Nezha left the Yellow Emperor's residence and went to Shennong's place.
The Flame Emperor Shennong had the image of an old farmer, wearing a straw hat and wielding a hoe. When Nezha arrived, he resembled a kindly grandfather, working while teaching Nezha about farming and medicine.
Nezha listened while helping out, working for a while when a terrifying disturbance erupted from the distant Fu Xi Hall, causing the entire Fire Cloud Cave to tremble back and forth.
Nezha instantly knew something had happened and immediately rushed toward the banquet hall.
Inside the hall, Nuwa's expression was solemn, and Fu Xi's face was somewhat grim. In front of the two was a curtain of water, displaying none other than Yin Shou, who had just recited a lewd poem.
Without hesitation, Nezha knelt before Nuwa and said, "When a master is insulted, the disciple must die. Teacher has treated me with a kindness as heavy as a mountain. Nezha is willing to go to Chaoge and punish Yin Shou for his disrespect toward the Goddess!"
Nuwa would be lying if she said she wasn't angry, but she wasn't completely irrational either. Back before becoming a Saint, sparring and verbal taunts far worse than this were common.
However, this matter pertained to the dignity of a Saint. The other Saints were all watching, and mishandling this would invite ridicule from the Five Saints, a humiliation worse than death.
That said, this matter was indeed tricky to resolve. Dealing with Yin Shou harshly was simple and posed no risk of backlash for Nuwa, but he currently represented the Human Dao. The Human Dao didn't simply refer to humanity but to all lifeforms that had not yet transcended. Yin Shou, as the emperor of the Human Clan, represented the Human Dao for this reason.
Compared to the Heavenly Dao, the Human Dao was already at a disadvantage. If the Human Dao suffered another blow, the balance of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity would be completely shattered, and all living beings would become puppets of the Heavenly Dao.
Nuwa was very pleased with Nezha's attitude — regardless of whether he could accomplish the task, his loyalty was evident, and with her support, what couldn't be achieved?
So she said, "It is rare for you to have such filial devotion. Go ahead."
With that, she waved her hand, and a great cauldron appeared before Nezha. The cauldron had eight sides, each inscribed with different symbols of the Eight Diagrams. Patterns representing various phenomena were carved on it. It had two ears signifying the Two Forms, and four legs symbolizing the Four Symbols. Within the cauldron, the Dao Qi of Yin and Yang flowed endlessly. It was none other than the Qiankun Cauldron.
Nuwa, evidently in a poor mood, nodded to Fu Xi before directly returning to her Nuwa Palace.
The Qiankun Cauldron transformed into a brilliant stream of light and merged into Nezha's body.
Fu Xi, protective of his sister, was deeply enraged at Yin Shou for insulting Nuwa and disrupting the gathering. As Fu Xi departed, he handed Nezha a golden longsword. One side of the blade was engraved with the sun, moon, and stars, and the other side with mountains, rivers, and vegetation.
He told Nezha to stay safe in Chaoge and hinted that if things became impossible to handle, he should wield the Xuanyuan Sword to strike Yin Shou. Fu Xi said he would bear the consequences of any karmic consequences.
Nezha found this amusing and exasperating, thinking that using the Xuanyuan Sword on Yin Shou wasn't much different from Nuwa intervening directly. However, with the protection of the Xuanyuan Sword, the suppression from King Zhou's Human Dao Qi Fortune would be minimized.
Nezha's spell cultivation could thus be fully unleashed. He wouldn't have to rely solely on martial arts in confrontations, and if things went south and King Zhou defeated him, it would be an enormous disgrace.
After bidding farewell to the Fire Cloud Cave, Nezha hitched a ride with Sister Xiaoqing but did not head directly to Chaoge City. Instead, he first returned to Chentang Pass.
Given the potential calamities that might arise in Chaoge, Nezha was aware that, though he had powerful backers, his biological parents did not. Other than Lady Yin, Nezha felt little attachment to the entire Li Family.
This journey was solely to sever mortal ties.
Chentang Pass remained tranquil. Queen Jiang had not been dethroned, Eastern Marquis Jiang Huanchu had not rebelled, and the Immortal of Colossal Spirit was still patrolling the East Sea, searching for Ao Bing's killer.
Standing before the gates of the Li Mansion, Nezha would be lying if he claimed to be completely unaffected. The servants at the gate were startled upon recognizing Nezha and immediately dashed inside the mansion.
