I am submissive in Journey to the West, I strike hard at the gods

Outside the hall, a golden-armored warrior appeared, and upon seeing this scene, he was stunned: "Jiang Wang, you...you have such audacity!"

"If someone alters an imperial edict without authorization, and the Jade Emperor punishes them, who can bear the consequences?"

Jiang Wang glanced at the golden-armored warrior and said indifferently, "Blame me?"

Go back and tell the Jade Emperor that I, Jiang Wang, will take responsibility for this trivial matter.

If he's not satisfied, let him come to the Jing River to find me.

His tone was calm, yet it carried a chilling aura. The golden-armored warrior dared not refute him and could only bow his head in agreement.

Jiang Wang tossed the revised imperial edict back to Ao Lie and said coldly, "Ao Lie, remember, tomorrow at 3:45 AM, the rain will be 3 feet 3 inches and 18 points, not a drop more, not a drop less."

"If anyone dares to disobey my decree, I will wipe out the entire Jinghe clan, leaving not a single chicken or dog alive!"

Ao Lie received the imperial edict, his face turning ashen.

Looking at the changed points, he felt as if a huge boulder was pressing on his heart.

Yuan Shoucheng had calculated 48 points, but the imperial edict had reduced it to 18 points. If he followed the edict, he would undoubtedly lose the bet; if he disobeyed the edict, he could not bear the wrath of the Jade Emperor.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Jiang Wang, you're trying to force me into a corner!"

Jiang Wang sneered, turned his back, and his voice drifted over: "Forcing you?"

Ao Lie, no one in this world can force you.

You started the bet yourself, so who can you blame?

"You'd better watch yourself."

After saying that, he flashed and transformed into a streak of green light, disappearing into the water mansion.

Ao Lie stood frozen in place, the imperial edict in his hand feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds.

He murmured, "Yuan Shoucheng, Jiang Wang, the Jade Emperor... In this game of chess, who is ultimately the one who moves the pieces?"

The hall was silent except for the rippling water, which seemed to tell the story of the impending catastrophe.

The night was as dark as ink, but the Jinghe Water Palace was brightly lit, and the crystal palace was filled with colorful lights that made the walls shine.

Jinghe Dragon King Ao Shun sat on the dragon throne, his brows furrowed, clutching a golden imperial edict in his hand, his expression full of worry.

Your Highness, Tuolong Aolie stood bowing, his eyes gleaming, his tone laced with a hint of cunning: "Father, why are you so worried?"

Yuan Shoucheng was just an ordinary fortune teller. Even if he had some skill, how could he truly see the secrets of heaven?

"I already have a brilliant plan for this matter."

Upon hearing this, Ao Shun slowly raised his head, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes: "Oh?"

"What brilliant plan does Lie'er have? Tell me quickly!"

His voice was low and tinged with urgency.

Recently, he made a bet with Yuan Shoucheng, a fortune teller from Chang'an City, about the timing and amount of rainfall. The bet seemed simple, but it concerned the reputation of the Jinghe River aquatic tribe and his authority as the Dragon King.

If we lose, not only will we lose face, but the Heavenly Court itself will also suffer.

Moreover, there was an inexplicable sense of unease behind this bet, which made him uneasy.

Tuolong smiled slightly, leaned closer, and whispered, "Father, no matter how accurate Yuan Shoucheng's calculations are, he is still just a mortal. How could he know the mysteries of the Heavenly Court's imperial edict?"
Your subject has heard that the God of Justice, Lord Jiang Wang, has privately altered your imperial decree to bring rain, changing both the amount and the time.

The Golden Armor Warrior witnessed it firsthand; there are witnesses to this matter.

If Father King follows the revised imperial decree of Lord Jiang Wang and sends rain, he will not only defeat Yuan Shoucheng and save face for the Jinghe River aquatic tribe, but also, with the Golden Armor Warrior as witness, even if the Jade Emperor blames him, he will certainly not impose a death sentence.

Even if the Heavenly Court were to pursue the matter, Lord Jiang Wang is a high-ranking and powerful judicial deity; ultimately, he would bear the responsibility. Why should Father King worry?

Upon hearing this, Ao Shun's worry subsided slightly. He stroked his dragon beard and pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "Is Lie'er's plan truly feasible?"

