Chapter 301: 御弟哥哥, you’re blocking the way

What on earth was happening?

Lu Ya Daoist hadn't even shown up, and now Golden Cicada had unexpectedly emerged.

Accompanying the Jade Emperor on this coastline patrol was already an unexpected deviation from Li Changshou's original plan. He figured he couldn't spoil the Jade Emperor's mood, and since no one in the Three Realms would dare to openly defy him, he decided to join the stroll. But why were today's events unfolding in such an unpredictable manner? A gathering of dragon princes, and cultivators from the Western Sect hiding nearby... There was definitely something amiss!

Li Changshou's mind raced, and he quickly made a decision, sending a telepathic message to the Jade Emperor from inside the cabin: “Your Majesty, this individual is a master from the Western Sect known as Golden Cicada. I've encountered him in combat a few times over the past few decades. This gathering of dragon princes today is likely part of his scheme, which we've stumbled upon by accident. I'm not sure what his exact calculations are at the moment, but it's undoubtedly connected to the Dragon Clan.”

The Jade Emperor calmly replied telepathically, “My dear subject, act as if I am not present. Handle this as you deem appropriate.”

Li Changshou: ...

Your Majesty, if you weren't here, this fellow could perform his bizarre rituals at the Sea God Temple all he liked, and I wouldn't even be there to witness it. However, seeing a glimmer of excitement in the Jade Emperor's eyes, Li Changshou found it difficult to voice such thoughts directly.

‘On second thought, perhaps His Majesty simply wishes to feel more involved in important Heavenly Court affairs...’

“Your humble servant accepts the command!” Li Changshou assented, then telepathically cautioned Dong Mu Gong. If a conflict arose later, they must shield His Majesty the Jade Emperor first and foremost. His current paper avatar possessed limited strength; even combined with Dong Mu Gong, they likely wouldn't be a match for Golden Cicada. Furthermore, there were numerous Dragon Clan soldiers present, whose loyalties remained uncertain. If a real fight erupted, it was highly probable that the Jade Emperor himself would intervene to protect his two Heavenly Court officials. While the Jade Emperor surely knew whether their strength was sufficient, their attitude had to be impeccable, and their posture perfect.

Li Changshou gestured for the dancers to take a break and the musicians to stop playing. Then, holding his horsetail whisk, he was the first to step out of the ship's cabin. Dong Mu Gong made a slight bow and gestured for the Jade Emperor to proceed. The Jade Emperor, however, shot him a subtle glare, causing Dong Mu Gong to immediately straighten up and offer an understanding smile.

And so, the three stood on the ship's bow deck. Li Changshou's divine power surged, propelling the vessel forward with lightning speed.

His Majesty the Jade Emperor chuckled and transmitted, “My dear Chang Geng, how do you typically handle such adversaries?”

“My avatar's strength is limited, and I'm not skilled in direct combat. I mostly provide strategies.” Li Changshou didn't turn around, transmitting telepathically, “This Golden Cicada is utterly ruthless. His true form is a primordial fierce beast, yet he has gained the appreciation of a Western Sect Saint, who apparently intends to take him as a disciple. Lately, many of the Western Sect's machinations regarding the Dragon Clan have been attributed to him. If we could keep him here today, it would certainly be for the best.”

“Good!” His Majesty the Jade Emperor's eyes gleamed, “Today, I shall witness how my esteemed subject outwits a powerful figure from the West!”

A few exasperated lines appeared on Li Changshou's forehead. All his words were essentially trying to convey that if Golden Cicada were eliminated, the Western Sect would undoubtedly feel a considerable sting. While a single Golden Cicada might not warrant His Majesty the Jade Emperor's personal intervention, to possess the power to directly eliminate an opponent, yet remain hidden in the background to observe, seemed a bit... unwise.

Never mind. After all, he was His Majesty the Jade Emperor. As for himself, a minor fourth-rank god, he had endless duties and scarce merit. While others took holidays, he worked overtime, and deploying forces often relied on mere conjuring tricks. How was he to outwit him? How else could he outwit him...?

