347: Chapter 336 Lao Tzu's "Knowing When to Adversity"

After the earth-shattering barbecue party in the Flat Peach Garden ended, Lin Feng was in no rush to enjoy that so-called "European-style leather sofa." He held a moldy map he had just dug out from the Heavenly Court archives, his gaze locked deeply onto a corner above the Thirty-Three Heavens.

That was Tushita Palace.

Above Lihen Heaven, the land of the Dao Ancestor.

A true bigwig lived there—someone who usually kept a low profile but whom no one dared to ignore: the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord.

Although officially under the Jade Emperor's command in the Heavenly Court's bureaucracy, occasionally refining useless immortality pills for him, everyone in the Three Realms with a bit of insight knew he was the Clone of the Saint, Grand Pure Daoist Virtue Heavenly Lord.

Even the Jade Emperor had to step down from his Dragon Throne to salute him, politely calling him "Old Lord." Usually, besides practicing Alchemy and preaching the Dao, he didn't get involved in the petty infighting of the Heavenly Court.

"Boss, are we... really going to Tushita Palace?"

Princess Yao Ji asked, wiping grease from the corner of her mouth (that Dragon liver was too greasy), looking a bit nervous, her voice lowered. "That is a Saint's territory. We just beat up the Jade Emperor and tore down Lingxiao Palace. If we go provoke a Saint, won't that be too arrogant? What if that old man loses his temper and pulls out a Diamond Snare to give each of us a whack..."

"What is there to be afraid of?"

Lin Feng rolled up the map and stylishly tucked it into his sleeve, looking relaxed and comfortable, as if he were just visiting a neighbor. "Saints are reasonable people, too. We are going to pay a visit, not to rob them. Do I look like the kind of unreasonable person?"

Nezha carried his Fire-Tipped Spear on his shoulder, picking meat from his teeth, and said carelessly: "Let's go! I have long found that Eight-Trigrams Furnace an eyesore. Back then, my Master, Immortal Master Taiyi, wanted to beg for a Nine-Turn Soul-Returning Pill to save someone, but he stood at the door for three days and three nights without even seeing a doorman. I have held this grudge for a long time! Boss, if that old man doesn't give us Face, I will smash his furnace! Let him become the 'Exploded-Furnace Old Lord'!"

"Don't be impulsive. We are civilized people; we must pay attention to our manners."

Lin Feng patted Nezha's shoulder and said earnestly, "We are 'Tiance Mansion' now, not a den of bandits. Let's go, bring the gifts (actually, empty-handed), and meet this legendary leader of the Alchemy world."

The army set out.

Although they said it was a "visit," the procession was anything but small.

Lin Feng led Nezha, Erlang Shen (who had just surrendered and was still adapting to his new identity), Zhao Gongming, and other core members, followed by eight hundred Grand Unity Golden Immortal Death Warriors, marching imposingly toward Tushita Palace.

Tushita Palace was located at the highest point of the Thirty-Three Heavens. Unlike the gold and jade brilliance of Lingxiao Palace, it was a scene of tranquility and non-action. Clouds swirled, a few immortal cranes lazily preened their feathers in the clouds, and the air was filled with a rich scent of Medicinal Pill that made one feel like they were extending their life just by smelling it.

Before Lin Feng's army could even get close to those ancient purple-gold gates,

"Creak—"

Those two gates, which had been tightly shut for who knows how many years—and which allegedly hadn't even been pushed open by the Monkey King when he wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Court—actually opened on their own.

Two golden-horned and silver-horned boy attendants with topknots and jade-carved appearances stood at the door, holding whisks, trembling. Their calves were shaking; they were clearly terrified.

"Welcome... Welcome, Master of Tiance Mansion!"

The two boys' voices were trembling, even carrying a hint of a sob.

This was understandable. They had watched the live broadcast of the tragedy that had just occurred below via the Profound Light Mirror. Even the high-and-mighty Jade Emperor had been beaten into a pig's head, and the indestructible Lingxiao Palace had been razed to the ground. These two boys, who usually only knew how to fan flames, had never seen such fierce, evil spirits before.

"Yo, quite polite. Five-star service."

Lin Feng walked up with a smile and patted the Golden-Horned boy on the head, scaring the boy so much he almost dropped his whisk. "Don't be nervous, I am not Frieza; I don't eat children. Where is your Master?"

"He... He is inside waiting for you. Master said... said a distinguished guest is coming, and we must not be negligent." The Silver-Horned boy answered stutteringly.

"Sensible."

Lin Feng didn't hesitate, gave Nezha a signal to not be too aggressive, and strode inside.

Inside Tushita Palace, there was a whole new world.

In the center sat the Eight-Trigrams Furnace that terrified the Three Realms. The fire was raging, emitting a "whoosh" sound.

An old man with a white beard was sitting cross-legged in front of the furnace, wearing a Taiji Daoist robe, holding a banana-leaf fan that looked tattered but actually contained flowing spiritual charm, fanning the flames unhurriedly.

He was the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord.

Seeing Lin Feng bring a group of murderous people in, the old man neither put on airs nor got angry; he didn't even lift his eyelids, just kept staring at the furnace fire, as if the Medicinal Pill inside were more important than the sky falling.

He just said faintly:

"You're here? Sit wherever you like. Don't be polite, treat this as your own home."

This attitude left Nezha, who had prepared a belly full of harsh words and was even thinking about how to smash the furnace, a bit confused. This script wasn't right, was it? Shouldn't the Saint be furious, and shouldn't we be fighting for three hundred rounds?

Lin Feng didn't stand on ceremony either. He pulled over a meditation cushion, sat down opposite the Old Lord, and casually picked up the teapot on the table to pour himself a cup of tea.

