They've all become top scholars in the imperial examinations, and you're telling me this i

Chapter 77 Taibai Venus
Standing on Zhuque Street, Chen Guangrui saw a star fall in the direction of Wei Zheng's residence, and the last trace of drunkenness dissipated.

"People from Heaven have arrived..."

He silently recited it to himself, a complex emotion welling up within him.

Wei Zheng wrote two memorials for him. One was sent to the Jade Emperor in Heaven, reporting the capture of the demon and the intention to bring it to justice. The other was sent directly to the Tushita Palace outside the Thirty-Three Heavens, detailing the Buddhist scheme behind the Green Lion Demon, especially the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi.

"The people from Heaven have arrived, but... what about the echo from beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens?"

Chen Guangrui's heart skipped a beat.

Wei Zheng was right; the Buddhist sect has orchestrated countless events, both large and small, throughout the world.

In the eyes of that being in the Tushita Palace, was the life or death of a mere mortal scholar like himself, and the few insignificant pawns dropped by the Buddhist sect, really worth expending any effort on?

not much hope.

Chen Guangrui still didn't give up. He looked up at the sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of a response from there.

But no miracle occurred.

Just as he was gazing at the night sky, an anxious and plump figure appeared beside him and grabbed his arm. It was none other than the Jinghe Dragon King in human form.

"Oh my god, Scholar Chen, what are you doing loitering around here? Are you out of your mind?"

The Dragon King spoke in a low, rapid-fire voice, as if firing off a barrage of words.
"Hurry! Get out of Chang'an!"

Chen Guangrui's heart tightened, but he remained calm and asked in a deep voice, "Dragon King? What happened? Tell me slowly."

The Dragon King cautiously looked around to make sure no one was watching before moving closer, speaking quickly but clearly.
"Someone from Heaven has arrived! It's Venus! He's come with an imperial edict from His Majesty the Jade Emperor!"

Chen Guangrui's eyes narrowed slightly. "What did the imperial edict say?"

Chen Guangrui did not expect that it would be Taibai Jinxing who came down from Heaven. He was a favorite of the Jade Emperor, and his coming down largely indicated the Jade Emperor's attitude.

"Ugh! I'm so angry!"

The Dragon King slapped his thigh.
"The Jade Emperor issued an edict, which stated that the green-maned lion was indeed a sacred beast under the command of Manjushri Bodhisattva of Buddhism. Due to a lack of discipline, it had entered Chang'an and caused some minor trouble. Manjushri Bodhisattva was ordered to personally go to Chang'an to bring it back to Mount Ling and strictly discipline it."

A minor problem? Strict control? Chen Guangrui sneered inwardly, but said nothing; this explanation was too official.

Although it was said in a grand and dignified manner, the Jade Emperor's attitude was made very clear.

"Lord Wei immediately refuted him!" The Dragon King caught his breath and continued.
"His voice was so loud! He questioned whether letting Buddhism deal with its own messes was tantamount to condoning and protecting them, and whether the Heavenly Court's dignity was in vain. Demons and evil spirits wreaked havoc in the palace, killed people, and altered official documents—how could these crimes be so lightly dismissed?"

"And then?" Chen Guangrui pressed.

"And then? Then that Venus, still with that kind old man's smile, slowly said, 'Lord Wei, you may not know, but the rules of Heaven have always been like this. Whoever's business is in their own hands, that's the easiest way.' He also said that Lord Wei has been loyal to his duty and has done a good job, and Heaven will certainly record his merits."

The Dragon King imitated Venus, his tone filled with resentment.

A big stick followed by a sweet treat—it seems Wei Zheng has no choice but to accept this.

"Didn't Lord Wei release them immediately?"

Chen Guangrui grasped the key point.

"How could that be! Lord Wei is very shrewd."

The Dragon King's spirits lifted, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.

"He said that since it's a rule, then we should follow the rules. We must go through the proper procedures! Verify identities, get signatures and fingerprints, and record everything—not a single step can be omitted! Right now, they're stuck in a stalemate at Lord Wei's residence! Manjushri Bodhisattva must be present as well."

