Tiangting, the Western Heaven Gate.
"Quickly open the door, quickly! Fast! The White Golden Star was constantly rushing, the old man holding his brush with a sword, holding the sword seal in his hand, often looking back and watching in case the pursuers suddenly kill out from the corner."
Luckily, his luck was indeed good; the celestial guardian posted at the Western Heaven Gate was a loyal subordinate from his days as the Star of War, and he worked very hard to finally open a crack in the Western Heaven Gate. The White Golden Star rushed out sideways, followed by Old Sha and Yuèlǎo as they made their escape.
"General Li, take care of yourself!"
"Star god, take care of yourself!"
The celestial guardian at the gate dared not delay and, like a thief, closed the main gate again with more than a dozen of his subordinates.
The White Golden Star immediately flew away in a hurry.
The old man reacted very quickly. As soon as he saw that "Hao Tian" was in trouble, he immediately hid behind a pillar to reduce his presence, and then took cover behind the tall incense burner, thick curtains, dark tables and other things. He hid in the corner and slipped out of Ling Xiao Treasure Pavilion when the hall was in chaos. After that, he walked through the West Heaven Gate without stopping and fled all the way out.
He had some guesses. It seemed that "Hao Tian" only thought of a deity's position and name when he saw the deity himself. This was Hao Tian, but not entirely so.
He didn't want to end up like Wen Zhong and Jiang Ziyu. All the hard work and savings of his lifetime could be erased with one sentence. That would be a big loss.
Wen Zhong and Jiang Ziyu have only worked for a few years. He calculated from the fall of Di Jun to today. How many years has he worked? Even if he has a physical body and his star position remains unchanged, Taibai Jingxing doesn't want to see his hard work from the beginning of this era go to waste. There's no doubt, he needs to run!
Old Sha saw that the White Golden Star, a loyal subordinate of Hao Tian, had fled, so he followed suit. Later, he met the Matchmaker, and the three of them set off together on their journey.
Having temporarily escaped danger, the White Golden Star immediately discussed with his two companions where to seek refuge.
Unless he reverts to martial arts, he has little combat ability. Yuèlǎo is even less capable, so at this point, they can only rely on the imposing appearance of Lǎo Shā to protect them.
The Matchmaker spoke first, "We should find a cave in the human world and hide there for a while."
Lǎo Shā immediately nodded in agreement, "What you said is right!"
Taibai Jingxing shook his head slightly, indicating that it was not appropriate: "The Emperor has appointed the Star of Heavenly Joy as the Grand Commander of Recruitment, to conquer the Three Realms. The calamity in the human world is right in front of us. At this moment, how can we go to the human world?"
Old Sha suddenly understood, thinking that Taibai Jingxing's words made a lot of sense. He nodded heavily, "You're right, Star Lord!"
The Matchmaker had his own network and after thinking for a moment, he said, "I have an old friend who is from the Yamato race. He lives in the Jade Cloud Mountains, Baijiao Cave. We can go and seek refuge with him for a while, what do you think?"
Lǎo Shā nodded once again: "The Matchmaker speaks the truth!"
Taibai Jingxing gave him a curious look. What's wrong with him? Does he agree with everyone? Can't he have any opinions of his own?
He didn't argue just for the sake of arguing. Instead, he analyzed the situation logically and pointed out the challenges at hand: "The journey to the Western World is long and dangerous. There are many demons and devils along the way. With just you and me, it will be difficult for us to arrive safely at Jade Cloud Mountains."
Seeing that Taibai Jingxing and Yuèlǎo were both staring at him, Lǎo Shā smiled bitterly: "The Star Lord speaks the truth!"
To escort two old men with no combat abilities from the Western Heaven Gate to the middle of the Western World, while fighting all the way, is a formidable task. He truly felt uncertain about it.
Fighting a few celestial generals is fine, but fighting demons is another story. Some demons have profound skills that rival the power of divine artifacts used by immortals, and their strength is very formidable. If one doesn't understand the deeper mystery behind them, it's likely that one will die.
After some discussion, the three of them decided to head north to seek refuge with the Emperor of Zǐwéi (Purple Microscope).
The demons in the north already followed the Emperor of Zǐwéi. Some demon races had sent their offspring to participate in the Three Yuan Battle, which was far from just compliance. As for those who were not obedient, they had been plowed back and forth by Zhang Guifang's army for seven or eight times by now. Although the journey to the north was long, there were few dangers along the way.
The three of them left without delay. Lǎo Shā carried the pot, bowl, and ladle for Yuèlǎo, as his cultivation method was rather complicated and his methods rough, requiring many items. Taibai Jingxing glanced at them but said nothing; at least it wasn't him carrying it!
The three of them chose the nearest star path to head towards the Three Palaces.
The Phoenix wanted to "stable the difficulties" and lead a large army into the Heavenly Court. This was naturally not something that could be done in secret.
The officials and immortals work for the Heavenly Emperor at Hao Tian, and they also work for the Phoenix. The Phoenix provides salaries, not money to buy their lives.
This time, they have a valid reason to raise arms, completely because "Hao Tian"'s direct removal of the official robes is too terrifying.
It's not easy to raise a family, so I'm quite upset. You just talk, and you take away my position? How can I tolerate this? The Eastern Immortals attach great importance to the concept of 'official' titles. If you steal my money, I can accept that and endure it, but if you try to take away my official title? It's akin to digging up our ancestral graves. Even if I die, I will splatter your blood!
Perhaps they dare not openly raise the banner of rebellion, as there are many issues involving heavenly laws and regulations. However, cheering on from behind the Phoenix is problem-free.
Their official positions are all given by the Emperor of Zǐwéi, and Hao Tian has no right to deprive them. This is their biggest advantage.
The immortals are not reluctant to send troops, but this time, the edict must be clear and state the matter explicitly to ensure that they stand on the moral high ground.
The officials and ministers have a direct interest in this, so they don't care about whether there is an edict or not. The celestial soldiers and generals need that document.
A few hundred yuan a month, what are they playing for?
In ancient times, the literacy rate among soldiers was very low. Therefore, it is necessary to unify the ideology of the celestial army before the battle.
The Phoenix was on the one hand summoning his ministers and generals to discuss matters, and on the other hand, he was discussing the edict with Ding Cè.
Ding Cè was proficient in both military and civil affairs, capable of leading troops into battle, managing logistics, and engaging in single combat against Nezha. He could also handle various official duties, making him a versatile talent who was slightly inferior to Jiang Ziyu and Wen Zhong but not by much. He was more than sufficient for the Phoenix's needs.
The Emperor of Zǐwéi does not have the same level of charisma as Hao Tian, the Heavenly Emperor. During this time, the Phoenix has also recruited many civil and military officials, but these immortals are truly not as skilled as the old ministers from the Han Dynasty. At least they are not as convenient to use.
Zhang Guifang is in charge of military operations, Ding Cè is responsible for logistics and internal affairs, and Mei Bo serves as the supervisor. The three heartfelt officials each perform their duties. Now they are the three main officials of the Zǐwéi Star's Tai Xuansan Province.
As the Phoenix was pondering a few phrases in the edict with Ding Cè, Fei Zhong strode into the room.
"Your Majesty, please dispatch the army quickly. Otherwise, there will be changes!"
"What do you have to say?"
Fei Zhong droned on and on with a bunch of seemingly sensible but ultimately useless words. In summary, it boils down to one sentence: I absolutely support you going further.
The Phoenix nodded seriously and said, "I understand your suggestion, Minister Fei. Please go ahead and leave."
"I will retreat."
