If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1427 The Ghost Emperor's Scheme
"I'm so angry!"

Even a near-Great Luo Immortal still possesses the mental realm of severing the three corpses (even if he didn't sever all three corpses, he still severed one or two), allowing him to remain calm. However, Lu Dingxian, who has already become a ghost, is now on the verge of demonizing.

“Fuqiu Zi, aren’t you all tortoises? You are all renowned immortals in the Three Realms, beings destined to reach the Great Luo Immortal realm. How can you allow an old demon to be so arrogant and smug in front of you?”

Upon hearing his words, the prospective Grandmasters turned pale.

—Damn it, you committed a murderous act due to your own carelessness, and you even died and your life was extinguished. Do you really have to drag us all down with you?
If it weren't for Grand Tutor Yu being in heaven, preventing internal strife, they would definitely be cursing and yelling right now.

Grand Master Yu said, "Old ghost, the Nine Peaks Immortal was right just now. I saw that you were clumsy because of the calamity energy entering your brain, so I took pity on you and didn't inflict too much hatred on you. I only killed people and didn't destroy your foundation."

If you honestly admit defeat and go to the underworld for reincarnation, you'll likely be able to re-enter the path of immortality in your next life.

But if you continue to entangle me, creating new karma and new calamities, don't blame me for being ruthless.

The old ghost of the Deer Cauldron cried out in grief and indignation: "I have cultivated for 100,000 years and finally found my own Great Dao."

It is still the powerful Four Symbols Lesser Yang Dao.

Once one attains the Dao, one becomes far superior to other Great Luo Immortals, and wields greater power.

Such a bright future, all gone in an instant, and you still have the nerve to say you showed mercy?
I'll spare your mother!

You old devil, ruthless and vicious, showing no mercy to evildoers; yet you are cunning and treacherous, using false morality to disguise yourself, making yourself appear very kind and courteous.

"Bah! I see right through you. Unless they make a foolish mistake, they should listen to me and join forces to wipe you out immediately."

Grand Tutor Yu sighed, "What is this old ghost saying? His hypocritical morality is truly a sign of calamity entering his brain; he's beyond saving."

"The righteous are not hypocritical; it is you who are hypocritical!" Chonghe Daoren shouted.

Grand Tutor Yu turned his head and glanced to the east, where the sky was already beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

"You say you're right, I say I'm right, arguing back and forth is pointless."

Why don't we let the people of the world judge this?

At 3:45 AM, the Wuzhong County government office held a public trial, facing the entire nation, for the case of Yan Wushuang's assassination attempt on the King of Bohai.

"Come on then, if you dare!"

Leaving these words behind, she rode on auspicious clouds and slowly drifted northward to Wuzhong County.

"Why don't you make a move?" Old Ghost Luding looked angrily at Fuqiu Gong and the other quasi-Daluo.

Fuqiu Gong looked around and said, "Gentlemen, please wait outside."

The disciples of the old ghost Lu Ding glanced at their ancestor first, and seeing that although he had a gloomy face, he did not object, they silently walked out.

They all left, and the invited guests naturally followed suit.

Soon, only a group of "true immortals" remained in the hall.

Fuqiu Gong sighed and said, "We can understand your feelings at this moment, Brother Dao."

However, our intention in entering this calamity is to guide the great calamity of heaven and earth in the right direction.

It's not that I committed a calamity of killing, but that I need to end it with killing.

From beginning to end, we have no need to directly interfere with the development of the great calamity, unless evil forces use great supernatural powers to forcibly defy fate.

Yu Fengxian has indeed changed her destiny, but she did not change it by directly interfering with the development of human affairs through Taoist magic.

Last year, after she defied the heavens and ruled the dragon, even the Heavenly Emperor issued an imperial edict strictly prohibiting immortals from influencing the change of dynasties.

Now that my fellow Daoist has committed a calamity of killing and is forced to reincarnate, we want to continue to gamble.

I understand that these words must have been extremely jarring to my fellow Daoist at that moment.

