Upon receiving the report from the divine general under Li Jing’s command, the Jade Emperor was furious.
In the Medicine King’s residence, Giant Spirit God had just been awakened by the Medical Immortal. Before he could even ask what had happened, a squad of Heavenly Soldiers arrived to announce the imperial decree. They bound him tightly and escorted him to the golden hall.
Giant Spirit God was utterly bewildered.
What? He, a model deity of the new era who had been consecutively selected as the “Heavenly Court Labor Model” and “Three Realms Moral Exemplar” for three thousand years—what crime could he possibly have committed?
“Bold Giant Spirit God! You attempted to assassinate Heavenly King Li! What is your crime?”
“Your humble servant did not! Your humble servant is wronged, Your Majesty!!”
Assassinate Heavenly King Li? Where did that even come from?
With his hands bound, Giant Spirit God felt as wronged as Dou E in his heart.
In his mind, a tragic drama was already playing out: the Jade Emperor, misled by slander, wrongs a loyal minister, causing him to suffer physically and mentally until he falls gravely ill, ultimately consumed by regret, weeping every night, unable to sleep.
“You didn’t?” The Jade Emperor snorted coldly. “Everyone witnessed it with their own eyes. Heavenly King Li was knocked unconscious by your breath. What do you have to say for yourself?”
“…………”
“During a perfectly good training exercise, you first knocked yourself out, then knocked out Heavenly King Li, and you still dare claim you are not guilty?” The Jade Emperor paced on the platform, growing angrier the more he thought about it. He pointed at Giant Spirit God. “Tell me, are you guilty or not!”
Giant Spirit God raised his eyes, stole a glance at the Jade Emperor, then guiltily lowered his head, his voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum. “Your servant… is guilty.”
“Hahahahahaha!”
The observing immortals, including Taibai Jinxing, burst into laughter.
One divine official took the lead in stirring up the fun. “Third Prince, how is the Heavenly King now?”
Nezha replied, “Still unconscious.”
That divine official laughed. “Giant Spirit God’s mouth truly has immense power, comparable to a divine artifact!”
Giant Spirit God’s cheeks burned with shame. He was already mortified beyond words, wishing only to escape everyone’s sight. He kowtowed and pleaded for mercy. “Your humble servant swears to brush his teeth three times a day and never eat durian or stinky tofu again! I beg Your Majesty for leniency!”
The Jade Emperor’s expression was filled with utter disdain.
Today, he had intended to host a banquet for the Buddhas of the West. He had planned to showcase the Heavenly Court’s military might to Spirit Mountain by having Li Jing and Nezha personally drill the Heavenly Soldiers. But before they even reached the Southern Heavenly Gate, Giant Spirit God had single-handedly taken down Heavenly King Li along with himself.
Those original shareholders from the West laughed even more heartily than Maitreya Buddha himself. What an utter embarrassment.
“By decree: Giant Spirit God, for neglecting hygiene and severely threatening the safety of his colleagues with his overwhelmingly foul breath, is fined five thousand Merit and disqualified from this year’s ‘Moral Exemplar’ selection as a warning to others.”
Giant Spirit God’s head snapped up as if struck by lightning.
Disqualified from the “Moral Exemplar” selection…
Disqualified from “Moral Exemplar”…
Disqualified…
Sixty Heavenly Soldiers carried the dazed, dream-shattered Giant Spirit God out of Lingxiao Palace.
Outside Yunlou Palace.
Nezha walked ahead. “Speak. Why did you trespass into the training grounds?”
Shen Fuxing: “I got lost…”
Nezha turned to look at her.
Shen Fuxing wore an innocent, repentant expression, quickly changing her tune. “I was looking for someone.”
“Looking for whom?”
“My grandfather. He’s also in the Heavenly Court. He ascended in the same batch as me.”
“Was your grandfather a cultivator in his mortal life?” If so, Shen Fuxing’s strange strength would be somewhat explainable.
Shen Fuxing shook her head. “He was a farmer.”
“A farmer?” Nezha’s brow lifted slightly, the crimson at the corner of his eye vivid as flame.
To his knowledge, unless one had achieved great mastery in cultivation during their mortal life or made significant contributions to humanity, Yama would not summon an elderly person to the heavens.
“Boss, could you help me check if my grandfather is among the Heavenly Soldiers? His name is Shen Yuanling.” Shen Fuxing softened her voice, her almond-shaped eyes discreetly observing Nezha’s expression, filled with undisguised anticipation and a pleading tone.
“…”
Nezha’s gaze swept over the recently scabbed knife marks on Shen Fuxing’s wrist, his demeanor as cold and indifferent as ever. He turned and walked away. “No time.”
Shen Fuxing stood still, silently staring at Nezha’s retreating figure. Her face showed no expression as she clenched her fingers, a shadow of gloom flickering in her dark eyes.
So annoying. I want to fight.
As fate would have it, Shen Fuxing went to the banks of the Celestial River to clear her mind and happened to run into the emo Giant Spirit God squatting by the roadside, tossing stones into the river.
Because of the incident at the training ground, the big guy was forced to wear a mask larger than her bedsheet, and he was utterly miserable.
Shen Fuxing felt as if she could see cold rain pattering chaotically on his face. She thought to herself, I want to fight, not get beaten to death.
That wave of irritation was somewhat diluted by the sense of impending danger, especially when she caught sight of the two massive and sharp Xuanhua axes on Giant Spirit God’s back. Shen Fuxing instantly reached a state of calm. Before he noticed her, she quickly made her escape.
However, when luck runs out, even drinking cold water feels like a chore.
There were many free-roaming celestial horses by the Celestial River, grazing on the shore. As Shen Fuxing passed by a white celestial horse, its dark, gleaming eyes followed her.
Did you think it was love at first sight? Not at all. The white horse bit down on the little bun atop her head.
A scream echoed across the Celestial River.