Don't let Yu Ding take on any more disciples.

Chapter 300 You Shouldn't Have Came

Inside the royal palace of the Shang Dynasty.

Wen Zhong carried Emperor Yi away, leaving behind a group of civil and military officials kneeling on the ground in the hall, looking around and exchanging glances, but none of them dared to speak.

The palace was eerily quiet for a moment.

They all understood one thing: this was a time of great sensitivity, a time of change of power, and one wrong move could cost them their heads.

Before the king's bed, all three of Emperor Yi's sons looked grief-stricken and remained silent.

Suddenly, a palace servant burst in, wailing and crying, "Reporting to Your Highnesses, Your Excellencies, the King... has passed away..."

"Father?!"

Upon hearing this, Ziqi and Ziyan were immediately overcome with grief, collapsing to the ground, overwhelmed with sorrow.

Upon hearing this, Zi Shou swayed and his face showed grief. Even though he had prepared himself mentally, the news still brought him immense sorrow.

"Your Majesty..." Upon hearing this news, all the ministers, skilled in both civil and military affairs, faced the outside of the palace and burst into tears.

"Your Highnesses, Your Excellencies, please accept my condolences!"

At this moment, a civil official stood up and said, "Please hear me out. We are all deeply saddened by the passing of the King, but for the sake of the country and its people, we should first ensure that the new King ascends the throne..."

"Dr. Mei is right!"

"As the saying goes, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day; a new king should be allowed to ascend the throne first."

The doctor's words immediately drew agreement from a group of civil officials.

"By the way, I didn't hear clearly who Father said he would pass the throne to. Did any of you hear it clearly?" Ziyan asked the person behind him while wiping away his tears.

Upon hearing this, the civil and military officials exchanged bewildered glances.

Everyone heard it, but at this juncture, who dares to say anything more?
Furthermore, it was obvious to everyone that the king favored the third prince, but what puzzled them was why the king had not designated him as the crown prince until his death.
I don't understand!
"Second Prince, the King just clearly stated that he would pass the throne to the Third Prince, so why ask such a redundant question?" Huang Feihu said bluntly.

“Huang Feihu, shut up! Everyone in the court knows you have a good relationship with the third brother. You say you’re the third brother, but I’d say Father wants to pass it on to the eldest brother. Can you prove that?” Ziyan retorted without hesitation.

"You..." Huang Feihu was speechless.

This generation of Shang king had three sons, but the second son was the only one without support and was the first to lose his eligibility to compete for the throne.

Because he and Wei Ziqi were both nominally sons born out of wedlock, the two brothers had a very good relationship, while he was quite distant from the third son, Zishou.

"Your Highness is right. Indeed, I didn't hear His Majesty's dying words. But did you, my lords, hear them?"

The other ministers looked at each other in bewilderment.

"I heard that! His Majesty clearly intends to pass the throne to the Third Prince!"

"Nonsense, it should be His Highness the Crown Prince!"

The hall was instantly filled with a great commotion.

"Second brother, what... what are you doing?"

Wei Ziqi, who was being carried up, remained outwardly calm, but questioned Wei Ziyan in a low voice: "Do you intend to disobey your father?"

"Brother, don't panic. I've already made arrangements. Father hasn't issued an edict to designate an heir, so what are you worried about?"

Wei Ziyan said confidently, "Wen Zhong is the third brother's teacher, and Du Yuanxi, the Grand Tutor of the Imperial Observatory, is also your teacher. You also have so many civil officials supporting you, plus the Xuan Niao Division behind Grand Tutor Du... Brother, what are you afraid of? This is your last chance."

"teacher?"

Wei Ziqi exclaimed in shock and anger, "You actually want to drag him into this?"

"Brother, it's come to a head now. You've been fighting with the third brother for so many years, and you've never been close to him. Do you think he'll let you off the hook when he takes the throne?"

Wei Ziyan said with some frustration, "If you don't make a move now before Wen Zhong arrives, will you still have a chance when Wen Zhong comes?"

With your indecisiveness, how can you accomplish great things? Do you want to be the one who holds the life and death of the third brother in your hands and let him go afterward, or do you want to wait for your life and death to be in someone else's hands and then beg him to let you go afterward? Think about it carefully..."

