Chapter 330: Thunderous and Swift True Heavenly Emperor

Yu Di His Majesty…

Could he really be planning to lead troops to level Jinwu Gong?

Li Changshou's paper effigy returned to the Sea God Manor, his heart filled with this persistent worry.

At that time, the Tian Court had just absorbed the Long Clan, and before they could fully integrate them into the Tian Court's strength, the Long Clan would occupy most of the Tian Court's energy.

Provoking the Yao Clan at this juncture would be unwise.

To be safe, it would be better to wait until the Long Clan had no lingering concerns, and the Tian Court's core strength had increased substantially. Then, using the matter of Lu Ya as an entry point, they could stir up the Yao Clan to oppose the Tian Court, seize their excuses, undermine their righteousness, and take the opportunity to eliminate the major demons with karmic burdens, helping the Tian Court soar to new heights!

Well, just a bit of minor scheming.

Previously, whether the Tian Court prospered or not had little to do with Li Changshou.

But now, Li Changshou had set a major developmental path before the Feng Shen Tribulation, and to a certain extent, he had tied himself to the Tian Court.

—Of course, when Li Changshou actively bound himself to the Tian Court, he had already prepared several ways to withdraw.

"The time to act against the Yao Clan hasn't arrived yet. At the very least, it should wait until after the Underworld is fully incorporated into the heavens."

Li Changshou pondered for a moment, took out the memorial he had written at the Pan Tao Banquet to review it, then fetched a new one and thought carefully.

Before he could start writing, Zhao Gongming had already arrived at the Sea God Temple.

Li Changshou had to put the matter aside, thinking that even if it was delayed by half an hour or an hour, Yu Di His Majesty wouldn't be able to mobilize enough troops, so he temporarily put it on hold.

First, he needed to handle things with Elder Brother Zhao.

In front of the Sea God Temple, Zhao Gongming arrived on a cloud, humming some unstructured little tunes.

Li Changshou's paper effigy was already waiting in the air, and upon hearing those tunes, he couldn't help but add some poetic flair in his mind…

Summer, summer, quietly passing, leaving little secrets.

Suddenly, Elder Brother Zhao seemed to embody a whole new wave of style.

"Old brother, oh old brother, I'm here!"

"Please, old brother," Li Changshou said with a gesture of invitation, leading Zhao Gongming into the inner hall.

Zhao Gongming glanced toward the front hall and asked, "Is your temple undergoing construction again?"

"Now that I'm the Water God, and the Sea God is for the Four Seas Dragon Kings," Li Changshou replied with a smile, "to be prudent, I'll first set up statues of the Four Seas Dragon Kings in all the Sea God temples, and later spread some stories of the Dragon Kings saving those in distress. In another ten or twenty years, this will all fall into place."

Zhao Gongming laughed. "Old brother, you handle things so thoroughly, always thinking ahead of others."

"You're too kind, old brother," Li Changshou said modestly. "It's just that I worry a lot in my daily life, so this kind of thinking isn't worth mentioning."

Zhao Gongming looked toward the corner and saw that the desk, ink, and brushes were already prepared. He stroked his beard and chuckled, then quickly went to the desk and picked up the brush to ponder…

"How should I write this properly?"

"Just write whatever you want to say to Shengmu Jin Guang," Li Changshou said with a smile.

Zhao Gongming thought for a moment and fell into deep contemplation.

"In that case, let me create a bit of atmosphere for you, old brother."

As he spoke, Li Changshou sent several ordinary paper figures flying from his sleeve. They transformed into three men and two women as musicians and began playing some lively tunes that were popular in the flower houses of An Shui City.

Zhao Gongming soon laughed and said, "You know, with this music, my thoughts are flowing more clearly."

As he spoke, Zhao Gongming wrote with the flair of a dragon dancing and a phoenix soaring, penning the four large characters: "Jin Guang Shi Mei."

Then…

Zhao Gongming held his brush, bent over the desk, and didn't write another word for a while.

