Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

"Children, is your mother Yao Ji?" Li Xiuyuan asked.

The two children cried even louder after hearing their mother's name.

Yang Jian was relatively clever; he tried his best to suppress his pain and asked, "Who are you? How do you know my mother is Yao Ji?"

Li Xiuyuan stroked Yang Jian's head and said, "Of course I know, because I am also a celestial being! Your mother is a little princess of the Heavenly Court, and her status is extremely noble. However, because she fell in love with your father and gave birth to you, she has probably been caught by your Heavenly Emperor uncle and brought to the Heavenly Court for punishment!"

"What?" Upon hearing that his mother was in trouble, Yang Jian immediately stopped wailing and asked anxiously, "What can I do? What can I do to save my mother?"

Chapter 1099 The Heavenly Emperor's Wrath

The Heavenly Emperor was furious when he sensed the commotion at Peach Mountain. Back then, his sister, Princess Yaoji, not only killed twelve dragons but also secretly conceived a child with a mortal, corrupting the Heavenly Court's reputation. Now, her child dared to defy the Heavenly Court's authority and even dared to split Peach Mountain open, which was simply disregarding the Heavenly Court.

The Heavenly Emperor immediately summoned thousands of heavenly soldiers and generals to Peach Mountain. He wanted to capture his ungrateful nephew and restore the dignity of the Heavenly Court.

The Yang Jian family, who were reminiscing in Taoshan, were completely unaware of the impending danger, preoccupied with expressing their long-cherished feelings for each other.

Before long, a vast horde of heavenly soldiers and generals surrounded Peach Mountain. Upon seeing this, Yao Ji felt a chill run down her spine, as if she had returned to that helpless afternoon when she tightly gripped the hands of her only two children, fearing that something might happen to them again.

"Mother, don't worry, my brother and I will be fine!" Yang Jian noticed his mother's worry and patted her hand to comfort her.

"No, you must understand, you are not facing ordinary people, but the current ruler of the Heavenly Court, the Heavenly Emperor!"

"Mother, just trust us! We will definitely be safe and sound!"

Looking at the determined expressions on her two children's faces, Yao Ji's anxious heart finally calmed down for a moment.

"Yao Ji!" A familiar voice rang out, a voice that made Yao Ji tremble once more, a voice she would never forget in her life.

Yang Chan and Yang Jian looked at their panicked mother with suspicion. Their mother was even more frightened than before, and she said urgently, "It's...it's the Heavenly Emperor! He actually came in person!"

"Yao Ji, you violated the Heavenly Laws back then, and according to the Heavenly Rules, you should have been executed. However, out of consideration for our sibling relationship, we suppressed you under Peach Mountain and forced you to face the wall to repent. So many years have passed, and not only have you not repented for your mistakes, but you have also allowed your children to split Peach Mountain in two! Do you really think I won't kill you?"

The voice was cold and ruthless, growing louder as it approached. Soon, heavenly soldiers and generals parted to make way, and the road paved with auspicious clouds shone brightly. "Yao Ji!"

Yao Ji's face turned deathly pale the moment she saw the person in front of her. It was this person who had caused her family to be destroyed, separated from her lover and eldest son by death, and left her separated from her children for a long time.

"You are the Heavenly Emperor? How could you be so cruel as to destroy our family and cause our deaths?" Yang Jian glared at the person in front of him, his eyes filled with anger.

The Heavenly Emperor said dismissively, "Hmph! Me, heartless? If Yao Ji hadn't secretly conceived a child with that mortal, none of this would have happened. It's all that damned mortal's fault for disturbing Yao Ji's peace of mind!"

Yang Jian was about to speak again, but before he could open his mouth, Yao Ji stopped him. Yao Ji knelt before the Heavenly Emperor, weeping bitterly, "Brother, everything is my fault. Yao Ji is willing to take full responsibility. I only beg you to release my two children. They are innocent!"

Yang Jian and Yang Chan hurriedly helped their mother up. "Mother, don't beg him. How could someone as heartless as him care about our mother-son relationship!"

"Hmph! So stubborn at such a young age! Guards, seize them all!" With a command from Heaven and Earth, celestial soldiers descended and swarmed forward.

Yang Jian and Yang Chan were not cowards, and they immediately started fighting with the heavenly soldiers and generals! The Heavenly Emperor originally thought that the brother and sister Yang Jian would surrender early, but he did not expect that the two of them would become more and more courageous as they fought, and soon they defeated most of the heavenly soldiers and generals.

Enraged, Heaven and Earth, seeing their celestial soldiers and generals dwindling in number, hastily dispatched even more.

