<h4>Chapter 2148: Concessions</h4>


    With most forms of flight being limited within the Heavenly Domain, Vahn and co were asked to board a silvery gond whose base was surrounded by billowy, golden clouds.


    Using an ornate piece of white wood that only vaguely resembled an oar, the gondolier waved it through the clouds as if they were a liquid medium. This allowed the rather ornate-looking boat to move through the sky at a surprisingly swift speed, aet-like trail following in its wake.


    Gazing out over the gond''s side, Vahn had to admit that the Heavenly Domain was a remarkably beautiful ce. There were a number of ancient-looking ruins dotting the scenery, massive spheres that resembled miniatures drifting through the sky, and, in the distance, a pce of jade so massive that it appeared to divide the world in two.


    "Quite the view, isn''t it?"


    Nodding his head in response, Vahn shifted his attention from the scenery to the man, or, more specifically, the God seated across from him. Eng Shen was one of the more prominent Gods in Chinese Mythology. He had originally made a name for himself as a God of Infrastructure, but, after Sun Wukong ran rampant through the Heavens, he eventually rose up to be one of the most powerful warrior deities affiliated with the Jade Pce. Hispanion, the Howling Celestial Dog, had also been elevated to the status of Venerable Elder of all canines, and, ording to legends, its howl could weaken demons while drastically strengthening allies.


    Noticing the husky-like beast staring at Fenrir, Vahn''s brows furrowed as he said, "You''re ying with fire, little pup."


    Turning to meet Vahn''s gaze, the Howling Celestial Dog, in a deep and manly voice, answered, "You misunderstand my intentions. I am merely admiring the quality of her fur. It is obvious you''ve taken very good care of her. To be perfectly honest, I''m a little jealous."


    Hearing the ivory white dog''s statement, most of the enmity that had been building within Fenrir''s heart and mind immediately faded away. She didn''t approve of the way he was looking at her but she could forgive him if he keptplimenting her Master.


    "Besides, I already have seventy-three wives and more pups than I can count. As tantalizing as yourpanion''s haunches are, I''m not exactly wanting for mates."


    Changing her mind in an instant, Fenrir bared her teeth, a low growl emanating from her throat as she stated, "Choose your words carefully. The only person who can talk about my haunches is my Master."


    Not expecting Fenrir to speak, a curious light shed across the Howling Celestial Dog''s amber eyes as it adopted a remarkably human smile. Then, with audible amusement in its tone, it stated, "Worry not, young one. I have no intention of stealing you from your Master."


    Unamused by the implication that he had any hope of stealing her away, a bluish-ck aura began to rise from Fenrir''s body until Vahn plopped his hand atop her head and said, "Calm down. He isn''t trying to antagonize you. Even if he was, you have no reason to get upset. There isn''t a force in this world that could take you from me."


    Though the Howling Celestial Dog frowned in response to Vahn''s words, Fenrir practically beamed as she rubbed her head against his palm.


    Interrupting the strange atmosphere, Eng Shen had a slightly incredulous look on his face as he remarked, "Your words make it sound as though youy with beasts. Take it from me, friend. Even if she can transform into a human, you should not engage in such deviant-"


    Furrowing his brows, Vahn met Eng Shen''s gaze, stating, "You would do well to mind your own business. I have little tolerance for self-righteous fools and bigots..."


    Adopting a remarkably simr expression, Eng Shen''s friendly facade began to melt away as he said, "Calm yourself, brother. Just as mypanion meant no offense, my words were not intended to generate enmity between us. You should not be so quick to cebels and insult others. A less magnanimous God might have taken offense to such a gross disregard for propriety..."


    Though he wasn''t particrly fond of Eng Shen''s words and tone, Vahn couldn''t deny the logic contained within. It wasn''t like the man was trying to offend him, so, after several tense moments, he gradually rxed, saying, "I may have overstepped my bounds by calling you a fool and a bigot. For that, I apologize. However, the first half of my statement remains. You shouldn''t speak on such matters unless you are intimately familiar with both the person and their circumstances. Arguments made from ignorance are bound to cause offense."


    Caressing his chin with a gauntleted hand, Eng Shen seemed to seriously consider Vahn''s words before nodding his head in approval, stating, "Now that I have reflected upon them, I can see the wisdom contained in your words. It appears I was in the wrong this time around. Once we reach the Jade Pce, I will be sure to make it up to you. Tell me, Vahn Aldrnari Mason, do you like alcohol...?"


    Recalling that the Communities formed by Immortals ced a heavy emphasis onpensatory words and actions, a wry smile developed across Vahn''s face as he replied, "Indeed. When the timees, we can exchange drinks with one another. After all, while your words may have prompted my ire, they were notpelled by hatred or animosity. In that regard, the fault lies with me..."


    With his shimmering third eye, the Golden Eye of Truth, allowing him to see through illusions and falsehoods, Eng Shen could tell Vahn was being sincere. His friendly smile immediately returned, as, with the exception of a few venerable Sages, it was pretty hard to find people who were willing to take a step back and admit they were wrong. This drastically increased Vahn''s status in his eyes, so much so that he made a silent vow to support the man if anyone tried to bully him during the impending banquet...


