The ruler of the Three Realms, one of the Six Emperors of Heaven and Earth, the Jade Emperor, sat behind his throne. Behind him were two long-handled emerald green banana leaf fans, which were constantly and gently waved by eight graceful palace maids in colorful robes below the jade steps.
The Jade Emperor, dressed in a bright yellow imperial robe, with a crown adorned with jewels, possessed a refined, middle-aged face. His forehead was as smooth as jade, his eyes as deep as stars, his nose as straight as jade, and his cheeks rosy and radiant. He was a man of imposing stature and unparalleled elegance. Three strands of beautiful beard adorned his chin, adding a touch of dashing charm to his refined demeanor.
It truly possessed the majesty and grandeur of an emperor, as majestic as a mountain and as deep as the sea.
Inside the hall.
Civil and military officials were arranged in order.
A line of military generals stands behind Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, followed by Nezha, the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas, and the four marshals Wang, Yang, Gao, and Li, as well as the twelve Earthly Branches.
Among the civil officials were the Three Great Emperors, the Four Heavenly Masters, the Five Qi True Lords, the Six Ding and Six Jia, the Seven Luminaries Star Lords, and the Jie Sect immortals, some with haughty expressions and others silent.
"Your Majesty, recently, strange phenomena have appeared in the Tang Dynasty of the lower realm. According to my observations with my Thousand-Mile Eyes, it is believed that a human cultivator has attained the rank of Celestial Immortal!" A minor deity with a ferocious face but bright, piercing eyes that occasionally burst forth with golden light reported.
"A human cultivator has attained the rank of Celestial Immortal?" The Jade Emperor asked with some curiosity. His voice was deep and resonant, giving one a sense of ethereal grandeur, as if he were high above the heavens. Yet, it was also warm and gentle, like a spring breeze and nourishing rain. He stroked his beard and asked, "Which immortal has been reincarnated? Or is he a disciple of some Buddha or deity?"
As he spoke, he turned his gaze to an old man with white hair, Venus.
Venus, a spirited and upright old man with prominent cheekbones, stepped out of the ranks, gently waving a whisk. He composed himself and said respectfully, “Your Majesty, this person’s celestial secrets are obscured and cannot be clearly seen. I dare not presume to spy on him!”
"Oh!" The Jade Emperor pondered for a moment and said, "Now that you have become an immortal, you must abide by the rules of Heaven and not interfere with the mortal realm. Chang Geng, go down to the mortal realm and invite him to serve as an official in the Heavenly Court. If he refuses, there is no need to force him. The Tang Dynasty... judging by the time, the pilgrims from the Western Paradise should be setting off soon!"
“We still need a catalyst. For Buddhism to spread its teachings, it needs the cooperation of an emperor. The Tang emperor has not yet had any intention of promoting Buddhism!” said Li Changgeng, the Venus.
"Your Majesty!" Water Deity Star Lord, one of the Five Qi True Lords, stepped forward and said, "The Great Tang Dynasty's Eight Rivers Chief Administrator, the Rain God, and the Jing River Dragon King, has been guilty of favoritism and perverting the law by allowing his four sons to seize the positions of the Four Rivers Dragon Kings of the Great Tang Dynasty!"
At this moment, a dragon king, dressed in a dragon robe, with two horns on his head, and broad eyes and nose, stepped out from the ranks of immortals, his anger blazing. He said, "Water Deity Star Lord, this is a trumped-up charge. All the water dragon gods in the world are appointed by my dragon clan. Changing the dragon gods and water gods has always been an internal matter of my dragon clan. As long as we dragon gods obey the Heavenly Court's decree to bring rain and follow the Heavenly Laws and the Heavenly Way, we are innocent and meritorious. Tell me, has there been any mistake in the rainfall within the territory of the Great Tang?"
"Dragon King of the West Sea, the timing and amount of rainfall are determined by the heavens. As long as the Water God does not arbitrarily alter them, the rain will fall according to the heavens. You should know that if the Dragon God goes against the workings of the heavens and violates the heavenly laws, he will have to go through the Dragon-Scraping Platform..." Water Deity said calmly before retreating.
"Perfect timing! Soon, rain will fall in the Chang'an region of the Tang Dynasty. You all can witness this..." The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas all stepped forward, wanting to protect the rights of the dragon race.
Since the Great Calamity of the Dragon and Phoenix, the Dragon Clan has no more powerful beings. Even the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas are only at the Celestial Immortal level. If they do not unite, they will lose their positions as the Water Gods of the World.
"Very well! You may all take a look!"
