Primordial Era: Mistakenly Taking Emperor Xin as Father, Nuwa is Destroyed at the Start

The Master of the Heavens was thrilled, but this was followed by even greater doubts.

He couldn't understand how Li Xuan could hide principles of the Dao that didn't belong to this world in a book. It was simply incomprehensible.

He looked up and found that Di Xin and the others were looking at him respectfully.

Di Xin asked cautiously, "Senior, are you awake? Should I wake the young master?"

The Master of the Heavens shook his head: "There's no need to disturb him."

His gaze fell on the bowls in Di Xin and Huang Feihu's hands, which contained leftover sweet potatoes. He was somewhat curious.

Su Daji immediately understood and brought over a bowl of steaming sweet potatoes, placing it on the small table in front of the Tongtian Sect Leader.

"Please have some, senior. This is the sweet potato that the young master just taught us to cook. It tastes sweet." Su Daji explained softly the origin of the sweet potato and its significance to the Shang Dynasty, as well as Li Xuan's arrangements for the Investiture of the Gods ceremony.

After listening, the Master of Heaven nodded: "Interesting."

Looking at Di Xin, he recalled Li Xuan's analysis of the fate of the Shang Dynasty and the Jie Sect, and couldn't help but feel a sense of shared misfortune.

He pondered for a moment, then reached out and casually broke off an ordinary foxtail grass from the ground.

He lightly stroked the grass stem with his finger, and an extremely subtle yet incomparably sharp sword intent was engraved into it. The originally ordinary grass stem instantly seemed to contain a sharpness capable of cutting through everything.

He handed the herb to Di Xin: "If anyone dares to cause trouble on the day of the Investiture of the Gods ceremony, take this out."

Di Xin was overjoyed and respectfully accepted the seemingly ordinary but actually sage-like foxtail grass with both hands: "Thank you for your generous gift, senior!"

The Master of Heaven waved his hand: "It's alright."

He suddenly frowned slightly, as if he had sensed something.

"The great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods is fraught with unpredictable changes, and I shall not linger here any longer."

He bowed to Emperor Xin and the others, then took his leave.

He then looked in the direction where Li Xuan was resting: "When you wake up, please apologize to me. Things happened so suddenly that I had to leave without saying goodbye."

Su Daji, Di Xin, and Huang Feihu quickly bowed and greeted them, saying, "Respectfully seeing you off, senior!"

The figure of the Tongtian Sect Leader vanished from the courtyard in an instant, as if it had never existed, as if it had merged into the air.

As soon as the Tongtian Sect Leader left, Di Xin and Huang Feihu immediately stood up.

Su Daji was somewhat surprised: "Your Majesty, General Huang, are you leaving too? Won't you stay with the young master a little longer?"

Di Xin's expression was solemn: "The Investiture of the Gods ceremony is about to begin and cannot be delayed. Xuan'er has already shown me the way. If I linger here any longer, I will only be letting down your guidance and wasting precious time. I must go back immediately to begin preparations."

Su Daji expressed her understanding: "I see."

She glanced at Li Xuan, who was still fast asleep on the recliner, and asked, "Then... should we wake the young master and inform him?"

Di Xin and Huang Feihu waved their hands at the same time, their movements remarkably synchronized.

Di Xin lowered his voice: "No need! Xuan'er has been working tirelessly for our human race, he's exhausted. Let him rest well."

Huang Feihu nodded in agreement: "Yes, let the young master rest in peace."

Su Daji looked at Li Xuan, who was sleeping so peacefully, with even a slightly contented smile on his lips, and her lips twitched slightly.

She silently thought to herself, "Tired? The young master spends his days either lying down drinking tea and reading, or sunbathing and sleeping… How is he tired? He's clearly having a very leisurely time!"

However, she dared not say these words aloud, but remained respectful on the surface: "This concubine understands."

She bowed to Di Xin and Huang Feihu again.

