Since that day, Li Jing had not seen Shen Fuxing for two consecutive days.
After being toyed with like that, humiliated all the way to Spirit Mountain, even tearing her to pieces wouldn’t quell the hatred in his heart—what were a few kicks in comparison?
He had originally intended to first issue orders to all celestial generals under his command, instructing them to search their ranks for anyone named Shen Yuanling and immediately escort them to Yunlou Palace upon discovery.
He wanted to strip the immortal body from the person Shen Fuxing cared about most right in front of her and cast them down to the mortal realm.
He wanted to personally break that annoying stubbornness of hers, make her see her own lowly and humble status, and have her weep and beg for mercy on her knees.
But after waiting all morning, all the celestial generals sent messages saying there was no one named Shen Yuanling.
Li Jing’s explosive temper flared up again.
Damn it! What do you mean there’s no one? Celestial Master Zhang personally came to Yunlou Palace to tell Shen Fuxing about her grandfather’s whereabouts—how could the news possibly be false?
Most likely, the celestial generals under his command, seeing him placed under house arrest by the Jade Emperor for the first time in thousands of years, thought he had fallen from favor and were now treating him like a fool!
Heavenly King Li paced back and forth in the hall with his hands clasped behind his back.
Now that he couldn’t step out of Yunlou Palace even half a step, he naturally couldn’t make an imposing tour of the various departments to intimidate those audacious celestial generals who dared to deceive and brush him off.
But Shen Fuxing was an attendant in Third Prince’s palace—she should be right under his nose, shouldn’t she?
Rather than waiting endlessly, it would be better to go directly to the culprit and give her a few more beatings.
He had interrogated many vicious demons and monsters who had brutally harmed living beings in the Celestial Prison before—he had plenty of tortures at his disposal!
No time to waste!
Li Jing stormed out of his bedchamber, but Yan He, the steward of Yunlou Palace, suddenly emerged from the ground, turned, and blocked his path: “Heavenly King, Taibai Jinxing has come to visit, bringing many gifts. He says he specifically came to see you, as an old friend of thousands of years, and asks that you not shut him out.”
The steward of his palace was originally a disciple taken in by Tu Xingsun after the Investiture of the Gods, deeply skilled in the Earth Escape Technique.
But after a few hundred years, Tu Xingsun discovered that Yan He not only hadn’t turned into a short, stubby fellow like himself but had instead grown taller and more handsome.
And so, Yan He was expelled from his master’s tutelage.
Of everyone in Yunlou Palace, he was the only one Li Jing found somewhat agreeable.
“Take him to the main hall,” Li Jing said coldly, his tone unpleasant.
If it weren’t for Taibai Jinxing fanning the flames, how could he have been placed under house arrest? And now he actually had the nerve to come visit him.
That old scoundrel—he really wanted to swing a club and kill him!
Glaring fiercely in the direction of Third Prince’s palace, Li Jing reluctantly headed to the main hall.
“I was quite offensive in Lingxiao Palace the other day. Today, I have come specifically to apologize,” Taibai Jinxing said, clasping his hands in greeting with a fly-whisk draped over his arm, a smile on his face.
But who knew how much sincerity lay behind that smile?
“Taibai Jinxing, you jest. How could I, this Heavenly King, hold a grudge against you over such trivial matters?”
“The blame lies with that wretched girl by Nezha’s side. I will execute her sooner or later!” Li Jing slammed the table angrily.
Taibai Jinxing stroked his beard, smiling without a word.
Inwardly, he scowled and thought: That child, young as she is, knows how to repay kindness. I merely brought her into Lingxiao Palace as a favor, and she immediately had Giant Spirit God deliver seventy thousand Merit as a thank-you gift.
Unlike you, you old fossil, who offends people with every word. I’ve spoken so many good words on your behalf before His Majesty and our colleagues over thousands of years, and I’ve never seen you send seventy thousand Merit.
A wise bird chooses the tree to perch on—she is the superior phoenix tree.
And you, if it weren’t for Nezha’s fearsome reputation as a god-slayer, you’d be nothing but a nobody in the Heavenly Court!
“If the Heavenly King is not angry, that is good. This humble Daoist has not played a game of chess with the Heavenly King for a long time. Since I happen to have some free time today, how about we play a few rounds?”
Annoying! Who has time to play chess with an old fool like you!
If it were any other immortal, Li Jing would have long since beaten them up and thrown them out of Cloud Tower Palace.
But Taibai Jinxing presides over warfare and slaughter. If they really fought, Li Jing wasn’t sure he could win.
Cursing inwardly, Li Jing forced a smile on his face. “Very well. This Heavenly King has nothing better to do. Taibai Jinxing, please take a seat.”
It’s just a few games of chess. After finishing, he could go settle accounts with Shen Fuxing. Let her be happy for a little while longer.
That’s what he thought, but Li Jing never dreamed that Taibai Jinxing would win three consecutive games against him.
In the past, the old fool would be lucky to win one out of five games. Did he cheat today?
Taibai Jinxing quietly waited for him to take the bait, sipping tea contentedly, looking every bit the benevolent, immortal elder.
Sure enough, after two hours, Li Jing grew flushed, his competitive spirit burning hotter and hotter, his tone becoming increasingly agitated and frustrated.
“This game doesn’t count! Again!”
