“Achoo—”
Strange, why does it feel so chilly?
Shen Fuxing lowered her gaze and hugged herself, feeling puzzled.
The Heavenly Court was always at a comfortable temperature, so why was Lingxiao Palace so cold? Could it be that the Jade Emperor was so stingy he wouldn’t even pay the electricity bill?
Her boss was usually so arrogant he practically wanted to tear down the Heavenly Court, but she’d never seen him skip paying the electricity bill.
Shen Fuxing secretly pursed her lips.
The Jade Emperor only then remembered there was still a child in the hall. He quickly stopped laughing, cleared his throat twice, straightened his robes, and resumed his usual majestic and imposing demeanor.
“The treasure is quite impressive. I am very pleased.”
He stroked his beard, looking down from his lofty position, and gave Shen Fuxing a meaningful glance.
“Speak, what do you want?”
To have put so much effort into developing such a powerful hidden weapon and offering it directly to him—she must be seeking something significant.
Sixteen years old, yet her ambitions are not small.
“Your Majesty, the core of this item lies with the Giant Spirit God. Without him, it cannot be produced. He deserves at least half the credit. Your Majesty need only reward him generously.”
“As for this humble immortal, I seek no Merit or other rewards. I only ask Your Majesty to grant me one small favor.”
The Jade Emperor raised an eyebrow. This answer was not what he had expected, and he couldn’t help but feel curious. “Speak, let me hear it.”
Shen Fuxing looked up, her gaze fixed steadily on those shrewd eyes, unperturbed by their sharpness. “My grandfather, Shen Yuanling, ascended to the heavens in the same batch as me a few days ago, but I do not know where he was assigned to serve. I humbly request Your Majesty to check the roster of new arrivals and inform me of my grandfather’s whereabouts.”
“Is that all?”
Shen Fuxing affirmed, “That is all.”
The Jade Emperor had gained a great advantage in this matter and would not refuse her under any circumstances.
“Very well, I shall grant you this favor. Once I have located your relative, I will immediately send Celestial Attendants to inform you.”
He tapped his fingers rhythmically on the imperial desk. “As for the Giant Spirit God, I shall—”
Before he could finish, a divine attendant entered to report, “Your Majesty, the Peony Fairy, Chang’e Fairy, the Seven Fairies, and a group of other female immortals request an audience outside the hall.”
“Admit them.”
The intentions of these female immortals were very unified—they had all rushed here to plead for mercy after seeing on the Heavenly Court’s network: “Giant Spirit Anti-Wolf Spray Suddenly Removed from Shelves” and “Giant Spirit God Summoned to Lingxiao Palace by the Jade Emperor for Questioning.”
Famous and lesser-known fairies of the Heavenly Court knelt and kowtowed, some begging him to pardon the Giant Spirit God, others volunteering to share in his punishment.
The Jade Emperor privately found it strange. His decree had only mentioned summoning the Giant Spirit God to Lingxiao Palace for an audience, with no mention of anything else.
Perfectly fine, so why did all the female immortals in the Heavenly Court think he had called the Giant Spirit God here to punish him?
Thinking of this, he glanced sideways at Shen Fuxing, who remained calm and composed, feeling both admiration and a slight sense of alarm.
How old was this child? She had only been in the Heavenly Court for half a month, yet she had used the Giant Spirit God to set up such a scheme.
She stirred up chaos in the Heavenly Court, and after gaining benefits, she didn’t forget to leave a backup plan to ensure both she and the Giant Spirit God emerged unscathed.
Her mind was meticulous, her actions flawless.
The Jade Emperor’s eyes gradually darkened as he assessed her inwardly: This girl is no ordinary being. She is not simple.
Throughout the entire affair, the Jade Emperor felt he was the biggest winner. In high spirits, he naturally had no intention of making things difficult for the Giant Spirit God or these female immortals.
So with a wave of his hand, he pardoned the Giant Spirit God and even gave him an additional twenty thousand Merit as a reward.
From beginning to end, the Giant Spirit God remained utterly bewildered.
