Honghuang: Eat a Hunyuan Daluo

After glancing at Ji Chang's head, Di Xin said expressionlessly, "This traitorous minister deserves more than beheading. Hang Ji Chang's head..."

"Your Majesty, when a person dies, it's like a lamp going out. Please, Your Majesty, do not act in this way."

Looking at all the officials in Chaoge, only Wen Zhong dared to interrupt Emperor Xin.

Di Xin hesitated for a moment and then said, "Fine! Since the Grand Tutor has said so, then let's wrap Ji Chang in a straw mat and bury him in the mass grave on the outskirts of the city!"

"Your Majesty has a kind and benevolent heart, which is a great blessing for our Shang Dynasty."

Soon, news of Ji Chang's beheading and his hastily buried body in a mass grave reached Xiqi.

Xiqi was thrown into chaos because Ji Chang had not specified who would inherit the title before his departure. He only allowed his eldest son, Boyi Kao, to govern, and his second son, Ji Fa, to assist him.

Logically speaking, Bo Yikao, as the eldest son, should have been the undisputed next Marquis of Xibo.

However, Bo Yikao was inferior to Ji Fa in both ability and popularity. Ji Fa was unwilling to be subordinate to others, so on the third day after Ji Chang's death, Xiqi split into two forces, one supporting Bo Yikao and the other supporting Ji Fa.

The two sides debated every day, neither willing to give in.

On the contrary, the relationship between Boyi Kao and Ji Fa, who were the parties involved, was not so tense. On this day, Boyi Kao suddenly invited Ji Fa to his residence for a chat.

Ji Fa's men all tried to stop him, believing that Boyi Kao was plotting to kill Ji Fa.

Ji Fa waved his hand and said, "Although my elder brother is not as talented as me, his character is definitely not bad."

After saying this, Ji Fa ignored the objections of his subordinates and went to Boyi Kao's residence.

The two brothers sat facing each other on the ground, sizing each other up. After a while, Boyi Kao spoke up: "Second brother, I plan to go to Chaoge to retrieve our father's remains."

Ji Fa never expected Boyi Kao to say such a thing. He subconsciously advised, "Brother, don't joke around. The reason Father was beheaded was because you had an affair with Daji. If you go to Chaoge now, it's no different from sending yourself to your death."

“I know, but I can’t bear to see my father’s remains buried in such a place. Even if I have no chance of survival, I will bring my father back.”

Ji Fa remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "If my elder brother leaves, what will happen to Xiqi?"

"I called you here precisely for this matter." After saying this, Boyi Kao clapped his hands, and two maids came up behind him carrying a stack of bamboo slips and a seal.

“These bamboo slips contain various information about my Xiqi, and the seal is the seal of the Marquis of Xibo. I am handing them over to you, and with them, I am handing over Xiqi to you.” After saying this, Boyi Kao ignored Ji Fa’s shocked expression and got up to leave.

The following day, Boyi Kao summoned his confidants and told them his decision. Then he left Xiqi and went to Chaoge.

Ji Fa naturally became the new Marquis of Xibo.

After Ji Fa ascended the throne, the first thing he did was naturally to go to the ancestral temple to offer incense and confirm his legitimate status.

Jiang Ziya knew that Ji Fa would go to the ancestral temple to pray for blessings after he learned that Ji Fa had taken over as the Marquis of Xibo.

So he transformed into an old man with white hair, and stayed by the river on his way back to the city, fishing with a straight hook without bait, above the water but not touching the surface.

Jiang Ziya did not want to make contact with the Marquis of Xibo so soon, but he really had no other choice.

Whether it was due to bad feng shui in Xiqi or because he was incompatible with Xiqi, Jiang Ziya lost money in every business he did during his time in Xiqi, and soon lost all the money he had.

People didn't want him because he was too old, and Jiang Ziya was almost starving.

Left with no other choice, he had to make contact with Ji Fa ahead of time.

After paying homage to the past kings of Xiqi at the ancestral temple, Ji Fa embarked on his return journey.

On the way back to the city, Ji Fa passed by the river and was stunned. He saw Jiang Ziya fishing like this and thought to himself, "Has this old man gone mad? He's fishing with a straight hook that doesn't even touch the water. How can he possibly catch any fish?"

The guard beside Ji Fa noticed Ji Fa's gaze and immediately said, "My lord, I have failed in my duty and allowed this foolish old man from who-knows-where to sneak in. I will expel him immediately!"

"Wait a minute." Ji Fa stopped the guard.

In his view, the fisherman had an otherworldly air about him, a full forehead, and a pine-like posture; perhaps he truly possessed something special.

In recent years, Xiqi has suffered from a series of natural disasters, and the recent death of Ji Chang, the Marquis of Xibo, has caused turmoil and severe damage to the Xiqi regime. It is precisely the time when it needs the help of capable and extraordinary people. If this old man is truly capable, Ji Fa is willing to treat him with courtesy.

So Ji Fa ordered his guards to come with him to take a look.

When he noticed Ji Fa getting out of the car, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, a smile playing on his lips. "This round, it's a sure thing!"

