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

Chapter 1481 The Jade Emperor: A Mixed Feeling and a Dilemma
—It seems that Immortal Fu Yuan thinks my situation is not bad enough?

The tone and expression of Immortal Fu Yuan made Old Man Yuehe somewhat puzzled.

He spoke frankly: "That's how I feel right now. I'm only slightly better than Rabbit God, but worse than everyone else."

Fu Yuanxian looked at the other deities.

The Rabbit God was originally of low rank and should speak last.

But when he met the hopeful gaze of Immortal Fu Yuan, he felt a chill run down his spine and could only say immediately, "Reporting to Immortal Fu Yuan, the Great Vow is indeed like a curse, constantly echoing in my mind."

The little god fell into a very strange state.

Images flashed before my eyes, and I heard shouts filled with resentment.

The little god could also sense their resentment forming a calamity aura, which was definitely aimed at him.

"Plop~~" He became more and more frightened as he spoke, and finally his knees buckled and he knelt on the ground. A few tears were on his fair face with three long strands of beard. He pleaded softly, "Immortal, please save this humble god. I'm afraid I'm about to face a calamity."

Even Fu Yuan, the renowned matchmaker, felt a chill and said, "Get up and speak properly! What scenes did you see? What resentful shouts did you hear? Who are they?"

The Rabbit God got up from the ground and said, "They should all be Rabbit Lords who have been blessed by the Lesser God."

Fu Yuanxian asked curiously, "You are in charge of 'Dragon and Yang Marriage,' bestowing blessings upon them and allowing them to indulge in the pleasures of Dragon and Yang. They should be grateful to you, so why do they harbor resentment?"

If they harbored resentment, why would they come to your temple to burn incense and pray for blessings?

The Rabbit God hesitated and said, "In order to promote faith, I have been promoting homosexuality among humans."

Some men who are slightly inclined towards homosexuality may have normal marriages, but the little god will delete their original marriages and replace them with homosexual marriages.

They were fine at first, but very few of them persevered to the end and never regretted it.

It's not "not too many," it's very few.

Although the Rabbit God's words were somewhat vague, Fu Yuan Immortal, as their superior, understood them immediately.

"And you?" He didn't comment, but turned his gaze to the others.

Princess Longji glanced at Daoist Yuehe before saying, "I am acting on the orders of the Old Man of the Moon to awaken the hearts of some women who lack marriage prospects and make them fall in love."

This artificially created "Red Phoenix Star Movement" now seems to have become the cause of my calamity.

This is the "Mysterious Immortal," who, in a single, simple sentence, thoroughly explained the origin and consequences of the "Demon Tribulation of Marriage."

Fu Yuanxianweng's face was gloomy as he looked at the next great deity, "Zishou, what about you?"

The former King Zhou, now the Star of Heavenly Joy, grinned and said, "Immortal, you don't need to worry about me. I don't feel anything at all. I just heard the oath of great vow and came to listen to your teachings."

He is the Heavenly Joy Star, but he is not responsible for matchmaking for all beings in the Three Realms.

Having been deified as the Human Emperor, he primarily used his imperial status to uphold the rites of marriage.

To put it bluntly, he wasn't in charge of facilitating marriages; he was only responsible for the etiquette during the wedding process.

For example, Huang Shiren forced Xi'er to become his concubine, which violated the basic etiquette of mutual affection, so the Heavenly Joy Star would not affix the character "喜" (happiness) to their marriage.

Princess Longji's nominal husband, Lord Longde Hong Jin, bowed and said, "Immortal, I am mainly responsible for helping noble people change their luck. I am not deeply involved in the matter of marriage. I feel that I am similar to the Heavenly Joy Star, without much ominousness."

The two saints of harmony said, "Reporting to the immortal, we only favor families with harmonious marriages, and we will also bring harmony to couples who are not harmonious but have accumulated good deeds. At present, no great misfortune has befallen us."

The other two deities come from the Vega star and the Nuwa Palace, respectively representing the Weaver Girl and the Goddess Nuwa.

