“Nezha?”
A flicker of surprise crossed Li Jing’s face, followed by a surge of anger as he threw the broken sword to the ground. Assuming the commanding presence of the Heavenly Court’s chief marshal, he roared, “For the sake of a mere Celestial Attendant, you dare raise your weapon against your own father! Are you rebelling?”
With the Seven Treasure Exquisite Pagoda in hand, no matter how glorious or unruly Nezha might be outside, before his father, he could only obediently lower his proud head, listen to his words, and follow his commands.
“Father worries too much. Your son has just returned from subduing demons and heard that Father was enraged, having taken my only attendant to Lingxiao Palace. I came specifically to see.”
Even with Li Jing holding the pagoda, Nezha did not conceal the coldness in his eyes in the slightest. His Fire-Tipped Spear remained firmly in his grasp, and the Sky-Mixing Silk at his waist fluttered fiercely.
What a Marshal of the Central Altar!
The Lotus Prince’s edge remained as sharp as ever, peerless and proud!
As the two faced each other, though Nezha stood shorter than Li Jing, his imposing aura did not yield in the slightest. The bloodlust lingering from his demon-slaying mission startled Li Jing inwardly, though he showed no sign on his face.
The tense atmosphere made them seem less like father and son and more like sworn enemies.
Recalling Nezha’s earlier defiance, a flash of insight struck Li Jing, fueling his rage further. “You rebellious son! If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have forgotten—she was sent by you in the first place!”
The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King narrowed his eyes and pointed accusingly at Nezha before the crowd. “Now it all makes sense! The poison and the Illusionary Passion Powder must have been given to her by you!”
Li Jing had expected to see a trace of panic or guilt in Nezha’s eyes upon exposing their scheme. Instead, the other remained utterly unperturbed, as if everything unfolding before him was within his expectations.
Li Jing faltered for a moment, suddenly realizing that their current stance felt eerily familiar.
It was the same as during their final argument before Nezha’s suicide in the past.
Only one thing was different: the one stepping forward to shield and defend Nezha was no longer Lady Yin but a mere child.
“Heavenly King, your words are mistaken. As the Medicine King said earlier, you are not only unharmed but even healthier than before.”
“If this humble immortal had truly poisoned you, over the course of three full days, you would have long been drained of life. How could you stride with such vigor and scold the Great God of the Sea Assembly with such robust energy?”
“You!” Li Jing was livid.
Nezha was one thing, but a mere Celestial Attendant dared to speak to him with such disrespect!
To be honest, Shen Fuxing didn’t know where her courage came from. As Heavenly King Li glared at her, she mimicked Nezha and glared right back.
Earlier, when Li Jing swung his sword down, she had been so terrified she held her breath.
At this moment, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King finally understood why he had felt an instant dislike for Shen Fuxing from the very first glance.
Her temperament was too much like Nezha’s.
Equally bold and defiant, equally resistant to authority.
Even the stubborn, unyielding expression on her face was identical.
And this was precisely what Li Jing despised most in his life.
Thus, his voice trembled, whether from anger or something else, “You… you are insolent!”
“Guards! Seize this woman at once and execute her publicly!”
“Who dares.”
The tip of the Fire-Tipped Spear struck the ground, and the fierce Astral Qi infused with Samadhi True Fire sent the surrounding Heavenly Soldiers flying, causing Lingxiao Palace itself to tremble.
Nezha was no longer the child of yesteryear.
Now, he held a revered position, had a master, had brothers, and possessed the power to contend with anything. Even the Jade Emperor would have to think twice before moving against him.
What if there is a pagoda? Do you dare to tear up with me?
Without the illustrious military achievements of the Great God of the Third Altar, you, Li Jing, are nothing in the Heavenly Court.
The hatred and contempt in Nezha’s eyes were glaringly evident.
“Enough, stop making a scene.” The Jade Emperor rubbed his temples in frustration.
If he didn’t intervene now, given the father and son’s stubbornness and confrontational stance, the Lingxiao Palace would likely suffer today.
Moreover, Nezha’s explosive temper was something even the Jade Emperor treaded lightly around.
He feared pushing him too far, lest he rebel on the spot and stage a “Great Havoc in Heaven 2.0.”
Otherwise, it wouldn’t matter much, but his Heavenly Court simply couldn’t withstand another reckless rampage.
Back when that monkey wreaked havoc in Heaven, countless palaces were destroyed, and it took thirty years and immense resources to repair the damage.