Jiang Ziya wasn't afraid of Ji Fa getting off the chariot, because he couldn't keep Ji Fa there; he was afraid that Ji Fa wouldn't get off the chariot at all.

Ji Fa and his guards walked up to Jiang Ziya and asked with a hint of curiosity, "Sir, fishing with a straight hook without bait is something I've never heard of or seen before. Can you really catch fish like that?"

Jiang Ziya glanced at Ji Fa and said in a calm tone, "Young man, you're making a fuss over nothing. You're ignorant and ill-informed. Don't you know that those who are willing will take the bait?"

"Willing fish take the bait?" Ji Fa was carefully pondering the two words when suddenly, with a splash, several splashes of water rose up, and a crucian carp the size of a palm flew out of the water, biting the hook tightly and refusing to let go.

Jiang Ziya chuckled as he reeled in his fishing rod, removed the fish, placed it in his basket, and continued fishing for the next one.

Ji Fa stared in disbelief at the scene before him, realizing he had encountered an extraordinary person. He immediately bowed and said, "Sir, I have been troubled by some things lately. I wonder if you could help me resolve these issues?"

Jiang Ziya's expression remained calm as he casually asked, "I don't know what's troubling you, so I may not be able to answer your questions. Tell me about it!"

Ji Fa immediately made up an identity: "Sir, I am an official in Xiqi, but in recent years, natural disasters have been frequent, and the people of Xiqi are suffering. Recently, the former Marquis of Xibo was beheaded by that tyrannical Emperor Xin, which has made Xiqi even more turbulent. Do you have any solutions, sir?"

"Are you an official in Xiqi?" Jiang Ziya asked, deliberately putting on a strange expression.

Ji Fa hurriedly asked, "Is there anything wrong with serving as an official in Xiqi?" Jiang Ziya sighed and said, "In my opinion, the destruction of Xiqi is not far off. I'd like to remind you, if you can run, run. Go to the Shang Dynasty, go to Chaoge. Isn't that better than waiting to die in Xiqi?"

Upon hearing Jiang Ziya's slander of Xiqi, the guard flew into a rage, drew his sword from his waist, and snarled, "What nonsense are you spouting? If you utter another word, believe me, this general will kill you!"

Upon seeing this, Ji Fa immediately rebuked, "How dare you! Who gave you the right to be so rude? Put down your knife!"

After saying this, Ji Fa smiled ingratiatingly and turned to Jiang Ziya, saying, "My subordinates are ignorant of etiquette, please don't be angry, sir. I wonder what you think is the reason why Xiqi has become like this today?"

Jiang Ziya was succinct and to the point: "Officials have unclear responsibilities and shirk their duties; taxes and levies are too heavy and complicated; grain is overly reliant on foreign purchases; and the economic lifeline is in the hands of large merchants."

In just a few words, Jiang Ziya incisively pointed out the problems of Xiqi.

Ji Fa's eyes shone brightly. This person in front of him could so clearly point out the shortcomings of Xiqi. He was truly a great talent.

Ji Fa was overjoyed, thinking to himself that his ancestors had blessed him, for he had just paid homage at the ancestral temple and then received such a great talent.

Ji Fa then bowed respectfully and revealed his true identity: "Ji Fa, Marquis of Xibo, pays his respects to you, sir."

Jiang Ziya's face showed surprise at the opportune moment, "You are the Marquis of Xibo?"

Ji Fa looked earnest, his eyes reddened, and his face showed sorrow. "Indeed, sir, our Xiqi is currently beset by internal and external troubles, and the people are suffering. We urgently need the help of someone as talented as you. If you do not despise Ji Fa for his lowliness, Ji Fa is willing to acknowledge you as his prime minister and ask you to help our Xiqi."

After saying this, Ji Fa bowed down and gave Jiang Ziya a deep salute.

Ji's words were sincere, which naturally aroused sympathy in those who heard them.

Jiang Ziya nodded secretly, not to mention anything else, Ji Fa was indeed a person who respected and valued talent.

But Jiang Ziya did not agree immediately. After considering it carefully, he slowly said, "Your Excellency has extended such a generous invitation, how can I refuse? Please carry me to the carriage, Your Excellency."

"How dare you!" The guard drew his sword again, pointed it at Jiang Ziya, and shouted angrily, "You despicable old man, how dare you ask the Marquis to carry you?"

Ji Fa's eyes twitched with anger. He turned around, kicked the guard, and cursed, "I have already acknowledged you as my prime minister. Who gave you the right to interrupt?"

After saying this, Ji Fa exhaled a breath of turbid air, bent down, squatted in front of Jiang Ziya, and said earnestly, "Please, sir."

Jiang Ziya didn't dawdle. He put the fishing rod aside and climbed directly onto Ji Fa's back.

Jiang Ziya's initial idea was to have Ji Fa carry him onto the carriage and then have Ji Fa pull the carriage, as a test.

But just as Ji Fa carried him on his back, Jiang Ziya keenly sensed that the energy between heaven and earth had changed slightly. With each step Ji Fa took, this energy would gather towards Ji Fa.

