No curiosity allowed!

Yang Jian swept his gaze over the Jade Slip, his face betraying neither pleasure nor anger, and said only, "Then crush them."

His tone was utterly casual.

To the True Lord of Manifest Divinity, exterminating demons was straightforward work done with blade and spear. Why bring it to the table for discussion?

"True Lord,"

Taibai Jinxing shook his head and tapped twice in the air above the Jade Slip. "If this were merely an ordinary flood or demonic calamity, why trouble the Bright Hall? This affair has far-reaching implications. Besides those three demons of Lion Camel Ridge, the five Demon Sages who participated in the rebellion against Heaven years ago are also involved. The Great Heavenly Venerable has issued a decree commanding this old man to focus on military affairs. For this campaign to quell the rebellion, none but you will do."

Hearing that the Great Heavenly Venerable had named him, Yang Jian did not immediately respond.

The True Lord lifted his teacup, brushed aside the leaves floating on the surface, and lowered his eyes as he silently weighed the matter.

In the court of immortals, charging ahead without distinguishing right from wrong was the greatest taboo.

The Heavenly Court had military commanders in abundance. Looking no further than the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li Jing of the Cloud Tower Palace and Third Prince Nezha, the hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals under their command were more than enough to deal with a few demons in the lower realm.

Why leave an established demon-slaying army idle and instead trouble Yang Jian, who accepted military deployments but not summons to court?

When something departed from the ordinary, there had to be a hidden reason.

Yang Jian raised his eyes, his gaze profound.

Taibai Jinxing said nothing. He merely held his teacup, a smile touching his lips, and gave the True Lord a slight nod.

An understanding between Great Luo Golden Immortals never needed to be spelled out.

A glance and a nod were enough for both to understand.

Slaying demons was the pretext; handing over merit was the true purpose.

An uncle was an uncle, after all. The Great Heavenly Venerable needed some excuse to steer military honors into his own nephew's hands.

Rich water should not flow into another man's fields. It was only natural.

Having grasped the crux of the matter, Yang Jian set down his teacup and immediately nodded his assent. "Since this is the Great Heavenly Venerable's decree, I shall take on the suppression of the rebellion at the Heaven-Reaching River. I trust you will lend your assistance with the deployment of troops and commanders, Star Lord!"

"Of course, of course!" Taibai Jinxing laughed heartily. "This old man shall spare no effort!"

The True Lord would eat the meat, and the Bright Hall would drink the broth.

The nephew would take the lion's share, but Taibai Jinxing's faction would naturally get a portion too.

Both sides were delighted, plotting a future together.

As for how the demons ran rampant in the Heaven-Reaching River, or how much suppressing the rebellion would cost-

Those incidental details went unmentioned, and needed no mention.

Chen Wei had become a True Immortal.

A hundred thousand years of merit poured ceaselessly into the sea of consciousness within his spiritual core. Everything fell into place as naturally as water flowing into a channel.

When he opened his eyes again, golden light lay concealed within them, carrying a faint sense of transcendence.

His True Immortal Dao fruit had taken shape.

A hint of unreality stirred in Chen Wei's heart as he recalled the past.

When he had first ascended to the Heavenly Court and crossed the Southern Heavenly Gate, his greatest ambition had been nothing more than getting himself a magnificent suit of heavenly soldier armor.

Later, after being transferred to serve in the Bright Hall, his hopes had risen a little. He had wished to put in enough years to earn the title of a formally registered Heavenly Immortal.

Who could have imagined it?

Through twists of fate, dimming his own light to mingle with the dust, he had not only become the office's Chief Official but leaped into the ranks of True Immortals.

Promotion in the Heavenly Court depended entirely on luck and connections.

The immortals of old truly did not deceive me!

As long as I cling to a powerful leg and follow the wind, even a minor immortal can turn his fortunes around.

"Congratulations, sir! Congratulations!" Ma Muzhi cupped his hands, his face wreathed in smiles, and poured out an endless stream of flattery. "Now that you've become a True Immortal, the Great Dao is within reach! Our Censorate will have an even stronger voice in the Bright Hall from now on!"

