Chapter 481 Feng Taibai, Steadily Hide
In the Reincarnation Disc, two or three figures sat opposite each other. Great Daoist Master Xuan Du hugged his arms and kept nodding. However, the one who spoke was his junior brother.
The Great Daoist Master was also a little emotional. He had watched helplessly as Li Changshou gradually replaced him as the spokesperson of Ren School… Ahem!
He had seen with his own eyes that Li Changshou had walked to his current position step by step and become the Immortal God that the Jade Emperor of the Heavenly Courts trusted the most. He spoke confidently in front of the Saint and was deeply trusted by the Lady of Earth and the few Saints.
If he recalled the past, everything seemed to have originated from the Sea God Sect in the South Ocean.
A chance to change his life was vividly portrayed by Li Changshou. However, he could still obtain the answer from Li Changshou. However, the Great Daoist Master could be sure that he was his teacher’s favorite disciple!
Well… probably.
After the Lady of Earth bade farewell to the Seven Emotions incarnations, the grass ring was sealed by the Lady of Earth with a great mystical ability before getting handed to Li Changshou. The Goddess’s gaze was a little reluctant. Her slender fingers gently brushed across the grass ring.
Li Changshou said, “Goddess, I intend to ask the Goddess to help me create a perfect Dao Body. Then, I will use the Reincarnation Pagoda to reincarnate Little Grief and the others.” The Lady of Earth frowned slightly and said softly, “This goes against the Dao of reincarnation. Thousands of living beings should be the same. They should not be special because of me.”
“Goddess, don’t worry,” Li Changshou said seriously. “Under the iron rules, there should be adaptation. Otherwise, how can a pool of stagnant water be alive?
Moreover, this matter is not entirely because of the Goddess’s virtue. The incarnations of the seven emotions all have great mystical abilities. Those who do not have a Dao heart that is firm like a rock cannot resist them. They cannot reincarnate like ordinary living beings. Don’t worry, Goddess. I have already obtained the Jade Emperor’s permission in advance. Later, the Reincarnation Pagoda will give me the reincarnation soul and I will go to Goddess Nuwa’s Palace.
With Senior Brother escorting me, I will be careful everywhere. Goddess, don’t worry.”
The Lady of Earth revealed a faint smile and nodded slightly. “Thank you, Changshou.”
“This…”
Li Changshou was suddenly called by his real name. He was a little caught off guard. He lowered his head and placed the grass ring into a jade box. He put it in his arms and smiled. “Goddess, call me Changgeng.” The Lady of Earth’s gaze became gentler. She said softly, “When I brought your master’s soul back, I accidentally saw some memory fragments. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“By the way,” the Great Daoist Master asked, “Is Fellow Daoist Qi Yuan’s soul here?” Li Changshou’s expression turned gloomy. For some reason, he felt a little jealous in front of the Great Daoist Master.
A moment later, the Great Daoist Master and Li Changshou stood beside the treasure pool with their hands behind their backs. They looked at the golden light balls floating in the water. The Great Daoist Master sighed softly and bowed to the treasure pool. “That’s not bad. Being able to reincarnate once is better than turning into dry leaves and withering.”
“Master is in the Tribulation.” Li Changshou sighed and said, “It’s hard to go against the will of the heavens.”
The Great Daoist Master was worried that Li Changshou’s drive would be affected. He encouraged, “It’s not impossible to go against the will of the heavens. The Heavenly Dao uses all living beings as its foundation. Under the push of all living beings, it evolves in one direction.
This is the situation that cannot be changed. The small matters are decided by the mind.”
Li Changshou tasted it carefully. “Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother.” Great Daoist Master Xuan Du smiled and said, “Ah, in a few decades, I won’t be able to guide you anymore… Everything is balanced and restricts the Heavenly Dao. Changshou, the path you have taken is destined to compete with the Heavenly Dao. However, it’s up to you how much you want to fight and how much you want to fight for. You don’t have to give yourself too much pressure because of this. Don’t forget that you’re just a living being in the world after all.
Follow your heart and follow the Dao. You will naturally be free to do whatever you want. Only then will you be able to last forever.” So, is this the support of the Great Daoist Master’s theory that you can skip work if you want to? Li Changshou thanked him and recorded all of that. The two of them stayed by the pool for a while and strolled around the edge of the Six Paths of Reincarnation. Only then did they leave the Six Paths of Reincarnation and rush to the Reincarnation Pagoda. With the protection of the Taiji Painting, no one would be able to detect it.
