Legend Management Bureau Chapter 59

[ … words ]

“Yes, you finally understand,” Lady Houtu said. “I thought of this as well, which is why I prepared to strike first.”

“But that is the former Jade Emperor after all… Boss, you… you want to kill the Jade Emperor?” Du Yu exclaimed in shock.

“Even if he used to be the Jade Emperor, he isn’t anymore,” Lady Houtu replied. “This matter was originally a secret that very few knew about. And those who do know cannot reveal the truth for various reasons—like me, or the Legend Management Bureau. The one I am going to punish now is merely a man who once reigned as Lord Haotian. Today, he harbors malicious intentions and seeks to disrupt the order of the world.”

“What order of the world? This is ridiculous…” Du Yu stared wide-eyed. “In that case, wouldn’t the Emperor of Mount Tai be the most miserable one in all of this?”

“Things have already come to this, so there is no point in arguing about right or wrong,” Lady Houtu stated. “We can only follow the established rules and reorganize the Underworld.”

“This…!” Du Yu was at a loss for words; all the arguments he had prepared were now useless. The Emperor of Mount Tai had sufficient motive to wage war, and Lady Houtu had equally valid reasons to send her forces to stop him. It seemed that no matter how much he tried to persuade them, casualties were inevitable.

“Boss, I think this matter is too important. I want to meet with the parties involved,” Du Yu said, refusing to give up. After all, if he wasn’t careful, the few friends he had in the Underworld would be wiped out entirely.

“And who exactly do you want to meet?” Lady Houtu mused. “With your status, seeing the two Emperors will be quite difficult. You should know that, to use an analogy from your mortal antiquity, a lowly bailiff cannot just waltz in to see the emperor.”

“But I got to see the highest-ranking Empress Dowager, didn’t I?” Du Yu looked at Lady Houtu with a sly grin. “You definitely have a way to let me meet them, right?”

Du Yu’s eyes darted around as if he suddenly remembered something. He turned his head toward Dong Qianqiu. “Sister Qianqiu, why don’t you step out for a bit? Let Lady Houtu and me have a private chat.”

Dong Qianqiu looked at Du Yu hesitantly and asked, “Is that okay?”

“Oh, it’s perfectly fine.” Du Yu waved his hand dismissively. “Just go wait for me at the door; I’ll be right out.”

Unable to dissuade him, Dong Qianqiu had no choice but to take her leave.

Du Yu watched Dong Qianqiu exit the stone cave. Now that it was just him and Lady Houtu, he quickly leaned in closer and whispered, “Boss, it’s just the two of us now! Let’s have a heart-to-heart!”

Seeing Dong Qianqiu leave, Lady Houtu discreetly breathed a sigh of relief. “Spit it out, kid. What are you up to, acting all mysterious?”

“I’ll just get straight to the point, Boss,” Du Yu said with a mischievous smirk, lowering his voice. “This situation is a huge headache for you, isn’t it?”

Taken aback, Lady Houtu asked, “How did you know?”

“How could I not understand you? When I said I’ve met you before, I meant it!” Du Yu declared.

“But I don’t remember you at all.”

“That doesn’t matter, Boss!” Du Yu continued. “Leave this to me. I’ll save you a whole lot of trouble. All you have to do is back me up at the crucial moments. What do you say?”

“That does sound quite appealing…” Lady Houtu eyed him suspiciously. “But can you actually handle it? I’ve never dealt with anything like this before.”

“Oh, come on.” Du Yu put on an exasperated expression. “Are you really still doubting me at a time like this? There’s no one else here, just us!”

As he spoke, Du Yu picked up a banana from the table and started eating. He hadn’t eaten anything since he died, and he couldn’t quite fathom why a supreme deity like Lady Houtu would have an entire feast laid out.

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to let you try,” Lady Houtu said. “But you must know, if you mess this up…”

“Then I acted entirely on my own, and it has absolutely nothing to do with Lady Houtu,” Du Yu finished her sentence.

Lady Houtu paused, then continued, “And if you succeed…”

“Then it’s all thanks to Lady Houtu’s brilliant guidance, and I was merely following orders,” Du Yu smoothly replied.

“You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, kid!” Lady Houtu suddenly slapped Du Yu hard on the back, causing him to spit out the mouthful of banana he had just swallowed. She burst into laughter and said, “Work hard, and you’ll definitely have a bright future ahead of you!”

“Heh heh.”

Du Yu thought to himself, ‘Lady Houtu really hasn’t changed at all.’ Earlier, in front of a junior like Dong Qianqiu, she couldn’t show her true colors and had maintained a dignified, self-righteous facade the whole time. It seemed that sending Sister Qianqiu away was the right call.

“Boss, you mentioned this plan was devised by Wangliang. Is it really reliable?” Du Yu asked.

“Honestly, I have no idea,” Lady Houtu replied, shaking her head. “Little Wangliang has always been clever, and since his plan is so grand and spans such a long time, it should be fine.”

Du Yu was taken aback. “Boss… do you really judge whether a plan is reasonable solely based on how long it takes and how complicated it is?”

