Don't Be Nervous, My Uncle Is Easy to Talk To

Boom!

Without warning, a thunderclap struck above the Heaven-Reaching River.

The thunder sounded neither in the clouds nor on the water. It crashed straight into the depths of the immortals' Spirit Platforms.

As the thunder fell, Chen Wei abruptly opened his eyes from his cross-legged meditation. His True Immortal Dao Fruit began trembling uncontrollably.

"Heart palpitations?" Chen Wei snatched up his Standard Immortal Sword and stepped out of the cabin.

A proper True Immortal had escaped the cycle of reincarnation in the Three Realms. Ordinary wind, rain, thunder, and lightning could not even touch the hem of his robe.

Anything that could set his heart quaking was no mere weather.

The Thunder Officials serving the Celestial Venerable of Universal Thunder, Originating in the Nine Heavens, had to submit memorials according to protocol before casting their spells. Who would dare hurl lightning recklessly at the front lines?

He had barely steadied his footing when he caught sight of Kang Anyu out of the corner of his eye.

The usually languid Commandant Kang now wore a face as still and dark as deep water. Anything that could alarm a Golden Immortal had to be serious.

A jumble of footsteps sounded behind him.

Ma Muzhi, Pang Long, Xiao Yan, and Chu Feng all poured out of the cabin. The four immortals clustered around Chen Wei, craning their necks to look outside.

"Sir! What's happened?"

Chen Wei had no idea either.

But as the Vanguard's Chief Official, he could not panic even if his subordinates did.

"Put away your magic artifacts!" Chen Wei clasped his hands behind his back, suppressing his alarm and uncertainty as he spoke evenly. "Nothing has happened. Standing here, we represent the Heavenly Court. All thunder in the Three Realms falls under the Heavenly Court's jurisdiction. However fierce heavenly lightning may be, it would never strike its own camp!"

The immortals felt somewhat reassured.

His words had barely faded.

A deep voice drifted from the clouds. "Well said. All thunder in the Three Realms belongs to the Heavenly Court. What is there to fear?"

Chen Wei looked toward the voice.

An unmarked Flying Boat broke through the sea of clouds and slowly approached.

Yang Niansan stood conspicuously at its bow. Behind her stood a middle-aged man in casual clothes with an imposing face.

One glance left Kang Anyu visibly shocked.

As Yang Jian's trusted confidant, he had accompanied the Holy Manifestation True Lord in and out of Lingxiao Palace for years. How could he fail to recognize this visitor?

The Great Heavenly Venerable!

The supreme ruler of the Three Realms-the Jade Emperor in his true appearance!

As Chen Wei's gaze fell on the man, he immediately felt an oppressive majesty bearing down on him. But during his service at Bright Hall, he had only seen the Jade Emperor's divine manifestation from afar, never his true appearance.

His subconscious simply refused to entertain the possibility that the ruler of the Three Realms would be standing before him.

His thoughts raced, and Chen Wei arrived at a conclusion.

Yang Niansan's background was mysterious. Now that she had returned to camp with a man of extraordinary bearing, he was most likely an elder of her family visiting her.

When a subordinate's elder came to visit, the Chief Official could not neglect proper courtesy.

Chen Wei immediately cupped his hands and bowed, declaring clearly, "This junior, Chen Wei, greets you, senior!"

"Senior?" The Great Heavenly Venerable chuckled.

Chen Wei felt the space before him ripple slightly, and the imposing man was already standing three feet away.

He had shrunk the ground to an inch without letting a trace of immortal power escape.

Just then, Ma Muzhi happened to raise his head and look the man squarely in the face.

Old Ma had spent three hundred years toiling as a clerk in Bright Hall's Archives Office, organizing portraits of the Heavenly Court's senior figures day after day. The appearance the Great Heavenly Venerable used on his excursions had long since been etched into his bones.

The instant he recognized that face, Old Ma began shaking like chaff in a sieve. "Great..."

"Hmm?" The Great Heavenly Venerable lowered his gaze, his tone utterly calm. "How did you know my surname is Zhang and my given name is Tian?"

Ma Muzhi's instinct for survival surged to its peak. He forced a fawning smile onto his face. "A guess! Seeing your magnificent bearing, senior, like a celestial descended to earth, this junior blindly guessed the character Tian! Please forgive me, senior. It was a blind guess!"

What sort of man was Old Ma?

A seasoned old fox who would never release his hawk before spotting the hare.

Could an ordinary family elder frighten him out of his wits?

Chen Wei narrowed his eyes and glanced at Kang Anyu again. Commandant Kang stood straighter than a Heavenly Soldier at the Southern Heavenly Gate, his eyes fixed in place, not daring to shift them an inch.

Chen Wei inwardly sensed trouble.