“That was a mistake! Again!”
…”Again!” “Again!” “Again!”
Taibai Jinxing was endlessly patient, accompanying him for a full day and night.
Li Jing was completely unaware of the passage of time, his brow furrowed, fingers pinching a chess piece, his gaze tense and urgent on the board as he pondered how to break the stalemate.
Dawn broke. It was time for the shift change.
Estimating the time, Taibai Jinxing raised a hand to rub his waist, speaking with feigned difficulty. “Ah, age is catching up. These old bones aren’t what they used to be; even playing chess can tire one out.”
He stood up with a faint smile. “Let’s leave this game as it is and arrange another day to continue. This humble Daoist takes his leave.”
With that, he placed a single palm before his chest and gave a slight nod.
Li Jing was still unsatisfied. After playing for so long, Taibai Jinxing had tied with him. If he won this game, the old fool would remain his defeated opponent.
Forget it. He’d already wasted a day and a night. Nezha would return tomorrow at noon.
If he tried to torment Shen Fuxing then, that rebellious son would definitely oppose him.
Strike first, or face the Fire-Tipped Spear later.
Thus, the moment Taibai Jinxing left, Li Jing rushed straight to the Third Prince’s palace without stopping.
Halfway there, a huge shadow suddenly appeared on the ground.
Was there something above his head?
Before he could look up, a “BOOM!” sounded.
An enormous Giant Spirit God descended from the sky, his weight making Cloud Tower Palace tremble three times.
“Heavenly King, this minor deity has offended you many times in the past. Today, I have prepared a humble gift and have come specially to apologize.”
Without giving Li Jing a chance to react, he bent his knees and with another “BOOM!”, knelt straight down.
The halitosis incident that day had caused Li Jing significant psychological trauma. Now, just seeing the Giant Spirit God triggered a stress response, and he instinctively covered his nose first.
However, due to the Giant Spirit God’s immense height and size—several dozen zhang tall—unless one got right up to his mouth, one couldn’t actually smell anything foul when facing him.
Yet, the moment Li Jing saw him, his nostrils inevitably recalled certain unforgettable stenches. Frowning, he ordered his attendants to accept the gifts and waved his hand, urging him to leave quickly.
But the Giant Spirit God remained motionless. He lowered his body and kowtowed. “Actually, this minor deity has another request for coming here. Recently, while reading military texts, I encountered some points I don’t understand. I specially request the Heavenly King’s guidance.”
“No time!” Li Jing’s expression was displeased, and he refused without hesitation.
The Giant Spirit God did not insist. “Understood. I will trouble you again after the Third Prince returns. Farewell.”
“Wait!”
What did that mean—that his understanding of military strategy was inferior to Nezha’s?
Absurd. Every time the Heavenly Court dispatched troops, wasn’t it Li Jing who commanded them?
As for Nezha, he was merely used as a vanguard.
“If you sincerely seek guidance, why wait for Nezha’s return? Wherever you don’t understand, this Heavenly King will explain it to you.”
“Thank you, Heavenly King.” The Giant Spirit God kowtowed in gratitude.
Just as Taibai Jinxing had predicted, as long as he was compared to Nezha, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King would inevitably become indignant, immediately seeking to prove that he, the father, was stronger than his son.
Before coming to Yunlou Palace, the Giant Spirit God had sprinkled sleep-inducing powder on every page of the military texts.
As long as the two of them worked together to keep Li Jing occupied, once the Third Prince returned, Sister Shen would be safe.
The powder was colorless and odorless. The Giant Spirit God pretended not to understand the parts Li Jing had explained only once, insisting on hearing them four or five times before nodding in comprehension.
Each time Heavenly King Li showed an impatient expression and tried to send him away, the Giant Spirit God would say, “Then this humble deity will wait for the Third Prince to return.” Li Jing would then explain until his mouth went dry, determined to make him understand.
Six hours passed in a flash, and the sky had darkened.
Seeing Li Jing struggling to stay awake, his eyelids nearly glued together, the Giant Spirit God tactfully took his leave.
Having unknowingly inhaled a large amount of the powder, Li Jing no longer had the energy to worry about Shen Fuxing. Returning to his bedchamber, he collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
In theory, the drug’s effects should have kept him asleep for two full days—by then, Nezha would have long returned.
But a sudden, deafening explosion jolted him awake early.
Opening his eyes, he saw half of his bedchamber collapsed, with rubble and wood splinters flying everywhere.
Alarm bells rang in Li Jing’s mind. He grabbed the Seven Treasure Exquisite Pagoda from his embrace and rushed outside.
The sky was raining, but it was no ordinary rain.
The raindrops were highly unusual—hard, the size of peas, dark red, and faintly shimmering with golden patterns.
Not just his bedchamber—the entire Yunlou Palace was being bombarded by this bizarre downpour. Celestial officials and attendants fled in all directions.
Under the relentless rain, within moments, Yunlou Palace vanished from among the many halls of the Heavenly Court, leaving not even ruins behind—it was blasted into flat ground.
Unfortunately, as soon as he stepped outside his bedchamber, the “rain” stopped.
He had no chance to pick up a single drop to examine what exactly had fallen from the sky.
As if hearing his thoughts, the downpour poured down once more.
But this time, the assault was no longer scattered—it was concentrated and dense.
Aimed solely at Li Jing.