Originally, he should have been severely punished by the Jade Emperor, but Shen Fuxing intervened halfway. In less than a quarter of an hour, not only was he pardoned, but he also gained twenty thousand Merit for free??
Although the Jade Emperor intended to use those twenty thousand Merit to buy the permanent rights to the “Dusk of the Dung Beetle,” that thing was extracted from his mouthwash.
Just like pepper spray, it cost absolutely nothing.
All in all, Shen Fuxing had already helped him freeload seventy to eighty thousand Merit.
That was equivalent to thirty years of his salary!
“Congratulations, congratulations!” Taibai Jinxing smiled kindly, the first to offer his congratulations.
“Same… same to you.”
Giant Spirit God nodded blankly. The God-Binding Rope had long since fallen away, and he walked out of Lingxiao Palace with Shen Fuxing in a daze, as if sleepwalking.
As they neared the Heavenly General’s residence, Shen Fuxing suddenly spoke up, “Add up all the Merit you’ve earned recently, take thirty percent of it, and personally deliver it to Taibai Jinxing tomorrow.”
“Huh? Why?” Her words interrupted his train of thought.
Shen Fuxing stopped walking. “He was the one who brought me into Lingxiao Palace earlier, so he helped us in a way. We should remember this favor.”
“Besides, he’s eloquent and a favorite in front of the Jade Emperor. Building a good relationship with him means that even if you make a mistake in the future, having him speak up for you in the Jade Emperor’s ear could lessen your punishment.”
Giant Spirit God nodded without hesitation. “Alright, I’ll go tomorrow.”
Ever since meeting Shen Fuxing, he truly felt he had grown a lot and understood some things better.
In the past, he would have considered giving Merit to colleagues to build relationships as something that tarnished a god’s dignity, something he would have scorned and never done.
Now, the world had no clear distinction between good and evil. Mortals chased wealth, while gods divided Merit. What use was a rare, sincere heart? Rules were rules. Greed and desire formed a whirlpool that no one could escape. Whether in heaven or on earth, among gods or mortals, there was no distinction between you and me.
Along the way, Giant Spirit God didn’t feel much joy from receiving the reward.
On the contrary, his mind was in turmoil.
Pushing open the door and stepping into his residence, he was greeted by a dazzling array of colors—the female immortals who had accompanied him to Lingxiao Palace to plead for him earlier.
Seeing him return, they rushed forward, surrounding him in the middle, expressing their concern and giving him sachets and snacks they had made themselves.
For a moment, Giant Spirit God felt dazed. Was this really not a dream…?
Snapping back to reality, he awkwardly thanked them one by one. His blue face gradually turned red under their praises, looking somewhat foolish.
Well, as long as there was still genuine affection, what did he, a mighty Heavenly General, have to fear from the filth of the world?
As others basked in the spotlight, Shen Fuxing quietly withdrew.
Her purpose for this trip had already been achieved. All that remained was to wait for news from the Jade Emperor.
Returning to Yunlou Palace, as soon as she stepped over the threshold, a Fire-Tipped Spear flew past her cheek. With a loud crash, it shattered the Coiling Dragon Jade Pillar at the palace entrance.
Two Celestial Attendants who happened to be behind her, about to enter, were so frightened that their knees went weak. They immediately knelt on the ground and began kowtowing frantically.
In the courtyard, Nezha stood with his arms crossed, glaring coldly at Shen Fuxing, who remained expressionless and acted as if nothing had happened. The Sky-Mixing Silk glowed with a restless red light, and he himself was enveloped in an overwhelming aura of killing intent.
“You dare to come back.”
The Fire-Tipped Spear that had grazed her face and the icy, angry question that followed were like a fleeting gust of wind—the former entered Shen Fuxing’s eyes, the latter her ears.
Nezha had been furious for a while, but his little follower seemed to be in a good mood. She slowly turned around, picked up his Fire-Tipped Spear, and handed it back to him without any hesitation.
Calm, composed, without a trace of fear.
In the face of his threats, Shen Fuxing always seemed to have only this one reaction. Nezha truly wanted to know, in all of heaven and earth, what could possibly make her feel afraid.