together together

Giving up the performance implies being willing to accept the punishment game.

The intensity of the punishment this time was different from before. Drinking the stinky mixed vegetable and fruit juice would at most damage one's body, and one could recover as before by practicing diligently for a few weeks. However, if one were to reveal the most embarrassing and stupid thing one had done in one's life in the dream of a great devotee like a temple keeper, one would probably lose face and the popularity of the temple would plummet.

Hu Ziyu originally wanted to boycott the performance and directly accept the punishment game. After all, he didn't have many big followers, only the leader of Weiming Hall and a few cadres. As for the most embarrassing and stupid things he had done in his life, one was being trampled to death during a parade, and the other was riding in an overturned Tesla and hitting someone else's old cow.

Clash with the new priest.

If they are lucky, people will think that the latter was done by Hu Tianbao.

The Rabbit God was not very popular in the world and few people knew about him. What's more, Hu Tianbao abandoned his post and absconded, so mortals never knew about it, let alone associated it with their own fate. As for the former, everyone in the world knew about it, but it was just a news report replayed in the dreams of great believers.

But Zhuyi Zhenjun is different. Not mentioning temples that are listed alongside other deities, if it is a palace temple dedicated to Wenchang Emperor, there will be five Wenchangs listed side by side: Wenchang Emperor, Dakui Emperor, Zhuyi Emperor, Fuyou Emperor, and Guansheng Emperor. Each one is extremely noble and each one is extremely important.

Linghu's face turned pale with fear, and even Wenquxingjun stood in front of the hall to beg for mercy, asking everyone to wait for a while.

"Huaizi, just sing any song you want." Wenquxingjun blinked his gray eyes that were deeply buried in wrinkles, and he almost burst into tears.

"But...I don't listen to Chinese songs. I can't sing."

"Then, how about reciting a few poems? 'Song of Hate,' 'Qingping Tune,' 'Pipa Song,' or something like that will do."

"But..." Zhu Huaizi stammered, "I can't even recite it all."

Hu Ziyu became anxious after hearing this and wanted to jump into the hall to help her recite it, even backwards.

"Then, how about 'Song of Water Melody'?" Liang Yanqi came up with an idea and suggested loudly: "Wishing you a long life", which uses the lyrics of 'Song of Water Melody'. If you can sing, I'll help you start and you can continue!" Zhu Huaizi hesitated for nearly ten seconds and said in a trembling voice: "Okay, I'll sing." The ceremonial officer handed her the wireless microphone and turned up the volume of the speaker to the maximum.

Liang Yanqi stood up, and the two girls looked at each other and nodded.

"When will the bright moon appear──" After five seconds of silence, Zhu Huaizi finally summoned up the courage and voice to continue with the loud and bold pronunciation. "I ask the blue sky with my wine──"

Although the soft and gentle tone is still trembling, it is sweet and pleasant, melodious and pleasant to the ear, making the listeners feel light and happy.

As soon as the song ended, Zhu Huaizi covered his face and returned to his seat, his face blushing as much as Hu Ziyu's.

The deities in Wenchang Hall stood up and applauded. Hu Ziyu, Liang Yanqi, and the others also clapped enthusiastically. After the priests finished their performance, the Jade Emperor ordered the deities to rest for a while. The young boys rushed back and forth, pouring wine, serving tea, and bringing snacks to the guests.

Ao Botong was the first to rise and toast the newly appointed gods. Hu Ziyu, having just turned eighteen and never tasted alcohol, opted for a lighter-alcohol shaved sour cream paired with a chocolate lava cake. After everyone clinked glasses, they added each other to the Tianren Zhuji friends list. Hu Ziyu immediately gathered the contact information for six of his former colleagues, as well as several immortals with whom he might have future business dealings.

After about half a minute of commotion, the Jade Emperor raised his hand again, signaling to proceed to the next stage of the race.

The twenty-one newly minted immortals were divided into three groups, performing drama, crosstalk, and diabolo routines. Each group was led by its most witty member, while the others were mostly extras, background characters, or stage assistants. Each group had its own humor, excitement, and ingenuity.

The performances in the temple are broadcast simultaneously via the magical "Jade Sound Loudspeaker" to various streaming platforms and online channels in heaven and the underworld. Immortals and gods who cannot attend or are not invited can also watch the live broadcast or replay at any time through PAD.