But put yourself in their shoes. In order not to lose the opportunity to attain the Great Luo realm in this great calamity, you knew you shouldn't have done it, but you still sent a telegram to summon the immortals to directly confront Yu Fengxian.

Shouldn't we cherish our own path?

Wang Jun was even more blunt, saying, "Brother Dao, did we try to persuade you yesterday at the East Sea Dragon Palace? Did we clearly state our position?"

You refused to listen to advice and insisted on coming to the North, and once you arrived, you couldn't control yourself.

Now that something's happened, do you expect us to commit murder together?
Even if we kill Yu Fengxian today, what about tomorrow or the day after? Will we start killing each other?

Their words truly stung the old ghost of the Deer Cauldron, and he longed to roar and reprimand them all.

Unfortunately, reality is too cruel; his current strength and status do not allow him to indulge in unrestrained behavior.

"Gentlemen, it is true that I hope you will help me take revenge. But it is also true that I want to eliminate evil and protect the righteous path, nipping your own crisis in the bud!"

Mortals believe that immortals live as long as heaven and earth and are immortal.

Because mortal methods can only damage the immortal's body, and the body is no longer the immortal's vital point.

Ordinary immortals believe that Great Luo Golden Immortals exist in harmony with heaven and earth, and are immortal and indestructible, because the supernatural powers of ordinary immortals cannot shake the Great Dao itself.

As long as the state of fusion between the Great Luo Golden Immortal and Heaven and Earth is broken, it can still be killed.

Old Demon Yu has already demonstrated this ability. Can't you see through your own destiny?

If we don't nip this threat in the bud today, you'll end up in a similar situation to me tomorrow, and it will be too late for regrets.

Wang Jun said calmly, "I can't control others, but I will never allow myself to lose my mind and fall into a great calamity like you, fellow Daoist."

My purpose is clear: to guide the great calamity, adjust the direction of human development, and thus obtain the fortune of humanity to attain the Great Luo.

Yu Fengxian, the master of the Southeast Emperor's Qi, and the emerging Qianlong are all 'chosen ones'.

All actions of the chosen one during the great calamity are in accordance with the will of Heaven.

Although we consider ourselves the players, we treat those destined for us as pawns.

But no one can deny that those destined for greatness are all outstanding figures of their time.

When the master of the Southeast Emperor's Aura appears in the future, he might be even more difficult to deal with than Yu Fengxian today.

Just because his words and actions contradict our will, should we use our great supernatural powers to regard him as a being who defies the will of Heaven and eliminate him?

Those of us who harbor such demonic thoughts are the true rebels against Heaven, the 'evil spirits' destined to be eradicated by the immortals guiding us through this great calamity.

After saying that, he didn't even glance at the old ghost of the Deer Cauldron, and with a leap, he disappeared.

The old ghost of the Deer Cauldron had a face as black as the bottom of a pot, red eyes that were wide open like lanterns, and scalding evil energy emanating from his nostrils and mouth.

Fuqiu Gong comforted him, saying, "I have known this King for many years and I am sure you understand his character. He is aloof and straightforward, and speaks without restraint, but he has no ill intentions."

The old ghost of the Deer Cauldron shouted, "I've already said that I don't dare to expect you to risk your lives to avenge an old ghost like me."

Why can't you be smarter, more rational, more farsighted, and have a longer-term vision?

Old Demon Yu has the ability to threaten your lives. Even if she doesn't now, given her cultivation speed, she'll kill you sooner or later just as easily as she killed me.

Old Demon Yu might even have the motive to threaten your lives because of his stance!
Why can't you see something so obvious?

“Fellow Daoist, have you ever thought about this? She obviously didn’t just gain the power to kill you today, so why did she only make her move today?”
It's a very simple principle: if we don't follow the rules, she will also give up on following them.

Moreover, would attacking her without any rules really take her down?
Is she so stupid as to be fearless that she dared to expose herself and let us attack her?
We couldn't subdue her; instead, we committed murder ourselves and gave her leverage over us.

