Journey to the West: Starting with the True Lord of the Pure Land

He had clearly sent the Yaksha general back with those words, and anyone with a modicum of sense could understand the meaning behind them—it was by no means an attitude of blind obedience or being manipulated by others.

How come at this moment, this Heavenly King not only did not show the slightest displeasure, but was also smiling, quite like a host welcoming guests?

Could it be that the demonic wind of Wujin Mountain has truly enlightened him and changed his nature?

Before Chen Jiao could think further, the cloud had already landed in front of the camp gate.

Chen Jiao dismounted from the Xie Zhi, and the generals of the Thunder Department behind him also landed together, their armor clanging, and the murderous aura instantly solidified.

Li Jing had already led his men forward a few steps, and before Chen Jiao could speak, he smiled and cupped his hands in greeting:

"Your Excellency has traveled a long way and must be tired! This general has been eagerly awaiting your arrival!"

As he spoke, he subtly observed Chen Jiao and the Lei Brigade soldiers behind him, his smile deepening.

"I was ordered to descend to the mortal realm to capture the rat spirit, but I did not expect that the demons here would have some strange methods. I was caught off guard and suffered a slight setback."

Having heard that the True Lord is currently on a hunting expedition in the vicinity, I have taken the liberty of inviting you.

The True Lord's thunder magic is profound and mysterious; he is precisely the nemesis of such evil demons and heretics! With the True Lord's assistance today, how can we worry about the demonic atmosphere not being quelled?

Chen Jiao remained unmoved, showing little reaction to Li Jing's overtures, and cupped his hands in greeting, saying:

"You're too kind, Heavenly King Li. It's just my duty to vanquish demons and evil spirits."

The response was brief and understated, without any unnecessary pleasantries.

His gaze passed over Li Jing, glanced at the somewhat disheveled Heavenly Army camp behind them, and then returned to Li Jing's face.

Chen Jiao looked at the smiling Li Jing in front of him, but instead of continuing with the pleasantries as the other party expected, he went straight to the point:

"However, before I departed, I had the Yaksha deliver a few words. I wonder what the Heavenly King thinks of them?"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in front of the camp gate instantly froze.

The smile on Li Jing's face froze for a moment.

A hint of confusion flashed in his eyes. He subconsciously turned his head and looked at the Yaksha general behind him, who stood with his hands at his sides and always had his head bowed.

What did you say?

Li Jing's heart sank as he suddenly recalled the hesitant expression on Yaksha's face when he entered the tent.

Yaksha felt a tingling sensation on his scalp, as if the marshal's gaze was piercing him like golden needles.

Just now in the tent, it was clearly the marshal himself who didn't allow him to finish his report...

His throat went dry, and under Li Jing's watchful gaze, he had no choice but to steel himself and take half a step forward, ready to repeat the words of the True Lord Jingfa:

"Reporting to the Marshal, what the True Lord said is true..."

"No need." Chen Jiao's voice rang out at the right time, interrupting Yaksha's difficult opening.

He remained calm, taking in the expressions of Li Jing and the Yaksha General, and understood everything perfectly.

As expected, Li Jing didn't suddenly understand; he simply didn't hear it or deliberately avoided the words.

Chen Jiao had no interest in seeing Li Jing's subordinates so embarrassed, nor did he want to get entangled in any further verbal exchanges.

Since Li Jing is unaware, then let's explain it to him face to face.

In this way, a lot of unnecessary maneuvering is saved.

Chen Jiao's gaze returned to Li Jing's face, and he said coldly:

"It seems that Li Tianwang is too busy to have heard of this."

"In that case, I will say it again, so that the Heavenly King and all the generals may know."

He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over the generals behind Li Jing, finally settling on Li Jing's instantly somber expression.

"Firstly, I am here on imperial orders to patrol and hunt, and it is my duty to quell the demons of Wujin Mountain."