Before long, a woman with a gentle appearance emerged, rushing forward to embrace Nezha. Tears streamed down her face; it was Lady Yin.
Lady Yin examined Nezha's young face closely and urgently said, "Zha'er, you must quickly leave! Go hide elsewhere and never come back!"
Before Nezha could ask what was happening, the mansion gates burst open, and a swarm of armored soldiers surrounded him. A cunning-looking man, dressed in the attire of a scholar-official, strutted out arrogantly.
"By royal decree, I have come to invite the immortal child of Chentang Pass's Nuwa Temple to Chaoge!"
It turned out that after King Zhou's visit to the Nuwa Temple, he became particularly interested in matters concerning beauties and Nuwa. When Fei Zhong heard about the immortal child in Chentang Pass, he immediately suggested this to the king, leading to the current situation.
Lady Yin tightly clung to Nezha, sobbing uncontrollably. King Zhou's brutality had become apparent ever since Grandmaster Wen Zhong had mobilized the royal troops. Sending her seven-year-old son into Chaoge, a den of dragons and tigers, would likely mean never seeing him again.
Li Jing shared the same sentiment. Although he felt little affection for Nezha, he couldn't bring himself to watch him be taken away. Beside him, his two sons tugged at his armor anxiously, pleading, "Father, we can't let Third Brother go!"
"Indeed, Father!"
Li Jing hesitated repeatedly, his hand gripping and releasing the hilt of his sword, his palm drenched in sweat.
Nezha was genuinely pleased by the Li family's reaction. It wasn't hollow gratitude; he truly appreciated it. He had expected Li Jing to sell him out immediately.
Moreover, he had been at a loss over how to resolve the familial karmic ties, and now the opportunity had presented itself.
Breaking free from Lady Yin's embrace, Nezha stepped forward and said, "Since the Great King summons me, I will go willingly."
Fei Zhong squinted his eyes, laughing heartily. "Good, good! The immortal child truly understands the times."
Seeing Nezha step up, Li Jing could no longer restrain himself. With a sharp clang, he unsheathed his sword, prompting the surrounding armored soldiers to draw their blades in unison.
Fei Zhong panicked but raised his voice sternly, "Li Jing, how dare you oppose an Upper Doctor! Are you rebelling by obstructing the royal decree?"
Li Jing replied in a deep voice, "Nezha is my third son, only seven years old. He cannot enter Chaoge. I plead for the Great King's mercy!"
Fei Zhong, a petty scoundrel who feared strength but bullied the weak, stammered, "You, you—!"
Nezha's decision was firm, and he had a mission to carry out. Going to Chaoge was inevitable. "There is no need for this. I am the Spiritual Pearl reincarnated under the Nuwa Palace, born into the Li Family. Ever since my birth, I have resided at the Nuwa Temple, rarely interacting with the family. I will make this journey to Chaoge, and from this moment forth, all familial ties are severed. Yet the bond remains, and should you face any difficulty, you may come to me."
After speaking, regardless of others' opinions, Nezha felt as though a great burden had been lifted. The lingering karmic grievances between Nezha and the Li Family from the original tale were now indistinguishable. In this lifetime, kinship was severed, and grievances resolved. In light of today's kindness from the Li Family, Nezha left them with a sliver of goodwill for the future.
Everyone understood the meaning behind his words. Lady Yin clutched Nezha while sobbing bitterly, letting her tears fall onto his body, but Nezha's resolve was as firm as iron. When ties are entangled and confused, one must cut decisively.
Li Jing sighed sorrowfully and sheathed his treasure sword. "So be it."
Three days later, Nezha, dressed in a pure white Daoist robe, with his hair simply tied back by a red ribbon, despite his youth, carried himself with poise.
Riding a tall black horse, surrounded by attendants front and back, Fei Zhong trotted alongside on horseback, rubbing his hands obsequiously and asking, "Immortal child, do you have any additional requests? Just let me know, and I guarantee they'll be taken care of."
Such is the power of wealth!
Fei Zhong was indeed a talent. As long as there was money, he was willing to sell anything but his life. With Nezha offering a small bribe, his status shifted from a prisoner to that of a pampered young master.
On the way, Nezha inquired about the news in Chaoge while pondering how to deal with King Zhou.
As Nezha made his way to Chaoge, two other groups were also heading there.