The Investiture: Unlimited Blade Works Nezha
Chapter 335 - 334: Hao Tian: Junior Sister, do you think I can make it to the other side?

Chapter 335: Chapter 334: Hao Tian: Junior Sister, do you think I can make it to the other side?

It was supposed to be casual chitchat, but naturally, most of it revolved around Nezha’s encounters in Chaos.

Of course, some things couldn’t be mentioned, but there were others that could be elaborated on—like Hao Tian’s infamous line, "Brother Yuan Shi, save me."

"At that moment, I didn’t even know how far away we were! But there it was, His Majesty’s resounding voice and confident tone."

Clearing his throat, Nezha imitated, "Brother Yuan Shi, save me!"

Poof!

Long Ji and some Immortal Slaves hidden behind the palace curtains couldn’t help but burst out laughing at Nezha’s antics.

Even the Queen Mother’s lips curled into a smile.

"Say what you want about Hao Tian; he lives up to his reputation as Heavenly Emperor of the Primordial Heaven and Earth—even calling for help sounds charismatic and robust!"

Nezha, still fully committed to his exaggerated storytelling, kept chatting away, while the Queen Mother chuckled and stole a glance outside the hall.

Outside, Hao Tian was standing there with a gloomy face!

After returning to the Primordial World, Hao Tian had already noticed the substantial increase in Primordial Spiritual Energy. The restless turmoil within his heart only grew harder to contain. If the world fully absorbed the corpse of that Chaos Demon God, could it nurture yet another Saint?

And if so, who in the heavens could deserve sainthood more than himself?

One reason for his visit here was to gauge the attitude of his allies, and the second was to plan for a Peach Banquet—a gathering to assess the opinions of other Immortals in the Primordial World.

But right before entering the hall, he caught Nezha’s presence within. To him, Nezha’s cultivation was insignificant. Yet, one couldn’t deny Nezha’s rather commendable performance during the Chaos expedition.

Though he hadn’t achieved any notable victories, Nezha had ensured Brother Yuan Shi could focus on battling the enemy without distractions, helped protect himself, and even aided Chan Sect Immortals and the Jie Sect’s Jin Ling Saint Mother in fleeing to safety.

No matter how one looked at it, that was a substantial favor. Others might brush it off lightly, but try doing that with Nezha, and you might find Nuwa showing up at your door with her Red Embroidered Ball, ready to hold you accountable.

Initially suspicious, Hao Tian had wanted to eavesdrop on what Nezha and the Queen Mother might be discussing. But then, he heard Nezha openly gossiping about him!

Oh, well, technically, it wasn’t slander, as that "Brother Yuan Shi, save me" line was indeed something he yelled. After all, Hao Tian was a refined self-serving individual, unashamed to shout for help when necessary—what’s dignity compared to survival?

Yet when those words came out of Nezha’s mouth, why did they feel so... peculiar?

Inside, Nezha cleared his throat again, gearing up to dig deeper into how Hao Tian’s line embodied layers of emotion and poetic undertones.

At that, Hao Tian strode in with a dark expression.

Nezha nearly spat out his drink in surprise, struck by that mortifying "caught red-handed while badmouthing someone" feeling.

Glancing sideways at the Queen Mother, who was still smiling knowingly, Nezha thought: So this is how you like to have your fun, huh?

The other palace maidens immediately rose and bowed in formal salute, and even Long Ji stood up to greet Hao Tian. Meanwhile, the Queen Mother and Nezha remained seated, calm and unbothered.

"Ahem, greetings, Your Majesty," Nezha said casually, cupping his hands in a perfunctory salute before considering the matter closed.

Hao Tian, his face still dark, nodded curtly and seated himself in the chief position.

"It seems Emperor Ziwei and the Queen Mother found joy in drinking together here. Why didn’t you think to invite Me?"

The Queen Mother utterly ignored Hao Tian’s sarcastic remark and leisurely continued sipping her drink.

Nezha, for his part, wasn’t particularly afraid of Hao Tian. Sure, his father-in-law’s cultivation was formidable, but he was too tightly ensnared by the Heavenly rules.

