With that, Grandmaster White strolled away.
“Regarding General Lee’s petition, what do you all think?” The Jade Emperor lowered his gaze, stroking his ink-black beard and spoke in a leisurely tone.
The grand hall was silent; nearly every immortal quietly sensed the atmosphere around them.
“What are your thoughts, ministers?” the Jade Emperor asked again.
A minor immortal, holding his tablet, tiptoed to the center of the hall behind General Lee and declared in a clear voice, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, the demon threat is great and will surely endanger the mortal realm. If we do nothing, it will eventually threaten our Heavenly Court. Let General Lee lead the army to eradicate Blossom Mountain—this will sever the demons' ambitions and bolster our prestige, bringing fortune to the Three Realms. This is most excellent."
The immortals in the hall whispered among themselves, but Grandmaster White remained calm as ever.
“Oh?” The Jade Emperor rested his hand on the dragon desk, his gaze once again unconsciously sweeping over Grandmaster White. He nodded and said, “Does anyone else have objections?”
The murmurs grew louder.
The God of Wealth stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, “Your Majesty, I believe this is unwise. Whether the disaster at Blossom Mountain is truly as General Lee claims—an unstoppable blaze—remains uncertain. If Your Majesty orders the army to march now, how will you resolve the case of the Heavenly Fleet?”
“Are you saying I, General Lee, am making things up?” General Lee sneered without turning his head.
Anna Yang glanced at the bamboo slip in her hand. "The Twenty-Eight Mansions, Nine Luminaries, Twelve Celestial Governors, Five Directional Wardens, Four Duty Officers, Eastern and Western Star Hosts, Northern and Southern Pole Gods. And his own South Heaven Gate corps."
“A fine thing, changing generals on the eve of battle!” General Lee turned to rebuke him. “How can a civil official presume to judge matters of war?”
The sudden rebuke startled the God of Wealth so much that he nearly dropped his tablet, his face reddening. For a moment he was at a loss for words, and could only cast pleading glances around the hall.
With that remark, it was clear General Lee intended to support Marshal Silver.
Aside from the Three Pure Ones, whom Heaven cannot mobilize, it seems only Erik Yang refuses to be deployed. This force is far greater than the battle at Guankou ever was.
Everyone knew South Heaven Gate and the Heavenly Fleet were at odds. Had General Lee changed his tune because of the Blossom Mountain campaign?
Perhaps General Lee’s move was so unexpected that, for a moment, the immortals exchanged glances and whispered, yet not one stepped forward to help. Grandmaster White remained composed, his gaze steady as ever.
Just then, the Jade Emperor coughed twice from the dragon throne and said, “On this matter, what is the Venus Elder’s opinion?”
The Venus Elder smiled faintly, stepped to the center of the hall, and bowed. “Your Majesty, I too find this most excellent.”
“Oh?” The Jade Emperor was slightly taken aback. “Do you mean sending out the army is excellent, or that changing commanders is excellent?”
“I meant the matter of sending out the army.”
At these words, those immortals who were still in the dark began to discuss heatedly.
Upon hearing this, the Jade Emperor’s gaze slowly shifted toward General Lee, who kept his eyes lowered and said nothing.
The Jade Emperor nodded silently and said, “If that is so, then we will follow General Lee’s petition and issue the order for reinforcements at once.”
“Wait.”
“Has Grandmaster White changed his mind again?”
“Not at all. I have no objection to sending out the army. However, I have something else to present to Your Majesty, and I ask you to examine it.” With that, Grandmaster White drew a roll of white silk from his sleeve and placed it on the dragon desk with both hands.
He casually unrolled the white silk. With just a glance, the Jade Emperor was instantly stunned.
Grandmaster White bowed slightly and said, “As Your Majesty can see, Marshal Silver has confessed on this silk to misusing Plaguewater and bringing disaster upon the living.”
At these words, the hall erupted in an uproar.
“He’s already admitted it?”
“In that case, we should send troops to arrest him at once!”
“So his defiance wasn’t about the war, but about fear of punishment!”
“How can such a traitor be allowed to command troops at will?”
“Before sending forces against Blossom Mountain, Marshal Silver must be arrested! Otherwise, the Three Realms will not accept it!”
“I earnestly request Your Majesty to immediately remove Marshal Silver from all military duties and have him arrested and brought to justice!”
Amidst the commotion, the immortals glanced and whispered to each other.
The Jade Emperor’s expression changed slightly. He straightened up, casually covered the white silk on the dragon desk, and gazed at Grandmaster White with a faint smile. "So, Grandmaster White means... remove Marshal Silver from office first, then send out the troops?"
“Not so.” Grandmaster White bowed. “I believe General Lee is correct—changing commanders before battle is harmful. However, Marshal Silver is guilty, and gravely so. If he is not punished, it will not appease the masses. How will Heaven command the Three Realms in the future?”
“On this matter, I suggest Your Majesty follow mortal military law: merits and crimes must not offset each other. Marshal Silver has committed grave sins; after the war he should be cast into the Eighteen Levels of Hell, never to be reborn. If he leads the Heavenly Fleet to great victory in this battle, he may be rewarded separately—for example, with a wealthy mortal life in his next incarnation. If this is settled, I believe there is no harm in letting him remain as commander.”
After this statement, General Lee remained silent while the other immortals voiced their agreement.
