bookandnovel Chapter 42 Jade Emperor, You Can't Control This Cause and Effect
Chapter 42 Jade Emperor, You Can't Control This Cause and Effect
Chu Jiang held his thermos cup, watching the sky slowly close, feeling like a million grass mud horses were galloping through his mind.
"System, tell me the truth."
He spoke softly to the air.
"What exactly did that bastard Yang Jian see on me just now? Did he really discover you?"
【Ding! 】
The system's emotionless electronic voice echoed in his mind.
[Reporting to the host, the system has self-concealed; the other party has not detected its existence.]
"What's wrong with him? Bowing and apologizing, and even calling me 'senior'?"
Chu Jiang felt there was something sinister about this.
[Based on backend data analysis, the host has successfully activated the passive skill: Expert Filter.]
Chu Jiang almost dropped the thermos in his hand.
"What the heck? A professional filter? Or is it passive? Like a beauty camera turned up to the maximum?"
[Skill Description: To units with superior strength or cognitive abilities, any action you take will automatically be imbued with ten layers of mysterious effects. They will automatically conjure up the most plausible, yet absurd, explanation for your actions based on their own worldview. This skill has no cost and cannot be turned off.]
Chu Jiang fell silent.
He finally understood.
So Yang Jian wasn't fooled by his own imagination; he just made himself out to be incapacitated.
Am I now officially recognized as the ultimate riddle solver?
"Dean Chu... Dean Chu!"
King Qin Guang, accompanied by nine Yama Kings, cautiously approached.
The way he looked at Chu Jiang was no longer that of a subordinate; his gaze was a mixture of awe, admiration, and a hint of ecstatic joy at "I've joined the big boss's gang."
"Dean, are you...are you alright?"
"What could possibly happen to me?"
Chu Jiang put aside his chaotic thoughts, glanced at them, and said, "As for you guys, you were all so scared your faces turned pale just now. How about going to Meng Po's for a cup of milk tea to calm your nerves?"
"No, no, no, we're not surprised, we're just... awestruck!"
King Yama spoke quickly, his face full of fawning smiles.
"Dean, you are truly a master of disguise! With a few words, the Heavenly War God vanished into thin air... ugh, I mean, slunk away in disgrace! When has the Underworld ever had such a triumphant moment!"
"Alright, stop flattering me."
Chu Jiang waved his hand, "Clean up the square, report to Li the coder about the paving stones that need to be replaced, and we'll cover the cost from the fine imposed by the Heavenly Court."
King Qin Guang rubbed his hands together and leaned closer mysteriously.
"Dean, I just discussed it with my brothers."
"Look, you have rendered such an unparalleled service to our Underworld. We have discussed and decided to build a shrine for you next to the First Yama Palace, where we will offer incense and prayers day and night. What do you think?"
Chu-Jiang almost spat out his goji berry water.
"Build a shrine to me while I'm still alive? Do you want me to die even sooner? I'm not dead yet, stop with this feudal superstition!"
"Instead of wasting time on this, you should think more about how to improve the KPIs of the underworld."
He firmly refused, but inwardly he was thinking that the aftereffects of this "superior person filter" were a bit too strong.
……
The Heavenly Court, the Lingxiao Palace.
The atmosphere was terribly oppressive.
As Yang Jian, along with the Giant Spirit God and Yang Xian, entered through the South Heavenly Gate, they were met with countless strange gazes along the way.
The immortals whispered among themselves, pointing and whispering.
"See that? Erlang Shen is back."
"I heard they went to the underworld to retrieve someone, why do they look so disheveled?"
"It wasn't just a mess; I heard they even got the Giant Spirit into trouble, and they had to pay a huge fine to get him out."
"Really?! My Heavenly Court has utterly lost face!"
The Jade Emperor, seated high on his dragon throne, had a livid face.
He looked at his most capable nephew, his voice filled with suppressed anger.
"Yang Jian, what on earth is going on?!"
"You were ordered to arrest someone, why did you return empty-handed? And you even bowed your head and accepted punishment from a mere ghost general! Where do you place the dignity of the Heavenly Court?!"
Giant Spirit and Yang Xian were so frightened that they knelt on the ground, trembling.
Yang Jian remained silent. He walked straight to the center of the hall and bowed to the Jade Emperor.
Then, he spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but clearly carrying throughout the entire hall.
"Your Majesty, please dismiss your attendants."
The Jade Emperor was taken aback, and the immortals were in an uproar.
What earth-shattering secret is there that even they can't hear?
The Jade Emperor stared at Yang Jian's extremely solemn face, hesitated for a moment, and finally waved his hand.
"All immortals, please step back for now."
Once only the uncle and nephew remained in the Lingxiao Palace, the Jade Emperor asked in a deep voice, "Now you can speak, right? Who exactly is it that has rendered even you, the God of Justice, helpless?"
Yang Jian did not answer immediately.
He first went to the palace gate and set up a soundproof barrier.
Then, he turned around, walked up to the Jade Emperor, and did something that made the Jade Emperor's heart skip a beat.
Yang Jian put his index finger to his lips, making a "shh" gesture.
He raised his other hand and mysteriously pointed to the golden bricks of the main hall beneath his feet, then pointed to the vast expanse of the thirty-three heavens beyond the hall's roof.
The Jade Emperor was completely baffled.
"What do you mean by this?"
Yang Jian then lowered his voice and said, word by word, "Your Majesty, that one... cannot be spoken of, cannot be discussed, cannot be explored!"
