Don't let Yu Ding take on any more disciples.

Chapter 421 Li Jing's Complexity

Nezha excitedly hummed in agreement, and the moment he opened the box, he was immediately blinded by a burst of golden light.

Then the light dimmed, and Nezha carefully looked into the box. He was startled to see a gold brick lying inside.

It looks about the size of an adult's palm, smaller than a brick, but the brick is engraved with mysterious patterns, giving it a heavy and ancient feel.

"Oh... what's the use of this, Master?"

Nezha is still young and couldn't manage his facial expressions well; his disappointment was palpable.

Taiyi coughed lightly, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration and whispered, "This is a protective magic weapon that I crafted for you. It can protect you in times of crisis."

Oh, by the way, if you ever meet your Uncle Yu Ding in the future, you can ask him for advice on using this treasure; he's been using it longer than you have.

Nezha asked in surprise, "Uncle Yu Ding?"

Taiyi nodded slightly: "He is your master, my junior brother. He is an adult, so he has a bigger and heavier one."

"Oh, I understand, thank you, Master."

Nezha thanked Taiyi sincerely and then took out the gold brick and weighed it in his hand.

It didn't matter if he didn't weigh it, but as soon as he did, his expression changed slightly. He turned his head to look at the gold brick in his hand, hesitated for a moment, and then raised the gold brick and made a few downward slapping motions.

Nezha's eyes lit up immediately; he found that using it in this way was surprisingly easy.

This kid... Taiyi's eyes twitched at the sight. He had refined a precious brick that could injure people, not a brick to hit them with.

Why does his disciple have such a bandit-like air about him?

"Alright, Master, please come in quickly, my mother has already prepared the meal."

After discovering how to use the gold bricks, Nezha tucked them into his robes and pulled Taiyi Zhenren into his home.

When it was time to eat, only Taiyi, Yin Guangling, and Nezha were at the table.

During the meal, Taiyi noticed that Nezha seemed a little uninterested, fiddling with his chopsticks in his bowl.

Taiyi hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Won't General Li return at noon?"

Madam Yin smiled and said, "As you know, the world is not very stable these days. As the commander-in-chief of Chentang Pass, my husband has to suppress the demons and monsters and guard against the Marquis of Dongbo. The burden on his shoulders is very heavy."

He looked outside and sighed, his eyes revealing his worry for the future.

Taiyi Zhenren nodded slightly and said nothing more. He knew more about the already begun Investiture of the Gods than these mortals.

After the meal, Madam Yin went to attend to her duties, while Taiyi and his disciple Nezha went to the pavilion to cool off.

"Master, do you think Father doesn't like me very much?"

Nezha was leaning against the pavilion railing, lost in thought, when he suddenly blurted out this sentence.

Taiyi was taken aback, then chuckled, "How could that be? Why would you think that?"

Nezha whispered, "Many times he noticed his father secretly watching him, but his eyes were so strange. He also often secretly talked about his older brothers to his mother."

They thought I didn't understand, but I understand everything...

Taiyi seemed to understand something, then smiled and said, "No, as the saying goes, parents worry when their children travel a thousand miles. You can enjoy their love and care while you are under their watchful eyes, but your eldest and second brothers are learning their skills far away, which is a very difficult thing for them, so they will naturally worry about you."

"Is that so?" Nezha looked up.

Taiyi smiled and nodded: "That's natural."

Having received his master's affirmative answer, Nezha, with his childlike nature, immediately started playing happily in the yard.

Taiyi Zhenren gazed at Nezha, a hint of contemplation hidden beneath his smile.

sunset.

Lady Yin went shopping early in the morning and prepared a large feast for the evening. She waited for Li Jing to return with Taiyi and Nezha.

As night deepened and lamps were lit inside the house, Li Jing was still nowhere to be seen.

The smile on Nezha's face slowly faded, and he became increasingly disappointed.

Lady Yin comforted him, "Your father is busy, Nezha is good."

“But he promised me when he left,” Nezha whispered.

Taiyi Zhenren suddenly stood up and said, "It's a bit stuffy inside, I'll go wait outside."

