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

Chapter 1202 Even the Dragon God Submits
Taibai Xingjun once again blocked the Dragon Kings who came to lodge a complaint outside the Lingxiao Palace.

"Come this way, don't say anything, don't cry or scream, don't disturb His Majesty, come this way with me quickly!"

Seemingly familiar with the Dragon Kings' "path dependence"—whenever something happens, they come to the Heavenly Court to wail and howl, shaking the heavens and disturbing all the immortals—before the Dragon Kings could even open their mouths, the old man started shouting first.

While calling out, they led them to the side hall where the Dragon King of the Huai River and the Dragon King of the Yangtze River had previously visited.

"I know what you want to shout, but hold on, let me finish speaking before you shout."

Upon arriving at the side hall, Venus looked around at the Dragon Kings and asked in confusion, "Where is the Dragon King of the Yangtze River?"

Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East Sea, said, "He hurriedly returned to the Yangtze River Dragon Palace to prevent Yu Fengxian from deposing him as well."

"Going back is fine." Taibai Xingjun nodded slightly, though he couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.

He had originally hoped that the Ao clan would stand up for themselves and fight Yu Fengxian to the death.

The dragon race may appear somewhat cowardly, but in reality, its profound foundation is second only to that of the human race.

After all, they surrendered too early and had always relied on the Heavenly Court, so they hadn't suffered much loss.

For thousands of years, bound to humanity and the Heavenly Court, the Ao clan has flourished and accumulated countless riches.

It's not too difficult to summon at least twenty or thirty old dragons with the power of Golden Immortals.

Thirty golden immortal dragons couldn't wear down Yu Fengxian?

"I was also shocked that Yu Fengxian was able to depose Ao Dong. Of course, now that Yu Fengxian has publicly demonstrated the process of stripping him of his divine position, we immediately understood the reason."

She had already dredged the earth's veins and waterways in the Huai River region, thus consolidating her control over the land.

You must already know this.

She held the water rights of the Huai River. She also possessed the true map of the four rivers and five mountains, and created the "Huai Feng Mixed Mountains and Waters Refining Spirit".

Given that Ao Dong was away from the Huai River, it is reasonable that she was able to control the water rights of the Huai River.

Then comes using the Nine Cauldrons to manipulate the destiny of humanity. She's done this more than once, and now she's become increasingly skilled at it.

Taibai Xingjun spread his hands helplessly, "Just like that, she stripped Huaishui Longjun of his divine position."

"What does this mean?"

Ao Dong's divine talisman was removed, causing his breathing to become disordered, his dragon face to turn pale, and he began to pant when he became agitated.

"I am a righteous god appointed by the Heavenly Court, and my destiny is connected with the Four Rivers Star. I am a proper star lord."

The star lord who wields great power over the Huai River is more esteemed than most star lords in the Heavenly Court.

Even a great deity like myself was deposed by a mortal grand tutor. How can the foundations that maintain the Heavenly Court's existence remain stable?

"Ao Dong, watch your words!" Taibai Xingjun's eyes sharpened as he rebuked, "This is the Heavenly Court. Are you planning to throw caution to the wind and ruin everything by questioning the authority of the Heavenly Court?"

Ao Dong cried out, "I have lost my divine position! The divine office bestowed upon me by the Heavenly Court was easily taken away by Yu Fengxian, and I am not allowed to raise any objections?"

"You have offended Heaven, are not tolerated by Heaven and Earth, and are despised by the waters of the Huai River and the land of Lianghuai. How dare you question the Heavenly Court?" Taibai Xingjun said angrily.

Ao Dong wanted to continue getting excited, but Ao Guang stopped him.

—What good will it do to argue with him, other than annoy the Heavenly Emperor?

Ao Guang glared at him, then smiled at Taibai Xingjun and said, "Please forgive me, Xingjun. Ao Dong has lost his divine position and his mind; he's almost gone mad. I hope you will have mercy on him and help him regain his divine authority."

Even if he has committed some crime, he deserves to be punished by the Heavenly Court.

Yu Fengxian's unauthorized deposition of a celestial deity is a grave overstepping of her bounds.