Although Jiang Wang is a god of justice, he is arrogant and his alteration of the imperial edict is an act of usurpation. If the Jade Emperor is enraged, he may not escape punishment either.

If we follow his advice, will we get burned?

The alligator waved his hand confidently: "Father, you're overthinking it!"

Who is Lord Jiang Wang?

I heard that he dares to defy even the saints in Heaven. Even though the Jade Emperor is the ruler of the Three Realms, he may not be able to easily touch him.

Moreover, since he dared to alter the imperial edict, he must have his own plans.

"We'll just follow his revised orders; Lord Jiang Wang will handle the rest!"

After a moment of contemplation, Ao Shun finally nodded, a resolute glint in his eyes: "Alright!"

Let's follow Lie'er's plan!

"If it rains tomorrow, I will act according to the imperial edict altered by Jiang Wang, and see how arrogant Yuan Shoucheng can be then!"

He waved his dragon robe, his tone laced with ruthlessness, "If I can win this bet, I will personally go to that fortune-telling shop, smash its signboard, and let him know the majesty of the Jing River Dragon King!"

Seeing that his father had made up his mind, Tuolong smiled slightly, bowed and stepped back: "Father is wise. Your son will go and make the preparations now."

The following day, the sky above Chang'an was filled with rolling clouds and the faint sound of thunder.

Jinghe Dragon King Ao Shun personally led his four generals of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, standing on the clouds, overlooking the bustling city of Chang'an below.

The golden imperial edict in his hand had been unfolded, the handwriting on it was clear, but the date and time were different from the original edict.

Ao Shun took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "All generals, listen to my command: bring rain as ordered, and the count must be accurate!"

The four generals of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning responded in unison and each cast their spells.

In an instant, dark clouds gathered, a gale howled, thunder roared, and torrential rain poured down.

Within Chang'an City, people fled in droves, and the streets and alleys were filled with commotion.

Ao Shun concentrated on calculating, and the raindrops fell like pearls into the city, but the number of drops was thirty points less than the original order.

His heart skipped a beat, but he secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "In that case, Yuan Shoucheng is bound to lose!"

After the rain stopped, Ao Shun transformed into a white-robed scholar, wearing a square scarf and holding a folding fan, and gracefully arrived at Yuan Shoucheng's fortune-telling shop.

In front of the fortune-telling shop, Yuan Shoucheng sat upright behind the table, holding a scroll of bamboo slips, and closing his eyes to rest.

Ao Shun sneered, stepped into the shop, and ripped off the shop's signboard, smashing it to the ground in several pieces.

Yuan Shoucheng suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as lightning, staring at Ao Shun. His tone was calm but tinged with sarcasm: "Dragon King, you have quite the temper. This signboard cost me half a tael of silver to make. Why smash it?"

Ao Shun laughed loudly, waved his folding fan, and pointed at Yuan Shoucheng: "You old scoundrel, pretending to be a god and ghost, your divination is inaccurate, yet you still dare to swindle and cheat in Chang'an City."
The timing and amount of rainfall today do not match what you said. What else do you have to say?
Pack your bags and get out of Chang'an as soon as possible, lest I have to take action myself!

Yuan Shoucheng narrowed his eyes, slowly stood up, and gently tapped the table with the bamboo slip in his hand: "Dragon King, do not be anxious. My divination has never been wrong."

Today's rainfall reduced the rainfall by thirty points. Did the Dragon King do this intentionally?

Ao Shun was taken aback upon hearing this, then snorted coldly: "Nonsense!"
I am the Dragon King of the Jing River. I was ordered by the Emperor to bring rain, and I acted in accordance with the order at the appointed time. How could I have made a mistake?

"But you, spreading rumors and misleading the public, will be taught a lesson today! You think you can bully the Jinghe River tribes so easily!"

Yuan Shoucheng sneered, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes: "Does the Dragon King know that arbitrarily withholding rainfall points is a crime of disobeying the Emperor's decree, a capital offense!"

Ao Shun's heart skipped a beat, but he forced himself to remain calm: "How dare you!"
I was merely following orders to bring rain; what crime have I committed?
"But you, a mere mortal, dare to disobey the Emperor's decree! Believe me, I'll have your head chopped off!"

