Honghuang: Eat a Hunyuan Daluo

"Why does my beloved concubine look so distressed? Is it because this wine pool does not suit your taste?" Di Xin asked with interest as he pulled Daji into his arms.

Daji cursed inwardly, "You filthy man, don't you know why I look so worried?" But on her face, she wore a charming smile and pressed her body against Di Xin's chest, saying, "I'm just afraid that Your Majesty's extravagance might displease the officials. I'm worried about Your Majesty."

"Why should I care about them, my beloved?"

"Your Majesty!" Just as Di Xin was about to get close to Daji, a eunuch rushed into the wine pool and reported, "Your Majesty, Grand Tutor Wen's army is less than 10 li away from Chaoge City. Should Your Majesty send someone to welcome them?"

Upon hearing that Grand Tutor Wen had returned, Emperor Xin forgot all about his intimacy with Daji. He pushed Daji away, ordered the eunuchs to help him dress, and then hurriedly headed out of the city.

A moment later, outside Chaoge City, Emperor Xin personally came out to greet Wen Zhong, giving him ample face.

Wen Zhong was not particularly happy. Instead, he felt that Di Xin's actions were unbecoming of an emperor. Di Xin was the human emperor, and he should have waited for him to pay his respects. It was not appropriate for him to personally come out to greet him.

However, in front of everyone, Wen Zhong could not refuse Di Xin's request, so they all returned to Longde Palace together.

"Grand Tutor, you must be tired from your trip to Beihai."

"It is my duty as an old minister to share the king's burdens."

In front of all the ministers, Emperor Xin announced a reward for the three armies, and a large amount of food and wine were sent to the troops.

Afterwards, all the officials were dismissed, leaving only Emperor Xin and Wen Zhong in the Longde Hall.

"Your Majesty, where is Ji Chang now?" Wen Zhong asked bluntly.

"Ji Chang was placed under house arrest by Gu in the reception hall."

"Leave Ji Chang to this old minister! This old minister will find a way to get rid of him."

Di Xin did not ask Wen Zhong how to get rid of Ji Chang, as he had complete trust in Wen Zhong.

After leaving the palace, Wen Zhong did not go to see Ji Chang immediately. Instead, he followed the eunuchs who were rewarding the army to the army's encampment outside Chaoge City.

To Wen Zhong's surprise, as soon as he left Chaoge City, his vision blurred, and the next second he found that the scenery around him had changed, and he had arrived at Jin'ao Island.

Then a white light appeared before Wen Zhong's eyes. Following the guidance of the white light, Wen Zhong arrived at a cave.

Unlike other guests who usually visit, Wen Zhong did not look around. Instead, he walked slowly forward with a serious expression.

Upon arriving at the cave, Wen Zhong saw the figures of the Golden Spirit Mother and Duobao. His face showed a solemn expression, and he bowed deeply in worship.

"Disciple Wen Zhong greets Master and Senior Uncle."

"No need for formalities," said the Holy Mother of Golden Spirit, raising her hand with a calm expression.

"Yes." Wen Zhong stood up, his body ramrod straight.

Jin Ling felt somewhat helpless seeing Wen Zhong's expression. His disciple was good in every way, but he was too obedient to the rules. Their Jie Sect didn't have anyone who was so obedient to the rules.

So Jin Ling pointed to the prayer mat beside her and said, "Wen Zhong, please sit down!"

"Propriety cannot be disregarded. With Master and Senior Uncle present, I will simply stand," Wen Zhong replied, his face always bearing a respectful expression.

Seeing his expression, Duobao chuckled softly, "You can be as casual as you like here."

Upon hearing this, Wen Zhong was about to politely decline, but when he caught a glimpse of the impatience on the face of the Golden Spirit Mother, he had no choice but to sit down. However, even while sitting, he kept his posture upright, not daring to be the slightest bit disrespectful in front of his elder.

"Please forgive him, senior brother. This child has always been like this." Upon seeing this, the Golden Spirit Mother first glared at Wen Zhong, then said to Duobao with a hint of apology.

