Rebirth of Nezha in the Investiture of the Gods

"Thank you for the reminder, Master-Uncle. Your advice is truly wise!"

Li Mingzhu smiled as she accepted the Pipa Demon, not minding giving Jiang Ziya some extra flattery.

It's not that Li Mingzhu was particularly afraid of Jiang Ziya, but how to describe Jiang Ziya? He was like a smelly rock in a latrine—both foul and stubborn. If you were to deal with him harshly, not only would you gain nothing, but you might end up being obliterated by the Primordial Saint in retaliation.

Thus, confronting Jiang Ziya with force was entirely unnecessary. It carried no benefits and could result in the Saint wiping you out—a self-inflicted misfortune.

Having the memories of her previous life, Li Mingzhu naturally saw everything with clarity and wouldn't engage in such pointless foolishness.

After speaking, Li Mingzhu stopped paying attention to Jiang Ziya and vanished instantly, reappearing at her previous spot on the street corner. As for Jiang Ziya, if he wanted to come back, he'd have to walk or fly slowly. Knowing Jiang Ziya's personality, he would likely walk into the city.

The earlier disappearance of Jiang Ziya and Li Mingzhu had already caused a stir among the onlookers. Now, with Li Mingzhu appearing suddenly once more, the ordinary folk were even further shaken.

The more observant ones quickly reported the situation to the patrolling Vice Minister Bi Gan and King Wu Cheng Huang Feihu. Huang Feihu initially dismissed it as a joke, brushing it off as nonsense.

But Bi Gan insisted on coming to see for himself, forcing Huang Feihu to accompany him unwillingly to the street corner.

When he arrived, he eyed Li Mingzhu skeptically. Where was the supposed Immortal elder? All he saw was a child! Huang Feihu immediately lost interest. What use could a child possibly have?

Could a child possibly deal with demons?

Huang Feihu, confident in the Daoist Skills he'd learned from his master Wen Zhong, couldn't deal with demons. How could a little child manage it?

On the other hand, Bi Gan wasn't as dismissive as Huang Feihu. He was well aware that true experts could not be judged solely by their appearance, even if they appeared as a child.

"Bi Gan of Yin Shang pays respect to this young friend. Can it be true, as the commoners claimed, that you possess Daoist skills?"

Despite being nearly sixty years old, Bi Gan remained strong and vibrant, with eyes that gleamed with wisdom. Naturally, his Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart was no trivial matter.

If Bi Gan had pursued Immortal cultivation, his Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart would likely have already elevated him to the rank of a Golden Immortal.

"Greetings, Vice Minister. If you're referring to the demonstration of Daoist techniques with my Master-Uncle earlier, then yes, it is true!"

Li Mingzhu offered a slight bow and replied calmly. She respected Bi Gan, though only as much as he deserved.

While loyal to the core, Bi Gan's devotion bordered on blind loyalty.

"Where, may I ask, is your Master-Uncle?" Bi Gan asked quickly, clearly holding Jiang Ziya in higher regard than Li Mingzhu.

"My Master-Uncle had pressing matters and has already left, though he left behind some words and even an item for you two. However, whether you're destined for it remains to be seen."

Li Mingzhu casually took out a short Peach Wood Sword from her sleeve.

"Haha, as expected of an old Immortal. It seems he anticipated our intentions all along."

Bi Gan laughed, clearly understanding the deeper meaning in Li Mingzhu's words. Meanwhile, Huang Feihu remained baffled, glaring at Li Mingzhu suspiciously.

What did "destined for it" mean?

The moment your intentions were revealed, and they aligned, you were considered destined.

"Vice Minister, feel free to speak freely!"

Bi Gan initially wanted to share his concerns openly but hesitated given the bustling street environment.

Li Mingzhu waved her sleeve lightly, and instantly, the three of them seemed cut off from the world. Though still situated on the bustling street, their enclosure rendered the outside unable to see or hear them, and vice versa.

This bounded space was nothing like the grand array Aoguang had once used with the power of the Four Sea Dragon Balls; it was merely a minor spell to isolate sight and sound.

Upon observing Li Mingzhu's mystical technique, Bi Gan felt reassured, convinced that such Immortal prowess would undoubtedly address his worries.