Li Changshou began secretly sending out calls for aid. First, his divine sense descended upon the Sea God Temple, briefly connecting with the adjacent jade statue before quickly linking with Ao Yi. He instructed Ao Yi to immediately gather any available Dragon Clan masters and hurry to this spot in the West Sea. Upon Ao Yi's affirmative reply, Li Changshou severed the divine connection. Next, he dispatched a paper avatar in the guise of a young girl. From beneath Anshui City, she made her way to the edge of the South Sea and blew a short flute towards the vast ocean. In moments, a fish appeared in the water, and Li Changshou sent a telepathic message to it. This fish was a puppet controlled by Wen Jing Daoist. Li Changshou offered no further explanation, simply instructing Wen Jing Daoist to travel to the West Sea if the opportunity arose. She was not to reveal herself directly but to secretly rendezvous with him first.

Having completed these arrangements, Li Changshou began to ponder how he could stall for time, while simultaneously preserving his own reputation and the dignity of the Heavenly Court, and also ensure that His Majesty the Jade Emperor felt... ‘Hey, this is quite an entertaining fight.’ Such matters called for a blend of 'reasonableness and surprise.' It seemed he would have to exploit the inherent arrogance and 'chuunibyou' tendencies within Golden Cicada's nature...

“Hmph!” Though still thousands of miles away, Li Changshou let out a cold hmph, his expression indifferent, and lightly flicked his horsetail whisk.

Golden Cicada saw this and immediately squinted his eyes with a smile, appearing rather pleased with himself. At that moment, on the conch fairy boat, several dragon princes stood up, their expressions varying widely. The princes from the West Sea and South Sea Dragon Palaces smiled faintly, seemingly unfazed; the First Prince of the North Sea Dragon Palace looked somewhat bewildered but otherwise seemed normal. Ao Jia, the First Prince of the East Sea Dragon Palace, however, felt a pang of unease. He frowned, watching the suddenly risen Golden Cicada, a flicker of doubt in his eyes. This fellow's vicious nature was so exposed; where had he suddenly appeared from?

Ao Jia possessed a slender build and handsome features, but years of self-indulgence had left him looking somewhat frail. On the boat, he resembled a luxurious brocade robe personified, and even the horns on his head lacked their usual clarity. At that moment, Ao Jia saw the Sea God approaching from the southeast with a stern expression, and then witnessed a master suddenly emerge, calling out, ‘Sea God, may we converse once more?’ After careful thought, Ao Jia began to understand what was happening. He had been set up!

Though Ao Jia typically lived a life of self-indulgence, he was by no means foolish. Knowing the path his father had chosen, he made an immediate and decisive choice.

“Sea God!” Ao Jia called out, a hint of urgency in his voice. He then directly bypassed Golden Cicada and flew towards Li Changshou, still a thousand miles away.

Seeing this, Golden Cicada's brow furrowed slightly. His hands were clasped behind his back, but a short willow-leaf dagger, thin as a cicada's wing, appeared between his fingers, and a hint of ferocity gleamed in his eyes.

Li Changshou keenly observed Golden Cicada's subtle movement, his eyes narrowing as he calmly spoke: “You dare?”

Golden Cicada's lips curved into a slight smile, and just as his fingers, clasped behind his back, were about to flick, his movement abruptly froze. What intense killing intent!

Suddenly, several dragon roars echoed as three figures flashed out of the seawater without a single splash. They formed a triangular formation, subtly encircling Golden Cicada. These were three venerable dragon-headed elders, their auras steady and imposing. The scales on their faces bore a faint, blood-red hue, and their bodies were enveloped in a visible layer of karmic residue, indicating their ancient and battle-hardened nature. Ancient Battle Dragons!

At this, Golden Cicada's expression began to change. The Sea God's sudden arrival... The Dragon Clan having such masters lying in wait... It seemed his plan for today had been discerned by the Sea God and the Dragon Clan long ago! Why? He had schemed for a long time, pursuing an unconventional path by secretly employing Western Sect arcane methods to influence the mind of the First Prince of the West Sea Dragon Palace. His intention was to use this as a breakthrough, gradually eroding the next generation of the Dragon Clan. The Dragon Clan placed immense importance on the succession of their descendants. As long as he gained control over the majority of the Dragon Clan's next generation, and then combined it with other forms of pressure, how could the Dragon Clan possibly avoid falling?

However, this plan had only just begun. Today, he had finally managed to attract the three Dragon King Princes from the South Sea, East Sea, and North Sea Dragon Palaces, and even conveniently brought in the offspring of several important Dragon Clan ministers. He had secretly initiated his scheme, having just affected two minor offspring of Dragon Clan ministers when the Sea God already arrived! Indeed, he truly was the kind of individual who could repeatedly thwart even the Mosquito Queen.

