Mang Shusheng's Ink Painting Practice

Chapter 315 Heavenly Court Conferment
"Is the fate of my great Xu dynasty truly sealed?"

This was Li Shuang's soul-searching question, and it made everyone present feel awe.

This is a difficult question to answer.

This issue was also of great concern, and they all looked at Zhao Yifu, wanting to know the opinion of this immortal who had descended to earth.

Zhao Yifu didn't think much of it and said frankly, "This is the will of Heaven. Even if the Great Xu produces another capable ruler, or even more capable ministers and generals, it cannot prevent the arrival of a chaotic world."

Li Shuang asked with a bitter expression, "Why is this? What exactly is this so-called will of Heaven?!"

He seemed very unconvinced.

Zhao Yifu gently comforted him, saying, "I can see you are a person of ambition, so don't get stuck on this one point."

"The so-called will of Heaven is not so mysterious; it is simply the way nature operates, and it cannot be changed by human power."

Li Shuang said defiantly, "I'd like to hear the details."

Immediately, a member of the Zhao clan shouted, "How dare you! How can you disrespect my ancestor?"

Zhao Yifu waved his hand to stop him, saying, "This matter is easy to explain; you will understand once I tell you."

He paused, then pointed to the sky outside and said, "It's only the end of August now, but the weather has already turned cold. Do you all know what September was like a hundred years ago?"

Everyone was at a loss.

Zhao Yifu said, "A hundred years ago, at the end of August, the south was still hot, while the north had just cooled down and was in a cool state."

"After the farmers have a good harvest, they turn over the land and can plant another round of winter wheat."

"Unlike now, in the north, only cold- and drought-resistant millet can be grown, and rice production in the south has also decreased to varying degrees."

"But grain production has been declining year after year, while the population on this land remains the same. As a result, there is a shortage of grain and an overpopulation, leading to chaos."

Li Shuang was astonished. He had considered many reasons, but due to his limited perspective, he could only think of incompetent rulers and corrupt officials, but he had never thought of the idea of ​​'natural law'.

But this very statement left him feeling utterly helpless.

He said, "Then... what should we do?"

Zhao Yifu ignored him and continued, "With scarce grain and a large population, chaos will naturally ensue until the population is reduced to a level that the land can sustain before stability can be restored."

"This is simply the reason why dynasties have changed over time."

He sighed and said, "In fact, this situation had already occurred back then. It was only because we defied the heavens and successfully launched the Northern Expedition that the Great Xu Kingdom was able to live for another hundred years."

"But now..."

He shook his head, looked at Li Shuang and said, "Just now you asked me, 'Aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning?'"

"I can answer you now, I'm not afraid."

"Because I had already endured it when the Northern Expedition succeeded. My master, Haoran, died of exhaustion at the very moment the Northern Expedition succeeded, all because he defied the will of Heaven."

Li Shuang was suddenly speechless.

Zhao Yifu said quietly, "Actually, I hesitated back then, wondering whether I should simply throw the world into chaos and then either seek a wise ruler to assist me or simply take matters into my own hands and reshape the world."

"But in the end, all the elders of his sect were in the Great Xu court, and he unexpectedly met Emperor Zhongzu Ying Cong and became close friends with him. That's why he finally chose to help Emperor Zhongzu of Xu on his northern expedition."

"But now..."

He looked at the sons of the Zhao family and laughed, "Do you want to be royalty this time?"

The Zhao family members were clearly startled and looked at each other, unsure of how to respond.

After a while, no one dared to answer.

This was partly because what Zhao Yifu said was too shocking, and partly because Zhao Yifu's identity was too special.

After a moment, Zhao Yifu sighed and said, "Indeed, in this day and age, it may not be a good thing to fight for the world."

The matter seemed to have been put to rest, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhao Huihui frowned and asked, "Grandfather, since chaos is inevitable, how should my Zhao family conduct itself in this chaotic world?"

Zhao Yifu replied, "For the time being, it's enough to just stay in our own little corner of the world."

Seeing everyone's blank expressions, Zhao Yifu thought for a moment before saying, "Let's see how the world develops first. If a hero truly emerges, then we might as well serve under him. But if chaos continues, then we should just protect ourselves and keep the people safe."

"By the way, I have some crops here that you can try planting."

