Chapter 302 - The White-Robed Jade Emperor’s Heart (2/2)
He and General Dongmu realized that there was something wrong with the Jade Emperor’s expression. It was completely different from the peaceful and comfortable expression that the Jade Emperor had when he first descended to the mortal world.
He seemed to have something on his mind… General Dongmu and Li Changshou exchanged glances. Both of them were confused. After a while, the Jade Emperor waved his hand and stopped the singing and dancing. He finished the wine that was specially brewed for Jiu Jiu.
“Forget it!”
Li Changshou and General Dongmu stood up at the same time.
The Jade Emperor sighed softly and stood up to look at Li Changshou. He raised his hand and patted Li Changshou’s shoulder. “The Heavenly Courts have just been established now. Beloved subordinate, I have let you suffer.” Li Changshou thought, It’s not much to suffer. Just give me more merit. The Jade Emperor said, “Today, I saw how you dealt with the powerful people of the Western Sect and exchanged pleasantries with the people of the dragon race. I feel hatred in my heart! How can an important minister of the Heavenly Courts be bullied by a ferocious beast!?! Why would the legitimate G.o.d of the four seas, whom I have conferred a t.i.tle to, smile and interact with those unbearable living beings!?! Where is General Dongmu!?!” General Dongmu immediately bowed and accepted the order. “I’m here!”
The Jade Emperor stood in the slightly short s.h.i.+p and paced back and forth. He pondered carefully before speaking slowly.
“Once we return to the Heavenly Courts, immediately draw up a decree. My beloved subordinate Changgeng has blessed the four seas and raised the prestige of the Heavenly Courts. His rank will be increased by three stages and his salary will be increased by sixty percent. The Heavenly Courts will set up a Heavenly Courts’ navy and station the troops in the Heavenly River. They will be trained day and night for Changgeng! The decree will be drafted within twelve years. The Heavenly Courts’ navy will be deployed immediately!” General Dongmu replied firmly, “I accept your orders!”
“Where is Changgeng?”
Li Changshou lowered his head and said, “I’m here.”
“I had overlooked something previously. I felt that you had the protection of Senior Brother Taiqing, and so the Western Sect would not dare to bully you. This is my fault.” The white-robed Jade Emperor looked apologetic. Li Changshou’s smile was rather warm. He replied, “Your Majesty, I find it interesting to compete with them.”
The Jade Emperor chuckled and said seriously, “However, Changgeng, you have your shortcomings. It’s just that you’re too stable. You are a disciple of Ren School. It is understandable that you are similar to Senior Brother Taiqing. Changgeng, come and take a look.”
As he spoke, the Jade Emperor pushed open the window of the cabin and looked at the thousands of kilometers of smoke outside the window.
He continued, “The wind is gentle, but it is also swift. The clouds are relaxed, but there are also sudden emergencies. There is a sense of urgency for everything in the world. The matter regarding the dragon race should be the same.”
When Li Changshou heard that, he immediately looked touched. He nodded slowly and bowed with a Dao salute.
“I understand!”
“I will give you an order today regarding the dragon race. You don’t have to bother about the dragon race for now.” The Jade Emperor said, “Twelve years later, the Heavenly Courts will hold a Heavenly Peach Banquet. I will invite the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas to the Heavenly Courts’ banquet. If they are willing to submit to the Heavenly Courts, I will not raise the Dragon Slaying Sword. If they still have disloyal thoughts and do not admit to destiny, I will personally go to the Purple Cloud Palace and ask the Dao Ancestor to send down the Heavenly Punishment and hold the dragon race responsible!”
Li Changshou and General Dongmu looked at each other. They were both shocked and they bowed at the same time.
The Jade Emperor closed his eyes and slowly exhaled. Then, he opened his eyes and looked at the blue water and blue sky.
Her white clothes were as white as snow, and her long hair danced in the wind. Li Changshou looked at the back view of the ruler of the Three Realms and felt that… he was a little handsome.
Li Changshou shouted, “Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty!”
The Jade Emperor smiled and said, “Changgeng, General Dongmu, you might not know, but I’m actually not interested in holding the authority of being the Heavenly Emperor.” He continued, “Back when the Demon Court was destroyed, the Dao Ancestor and the Six Saints appeared and dealt with the shattered mountains and rivers after the battle between the three races. They integrated the Ancient Demon Court and refined it into the current Heavenly Courts. At that time, Senior Brother Zhun Ti of the Western Sect pleaded with the Dao Ancestor and said that the Heavenly Courts should be controlled by the Saint. How can Teacher not know the intentions of Zhun Ti?”