Duobao waved his hand dismissively and smiled at Wen Zhong, saying, "It's good to be upright, but being too rigid can lead to breakage. Nephew, you should learn to be more flexible sometimes."

"Master Uncle's teachings are correct." Wen Zhong nodded and quickly agreed.

At this moment, the Holy Mother of Fire Spirit pushed a cup of spiritual tea in front of Wen Zhong. "Junior Brother, have some tea."

Seeing Wen Zhong's serious expression, the Holy Mother of Fire Spirit secretly chuckled to herself. She had seen plenty of tall, clumsy people, including many in the Jie Sect, but she had never seen anyone as dull and wooden as Wen Zhong before.

"Thank you, Senior Sister." Wen Zhong accepted the teacup and expressed her gratitude.

The third-generation disciples of the Jie Sect, especially those like Wen Zhong who did not cultivate on Jin'ao Island, did not know much about their senior master Duobao, but they had heard a great deal about Huoling Shengmu, who was also a third-generation disciple.

After all, it's inevitable for peers to compare themselves to each other, and the Fire Spirit Mother's reputation among the third-generation disciples was extremely high. She was the recognized senior sister among the third-generation disciples of the Jie Sect.

In the past, during the time of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of the human race, the Holy Mother of Fire Spirit once went down the mountain with Wuyun Xian to subdue Wuzhiqi. Later, she even ventured into the prehistoric world alone and killed a large number of monsters that were hindering Yu the Great's flood control efforts.

Therefore, Wen Zhong held this senior sister in high esteem.

After Wen Zhong had carefully tasted the spiritual tea, Duo Bao finally spoke, "Nephew, do you know why I summoned you here today?"

"This disciple is unaware; please enlighten me, Senior Uncle." Wen Zhong put down his teacup and bowed slightly to Duobao.

"Then do you know about the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods?"

"This disciple naturally knows."

"The Shang Dynasty will fall to Emperor Xin, and the day of the change of dynasties will be the day the Investiture of the Gods begins."

"What?!" Wen Zhong was shocked upon hearing this. The fact that the Shang Dynasty was destroyed by Emperor Xin was incredibly shocking to him. He was a veteran of three Shang dynasties and had been loyal throughout his life. Naturally, he was greatly shocked to hear the news that the Shang Dynasty was about to perish.

However, Wen Zhong believed that his senior brother would not stoop to lying to him, which meant that the matter was most likely true.

"Nephew, if I asked you to abandon the Shang Dynasty and instead support a new king, what would you do?" While Wen Zhong was deeply shocked, Duobao asked another question that struck him to the core.

Upon hearing this, Wen Zhong immediately stood up, unable to remain seated any longer.

Seeing this, the Golden Spirit Mother frowned slightly and said, "Why are you so out of control?"

The Golden Spirit Mother held a formidable reputation in Wen Zhong's heart for a long time. After hearing his master's words, Wen Zhong's previously chaotic mind calmed down somewhat. He slowly sat down, his brows furrowed tightly, his mind constantly replaying the words his senior uncle had just spoken.

Neither Duobao nor Jinling Shengmu urged him; they simply drank their tea quietly to the side.

After a long while, Wen Zhong took a deep breath, looked directly at Duo Bao, and slowly asked, "Is what Uncle Master said just now true?"

Duobao understood Wen Zhong's meaning. In Wen Zhong's view, the Shang Dynasty was currently enjoying favorable weather and the people were living in peace and contentment. It did not seem like the country was about to perish.

In fact, by this generation, the fortunes of the Shang Dynasty had indeed begun to decline, but it was miraculously revived by someone. The person who revived the fortunes of the Shang Dynasty was none other than the Sage Bai Jing. The disciples of the Sage Bai Jing did a lot for the Shang Dynasty and managed to stop its decline.

Of course, Duobao didn't intend to tell Wen Zhong these things. He simply said, "The decline of the Shang Dynasty was ordained by Heaven," and waited for Wen Zhong's reply.