Wei Ziqi was startled, and after a long while, he let out a long breath and his gaze became firm.

Indeed, given his popularity among civil officials, his chances of succeeding to the throne without an imperial edict were very high...

Zi Shou stood beside the king's couch, silent and coldly watching everything unfold.

His father, on his deathbed, had left no intention of establishing a crown prince; this was precisely the moment to solidify the loyalty of these ministers.

Of course, this is also the first test for him to become king.

At this time, the grand occasion in Chaoge, the largest city of the human race, was still going strong, but the ordinary people were unaware that a great change was quietly taking place.

The Imperial Astronomical Bureau of the Shang Dynasty was located to the east of the royal palace.

This place houses one of the tallest buildings in Chaoge, and it also serves the important functions of observing celestial phenomena, calculating solar terms, and formulating the calendar.

In addition, this is also the headquarters of the Great Shang Xuan Niao Division.

The current supervisor is named Du Yuanxian!
"Sigh..." On the top floor, an old man dressed in court robes leaned against the railing, finished reading a jade book in his hand, sighed, then got up and disappeared in a flash. In a few flashes, he was close to the royal palace.

Just then, a powerful aura soared into the sky, blocking his path.

Du Yuanxian looked down and saw Wen Zhong standing with his hands behind his back on the city wall. He had already sent someone to return Di Yi's body.

"Brother Wen!" Du Yuanxian bowed respectfully.

Wen Zhong looked up and said calmly, "Brother Du, you've come after all."

Du Yuanxian said, "Since Brother Wen has come, how could I not come?"

"I knew you would come."

Wen Zhong looked up as he spoke and said, "But you shouldn't have come."

"I absolutely had to come..."

Du Yuanxian shook his head, his eyes burning with intensity as he spoke: "Perfect, today I can also fulfill one of my wishes."

"What is your wish?" Wen Zhong asked.

"Brother Wen and I are both Grand Tutors of the Shang Dynasty and both Qi Refiners, so I am very curious to know who is superior in terms of cultivation level."

Du Yuanxian said loudly, "It's a pity that I haven't had the chance to compete with him. Today I can finally fulfill my wish. Isn't that wonderful..."

“Our cultivation levels are already top-notch in the mortal world, but in the eyes of those great immortals, they are nothing more than the light of a grain of rice or a firefly. What does it matter who is superior or inferior?” Wen Zhong sighed.

"Meaningful!"

Du Yuanxian slowly shook his head, looking at Wen Zhong and said, "At least give me an answer!"

As soon as they finished speaking, their eyes met, and their magical power surged.

The next instant, the two activated their magic power, and their bodies erupted with intense light, transforming into two divine lights, one blue and one red, which collided and soared into the sky.

Chi!Chi!Chi!
Du Yuanxian used his fingers as swords, unleashing wave after wave of blazing sword energy. However, Wen Zhong simply waved his sleeve, causing the incoming sword energy to vanish without a trace, like a mud ox sinking into the sea.

Boom!
After another meteor-like collision, the crimson star was thrown back a hundred feet, its crimson light dissipating, revealing Du Yuanxian, who was clutching his chest, staring in shock at Wen Zhong in front of him.

As the blue light dissipated, Wen Zhong stood calmly in the air, saying, "Brother Du's cultivation is profound, having already reached the Earth Immortal realm. I admire you. Let's call it a day!"

"Your cultivation... Brother Wen, you have already touched the true realm of immortality?" Du Yuanxian stared at Wen Zhong in shock.

He entered the Shang Dynasty court later than Wen Zhong, but he felt that the gap between them was not that big at that time.

However, even though he had used all his strength, he still hadn't harmed Wen Zhong in the slightest. On the contrary, Wen Zhong seemed to be handling the situation with ease, which greatly shocked him.

Wen Zhong sighed and said, "What difference does it make? I said, in the eyes of those great immortals and powerful beings, our meager cultivation is nothing more than fireflies."

Du Yuanxian sighed deeply, his magical power surging as he said, "Although Brother Wen's cultivation surpasses mine, I will not back down. Let us fight again..."