Taibai Xingjun shook his head and said, "The foundation of the righteous gods of the Heavenly Court is that divine talisman."

Almost all the divine deities who were conferred official titles later in life had their divine talismans derived from the Daoist ancestor.
There is only one Three Realms.

"The talisman is currently in Yu Fengxian's hands. How can we help Ao Dong regain his divine position if we don't retrieve it?"

Ao Dong said, "I have been in charge of the Huai River for millions of years, and I have long since mastered the essence of the Huai River and comprehended its spirit."

He could condense a nearly identical Huai River Divine Talisman on his own.

As long as the Heavenly Court recognizes me as the Water God of the Huai River, then I am the true master of the Huai River.

Taibai Xingjun asked, "Can the Huai River Divine Talisman that you conjured yourself be exactly the same as the original?"

“The runes are 80% the same, and the water god’s divine arts are all identical,” Ao Dong said.

Taibai Xingjun pondered and said, "You are a divine dragon and have been in charge of the Huai River for many years. It is normal that you have a good grasp of the Huai River Dao."

However, the divine talisman bestowed by the Dao Ancestor naturally grants him control over the Huai River.

Your own talisman can also gather the power and authority of water in the Huai River.

However, once they face the true river god who controls the divine register, they are immediately suppressed, losing their power and authority.

"Like an immortal who has comprehended the Way of the Huai River, if he were to fight you on the Huai River, he would surely be suppressed by you."

“As long as the Heavenly Court doesn’t appoint another water god for the Huai River, who can compare to me?” Ao Dong said.

Taibai Xingjun hesitated for a moment before admitting, "The Heavenly Court cannot give you such a promise."

Yu Fengxian doesn't arbitrarily and domineeringly steal the divine scroll from your soul.

After she paid homage to the four directions and revered Heaven and Earth, she used human morality and destiny to drive a 'destiny' to occur.

In other words, it was 'Heaven' that stripped you of your divine power.

Unless you retrieve the divine talisman yourself, the Heavenly Court will not defy the established 'destiny'.

"Can the Heavenly Court demand that Yu Fengxian return the divine register?" Ao Guang asked.

Taibai Xingjun said irritably, "Are you out of your mind? Do you think I would dare to ask her for help? I'd rather beg."

If you really want to beg, it should be you who kneel down and beg for mercy.

Ao Guang glanced at Ao Dong, whose expression showed struggle and indecision.

Ao Guang sighed inwardly and asked again, "How much fortune did Yu Fengxian expend to advance this destiny? Can she still demote other dragon water gods?"

Taibai Xingjun said with a puzzled look, "It seems that not a single bit of luck has been consumed."

The dragon kings were shocked and exclaimed, "How is it possible that no fortune is consumed at all?"
Does this mean she can now arbitrarily depose all the righteous gods of Heaven?

Taibai Xingjun pondered and said, "This time, by deposing the Huai River God, Yu Fengxian is not defying fate."

She seems to regard human destiny as a form of proof for communicating with the divine.

In ancient sacrificial ceremonies, shamans represented a tribe and communicated with the heavens and earth.

What the people desire, Heaven will surely grant.

As long as the shaman can represent the will of the people, Heaven will respond.

Yu Fengxian told Lianghuai that Ao Dong was guilty of grave sins and was no longer qualified to serve as the water god of the Huai River.

The 'Lianghuai' region recognized and reclaimed the power and authority of the Huai River, which is also known as the divine register.

So you don't need to worry about her doing whatever she wants.

She couldn't do it.

As long as the Dragon God of the Central Plains does not stray from the right path and does not give her any leverage, the Heavenly Way will not abandon him.

"What makes Yu Fengxian possess such an ability?" Ao Dong asked unwillingly.

He ruled the Huai River for millions of years, witnessing the development of human affairs in the Huai River region, but he never reached the level of communicating with the "Heavenly Way of the Huai River Region".

Taibai Xingjun said with a complicated expression, "Before deposing you, Yu Fengxian wrote a memorial and sent it to the Heavenly Court."

The Heavenly Court received your petition but ignored it, and has no intention of handling your case.

But you gave up arguing and fled to avoid punishment, so the charge was established. A guilty god, if the Heavenly Court doesn't take action, then only the 'God of Heaven' can handle it.

