Preparing to Incite Rebellion

Jiang Ziya's Fortune Telling Shop was doing quite well; it was his only profitable business.

"The sun, moon, and stars illuminate the heavens, clearly distinguishing right from wrong and gratitude from resentment."

He held a bundle of Yarrow Stalks, divining and fortune-telling for the man before him.

Hong Lie leaned against the door, yawning boredly.

The task the Master Tongtian gave me was to stay by Jiang Ziya's side and keep an eye on him, but after all, this person is from the Chan Sect. What should I do? he wondered.

The more Hong Lie thought about it, the more he felt that turning Jiang Ziya to their side was the right path.

"Old Jiang, I've heard that the Human Emperor is widely promoting the New Policy, benefiting the people. This is truly a good thing."

Jiang Ziya remained silent. Having been in Zhao Ge for so long, he naturally knew of the Human Emperor's good reputation. Especially since Jiang Ziya was in contact with common people, he heard mostly praise for the Human Emperor's New Policy.

However, his teacher Yuanshi Tianzun had clearly stated that the enlightened ruler was elsewhere. Jiang Ziya didn't understand; what abilities did this other person have to compare with Zhou Wang?

Hong Lie didn't mind his silence, knowing that Jiang Ziya didn't yet understand the truth.

"Hong Lie, bring Jiang Ziya here."

Suddenly, Hong Lie heard a grand voice in his mind; it was Master Tongtian.

He thought to himself, I respectfully obey the Master Tongtian's decree.

At this moment, Jiang Ziya finished his divination. Hong Lie quickly said, "Old Jiang, you haven't been out for a while. Why not go for a walk? Cultivating the Dao is about refining the heart in the mortal world."

Jiang Ziya was actually quite hopeless at cultivation. Despite being given a large amount of spiritual treasures, he had only managed to condense a Golden Core. The treatment Jiang Ziya received on Kunlun Mountain was truly excellent; if those resources were given to a pig, the pig could become an immortal.

Therefore, Hong Lie's words moved Jiang Ziya. "Brother Hong Lie is right, but where should I refine my heart?"

Hong Lie smiled mysteriously, "Acting and moving, just follow your heart. You don't need to worry about where we're going; just follow behind me."

"Alright!" He had no wariness towards Hong Lie.

Leaving the city, the scenery in the suburbs was pleasant, quite different from the hustle and bustle of Zhao Ge. Jiang Ziya actually felt a sense of peace in his heart, and his cultivation, which had not improved for a long time, seemed to be loosening.

Brother Hong Lie is indeed an expert! A single word of guidance has allowed me to make progress. It seems I really should refine my heart in the mortal world.

However, the further they went, the more Jiang Ziya felt something was wrong. Hong Lie wasn't heading towards open areas; instead, he was walking through muddy places.

"Friend Hong Lie, why aren't we taking the main road?"

"The main road is safe, but the small road refines the heart."

These words were profound and mysterious, seemingly making sense, but Hong Lie thought to himself, Old Jiang, why do you have so much nonsense to say?

"Ziya, what mountain do you see there?"

At the foot of Yellow Mountain, Jiang Ziya looked at Hong Lie with a troubled expression. "Just a dilapidated little mountain, what's special about it?"

Hong Lie smiled. "Then why don't we enjoy it for a while?"

"This mountain has no beautiful scenery... what is there to enjoy? Besides, we're both men. If people see two grown men going up the mountain, they'll inevitably say we're 'cutting sleeves' and 'sharing peaches'." Jiang Ziya stammered for a long time before saying this.

Hong Lie was almost angered to death by Jiang Ziya. Is this human language? Who's sharing peaches with you? Who's cutting sleeves? Your whole family is cutting sleeves!

"Cough, cough, you're overthinking it."

The two traveled to the mountain.

Tongtian immediately sensed their arrival, "Uncle, Jiang Ziya has arrived."

"Oh? Good, I'll go take a look."

Seeing Jiang Ziya, this idea had been in his mind for a long time, but it became even stronger after seeing Zhou Wang.

Jiang Ziya was looking around the desolate mountain, the more he looked, the more upset he became. Kunlun Mountain was an Immortal Mountain, in comparison, this desolate mountain made people feel uncomfortable.

