From Joy of Life, the Tian Gang is reversed

Chapter 299 Contract Fraud - Jinghe Dragon King
"What's going on? Why is this happening?"

At the Jinghe Dragon Palace, Li Chengqian suddenly opened his eyes, his expression filled with horror.

Why is this happening?

Ao Qian himself was not in any danger; he was merely meditating in the hall. But during that moment of meditation, his soul was covered by himself. How could that be?

This is the Jinghe Dragon King, a righteous god of the Heavenly Court, a proper and officially appointed one, whose status is much higher than that of a mere gatekeeper in the underworld. Why was I able to replace him so easily?
Here...

Unbeknownst to him, at this very moment, in the underworld, inside the temple of the Eastern Peak Emperor, Jiang Chen looked with regret at the contract that had been burned to ashes.

"Li Chengqian is hereby appointed as the guardian of the underworld's gate, with a monthly salary of ten peaches that ripen once every three thousand years, three peaches that ripen once every six thousand years, and one gourd of three-stage golden pills. At the end of the year, he will be rewarded with one peach that ripens once every nine thousand years and one gourd of six-stage golden pills... This will be recorded in advance and settled every thirty years, with monthly interest calculated according to the common interest rate in the underworld..."

Below the signature was none other than the Jade Emperor's seal from the Lingxiao Palace.

"Sigh, I was careless."

Li Chengqian himself was in a state of utter exasperation. He actually received a monthly salary, and such a large one at that! Yet he had diligently guarded the gate, especially having eliminated any threats to it from the underworld in recent years. How could this be…?

Oh, right, the bookkeeping mentioned above, which was supposed to be settled in advance and accrue interest every thirty years, was burned now.

"You think you're qualified to sign a contract like this? Do you even know how much interest Yinshi Universal charges?"

"How many?"

“Nine out, thirteen back!” Jiang Chen said with a smirk. “The boss originally wanted to take this opportunity to bring the entire Peach Garden to the underworld, but unexpectedly it was discovered ahead of time.”

"so?!"

"So they set up a scheme to allow you to successfully cover for me, using the position of the Jinghe Dragon King to settle your debts for this period of time, and then terminated the contract. Congratulations, you no longer need to guard the gate," Jiang Chen said.

"The Dragon King of the Jing River? Isn't that..."

“Yes, but also no,” Jiang Chen said. “There are many legends circulating in the myriad realms. Some have already happened, some haven’t, and some have happened before but will happen again. Beings above the Great Luo realm can manipulate these timelines at will, but…”

At this point, Jiang Chen paused for a moment and said, "But in many cases, it is limited to one's own Great Luo Heaven to verify one's own divination methods. Many of the legends and stories in the myriad worlds are things that these Great Luo Heavens have deduced through their divination methods. Some have been verified, and some have not."

"So you mean that the events in Journey to the West were actually deduced by a powerful being, but they didn't actually happen?"

“I know what you’re thinking, but you’re oversimplifying things. Some deductions are more real than actual events, and Journey to the West is one of them.” Jiang Chen looked at him with a wry smile. “It’s not just about verifying the deductions, but also about saving face. So, if you want to change what happens in that world, even if you succeed, you’ll still be karmic enemies with the great being who deduced Journey to the West.”

"Then, which great being deduced this?" Li Chengqian felt his heart tremble slightly.

“I don’t know, but that world is different from ordinary worlds. That world is made from real fragments of the primordial world. Even the only normal place in the underworld is connected to it. Therefore, we must be extremely cautious in our actions.” Jiang Chen’s words sounded somewhat earnest, but Li Chengqian’s expression became increasingly troubled.

"But, but I can't contact my clone right now!!!"

※※※

Name: Ao Qian

Race: Dragon (White)
Identity: Jinghe Dragon King

Cultivation: True Fairyland
Li Chengqian—no, he should be called Ao Qian now—was completely unable to contact his original body and was filled with doubt. "If I can't figure it out, then I won't try. I never imagined that in this world, my 'other self' would be the Jing River Dragon King. This situation seems rather precarious!"

The Dragon King of the Jing River, the greatest traitor in the Journey to the West world, lost his life because of a gamble with Yuan Shoucheng, and became the catalyst for the Journey to the West.

What if I didn't take this chance?

Subconsciously, Li Chengqian touched his chin and began to think.

Will I be bewitched by the aura of calamity once again?

This raises a question: why would the Jinghe Dragon King in the original story be so stubborn? Didn't he know that violating the Heavenly Rules would mean going to the Dragon-Slaying Platform?

Doesn't he know that defying the rules is wrong?

Not necessarily?

How could the mighty Jinghe Dragon King, a righteous god of the Heavenly Court, not know the strictness of the Heavenly Rules and Regulations?
Even the Jade Emperor's sister was ruined and her family destroyed for breaking the heavenly rules, let alone a mere Dragon King.

Maybe the Jade Emperor's lunch is missing a dragon liver ingredient!

Therefore, the only explanation is that the Jinghe Dragon King was so enraged by Yuan Shoucheng that he was blinded by the evil spirits and made a grave mistake.

What about yourself?

Is it okay to stick to one's original intentions?

Just as I was pondering this, I heard a strange cry beside me, "Disaster! Disaster!"

Ao Qian's heart tightened. Looking at the yaksha who had crashed into the hall, he asked, "What trouble has this caused?"

The Yaksha said, “When I went to inspect the waters, I overheard two fishermen and woodcutters talking. When they parted, their words were quite sharp. The fisherman said, ‘On West Gate Street in Chang’an, there is a fortune teller who is extremely accurate. Every day, the fortune teller gives him a carp, and the fortune teller will secretly impart a divination, making him accurate every time. If such accurate divination is followed, wouldn’t all the aquatic creatures be wiped out? How can the Water Palace be magnificent, and how can the waves and surges assist Your Majesty’s power?’”

Instantly, a surge of inexplicable anger rose from the depths of Ao Qian's heart. His expression changed, and he roared, "You bastard, do you have no manners? Guards, drag him away and give him a hundred lashes!"

As soon as he finished speaking, all the princes and grandsons of the dragon, the ministers and officials, the military advisors, the junior ministers and the chief minister, were startled and asked in unison, "Your Majesty, what does this mean?"

"What do you mean?" Ao Qian said angrily. "What kind of place is this? This is the main hall of the Jinghe Dragon Palace, a place for discussions. Even if there is something to discuss, you should announce it first. But this fellow barged in without any manners, shouting and yelling."

Everyone was surprised by this reason and couldn't help but wonder, when did the king become so strict with rules? For such a trivial matter, he actually wanted to whip the Yaksha a hundred times?
The strategist immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the Yaksha also cares about my Jinghe River tribe, but he acted rashly. Is one hundred lashes a bit too much?"

Ao Qian glanced at the strategist. If he remembered correctly, it was this guy who gave him the bad idea in the original story. Who knows if it was his own idea or if someone else was behind it?

"Hmph, strategist, you make it sound so easy. Have you not heard that the law is the standard of the world, the model for all things? It is also said that a king establishes laws and regulations, and all things are governed by the Six Laws, which are the foundation of all things. Although the Jing River is small, I am the governor of the Eight Rivers and the rain god. I should strictly discipline myself and abide by the rules. If I can't even do this, what kind of dragon king am I? Drag me away and beat me!"

Ao Qian spoke sternly, and the strongmen beside him dared not disobey. They immediately stepped forward, picked up the yaksha, and dragged him outside the Dragon Palace to be executed.

For a moment, the hall fell silent, and no one dared to utter a sound.

(End of this chapter)