Yuan Shoucheng remained calm, calculated with his fingers, and then frowned slightly: "Strange, the content of the imperial edict is consistent with the Dragon King's actions, and the timing is also accurate... But I cannot calculate why the imperial edict is like this. Dragon King, have you secretly altered it?"

Ao Shun's expression changed slightly, but he forced a smile and said, "Old fool, stop talking nonsense!"

I am the Jinghe Dragon King, personally appointed by the Emperor. I act with integrity and uprightness. How could I possibly alter the imperial decree?

"As for you, your fortune-telling shop sign is destroyed, and I've torn down the door panels. Get out of here!"

Just then, a golden light flashed across the sky, and two heavenly generals led a troop of heavenly soldiers down from the clouds, their momentum fierce.

The leading celestial general, holding a golden whip, said in a deep voice: "Ao Shun, the Dragon King of the Jing River, has arbitrarily altered the imperial decree and withheld the rainfall amount, committing a capital offense. The Jade Emperor has ordered that he be immediately escorted to the Heavenly Court and beheaded at the Dragon-Slaying Platform at noon tomorrow!"

Ao Shun was shocked and dropped his folding fan to the ground, his voice trembling: "Impossible!"

I acted according to the imperial edict that the judicial deity Jiang had altered; how could I be guilty?

You must have made a mistake!

The heavenly general sneered: "Jiang Wang?"
Hmph, he has already been dismissed and demoted by the Jade Emperor for altering the imperial edict without authorization, and he can hardly protect himself!
Ao Shun, are you still trying to argue?

"Guards, take him away!"

The heavenly soldiers stepped forward, and with the clanking of chains, they bound Ao Shun tightly.

Ao Shun struggled and shouted, "Injustice!"
Injustice!
Jiang has arbitrarily changed the imperial decree; I was merely following orders!

You can't treat me like this!

Tian Jiang snorted coldly and waved his hand, saying, "Take him away!"
"Stop talking!"

Just then, a beam of azure light shot down from the horizon and landed in front of the heavenly soldiers and generals, transforming into a man in a green robe with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, exuding an imposing aura—it was Jiang Wang.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sharp as a knife, sweeping over the heavenly general, and said calmly, "Release him."

The leading heavenly general was taken aback, then angrily said, "Jiang Wang, you have been dismissed from your post and banished to the mortal realm by the Jade Emperor, yet you still dare to act so presumptuously here."
Get out of the way right now, or I'll take you down too!

Jiang Wang sneered, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "Dismissed from office?"
Hmph, that old Jade Emperor has quite the airs!
He wasn't this assertive at the Peach Banquet back then.

What, you think you've grown wings now, daring to boss me around?

The general's expression changed, and he gripped the golden whip tightly: "Jiang Wang, don't make a mistake for yourself!"
"The Jade Emperor's command is inviolable. If you continue to obstruct us, don't blame us for showing no mercy!"

Jiang Wang laughed loudly, his voice like thunder, making the surrounding air buzz: "Show no mercy?"
What a loud tone!
I dared to defy even saints back then, so what do I have to fear about defying Heaven?

Tell the Jade Emperor that if you want to kill the Jing River Dragon King, you'll have to get past me first!

Otherwise, I will make sure your souls are scattered and you are never reincarnated!

Tian Jiang gritted his teeth, cold sweat beading on his forehead, but his voice remained firm: "Jiang Wang, are you trying to rebel?"

Jiang Wang stepped forward, his aura pressing down like a mountain, his tone icy: "Rebellion?"

Hmph, I, Jiang Wang, act arbitrarily, why should I explain myself to anyone?

Release Ao Shun, or this very city of Chang'an will be your burial ground!

Seeing this, Ao Shun's eyes lit up with hope, and he said in a trembling voice, "Lord Jiang Wang!"
You must stand up for me!

"You altered this imperial edict; I was merely following orders. How can the Jade Emperor be so unjust?"

Jiang Wang glanced at him and said indifferently, "Ao Shun, shut up."

This matter arose because of me, and it should be resolved by me.

He turned to look at Tian Jiang, a cold smile playing on his lips. "What, aren't you going to make a move?"
Do you really want me to personally send you on your way?

