Love & Redemption
Chapter 224: Volume 5 Phoenix Flower Blooms - 31 Jun Tian Sea Strategy (Part 4)

Chapter 224: Volume 5 Phoenix Flower Blooms Chapter 31 Jun Tian Sea Strategy (Part 4)

What the Sea Control Hook was used for, Zi Hu did not know, but when she came to, she had already left the Netherworld. Buzhou Mountain, towering into the clouds, was right beside her. The cold wind carried distant voices to her, barely discernible as Wuzhiqi murmuring with someone.

Zi Hu sprang up in a flash and saw two Golden-armored Gods standing not far behind her. Their posture, demeanor, and aura seemed just like the guardians of Buzhou Mountain, Divine Generals Shen Tu and Yu Lei. However, Shen Tu and Yu Lei always appeared as towering giants, while these two Golden-armored Gods... seemed only a bit larger than ordinary humans.

Wuzhiqi stood opposite them with arms crossed, grinning, tilting his head as he spoke, incomprehensible. Zi Hu darted over in a few strides and leapt onto his shoulder, her pointy nose timidly tucked behind his neck as she whispered, "Wuzhiqi... who, who are you talking to?"

Wuzhiqi patted her smooth fur with his free hand but did not answer, simply saying, "You locked up this old man for so many years, and I haven’t harmed a single hair on your heads. Just a little crack in Buzhou Mountain; that’s not a big deal, right? Being immortals, you can’t be too overbearing, or this old man will get angry. And when I’m angry, even I don’t know what I might do... You understand." He laughed with an easygoing air, giving off a vibe of we’re old pals, you all get it.

Shen Tu angrily said, "Being a demon, you can’t be too arrogant. You need to understand that you’re a prisoner, and you’re on the run! Causing such a ruckus, isn’t that provocation? Is Buzhou Mountain something to be cracked at whim?!"

Wuzhiqi’s eyes lit up and, touching his nose, he chuckled, "Oh? So what you mean is if I keep things quiet, I can leave?"

Shen Tu’s face turned red as he retorted, "Nonsense! You are currently a prisoner! Return at once and await Emperor Hou Tu’s judgment! Stop this senseless defiance!"

"Tch, how annoying." Wuzhiqi shook his head and suddenly swung his arm, shouting. Shen Tu and Yu Lei, thinking he would act up, retreated several steps in fear, nearly falling over. But Wuzhiqi remained immobile, bursting into laughter. The two watched him, puzzled and uncertain of his trickery.

"Alright, this old man doesn’t have time to play with you," Wuzhiqi said with a laugh, tossing back his messy braids, "You neither want to fight this old man nor let me leave; are you just long-winded shrews who prefer to fight with words?"

Shen Tu, his face as red as if aflame, not sure whether from shame or anger, was about to argue some more when Yu Lei pulled him back, "Indeed, we cannot defeat you, but as Divine Generals tasked with guarding Buzhou Mountain, our first duty is to our responsibilities. Even if it means death in battle, it is our duty. Enough idle talk, let’s fight!" With a clang, he drew the Evil Extermination Sword from his waist, resolved to block Wuzhiqi at all costs.

By his side, Shen Tu also drew his Demon Exorcism Sword, and the two positioned themselves in front of Wuzhiqi, saying no more.

Zi Hu, seeing the three on the verge of a fight, feared she would only get in the way, so she stealthily climbed down from Wuzhiqi and turned back to look at Buzhou Mountain. She saw what seemed to be a curved crack on the mountain; chilling, foul-smelling winds howled out from it, accompanied by myriad wails and screeches, sending shivers down her spine. So Wuzhiqi had used the Sea Control Hook to forcibly split Buzhou Mountain! This was indeed in line with his style, as Wuzhiqi was always known for acting wildly.

She shook her ears and looked back at Wuzhiqi, who remained nonchalantly crossed-armed, smiling, "Come on then, this old man will entertain you barehanded!"

The two pitiful Divine Generals were infuriated by him; their faces turned red, then white, then green in quick succession, yet they truly feared him. Although a thousand years had passed, the formidable might he displayed when he flooded the Heavenly Court still lingered. The mighty Divine Generals of the twenty-eight constellations were almost entirely wiped out by his hands. Even Xuanwu succumbed to grave injuries and perished, while the Vermilion Bird lost its right arm to his blade—who would dare pick a fight with him?