"Old Lord, good composure. You must have heard the commotion outside, right? I tore down Lingxiao Palace. Don't you plan on expressing an opinion?"

"I heard it."

The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord stopped his fan and looked up at Lin Feng. In those old eyes, which seemed murky but were actually as deep as the starry sky, a flash of imperceptible sharpness flickered.

"Young people have hot tempers. Tearing down a few houses to vent is no big deal. Out with the old, in with the new."

The Old Lord said slowly, his tone as flat as if he were chatting about the weather. "However, tearing down houses is one thing, but why rob people? I heard you emptied the Flat Peach Garden? That is the apple of the Queen Mother of the West's eye."

"Hey, that's not right, Old Lord."

Lin Feng lit a cigarette, took a deep puff, and blew a smoke ring that landed perfectly on the Old Lord's whisk. "I did this for the sake of all living beings in the Three Realms. The Jade Emperor is unfit for his position, occupying the latrine but not producing anything. I'm helping him save Face. As for the goods, those are war spoils, the fruits of labor."

"Besides."

Lin Feng changed the subject, leaning forward slightly, his eyes becoming sharp like a drawn blade. "Old Lord, you are a Saint's Clone; you should understand what the trend of the times is. Now I'm in charge of the Heavenly Court, and from now on, I will set the rules for the Three Realms. As the leader of Daoism, shouldn't you... show something? Support my work?"

The atmosphere froze instantly.

Nezha gripped his Fire-Tipped Spear, the Armillary Sash on his body moving without wind. The Heavenly Eye on Erlang Shen's forehead opened slightly, a golden light flickering, ready to strike at any moment.

The temperature in Tushita Palace seemed to have dropped a few degrees.

The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord was silent for a moment, looking at Lin Feng's unyielding gaze, and suddenly sighed.

"Fine, fine."

He shook his head, a wry smile of helplessness appearing on his Face. "I am just an alchemist. Whoever sits in that position, someone has to refine Medicinal Pill for these Three Realms, right? I don't want to get involved in Karma; I just want to quietly refine a few furnaces of Medicinal Pill and comprehend the Dao."

After speaking, the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord waved his hand.

"Boom!"

The lid of the Eight-Trigrams Furnace flew up violently.

Suddenly, the room was filled with fragrance.

Nine brilliant golden lights rushed out of the furnace, turning into nine mini Dragons circling in the air, emitting crisp Dragon roars. The rich medicinal power was such that just smelling it made Nezha feel that the hidden injuries from the fight just now were all healed.

"This is the freshly baked Nine-Turn Golden Pellet, nine in total. I spent forty-nine days refining it, pouring in quite a bit of effort."

The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord took out a purple-gold gourd that looked extraordinary, used a hand seal to guide them, and put all nine Golden Cores into it, then casually tossed it to Lin Feng as if throwing a bag of trash.

"Take this as my welcoming gift to the Mansion Master. I only ask that you don't let that monkey... oh no, don't let people disturb my cultivation in the future. I am old and can't handle the tossing."

Lin Feng caught the gourd, shook it, listened to the crisp clinking inside, and smiled.

"The Old Lord is truly a sensible person! Generous! I love dealing with smart people!"

Lin Feng pulled out the stopper and poured out a golden, Dragon-eye-sized Medicinal Pill. Without thinking, he threw it directly into his mouth.

"Crunch."

Like chewing candy, he chewed it up and swallowed it.

[Ding! Host consumed Nine-Turn Golden Pellet (Top Grade), all attributes increased by 10%, obtained massive Law insights. Cultivation EXP + 50 million.]

"Hmm, the taste is not bad, crunchy, a bit like chocolate beans, just a little sticky to the teeth."

Lin Feng commented, then casually tossed the priceless purple-gold gourd to Nezha behind him. "Take the rest and divide them up; let Zhao Gongming and the others who were injured just now have some. Don't save them; the Old Lord has plenty of these."

The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord watched as the Nine-Turn Golden Pellet he had painstakingly refined—something countless people in the Three Realms dreamed of—was eaten like a snack by Lin Feng, his mouth twitching violently, the banana-leaf fan in his hand almost slipping.

That was a Nine-Turn Golden Pellet! One pill could make someone a Grand Unity Golden Immortal instantly! And you just chewed it like that?!

"Right, Old Lord."

Lin Feng stood up, walked to the door, stopped, and looked back with a smile. "From now on, the supply of Medicinal Pill for the Heavenly Court is all yours. I will provide the Materials, you can pick whatever you want from the Flat Peach Garden, and we will split the profits 50/50. I won't let you work for free, how about it? We call this... mixed-ownership reform."

The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord was stunned, then a flash of surprise crossed his eyes. He had originally thought Lin Feng would be like the Monkey King back then, robbing everything like a bandit, never expecting this kid to understand business? And wanted to share profits?

"Split 50/50?" The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord stroked his beard, thoughtful, a flash of appreciation in his eyes. "That's a novel way of putting it... Good. Deal."

"Then it's settled. Happy cooperation!"

Lin Feng waved his hand and left with his people.

Walking out of Tushita Palace, Nezha looked at Lin Feng with admiration, his eyes full of little stars: "Boss, you are amazing! Even a Saint's Clone gives you gifts and talks business with you! I, Nezha, haven't admired anyone in my life, but I admire you!"

"This is called 'those who know the times are outstanding'."

Lin Feng looked at the Heavenly Court map in his hand, which was already covered in circles and crosses, his mouth slightly raised. "The Old Lord is a smart man; he knows the old era has passed. Next, it's time to set new rules for these Three Realms."