All of this was also noticed by Shen Gongbao, who was strolling around Qishan. As a member of the Flying Bear Clan, Shen Gongbao was interested in the changes in the Qi of heaven and earth. After calculating with his fingers, he came to the conclusion that every step Ji Fa took while carrying Jiang Ziya would strengthen the fortune of Xiqi.

"What destiny? It's nothing more than relying on the favor of heaven and earth! How boring, how boring!" Shen Gongbao sighed and disappeared from Qishan.

After observing in Qishan for so long, he finally determined what Xiqi's so-called Mandate of Heaven was. This, in turn, made Shen Gongbao more certain of one thing: he was not prepared to assist Xiqi. Shen Gongbao never believed in fate; otherwise, he would not have risen step by step from an ordinary leopard to where he is today.

He only believed what he saw: the Shang Dynasty was a thousand times, ten thousand times stronger than Xiqi! The Shang Dynasty should not have perished!
Jiang Ziya was determined to help Xiqi rise. He could clearly sense that a huge amount of fortune was gathering in the sky above Xiqi. From now on, Xiqi, which was plagued by natural disasters, would have favorable weather. Since Xiqi was a place where the fortune of heaven and earth gathered, it should prosper!
Meanwhile, on Three Immortal Islands.

After Yunxiao's battle with the Primordial Demon, she gained some insights. Using the Dao of Illusion and Reality, she left behind an avatar and, together with her sisters, taught Nezha before going into seclusion to cultivate.

Today, Yunxiao had an epiphany. She stepped out into the chaos and began to deduce the Dao of Reality and Illusion.

Yunxiao had already grasped 95% of the Dao of Illusion and Reality. She sat cross-legged in the chaos. Her left hand was illusory, her right hand real, and countless phenomena evolved between her hands.

96%, 97%, 98%, 99%!
Unbeknownst to him, Yunxiao had already deduced the Dao of Illusion and Reality to a degree of 99%.

This last bottleneck, which was also the most difficult to overcome, was something Yunxiao had tried many times without success. He sighed and chose to temporarily stop his enlightenment.

As soon as Yunxiao stopped his enlightenment, he sensed a gaze constantly watching him from all around.

With a thought, Yunxiao conjured up a phantom Taiji diagram from the chaos. As the diagram rotated, everything around it became clear. Yunxiao also confirmed that the person spying on him was none other than Zhunti, the second leader of the Western Sect.

When Zhunti saw that his figure had been forced out by Yunxiao, a look of surprise appeared in his eyes.

He had used his saintly powers to conceal it, yet Yunxiao still managed to discover it!

Zhunti didn't intentionally spy on the clouds. As a sage, Zhunti could naturally see the changes in the calamity energy between heaven and earth. Therefore, Zhunti went to the Chaos, thinking of collecting some spiritual materials to refine magic weapons for his disciples, which would increase their chances of surviving the great calamity.

What Zhunti didn't expect was that while he was wandering in the chaos, he sensed the aura of his senior brother's enlightenment in his dream, which is why Zhunti rushed over.

Previously, the Primordial Heavenly Demon spoke of the Dao of Illusion and Reality in the Clouds. The Illusion was born from the Dao of Devouring, swallowing all things and turning them into nothingness; the Reality was born from the Dao of Creation, creating the world from nothingness.

He was right. Yunxiao's Dao of Reality and Illusion is indeed closely related to these two Daos, but Yunxiao's Dao attainment is also inseparable from Jieyin's dream-based Dao-proving supernatural power.

Dreams themselves are illusory, but the divine power of enlightenment in dreams is to combine the 129,600 "selves" in the dream into one, and to prove the one and true self through the illusory self in the dream.

Yunxiao's initial idea about the Dao of Illusion and Reality was that after Bai Jing passed on the divine power of attaining the Dao in dreams to her, Yunxiao wanted to emulate the divine power of attaining the Dao in dreams and turn the illusory things in dreams into reality.

Thus, Yunxiao was able to create the Great Dao of Reality and Illusion.

Subsequently, Yunxiao continued to explore new paths, adding the Devouring Dao's rule of devouring all things and turning them into nothingness to the initial concept of turning the illusory into the real, and also adding the Creation Dao's rule of creating something from nothing.

However, regardless of the circumstances, the appearance of the illusory and real path was indeed inspired by the dream-based enlightenment power of Jieyin. The Primordial Heavenly Demon did not understand Jieyin's dream-based enlightenment power, and therefore did not see the trace of the dream-based enlightenment power in the illusory and real path of the clouds.

Zhunti was different. The two had supported each other for many years since they took human form, and were very familiar with the supernatural power of the Guide. Therefore, Zhunti saw through the traces of the dream-based Dao-proving supernatural power in Yunxiao's Dao of Illusion and Reality at a glance. Zhunti became interested in Yunxiao and secretly spied on him, but he did not expect Yunxiao's spiritual sense to be so sharp that he discovered him.

(End of this chapter)