When he first entered the hall, Hu Ziyu was so focused on the ceremony and talent show that he didn't notice that there were several rows of press seats on both sides of the hall, closest to the wall, which were reserved for Lingxiao Hall Information Department staff and outside reporters.

As the rankings were about to be announced, the whole group of people set up the telescopic tripods of their cameras, pulled the cannon lenses and microphones in their hands, and aimed at the center of the hall with a fierce look.

The ranking of the immortals' performances is determined by online voting by the immortals present and those watching the live broadcast. In addition to the Best Performance Award, there are also Best Leader Award, Best Appearance Award, Most Outstanding Award, and Most Funny Award given to individuals. The prizes are a basket of mini peaches, several thousand yuan in cash, and autographed photos blessed by the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother.

Hu Ziyu chose the drama as the best award among the three performances.

The two male protagonists in the hilarious version of "Romeo and Juliet" were both male immortals. Their appearances were more unattractive than aesthetic, and their lines were extremely exaggerated and disgusting. But the fact that both actors played the leading roles was enough to give him a hundred thumbs up. In the end, the highest vote was for a crosstalk piece that combined ventriloquism and storytelling, while two male actors from the play won the Funniest Award with the same number of votes.

Immediately afterwards, the highly anticipated ranking of priests was announced. This time, the guests were not allowed to vote, but the decision was made through discussion by several powerful figures in the Heavenly Court.

Hu Ziyu, convinced there would be no benefit for him, simply closed his eyes for a nap, letting his parched eyeballs find some freshness. He hadn't slept for two days and two nights since Ling Hong's dream. He was either meditating and practicing, watching videos of previous masters responding to rituals, or studying the various functions and hotkeys of the Marriage Book app. He would occasionally open an old scroll to explore the main and ancillary aspects of the Jade Rabbit Temple.

Unexpectedly, there was a commotion all around. Initially, it was just Ao Botong and Wan Taian arguing with each other. After a few minutes, a few unfamiliar voices joined in. Before long, the volume grew louder and louder, and then, several thunderous clapbacks erupted in the air.

Hu Ziyu woke up with fright. The moment he opened his eyes, a glass wine glass came towards him, and was about to hit his forehead by an inch. Two hands stretched out from the left, and one from the right. In the end, the jade hand on the right successfully protected him.

Liang Yanqi shook him: "Don't sleep anymore, there is a fight in the front hall! You'd better find a place to hide!" Hu Ziyu had not fallen asleep yet, but his head was confused after falling asleep.

"Why did the fight break out in the front hall?"

Wan Taian raised his voice and replied in a dramatic, rhythmic voice: "It's all because of you! You, the most beautiful woman in the world, the cause of disaster!"

"What the hell is this?" Hu Ziyu didn't understand what was going on, and only Ren Liang Yanqi and others pushed him forward.

Liang Yanqi led the way, with Ao Botong and Wan Taian flanking them from the left and right, protecting Hu Ziyu in the middle. They crossed from the left side of the main hall to the right side, where the senior deities such as the Taiyin Hall and the City God Hall were located. Meanwhile, Zhu Huaizi, the two newcomers from the Yue Lao Hall, and the God of Wealth Hall, also moved towards their respective hall masters, escorted by their respective deities.

Ao Botong explained: "It is said that every time there is an official banquet, the gods either quarrel or fight. But I am really sorry this time. My second brother Ya Zi had a disagreement with several martial gods and Taoist ancestors over the ranking. It was originally just a quarrel, but then I don’t know how it turned into a fight. The martial god’s sword hit the tip of the thunder master’s nose, and the thunder master was unhappy, so he blasted out several thunders to push the gods away." As soon as he finished speaking, several thunders and fire fountains with sound and light effects flashed across the hall.

The newly appointed gods and immortals avoided the scene as much as possible, fearing they would be swept away by the stage. Meanwhile, reporters, both public and private, fought tooth and nail. Some used their magic to create invisible shields, while others hung from the ceiling, each displaying their own magical powers, determined to snag the rarest, firsthand footage.

"Anyway, let's hide behind the palace masters first." Liang Yanqi said, and suddenly found that Wu Gang, the security chief of Guanghan Palace, was also in the audience, so he wanted to hand Hu Ziyu over to him.