"Your Majesty just returned and must be drowning in affairs of state. How would I dare disturb you?

Back when Your Majesty wandered the Chaos, the Lady Goddess had earnestly instructed me to locate and find you. She even lent me her Magical Treasures for the task. Truly, Your Majesty and the Goddess are a harmonious pair, as complementary as the zither and the harp."

Hao Tian, hearing these words, felt much more at ease. The earlier discontent melted away, for he bore no great resentment towards Nezha. In fact, he quite appreciated him.

He wasn’t targeting Nezha specifically—his vigilance extended indiscriminately to anyone who might pose a threat to his authority. For his Great Dao, he allowed no one to divide his power.

As for Nezha, his present attitude of indulging in pleasure while ceding authority to others was more reassuring than threatening.

Noting Hao Tian’s softened demeanor, Nezha was momentarily surprised but quickly pieced together the reason. Nezha had no ambition for power and had made no covert moves during his stint as Acting Emperor.

Hao Tian had anticipated resistance when reclaiming authority but was pleasantly surprised by how smoothly it went. Thus, a small gesture of goodwill now emerged.

True reconciliation between the two was unlikely. However, peaceful coexistence in the Heavenly Court—even amidst differences—was entirely feasible.

Men, after all, could agree to disagree.

For Long Ji’s sake, Nezha had no intention or desire to conspire against her father—it was neither realistic nor meaningful.

The two men set aside their enmity slightly, resulting in a surprisingly pleasant feast. Hao Tian waved his hand, summoning eight Fairies to perform an elaborate musical piece. Nezha, ever the opportunist, happily basked in the Queen Mother’s leisurely delight.

Following this, Hao Tian did not avoid Nezha when expressing his desire to organize a Peach Banquet. This time, the Queen Mother didn’t oppose it; the Heavenly Emperor’s return indeed warranted a grand event to proclaim it to the Three Realms.

Nezha, after casually agreeing to attend the event, departed the Turquoise Pool with Long Ji.

Watching the two leave, Hao Tian gestured for the Queen Mother to seal off the Turquoise Pool before broaching the real topic.

"Junior Sister, the Primordial World has refined the Chaos Demon God’s corpse, causing a significant rise in Spiritual Energy. Do you think there’s a chance for another Saint to emerge in this realm? Do you think I can reach the other shore?"

As he uttered the final question, Hao Tian subconsciously puffed out his chest.

The Queen Mother knew Hao Tian too well. The first question required no answer, as no one could truly know. The second needed none either, as Hao Tian would pursue his goal regardless of odds.

"We are one body as husband and wife. Whatever decision Brother makes, I will fully support you."

"Good."

...

Outside the Turquoise Pool, Long Ji saw the sealed-off area and muttered, "Nezha, what do you think Father and Mother are whispering about that they need to keep it secret from us?"

Nezha had a rough guess about Hao Tian’s motives. Nuwa had mentioned it briefly to him before. The Primordial Spiritual Energy had indeed risen significantly, but by Nuwa’s estimate, despite the opportunity, something still seemed missing.

Thus, she had instructed Nezha to cultivate diligently and avoid overthinking.

And indeed, Nezha hadn’t overthought it. The Daluo path had a visible endpoint, and as for the Quasi-Saint Path, he had no idea how to even start—let alone the road to becoming a Saint.

By Nuwa’s account, the difficulty of reaching sainthood was equivalent to multiplying the challenges of the paths before it by a hundred—and even that paled in comparison.

"Maybe your father wants to give you a few more siblings."

Long Ji’s eyes sparkled at this suggestion.

"That would be wonderful! Honestly, I really like children. Zigeng is so adorable!"

Nezha countered, "Aren’t you worried that having siblings will reduce your mother’s affection for you?"

Long Ji blinked her bright, watery eyes and replied, "Of course not! After all, I still have you. How could I ever lack love?"

"On the contrary, if I had siblings, they could love Mother along with me. With extra love coming her way, wouldn’t that be a win for her?"

Nezha was momentarily stunned. Then he kissed Long Ji’s forehead, suddenly understanding why he had fallen for this silly girl in the first place.