At this moment, in Heaven, the Imperial Study.
The Jade Emperor hesitated, his gaze fixed on General Lee so intently that cold sweat broke out on Lee's brow. Bowing slightly, Lee said, "Your Majesty, I have heard that Damon Six-Ears paid a visit to Crescent Star Cave, and his temperament has completely changed. Whatever the reason, this is surely a great blessing for the Three Realms."
With that, General Lee stood there blankly, his eyes flickering with unease.
A heavy silence filled the Imperial Study. The immortals standing nearby quietly shifted their steps, as if trying to distance themselves from General Lee.
After a long pause, the Jade Emperor fixed his gaze on General Lee and said coldly, "It is far too soon to say whether Damon Six-Ears has truly changed. If we move now to steal Lionback Kingdom's rain, and something goes wrong... Hmph, will you take responsibility then?"
"Your Majesty, but... Monkey has already promised to shoulder the blame for this matter."
"Nonsense!" the Jade Emperor suddenly roared, berating, "You believe him just because he says he'll take responsibility? What then? Will he stop journeying West and come guard the South Heaven Gate for us? He and Damon Six-Ears are sworn enemies—if Damon could move against him, he would have done so long ago! So if Damon can't deal with Monkey, he'll come after us instead. What then, Lee? What then?"
General Lee lowered his head, sweat pouring down like rain.
"Weren't you the one who suggested staying neutral in the first place? How could you be so muddle-headed as to agree to such a demand?"
The Jade Emperor was so angry he slammed the table and stomped his feet, while General Lee could only bury his head deeper.
There was no way he could admit to the Jade Emperor that the plan was actually his own, devised only because Monkey had pressured him into coming up with a way to escape responsibility.
At this point, even if the Jade Emperor blamed him, he could only accept it. Facing the Emperor's punishment would at worst cost him some salary, but facing Monkey's wrath could cost him his life. Given the choice between two evils, he knew which to pick.
Seeing the situation, Grandmaster White bowed and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, at this point, blaming General Lee won't help. We should focus on what to do next."
"What then?" The Jade Emperor gritted his teeth in anger, pacing back and forth in the Imperial Study.
"If we hadn't agreed in the first place, it would have been fine—like before, when Monkey demanded rain, we just gave him water from elsewhere. If Universal Salvation failed, it was their problem. But now things are different: Monkey insists on Lionback Kingdom's rain... Doesn't this force us to choose between Monkey and Damon Six-Ears? If we take Lionback's rain, Damon Six-Ears will have reason to cause trouble. If we promise Monkey but don't deliver, Monkey will also have reason to cause trouble. We... should make plans early."
"Yes, Your Majesty, we should make plans early," the other immortals chimed in.
"Plans?" The Jade Emperor paced furiously around the room, snapping, 'What plans do you expect me to make for this matter?'
...
While Heaven was in turmoil, Damon Six-Ears was already enjoying a blissful sleep on an unnamed hillside.
Perhaps it was the most comfortable sleep he had since his rebirth.