Di Xin took one last deep look at the sleeping Li Xuan, then carefully put the foxtail grass containing the Heaven-Reaching Sword Intent close to his body, as if holding a priceless treasure.

He winked at Huang Feihu: "Old Huang, let's go!"

Without further delay, the two strode away from the courtyard, their figures quickly disappearing on the road leading to Chaoge City.

The courtyard returned to tranquility, with only the rustling of leaves in the breeze and Li Xuan's even, gentle breathing.

Su Daji sighed softly, walked over and pulled up the thin blanket that had slipped down a bit, covering Li Xuan up properly.

Looking at Li Xuan's peaceful sleeping face, and recalling Di Xin's hurried and burdened demeanor when he left, she compared this "mastermind behind the scenes" with his leisurely and carefree attitude, and a feeling of utter absurdity welled up in her heart.

She shook her head, shaking off these chaotic thoughts, and turned to quietly tidy up the tea set and dishes on the stone table.

On the other end.

Emperor Xin and Huang Feihu rode the five-colored divine ox, their hooves creating a whirlwind, and hurriedly returned to Chaoge City.

As soon as they entered the city gate, they bumped into Shang Rong and Du Yuanxian, who were pacing anxiously at the palace gate.

"Your Majesty! King Wu Cheng!"

Upon seeing Di Xin, the two immediately came forward, their faces full of anxiety.

When Di Xin saw them, his eyes lit up. Before they could speak, he said, "Perfect! Saves me the trouble of looking for you."

He nimbly jumped off the ox's back, took out a few mud-covered sweet potatoes from his pocket, and stuffed them into Shang Rong's hand.

"Prime Minister Shang, you must immediately undertake two important tasks!"

"First, this thing is called a sweet potato! Find a piece of land and plant it according to... cough, according to the method I told you. This thing has an extremely high yield; one acre is equivalent to a hundred acres of fertile land. It's a life-saving wonder! I'll tell you the specifics of how to plant it later."

Shang Rong held the unassuming clod of earth in her hands, her face a mixture of shock and bewilderment: "Your Majesty...this...this clod of earth, can it really yield three hundred dan per mu? A hundred times more than the best fertile land?"

He simply couldn't believe it.

"What I saw with my own eyes, how could it be false?"

Di Xin's tone was resolute: "Secondly, immediately begin searching for iron ore and organize people to learn the 'bloom smelting and casting technology'! Iron tools are sharper, more durable, and cheaper than bronze! With them, farming efficiency can be increased several times over! These two matters concern the well-being of all the people of our Great Shang Dynasty, and you must personally oversee them without delay!"

Shang Rong was a little dizzy from the sheer volume of information. Looking at the sweet potato in her hand and thinking about the miraculous iron-smelting technique, she was filled with doubt, but seeing how certain the king was, she could only agree with some skepticism.

"This old minister... obeys the decree! He will certainly do his utmost!"

Di Xin nodded, then turned to Du Yuanxian.

"Minister Du, I'm adding another important task for you in the preparations for the Investiture of the Gods ceremony."

"Please give your orders, Your Majesty!" Du Yuanxian immediately bowed.

"Place a huge, isolated monument to commemorate their merits in the most prominent location during the Investiture of the Gods ceremony!"

Di Xin gestured with his fingers, "It must be big enough, and eye-catching enough! On the stele, clearly and plainly inscribe for me the life story, merits, and tangible good deeds of each deity who has been conferred a divine title! Let all the people see it at a glance and know why they were conferred divine titles! Do you understand?"

Du Yuanxian nodded hurriedly: "Your Majesty, I understand! I will take care of it immediately!"

"Okay. By the way, wait a moment."

Di Xin nodded in satisfaction, and then carefully took something out of his pocket—an ordinary foxtail grass that could be found anywhere by the roadside.

He solemnly handed it to Du Yuanxian: "And this too, take it. On the day of the Investiture of the Gods ceremony, place this item in the very center and enshrine it high above all others!"

