Chapter 219: Who Hasn't Cursed the Jade Emperor?

Oh my god...

The Great Mage had just left, and now His Majesty the Jade Emperor had arrived.

The Old Dragon King clearly recognized this majesty and wanted to come over to make connections. From the detail of the Old Dragon King personally holding that golden goblet, it was evident that the dragons harbored no ill intent.

The Old Dragon King probably never imagined that His Majesty the Jade Emperor could play the role of an incarnation as a subordinate for tens of thousands of years!

With the Jade Emperor seeking help online, what else could he do?

In the future, he would have to ascend to heaven and follow the Jade Emperor to accumulate merits. Moreover, to forge a merit-based golden body, it required long years of gradual effort; the more familiar he was with the Jade Emperor, the more efficient the merit accumulation would be.

Faced with the Jade Emperor's plea for aid, Li Changshou couldn't just ignore it and wash his hands of the matter.

Li Changshou tugged at Yue Lao's sleeve and smiled as he sent a voice transmission: "The Dragon King is here, Yue Lao, don't panic. Just follow my arrangements."

Yue Lao couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled...

Did he look like he was about to panic?

At that moment, Li Changshou and Yue Lao stood up and took a couple of steps forward to greet him.

At the Heavenly Court table, the heavenly generals also rose, skillfully picking up their wine cups.

The Old Dragon King was tall and sturdy, half a head taller than Li Changshou's paper effigy incarnation.

As the Old Dragon King approached with his wine cup, he first frowned upon seeing Li Changshou and Yue Lao come out to meet him, but then he quickly understood that the Jade Emperor did not wish to reveal his identity.

Yet, the Old Dragon King continued striding forward without stopping, his dragon whiskers fluttering and his dragon mouth curved in a somewhat amused smile.

At that time, in the main hall of the Dragon Palace, all eyes were focused on this spot.

Everyone knew that the East Sea Dragon King was deeply inscrutable, and they were all curious about what major event this clan leader of the dragons was about to orchestrate.

Li Changshou exchanged a glance with the Old Dragon King and, without sending a voice transmission, already understood that the Dragon King had grasped the Jade Emperor's desire to remain hidden.

Now, the Old Dragon King, having understood this, still wanted to make the Jade Emperor aware of the Dragon Palace's respect for him and the Heavenly Court...

After thinking it through, Li Changshou had a rough idea of what he needed to do.

"Dragon King Your Majesty," Li Changshou smiled and performed a Daoist bow, "Congratulations, congratulations."

"Um, heheheh."

The East Sea Dragon King laughed in a way that seemed a bit absent-minded yet kindly; he naturally handed the golden goblet in his hand to Li Changshou.

Behind the Dragon King, several elder dragons nodded with smiles, subtly glancing at the Jade Emperor's incarnation without saying more.

The East Sea Dragon King said warmly:

"Today, thanks to the Heavenly Court's righteous assistance, my dragon clan is deeply grateful.

You two are close associates of His Majesty the Jade Emperor—might I ask what His Majesty enjoys?

I will prepare a generous gift tomorrow and have it sent to the Heavenly Court as a token of thanks."

Li Changshou subtly shifted half a step to the side, just enough to block the Jade Emperor's incarnation disguised as a general, and replied with a smile:

"Dragon King, His Majesty likely won't accept such a gift.

Though the Heavenly Court is just beginning and has many affairs to develop, it upholds the Heavenly Dao and establishes order.

With demons and monsters causing chaos in the four seas and living beings suffering disasters, His Majesty dispatched heavenly soldiers to eliminate evil and protect the Dao, maintaining the world's purity."

The Dragon King nodded slowly but said no more, simply adding: "In that case, today I will offer this wine to thank the Heavenly Court for its help."

With that, the Dragon King raised the goblet with both hands. Li Changshou subtly turned his body, appearing as if he dared not receive the gesture directly, but in reality, it perfectly directed the toast toward the Jade Emperor's incarnation.

The Jade Emperor's incarnation and the heavenly generals raised their cups in response.

Yue Lao laughed and said: "We offer a cup to you, Dragon King."

After downing their cups, everyone was in high spirits, and a dragon maiden stepped forward to refill the East Sea Dragon King's wine.

The East Sea Dragon King chuckled: "Everyone, eat and drink well."

With that, he turned and went to the tables of the Jie Jiao immortals.

Li Changshou breathed a slight sigh of relief in his heart, then returned to his seat with Yue Lao, while the Jade Emperor's incarnation chatted and laughed with the other heavenly generals.

After a while, the Jade Emperor's voice transmission finally arrived...

"Beloved Minister Hai Shen, why not have this incarnation of yours return to the Heavenly Court with Yue Lao?"

Li Changshou pondered briefly in his mind, while on the surface he drank with Yue Lao, secretly sending back a voice transmission:

"Your Majesty, I too wish to go to the Heavenly Court soon and serve at your side, but with no imperial decree yet and no divine position in the Heavenly Court, the Great Mage might take offense."

