Volume 1: Unsayable – Chapter 65: All Preparations in Place

Tai Bai Jin Xing felt a chill in his heart. Was this not an excuse to decline? He could chat with him here, yet claimed to have urgent matters to attend to. But he didn’t dare ask further.
Tai Yi Jiu Ku Tian Zun naturally knew Tai Bai Jin Xing didn’t believe him. With a wry smile, he said, “To be honest, my protective Bagua Mirror was broken a few days ago. I’m currently reforging it in the alchemy furnace in the back room, adjusting the heat to sixty-four different levels every night. If I leave now, this magical artifact will be destroyed.”
“Ah?” Tai Bai Jin Xing was shocked. Tai Yi Jiu Ku Tian Zun had always been low-key and rarely showed himself in public, but since he held the position of the Eastern Extreme Qing Hua Emperor, his cultivation must be extremely high. Others might not know, but Tai Bai Jin Xing was the all-knowing figure in the heavenly court—no secrets could escape him.
Tai Yi Jiu Ku Tian Zun’s personal magical artifact was precisely this Eastern Extreme Bagua Mirror. It absorbed the essence of the morning glow and the spiritual energy of the purple mists, having been born naturally from the Eastern Extreme Spiritual Rock. In terms of protective power, few treasures in heaven or earth could compare to it. Since the Tian Zun said the mirror was broken, he surely wasn’t lying. But what kind of formidable enemy could have broken such a magical artifact?
Seeing that Tai Yi Jiu Ku Tian Zun had spoken so clearly, Tai Bai Jin Xing couldn’t insist any further. He bowed and said, “In that case, it seems to be fate. Things are urgent today, and if I’ve failed to follow proper etiquette, please forgive me, Tian Zun.”
Tai Yi Jiu Ku Tian Zun smiled and said, “Jin Xing, you’re too polite. I won’t keep you today. Come for tea another day.”
Tai Bai Jin Xing replied and immediately flew away from the hall.
What he meant by “failing to follow proper etiquette” was exactly this—even though immortals possessed supernatural powers, they shouldn’t use them in others’ homes, especially since Tai Yi Jiu Ku Tian Zun was of a higher rank than him. Only because Tai Bai Jin Xing was familiar with the Tian Zun could he apologize first before leaving.
After seeing Tai Bai Jin Xing leave the Miaoyan Palace, Tai Yi Jiu Ku Tian Zun grew solemn and lost in thought, unconsciously walking over to his study.
On the table, a purple copper mirror leaned against several Taoist classics, with a tiny crack on it—none other than the Eastern Extreme Bagua Mirror! After meditating for a while, Tai Yi Jiu Ku Tian Zun picked up a pen and ink, writing a bold character with powerful strokes—Defeat!
Back at the Lingxiao Palace, Tai Bai Jin Xing, filled with unease, told the Jade Emperor everything about the two Tian Zuns. The Jade Emperor showed no emotion, merely nodding slightly.
Li Jing was eager for battle and had already assembled his troops, waiting only for the order to set out. Seeing Tai Bai Jin Xing return empty-handed, he wasn’t concerned and said, “If the Tian Zun comes, it will be even better. Even if he doesn’t, it won’t affect the overall plan. Those demons on Flower Fruit Mountain aren’t worth such a large-scale campaign. We request permission to set out!”

The Jade Emperor nodded and said, “Li Changgeng has issued an order to hold a banquet in the Tongming Hall, waiting only for a great victory to celebrate!”
Taibai Jinxing was stunned. Previously, the Tower-Bearing Heavenly King had invited the Nine Bright Stars to fight, so it should have been he who descended to the mortal world. Yet now the Jade Emperor ordered him to prepare the banquet—wasn’t that contradictory? But being cunning and adaptable, he naturally obeyed without question.
Li Jing also didn’t understand the Jade Emperor’s intentions, assuming he had forgotten something. So he led the various immortals and heavenly generals out of the South Heavenly Gate and headed down to the mortal world.
When Taibai Jinxing wanted to leave the hall to handle matters, the Jade Emperor called him back and said, “Wait. You and the Thousand-Mile Eye and the Wind-Listening Ear should observe the battle at the South Heavenly Gate. If things go well, we can hold the banquet later. How can the losers drink celebratory wine?”
Taibai Jinxing broke into cold sweat. The Jade Emperor’s intentions were truly unfathomable. It seemed he didn’t really expect the Tower-Bearing Heavenly King to win. With no choice, he had to follow orders.
The Jade Emperor entered the back hall, mounted his imperial carriage, and rode on the heavenly horses through the skies at lightning speed, heading straight for the Kunlun Immortal Island to the west of the Lingxiao Palace.
The Kunlun Immortal Island was a magnificent realm in the heavenly palace. As an immortal island, it naturally lay in water. This water was peculiar—when calm, numerous islands appeared as if reflected in a mirror; when agitated, as a poem put it, “Turbulent waves and green waves turn the sun and moon upside down, while the waters hide fish and dragons.”
Ordinary immortals couldn’t enter the Kunlun Immortal Island. The reason was simple: it contained precious treasures—peaches from the Jade Pool, purple and green elixir rooms, immortal herbs from hanging gardens, and exquisite jade—each one rare and peerlessly beautiful.
Along the way, the Jade Emperor frowned deeply as his carriage rushed into the Jade Pool.
The Jade Pool was vast, filled with numerous pavilions. One place called “A Separate Paradise” was the Queen Mother’s private palace.
Outside this palace gate, eight fairy maidens in green stood on either side. Seeing the Jade Emperor arrive in a hurry, they all bowed deeply. But the Jade Emperor ignored them and quickly entered the gate.
Inside “A Separate Paradise,” delicate fragrances wafted in the air, and dazzling auspicious mists filled the surroundings. In the center, a jade platform was covered with colorful brocades, while precious pavilions and jade towers scattered the mist. Phoenixes and cranes danced gracefully on the platform, and golden flowers and jade blossoms reflected beautifully in the pool. This place was even more splendid than the Lingxiao Palace.
In the main hall, the female immortals sang and laughed. The woman at the center was the Supreme Immortal Queen Mother of the Nine Spirits, commonly known as the Queen Mother. When she saw the Jade Emperor arrive, she didn’t get up but simply waved her hand to stop the singing and dancing, asking the female immortals to leave.
The Jade Emperor sat down casually and sighed, “It seems quite lively here.”
Although the Queen Mother was called old, her appearance was that of a woman in her twenties—graceful and exquisitely beautiful. Yet within her stunning beauty lay an indescribable sense of elegance and dignity that made people feel reverence and a desire to worship her at first glance.