Nuwa was the first goddess of marriage! The red embroidered ball and the red string of fate originally belonged to her.

However, as humanity progressed, Nuwa gradually fell behind the times. With some helplessness and resentment, she moved from the forefront to the background. To put it more bluntly, the Human Emperor no longer worshipped her.

Before the Investiture of the Gods, emperors of all dynasties had to go to the temple to worship the Goddess Nuwa every year.

This is a national sacrifice held by the Emperor and his officials! It is the highest level of ceremony in the sacrificial rites, and the most prestigious.

Nowadays, there are hardly any Nuwa temples left in China.

Worshiping gods is a way to seek divine protection. The Shang dynasty valued Nuwa so much, yet she ruined the dynasty through despicable means. It would have been better to keep a respectful distance from her, stop worshipping her, and avoid provoking her.

—If I can't afford to mess with you, I'll just stay away, okay?

The goddess Nuwa threw the red embroidered ball and the red thread of marriage to Daoist Yuehe, and then stripped him of his divine duties, casually bestowing them upon a disciple of the Nuwa Palace.

He stayed in the Nuwa Palace, not directly involved in the company's management, but could still enjoy the benefits of being a "humanitarian major shareholder," living a carefree life.

The Weaver Girl represents diligence and perseverance. She single-handedly created a new path in the divine realm from scratch, making Qixi Festival a "Valentine's Day" and herself a "Goddess of Love".

Nuwa was unwilling and disdainful to come, while the Weaver Girl wanted to come to the Star of Fate for a meeting, but she couldn't leave the Weaver Girl Star.

The two representatives also relayed the attitudes of their respective leaders.

Nuwa's attitude was: "The 'Demon Tribulation of Marriage' has no effect on me, so please don't bother me."

The fairy representing the Weaver Girl said, "The fact that the Heavenly Court responded to the great wish of the God of Marriage indicates that there are huge problems with the current system of the Marriage Bureau."

My lady suggested that we follow the example of the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother and carry out reforms within the Marriage Bureau.

A marriage based on love is the only way to ensure its health and longevity.

The old man looked on carefully.

This is a power grab.

—You bunch of old bastards, hurry up and hand over the red thread of fate to me! I am the goddess of love, and I can determine marriage through love.

The Taoist Master Yuehe understood what the Weaver Girl meant and immediately flew into a rage, saying, "Love and affection are but minor matters, a small part of the great cause and effect of marriage."

The causes and effects of past lives, one's endowments and blessings in this life, and the good deeds and karmic retribution of one's family are all core factors in determining a marriage.

A single hair can affect the whole body; a person's marriage is related to the rise and fall of a family and the change of dynasties.

Love will eventually fade; the Weaver Girl herself had experienced this firsthand. Didn't she understand this principle?

The fairy maiden said, "Your Majesty only said that marriage should be based on love, not solely on personal affection."

"Alright, I'm asking for your feelings about the 'Demon Tribulation of Marriage,' not discussing reforms!" Impatiently, Immortal Fu Yuan ended their argument.

The fairy maiden said, "Reporting to the immortal, my lady senses that a great change is about to happen, and she is very happy and excited. She even laughed three times and said 'good' three times."

Princess Longji also wanted to laugh. If she hadn't been implicated, she definitely would have burst out laughing right now.

Fu Yuanxianweng's forehead veins bulged, as if he wanted to slap the fairy maiden away, sending her flying out of the Star of Destiny and back to the Star of Weaver Girl.

In fact, Fairy Maiden didn't want to provoke him too much; she even hid many of her mistress's "extreme words."

The Weaver Girl's cultivation was even higher than her younger sister, Longji. Moreover, the Weaver Girl was a celestial being, not a deity; her celestial path was not ruined, nor was it completely destroyed.

At this moment, having calculated that Immortal Fu Yuan had already entered the tribulation, Weaver Girl laughed loudly in front of everyone: "Hahaha, old dog Fu Yuan has finally met his end! This is truly gratifying!"