Nezha slumped dejectedly on the table, no longer in the mood to talk to his master.

In the courtyard, Taiyi glanced back at Nezha, snorted softly, and his figure vanished as a wisp of pure energy.

Soon after, Kiyomitsu landed in the backyard.

"Real person? No, what are you doing? Untie me quickly!"

Li Jing was hung upside down from a tree branch by a glowing rope. Upon seeing that it was Taiyi, he quickly said...

Taiyi snorted, "Do you remember what day it is today?"

Li Jing's expression changed slightly, and he said with a wry smile, "I know, but I really didn't mean to be late. I just received an official document from above at the last minute..."

"It's good that you know. You are the biological father, so how you raise your child is your business."

Taiyi Zhenren interrupted him, saying, "As the master, I shouldn't interfere and have no reason to care, but you're acting like a father... something's not right."

"Hmm?" Li Jing's expression changed slightly.

Taiyi Zhenren said calmly, "Could you explain why you always target Nezha like this?"

“This…” Li Jing fell silent.

He did indeed have mixed feelings about his youngest son.

After getting married and having a wife and family, he did consider giving up those damn burdens.
They abandoned the idea of ​​seeking justice for their deceased relatives and villagers.

But... as the sole survivor of that catastrophe, he simply couldn't let go of these things.

Because of this hatred, he initially thought that he would teach Jinzha and Muzha himself, as a son of the Li family, he should also bear the hatred of the Li family.

In the future, if the father and sons work together, their strength will be unbreakable. They will fight for justice for those innocent lives and even help them change their habit of disregarding human life.

Otherwise, given the way those heavenly soldiers and generals act, there would definitely be many more innocent mortals who would suffer.

However, after his master's guidance, he realized he was wrong; the hatred was too heavy to be transferred to his son.

Therefore, he abandoned the idea of ​​involving his sons in this feud.

As for what to do...

Probably when he has watched his children grow up, he can safely hand their mother over to them!

When he has no more worries, he can launch a full-force attack.

Weren't Yuan Hong, the Great Sage of Meishan, and Yang Jian, the Erlang Shen under the Jade Cauldron Immortal, forced to this point before storming the Heavenly Palace to demand justice?
He knew that even if he could borrow Bifang's power, he would still be insignificant in front of that behemoth, the Heavenly Court.

Once is never enough, and after the antics of those two, the Heavenly Court is probably already on high alert.

The difficulties he faces are likely greater than those of the previous two.

But... so what?
He went there not just for the sake of those fellow villagers.

It should be understood that the Heavenly Court governs the primordial world and all realms. If problems arise and are not corrected, the consequences for mortals in all realms will be disastrous.

The heavenly soldiers may be weak, but in the eyes of mortals, they are like gods, invincible and beings to be looked up to.

These problems need to be addressed, pointed out, and urged to be corrected by the Heavenly Court.

If it is not changed...

Then give them a lesson so profound that they have no choice but to change.

Ahem, I digress. In short, he himself admitted that he was an incompetent father, whether it was towards Jinzha, Muzha, or Nezha.

Because he was just too busy, especially after his junior brother left.

Chen Tang Pass is very large, and incidents caused by demons and monsters occur from time to time. In the past, he had Xiao Bai to help him, but now that Xiao Bai is gone, he has to deal with them personally.

There is no doubt that those demons and ferocious beasts are too powerful for his subordinates and soldiers to handle.

His subordinates were all fine men, the pillars of their families, sons of their parents, and fathers of their children. He couldn't bear to see them perish at the hands of demons and ferocious beasts.

Of course, this is just the reason he's busy.

As for his dislike of Nezha...

Hmm... He can't exactly say that his son is growing up to look more and more like his sworn brother, can he?

To be honest, as the fiery hair that Nezha had when he was born faded, he gradually forgot that his young son resembled his former sworn brother.

But as Nezha grew up, his face shape, his expression, his tone of voice...

Honestly, if he put a fire mark between Nezha's eyebrows and gave him fiery hair, he would be a perfect replica of Little Spirit Pearl.

