Eight Hundred Lords Enter the Game; Henceforth, War Rises in the Mortal World

Xiqi City.

The main hall of the Marquis of the West's Mansion.

Ji Chang sat in the main seat, holding the scroll of imperial edicts in his hands, but his fingertips were icy cold.

Below the main hall, the eldest Bo Yikao, the second son Ji Fa, and a group of important officials of Xiqi held their breath, the atmosphere extremely tense.

Shen Gongbao, on the other hand, sat leisurely to the side.

"Smack!"

A crisp sound shattered the deathly silence in the hall.

Ji Chang slammed the scroll of silk onto the table, his face, usually so kind and benevolent, now Distortion System with rage.

"This is insane!"

"Di Xin, he's truly gone mad!"

He suddenly stood up and paced back and forth in the hall, his white beard trembling slightly with excitement.

"The Edict of Recommendation... What a fine Edict of Recommendation!"

"His name is 'Recommendation,' but in reality, it's a butcher's knife! He intends to exterminate all eight hundred vassal lords of my realm!"

Seeing his father's loss of composure, Bo Yikao quickly stepped forward, picked up the silk book, and glanced at it. His expression also changed drastically.

"Father, this... once this law is implemented, won't our Xiqi..."

"Wouldn't that be the end of it!"

Ji Chang suddenly stopped, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the Royal Decree in Bo Yikao's hand.

"I, Ji Chang, have a hundred sons! Although most are adopted, according to this decree, they are all eligible for enfeoffment!"

"Even if my land of Xiqi is vast and prosperous, what would be left if it were divided among a hundred people?"

"At that time, even without the Great Shang Dynasty sending troops, our Xiqi will be consumed by internal strife and infighting over those pitiful fiefdoms!"

"Within three generations, my Xiqi lineage will be reduced to a bunch of rural villagers clinging to a few acres of meager land!"

"This is not Recommendation! This is clearly an attempt to eradicate the lineage of my Ji Clan!"

Ji Chang became more and more agitated as he spoke, his chest heaving violently, like a wolf driven to the brink of despair.

The entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

"My lord, this Edict of Recommendation is Open Scheme."

"If you accept the decree, Xiqi will disintegrate and perish completely."

"If you disobey the imperial decree, that would be treason, and the army from Chaoge will arrive immediately."

Shen Gongbao walked up to Ji Chang, bowed slightly, and spoke in a highly seductive voice.

"It's a dead end no matter which way you go, Lord Marquis, what are you still hesitating for?"

"Instead of sitting idly by and waiting to be devoured little by little by that tyrannical ruler, we might as well take a gamble and rebel directly."

"This is... a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Upon hearing this, everyone's heart skipped a beat.

opposite?

This word had lingered in their hearts for many years, yet they never dared to utter it aloud.

Now, however, Shen Gongbao has so casually put it on the table.

"Doctor Shen!" An elderly official stepped forward, trembling. "How can such treasonous words be uttered so carelessly!"

"Now that the Great Shang Kingdom is at its zenith, Human Emperor's power extends Four Seas, if we were to rebel, it would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock!"

"Yes! This matter needs further consideration!"

Several ministers immediately echoed this sentiment; they were all terrified.

"Let's take a long-term view?"

Ji Fa, who had been silent all along, suddenly let out a cold laugh and stepped forward.

Over the past fifteen years, he has been extremely close to Shen Gongbao and has long regarded him as a deity.

"Should we wait until Xiqi is torn to pieces, until we brothers turn against each other, before we make further plans?"

Ji Fa walked to the center of the main hall and bowed deeply to Ji Chang.

"Father!"

"Dr. Shen is absolutely right!"

"The Phoenix cries on Mount Qi, the Mandate of Heaven is with Zhou!"

"Now, Di Xin is acting perversely, issuing such a decree that will lead to the downfall of the nation."

"Isn't this the perfect opportunity bestowed upon Xiqi by Heaven to fulfill its destiny?"

"Your son is willing to lead troops, to be the vanguard for Father, to storm Chaoge, and to seize the throne!"

Ji Chang looked at his usually obedient second son and felt a slight chill run down his spine.

This kid's murderous aura is even stronger than his.

But this is not the time to dwell on such things.

I've endured so much for so many years, isn't this the day I've been waiting for?

If we can't even seize this opportunity that's presented to us, then what's the point of talking about replacing the Shang dynasty?

Ji Fa's words, though rash, struck a chord with him.

Yes, we will definitely oppose it.

Not resisting is tantamount to waiting to die.

But how to reverse it is a skill.

Ji Chang's breathing gradually became heavy.

Bo Yikao the change in his father and his face was full of worry.

"Father, Second Younger Brother! This matter is of utmost importance; you must not act rashly!"

"Brother!" Ji Fa turned his head and stared intently at Bo Yikao.

"Now that the butcher's knife is at our throats, how can you expect us to remain calm?"

"Are you really going to just stand by and watch your father's life's work be destroyed in an instant?"

"I..." Bo Yikao was speechless for a moment.

He was kind and honest by nature and disliked conflict, but Ji Fa's words left him speechless.

The atmosphere inside the main hall became tense and confrontational.

Ji Chang looked at his two arguing sons, and then at the assembled officials with their varied expressions. The shock, anger, and fear in his heart were gradually replaced by a cold rationality.

