The two of them drank back and forth, cup after cup. After a while, Nezha was drunk. Seeing this, Ye Tian said, "Nezha, do you realize I actually saved your life today? If you hadn't sat down to drink with me, you'd be the one dead right now!"
Ye Tian had his own plan. Nezha appeared to be just a simple and innocent child, so Ye Tian felt he'd done a good deed—protecting Nezha. Once he returned to Heaven, he wouldn't be held accountable for anything.
Nezha was yawning loudly, and before long, he passed out completely.
Ye Tian continued cultivating there. Although he'd had plenty to drink, it didn't bother him in the slightest. He considered his alcohol tolerance excellent—Nezha was already passed out drunk, while he showed no signs of being affected.
Up in the Heavenly Court, the Jade Emperor hadn't expected Nezha to be gone so long without returning. This made him feel quite uneasy. Why hadn't he come back yet?
By all logic, this shouldn't be happening. Nezha had been gone a long time—he should have returned by now.
"This Nezha… he never used to be this slow when carrying out tasks. So why is he taking so long this time? What exactly is the reason for this?" ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novèlfire.net
Naturally, the Jade Emperor was worried. At that moment, the Queen Mother beside him said, "Hm, Jade Emperor, you sent Nezha to deal with Ye Tian, but wasn't your true intention not to have him return at all? Isn't what you really want… for him to die?"
"Queen Mother, how can you say such a thing? When have I ever wished for his death? Nezha is one of my most trusted and capable generals—why would I want him dead?"
"You may say that with your mouth, but I can see right through you. For you, the most important thing is the stability of the Heavenly Court. And among those who threaten your position most… are Nezha and Li Jing. Sending Nezha on this mission—it's just a convenient way to eliminate a potential threat, isn't it?"
The Jade Emperor hadn't expected the Queen Mother to understand him so well. She had seen right through everything. At this point, he admitted, "Hmph, you're truly sharp. You've seen everything clearly. You're right. Sending Nezha to face Ye Tian was my way of killing two birds with one stone. If Nezha died, then I could maintain my position in the Heavenly Court."
"But don't you know that what you're doing is wrong? Nezha is a loyal and valuable asset in your hands. If he dies, Li Jing will definitely suspect that it was your doing!"
"He would suspect that?"
"Of course he would. Anyone with a bit of sense could figure it out. That's why I think you'd best drop this kind of thinking. If he really ends up dead, it'll only bring a whole slew of trouble!"
"But you know I have my own reasons…"
"Whatever your reasons are, I'm telling you now—you must abandon this line of thought. What you're planning is far too dangerous!"
As the Jade Emperor's consort, the Queen Mother knew there were certain lines that should never be crossed. Once a person took the wrong step, there might be no turning back.
"Alright, I'll let it go this time. If he returns safely, I won't do anything to him. It's just that I still find it strange—why hasn't he come back yet?"
"He couldn't have died in battle, could he?"
"Absolutely not. I haven't sensed any fighting in the mortal realm, so I believe there hasn't been any combat at all."
"Is that so? If that's true, then it is indeed strange. What could be the reason?"
The Queen Mother also found it odd. She chuckled and said, "In any case, let's not overthink it right now. We just need to be patient and wait. I'm sure we'll get an answer soon enough."
"You're right. Right now, the best thing we can do is wait. Come, this divine wine is excellent. Have a drink with me."
The two of them drank together, time passing quickly. Meanwhile, down below, Nezha finally woke up. He rubbed his eyes, unsure how long he'd been asleep. Looking at Ye Tian, he asked, "I can't believe I fell asleep here… How long have I been out?"
"You've been asleep for an entire day."
"What?! A whole day? I slept here for a whole day? Oh no—how am I going to explain this to the Jade Emperor when I return to the Heavenly Court?"
"That's easy. Just make something up. Say I trapped you in a formation, and it took you until now to break free. Say we didn't fight at all, and you couldn't find me. That'll do."
"Are you sure that'll work?"
"Relax. Just tell the Jade Emperor what I said. He won't do anything to you."
"How do you know all this? It's like you can predict everything. Do you have some kind of foresight?"
Ye Tian had no prophetic powers. He simply understood the Jade Emperor's personality. The Jade Emperor wasn't one to dig too deeply into things. So, as long as Nezha gave a reasonable excuse, the Jade Emperor would have to accept it—whether he believed it or not.
"Just do as I say and everything will be fine. I'm no prophet—I just know the Jade Emperor very well."
"Well, that's great!"
Nezha cupped his fists and said, "I hope the next time we meet, we can drink and feast again. Yesterday was such a blast!"
"Yeah—until next time."
Nezha bid farewell to Ye Tian and soon returned to the Heavenly Court. As soon as he arrived, he was summoned by the Jade Emperor.
"Nezha, what happened down there? Why are you only just returning now? Is there something you're not telling me?"
"I went looking for Ye Tian, but fell into one of his formations. I was trapped for quite a while—that's why I'm only just getting back."
Nezha repeated what Ye Tian had told him to say. Hearing this, the Jade Emperor nodded and said, "Is that so? That explains why you were gone so long—you were trapped."