If she does anything to us in the future, even if we take the case to the Dao Ancestor, he will not say a word in our defense.

At this moment, when dealing with Yu Fengxian, we should adopt the same attitude we would have towards other fellow Daoists who are 'playing the game'.

"When you face other fellow Daoists, such as me, if I disobey your will and I can threaten your life, will you definitely kill me as soon as possible?" Jiudian sighed.

"I believe you will follow the rules, and you believe me. But do you dare to believe an old devil?"

The old ghost of the deer sneered repeatedly, "Now she is calm and composed, and therefore she is very proper."

"When the Qin Dynasty is irreversibly heading towards collapse, when she's in such a panicked and disorganized state that she no longer cares about appearances, do you think she won't be ruthless enough to kill you all?"

Jiudian said, "When Yu Fengxian disguised herself as Daoist Zhang, she didn't need to expose herself. But she deliberately exposed herself and even argued with us, which was to show her attitude."

Actually, this is not the outcome I hoped to see.

The more rational and moral she is, the more terrifying she becomes.

If one day she disregards propriety and rules, we can actually feel at ease.

Her only fear was the fall of the Qin Dynasty, yet she remained calm and composed throughout.

The old ghost Lu Ding was stunned for a moment, then his ghost face became even uglier.

Just then, the sound of the eldest disciple, Jin Guang Dao Ren, knocking came from outside the hall. "Master, the Emperor of Fengdu has sent someone to visit you. It is Uncle Master Xie Chen Da Fu, a great immortal."

“Dr. Xie Chen.” Old Ghost Lu Ding frowned.

Fuqiu Gong said in a low voice, "The Thirteen Ghost Emperors of Fengdu, fellow Daoist, don't you know? 'Xiechen Dafu' is actually a celestial position in the Tushita Heavenly Palace of the Heavenly Court!"

“I know that Uncle Men is one of the Thirteen Ghost Emperors of Fengdu, and I also know his background as ‘Xiechen Dafu’. But we have never had any dealings in the past, so why is he coming to see me at this time?”
"They just happened to come when I was killed by Yu Fengxian. Are they going to take me to the underworld of Fengdu?" The old ghost Lu Ding's expression was not good.

Jiudian glanced at the door and said softly, "It's definitely not to arrest you. Even if you really did commit a crime, your name will be entered into the Book of Good and Evil."

The Emperor of Fengdu wouldn't be so ruthless as to strip you of any dignity and force you to be sent to the underworld in front of us and your disciples.

If they really wanted to arrest you, they wouldn't have sent your uncles.

He's considered one of our seniors, a generation of the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect.

Chonghe Daoist nodded slightly and said, "Although Xiechen Dafu is a sinecure, with no salary, it is ten or even a hundred times more prestigious than an ordinary sinecure, as it is nominally held in the Tushita Heaven Palace."

In the past, only Laozi (the Supreme Lord Lao) could dispatch Xie Chen Dafu!

The fact that Fengdu sent him here this time shows the great respect the Fengdu Emperor has for you, fellow Daoist.

Fellow Daoist, you should go out and meet him, and see what he has to say.

Relieved, the old ghost of the Deer Cauldron floated out and saw that the Ghost Emperor of the Uncle Sect was accompanied by a procession of about ten "ghost immortal children".

Those children looked no different from living people, plump and fair-skinned with pink faces and red lips, but they were all dead.

"Fellow Daoist, the Great Emperor of Fengdu is aware of your situation and has specially sent me to inquire about your future plans. Will you choose to cultivate as a Ghost Immortal or reincarnate?" After exchanging pleasantries, Uncle asked directly.

The old ghost Lu Ding suddenly realized that this procession was there to take him to Fengdu to become a ghost immortal.

He was not pleased by the "attention" shown to him by the Emperor of Fengdu.

For any aspiring Great Luo Immortal, abandoning the Great Luo Path that is within reach to become a Ghost Immortal is a disgrace and a condescension.