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    After a rtively short, twenty-minute journey, the gond carrying Vahn, Fenrir, Mikoto, Eng Shen, and the Howling Celestial Dog finally reached its destination. From far away, it resembled a spiraling staircase that extended thousands of meters into the air despite being fragmented and broken at several parts. Up close, or, more specifically, at the very top of the spiraling staircase was an ornate archway covered in vines that, against logic and reason, produced softball-sized peaches.


    Upon closer inspection, Vahn also noticed a stream that formed a helix around the structure. There were several breaks in its flow, but, if you were to look closely, it was possible to make out a variety of different fish swimming around the inside as if they were attempting to scale the gravity-defying stream and ascend to heaven. This reminded him of the legend concerning the Dragon''s Gate so he was moderately amused when Eng Shen dutifully exined, "This is one of the gates we use to travel great distances in the Heavenly Domain. In the Mortal World, they refer to these archways as Dragon''s Gates. It''s said that a carp that manages to swim up the stream and pass through the gate is able to be a dragon, but, as you can see here, the stream doesn''t actually intersect with the gate. I once tried carrying a carp through but it ended up slipping from my grasp and falling to the ground without transforming."


    Seemingly amused by his words, a low chuckle emanated from Eng Shen''s throat as he ced his palm against the glossy, jade-white stoneprising the archway. Immediately thereafter, a portal showing an ancient yet surprisingly bustling cityscape opened at the opposite end. The architecture was reminiscent of a fantasy illustration, but, what truly stood out was the diverse variety of people and races walking about. There were people with animalistic traits, people with bird-like wings, and even a number of demonic-looking individuals present. It was a veritable smorgasbord of races...


    Noticing Vahn''s surprise, a wry smile developed across Eng Shen''s face as he exined, "Though it used to be pretty empty, the Heavenly City surrounding the Jade Pce hase to house more than three-hundred million lesser deities over the past seven thousand years. Most of the residents are pretty weak but you should still be careful about who you offend. Even someone as simple as a beggar might have familial ties to someone in the Imperial Court. Unless you have the ability to see through illusions and deceit, you should be careful who you trust."


    As if to demonstrate his point, Eng Shen''s form was blurred before coalescing into an aged man with a war-weary expression and a tattered ck robe. At the same time, the Howling Celestia Dog shook his body as if he were trying to dry off. When he was finished, his ivory white fur had be a mangy grey, and, though there was still a glimmer of intelligence in its cloudy-brown eyes, it now resembled a stray on itsst legs.


    "This is a technique known as the 72 Earthly Transformations. I don''t mean to sound braggadocious, but I''m a little too famous. If I were to appear in my normal form, the people wandering the streets would form together as if watching a parade. I''m not particrly shy, but, unless I''m returning from a conquest, I would rather avoid gathering a crowd."


    Pulling out a tattered bamboo hat, Eng Shen covered his head in an attempt to conceal his third eye. Then, without waiting to see if Vahn was following behind, he stepped through the portal at a pace that better matched his present appearance. The Howling Celestial Dog immediately followed suit, head lowered and shoulders slumped as if it was just a few steps away from copsing...


    Exchanging nces with his two animalpanions, Vahn was unsurprised to hear Mikoto say, "I''m already in my Pikachu form. I don''t want to look old and ugly."


    While Mikoto wasn''t exactly vain, she still had standards regarding her appearance. She might not like attention but she didn''t want people to think she was ugly. Thus, instead of changing her form to appear incognito, she just climbed into the front of Vahn''s tunic before settling where Xysteria usually napped. As for Fenrir, she had always taken pride in the beauty of her coat, so, unless she was ordered to transform, she would remain in her current form.


    Extending his hand, Vahn gave Fenrir''s head a pat before adopting a slight smile and following in the direction of Eng Shen''s departure. He wasn''t particrly fond of crowds, but, at the same, he didn''t really care about concealing his presence or identity. If push came to shove, he was confident he could shove back a lot harder. Thus, even if someone recognized him and tried to make trouble, he didn''t, truly, mind. In fact, he quite enjoyed teaching people a lesson...


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    While most of the Heavenly City''s residents remainedpletely oblivious to Vahn''s visit, a few of the more influential Gods had been keeping an eye on him the moment he began his ascent up the Silver Bridge. It was no ident that Eng Shen had been nearby. Rather, in the days leading up to the Jade Emperor''s invitation, the Imperial Court had discussed everything from who would go out to meet him to where he would stay during the banquet.


    Though many argued that Vahn was receiving far too much consideration for someone that wasn''t even part of the Jade Pce, there wasn''t much they could say when the Jade Emperor was the one making the concessions. The inordinately handsome God had been keeping a close eye on Vahn''s escapades ever since his debut against Leviathan''s Tail. He was also one of the few people who had recognized Ziros as a former Deva, so, while others still doubted Vahn''s ability, he knew, better than most, how powerful the Sage Dragon had to be in order to secure even a pyrrhic victory. Thus, the moment Vahn sent his message, he immediately convened the Imperial Court before spending the better part of seven days discussing how they would handle him during his stay...


    He really wanted Vahn to join the Jade Pce...


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    (A/N: Alternate Titles: ''How dare you mention Fenrir''s fluffy haunches...!'',''It turns out that Eng Shen is a pretty chill guy o_o...'',''Looks like Vahn found himself a fan xD...'')