After hearing Duobao's words, Wen Zhong sighed, bowed to Duobao again, and said, "Uncle-Master, please forgive me. I am the Grand Tutor of the Shang Dynasty, second only to the emperor. If I abandon the Shang Dynasty, what will happen to the millions of people?"

The change of dynasties will inevitably be accompanied by continuous warfare. Moreover, this time it involves immortals undergoing tribulations. Once the fighting starts, it will be the ordinary people who suffer.

Therefore, even if this disciple perishes in the great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods, the disciple will never abandon the Great Shang. In the past, Emperor Yi entrusted his son to him, how could Wen Zhong bear to betray him? For the sake of the people's livelihood, Wen Zhong ultimately chose to uphold his loyalty.

Upon hearing this, Duobao smiled and said, "Junior Sister, you've taken on a fine disciple!"

"Senior brother, you flatter me." After saying that, Jin Ling turned to Wen Zhong and said, "Wen Zhong, just now, my senior brother and I only wanted to confirm your attitude towards the Great Shang. Now that we know your intentions, there are some things we will not hide from you. Our Jie Sect has decided to enter the tribulation to help the Great Shang."

Wen Zhong's eyes lit up. As a disciple of the Jie Sect, he naturally knew how powerful the Jie Sect was. With the Jie Sect's help, the Shang Dynasty would definitely be able to safely overcome this great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods.

"Wen Zhong, do you intend to kill Ji Chang?" Duo Bao continued to ask.

"Yes, Master Uncle, I have already discussed this with the King in our correspondence. Once I return to Chaoge, I will find an excuse to kill Ji Chang. All talk of the Phoenix Crying on Mount Qi will be meaningless once Ji Chang is dead."

"What are you going to do?"

"Ji Chang's eldest son, Boyi Kao, is deeply in love with the king's beloved concubine, Daji. Ji Chang feels sorry for his eldest son and wants to contact the king's concubine on his behalf. The king has already prepared the letter. When the time comes, all Daji needs to do is present the letter during the morning court session, and we will have enough reason to kill Ji Chang."

After listening to Wen Zhong's words, Duo Bao nodded: "Using the pretext of an outsider colluding with the empress and concubines is indeed a good idea, but I'm afraid it won't be too easy for you to kill Ji Chang."

"What do you mean by that, Master Uncle?"

"Ji Chang is the one destined to instigate the rebellion in Xiqi. Forcibly killing Ji Chang will surely provoke the wrath of Heaven, and even the sages of the Chan Sect will personally take action."

Upon hearing this, Wen Zhong's expression changed drastically. Killing Ji Chang would actually provoke the Sage to personally intervene?

“Wen Zhong, you don’t need to worry. If a sage takes action, my master, the Tongtian Sect Master, will definitely not sit idly by. Moreover, Chaoge is a place where the fortune of humanity gathers, so even a sage cannot force his way in.”

After hearing Duobao's words, Wen Zhong was completely relieved. Then, Duobao waved his hand and sent Wen Zhong back.

Wen Zhong first rewarded the three armies with the eunuchs, and then went to the reception hall to meet Ji Chang.

Upon entering Ji Chang's room, Wen Zhong saw Ji Chang lying listlessly on the couch, looking as if his days were numbered.

Wen Zhong opened his Heavenly Eye and glanced at Ji Chang, immediately realizing that Ji Chang's appearance was due to a backlash.

"Lord Xibo, did you forcibly calculate something?" Wen Zhong asked tentatively.

Ji Chang did not answer Wen Zhong's question, but instead, despite his broken body, he asked in return, "May I ask why Grand Tutor King wants to exterminate me and Xiqi?"

"Because you, Xiqi, harbor wolfish ambitions and rebellious intentions," Wen Zhong replied without any attempt to conceal his true intentions.

"Grand Tutor, what Xiqi has done is merely for self-preservation."

"Self-preservation? Ridiculous! Then why didn't you, Xiqi, explain after the Phoenix Cries at Qishan? Instead, you secretly sent people to spread rumors that Xiqi is the Mandate of Heaven?"