But is it really okay to say that?
"You can all leave now, but you don't need to. Just stay here and meditate quietly, waiting for me to analyze the secrets of heaven," said Immortal Fu Yuan in a deep voice, suppressing his anger and rage.

Upon hearing this, all the gods looked puzzled.

"Immortal, you still haven't figured out the origin of the 'Marriage Calamity'?" Princess Longji asked.

"What you have seen and understood is all superficial and of little use. I will dissect the karmic entanglement of marriage bit by bit, investigate its root cause, and unravel its secrets. This process may take some time," said Immortal Fu Yuan calmly.

Longji was somewhat skeptical, but the Old Man of the Moon, the Rabbit God, and the others suddenly realized and all changed their expressions to one of admiration and anticipation.

—Truly worthy of being an ancient immortal who attained enlightenment! While we are still bewildered and terrified by the origin of this demonic tribulation, the immortal has already begun to resolve the tribulation of marital entanglements. As long as the immortal—

As the thoughts were still swirling in my mind, a loud and long shout suddenly came from afar.

"Immortal Fu Yuan, Gods of Marriage, the Jade Emperor has decreed that you must proceed immediately to the Lingxiao Palace!"

The gods, including Longji and Yue Lao, were stunned for a moment before realizing that the Jade Emperor had probably also heard the grand vow.

However, they had many doubts: Why did the Jade Emperor react so strongly, even appearing somewhat anxious?

They were only puzzled, but Immortal Fu Yuan was deeply shaken. An ominous aura, like a strong, stinky fart, enveloped him, making it hard for him to breathe, even though it was invisible and colorless.

—Oh no, the Jade Emperor is after me! He not only heard about the Great Vow, but also knows that I am the primary target of the Marriage Tribulation. But why? Why can't I, an ancient Golden Immortal who has mastered the Great Dao of Marriage, find the problem?
Seeing the ever-changing expression on Fu Yuan Xianweng's face, Long Ji had another guess. He sneered inwardly and said aloud, "Fu Yuan Xianweng, the Jade Emperor has issued a decree summoning us to the Lingxiao Palace. Let's hurry up and not keep His Majesty waiting."

"You all go first. I have something to attend to. I need to go to the Great Crimson Heaven Taiqing Palace to pay my respects to the Dao Ancestor."

After leaving behind these words, Immortal Fu Yuan transformed into a beam of immortal light and flew out of the Immortal Abode with a "whoosh".

—Do you really think I'm a fool? Knowing full well that calamity is coming, and that Jade Emperor has ill intentions, am I really going to go to the Lingxiao Palace to suffer his torment? I'm running away!
Just as he transformed into a beam of light and rushed into the Immortal Abode, before he could even escape the range of the Star of Fate, three powerful beings blocked his path.

Fu Yuanxian slammed on the brakes and shouted, "Yang Jian, why are you blocking my way?"

Zhang Tianshi, standing beside Yang Jian, bowed respectfully and said, "Great Immortal, His Majesty is waiting for you in the Lingxiao Palace!"

Yang Jian looked helpless and added, "Before His Majesty sent me to the Star of Destiny to invite you, he first sent me to the Palace of the Douluo."

I told Laozi about your situation, and Laozi said, "I understand."

The Star Lord of Destiny sighed and said, "Fellow Daoist Fu Yuan, things have come to this point. You should go to the Lingxiao Palace with Celestial Master Zhang. It's better to clarify things in public to avoid suffering a great loss."

"Why are you running away? You're not the mastermind. At worst, you can just confess everything in public. If you really disobey the imperial decree and run away, you'll be judged as a fugitive from justice, and it will be too late to protest in the Hall of Supreme Harmony."

Fu Yuanxian immediately understood his old colleague's subtext, but he felt that the Jade Emperor did not want him to take the blame.

His mouth opened and closed, unsure how to explain, because he hadn't yet sorted out his fate or figured out where his misfortune came from.

