"Hmm." Li Bingjie smiled, seemingly unconcerned about Xu Zhengyang's angry attitude just now.
Xu Zhengyang smiled too. He was very content and lucky to have such a virtuous wife in his life. He raised his hand and beckoned to Li Bingjie, saying, "Go outside for a walk, don't stay cooped up in the house all day."
"Where to?" Li Bingjie asked as she stood up with a smile.
"Go ahead and tell me."
Li Bingjie stepped forward and took her husband's arm, saying as they walked, "Let's go boating on Jingniang Lake..."
"Okay, no problem."
...
A small boat slowly glided out from Zhenyi Island in the center of Jingniang Lake. Xu Zhengyang gently rowed the boat, and Li Bingjie sat opposite him, looking up at the vast blue waves, the green peaks on both sides, the high sky and light clouds, a pleasing sight to behold.
“It would actually be nice to build the Heavenly Court on Zhenyi Island,” Li Bingjie suddenly said.
"That won't do, where will the tourists go to play?" Xu Zhengyang said with a smile.
Li Bingjie smiled and said with a hint of longing, "Then let's go find a secluded island in the ocean, where the sky and sea are vast, how wonderful that would be."
“That makes sense!” Xu Zhengyang stopped rowing and began to think seriously.
Volume 7, Emperor Chapter 381: What is Privilege?
Establishing a celestial palace for the human realm on Earth is not necessarily inevitable, but it's only a matter of time.
For Xu Zhengyang, he couldn't bear to leave Earth and go to the Heavenly Court in another dimension to live a carefree life. Having been to the Heavenly Court once, Xu Zhengyang already understood that there was nothing to miss about that vast, empty, and lifeless place.
At best, they are just some rare items used to make divine artifacts.
Perhaps those shattered fragments of divine artifacts from the War of the Gods could fetch a good price if sold easily in the mortal realm. But for Xu Zhengyang, money meant nothing. Because he could have as much money as he wanted…
Once he had a real residence in the human world, Xu Zhengyang would no longer need to separate his consciousness from his body, which would be inconvenient.
He no longer arbitrarily assigns ghost messengers, let alone gods.
According to the data and information he possessed, leaders of some countries and even the United Nations, who were far superior in all aspects, had already been included in the future positions of the Heavenly Court.
What the Heavenly Court Palace lacks now? Scale!
If the scale is to be larger, then there must be more divine subordinates.
At that time, the Heavenly Court, as a transcendent entity, will control the entire world. Putting aside the dream of world peace and a better life for all mankind, just how much self-satisfaction will Xu Zhengyang experience?
To put it simply, Xu Zhengyang will be worshipped and respected wherever he goes because he brought peace to the world.
What an honor this is!
Just thinking about it makes my heart flutter and my soul tremble.
However, this dream seems to be still a long way off, at least... he needs to wait another ten or even twenty years.
In particular, nowadays those damned Heavenly Laws and the Divine Control Orders no longer discuss with him anything about the expansion of the Heavenly Court, the various deities, or even what Xu Zhengyang himself should do.
Did they reach some kind of secret agreement behind the scenes?
Xu Zhengyang was quite frustrated. It wasn't that he was overly worried that the Divine Control Token and the Heavenly Laws would plot against him; he now had enough strength to be unafraid of such things. It was just that losing close contact with the Heavenly Laws and the Divine Control Token left him feeling like a commander without troops. Occasionally, he would feel a little uneasy.
Li Bingjie's suggestion to find a secluded island in the ocean to build a celestial palace piqued Xu Zhengyang's interest. He thought about how immortals in legends lived on celestial islands overseas, and the breathtaking scenery of immortal mountains separated by clouds and seas, with jade-like peaks connecting them—a vision Xu Zhengyang had imagined countless times.
So after that boat trip with Li Bingjie, Xu Zhengyang started searching online for uninhabited islands all over the world, thinking about where he could buy one if he found a suitable one.
Then, they started a large-scale construction project on it and built a mansion.
However, this plan seems unlikely to be realized in the short term. Firstly, Xu Zhengyang is unwilling to go to areas too far from the mainland, as it would be inconvenient for his family to live there. Areas closer to the mainland are occupied by various countries, either developed or already inhabited. Furthermore, building a residence on the islands would require materials and manpower. Leaving aside the financial cost, the sheer manpower involved would be enough to easily attract global attention and astonish the world.
Even the rich wouldn't do that, would they?
In Xu Zhengyang's imagination, the Heavenly Palace was quite large.
Although Xu Zhengyang didn't intend to re-establish the so-called Nine Heavens Division, the human realm still needed a systematic planning and division of areas. Upon closer examination, there were nearly two hundred countries globally, as well as over seventy sovereign special regions/areas. Based on this calculation, each country would require at least two or three deities for management, right? The ghost messengers could establish branches of city god palaces or even state god palaces on the spot.