The Queen Mother brought over a plate of plump, emerald-green grapes and picked one to place in his cherry-like lips, smiling and saying, “If you had no worries, you wouldn’t have come here. I’d rather you had more troubles.”

At this moment, the Jade Emperor seemed like an ordinary nobleman, completely devoid of his earlier solemn and imposing imperial demeanor. He rolled up his sleeves, grabbed a few grapes, and ate them, saying, “There are powerful demons in the mortal world again. Li Jing has led his troops there. Do you think he’ll win or lose?”

The Queen Mother blinked her watery eyes and chuckled lightly, “At the very least, he won’t be defeated. Although Li Jing is incompetent, his son is very shrewd and capable.”

The Jade Emperor asked again, “Forget all that. Just tell me—will he win or lose right now?”

The Queen Mother was momentarily stunned before answering without hesitation, “Naturally, he’ll lose. The worse, the better.”

The Jade Emperor laughed heartily, “It’s rare that we can understand each other so well this time.” But after laughing, a subtle expression appeared on his face as he murmured, “It’s time to lose…”

Wukong sent Taibai Jinxing away and immediately gathered all the marshals and cave leaders, assembling the elite demons to prepare for battle.

Fuhai Jiao was puzzled, “Taibai Jinxing has gone to heaven to praise you. Why do you look so anxious, causing everyone to worry?”

Wukong thought to himself that Fuhai Jiao, despite living for so many years, still couldn’t understand human hearts. It was also rare that he was so honest and straightforward, with no scheming. So he replied, “Can we trust what the people in heaven say?”

Fuhai Jiao suddenly understood and slapped his head, “Of course not!”

Wukong had already made plans. Among the demons on Flower Fruit Mountain, there were many old, weak, sick, and young ones. If they were sent to battle, they might not be able to protect themselves. Thus, Fuhai Jiao’s natural ability to stir up storms and chaos would be very useful now. Wukong ordered all the weak, young, and less powerful demons to move into sea caves and instructed Fuhai Jiao to protect the lives of these thousands of demons if heavenly troops arrived.

Fuhai Jiao grew anxious, his eyebrows rising, “I’m determined to fight the enemies. Why do you treat me like a guard?”

Wukong said, “If you do this well, you’ll earn great credit. All these demons have parents and brothers fighting on the front lines. With you taking care of them, they won’t have to worry about their backs. Their morale will soar, and their combat strength will double. You understand the importance of this, don’t you?”

Fuhai Jiao replied urgently, “I bear a deep grudge. How can I bear to hold back?”

Seeing that this old dragon was truly slow to understand and speaking rudely, Wukong said, “The Heavenly Court is the legitimate authority of Taoism, with deep roots and great power. It won’t end with just one battle. If you can’t even bear this, how can you talk about avenging yourself? Why not go straight to the Heavenly Court, kill one to even things out, and kill two for a profit?”

Fuhai Jiao was in a dilemma, rubbing his hands nonstop. Wukong reassured him, “If you trust me, follow my advice. This battle isn’t crucial for the Heavenly Court, but it’s a fight of life and death for us. Victory is mandatory—defeat is not an option!”
The Bull Demon King stepped forward, patted Fuhai Jiao on the shoulder, and said loudly, “Wukong has made it crystal clear. If I had your divine powers, I would surely step in without hesitation. This isn’t the time for fighting alone. You hold back the enemy forces. Think about it—who in Huaguo Mountain wouldn’t be grateful to you? You’ve got such a huge advantage, yet you still hesitate!”
Seeing Wukong’s sincerity and the Bull Demon King’s logical arguments, Fuhai Jiao stomped his foot, clasped his fists, and said, “If that’s the case, I’ll agree. You two must kill as many heavenly soldiers as possible to help me vent my anger!”