Great Daoist Master Xuan Du sized up the changes in the layout of Fengdu City and smiled. “You’re probably the only one who can use a million Heavenly Soldiers as craftsmen.” Li Changshou smiled and said, “The Jade Emperor is quite open-minded.”
“Speaking of which, you have to be careful.” Great Daoist Master Xuan Du sent a voice transmission. “I’m naturally assured about the character of the Jade Emperor’s Aunt-Master. However, the Jade Emperor is the person closest to the Heavenly Dao. He is only second to the Dao Ancestor because of the influence of the Heavenly Dao. If the Heavenly Dao wants to give you a calamity, Aunt-Master Jade Emperor might give you some orders. You have to be careful and consider carefully.” Li Changshou pondered for a while and replied via voice transmission, “Senior Brother, don’t worry. I was already prepared. There are actually two types of things that I do for the Heavenly Courts. One is that I take the initiative to plot and earn merit for myself, ahem, to stabilize the world. The other is that the Jade Emperor took the initiative to explain, such as the position of Head Instructor Chang’e.”
“As long as you can distinguish it.” The Great Daoist Master stretched his back. “Chang’e, Heng’e, there is also an expert from the Moon Palace named Wu Gang.
He is Heng’e’s guard and also the beloved general of the ancient emperor. When you climb the wall, be careful. If he catches you, he will not be polite to
you.”
Li Changshou was speechless. “Senior Brother, why should I climb the wall?”
“Yo, you still want to enter brazenly? Heng’e still has the status of Da Yi’s wife. Your… reputation, Junior Brother!”
The Great Daoist Master raised his eyebrows slightly. The corners of Li Changshou’s mouth twitched. Alright, I’ll endure it. I’ll bring you to the Shang Tribe later and create the right atmosphere for you. I’ll mention the two important matters of Ren School that Teacher had instructed me to. Tsk, I wonder what kind of beauty Kong Xuan will be after he confirms his gender and transforms into a female. The Reincarnation Pagoda was in sight. Li Changshou and the Great Daoist Master looked at each other. There was no need for them to send voice transmissions to discuss. They directly revealed their true forms and released their pressure. They floated over calmly. “Senior Brother, Ksitigarbha is a Western disciple after all.”
“Yes, I’ll beat him up this time to prevent him from siding with others in the future.”
They seemed to have a tacit understanding.
They were in the Lingxiao Treasure Hall of the Heavenly Courts. The officials and generals gathered together. A few famous Heavenly Courts recorders sealed their bronze mirrors.
Although Youqin Xuanya was very active now and had established a preliminary ‘prestige’ in the Heavenly Courts, her immortal position was not enough for her to enter the Lingxiao Hall for discussion. He did not see her today.
At that moment, the White-Robed Jade Emperor sat on the platform while the old God rewarded the Water God.
A second-rank deity was not allowed to serve the emperor.
General Dongmu said in a clear voice, “Your Majesty, ever since the Water God entered the Heavenly Courts, he has made many outstanding contributions. He has helped Your Majesty solve the problems and worked hard for the rise of the Heavenly Courts. First, he decided on the four seas and the dragon race. At the Immortal Peach Banquet, he stood up and defended the disciples of the Western Sect. Then, he saved the Magi of the North Continent and destroyed the plans of the demons several times. He destroyed the demons who attempted to destroy the chaotic sky. The reformation of the Water God, the cultivation of the laws of heaven, the righteous Netherworld, and the aspirations of tomorrow. Now, the merits of the Water God are enough to rank him as a second-rank deity in the Heavenly Courts. To help the Water God better assist His Majesty, I would like to ask Your Majesty to confer the Water God the title of a second-stage righteous god!” The immortals fell silent. Every time General Dongmu began to speak passionately about something, the Jade Emperor would use General Dongmu as a mouthpiece to convey the “results” of the matter to them.
The ascension of the Water God was expected to be a small matter.
It was as if the authority of the second-rank righteous gods of the Heavenly Courts was superior to that of the third-stage Water God. However, at that moment, the Heavenly Courts’ immortals and gods just listened. They did not dare to stand up and ask for the Water God’s orders. After all, the Jade Emperor was the one in charge of the Heavenly Courts. The Water God was only assisting the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor laughed and said, “It’s time to mention the Second Stage to Changgeng today. Which Deity Position do you think is suitable?” After a moment of silence, a Heavenly General stood up and shouted, “Your Majesty, why don’t you confer the title of Water God to the Heavenly Courts’ Generalissimo? Those who hold the second-rank Deity Positions are in charge of the Heavenly Courts’ troops. It suits the Water God.” A civil servant frowned and said, “Your Majesty, I think it’s inappropriate. The Water God is not a Heavenly General. The Water God is extremely intelligent. He should be the role model of the Heavenly Courts’ officials.”
