Journey to the West: Great Saint Equal to Heaven

Li Jing was tempted to turn around and walk away.

Seeing his father's thought, Mu Zha hurriedly said, "Father, don't be impulsive, completing the task given by the Emperor is what's most important."

Li Jing's face grew dark, and he had no choice but to knock on the gates of Yang Mansion again.

"Who is it?"

Immortal Master Erlang asked.

Nezha walked over, smiling as he spoke, "Some beggars, I've sent them away."

No sooner had his words ended than the knocking started up again.

Nezha frowned, clearly displeased.

Why can't this old fool take a hint?

Master Erlang thought for a moment and then smiled.

"It must be the Pagoda-Bearing King, what grudge could a father and son have that can't be settled? Let's invite him in."

Nezha was somewhat reluctant.

He curled his lip and said, "I don't want to see him, and you'd best not either. What good could come from him? He's probably here to persuade us to side with Great Emperor Ziwei."

"Barks-at-heaven, invite the King in."

Master Erlang commanded the white dog at his side.

The white dog stood up lazily, stretched its limbs, and then strolled leisurely to the door.

Subsequently, it transformed into a rather handsome youth and opened the door.

"You rebel son..."

As soon as the door opened, the Pagoda-Bearing King started hurling abuse.

The barks-at-heaven dog's face darkened, and he promptly shut the door.

Li Jing was somewhat dumbfounded. That seemed to be the barks-at-heaven dog; he had scolded the wrong one.

The barks-at-heaven dog walked back and lazily lay down at Master Erlang's feet.

"Why did you not let the Pagoda-Bearing King in?"

Master Erlang was puzzled.

The barks-at-heaven dog was always reliable in his tasks.

The barks-at-heaven dog felt a bit wronged as well and said with a human voice from its dog's mouth, sounding aggrieved, "As soon as I opened the door, the King called me a rebel son, as if he wants to be my father. That's bullying a dog too much."

Master Erlang's mouth twitched a bit.

The Pagoda-Bearing King was indeed too much, even the dog despised him.

Nezha couldn't help but laugh stealthily, earning him a glare from Master Erlang.

"Your father is despised even by dogs, and yet you act as if it brings honor to your face."

Nezha's smile disappeared instantly; how could he forget that point.

In the end, it was Master Erlang who personally went to open the door.

This time, Li Jing had learned his lesson.

Only after clearly seeing who was at the door did he begin to speak.

"I've met with Immortal Master Erlang,"

the Pagoda-Bearing King said politely.

"What brings the King to Yang Mansion?"

Master Erlang asked, not immediately inviting him in.

With Nezha inside Yang Mansion, he could not guarantee that the father and son wouldn't come to blows upon meeting.

Seeing that Master Erlang had no intention of letting him in, Li Jing felt somewhat displeased.

Within the Heavenly Court, his status was definitely much higher than Master Erlang's.

He had been so courteous, yet Master Erlang seemed rather cold, which was somewhat disrespectful.

Thinking this, Li Jing restrained his smile and spoke indifferently, "True Lord, I am here by Great Emperor Ziwei's Decree, to invite the True Lord to the Purple Forbidden Enclosure to take up the position of Marshal of the Central Altar. Please prepare yourself to accompany me to receive the imperial enfeoffment."

"Certainly, please produce the Jade Emperor's Decree, and I shall go immediately,"

Master Erlang said, his smile gone as he stared at Li Jing, asking for the Jade Emperor's Decree.

Li Jing furrowed his brows, somewhat displeased, and said, "Perhaps the True Lord didn't hear me clearly, I am here by Great Emperor Ziwei's Decree..."

He hadn't finished speaking when Master Erlang interrupted him.

"I am a servant of the Jade Emperor, I only honor the Jade Emperor's Decrees. As for this Great Emperor Ziwei, he really cannot summon me."

After saying this, Master Erlang looked intently at Li Jing and said, "If I remember correctly, the Pagoda-Bearing King is a servant of the Great Heavenly Venerate. Why would you come bearing Great Emperor Ziwei's Decree? Could it be that you've become a Rebel Official?"

