Thin screens reflect shadows as clouds veil the moon; in the warm pavilion where the phoenix rests, jade emanates fragrance.

In the deepest part of this ethereal immortal realm, on the most heavily restricted celestial island of the Jasper Pool, within the immortal pavilion where Queen Mother long resided.

Li Changshou and Elder Brother East Wood Lord stood on either side before the screen, heads lowered obediently, not uttering a word…

Behind the screen, the Queen Mother raised her hand to her forehead, clearly a bit overwhelmed—ahem, a bit angered to the point of wanting to curse at these two Heavenly Court ‘pillars’ for their silence.

But there was no help for it—Li Changshou knew well that at times like this, less said was better than more said, and saying nothing was better than saying little.

As for East Wood Lord…

‘Why won’t Water God respond? Isn’t His Majesty the Emperor in the Jade Imperial Palace? What’s going on here?’

“Hmph!”

A cold snort came from behind the screen, and Li Changshou and East Wood Lord immediately lowered their heads even deeper.

Meanwhile, Princess Longji, standing quietly beside the soft couch, was also frowning in thought, calculating just how many layers her ‘strategy’ teacher had considered in this matter…

Several hours earlier.

A golden light suddenly descended on Little Qiong Peak—it was merit bestowed by the Heavenly Dao to Li Changshou.

At that time, the peak’s concealment formation automatically activated, working with the outer eye-deceiving formations to create the illusion of ‘golden light ascending to the sky,’ while simultaneously releasing some spiritual power and immortal power toward various parts of the sect.

It looked exactly like spiritual power leakage occurring when unable to suppress spiritual power during formation setup.

—Li Changshou had gone to great lengths to receive the merit quietly and smoothly.

Getting an unexpected portion of merit naturally put Li Changshou in a good mood. But at the same time, through the paper avatars placed in various locations, Li Changshou detected auspicious omens appearing in the Three Realms.

He understood immediately:

The small trouble had grown eighteen-fold—big trouble had arrived.

With heavenly phenomena of this scale, almost any Hongmeng expert skilled in divination could calculate…

The Heavenly Court’s Emperor had gone to experience mortal life.

This undoubtedly put greater pressure on the Heavenly Court, and Li Changshou would also need to pay extra attention to the safety of the Emperor’s reincarnated form. There was no way to keep this from the Queen Mother.

However, by reason, the Emperor’s reincarnated form should have the Heavenly Dao’s protection…

But variables existed in this world, and there were things beyond even the Heavenly Dao’s control—’ the one that got away!

Upon returning to the Heavenly Court, Li Changshou had thought that the Queen Mother’s summons would come in seven or eight months at the earliest, waiting until the Emperor’s reincarnated form was truly born.

Who would have thought that just as he returned to the Water God Palace, Longji would come ‘charging’ over…

Ah, in Hongmeng, anyone with the title ‘Mistress’ was truly no simple character!

Well… Stone Mistress, who was bullied to death by the unreasonable Supreme Unity True Person before the Investiture of the Gods catastrophe, was calculated separately.

Fortunately, Li Changshou had made several preparations in advance, such as bringing Ao Yi and the celestial soldiers to the Underworld.

This demonstrated that he, the Water God, was conducting official business, specifically business assigned by the Emperor. If the Queen Mother learned of this matter and turned on him, he could use this to deflect responsibility.

As for those heavenly phenomena, Li Changshou had also recorded them with an image-capturing orb. If the Emperor questioned him in the future, he could give the orb to the Emperor and say:

“Your Majesty, when you descended to the mortal realm, the commotion was truly a bit too grand.”

Then it naturally wouldn’t be his concern.

And the most important preparation was that here and now, in this scene, regardless of whether the Queen Mother confronted him directly or tried to reason with him, he absolutely could not speak easily!

Stand firm with the Heavenly Court’s male deities’ faction for ten thousand years without wavering!

“Is His Majesty truly just in closed cultivation?”

The Queen Mother’s voice from behind the screen grew colder. Li Changshou and East Wood Lord lowered their heads even further, almost bowing.

Li Changshou could feel immortal power surging around the Queen Mother—evidently, for a moment just now, she had wanted to slap these two old immortals out of the Jasper Pool.

“Have you two become mutes today?”

