The Dog Head Guillotine, Executing Lao Jun

But she had heard that the mighty Pangu had cracked out of an egg and taken human form.

The more Yunxiao thought about it, the more shocked and incredulous she became.

It couldn't have been given to him by an ordinary old mortal man while he was traveling through the human world, could it?

Someone whom even a Saint called Grandpa—how could he be an ordinary person?

Impossible!

"That's right, Grandpa is an old man from the human world," Tongtian said with a nod.

Huh?

No way. He really was a mortal?

"This Grandpa is a mortal, but also not a mortal."

Seeing what Yunxiao was thinking, Tongtian smiled and said, "You don't need to overthink it. I'll definitely find a chance to take you to meet him. There is an astonishingly great opportunity there."

"A great opportunity? An astonishingly great one?" Yunxiao's heart trembled.

If even the sect master, a Saint, said it was astonishingly great, then it must be incredibly shocking.

That opportunity had to be beyond anyone's imagination.

"Mm. Keep the Enlightenment Tea safe, then go find Bixiao, Qiongxiao, and your senior brother Gongming."

"Two months from now, all of you will meet at Golden Ao Island. I'll take you to meet my Grandpa."

Sect Master Tongtian called him Grandpa without the slightest hesitation. He was clearly used to it by now.

But hearing Sect Master Tongtian call him Grandpa over and over still made Yunxiao feel strange.

In this world, even Dao Ancestor Hongjun could not make the Three Pure Ones call him Grandpa.

Just what kind of existence was this Grandpa?

Yunxiao was filled with curiosity and anticipation.

Chapter 25: The Dog Head Guillotine, Executing Lao Jun

The human world.

In Zhang Yifan's courtyard, the Jade Emperor had led his people in working enthusiastically for three days, building several large rooms.

Afterward, all the heavenly deities respectfully took their leave.

But Yang Jian stayed behind.

The Jade Emperor did not linger either.

The three-day deadline given to Lao Jun had arrived.

This matter had to be settled.

Hall of Miraculous Mist.

The Jade Emperor ordered his men to strike the Yellow Bell again, summoning all the heavenly deities to court.

Hearing the bell, the heavenly deities stopped what they were doing and headed for the Hall of Miraculous Mist.

But a large number of heavenly deities did not move at all. They simply ignored the bell.

"Father, are we really not going?" Third Prince Nezha asked Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li Jing.

"Go for what? The Jade Emperor must have something wrong with his head. He summons the assembled immortals at the drop of a hat. Is this a game? Or is he trying to imitate King You of Zhou, playing with the feudal lords using beacon fires?" Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li Jing drank his tea, completely unmoved. He did not put the Jade Emperor in his eyes at all.

"Aren't you afraid the Jade Emperor will make trouble for you later?" Nezha was somewhat unsure about the Jade Emperor.

"Afraid of him? Your father is, at the very least, the Grand Marshal of the Heavenly Court's armies appointed by the Investiture of the Gods List. I control the military authority of the Three Realms. The Heavenly Emperor is merely a nominal puppet. He wants to make trouble for me? It would be good enough if I didn't make trouble for him."

Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li Jing laughed.

What a joke. I had military power in my hands. Who was there to fear? At worst, I would purge the court around the ruler!

"Huh?" Nezha had never expected his father to put on such airs.

Hopefully nothing goes wrong. Nezha secretly thought to himself. He felt that there was something off about this Jade Emperor.

Hall of Miraculous Mist.

Several dozen heavenly deities stood scattered throughout the main hall.

Compared to the last time the immortals had been summoned, there were more than three hundred fewer heavenly deities. More than half of them had simply ignored the Jade Emperor's decree.

"Very good."

The Jade Emperor chuckled. "Everyone present is a pillar of my Heavenly Court. I am gratified."

"We are willing to serve Your Majesty." The assembled immortals bowed.

Good grief, who wanted to come? Someone among the immortals complained inwardly.

If they hadn't lacked powerful backing, and if they hadn't been afraid of causing trouble, who would have wanted to listen to the Jade Emperor spout mad nonsense?

Afterward, they would be ostracized by the forces of Heavenly King Li and Lao Jun again.

It was hard. Too hard.

"My beloved subjects, I have summoned you today to look at a treasure."

"A treasure?"

The assembled immortals were stunned.

The Jade Emperor raised his hand, and Taibai Jinxing and Star Lord Wugu carried a huge object into the Hall of Miraculous Mist.

It was covered by a red cloth.

"Let me broaden your horizons," the Jade Emperor said with a smile.

Taibai Jinxing lifted the red cloth.

"Huh?"

The heavenly deities were stunned, then shocked.

"This is... a guillotine?"

"How did such an ominous object get carried into the Hall of Miraculous Mist?"

"Exactly. How is this guillotine a treasure? It looks like an ordinary immortal artifact to me, let alone a postcelestial or primordial spiritual treasure."

The heavenly deities broke into discussion.

Some of them felt chills down their spines and kept their mouths shut.

This was not something people without power or roots could comment on.

Something major was about to happen.

Sure enough.

"Summon Lao Jun into the hall."

The Jade Emperor's authority was imposing even without anger. His imperial presence surged, and the assembled immortals fell silent at once.

"Summon Lao Jun into the hall!"

Taibai Jinxing shouted at the top of his voice, his words spreading throughout the entire Heavenly Court like the sound of a great bell.

Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li Jing heard it.

The heavenly deities of the Interception Sect heard it.

The great powers of the Primordial World watching from the shadows heard it as well.

Of course, Lao Jun heard it too.

At Five Villages Temple, Great Immortal Zhen Yuanzi muttered with an odd expression, "This Jade Emperor really isn't giving Lao Jun any face. Summoning him? Ordering him into the hall? He's completely trampling on Lao Jun's status. One must understand that the Heavenly Court was merely cobbled together. Everyone is a feudal king. Everyone is a king."

"Brat, you really think you're something now? You dare summon me into the hall?"

Lao Jun chuckled. "I'll just sit here and see how you resolve this."

The Heavenly Court.

Inside the Hall of Miraculous Mist, the heavenly deities waited for a long time, but Lao Jun's figure still did not appear.

As if he would actually come.

The Jade Emperor rose to his feet, his expression cold. "Lao Jun has disobeyed an imperial edict and committed an offense against his superior. Under the laws of Heaven, he shall be executed!"

The heavenly deities of the Heavenly Court erupted in an uproar, their expressions changing drastically.

This, this, this... the Jade Emperor actually wanted to execute Lao Jun?

"Pfft!" At Five Villages Temple, Great Immortal Zhen Yuanzi spat out a mouthful of tea.

"Execute Lao Jun? Pfft, hahahahaha!" Great Immortal Zhen Yuanzi laughed incessantly. "Someone actually wants to execute Lao Jun? This is hilarious. How could anyone kill a Saint's incarnation?"

Great Master Guanyin of the South Sea also gazed strangely toward the Heavenly Court.

Tathagata sat upon his throne with solemn, dignified features. He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if dozing, but his thoughts were racing.

The Journey to the West Tribulation had begun turning in an unpredictable direction.

A variable. This was a huge variable.

Yet the secrets of Heaven could not be deduced. They were shrouded in mist, utterly impossible to see through.

Could a Saint be secretly disrupting the secrets of Heaven?

Jade Emperor, Jade Emperor, I rather want to see what backing you have.

Not only were you obstructing my Journey to the West, you were also provoking conflict throughout the Primordial World.

And now you even want to execute Lao Jun?

I'm afraid you'll be the one getting spanked later, you little Jade Emperor!