He slowly sat back in the main seat and raised his hand to stop Ji Fa, who wanted to say more.

a long time.

He exhaled a breath of Turbid Qi.

"Opposite."

A single word, uttered softly, yet carrying the weight of a thousand pounds.

The hall fell silent instantly, and everyone looked at him.

The excitement and fear from before were gone from Ji Chang's face; only a chilling resolve remained.

"We must oppose it."

A surge of wild joy welled up on Ji Fa's face. "Father is wise!"

"However," Ji Chang abruptly changed the subject, freezing the joy on Ji Fa's face, "Not now."

"We can't be the only ones from Xiqi to be the first to stick our necks out."

He surveyed the assembled entourage and spoke slowly.

"This decree from Di Xin is aimed at the eight hundred vassal states across the land, not just our Xiqi."

"I believe that at this moment, there are many other lords who, like me, are unable to eat or sleep peacefully."

"If only my Xiqi family rebels, that is treason, that is being treated as a rebellious traitor, and that will be despised by the people of the world."

"But what if all eight hundred warlords in the land rebelled?"

"That is acting on behalf of Heaven, upholding justice for the nation!"

"San Yisheng!"

A civil official hurriedly stepped forward.

"Your subject is present."

"Immediately send someone to secretly visit the various feudal lords and sound out their opinions."

"Yes! I will take care of it immediately!" San Yisheng accepted the order and hurried away.

Ji Chang then looked at Ji Fa.

"Fa'er, go and contact the two hundred minor lords surrounding Xiqi."

"Explain the pros and cons to them clearly."

"Tell them that only by sticking together can they survive this storm."

"At this moment, if anyone dares to have any disloyal thoughts and wants to accept the Edict of Recommendation, don't blame me for being ruthless and using them as a sacrifice to the flag!"

Since we're going to rebel, we need to first eliminate all the internal destabilizing factors.

A glint of excitement flashed in Ji Fa's eyes.

"Father, rest assured, I will take care of it right away!"

"We will ensure that the entire Xiqi is united as one!"

The atmosphere in the hall eased slightly.

Ji Chang waved his hand, looking exhausted.

"All of you, step back."

"I'm tired and want some peace and quiet."

No one dared to say anything more, and they all bowed and took their leave.

Bo Yikao glanced at his father, hesitated, and finally sighed.

Soon, only Ji Chang and Shen Gongbao remained in the large hall.

Silence returned to the main hall.

Ji Chang remained silent for a long time before slowly turning around to look at the Daoist priest who always wore an inscrutable smile.

He straightened his robes and bowed solemnly to Shen Gongbao.

"What does Your Excellency mean by this?" Shen Gongbao did not flinch and accepted the bow without hesitation.

Ji Chang raised his head, and his face was no longer disguised, only showing the most naked desire and unease.

"Immortal Master."

"The Phoenix cries on Mount Qi, the Mandate of Heaven is with Zhou..."

Is this really true?

He finally asked the question that had lingered in his heart for fifteen years.

Although he himself was also proficient in divination and had deduced the secrets of Heavenly Secrets countless times.

He needs a definite answer.

An unquestionable answer from a disciple of Saint.

Shen Gongbao did not answer directly, but instead asked a question in return.

"The Marquis practices the Innate Eight Trigrams and is skilled in divination."

"What will become of Xiqi's Fortune? And what about the fate of the Great Shang Dynasty...?"

"Doesn't Your Excellency know the truth?"

"Or is it that even the Marquis himself doesn't believe the result he calculated?"

Ji Chang was startled.

Of course he had calculated it.

He cast divinations countless times in the dead of night to predict the Shang Kingdom and the future of Xiqi.

Each divination result indicated that although the Great Shang Dynasty dynasty was at its peak, it was also showing signs of decline.

Above Xiqi, though shrouded in mist, a faint purple aura could be seen rising.

However, the purple aura was too weak, as if it could be swallowed up by the golden dragon of the Great Shang Dynasty's Fortune Golden Dragon at any moment.

He didn't believe it.

Or rather, he couldn't believe it.

Because the outcome was both too tempting and too dangerous.

"But..."

Divination... can be deceiving.

"Even Heavenly Secrets secrets can be obscured."

"Especially Di Xin... there seems to be something about him. Every time I try to deduce his existence, all I see is Chaos."

"Chaos is the right approach."

Shen Gongbao chuckled.

"He is the Human Emperor, bearing the Fortune of the Human Clan. How could your mere mortal divination techniques possibly see through him?"

But he couldn't stop the tide, he couldn't defy destiny.

a long time.

Ji Chang let out a long breath.

"Ji Chang is dull-witted, but I thank the Grand Master guidance!"

"Since this is the will of Heaven, Ji Chang... shall comply with it!"

"Please, Immortal Master, help me!"

He spoke those five words with utmost clarity and solemnity.

From that moment on, he staked his own fate and the Fate of the entire Xiqi on it.

Shen Gongbao looked at Ji Chang, and a triumphant smile finally appeared on his lips.

He gestured with his hands as if to support himself.

"You flatter me, Your Excellency."

"The entire Clarify Sect will certainly do its utmost to assist the Marquis."

"Following the will of Heaven and the will of the people, let us join together to achieve this great undertaking."