While their objectives overlapped—capturing the fugitive from Ling Mountain—each had their own duties. This was official business, not a matter of personal friendship.

"Secondly, the Thunder Palace under my command is directly under the Thunder Department and is not under the control of the Heavenly King."

Thirdly…

Chen Jiao's gaze met Li Jing's, whose eyes were subtly rippled with emotion.

"After the matter is concluded, I will personally draft a memorial to the Heavenly Court to report on the merits and demerits of the matter and explain the whole story."

There's no need for Li Tianwang to trouble himself, nor for anyone else to write it. Heaven's justice is impartial; the Great Heavenly Venerable and the relevant officials will surely see the truth.

After saying the three points, Chen Jiao fell silent and simply looked at Li Jing quietly.

The three thousand thunder soldiers behind him were completely silent.

Only the flags fluttered in the wind, which only served to emphasize the suffocating silence that followed these words at the camp gate.

Li Jing's face had completely darkened.

The forced smile from a moment ago had completely vanished, replaced by a deathly pale expression.

His hand gripping the exquisite pagoda tightened involuntarily, and the veins on the back of his hand became visible.

Chen Jiao's words were not merely a repetition; they were a clear statement made in full view of everyone, without any hesitation.

They also seized control of the post-event praise and commendation, leaving the commander-in-chief little room for maneuver.

Nezha, on the other hand, had a slight smile on his lips, looking like he was watching a good show as if it were none of his business.

Yu Du and the others looked at each other awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

The Yaksha general was sweating profusely, wishing he could shrink into a crack in the ground, and lamented in his heart.

Marshal, why are you in such a hurry?

Li Jing remained silent.

The silence was short-lived, lasting only a few breaths.

However, above these clouds, there was a tense atmosphere, like two armies facing off, and an invisible struggle.

This silence felt exceptionally long and oppressive.

Chen Jiao simply looked at him quietly, his gaze calm and unwavering.

Being ordered to tour the country by imperial decree grants one special authority; reporting back after the event is also one's duty.

This silence felt exceptionally long and oppressive.

Chen Jiao simply looked at him quietly, his gaze calm and unwavering.

Being ordered to tour the country by imperial decree grants one special authority; reporting back after the event is also one's duty.

Every word and phrase is within the rules, and there is not a single mistake.

However, it was precisely these impeccable rules that, like a cold and hard wall, suddenly shattered Li Jing's thoughts that he could not share with outsiders.

That was the secret expectation of dominating the battle, coordinating the credit, and even thereby gaining the prestigious title of Prime Minister.

For those who are eager to seize all the credit and demonstrate their prestige, such a clear demarcation and divide-and-conquer approach is undoubtedly the most vexing.

Li Jing felt a surge of anger mixed with the embarrassment of being exposed to his face.

And on a deeper level, there was a sense of apprehension towards the background and favor of this young True Lord.

A contest between Chen Jiao and the foundation of the Heavenly Court?

He doesn't yet have that kind of confidence.

Openly refuting this newly favored figure, who enjoyed the trust of the Great Heavenly Venerable and held power over the Thunder Department, would be even more unthinkable.

A variety of emotions flickered in his eyes, but he forced them all back down.

Li Jing forced a smile, let out a short laugh, his voice slightly hoarse, breaking the suffocating silence.

"The True Lord's thoughts are thorough and his words are reasonable and logical."

This commander... naturally has no objection.

Since this is a public duty to vanquish demons, everyone should perform their duties diligently and work together with one heart. Afterwards, merits and demerits should be reported truthfully to uphold the will of Heaven.

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiao nodded slightly and said, "King Li is a reasonable person."

Then, he stopped looking at Li Jing's forced smile and turned his gaze to Nezha, who was standing a step behind Li Jing.

Chen Jiao shifted his feet slightly, taking two steps forward, getting closer to the direction of the commander's tent.

Then his gaze swept over Nezha, and then he slightly raised his chin towards the direction of the Heavenly Army's command tent.

