Honghuang: My understanding is beyond belief. I am the first immortal of Jiejiao.

Lin Zhu released the pressure, and Yuan Shoucheng finally breathed a sigh of relief, but he was still terrified and soaked in sweat.

Yuan Shoucheng was filled with fear. He knew that Lin Zhu had his eye on him, and this time things might not go well.

He never imagined that Lin Zhu, that jinx, would actually descend to earth in person to cause him trouble.

"Lord Prison God, what brings you here to see me?"

Yuan Shoucheng asked in a trembling voice.

Lin Zhu looked at Yuan Shoucheng and asked in confusion.

Do I look scary?

Yuan Shoucheng shook his head vigorously, indicating that Lin Zhu was kind and approachable and not scary at all.

However, his sweat had already dripped down to his feet, forming a puddle, a testament to his fear.

Looking at Yuan Shoucheng's terrified expression, Lin Zhu smiled gently and explained.

"Look at me, I'm so handsome and kind, I don't look like a bad guy who would kill people at will, do I?"

Yuan Shoucheng looked bitter, thinking to himself that he had almost gone blind after just one glance using his aura-gazing technique, so how could he dare to do divination again?

He felt that Lin Zhu's fortune-telling was more like a life-threatening situation than a normal fortune-telling.

"Lord Prison God, you...you are joking."

Yuan Shoucheng said in a trembling voice.

"I...I dare not tell your fortune."

Lin Zhu suddenly asked Yuan Shoucheng whether he believed in Buddhism or Taoism. Yuan Shoucheng smiled bitterly and said that a fortune teller could not possibly believe in Buddhism.

Lin Zhu speculated that he might be a Taoist, but then felt that it didn't quite make sense, because the Jade Emperor had never mentioned this person.

Lin Zhu decided not to directly ask Yuan Shoucheng about his identity, but instead to have him tell her fortune as a way to test him.

"I'm asking you, do you believe in Buddhism or Taoism?"

Lin Zhu asked.

"In response to Lord Prison God, it is impossible for a fortune teller to believe in Buddhism."

Yuan Shoucheng said with a wry smile.

"Oh? So you're a follower of the Tao?"

Lin Zhu asked.

"This..." Yuan Shoucheng hesitated for a moment, unsure how to answer.

Seeing this, Lin Zhu became even more certain that Yuan Shoucheng's identity was not simple.

He decided not to directly ask Yuan Shoucheng about his identity, but instead to have him tell his fortune, in order to test him.

"In that case, please tell my fortune."

Lin Zhu said.

Yuan Shoucheng looked completely innocent, saying that his eyes were bleeding and he couldn't possibly tell Lin Zhu's fortune.

"Lord Prison God, look at my eyes, they're bleeding, I can't tell fortunes at all."

Yuan Shoucheng said with a mournful face.

Lin Zhu insisted that he calculate it, and proposed a wager: if Yuan Shoucheng couldn't calculate it, he would bet his life.

"Stop talking nonsense and calculate it for me. If you can't figure it out, I'll bet your life."

Lin Zhu said calmly.

Yuan Shoucheng had no choice but to accept the bet.

He took out a few old-fashioned copper coins from his pocket, ready to start the divination.

Lin Zhu's heart stirred when he saw the copper coins Yuan Shoucheng took out.

These few copper coins are practically magical artifacts; it seems Yuan Shoucheng was quite willing to spend a fortune.

While performing divination, Yuan Shoucheng begged Lin Zhu for mercy.

"Lord of the Prison God, please...please spare my life!"

Yuan Shoucheng said in a trembling voice.

Lin Zhu stated that he was the God of Law Enforcement in the Three Realms and would not arrest innocent people, which reassured Yuan Shoucheng somewhat.

However, an unexpected event occurred the moment Yuan Shoucheng tossed the copper coin into the water.

After the copper coin landed on the table, it suddenly trembled and then shattered! Yuan Shoucheng was terrified. He had never seen anything like this before. Even when calculating the fate of the Jade Emperor, he had never witnessed a copper coin shatter.

He quickly searched through books, but found no similar records.

Lin Zhu looked coldly at Yuan Shoucheng and questioned him whether he didn't like fortune telling for her, and even broke his tools of the trade.

"Yuan Shoucheng, what do you mean? Do you dislike fortune telling for me so much that you've even broken your livelihood?"

Lin Zhu asked coldly.

Yuan Shoucheng was terrified, but dared not show it.

He realized that Lin Zhu couldn't possibly know the truth, so he calmed down a bit.

"Lord Prison God, this...this really wasn't me."

Yuan Shoucheng said in a trembling voice.

Lin Zhu ultimately decided to let Yuan Shoucheng go and let him go back first.

"Alright, you can go back now."

Lin Zhu said.

Yuan Shoucheng felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly fled the scene.

Lin Zhu fell into deep thought. He guessed that Yuan Shoucheng might be a person from the Heavenly Court, but he was not sure.