The Jade Emperor spoke calmly, and with a wave of his hand, an ancient bronze mirror appeared before the gods. It was originally a chaotic mess, but in an instant it became clear, reflecting the scene of Chang'an City.
Despite the Heavenly Court's surveillance, the Jing River Dragon King remained completely unaware. He emerged from his still-damaged and incompletely repaired Dragon Palace, and in a flash, transformed into a white-robed scholar, handsome and imposing, with a towering presence and dignified bearing. He wore a jade-colored robe with bat motifs and a carefree headscarf.
He set off, his steps light and fast, and arrived at the main street of the west gate of Chang'an City. There he saw a group of people, crowded and noisy, with a Taoist priest talking loudly: "Those born in the year of the Dragon are in their element, while those born in the year of the Tiger are in conflict. Although Yin, Chen, Si, and Hai are considered a harmonious combination, we should be wary of them offending the year's ruling animal."
If Jiang Liu were here, he would recognize that the Taoist priest who was talking so eloquently was none other than Yuan Shoucheng.
"This person is already an Earth Immortal, yet he's telling fortunes for mortals. Fortunately, he's somewhat restrained, otherwise we would have had to send heavenly soldiers to arrest him!" Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, looked at Yuan Shoucheng. As fellow humans, he was on good terms with Yuan Tiangang and naturally knew Yuan Shoucheng. His words were meant to clear Yuan Shoucheng's name, turning a big problem into a small one, and a small problem into nothing.
After the Great Calamity of the Investiture of the Gods, the Tongtian Sect Leader set up the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation to fight the Four Saints, and his disciples set up the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation to fight the Immortals. This caused the Primordial Continent to be damaged and broken into pieces. Dao Ancestor Hongjun used his great magic power to melt the four largest pieces into the Four Continents, namely the Eastern Sheng Shen Continent, the Southern Zhanbu Continent, the Western Niuhe Continent, and the Northern Julu Continent.
After this, the Heavenly Court was established, acting on behalf of the Dao Ancestor to operate the Heavenly Dao, and established Heavenly Laws, distinguishing between immortals and mortals, prohibiting earth immortals from interfering with the change of dynasties in the human world, and preventing the four continents from suffering large-scale destruction again.
As the crowd watched the Dragon King of the Jing River enter the fortune-telling shop, they saw that the walls were adorned with pearls and the room was filled with exquisite embroidery. The signboard bore the name of the fortune teller, Yuan Shoucheng.
Just like in the original Journey to the West, the two made a bet on the timing and amount of rainfall.
Li Jing was horrified. Yuan Shoucheng's actions at this moment were revealing heavenly secrets and would bring him divine punishment. He felt that he could no longer save him.
Chapter 360 The End of the Jing River Dragon King (Part 2)
"Thunder at noon, rain at 1-3 pm, rain stopping at 3 pm, but only three feet and forty points were recorded. The hour was changed, and three inches and eight points were deducted... Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, what do you say we should do?"
Water Deity snorted coldly, staring at the Four Sea Dragon Kings with an aggressive gaze, waiting for their reply.
The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas turned ashen-faced, filled with rage. Little did they know this was a trap, waiting for them to fall into it. They immediately knelt before the Jade Emperor and said, "The Dragon King of the Jing River has presumptuously altered the Heavenly Way, and his crime deserves death. He should be imprisoned on the Dragon-Scraping Platform... We, the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, will immediately shut ourselves in and reflect on our mistakes..."
They chose to sacrifice the pawn to save the king, not wanting to risk their own lives for the sake of the Jinghe Dragon King.
"Since that's the case, strip the Jinghe Dragon King of all his divine positions, including the Chief Administrator of the Eight Rivers and the Great Dragon God of Rain, and hand him over to Wei Zheng, the great Confucian scholar of the Tang Dynasty, for execution... Do any of you ministers have any objections?"
No objections!
With a flick of his wrist, the illusions vanished from the bronze mirror. The Jade Emperor snorted coldly and turned to leave.
After the rain, the Dragon King of the Jing River transformed into a scholar in white robes and stormed into Yuan Shoucheng's fortune-telling shop on the main street inside the West Gate. Without saying a word, he smashed Yuan's signboard, writing brush, inkstone, and other items.
Yuan Shoucheng sat motionless in his chair, his eyes filled with a deathly gray.
The Dragon King swung the door panel again, striking and cursing, "You fickle sorcerer who speaks of fortune and misfortune, you scoundrel who deceives the masses! Your divination is inaccurate, and your words are wildly absurd! The time and amount of rain you said today are completely wrong, yet you sit so high and mighty. Get out of here now, or I'll spare your life!"