Once Yu Fengxian offered sacrifices to the heavens and made a wish, the heavens immediately responded.

The whole process was incredibly smooth and completely under her control.

She truly understands destiny and knows her fate, while you all only know how to act recklessly; no wonder you lost everything.

"Now all I have left is to fawn over her?" Ao Dong said bitterly.

Taibai Xingjun stared into his eyes and said, "You are able to condense a new Huai River Divine Talisman, which means you have a basic grasp of the Huai River Way."

Staying in the Huai River will not increase my cultivation. It's better to preserve my dignity and become a carefree dragon king in the outer seas.

Ao Dong was, after all, the Dragon King of the Huai River, a great god of the Heavenly Court.

If he were to fawn over Grand Tutor Yu, all the celestial beings, including the Heavenly Emperor, would lose face along with him.

Therefore, Ao Dong had no choice but to exile himself and disappear from the circle of immortals forever.

As for that scoundrel, Changjiang Longjun, he'd better not go too far.

Grand Tutor Yu did not send anyone to the Yangtze River.

After dealing with the Huai River matter, she led Ye Jiutian and the others back to Xianyang City.

It wasn't that she let the Yangtze River Dragon King go.

With three of the four rivers already destroyed, is there still one left to be an eyesore?

Since Ao Gui, the Dragon Lord of the Yangtze River, voluntarily went to the Huai River to surrender himself to Grand Tutor Yu, there was no need for Ye Jiutian and the others to go.

"Go and inform the magistrate of Xianyang to prepare to open the palace gates first thing tomorrow morning and allow the people to enter Xianyang Palace to watch him publicly try the case of 'the Four Great Gods of the Rivers bewitching the Great Qin Celestial Master and breaking his oath of heaven' at Zhangtai."

Although news has been circulating in the past few days, it has not been officially announced.

Have him arrange for his servants to post notices throughout the streets and alleys; make sure it causes a sensation throughout the city.

Back at the Imperial Observatory, Grand Tutor Yu gave instructions to Xiao Linzi in front of Changjiang Longjun.

At this moment, the Dragon King of the Yangtze River was obedient, dejected, and hunched over, kneeling on the ground.

Grand Tutor Yu sat high in his armchair, flipping through the "Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation Diagram" as he asked, "Do you plead guilty to this case?"

Before leaving the Huai River, she retrieved the array diagram and the Hunyuan Golden Bucket.

The Dragon King of the Yangtze River said, "Grand Tutor, I live in the Yangtze River, which is far from Guanzhong."

Zhong Yuangong would definitely consult with the River God nearby, not the Little Dragon.

In fact, Xiaolong blindly followed orders; it was Hebo who was in charge all along.

Moreover, Zhong Yuangong had long harbored intentions of betrayal. His greeting to us was an attempt to seek our support.

At most, it could be considered collusion; it didn't qualify as 'incitement,' and we certainly can't be labeled as 'masterminds.'

Grand Tutor Yu nodded slightly and said, "What you said makes sense. Tomorrow morning, you can explain it to the Magistrate of Xianyang yourself."

After a pause, she added, "Since you are not the mastermind and have turned yourself in, I will treat you leniently."

All you need to do is arrest all the traitors who released the True Form Diagram, such as Zhong Yuangong and Zhang Zhenren, and the case will be closed.

So, am I magnanimous or compassionate?

Changjiang Longjun's face lit up with joy, and he nodded repeatedly. "Grand Tutor is too kind and magnanimous. I only regret that I surrendered myself to the authorities too late and could not repent and start anew sooner."

He was truly filled with remorse. Had he known that Grand Tutor Yu was so easy to talk to, he should have brought Ao Dong over immediately.

Not only will Ao Dong be able to retain his divine position, but they will also receive lighter punishments.

"Grand Tutor, I fully accept your punishment. But I truly do not know where Zhong Yuangong is now."

There are also traitors who released the True Form Diagram; Xiaolong doesn't know exactly who they are or how many there are.

"It will be difficult to complete the mission in a short period of time," said Changjiang Longjun.

