Chapter 73

Yang Zhen came back to his senses and realized that Kuimulang was looking at him with a face full of shock, his eyes filled with confusion. Seeing this, Yang Zhen's eyes flickered, and he waved his hand, saying, "Nothing, nothing. I suddenly thought of something, so I lost my composure. Please forgive me, please forgive me!"

"No problem!" Seeing that Yang Zhen didn't want to talk about it, Kuimulang didn't press further. However, he couldn't find a good topic to chat about, so the two of them fell into silence.

Fortunately, at this moment, Yang Zhen's eldest disciple, Jiayao, suddenly burst in, shouting, "Master!" and rushed towards Yang Zhen.

It turned out that when the servant of the Tai Bai Jin Xing's residence saw Yang Zhen looking for Jiayao, he sent someone to call her back. Upon hearing that her master had come to see her, Jiayao stopped playing with the new big sister she had just met, said goodbye, and hurriedly returned to the Tai Bai Jin Xing's residence to see her master.

Since she had been living in the Heavenly Court for less than a year, Jiayao still looked like a little girl, though she had grown taller since she first arrived in the Heavenly Court.

"What did you play today?" Yang Zhen asked with a smile.

"Today, I met a new big sister. She is so beautiful and played with me all day," Jiayao said.

"Jiayao!" Yang Zhen looked at Kuimulang and introduced him to Jiayao, "This uncle is Kuimulang from the Twenty-Eight Constellations. He and I found you back then. Come and say hello."

"Hello, Uncle Kuimulang!" Jiayao said obediently.

Kuimulang's face lit up with joy, and he laughed heartily, "Good! Good! In the blink of an eye, you've grown into a young lady. In a few years, you'll be getting married! When I first saw you, you were this small!" As he spoke, Kuimulang used his hand to indicate how small Jiayao had been.

By nightfall, Jiayao had already gone to rest, and Tai Bai Jin Xing finally returned from his meeting with the Jade Emperor.

When he saw Yang Zhen and Kuimulang, Tai Bai Jin Xing didn't immediately discuss the main issue. Instead, he asked about their match, "How did the two of you fare? Sigh! If the Jade Emperor hadn't summoned me for an urgent matter, I wouldn't have missed such an exciting match."

"Brother Yang is still the better one. I lost again," Kuimulang said with a bitter smile.

Hearing this, Yang Zhen didn't feign modesty. After responding, he asked Tai Bai Jin Xing about the main issue, "Did you discuss something important with the Jade Emperor?"

Tai Bai Jin Xing nodded and said, "This time, Marshal Tianpeng was demoted to the mortal world, and there is no one to lead the ten thousand water troops of the Heavenly River. The Jade Emperor plans to have you, Brother Yang, take over as Marshal Tianpeng and lead the Heavenly River troops. However, the Great Emperor Zizhui submitted a memorial suggesting that the former Marshal Tianpeng's subordinate, the Great Sage Tengang, should take over the position. For this, I and the Jade Emperor discussed for several hours."

Yang Zhen was in dire need of merit at this time. If he became Marshal Tianpeng, it would definitely be much better than his current position, and the speed of the mall's upgrade might even be faster. So Yang Zhen asked urgently, "What was the result? Did you reach a decision?"

Tai Bai Jin Xing sighed and said, "The advantage of the Great Sage Tengang is that he has served under the former Marshal Tianpeng for many years, with great contributions and a strong network in the Heavenly River troops. It would be legitimate for him to take over the position. On the other hand, you, Brother Yang, have been in the Heavenly Court for a short time and have not achieved any great feats. If this matter is discussed at tomorrow's court session, the prospects are not very good."

Hearing this, Yang Zhen fell silent. He was well aware of his disadvantages, but he also knew his strengths, which were that his power was far superior to the so-called Great Sage Tengang. However, the Heavenly Court was not a place where the strongest person got the highest position. It valued background, experience, achievements, and connections. Having strength only meant having potential. To get a promotion? Wait and see!

After thinking this through, Yang Zhen calmed his restless heart and said, "Since the chances are slim, let's just let it go this time. There will be many more opportunities for promotion in the future."

Yang Zhen's decision to let it go made Tai Bai Jin Xing anxious. If Yang Zhen didn't become Marshal Tianpeng, wouldn't the Nine Stars of the Northern Dipper fall back under the control of the Great Emperor Zizhui?

On the Jade Emperor's side, apart from Yang Zhen, who had defeated the former Marshal Tianpeng, no one else was qualified to compete for the position. Therefore, the Jade Emperor and Tai Bai Jin Xing wanted Yang Zhen to compete for the position of Marshal Tianpeng, but the specific methods were up to Yang Zhen.

The best way would be for Yang Zhen to assassinate the Great Sage Tengang, allowing him to smoothly take over as Marshal Tianpeng. As for the other opposing voices, there would be opportunities to eliminate them later.

Looking at Yang Zhen, Tai Bai Jin Xing said, "Brother Yang, this is a great opportunity. You mustn't give up."

Yang Zhen shook his head and said with a bitter smile, "If there were a chance, I wouldn't give up. But from any perspective, the Great Sage Tengang is the most suitable candidate. My experience in the Heavenly Court is too short, and I have no significant competitive edge."

"Brother Yang, don't forget that your strength is above the Great Sage Tengang!" Tai Bai Jin Xing said with deep meaning.

Hearing this, Yang Zhen fell silent. He knew what Tai Bai Jin Xing meant, but he didn't want to do it. Yang Zhen admitted that he was somewhat selfish, but he wasn't without principles.

He wouldn't hesitate to kill evil demons, but he found it hard to harm someone who had done no wrong. Although doing so would greatly benefit him, principles were principles. Once crossed, a person would change.

Shaking his head, Yang Zhen said, "It's not a matter of who is stronger. If it's not decided by a match, what's the point of being strong? If there's no chance tomorrow, let's just give up. There will be many more opportunities in the future. There's no need to rush."

By saying this, Yang Zhen effectively rejected Tai Bai Jin Xing's "suggestion." Tai Bai Jin Xing's face turned grim, and even his smile seemed forced.

Originally, Tai Bai Jin Xing thought that since Yang Zhen was a demon, he would retain some demon-like traits. Killing someone to gain benefits was too common among demons. So Tai Bai Jin Xing had even guaranteed to the Jade Emperor that he could persuade Yang Zhen. But he didn't expect Yang Zhen to refuse so firmly, giving him no chance to continue persuading.

At this moment, Kuimulang also said, "I also think that Brother Yang doesn't need to compete for the position of Marshal Tianpeng. Marshal Tianpeng is the commander of the water troops, while Brother Yang's specialty is the Three Pure Fires. They are completely incompatible. Moreover, it is legitimate for the Great Sage Tengang to take over the position. If Brother Yang were to compete forcefully, the other gods in the Heavenly Court would likely not agree."

Hearing this, Yang Zhen looked at Kuimulang and sighed. Kuimulang was too straightforward, still unable to see the conflict between the Jade Emperor and the Great Emperor Zizhui. Although Kuimulang had no good feelings towards the Great Emperor Zizhui due to his brother's grudge, he didn't blame the Great Emperor Zizhui's subordinates. Such a person was simple and somewhat endearing.