East Wood Lord secretly glanced at Li Changshou, hoping to meet Li Changshou’s hidden gaze. The two answered in unison:

“No.”

Slap!

The Queen Mother threw her jade fan onto the couch and scolded:

“One of you is a crucial minister who has been in the Heavenly Court since its establishment, and the other is the Heavenly Court’s font of wisdom, deeply trusted by His Majesty and skilled in strategy!

How is it that you’ve both lost your voices upon entering the Jasper Pool?

Where is that spirited bearing, that attitude of commanding heaven and earth from your usual days?

Where is that bearing of eliminating demons and upholding the Dao with a mere gesture?”

East Wood Lord and Li Changshou kept their heads deeply bowed and again answered in unison:

“Yes.”

“Outrageous!”

The Queen Mother shouted in anger. The screen cracked with a snap and shattered directly. The several immortal maidens in the corner of the warm pavilion were so frightened they lowered their heads and bowed, not daring to even breathe.

The Queen Mother, wearing her phoenix crown and sunset-colored robes, stood up. Golden light swayed and phoenix hairpins chimed as that incomparably beautiful face displayed full majesty.

“Wood Lord, you speak—has His Majesty descended to the mortal realm?”

East Wood Lord’s body trembled several times. He made a Daoist salute to the Queen Mother, head bowed, and called out:

“This old minister truly doesn’t know!”

“Water God!”

The Queen Mother’s gaze swept over, and Li Changshou’s pressure doubled.

Then he heard the Queen Mother say coldly: “This matter was planned between you and His Majesty?”

“Mistress,” Li Changshou raised his head to look at the Queen Mother, perfectly hesitating as if wanting to speak but stopping himself, perfectly revealing a bitter smile, and then perfectly revealing a touch of resolution!

“This minor deity is willing to accept punishment.”

Beside him, East Wood Lord… felt like he had somehow been outdone again.

The anger on the Queen Mother’s face immediately subsided by half. She gave a light snort and sat back on the soft couch, saying: “Since you say you’re willing to accept punishment, how about I grant your wish?

Come!”

The immortal maidens at the side answered in unison: “Yes!”

“Take the Water God to the Heavenly Punishment Palace, twenty lashes with the lightning whip!”

“Mother!” Longji flashed in front of Li Changshou. “How could Teacher disobey Father’s orders? Mother, please calm your anger!”

“Your Highness,” Li Changshou called out.

Longji turned to look and saw Li Changshou cupping his hands as if in thanks, a faint smile on his lips, voluntarily turning toward the approaching immortal maidens and stepping forward without another word.

At this moment, the various Jasper Pool immortal maidens revealed different expressions as they watched Li Changshou’s figure voluntarily riding a cloud toward the Heavenly Punishment Palace, not knowing how to describe this ‘old immortal.’

Longji’s eyes reddened, while the Queen Mother gave a light snort and closed her eyes to rest.

Instead, it was East Wood Lord whose forehead was covered in question marks as he carefully pondered, quickly realizing…

Wasn’t that just Water God’s avatar here? What use were lightning whips?

Eh? Why did it feel like there were many calculations here as if the Queen Mother and Brother Water God had reached some kind of tacit understanding?

Speaking of which, had His Majesty the Emperor truly descended to the mortal realm? How did he know nothing of this matter…

Ah, indeed, an old deity past his prime.

…

At the Heavenly Punishment Palace, four immortal maidens deliberately waited outside the hall.

Inside the hall, Li Changshou’s paper avatar stood between two stone pillars ten zhang tall, filled with lightning, as bolts of thunderstruck his body.

However, the several Celestial Generals at the side were carefully controlling the lightning whip’s intensity, trying to make Li Changshou feel slight pain without truly harming the Water God…

Even having done this much, these Celestial Generals were still quite uneasy.

Who would dare harm the Water God over such a minor matter?

“Water God, how do you find… this intensity?”

“Please use more force, everyone,” Li Changshou said quite sincerely.

The Celestial Generals exchanged glances and increased the lightning whip’s power by thirty to forty percent, filling the two lightning pillars with blue-white light, but the lightning striking Li Changshou was ninety percent weaker than before…

Li Changshou inwardly sighed ‘fair enough’ and actively disrupted the immortal power within his paper avatar, making himself appear gravely injured.