Not a still image.

"Changgeng, old brother, how exactly should I write this?"

"No problem," Li Changshou said with a calm smile. He put away his duster, rolled up his sleeves, and from his sleeve, he pulled out a few scrolls, placing them in front of Zhao Gongming.

Li Changshou said, "Here are a few templates for men's letters. The white one is for when there's no affection, the light pink for when there's some liking, the orange for when things are heating up, and the passionate stage."

"What about the yellow one?"

"That's naturally for after the marriage fate stage."

With a ding, Zhao Gongming gave a thumbs-up. "Old brother, you're a genius. Then I'll go with this white one… um, light pink."

Zhao Gongming unrolled the scroll and saw rows of small characters listed inside. As he read carefully, he found the words appropriate and fitting, with many of the things he wanted to say already covered.

Before long, Zhao Gongming was full of confidence and began writing energetically…

Of course, there was some borrowing from the template.

Li Changshou collected the other letter templates and waited with a smile, not looking too closely at what Zhao Gongming was writing.

At most, he accidentally caught a glimpse or two, just to gauge Elder Brother Zhao's literary style.

Suddenly…

"Old brother, why do you have so many things prepared for writing letters to women?"

Li Changshou replied with a smile, "After parting from Xianzi Yun Xiao that day, I prepared these items when I got back…"

To guard against immortals from Jie Jiao showing up and asking how to pursue their beloved immortals.

Of course, he absolutely couldn't say the second part out loud.

Zhao Gongming laughed. "How thoughtful. Let me refine this a bit more."

Li Changshou didn't say more and just waited quietly. Zhao Gongming read through it word by word, feeling that his first draft wasn't quite satisfactory, so he rewrote several hundred characters.

In the conversation, he used mostly respectful language;

Between the lines, he only mentioned the Great Dao.

By this point, Li Changshou was certain that Elder Brother Zhao wasn't refusing Shengmu Jin Guang out of pride or embarrassment; it was purely because he hadn't thought about it that way at all.

Looking at the entire letter, it was just short of saying, "You're not my type."

Once the letter was finished, Zhao Gongming recited it lightly and laughed. "Now I feel light as a feather, my Dao heart clear."

Li Changshou advised, "Old brother, it's best to deliver this letter to Shengmu Jin Guang in person, so she doesn't suspect it's from someone else."

"Good point!"

Zhao Gongming rolled up his sleeves, picked up the letter, and bid a temporary farewell, saying he would return later to chat with Li Changshou.

Li Changshou naturally agreed and had the divine messengers prepare a table of wine and dishes to drink and enjoy with Elder Brother Zhao afterward.

With his immortal sense, he glanced at the mountain gate, where Ling E was tallying the unusual trees and stones in the mountains, and the gaming room wasn't lively yet.

Li Changshou had previously considered that if he took Ling E away from Du Xian Men secretly, he would need to arrange for his close friend Jiu Shi Shishu and his poisonous junior sister.

The solution was simple: just leave an old-version paper effigy of Ling E in Du Xian Men.

Moreover, according to Li Changshou's plans, before the Feng Shen Tribulation began, anyone close to him would be sent to the Tian Court in various ways to avoid disaster.

Thinking of this, Li Changshou couldn't help but compose a poem:

'Tian Court, a safe harbor, arrive early and start early.

Not only avoiding calamity, but also earning merits!'

Hmm, lately, after exchanging poems with Lu Ya Daoist, his 'poetic skill' had declined a bit.

How long until the Feng Shen Tribulation?

Li Changshou truly didn't know; he just felt a constant sense of crisis, so he had to wait for the various signs to appear.

This paper effigy sat in the hall, while another of Li Changshou's paper effigies sat in the Water God Manor, beginning to draft the second memorial for that day.

As soon as he started writing, Gongzhu Long Ji came to offer congratulations and delivered a second batch of rewards from Wangmu Niangniang.

