People in Conferred Gods: Rising from humble beginnings, I am the God of Wealth

Chapter 371 Fate is mysterious; sacrifices are inevitable!
Yang Xuan: ...

Do not!
Stop talking nonsense, this has absolutely nothing to do with me!
Yang Xuan looked down at Shen Gongbao, who was standing respectfully below, and couldn't help but show a hint of speechlessness.

If you really think about it, Shen Gongbao was the person who had followed him the longest. He could tell at a glance that Shen Gongbao was imagining some strange thing again.

The things Shen Gongbao mentioned had absolutely nothing to do with him, and were not part of his plans at all.

If he had known that Sheng Sanqi would be reincarnated as Shen Gongbao, he would never have allowed Sheng Sanqi to be reincarnated.

At this stage, other beings in the prehistoric world may not have heard of Shen Gongbao's name, but as a transmigrator, how could Yang Xuan not know who Shen Gongbao is?

If we were to rank all the participants in the Investiture of the Gods, Shen Gongbao would definitely be in the top ten!
This is even considering the presence of sages like Yuanshi Tianzun and Tongtian Jiaozhu.

Don't underestimate Shen Gongbao's cultivation level; there are countless beings with higher cultivation and stronger combat power than him.

However, in terms of fame, even the likes of Daoist Duobao and the Old Man of the South Pole are no match for Shen Gongbao.

In later generations, Shen Gongbao was known as a walking jinx, single-handedly dragging the vast Jie Sect to its doom.

In the end, even the Heavenly Saint, the Tongtian Sect Leader, was imprisoned in the Zixiao Palace, which shows how evil Shen Gongbao was.

As for Shen Gongbao himself, with such a remarkable record, he was bound to meet a bad end.

According to later legends, Shen Gongbao was also deified and became the General of the East Sea.

But anyone with eyes can see that this is just a formality; whether or not one is deified, they will not escape the fate of dying and disappearing.

The Jie Sect perished because of him alone, and the Chan Sect also suffered heavy casualties because of him.

Regardless of any ulterior motives behind this, at least in the eyes of the immortals of the Chan and Jie sects, Shen Gongbao was the culprit.

As long as he lives, he will be targeted by the Chan and Jie sects. There will be no place for him in this prehistoric world, and even the Western Sect will not accept him as a jinx.

Clearly, in the matter of the Investiture of the Gods, Shen Gongbao, like Jiang Ziya, was a pawn used to advance the Investiture of the Gods, but his fate was far worse; he was completely discarded.

Even before Yang Xuan took human form, he warned himself that he should avoid Shen Gongbao whenever he encountered him in the future.

Yang Xuan even hinted to the celestial beings and gods of the Heavenly Court, as well as Bixiao and others, that if they heard words like "Fellow Daoist, please wait" during the Investiture of the Gods calamity, they should be careful.

If you encounter an overly enthusiastic stranger, do not stop out of curiosity.

Ironically, the owner of the "Fellow Daoist, please stay" became Yang Xuan's trusted subordinate.

If he had known that he would be reborn as Shen Gongbao in this cycle of reincarnation, how could he have allowed such a thing to happen?

Now that things have come to this, what "what ifs" are there to speak of?

Fortunately, the situation isn't too bad right now.

According to the rumors from the previous life, Shen Gongbao exacerbated the conflict between the Chan Sect and the Jie Sect, ultimately leading to heavy losses for the Chan Sect and the Jie Sect becoming virtually defunct. Even the Heavenly Dao Saint, Tongtian Sect Leader, suffered a calamity.

But now, the Tongtian Sect Leader has chosen to accept Yang Xuan's suggestion and decide to let Lingya Xian and Ma Yuan, the culprits who have accumulated heavy karma and caused the Jie Sect to fall into such a state, take the blame for the disaster.

Furthermore, Yang Xuan lent the Karmic Fire Red Lotus to Tongtian Jiaozhu, which eliminated some of the karmic force within the Jie Sect's destiny, thus alleviating the Jie Sect's situation.