"My brother and I just wanted to spend time with our mother, what's wrong with that? Why can't you tolerate us?" Yang Chan felt sorry for the heavenly soldiers and generals who were falling one by one. These people were innocent; they were just puppets in the hands of the Heavenly Emperor.

"Watch out!" Yang Chan saw a heavenly soldier about to be cleaved in two by Yang Jian's three-pointed double-edged sword and couldn't bear it, so she quickly saved him from death.

Yang Chan's kindness moved heaven and earth, and suddenly a white light flashed, dazzling even the Heavenly Emperor. After the white light gradually faded, a lampstand appeared from within it.

The lamp was nine inches tall, pure white like ice and snow, shaped like a blooming lotus, as large as a large bowl, with the lotus heart serving as the wick. It was none other than the Lotus Lamp of the Goddess Nuwa! This Lotus Lamp was a divine object between heaven and earth, and only a kind and sincere person could serve as its master. It had not appeared in the world for many years, but today the Lotus Lamp had actually appeared here.

Everyone stared in astonishment at the Lotus Lantern, which bloomed in the void. As if sharing a spiritual connection with the Lotus Lantern, Yang Chan opened her arms, and suddenly the Lotus Lantern slowly flew towards Yang Chan and landed in her hands, flickering as if greeting its new owner.

The Heavenly Emperor was greatly alarmed. However, if Yang Jian and his sister managed to rescue Yao Ji from under his nose this time, he would become a laughingstock in the Three Realms, and he would have no face left.

Just as the Heavenly Emperor was about to personally take custody of the three people before him, a phantom figure appeared in mid-air—it was Li Xiuyuan. Yang Jian and his sister were overjoyed upon seeing this. They knew they had no chance against the Heavenly Emperor, but the appearance of their master at this critical moment meant they were safe.

"I wonder what brings you here today, Heavenly Venerable?" Although Li Xiuyuan was always low-key and never interfered in the affairs of the Heavenly Court, the Heavenly Emperor knew of Li Xiuyuan's abilities to some extent, so he treated him with great respect upon seeing him.

"Heavenly Emperor, it is indeed Yao Ji's fault for secretly conceiving a child with a mortal, but considering that she has been suppressed underground in Peach Mountain for many years without seeing the light of day, why not let this matter be settled?"

The Heavenly Emperor frowned. This matter could be resolved, but Yang Jian and his sister's disrespect for the Heavenly Court's authority would greatly damage the Heavenly Court's prestige if not handled properly.

Seeing the Heavenly Emperor's expression, Li Xiuyuan knew what he was thinking, and then said, "These two siblings, Yang Jian and his sister, are my disciples. They had no choice but to resort to this tactic in order to spend time with their mother. They couldn't bear to see their mother suffer. Now that they have offended the Heavenly Emperor's majesty, it would be better to punish Yang Jian!"

Chapter 1100 Daji's Troubles in the Palace

Upon hearing this, Yang Chan immediately wanted to take all the blame upon herself, but Yang Jian quickly stopped her. Yang Jian had a feeling that his master must have his own plans for doing this.

As expected, Li Xiuyuan continued, "The Heavenly Court is in dire need of manpower right now. Why not let these two replace Princess Yaoji to serve the Heavenly Court? Yang Jian can go down to the mortal realm to undergo his tribulation. If he succeeds, he can share the burden with the Heavenly Emperor in the Heavenly Court. If he fails, he can only blame his own lack of good fortune. In any case, the Heavenly Emperor's benevolent reputation will spread throughout the world and he will be praised by everyone!"

Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Emperor's mind raced. If he were to fight two juniors, who knew what the outside world would say about him? Yang Chan seemed kind and pure, while Yang Jian appeared cold and aloof. It would be better to follow Li Xiuyuan's suggestion and send Yang Jian down to the mortal realm to undergo his tribulation. In that case, he could recruit a great general for the Heavenly Court.

Thinking of this, the Heavenly Emperor nodded and said, "What the Heavenly Venerable says is absolutely right, then so be it!"

"Good!" Li Xiuyuan then turned to Yang Jian and Yang Chan, "The Heavenly Emperor has shown you extra mercy, so quickly thank him for his magnanimity in sparing your lives!"

Upon hearing their master's words, Yang Jian and Yang Chan hurriedly knelt down in the direction of the Heavenly Emperor, "Thank you for your great kindness, Heavenly Emperor!"

The Heavenly Emperor nodded in satisfaction, then rode away on auspicious five-colored clouds back to his Heavenly Palace.

