Chapter 285: Caring for the Retired Emperor's Harmonious Life

"Senior, this junior is a disciple of Ren Jiao, currently serving as the Sea God of Tian Court, sent by Yu Di to visit the various sages of the human race in Huo Yun Dong."

"Ren Jiao disciple, Tian Court Sea God? Cough!"

The burly man, who had been quite casual moments ago, immediately sat up straight upon hearing this.

Even dressed in a straw raincoat, he exuded an aura of authority without anger, his square face carrying a hint of commanding presence.

Li Changshou gazed at this burly man, and before his eyes, a majestic mountain seemed to rise slowly, standing tall over a vast marsh and dominating the heavens and earth!

Which retired human emperor was this?

The man said in a deep voice, "Do you have a token from Tian Court?"

"Of course," Li Changshou replied promptly, taking out the handwritten letter from Yu Di and holding it up. A golden-scaled dragon shadow swam lazily across it, with a subtle Dao rhythm flowing forth.

The burly man nodded slowly and said, "Indeed, this is from the Heavenly Emperor who upholds the Heavenly Dao and governs the Three Realms."

He changed the subject and continued, "Since you claim to be a Ren Jiao disciple, you must be of human origin. Why have you come in an incarnation?"

"I dare not deceive you, senior," Li Changshou sighed. "My true body dare not roam Hong Huang, so I am merely serving in Tian Court with an incarnation."

"Then how do you prove your identity? This is not a place you can enter just by picking up a letter," the burly man frowned. "I don't mind, but if you disturb the other seniors in their quiet cultivation, how will you take responsibility?"

The various seniors...

The burly man's appearance seemed vaguely familiar, as if Li Changshou had seen it in an ancient sheepskin scroll...

A flash of insight struck Li Changshou's mind, and he roughly guessed the man's identity. He smiled and said, "Senior, are you not the great Da Yu, who opened mountains, controlled floods, brought blessings to the people, stabilized the Nine Provinces, and elevated the human race to great prosperity?"

The burly man's expression remained unchanged, and he nodded calmly. "This place is where I have the lowest seniority and the shallowest merits, so don't keep calling me 'Your Majesty.' Nowadays, I am no longer a human emperor, just a humble fisherman in the mountains."

Li Changshou smiled and cupped his hands. "It was this junior's mistake. Senior, you may verify the power of my Tian Court divine position."

As he spoke, Li Changshou's sleeve fluttered gently, and ripples spread across the great marsh beneath his feet. Soon, schools of fish gathered from all directions.

Most of these fish were spirit fish, their scales shimmering with colorful patterns as they swam just below the surface, creating a dazzling sight.

The burly man's eyes lit up, and he casually picked up a nearby fishing rod.

Li Changshou smiled and pointed lightly, directing the spirit fish toward the wooden boat, surrounding the burly man completely.

"Ha ha ha! So even as the Sea God, you can control the fish in the lake... Cough!"

The burly man burst into high spirits, his accent slipping out, but he quickly coughed and composed himself, holding the fishing rod steadily as he said,"You make quite an impressive Sea God.However, this is a lake marsh, so how is it that you can wield your divine power here?"

This retired human emperor's true nature was rather approachable.

Li Changshou pondered briefly, then realized this might be Da Yu's way of testing him. He replied warmly,"The rivers gather rain and dew, and all streams eventually flow to the sea.Though my divine power is most effective in the sea, most waterways in the world connect to it, allowing me to project my power here."

"What a fine saying: 'The rivers gather rain and dew, and all streams eventually flow to the sea'!"

The burly man praised, then quickly lifted his rod as it sank, pulling a spirit fish from the water and tossing it into the basket beside him.

He let out a contented sigh, gazing at the schools of spirit fish in the lake, and waved his hand lightly.

Li Changshou's divine power dissipated, and the spirit fish flicked their tails, vanishing swiftly beneath the lake's surface...

The burly man narrowed his eyes with a smile. "Not bad for a proper Tian Court god and the most favored minister in Lingxiao Hall. That line about 'all streams eventually flow to the sea' suits my temperament perfectly, showing your wisdom.Come, sit down. I'm here on orders to wait for you and ask you three questions."

Li Changshou dared not be careless.

In Huo Yun Dong, there was a great master specializing in divination and prophecy—Fu Xi himself. He might even foresee the future.

Legend had it that Fu Xi was the reincarnation of the elder brother of Nü Wa Shengmu, who succeeded Sui Ren Shi and led the human race to stability and gradual prosperity.

