Chapter 139: A Strange Encounter in Chaoge City - The 139th Day of Creating a Game...

While Nezha diligently ran errands for the forest at the foot of Kunlun Mountain with Yang Jian, Jiang Ziya, whom Nezha was thinking about, was looking at the peach blossoms in full bloom with a bewildered expression.

Who am I? Where am I? What place is this?

Jiang Ziya only remembered that after he and his junior brother went down the mountain, his junior brother called out from behind, "Fellow Daoist, please wait a moment."

Then he turned around, and what he saw was astonishing. Instead of the majestic Kunlun Mountains, he found himself in a peach blossom forest strewn with fallen petals.

Shen Gongbao, the junior brother dressed in black, was also nowhere to be found, and there was no response no matter how many times he called out to him.

Only the Investiture of the Gods in his hand emitted a faint light.

[Game loading...]

[Game map loaded... Game quests loaded... Game characters loaded...]

Jiang Ziya was quite familiar with this aspect of the game, and upon seeing this, he knew that he couldn't rush things.

The Investiture of the Gods only stopped when the last sentence, "[Loading complete, newcomer series quests announced]," was heard.

But what exactly is this mission?

Jiang Ziya was pondering the small, constantly rotating circle on the Investiture of the Gods when he was suddenly enveloped by a shadow. Looking up, he saw a tall, handsome man.

The man, dressed in coarse linen, stood with his arms crossed: "You must be a new villager in Peach Blossom Village. I am the village chief, Di Jun."

At this moment, the task interface on the Investiture of the Gods, which had been slow to load, finally refreshed.

[Choose one of three new player benefit tasks in "Investiture of the Gods"; completing one will allow you to leave Peach Blossom Village.]

[Mission 1: Defeat Village Chief Di Jun (This is the combat route, extremely difficult, please choose carefully)]

[Task Two: Successfully learn the "Peach Blossom Village Cultivation Manual" (This is a growth bonus task that greatly helps players and is highly recommended)]

[Task 3: Catch 100 fish in Peach Blossom Village (This is a casual, lifestyle player's route)]

This was almost a no-brainer. Di Jun raised an eyebrow, already having figured out how to discipline the young man in front of him.

Sensing the terrifying aura emanating from Di Jun, Jiang Ziya, with great self-awareness, stuffed the Investiture of the Gods into his robes and then quickly shouted, "I choose three, and I'll catch a hundred fish!"

…………

While Jiang Ziya faced the difficult choice of the beginner's task, Yang Jian, along with Nezha, had already explored all eighteen small villages at the foot of Kunlun Mountain.

He's either catching chickens for the neighbor to the east or walking birds for the neighbor to the west. He's just helped the scholar in the south deliver a letter to his beloved young lady, and he'll immediately pick a few wildflowers along the way to put in Xiaoxiu's vase in the next village.

It was all a bunch of miscellaneous errands. They were busy running around for several days. In the end, when Nezha saw the handful of pebbles, steamed buns, and flower wreaths brought by the little children, he wondered what they had been so busy with these past few days.

Nezha tossed the stone in his hand into the air. This stone was given to him by Liu Ergou from the east village. He said it was the best stone for skipping stones, capable of creating eighteen skips in one go. He had treasured it for several years and only gave it to Nezha as a token of his gratitude.

As for small items like these, Nezha also has a Qiankun bag. He's reluctant to use them, but they're just sitting there. He can only take them out from time to time to look at and play with them.

Nezha looked at Yang Jian walking in front of him and thought that his senior brother was really a good-natured person. After running around for so many days, he still had a smiling face whenever he saw someone.

Unlike himself, who was already impatient and wanted to find a big tree to lie down and sleep, if it weren't for the flowers Xiaoxiu gave him, the dried fish the little cat demon brought him, and the two hair buns that Aunt Wang helped him tie... he would have quit long ago.

Nezha thought this to himself, but his body betrayed him and followed Yang Jian. At this moment, Yang Jian's conversation with the little fox girl in front of him was coming to an end.

"My sister hasn't come back since she went out to work, and she hasn't written a letter. I heard you are all-powerful heroes. Could you help me deliver a letter to my sister?" The little girl was lying by the door, her fox tail and fox ears sticking out, her eyes full of admiration.

Yang Jian couldn't help but pat the little girl's head, but the next second he was pulled back a step by his own dog, Xiaotian.

