Chapter 330: Decisive Action of the True Heavenly Emperor

Your Majesty, the Jade Emperor… He wouldn’t have actually gone and flattened the Golden Crow Palace, would he?

Li Changshou's paper effigy had returned to the Sea God Residence, and he felt a persistent worry in his heart. The Heavenly Court had just taken control of the Dragon race, and before the Dragons could be converted into a true asset, they would consume most of the Heavenly Court's energy. Provoking the demon race at this time would be unwise.

To be safe, it would be better to wait until the Dragon race no longer had any lingering concerns and the Heavenly Court's core strength had increased significantly. Only then should they use Lu Ya's matter as a starting point to incite the demon race against the Heavenly Court, capture their weaknesses, make them lose their moral standing, and seize the opportunity to purge the karmic demons, helping the Heavenly Court soar to great heights!

Yes, just a small calculation.

Whether the Heavenly Court prospered or not previously had little to do with Li Changshou. But now, Li Changshou had set out a major development path before the Investiture of the Gods calamity, and to some extent, he had bound himself to the Heavenly Court.

—Of course, when Li Changshou proactively tied himself to the Heavenly Court, he had prepared several contingency plans for withdrawal.

“The time to act against the demon race is not yet ripe; it should at least wait until the Underworld is brought under Heavenly Court's jurisdiction.”

Li Changshou pondered for a moment, took out the memorial he had written at the Peach Banquet, and then took out a new one to consider carefully. Before he could even pick up his brush, Zhao Gongming had already arrived at the Sea God Temple. Li Changshou had no choice but to set the matter aside, thinking that even if he delayed for half an hour or an hour, His Majesty the Jade Emperor wouldn't be able to gather enough troops anyway, so he temporarily put it on hold. First, he needed to handle Elder Zhao's matter.

In front of the Sea God Temple, Zhao Gongming arrived on a cloud, humming an improvised tune. Li Changshou's paper effigy was already waiting in the air. Hearing the tune, he unconsciously added some lyrics in his mind... "Summer, summer, quietly passed, leaving little secrets..." Instantly, he felt that Elder Zhao had become much more boisterous.

“Little brother, little brother, I'm here!”

“Elder brother, please,” Li Changshou gestured, leading Zhao Gongming into the inner hall. Zhao Gongming glanced at the front hall and couldn't help but ask, “Is your temple undergoing construction again?”

“I am now the Water God, and the Sea Gods are the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas,” Li Changshou explained with a smile. “For prudence, we are first erecting statues of the Four Sea Dragon Kings in all Sea God Temples. Later, we will spread stories of the Dragon Kings rescuing people from distress. This matter will be complete in about ten or twenty years.”

Zhao Gongming chuckled, “Little brother, you truly handle matters thoroughly; you always think ahead of others.”

“Elder brother, you flatter me,” Li Changshou said humbly. “It's merely that I tend to worry a lot; such thoughts are hardly worth mentioning.”

Zhao Gongming looked towards the corner, where he saw a desk with brushes and ink already prepared. He stroked his beard with a soft chuckle, quickly approached the desk, and picked up a brush, pondering...

“Now, how should I write this?”

Li Changshou smiled, “Elder brother, just write whatever you want to say to Immortal Mother Jin Guang.”

Zhao Gongming thought for a moment, then fell into deep contemplation.

“Alright, I'll set a mood for you, elder brother.”

As he spoke, several ordinary paper figures flew out from Li Changshou's sleeve. They transformed into five musicians—three men and two women—who began to play some cheerful tunes widely popular in Anshui City's pleasure houses.

Zhao Gongming quickly chuckled, “Don't tell me, with a little music, my thoughts are clearer.”

As he spoke, Zhao Gongming's brush moved with the agility of a dragon and snake, dashing ink onto the paper, writing the four large characters: 'Junior Sister Jin Guang'.

Then... Zhao Gongming held his brush, leaning over the desk, not putting it to paper for a moment. This was not a still frame.

“Chang Geng, little brother, how exactly should I write this?”

“No worries,” Li Changshou said with a calm smile, putting away his whisk. He rolled up his sleeve, fumbled around inside, and pulled out several scrolls, placing them before Zhao Gongming.

