."
Chen Changsheng took a few steps up and then turned around.
At this moment, he was several steps higher than Xiao Zhang, the height just right.
Xiao Zhang did not need to kneel. The Divine Staff he raised could also fall flat on his head like a ruler.
Without a single sound, the tip of the Divine Staff lightly touched Xiao Zhang's head three times, and the ceremony was complete.
From start to finish, Xiao Zhang said nothing, and it was impossible to see his expression under the white paper. Was it astonishment or anger?
After a while, he rubbed his head and said, "It's a little itchy."
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