During this period, the Heavenly Forge Bureau had been working day and night; the lost Treasure Ships had long been replenished, even with some to spare.

With the capabilities of the Treasure Ships, Luzhou in the North was theirs to roam at will.

Just then, a guard reported that a Heavenly Court Envoy had arrived, and Li Jing hastened to greet him, not daring to neglect the visitor.

This envoy was extremely polite to Li Jing, as everyone knew that a renowned Heavenly Court great general like Li Jing had nearly become an immovable Sea-Calming Divine Needle, best not to offend without good reason.

After exchanging a few cordial words, they got to the point. The envoy seemed somewhat embarrassed as he handed the imperial edict to Li Jing.

Having heard about the court assembly, he could guess the content of the imperial edict—it was likely commanding Li Jing to take a rest, although the envoy was not too clear on who would be his replacement.

After all, there were many eyeing the position at the time, and it was said that there had almost been a fight over it during the assembly. As for who the final choice was, that remained unknown.

Li Jing took the imperial edict and read it carefully. After a long while, he laid down the edict and sighed softly, "I understand. I shall comply with the command."

The envoy had been somewhat uneasy, as this kind of situation would be hard for anyone to accept.

To toil away fervently, finally within reach of success, only to have someone else pick the peach—it would be considered restraint not to leap up and curse.

However, Li Jing appeared unusually calm, even somewhat relaxed.

He smiled at the envoy and said, "May I know when the successor will arrive? I would like to prepare for the handover."

"Marshal, I really don’t have any information about that. All I know is that there was quite a struggle over this position at the court. I originally thought the Marshal would be quite upset," the envoy eventually sighed.

He had not anticipated Li Jing to be so accommodating. The arguments he had prepared were unnecessary, but this was for the better. With a Commander-in-chief of the Three Armies like Li Jing, if he were to lose his temper, a minor character like himself would stand no chance.

"You go back and report to His Majesty that as soon as the successor arrives, I will return to the Heavenly Court," Li Jing said softly.

The envoy was delighted to return with this response.

Nezha, however, burst in from outside and, upon entering, shouted, "Father, I’ve heard that the Heavenly Court is recalling us?"

"You are now a great general in command of troops, so why are you still so impetuous?" Li Jing frowned and admonished his son.

"Indeed, we are being called back to recuperate. After all, we have been on the front lines for too long," he explained.

Nezha, dissatisfied, retorted, "Is this about picking peaches? We have fought hard, father and son, and now that the situation is improving, that bunch comes to seize power."

This was all too common among people, and although Nezha was not keen on power himself, the current situation was frankly disgusting.

Having fought hard, father and son, to turn the tide, and now just as things were looking up, others were poised to pick the peaches. Were it not for Li Jing’s restraint, Nezha would have already charged into the Heavenly Court demanding an explanation.

"No need to be so angry; this is actually a good thing for us," Li Jing said with a serene and light-hearted smile.

Seeing the puzzled look in Nezha’s eyes, he continued, "I have been uneasy lately, feeling that the Demon Clan still has a trick up their sleeve. Despite racking my brain, I still can’t fathom what they could do at this point. This way, whatever happens, it will no longer concern us."

Listening to his father’s words, Nezha’s angry expression also gradually subsided. He was well aware of his father’s capabilities.

As the most famous Commander-in-chief of the Heavenly Court, Li Jing’s war intuition was extremely sensitive, often detecting crises others could not perceive, and time after time, his intuition proved to be correct.

Take this war, for example—if it were not for Li Jing’s correct command, the Heavenly Court would probably still be trapped in the Valley of Ten Thousand Demons Mountain Range, unable to advance an inch.

"Father thinks the Demon Clan has more tricks up its sleeve?" Nezha asked in a deep voice.

"There are no grounds for it, but I just have this feeling that the Demon Clan still has a hidden ace up their sleeve; these past days I’ve been restless, always feeling like there is a heavy stone pressing on my heart. If this continues, I fear my state of mind will become unstable. Now that His Majesty has ordered us to go back and recuperate, it coincides perfectly with my wishes."

Nezha was silent. Although it sounded a bit exaggerated, as if all coming from his father’s suspicions, their long time fighting side by side made him all too aware of Li Jing’s abilities.

"It’s just difficult to explain to the men below!" Nezha sighed.

In fact, in his heart, he was already persuaded by Li Jing. When it came to the Demon Clan of present, Nezha knew all too well how tough the opponent was, their tactics ever-emerging. He did not believe that they would admit defeat so quickly.

"What does that have to do with us? They want to come and pick peaches; naturally, these troubles are theirs to bear," Li Jing laughed without any concern.

Although he did not care about it, being bullied in such a manner also displeased him. Leaving some trouble for the other side was something he found quite pleasing.

Soon after, the order from the Heavenly Court arrived, causing an uproar at the front line, with numerous people filled with righteous indignation, accusing these individuals of being shameless. The person appointed to replace Li Jing was also decided—it was Ziwei Star Lord.

This Star Lord could be considered a significant figure of the Heavenly Court, with extremely high prestige among the stars, and skilled in leading troops, indeed a strong candidate for this position.

The Star Lord appeared in great spirits, dressed in purple clothes adorned with star patterns, and wearing a treasured sword at his waist, its hilt featuring a dragon’s head.

"I never thought it would be you, Star Lord!" Li Jing said with a sigh.

After all, this Star Lord held a very high status in the Heavenly Court, and he did not expect him to wade into these murky waters.

"I had no choice, I’ve offended you, Heavenly King Li!" Ziwei Star Lord said to Li Jing with a bow of his hands.

Ziwei Star Lord spoke with candor that made him immediately likable. Li Jing, who had initially been looking forward to seeing how this would play out, now realized that this Lord possessed enough skill to handle the situation.

"Now that the Star Lord has come, there’s nothing much for me to say. I shall take my son and our followers back to the Heavenly Court. But the Demon Clan is cunning; I hope the Star Lord will be careful," Li Jing reminded him sincerely.

Ziwei Star Lord also nodded politely in response, "Thank you, Heavenly King Li, for not bearing grudges. After returning to the Heavenly Court, I will visit to apologize."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Li Jing took Nezha and his retainers back to the Heavenly Court.

During this time, he had been thoroughly exhausted in both mind and spirit. It was time for him to rest and recuperate. The subsequent affairs in Luzhou in the North were no longer his concern.

He only hoped that Ziwei Star Lord could hold on. With this thought, Li Jing laughed to himself and left for the Heavenly Court without looking back.

This left Ziwei Star Lord and his entourage at a loss.