Yin Shiniang remained silent.
How could she not know everything Wuyun Xian had said? The problem was that she truly could not bear to let go.
After all, they had shared several hundred years together.
They really were an old married couple. How could she simply sever that bond now?
Yes!
Their relationship had lasted not decades, but several hundred years.
After all, this was not the Yin Shang of history, but the Yin Shang of the Primordial World.
This was not yet the era of the Tang dynasty.
By that time, the Sages had withdrawn, and the immortals had taken their appointed places, each attending to their own duties. Immortals and mortals rarely interacted.
Now, immortals and mortals mingled, and the Sages manifested in the world.
Countless immortals of every kind freely roamed the world. Countless others even entered mortal government service or joined the military to gain merit and fortune, enjoying the wealth and splendor of the mortal realm.
Yu Hua, Huang Feihu, Daoist Lu Ya, Kong Xuan, Wen Zhong, and so on.
There were far, far too many!
Thus, the immortals of this era were nothing like the mysterious beings of later ages.
Almost anyone with even a little foundation could become a qi cultivator.
That went without saying for people like Yin Shiniang and Li Jing. As a member of the Chan Sect, Li Jing could easily live several thousand years.
Yin Shiniang was no slouch either. She was a disciple of Nuwa and possessed an extraordinarily long lifespan.
Even King Zhou, Di Xin, though unable to cultivate as the Human King, had the nation's fortune and dragon aura protecting him. Living several thousand years was child's play for him. Di Xin was already over eight hundred years old.
This was also the fundamental reason Li Jing had married Pipa Fox as his concubine.
The demons of this age and those of later eras were two entirely different things.
One could even say that demons in this era stood above humans in the social hierarchy.
Subduing demons and vanquishing devils was something that would only happen in later ages.
It simply would not work in this era.
Nuwa herself was a demon. Let those Daoist priests and Buddhist monks try vanquishing her!
So-called demon subjugation and devil vanquishing only began after the Sages withdrew and the immortals ceased appearing, after the Tang dynasty, during the Song dynasty.
Only then did Buddhism truly flourish.
"Mother, please just listen to my master's advice," Nezha could not help saying.
Wuyun Xian merely shook his head and said nothing more.
After all, one look at Yin Shiniang told Wuyun Xian that the time was not yet ripe. Getting her to leave Li Jing now was simply out of the question.
Things turned out exactly as Wuyun Xian had expected. Though Nezha tried persuading her for a long time, it ultimately did no good at all.
Time slowly passed.
About a month later, Li Jing came running to Nezha's secluded cultivation chamber again.
"Nezha, hurry to the East Sea. Your mother went out boating this morning, and now she's accidentally fallen into the sea."
"We don't know whether she's alive or dead. Hurry and save your mother!"
"You have the highest cultivation in our family. Don't delay another moment. Hurry!"
What?
At those words, Nezha instantly panicked. He had never imagined that his mother would suffer an accident at sea.
His scalp prickled. Without another word, he prepared to rush outside, not even having time to think about anything else.
Wait...
Just as Nezha rushed through the gates of the Li residence, he abruptly stopped.
Something was wrong. Very wrong!
Even if Mother's cultivation wasn't high, she had still entered the ranks of immortals. How could a few waves possibly sweep her into the East Sea?
Not to mention, Mother knew the Water-Repelling Art!
Besides, whenever Mother went out, she always made a point of telling me. She was always afraid that, without her at home, I'd quarrel with that father of mine in name only.
Why hadn't she said anything this time?
Li Jing seemed awfully eager to lure me to the East Sea.
Why?
At that thought, Nezha immediately sensed something amiss. Then he recalled what his master, Wuyun Xian, had told him about the East Sea.
The Dragon Clan!
Though the Dragon Clan had declined, they were still far beyond what a mere True Immortal like me could withstand.
Only a saint's intervention could firmly suppress the Dragonfolk.
Perhaps invoking the Interception Sect's name would keep the Dragon Clan from bullying me at will, but they still wouldn't consider me anyone of consequence.
After all, the Interception Sect had ten thousand immortals paying court. It had far too many disciples.
Who would spare a mere True Immortal like me a second glance?
And Li Jing had been acting very strangely since the start of this month.
Before, he could go twenty years without saying a single word to me, but this month, he seemed constantly eager to talk.
There had been two proper conversations.
The first was to persuade me, a member of the Interception Sect, to join the Chan Sect.
The second was to trick me into going to the East Sea, where the East Sea Dragon Clan was powerful.
Nezha sucked in a sharp breath...
At that realization, cold sweat instantly soaked Nezha's back.
If Li Jing had not schemed this up, Nezha would find a block of tofu and dash himself to death against it.
"Hmph. What a fine scheme!"
Nezha gave a cold laugh, then headed straight back into the Li residence.
As soon as he reached the inner courtyard, he spotted Li Jing.
Li Jing's expression changed when he saw Nezha. "Why aren't you hurrying to save your mother?"
"Why aren't you hurrying to save your wife?" Nezha asked coldly. "Can't wait to make that Pipa Fox your principal wife?"
"Insolence!"
Li Jing flew into a rage. His aura erupted, and he drew his treasured sword, ready to attack.
Nezha, however, beckoned into empty air. The Blood Dragon Pattern Spear appeared in his hand, and he pointed it at Li Jing. "Mother isn't here to protect you now. Guess whether I'd dare kill you!"
Nezha's eyes were filled with murderous intent, and his entire body trembled faintly.
Clearly.
It was not from fear.
Rather, he was genuinely considering whether to seize this opportunity, while Yin Shiniang was absent, to kill Li Jing outright.
As for Yin Shiniang's safety, now that Nezha had come to his senses, he naturally no longer worried about it.
He was a Jie Sect Disciple.
His master was Wuyun Xian.
Their Interception Sect also had a patriarch named Saint Tongtian.
No matter how arrogant the Dragon Clan was, they would never dare kill his mother, Yin Shiniang, outright.
After all, Wuyun Xian had told him that, long before Nezha was even born, he had already spoken to every power around Chentang Pass.
Thus, everyone knew that Yin Shiniang was Nezha's mother.
Even if the East Sea Dragon Clan had eaten a bear's heart and a leopard's gall, at most they would only dare strike some bargain with Li Jing-or rather, with the Chan Sect.
But killing her was something they would not dare do.
After all, if the Dragon Clan did not dare offend the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, would they dare offend Sect Master Tongtian?
Did they really think the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation was merely there for decoration?
Though Nezha had never met Sect Master Tongtian, he had learned plenty about his patriarch Tongtian's temperament from his master, Wuyun Xian.
Thus, he knew perfectly well that, so long as he had right on his side,
Tongtian truly would dare slaughter the Dragon Clan if they dared bully him!
Li Jing's forehead was covered in cold sweat.
Clearly, he had not expected Nezha to see through it.
And judging by his demeanor now, Nezha was certain that Yin Shiniang's life was in no danger whatsoever.
What should I do?
Now, Li Jing was truly beginning to panic.
He understood his third son, Nezha, so he knew perfectly well that Nezha really would dare kill his own father.
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