As he spoke, he reached out and made a crack appear in the void, from which many grain seeds fell out.

Such a miraculous scene is naturally astonishing once again.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Huihui immediately clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Grandson understands. He will definitely have someone set about promoting this spiritual seed."

He was somewhat excited; these were grain seeds bestowed by his ancestors, and what grew from them would surely be divine grain.

Zhao Yifu shook his head and said, "You're wrong. This isn't a spiritual seed. You could call it a 'poisonous seed'."

Zhao Huihui was stunned.

Zhao Yifu said, "This grain variety was specially cultivated by me based on my deduction of the changes in the world, and it can adapt to the current and future climate environment."

"This kind of grain absorbs impure energy to grow. While it can fill one's stomach, it will also make it difficult for the person who eats it to reach the path of immortality."

However, such frank words only elicited some inexplicable expressions from him.

For ordinary people, the path to immortality is an ethereal and illusory thing; how could they possibly care about it?

Zhao Yifu chuckled, then said, "To put it another way, after consuming these grains, the number of people with the talent for Qi cultivation will decrease."

Once he explained it that way, everyone understood. However, to his surprise, the response from the audience was still lukewarm.

Indeed, compared to surviving, nothing else matters.

After watching the grain seeds being harvested, Zhao Yifu began to deduce the changes in the world.

What he could foresee was that, with the changes in the spiritual energy of the world, the current grain production would further decrease, and the imperial court would soon be unable to sustain itself.

When chaos arrives, fighting for food will soon break out.

However, in times of food shortages, almost no force could maintain a large-scale army...

In that situation, the grain seeds controlled by the Zhao family would become a formidable resource...

Because the Zhao clan controlled these resources, they were able to stand out in the later stages, dominating the region with their abundant provisions and ultimately achieving the greatest possible reunification.

However, under this kind of deduction, what we see is a future filled with bones.

That kind of future is truly unsettling.

It is likely that this land will be devastated after this chaotic period.

Zhao Yifu frowned.

Li Shuang suddenly asked, "If these grain seeds were offered to the imperial court, could the decline be reversed?"

Upon hearing this, the Zhao family members immediately glared at Li Shuang, as if she were a heinous villain.

Seeing this, Li Shuang realized she had spoken out of turn and looked embarrassed, but she still looked at Zhao Yifu with great anticipation.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yifu raised an eyebrow and said thoughtfully, "That's something we can give it a try."

"Ancestor!"

The Zhao family members all gasped in surprise.

Zhao Yifu paid no attention to these people, and simply instructed, "Then let's try planting it on the estate first. If the harvest is good, let's present it to the court."

“However, I don’t want the Zhao family to handle this matter. I’ll have you, Lord Li Shuang, do it.”

Li Shuang was taken aback by these words. Pointing to himself in confusion, he asked, "Why me? What have I done to deserve this?"

Zhao Yifu said, "What I seek is nothing more than the long-term continuation of the Zhao family line, not temporary wealth and glory."

“This grain is not particularly noticeable to the Zhao family now, but in a few years it will probably be a treasure that even a commoner possesses. It would be better to just offer it up.”

There was another uproar in the Zhao family, who felt that this was very inappropriate.

Suddenly, Zhao Xiaogouzi shouted, "Quiet down, everyone!"

“You’re all practically half-buried in the ground, and you’re still saying things that upset your second uncle for those little kickbacks. What kind of behavior is that!”

The elderly Zhao Xiaogouzi clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhao Yifu and said, "Second Uncle is a divine being. His decision must have a profound meaning. You are just ordinary people who can only see the small world around you. How can you question Second Uncle?" Everyone fell silent.

Zhao Xiaogouzi's prestige was still intact, successfully reminding everyone that this was in front of the immortal ancestor, not an ordinary clan gathering.

So everyone knelt down and begged for forgiveness from Zhao Yifu, the immortal ancestor.

Zhao Yifu didn't take it seriously; he didn't know that his Zhao family was full of brutes.

So he looked at Li Shuang and said, "I'll leave this matter to you."

Li Shuang vaguely understood Zhao Yifu's meaning: he didn't want the Zhao family to become heroes in troubled times, but rather to ensure that the Zhao family could survive in troubled times!
This is undoubtedly a very correct choice.

