Love & Redemption
Chapter 239: The Final Volume: I am Liuli - One: Escape

Chapter 239: The Final Volume: I am Liuli Chapter One: Escape

The weather was warm and sunny, with a gentle breeze and the fragrance of flowers in the air, perfect for a bit of drink, a few dishes, and a nap — now, that’s what you call life, that’s truly living. Unfortunately, such purely human pleasures were nonexistent in Heaven.

Tengshe woke from a nap, groggy, and grabbed the wine on the desk, gulping it down — "Yuck, this tastes awful." He casually threw the cup out of the window, but it flew back in by itself and landed gently on the desk. The sinister voice of Ying Long followed, "Emperor Bai meant for you to reflect here, not to be picky and choosy."

Tengshe pretended not to hear and picked up a piece of cake that looked absolutely exquisite and chewed it — "Damn, it’s disgustingly tasteless, just like mud."

Ying Long floated over, sat opposite him, and said with a frown of resignation, "It’s precisely your obsession with sensual pleasures that led you to err, making you vulnerable to those sinners’ threats. You’re not a human who needs food to survive."

Tengshe dismissed it with contempt, "It’s precisely because I don’t rely on it to survive that I have higher demands. Otherwise, what joy is there in living?"

Obviously, he had never reflected at all, clearly here to freeload.

"That’s all there is in Heaven. If you want enjoyment, go to the human world. But you’re confined now, and it will be at least three hundred years before you can go out again. Use this time to truly reflect, so Emperor Bai doesn’t have to worry about you constantly."

Tengshe’s mouth twisted into an evil smile, "Jealous, aren’t you? Does old Emperor Bai treat you poorly?"

Ying Long sternly replied, "Watch your mouth. It hasn’t been long since you descended to the Lower Realm, and you’ve already picked up those vulgar mortals’ bad habits. It’s one thing to joke with me, but Emperor Bai is not someone you can speak about lightly."

Seeing that Tengshe remained silent, he stopped speaking as well.

Upon closer inspection, one could see he had changed a lot. A spiritual beast and its master shared an inseparable bond, with the beast’s duty being to protect its master until the contract ended. Exceeding the allowed time without returning weakened the spiritual beast significantly, and this was something even immortals couldn’t interfere with.

Currently, Tengshe was almost devoid of immortal power, and his once brilliant silver hair had changed color, now mixed with dark red, looking quite bizarre.

Ying Long couldn’t help but add, "Right now, all you have left is a mouth to complain with."

Tengshe’s look was that of a stubborn, unreasonable child, fearless and brazen, with a ruffian’s air of ’what can you do to me?’

Sometimes, Ying Long really wanted to stomp his annoying face underfoot. He took a deep breath and said with a cold laugh, "Perhaps I should tell you some good news. I hear your master is rushing towards Kunlun Mountain, and that lawless Wuzhiqi is with her. It seems a true rebellion against Heaven this time! When the Heavenly Emperor heard this news, guess what his reaction was. Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird have already been sent to guard the Heavenly Ladder, and the order I heard was — kill without mercy."

"Oh," Tengshe responded, surprisingly indifferent, "So kill them, what does it have to do with me? If she dies, good riddance; I won’t have to worry about the contract anymore."

Ying Long got up and left, his voice as light as his steps, "With such a noble sentiment, Emperor Bai would be truly comforted. Just hope you don’t mean the opposite."

Long after he had left, Tengshe finally stirred slightly and shifted his position on the chair.

Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird were useless, being sent just to die. At this point, one thing puzzled him — why would the Heavenly Emperor allow Wuzhiqi to escape from the Netherworld without taking any action? This was wholly inconsistent with the Heavenly Court’s usual approach, especially since he had even shattered Buzhou Mountain. Considering Shen Tu and Yu Lei’s temperaments, they would rather die fighting than watch idly. It was strange, too strange - he couldn’t fathom what the Heavenly Emperor was really plotting.

He had obediently returned because he thought the situation wasn’t that serious, he had some clout in Heaven, and Emperor Bai favored him. He just needed to clarify that Xuanji had no intention of rebelling. However, far from being a successful mediator, he was ordered back to Heaven on pain of death. He had no choice but to comply and was then placed under house arrest.

Could it really be their intention to kill Xuanji and Wuzhiqi? What was he to do? And he still had a score to settle with Wuzhiqi! Besides... he didn’t want them to die, not at all!

Restlessness overtook him, then a sense of unease. Why would Ying Long bother to bring him this news so confidently? Such certainty, as if they didn’t regard the team of the War God and Wuzhiqi highly. Both of these figures had once been formidable, any single one of them could cause major turbulence in Heaven; how could they be so sure?

The more Tengshe thought about it, the more restless he became. Whenever confronted with perplexing situations, he would grow frantic, and in his frenzy, he would think of solutions. After much deliberation, he suddenly decided to escape, find Xuanji, and restore his immortal power first.