Disciples of the Jie Sect like Bixiao and Zhao Gongming, who already had little karma and now possess even more merit, have a good chance of surviving the Investiture of the Gods tribulation, as long as they don't court death.

As long as Bixiao and the others are still alive, the Jie Sect's vitality will not be damaged, and its foundation will not be harmed.

As for Lingya Xian, Ma Yuan, and others, even if they all die, it will not cause any damage to the foundation of the Jie Sect.

On the contrary, clearing away these malignant tumors can not only be used to settle karma, but also make the Jie Sect purer, avoiding the current situation of rampant karma and chaos.

From this perspective, it's actually a good thing that Sheng Sanqi was reincarnated as Shen Gongbao, at least it makes the matter more controllable.

If Sheng Sanqi hadn't been reincarnated as Shen Gongbao, and had been allowed to act freely, who knows what kind of trouble he might have caused.

Now that Shen Gongbao, an uncertain factor, is under Yang Xuan's control, it is highly unlikely that the Jie Sect will ever come to an end.

As long as the Jie Sect did not reach its end and the elites of the Jie Sect, such as Bixiao, were not listed, it would be unlikely that the Tongtian Sect Leader would set up the Zhuxian Sword Formation, at least not because of Shen Gongbao.

Although being reborn as Shen Gongbao after being angered by the three times was completely beyond Yang Xuan's expectations, fortunately there was still a chance to salvage the situation.

If used properly, Shen Gongbao might be able to gain considerable benefits from this.
Yang Xuan remained silent for a long time, then looked up at Shen Gongbao below, tapped the armrest lightly with his finger, and asked:
"You've come to see me today because you've encountered some difficulties regarding the Investiture of the Gods?"

"Your Majesty is wise; this is indeed why I came here."

Shen Gongbao bowed again, his expression immediately darkening, and said in a deep voice:
"Thanks to the Emperor, I have gained my master's favor and am in charge of presiding over the conferment of titles upon the gods."

"According to my guess, rather than letting people like Lady Bixiao and Senior Brother Zhao Gongming, who are upright and have accumulated merit, take on the tribulation, Master would prefer those Jie Sect immortals who have committed serious sins and evil deeds to take on the tribulation on their own."

"So I thought of sending these Jiejiao immortals to the Nine Provinces to help the Shang Dynasty fight against Xiqi and Chanjiao."

"But to avoid arousing their suspicion, while seeking their help, I also assisted those who had accumulated merit, such as the Four Saints and the Ten Heavenly Kings of Kowloon Island."

"Unexpectedly, the Four Saints and Ten Heavenly Kings of Kowloon Island, who are all people with great merit, responded immediately after I asked for their help and set off for Kyushu."

"But those with heavy karma were slow and hesitant, and the Seven Immortals and Ma Yuan, typical examples, pretended not to hear anything."

"The little god sent two requests for help in succession, and even told them that the Chan Sect had sent more people. If they did not come, the Jie Sect would be at a disadvantage. He also said that this was the master's intention, but the result was still the same."

"If these people continue to be so shameless and refuse to take on the tribulation, wouldn't more Jie Sect immortals have to be listed in their place?"

"I have come here today to ask the Emperor to teach me how to make them face the tribulation, send their primordial spirits to the list, and reduce the losses of the Jie Sect."

In the end, Shen Gongbao's words contained both helplessness and sorrow. The appearance of immortals like them in the Jie Sect was truly a disgrace to the sect.

If this gets out, the Chan Sect will laugh at us for the rest of our lives!

Yang Xuan did not show any surprise after hearing Shen Gongbao's words.

Although he never met the Seven Immortals or Ma Yuan after he transmigrated, he had heard about their deeds.

Seriously speaking, if they weren't disciples of the Jie Sect, protected by the Tongtian Sect Master, even with their considerable cultivation, they would have died at the hands of others long ago.

Expecting such a person to fight for the Jie Sect and make amends for past mistakes is simply impossible.