He swore he had really tried his best not to think about it, but... he just couldn't help but think about it.

The more I think about it, the angrier and angrier I get. I feel like slapping or kicking anyone I see, and I want to find fault with even the smallest things and give them a good beating.

Then he suddenly realized that this was not a good thing. But firstly, Taiyi Zhenren had warned him, and secondly, he trusted his wife completely.

The youngest son looks so much like his sworn brother, there must be something wrong... but what could possibly be wrong?!
Tell me, which man wouldn't have mixed feelings if he were in this situation?

But he didn't dare ask his wife.

Some words are better left unsaid; once spoken, they're like a bowl falling to the ground and shattering in two, leaving a crack that nothing can mend.

There was no other way, so he had to make an excuse—no, he really was very busy, so he left early and returned late without going home, in order to avoid doing anything to harm Nezha.

"what!"

Suddenly, a sharp pain pulled Li Jing from his reverie. Indeed, Taiyi had become angry when he saw Li Jing blinking and not speaking for a long time, and used his whisk as a whip to strike Li Jing.

"What are you doing, Real Person?! Ah! Ah! Ah!"

Under the moonlight, the courtyard was filled with Li Jing's ghostly cries.

"enough!"

Li Jing, enraged by the beating, growled, "Master Taiyi, I'm reluctant to fight you because you're Nezha's master, but don't force me."

Without Bi Fang, he would at best be at the level of a martial arts immortal.

The few flicks of Taiyi Zhenren's whisk had already torn his buttocks raw, instantly enraging him.

Taiyi was amused and sneered, "Come on, show me what you've got, and let me see."

"You forced me to do this!"

A crimson light flashed in Li Jing's eyes as he growled, "Bifang! Lend me your power!"

So what if he's Taiyi Zhenren? Huanglong Zhenren is still Taiyi's senior brother.

But didn't he kick me so hard last time that I was seriously injured?

As soon as he finished speaking, a strange crimson light flashed in Li Jing's eyes and turned into two crimson pupils. The fire of Bifang surged from his chest and spread throughout his body like a tide.

A terrifying aura quickly rose.

When Chi Tong saw Taiyi in front of him, his eyes widened instantly, and the surging aura and spreading flames around him froze.

"Taiyi Zhenren?" Bifang exclaimed in surprise.

Taiyi smiled coldly: "Oh, Bifang, long time no see."

"Jing boy, it's him?"

Bi Fang's voice revealed a hint of fear and hesitation.

Li Jing was extremely anxious: "You are a dignified demon god, now that you have recovered to your full strength, how could you possibly be afraid of him?"

Bifang snapped, "Shut up!"

Taiyi raised his hand, and a flash of light transformed his whisk into a celestial sword. He sneered, "Yu Ding is so careless in his work, letting you live to see the light of day again. How about I take care of you this time?"

"Pretend I never came out!"

Before Bi Fang finished speaking, the Bi Fang Fire Cloak covering Li Jing and the surging aura receded like the tide, all retreating back to the middle dantian in Li Jing's chest.

This scene was so decisive that even Taiyi was momentarily stunned.

Li Jing panicked and struggled to say, "Hey! Hey! Bi Fang, old Bi... you demon can't be so disloyal as to sell me out!"

Inside his body, Bifang scolded, "Shut up, kid, you almost killed me."

Li Jing asked, puzzled, "What are you afraid of? We've already dealt with Huang Long, and Huang Long is still his senior brother."

Bi Fang said silently, "Let's not talk about whether we can win or not. I just want to ask you, do you dare to kill Taiyi?"

Li Jing hesitated for a moment, then said, "This...it hasn't come to that, has it?"

Bi Fang sighed, "We dare not, but he does."

Li Jing looked bewildered.

Bi Fang shook his head and said, "The Twelve Immortals of Jade Void are vegetarians, but their magical treasures and weapons are not. In particular, Taiyi was the most murderous among them before he joined Jade Void Palace."