The Queen Mother was quite understanding;

With just a few words she had helped reinforce his Water God’s “loyal and devoted” persona.

One’s head could be cut off, blood could flow, and even hairstyles could be messed up, but one must have a clear understanding of their position—otherwise, doing too much easily leads to too many mistakes.

The Emperor and Queen Mother were Dao companions, fellow disciples and childhood sweethearts who cultivated together, and the model of Heaven’s marriage among the Three Marriages of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity.

But working for the Emperor wasn’t the same as working for the Queen Mother—there were many twists and turns in between.

The Emperor’s reincarnation had caused too much commotion; it definitely couldn’t be concealed anymore.

But Li Changshou absolutely couldn’t speak up voluntarily, or it would be betraying the Emperor’s trust. In the future, trying to earn merit would face several more layers of resistance.

The most stable way to handle it was just like this—

Being severely punished by the Queen Mother, putting on a show of suffering for everyone in the Heavenly Court to see, directly reinforcing the Queen Mother’s ‘authority’ while also finding an appropriate opportunity to speak up.

Thus, he, the Water God, gained reputation, and when the Emperor returned to Heaven not only would there be no blame, but there would likely be rewards; the Queen Mother could also establish her authority, stabilizing the foundation of divine power in the Heavenly Court.

Basic moves for a minister of power, nothing for the immortals to gossip about.

After the lightning flashed twenty times in total, Li Changshou accordingly knelt, his whole body written with the word ‘weak.’

Seeing this, several Celestial Generals hurriedly rushed over to help Li Changshou up, their voices carrying slight trembles.

“Sir, are you alright?”

“It’s nothing,” Li Changshou slowly sighed, smiling and nodding at them, saying gently, “Thank you, generals, for showing mercy. Please help me out of the hall.”

These Celestial Generals hurriedly agreed and carried Li Changshou out of the Heavenly Punishment Hall.

Outside the hall, four immortal maidens formed a ‘cloud stretcher’ with immortal power, carrying Li Changshou through the Heavenly Court’s ‘parade’ back to the Jasper Pool.

Back in the warm pavilion, Li Changshou lay on a cloud, his whole being feeble, white robe covered in scorch marks…

Longji almost cried with worry, kneeling beside Li Changshou, her beautiful eyes full of concern.

East Wood Lord hurriedly said:

“Mistress! To His Majesty, Water God is both minister and close friend!

Please show mercy, otherwise when His Majesty questions this, it will truly be difficult to explain!”

“Wood Lord need not worry, I have my measure.”

The Queen Mother’s expression softened slightly as she said calmly:

“Water God, why do this to yourself?

His Majesty’s descent to the mortal realm shook the Three Realms—it can no longer be concealed.

Since the Heavenly Dao has manifested, His Majesty’s action completes the Heavenly Dao and greatly benefits himself—this is actually a good thing.

I was merely angry that you two plotted together, and His Majesty even kept it from me!”

Li Changshou heaved a long sigh and said softly:

“A promise to one’s ruler must be kept to the end.”

“Very well,” said the Queen Mother. “Let me ask you, if the Emperor were to fall victim to someone’s schemes, what would your crime be?”

“Please rest assured, Mistress,” Li Changshou said. “His Majesty has only sent down a strand of divine soul to experience mortal life, while his body remains in closed cultivation in the Jade Imperial Palace. What he experiences in the mortal realm will be like the most realistic dream—His Majesty will not be in any danger.”

“Oh?” Light flickered in the Queen Mother’s phoenix eyes as she said softly: “If so, what does Water God think of me also going down to experience tribulation?”

Just as expected!

East Wood Lord hurriedly said: “Mistress, you still need to oversee matters in the Heavenly Court…”

The Queen Mother gave a light snort and said: “I haven’t managed many Heavenly Court matters usually, and mortals only live several decades—it won’t delay much.

Water God and Wood Lord can discuss and handle the Heavenly Court’s trivial matters.

If there are urgent matters, you can come to the Jasper Pool to wake me.”

East Wood Lord and Li Changshou tried to persuade her with a few more words, but the Queen Mother had made up her mind, and they could only bow their heads and accept the command.

However, Li Changshou then raised a rather crucial question:

“Mistress, do you wish to follow His Majesty, or experience tribulation separately?”

“Naturally, I will follow His Majesty.”