Ji Chang remained silent.

Wen Zhong was too lazy to say anything more to him and left in a huff.

The following day, during the morning court session, Daji arrived at the Longde Hall with bamboo slips in her hands and directly accused Ji Chang of sending her a letter on behalf of his eldest son, Boyi Kao, with the intention of seducing the concubines.

Upon hearing this, Di Xin flew into a rage.

The officials knew how much Emperor Xin doted on Daji, and they secretly cursed Ji Chang for courting death; not one dared to offer any advice.

Emperor Xin was very satisfied with this, and he immediately ordered Wen Zhong to lead men to capture Ji Chang and behead him as a warning to the public.

Wen Zhong accepted the order and led a group of elite soldiers to the reception hall.

Just as Wen Zhong was on his way to the reception hall, the weather suddenly changed, with strong winds, torrential rain, and thunder constantly falling, blocking Wen Zhong's path.

Just as Wen Zhong was about to make a move, he saw the roc soar straight up to ninety thousand miles, flapping its wings to disperse the dark clouds, and the wind and rain naturally stopped as soon as the dark clouds dispersed.

But then, a pair of indifferent eyes appeared in the heavens.

"The Eye of Heavenly Punishment? This is Chaoge, it's not your place to run wild!" Dapeng said without fear.

As soon as Dapeng finished speaking, a vast and boundless surge of human destiny erupted, transforming into a sharp sword that pierced directly towards the Eye of Heavenly Punishment.

The Eye of Heaven, not to be outdone, unleashed its thunder.

But as Dapeng said, this place is Chaoge, a place where the human destiny gathers. Heavenly thunder is no match for the sword formed by the human destiny. The sword directly cuts through the thunder and pierces the eye of heavenly punishment.

The Eye of Heavenly Punishment, instead of dissipating immediately after being injured, began to brew an even more terrifying tribulation of lightning. Within this tribulation, a faint purple halo flashed, clearly indicating that it was the Purple Heaven Divine Lightning.

Dapeng panicked and shouted towards Yingzhou Immortal Island, "Teacher, save me!"

The next second, a four-legged cauldron appeared out of thin air; it was Bai Jing's Four Extremes Square Zun.

The appearance of the Four Extremes Square Venerable directly stabilized the earth, fire, water, and wind, preventing the Eye of Heavenly Punishment from absorbing spiritual energy from the surroundings, thus preventing the generation of the Purple Heaven Divine Thunder.

Then, the Four Extremes Square Venerable charged straight at the Eye of Heavenly Punishment, and with a loud crack, the Eye of Heavenly Punishment was shattered.

Wen Zhong had already led his soldiers to the reception hall and brought Ji Chang out directly.

Ji Chang remained silent throughout the entire process.

Wen Zhong directly escorted Ji Chang to the market entrance outside Chaoge City.

Wen Zhongchong's subordinate gave a signal, and someone stepped forward to read out Ji Chang's charges.

After the reading was completed, Wen Zhong immediately ordered the executioner to behead Ji Chang and display his head to the public.

As soon as Wen Zhong finished speaking, a white crane carrying a golden imperial edict arrived in the sky above Chaoge.

The white crane released its beak, and the golden decree slowly descended.

Just then, a sword light slashed from the direction of Jin'ao Island, shattering the imperial edict into pieces.

In the Jade Void Palace of Kunlun Mountain, Yuanshi Tianzun frowned as he sensed his decree being shattered by the sword light that reached the heavens.

"Tongtian, do you really have to defy the heavens?" Yuanshi Tianzun murmured softly.

On Jin'ao Island, the Tongtian Sect Leader smiled slightly and ignored him.

Wen Zhong, who was in Chaoge, was unaware of the sages' remote confrontation. He coldly watched Ji Chang until the executioner beheaded him.

Wen Zhong ordered someone to put Ji Chang's head in a stone box, and then took the stone box into the palace to meet Emperor Xin.

(End of this chapter)