Honghuang: Eat a Hunyuan Daluo

Chapter 283 The Roc Battles the Red Spirit, Emperor Xin Asks Su Hu

Di Xin grew angrier as he listened. What a Marquis of Xibo was! Xiqi and Chaoge were so far apart, yet so many people in the court spoke up for him. It was likely that many of the court officials had been bribed by the Marquis of Xibo.

Thinking of this, Di Xin's anger intensified. He ripped off the thin veil and roared, "Enough! My mind is made up. This matter is not to be discussed any further. The day of the vassal kings' audience is approaching, and I will take Daji as my concubine then."

After saying that, Di Xin snorted coldly and turned to leave.

Every year, the Shang dynasty had vassal states paying homage to it, and this year was no exception.

At this time, the various feudal lords were already on their way to the Shang Dynasty.

As for today's events in the imperial court, the officials who had connections with the various feudal lords naturally sent out the news immediately.

"Your Majesty, all letters except those addressed to Ji Chang, the Marquis of Xibo, have been intercepted," said King Wucheng, Huang Feihu, respectfully.

"Very well, I want to see if this Marquis of Xibo has any intention of rebelling."

Meanwhile, the Marquis of Xibo and his entourage, who were on their way, received a letter from Chaoge.

Bo Yikao, who was usually gentle and refined, looked anxious at this moment. He stared intently at the letter that had come from Chaoge and remained silent for a long time.

The marriage between Boyi Kao and Daji was not purely an arranged marriage. The two had met several times, and Boyi Kao fell in love with Daji at first sight. By this time, his love for her was already deeply rooted.

Now that he has learned that Emperor Xin wants to take Daji as his concubine, how could Boyi Kao not be anxious?
Just as Boyi Kao was at a loss, Ji Chang walked in, his face equally grave: "News has come from the Shang Dynasty that Fei Zhong and You Hun, close advisors to the King, have suggested that the King take Daji as a concubine."

"Is Father now left with no other option?"

Ji Chang shook his head and sighed, "Once the king speaks, disobeying his decree is tantamount to rebellion, and there's nothing I can do about it! Besides..."

"And what?"

“I am a feudal lord, and the Marquis of Ji Province is also a feudal lord. Marriage between feudal lords is a major taboo. Now that Your Majesty intends to take Daji as a concubine, this matter should no longer be kept secret.”

"Bo Yikao, I brought you to Chaoge with the intention of proposing to the King that you succeed to the position of Marquis of Xibo. Now it seems that this will be difficult to achieve. Bo Yikao, you should return to Xiqi!"

"Father!"

"Stop talking and go back!"

Since Ji Chang had said so, Boyi Kao naturally could not refuse and turned back to Xiqi.

Unbeknownst to the father and son, their every move was being secretly monitored by the roc sent by Emperor Xin.

"Bo Yikao is actually going back to Xiqi? Your Majesty wants to see Bo Yikao. In that case, I will take him back to Chaoge!" Thinking of this, Dapeng immediately caught up with Bo Yikao.

Bo Yikao was unaware of the impending crisis; at that moment, his mind was filled with the grief of losing his beloved.

"Tsk tsk, I didn't expect Boyi Kao to be such a romantic." With that, the roc flapped its wings, and sand and stones flew around, a strong wind suddenly rose, and it was about to sweep Boyi Kao away.

Just as Dapeng succeeded, a beam of dark light appeared, shattering Dapeng's magic power.

Dapeng looked in the direction from which the dark light came and saw that the one who made the move was a middle-aged Taoist priest wearing a dark red Taoist robe and holding an ancient mirror.

This Taoist's cultivation was at the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, two minor realms higher than the Great Peng's mid-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal realm. Moreover, he had only reached the mid-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal realm when he was an official, having just broken through with the help of the human realm's fortune.

But Dapeng was not afraid of this Taoist. So what if there was a difference of two minor realms? He was the son of Yuanfeng and possessed the Yin-Yang Divine Light. With such great supernatural powers, he naturally had the confidence to back it up.

"Who are you?" Dapeng asked first.