He patted the Celestial Hound again before assuring the girl, "No problem, my junior brother and I will definitely deliver the letter to your sister."

"Ah, you are so kind! These are honey fruits, a specialty of our Qingqiu clan. They are especially delicious. You can have them all."

"Hmph, after I finish this errand, I'm going on strike!" Nezha took a big bite of the honey fruit; it was indeed quite sweet.

But it's time to stop this errand-running job. After this one, he definitely won't do it again.

Nezha thought this for the umpteenth time. He took another bite of the fruit, quickly followed Yang Jian, and headed to the next delivery point.

However, when Nezha and Yang Jian stood in front of the solemn and majestic Chaoge Palace, holding the letter given to them by Xiao Liu, they were momentarily at a loss as to how to find Xiao Liu's sister.

It wasn't until a group of female officials carrying lanterns came over and led them into the palace that Yang Jian and Nezha realized that the older sister of the sixth girl in the village at the foot of Kunlun Mountain was actually the demon master Daji who had been causing quite a stir in the human world recently.

However, Daji is about to become Queen Daji. Currently, Daji lives in the Zhaixing Palace in the royal palace. She will wait until all the ceremonies for the king's marriage are completed before she can become Di Xin's rightful queen.

When the future Queen Daji faced Yang Jian and Nezha, she was exceptionally gentle and kind, completely unlike her aggressive demeanor in court.

Daji unfolded the letter, and the peony flower next to her fox ears swayed with her joy.

A vibrant red nail polish rested on the letter, and amidst the interplay of red and white, Daji's smile grew even more gentle.

She let out a long sigh of relief and looked at the handsome young man and dashing boy in front of her: "So you are Xiao Liu's friends~ It must have been hard for you to come all this way."

While Nezha was still shocked that Xiao Liu's older sister was actually the infamous demon master Daji, Yang Jian quickly chimed in, "We were just passing by to deliver a message for Miss Xiao Liu. We've troubled you, senior."

Daji was amused by Yang Jian's actions, and the delicate pearl flower at her temple began to sway.

She was no longer the little fox who had just left Qingqiu. As a nine-tailed demon who had managed the Xuanyuan Tomb area and represented the demon race in the Chaoge court, she could naturally see the two human youths in front of her clearly.

She glanced at Yang Jian's sleeve: "You are disciples of Kunlun Mountain, aren't you?"

"Exactly."

Daji clapped her hands: "That is truly a coincidence. Not long ago, the immortal Yun Zhongzi from Kunlun came here. I wonder what his relationship is with you two."

"Uncle-Master Yun Zhongzi is our elder."

Now Daji found Yang Jian and Nezha even more pleasing to the eye. They were good-looking, had powerful backgrounds, seemed quite strong, and had clear, intelligent features. If she could keep them in the court, they would be a great asset to her.

Just as Daji was about to speak, Yang Jian's words stopped her: "We are here on our master's orders to find Uncle-Master Jiang Ziya. Senior has been in Chaoge for a long time. I wonder if you have heard any information about him?"

This dampened Daji's enthusiasm. This man, born in Kunlun and seeking Jiang Ziya, was surely here for matters of the Heavenly Court. How could someone who sought a position in the Heavenly Court remain in the court of Chaoge?

Well, it's good to make a good connection, after all, he's Xiao Liu's friend.

Daji remained as gentle as ever, but pointed to the east and said, "You've come at the right time. You also have another uncle, Shen Gongbao, who is now an official in Chaoge City. He was the one who came down the mountain with Jiang Ziya that day. If you want to know more, you might as well ask him."

After saying this, Daji sent someone with a warrant to take Yang Jian and Nezha to Shen Gongbao's residence. As for the repeated thanks and the gifts Daji sent, we will not go into details.

As for Shen Gongbao, seeing the two third-generation disciples of Kunlun sent by the Demon Master, and how they bowed respectfully to him, he felt extremely uncomfortable.

"...Does Uncle-Master know the whereabouts of Uncle-Master Jiang Ziya?"

"How would I know that!" Upon hearing this, Shen Gongbao jumped up like a leopard whose tail had been stepped on.

The large black panther beside him pounced, roaring at the two of them. Then it was pinned to the ground by the celestial hound, unable to get up.

Shen Gongbao forgot his anger and quickly protected his nephew, who was the only one in the clan to have developed intelligence.