Yuan Shoucheng sneered incessantly, utterly unafraid. He looked up at the sky and coldly laughed, "I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid! I have no capital offense, but I'm afraid you do! It's easy to deceive others, but hard to deceive me. I recognize you; you're not a scholar, but the Dragon King of the Jing River. You disobeyed the Jade Emperor's decree, changed the time, and deducted from the appointed number, violating heavenly laws. On that Dragon-Slaying Platform, you're likely to face a fatal blow, yet you're here cursing me?"
"Who could know!"
"I know, and God knows!"
"I've fallen into their trap!" The Dragon King's eyes blazed with fury, his heart pounding with fear and his hair standing on end. He immediately straightened his clothes, knelt down before Yuan Shoucheng, and said, "Sir, please forgive me. What I said before was just a joke, but who knew it would become so real? Today I have violated the heavenly laws. What can I do? I beg you to save me! Otherwise, I will never let you go, even if it means my death."
Yuan Shoucheng sighed and said, "We are both caught in this situation. I can't save you, nor can I save myself. I can only point out a way for you to be reborn."
The Dragon King of the Jing River was already covered in sweat, as if he had grasped at the last straw, and said urgently, "I would like to ask for your guidance."
"You are to be executed by Wei Zheng, the official in charge of the Ministry of Personnel, at noon tomorrow. If you want to save your life, you must hurry and inform Emperor Taizong of Tang. Wei Zheng is the prime minister under the Tang emperor. If you can get a favor from him, you can be sure you will be safe."
Watching the Jing River Dragon King depart, Yuan Shoucheng gritted his teeth and sighed. He straightened his clothes, looked up to the sky and sighed, thinking to himself, "You, the Jing River Dragon King, cannot escape being beheaded at the Dragon-Scraping Platform, so how can I, Yuan Shoucheng, escape the Heavenly Tribulation and Thunder Punishment... We are nothing but pawns! Tiangang, I took a step forward, hoping to see you deduce the changes of humanity over the past three thousand years... Unfortunately, I will not be able to see it!"
...
After instructing his two disciples, Jiang Liu sent Xue Rengui away from Zhongnan Mountain. Although he did not intend to provide him with any assistance, he still sealed the Purple and Green Twin Swords in Xue Rengui's sea of consciousness, ensuring that the swords would not be drawn unless the situation was dire.
With the power of those two swords, even if they couldn't kill a Celestial Immortal, they could severely injure an Earth Immortal.
Watching Xue Rengui ride alone on his white horse into the Northern Plains, Jiang Liu felt that as long as he could return safely, he would surely be able to comprehend the true essence of the Human Immortal Martial Arts.
"After all, you have also left a significant mark on history. Wei Zheng was a great Confucian scholar with the power of an Earth Immortal, and Cheng Yaojin cultivated martial arts and was close to becoming an Earth Immortal... Disciple, I have high hopes for you! I want to establish my own sect, and it seems I will need to take on more disciples. The Eight Immortals will be born one after another soon, and I can give it a try!"
They turned their gaze back and headed towards Chang'an City.
He quietly entered the palace and saw Li Shimin.
"Is something on Your Majesty's mind?"
Li Shimin's furrowed brows relaxed upon seeing Jiang Liu, and he smiled, "It's nothing major, but it does concern you, sir!"
"Oh, tell me about it!"
"I have heard that you have a grudge against the Dragon King of the Jing River. Last night, he appeared in my dream and begged me to save his life. I am currently pondering whether or not I should save him..."
Jiang Liu was slightly taken aback, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, what I am about to say is only for you and me to know, and cannot be heard by a third party, not even your bedmate. Can you do that?"
Having said that, he set up a barrier, and not at all reassured, he also brought out a small bronze cauldron to suppress the void.
Seeing Jiang Liu's seriousness, Li Shimin immediately nodded and said, "Please speak freely, sir. I am a man of my word and will not reveal a single word."
"Come closer and listen..."
Jiang Liu analyzed the plot of Journey to the West in detail and explained it to Li Shimin, guiding him on how to proceed.
Jiang Liu has no intention of changing the original plot. If it prevents Tang Sanzang from going to the Western Paradise to obtain the scriptures, it will inevitably attract the attention of many great gods and immortals in the Three Realms. Jiang Liu does not want to expose himself easily.
"Once Tang Sanzang begins his journey to the West to retrieve the scriptures, the Tang Dynasty will have far fewer eyes and ears from the immortals and Buddhas. Their attention will inevitably be focused on Tang Sanzang and his companions. At that time... I can begin preaching in the Tang Dynasty. By the time Tang Sanzang obtains the true scriptures, it will be too late! Moreover, the stone Buddha will bring you an extra hardship on your journey to the West, and this hardship will not be easy..."