But when the gods hold their annual system meetings or have other matters to attend to, they need a comfortable place to gather.
Moreover, how could the Heavenly Court not be grand?
In the late spring and early summer of the ninth year of the New Divine Calendar, Xu Zhengyang and Li Bingjie accepted the invitation of the Ye family and went to Jiangjing City.
Xu Zhengyang and Li Bingjie were fully aware of the reason for the invitation. Ye Wan was quite worried because she knew that Xu Zhengyang had removed Chen Chaojiang from his priestly authority. As for Chen Chaojiang, he probably understood that Xu Zhengyang was quite dissatisfied with their actions.
This meant that Ye Rongchen wasn't entirely terrified, but he still felt uneasy.
It's necessary to have a serious talk with Xu Zhengyang. We don't need to beg him to make an exception or put his mind at ease, but we should at least show him some consideration.
It's called a talk, but it's really just a statement of attitude. Nobody's a fool; everyone understands.
Some things are better left unsaid, as that would make both parties feel awkward.
After the meal, Ye Rongchen's family felt relieved. From Xu Zhengyang's words and expressions, Ye Wan and her father understood that Xu Zhengyang had clearly used his privileges to reduce Chen Chaojiang's punishment considerably, and that he could leave at any time after serving his sentence. In other words, he should only need to report to the prison once a week.
Fortunately, Xu Zhengyang's dissatisfaction was only expressed in demoting Chen Chaojiang from his priesthood; he did not forcefully demand that Chen Chaojiang serve his sentence.
That's better than anything else. As for Chen Chaojiang's clerical position, whether he has it or not is not important for now.
In the following days, Xu Zhengyang and his wife were not in a hurry to go back. Since they had come all this way, they naturally wanted to stay here for a while, and sightseeing was an essential part of it.
Ye Rongchen didn't have time to spend with them. The higher one's rank, the more things one had to handle. Moreover, recent territorial disputes with other countries had created special circumstances, making his work even busier as the highest-ranking military officer in Jiangnan.
Accompanying Xu Zhengyang and his wife was Ye Wan.
Xu Zhengyang stayed in Jiangjing City for a week. On the day he was about to leave, he suggested going to Xihu City for a visit. The scenery there was quite nice. Last time he went to visit Chen Chaojiang, he didn't have the time to do any sightseeing.
Ye Wan felt rather embarrassed, as Xihu City was where Chen Chaojiang was serving his sentence. Ever since Xu Zhengyang arrived in Jiangjing City, Chen Chaojiang had obediently gone to prison to serve his sentence.
Today, Xu Zhengyang suddenly suggested going to Xihu City. Could it be that he wanted to visit Chen Chaojiang?
On the way there, Ye Wan was still a little hesitant, wondering if she should just bring Chen Chao along and let Xu Zhengyang and his wife go for a drive.
Since Xu Zhengyang knows everything, there's no need to hide it, right?
Before Ye Wan could make a decision, Xu Zhengyang smiled and said, "Let's invite Chao Jiang out too, have a meal together, and go to the Qiantang Lake to enjoy the scenery."
"Huh?" Ye Wan was taken aback for a moment, then quickly said happily, "Okay, okay."
Li Bingjie smiled silently beside him; she knew her husband best. If it weren't for his official position and the many constraints he faced, he would have wholeheartedly wanted to release his best friend, Chen Chaojiang, from prison. The reason he demoted Chen Chaojiang wasn't because he was still angry, but entirely to establish his authority.
There's no other way. If Chen Chaojiang doesn't do something about this, it will be hard for him to convince the public.
In early summer, the banks of Qiantang Lake are shaded by green willows, and the lake surface is sparkling. Tourists can row boats on the lake, stroll along the stone paths by the lake, or sit in the pavilions.
Xu Zhengyang and Chen Chaojiang strolled leisurely along a quiet, low stone path, with Chen Chaojiang trailing slightly behind, keeping pace with them.
Ye Wan and Li Bingjie sat chatting in a pavilion by the lake, not wanting to disturb the conversation between the two men.
"Are you dissatisfied?" Xu Zhengyang asked with a smile.
"No." Chen Chaojiang shook his head and sighed, "To still be able to live as a human being, to be able to reunite with my wife, children, and family often... that's already an immense blessing."
"What? You really don't want to be a god anymore?" Xu Zhengyang said calmly.
Chen Chaojiang paused for a moment, then said, "No."
"That's good." Xu Zhengyang lit a cigarette and casually tossed one to Chen Chaojiang, saying, "It's good that you understand. I didn't invite you to the new work meeting of the Heavenly Court, so I came to tell you personally... Of course, you don't have a divine position now, but I still want you to know that the Heavenly Court's future work focus, in addition to punishing evil, will be more about promoting good. Indiscriminate killing may bring the fastest results, but it's not ideal."