"Brother Du, wait! Our actions are merely for the sake of our respective students."

Wen Zhong hurriedly raised his hand and said, "But I can assure you that even if the Third Prince succeeds to the throne, he will not harm his brothers. His Majesty also gave instructions before his death that his brothers' lives should not be taken unless absolutely necessary..."

Du Yuanxian remained silent, lost in thought.

"Besides, Brother Du must be aware of the current predicament of the Great Merchants."

Wen Zhong continued, "To be honest, His Highness is a kind and benevolent person. If the Shang Dynasty were stable, he would surely be a benevolent ruler. But in the current situation... can he protect the Shang Dynasty? Besides, do you really think the King would leave without leaving any contingency plans?"

"In that case... let's do as Brother Wen says!" Du Yuanxian's eyes flickered for a moment before he sighed and turned to leave.

At this moment, a great commotion was taking place inside the main hall.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, Your Excellency Vice Minister, look at the commotion! What should we do? Please say something!"

At this moment, a minister found the two civil officials who were at the very front of the line.

The leader was an elderly man around seventy years old with gray hair, dressed in court attire, and the other was a middle-aged man around forty years old with a refined appearance.

These two men were none other than Shang Rong, the prime minister of the Shang Dynasty, and Bi Gan, the chief minister.

Bi Gan then looked at Shang Rong.

"His Majesty's body is still warm, and you all look at what you're doing!"

Shang Rong roared, like an old lion, still majestic despite his age, and the hall fell silent for a moment.

"Big brother, Prime Minister Shang Rong has always been your biggest supporter, this time we're all set..."

Upon hearing Shang Rong speak, Wei Ziyan was overjoyed, and Wei Ziqi also breathed a sigh of relief.

Shang Rong, as the head of the civil officials, had always been a strong supporter of Wei Ziqi, so they were relieved now.

Shang Rong was the prime minister and also in charge of the rites and music of the Shang Dynasty. His prestige in the court was comparable only to that of Wen Zhong.

Zi Shou remained indifferent, as if the argument between these people had nothing to do with him.

"Your Excellency, to whom do you say the throne belongs now?" Wei Ziyan asked.

Shang Rong glanced at the assembled ministers and asked, "Whose succession is it? Did the Second Prince not hear clearly that the King said he wanted to pass the throne to the Third Prince?"

When these words were spoken, everyone was shocked.

"Shang Rong, you..."

Wei Ziyan and Wei Ziqi's expressions changed drastically, and even Zi Shou looked over in surprise, his eyes revealing deep astonishment.

“Indeed, just now the King said that he would pass the throne to the Third Prince Zishou. Now that the King’s body is not yet cold, you are all arguing endlessly over the throne. What are your true intentions?” At this moment, Bigan also rebuked him.

Seeing that the two senior civil officials who had originally supported Wei Ziqi had suddenly changed their tune, the other civil officials looked at each other in bewilderment and dared not speak again.

"You... you..."

Wei Ziyan pointed at Shang Rong and other civil officials, so angry he couldn't speak.

"Is it all over?"

At this moment, Zi Shoucai spoke calmly, taking out a scroll of jade from his sleeve and saying, "The edict by which my father passed the throne to me is here. If you didn't hear it clearly just now, I can let him see it clearly."

As he spoke, a powerful aura emanated from him, and a deep sense of awe arose in the hearts of the ministers.

Upon seeing Zi Shou pull out the imperial edict, Wei Zi Qi's face turned deathly pale in an instant, while Wei Zi Yan slumped down on the ground with a thud.

"See you, Your Majesty!"

Huang Feihu quickly knelt down.

"Greetings, Your Majesty..."

With Huang Feihu leading the way, a thunderous roar soon filled the hall.

Wen Zhong stood atop the royal city, facing east, his expression one of nostalgia and longing. Ever since he attained enlightenment, he had been thinking of returning home every moment.

He was sent down the mountain to assist the king in order to attain enlightenment, and that's how he met Wen Ding.

He went through so much, experiencing joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, life, death, wealth, and honor... In the end, he let go of everything and attained enlightenment.

