Volume 4: The Revelation Unveiled, Chapter 422: The Plan to Plunder

In the Heavenly Court, within the Lingxiao Palace, it had been a long time since such hustle and bustle had reigned. At this moment, all the prominent figures in the Heavenly Court were gathered there—Ziwei, Zhenwu, Emperor Gouchen, the Immortal of the Southern Pole… Many immortals and hermits from the Ten Continents and Three Islands stood below the steps. The Jade Emperor and Empress appeared in court together for the first time in a long time, both wearing expressions of extreme severity, which filled many people with unease.

After the crowd uttered a few flattering words, the Jade Emperor cleared his throat and said solemnly, “The Netherworld has been destroyed. How many people are aware of this?” Such a direct approach without any preamble was quite unusual for the Jade Emperor. His words shocked many.

The Netherworld? What kind of place was that? In the eyes of ordinary people, it was nothing but hell—a place created by heaven for the reincarnation of mortals.

If the Netherworld had been destroyed, who could be so bold as to defy the Heavenly Court? Where would the souls of the world go without it? Could the Jade Emperor and Empress bear such an insult? Would a great war break out between heaven and earth? Could it affect them as well? What should they do to protect themselves?

Each immortal had their own thoughts, hoping that this turmoil would not affect them.

Seeing that none of the immortals spoke, the Jade Emperor understood their thoughts and continued, “The top priority now is to find the culprit who dared to commit such a reckless act. But this person is extremely cunning, leaving not even the slightest clue. This has truly brought shame to our Heavenly Court.”

Apart from those like Ziwei and Zhenwu who knew the truth, some of the other immortals were clever enough to realize that no force in the world could defy the Heavenly Court—except for Buddha Tathagata and the Qitian Ridge. Although the Buddha of Lingshan had the ability, he was usually low-key and got along well with the Three Pure Ones, so it was unlikely he would cause trouble over the Netherworld.

And neither the Qitian Ridge nor Buddha Tathagata was someone anyone present could afford to provoke.

The Jade Emperor continued, “Although capturing the criminal is urgent, there are two other matters that cannot be delayed even for a moment.” Hearing that capturing the criminal wasn’t the top priority, the crowd felt slightly relieved. Master Zhang stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, please speak freely. We receive salaries from the Heavenly Court and will spare no effort to help promote Taoism.”

The Jade Emperor thought to himself, “Why didn’t you speak up when we were discussing capturing the criminal?” But he still said kindly, “I appreciate Master Zhang’s kindness. These two matters are, first, rebuilding the Netherworld.”

Master Zhang replied, “Your Majesty is truly wise! As long as the Netherworld doesn’t exist, countless souls remain without a home. It shows how compassionate Your Majesty is toward all living beings—truly admirable!”

The Jade Emperor said, “Exactly. Mortals suffer the most. If they can no longer reincarnate, as the ruler of heaven, wouldn’t I incur even more karmic retribution?”

When the Jade Emperor uttered the words “the ruler of this heaven,” the Queen Mother’s brows twitched slightly. It had been a long time since the Jade Emperor had referred to himself in such a way. He continued, “For the reconstruction of the Netherworld, the Ten Kings of Hell must be selected from among the immortals. Without knowledge of soul manipulation, how can they take on such a great responsibility? In addition, it’s necessary to search the mortal world for ghostly immortals—more the better—to serve the Netherworld.”

Hearing this, everyone inwardly groaned. Being one of the Ten Kings of Hell wasn’t actually that difficult; even basic soul manipulation skills were sufficient, and almost everyone in the palace knew them.

But the Netherworld was no easy place. These immortals were accustomed to living on immortal islands and sacred mountains, and even the gloomy atmosphere of the Nine Abysses was enough to deter them. More importantly, since the Netherworld had been destroyed once, it could be destroyed again. Those who knew something about the situation speculated that the Ten Kings of Hell must have been quite powerful, yet they were almost completely wiped out, with only the Chakravartin escaping. Hmm? The Chakravartin knew well about the Netherworld. Logically, he should be the greatest help in rebuilding it. Why wasn’t he present at today’s court meeting, and why didn’t the Jade Emperor mention him at all?

The Jade Emperor looked around at everyone and said, “Given your abilities and powers, most of you are qualified to become the rulers of these halls of hell. But I wonder which immortal is willing to share the burden for the Heavenly Court and relieve the suffering of all beings in the world?”

The immortals wished they could use some escape spell to leave this hall. The Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother both thought that a silence would follow at this point, after which the Jade Emperor would offer an incentive to see if anyone would act sensibly. Unexpectedly, someone stepped forward and said, “I am willing!”

Everyone was shocked—it was the Old Man of the South Pole!

The Old Man of the South Pole had always been extremely cunning, always seeking profit. He would naturally avoid anything unprofitable. Why had he suddenly changed his attitude? Thus, everyone began to wonder what advantages the Netherworld might hold to make him volunteer.

The Jade Emperor was also surprised by this move, as it was far beyond his expectations. Yet he still rejoiced and said, “The Emperor of Immortality is truly a model for the immortal realm!” As soon as the Old Man of the South Pole stepped forward, a few others realized the situation—so it seemed possible to go to the Netherworld after all. Following the Old Man of the South Pole would surely not result in loss. Consequently, several more people stepped forward and expressed their willingness to the Jade Emperor.

The Jade Emperor was overjoyed. He hadn’t expected things to be so simple, even saving the treasures he had prepared. After further discussion, they re-established the titles of the Ten Kings of Hell, with the position of the first king naturally going to the Old Man of the South Pole.