Hu Ziyu thanked him and was about to walk over to Wu Gang, but when he suddenly saw a familiar black figure flash by, he instinctively moved closer to that person.

"Linghong! You scared me to death..." Before his hand could reach up, the man pushed Hu Ziyu's chest and said in a low and husky voice: "Don't touch me." Hu Ziyu staggered back a few steps and bumped into the chest of another black-clothed immortal.

At this moment, it was really Ling Hong. "Why did you push my master!" Ling Hong first scolded the intruder, then cared about his master.

"Are you alright? We're not alike in terms of our figures. I'm impressed that you can admit your mistake!"

"I'm fine." Hu Ziyu couldn't help muttering in his heart: Apart from the height difference, they look very similar.

Ling Hong pushed Hu Ziyu behind him and said to the man in black, "The debt I failed to settle with you on Mount Buzhou should now be settled."

"That's good! The front hall is bustling with activity. It would be a shame to leave the main hall empty," the man said, following Ling Hong to the center of the red carpet. Hu Ziyu was horrified and hurried to the side of Taiyin Xingjun, saying urgently, "Your Majesty, the two Huanggang masters are about to fight! There are so many reporters on the scene. If this gets out, it will be embarrassing. Please stop them!" Most of the hall masters and the Shennong Hall's pharmacy department were retained. Even if the two men were injured, it wouldn't harm the immortal's essence, so Hu Ziyu was not worried. However, if their reputations were damaged and their merits were compromised, and word of this became known, it would certainly be detrimental to their future careers.

On Taiyin Xingjun's table, a rainbow of cocktails lay arranged from right to left in rainbow order. Only the two rightmost glasses were empty, and the third was tucked between her slender, nail-painted fingers. "The story of the Huanggang Twins has long been known. They fight every first and fifteenth day of the lunar month. If they don't, they feel uneasy. Those reporters got tired of it three hundred years ago and didn't even bother taking photos, let alone writing about it." Taiyin Xingjun lazily raised her head and downed another glass of wine.

The two exchanged more than ten blows, each one dodged by the other. Then, Linghong focused his power on his right palm, poised to unleash a large Rasengan. Linghu formed a ball with both palms, and a wave missile also took shape. Their stances, special moves, and magical pulses were 99% similar, but in terms of skill and power, Linghong had a 100% chance of victory.

"But this is the main hall of Ziwei Palace, not the open air! They might be fine, but what if they accidentally hurt someone?" Hu Ziyu shouted again. "Don't worry. Guanghan Palace has plenty of elixirs. If anyone gets hurt, just feed them a few and they'll be healed instantly. Besides, the geomancer is here, so repairs won't be a problem; they'll be done in no time." Taiyin Xingjun said, lowering his head to chew another honey-infused longan cake. Hu Ziyu was at a loss, looking up at the Jade Throne. But the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother remained calm, as if they were well-versed in the scene, like old gods, watching the chairman and emcee, who were "mingling" with the legislators. In contrast to the composure of the gods in Upper Heaven, Ao Guang stepped into the Vision of Fire, waved his sleeves, and summoned a massive wave of water that swept towards the steps below the Jade Emperor's throne. Many people thought that he was expressing his dissatisfaction after his fifth son Suanni was inferior to others. Little did they know that Ao Guang did this for no other reason but to restrain his angry and agitated second son.

The massive waves gradually solidified into a ball, finally converging into a circular water prison half his height. Like a tossing ring game, the water prison encircled Long's second son, Ya Zi. Captured by his father, Ya Zi remained undeterred, raging to the crowd in the hall, "I absolutely disagree with this ranking, and I will never acknowledge such a poor, weak, and immoral child as my sister-in-law!" Hu Ziyu was stunned, puzzled. Only after hearing Ao Guang's reprimand, "You think she's poor, weak, and immoral, and that's why I, your father, think you're being disrespectful!" did he realize the child Ya Zi was referring to was him. "Rankings don't matter to me, and I don't need your acknowledgement. I'm not your sister-in-law," Hu Ziyu muttered under his breath.

