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

Chapter 1243 The Regretful Emperor of Dongyue

"Bastard, bastard!"

Jin Tianwang was furious. He pointed at Qiu Mingzi and cursed, "You are also an immortal, how can you be so shameless and despicable? When did I ever want to silence you or kill my own followers? You're spouting nonsense and have no shame at all."

Qiu Mingzi shouted, "Jiang Xiong, you are also a great god, why are you so shameless and despicable? Don't you know the Jade Emperor's decree? Yet you openly defy it."

You were unaware of the imperial court's public trial? Or were you openly defying them?

All you rely on is the Divine Palace of Mount Hua.

You think you're hiding in the divine palace, that neither the Heavenly Emperor nor the imperial court can do anything to you.

Even if you act recklessly and trample on human laws and morality, you are still the king.

"What a load of crap! The Mandate of Heaven is gone, the country is on the verge of collapse, yet they still dare to act so perversely!" King Jin roared.

"The imperial court is nothing in your eyes, and the millions of common people under the imperial court are even less worthy of your attention, right? You, who are like this, dare to call yourself a 'god'?" Qiu Mingzi shouted.

Just as Jin Tianwang was about to continue his cursing, a low shout came from the temple below, "Brother, calm down! He's deliberately provoking you."

The Five Sacred Mountains share the same breath and are connected by branches; this is more than just a simple phrase.

Of the "Five Great Emperors," only the Emperor of Mount Tai truly deserves the title; the other four are actually "Heavenly Kings."

One great emperor and four heavenly kings together form the "Five Sacred Mountains Divine System".

In each of their temples, there were also the shrines of four other "Great Emperors".

The one who made the shout at this moment was the statue of the Taishan Emperor inside the temple.

Golden King glared fiercely at Qiu Mingzi, then transformed into golden light and entered the statue.

"Jiang Xiong, you've fled to avoid punishment!" Qiu Mingzi immediately shouted.

"Jiang Xiong, come out! Grand Tutor Yu has ordered that you be convicted of four major crimes. You may go to Xianyang to defend yourself."

If you waive your right to defend yourself, the charge will be established immediately. The imperial court will immediately issue an arrest warrant and impose a ban on you.

The Holy Mother of the Three Realms couldn't stand it anymore.

Or rather, she had been holding back for a long time, but finally couldn't bear it any longer and said, "Qiu Mingzi, justice will prevail. Aren't you afraid of retribution for going to such extremes?"

Qiu Mingzi sneered, "Third Holy Mother, don't think you can escape. You are the mediator! You knew when we broke our oath that you were also involved in the case, one of the masterminds."

"As soon as the Grand Tutor gives the order, we will immediately head to your temple and, using the same methods, let you have your fun."

The Third Holy Mother was so angry that her face turned red. "So what if I know? Does knowing make me the 'mastermind' or a participant? Yu Fengxian knew too!"
She planned everything perfectly, just waiting for you to break your oaths so you would fall into her trap. Should we arrest her too?

"Yang Chan, I don't have time to listen to your nonsense. If you want to stand up for Jiang Xiongqiang, go to the Xianyang government office and we'll have a public and fair trial."

In front of millions of people, you and the Grand Tutor speak freely, do you dare, do you dare?

"Why should I go to the Xianyang government office? I am an immortal, I do not tread on the mortal world. If you want to talk, talk on Mount Hua."

In the presence of all the gods, we will hold a public trial for this case!

Despite saying that, Yang Chan's momentum weakened somewhat.

"The Celestial Master is the Celestial Master of the human court. The Celestial Master betrayed the court and the leader of humanity."

"Why don't you say it in front of the whole world? What are you feeling guilty about? What are you afraid of?" Qiu Mingzi shouted.

“I have done nothing wrong and I have nothing to fear!” Yang Chan shouted with her head held high.

She was indeed not involved in the case of the Great Qin Celestial Master breaking his oath.

Although she knew they intended to defect from Xianyang, she offered neither encouragement nor instigation.