The Jade Emperor's incarnation sighed in transmission:

"Ah, I truly wish to have a heart-to-heart talk with you soon—there are so many burdens in my heart, with no one to confide in."

"Your Majesty, patience will bring clear skies after the clouds part."

"Hahahaha! Hai Shen, let me offer you a cup!"

The Jade Emperor suddenly spoke up directly, raising his wine cup toward Li Changshou.

"Thank you, thank you."

Li Changshou quickly lifted his cup and toasted from afar.

Li Changshou knew that only in this place, by sheer coincidence and with a few figures between them, while enjoying the dragon clan's delicacies, could he share a drink like this with the Jade Emperor.

It was unlikely to happen again in the future.

The two incarnations drained their cups; then the Jade Emperor's incarnation laughed and said: "Does Hai Shen have a Dao companion?

Today, you're seated next to the god who manages marriages, so if you have anyone in mind, it could come true like a dream."

Li Changshou: ...

Shocking! The Jade Emperor of the Heavenly Court is actually encouraging a minister to abuse power for personal gain!

Is this a system glitch or a complete collapse of Heavenly Court ethics?

"This poor Daoist is devoted to the Great Dao," Li Changshou replied with an awkward smile.

Beside him, Yue Lao frowned slightly and glared at the heavenly general who had spoken—that is, the Jade Emperor's incarnation...

Yue Lao muttered lowly: "This isn't something you can just change willy-nilly—tampering with it deducts from my merits!"

Li Changshou: ...

Brother, you've backed yourself into a corner.

Perhaps Yue Lao was a bit tipsy, or maybe just too tense, as he actually whispered a scolding at the Jade Emperor's incarnation:

"The red cord is a treasure of the Heavenly Dao—how can it be tied recklessly?

This is the Dragon Palace—what words should be said and what shouldn't, don't you have any sense?

Which department's heavenly general are you?"

"Yue Lao, Yue Lao, it's not that serious," Li Changshou quickly interjected, holding up his wine cup to cut him off, "With so many people watching, say less, say less."

"He can't just say whatever he wants about this!

Can you even say such things out loud? I'm under so much pressure, just managing the Marriage Hall.

And he—"

Yue Lao was about to continue, but Li Changshou used his wine cup to steer the conversation away.

"Yes, yes, Yue Lao is right. Calm down, calm down."

Li Changshou responded with a smile, though he felt a wave of helplessness in his heart and couldn't explain to Yue Lao via transmission.

Beside them, the Jade Emperor's incarnation nodded repeatedly.

Perhaps because Li Changshou knew his identity, His Majesty the Jade Emperor felt a touch of awkwardness at that moment.

This was probably the peak of Yue Lao's immortal life.

But whether a peak is followed by a valley, or even a sea of knives and flames, who could say?

Fortunately, not long after, Ao Yi arrived with Jiang Si'er to offer toasts, which lightened the awkward atmosphere a bit.

Li Changshou stood up and sent Ao Yi a voice transmission with a few instructions. Ao Yi specially toasted each heavenly general at the table.

Seeing Ao Yi's ears turn red from drinking, Li Changshou laughed and said:

"Second Sect Leader, today is your joyous wedding day. You can't just focus on drinking yourself and neglect the bride."

Ao Yi's youthful face flushed even more, and he stammered a couple of words before retreating under Li Changshou's knowing smile, pulling Jiang Si'er along to the side.

Watching this pair of dragon newlyweds, Li Changshou felt a touch of emotion in his heart.

In the end, all living beings are just living their lives.

Someone like Ao Yi, a second-generation dragon, has innate advantages but also carries immense responsibilities.

Someone like Jiang Si'er, a little princess of the Jiaoren clan, has grown up carefree under her clan's protection, but she too will face an uncertain fate ahead.

Li Changshou didn't know how to put it into words; he felt he was quite fortunate to have been picked up by his master and brought to Duxian Men.

Relying on Duxian Men's Ren Jiao heritage, he had the basic conditions to survive in the Honghuang world, which already made him luckier than most living beings.

Whether to live in a muddled, worry-free way or to live with clear awareness and careful planning—each has its merits, and it's hard to say which is better.

Li Changshou poured himself a cup of wine and looked at the reflection in the wine, a face that felt somewhat unfamiliar...

'What's with all these life reflections today?'

It was probably because he had witnessed Ao Yi's wedding and the suffering of living beings, leaving him a bit unsettled.

He tossed back the wine in one gulp.

This cup is to myself, thanking myself for surviving in this perilous Honghuang world all this way.

The wine warmed his throat, and he perked up, ready to handle the follow-up matters.

Having repelled the Western Cult this time, he still needed to ensure they continued to pressure the dragon clan—this was the top priority and the greatest challenge.

His head was throbbing with pain.

After the wedding came the grand feast, with the Dragon Palace's banquet expected to last over a month.

Whoever left first would signal a distant relationship with the dragon clan.

Most guests knew the dragon clan's customs and had understood before coming that they needed to stay at least a month or two.