The first batch of rewards was still piled in the corner, unopened, so Li Changshou accepted them together. With his immortal sense, he saw that these were just some fine jade and treasures for decorating the manor—valuable, but not very practical.

Long Ji looked at the memorial on Li Changshou's desk and said with a smile, "You're truly dedicated, working on a new memorial right after the Pan Tao Banquet."

Li Changshou replied, "In my position, I must attend to my duties."

"That…"

Long Ji bit her lip, suddenly bowed deeply to Li Changshou, and said, "Long Ji thanks the Water God for your earlier help!

Though you won't let Long Ji call you teacher, in my heart, you are my lifelong mentor!"

"Your Highness, please rise quickly," Li Changshou said, gesturing to help her up, and added with a smile, "His Majesty didn't want to mention Your Highness in front of others before, actually to protect you. You should understand his painstaking efforts."

"Mm, I will…"

Long Ji's mouth pouted slightly, her eyes reddening a bit, but she quickly wiped away the grievance and returned to her usual lively cheerfulness.

"Water God, do you have to go out later?"

"For this period, I shouldn't be going out. You can focus on your cultivation in Yao Pond. If there's anything safe to do outside, I'll send heavenly soldiers to call you."

"Hee hee, thank you, Water God! Then, I won't disturb you with your important work!"

Long Ji curtsied and left the Water God Manor with light, graceful steps.

Li Changshou watched her leave, and suddenly some ridiculous thoughts crossed his mind…

Shengmu Jin Guang, if Li Changshou remembered correctly, in the original Feng Shen Tribulation story, would become the Thunder Mother of the Tian Court, in charge of the lightning before thunder to warn living beings of incoming strikes.

Now, what was happening on Jin'ao Island could be seen as:

The Thunder Mother pining for the God of Wealth, the God of Wealth treating her only as a sister, and the Thunder Department full of single gods just watching helplessly?

Tsk, quite amusing.

Li Changshou returned to his study, focused, and continued writing the advisory memorial on the Yao Clan matter.

Halfway through, someone else came to disturb the Sea God Temple in An Shui City, and this visitor was no ordinary person, forcing Li Changshou to set down his brush and shift most of his focus to the back hall of the Sea God Temple.

Who was the visitor?

Dressed in a light yellow robe, with flowing beard and hair, a tall and slender figure, a kind face that looked about forty or fifty years old, yet giving off a sense of having weathered the world's storms.

It was the well-known benevolent elder of Chan Jiao, the expert in being bound during Feng Shen, the one who's first in getting led astray no matter what…

Zhenren Huang Long.

"Thank you, Sea God, for aiding the Long Clan! Thank you, Sea God, for aiding the Long Clan!"

As soon as they met, Zhenren Huang Long bowed repeatedly and said this.

Li Changshou didn't dare accept the full courtesy and kept returning the bows.

The two elders bowed to each other in mid-air for a while, amusing the divine messengers below who were chatting and snacking on melon seeds.

After exchanging greetings, they entered the inner hall, and Zhenren Huang Long saw the prepared feast, feeling a bit surprised.

This Sea God, his divination skills must have reached such a level, predicting that he would come here at this exact time! How truly remarkable!

Li Changshou smiled slightly beside him, not clarifying the misunderstanding, and directly invited Zhenren Huang Long to take a seat, having someone add another set of bowls, chopsticks, and wine.

Zhenren Huang Long's visit was simply to thank Li Changshou, speaking of how much they owed to his support and so on.

At least, from how Zhenren Huang Long addressed him now, it seemed that Chan Jiao had only received incomplete and inaccurate information.

He was now the Water God of the Tian Court!

Although his specific position and divine artifacts hadn't been finalized yet.

"Ha ha ha, Sea God, you're truly formidable," Zhenren Huang Long praised. "At the Pan Tao Banquet, you single-handedly debated against the six saints' disciples of Western Teachings, leaving them speechless, and even drew Laojun to preside over you!

Everyone in Yu Xu Gong is talking about it, and all the disciples of Chan Jiao truly admire you!"