On the contrary, he felt that this was very wrong and persuaded several of his close celestial masters. He also persuaded the Golden Heavenly King, reminding him of last year's covenant and that he should not go to obtain the True Form Map.

"Aren't you afraid? Go to the Xianyang government office! The gates of the Xianyang Palace are wide open. Anyone who wants to defend themselves can go to the government office and, under the watchful eyes of all the gods and Buddhas, in front of the people of Xianyang, openly confront the Grand Tutor. Do you dare? Do you dare?" Qiu Mingzi shouted.

Yang Chan was both anxious and angry, and also very puzzled. "Are you really Qiu Mingzi? Why do you talk like Yu Fengxian?"

"Don't change the subject! Do you dare go to Xianyang? Do you dare confront the Grand Tutor in court? Do you dare face the doubts and anger of the people? Yang Chan, tell me, do you dare, do you dare~~"

Akiko's mouth was like a machine gun firing, one shot after another, each one louder than the last.

He was certainly not Grand Tutor Yu in disguise.

Grand Tutor Yu would never do such hard, dirty work, the kind of work that requires losing face and resorting to cheating.

But he did indeed receive a lot of training from Master Yu in the dream dimension.

It must be said that Grand Tutor Yu's "dream travel" is indeed impressive.

Everything he is experiencing now has actually happened in his dreams.

In other words, Yu Taishi had anticipated all of the Third Holy Mother's reactions.

"Aren't you all free?!" Yang Chan said angrily. "Chen Sheng has declared himself king and established the Zhang Chu Kingdom. Doesn't Yu Fengxian know that?"

The Central Plains are in chaos, and the rebels have established their own kingdoms and declared themselves kings. Why aren't you doing anything productive? What are you trying to achieve by constantly harping on the Four Rivers and Five Sacred Mountains?

Even if the Four Rivers and Five Sacred Mountains made minor mistakes, they were not the masterminds.

Why should we disregard the greater good of the nation for the sake of a petty squabble?

In the end, she was almost heartbroken and moved by her own words—Yu Fengxian, I'm so worried about you, why don't you focus your energy on your main job!

"Yang Chan, you're changing the subject again. I won't fall for your tricks. I'll just ask you, do you dare to face the case of the Celestial Master breaking his oath? Do you dare to swear a solemn oath to the Heavenly Emperor and to all the people—that you have a completely clear conscience?"

"Do you dare? Do you dare~~" Akiko continued to shout.

"You brainless idiot, I'm not talking to you anymore."

Yang Chan cursed and fled.

"Jiang Xiong, come out! Jiang Xiong, the Grand Tutor has ordered that you have committed four major crimes. Do you agree to this?"

Qiu Mingzi then pointed the cannon at the Yue Temple below, first announcing Jiang Xiong's four crimes, then loudly questioning and announcing the court's verdict. He repeated this over and over again for a full hour.

Not only did he shout, but the Qin "criminals" who came with him also scattered to various places, loudly announcing Jiang Xiong's crimes in nearby counties and even villages, claiming that Jiang Xiong's attempt to kill to cover up his crime failed and that he fled to avoid punishment.

"Big brother, I can't take it anymore!"

Within the divine realm of the Yue Temple on Mount Hua, hearing the shouts coming from "above," and feeling the threads of faith connecting him snapping in large pieces, the Golden Heavenly King was furious and roared excitedly.

"The believers in Huashan Prefecture have been influenced. They no longer believe in me; they listen to Qiu Mingzi's nonsense and have accepted those damned 'Four Great Sins.' At least some of them have accepted them."

Opposite the Golden Heavenly King are four statues that look like real gods; they are all projections of the Great Emperor.

Although the five emperors' true forms remained in their respective divine palaces, their communication was as convenient and direct as if they were face-to-face.

Huang Feihu also had a hint of suppressed anger on his face, "Brother, don't you understand yet?"
It's not that Qiu Mingzi is influencing the believers, or even that Yu Fengxian has much prestige among the people.

This is the power and authority of the imperial court.

"Yu Fengxian is using the righteous cause of the mortal dynasty to suppress us."