The Jade Emperor smiled and nodded. He felt that that was reasonable.
“Dear ministers, please express your opinions. Let’s discuss this matter today.”
General Dongmu immediately stopped himself when he heard that. He knew that the Jade Emperor wanted to hear if there were any other better opinions.
There were Immortal Gods who spoke one after another. Some Immortal Gods felt that the Water God should become a Great Emperor, which was the position of the four rulers. The true officials of the Heavenly Courts were below the Jade Emperor.
However, someone immediately retorted, saying that the Water God should be in charge of the Heavenly Courts and should not be sent out. It was not until the twelve second-order legitimate gods were mentioned that they felt that the position was not suitable for the Water God.
Ao Yi asked if he could add a new second-stage Deity Position and let his Brother Sect Master become the Four Seas’ Great Dragon God or something, so that the other immortals and gods who still wanted to gain some glory would instantly reject him.
The system of the Water God had to be valued.
At that moment, General Dongmu stood up and mentioned the arrangements that he had discussed with the Jade Emperor previously. The Jade Emperor nodded in satisfaction and let the immortals continue to discuss.
At the same time, in the Netherworld Reincarnation Pagoda.
The Great Daoist Master and Li Changshou sat on two wooden chairs. Ksitigarbha sat on the meditation cushion by the window. At that moment, he frowned.
Ksitigarbha sighed and said, “Water God, it’s your first time in my Reincarnation Pagoda. You actually want me to be biased… Aren’t you underestimating me too much?”
Li Changshou smiled and said, “Fellow Daoist, that’s not right. How is that showing favoritism? The Lady of Earth had transformed into the Six Paths of Reincarnation Disc. She neglected her own gains or losses for the sake of all living beings. At this moment, we are just borrowing the Reincarnation Pagoda to do something for the Lady of Earth. This is the Lady of Earth’s private matter and also the official business of the living beings who worked for the Heavenly Dao. Or should I say, Fellow Daoist, are you deliberately making things difficult for the Lady of Earth?” Ksitigarbha’s mouth twitched and he sighed. “Water God, I really can’t beat your mouth. I had once made a grand wish by transforming into this place. All living beings are treated equally. I will not move for the various factions, nor will I open a door for the Western Sect. Similarly, I have to follow the rules set by the Water God previously. Why did the Water God personally ask me to break the rules today?”
Great Daoist Master Xuan Du said calmly, “Then blame this on the Water God. Tell him that the Water God asked you to do it.” Ksitigarbha smiled and said, “In the Heavenly Dao, the Water God seems to be ranked behind me. The Water God is unable to give me orders.”
Great Daoist Master Xuan Du frowned and looked at Li Changshou. Li Changshou shook his head helplessly. He was indeed only a third-order legitimate god. At that moment, Ksitigarbha was already a god in the Netherworld, whose status was second only to the Lady of Earth. At that moment, a golden light flashed and landed on Li Changshou’s body. The rich Heavenly Dao power produced all kinds of phenomena. The clouds were filled with rays of light. The light music spread from the top layer of the Reincarnation Pagoda.
Li Changshou carefully experienced it and could not help but smile.
“Reincarnation Pagoda Master, Ksitigarbha, listen up. Open the Reincarnation Pagoda and transform the incarnation of the seven emotions into the spirit of reincarnation. I will naturally protect this spirit and find a place to live.” Ksitigarbha sensed carefully and frowned. “The Heavenly Dao is so unbalanced. It actually…”
“Don’t misunderstand.” Li Changshou smiled and said, “The Jade Emperor happens to be gathering the immortals for a meeting now as usual. He should have rewarded me based on merit and helped me obtain the Deity Position. Although the specific appointment requires the Hall of Enlightenment to form a decree, I happen to be in the Heavenly Dao sequence before you.” Ksitigarbha was silent for a moment. Great Daoist Master Xuan Du almost laughed out loud. Tap, tap, tap. Light footsteps came from the side. Truth Listener used its Dharma powers to carry a tray and came over to serve Li Changshou and the Great Daoist Master Xuan Du tea. “Water God, don’t be angry. Don’t be angry…
My master is stubborn. He asked me to tell him that you should drink tea first. Now, my master and the Water God are working for the Heavenly Dao. Please forgive them in the future. He doesn’t know anything. He thought that he was on the spiritual mountain.” Ksitigarbha glared at Truth Listener. Truth Listener swept its tail and placed its front hooves on Li Changshou’s legs. The Great Daoist Master was amused. He smiled and said, “This tea is not bad.” Truth Listener trembled and did not dare to say anything “I’ll take the Water God’s life.” Ksitigarbha squeezed out the words between his teeth. Then, he turned around and looked at the scenery outside the window.