If it happened again, he might just have a stroke and head straight to the Western Paradise.
“Since Heavenly King Li has no concrete evidence, and you’ve already bound and berated Shen Fuxing, let this matter end here. Do not bring it up again.”
This was clearly a case of turning a blind eye and hastily sweeping it under the rug!
Before Li Jing could speak, the Barefoot Immortal protested.
“Your Majesty, I have suffered such humiliation today. I demand an explanation from Heavenly King Li!”
His eyes shifted slightly. “Otherwise… otherwise, I’ll just stay right here and refuse to leave! I won’t leave!”
With that, he shamelessly tucked his sleeves and sprawled on the ground, refusing to get up.
Thinking about it, his plight was indeed pitiable.
But seeing him mimic the monkey’s tactics, the Jade Emperor felt his headache intensify.
Thankfully, the monkey was at Spirit Mountain and not in the Heavenly Court, or he’d likely develop hypertension and migraines.
“The Barefoot Immortal has indeed suffered this time. Heavenly King Li shall be confined to Yunlou Palace, forbidden to leave without summons, and must compensate the Barefoot Immortal with five thousand Merit for emotional distress. This shall be carried out without delay.”
The Jade Emperor’s voice was weary.
Upon hearing this, the Barefoot Immortal immediately clutched his waist and wailed in pain, “Oh, Your Majesty, my back hurts terribly. It might be fractured, all because Heavenly King Li struck too hard, oh…”
Li Jing, standing in the center of the hall, was utterly bewildered.
Wait, wasn’t he the victim here? How did he end up being punished?
And this Barefoot Immortal—when had he ever touched his waist? He’d only accidentally snapped his belt.
As the Barefoot Immortal theatrically rambled on, irritating the Jade Emperor, Heavenly King Li’s face was filled with indignation, ready to argue further.
Having endured their antics for so long, the Jade Emperor was in no mood to indulge them any longer.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he shot a glance at the Barefoot Immortal.
Instantly, the latter stopped all his crying, stood up, straightened his robes, thanked the Jade Emperor with utmost seriousness, and strode out with his head held high.
Li Jing: “…”
Is this right?
Seeing that Li Jing remained unconvinced and still wanted to lodge a complaint, the Jade Emperor’s patience finally snapped. “Enough! Heavenly King Li, why are you picking on a child? How old is she, and how old are you? She was just playing a few pranks on you. Was it really necessary?”
“Why make such a fuss? You’ve only damaged your father-son bond for nothing.”
The Jade Emperor stood up, initially intending to wave them off and send them back to their duties. But after a moment’s thought, he paused and cast a sidelong glance at Li Jing, Heavenly King Li.
That glance was filled with imperial authority, accompanied by an unwavering, resonant voice that left Heavenly King Li dizzy and disoriented.
“Heavenly King Li, the Pagoda-Bearer, has failed to uphold masculine virtue, provoked trouble, and offended the Barefoot Immortal. He is hereby ordered to copy the Heavenly Laws three thousand times as a warning to others!”
With that, he snorted heavily and strode away, his sleeves billowing.
Li Jing felt utterly aggrieved, unwilling, and unconvinced, wanting to call out to the Jade Emperor in an attempt to salvage the situation.
It was only after Taibai Jinxing secretly shot him a few meaningful glances that Li Jing snapped back to his senses.
The Emperor was in a foul mood. If he called out now, his punishment would only worsen.
But why was this happening?
Li Jing spent a whole day and night reviewing the events, racking his brains but still unable to figure out why he had been punished.
Tossing and turning, thinking it over and over, he realized he couldn’t afford to provoke the Jade Emperor, offending Taibai Jinxing was unwise, the Barefoot Immortal had an extremely thick skin—getting on his bad side was like being stuck with a stubborn plaster, endlessly troublesome—and Nezha was someone he couldn’t afford to openly clash with.
So, he placed all the blame on Shen Fuxing, who had no backing and was the easiest to provoke.
It must have been her feigning misery and acting pitiful to bewitch the Emperor, causing him to lose face completely!
The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King grew angrier and more frustrated the more he thought about it. Giving up on sleep altogether, he sat up and slammed his fist fiercely against the headboard.
Hmph, Nezha was occupied with the important task of demon-slaying and couldn’t stay in Yunlou Palace all the time.
Since he was confined to his quarters anyway, as long as he was there, Shen Fuxing wouldn’t have an easy time!