"Recently, the King, swayed by a villain's words, first attempted unsuccessfully to forcibly take Daji as a consort. Now, he dotes excessively on Lady Xi, neglecting royal duties. With four major lords coming to Chaoge to pay tribute, we fear further chaos may arise. I beg the Daoist to vanquish the demons!"

Speaking with tearful sincerity, Bi Gan demonstrated his unwavering loyalty. Having seen Li Mingzhu's display of power earlier, his attitude toward Li Mingzhu shifted to greater reverence—so much so that he changed the formality of his address entirely.

Huang Feihu's expression darkened. Having studied Daoist Skills under Wen Zhong, he couldn't discern Li Mingzhu's methods but realized the child's profound depth.

After hearing Bi Gan, Li Mingzhu gained a clearer picture of Chaoge's current state. Although Lady Xi was favored now, she hadn't committed anything outrageous yet—no monstrous acts like those of the Nine-tailed Fox in her previous life.

Such as executing the Eastern Marquis, trapping ministers, or deposing Empress Jiang—none of these had occurred yet. Perhaps it was because she'd only recently entered the palace.

"Vice Minister, how are you certain that Lady Xi is a demon?" Li Mingzhu asked.

"From a young age, I possessed the Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart. With one glance, I can discern whether someone is a demon or not," Bi Gan replied confidently, clearly proud of his unique talent.

"Indeed, that's excellent. Take this sword, then, and present it to King Zhou. Inform him that there is a minor demon hiding in the Royal Palace, and this sword can dispel it. It must hang from the main gate for twelve hours, and state that it was gifted by Jiang Ziya, a disciple of the Primordial Saint on Kunlun Mountain."

Li Mingzhu handed the Peach Wood Sword to Bi Gan and successfully absolved herself of any direct involvement.

Whether Lady Xi was truly a demon or whether the Peach Wood Sword worked didn't matter—any consequences would fall squarely on Jiang Ziya.

Originally, the responsibility of presenting the sword and exorcising demons should have fallen to Yun Zhongzi. But since Yun Zhongzi lost interest in Chaoge after failing to recruit Lei Zhenzi as a disciple, Li Mingzhu had no choice but to step in.

Of course, she borrowed Jiang Ziya's reputation for this task—if it worked, she'd be "offering flowers with borrowed hands"; if it failed, she'd be pinning the blame. In any case, none of it would concern Li Mingzhu.

"Thank you, Daoist, for your gift of the sword," Bi Gan said earnestly as he accepted the Peach Wood Sword with great care.

"No need to thank me. This was all instructed by my Master-Uncle, who also said that if Virtuous Minister faces difficulties in the future, he may seek help here again."

Li Mingzhu spoke with a smile, slyly arranging for Jiang Ziya to become Bi Gan's full-time caretaker. She wondered whether Jiang Ziya would be capable of saving Bi Gan when his life was threatened in the infamous heart-extraction incident later.

After all, Li Mingzhu herself had no intention of staying in Chaoge indefinitely.

What truly intrigued Li Mingzhu now was Lady Xi's identity. Using her Qi Observation technique, she directed her gaze toward the Royal Palace. While there was indeed demon energy rising from within, it felt as though something else was concealed beneath the demonic aura—something she couldn't quite discern.

It seemed she could only wait until the Peach Wood Sword's effect revealed the truth.

Regarding the Peach Wood Sword's potency, Li Mingzhu had full confidence. Although the sword itself was ordinary, it was imbued with both the Water and Fire Origin and the Shadow Carrying Sword Qi.

The Shadow Carrying Sword Qi, in particular, was the perfect choice for vanquishing demons, and it wouldn't make mistakes in judgment.

After finishing her remarks, Li Mingzhu stopped paying attention to Bi Gan and turned her focus to Huang Feihu instead. "King Wu Cheng, do pass my regards to Brother Wen Zhong on my behalf."

With those words, Li Mingzhu disappeared once more, leaving Huang Feihu thoroughly shaken. He hadn't expected this child to be a senior within her sect—truly unexpected!

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Written at three in the morning, but updating tomorrow morning is impossible. Starting from the sixth, the update schedule will shift to the evening. Apologies, everyone. I'm off to bed~~~ Everything is set to post automatically.