"Master Erlang, how dare you!"

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Jin Zha scolded.

Mu Zha's expression was also unpleasant.

The face of Immortal Master Erlang darkened as he swept his gaze over the three of them and spoke in a deep voice, "If the three of you have come as guests to reminisce, this True Lord welcomes you. But if you have come to persuade this True Lord to become a Rebel Official, then please leave. Tell Great Emperor Ziwei that he's not the right person for the job, let him sit tight in his Purple Forbidden Enclosure. The Three Realms are not something he can control."

Li Jing and the others understood that Immortal Master Erlang had made up his mind, and they would not be able to sway him.

Li Jing snorted coldly, having never harbored much hope for this endeavor; the result was as expected.

Even when the Great Heavenly Venerate of the Jade Emperor was alive, Immortal Master Erlang did not heed his words.

Let alone Great Emperor Ziwei, he stood even less of a chance to subdue Immortal Master Erlang.

This attempt was merely a probe, carried out with a slight hope against hope.

The grand doors closed once again.

Li Jing felt somewhat disheveled.

The illustrious Pagoda-Bearing King had suffered the indignity of being turned away three times.

With a grim face, he took Mu Zha and the other with him to hasten back to the Purple Forbidden Enclosure to report on this matter.

"Second brother, I've told you before, that old man is not to be trusted. Do you believe it now?"

Nezha said with a smug tone.

"Let's go."

After thinking for a moment, Immortal Master Erlang spoke.

"To where?"

Nezha's spirits lifted immediately — was there another fight brewing?

"To the Netherworld, to see Lady Houtu."

Immortal Master Erlang said with a heavy voice.

He wanted to request Lady Houtu to come forth and take charge of the situation.

When speaking of "Heavenly Emperor Houtu," the Heavenly Emperor refers to the Great Heavenly Venerate of the Jade Emperor, while Houtu refers to Lady Houtu.

Lady Houtu is in fact the sole wife of the Jade Emperor, not the Queen Mother as people mistakenly believe.

Queen Mother of the West is considered the foremost among female immortals, corresponding to Eastern King, the foremost among male immortals.

The two entered the Netherworld.

Sun Wukong left the Purple Bamboo Forest without returning to Huaguo Mountain.

He felt as if someone was calling out his name, summoning the Great Sage Equalling Heaven.

Using his Somersault Cloud, he traversed the South Sea and arrived within a domain of the Netherworld.

Upon closer inspection, this place was originally the boundary of the Kingdom of Jisai.

However, it had since undergone dynastic changes, and it was unknown to which dynasty it now belonged.

He recalled having left behind some of his hair here, back when he rescued those monks faced with disaster.

Now there was someone holding onto a strand of his hair, calling out his name.

But at this time, the realm of the Kingdom of Chechi was filled with resentment soaring to the skies.

Most of the country's population had perished, and wronged souls and evil spirits were everywhere.

Looking carefully, he saw tens of thousands of demons consuming humans.

The people of the entire country were gradually becoming blood food for these demons.

If the Six-Eared Macaque were here, he would surely feel a sense of déjà vu.

But Sun Wukong was unaware of this.

If it were anywhere else, he would not interfere.

But now, someone held a strand of his hair and was calling out for him.

If he did not appear to stop it, would it not tarnish his reputation and make him lose face?

Descending from his cloud, Sun Wukong sensed the location of that hair strand.

With a flash of his figure, he disappeared on the spot and appeared where the hair strand was located.

A young monk, with a face filled with terror, held a strand of hair, calling out to the Great Sage Equalling Heaven.

In front of him, two minor demons laughed.

"Even if the Great Sage Equalling Heaven won't come, our three great kings won't fear him even if that monkey does show up," one of them said.

"That's right, if that monkey dares to come, we will eat him along with him," the other chimed in.

The young monk felt a surge of utter despair.

He took the demons' words for the truth.

At that moment, a teasing voice sounded, "How exactly do your three great kings plan to eat me?"

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