After all, they were all cultivators—who could get alcohol poisoning?

Uh, for some reason, he thought of his little uncle master...

Li Changshou quickly calculated the expenses for this Dragon Palace wedding and couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.

He really was from a poor little peak; facing a wealthy dragon household like this, he shouldn't have been so soft-hearted...

While banqueting here with the Jade Emperor's incarnation, he also redirected his scattered paper effigy legions in the East Sea and South Sea to hide more discreetly.

Not using them today didn't mean they wouldn't be needed later.

If such a crisis arose again next time, he wouldn't have to send so many paper effigies; preparations would be much easier.

With the major issues settled, Li Changshou spared some attention to check on the emotional progress between his vicious little grandmaster and Master Wangqing.

In the end, it was the same as always—the two had already realized their feelings for each other but just wouldn't take that half-step forward...

There was absolutely no "accidental spark" of impulse.

Heartfire warning, yellow card, once.

Li Changshou didn't understand— if he, a two-hundred-something-year-old half-old guy, acted a bit pure-hearted, that could be excused, but these two, who were thousands or tens of thousands of years old, what were they being coy about?

But then again, if judged by appearance, his grandmaster's youthful heart was entirely understandable.

On the sixth day of Ao Yi's wedding, Zhao Gongming and Huanglong Zhenren arrived together at the Anshui City Sea God Temple.

Li Changshou had been waiting respectfully for some time and greeted the two seniors in his old immortal form, inviting them inside for tea.

As soon as they sat down, Huanglong Zhenren asked: "Fellow Daoist Sea God, did no one go to disturb the sea eye that day?"

Zhao Gongming laughed from the side: "This is just Sea God being cautious, making preparations—just in case."

"Indeed," Huanglong Zhenren sighed, "When Fellow Daoist Sea God mentioned that someone might cause trouble at the East Sea sea eye, it truly gave me a fright.

If the sea eye were to open, it would lead to untold suffering for living beings, and countless dragons would be sacrificed to it."

Li Changshou said: "Seniors, you don't need to tell me the true location of the sea eye, but please let me know— is the dragon clan's guard at the sea eye secure?"

"It is," Huanglong replied, "The four sea eyes are guarded by the four ancient dragon generals who have survived to this day. The dragon clan would never neglect this place."

"That's reassuring," Li Changshou nodded slowly and smiled, "It was just my overcautiousness."

He didn't mention the Six-Winged Golden Cicada matter, as it would serve no purpose.

Beings like Daoist Wenjing and the Six-Winged Golden Cicada rarely moved about in the Honghuang world unless in situations like this.

The time Daoist Wenjing was mentally disturbed was purely coincidental.

Zhao Gongming sighed slowly and said: "Earlier, my senior brother Huanglong and I wandered around the South Sea and East Sea. The disasters this time have caused so many casualties among living beings."

"Exactly," Huanglong Zhenren said with a look of distress, "When will the dragon clan ever find peace?

Fellow Daoist Sea God, I came this time to ask—how are things progressing with the dragon clan's ascension to heaven?"

"It's about thirty percent complete," Li Changshou said seriously, "I won't hide anything from you, Senior Zhao Gongming. When you blocked those six Western figures, my family's Great Mage was nearby.

With the Heavenly Court's help in repelling the enemies, the dragon clan now has an initial goodwill toward the Heavenly Court.

How it develops next will depend on whether the dragon clan faces difficulties and whether they take the initiative to seek aid from the Heavenly Court."

Huanglong Zhenren nodded slowly, furrowing his brow in thought, and understood the implication in Li Changshou's words.

Ren Jiao was aligning with the Heavenly Court to subdue the dragon clan, not acting solely for the dragons' sake. Even so, Huanglong Zhenren looked at Li Changshou's old immortal paper effigy with a hint of gratitude.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for saving the dragon clan."

"Please, Senior, don't be so polite."

"Exactly!" Zhao Gongming shook his sleeve emphatically, "We three teachings are one family!

That said, Sea God, this time in the East Sea, I acted entirely as you instructed. If anyone questions me later... cough, or my second... well, if anyone pursues this, you'll have to explain on my behalf."

"Of course," Li Changshou laughed, "It was all thanks to you, Senior, that we foiled their scheme.

When you lay there, it was truly masterful!"

"Is it? Ha, ha, hahaha!"

Zhao Gongming immediately struck a pose, stroking his beard and laughing, "A minor trick, nothing worth mentioning!

By the way, what did Senior Brother Xuandu say about what he saw?"

Li Changshou replied: "The Great Mage said the word 'wonderful' more than anything else."

"Ah, but this wonderful plan all came from your hands, Sea God—how can the credit go to... hmm?"

Zhao Gongming paused mid-sentence, suddenly looking up at the roof, his eyes narrowing slightly as a trace of Dao rhythm swept from him.

"Bold! How dare you spy here!"

With that, he flicked his finger, and a flash of green light vanished, instantly piercing the blood mosquito in the sky...