This was a test. Jiang Shang's views on the Great Shang of today might reveal something.
"Your Majesty, although some lords have rebelled, they are merely a minor nuisance. Great Shang remains as steady as Mount Tai!
"However, beneath Great Shang's apparent prosperity lie hidden troubles. If they are not taken seriously, they may become a great calamity in the future!" Jiang Shang said.
Before he left the mountain, his master, Yuanshi Tianzun, had told him that though he had no chance at immortality, he would enjoy the blessings of the mortal world and was destined to face a calamity.
His master had spoken to him of the Canonization of the Gods, saying that Cheng Tang's fate was exhausted and the Zhou Clan would rise. Jiang Shang was destined to assist a Wise Ruler and canonize the gods on Heaven's behalf.
After leaving the mountain, he had originally planned to come to Chaoge City and observe the Great Shang of today at close range.
But everything he had seen and heard along the way differed greatly from what he had believed, and his doubts had only grown.
As it happened, the Hall of Talents had been established, and King Zhou was sincerely recruiting worthy men from across the land. After much deliberation, Jiang Shang had entered the Hall.
He had displayed his abilities only to earn an audience with King Zhou and observe the ruler of Great Shang up close.
"Oh? I'd very much like to know what these hidden troubles and great calamities are," Zi Shou said.
Jiang Shang could see that the lords' rebellion was merely a minor nuisance, and could not shake Great Shang at its foundation. That was hardly surprising.
If he lacked even that much insight, he would not be the man destined to canonize the gods on Heaven's behalf and help the Zhou Clan prosper for eight hundred years.
What made Zi Shou curious was that Jiang Shang had brought up Great Shang's hidden troubles and great calamities himself. Why?
"Great Shang's hidden troubles do not lie with the lords, but with the Deities. Revering Heaven and honoring the ancestors is the way to lasting peace and stability!" Jiang Shang said.
Since leaving the mountain, he had learned a great deal about the King Zhou before him.
In his youth, he had been valiant and showed the bearing of a great ruler. After ascending the throne, he had also taken the actions of a wise king.
But later, he had suddenly given himself over to pleasure and become a foolish, immoral ruler. He had even committed a grave offense at the Nüwa Temple.
At that point, it was only natural that he would become a ruler who lost his kingdom. Everything matched what Jiang Shang's master had said.
But events soon took another turn. King Zhou, who had been foolish and immoral, had changed again.
He had executed treacherous ministers, recalled Grand Tutor Wen to court, introduced the Three-Year Development Plan, and led the Imperial Expedition to the North Sea.
Not one of these things seemed like the sort of action a foolish, immoral ruler would take.
After all these measures, Great Shang, which had once been in decline, now showed signs of flourishing once more.
His master had said that Cheng Tang's fate was exhausted. Jiang Shang naturally did not dare doubt a sage's words.
After turning it over in his mind, he suddenly realized there was still one thing King Zhou had done terribly wrong.
On the banks of the Qi River, he had personally slain the Spirit of the Qi Water River and the Mountain God of Taihang Mountain, bringing the conflict between humans and gods into the open for the first time.
As a direct disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun, how could he not know what those Deities in Great Shang truly represented?
In his view, if Cheng Tang's fate had truly run its course, the conflict between humans and gods was undoubtedly the root cause.
By bringing this matter up in front of King Zhou, Jiang Shang was testing him. He needed to know the King's position.
"In My view, offering sacrifices to our ancestors is only right. Without the forebears of the Human Race blazing trails through hardship, we would not have the Human Race of today.
"But revering Heaven is not the same as fearing it, nor is it the same as revering the Deities. These are two different things," Zi Shou said, shaking his head gravely.
Revering Heaven and honoring the ancestors was a legacy rooted in the blood of the Human Race, but he saw it differently.
There was no need to explain honoring the ancestors. Offering sacrifices to the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors and other forebears of the Human Race was one of its most important traditions.
But his understanding of revering Heaven was completely different from Jiang Shang's.
Revering Heaven did not mean fearing it. What one revered was the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, the laws governing the workings of all things.
Following the laws of the Great Dao was something no living being could escape—not even the Human Race.
And revering Heaven and fearing the Deities were entirely different matters. The Deities did not represent Heaven.
