As Shen Fuxing had predicted, the moment Giant Spirit God stepped into Lingxiao Baodian, he was bound by the Heavenly Soldiers on both sides with the God-Binding Rope and forced to kneel.
The Jade Emperor slammed the table and bellowed, “Giant Spirit God, first you sold contraband and disrupted the Heavenly Court, and now you’ve been privately crafting hidden weapons in your residence—are you plotting rebellion?!”
With just a few words, Giant Spirit God suddenly felt his head grow heavy.
Well, of course. With two black pots stacked on his head, how could it not be heavy?
He first kowtowed to the Jade Emperor, then explained the purpose behind selling the anti-wolf spray.
Though he didn’t deny that he had indeed hoped to earn some Merit from it, he neither confessed to any crime nor revealed who had guided him.
The Jade Emperor impatiently cut him off, refusing to hear any of his arguments about protecting female immortals.
Ridiculous. If even low-cultivation female immortals in the Heavenly Court needed to carry anti-wolf spray just to leave their homes, wouldn’t that be an open admission that his governance was lax, that he turned a blind eye to the disgraceful acts of harassing and humiliating female immortals?
Giant Spirit God might be a bit dense, but after spending so many days with Shen Fuxing, he’d grown at least a few brain cells.
Combined with what Shen Fuxing had said before he came, he now understood that the Jade Emperor had no interest in hearing his explanations, and a wave of sorrow welled up in his heart.
The vast Nine Heavens—why did it feel like a black sesame tangyuan?
He recalled when he first ascended to the Heavenly Court, Taibai Jinxing had told him that the Heavenly Court was a place full of love. Busy, yes, but labor was glorious.
He’d believed those words for thousands of years, held onto them for thousands of years, and only now did he feel a hint of weariness.
But since things had come to this, he had no time to ponder questions of good and evil. He just wanted to quickly keep Shen Fuxing out of this.
That girl was a good child, still young. He himself had lived for thousands of years—a real man, a true hero, would never let a little girl share his punishment.
Giant Spirit God’s gaze turned resolute. He looked up at the Jade Emperor on the dais and kowtowed solemnly. “Your Majesty, everything that has happened recently was done by this humble minister alone. I alone did it, and I alone will bear it. I submit myself to Your Majesty’s judgment!”
The Jade Emperor gave a cold snort and was about to order him thrown into the Heavenly Prison for severe punishment when an Immortal Attendant reported that Taibai Jinxing was requesting an audience outside the hall.
The Jade Emperor’s expression turned cold and grim. He flicked his sleeve. “Summon him.”
A gray-robed Daoist with a fly-whisk draped over his arm stepped smilingly into the hall, followed by a young woman dressed as an Immortal Attendant—none other than the mastermind behind the entire series of incidents in the Heavenly Court, Shen Fuxing.
“Your Majesty, what has stirred your wrath so? Your minister has brought glad tidings. Might I beg you to set aside your thunderous fury for a moment and grant me the honor of your ear?” Taibai Jinxing said with a smile.
The Jade Emperor leaned back slightly, his expression indifferent, clearly not much interested. “Oh? What glad tidings does my minister have?”
Shen Fuxing stepped forward decisively. “Your Majesty, this humble immortal has a treasure to present.”
The Jade Emperor gave her a dismissive glance. A mere Immortal Attendant—what treasure could she possibly offer him?
His peripheral vision caught the obvious tension on Giant Spirit God’s face. He narrowed his eyes slightly, rolled them thoughtfully, and let his gaze settle on Shen Fuxing.
A seasoned schemer like him slowly raised the corners of his lips and asked in a relatively mild tone, “What treasure do you present?”
Shen Fuxing lifted her head, meeting the dark eyes above that held both shrewdness and majesty. A belly full of mischief churned within her, yet her face remained respectfully composed. “This humble immortal presumes to ask Your Majesty to dismiss those around you.”
The Jade Emperor waved his hand, signaling everyone to withdraw.
Only two people remained in Lingxiao Baodian.
Shen Fuxing knew the one above saw through everything like a blazing fire, so she didn’t beat around the bush. She offered a kindly inquiry, “I wonder if the two divine lords Thousand-Mile Eye and Wind-Ear are doing well?”
She’d brought the matter into the open with her very first words. The Jade Emperor didn’t respond immediately, instead studying her carefully.
There was no doubt—this girl before him was the mastermind behind Giant Spirit God, the one who’d been pulling his strings.
Young as she was, she dared to face the Son of Heaven alone without fear of imperial majesty. That took some nerve.
The Jade Emperor gave a cold laugh. “You dare to ask? You knew full well they were my men, yet you still used hidden weapons to attack them. Aren’t you afraid that heavenly might will descend and grind you to dust?”
Shen Fuxing’s expression didn’t change, so calm that the Jade Emperor couldn’t help but frown. “Your Majesty, let’s not play games. This humble immortal knows her status is low, and seeing Your Majesty in person is harder than reaching the heavens. All this commotion was simply to make a trade with Your Majesty.”