“Hahahaha!” Golden Cicada, facing the encirclement of the three Dragon Clan masters, remained utterly fearless. He laughed heartily a few times, then declared in admiration: “Sea God, you won!”

Though Li Changshou's mind was awash with questions, he maintained an outwardly serene composure, offering a casual smile with a hint of disdain in his eyes. Behind him, the Jade Emperor and Dong Mu Gong exchanged glances. Dong Mu Gong's eyes were filled with admiration; although he had no clue how the Sea God had accomplished this, he knew he absolutely couldn't let His Majesty realize his confusion at this moment. The Jade Emperor, too, displayed a faint smile, as if everything was perfectly under his command.

The First Prince of the East Sea Dragon Palace had already flown up to Li Changshou, accompanied by an elder behind him, and offered Li Changshou a deep Taoist salute. “Sea God! I, Ao Jia, nearly fell prey to another's scheme today. Thankfully, you arrived in time!”

Li Changshou nodded with a smile, then asked the elder, “Why are you all here?”

The Dragon Clan elder quickly replied, “To answer the Sea God, it was the Second Prince who sought us out and entrusted us with guarding the First Prince.”

Ao Jia laughed, “So, Sea God, you had already made all the arrangements!”

Li Changshou: ... This was truly not his arrangement; it must have been Ao Yi's proactive response.

Li Changshou calmly stated, “I ask you all to proceed and apprehend this fierce beast!”

“Understood!” The dragon-headed elder clasped his fists in assent, then turned and let out a heaven-shaking dragon roar. The three Dragon Clan masters encircling Golden Cicada simultaneously launched their attacks.

Golden Cicada twirled his blade and chuckled. His figure strangely vanished from his spot, only to reappear behind the somewhat bewildered Prince of the North Sea Dragon Palace. A thin-winged short blade pressed against the Dragon Prince's neck! Simultaneously, several more of his thin blades appeared at the necks of the West Sea and South Sea Dragon Princes!

The three dragon princes were instantly subdued, forcing the three Ancient Battle Dragons to halt their movements. Witnessing this, Ao Jia, still a thousand miles away, instinctively and cautiously took cover behind the dragon-headed elder, peering over his shoulder from a distance. Golden Cicada's gaze swept across the scene. He remained perfectly composed, evidently having calculated this escape method well in advance.

He chuckled, “This humble Taoist is skilled in teleportation and possesses extreme speed. Keeping me here might prove rather troublesome for you all. Sea God, why don't we take this opportunity to converse once more? After our last discussion, I couldn't shake the feeling that the Sea God had sidetracked the conversation, preventing me from expressing my true intentions.”

Li Changshou calmly stated, “I have nothing to discuss with you. Golden Cicada, do you truly dare to kill these three princes? Does your Western Sect desire the Dragon Clan's obedience, or do you wish for an unending feud with them?”

“Sea God, I fear you misunderstand,” Golden Cicada said coolly, “This humble Taoist is merely a reclusive cultivator of the wilds, with no ties to the Western Spirit Mountain.”

“Is that so?” Li Changshou calmly replied, “Your Great Dao oath from last time still rings in my ears. Why are you now afraid to acknowledge your patron? Or perhaps, you've already been cast out?”

“Nonsense!” Golden Cicada let out a cold scoff. This time, he was notably more cautious and didn't continue to argue.

Just then, Li Changshou heard a telepathic message. The voice was charming and soft, tinged with a hint of timidity, giving the impression of a deliberately cultivated delicate flower. “My lord, your servant has arrived. You may send a message to that spiritual fish floating belly-up in the sea; I am currently hidden a thousand miles away.”

It was indeed Wen Jing Daoist who had arrived. After a period of no contact, her self-address had certainly changed.

Li Changshou immediately sent a telepathic message to the spiritual fish, instructing: “Later, if Golden Cicada manages to escape, seize the opportunity to help him. Remember not to reveal your true form. However, if Golden Cicada fails to escape, there's no need for you to appear; simply act as if you were never here.”

Wen Jing Daoist immediately transmitted her reply: “Your servant obeys, my lord. Masters from the Western Sect are also secretly hidden here, so please exercise extra caution.”

