One person above Qing Huang Ting

Chapter 884 Hidden in Meishan

Erlang Shen opened his three eyes between his eyebrows, and in the center of each vertical pupil, a wild beast-like vertical brow shone.

The vertical apex in the center of the pupil flies out with the divine light in the eye, growing larger and larger, with more and more details as it grows larger.

The vertical line narrows at both ends and thickens in the middle, with brown wood grain at both ends and thick white silk in the middle.

It turned out to be a painting.

Erlang Shen Yang Jian grabbed the outer scroll of the painting and shook it vigorously. The painting quickly unfurled like waves, revealing the landscape painted on the silk to everyone.

Zhang Daoling felt a bone-chilling wind blowing by, carrying with it the fragrance of plum blossoms in the dead of winter.

He looked closely and realized that the cold wind and the fragrance of plum blossoms were coming from the painting. The painting depicted only an endless range of snow-capped mountains, and on those mountains that meandered like white dragons, there were a few bright red plum blossoms.

The painting depicts Meishan Meijian Peak, a mountain covered in snow and frost all day long, where no plants grow lushly, but only the bright red plum blossoms, unafraid of the severe cold, bloom proudly against the snow.

【Bitter Cold Plum Blossom Mountain】

Erlang Shen Yang Jian once swore brotherhood with the six brothers of Meishan on this towering, perpetually snow-capped mountain. It was also on this Meishan that Erlang Shen Yang Jian learned of Sun Wukong's plan.

To ensure the smooth progress of the plan, Erlang Shen Yang Jian once thought of taking care of Sun Wukong's "Desire for Opinion" himself, sealing it in his brow and eyes, and then sealing himself in the painting's grotto.

While grinding away the resentment and malevolence within his [desire for opinions], he awaited the arrival of the true chosen one who could pass the test of the Meishan brothers and discover the secrets of Hidden Meishan.

However, Hu Xiuwu's interference disrupted Erlang Shen Yang Jian's plans.

His secret silk painting, which he had reinforced with the help of Maitreya Buddha and Yuan Shoucheng, was now useless.

This is the first time this painting has been revealed to the world.

When the Bitter Cold Plum Mountain first appeared, it swept away the Heavenly Army.

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No one expected that there was an undercover agent in the Heavenly Court, and even less expected that the undercover agent was actually the Jade Emperor's nephew, the Heavenly Court's judicial god, Erlang Shen Yang Jian of Guanjiang Estuary!
Hu Xiuwu may have given Prince Zhang some trump card, or perhaps Erlang Shen's identity was Hu Xiuwu's trump card to Prince Zhang at a crucial moment to turn the tide.

In any case, the people from the Heavenly Court eventually fell into the grotto-heaven within the painting.

On Meijian Peak, there is a frozen lake covering thousands of acres, and next to the frozen lake is a small Taoist temple.

Emperor Gouchen, the Four Celestial Masters, and the Four Generals of Thunder, Fire, Plague, and War—the entire Heavenly Army landed on this unmelting frozen lake, yet it didn't feel crowded at all.

Yang Jian originally intended to test the Heavenly Mandate on Meijian Peak, so he naturally painted the area spacious and expansive so that he could make good use of it.

"So, the True Lord and that monkey have such a good relationship!"

On Meijian Peak, Zhang Daoling was hit in the face by a cold wind. When he saw the Erlang Zhenjun Temple on the top of Meijian Peak, he suddenly realized the relationship between Erlang Shen and Sun Wukong.

The Erlang Temple on Meijian Peak is very similar to the Taoist temple that Sun Wukong transformed into when Erlang Shen Yang Jian first fought against him.

Erlang Shen Yang Jian actually built his temple into this state. Zhang Daoling had seen it before. How could he not know the truth about that battle that shook the Three Realms?

Once, the people of Heaven thought that Erlang Shen Yang Jian still harbored resentment over the battle of the past and was also dissatisfied with Sun Wukong. That's why they sent Erlang Shen with troops to send the five great demon kings to kill Sun Wukong.

