City Lord Zhang looked at the worried Taibai Venus and said, "Earth god, you needn't worry too much. There's no need to rush this matter. Southern Mausoleum City has already suffered drought for two years—we don't mind waiting a little longer."
Taibai Venus smiled. He knew that City Lord Zhang was trying to comfort him. The drought in Southern Mausoleum City had already reached a critical point and had to be resolved as soon as possible. Every day of delay meant another day of danger. How could he not be anxious?
The city lord sat there and chatted with Taibai Venus for quite a while, offering him comfort. Taibai Venus's mood indeed improved greatly.
That night, Taibai Venus stood before the Earth God Temple, gazing up at the sky. Now that he was an Earth God, going up to the Heavenly Court was no longer possible.
"How can I make the Heavenly Court send down rain?" Taibai Venus stroked his beard and pondered quietly.
He thought from dusk until the latter half of the night, yet still found no solution.
At daybreak, Taibai Venus looked at the morning star in the east. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he thought of something.
The Jade Emperor had once said that if a place in the lower realm was being punished by Heaven and wished for rain or a reduction of its punishment, there was one method: go to Mount Tai and, from its foot, kneel once for every step all the way to the summit of Jade Emperor Peak. Only then would the Heavenly Court send down a rainstorm or lessen some of the punishment.
This was an order personally issued by the Jade Emperor. He had made such an order because Jade Emperor Peak, where Jade Emperor Temple stood, was