Li Changshou chuckled, “Here are a few templates for letters from men. White is for no romantic interest, light pink is for nascent interest, and orange is for escalating passion.”

“What about this yellow one?”

“That, of course, is only to be used after the fated relationship has been established.”

With a 'ding' sound, Zhao Gongming gave a thumbs-up. “Little brother, you're brilliant! Then I'll choose this white... um... light pink one.”

Immediately, Zhao Gongming opened the scroll and saw lines of small characters. Reading them carefully, he found the words appropriate and just right, containing many of the things he wanted to say. Before long, Zhao Gongming, brimming with confidence, began to write furiously... Naturally, there was a certain degree of borrowing involved.

Li Changshou retrieved the other love letter templates and waited by his side with a smile, not bothering to read what Zhao Gongming wrote. At most, he'd accidentally catch a few glimpses and ponder Elder Zhao's literary prowess.

Suddenly... “Little brother, why do you have so many things prepared for writing letters to women?”

Li Changshou replied with a smile, “After parting with Fairy Yun Xiao that day, I went back and prepared these items...” To prepare for the possibility of Jie School immortals showing up at his door, asking for advice on how to pursue their beloved immortals. Of course, the latter part of that sentence was absolutely not to be spoken aloud.

Zhao Gongming chuckled, “That's thoughtful. I'll deliberate a bit more.”

Li Changshou remained silent, waiting quietly; Zhao Gongming meticulously savored each word and sentence, then felt dissatisfied with his first draft, so he simply rewrote several hundred characters. His words were mostly honorific; between the lines, only the Great Dao was mentioned.

At this point, Li Changshou also confirmed that Elder Zhao was definitely not rejecting Immortal Mother Jin Guang out of pride or embarrassment; he genuinely had no romantic feelings. Reading through the entire letter, it was only missing the line, 'You're not really my type.'

Once the letter was finished, Zhao Gongming softly recited a few words, then chuckled, “At this moment, I feel utterly unburdened, and my Dao heart is clear.”

Li Changshou instructed, “Elder brother, it's best if you hand this letter to Immortal Mother Jin Ling yourself, lest she suspects someone else gave it to her.”

“Excellent!” Zhao Gongming rolled up his sleeve, took the letter, and temporarily bid farewell, saying he would return later to talk with Li Changshou. Li Changshou naturally agreed, and then dispatched a divine attendant to prepare a banquet, intending to drink and enjoy himself with Elder Zhao later.

His immortal sense scanned the mountain gate; Ling'e was counting trees and strange rocks in the mountain, and the card room hadn't yet become lively again. Li Changshou had previously considered how he would settle Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu and Junior Sister You Du, who were both very close to Little Qiong Peak, if he were to secretly leave Duxian Gate with Ling'e. The solution, however, was quite simple: just have Ling'e leave an old version of her paper effigy at Duxian Gate.

Furthermore, according to Li Changshou's plan, before the Investiture of the Gods calamity began, all those close to him would be sent to the Heavenly Court in various ways to seek refuge and avoid disaster. Thinking of this, Li Changshou couldn't help but compose a poem:

'The Heavenly Court, a safe harbor,Arrive early, start duty early.Not only escape disaster,But also earn merits and rewards!'

Hmm, lately, I've accidentally lost much of my 'poetic power' since my poetic duel with Daoist Lu Ya.

How much longer until the Investiture of the Gods calamity? Li Changshou truly didn't know either; this sense of crisis constantly lingered in his heart, and he could only wait for the various omens to appear.

This paper effigy sat in the hall, while Li Changshou's other paper effigy sat in the Water God Residence, beginning to draft the second memorial he intended to present today. Just as he began writing, Princess Long Ji came running to offer congratulations and deliver the second batch of rewards from the Queen Mother. The first batch of rewards was still piled unopened in a corner, so Li Changshou accepted this batch as well. His immortal sense swept over them, seeing that they were all precious jades and materials used to adorn residences; though valuable, their practical utility was not great.

Long Ji saw the memorial on Li Changshou's desk and chuckled, “You truly work tirelessly; the Peach Banquet just ended, and you're already drafting a new memorial.”