Zhao Yifu then added, "However, I estimate that few people will care if you offer up grain seeds now; chaos will still come."

"I'll trouble you to carefully observe whether there are any heroes worth betting on in this chaotic world."

Li Shuang seemed to understand something, then clasped his hands and asked, "Then may I ask Immortal Fu Yin, what standard should I use to measure heroes?"

Zhao Yifu said, "I value talent over family background, and virtue over power."

"If you can find such a person, my Zhao family will do our best to help."

As he spoke, he looked at the Zhao family members and said, "But you must remember that what the Zhao family seeks is not high-ranking official positions and generous salaries, but the continuation of our family line."

Do you understand?

The Zhao family members dared not raise any further objections and bowed their heads, indicating, "We understand."

Zhao Yifu didn't care whether they truly understood or not; these stubborn, impulsive family members were just good enough as long as they obeyed.

He gazed wistfully at this era that was about to descend into utter chaos, having done all he could. He only wondered if the grain seeds, which were nothing short of slow poison to the celestial beings, could become the key to changing the situation on Earth.

He then continued to be an observer of the world, watching its changes.

Undoubtedly, the grain seeds that Li Shuang considered the last chance for the Great Xu Dynasty disappeared without a trace after being sent to the court, and no one cared about it at all. Or perhaps, the high-ranking officials who were busy vying for power had no intention of promoting this matter.

Li Shuang was stunned, and she also began to feel truly desperate.

As grain production decreased year by year, more and more people starved to death... Uprisings became more and more frequent, gradually overwhelming the imperial court and making it difficult to quell them.

As a result, various rebel kings emerged one after another, and the Great Xu court no longer had any control over the local areas. Everything began to proceed as Zhao Yifu had predicted.

It was under these circumstances that Zhao Yifu himself began to search for someone who could restore order to the world amidst the chaos.

To be honest, it's really hard to find someone like that.

He was looking for someone who could inherit his and Ying Cong's ambitions, but how many people in the world had such vision and foresight that transcended time?
Zhao Yifu was dissatisfied with the players he had seen, and some were even hesitant about whether to take matters into their own hands and do the micro-management themselves.

At that moment, his physical body in the Heavenly Prison stirred slightly, sensing that someone had come to visit.

Zhao Yifu opened his eyes and stood up. Looking at the white-haired old man who was floating down from the sky, he already had a guess in his mind.

He was about to clasp his hands in greeting when he suddenly realized that his status was different now. So he stood with his hands behind his back and coldly said, "Guards, seize this old bastard!"

Two demons, who were already impatient, immediately jumped out: Old Ox and Blood Vine Lady.

Originally, there was no need for the old ox to get involved, but the old ox hated the old man.

"You damn Venus, not only did you harm my brother, but now you're trying to harm the warden too!"

Venus (Taibai Jinxing) is not the legendary old man, but a handsome young man with long, silver-white hair and a gentle, rather endearing face. It is only because of his silver-white hair that he has been portrayed as an old man.

Venus quickly replied, "We're family, we're family!"

Old Niu was bewildered and said irritably, "Who said I'm family with you?"

Venus smiled kindly at it, then cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Zhao Yifu from afar and said, "This humble Taoist priest, Li Changgeng, and Warden Zhao Junxin are from the same school!"

Zhao Yifu was surprised and asked, "Are we from the same sect?"

Then he was moved and did some quick calculations... Good heavens, there really is a bond between fellow disciples.

Then, calculating their seniority, he said with a conflicted expression, "By that logic, you are actually my grandmaster's generation."

He was extremely conflicted. He had originally wanted to be completely arrogant and domineering, so that the world would understand what a 'peerless demon king' was... but then another master-level figure appeared.

Very helpless.

Zhao Yifu scratched his head, stiffly bowing to Taibai Jinxing, and then, disguised as the Xuandu Ancestor who was leisurely drinking tea on Baiyun Mountain, asked, "Ancestor, why is Taibai Jinxing also my ancestor? Could it be that the Ancestor secretly took in another disciple behind your back?"

"Pfft~"

Grandmaster Xuandu spat out all the tea he had been drinking.

The image then freezes on the sleeve...

There was no way around it; taking candid photos had become a habit for Zhao Yifu.

