Chapter 382 The Punishment of the Queen Mother and the Jade Emperor’s Trouble

　　The thin screen reflected the clouds and covered the moon.

　　The Jade Pool had the most restrictions on the Immortal Island. In the deepest part of the misty area in the Immortal Pavilion where the Queen Mother lived, Li Changshou and General Dongmu stood in front of the screen. They lowered their heads obediently but did not say anything… The Queen Mother, who was behind the screen, raised her hand to her forehead. Clearly, she was a little overwhelmed. Ahem, she was a little angry at the silent “pillars” of the Heavenly Courts. However, there was no choice. Li Changshou knew that it was better to speak less.

　　As for General Dongmu… Why won’t the Water God reply? Isn’t the Jade Emperor in the Lingxiao Treasure Hall? What’s going on?

　　“Hmph!”

　　A cold snort came from behind the screen. Li Changshou and General Dongmu buried their heads deeper.

　　Princess Long Ji, who was standing quietly beside the soft couch, was also frowning and thinking. She was calculating how many layers her “scheming” teacher had considered on this matter…

　　A few hours ago.

　　A ray of golden light suddenly fell from the Little Qiong Peak. It was the merit that the Heavenly Dao had given Li Changshou. At that moment, the concealment array formation on the peak activated on its own. Together with the array formation outside, it created an illusion that the golden light was heading towards the sky. At the same time, some spiritual energy and immortal power surged towards various parts of the sect.

　　It was very similar to the situation where he could not suppress his spiritual power when he was setting up the array, and thus his spiritual power leaked. In order to obtain merit quietly and smoothly, Li Changshou had put in a lot of effort. Li Changshou was naturally in a good mood after obtaining an unexpected amount of merit for no reason. However, at the same time, through the paper effigies that were set up everywhere, Li Changshou captured the auspicious phenomenon that appeared in the Three Realms.

　　At that moment, he understood.

　　He was in big trouble.

　　Any expert in the Primordial World who was good at deduction could almost deduce such a huge phenomenon…

　　The Jade Emperor of the Heavenly Courts had descended to the mortal world. That undoubtedly gave the Heavenly Courts more pressure. Moreover, Li Changshou had to pay special attention to the safety of the Jade Emperor’s reincarnation later. He could definitely not hide it from the Queen Mother.

　　Logically speaking, the Jade Emperor’s reincarnation should be protected by the Heavenly Dao. However, there were also variables in this world. The Heavenly Dao had an uncontrollable “escape”! When he returned to the Heavenly Courts, Li Changshou thought that the Queen Mother would have to wait at least seven to eight months for the Jade Emperor’s reincarnation to be born.

　　Unexpectedly, as soon as he returned to the Divine Water Residence, Long Ji had already rushed over…

　　Ah, no one in the Primordial World is easy to deal with!

　　Yes… during the early stages of the Great God-Conferment Tribulation, the unreasonable Perfected Taiyi had bullied the stone statue to death. Fortunately, Li Changshou had made some preparations beforehand, such as bringing Ao Yi and the Heavenly Soldiers to the Netherworld.

　　That meant that he, the Water God, was handling official matters. Moreover, it was the official matters that the Jade Emperor had instructed him to do. If the Queen Mother found out about this matter and made things difficult for him, he would be able to evade it. Li Changshou had also used the Shadow-Retaining Ball to record those phenomena. If the Jade Emperor were to hold them accountable in the future, he would give the Shadow-Retaining Ball to the Jade Emperor and say, “Your Majesty, when you descended to the mortal world, you caused too much of a commotion.”

　　Naturally, it was none of his business. The most important preparation was this moment, this place, and this scene. Regardless of whether the Queen Mother attacked him directly or tried her best to persuade him, he could not spill the beans! He insisted that the male gods of the Heavenly Courts would not waver for ten thousand years! “Is His Majesty really just in seclusion?” The Queen Mother’s voice behind the screen turned cold. Li Changshou and General Dongmu lowered their heads and were about to bow.

　　Li Changshou could clearly sense immortal power surging around the Queen Mother. Clearly, for a moment, the Queen Mother wanted to slap the two old immortals out of the Jade Pool. “Are the two of you mute today?”