Du Yuanxian subconsciously took the foxtail grass with both hands, examined it from all angles, his face full of question marks.

He scratched his head, unable to contain himself any longer, and muttered under his breath, "This... Your Majesty, forgive my ignorance, but what's so special about this herb? Could it be some rare, divine herb?"

Book lovers are all in the discussion area, chatting about the charm of Xianxia novels.

Di Xin smiled mysteriously, his tone leaving no room for doubt:

"What do you know? This is a priceless treasure! Just take it; it'll come in handy later! Do as I say!"

Du Yuanxian looked at the light blade of grass in his hand, then at the king's serious expression, and felt uneasy, but could only respectfully reply:

"Yes, Your Majesty! I will certainly keep it safe!"

After saying this, he carefully put the foxtail grass away from his body before taking his leave.

Shang Rong should have retreated with them, but he stood still, took a step closer, looked around to make sure there were no unauthorized people, and then lowered his voice to say to Di Xin:

"Your Majesty, there is one more matter that I must report to you."

"Oh? What is it?" Di Xin saw that Shang Rong's expression was solemn, so he also put away his smile.

"Your Majesty," Shang Rong lowered his voice even further, "a Taoist priest came to Chaoge City today, claiming to be Yun Zhongzi, a Qi Refiner from Zhongnan Mountain. He said... he said that there is a demonic aura pervading Chaoge, and that there may be a demon causing trouble and bewitching Your Majesty. Therefore, he came to pay homage to Your Majesty and is willing to offer a method to exorcise the demon and help our Great Shang get rid of the evil spirit."

After Shang Rong finished speaking, her face was filled with deep worry:

"Your Majesty, this man's intentions are not good. I fear that the 'demon' he speaks of may... be something else entirely. Moreover, if he is indeed allowed to enter the palace to 'exorcise the demon,' whether it is true or not, it will inevitably cause a great uproar and shake the hearts of the people."

Huang Feihu, who was listening nearby, sneered: "Hmph! A demon causing trouble? I think it's someone with a guilty conscience who's trying to cause trouble!"

Di Xin's eyes turned slightly cold, clearly indicating that he had also considered this possibility.

He remained silent for a moment, quickly making a decision in his mind.

When the people of the Chan Sect jumped out at this time, under the banner of "eliminating demons," their intentions were self-evident.

With the Investiture of the Gods ceremony and the two major events of sweet potato and iron smelting just around the corner, we absolutely cannot allow any unforeseen complications to arise and be disrupted by Yun Zhongzi.

Emperor Xin quickly made a decision.

"Prime Minister, make the arrangements."

Di Xin spoke calmly, "Tell him that I've been busy with state affairs lately and am feeling unwell, so I can't see him for the time being. Invite him to the post station, treat him with courtesy and hospitality, and make sure he stays put. Provide him with good food and drink, keep him busy, but don't let him near the palace, and definitely don't let him run around or talk nonsense. Understand?"

Shang Rong immediately understood the king's intention: to stall for time.

"Your Majesty, I understand!" Shang Rong breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in response. "I will make the arrangements immediately and ensure that he is properly taken care of so that he has no time to think about anything else."

"Yes, go ahead." Di Xin waved his hand.

Shang Rong then bowed and took her leave, hurrying off to arrange the "entertainment" for Yun Zhongzi.

Watching Shang Rong walk away, Di Xin and Huang Feihu exchanged a glance, both seeing solemnity and a hint of coldness in each other's eyes.

The people of the Chan sect could no longer sit still.

However, the most important thing now is to prepare well the "national treasure" and the Investiture of the Gods ceremony that we hold in our hands.

there is always a solution to a problem.

……

On the other end.

Shang Rong received the imperial decree, but he was filled with doubt.

Yun Zhongzi is, after all, a Qi cultivator from Zhongnan Mountain with a considerable reputation. If he goes alone, he might not be able to control the situation and could end up making things worse.