The Queen Mother also understood Li Changshou’s meaning and said seriously:

“Water God, I’ve heard that you have good relations with the Yama Kings and Judges of the Dark Office in the Underworld.

Before His Majesty set out, he must have made many requests of you, having you find those Underworld Yama Kings to set his life’s path in the Book of Life and Death.”

Li Changshou lowered his head and said: “This minor deity dares not hide from the Mistress, it was indeed so.

But this wasn’t His Majesty’s request—it was this minor deity’s initiative, fearing His Majesty’s trials would be too harsh…”

“Change it.”

Ch-change it?

The Queen Mother said: “Since it’s experiencing tribulation, how can it count as tribulation without suffering? More suffering is for His Majesty’s character refinement.

Water God, don’t worry, I will bear all consequences of this matter.”

Li Changshou was also shocked by the Queen Mother.

The Queen Mother said seriously: “What? Seeing Water God’s troubled expression, is this matter very difficult?”

“Mistress, the Book of Life and Death has already been set…”

“Do you think I don’t know what the Judge’s brush is used for?

Moreover, His Majesty’s divine soul is still in the mother’s womb and hasn’t been born yet—how can it not be changed?”

Li Changshou could only change his words: “This matter still needs to be discussed with the Underworld Yama Kings before this minor deity can report back to the Mistress.”

“No need to ask. At this time, I can make decisions for the Heavenly Court—this matter is settled.”

The Queen Mother continued giving orders calmly:

“Water God, you need to arrange my divine soul’s reincarnated destiny to be His Majesty’s reincarnation’s childhood sweetheart, continuing our marriage fate for one lifetime, staying faithful to each other.

In his mortal life, he will experience a thousand hardships; I will be born into wealth and nobility, not minding poverty when accepting him as my husband, then together falling into decline and returning to the wilderness, sleeping in the same grave.

Heh, since it’s experiencing tribulation, it should have the proper appearance of tribulation.”

Li Changshou and East Wood Lord exchanged glances, the latter making a small ‘please’ gesture.

At the side, Longji had now come to her senses, looking at Li Changshou lying on the ground, then at her mother, seeming to understand something.

She asked softly: “Mother, I…”

“Cultivate peacefully,” the Queen Mother’s gaze swept over, making Longji’s body tremble slightly as she lowered her head, not daring to speak more.

Li Changshou sighed inwardly, thinking of the Emperor’s expression when he had spoken of this ‘beautiful plan’ before, eyes containing starlight, full of anticipation;

He suddenly felt full of sympathy for this Supreme Being of the Three Realms, the Heavenly Dao’s son, the ‘General Manager of the Three Realms’…

…

Three days later, in the Netherworld.

Li Changshou and the Ten Yama Kings stood before the once again cleared Six Paths Wheel of Reincarnation. He drew out a point of glowing light from the jade box before him, flicked it with his finger, and sent this light into the Six Paths Wheel of Reincarnation.

Shortly after, various auspicious signs appeared again in the Three Realms, dragons and phoenixes called in harmony above South Jambudvipa, and streams of golden light once again enveloped the Ten Yama Kings as the Heavenly Dao bestowed another portion of merit, though much less than before.

Naturally, a stream of merit golden light also went toward Little Qiong Peak, and Li Changshou urgently activated the formation to handle it.

What was the reason for this merit?

Li Changshou calculated with finger seals, his heart full of confusion—this time it had nothing to do with ‘completing the Heavenly Dao.’

Never mind, the heavenly mechanisms were difficult to understand, and his calculation abilities weren’t yet sufficient.

It couldn’t be that the Ancestral Master thought this family ethics drama wasn’t bad and casually awarded some production funding to the ‘director’ and ‘screenwriter.’

In just two or three days, news of the Emperor’s reincarnation to experience mortal life spread throughout Hongmeng.

The Heavenly Court’s Water God being punished by the Queen Mother for this matter, and sent to the Heavenly Punishment Hall for a beating, also became a topic of discussion among Qi refiners…

On the Three Immortal Islands, deep in the immortal forest, a wooden window was pushed open in a quiet pavilion, and that graceful figure stood quietly by the window for a while.

As the forest breeze passed by, she vanished in an instant, leaving only the empty wooden window and half a light sigh of concern turning back.