I Am King Zhou, Human Emperor!

To be honest, before he transmigrated into King Zhou, he already had two children—Yin Jiao and Yin Hong.

Yin Jiao was thirteen this year, not yet an adult, but hardly a child anymore.

With Yin Jiao overseeing the state, Grand Tutor Wen assisting in governance, and Bi Gan providing support, matters in Chaoge City would be stable.

With him leading the campaign personally, all hidden threats would surface on their own, while Grand Tutor Wen holding down Chaoge City would keep things from spiraling out of control.

"If that's the case, it's workable! But the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea are no simple matter—the King must be cautious!" Grand Tutor Wen said.

By saying this, he had essentially agreed to the King's personal campaign. Bi Gan and Huang Feihu exchanged a glance but found no further words to add.

"The Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea are indeed no pushovers, but Great Shang has no shortage of capable men and extraordinary talents!" Zi Shou said.

For one thing, in the original Canonization of the Gods, Grand Tutor Wen spent over a decade subduing those same Seventy-Two Route Lords.

If the Seventy-Two Route Lords were easy, could they have held out so long against Grand Tutor Wen?

But precisely because of this, he was all the more determined to lead the campaign himself—to see who truly stood behind the Seventy-Two Route Lords.

That said, he wasn't arrogant. For this campaign, he had summoned the San Shan Pass General to march with the army.

With that general present, no matter how great the abilities of the Seventy-Two Route Lords, they couldn't stir up any trouble.

After discussing the matter in detail with Grand Tutor Wen and the others, Bi Gan and Huang Feihu were finally somewhat reassured.

Once the three had left, he formally issued the decree for the personal campaign.

"No one would ever guess that I won't lose—at least, not now," Zi Shou murmured to himself.

There were many reasons for leading the campaign himself, but one he had not shared with Grand Tutor Wen and the others.

The Canonization of the Gods was set, but Great Shang still had about twenty years of national fortune—this was something the Nuwa Saint herself had confirmed.

A saint perceives heaven and earth; their words become law. How could it be false?

Even after suffering desecration, Goddess Nüwa, a saint, could do nothing but send the Xuanyuan Tomb Three Demons.

Before Great Shang fell, he was still the Human Sovereign, not the Son of Heaven.

In other words, for these twenty years or so, he would be invincible under heaven.

In the original Canonization, with him as King Zhou running rampant, Great Shang still held on for about twenty years.

Now, just because he was leading a personal campaign, would Great Shang fall early?

Since even the saints had acknowledged so-called Heaven's Mandate, what did he have to fear?

In these twenty years or so, he might as well turn heaven and earth upside down!

If he didn't fight, he would die. If he fought, there might be hope—this truth wasn't hard to grasp.

Since he had to fight, he couldn't afford to be timid!

Stake it all like a storm, swift and thunderous, cutting a path to a bright and clear world!

The decision to lead the campaign was made, but he couldn't just leave at once—many arrangements still needed to be handled.

By the time things were mostly settled, the San Shan Pass General and the Chen Tang Pass General had arrived.

While waiting to be summoned, both generals felt a measure of curiosity.

In particular, Chen Tang Pass General Li Jing—Chen Tang Pass was remote, on the coast of the Eastern Sea, and he himself was hardly renowned.

How did the King know of him? Not only had he summoned him to Chaoge City, but he also wanted him to join the campaign against the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea?

Though full of doubts, since the King had summoned him, he had no choice but to come.

After waiting for some time, he and the other San Shan Pass General were called before the King.

"Li Jing, I hear you once trained under a sage and are no ordinary talent. This time, I will put you to good use in the campaign!"

Li Jing himself was remarkable, but his sons were even more so, with tangled ties to Chanjiao.

His eldest son, Jin Zha, studied under Manjushri Guangfa Tianzun; his second son studied under Puxian Zhenren; and his soon-to-be-born third son, Nezha, would study under Taiyi Zhenren.

Manjushri Guangfa Tianzun, Puxian Zhenren, and Taiyi Zhenren—all three were among the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chanjiao.

With such a Li Jing, how could he dare to use him?

But even if he didn't use Li Jing, Li Jing and his sons would eventually defect to Xiqi anyway.

Rather than that, it was better to keep Li Jing right under his nose.

"I shall follow the King's command! Li Jing will give his all, sparing no effort to live up to the King's trust!" Li Jing said.

This was a meteoric rise! Being entrusted with such a heavy responsibility by the King was naturally a great joy.