After leaving the palace, Jiang Liu went to find Yuan Shoucheng, the old Taoist priest who had caused a great disaster. According to Jiang Liu's prediction, he would surely suffer a heavenly calamity.
Before Jiang Liu could find Yuan Shoucheng, a bloody dragon head fell onto Zhuque Avenue, its eyes wide open and its face full of resentment.
The Jing River Dragon King ultimately could not survive this ordeal. He was beheaded by Wei Zheng on the Dragon-Scraping Platform, and his head fell to the mortal world. Dragon blood splattered almost half the street, but instead of the stench of blood, it emitted a strange fragrance.
The blood of a celestial being is already equivalent to a miraculous elixir. Moreover, the blood of a true dragon possesses boundless power. If a mortal were to bathe in dragon blood, they could experience a cleansing and purification of their bones and marrow, though there was also a very high chance of sudden death.
"A dignified celestial being has fallen to such a state!" Jiang Liu couldn't help but shake his head. Such dragon blood and dragon head were of little use to him. Dragon tooth rice was better than any elixir.
Such a huge dragon head is naturally too intimidating for ordinary people to approach.
Just as he was about to leave, Jiang Liu suddenly sensed something and looked towards a restaurant next to Zhuque Avenue. A young man in a Taoist robe was standing at the window, staring intently at the dragon's head. His gaze was extremely greedy, as if he wanted to devour the dragon's head.
Jiang Liu frowned, feeling extremely strange. It seemed that the person's soul did not originate from this world...
Chapter 361 A Transmigrator Came to Cause Trouble
The capital city, a great nation, is truly a sight to behold, with eight rivers flowing around and four mountains encircling it.
Many emperors rose to power here; throughout history, the world has spoken of Chang'an.
Chang'an, the capital of emperors throughout history, has been a place of splendor and beauty since the Zhou, Qin, and Han dynasties. With its three provinces adorned with flowers, eight rivers flowing around the city, thirty-six lanes lined with willows and brocade, and seventy-two grand pavilions adorned with music and song, it was a place of unparalleled prosperity and spiritual beauty, the very foundation of humankind.
Since Jiang Liu parted ways with Guanyin and Muzha at the Liusha River that day, the master and disciple have been arranging the journey to obtain the scriptures.
They traveled eastward and soon arrived in the Tang Dynasty. The fog and clouds dispersed, and the master and disciple transformed into two scabbed wandering monks, entering the city of Chang'an.
The enormous head of the Jinghe Dragon King crashed onto Zhuque Street, releasing waves of oppressive power and boundless allure.
Mortals were utterly powerless against it. Within minutes, the streets were deserted. Mortals dared only watch from afar, and even cultivators dared not approach. The dragon's might was unstoppable; no one below the Earth Immortal level could get close.
As for cultivators at the Earth Immortal level, few of them are involved in worldly affairs. There are naturally not many in Chang'an City, but they are not entirely absent.
Among the crowd, Jiang Liu spotted a scabies-ridden wandering monk. His eyes flickered, and he activated his Origin Heaven Divine Sense, his eyes flashing with purple light.
He couldn't help but smile knowingly, and his eyes revealed a young man in his early twenties, dressed in white, looking very refined, with a gentle smile on his face. He was very handsome, with eyes as clear as water, and a faint brilliance in them. He could be described as having a refined and elegant appearance.
The man carried two weapons on his back, their blades curved like hooks.
This scabies-ridden wandering monk was none other than Muzha in disguise.
"Muzha, where is the Bodhisattva?" Jiang Liu asked, leaning closer.
The scabies-ridden monk was slightly startled. Seeing that it was Jiang Liu, the demon-subduing youth he had met at the Tongtian River, he rubbed his eyes in disbelief and said, "You...you've already become a celestial being?"
Muzha's cultivation level was naturally that of a Celestial Immortal. After all, he had cultivated for nearly two thousand years, first becoming a disciple of Samantabhadra and later cultivating under Guanyin.
"It's just a matter of accumulating strength before unleashing it!"
"Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on your enlightenment of the Great Dao!"
"Is the Bodhisattva no longer here?" Jiang Liu asked again, still uneasy.
Muzha shook his head and then said, "The whereabouts of the Bodhisattva are something I can only know..."
After the head of the Jinghe Dragon King fell, a dragon corpse also crashed down. Fortunately, the Vermilion Bird Avenue was wide enough that it did not hit any mortals.
Dragon corpses, dragon blood, dragon horns, dragon scales, and dragon bones are no less than rare and precious treasures to ordinary cultivators.