　　General Dongmu stole a glance at Li Changshou and coincidentally met his eyes. The two of them agreed at the same time.

　　“No.”

　　Crack!

　　The Queen Mother threw the jade fan in her hand onto the ground and cursed, “One of you is an important minister of the Heavenly Courts who has been in the Heavenly Courts since the establishment of the Heavenly Courts. The other is the Heavenly Courts’ wise advisor who is a good planner and whom His Majesty trusts! Why did you fall silent when you reached the Jade Pool? Where is your usual high-spirited and arrogant aura? What about the way you exterminated demons and demons with a snap of your fingers, and the way you protected the Dao!?!”

　　General Dongmu and Li Changshou buried their heads deeper and agreed in unison again.

　　“Ah.”

　　“Rascal!”

　　The Queen Mother shouted angrily. The screen exploded. The fairies in the corner of the warm pavilion were so frightened that they lowered their heads and bowed. They did not even dare to breathe.

　　The Queen Mother was dressed in a phoenix coronet and robe. At that moment, she stood up. Golden light flickered and the phoenix hairpin made a soft sound. Her beautiful face was filled with dignity.

　　“General Dongmu, tell me. His Majesty has entered the mortal world!” General Dongmu shuddered and bowed to the Queen Mother. He lowered his head and shouted, “I really don’t know!”

　　“Water God!”

　　The Queen Mother glanced at Li Changshou, and the pressure on him increased. She questioned coldly, “Did you and His Majesty plan this?”

　　“Her Majesty.” Li Changshou raised his head and looked at the Queen Mother. He wanted to say something but hesitated. He smiled bitterly and revealed a hint of determination!

　　“I’m willing to accept punishment.”

　　General Dongmu, who was beside him… felt that he seemed to have been surpassed for some reason.

　　The anger on Queen Mother’s face instantly dissipated. She snorted and sat back on the soft couch. “Since you’re willing to accept punishment, so what if I grant you your wish? Someone!” The fairies beside her answered in unison, “Yes!”

　　“Bring Water God to the Heaven Punishment Hall. 20 Lighting Whips!” “Mother!” Long Ji stood in front of Li Changshou and shielded him. “How can Teacher disobey Father’s orders? Mother, please calm down!” “Your Highness,” Li Changshou shouted.

　　Long Ji turned her head and saw Li Changshou cupping his hands as if he was thanking her. There was a faint smile on his lips. He took the initiative to turn around and walk towards the fairies walking towards him from both sides. Without saying anything, he walked forward. At that moment, the fairies of the Jade Pool were more or less surprised. They stared at Li Changshou’s back as he rode the cloud towards the Heavenly Punishment Hall. They did not know how to describe this “old immortal”.

　　Long Ji’s eyes turned red. However, the Queen Mother snorted and closed her eyes to rest. On the other hand, General Dongmu had a few question marks on his forehead. He pondered carefully and quickly reacted…

　　Isn’t the Water God’s incarnation here? What’s the use of the whip?

　　Eh? Why do I feel that there are many schemes involved? It seems like the Queen Mother and Brother Water God have reached some kind of agreement? Speaking of which, has the Jade Emperor really descended to the mortal world? Why don’t I know about this… Ah, this is indeed the case. I’m past my prime.

　　…

　　In the Heavenly Punishment Hall, the four fairies deliberately waited outside the hall. In the hall, Li Changshou’s paper effigy stood between two 100-feet-tall stone pillars that were filled with lightning. It was struck by lightning. However, the Heavenly Generals at the side were carefully controlling the intensity of the lightning whip, trying their best to make Li Changshou feel a little pain. They would not really hurt the Water God…

　　Even at that stage, the Heavenly Generals were still uneasy.