"We are gods, the chief of all mountain gods and spirits in the human world. Are we to allow Yu Fengxian to suppress us without any power to resist?" Chong Heihu, the "Heavenly King" of the Southern Peak, was unwilling and unconvinced. Wen Ping, the "Central Heavenly King" of the Central Peak, sighed: "Of course, the human court cannot arbitrarily suppress the divine way, much less dare to despise us, the gods of the Five Sacred Mountains."

Even when Ying Zheng was still alive, he had to maintain respect for us.

Unfortunately, Yu Fengxian has really found a way to get us this time!

“What leverage? We are not the masterminds behind the Celestial Master’s oath-breaking case at all. We all know that,” said Cui Ying, the Northern Peak Heavenly King.

Wen Pin said, "If you want to argue with her, you have to listen to her and go to the Xianyang government office. Are you willing to do that in front of thousands of ordinary people?"

"Why should we listen to her?" said King Jin.

“Because she is the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty.” Wen Ping glanced at his elder brother, his tone carrying a hint of resentment. “After the Four Rivers comes the Five Sacred Mountains. Anyone can guess that.”

We are indeed different from the River God; we did not plan anything with the Nine Cauldrons, nor did we ever think of supporting the Dragon Court.

Why should we provoke Yu Fengxian and the Qin Dynasty?

"If we return the True Form Map to her as soon as possible, and expel those treacherous immortals from the Five Sacred Mountains as soon as possible, none of this will have happened."

Hebo even married a dragon girl (the orphaned daughter of the Continental Zelong King who was killed by Xiaoyu) to Jingju, who possessed the "appearance of an emperor".

Huang Feihu, the Five Sacred Mountains God King, explicitly forbade the gods of the Five Sacred Mountains from participating in this great calamity from the very beginning.

Therefore, even though the Five Sacred Mountains and Four Rivers all hated Grand Tutor Yu, their stances and actions differed considerably.

The River God became even more proactive and even had designs on the Nine Cauldrons, wanting to give them to Jingju to nurture the dragon vein.

Chong Heihu also quickly glanced at Huang Feihu and scolded, "Brother, are you out of your mind?"
"It's clearly Yu Fengxian who's domineering, treacherous, and cunning; why are you blaming your own brother?"

Huang Feihu waved his hand and sighed, "It's understandable that Third Brother harbors resentment. This time, it was indeed my misjudgment."

I originally thought that with all the blessed lands and grotto-heavens united in their hatred of the enemy, Yu Fengxian would surely have something to worry about.

I thought that with Chen Sheng about to establish a state and the Central Plains already in chaos, Yu Fengxian would surely consider the overall situation and wouldn't dare to put too much thought into competing with us gods and immortals.

I was wrong, we all guessed wrong, Yu Fengxian is a complete idiot.

Chen Sheng had already declared himself king and established his own state, yet she never even visited Pengcheng or Chenjun; she was only concerned with causing trouble for us.

The Heavenly Court's actions were unpredictable.

The Heavenly Court has not torn down the notice yet, and the Heavenly Emperor has repeatedly compromised with Yu Fengxian. All of this has surprised him.

Not only him, but also the many celestial palaces that tore down the notices must not have expected this.

Upon hearing this, Wen Ping was not pleased at all; instead, he looked ashamed and annoyed.

He sincerely apologized, saying, "Brother, I was wrong! The Five Sacred Mountains are of one spirit and one branch, and we always discuss things before making a decision."

I agreed to the following: not returning to the original form of the painting, protecting the treacherous Celestial Master, and tearing up the imperial proclamation.

Now that this has happened, it's all our responsibility.

He did clearly state at the time: Yu Fengxian has even killed the River God and crippled the Four Rivers. She is now filled with murderous intent, and it would be too much of a loss to provoke her.

But he was indeed convinced by Huang Feihu's reasoning: as long as we don't reveal any flaws, Yu Fengxian can't let the rebel kings of the Central Plains ignore us and keep entangled with us endlessly.