He felt that the Jade Emperor might have forgotten to tell him about this, or that the Jade Emperor felt it was unnecessary to say it.

Lin Zhu didn't think much of it, after all, Yuan Shoucheng wasn't a particularly important figure.

Lin Zhu pulled Xiao Qiong along as they continued strolling through Chang'an, enjoying the city's scenery.

However, the sky suddenly became overcast and it started to rain.

Lin Zhu stopped and stared at the sky, as if she had long anticipated the arrival of this rain.

Xiao Qiong looked at Lin Zhu with a puzzled expression, not understanding what was wrong with the rain.

Lin Zhu shrugged, indicating that it was nothing, but that he needed to avoid the rain for a while.

Rain began to fall from the sky; to ordinary people, this was just a normal weather change.

However, a secret lies hidden behind this rain.

After the rain, the Dragon King of the Jing River transformed into a scholar in white robes and swaggered into Chang'an City.

However, he felt something was amiss when he entered the city, because the local land deities and city gods were eyeing him with hostility, as if they suspected his identity.

After passing through layers of testing, the Jinghe Dragon King finally entered the city, but he was filled with fear, wondering if someone had discovered that he had tampered with the will of Heaven and sent down a rain that should not have fallen.

The more the Jinghe Dragon King thought about it, the more frightened he became. He realized that the authority of the Heavenly Laws was not as great as before, and he had heard that many Golden Immortals had been added to the Nine-Layer Heavenly Prison, so no one in the Three Realms dared to commit crimes anymore.

He was worried that his violation of the divine law would be discovered, so he began to consider turning himself in.

He recalled the formidable reputation of the Three Realms' Law Enforcement God, and his fear intensified.

It is said that even Ksitigarbha was imprisoned in the Nine Heavens Prison, so how could a mere Jinghe Dragon King possibly escape?
The Dragon King of the Jing River was torn with inner turmoil. He thought of Yuan Shoucheng, the fortune teller.

Yuan Shoucheng had already set a trap for him, forcing him to smash Yuan Shoucheng's stall.

Yuan Shoucheng demanded that the fisherman exchange golden carp for intelligence, and the golden carp were actually the incarnations of the Dragon Kings.

The Dragon King of the Jing River was worried that he would be caught by fishermen when he transformed into human form, so he decided to teach Yuan Shoucheng a lesson.

The Dragon King of the Jing River stormed into Yuan Shoucheng's stall and smashed his signboard and tools.

However, Yuan Shoucheng remained calm and unharmed.

The Dragon King of the Jing River realized he had fallen into a trap; Yuan Shoucheng was no ordinary man! Yuan Shoucheng sneered and accused the Dragon King of the Jing River of disobeying the Jade Emperor's decree, changing the time, altering the numbers, and violating heavenly rules.

The Dragon King of the Jing River was terrified, realizing that he was in dire straits.

Yuan Shoucheng told the Jinghe Dragon King that the Three Realms Law Enforcement God of the Nine-Layer Heavenly Prison was in the city, and that the Jinghe Dragon King had violated the Heavenly Laws and was doomed to die. The Jinghe Dragon King panicked completely and knelt on the ground, begging Yuan Shoucheng to save his life.

Yuan Shoucheng was not afraid of the Jinghe Dragon King's threat. He calmly stated his pre-prepared plan and asked the Jinghe Dragon King to go to the capital to find someone.

To ordinary people, this was just an ordinary summer rain.

Raindrops pattered on the bluestone pavement, washing away the dust of Chang'an and bringing a rare coolness.

However, for some, this rain was like a death knell.

The Dragon King of the Jing River transformed into a scholar in white robes, waving a folding fan, and swaggered into Chang'an City.

With a smug look on his face, he thought to himself that his actions had both taught the talkative fortune teller a lesson and brought rain to the people of Chang'an, a win-win situation.

However, the moment he stepped through the city gate, an indescribable unease welled up in his heart.

He always felt that the local earth gods and city gods at the city gate were looking at him strangely.

Normally, these minor deities would bow respectfully to him, but today they all had stern faces and piercing eyes, as if they were scrutinizing something.

"stop!"

A city god blocked his way and asked in a cold voice.

"Who are you? What brings you to Chang'an?"

The Dragon King of the Jing River was startled, but remained calm on the surface and smiled.

"I am but a humble scholar traveling through the country, passing by this place, and wish to enter the city to see Chang'an, the most beautiful city in the world."

The City God snorted coldly, and an ancient bronze mirror appeared in his hand, reflecting the image of the Jing River Dragon King.

A faint glow shone on the bronze mirror, reflecting him from head to toe.

The Dragon King of the Jing River cursed inwardly. This bronze mirror was an item of the Heavenly Court, specially used to identify demons and evil spirits. Fortunately, he was prepared and carried the demon-repelling pearl bestowed by the Jade Emperor, which prevented him from revealing his true form.

"There is no evil aura about it."

The City God put away the bronze mirror and said coldly.