He paused, a look of worry on his face.
"However, Scholar Chen, Lord Wei specifically sent me to find you and told me to make sure you remember that Venus has personally conveyed the Jade Emperor's decree. No matter how tough Wei Zheng is, disobeying the decree is a serious crime, and it won't be long before he can do it. He said you must take advantage of this opportunity and quickly go to Li Jing's camp."

Chen Guangrui understood immediately. Wei Zheng was indeed cautious. Although he appeared tough, even going so far as to contradict Venus, he knew exactly where his bottom line was. He was using this plan to buy himself a little more time, and at the same time, to create an opportunity for himself to escape.

Go to Li Jing's camp; there are many people there, and you won't be discovered for a while.

Wei Zheng was very thoughtful.

It should be noted that Venus has already arrived in Chang'an, yet Wei Zheng still insists on following the established procedures, clearly showing a lack of respect for Venus.

Venus was a favorite of the Jade Emperor, while Wei Zheng was merely a lowly official in the mortal realm.

Venus can see the Jade Emperor every day, but what about Wei Zheng?
Chen Guangrui was deeply moved. At the same time, he solemnly bowed to the Dragon King of the Jing River.
"Thank you for risking your life to tell me, Dragon King! I will remember this kindness."

"Oh, don't be so polite! Let's go!"

The Dragon King breathed a sigh of relief and urged, "If we dawdle any longer, Wei Zheng won't be able to hold on."

“Okay, I’ll go right away.” Chen Guangrui nodded.

Seeing that the mission was accomplished, the Dragon King dared not linger. His obese figure flickered and disappeared into the shadows of the street corner.

Chen Guangrui stopped and started walking, but instead of heading towards the direction where Li Jing's army was stationed outside Chang'an, he headed towards the Lao Jun Temple.

This was something he had planned long ago; going to Lao Jun Temple at this time should be the safest option.

After all, no one would expect that he would not leave Chang'an in such a critical moment, but instead go to Lao Jun Temple. Buddhists would not cause trouble at Lao Jun Temple. Even if Venus went to Lao Jun Temple, he would have to give him some face.

Yongxingfang, the residence of Wei Zheng.

"boom!"

Wei Zheng slammed his hand heavily on the table, making the teacup jump. His hair and beard stood on end as he glared angrily at the guests in the hall.

"The articles of association are the articles of association! Verify identity, sign and seal, record it. If any step is missing, no one can take it away today. I said it!"

Two other people were standing in the hall.

A kind-faced man with white hair and a youthful appearance, holding a whisk in his hand and wearing a plain-colored immortal robe, was none other than Taibai Jinxing, an old minister of the Heavenly Court who had been sent down to the mortal world by order of the Jade Emperor.

Faced with Wei Zheng's fierce reaction, Venus showed no anger whatsoever. He maintained his amiable, smiling demeanor, gently flicked his whisk, and spoke in a voice that, while mild, carried an undeniable weight.
“Cao, don’t get so angry. The Jade Emperor’s golden words are the greatest law and the most rigid rules in the Three Realms. This decree is the highest rule in itself. As an official, have you forgotten even this most basic principle?”

Beside him stood a dignified figure, shrouded in auspicious clouds and wielding a gleaming sword. At this moment, Manjushri Bodhisattva calmly offered his words of support.
"That's right. Lord Wei, you are an official appointed by the Jade Emperor to oversee the human realm. The authority you exercise in the mortal world relies on this rule of respecting the Heavenly Court's decrees. If you don't follow this rule now, you will have nothing to rely on in the mortal world. Do you think you can stop me then?"

"I……"

Wei Zheng was caught off guard by the barrage of questions, but with the thought of buying time for Chen Guangrui in mind, he stubbornly forced himself to speak.

"Rules are rules! The Heavenly Court's records are also part of the rules! This demon's crimes are not yet..."

"Ugh."

Venus let out a soft sigh, interrupting Wei Zheng. He remained smiling, taking two steps forward to stand closer, his voice slightly lowered, like the comforting advice of an old friend, yet his words pierced Wei Zheng's heart.
"Lord Wei, you are a wise man, why are you so stubborn? This lion will be released sooner or later. Releasing it now is by the Jade Emperor's decree, it's a favor to do, it looks good on both of us, the Heavenly Court's dignity remains intact, and the Buddhist sect will also be grateful for your leniency. If you insist on 'following the rules' and fixating on the details of the documents, dragging it out... can you outlast the will of the Jade Emperor?"

