Chapter 469: Quite the Calculated Scheme
"Something's not right—I think I've been tricked. That Ye Tian really was injured!"
The Jade Emperor finally realized it, but by now, it seemed a little too late to go back.
After all, Ye Tian had given him immense pressure earlier, and at this moment, he was genuinely hesitant.
"Enough. Even if he is injured, you shouldn't go looking for trouble again. The fact that you two fought to a draw is already quite impressive. What more do you want?"
Hearing the Queen Mother say this, the Jade Emperor naturally felt very dissatisfied. Just look at how others treated him—of course their attitudes would change! He was the Jade Emperor, ruler of the Heavenly Court. How could he allow himself to merely fight to a draw with Ye Tian?
"You're really underestimating me, Queen Mother. If it were someone else looking down on me, I could still understand. But how could you look down on me?"
"When did I look down on you? If anything, I'm holding you in high regard! If you can fight Ye Tian to a draw, it means your strength is truly extraordinary!"
The Jade Emperor felt increasingly bitter inside. Wasn't this just another way of saying that Ye Tian was incredibly powerful?
He didn't even know where Ye Tian had come from, but right now, his strength was so overwhelming that practically no one in the Heavenly Court could stand against him. Even the Jade Emperor himself had only managed a draw.
So at this moment, he was filled with unease. What if one day Ye Tian's power surpassed even his and the Buddha's? What then?
This was something that truly needed to be considered. If they waited too long, and Ye Tian's strength surged dramatically, then even the two of them combined might not be able to defeat him!
"Hmm..."
"What's wrong, Jade Emperor? Why the troubled look on your face?"
"That Ye Tian is far too powerful. So now, Nezha, take some men and go see how he's doing. If he is injured, then strike while he's down—take his life!"
"You want me to go?"
"Yes. Who else would I send? I'm giving you a chance to earn merit—go now!"
When Li Jing heard that his son was being sent, he quickly spoke up: "My son is still young. Why don't I go instead?"
"Your son may be young, but his strength isn't weak. Heavenly King Li, you're to remain in the Heavenly Court. There shouldn't be any issue sending your son. Besides, with his Wind-Fire Wheels, even if he can't win, retreating should be easy."
"This..."
Li Jing was somewhat displeased, but since it was the Jade Emperor's order, he could only nod and agree.
At that moment, Nezha led a group of heavenly soldiers to Ye Tian's location.
He shouted loudly, "Ye Tian! Come out here! Face death now!"
"Hmm?"
Hearing Nezha's voice from outside, Ye Tian was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected Nezha to show up at this moment.
"Nezha, have you come here to die? You're no match for me. I'll give you a chance—leave now while you still can."
"You say I'm no match? We won't know that until we fight!"
Nezha had no intention of leaving so easily. He was determined to battle Ye Tian here and now.
But just then, Ye Tian said, "Is that so? Are you sure you really want to stay?"
"Of course! I came here under the Jade Emperor's orders. My mission is to take you down! If I just turn back now, how could I face the Jade Emperor? How could I live up to the Heavenly Court's expectations of me?"
"You're still far too young."
Ye Tian understood perfectly well why the Jade Emperor had sent Nezha.
Though he wasn't often in the Heavenly Court, he'd still heard a thing or two. The Jade Emperor feared Li Jing and his son joining forces, which could threaten his position as ruler.
So by sending Nezha to face Ye Tian, he was essentially using him as a pawn—hoping Ye Tian would kill him. It was a classic case of killing with a borrowed knife.
Yet this young man was still too naïve to see through it, and he was still defending the Jade Emperor!
"Nezha, I tend to see things quite clearly. If I told you right now that the Jade Emperor sent you here as cannon fodder, hoping I'd kill you, would you believe me? That tactic is called killing with a borrowed knife. If you die here, your father will be left alone in the Heavenly Court and easily dealt with. Quite the schemer, that Jade Emperor."
"Ye Tian, everything you're saying is a lie, isn't it? You're just trying to trick me!"
"I'm not trying to trick you. Everything I've said is the truth. If you choose not to believe me, that's your choice. But mark my words—if you die here, the Jade Emperor will seize your father's military command."
"You—"
"You think what I'm saying is hard to believe. But I know you're no fool—just too young and a little naïve. If you take a moment to truly think it through, you'll realize what you should be doing right now."
"Then what do you think I should do?"
"What you should do right now is join forces with me. If you and I work together, the Jade Emperor won't dare try anything against you."
"Join forces with you?"
Nezha was genuinely shocked by what Ye Tian had said. The idea of allying with him had never crossed his mind. They were supposed to be enemies. If he teamed up with Ye Tian now, wouldn't that be considered treason against the Heavenly Court?
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he quickly said, "No! I can't join forces with you! If I do that, I'll be committing a grave crime! I can't betray the Heavenly Court—please don't say such things again!"
"Hmph. You're afraid. Afraid of the Jade Emperor, aren't you?"
Ye Tian felt that Nezha truly lacked courage. Even now, when the Jade Emperor wanted to harm him, he still didn't dare resist.