He gained power through the Yin-Shang dynasty, which was the cause; and he accepted the entrustment of the young emperor to assist the Shang dynasty, which was the effect!
Logically speaking, he had devoted himself wholeheartedly to serving two dynasties and had already paid off all his debts.

And this time...

Wen Zhong withdrew his gaze from the east, turned around, and resolutely strode towards the palace.

This time, it has nothing to do with cause and effect!
Only his bond and shared aspirations with three generations of his family, including Wen Ding.

Not long after, King Di Yi passed away, and news of the new king's ascension to the throne spread throughout the world.

The new king's name was Di Xin, and he named his capital Chaoge!
Next, Emperor Xin bestowed upon Huang Feihu the title of Zhenguo Wucheng King, making him the head of the military generals and, together with Grand Tutor Wen, the two pillars of the Shang Dynasty in terms of both civil and military affairs, to stabilize the country and ensure peace!
……

Chentang Pass!
Li Mansion!

A fast horse galloped into the Li residence: "Report! General Li, urgent news from Chaoge!"

"General Li is not here. I am his wife. What is it?" Yin Guangling took the letter, and before she had even finished reading it, her face already showed an undisguised joy: "Promoted to the rank of general?"

At this moment, at a pool in a mountain outside Chentang Pass.

Li Jing was dressed in armor, with a group of heavily armored soldiers behind him. At this moment, their faces showed panic and unease.

Because, above the pool, a blue dragon shrouded in water vapor coiled and laughed smugly, "Heh, so what if I played with a few women?"

These words filled the soldiers with righteous indignation.

The dragon was still smugly saying, "It's their good fortune that I've taken a liking to them... huh?"

Before he could finish speaking, a figure appeared out of nowhere. Li Jing's gaze was cold, his hands forming a fist, and the dazzling divine light on his fist surged like a river bursting its banks.

The powerful aura spread out, causing nearby trees and boulders to shatter and float in mid-air.

boom!
With a deafening roar, the dragon was struck almost without any chance to react, tumbling and flying away. The forest exploded, billowing smoke and dust, and finally crashed into a mountain wall, creating a crack.

"Are you satisfied?"

Before the dragon could react, a foot had already stepped on its enormous head.

"General Li is mighty!"

The soldiers shouted excitedly.

"You hothead, you dare to touch me? Even the general of Chentang Pass has to obediently send your girls to please me. You dare to touch me?" the dragon roared.

"What am I afraid of?"

Li Jing leaned down and stared at it coldly, saying, "Tie it up and take it back to the general for him to deal with!"

Upon hearing this, the soldiers exchanged bewildered glances.

Li Jing frowned and asked, "What's wrong?"

One soldier gritted his teeth and said, "What it says is true. The General has connections with the dragons of the East Sea and won't do anything to it."

"Did you hear that? You human, why aren't you letting me go?" The dragon became even more smug.

Li Jing pondered for a moment, then shifted his gaze from the dragon's head downwards...

"What do you want to do? My father is a good friend of your Chen Tang Pass General." The dragon felt a chill.

"What's it to me? We have no connection whatsoever."

Li Jing grinned: "Come on, castrate it first, then take it back."

He turned to look at Chen Tang Pass, his gaze dark. If this was true, then he would have to explain the rules properly.

"Yes, sir!" A group of soldiers stepped forward happily and began to work.

Inside the Li residence.

Yu Ding looked up at the night sky and murmured, "The new king has ascended the throne, has it begun...? No, it has already begun."

Next, it will probably be a pilgrimage to Nuwa Palace, which would be blasphemous to the gods and completely set the stage for the great calamity.
As for the pilgrimage... Thinking of this matter, Yu Ding couldn't help but feel a chill. He didn't believe that there hadn't been some kind of scheming in the court, and he didn't know if his disciple could handle it.

Originally, this great calamity was actually just the Heavenly Court picking a few unlucky people from the three religions to become civil servants in the Heavenly Court.

However, the pilgrimage successfully dragged the saint Nuwa into the mess, sending three demons to wreak havoc on the court, making the waters of this calamity even more turbid.

(End of this chapter)