Claiming the Throne of Gods, Starting from the Rebirth of Nezha
Chapter 51: The Dragon Dives into the Sea

Chapter 51: Chapter 51: The Dragon Dives into the Sea

Nezha entered the East Sea, aiming to seek help from Ao Bing, only to realize that though the Dragon Palace of the East Sea was vast, the sea was even broader.

Wherever he looked, the scenery was exactly the same. To find the Dragon Palace in this immense sea would be like finding a needle in a haystack without some guidance.

After swimming for a while, he saw many strange fish and shrimp, but not a single one with cultivation.

Nezha pondered that this was getting him nowhere, and thought to himself, "Instead of me looking for them, it’d be quicker to have them come to me."

He took out his Seven-foot Chaos Sky Silk and with a flick of the red handkerchief, the rivers shook, and with a shake, the cosmos trembled, stirring the waters and leaving countless fish and turtles dizzy with its force.

Let’s not dwell on how Nezha, using his magic treasure, turned a swath of the sea red. Let’s shift to Ao Bing, who was in the Crystal Palace, hearing a rumbling sound as though thunder struck the palace.

Ao Bing called his attendants in a hurry and inquired, "The ground shouldn’t quake, so why is the palace shaking? Send word to General Stickleback at the South Gate, tell him to investigate this commotion."

General Stickleback took the command and led a team of shrimp soldiers toward the disturbance, only to see a child standing amidst the sea, waving a red handkerchief in one hand, and holding a golden bracelet shaking the waves with the other, throwing the fish into a frenzy, unable to stand or swim.

"Stop shaking! Stop shaking! Are you Nezha?"

General Stickleback finally got one thing right, recognizing Nezha by the magic treasure.

Nezha glared and ceased using his treasure, only to see a squad of shrimp soldiers huddled around a chubby fish creature, two and a half meters tall, with a human body and a fish’s head, and asked, "Who are you, and how do you know me?"

"I’m not a person! I am the General Stickleback, guardian of the South Gate of the Dragon Palace of the East Sea. You are the dearly beloved of Crown Prince Ao Bing. His Highness has personally told me, so of course I recognize you!"

"What? Beloved?! Σ(⊙▽⊙"

General Stickleback’s voice boomed, and upon hearing this, Nezha was so startled that he almost scattered his evasion light and choked to death in the vast sea.

It wasn’t just Nezha who was shocked; even the troop of shrimp soldiers behind him perked up upon hearing such a "secret," which they had dizzyingly stumbled upon.

With furrowed brows and a face as dreadful as if he had eaten a dead fly, Nezha said, "Wait, what did you just say? I am what to that Ao Bing?"

"His beloved, you don’t believe me? I heard it from the Crown Prince himself, could it be false?"

This doesn’t seem right, although I might have an idea why, but your words make me hesitant to even meet with Ao Bing now.

He calmed himself, thought of Lu Zhu at home still heartbroken, and with a face as ghastly as if he had eaten a dead fly, he said, "Where is Ao Bing? Take me to see him."

"Follow me."

General Stickleback took the lead, with Nezha following behind, and a row of shrimp soldiers trailing further back, secretly whispering rumors about how the Crown Prince’s temperament had drastically changed, no longer seeking vengeance against the Yaksha, instead speaking for Nezha, apparently possessing such peculiar tastes.

Nezha was speechless. Following General Stickleback, he beheld the interiors of the Dragon Palace: gilded nails and jade doors, colourful phoenixes dancing at the vermilion gates.

The thoroughfares and corridors were intricate and translucent, with triple eaves and quadruple clusters, where dragons and phoenixes soared layer upon layer. Above were glistening gourd-shaped roofs, and to the sides, the clear chime of jade pendants.

Truly, the Dragon Palace held every kind of rarity, unlike anything else in the world.

He thought back to the last time he pilfered a pile of gold from Ao Bing’s Qiankun Bag and had believed he struck a grand fortune. Now seeing the prosperity of the Dragon Palace, he realized his shortsightedness.

Upon entering the Crystal Palace and seeing Ao Bing, Nezha’s gaze grew even stranger, and when he noticed Ao Bing’s welcome was much warmer than last time, he felt even more uneasy.

He inwardly exclaimed, Ao Bing, oh Ao Bing, don’t be so perverse to think that after a beating, I would become your beloved!