Du Yuanxian was holding the foxtail grass that His Majesty had solemnly entrusted to him, deep in thought, when he heard the voice and looked up: "Prime Minister Shang? What is this...?"

"His Majesty has decreed that you and I go together to 'entertain' that Daoist Yun Zhongzi from Zhongnan Mountain." Shang Rong took a breath and lowered her voice. "His Majesty said that the etiquette must be impeccable! We must not let him find the slightest fault, and we must not let him gossip or run amok."

Du Yuanxian understood immediately upon hearing this.

He carefully tucked the foxtail grass into the innermost part of his body and patted it flat.

"Understood! His Majesty wants us to keep him calm, provide him with good food and drink, and prevent him from causing trouble, right?"

Shang Rong nodded emphatically: "That's exactly what I meant! Let's go, bring the ceremonial guard, give them a grand entrance!"

The two dared not delay and immediately gathered the palace attendants and a squad of armored soldiers.

With banners waving and gongs leading the way, the procession marched out of the palace gates and headed straight for the restaurant where Yun Zhongzi was staying.

The most bustling private room on the second floor of "Zui Xian Lou" in Chaoge City.

Yun Zhongzi was drinking alone by the window.

The cup contained the finest liquor, and several exquisite side dishes were laid out on the table.

He slowly sipped his drink, his gaze sweeping over the bustling street below.

The streets were bustling with traffic and pedestrians jostling shoulder to shoulder.

Shop signs fluttered in the wind along the street, and vendors' shouts rose and fell.

The clanging of blacksmiths hammering iron, the calls of cloth shop assistants soliciting customers, and the laughter of children playing... all blend together into a vibrant, bustling atmosphere.

Yun Zhongzi narrowed his eyes slightly.

"In just a few decades... humanity has developed to this extent?" He was secretly astonished.

This bustling scene far surpassed what he remembered seeing when he last descended the mountain.

The creativity of the human race is indeed not to be underestimated.

He put down his glass, his fingers unconsciously tracing the smooth rim.

"No wonder Master had to take measures to curb it," Yun Zhongzi thought to himself. "If it's allowed to expand like this, what will it think of regarding Heaven's Mandate? What will it think of the gods?"

The strategy set by Yuanshi Tianzun became clearer in his mind at this moment.

We must curb the arrogance of the human race and make them understand who the true ruler is!

Just as he was thinking about how to "awaken" the human emperor who was "bewitched by demonic energy", the noise downstairs suddenly grew louder.

Immediately afterwards, a series of orderly footsteps approached from afar.

Yun Zhongzi's heart stirred, and he listened intently.

The crisp sound of gongs clearing the way, the clanging of armor clashing together, and the reverent whispers of the people...

"They're here!" A glint flashed in Yun Zhongzi's eyes.

He immediately straightened his slightly worn Taoist robe, draped his whisk over his arm, and struck a pose of compassion and detachment.

The emperor himself came to invite them, which was quite a show of respect.

He was pondering how to begin his conversation with Di Xin when they met later.

Should we first lament the harm the demon has done to the country? Or should we first expose that he has been bewitched by the demon? Or... should we directly take out that giant pine sword to intimidate him?

There was a gentle knock on the door of the private room.

"Come in." Yun Zhongzi didn't even lift his eyelids, his voice was cold and carried a just-right aloofness.

The door opened.

The emperor who entered first was not the one dressed in imperial robes as one had imagined.

Instead, they were two elderly officials dressed in the robes of a high-ranking Shang dynasty official.

One was a man with a lean face and refined demeanor, namely Shang Rong; the other was a slightly plump man with a sorrowful expression, namely Du Yuanxian.

Behind the two were a line of palace servants carrying food boxes and wine jars.

The compassion and detachment on Yun Zhongzi's face froze instantly.

His gaze swept over Shang Rong and Du Yuanxian, then looked past them toward the doorway—it was empty, with no one else there.

A surge of anger at being mocked shot up to his head!