Before the River God was killed, if they were simply told not to protect Zhong Yuangong, they would have felt insulted and found it unbearable, and would have cursed him with a dignified and arrogant expression.

Now, if he were asked to betray his friendship and "gratitude" and take the initiative to capture Zhong Yuangong, he would instead feel that Grand Tutor Yu was benevolent.

The change in mindset can happen in just a few days.

Xiaoyu said, "I'm not in a hurry, and you don't need to be either. I'll let you know when I have news about them so you can go and capture them."

"Master, we have guests." Xiao Linzi called out from the palace gate: "The Dragon King of the Jing River, the Dragon King of the Wei River, and the Jade Gate Immortal of Zhengyang Palace have come to pay their respects. Would you like to see them?"

Xiao Yu glanced at him and said calmly, "Next time you announce your name, put Master Yumen first. Let them in."

"Ao Gui, get up. Find yourself a seat."

"Thank you, Grand Tutor."

Changjiang Longjun stood up from his kneeling position, feeling a genuine sense of gratitude.

Grand Tutor Yu even considered his dignity and did not allow outsiders to see him kneeling and begging for mercy in such a humble manner.

Contrary to rumors of being cold and rude, she is actually very kind and compassionate!
Well, this old dragon is almost successfully trained.

Xiao Yu left the old man's chair and stood at the door to greet Master Yumen.

Because there were outsiders present, they only exchanged simple pleasantries and did not discuss personal matters.

Yumen Zhenren pointed to the two Dragon Kings and said bluntly, "The two Dragon Lords are neighbors of Taiyi Dao and old friends of this humble Daoist."

Today they came to my door, hoping I could introduce them to apologize to the Grand Tutor.

The Dragon Kings of the Wei River and the Jing River knelt on the ground, holding a true form picture in their hands, bowing their heads and saying, "Grand Tutor Yu, you are wise. We have no relation to Zhong Yuangong and the others, and have never been in contact with them."

We still remember the agreement made by the Grand Tutor with the gods of the Four Rivers and Five Sacred Mountains before the New Year—unless a hidden dragon establishes a kingdom and completes the sacrificial ceremony at Mount Tai, the True Form Map will remain in the Imperial Observatory of the Qin Dynasty.

A few days ago, the true form of the image flew back on its own, catching us off guard, leaving us apprehensive and at a loss.

Today, unable to bear the inner torment any longer, I have come to Xianyang to return the treasure map to the Grand Tutor.

Grand Tutor Yu accepted the True Form Map and said slowly, "You still remember the agreement from before the New Year and took the initiative to return the map to Xianyang. That's very good."

I've accepted the picture; the defection case has nothing to do with you.

This year, Guanzhong is experiencing a water shortage, and you're all busy with rainmaking efforts. I won't keep you any longer; go back and get back to your work.

The Dragon Kings of the Jing River and the Wei River felt bitter inside, but could only agree repeatedly.

This year, both Guanzhong and northern China are experiencing drought to varying degrees.

But they weren't busy making it rain.

On the contrary, they have been busy recently reducing the water volume of the Jinghe and Weihe rivers and blowing away the water vapor clouds in the sky to try to prevent rain.

If the Great Qin Rain Master brings rain, they must also quickly pump out the rainwater through underground water veins.

It is Heaven's will that the Qin Dynasty will suffer continuous disasters this year, and they are working very hard to ensure that Heaven's will comes true.

Now that Grand Tutor Yu has spoken, they dare not disobey the imperial decree and can only shift from actively spreading disasters to passively responding.

Otherwise, what else can be done?

The River God is dead, the Dragon King of the Huai River is deposed, and the Dragon King of the Yangtze River has surrendered.

The Four River Dragon Lords were the leaders of the river gods in the human world. Their elder brothers were either dead, crippled, or surrendered, and were completely defeated and subdued.

What could they, as underlings, do?
In particular, the Jing River and the Wei River are both located near Xianyang.

Ever since Grand Tutor Yu returned, and before the River God died, they have been on tenterhooks, feeling restless and uneasy.
Today, they took the initiative to return the map, but none of them dared to come alone; they insisted on having Master Tianmen act as their persuader.

(End of this chapter)