Seated on the dragon throne, the Jade Emperor’s fist unconsciously clenched. He smiled faintly and said, “Let me consider this matter carefully.”
...
With a bang, the inner chamber door swung open.
The Jade Emperor strode through the doorway, clutching the white silk scroll, and stood on the carpet, teeth clenched.
Behind him, General Curtain hurried in and quickly closed the door for the Jade Emperor.
“Your Majesty, please calm yourself.”
“Calm myself? What is the meaning of this? The moment General Lee made his move in court, I knew something was wrong, but I never expected him to actually…”
The Jade Emperor gripped the white silk tightly, teeth clenched and hands trembling, but never brought it down on the desk.
General Curtain bowed, “The marshal has repeatedly requested reinforcements. If what General Lee said today is true, and Blossom Mountain truly is a blazing inferno, it’s no wonder the marshal would pay such a price for aid. If we wait a few more years, I fear… The marshal is only fulfilling his promise to Your Majesty and Heaven, remaining loyal. Please, Your Majesty, calm yourself. Everything General Lee said today, the marshal reported long ago, but Your Majesty kept delaying… If not for that, the marshal would not have resorted to such measures.”
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“Hmph, he’s loyal? Then what am I?” The Jade Emperor sneered. “Yes! If General Lee is right, the Blossom Mountain demons must be annihilated without delay. That demon monkey is dangerous and must be killed. If not, Heaven itself will be threatened in time. As a general, he did nothing wrong. But what about me? He’s fulfilled his duty, but how am I supposed to protect him? Am I supposed to be the foolish emperor? If he’s cast down, the Heavenly Fleet is ruined. Am I to rely on General Lee’s South Heaven Gate to suppress demons from now on? Such a loyal subject—I truly can’t bear it! He’s kept his promise to Heaven, but where does that leave me?”
With that, a jade teapot was hurled to the ground, shattering into pieces.
“Your Majesty, the marshal had no choice. Now that things have come to this, I urge you to consider carefully.”
Staring wide-eyed at the white silk clenched in his hand, the Jade Emperor could only sigh helplessly through gritted teeth.
Outside the High Sky Throne Hall, in the long corridor, General Lee and Grandmaster White stood together.
Grandmaster White clasped his hands and smiled, “General Lee, everything Chang-geng promised has been done. Whether the army will march next is up to His Majesty. It’s out of Chang-geng’s hands now.”
“I understand.” General Lee bowed. “Thank you, Star Lord, for your assistance.”
“Also, please convey to Marshal Silver: if he truly gets the chance to command and seize Blossom Mountain, and earns merit in battle, given his repentance, Chang-geng will speak for him in the High Sky Throne Hall and win him a prosperous next life. I hope he does not falter on the battlefield.”
With that, Grandmaster White strolled away.
General Lee remained silent.
...
Before Heaven could reach a decision, news had already spread to Blossom Mountain. Monkey felt as if struck by lightning.
“Has Grandmaster White changed his nature? How could he suddenly shift his stance?” Monkey asked, eyes wide. “And what about the other immortals? Do they all just follow his lead?”
“Grandmaster White holds a high position in Heaven, and he’s led more than one impeachment against Marshal Silver. Naturally, the other immortals follow his lead.” Pausing, Anna Yang said, “But don’t you see? It’s not Grandmaster White who’s changed—it’s Marshal Silver who’s compromised. Grandmaster White never cared about attacking Blossom Mountain or who led the campaign. His motive was always to topple Marshal Silver. Now that Marshal Silver has submitted his confession, Grandmaster White has already won. So, supporting Heaven’s expedition against Blossom Mountain makes no difference to him.”
The small room grew noticeably colder.
Monkey lowered his head, fists clenched and teeth gritted. “Belle was right—I shouldn’t have let General Lee go.”
“I don’t think General Lee is the problem,” Anna Yang said. “The key is Marshal Silver’s compromise. He could have chosen many ways to do it. General Lee was just the intermediary—if not him, Marshal Silver could have found someone else. Marshal Silver has plenty of enemies in Heaven, but there are still those willing to help him.”
Taking a deep breath, Monkey asked, “Who did General Lee petition to send against us?”
Anna Yang glanced at the bamboo slip in her hand. “The Twenty-Eight Mansions, Nine Luminaries, Twelve Celestial Governors, Five Directional Wardens, Four Duty Officers, Eastern and Western Star Hosts, Northern and Southern Pole Gods. And his own South Heaven Gate corps.”
Each name in that list represented far more than a single deity—the mere thought left Monkey overwhelmed.
All the strongest powers in the celestial constellations have already arrived, haven’t they?
Who’s left?
Aside from the Three Pure Ones, whom Heaven cannot mobilize, it seems only Erik Yang refuses to be deployed. This force is far greater than the battle at Guankou ever was.
Is this truly a full-scale mobilization?
Monkey suddenly burst out laughing.
Rebellion is like walking a tightrope—one misstep and it’s a plunge into the abyss.
Hadn’t this day always been expected? It’s just come much sooner than he imagined.
If only he had another ten years—or even five—to prepare...
“If—just if—they really come, do you think we could withstand them with our current strength?”
After a moment’s thought, Anna Yang said, “If we’re prepared, it’ll be hard for them to capture you or the Nine-Headed Wyrm. But if they aim to conquer Blossom Mountain and slaughter its demons, right now, that wouldn’t be difficult.”