He leaned slightly forward, a glint of sharpness flashing in his usually kind eyes. His tone grew even softer, yet every word was like a needle.

"If you release the prisoners now as ordered, I will put in a good word for you when I return to report. What is this little scramble today? Consider it nothing more than a passing cloud. But if you insist on continuing..."

Venus's voice slowed, his smile almost flawless, but every word struck Wei Zheng's most fatal weakness:

Back in Heaven, whatever happens on Earth is decided by Taibai Jinxing. How many times can you, a mere minor official, possibly meet the Jade Emperor? Shouldn't you obediently follow his instructions?

"If you continue to insist... that would be defying the Emperor's will. At best, you'd lose your position as a minor official; at worst... well, you won't be able to hold onto this lion then. Lord Wei, with your intelligence and wisdom, you should know how to choose the wisest option, right?"

These words were like ice water poured over Wei Zheng's head, instantly freezing his indignant expression and sending a chill down his spine.

He just stood there without saying a word.

Venus's patience seemed to have worn thin, and he glanced at the storage pouch at Wei Zheng's waist. His smile deepened, and he casually flicked his whisk towards Wei Zheng's waist.

"I almost forgot, that magical artifact that's holding the lion looks somewhat familiar?"

He said casually, "Hmm... this bag used to imprison demons, and that rope that binds immortals... Coincidentally, back then, the Jade Emperor, out of compassion and gratitude for your loyalty, specially ordered me to select a few suitable items from the Heavenly Treasury to bestow upon you. Now..."

Venus chanted incantations, uttering several extremely ancient and profound syllables.

A faint golden light flashed, and the magical pouch used to imprison the green-haired lion demon and the glittering Immortal-Binding Rope at Wei Zheng's waist flew out of the pouch uncontrollably and fell into the hands of Venus.

“Since this item originated from the Heavenly Court, I, on behalf of the Jade Emperor, will take it back today.”

Venus casually tucked the cloth bag and rope into his sleeve, his movements relaxed and effortless, as if he had merely removed two useless straws. However, this made his stance clear: he had no intention of giving Wei Zheng any more chances.

He still looked at Wei Zheng with a smile, "Lord Wei, the magic treasures are gone. Now... do you still insist on checking 'according to regulations'?" Wei Zheng's face turned completely ashen. The other party not only appealed to his emotions and reasoned with him, but now even his only reliance, the few decent magic treasures that the official in charge of personnel had, had been casually taken away on the spot.

He sighed dejectedly, his body swayed slightly, as if most of his energy had been drained away in an instant, and his tightly clenched fists loosened weakly.

He knew that the situation was hopeless and there was no way to delay any longer.

Venus nodded slightly in satisfaction. He looked at Manjushri Bodhisattva with a smile, and Manjushri Bodhisattva smiled back, praising Venus for his decisiveness.

Then, Venus casually pointed at the cloth bag that had fallen into his hand. The bag opened with golden light, and a huge, disheveled lion shadow rolled out, crashing heavily onto the ground in the center of the hall—it was the blue-maned lion demon who had been imprisoned for many days!

As soon as the green-haired lion spirit landed, it shook its huge head in a daze.

It surveyed its surroundings to quickly assess its environment. Suddenly, its crimson lion eyes focused, and upon seeing the majestic Manjushri Bodhisattva seated before it, its enormous eyes burst forth with ecstatic joy and the excited light of having found its leader.
"Buddha!"

It struggled to its feet, instinctively wanting to get close to its owner for shelter and reliance.

Then it saw the old immortal with white hair and a youthful face, whose aura was unfathomable, Taibai Jinxing, a being of high status even in the Heavenly Court! The lion's eyes immediately gained a bit more confidence and pride, and its head subconsciously rose a little higher.