His eyes held an unprecedented sense of fear.
"Through my divine eye, I only see a vast expanse of karmic energy capable of devouring the Three Realms, and that being is like a pillar stabilizing the sea, single-handedly suppressing that boundless calamity!"
"What we see of the company and the rules are merely appearances of his life, a way of playing the game of worldly affairs and accumulating karma! The karmic burden he carries is too great, too heavy!"
Yang Jian's voice was trembling.
"If we harm him and disrupt his cultivation, causing that karmic force to erupt... the entire Three Realms will be destroyed in an instant! Your Majesty, you cannot control this cause and effect!"
The Jade Emperor gasped in shock upon hearing this.
A sudden "boom" went through his mind, and he instantly connected it to a series of strange events that had recently occurred in the underworld.
Holy water of merit, laws of order, words become law...
An absurd yet perfectly logical script spontaneously formed in his mind.
An unknown ancient god, who has existed since the beginning of time, was tainted by world-destroying karma for some reason and had to reincarnate to start anew. He chose to undergo tribulation in the underworld, the hub of the three realms of reincarnation, in the most down-to-earth way!
The more the Jade Emperor thought about it, the more convinced he became that this was indeed the case, and cold sweat poured down his back.
They actually sent people to capture such a powerful figure? And they even wanted to use the Heavenly Laws to judge him?
Isn't this like an old man hanging himself, tired of living?
"Quickly! Issue my decree!"
The Jade Emperor suddenly stood up from his dragon throne, his voice changing tone.
"Imperial decree! Effective immediately, the Underworld shall be designated as a 'Pioneer Demonstration Zone for Economic and Legal Development in the Three Realms'!"
He paced back and forth, his mind racing.
"Regarding Dean Chu Jiang's actions in the Underworld, our Heavenly Court will implement a 'three no' policy: 'don't listen, don't watch, don't ask'! As long as he doesn't storm the Southern Heavenly Gate, let him do whatever he wants!"
"Furthermore, I instruct the God of Literature to immediately draft a 'Letter of Friendly Cooperation between Heaven and the Underworld on Promoting Peace and Stability in the Three Realms,' the wording of which must be sincere and the attitude humble!"
"Furthermore, allocate one million merit points from my private treasury as... as compensation for emotional distress, and send it along with the offering! Say it's a small token of my support for his courageous spirit of reform and innovation!"
……
Sanzu Ferry.
Just as Chu Jiang called Li, the coder, over to discuss the app upgrade, a golden light descended from the sky.
A heavenly general, holding a gleaming golden official document, acted with the humility of a food deliveryman.
"Dean Chu...Dean Chu, I am here on the orders of the Jade Emperor to deliver an official letter."
Chu Jiang took the official letter, opened it, and his eye twitched.
The entire text is full of praise, not only highly affirming and acknowledging the legitimacy and authority of the "Supreme Court of the Underworld," but also giving high praise to his spirit of bold reform.
The most outrageous thing is that the official letter was accompanied by a promissory note from the "Heavenly Royal Bank" worth one million merit points, euphemistically called the "Reform and Innovation Special Support Fund".
"Oh."
Chu Jiang tossed the official letter to Li the coder for filing, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
"Sure enough, whether it's a human or a god, they all respond better to force than to gentleness."
"The weapon of law is really useful."
He cleared his throat and gave Li, the coder, a new instruction.
"This money has come at the perfect time. Let's immediately start developing version 2.0 of the 'Three Paths Fast Crossing' app!"
"Two new core functional modules have been added: 'Meng Po's Choice' live-streaming e-commerce and 'Underworld Fun' short videos!"
"Our goal is to capture the entire underworld's traffic and create the number one content ecosystem platform in the netherworld!"
The data stream flashed through Li's eyes: "Understood, boss. The infrastructure is expected to be completed in 72 hours."
Just then, a familiar figure strolled over, carrying a steaming bowl of Meng Po soup.
"Hey Chu, busy, huh?"
Meng Po smiled and handed over the soup, "Here, try my newly made 'Mango Pomelo Dew Forgetfulness Water'."
"Grandma, what brings you here?"
Chu Jiang took the soup but didn't drink it.
"Don't even mention it."
Meng Po plopped down on the wooden stool next to her, her face full of worry.
"It's all because of that collaboration milk tea you organized. The business is getting better and better than I can imagine. My Bridge of Helplessness is almost bursting at the seams, and we're seriously short-staffed."
She changed the subject, her eyes darting towards Chu Jiang.
"I was thinking, aren't there always a few stubborn holdouts at the bridgehead who refuse to reincarnate and act like they're never going to make it? They're all so unruly that even I, an old woman, can't control them."
"Didn't you just establish a court here and happen to be short-staffed?"
"I'll send them over to you. You can train them for me. Whether they're usable or not depends on your skills."
Meng Po had barely finished speaking.
The system notification sounded in Chu Jiang's mind right on time.
[Ding! New quest triggered: Expand your team!]
[Task objective: Successfully recruit three employees with "special talents" to formally establish the core team of the Underworld Supreme Court.]
[Task Reward: Magic Item [Measuring Ruler - KPI Assessment Edition]]
Chu Jiang looked at Meng Po, who had a "I believe in you" expression on her face, and then at the task issued by the system. A familiar smile appeared on his lips, a smile that even made Li the programmer feel the backend data freeze.
A troublemaker?
He loves troublemakers the most.
What kind of good employee is someone who doesn't work hard and is a troublemaker?