"I've only just died, and my revenge is yet to be fulfilled. I don't want to make a decision too soon," the old ghost said decisively.

Uncle hesitated for a moment, looked around, and said, "Fellow Daoists, may I have a few words alone with Daoist Water Bucket?"

"Lu Dingxian" is an honorific title; his actual Daoist name was "Water Bucket." Because of his dwarf stature, roughly the height of a water bucket, he was called "Water Bucket" when he first entered the Daoist path. The name "Water Bucket Daoist" followed him for decades, until he became a celestial being!

However, the name on the register of immortals is still "Water Bucket Taoist".

"Please speak slowly, senior." Fuqiu Gong hadn't come out in the first place; all the disciples of Shuitong Daoren were guarding the side.

After everyone left, Uncle's expression became even more troubled. "Alas, Bei Yin, like you, has become somewhat possessed. He sent me to find you because he actually wanted to join forces with you to give Grand Tutor Yu some retribution."

Lu Dingxian was stunned for a moment before realizing that the name "Earthquake Mountain" had been removed from Mount Tai and replaced with "Luofeng Mountain".

"The Emperor of Fengdu should have taken action long ago and given Old Demon Yu a great retribution."

Since arriving in the Central Plains, those barbarians have been running rampant, relying on the remnants of the Qin Dynasty's imperial power.

First, he stormed the Heavenly Court and blasphemed the Heavenly Emperor, then he wreaked havoc in the Underworld and beheaded Yama.

Recently, they've started messing around with Fengdu Underworld again. Oh, and before that, they messed around with the Five Sacred Mountains, even killing the Great Emperor of Hengshan.

The Heavenly Court and the three great underworlds have all been bullied by her; it would be an injustice if she weren't taught a lesson.

After sincerely expressing his approval of the Fengdu Emperor's idea, the old ghost Lu Ding asked in confusion, "But the Fengdu Emperor doesn't take action himself, nor does he let your Fengdu Ghost Emperor go to find Yu Fengxian. What does it mean to join forces with me now?"
"Can't you see my current condition, fellow Daoist?"

Uncle said with a complicated expression, "Fellow Daoist, your soul power is not lost, and you have retained at least 30% of your cultivation. It seems that Grand Tutor Yu has shown mercy."

In fact, all she wanted from Luo Fengshan was a guarantee.

"Northern Yin is far too arrogant."

The old ghost of the Deer Cauldron was displeased. "Fellow Daoist, did the Great Emperor of Fengdu send you here to act as a peacemaker?"

Uncle sighed helplessly, took two steps closer to him, and used a secret method to transmit his voice: "Bei Yin means that if you join Fengdu, you will not only become a ghost immortal, but also receive a divine register and serve as the 'Suppressor of Hell' in Fengdu."

The old ghost of the Deer Cauldron was furious. "You want me to be the Impermanence? Has the old ghost of the Northern Yin gone mad?"

"Beiyin" is the Taoist name of the Fengdu Emperor, just like his Taoist name "Wooden Bucket" was rarely used after he became a great immortal. As a ghost cultivator, the Beiyin Taoist became the emperor, and everyone respectfully called him "Fengdu Emperor".

Uncle quickly said, "Fellow Daoist, don't be anxious! With your status, you'd be more than qualified to become a Great Emperor once you enter Fengdu."

However, right now we're conspiring against Grand Tutor Yu—not me, but you and Bei Yin.

In the end, he started to struggle with the decision again.

The old ghost of the Deer Cauldron calmed down and asked, "What tricks does the Impermanent Prison Suppressor possess?"

Uncle said in a low voice, "After you are accepted as the 'Prison Guardian,' the 'Crying God' and the 'Hanging Mourner' will be your subordinates."

“The weeping priest and the mourning guest.” The old ghost of the deer cauldron seemed to understand something. “If they were to obey my orders, killing Yu Fengxian would be a piece of cake.”

(End of this chapter)