King Zhou looked at Su Hu, who was prostrate on the ground and determined to resign, his heart full of guilt and remorse, and fell into a slight, inward silence.
Su Hu had been loyal and brave all his life, spending half of it guarding Yin Shang's borders. This rebellion had been forced upon him by the calculations of the sages; he had had no choice in the matter. He had already suffered injustice and grievance. If King Zhou truly let him return home in loneliness and spend the rest of his life with regret, it would be far too cold-hearted.
Now that the realm had only just been settled, this was precisely the time to display the Human Emperor's magnanimity and consideration for the loyal and virtuous. How could he treat a loyal minister so unfairly?
At this thought, a gentle smile curved King Zhou's lips. He slowly spoke, his voice soothing.
"My beloved minister, I have joyous news to tell you.
"The beloved daughter you have been worrying over, Daji, has not died, nor has her soul been extinguished. Once the Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods has completely ended and the calamity is over, on the day you return home, father and daughter may naturally meet again."
Those words were like a sudden clap of thunder, exploding beside the ears of Su Hu and his son!
Both men stiffened all over and raised their heads to look at King Zhou, their eyes filled with dazed disbelief and astonishment. They spoke blankly:
"Your Majesty... Daji is not dead?"
King Zhou's expression was certain, and he nodded lightly.
That brief confirmation instantly shattered the sorrow, guilt, and despair that had been pressing down on Su Hu's heart for years.
All these years, he had heard that his daughter