Li Changshou quickly said, "Senior, you're overpraising it. That wasn't a debate; it was just following Tian Court rules and answering some questions.

I have the utmost respect for the two saints of the West and all the saints' disciples!"

Zhenren Huang Long's eyes narrowed with a smile.

"I understand, I understand, we all do."

As he spoke, the immortal sighed, "This Pan Tao grand banquet to settle the Long Clan matter, I couldn't attend to observe, what a lifelong regret."

Li Changshou: …

It seemed he was complaining about not being invited.

Li Changshou explained with a smile, "Senior, you might not know, but for this Tian Court matter, I originally didn't want high figures from the Three Teachings to attend, as it would put too much pressure on the Long Clan and make Yu Di His Majesty feel that the Tian Court's authority wasn't enough to make the Long Clan submit.

That's why I didn't send an invitation to you.

Senior Gongming went to the Tian Court for other business and happened to align it with the Pan Tao Banquet, making things convenient."

Zhenren Huang Long asked with a laugh, "Oh? What was Senior Brother Gongming doing in the Tian Court?"

"Looking for Yue Lao to handle some personal matters."

"Yue Lao?"

Zhenren Huang Long's eyes lit up, and after exchanging a glance with Li Changshou, he suddenly understood.

No sooner had he spoken than Zhao Gongming's figure appeared hundreds of miles away, riding a cloud toward An Shui City.

Seeing the smile at the corner of Elder Brother Zhao's eye and the slight tremble of his beard, Li Changshou knew that Zhao Gongming must have delivered the letter to Shengmu Jin Guang and turned back immediately.

When Elder Brother Zhao arrived, Li Changshou asked a couple of questions, and it was just as he expected.

Zhao Gongming had found Shengmu Jin Guang, smiled and said, "Shi Mei, for you," tossed the letter, and ran off, using a divine ability to teleport back.

If you ignored the letter's content, it looked just like a romantic scene.

"Come on!"

Zhao Gongming was in high spirits. "The matter's settled, and just in time, Senior Brother Huang Long is here! Let's drink three hundred cups tonight; tomorrow, no need for more romance!"

Right away, Li Changshou and Zhenren Huang Long raised their cups, toasting and chatting merrily.

About half an hour later, Zhao Gongming and Zhenren Huang Long were chatting enthusiastically, so Li Changshou divided some of his attention to continue writing the memorial.

For some reason, he was a bit worried that Yu Di His Majesty might act too quickly and preempt his memorial.

After checking the wording, refining the sentences, and polishing the details, he finally dried the ink and took the two memorials, heading toward Ling Xiao Treasure Hall.

Upon reaching the hall, without needing announcement or inquiry, he activated his ordinary minister's aura and proceeded smoothly all the way to Yu Di His Majesty's presence.

"Your Majesty… Your Majesty?"

"Hmm?"

Yu Di His Majesty, dressed in white and resting his head on one hand as if tired from reviewing memorials, snapped back to attention.

Li Changshou thought to himself that something was amiss!

This scene was just like when someone disturbed him while he was fully controlling a paper effigy!

Yu Di His Majesty laughed and said, "Changgeng, my dear minister, is there something urgent?"

"Your Majesty," Li Changshou quickly presented the second memorial, "regarding the Yao Clan matter, after careful consideration, I feel there are some unstable aspects, so I drafted this memorial for your review!"

With that, Li Changshou used his immortal power to send the memorial to the desk.

Yu Di His Majesty picked it up and read it carefully. At first, he nodded repeatedly, but by the end, his brows furrowed, and he murmured, "If we consider it this way, these remnants of the Yao Court really can't be eliminated now… Hurry!"

"Hmm?" Li Changshou feigned a puzzled expression.

"Nothing, nothing, my dear minister, just wait a moment."

Yu Di His Majesty quickly closed his eyes and shifted his focus elsewhere.

He had been just a step away from sending his incarnation with a group of troops and his arranged backup to secretly land on Tai Yang Star…