Shen Tu’s Adam’s apple moved slightly, a bead of cold sweat trickling down his nose. Yu Lei remained still; so did Wuzhiqi—they couldn’t help it anymore, preemptive action was the best! The light of Demon Exorcism flared brightly, ready to strike, when suddenly Zi Hu shouted, "Heavens! What are you doing here?!"

At this critical moment, her scream was more terrifying than a thunderclap on a clear day. Shen Tu’s wrist shook uncontrollably, the light of Demon Exorcism missing even a fly and instead striking the ground with a clang. He was immediately overwhelmed with shame, his face flushed red with embarrassment. He sneakily glanced at Wuzhiqi, hoping he hadn’t noticed, but Wuzhiqi just curled his lips into a sneer and scoffed, "You’re still as useless as ever!"

Shen Tu wished he could dig a hole in the ground and hide in it right then and there. Seeing his comrade humiliated and their morale plummeting, Yu Lei knew he had to act or he’d truly be trampled underfoot by this monkey. With a roar, he recklessly swung the Evil Extermination Sword, but after just a couple of swings, a delicate voice from behind asked, "What’s going on here?" On hearing that voice, his heart leapt with fright, and the Evil Extermination Sword flew out of his hand, landing far away. Now, his face turned even redder than Shen Tu’s.

Wuzhiqi, bored out of his mind, turned around, his brows suddenly raising before he teasingly flashed a smile and said, "Yo! It’s you guys again? Came looking for me, did you? What a coincidence!"

Standing opposite him were Xuanji and her two companions. They had just arrived at Buzhou Mountain and from afar, they saw the thousands of feet of golden light surrounding Shen Tu and Yu Lei. Because they didn’t release their own resplendent divine forms, Liu Yihuan insisted that the golden light was gold. She dragged Xuanji and Yu Sifeng over to pick up gold bars and strike it rich, only to discover upon approaching that it was Shen Tu and Yu Lei, the two blocking Wuzhiqi as both sides were ready to clash.

Xuanji walked over and, seeing the white then blood-red faces of Shen Tu and Yu Lei, and their weapons, one stuck in the ground and the other thrown far away, then looking back at Wuzhiqi, who appeared completely at ease, frowned and said, "You really went too far! Didn’t you promise me that you wouldn’t harm those from hell? Why did you attack them?"

Wuzhiqi widened his eyes in innocence, "Me? Attack them? That’s a wrongful accusation! I haven’t even lifted a finger."

Xuanji, too lazy to argue, went to pick up the Evil Extermination Sword for Yu Lei and handed it to him with a soft voice, "I’m sorry for always causing you such worry. We’ll be on our way shortly."

Yu Lei took the Evil Extermination Sword, too stunned to utter a single word. Shen Tu was also at a loss for words—what could they say at a time like this? A War God facing down a formidable demon; if they didn’t want to die, it was best to keep completely silent.

Wuzhiqi laughed, "So you really did come to get me! Thanks a lot!"

Liu Yihuan snorted coldly and walked to one side, mumbling something under her breath. Yu Sifeng asked, "You haven’t gone out for the past two years? Always stayed below?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Wuzhiqi replied, "Haven’t seen Little Fox for so long, just chatting with her. Going out means a pile of troubles waiting, and I can’t give her the attention she needs; next thing you know, she’s crying again. Her crying is really annoying."

Zi Hu was affectionately sprawled on Xuanji’s shoulder, licking her face. When he said that, she became so angry that she jumped back and bit down hard on his hand, shouting, "You’re the one who’s annoying to death! Stupid monkey!" Wuzhiqi laughed, yelping as he grabbed her tail, flung her over his shoulder, and held her down. Then he planted a kiss on her fluffy tail and chuckled, "Don’t be mad, don’t be mad; Little Fox is the cutest."

Yu Sifeng then said, "I thought you’d have gone and returned the Juntian Ring to Lize Palace early on."

Wuzhiqi clicked his tongue, "What’s the hurry? We’ve waited a thousand years; what’s a little longer? Come on, let’s get out of this creepy place. It’s really uncomfortable."

Once he finished speaking, he started to walk away. Xuanji hurriedly called out, "Wait! Wuzhiqi... there’s something I’d like to ask for your help with..." She spoke hesitantly, as if unsure how to begin. Wuzhiqi ran over to her beaming, taking her hand and speaking softly, "Go ahead! Whatever task War God sister has, I won’t hesitate to go through fire and water."