Finally, its gaze swept sharply towards Wei Zheng. Seeing Wei Zheng's current disheveled and exhausted state, and recalling the humiliation he had suffered during his imprisonment these past few days, a surge of overwhelming resentment and schadenfreude instantly surfaced on the lion's face!
However, the moment that venomous gaze swept over Wei Zheng, the massive body of the green-haired lion demon trembled violently! It was as if it had been struck by lightning, suddenly remembering something extremely important!

"Bodhisattva! Bodhisattva!" The green-haired lion demon hurriedly lowered his huge head, approached the seat of Manjushri Bodhisattva, and lowered his voice to a very low level.

Manjushri Bodhisattva's usually calm and dignified face was struck as if by a bolt from the blue after hearing the whispers of the blue-haired lion spirit!

His gaze, imbued with supreme authority and as fierce as a Vajra's wrath, suddenly fixed on Wei Zheng, whose face was ashen.

"Wei! Zheng!"

Manjushri Bodhisattva's voice was no longer calm; instead, it carried a furious rage at being fooled, and the temperature in the entire hall seemed to drop several degrees. Each word struck Wei Zheng's heart like a thunderclap.
"You've obstructed us in every way, forcibly detained my Buddhist protectors, held them captive, and deliberately delayed... all for this?!"

The Lao Jun Temple was brightly lit with candles and filled with the scent of incense, yet it was eerily empty and silent. Only Chen Guangrui stood alone before the statue of Lao Jun.

This was the twentieth time he had prayed devoutly today, begging the great figure beyond the thirty-three heavens to spare a glance and see what was happening here.

However, as incense ash piled up in the incense burner and wisps of smoke drifted away, the statue of the deity remained benevolent and silent.

"In Jambudvipa, Chang'an is considered a major Taoist stronghold... With Buddhism pressing in step by step, are you really just going to ignore it?"

Chen Guangrui murmured softly, the heaviness in his heart making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

"Should we just ignore it?"

He approached the statue, looked around, and made sure there was no one else nearby.

As if guided by a ghost, he tiptoed and climbed onto Laozi's body, approached the huge, stone-carved ear covered in fine dust, gently blew a breath into it, and whispered...
"I guess I'm the biggest Laozi fanatic of all time."

At this moment, the old gate of the Taoist temple creaked open.

A soldier clad in armor burst in, his shadow stretching long in the flickering candlelight.

His gaze swept across the crowd, finally settling on Chen Guangrui. He clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice carrying an official tone: "Commander Chen! General Li's army has completed its assembly outside the city and has specially ordered me to come here. Please return to your unit and set off immediately!"

Chen Guangrui looked at the soldier, then turned back to look at the still unmoving Laozi statue, only a trace of deep-seated weariness and caution remained.

He nodded, but asked a question, "General Li, are you planning to depart tonight? Isn't that a bit too hasty? Is Your Highness aware of this?"

The guard nodded. "Because there's been some new activity from the Turks, we have no choice but to set off."

Chen Guangrui's voice was calm, "I understand, I'll go back with you."

After saying that, he turned around and pretended to follow the soldiers outside.

Just as Chen Guangrui turned around, the soldier naturally turned back to lead the way.

A sudden change occurred!

A cold glint flashed in Chen Guangrui's eyes. He muttered something and suddenly gestured with his right hand toward the pond in the temple not far away.

The warm dragon pearl inside his body suddenly glowed faintly, and the calm surface of the pond exploded with a roar. A water column as thick as an infant's arm and as condensed as an arrow shot out at incredible speed!

"Oh!"

The water jet slammed solidly into the soldier's back! The immense impact made him feel as if he had been hit by a heavy hammer. He groaned and stumbled forward, falling heavily to the ground! Only after he fell to the ground did he manage to pull out half of the gleaming sword from his waist.

"How could you, a mere soldier, possibly know such confidential information? Who are you trying to fool?"

Chen Guangrui looked at the soldier lying on the ground, then looked down at his palm. The power of the Dragon Ball was slowly subsiding.

He took a deep breath and whispered,

"The things from the Old Dragon King of the Jing River have actually come in handy..."

Before the words were even finished, two anxious figures practically squeezed through the door and rushed in, creating a gust of wind.