Ao Botong stepped forward and shouted: "Brother Wang, please stop! This is the Lingxiao Palace and Ziwei Palace, you are not allowed to be presumptuous!" Firstly, the instigator was captured, and secondly, they were in awe of the power of the dragon clan in the heavenly court. Master Lei stopped, the God of War quickly put away his sword, and a group of literary gods gradually slowed down their verbal battles.

The front hall suddenly returned to calm, but the two men in black in the hall still did not give up.

If his abilities allowed, Hu Ziyu would have liked to emulate the Dragon King and rush in to resolve the conflict, but the problem was that he wasn't strong enough. Furthermore, he wasn't strong enough. These past two days, he'd been busy studying etiquette, but when he had a moment's leisure, he'd still follow the Heart Sutra and try to figure out a few ways to use his magical powers for self-defense. After all, the heavens were like the human world, with all sorts of strange people. If someone deliberately tried to bully him, he couldn't just hide behind Taiyin Xingjun and Linghong.

He knew he lacked the necessary intelligence, and after trying a few moves, none quite clicked. Ultimately, the only thing he could achieve was gathering his magical energy in his palm and rolling it into a ball-like form. Another trick, compressing concentrated magical energy into his fingertips and firing it like a bullet, wasn't powerful enough to defeat an enemy, and could only be used to knock fruit off a tree. "Forget it, let's give it a try!" Everyone, utterly effete, stood by and watched. Hu Ziyu angrily kicked off his heavy, obstructing official boots, gathering some magical energy between his feet. Then, leaping to his feet, he held the magical bullet in his left palm and pointed his right hand like a gun. He certainly had no intention of blocking the attack with his own body, but he feigned a gesture to get his two spiritual brothers to withdraw their attacks and call a truce.

Ling Hong was startled when he saw Hu Ziyu charging into the fray, and he took a few steps back. Hu Ziyu seized the opportunity and fired a bullet filled with magical power at Ling Hong's right wrist. The bullet hit Ling Hong's wrist, and his magical power dissipated slightly, and the Rasengan instantly transformed into a cratered ball.

Immediately, Hu Ziyu, mindful of his skirt, tapped his toes and, using the technique of shrinking the earth by a thousand miles, advanced two meters. Approaching Ling Hu, he slammed the ball of magical power from his left palm onto his unprotected right abdomen. To an outsider, these two killing moves appeared to divide his entire strength equally between the two immortals, but in reality, they favored one over the other—the one against Ling Hong was much lighter, the one against Ling Hu much heavier. Hu Ziyu reasoned that Ling Hong was his own assistant, and there was no point in him forcing his attack. Meanwhile, Ling Hu was an outsider, and if he were to go all out, he might not mind attacking him as well.

Ling Hu suddenly felt his right arm go numb, unable to lift it, evidently a slight injury to his tendons. Although he disliked Hu Ziyu, he was well aware of the distinctions between immortals and gods. If he had truly injured the Rabbit God at the official banquet, not only would his own merits be diminished, but the Wenchang Palace might also become estranged from the Taiyin Palace. Worse still, it would affect the overall reputation of the Wenshen team.

Hu Ziyu's interruption not only caused the two spirits' magical balls to lose their accuracy, but also shrunk from their original melon-sized size to the size of an apricot. The two spirits froze, each willing to temporarily stop for Hu Ziyu's sake, but neither was willing to make peace, so the first one to withdraw was the other.

Ao Botong and Wan Taian rushed forward from the left and right, intending to block Ling Hong and Ling Hu's subsequent attacks. "Thank you, but please let me do it." Hu Ziyu passed through the two of them and slowly approached the two bi. Then, he quickly summoned his pad and stylus, opened the Marriage Book app, selected the online version, and set the mode to "Realization Projection."

Suddenly, a scroll over two feet wide and of unknown length appeared in the air. After the red binding was loosened, the axis quickly rolled back, stopping only when it reached a blank surface.

Hu Ziyu gently waved the tip of the stylus toward Linghong, and a line of blue-purple text immediately appeared on the axis surface.

Qin Hong was born in the 38th year of Hu Xi's reign. He ascended to heaven while practicing meditation. The Rabbit God in the Taiyin Temple gave him the title of "Master Linghong". It was the 60th year of Hu Xi's reign.

Then, he pointed the pen tip towards Linghu, and another line of light red text appeared on the axis.