The shady dealings between Yama of the Underworld and Taibai Jinxing had already taught her that the heavens above and the mortal realm below were no different.
At the end of the day, it was all about chasing fame and profit. She had no doubt the Jade Emperor would refuse her.
The Jade Emperor perked up with some interest at her words. “What trade could you possibly make with me?”
Shen Fuxing pulled an object from her sleeve—it was her modified weapon, fusing the mortal realm’s hand grenade with Juling Anti-Wolf Spray: the Dusk of the Scarab.
“Your Majesty, please look. This item is refined from Juling Anti-Wolf Spray. Its purity, power, and destructive force have all been effectively enhanced. The divine lords Thousand-Mile Eye and Wind-Ear are excellent examples.”
“If Your Majesty has any doubts, you may summon King Li of the Pagoda to test it.”
“From what this humble immortal knows, the Heavenly Soldiers’ weapon repair and manufacturing costs are enormous each year. Yet the cost of this item is less than one-tenth of a single sword. If Your Majesty were to claim this item for your own use, you might save no small amount of expenditure.”
A flicker of movement passed through the Jade Emperor’s eyes.
Forging one immortal sword cost fifty Merit. After every battle, thousands or even tens of thousands of swords needed to be reforged or repaired.
Added up over a year, the expenditure was far from insignificant.
This kind of item—extremely cheap to produce, powerful enough, and capable of reducing wear and tear on Heavenly Soldiers’ weapons—was something he’d dreamed of having!
Seeing the fierce possessiveness burning in his eyes, Shen Fuxing continued to dangle the bait. “During this time, Your Majesty is well aware of the commotion the defense spray has caused in the Heavenly Court.”
“Placing this item under regulation, making it available only for Heavenly Soldiers on the battlefield, will effectively maintain peace and order in the Heavenly Court.”
She lifted her eyelids slightly, her demure face forming a stark contrast with words more ruthless than any black-hearted merchant’s. “Furthermore, using the instant defeat of King Li as a selling point, we can produce a small batch and sell it to Spirit Mountain at an inflated price—another stream of extra income.”
The Jade Emperor’s fingertips rubbed together, his itch already unbearable.
Whether it was money saved or extra earned, in the end, it all belonged to him anyway.
Knowing his heart was already burning with desire, Shen Fuxing poured oil on the fire. “Most importantly, Your Majesty rules over the Three Realms as the wisest sovereign of all ages. Last time, when the Buddhas of Spirit Mountain came to the Heavenly Court for a banquet, they got to see a good show at our expense.”
“The Bodhisattvas and Arhats of the West have worked together for thousands of years—surely there can’t be no grudges between them at all.”
“Once Spirit Mountain descends into chaos, Your Majesty can find some excuse to go have tea at their place. At that time, you too can throw your head back and laugh, deflating their arrogance.”
With those words, she had thoroughly ignited the Jade Emperor’s enthusiasm.
Listening to Shen Fuxing’s description, he could already see Tathagata’s face cycling through shades of green and white, a kaleidoscope of colors more spectacular than a revolving lantern.
Satisfying!
Others might question Shen Fuxing’s reasoning, but the Jade Emperor knew it all too well.
Spirit Mountain had the Victorious Fighting Buddha—that monkey had always been mischievous. Once he got his hands on such an amusing trinket, he’d surely infuriate Tathagata into a rage.
Hahaha, the thought alone was exhilarating!
Shen Fuxing moved her lips and spun a web of persuasion, successfully claiming MVP of the entire scene, coaxing the Jade Emperor into a state of pure bliss.
He’d been sitting on his dragon throne for ages, yet still couldn’t suppress the grin tugging at his lips, still chuckling to himself.
Unlike the merriment of Lingxiao Baodian, the Third Prince’s Hall in Cloud Tower Palace was shrouded in icy solemnity.
A host of Immortal Attendants knelt on the ground, not daring to breathe too loudly, terrified that the sound of their own respiration might disturb the Third Prince and earn them a Fire-Tipped Spear through the heart.
The reason was simple: Shen Fuxing had been absent from work for days now.
When Nezha returned from vanquishing demons, the snacks his little follower had so carefully tributed were gone from the table.
He sent messages asking where the hell she’d gone—no reply. He called—no answer.
The mighty Great God of the Three Altars and Seas had condescended to contact his own follower, only to be completely ignored by her.
Nezha had never had a good temper, and his patience was even thinner.
The dazzling red light radiating from him—whether it was the Sky-Hiding Silk stirring restlessly in response to its master’s fury, or the Samadhi True Fire condensed into tangible, blazing form—was impossible to tell.
In any case, if Shen Fuxing dared to come back, everyone in Cloud Tower Palace, from top to bottom, would have to respect her as a true badass—even King Li himself.