A scholar dies for one who appreciates him! Li Jing, unaware of the Canonization of the Gods, felt deep gratitude for the ruler's favor.

"I hear your wife is with child. When is the child due?"

This was naturally to win Li Jing over, but if it were only Li Jing, he wouldn't go this far.

Li Jing was important, but his soon-to-be-born son was even more so.

"My wife is indeed pregnant, but as for when the child will be born, Your Servant does not know!"

Li Jing was slightly taken aback; he never expected the King to know his wife was expecting.

This undoubtedly showed that the King truly valued him, otherwise he wouldn't have known about such a trivial matter.

But when it came to this matter, he found himself in a difficult spot, because he had no idea how to explain it.

"Ten months of pregnancy—how could you not know when the child is due?" Zi Shou said.

He naturally understood what was going on. Although Nezha had not yet been born, he had already displayed all sorts of extraordinary signs.

Moreover, it was precisely because he knew Nezha hadn't been born yet that he had ordered Li Jing to accompany the army on the campaign.

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. My wife conceived over two years ago, but the child has yet to be born!" Li Jing quickly said.

This was the reason for his hesitation—the matter was simply too bizarre to speak of.

Ten months of pregnancy was the norm, yet his wife had been pregnant for over two years without the child being born.

This matter could be taken lightly or seriously. If someone chose to make an issue of it, his unborn child might well be branded a demon.

"In ancient times, when sages descended into the world, there were always auspicious signs. By this token, this child is surely extraordinary and will one day bring prosperity to our Great Shang! Therefore, once this child is born, he shall be permitted to study in the palace, with the same treatment as the princes!"

After these words were spoken, Li Jing was stunned, staring at the King in disbelief.

A woman pregnant for nearly three years without giving birth was certainly strange.

But how one interpreted it mattered. If a ruler were wary, this would be a demonic omen, to be eradicated without mercy.

Yet in the King's mouth, it became a sign of a sage's arrival, one who would bring prosperity to Great Shang. What could anyone else say?

Moreover, the King had bestowed such an extraordinary honor—truly rare indeed.

Was it because of the unborn child?

No! It was clearly because he valued Li Jing that he granted such favor.

"Your Majesty's grace is beyond my ability to repay. I can only devote my life to serving Great Shang!" Li Jing said, deeply moved.

After offering a few more words of encouragement to Li Jing, Zi Shou let him leave to prepare for the campaign.

Li Jing would never know that what the King truly valued was his unborn child, not Li Jing himself.

Yun Zhongzi had come to Zhaoge, claiming it was to eliminate demons, but in truth, it was to test him.

Moreover, in this Canonization of the Gods, he, as the King of Great Shang, was destined to be an enemy of the Exposition Sect, not a friend.

Sending Li Jing on the campaign and intercepting Nezha along the way was meant to cause some trouble for the Exposition Sect.

At any rate, if it succeeded, all the better; if it failed, he would lose nothing.

"San Shan Pass General Kong Xuan, paying respects to Your Majesty!"

Just as Zi Shou was deep in thought, the San Shan Pass General had arrived for an audience.

Taking a closer look, this man's body was like gold reflecting fire, his armor bright and resplendent, truly imposing and majestic.

And though he said "paying respects," he merely clasped his fists in salute, his frame still standing tall and proud.

Meeting the sovereign without performing a kneeling bow—if the Ministers saw this, there would surely be no shortage of reprimands.

But toward this San Shan Pass General before him, Zi Shou said nothing, nor did his face show any displeasure.

"Kong Xuan, Imperial We have heard that you possess peerless divine abilities and could have roamed freely between heaven and earth. Why, then, do you choose to serve as an official in my Great Shang?"

Facing San Shan Pass General Kong Xuan, he did not beat around the bush but laid everything out plainly.

After all, this was Kong Xuan—one of the few powerhouses beneath the Sages, with a pride as unyielding as bone.

Hearing these words, Kong Xuan was slightly startled and cast a rather surprised glance at the current Human Sovereign of the mortal race.

"Though I possess some divine abilities, I have an unbreakable karmic bond with Great Shang, so it is only right that I protect it," Kong Xuan said.

As one of the few great cultivators beneath the Sages, willing to serve as an official in Great Shang, and only as the General of San Shan Pass, there was naturally a reason.

But some matters, even when facing the King of Great Shang, the current Human Sovereign of the mortal race, he could not directly explain.