After settling this matter, he sent people to search the earth for demon messengers. Though this task was arduous, it only required deploying a few celestial generals, so everyone was eager to take on it, as it was after all assigned to their subordinates. Once everything was arranged, the Jade Emperor said, “I am naturally grateful for your loyalty. When the Netherworld is rebuilt, I will reward you generously.” The crowd thanked him profusely, and the Jade Emperor continued, “There is another matter, which the Queen Mother of the West will explain to you all.” The Queen Mother smiled slightly at those below and said, “As you all know, the most precious thing in my heavenly court is the Peach Garden. Yet recently, a strange incident occurred there.” After she spoke, the immortals exchanged glances. Some of them had passed by the Peach Garden on their way to the Celestial Palace earlier and saw nothing unusual. Peaches were extremely important to the immortals; countless of them came to the heavenly court seeking the longevity granted by peaches. If the Peach Garden failed to produce peaches, they would really have to consider where else to go. So everyone pricked up their ears to hear what exactly had happened in the Peach Garden. The Queen Mother said, “The peach trees in the Peach Garden originally drew on the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to grow naturally. But now, for some reason, thousands of peach trees in the front garden have yellow leaves and are withering.” “Ah!” A few immortals couldn’t hide their shock and exclaimed. Peach trees were not like ordinary mortal trees; such immortal trees should remain green for thousands of years. Yellow leaves and withering? Did that mean the peach trees were dying? The Queen Mother continued, “At first, I thought the peach trees also had a lifespan, so I consulted the Supreme Lord Laozi. After examining the Peach Garden carefully, he discovered that the trees were withering due to a lack of spiritual energy. If not treated promptly, they might indeed be destroyed.” Someone urgently asked, “What is the remedy? Did Lord Laozi give any prescription?” The Queen Mother smiled bitterly and said, “There is a prescription, but it requires not ordinary medicines, but divine elixirs and immortal herbs.” The Southern Pole Immortal, aware of the severity, gasped and said, “I wonder how many immortal pills will be needed for all these peach trees?” The Queen Mother replied, “It’s precisely because of the large number that I’ve called upon you all to discuss this.” She lowered her head and sighed, “Despite years of accumulation in the heavenly court, it’s not enough to cover the costs. I’m truly ashamed.” The Southern Pole Immortal said, “With the Queen Mother saying so, we feel humbled. Though the heavenly court is ruled by the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother, it is the foundation of our Taoism. The Peach Garden is a sacred place for our religion—how can we allow even the slightest mistake? This is the time to work together and contribute our strength!”

The Queen Mother said with relief, “The Eternal Life Emperor is truly generous. But then again, the Heavenly Court should distribute salaries to all the immortals—it shouldn’t demand anything in return. If there really were no other way, I wouldn’t have resorted to such a measure. Those who helped in the Peach Garden today, if they can save the peach trees, I will surely reward them with Purple-Striped Xiang-Core Peaches at the future Peach Festival!”
Purple-Striped Xiang-Core Peaches! Many immortals had only heard of them but never seen them. It was said that these peaches ripened once every nine thousand years, and those who ate them could live as long as heaven and earth, sharing the same lifespan as the sun and moon. If one could consume such a peach, wouldn’t they achieve immortality?
Hearing the Queen Mother’s promise, the immortals became eager to show off their magical pills and elixirs. For a moment, everyone looked enthusiastic, but no one spoke. It turned out they were all weighing how much to offer—too little would seem stingy, while too much would be costly. If one person claimed to have ten pills, another might offer twenty, thus appearing inferior.
At that moment, the Emperor of Ziwei stepped forward and said, “Queen Mother, since this matter is so urgent, I offer all the pills in my Ziwei Palace for free—without any pretense.”
Zhenwu added, “I agree!”
The Queen Mother smiled silently. Who didn’t know that immortals always carried storage bags with them, keeping their precious treasures and pills close at hand? Ziwei and Zhenwu were indeed shrewd—they enhanced the atmosphere without losing anything themselves. Still, their generous offer set a good precedent.
The Immortal of the Southern Pole said, “Thanks to the kindness of the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother, I am allowed to be the ruler of the Yama Palace. Tomorrow, I will settle everything, and all matters on Changzhou Island will be at your disposal.”
Upon hearing this, even Ziwei frowned slightly, while the other immortals were shocked. What was wrong with this old man today? Was he even willing to give up the Purple Mansion on Changzhou Island? Zhenwu thought to himself that the netherworld was never short of creation energy, and this old man’s Creation Furnace would come in handy. Yet his actions were extremely risky—if the Jade Emperor found out he was stealing creation energy, he would surely be torn apart alive!
The Queen Mother laughed heartily and said, “Such generosity from you, Immortal! At the future Peach Festival, I will personally offer you peaches as a thank you.” The Immortal of the Southern Pole repeatedly said, “I dare not, I dare not.”
The Gods of Fortune and Prosperity felt frustrated. The Gods of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity usually worked together, but today the Immortal of the Southern Pole kept coming up with surprises, clearly leaving them behind. They exchanged glances and said, “We two are quite poor and don’t have many treasures. Only the thousand-zhang jade on the island is somewhat useful. If the Queen Mother doesn’t mind, we can move it there anytime.”

The Eastern Emperor also said, “The words of the Star of Fortune and the Star of Prosperity hit the nail on the head. There are also many thousand-zhang-tall jades on Fangzhang Island. If these treasures are truly useful for the Peach Garden, then my existence was not in vain.”
These outstanding figures from the celestial realm expressed their views, and the crowd of immortals was filled with enthusiasm. Some offered immortal fruits, while others offered immortal pills. The Jade Emperor and Empress were overjoyed—today’s two events had been truly perfect.