　　How dare they attack the Water God! “Water God, what do you think… about this speed?” “Everyone, please put in more effort,” Li Changshou said sincerely. The Heavenly Generals looked at each other and increased the power of the lightning whip by thirty to forty percent, causing the two lightning pillars to be filled with green-white light. However, the lightning that struck Li Changshou was ninety percent less than before… Li Changshou sighed and said, “Alright.” He took the initiative to disrupt the immortal power in the paper effigy’s body and pretended to be seriously injured. The Queen Mother knew very well what to do. In just a few words, he had fulfilled the immortal image of a loyal Water God. His head could be severed, blood could flow, and his hairstyle could be messed up. However, he had to have a clear understanding of his position. Otherwise, it would be much easier to make mistakes. Although the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother were Dao companions, fellow disciples, and childhood sweethearts who cultivated together, they were also the examples of marriage between Heaven, Earth, and Man.

　　However, working for the Jade Emperor was not akin to working for the Queen Mother. There were many twists and turns.

　　The Jade Emperor’s reincarnation caused too much of a commotion. He definitely could not hide it.

　　However, Li Changshou could not take the initiative to speak. Otherwise, it would be a betrayal of his trust in the Jade Emperor. If he wanted to gain merit in the future, there would definitely be a few more layers of resistance. The safest way to deal with it was like this — After being severely punished by the Queen Mother, he had to pretend to be pitiful so that the Heavenly Courts could see him. At the same time, he had to find a suitable opportunity to speak. In that case, if the Water God gained fame, the Jade Emperor would not blame him after returning to the Heavenly Courts. There was a high chance that he would be rewarded. The Queen Mother would also be able to establish her authority and stabilize the foundation of the Heavenly Courts’ Divine Authority.

　　All immortals should not be afraid of authoritative ministers.

　　After the lightning flashed twenty times, Li Changshou knelt on the ground. His entire body was weak.

　　The Heavenly Generals hurriedly rushed over and helped Li Changshou up. Their voices were trembling. “Sir, are you alright?” “I’m fine.” Li Changshou sighed slowly and nodded at them with a smile. He said warmly, “Thank you for showing mercy, generals. Please send me out of the hall.”

　　The Heavenly Generals hurriedly agreed and carried Li Changshou out of the Heavenly Punishment Hall. Outside the hall, the four fairies used their immortal powers to form a “cloud stretcher” and carried Li Changshou across the Heavenly Courts and back to the Jade Pool.

　　When he returned to the warm pavilion, Li Changshou was lying on a cloud. He was barely breathing, and his white robe was full of burn marks…

　　Long Ji almost cried. She knelt beside Li Changshou, her eyes filled with worry. General Dongmu hurriedly said, “Goddess! To His Majesty, the Water God is a royal subject and a good friend! Please show mercy, Your Majesty. Otherwise, it will be hard to explain when His Majesty questions you!”

　　“General Dongmu, don’t worry. I know my limits.”

　　Queen Mother’s expression softened. “Water God, why are you doing this? His Majesty had descended to the mortal world, and the Three Realms had been shaken. He could no longer hide it. Since the Heavenly Dao had manifested, His Majesty’s actions would be beneficial to mending the Heavenly Dao and himself. That is a good thing. I’m just angry that the two of you made plans secretly, but His Majesty even hid it from me!” Li Changshou sighed and said softly, “You have to keep your promise.” “Alright,” said the Queen Mother. “Let me ask you. If the Jade Emperor is schemed against by others, what will you do?” “Don’t worry, Your Majesty,” Li Changshou said. “Only a wisp of His Majesty’s soul has descended to the mortal world. He is cultivating in seclusion in the Lingxiao Treasure Hall. Everything that he has experienced in the mortal world is like the most realistic dream. His Majesty will not be in any danger.” “Oh?”

　　The Queen Mother’s eyes flickered as she said softly, “In that case, I’ll go down and experience the tribulation. What do you think, Water God?” I knew it!

　　General Dongmu hurriedly said, “Goddess, you still need to manage the situation in the Heavenly Courts…”

　　Madam Wang snorted and said, “I usually don’t care about the matters of the Heavenly Courts. The lifespan of mortals is only dozens of years. It won’t affect anything. For the trivial matters of the Heavenly Courts, Water God and General Dongmu, you two discuss and deal with them. If you encounter any urgent matters, come to the Jade Pool and wake me up.”

　　General Dongmu and Li Changshou tried to persuade her again, but the Queen Mother had already made up her mind. The two of them could only lower their heads and accept the order.

