Investiture of the Gods: Childhood Sweetheart Daji, Starting with Quasi-Saint Cultivation

Su Yunbai's figure vanished like smoke in the palace.

Behind the table, King Zhou, Di Xin, sat alone, the tapping of his fingers echoing in the empty hall, the rhythm completely disordered.

The solemnity, majesty, and aloofness on his face receded like the tide, replaced by utter astonishment, absurdity, and... a trace of agitation that had been buried for decades and almost forgotten.

"Solidate your throne... purge the incompetent... silence the phoenix's cry in Xiqi..."

The poem inscribed at the Nuwa Palace... has a deeper meaning...

Those words, each and every one of them, exploded in his mind.

More importantly, it was the tone of that last sentence, that all-knowing look in his eyes, even carrying a hint of "I understand you"...

No.

impossible.

Di Xin suddenly stood up, his movement so abrupt that he knocked over a wine jug beside him. Amber-colored wine gushed out, soaking the luxurious carpet, but he was completely unaware.

He strode to the spot where Su Yunbai had just disappeared. The place was empty, with only a faint, elusive scent remaining in the air.

It wasn't the aura of immortals, nor the aura of demons, nor the fluctuations of ordinary cultivators' magical power. It was a more obscure, more... "clean" feeling.

An absurd and heart-pounding thought surged up uncontrollably.

He staggered back to the table, grabbed the edge, and steadied himself.

His eyes shifted dramatically, a mixture of shock, doubt, ecstasy, and fear.

how many years?

How many years have I been in this world, as "Di Xin"?

From initial fear, to gradual adaptation, to despair upon discovering this was the world of Investiture of the Gods, and finally to gritting one's teeth, bracing oneself, and struggling and strategizing according to vague memories and instincts...

He thought he would be alone.

A time traveler who knows the script but is powerless to change it, and may even die a more tragic death because he knows too much.

When he wrote the poem at Nuwa Palace, was he truly consumed by lust? It was a desperate, frantic attempt, a weak and hoarse provocation against those high and mighty saints, a desire to see if this "destiny" could be shaken even a little!

While his selection of beauties may have involved complex calculations such as gathering leverage, balancing various parties, and even deliberately damaging his reputation to reduce suspicion from certain individuals, it also reveals a kind of reckless and ruthless spirit.

But now...

Suddenly, Su Yunbai appeared.

The adopted son of the Marquis of Jizhou? Eighteen years old?

They possess the confidence and ability to silently infiltrate the inner palace and speak eloquently with the emperor.

The way he speaks, the perspective he takes, that unwavering confidence that transcends time, and... a sense of familiarity.

"Because I can help you secure this throne..."

"I know that Your Majesty's poem about the Nuwa Palace may not be entirely due to your folly, but rather... it has a deeper meaning."

Could these words be spoken by a local, eighteen-year-old boy?

Di Xin's breathing became heavy.

He turned abruptly and strode to a wall on the inner side of the palace. On that wall hung a huge map of the Shang Dynasty's territory, corresponding to the sand table.

He stretched out his hand, his fingertips trembling slightly, yet landing with exceptional precision on the location of Jizhou.

Su Hu... Su Daji... Su Yunbai...

My adopted son... whom I rescued in the snow eighteen years ago...

The timing is right.

An infant of unknown origin, carrying a white pendant...

Di Xin's pupils contracted again.

He closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down.

What if... it's just a coincidence? What if this Su Yunbai is just a disciple of some reclusive master, or even a pawn of some immortal god?

But that feeling...

That kind of almost instinctive intuition among people of the same kind...

Di Xin opened his eyes again, a terrifying light surging within them. He walked back to his desk, picked up his pen, but remained motionless for a long time.

Finally, he put down his pen and took out a palm-sized box, neither gold nor wood, from a hidden compartment under the desk.

Upon opening the box, there were no treasures inside, only a few inconspicuous items: a small alloy knife that was clearly out of step with modern technology but extremely sharp; a small piece of a tarnished electronic watch; and several leather fragments covered with distorted and strange symbols (he had tried to record some key information, but found that "spoilers" about the Investiture of the Gods could not be clearly recorded by any medium in this world, and would only be distorted).

These are all traces he brought with him when he traveled through time, belonging to another world. They are his deepest secrets and proof of his loneliness.

As he looked at these things, he recalled Su Yunbai's deep, calm eyes.

"Su Yunbai..." he murmured the name, this time with a completely different tone.

If... if he really is...

So, in this seemingly hopeless game, is there finally a glimmer of hope?

No, it's not certain yet.

Di Xin's eyes regained their sharpness and composure. He carefully put the box back into the hidden compartment.

Regardless of who Su Yunbai is, the value he has demonstrated and the conditions he has proposed are worth considering. As for his true identity…

Di Xin's lips curled into a complex smile. In that smile, there was inquiry, expectation, and even a barely perceptible...excitement.

Fellow villagers meeting, will they stab each other in the back? Or... will they join hands to overturn the chessboard?

He needs verification.

It will also take time.

He picked up his pen again and began to write rapidly on the blank silk. No longer were the words he had hesitated over before; now, his strokes were fluid and decisive.

After finishing writing, he blew on the ink to dry it and said in a deep voice, "Someone come here!"

A eunuch appeared silently outside the palace gate, bowing to receive orders.

"Issue the decree." Di Xin's voice regained its imperial majesty, but seemed to carry a different quality. "Regarding the beauty pageant, Su Daji, daughter of the Marquis of Jizhou, is frail and sickly and unfit for long journeys. She is hereby exempted from the selection. Furthermore, it is said that Su Yunbai, the adopted son of the Marquis of Jizhou, possesses extraordinary talent. He is hereby granted permission to enter Chaoge and temporarily assume the position of... Deputy Commander of the Royal Palace Guards. He shall assume his post immediately."

The eunuch was deeply shaken, but dared not show it on his face. He respectfully accepted the silk and said, "As you command."

This decree, seemingly offering Su Hu a way out (due to his frail health) and protecting Daji, also transferred Su Yunbai to Chaoge, placing him under its watchful eye. It was a form of appeasement, control, and also... close observation.

Di Xin dismissed the eunuchs and stood alone before the massive map of the territory, his gaze sharp as a knife.

Su Yunbai...

If you really think what I'm thinking...

Well then, we really need to put on a good show for this grand drama of the Investiture of the Gods.

His finger pressed heavily on the location of Xiqi.

The night grew deeper.

In the night sky thousands of miles away from Chaoge, Su Yunbai, who was traveling back at a leisurely pace, paused slightly.

[Ding! A fundamental shift in the host's perception of the key plot character 'Di Xin' has been detected, deepening the intertwining of their fates.]

[Ding! The host has gained a temporary bond status: 'The Gaze of a Transmigrator'.]

[Note: In this state, the progression of the storyline related to Di Xin may introduce additional variables and opportunities.]

Su Yunbai raised an eyebrow slightly.

A fundamental shift? The gaze of a time traveler?

He recalled King Zhou's pupils suddenly contracting and his complex, indescribable gaze at the end.

Is it...

An equally absurd guess came to mind.

No way?

If it's true... then this world of Investiture of the Gods will be even more interesting.

He smiled slightly and quickened his pace.

In Jizhou, there is still a "minor trouble" waiting for him to deal with.

The three demons from Xuanyuan Tomb should be arriving soon.