"Chen Guangrui! Don't be fooled! Don't move!"
"Running ahead was the Jinghe Dragon King, who had transformed into human form and was plump and round. He was panting and covered in sweat."

Following closely behind was the Earth God, who had his neck hunched and looked nervous.

The Dragon King immediately saw the fallen soldier and Chen Guangrui standing there unharmed, and breathed a sigh of relief, patting his chest and exclaiming...

"Ha! Good lad! Quick reflexes! See that? Isn't my Dragon Ball useful? I can control water just like that!"

He leaned closer, his tone smug and boastful, "Giving it to you back then was the right thing to do!"

Chen Guangrui still wanted to test whether the Dragon King was real or not, and hadn't even started asking questions yet, but when he heard the Dragon King mention the Dragon Ball, his tense nerves relaxed slightly.

"Dragon King, Earth God, what brings you here?"

"Oh, don't even mention it!" The Dragon King grabbed Chen Guangrui's arm and tried to pull him away.

"Lord Wei has agreed to release the man, that green-haired lion! But as soon as it went back, the Buddhist sect knew everything about you. Damn it! That bald monk changes his mind faster than flipping through a book. Lord Wei himself is also in a dangerous situation. He was afraid something might happen to you, so he immediately sent us to find you. Come with me quickly."

Chen Guangrui nodded. "This matter originally had nothing to do with you. You have already averted your death, so why did you have to get involved?"

The Dragon King waved his hand, "I'm not that old swindler who would be the first to run away if something happens."

As he spoke, he kept turning around to look around, as if a man-eating monster was lurking in the darkness.

"This place is no place to linger! Come on, your old brother will take you by water! We'll go underground into the riverbed, even a god wouldn't be able to find us! This Buddhist sect is too fast, they don't give us any time to breathe! It's a good thing you didn't listen to Old Wei and go to Li Jing's camp, that place is crowded and open, it's practically a sitting duck..."

The Dragon King pulled Chen Guangrui toward the depths of the Taoist temple, seemingly trying to find a place to escape into the underground water veins.

only.
Chen Guangrui suddenly froze, refusing to budge despite the Dragon King's tugging. His sharp gaze swept over the two, finally settling on the somewhat evasive Earth God. He asked in a deep voice,

"Wait a minute. Dragon King, are you from Wei Zheng's place?"

"No, it was the local earth god who called me. As soon as I heard you had something to do, I rushed over here."

"How did you know I was at Lao Jun Temple? Didn't you say that Lord Wei sent me to seek refuge with Chief Steward Li?"

"Ah? It was the Earth God, the Earth God discovered it," the Dragon King said without hesitation, pointing to the Earth God beside him.
"He governs the entire area within a hundred miles of Chang'an City. As long as someone is on the land, he knows everything that happens!"

"Oh?" Chen Guangrui's gaze was fixed on the Earth God's fearful and uneasy face. His voice was calm and even, yet it carried a chilling undertone.
"I believe the Earth God can sense my location. Then, may I ask the Earth God..."

His voice suddenly rose a fraction, “I’ve only been in this Lao Jun Temple for a maximum of three hours. How did the ‘messenger’ in Chief Steward Li’s camp know so precisely that I was in the Lao Jun Temple and find me so quickly?”

"this!"

Before Chen Guangrui could finish speaking, the Dragon King's previously agitated and heated mind felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head!
He abruptly turned to look at the Earth God, his fat face instantly draining of color, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He... hadn't even thought about that question!

Wei Zheng sent them to find Chen Guangrui, intending for the local deity to use their supernatural powers to locate him. But how could ordinary soldiers in the army camp possibly be faster or more accurate than the local deity, who was specifically in charge of this task?

Just as the Dragon King realized this, the old man who had been meekly following the two of them suddenly shrank to the ground like an ink droplet thrown into boiling water!
With a very slight "whoosh," like the sound of soil sliding down.

Right before their eyes, and under their horrified gazes, the Earth God vanished without a trace, instantly merging into the cracks in the bluestone of the Lao Jun Temple!
All that remained was Chen Guangrui's cold gaze and the Jinghe Dragon King's chubby face, which was deathly pale and filled with the word "It's all over."

The air froze instantly.

(End of this chapter)