"If Emperor Bai discovers this... well then, he can just act shamelessly!" Emperor Bai dotes on him, he definitely won’t bear to punish him. Besides, without immortal power, how could he survive in Heaven? He would surely be the laughingstock.

Tengshe stealthily slipped out of the small palace where he was confined, choosing back paths to avoid detection by the prawn soldiers and crab generals. Now unable even to defeat a common soldier, encountering anyone would mean trouble for him.

He walked all the way to the back door, suddenly hearing voices ahead. Tengshe quickly hid behind a tree, stretching his ears to listen.

The voices sounded like Vermilion Bird’s, naively dumb as usual, "Kunlun Mountain is a sacred place, we can’t allow them to intrude like this, I can’t accept your suggestion."

Tengshe pushed aside the leaves, scrutinizing carefully, and saw two figures standing by the back door – it was Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird. Seeing these two infuriated him. Although Emperor Bai was fond of him, he never allowed him to play in the Lower Realm. He always sent Vermilion Bird on missions, calling him ’steady.’ Steady? He’s just a dimwit!

As for Azure Dragon, she’s not even worth mentioning. An abomination in Heaven, always filthy and unwashed, reeking all over and fond of talking face-to-face with her beady eyes, she looked almost like a man. One would hardly know how many times she’d been punched if not for her gender. And she loved playing dirty – snitching, backstabbing, ambushing – always up to no good.

Tasking these two to guard the Heavenly Ladder, what was the Heavenly Emperor thinking?

Azure Dragon cackled, her voice icy and raspy, somewhat resembling a carrion crow, "Waiting for rabbits by the tree stump is foolish. How could you be sure they would take that path?"

Well said! Tengshe silently applauded.

Vermilion Bird spoke solemnly, "Whatever the Heavenly Emperor instructs, we just need to follow. No need for all this talk! If something happens, who will take responsibility?"

Azure Dragon laughed, "That’s why you’re so rigid, no wonder they don’t like you up there. Just stay there and obey the Heavenly Emperor; when they enter Heaven through another route, I want to see if you dare to talk about responsibility."

Vermilion Bird was swayed by her words, standing there, lost for what to do next. Azure Dragon laughed again, "Your rigid mind, no change over the years. Listen to my strategy... like this and like that..."

Her voice suddenly softened, and Tengshe couldn’t catch a single word, so frustrated he nearly scrambled closer to listen. Just then, she suddenly sneered, "Just bring along this trash, I don’t believe they won’t fall for it!" Abruptly turning around, her gaze fierce, she caught sight of Tengshe hiding behind the tree.

He was startled, wanting to flee, but without a shred of immortal power, where could he escape to? Hesitating, he felt her long, green sleeve swooshing behind him, tightening around him – he was bound. From the sleeve emanated a foul smell, and Tengshe cursed out loud, "Stinking witch! You’re trying to suffocate me! I’ve never seen a more disgusting woman, dirtier than earthworms!"

Azure Dragon ignored his curses completely, just yanked lightly, and he fell heavily to the ground, face down, unable to move.

"Tengshe?" Vermilion Bird was shocked, shot Azure Dragon a reproachful look, and quickly knelt down to untie the long, stinking sleeve. But her clothes, never washed, derived from her own scales, were not only foul-smelling but also tough and durable, having sat in oil for thousands of years, neither unraveled by hand nor cut by knife, causing Vermilion Bird to sweat profusely.

"Azure Dragon! Let him go!" Vermilion Bird scowled.

Azure Dragon cackled, "How could I let him go? He’s key to catching those rebels! Surely you’re not planning to let them go, are you?"

Vermilion Bird hesitated, then said, "Tengshe is our peer... This doesn’t seem right."

"There’s nothing wrong with it." Her flirtatious wink sent chills down their spines, turning Tengshe’s face green. "In order to catch the criminals, certain measures are necessary. Besides, this rascal is already involved with those criminals; even Emperor Bai can’t say anything now!"

"You’re spouting nonsense! Stinking witch! Just wait, sooner or later I’ll have you burned into dragon jerky..." Before he could finish his shout, a horrible stench assailed him, her sleeve wrapping around half his face, and Tengshe, unable to hold back any longer, rolled his eyes back — knocked out by the stench.

"Emperor Bai dotes on him, if he knows how boldly you acted, he will definitely be angry." Vermilion Bird continued his earnest advice.

Azure Dragon hummed with a smirk, "Aside from you, me, and him knowing this, who else will? We’ll just bite back that he escaped on his own, trying to meet with the rebels. Even if Emperor Bai dotes on him, he wouldn’t dare oppose the Heavenly Emperor, right?"

Vermilion Bird found his mind in turmoil, as if her words made sense, yet something seemed off. Watching her drag Tengshe across the ground and away, he had no choice but to follow, forced to become her accomplice in tormenting Tengshe. (To be continued. For further detail, please visit www.qidian.com. More Chapters available, support the author, support genuine reading!)