The reason Yang Xuan suggested that these people take the blame for the disaster when he was in Biyou Palace was because he followed the words of the Tongtian Sect Leader.

They guessed that once these people learned about the Investiture of the Gods, they would try to stay far away and would never fight for the Jie Sect. The best way to get these people to take the blame for the disaster was for the Tongtian Sect Leader to give the order personally.

If these people obey the orders of the Tongtian Sect Leader and voluntarily enter the mortal world to face the calamity, they will naturally achieve the goal of taking on the calamity and protecting the immortals of the Jie Sect. The chances of the other immortals of the Jie Sect surviving the Investiture of the Gods calamity will be even higher.

Both involve settling karmic debts and allowing these culprits to enter the world to face their tribulations. The amount of karmic debts that can be settled is naturally much greater; one is equivalent to two, which is already considered a small amount.

If these people are unwilling to obey the orders of the Tongtian Sect Leader, then what is the point of keeping the Jie Sect alive? What qualifications do they have to be called Jie Sect Immortals?
The Tongtian Sect Leader could then take the opportunity to expel these disciples from the Jie Sect, which would not only remove these malignant tumors attached to the Jie Sect, but also help with the Investiture of the Gods calamity.

Unfortunately, the Tongtian Sect Leader, perhaps valuing the bond between master and disciple or unwilling to give up this opportunity to prove his own Dao, did not come forward to speak about this matter.

Instead, the plan was to have Shen Gongbao, a person born at the right time, preside over the Investiture of the Gods calamity, allowing these people to make choices with more dignity. At the same time, by observing the fates of these people, the plan could be reflected in the path of the people, ultimately leading to the current situation.

"Born in response to the times, is it in accordance with the will of Heaven, or the destiny of that one..."

Yang Xuan's eyes flickered, and he looked thoughtful.

According to the Tongtian Sect Leader, Shen Gongbao and Jiang Ziya were both born in response to the times.

Jiang Ziya, being of the Yang element, held the Investiture of the Gods and the God-Slaying Whip, and became a disciple of the Chan Sect.

Shen Gongbao was of the Yin nature and did not possess any magical treasures. He was a variable in the Investiture of the Gods and joined the Jie Sect.

Such an important person, why did he not appear earlier or later, but was born at the time of the reincarnation of the Three Qi? Isn't that too much of a coincidence?

To put it bluntly, if Shen Gongbao had, as Yang Xuan had rumored in his previous life, ultimately joined the Chan Sect, causing heavy losses to the Chan Sect and even leading to the demise of the Jie Sect.

From the perspective of the Chan and Jie sects, wouldn't Yang Xuan, the one who personally sent the three cycles of life and death to reincarnation, become the mastermind behind it all? It's possible that even the two saints, Yuanshi Tianzun and Tongtian Jiaozhu, would hold a grudge against him.

More importantly, the Six Paths of Reincarnation is controlled by Houtu Niangniang. If this matter were to spread, it would be difficult not to suspect that Houtu might have orchestrated it.

Houtu is the representative of the Earthly Way, while the Chan and Jie sects belong to the Heavenly Way. Ultimately, this could lead to a conflict between the Heavenly Way and the Earthly Way, resulting in even worse consequences.

Thinking of this, a flash of inspiration struck Yang Xuan, but it vanished in an instant, impossible to grasp.

Yang Xuan was not disappointed and did not dwell on the matter.

Regardless of whether there are any other schemes behind Sheng Sanqi's reincarnation as Shen Gongbao, the current situation is not too bad, and there is still a lot of room for maneuver.

Even if we can't change the fate of the Jie Sect, as long as we can preserve some of its vitality, at least the worst outcome won't happen.

The key to accomplishing this task is to include people with heavy karma, such as Lingya Xian and Ma Yuan, on the list. This would reduce the losses of the Jie Sect and preserve more of its resources. This is also the issue that Shen Gongbao came to seek help with.

As for how to get these people to enter the world and face the tribulations, it's not really a big problem.