“How else should I judge it?” Lady Houtu pouted. “I wanted to fall asleep halfway through listening to it. Besides, most people in the Underworld don’t even know Chi, Mei, Wang, and Liang. Even if the mission fails, I won’t lose anything.”

“That still doesn’t make sense!” Du Yu argued. “If that were true, you should have sent Chi, Mei, Wang, and Liang to assassinate the Emperor of Mount Tai. Why would you send the Eight Great Envoys?”

“Sigh!” Lady Houtu looked somewhat helpless. “That is the only risky part of the plan. The Emperor of Mount Tai has the Five Ghost Emperors under his command. Their cultivation techniques are identical to Zhong Kui’s—specifically designed to counter malicious spirits. Although Chi, Mei, Wang, and Liang possess profound cultivation, they originated as evil spirits. The three of them are completely powerless against the Five Ghost Emperors, so I had no choice but to deploy the Eight Great Envoys.”

“Aren’t you just throwing them under the bus, then?!” Du Yu exclaimed. “Whether they succeed or fail, those guys are done for!”

“Heh heh.” Lady Houtu chuckled. “That’s why I used my brain a little. The mission I just gave the envoys wasn’t to assassinate the Emperor of Mount Tai, but to test his attitude.”

“Test his attitude?” Du Yu was utterly confused.

“Just wait here for a bit,” Lady Houtu said. “We should receive news shortly.”

Not knowing what else to do, Du Yu obeyed Lady Houtu and continued to wait.

“Maintaining the facade of a supreme ruler is truly exhausting.” Lady Houtu stretched lazily. “I don’t know why, but I feel quite at ease around you, kid. I don’t have to pretend to be so profound.”

Du Yu smiled, but he suddenly felt that something was slightly off. Why did he have this nagging feeling that there was a third person in the room?

“Pfft—”

A green writing brush tucked into Du Yu’s waistband finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst into giggles.

“Ah?!” Lady Houtu leaped out of her chair. “Who goes there?!”

Du Yu was also startled, but realization quickly dawned on him.

Who said there was no one else in the room? He had brought Yingning along!

The green brush slowly emanated a soft emerald glow. A moment later, Yingning materialized before them.

“Phew—” Seeing that it was Yingning, Lady Houtu breathed a sigh of relief. “So it’s just you, you little brat… You scared me to death…”

Yingning stepped forward and affectionately leaned against Lady Houtu. “It’s me. Don’t worry, Your Highness.”

Du Yu blinked in surprise. Did this mean that Lady Houtu also didn’t need to put on her profound facade in front of this girl named Yingning?

“How are you doing?” Lady Houtu stared at Yingning, her face filled with concern. “The moment I sensed the jade pendant shattering, I sent a telepathic message to the Northern Emperor, urging him to find a vessel with the deepest resentment as soon as possible. He just hasn’t replied to me yet.”

“This guy already took care of it for me,” Yingning said with a smile, pointing to the brush at Du Yu’s waist. “He already found me a vessel brimming with deep resentment.”

“Oh?” Lady Houtu looked at Du Yu, then at the brush. “That’s no easy feat. As far as I know, vessels capable of containing Yingning are extremely rare in this world.”

As the two of them chatted, a demon named Chigui strolled into the room without a care.

“Hey?” Startled by the sudden appearance of the tall man, Lady Houtu scolded, “Why didn’t you knock before coming in? We’re discussing business here.”

“Don’t be so unreasonable, woman. Where is the door?” Chigui coldly snorted and plopped himself down. He suddenly noticed Du Yu sitting nearby. A fleeting look of confusion crossed his face before returning to normal.

“Right, I didn’t install a door during the renovations. Anyway, spit it out. How did it go?”

“It’s done,” Chigui nodded. “He is very angry.”

“And then?”

“That’s it.”

“That’s it?!” Lady Houtu shrieked. “He’s very angry, and that’s it?”

“Yeah, wasn’t that your brilliant plan? Enrage the Emperor of Mount Tai, and then see what his attitude is.” Chigui scratched his head in confusion, fully believing he had perfectly executed the mission.

“I am going to die of anger!” Lady Houtu slammed her hand on the table. “I gave you a two-part instruction! First, enrage him. Second, observe his attitude! What’s the point of just making him mad? Where is the attitude?! I wanted his attitude!”

“How should I know?” Chigui grumbled. “Pissing people off is my specialty. I don’t know the first thing about reading a person’s attitude.”

Lady Houtu clutched her forehead. The real mistake here was sending a single-minded brute like Chigui to handle the job.

Watching from the sidelines, Du Yu had more or less figured out what happened. He quietly asked, “Brother Chigui, how exactly did you guys enrage the Emperor of Mount Tai?”

“Wasn’t it simple? We cast a spell from a distance, blew up the Emperor of Mount Tai, and ran away. We even knocked out Zhao Wenhe, the Western Ghost Emperor.”

Du Yu shot Lady Houtu a deeply resentful look. “Boss… how is that any different from an assassination…”