Yin Xuanhu was born in the 49th year of Hu Xi's reign. At the beginning of the first year of the Qianlong reign, bandits arose everywhere, causing great trouble. He was executed and ascended to heaven. The Rabbit God of the Taiyin Temple bestowed upon him the title of "Shangren Linghu".

Taiyin Star Lord and many senior immortals and gods have experienced such scenes.

More than three hundred years ago, Hu Tianbao used this method to force the immortals and gods who bullied him into a desperate state of mental disorder.

"From now on, whoever dares to fight in front of me, we will have to love and hate each other for the rest of our lives!" After saying that, Hu Ziyu pretended to click the "Make a connection" and "Confirm to send" buttons.

The corners of Ling Hong's mouth and eyebrows were all twisted into irregular shapes, and Ling Hu was still in shock. The broken missiles fell to the ground, creating a hole as big as a human head.

The Moon God slammed the table and stood up, shouting: "The love is deep and the friendship is heavy, the twins of Huanggang, a pair of companions, will never be separated!" The female fairies echoed one after another, and the scene was no less than that of the dragon relatives.

"Together! Together!" After a while, the fairies from Wenchang and Yue Lao Palace and Zhu Huaizi and others also followed suit: "Together! Together!" Ling Hong had followed Hu Tianbao the longest, and he knew very well that whenever the marriage book appeared in the air, it was not a good thing for both parties to achieve their goals.

After a while, Ling Hong remembered something and couldn't help but smile: "Master Hu, you haven't completed the certification yet, right? Don't try to deceive me."

"I haven't verified it yet, but our Star Goddess is here, and so is our agent, Yue Lao. In a moment, we'll be dual-authenticated and able to activate our bond-making privileges," Hu Ziyu replied. By this point, he already had a premonition that his merit points would be reduced to zero overnight. Ling Hong's face suddenly changed, his shoulders trembling, and he spoke with gritted teeth and anger: "Not only did you use the magic power I lent you to hit me, but you also bit me with the method I taught you... This, this is brilliant! Wonderful!" Turning around, Ling Hu froze in a daze, cursing: "You damned little bastard, why didn't you tell him to stop!"

"I...I..." Linghu hesitated, and after saying "I" for a moment, he didn't know how to continue.

Hu Ziyu knew that if he really sent out the birth information of these two people, Ling Hu might not care, but would be secretly happy in his heart.

Taiyin Xingjun and Yue Lao each took out their styluses and wrote the word "approximate" in the air, instantly unlocking Hu Ziyu's marriage book editing privileges. Hu Ziyu raised his right hand, about to click on the "Marriage" button, when Ling Hong rushed forward and hugged him with his entire arm.

"Don't, don't click... This is my lifelong request." Hu Ziyu tossed the stylus into his left hand to prevent Ling Hong from snatching it away. He turned back to look at Ling Hu, who was stunned, hesitant to refuse, hesitant to speak.

"But I think your junior brother seems happy about it," Hu Ziyu said. "Don't be ridiculous! He hates me so much, how can he be happy?" Ling Hong still held onto his hand tightly.

Hu Ziyu shook his head and sighed softly, "Linghong, you really don't understand people like us!" Linghu's embarrassment was evident, but he still clung to the edge of the counter, refusing to step forward. In his panic, he could only cough dryly a few times and bow to the four gods. "This humble servant lost his composure. I apologize for disturbing you all." With that, he walked back to the center of the hall and bowed deeply to the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother. "This humble servant's actions were inappropriate. I voluntarily accept the punishment. I hope the Emperor and the Queen Mother will issue an order to punish you."

Ling Hong, feeling uncomfortable with the argument, followed Hu Ziyu into the hall and bowed to each of the Heavenly Court priests. "This disturbance was initiated by me. I am willing to bear the full responsibility. I also ask the Emperor and Queen Mother to forgive the Jade Rabbit Monastery Master and not reduce his salary and merits." Ling Hu was initially delighted to hear Ling Hong say, "I am willing to bear the full responsibility," thinking that his senior brother still cared about him. Unexpectedly, Mo Ju was actually interceding for Hu Ziyu. His face suddenly darkened, and he wanted to fire a few more magical bullets to blast the Jade Rabbit Monastery Master and servants into dust.