"Yes, I've thought about it a lot these days." Chen Chaojiang bowed slightly.
“It’s good to think things through.” Xu Zhengyang nodded and said, “I didn’t consider things carefully before. Your temperament is quite compatible with my temperament, but things are different now. Our concepts and rules need to change… Live these years steadily and don’t complain about how long they’ve been. Don’t forget your identity. We’ll need you in the future.”
Chen Chaojiang lowered his head in deep thought.
"Don't even think about running away." Xu Zhengyang turned around with a smile, pointed at Chen Chaojiang, and said, "You're all set now, with a wife, kids, and a warm bed, and you've even lost your priesthood... I still have to worry about so many things every day. In the future, I'll arrange more work for you to make you work hard and make up for all the work you've done over the years!"
"Yes." Chen Chaojiang was both amused and exasperated. Xu Zhengyang's role as a friend and superior had changed too quickly in his mind, and he was finding it hard to adapt. Moreover, he was becoming increasingly afraid of him.
Instead of discussing that topic further, Xu Zhengyang began to chat casually with Chen Chaojiang, smiling and making light of the situation.
Your father-in-law is powerful and influential, practically ruling the world in Jiangnan. Your wife is also very devoted to you... If I don't give in to him, you might lose this good wife!
Chen Chaojiang kept giving an awkward, forced smile.
They chatted as they walked back to the pavilion. Together with Li Bingjie and Ye Wan, they strolled leisurely through the scenic spots along the Qiantang Lake.
When we arrived at the famous Bai Causeway Bridge, we could see a crowd gathered there, making a lot of noise as if there was some kind of argument.
Originally, Xu Zhengyang and the others would have disdained to pay attention to such matters, but Ye Wan was very curious and liked to join in the fun, so she pulled Li Bingjie and called Chen Chaojiang and Xu Zhengyang to walk over there.
When they got closer, they saw several police officers trying to calm the agitated tourists.
Surrounded by the crowd were several men in yellow woolen military uniforms, their faces showing disdain and arrogance. They seemed completely unconcerned about the people surrounding them, and if they were to lose control and rush forward, each of them could drown them on the spot with a spit.
Upon seeing those people, Xu Zhengyang frowned, his face filled with disgust.
Chen Chaojiang, Ye Wan, and Li Bingjie also pursed their lips, their faces clearly showing anger.
It's no wonder that everyone, including Xu Zhengyang, disliked those arrogant foreign tourists so much. The reason is that those guys were Japanese, and the military uniforms they were wearing were those worn by soldiers from their country's invasion of Japan decades ago. At that time, the Japanese army was brutal and utterly inhumane, and even carried out a horrific massacre in Jiangjing City, not far from Xihu City.
What does it mean that they deliberately wear military uniforms from that era to take photos here?
Xu Zhengyang believed that they were courting death.
Because they were foreign tourists, the police officers, though furious, could only do their duty and, considering all factors, try to persuade the agitated crowd not to do anything rash.
At the same time, several more police cars rushed to the scene to provide backup, fearing that a major problem might occur.
A police officer stepped forward and sternly reprimanded the Japanese tourists, demanding that they apologize immediately and change their clothes. He warned them that their behavior had seriously violated the dignity of their own citizens and was highly insulting.
However, the Japanese men clearly didn't care. They said that since this had happened, let's talk at the police station.
Clearly, they were also worried that if the police couldn't control the enraged crowd and swarmed them, killing them on the spot, even if it caused a diplomatic dispute, it would ultimately just be a matter of an apology, and at most a few people might face some criminal punishment.
But they couldn't bear to lose their lives like that, since they had already achieved their goal.
Xu Zhengyang scanned the group with his divine sense and immediately understood their purpose. Two years ago, Japan experienced political turmoil and widespread chaos, resulting in a prolonged economic downturn and making them a laughingstock worldwide. These individuals possessed a strong, extreme, and narcissistic nationalism, vaguely suspecting a deep connection between the past turmoil and Japan's national character. Therefore, driven by a twisted desire to humiliate others, they came here to swagger and show off.
They are well aware that this country values its image, and in such cases, they usually only issue a stern warning rather than take any extreme actions.
But today...
Xu Zhengyang walked calmly to them.
Strangely, no police officer stopped Xu Zhengyang, this stranger.
With Xu Zhengyang's current abilities, he could easily make the police officers present lower their guard against him, or even make them unable to see him at all.
"Aren't you afraid of dying?" Xu Zhengyang asked with a smile.
Several Japanese were puzzled as to why the police hadn't stopped this guy. Two of them became even more vigilant and viciously pulled out their prop knives.