Sui Ren Shi had spent his life leading the human race in struggles against heaven and earth, surviving amid the conflicts between witches and demons.

Fu Xi, on the other hand, focused part of his efforts on consolidating the human race's destiny, enlightening them and perfecting the methods of human cultivation...

In Hong Huang, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors each played a role in the late ancient era, guiding the human race's rise step by step. Each human emperor had a different focus and made unique contributions.

What a hard-won great era.

Li Changshou calmly rode the clouds forward and sat at the stern of the wooden boat.

Da Yu sized up Li Changshou a few times and chuckled. "If you can't answer these three questions, leave your gifts and letter today and return on your own. The other seniors probably won't see you."

The implication was a subtle reminder to Li Changshou.

Answer well, and there might be opportunities to gain from those human emperors...

Li Changshou's expression turned serious, and he cupped his hands. "Please, Emperor, present the questions."

"First question: You are a favored minister of the Heavenly Emperor and of human origin. If the Heavenly Emperor were to bring disaster upon the human race, how would you advise him to retract his decree?"

Li Changshou pondered for a moment...

This was a direct heavy question?

No matter how he answered, it would be hard to make it perfect, much like the dilemma of balancing loyalty and righteousness.

Da Yu smiled with narrowed eyes, waiting patiently for Li Changshou's response without rushing him.

After thinking for a while, Li Changshou said cautiously,"I would not advise."

Da Yu's mouth twitched slightly, and he laughed and scolded, "I asked how you would advise, but you say you wouldn't— that's not answering the question!"

Li Changshou thought to himself that this human emperor, even in retirement, was sharp and not easily led astray.

"Senior, this junior cannot advise and should not advise. Please hear me out in detail."

"Go on," Da Yu said with a smile. "Even if you talk until the flowers wither, if you can't make a solid point, you won't pass this test. Honestly, in my time as a human emperor, I've seen plenty of eloquent speakers, so don't think of twisting words."

"This junior dares not," Li Changshou nodded with a smile and began his argument.

The answer to this question lay beyond the question itself.

The basic answer was:The Heavenly Dao does not operate by the will of the human race; humans should learn to live in harmony with the natural world, as humans are part of heaven and earth.Both lean years and bountiful ones are part of fate, just as humans have birth, aging, illness, death, and unpredictable fortunes; the Heavenly Dao maintains balance and should not be disrupted lightly.

He could extend it further:Humans cannot decide whether natural disasters occur, but they can fight against them with human effort to mitigate calamities.

Then delve deeper:As the sole protagonists of heaven and earth, the human race should always remain vigilant, self-strengthening, and self-reliant. Use natural disasters as trials to temper themselves and avoid being replaced by other races.

Finally, cap it with the Ren Jiao philosophy:"Humans follow the laws of heaven and earth, and the Dao follows nature.Nature is not always gentle; it can be cruel and fierce.The human race must learn to revere heaven and earth to prosper eternally as the protagonists."

Thus, a perfect "retired human emperor examination answer" was complete.

He could even adapt it into a formula for other contexts.

After Li Changshou finished speaking, Da Yu furrowed his brows and sighed lightly.

Seeing this, Li Changshou couldn't help but ask, "Senior, did this junior say something inappropriate?"

"Not at all; your answer is excellent, just a bit too textbook, as if you'd prepared it in advance, making it hard to evaluate."

Da Yu pondered for a moment. "Consider that you've passed this one.Second question: If one day the Heavenly Emperor wants to descend to the mortal world to experience the various aspects of the human race, would you obstruct or assist?Just say obstruct or assist—no need for more words; my head's already spinning from all that talking..."

Li Changshou was taken aback, then replied, "I would not interfere. This is the Heavenly Emperor's own idea and has nothing to do with me."

"Very good. Third question:Suppose your wife scolds you harshly over a trivial matter; should you forgive her or strike back?"

Of course, forgive her!

The words almost escaped Li Changshou's lips, but he quickly realized this question might not be so simple.

The first question seemed to be about the Heavenly Emperor bringing disasters but was actually about humans and nature.

The second seemed to be about the Heavenly Emperor's relationship with the human race but hinted at something else—likely Fu Xi had foreseen that Yu Di would descend to experience mortal life.

Otherwise, how could Yang Jian from the Feng Shen battle be known as Yu Di's nephew? Yu Di must have reincarnated in the mortal world to cultivate, possibly bringing back a sister upon his return to Tian Court.

So, this third question, which seemed to be about a husband being scolded by his wife, was probably asking about...The conflicts between matrilineal and patrilineal groups within the human race!