Seeing that the Heavenly Emperor had left, Yao Ji finally felt relieved and bowed to Li Xiuyuan, saying, "Thank you for your great kindness, Master! We will never be able to repay you!" Yang Jian and his sister behind her also hurriedly kowtowed to Li Xiuyuan in gratitude.

Li Xiuyuan waved his hand and said, "No need for thanks! It was just a small favor!"

After speaking, the illusory figure in mid-air gradually disappeared, leaving Yang Jian and his family to enjoy their time together. Three days later, Yang Jian would forget his past life and enter the lower realm to undergo tribulation and tempering.

Ever since King Zhou of Shang saw the statue of Nuwa in the Nuwa Temple that day, he had been thinking about her day and night. Although he already had countless beautiful concubines in the palace, he was still not satisfied. He demanded that beauties be sent from all over the country. For a time, there were countless beauties in the palace, but King Zhou of Shang was still unhappy.

After learning of King Zhou's intentions, his sycophantic ministers searched all over the country and finally found an exceptionally beautiful woman. Through various forms of coercion and enticement, they finally brought her into the palace.

"Your Majesty, you are the Son of Heaven, and you toil tirelessly for the affairs of the state every day. I see this and feel very sorry for you. Therefore, I have specially prepared a gift for you today, and I hope you will like it!"

Upon hearing this, King Zhou of Shang showed no joy whatsoever. He felt that nothing in the world could compare to the fleeting glimpse he had made at the Nuwa Temple that day. However, since it was, after all, the minister's good intentions, King Zhou said listlessly, "Since you have such good intentions, then bring them up!"

"promise!"

King Zhou of Shang stared listlessly at the palace gates. Gradually, his pupils dilated, his heart pounded faster and faster, and he felt as if his soul was about to float away.

All of this was because of a beautiful young woman who slowly walked into the main hall. She was only sixteen years old, with a graceful figure, snow-white skin, soft hands, delicate eyebrows, and a gentle smile that seemed to reflect the stars in the sky. King Zhou of Shang was so captivated by her that he could not look away.

The minister below saw King Zhou wink at the woman in the hall and then quietly withdrew. He knew that the king's mind was completely on the woman, and that the people around him were practically invisible, so he wisely left.

As King Zhou of Shang watched the woman approach him, he felt as if a fire was burning in his lower abdomen. His desire grew stronger and stronger. He could no longer resist and got up to walk towards the woman. Ignoring her cries of surprise, he pulled her into his arms and immediately began to make love to her in the main hall.

The woman who bewitched King Zhou of Shang was none other than Daji, the most beautiful woman of the fox clan, sent down to the mortal realm by Nuwa. Daji was not only extremely beautiful, but she also cultivated a wonderful illusion technique, which made King Zhou of Shang completely obedient to her, and he directly made her his concubine.

After Daji was taken into the harem by King Zhou of Shang, the two indulged in pleasure day and night, and the sounds of debauchery were endless in the palace.

On this day, King Zhou of Shang was admiring flowers with Daji in the Imperial Garden. Daji was wearing a pink dress, her figure subtly revealed, and her face was so alluring that King Zhou was completely captivated. Daji smiled gently, like a spring flower in bloom, making one feel lightheaded.

She raised her wine cup and said, "Your Majesty, you are in such high spirits today, how about I offer you a toast?" King Zhou of Shang laughed heartily, "Very well, my beloved concubine is so beautiful, it is truly a blessing for me!"

With that, he pulled Daji into his arms and downed his wine cup in one gulp. Daji, seeing how infatuated King Zhou was with her, was very pleased. So she continued, "Your Majesty, come, have another cup!"

King Zhou of Shang was already intoxicated by the unique fragrance emanating from Daji, and naturally obeyed her every word. He drank another cup of wine. In the midst of such a rich aroma, King Zhou became somewhat dazed, and he lowered his head to kiss Daji.

Suddenly, the eunuch came to report that the Grand General had come to see him, requesting an audience to discuss important matters. King Zhou was about to summon him when Daji grabbed him, saying, "Your Majesty, such fine weather! Why don't you spend some time with me? Why must you sit face-to-face with that old geezer? Don't you like me anymore?"

With the warm, soft beauty in his arms, King Zhou of Shang naturally ignored his eunuch's words. He waved for the eunuch to leave and then teased the beauty, "My beloved concubine, how can you be so naughty? Aren't you afraid that the world will call you a femme fatale?"

Daji raised her head slightly and said proudly, "I don't care what the world thinks. I only care about Your Majesty. As long as Your Majesty likes me, I'm not afraid of anything!" As she spoke, she leaned against King Zhou of Shang and looked at him affectionately, her eyes seemingly filled with a thousand words that could not be expressed in a single word.