The Jade Emperor’s gaze was extremely distant, as if he could see through the sea and the sky.
As he continued speaking, a wisp of the Heavenly Dao’s Dao runes had already wrapped around the wooden s.h.i.+p. There was no need to worry about anyone listening. The Jade Emperor said, “The Three Pure Ones is quiet and indifferent. He doesn’t care about the affairs of the world. If Teacher had agreed back then, the Heavenly Courts would have become a Dharma treasure for the two Senior Brothers to repay their wishes. The order of the Three Realms would never be restored.”
“Therefore, my teacher took me and my junior sister out of the Purple Cloud Palace. He did not tell me anything and just made me and my junior sister the Emperor and Empress of the Heavenly Courts, the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother. He put us in charge of the Three Realms.”
“When I first became the Jade Emperor, the Heavenly Courts were empty. There were only clouds everywhere. I sat in front of the Lingxiao Treasure Hall with my junior sister and we were in a daze. I did not know what I should do, nor did I know what the position of the Heavenly Emperor represented.”
“Junior Sister and I were originally just serving tea and water to Teacher, relaying messages on his behalf and guarding the doors. When have we ever been the Heavenly Emperor and Empress? Until today, I still keep asking myself, What did Teacher want me to do by making me the Heavenly Emperor? Today, I have a rough idea.”
Li Changshou said in a low voice, “Pardon me, may I ask to hear more of your words, Your Majesty?” General Dongmu could not help but fall into deep thought. Why couldn’t he think of that? The Jade Emperor said, “Heaven, earth, and living beings. How powerful are the Three Realms? Saints can easily refine wind, fire, water, and earth. The disciples of the Saints have the ability to cover the sea and make land sink. The experts of the various races can move mountains, fill the seas, and make the universe spin. I need to restrict them. Before the True Spirits transformed, they were only in the void. However, after the transformation of True Spirits, there were differences in strength. The Heavenly Courts want the strong to be infallible and the weak to live in peace. I need to control it. Changgeng, General Dongmu, are you willing to follow me?” General Dongmu answered firmly, “I’m willing to sacrifice my life to serve you, Your Majesty. I won’t regret it even if I die!”
Li Changshou sighed slowly and smiled. “The path ahead is long. I’m willing to meet you, Your Majesty.” The Jade Emperor turned around and nodded at Li Changshou with a smile. General Dongmu could not help but fall into deep thought again…
He really could not think of that.
The Immortal Peach Banquet hosted by the Jade Emperor and the Heavenly Courts, which was meant for the dragon race, would be held twelve years later. If they do not submit, they will be punished by the Heavenly Punishment… After sending the Jade Emperor and General Dongmu away, Li Changshou settled the paper effigy in Anshui City and fell into deep thought in the secret underground chamber of Little Qiong Peak.
Twelve years was a little short.
The time that the Jade Emperor took the initiative was slightly earlier than he had expected. Li Changshou stood up from behind the desk and walked to the bookshelf in the corner. He took out two treasure pouches and two cloth portraits. He slowly spread them out and they filled the entire secret chamber.
That was the ‘strategy’ he had written when he first accepted the mission of the dragon race to ascend to the heavens.
Most of them had been erased.
Today, after careful consideration, Li Changshou rolled up most of the cloth and hung it in front of him. He burned the True Samadhi Flames.
It was useless.
Li Changshou turned around and looked at the remaining three pieces of cloth on his back, as well as the arrowheads on them.
“Finally, I can use this part.”
Then, Li Changshou took another cloth and drew a drumstick, a bamboo basket, orchid, a slingshot, and a luminous cup on it. This time, he thought for a while and added another hairpin. Then, he sat cross-legged in the air and allowed the cloth to float around him. He picked up his brush and continued to write and draw.
At such a moment, he could not be too pa.s.sionate and disregard everything.
In the past twelve years, there were still many things that he could do. The Jade Emperor wanted to be decisive and did not hesitate to use the resources of the Purple Cloud Palace. What he needed to do was to quickly regulate this mess so that the Jade Emperor would not have too much resistance when he attacked. He also did not want to leave too many problems behind.
He looked at the area where Ling’e was in seclusion and glanced at the few people playing in the chess room.
Li Changshou smiled and shook his head. He began to focus on thinking.
Actually, the Jade Emperor did not know… His Dao was not inaction. It was just that there were times when he had to make a choice that would be more beneficial for him.
<script>