—Damn it, I am the God of Destiny who has mastered the Great Way of Marriage, how come I am still confused and do not know where the problem is?
"The Immortal Elder~~"

After a brief stalemate, Princess Longji and the others flew out.

"The imperial decree has already been issued, so let's go see His Majesty first. After you've seen His Majesty, it won't be too late to go to the Taiqing Heavenly Palace to pay respects to the Dao Ancestor," Princess Longji advised sincerely.

Fu Yuanxian looked around but didn't see any sign of Taibai Xingjun.

He cursed inwardly and flew toward the Lingxiao Palace with a blank expression.

As soon as he entered the Lingxiao Palace, Immortal Fu Yuan realized that today's gathering was very unusual.

First, although the Jade Emperor's expression was as solemn and unsmiling as ever, he vaguely sensed that the Jade Emperor was suppressing laughter, and that he was hiding a lot of joy, but not all of it; there was also some inner turmoil.

Secondly, although it wasn't a court assembly today, several great gods and immortals have come.

For example, the Eastern Emperor and the Barefoot Immortal, or the Red Emperor and the White Emperor.

Finally, the Queen Mother arrived and sat next to the Jade Emperor. Beneath her dignified and beautiful face, she seemed to be hiding the same "conflicted smile" as the Jade Emperor.

By the way, the way the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother looked at him was also a bit strange.

"Eh, Fellow Daoist Fu Yuan, are you feeling uneasy?" The kind-hearted Barefoot Immortal glanced at him and then asked with concern, "Fellow Daoist, have you encountered a problem in your cultivation? It seems as if an inner demon has flashed through your mind."

Fu Yuanxian was taken aback, puzzled. "Brother Dao, what makes you say that? Even if I am incompetent, I would not be so unaware that my inner demons manifest without my knowledge."

He saw the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother both smirking, trying to suppress their laughter! Damn it!

Emperor Donghua hesitated, as if he wanted to speak.

The Barefoot Immortal, however, was kind-hearted and said, "Brother Dao, you seem to be under the influence of the 'Dream Erosion Curse,' and quite deeply entangled in it."

"What Dream Erosion Curse? I'm perfectly fine!" Immortal Fu Yuan checked his soul again, but found nothing unusual.

Well, this is the "grace" of the ancient Golden Immortals. They don't sever their three corpses (not because they are unwilling, but because they are unable), they only focus on improving their cultivation, and their mental state is slightly inferior.

During the Investiture of the Gods period, Lady Yunxiao was also at the quasi-Daluo realm. She and her sisters used their swords to slay Laozi and Yuanshi Tianzun. Modern quasi-Daluo, such as Fuqiu Gong, Yinyinzi, and Luding Xian, can maintain their rationality even when calamity energy enters their brains.

"Brother Dao, you don't even know the 'Dream Erosion Curse'?" The Barefoot Immortal was first surprised, then showed a look of understanding. He quickly took out a Daoist scripture from his robes, handed it to Immortal Fu Yuan, and said, "Brother Dao, you are deeply possessed by demons. Quickly read the 'Thirteen Divine Curses for Breaking Dream Erosion' to remove the demonic thoughts from your heart. Naturally, your thoughts will be clear and your mind will be bright and wise!"

Fu Yuanxian glanced at the Jade Emperor, took the scripture, and silently cultivated while listening to the Barefoot Immortal quickly recount the story of "Dream-Eating Demon Ancestor Yu Fengxian" from the past six months.

"Oh no! My destiny in love has been altered! Damn it, who is it? Who is using love to torment me?!"

The Demon-Slaying Incantation researched by the Great Golden Immortal was very effective, pulling out a large clump of inner demons from the mind like pulling up a radish. Immortal Fu Yuan instantly detected the abnormal fate line on the Marriage Festival.

“Immortal Fu Yuan, this is the predetermined fate, and we cannot defy destiny!” the Jade Emperor said in a deep voice.

—After so many years, it's finally His turn to say those words to this old man. He is overjoyed!
(End of this chapter)