According to the legends of his previous life, Shen Gongbao, without any external help, relied on his door-blocking supernatural power—"Fellow Daoist, please stay"—to bring Lingya Xian and others to the Nine Provinces. In the end, either their primordial spirits were listed on the list, or they were sent to the West.

It was only a matter of time before Lingya Xian and the others entered the mortal world to face their tribulations; this was their destiny.

Shen Gongbao's desired outcome was to accelerate this process, thereby altering the fate of the Jie Sect.

After careful consideration, Yang Xuan tapped the armrest with his finger, looked down at Shen Gongbao, and said calmly:
“In the face of a great calamity, there will inevitably be casualties; this is unavoidable.”

"You need to be clear about your own position. The Sage asked you to preside over the conferment of gods by the Jie Sect so that you could reduce the losses of the Jie Sect and send as many people who deserve to die as possible to the list, not so that you could only send these people who deserve to die to the list."

"You might as well go all out and do it. Once more people are on the list, you can go back to Jin'ao Island and ask those Jie Sect immortals for help."

"If by then these Jie Sect immortals still pretend not to know, then they will be unworthy of being disciples of the Jie Sect and will disregard the bond between the sect and its members. I presume you already know what to do."

From beginning to end, Yang Xuan had only one goal: to protect Bixiao and the others.

As for the lives of the other disciples of the Jie Sect, he didn't care, and he never even considered trying to save all the disciples of the Jie Sect, as that was simply unrealistic.

Necessary sacrifices are inevitable. As long as the immortals of the Jie Sect die a worthy death, even immortals serving in the Heavenly Court, such as the Ten Heavenly Kings and the Four Saints of Nine Dragon Island, are not exempt from sacrifice.

The simplest, most direct, and most effective way to get Lingya Xian, Ma Yuan, and others to willingly accept the calamity is as the legend from the previous life tells us.

After the immortals of the Jie Sect were listed, Shen Gongbao personally returned to Jin'ao Island, found Lingya Xian and the others, and forced them to enter the world to face the tribulation with the help of righteousness.

After hearing these words, Shen Gongbao first looked thoughtful, and then seemed hesitant and conflicted.

After a long while, his expression finally hardened, and he made up his mind. He then bowed to Yang Xuan.

"Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty. I know what to do now!"

"Go. If you can do this well, the Great Luo will have no worries in the future. Also..."

Yang Xuan's expression was serious, and he said in a deep voice:
"Do not let Bixiao know about the Conferred Gods Conferment of the Jie Sect!"

"Your Majesty, rest assured, this matter will not be reported to the Netherworld!"

After saying this, Shen Gongbao bowed again, turned around and walked out of the Fengdu Ghost Palace.

"Fate is truly mysterious..."

Yang Xuan watched Shen Gongbao's departing figure, his heart filled with emotion.

Looking back, when Yang Xuan first met Sheng Sanqi in Wuyi Mountain, Sheng Sanqi called out, "Fellow Daoist, please wait."

Perhaps from that time onward, the fate of Sheng Sanqi being reborn as Shen Gongbao was already set, and no matter what changes occurred in between, this fate would not change.

At this moment, the spiritual light reappeared, and Yang Xuan successfully grasped it. He immediately gained many insights and had a more thorough understanding of the Great Dao of Destiny.

Crash-!
A sound of flowing water, imbued with profound Daoist principles, came from the void and echoed in Yang Xuan's ears. A phantom river appeared before him.

This long river is boundless and vast, its origin and destination unknown.

If one's spiritual attainment is profound enough, one will discover that every drop of water in this river reflects the past of a certain being and its ever-changing future.

These water droplets are the true spirits of all living beings in the primordial world, and this long river is the river of destiny!

Although this is only a small projection of the long river of fate, Yang Xuan cannot enter it through this.

But with the appearance of this long river, Yang Xuan felt as if he were standing on the Great Dao of Destiny, which held nothing back from him and allowed him to observe freely.

His understanding of the Dao of Destiny was constantly improving, leading him into an ineffable state of enlightenment...

(End of this chapter)