At Chen Wei's breakthrough, Yang Niansan casually cupped her hands. "Your imposing presence grows by the day, sir, and you keep climbing higher. Truly a cause for celebration."

Below them in the hall.

Xiao Yan was buried in a mountain of case files. Hearing the commotion, he looked up, his eyes brimming with envy.

That was a True Immortal Dao fruit!

For an independent cultivator who had only just ascended, it was a towering tree utterly beyond his reach.

After taking a look.

Xiao Yan lowered his head again and resumed reviewing documents at speed, encouraging himself inwardly. Official Ma said it! No slacking! I must work hard! I must improve! As long as I work hard, put my shoulder to the task, and obey, sooner or later I'll have my own little patch of land in the Heavenly Court!

Meanwhile.

Listening to his colleagues' congratulations, Chen Wei showed not the slightest arrogance. He smiled and waved a hand. "Old Ma, Lord Yang, please don't flatter me so. We serve in the same office and stir our ladles in the same pot. Everything I have today is thanks to all your wholehearted support. Never mind congratulating me—we should all celebrate! All of us!"

His words were watertight, humble to the bone. He looked every bit the exemplary senior immortal.

Ma Muzhi agreed repeatedly and returned to his desk, quietly casting a sidelong glance at Yang Niansan.

What luck?

It was all that pretty charm!

Chen Wei had received a hundred thousand years of merit by basking in the reflected glory of immortal nobility.

But Old Ma would never expose it.

Such was the court of the Heavenly Court: when one prospered, all prospered; when one suffered, all suffered. He needed only to wait for Chen Wei to soar upward, and then he too could secure a fine future in his wake.

As long as he aimed his flattery at the right place, better days still lay ahead.

At that thought, Ma Muzhi's eyes shifted slightly. Seizing the moment, he cupped his hands and offered, "Official Chen, in this subordinate's opinion, the person you ought to thank most for attaining your True Immortal Dao fruit is Official Yang!"

"Hmm?" A flicker of panic crossed Yang Niansan's eyes. Had her secret maneuvering been discovered?

Chen Wei blinked without thinking much of it and nodded along. "Old Ma has a point. Ever since Lord Yang came to our office, one happy event has followed another, and every duty has yielded as readily as bamboo splits beneath a blade. To put it plainly, Lord Yang is simply the lucky star fate ordained for me!"

Those few words of flattery showed neither mountain nor water.

Having spent years cultivating in seclusion on an immortal mountain, how could Yang Niansan withstand the sugar-coated cannonballs these old hands launched together?

Their praise left her dizzy. She waved her hands repeatedly, even the tips of her ears turning red.

"Not at all. It's all thanks to your exceptional gifts and deep blessings, Official Chen..." Yang Niansan lowered her eyes, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. Somehow, her every movement betrayed an unwitting shyness.

Watching her, Chen Wei could not help feeling a trace of unease.

Immortals could assume countless forms, to be sure, but after working together for so long, the telltale signs Yang Niansan displayed were simply too obvious.

What male immortal spent every day wreathed in the scent of rouge and powder, then grew bashful and coy when praised?

"Lord Yang," Chen Wei probed with feigned curiosity, "there's something that's always puzzled me. You're clearly a male immortal, so why is your manner, along with the scent on you..."

"No curiosity allowed!" Yang Niansan cut him off. Caught between embarrassment and indignation, she stamped her foot.

Crack-

With a sharp snap, another floor tile in the office split.

Realizing she had lost her composure, Yang Niansan pulled a completely inactive voice-transmission jade talisman from her sleeve and gestured wildly with it. "Oh! Someone's sent me a message! The talisman's lit up! I have urgent business to attend to, so I'll be off. See you!"

With that, she abandoned all concern for immortal decorum, transformed into golden light, and vanished in an instant.

The hall fell utterly silent.

Ma Muzhi coughed twice to break the silence, then turned to Xiao Yan, who was still buried in his paperwork. "Put that work aside for a moment. Hurry over to the Immortal Works Bureau and submit a request to replace the basalt floor tiles!"

Xiao Yan hastily assented, scooped up the paperwork, and raced out the door.

Chen Wei stood where he was with his hands clasped behind his back, lost in thought.

A male immortal?

A lucky star?