　　However, Li Changshou raised a crucial question. “Queen Mother, are you going to follow His Majesty or go through the tribulation separately from His Majesty?”

　　“Of course I have to follow His Majesty.”

　　Madam Wang also understood the meaning behind Li Changshou’s words. “Water God, you have a good relationship with Judge Yama of the Netherworld. I have heard of this matter. Before the Jade Emperor left, he should have made many requests of you. He wanted you to find the Yama Lords of the Netherworld and use the Book of Life and Death to set your life.” Li Changshou lowered his head and said, “I don’t dare to hide it from you, Your Majesty. That’s true. However, this is not a request from His Majesty. I’m just taking the initiative. I’m afraid that he will be too tired from training…” “I changed it for him.”

　　Changed? Changed?

　　The Queen Mother said, “Since it’s a tribulation, how can it be considered a tribulation if we don’t suffer? The more we suffer, the more it will be for the training of His Majesty’s temperament. Water God, don’t worry. I will bear the consequences.” Li Changshou was shocked by the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother said seriously, “Why? Water God, you look troubled. Is it very difficult?” “Goddess, the Book of Life and Death has been decided…”

　　“Do you think I don’t know what the Judge’s Brush is for? Moreover, the Jade Emperor’s soul is still in his mother’s womb. It has not descended into the world. How can it not be changed?” Li Changshou could only change his tone and say, “I still have to ask the Yama Lord about this before I can report to you.” “There’s no need to ask. I can make the decision now. This matter is settled.”

　　The Queen Mother continued to order calmly, “Water God, you have to arrange for my soul to be reincarnated and become the childhood friend of the Jade Emperor’s reincarnated body. You have to make me marry him and end our lives together. He would experience thousands of hardships in his life. I would be born into wealth. I do not care about poverty and recruit him as my husband. Then, we get married. Heh, since you are going through the tribulation, you should look like you are going through it.” Li Changshou and General Dongmu looked at each other. The latter made an inviting gesture.

　　At the side, Long Ji had already snapped back to her senses. She looked at Li Changshou, who was lying on the ground, and then at her mother. She seemed to have understood something. She asked softly, “Mother, I…” “Cultivate steadily.” The Queen Mother swept her gaze over. Long Ji’s body trembled slightly. She lowered her head and did not dare to say anything. Li Changshou sighed in his heart. He could not help but recall the look of anticipation in the Jade Emperor’s eyes when he mentioned the “beautiful plan”.

　　Suddenly, he was filled with pity for the supreme beings of the Three Realms, the son of the Heavenly Dao, and the “general manager” of the Three Realms…

　　Three days later, in the Netherworld. Li Changshou and the ten Yama Lords stood in front of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, which had been cleared again. They drew out a glimmer of light from the jade box in front of them. With a flick of their fingers, they sent the light into the Six Paths of Reincarnation. After a while, all kinds of auspicious signs appeared in the Three Realms again. The dragons and phoenixes in the sky above the South Continent resonated with each other. Golden rays of light enveloped the ten Yama Lords. The Heavenly Dao had bestowed another merit, but it was less than half of the previous merit.

　　Naturally, a ray of Merit Golden Light headed towards the Little Qiong Peak. Li Changshou hurriedly activated the array to deal with it.

　　What is the reason for this merit?

　　Li Changshou pinched his fingers and deduced. He was puzzled. This time, it had nothing to do with mending the Heavenly Dao.

　　Forget it, it was difficult for the heavenly secrets to be revealed. His deduction of strength was not perfect.

　　It could not be that the Dao Ancestor thought that the family ethics drama was not bad and casually gave some production funds to the “director” and “screenwriter”.

　　In just two to three days, the news that the Jade Emperor had reincarnated to train in the mortal world spread throughout the Primordial World. The Heavenly Courts’ Water God was punished by the Queen Mother for this matter. He was sent to the Heavenly Punishment Hall to be beheaded and became a laughing stock for the Qi Refinement cultivators…

　　On the Three-Immortal Island, in the depths of the Immortal Forest, a wooden window of a quiet pavilion was pushed open. The beautiful figure stood quietly by the window for a while. When the breeze blew through the forest, she disappeared in an instant. Only the wooden window was empty. She turned around and sighed softly.