"I am Chijingzi, a disciple of the Jade Purity Saint of the Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain, and I am here on my master's orders to protect the Marquis of Xibo and his entourage."

"So you're Chi Jingzi!"

"Since you know me, fellow Daoist, you may leave!" Chi Jingzi said proudly.

Upon hearing this, Dapeng scoffed and said, "Two of your Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect have already perished, and you still dare to be arrogant? Aren't you afraid that you will also perish here?"

Upon hearing this, Chi Jingzi flew into a rage: "You audacious beast, how dare you insult my Chan Sect! Today, I, this humble Daoist, will subdue you!"

"Ha! I'm not afraid of you! Come with me to the Outer Heaven for a battle. This Boyi Kao is someone the King specifically requested to see. Don't let the aftermath of our battle kill Boyi Kao."

Chi Jingzi also wanted to protect Boyi Kao, so naturally he did not refuse.

In the boundless void of the Outer Heaven, Chi Jingzi stood in mid-air, his gaze like lightning, fixed on the golden light rushing towards him.

Just now, the roc transformed into a golden streak of light, and with a flap of its wings, space seemed to be torn apart, instantly traversing tens of thousands of miles to arrive at the outer heavens.

Witnessing this, Chi Jingzi was secretly shocked; this beast's speed was simply too fast!
He possessed the cultivation of a peak Great Luo Golden Immortal. Among the thirty-six great divine abilities passed down by the Dao Ancestor, he primarily cultivated the Golden Light of Earth-Soaring. In terms of escape techniques, Chi Jingzi believed he had few rivals in the Kunlun Mountains, and throughout the entire prehistoric world, his speed was among the best.

But the roc in front of him, with only the cultivation of a mid-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal, actually outpaced him in speed. It truly lived up to its reputation as the son of the Primordial Phoenix.

Chi Jingzi narrowed his eyes, secretly forming hand seals as his mind raced. He knew that the speed of the Roc was its greatest asset. If he allowed the opponent to fight freely, he would probably not be able to gain the upper hand. He had to finish the battle quickly and take down the opponent before it could establish a firm foothold!
Thinking of this, Chi Jingzi snorted coldly, his body radiating immortal light and his aura soaring like a rainbow. He had made up his mind not to give Dapeng any chance to escape.

Coincidentally, although Dapeng and Chijingzi were rivals, their thoughts were exactly the same.

The roc spread its wings, gleaming with golden light, its eyes burning with fighting spirit.

Although his cultivation level was not as high as Chi Jingzi's, and his magical power was not as profound and enduring as his opponent's, he was confident in his unparalleled speed and his deadly moves.

If they could seize the initiative and defeat Chi Jingzi with overwhelming force, they might be able to bridge the gap in cultivation. Therefore, Dapeng also planned to finish the battle quickly and decisively, without any procrastination!
Their eyes met, sparks flew in the air, and their fighting spirit surged like a tide. Almost at the same moment, they both unleashed their strongest killing moves!
With a wave of his hand, Chi Jingzi conjured an ancient and precious mirror in his palm, the very treasure that made him famous—the Yin-Yang Mirror.

This mirror has two sides, yin and yang. The yang side can determine a person's soul, while the yin side can directly extinguish life. Chi Jingzi activated his magic power without hesitation. The mirror turned, and the yin side emitted a dark black light that shot directly at Dapeng.

This black light, carrying yin energy and an aura of endless destruction, was about to crush the roc's physical body and primordial spirit together!
Seeing this, Dapeng was not afraid at all. Instead, he let out a long, earth-shaking roar. With a flap of his wings, a divine light of black and white suddenly burst out from behind him. It was Dapeng's divine power, the Yin-Yang Divine Light!
This divine light is the trump card that Dapeng cultivated for countless years under the guidance of his elder brother. It is similar in effect to his elder brother Kong Xuan's five-colored divine light, but it is also unique.