Li Changshou replied with a smile, “In my position, I must naturally attend to my duties.”

“Um...” Long Ji bit her lip, then suddenly bowed deeply to Li Changshou in a grand salute. “Long Ji thanks the Water God for his previous help! Although you don't allow Long Ji to call you 'Teacher,' in Long Ji's heart, you are Long Ji's teacher for this life!”

“Your Highness, please rise quickly,” Li Changshou said, raising his hand in a gesture to help her up, and then chuckled, “His Majesty's previous reluctance to mention Your Highness in front of others was actually to protect Your Highness. Your Highness should also understand His Majesty's good intentions.”

“Mmm, I will...” Long Ji pouted slightly, her eyes reddened, but she quickly wiped away her grievances and swiftly returned to her usual lively cheerfulness.

“Water God, will you be going out later?”

Li Changshou replied, “I shouldn't be going out for some time. You can peacefully cultivate in the Jade Pool. If there's ever a non-dangerous outing, I'll send Heavenly Soldiers to call for you.”

“Hehe, thank you, Water God! Well then, I won't disturb you while you're busy with important matters!”

Long Ji curtsied, then departed the Water God Residence with light steps. Li Changshou watched Long Ji leave, but suddenly some absurd thoughts arose in his mind...

Immortal Mother Jin Guang, if Li Changshou remembered correctly, in the original Investiture of the Gods narrative, was destined to become the Heavenly Court's Lightning Mother, in charge of lightning flashes before thunder, warning mortals of impending strikes. So, what was happening on Jin'ao Island now could be understood as: The Lightning Mother was deeply infatuated with the God of Wealth, but the God of Wealth only saw her as a sister, while a group of single righteous gods in the Thunder Department could only stare enviously?

Tsk, quite interesting indeed.

Li Changshou returned to his study, focused his mind, and picked up his brush to continue writing the memorial advising on matters concerning the demon race. This time, when he was halfway through writing, someone else came to disturb him at the Anshui City Sea God Temple. This arrival was also extraordinary, forcing Li Changshou to put down his brush and direct most of his attention to the back hall of the Sea God Temple.

Who was the visitor? He wore a pale yellow robe, his beard and hair fluttered in the wind. His figure was slender, and his face was kind, appearing to be only forty or fifty years old, yet he gave off a sense of having experienced the vast vicissitudes of the world. It was, of course, the renowned benevolent elder of Chan School, notorious for being easily captured during the Investiture of the Gods, and often caught up in events despite his best intentions—Daoist Huang Long.

“Many thanks to the Sea God for helping the Dragon race! Many thanks to the Sea God for helping the Dragon race!”

As soon as they met, Daoist Huang Long repeatedly bowed, exclaiming these words. Li Changshou dared not directly accept the bows, so he continuously bowed back in return. The two elders continued bowing to each other in mid-air for a good while, amusing the divine attendants who were leisurely chatting and cracking sunflower seeds below.

After exchanging a few pleasantries and entering the inner hall, Daoist Huang Long was surprised to see a banquet already set. This Sea God's ability to divine had actually reached such a level, predicting that he would arrive here at this very moment? This was truly astonishing! Li Changshou smiled faintly from the side, not correcting the misunderstanding. He simply invited Daoist Huang Long to take a seat, merely having someone add an extra set of bowls, chopsticks, and wine utensils.

Daoist Huang Long's visit this time was purely to thank Li Changshou, expressing how much he owed to Li Changshou's assistance. At the very least, judging by how Daoist Huang Long addressed him, the Chan School's information was neither comprehensive nor entirely accurate. He was now the Heavenly Court's Water God! Although his specific position, divine authority, and sacred artifacts had not yet been finalized.

“Hahaha, Sea God, you are truly formidable,” Daoist Huang Long praised. “At the Peach Banquet, you single-handedly contended with six disciples of the Western Sect's saints, leaving them speechless, and even brought the Grand Pure One himself to personally oversee the situation for you! Everyone in Jade Void Palace is talking about this; our Chan School disciples truly admire you immensely!”

Li Changshou quickly said, “Senior, you exaggerate. How could that be a 'contention'? It was merely a small inquiry, according to Heavenly Court rules. I have utmost admiration for the two Western Saint Lords and all their disciples!”