He immediately began signaling frantically at Yang Niansan with his eyes: Which mighty figure is this?

Yang Niansan met his gaze and gave a slight, expressionless shake of her head.

Just then, the Great Heavenly Venerable strolled up to Chen Wei. He said nothing, merely stood there quietly, looking the young immortal official with his scholarly air up and down.

So this was the boy who drew a little chick to rake in merit?

And this was also the boy who had stolen Chan'er's heart?

His gaze bore down.

Chen Wei felt his normally nimble mind freeze solid. He could not squeeze out a single thought.

Silence lingered.

At last, the Great Heavenly Venerable spoke. His voice was not loud, yet it shook Chen Wei's Spirit Platform like a great bronze bell. "You are Chen Wei?"

"This junior is indeed!" Chen Wei braced himself, cupped his hands, and bowed deeply again.

Facing Yang Jian's wrath was like having a blade pressed to his throat.

Facing this Zhang Tian, however, felt like Star River pouring backward, heaven and earth overturning.

The weight of his presence surpassed even the Holy Manifestation True Lord's.

"Could it be my imagination?" Chen Wei forced out a mutter, forcibly steadied his mind, and dared to meet the Great Heavenly Venerable's gaze.

The instant their eyes met, it was like a mortal staring straight at the blazing sun in the Nine Heavens. Boundless golden light crashed into his face.

Chen Wei's knees went weak, and he nearly dropped to them on the spot. It felt as though heaven and earth had overturned, mountains and rivers reversing.

Could this middle-aged man possibly be an ordinary high immortal?

Just then, Yang Niansan took the Great Heavenly Venerable's forearm and gently shook it. "Uncle, don't scare him!"

The moment his niece began wheedling, the divine might filling the sky vanished without a trace.

The Great Heavenly Venerable patted the back of Yang Chan's hand and chuckled. "All right, all right! Official Chen, Niansan is usually rather spoiled and willful. Serving under you, she must have caused you considerable offense."

The pressure lifted.

Chen Wei's mind spun at lightning speed, and fine words came pouring from his mouth. "Not at all, senior! Lord Yang is the undisputed pillar holding firm against the current in the Folk Customs Censorate! Meticulous in thought, swift as thunder and decisive as the wind in action, and as warm as a spring breeze toward her colleagues. Whatever paltry achievements this junior has earned are entirely thanks to Lord Yang's wholehearted assistance and masterful planning! Who in our office doesn't praise her virtue and ability? This junior can scarcely thank her enough for supporting me. How could there be any offense?"

Ma Muzhi listened in awe.

When it came to trimming one's sails to the wind and polishing boots, Official Chen was still a cut above.

Yang Niansan was delighted. She hastily covered her mouth with her sleeve, laughing until her eyes narrowed into crescents.

That mouth of Chen Wei's-what a treat!

The Great Heavenly Venerable's smile faded, and his deep gaze pierced Chen Wei once more. "A tongue nimble as a reed, capable of talking black into white. Enough. Board the boat and accompany me on a trip with Niansan."

"Yes!" Without the slightest hesitation, Chen Wei pushed off with his toes and leaped onto the wooden Flying Boat.

An iron law of survival in the Heavenly Court: when accompanying a high immortal on an outing, one must never let that high immortal take the helm personally. The menial work naturally fell to the lesser immortal.

Chen Wei deftly took his place at the Navigation Array Disk and formed a spell seal.

The Flying Boat rose into the air and broke through the clouds.

Yang Niansan came up beside the array disk and nudged Chen Wei's elbow. "Don't be nervous. My uncle is easy to talk to."

"Ha, I... I'm not nervous." Chen Wei gave two dry chuckles and discreetly edged half a step away.

Ever since discovering that Yang Niansan was a female immortal, he had erected a high wall in his heart.

They were in a front-line military camp, under everyone's watchful eyes.

If an unmarried man and woman stood too close together, word getting out would damage both their reputations.

Besides, an unfathomable elder of her family stood right beside them. If he displeased the man, the consequences did not bear thinking about.

Yet seeing Chen Wei dodge away only piqued Yang Niansan's interest. "Why are you avoiding me?"

When Chen Wei shifted left, she moved closer on his left.

When Chen Wei dodged right, she squeezed toward him on his right.

"Ahem." A dry cough sounded, neither loud nor soft.

The Great Heavenly Venerable shook his head and instructed calmly, "Niansan, come here beside your uncle."

The divine decree had been issued.

Yang Niansan could only abandon her pestering and obediently return to the Great Heavenly Venerable's side.

Feeling as though he had received a grand pardon, Chen Wei devoted all his attention to the Magic Array, his eyes fixed on the Cloud Road ahead.

Even so, he could not help muttering inwardly, This elder is no ordinary man!