Zi Hu, from behind, didn’t know how many times she bit him, but he didn’t seem to care. Seeing his enthusiasm, Xuanji immediately felt he was the nicest person in the world and spilled the beans, recounting the recent chain of events. Ending with, "I... I’d like to ask for your help to go to the East Sea to find Ting Nu, and then... could you look after Ting Nu and Brother Liu, making sure the people from Heaven don’t catch them? Is that okay?"

Wuzhiqi squinted his eyes, curving them into a smile, "Why don’t you go yourself? Are you worse than me?"

Xuanji shook her head, "I need to go to Kunlun Mountain. I won’t accept being falsely accused of rebellion for no reason."

Wuzhiqi spread his hands, "You’re embarking on such a fun adventure alone and didn’t invite me! I want to go to Heaven too! Just bring that ’Liu something’ along, and we can all head to Heaven together! I’m very familiar with Kunlun Mountain."

Xuanji said anxiously, "No! What about Ting Nu? Besides, I’m going to seek justice this time, not to fight. You’re just like Tengshe, always ready to fight; I won’t bring you with me!"

"Hey, hey!" Wuzhiqi became sullen, "Don’t lump me together with that silver-haired one, okay? ...Right, where is he? Wasn’t he supposed to go out and fight? Why didn’t he come?"

Xuanji frowned, but before she could speak, Yu Lei said from behind, "Lord Tengshe has been put under house arrest by Emperor Bai, forbidden from descending to the Lower Realm for three hundred years. As for that Merfolk, I’ve heard that he’s been captured by Ying Long and taken to Heaven. He was punished with exile a thousand years ago for collective guilt, and after descending, he did not mend his ways and offended again. The intent of the Heavenly Emperor is severe punishment, to maintain discipline and order. It seems he’ll soon face capital punishment."

Everyone was shocked to hear this. Xuanji said with a trembling voice, "Collective guilt... why is it always collective guilt! What exactly is that crime?" Yu Lei glanced at her and whispered, "Since he’s a close friend of General, naturally he’s implicated when something happens to the General." Xuanji looked at him blankly, realizing, indeed, the people around her always seemed to be unlucky – Si Feng, Brother Liu, Ting Nu... What exactly was going on?

Wuzhiqi chuckled, "What’s this, just now you were all ready for battle, and now you come crawling back, trying to curry favor? Afraid the General will cleave you in two with a single sword strike?"

Yu Lei’s face turned pale, then he said, "No. We’re just Divine Generals guarding Buzhou Mountain. We have no say in Heaven. However, we know very well whether the General plotted a rebellion or not. Someone like her... would never commit high treason or be anything like those unruly and arrogant demons."

"Haha!" Wuzhiqi burst into laughter, "Yes, unruly and arrogant, that’s a good description! I like it!"

Yu Lei continued, "If the General wishes to go to Kunlun Mountain, it’s better to wait for two months. By then, the Heavenly Emperor will be visiting the lower gardens, and you can see him without having to enter Heaven. If you go now... as a mere mortal, trespassing Heaven is a grave crime."

Xuanji said anxiously, "Two months! By then, Ting Nu will be long dead!"

Shen Tu couldn’t help but say, "Then let him die, he’s just a Merfolk! If you insist on going now, an offense that wasn’t a capital crime will become one—isn’t worth it!"

Xuanji’s face turned pale as she stared at him. Shen Tu, unnerved by her gaze, took a couple of steps back, stuttering, "I... I’m just kindly warning you. When to go is your decision! Just don’t oppose the Heavenly Emperor. You... make up your own mind!"

Wuzhiqi clapped Xuanji on the shoulder, "Enough, let’s go. Two months it is, just enough time to deal with that Juntian Ring matter."

But... Xuanji shook her head. How could she just watch Ting Nu die for no reason?

"He won’t die that quickly. Until they catch you or me, he won’t die. Heaven likes to condemn everyone at once; they can’t really sentence him for collective guilt without catching the major culprits first. Don’t worry about it."

Wuzhiqi tugging at her sleeve, Xuanji finally nodded, somewhat skeptical, and followed the others away from Buzhou Mountain. They hadn’t gone far when Yu Lei called out from behind, "General! We hope you recover your Divine Sense soon, remain strict and upright, and refuse to associate with demons. Remember this well!"

Xuanji’s heart trembled. Turning back, she saw the two Divine Generals had already vanished. Suddenly it struck her that something was very wrong, extremely wrong, yet she couldn’t figure out why it felt that way.

What exactly was off? (To be continued, for more, please visit www.qidian.com. More Chapters, support the author, and support legitimate reading!)