Daoist Huang Long's eyes immediately crinkled into a smile. “Understood, understood, it's all understood.”

As he spoke, the Daoist sighed, “It truly is a lifelong regret that this humble Daoist could not attend the Peach Banquet to witness the decree concerning the Dragon race.”

Li Changshou: ...So he's here to blame me for not inviting him to the banquet in Heaven.

Li Changshou chuckled, “Senior, you might not know, but for this Heavenly Court matter, I originally did not wish for esteemed experts from the Three Sects to attend. Doing so would place too much pressure on the Dragon race, and it might also make His Majesty the Jade Emperor feel that the Heavenly Court's might alone was insufficient to compel the Dragons' submission. Therefore, no invitation was sent to you. Senior Gongming went to the Heavenly Court for other matters and simply took the opportunity of the Peach Banquet to conduct his business, which was convenient.”

Daoist Huang Long couldn't help but ask with a smile, “Oh? What was Junior Brother Gongming doing in the Heavenly Court?”

“Seeking the Old Man Under the Moon to handle some personal matters.”

“The Old Man Under the Moon?” Daoist Huang Long's eyes lit up. He exchanged glances with Li Changshou for a moment, then seemed to realize something with an enlightened expression.

Just as he finished speaking, Zhao Gongming's figure appeared several hundred miles away, riding a cloud towards Anshui City. Seeing the smile at the corner of Elder Zhao's brow and his lightly trembling beard, Li Changshou knew that Zhao Gongming must have given the letter to Immortal Mother Jin Guang and immediately returned. When Elder Zhao arrived, Li Changshou asked him a few questions, and it was exactly as he had expected. Zhao Gongming found Immortal Mother Jin Guang, smiled and said, 'Junior sister, this is for you,' then tossed the letter, turned, and ran, using a divine ability to directly teleport back. If one disregarded the content of the letter, this scene closely resembled an act of love.

“Come!” Zhao Gongming declared, full of vigor. “The matter is settled, and Elder Brother Huang Long is also here! Let us drink three hundred cups in revelry today; why should we bother with romance tomorrow!”

Immediately, Li Changshou and Daoist Huang Long raised their cups in a toast, exchanging drinks, and enjoying themselves immensely.

About half an hour later, as Zhao Gongming and Daoist Huang Long chatted animatedly, Li Changshou diverted some of his attention and continued to work on his memorial at the desk. For some reason, he was a little worried that His Majesty the Jade Emperor might act too quickly, drafting this memorial before him. Then he checked the wording, pondered the sentences, and polished a few rough edges. Only after the ink dried did he prepare both memorials and head towards the High Heavens Palace.

Upon reaching the palace entrance, there was no need to announce himself or make inquiries. Activating his 'ordinary powerful minister' aura, he proceeded unimpeded directly before the Jade Emperor.

“Your Majesty... Your Majesty?”

“Hmm?” The white-robed Jade Emperor, who had been resting his forehead on one hand as if weary from reviewing memorials, instantly snapped back to attention.

Li Changshou secretly thought, *Oh no!* This situation was exactly like when he was fully controlling a paper effigy and someone disturbed him!

The Jade Emperor chuckled, “My beloved Qing Chang Geng, do you have urgent business?”

“Your Majesty,” Li Changshou quickly took out the second memorial first. “Regarding the demon race, your humble god has pondered carefully and believes there are some imprudent aspects. Therefore, I have drafted a memorial for your review!”

Immediately, Li Changshou used his immortal power to push the memorial, and it landed on the desk. The Jade Emperor picked it up and reviewed it carefully. At first, he nodded continuously, but as he read further, his brows furrowed deeply, and he murmured, “If we consider this, then these remnants of the demon court truly cannot be eliminated right now... Quick!”

“Hmm?” Li Changshou feigned a slightly bewildered expression.

“Nothing, nothing, beloved Qing, please wait a moment.” The Jade Emperor quickly closed his eyes, diverting his attention elsewhere.

He was just a hair's breadth away from his avatar, along with a contingent of soldiers and his prepared contingencies, secretly ascending to the Solar Star...