Tianjiang gritted his teeth and waved his hand, saying, "Jiang Wang, don't force me!"

The Emperor decrees: The Dragon King of the Jing River must be brought to justice!

A murderous glint flashed in Jiang Wang's eyes. He slowly raised his right hand, and a beam of azure light emanated from his palm, transforming into a long sword with sword energy soaring into the sky: "Imperial decree?"
In my eyes, it's nothing but a piece of waste paper!
"I'll ask you one more time, will you release them or not?"

The heavenly soldiers and generals retreated in unison, their faces deathly pale.

Jiang Wang's name was renowned throughout the Heavenly Court. It was said that he once fought three thousand heavenly soldiers single-handedly without sustaining a single injury.

Although he has been dismissed from office, his momentum remains as strong as ever, and everyone is still in awe.

Just then, a soft white light appeared on the horizon, accompanied by a melody of celestial music.

Venus arrived on a cloud, holding a whisk, and said with a smile, "Lord Jiang Wang, why be angry?"
"I have come on the orders of the Jade Emperor, and I have something to say."

Jiang Wang sneered: "Old man Taibai, did the Jade Emperor send you here as a persuader?"
"Tell me, what trick is he planning this time?"

Venus chuckled and lightly waved his whisk: "Lord Jiang Wang has misunderstood."

The Jade Emperor was furious, not because of the Jing River Dragon King, but because…

He paused, then lowered his voice, "The matter of the fairy Chang'e."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang's expression changed slightly, then he sneered: "Chang'e?"
Hmph, that old Jade Emperor, for such a personal grudge, he doesn't even care about his dignity as the ruler of the Three Realms?

Why strip me of my official post and demote me to the mortal realm?

Isn't he afraid I'll turn the Heavenly Court upside down?

Venus sighed and said in a low voice, "Please calm down, my lord."

The Jade Emperor's fury stemmed from the fact that the marriage between the fairy Chang'e and the emperor had caused chaos in the Heavenly Court.

He once ordered the old man to ask the goddess Nuwa to correct the marriage, but the goddess Nuwa avoided him and said that the Jade Emperor was angry because of love, which was unbecoming of the ruler of the three realms.

The Jade Emperor, left with no other option, then took his anger out on the official.

Upon hearing this, a complex look flashed in Jiang Wang's eyes, but his tone grew even colder: "What a Jade Emperor!"
He's so petty and narrow-minded for the sake of Chang'e!

Very well, I'm going to protect the Jing River Dragon King today!
Anyone who dares to touch him is making an enemy of Jiang Wang!

Venus quickly waved his hand: "My lord, don't be anxious!"
I have come here to resolve this matter.

Although the Jade Emperor dismissed the official from his post, he did not issue a death order.

If Your Excellency would be willing to humble yourself and admit your mistake, it might be possible to spare the life of the Jing River Dragon King.

Jiang Wang sneered: "Lower your head?"
Admit your mistake?

Old man Taibai, who do you think I am, Jiang Wang?
If the Jade Emperor wants to play hardball, I'll play along to the end!
"Today, the Dragon King of the Jing River must release the captives, or I, Jiang Wang, will surely make the Heavenly Court flow with blood!"

Upon hearing this, the general's face turned ashen, and he shouted, "Jiang Wang, don't push your luck!"
"Heavenly soldiers and generals are here; how can you alone withstand them?"

Jiang Wang laughed heartily, brandishing his longsword. Sword energy surged like a rainbow, soaring into the sky: "Block it?"
With your bunch of good-for-nothings?

Come on, give it a try!

Seeing this, Venus hurriedly stepped forward and stood between the heavenly general and Jiang Wang, saying with a wry smile, "Lord Jiang Wang, please calm down!"
Calm down!
I will return to Heaven immediately and report this matter to the Jade Emperor, and I will ensure the safety of the Jing River Dragon King.

"My lord, please wait a moment, and do not make a big fuss!"

Jiang Wang snorted coldly, sheathed his longsword, and his gaze was like a knife: "Old man Taibai, I'll give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

If the Jade Emperor doesn't release them, don't blame me, Jiang Wang, for showing no mercy! (End of Chapter)