After driving away the Celestial Hound, he looked at Nezha and Yang Jian, as well as the female official in front of Daji who had brought them there, and his regard for the two of them rose to a new level.

He was no longer the leopard spirit whose meat would be stolen by his older brother. However, as the Grand Preceptor of the Shang Dynasty who had returned from studying under the sage and held a proper official position in Chaoge, he had no reason to get angry with these two young lads.

He put his hands behind his back, his hair standing on end like it was about to explode: "Fine, I'll give you a piece of my mind for the sake of your master and the demon master."

"On that day, Jiang Ziya took the Investiture of the Gods down the mountain, and I also went down the mountain to gain experience. Halfway there, I became curious about the Investiture of the Gods, so I called out to Jiang Ziya. As soon as Jiang Ziya turned around, he was swept away by a white light."

"I searched everywhere but could not find anything, and I was afraid that my master would blame me, so I came to Chaoge to seek the protection of the dynasty's fortune."

Shen Gongbao stood with his hands behind his back, trying to recount the matter in a calm tone.

As for his desire to seize the Investiture of the Gods and his return to the place where he had previously become an apprentice before coming to Chaoge, where he beat up the brother who stole his food, left a pile of food behind, and then brought out the only nephew in the clan with the talent for cultivation, Shen Gongbao deliberately omitted these things.

Hmph, he's just getting revenge for those brothers who stole his food back then. They stole my food back then, and now the most talented kid is his mount. Shen Gongbao is such a vengeful demon.

Shen Gongbao glanced at the well-dressed Yang Jian and the "unruly" Nezha.

Back in Kunlun, his master preferred humans who dressed well and never allowed demons like him to get close. As for that boy in red, his master Taiyi never even gave him a proper look.

They're all bad!

Even if they are now treating me with utmost respect, addressing me as "Uncle-Master" repeatedly, and with Daji, who stands on my side in the court, backing me up, I shouldn't expect them to give me a pleasant look.

Shen Gongbao waved his sleeve and sneered, "You don't know that Jiang Ziya was absorbed by the Investiture of the Gods. This is what happens to mortals who take the treasure. They might even be dead by now."

"I advise you not to look anymore. You might as well stay in Chaoge. With me and Daji as your backers, you can live a carefree life."

Shen Gongbao turned around, no longer looking at the two clueless brats behind him, only to find that Nezha, riding on his Wind Fire Wheels, had appeared in front of him in an instant.

He even rudely held a transparent screen in front of his eyes: "Uncle-Master, is this what the Investiture of the Gods looks like?"

Amid Shen Gongbao's angry rebuke, Nezha quickly rode his Wind Fire Wheels, making two turns to get away from Shen Gongbao's residence. Yang Jian also found Nezha soon after, accompanied by Xiaotian Dog.

Nezha was furious, and Xiaotian Dog was so tired that he was panting with his tongue hanging out, and his tail was almost stripped of some fur by the black panther.

Nezha and Yang Jian exchanged glances, and Nezha couldn't help but think of their Uncle Shen Gongbao, who had just been so angry that his fur stood on end, and suddenly burst out laughing. However, Nezha laughed heartily, while Yang Jian pursed his lips and didn't utter a sound.

“Uncle Shen Gongbao is a good person.” Amidst laughter, Nezha nodded vigorously.

"However, the disappearance of Uncle Jiang Ziya involves the Investiture of the Gods and the Investiture of the Gods game interface in our hands. This game was given to us by the Master, but this matter was definitely not caused by the Master."

Nezha and Yang Jian exclaimed in unison, "Wuzhuang Temple!"

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Author's note: Shen Gongbao (angry everywhere): When I was a child, my brothers stole my meat to eat. Now that I'm grown up, I'm going to throw meat under my feet to play with, and I'll also steal their most talented child to use as a mount.

Yang Jian is dressed impeccably, which is what Master likes. He hates hairy guys like me (angry). I'm going to tell them how dangerous it is to find Jiang Ziya, and tell them to give up as soon as possible and just stay in Chaoge.

Although Nezha's clothes are not good-looking, his master doesn't even look at me (angry). No, this brat, where did he find such a dangerous thing as the Investiture of the Gods? Is this something a third-generation disciple should play with? Children are not allowed to play with it!

He's a leopard who gets angry all the time, but whose actions are completely the opposite. [doge emoji with rose in his mouth]