If even one of the Jade Emperor or any of the celestial officials in Heaven knew that Erlang Shen and Sun Wukong had such a deep friendship, none of them would dare to let Erlang Shen lead troops to attack Flower Fruit Mountain.

Thinking about it this way, perhaps the information that Hu Xiuwu attacked the Heavenly Court a while ago was also betrayed by Erlang Shen.

The four celestial masters exchanged glances, and all the doubts from the past flooded their minds, each finding a reasonable explanation. The only thing that didn't make sense was this.

"The True Lord is His Majesty's nephew, of noble status, and has the unique privilege of obeying orders but not summons. Why would the True Lord rebel against His Majesty?"

Ge Hong was heartbroken and utterly perplexed.

Erlang Shen Yang Jian is the Jade Emperor's nephew and the True Lord of the Pure Source Mysterious Way. He has the privilege of obeying orders but not summons. Yang Jian should be the last person to side with Hu Xiuwu.

Yang Jian can be considered a beneficiary of the existing system; what Hu Xiuwu could give him could never be greater than what the Jade Emperor could give him.

So why did Yang Jian choose the lesser of two evils and become Hu Xiuwu's undercover agent?

"If you don't understand Sun Wukong giving up his Buddhist position, you won't understand what I did."

Erlang Shen Yang Jian said calmly, "I just can't stand the way the Heavenly Court behaves these days. The Heavenly Court rules over the Three Realms and should be the model for the Three Realms."

"As a result, it is now a mess, with factions everywhere, and people are being exploited and oppressed, not even spared from their own colleagues in the Heavenly Court."

"This corrupt Heavenly Court should be destroyed and rebuilt, and reborn from the ashes."

Emperor Gouchen coldly said, "You want to rebel against the Heavenly Court just for those mortals?"

Erlang Shen Yang Jian said, "For the sake of those mortals, we, as gods, who enjoy the offerings of all living beings, should protect all living beings, not treat them as fish and meat and exploit them wantonly."

Emperor Gouchen brandished his purple-gold whip: "Madman!"

Zhang Daoling's words contained a threat: "I wonder what the Third Holy Mother of Mount Hua thinks of the True Lord's actions. If the Third Holy Mother knew that her brother had betrayed the Heavenly Court, who knows what might happen to her in her grief."

Zhang Daoling wasn't truly lamenting the loss of the Third Princess, but rather using the Third Princess, Yang Chan, to threaten Erlang Shen, Yang Jian.

Yang Jian understood Zhang Daoling's meaning, and his expression grew even colder, colder than the perpetually unyielding Meishan Mountain:
"I will protect my own sister."

Even Nezha knew that he needed to settle his mother, Lady Yin, and his sister, Li Zhenying, before leaving the Heavenly Court.

How could Erlang Shen, who was known for his cautious and prudent approach, not have considered this issue?

He knew his "good uncle" all too well; if anyone were to affect the interests of the Heavenly Court...

He shows no mercy to anyone, whether it's his nephew, niece, or even his own sister.

How could Erlang Shen Yang Jian possibly leave the Third Holy Mother on Mount Hua?

When Erlang Shen Yang Jian went to Mount Hua to borrow the Lotus Lantern last time, he had already secretly taken away the Third Holy Mother Yang Chan.

At this time, the Three Holy Mothers on Mount Hua were merely transformations of Erlang Shen's incarnations.

As for the Third Holy Mother, she had already gone to Liuliu Village in the Ruyi Painting Scroll and stayed with the Twelve Yuan Chen. She is currently in the Inner Flower and Fruit Mountain.

"Hahaha, old man Gou Chen, let's see where you can run now!"

Ripples spread across the sky above Meijian Peak, as if pebbles had been thrown into the azure sky.

However, the first one to crash into [Bitter Cold Plum Peak] was not Prince Zhang.

It's Sun Wukong!