"You can pass, but once inside the city, you must not act recklessly, or don't blame us for being impolite!"

The Dragon King of the Jing River forced a smile and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Thank you for the reminder, Your Majesty. I will keep it in mind."

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead as he walked toward the city.

What's wrong with the gods of Chang'an today? They're all acting like they've swallowed gunpowder.

He had a vague feeling that there might be some changes he was unaware of.

As they ventured deeper into Chang'an, the Jing River Dragon King's unease grew stronger.

He always felt that the air around him had become heavy, as if there were an invisible pair of eyes watching him.

He recalled the rumors circulating in the Heavenly Court recently, saying that the majesty of the Heavenly Laws was not as great as before, but he also heard that many Golden Immortals had been added to the Nine-Layer Heavenly Prison, and that no one in the Three Realms dared to commit crimes anymore.

"Could it be that the majesty of the Heavenly Laws has truly been restored?"

The Dragon King of the Jing River felt a chill run down his spine. He remembered what he had done that day: he had secretly altered the time and amount of rain, a grave crime that violated the heavenly rules!
The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became, and beads of sweat on his forehead fell down like broken pearls.

He began to waver, wondering if he should turn himself in. Perhaps, by confessing, he could get a lighter sentence.

He thought of a person who was the God of Law Enforcement in the Three Realms.

The mere thought of this name sent a chill down the spine of the Jinghe Dragon King, running from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

He had heard that this Lord of the Prisons was the number one evil star in the Three Realms, in charge of all the prisons in the Three Realms.

It is said that even the once incomparably powerful Danda Ksitigarbha was imprisoned in the Nine Heavenly Prison for violating heavenly rules.

How could a mere Jinghe Dragon King possibly escape?
"No. I can't just sit here and wait to die!"

The Dragon King of the Jing River cried out in his heart, he could not simply surrender.

He decided to find the fortune teller first and ask him for clarification!
The Dragon King of the Jing River arrived menacingly at Yuan Shoucheng's stall, only to find the fortune teller leisurely sipping tea, as if he had expected Yuan's arrival.

"You liar! How dare you use such tricks to deceive me!"

The Dragon King of the Jing River roared and slammed his hand on the table, shattering Yuan Shoucheng's signboard and fortune-telling tools.

However, Yuan Shoucheng acted as if nothing had happened, without even blinking.

He put down his teacup and said calmly.

"Jing River Dragon King, what's your hurry? Are you feeling guilty?"

Upon hearing this, the Dragon King of the Jing River was startled. He had not expected that Yuan Shoucheng knew his identity.

He stared wide-eyed, pointed at Yuan Shoucheng, and stammered.

"you you."

"What am I?"

Yuan Shoucheng sneered, stood up, and walked step by step toward the Jinghe Dragon King, each step feeling like a blow to his heart.

“I told you long ago, fortune tellers never lie.”

Yuan Shoucheng's voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a sharp sword piercing the heart of the Jinghe Dragon King.

"You changed the time and amount of rain without permission, which violated the Jade Emperor's decree and broke the Heavenly Law. Didn't you know that?"

Upon hearing this, the Dragon King of the Jing River was struck dumb. His face turned ashen, his legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to his knees.

He then realized that he had fallen into a trap.

This Yuan Shoucheng is no ordinary man!
He set up this trap to lure him in!
"Who are you?"

The Dragon King of the Jing River asked in a trembling voice.

Who I am is not important.

Yuan Shoucheng said calmly.

"The important thing is that you have violated the heavenly law, and you cannot escape the death penalty."

The Dragon King of the Jing River panicked completely. He knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly to Yuan Shoucheng, pleading.

"Immortal, spare me! Immortal, spare me! I was confused for a moment and committed a terrible mistake. Please, Immortal, show me mercy!"

Yuan Shoucheng looked at him coldly, without a trace of pity on his face.

"Do you think these heavenly rules are a joke? Those who break them must be punished!"

"Then how can I be saved?"

The Dragon King of the Jing River asked, weeping.

"save you?"

Yuan Shoucheng smiled dismissively.

"I don't have that ability. However, I can point you in the right direction."

"What clear path? Please enlighten me, Immortal!"

The Dragon King of the Jing River asked anxiously, as if grasping at the last straw.

"It's very simple."

Yuan Shoucheng said.

"Go find the royal city."

"Empire?"

The Dragon King of the Jing River was taken aback, somewhat puzzled.

"Yes."

Yuan Shoucheng nodded and said calmly.

"Go to Wang Cheng and tell him that you had your reasons for what happened today. If he is willing to plead for you, you may still have a chance to live."

Although the Dragon King of the Jing River did not understand what Yuan Shoucheng was up to, he knew that he had no choice but to trust Yuan Shoucheng now.

He glanced gratefully at Yuan Shoucheng, then scrambled and crawled toward the royal city.

Yuan Shoucheng watched the Jing River Dragon King's departing figure, a smug smile playing on his lips. (End of Chapter)