The Great Daoist Master gave Li Changshou a look. Li Changshou understood and immediately stood up. He walked to the window sill, leaned against the window, and hugged his arms. Li Changshou said, “We’ve been fighting but I didn’t expect such an outcome. You and I are going to work together now. Let’s talk peacefully. I’ve actually been waiting for this day for a long time.”
“The Water God is too kind.” Ksitigarbha said calmly, “However, you have been defeated.”
Li Changshou smiled calmly and took out the essence of the Three Great Classical Records of Tricks. He sorted out his thoughts and said slowly, “How good would it be if we were not on opposing sides and did not have any previous grudges?” ‘The first method is to appreciate each other.’ Ksitigarbha’s eyebrows twitched slightly. “The Water God’s schemes are above mine. I have to admit that.”
“There’s no need to call me the Water God. Just call me Changgeng.” ‘Secondly, call him by his name to get closer to him.’ Ksitigarbha hesitated and sighed softly. “Changgeng.”
“Ksitigarbha.” Li Changshou’s eyes were filled with starlight. He smiled and asked, “Actually, my opinion of you has changed. It was when you jumped into the Reincarnation Pagoda that day. The peace in your eyes did not waver at all. That is indeed not something an ordinary immortal god can do. You deserve my respect.”
‘Trick No. 3 is to flatter and bootlick him.’ Ksitigarbha smiled bitterly and shook his head. “I was forced to do so. I became the best solution for Teacher. I’m more or less helpless. I’m not thinking for all living beings.”
Li Changshou smiled and said, “The Lady of Earth transformed into the Six Paths of Reincarnation and considered stabilizing the final destiny of the Magi. However, can you deny her great virtue? Of course not. Actually, you are the same… I’m not as good as you. I used the Deity Position to suppress you just now and apologize to you here. I only want to do something for the Lady of Earth. I hope you can understand.”
‘Trick No. 4: Praise you and play hard to get. Retreat and invoke empathy.’ Ksitigarbha’s voice became much gentler. He said, “I will do my best. I was just angry with you previously. I still can’t accept the current situation. How can I compare myself to the Lady of Earth? Today, even if I am punished by the Heavenly Dao, I will definitely make this happen.” Li Changshou smiled and nodded. He said, “We will bear the responsibility together… Ksitigarbha, do you have any dreams? Or perhaps, when you were cultivating and had not come into contact with these conflicts, did you think about why you were cultivating?”
“It’s naturally about immortality and seeking the true meaning of the Dao… Changgeng, why are you laughing? Is it really that tacky?”
“Although it’s tacky, it’s the truth. I’m much simpler. It’s fine if I live until I die of old age. When I first started cultivating, I didn’t even dare to think about living forever.” In the faint light of the Reincarnation Tower, the two people by the window were chatting and laughing, as if they were old friends. Behind him, the Great Daoist Master was calmly drinking his tea. When he heard a commotion beside him, he saw Truth Listener cover its eyes with one paw and sigh softly. “My silly master…”
The Great Daoist Master pointed and froze Truth Listener on the spot.
Steady.
A moment ago, in the Lingxiao Hall. “Pass down the decree to the Hall of Enlightenment. Minister Changgeng is conferred the title of the Taibai Star Lord. He is a second-rank righteous god of the Heavenly Courts. He is not included in the ranks of the stars. He will be in charge of the changes in Heaven and Earth, as well as the killing of Heaven and Earth. He will be in charge of the water affairs of the Three Realms and have the right to monitor the immortals of the Heavenly Courts. Those who are not in the fourth-rank Deity Positions will be spared. In addition, Changgeng is also the Chief Instructor of the Chang’e of the Moon Palace. The Water God Residence will be renamed the Taibai Hall. When the decree of the Hall of Enlightenment is completed, Taibai will return to his position and the Three Realms will celebrate.”