The meaning is quite clear.

Why aren't you leading the way into the commander's tent? Do you expect me to just stand here in the wind?

Nezha was slightly taken aback at first, then his expression turned to amusement and amusement.

He could naturally tell that the man in the taciturn man's words were indeed meant to defend Lei Bu.

One could say that he was venting his anger on behalf of Nezha, who had been secretly humiliated by Li Jing at the South Heavenly Gate that day.

Looking at his father's forced smile, yet helpless face.

Nezha felt an unprecedented sense of comfort.

This taciturn guy... is quite interesting.

The thought flashed through Nezha's mind, but he remained expressionless, simply lowering his arms.

He stepped forward, facing Chen Jiao, and also facing his own father, and calmly turned to the side:

"Father, True Lord, let's talk in the tent."

The sound was crisp and clear, without any unnecessary ripples.

Li Jing's face darkened again, but he couldn't lash out, so he could only reluctantly make a "please" gesture to Chen Jiao.

…………

…………

Deep within the Wujin Cave.

The stench of blood and filth lingered, mixed with the smell of freshly burned, cheap incense, making the odor even more nauseating.

King Jin Huan and Tai Sui Wu Huan had finished their meditation and recovered some of their depleted demonic power, and their fierce expressions returned.

King Golden Ring picked up a skull-shaped wine cup, drank the blood wine inside in one gulp, and casually threw the cup to the ground with a dull thud.

He glanced at the surviving little demons in the cave, some sitting, some lying down, all wounded and looking dejected.

A hint of hostility flashed across his face as he coldly said:

"How infuriating! How hateful!"

His voice was deep, like muffled thunder from underground:

"Heavenly soldiers and generals, what ruthless methods you employ! My thousands of soldiers from Wujin Mountain have suffered nearly half their losses in this battle!"

His fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and the golden scales on them shimmered faintly.

Wu Huan Tai Sui, standing to the side, didn't care at all. He chuckled strangely, tore off a piece of leg meat, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed it heartily, juice dripping down the corner of his mouth.

He swallowed the meat, wiped his mouth, and said with a disdainful laugh:

"Why be angry, brother? It's good to have some useless trash defeated! Just summon more!"

But that Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li Jing, hahahaha!

He laughed so hard he almost fell over:

"I thought he was some big shot, but he's just a good-for-nothing coward! A wimp!"

They only know how to hide in the clouds and wave flags and shout slogans, but when things turn bad, they sound the retreat and run away faster than a stray dog!

It's all thanks to his son Nezha risking his life at the front!

When Nezha was mentioned, a fierce glint flashed in Wu Huan Tai Sui's eyes, but more than anything, he was smug and laughed:

"That Nezha has a huge reputation, but I think he's a complete fraud!"

Even with my brother's supernatural powers, didn't he also end up looking disheveled and running away with his tail between his legs?

"What heavenly soldiers and generals? They're nothing special!"

Upon hearing this, King Jinhuan's expression softened slightly, but the knot in his brow remained. He said in a deep voice:

"Brother, you must not be careless. That Nezha is indeed very capable, but he was caught off guard and fell into our trap."

Moreover, the Heavenly Court is powerful; although they have retreated this time, they may not be content with it.

"Why be afraid of him!"

Wu Huan Tai Sui threw down the bone in his hand and slammed his hand on the table, saying:

"When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it!"

Once we have refined the precious elixir, greatly advanced our cultivation, and eradicated all our inner demons, let alone Li Jing and Nezha, even if the Heavenly Court sends a large army again, we will ensure they never return!

As he spoke with great enthusiasm, his gaze couldn't help but drift to the black iron cage in the corner of the main hall, where Bai Susu huddled in a corner, her face ashen.

"Why hasn't that old ghost from Jieyang Mountain arrived yet? Could it be that he's become timid because he sees the heavenly soldiers here?"

Why don't you and I just eat this rat demon together?