On the other end, Ling Wen sent him another voice message. “Your Highness, although I don’t think you wouldn’t have recognized him after talking for so long, but I still want to give you a reminder. That’s Xuan Zhen.”

“Xuan Zhen?” Xie Lian said.

He was stumped for a moment before he finally came around, and sent a voice message back in shock. “That’s Mu Qing?”

General Xuan Zhen was the Martial God of the Southwest, and possessed seven thousand temples. His name in the human world was considerably distinguished.

And the original name of this General Xuan Zhen was Mu Qing. Eight hundred years ago, he was a deputy general at the Xianle Palace of the Crown Prince.

Ling Wen was also quite shocked. “You really didn’t recognize him?”

“I really didn’t,” Xie Lian replied. “He didn’t talk to me like this back then. Besides, I can’t even recall when the last time we met, it was either five or six centuries ago. I can barely remember what he looks like, so how can I possibly remember what his voice sounds like?”

The communication array was still deep in silence. Mu Qing didn’t utter a sound, and the other heavenly officials were pretending they weren’t listening while waiting on the edge of their seats for whichever one would continue the conversation.

Things were rather awkward when it came to these two. After so many  years  of  twisted  rumours, everyone basically knew most of the story at this point. Back then, when Xie Lian was still the esteemed Crown Prince of Xianle, he trained at the Royal Holy Pavilion. This Royal Holy Pavilion was a  royal cultivation hall in the Kingdom of Xianle, with a very strict standard in selecting disciples. Mu Qing came from an impoverished background, and his father was an executed criminal; someone  like  this  didn’t qualify to enter the Royal Holy Pavilion, so he could only run errands. Within the temple grounds, he was someone who cleaned the royal highness’ room and served tea and water.

Xie Lian saw how hard he was working, so he requested for the guoshi to make an exception to take Mu Qing in as a disciple. It was only by the golden mouth of the royal highness that Mu Qing could enter the temple to cultivate, and be trained alongside the crown prince. Then after ascension, Xie Lian appointed him his general, and took him along to the Heavenly Capital.

However, when the Kingdom of Xianle fell and Xie Lian was banished to the mortal world, Mu Qing didn’t follow him. Not only did he not follow, he never even spoke a word in Xie Lian’s favour. Either way, the crown prince was gone, so he was free. He found a cave in a piece of auspicious land and trained strenuously, and not a few years later, he passed a heavenly calamity and ascended to heaven himself.

In the past, one was in the heavens and one on earth. Now, there was still one in the heavens and one on earth — it was just their positions had thoroughly switched, that’s all.

On this end, Ling Wen said, “He’s very angry.” “I figured as much,” Xie Lian said.

“I’ll go start another topic of conversation, you best take the chance to leave,” Ling Wen said. “Nah, it’s okay,” Xie Lian replied. “It’s fine as long as we pretend nothing’s happened.”

“It’s okay?” Ling Wen said. “I feel awkward just watching you two.” “It’s not that bad!” Xie Lian replied.

For someone like Xie Lian, anything really was okay aside from death; he didn’t have much, and certainly not shame. He had suffered much, much more awkward things than this, so he genuinely felt that this was okay. Yet who knew that “okay” wasn’t a word to be uttered lightly. He had only just said “it’s okay”

when a voice roared angrily.

“WHO THE FUCK TORE DOWN MY GOLDEN PALACE?! SHOW YOURSELF!!!”

This angry roar was going to make the heads of all the gods explode.

While they were already filled to the brim with surging complaints, each of them still held their breaths, waiting soundlessly to hear how Xie Lian was going to answer this accusing cry. Yet unexpectedly, things only got more exciting. Before Xie Lian had opened his mouth, Mu Qing spoke up first.

Or rather, he only snorted. “Heh.”

The newcomer spat coldly, “You tore it down? Good. Just you wait.”

Mu Qing replied coolly, “I didn’t say it was me, don’t accuse people without evidence.” The other party said angrily, “Then what are you laughing about? You mental?”

“No reason, you just sound funny, that’s all,” Mu Qing said. “The one who tore down your golden palace is in the communication array right now, go interrogate him yourself.”

With things reaching this point, Xie Lian was too embarrassed to run away just like that. He cleared his throat. “It was me. I’m sorry.”

The moment he spoke, that one who came after also fell silent.

Next to his ear, Ling Wen messaged him again. “Your Highness, that’s Nan Yang.” “This one I knew,” Xie Lian said. “But it seems he didn’t recognize me.”

“He did,” Ling Wen said. “It’s just that he spends more time roaming the mortal realm and rarely comes back to the Heavenly Capital, so he didn’t know you had ascended again, that’s all.”

Nan Yang Zhenjun was the Martial God of the Southeast, possessed eight thousand temples, and was incredibly loved by the people.

His original name was Feng Xin, and eight hundred years ago, he was the number one heavenly general in the Xianle Palace of the Crown Prince.