It was only after he entered the Jade Void Palace and cultivated his character that his temper improved a lot, but you really made him want to kill you…”

Seeing that Li Jing was still in a daze, Bi Fang appeared and said with a wry smile, "If I had fallen into Yu Ding's hands, I would have only been torn into several pieces and sealed away. He still left me a sliver of hope. But if I had fallen into this guy's hands, I wouldn't even have had the chance to be torn into several pieces. Do you understand?"

Compared to Taiyi, Yuding Zhenren's gentleness almost moved him to tears.

"what?"

When Li Jing heard these words and looked at Taiyi again, he couldn't help but feel a chill.

Cruel person!

Seeing Bi Fang retreat, Taiyi Zhenren chuckled, and the immortal sword in his hand transformed back into a whisk. He walked to Li Jing's side and raised his hand.

Li Jing immediately asked nervously, "What are you doing?"

But as Taiyi raised his hand, the glowing rope snapped on its own, and Li Jing landed smoothly with a somersault.

The landing was too forceful, which aggravated the wound on his buttocks, causing him to wince in pain.

Taiyi said without turning his head, "Li Jing, since you don't say some things, there must be a reason for it. I won't ask anymore, but you need to understand one thing."

He turned around and looked directly at Li Jing: "You are Nezha's father. He has always regarded you as a hero he admires. Don't do anything to disappoint him again."

Li Jing froze, and the image of Nezha calling him "father" from childhood to adulthood flashed before his eyes.

After a long silence, he sighed and said, "The Master is right, Li Jing, remember this."

It was already quite late when the two returned to the living room.

"Why are you so late? The food is cold."

Yin Guangling scolded him, but her eyes were filled with heartache. Suddenly, she noticed Li Jing limping and hurriedly asked, "Are you injured?"

"I only got a few minor injuries on a mission today, nothing serious."

Li Jing looked at Nezha and said apologetically, "Nezha, I'm sorry. An official document came from Chaoge. Your father was waiting for the document, so I'm late."

Seeing this, Taiyi Zhenren smiled slightly. This was the first time he, a single, pure-yang old immortal, had taught someone how to be a father.

Fortunately, the result was not bad.

Upon hearing this, Nezha's worries immediately turned to joy, and dinner celebration began.

"By the way, you said an official document came from Chaoge, what's wrong?" Madam Yin asked in surprise.

Li Jing shook his head and said, "The Marquis of Dongbo and the Marquis of Nanbo have led four hundred lords from the southeast in rebellion and have asked me to take charge of the defense of Chentang Pass."

Madam Yin's expression changed drastically: "What? How could this be?"

Li Jing said in a deep voice, "The world is about to descend into chaos. I will have to train my troops, and I may be even busier."

He looked at Nezha apologetically.

Nezha said sensibly, "It's alright, Daddy. You go ahead and do your work. I'll grow up soon and come help you."

Li Jing picked up Nezha and smiled: "Is that so? Nezha is such a good boy. You must grow up quickly so that your father can entrust your mother and the family to you."

The family was enjoying a happy and warm time together.

Taiyi Zhenren was quite moved by this scene.

It's a pity that Yang Jian became a disciple of Yu Ding too early, otherwise they could have had a real competition.

……

East China Sea Dragon Palace.

"Master, how is it?"

Ao Bing carefully handed over the heavenly book in his hand.

Yu Ding waved his hand and said, "Well, you've learned all the characters. Go and study them yourself!"

He could recite this entire book of celestial knowledge backwards.

Ao Bing asked in surprise, "Comprehension? Master, aren't you going to explain it to me?"

What will be explained?

Yu Ding said, "The law is in your hands, and the Dao is in your hands. What you comprehend is yours. If it is something I explain, isn't that what I teach?"

Ao Bing pondered for a moment: "I see. Then, Master, is there a secret to learning this profound skill?"

The impending doom was like a sword hanging over his head, keeping him constantly on edge and wishing he could cultivate day and night.

So, it's finally time for the much-anticipated shortcut-finding moment again...? Yu Ding said enigmatically, "As for the trick, of course there is one."

Ao Bing exclaimed with delight, "Please enlighten me, Master!"

Yu Ding smiled mysteriously: "The secret is... it mainly depends on talent!"

(End of this chapter)