“We did nothing wrong! So many celestial palaces have taken in treacherous celestial masters, and everyone has torn down the notices in front of their doors.”

"Why single us out? Yu Fengxian has her eye on us; she'll cause trouble even if there's nothing wrong with her." Chong Heihu said.

Huang Feihu shook his head and said, "It was indeed my misjudgment. There's a reason why she only came to us and not others."

We, the Five Sacred Mountains, have long been at odds with her.

From the moment I refused to use my connections to help Guan Huchen, she made up her mind that she would never let us have an easy time, no matter what opportunity she had.

I should have realized this sooner. After all, I also made sure she didn't have an easy time when I had the chance.

Looking back now, I realize I shouldn't have underestimated her or embarrassed her that day.

She is far more powerful than any of the great immortals of the mystical sects.

Huang Feihu looked annoyed and said regretfully, "It's not worth offending her for the sake of Guan Huchen, and ending up in this situation."

“Brother, I think you’re wrong. She might target someone else. First she crippled the Four Rivers, then she took over our Five Sacred Mountains. Her arrogance is growing, and she’ll probably target other celestial palaces.” Wen Pin said.

Huang Feihu paused for a moment, then nodded slightly and said, "Given her current performance, it's quite possible."

"Damn it, she's the Grand Tutor of Qin! Rebellions are raging in the Central Plains, yet she doesn't lead troops to quell them one by one. How can she be so leisurely and arrogant? Isn't she afraid of offending all of us in the Divine and Immortal Paths, and then going to help the Hidden Dragon destroy Qin?" King Jin shouted.

King An Tian Cui Ying's eyes flickered slightly, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Brother, perhaps we have no choice but to risk our lives for this calamity."

Huang Feihu frowned and said, "We five brothers have all failed our tribulations. Don't we understand the principle that 'entering the tribulation is easy, but escaping is difficult'?"

“Brother, although we lost our lives in the last calamity of the Investiture of the Gods, we gained invaluable experience!” Black Tiger said.

"What experience? Last time, we had all the advantages of timing, location, and people. We had the support of the Dao Ancestor, the reliance of the Holy Lord, the leadership of the Mandate of Heaven, and the mutual support of many fellow immortals."

We survived one crisis after another by sheer luck, only to die mysteriously in the end.

"Fate is hard to defy!" Huang Feihu shook his head and sighed.

During the last great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods, Huang Feihu died more than once, and Jiang Ziya died at least three times.

Because their destiny had not ended, the great immortals of the Chan Sect resurrected them time and time again.

Having overcome countless hardships, and on the verge of entering Chaoge and achieving physical immortality, death suddenly struck.

After his death, no one ever resurrected him or his sons.

Black Tiger's gaze was deep and unfathomable as he said, "The lesson we learned is that last time, we were too weak and our fates were controlled by others."

We were both military generals, but we died while the disciples of the immortal sects, with their extraordinary backgrounds, achieved physical immortality.

Now that we are powerful, we can be the ones holding the pieces, and we can decide the course of the world's affairs.

Huang Feihu's expression changed, and he said solemnly, "When a thought arises, heaven and earth know, and calamity arrives!"

Brother, that kind of thinking is too dangerous, forget about it quickly!
The best way to overcome tribulation is always the same: don't enter the tribulation in the first place!

Jin Tianwang looked distressed and said, "Brother, who doesn't understand these profound principles you're talking about?"

We never intended to get involved in this catastrophe. But now that things have escalated to this point, are we really allowed to choose?

Let's not talk about Fulongting, it's too far away.

Right now, Qiu Mingzi is shouting incoherently in my Huashan Prefecture. What should I do?

Huang Feihu calmly said, "Brother, don't be anxious! Since he is going to represent the imperial court and announce our crimes, he certainly won't just shout around on Mount Hua."

He'll definitely go to Mount Tai. You just wait and see how I handle him.

The four emperors perked up and immediately looked expectantly at their eldest brother, "Big brother, how will you deal with this?"

"Just you wait and see!" Huang Feihu's calm gaze revealed great confidence.

(End of this chapter)