Kong Xuan's Five-Colored Divine Light can sweep across all things within the Five Elements. Its light is dazzling and multicolored, and all things of the Five Elements are like moths drawn to a flame, unable to resist. Dapeng's Yin-Yang Divine Light goes even further!
Yin and Yang are the foundation of heaven and earth, the source of all things. Yin and Yang give rise to the Five Elements, therefore this divine light can not only cleanse things of the Five Elements (metal, wood, water, fire, and earth), but even spiritual treasures and living beings containing Yin and Yang attributes cannot escape its control!
Divine light burst forth, eclipsing the color of heaven and earth, as two beams of light, one black and one white, intertwined.

From Chi Jingzi's perspective, this Yin-Yang divine light was somewhat similar to his master's Taiji diagram, vast and sweeping across all directions.

Chi Jingzi was startled when he saw that Dapeng had actually used such a divine power, but there was no time to think about it. The dark light from the Yin side of the Yin-Yang Mirror had already shot out and collided head-on with the Yin-Yang Divine Light!

"boom!"

The void shattered, and terrifying energy fluctuations spread like a tsunami, causing the space within a radius of tens of thousands of miles to collapse and turn into chaos.

Chi Jingzi was originally full of confidence, thinking that his attack would be enough to severely injure Dapeng, but who would have thought that the Yin Yang Divine Light would be a natural counter to the Yin Yang Mirror!
The black and white divine light was like a bottomless abyss, instantly swallowing up all the black light on the yin side of the Yin-Yang Mirror. Its remaining force did not diminish and directly pierced through the surface of the Yin-Yang Mirror!
"Pfft!" The Yin-Yang Mirror was Chi Jingzi's natal magic weapon. With the mirror surface damaged, his mind was shaken violently. He felt a sweet taste in his throat and spat out a mouthful of golden blood. His whole body flew out like a kite with a broken string!

A glint of light flashed in the roc's eyes. How could it let such an opportunity slip by? With a flap of its wings, it transformed into a golden light, instantly catching up with Chi Jingzi. Its sharp claws, like knives, tore through the void, aiming straight for its opponent's throat! This strike was as fast as lightning, ruthless and merciless, determined to secure victory in one fell swoop!

However, Chi Jingzi was, after all, a powerful expert at the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm. Even though he suffered a temporary setback, he was not completely defeated. He suppressed his injuries, made hand seals, and his body shone with immortal light, managing to block the Roc's pursuit.

The two clashed again, unleashing their magical treasures and supernatural powers. Light shone brightly in the void, and deafening roars echoed throughout the heavens.

Relying on its speed, Dapeng charged left and right, unleashing Yin-Yang divine light repeatedly, forcing Chijingzi to retreat repeatedly.

Meanwhile, Chi Jingzi, relying on his profound magical power, fought steadily and relentlessly, unleashing a constant stream of magical treasures in an attempt to turn the tide. The two exchanged blows for hundreds of rounds, the battle so fierce that the sky darkened and the sun and moon lost their light!

However, as time went on, the Peng's disadvantages gradually became apparent.

His magical power was ultimately not as profound as that of Chi Jingzi, and the consumption of Yin-Yang Divine Light was extremely high, so he gradually began to run out of strength.

Meanwhile, Chi Jingzi became increasingly stable in battle, and with his profound cultivation, he managed to completely reverse his previous setbacks.

Ultimately, the two sides became locked in a stalemate. Although the Roc was incredibly fast, it struggled to break through Chi Jingzi's defenses; Chi Jingzi possessed immense magical power, yet he was powerless against the Roc's eerie divine light. Neither could completely overpower the other, and they remained locked in a stalemate within this outer heaven.

“Fellow Daoist, how about we call this a draw? If we continue fighting, we’ll only end up hurting each other,” Chi Jingzi suggested.

Dapeng snorted coldly and said, "I want to take Boyi Kao back to Chaoge to see the King. You want to rescue Boyi Kao. How can this be a draw?"

"It's very simple. If neither of us makes a move, you can have Chaoge send troops to pursue us. I will not stop you."

Dapeng snorted coldly upon hearing this, which was taken as tacit agreement with the suggestion.