Li Changshou, upon hearing this, smiled faintly, a point he had already considered. No sooner had he finished arranging with Wen Jing Daoist than he heard Golden Cicada declare loudly: “Why does the Sea God remain six hundred miles away? Could it be fear? If this humble Taoist's prediction is accurate, the Sea God is still using an avatar. Why does he lack the courage to even sit and converse with this humble Taoist?”

—A blatant provocation.

Li Changshou calmly replied, “Only true heroes discuss the Dao with me; only honorable individuals share a drink.”

—A counter-provocation.

“‘All heroes,’ how amusing,” Golden Cicada retorted with sarcasm. “If we're speaking of petty villains, then who are these two behind you? Their aura is unremarkable, carrying only a faint Heavenly Court merit; they are merely minor Heavenly Court deities. What, am I perhaps even beneath them?”

Upon hearing this, Dong Mu Gong bellowed, “You insolent—!”

“Ah,” the Jade Emperor interrupted Dong Mu Gong with a smile, not saying much else, simply gazing at Golden Cicada.

Li Changshou directly rebuked: “Absurd! Preposterous! Golden Cicada, you judge heroes by their divine powers, yet you fail to grasp that this humble Taoist speaks of virtue, and refers to one's character! Look at your actions! You're currently threatening the lives of three princes, yet you still wish to sit and discuss the Dao with this humble Taoist? You are utterly shameless. How can you *not* be called a petty villain?”

“You, Sea God! Sharp-tongued and silver-tongued, this humble Taoist cannot out-argue you!” Golden light surged, and his figure directly disappeared!

The three Ancient Battle Dragons, almost simultaneously, punched at a point high in the sky. The cosmos trembled, clouds shattered, but their efforts yielded nothing! One of the battle dragons suddenly roared, “Sea God, beware!”

A sudden warning flared in Li Changshou's heart. A hundred zhang away, a black vortex eerily appeared on the sea surface, from which six faint golden rays shot forth!

At this very instant! Li Changshou from the left, and Dong Mu Gong from the right, simultaneously ducked and lunged forward, shielding the Jade Emperor! Li Changshou spread his arms, and Dong Mu Gong fearlessly threw himself forward. Both their faces showed a resolute defiance of death, practically on the verge of shouting, “Protect His Majesty!”

The Jade Emperor's brow furrowed in exasperation; he almost instinctively swatted away his most trusted subordinates. Using the cover provided by Li Changshou and Dong Mu Gong, the Jade Emperor subtly pointed a finger. A beam of white light descended from above, enveloping Li Changshou's paper avatar. With a few faint clinks, six thin golden blades were effortlessly deflected by the white light. Two more beams of white light shot from the Jade Emperor's eyes. These converged, forming a colossal sword that plunged into the vortex!

A pained groan echoed from within the vortex, and a blurred figure faintly trembled before vanishing along with the vortex itself, leaving only a few drops of fresh blood splattered in the air.

Golden Cicada's somewhat fierce voice resounded from all directions: “I never expected the Heavenly Court to harbor such hidden masters. Today, this humble Taoist has truly learned his lesson! Hiding one's true strength and striking from the shadows, you, fellow Taoist, are no hero either, but truly a petty scoundrel! Hahahaha, hahahaha!”

Li Changshou secretly observed His Majesty the Jade Emperor's expression, feeling a slight twitch in his heart. This fellow is still laughing. What's so funny?

‘Sigh, Imperial Brother, I finally understand why, when you reincarnate to retrieve the scriptures, you'll be repeatedly killed nine times by a certain Heavenly Court general of the Imperial Curtain, who prefers to remain unnamed...’

The Jade Emperor, his eyes shrouded in white light, gazed toward a point high in the sky and telepathically informed Li Changshou, “He had an accomplice; he managed to escape.”

“Your Majesty, who was assisting him?”

“A woman, likely also a fierce beast by origin.”

Li Changshou chuckled, “Your Majesty, what did you think of that woman?”

“Now, now, my dear subject, don't entertain idle thoughts,” the Jade Emperor said sternly. “My junior sister and I are paragons of celestial and earthly unions; we must not engage in any frivolous or imprudent conduct.”

Li Changshou: ...

His Majesty's words, indeed, didn't bear close scrutiny.