Nezha didn’t want to linger and said tersely, "I won’t waste words with you. I’m here to ask for your help. Yesterday, people from the fishing village drowned in your sea. I need you to help me find them."

Ao Bing, upon seeing the Plague Deity, couldn’t help but feel aggrieved, thinking that indeed, the past ten years had not been easy, and for now, he just had to endure it.

He ordered his Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals to search throughout the sea with the fish and turtles, while thinking to himself that he now possessed a Divine Skill specifically to sever Primordial Spirits, and under the barriers of the immortal ways, Nezha was not his match in the slightest.

Yet, regrettably, he had previously disregarded this lad and had been subjected to a Prohibition, leading him to this state where he was at the mercy of others.

While Ao Bing sighed wistfully, Nezha was still pondering the words of the Stingfish General, maintaining a certain distance from Ao Bing all the time.

Seeing this, Ao Bing thought, with such a formidable weapon as a Prohibition in his hands, yet still so guarded against me, where did this youngster learn such caution and suspicion? He couldn’t help but feel Nezha was even more frightening.

The dishes and drinks were served, unlike the feast he shared with Li Jing where host and guest had both enjoyed themselves, on one hand, Ao Bing’s life was in someone else’s grip and couldn’t relax his demeanor, and on the other hand, Nezha also feared Ao Bing might poison the food and drink to harm his life.

Fortunately, this awkward situation did not last long, as the fish and turtles of the sea were under the control of the Dragon Palace, and soon there was news.

The Stingfish General came to report: "Your Highness, there have been no drownings at Chentang Pass for the past ten days."

"Are you sure?" asked Ao Bing.

"Positive."

Hearing this, Nezha felt even more peculiar, wondering if Li Cunxin might not have died, but rather just disappeared?

Frowning, he asked, "I heard that in the past three years, the number of people who have drowned or disappeared in the sea near Chentang Pass has tripled compared to previous years. Do you have any clues?"

Hearing this, Ao Bing’s complexion turned even uglier than Nezha’s.

How many mortals drowned in the sea each day was a matter of no concern to him, so the ugly expression was, of course, feigned; but with Nezha there, he had to show that he cared.

He glanced at the Stingfish General and said, "Is this the case?"

The Stingfish General was startled and said, "I will investigate!"

Nezha watched the Stingfish General’s retreating figure thoughtfully. To him, Ao Bing’s act seemed not only unnecessary but also so overly done that it was clumsily bad.

He had originally thought the increase in drownings over the past three years could simply be due to stronger winds and raging waves, changes in climate, or merely coincidence. But since Li Cunxin’s body hadn’t been found in the sea, it followed that other people’s bodies may not have been found either.

If that was the case, then this matter took on a different significance.

If it was a murder case, it should naturally be handed over to the responsible officials at Chentang Pass to handle, as everyone had their own duties, and Nezha should not overstep his bounds and look for trouble. However, the matter was inevitably connected to Lu Zhu’er.

Thinking over and over in his mind, the Stingfish General was also quick to act and soon returned, reporting again:

"Your Highness, the fish below have spoken. There have been some drownings near Chentang Pass over the years, but not more so than previous years. This matter cannot be blamed on our East Sea."

The words were spoken faster than his thoughts, which irritated Ao Bing considerably.

What do you mean it cannot be blamed on our East Sea, as if you’re implying that Nezha is here to wrongly accuse someone. Although Ao Bing did have this feeling, and even suspected that after receiving his Qiankun Hundred Treasure Bag last time, the young man was still unsatisfied and was here to extort him, ready to make a significant sacrifice.

But such words could not be openly expressed. If it really came down to tearing faces, who’s going to bear the Prohibition for me?

The Stingfish General then added, "If it’s a case of missing persons, why not take a look on the shore? In the past three years, there have often been signs of intense killing energy along the East Coast, which could indicate some Cultivators practicing Left Dao Technique."

Upon hearing these words, a flash of insight crossed Nezha’s mind. He instantly recalled the eighteen Blood-eyed Crows he had seen in Lu Zhu’er’s home, as well as the face of Feng Xiaonian, the central army officer.

After parting from the East Sea, Nezha returned to Lu Zhu’er’s home. Seeing that Lu Zhu’er was unharmed, he first entrusted Zhou Quan to take good care of the family, and then returned to his own home.

This was the first time he had taken the initiative to enter his father Li Jing’s study in their residence.

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