He turned and flew back to Chaoge to mobilize troops. In Dapeng's view, since Boyi Kao was so close to Chaoge, he could send people to chase after him and surely capture Boyi Kao soon.

Little did they know that as soon as Dapeng left, Chijingzi immediately flew down, grabbed Boyi Kao, and fled to Xiqi.

Witnessing this scene, Bai Jing's avatar shook his head inwardly, thinking, "This roc really isn't very smart. Could it have been knocked stupid? I need to set a rule for my disciples from now on: you can't hit a junior when disciplining them."

A month later, the four major vassal states, along with eight hundred local vassal states, came to the capital of the Shang Dynasty to pay homage.

These four vassal lords are Jiang Huanchu, the Eastern Lord; E Chongyu, the Southern Lord; Ji Chang, the Western Lord; and Chonghouhu, the Northern Lord.

These feudal lords all knew that Grand Tutor Wen Zhong was not in the capital at this time, and Emperor Xin was increasingly favoring Fei Zhong and You Hun, to the point that the two gradually replaced Bigan and Shang Rong as the second prime ministers.

All the feudal lords knew that these two men controlled the government and acted tyrannically, so they would inevitably have to send gifts and bribes to befriend them.

When the day of the feudal lords' homage arrived, the palace eunuch reported: "Your Majesty! Today is the day when the feudal lords pay homage. All the feudal lords in the world are outside the Meridian Gate to pay homage and await Your Majesty's decree."

"Your Majesty may only summon the leaders of the four vassal states to meet you and inquire about the customs and traditions of the people in each region, whether they are simple and honest or frivolous, and whether the country is stable; the other vassal states shall pay homage outside the Meridian Gate," Shang Rong suggested, stepping forward.

Emperor Xin thought this plan was excellent, so he ordered the palace eunuch to summon the feudal lords from all directions to come to see him, while the other feudal lords waited outside.

The feudal lords from all directions, dressed in their formal court attire, gently shook their jade pendants as they entered the Meridian Gate, crossed the Nine Dragon Bridge, and arrived at the Dan Chi (a platform for worshipping officials), where they prostrated themselves on the ground.

Emperor Xin praised them for their meritorious service in promoting virtuous governance, pacifying the people, and guarding the border.

The Marquis of Dongbo was the Queen's biological father and the rightful father-in-law of the Emperor. If we were to say who among the four great lords was the most loyal to Emperor Xin, it would definitely be the Marquis of Dongbo. He responded very humbly, saying that he was favored by His Majesty and was cautious day and night, fearing that he might fail the Emperor's expectations. He said that any merit he had made was simply his duty.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Xin was naturally very pleased. He had a very good relationship with the Queen and naturally favored his father-in-law. Emperor Xin did not want to test the Marquis of Xibo in front of his father-in-law, so he ordered Shang Rong to host a banquet for the feudal lords from all directions in Xianqing Palace.

After dismissing the various feudal lords, Emperor Xin ordered a summons to Su Hu, the Marquis of Ji Province.

Su Hu then went to the Longde Hall to pay homage to Emperor Xin.

After the ceremony, Emperor Xin got straight to the point: "I have heard that you have a daughter who is virtuous and refined, and whose conduct is proper. I wish to choose her as my empress, so that you, as a relative of the emperor, will enjoy a life of luxury, receive a prominent position, forever govern Ji Province, and have your name known throughout the world. What do you think?"

Su Hu solemnly reported, “Your Majesty has many beauties in the palace, why would you need a woman like me? Moreover, I am a frail and weak woman, and I am not familiar with etiquette. Your Majesty should be mindful of the foundation of the state and execute this person who has spoken ill of us.”

"So, you're unwilling?"

"I don't want to."

"If you are unwilling to let your daughter enter the palace as a concubine, why are you willing to marry her to Boyi Kao, the eldest son of the Marquis of Xibo? Don't you know that intermarriage between feudal lords is a great taboo?" Di Xin spoke these words with great momentum, and Su Hu immediately broke out in a cold sweat and knelt on the ground.

(End of this chapter)