"Open."

"Boom!"

As the formation opened, the entire Immortal Mountain trembled slightly, and then the original scene was revealed.

Jiang Ziya was dumbfounded, "...What is this place? What a blessed Immortal Mountain!"

Even Kunlun Mountain was far inferior compared to this place.

"Jiang Shang."

Suddenly a voice came from above, Jiang Ziya looked up and saw a towering tree, with a young man standing on it.

"Ah... you are..."

"Whirr..."

The trees shook, visibly shrinking, carrying the man lightly to the ground.

Hong Lie excitedly looked at Wang Yuan, "Greetings, Senior!"

He knelt on the ground with a thud, Jiang Ziya was stunned, Hong Lie had to call him Senior, he had lived for thousands of years, what about himself?

"Thud..."

Jiang Ziya knelt down, calling him Senior.

"Get up."

The two got up, Jiang Ziya was still confused, but Hong Lie looked at Wang Yuan excitedly, seeing that the Senior's methods were indeed extraordinary.

"Jiang Shang, come with me."

Bringing Jiang Ziya to the courtyard, Wang Yuan looked at him calmly, with Tongtian sitting next to him. Master Tongtian did not recognize Jiang Ziya, and of course, Jiang Ziya did not recognize Tongtian.

"Senior..."

"You are the one for the Investiture of the Gods."

After saying this, Jiang Ziya was extremely surprised.

But Master Tongtian's eyes flashed with killing intent, thinking that the one for the Investiture of the Gods was right in front of him, killing him would prevent the Investiture of the Gods from being completed.

However, Tongtian also knew that this was unrealistic, killing Jiang Ziya did not mean there would be no one else.

"Senior... what you said is true."

Jiang Ziya didn't actually know much about the affairs of saints, immortals, and gods, let alone the complex relationships between them.

"And you are just a pawn, a pawn to be discarded in the end. After the Investiture of the Gods, you will have no divine position."

Each of Wang Yuan's sentences was more explosive than the last.

This time, even Tongtian was stunned. Uncle really knew everything, even this kind of thing?

Jiang Ziya couldn't believe it. "No, impossible. My teacher once said that if I complete the Investiture of the Gods, I can reserve a divine position for myself in the future."

"Heh, how do you know if what your teacher said is true? You and Shen Gongbao went up the mountain to learn the arts together, why are you the only one to carry out the Investiture of the Gods? Why did Yuanshi Tianzun choose you? Because you are obedient, and obedient pawns are ultimately discarded."

Jiang Ziya said unhappily, "I respect you as a senior, but if you slander my teacher like this, don't blame me for getting angry!"

Wang Yuan shook his head. "Alas, if you don't believe it, so be it. Do you know why you can't cultivate?"

"My teacher said I... have no immortal affinity (yuan), and can only enjoy worldly riches."

"Hahaha, what a joke, this is simply the biggest joke in the world!"

A hint of mockery appeared in Wang Yuan's eyes. "That's because Yuanshi Tianzun deliberately made it difficult for you to achieve immortality, so you could carry out the Investiture of the Gods. Is it not the case that you are the only one with low cultivation on the entire Kunlun Mountain? How could he, a Saint, have no way to help you become an immortal?"

Jiang Ziya was stunned, unable to speak. At the same time, he secretly began to doubt.

Could it be true?

But would his teacher really deceive him?

"Your talent was taken away by Yuanshi Tianzun, so no matter how many immortal pills and spiritual medicines you eat, you cannot become an immortal."

Jiang Ziya's body stiffened. "No... impossible!"

"Impossible? You've cultivated for decades and haven't become an immortal, don't you know the reason? You're really stubborn."

Jiang Ziya really wasn't enlightened, especially since Wang Yuan knew the direction of the Investiture of the Gods, and felt that Jiang Ziya was sometimes stubbornly lacking in thought and reasoning. Back then, Zhou Wang promised him an official position in Great Shang, but Jiang Ziya was rebellious and left without even greeting the people from the Chan Sect.

To the Human Emperor, he was disloyal.

Then he raised troops to rebel.

To the people, he was unkind.

Later, he went everywhere to ask for reinforcements, causing many deaths in the Chan Sect and Intercept Sect, which was unjust.