Master Xuandu said irritably, "Don't say such strange things. Taibai Jinxing is indeed my junior brother. He was originally the son of Shaohao. When he was young, he listened to the teachings of his teacher for a period of time. Although we did not have the title of master and disciple, we had the relationship of teacher and student."

Zhao Yifu suddenly understood after hearing this.

At the same time, he felt that the threshold for the Taiqing Human Sect was far too high. How could such a famous star lord in the Three Realms not be considered a direct descendant?

However, on the other side of the Heavenly Prison, Zhao Yifu still clasped his hands in greeting and said, "I did not know that my grandmaster uncle had graced us with his presence. Your disciple Fu Yinzi has failed to greet you properly."

Taibai Jinxing, looking flattered, quickly grabbed Zhao Yifu's arm and said, "No, no, you are now the mighty King of Prisons, Zhao Junxin. You cannot bow to me."

Zhao Yifu was taken aback: "What 'Prison Guardian King'?"

Venus smiled and took out a bright yellow scroll, saying, "This is the imperial decree of investiture. The Heavenly Emperor has already bestowed upon you the title of 'Heavenly King Who Guards the Prison,' a position second only to the Four Emperors."

Zhao Yifu was taken aback. The Four Emperors, wow, that's a very high divine position.

He immediately said, "Please take the imperial edict back, Grandmaster Uncle. I will not accept such a decree that is meant to deceive me."

Venus asked, puzzled, "Why is that?"

Zhao Yifu said, "It's for no reason other than learning from Brother Monkey's example."

Taibai Jinxing felt embarrassed and explained, "What happened to the Great Sage back then was really... Alas, never mind, it was my fault for not doing a good job."

Zhao Yifu was quite surprised; this grandmaster was truly kind and generous.

Venus said helplessly, "With your fierce spirit, are you truly not afraid of the Heavenly Court?"

Zhao Yifu laughed and said, "I am right here. I wonder what other methods the Heavenly Court has to teach me a lesson?"

Venus said, "Junxin, you should know when to stop. It's not that the Heavenly Court is without means, it's just not worth it."

Zhao Yifu nodded and said, "Alright then, I won't read the imperial decree. Just give it to me."

Venus breathed a slight sigh of relief and asked, "That's good. You can pack your things, give your instructions, and then come with me to Heaven to pay homage to the Heavenly Emperor."

Zhao Yifu shook his head and said, "Going to heaven is something I absolutely will not do."

"If my grandmaster insists that I go to heaven, then please take this scroll of yellow paper back with you."

The kind-hearted Taibai Jinxing looked at Zhao Yifu with a weary expression and said, "Why are you so stubborn, kid?"

"Alright, he is still my own child after all. I will go to heaven and explain things to you."

He shook his head and smiled wryly as he rode away on a cloud.

Zhao Yifu watched Venus leave, wondering whether his performance was genuine or not.
Old Niu then leaned over and asked, "What did the imperial edict say?"

Zhao Yifu tossed the document to Lao Niu without even looking at it, saying, "It's just some awkward words, and they'll just appoint me as some kind of 'Prison Suppressor King'."

Old Niu opened it and, sure enough, frowned and immediately closed it again. Then he said with a grin, "Prison King? That doesn't sound as imposing as the nicknames we brothers used to have."

Ao Jia also rushed over upon hearing the news. When he heard what Lao Niu said, he immediately retorted, "Back then, all those were self-proclaimed nicknames. Except for the 'Great Sage Equal to Heaven' that was recognized by the Heavenly Court based on his battles, they were just empty words and no real status."

"And the warden, the 'King of the Prison,' is clearly stated to be a high-ranking official whose power is only below that of the Four Emperors."

Zhao Yifu chuckled and said, "What 'Heavenly King of Prison Suppression'? You could say that if you were in heaven, but I've never been to heaven."

"I'm afraid in the eyes of those celestial officials, I'm more like a 'prison-suppressing demon king'."

The surrounding demons burst into laughter, and then someone chimed in, "This 'Prison Suppressing Demon King' sounds much more imposing than 'Prison Suppressing Heavenly King'."

Zhao Yifu recognized the voice and turned to see Chenxiang's mother blending seamlessly into the group of demons...

(End of this chapter)