King Zhou of Shang could not resist such a bold declaration of love, and his heart melted instantly. "My beloved concubine, my darling, I love you so much. I am willing to do anything you ask, even if it means going through fire and water, to fulfill your wishes, as long as you are happy."

Chapter 1101 Nezha Conquers the Dragon King

Daji smiled with satisfaction; her smile was so beautiful that it made the mountains and rivers pale in comparison.

She stood up, bowed, and said, "Daji is neither talented nor virtuous. I thank Your Majesty for your favor. I can only offer you a dance to express my gratitude."

As she finished speaking, the music began. Daji lightly tiptoed, twirled, and danced, like a graceful fairy or a bewitching enchantress. Either way, she was like a poison, and once you were hooked, you could never quit.

After the dance ended, Daji slowly walked to King Zhou of Shang's side and nodded slightly. "How was my dance? Is Your Majesty satisfied?" King Zhou of Shang smiled. "My beloved concubine's dancing skills are superb, of course she was extremely beautiful! Come, sit down next to me."

Seeing that her plan had succeeded, Daji seized the opportunity and said, "Your Majesty, since I danced so well, could Your Majesty grant me a small request?"

King Zhou of Shang was in high spirits at the time, so he naturally agreed, "Alright, tell me, my beloved consort." Daji did not stand on ceremony and said, "Your Majesty, this general has spoken ill of me time and time again. I do not like him. Can Your Majesty help me?"

King Zhou asked in confusion, "How can I help you?" Daji replied, "Kill him! Only by killing him can I quell the hatred in my heart!"

King Zhou hesitated, "After all, the general has contributed to the country and the people. If we kill him rashly now, it may cause panic in the court."

Daji retorted, "In recent days, the disaster has been severe, and the people are suffering. As a pillar of the nation, how can the Grand General, who cannot share the burden of the monarch or the suffering of the people, be worthy of the position of Grand General?"

King Zhou of Shang thought the argument made sense, and he also had his own grievances against the general. So, he immediately ordered the execution of the general, and a loyal minister died unjustly.

When news of the general's execution arrived, Li Jing was overcome with grief. He had just returned from the battlefield when he heard such news, and it chilled him to the bone.

The only thing that made him happy was that his wife, who had been pregnant for three years, finally gave birth to a chubby little boy, whom they named Nezha.

Nezha's innate superhuman strength brought Li Jing both joy and worry. He was overjoyed that his child was blessed by heaven with extraordinary abilities from birth; yet he worried that malicious individuals might seize this opportunity to sabotage the Li family's foundation. Fortunately, over the years, Nezha grew up peacefully and safely. The family was extremely harmonious, a model family in the Shang Dynasty.

However, this period of good fortune was short-lived. At a palace banquet, Li Jing unexpectedly encountered Liu Pipa, a jade pipa spirit and close friend of Daji. Liu Pipa was invited by Daji to go to Chaoge to help Daji overthrow the Shang dynasty.

She happened to take a liking to Li Jing at the banquet, and asked Daji to ask King Zhou of Shang to issue an imperial decree to grant them a marriage. Daji knew that Li Jing controlled the army and had great power and prestige in the army, so she changed her mind and thought that if Liu Pipa could bewitch Li Jing, it would be a great help in destroying Shang.

Under Daji's influence, King Zhou of Shang quickly issued an edict to grant the marriage. Although Li Jing was extremely unwilling, he had no choice but to give up due to the king's order.

After Liu Pipa entered the Li family, she was cautious and gentle, and she was very obedient to Li Jing's first wife, Yin Shiniang. Before long, everyone in the Li family was won over by her. Gradually, Liu Pipa's true colors were revealed. She would secretly sow discord between Yin Shiniang and Li Jing from time to time. All of this was accidentally discovered by the little Nezha.

However, Nezha was a child at heart, and his family did not believe what he said. They were all deceived by Liu Pipa's virtuous and gentle demeanor.

Nezha was furious when he saw that no one believed him, and he stayed at home feeling depressed.

One day, Nezha was feeling down, so he and some other children decided to go to the beach to play. The weather was sunny and bright—perfect weather for an outing!

Nezha and his friends frolicked their way to the beach. A gentle breeze brought a touch of coolness. In the distance, the sky and the sea merged into one, reflecting a vast expanse of azure blue—a truly beautiful sight.

The seawater lapped against the beach, bringing with it seashells and small fish from the deep sea. Nezha ran quickly towards the sea, leaving a long trail of tiny footprints behind him, which looked even cuter in the sunlight. After running quite a distance, he turned around and shouted, "Hey, come quick! There are lots of fun things here!"