Li Changshou thought for a moment and said, "Strike back, and must strike back."

"Oh?!"

Da Yu perked up, his accent slipping out again, but he lowered his voice and asked, "Why so firm?"

"Since Nü Wa Shengmu created humans and the sages established marriage and mating customs, men and women should be equals.Men are physically stronger and often handle labor to provide clothing and food for the family; women bear children and are more delicate, also assisting in labor.Together, they raise children, allowing the human race to multiply endlessly.If either side becomes too dominant, it will disrupt the balance of yin and yang; if one household is unstable, all households will be, leading to unstable tribes and endangering the race.Thus, if faced with unfair treatment, one should reasonably strike back to maintain the equilibrium of yin and yang!"

Da Yu's eyes lit up brightly. "What you say is the great Dao!Indeed, husband and wife should respect each other. Even as a former human emperor governing the Nine Provinces, how can I, after retiring, let one woman scold me every day!"

Li Changshou's paper incarnation's expression froze slightly.

This emperor...

What was going on?

Da Yu stood up, his sturdy frame pulling Li Changshou's slender paper arm, and laughed. "Come! Follow me! Today, in front of you, I'll set her straight!"

The retired human emperor's words halted abruptly, and sweat beaded on his forehead.

The entire great marsh, hundreds of li around, suddenly darkened. Li Changshou instinctively looked up and saw a graceful figure hovering a hundred zhang in the air, extending her right hand toward the two on the boat below.

Da Yu shuddered and shouted, "Wife, don't act! We have a guest!"

"Hmph!"

A cold snort came from the clouds, and Li Changshou felt the immortal power in his paper incarnation stop flowing. Da Yu before him instantly turned to stone.

Before Li Changshou could react, both of them transformed into stone statues, clothes and pouches included.

The figure in the clouds vanished, and the world returned to clarity, leaving the two men with tears of regret in their hearts...

A moment later, a gentle breeze stirred, rippling the water's surface.

Half an hour later, a pair of birds flew by, perching briefly on Da Yu and Li Changshou's foreheads before flapping away.

"That..."

Li Changshou heard Da Yu's voice in his mind.

"Sea God, my apologies; I've dragged you into this."

"Senior, that one was..."

"My wife; I owed her during the flood control days, so I can't really get angry at her," Da Yu coughed. "Her divine ability will wear off in three days. Are you in a hurry? If so, I can break us out."

"Not at all, not at all."

Li Changshou felt a twinge in his heart but kept most of his focus elsewhere, engaging in awkward small talk with Da Yu.

This was probably one of Da Yu's most embarrassing moments... so it was best not to chat too much.

Thus, Li Changshou's admiration for Xuan Yuan grew.

On a side note, legend had it that Xuan Yuan Huang Di was the reincarnation of the Great Xuan Turtle of Beiju Luzhou, with merits of supporting the heavens, so all beings in Hong Huang owed him karma.

Anyone else with such fortune would likely not endure it.

On the second day of sharing hardships with Da Yu, the weather was clear.

Back on Xiao Qiong Peak, Li Changshou was tending the pill furnace.

During the previous treasure-seeking trip with his paper incarnation group in Central Divine Continent, the main goal of finding the Falling Treasure Money wasn't achieved, but other minor objectives were.

He didn't need to mention the "Hong Huang Spirit Treasure Record"; it had little practical value.

Along the way, Li Changshou had gathered various spiritual herbs and medicines, now ready to prepare 'enlightenment' pills to help Master Wan Lin Yun and his own master break through bottlenecks.

Since he had to keep an eye on things at Huo Yun Dong, Li Changshou didn't dare divide his attention too much and focused on studying alchemy here.

Feeling bored, he suddenly detected a faint surge of spiritual energy from the back mountain poker room, as if someone was breaking through...

Li Changshou's immortal sense pierced through the layers of restrictions, revealing Ling E bathed in glowing spiritual light.

Around her, translucent eight-and-a-half-petaled lotuses floated, accentuating her graceful figure, with her cultivation just a step from Returning to the Void Nine.

Yet, Li Changshou frowned slightly.

Her foundation wasn't solid enough, her Dao base unstable, and her own path unclear. Even with the powerful tribulation package she could use, her success rate in passing the tribulation was probably only about ninety-seven point five percent.

That package was much stronger than the one Li Changshou had prepared for himself back then.

"It seems necessary to organize a cultivation training camp."

Not that he expected her to ascend through tribulation...

But she absolutely had to survive, Ling E.