They were merely Deities invested by the Heavenly Court. At the end of the day, they were simply living beings who had cultivated and gained power.
Their strength could certainly inspire fear, but it could not make people look up to them!
"How can humans hope to win against the gods?" Jiang Shang asked gravely.
Just a few words were enough for him to sense the strength and imperiousness of the King before him.
But what moved him most was the man's heartfelt confidence and unwavering conviction.
They were Deities, after all! They could summon the wind and rain, move mountains and fill seas. Turning the world upside down was nothing to them.
For mortals, revering the Deities should have been a natural instinct, something that came from the heart.
Yet in this King's eyes, the Deities were nothing to fear. He had even personally slain them.
How could he dare?
What kind of courage did it take for a mere mortal to try to shake the Deities?
"Are humans inferior to the gods? I once heard the Grand Tutor say that people could wield the power of the Deities too—and even surpass them!" Zi Shou said.
In the eyes of mortals, the Deities were lofty and seemed almost omnipotent. But they had not been born divine.
Ordinary people could gain the power of the Deities through cultivation. So what was there to fear?
Of course, Zi Shou understood that after learning about the Canonization of the Gods, Jiang Shang meant more than just the Deities.
The Deities were only the surface. The true calamity was that the Canonization of the Gods had already been decided!
The fate of Great Shang and his own fate had already been determined in the eyes of the All Gods and Buddhas.
Rather than resisting the Deities, it was a struggle against a predetermined fate. How could he possibly win?
But he had no choice. For the sake of the Human Race, and for himself, he had to fight.
"Your Majesty, rest assured. We can slay mere Deities ourselves!" Yuan Hong suddenly said.
As he listened to the King and Jiang Shang speak, he sensed the King's great courage and couldn't help feeling glad he had made his choice.
Now, all they needed was to resolve the awkwardness surrounding their identities, and they could truly become part of Great Shang.
Jiang Shang remained calm on the surface, but couldn't help sighing inwardly. He knew he would not be able to persuade the King before him.
Their differing beliefs meant they were destined to choose entirely different paths.
"Good! You are all men of extraordinary talent. Since you are willing to serve Great Shang, I will not treat you unfairly," Zi Shou said.
As a Chan Sect Disciple, Jiang Shang had been deeply influenced by the Chan Sect and revered his master, Yuanshi Tianzun, as a god.
Changing Jiang Shang's way of thinking was not entirely impossible, but it certainly could not be done overnight.
Should he take this opportunity to kill Jiang Shang?
He had considered it, but didn't think he had any chance of success.
As a man chosen by Heaven's Mandate, Jiang Shang had who knew how many eyes watching him. How could he be killed so easily?
If Zi Shou acted on his murderous intent and Yuanshi Tianzun, a Sage, immediately appeared before him, he wouldn't find it strange.
It would be better to keep Jiang Shang by his side for now. Even if he couldn't change Jiang Shang's views, he could still be useful in other ways.
As for Yuan Hong and the other two demons, though they came from the Yao Race, they might truly be of use to him and become an asset to Great Shang.
"I won't hide it from Your Majesty. The three of us are from the Yao Race. Will Your Majesty still accept us?" Yuan Hong asked.
His expression didn't change as he spoke, but there was a hint of hope in his eyes.
By choosing to come to the Hall of Talents, he had already made his decision. Now came the final hurdle.
Would King Zhou, who had just slain members of the Yao Race in the North Sea, accept them?
"As long as you haven't shed the blood of the Human Race and abide by Great Shang's laws from this day onward, I can accept any race!"
He wasn't saying this only to Yuan Hong and the other two demons. He was saying it to every living being under Heaven. It was also an idea he had reached after careful consideration.
Of all the living beings in the world, the Human Race was only one. There were also the Dragon Clan, the Yao Race, the Phoenix Clan...
If they had shed the blood of the Human Race, there was nothing more to say. They had to pay for blood with blood.
But what of those who had never harmed the Human Race and bore it goodwill?
The Human Race's fortune was flourishing now, beyond that of any other race, but that didn't mean the Human Race could slaughter all the others.
The sea embraces a hundred rivers; that is what makes it great!
As long as they stood with the Human Race and obeyed its laws, he could treat every living being under Heaven equally.
"Thank you for your graciousness, Your Majesty!" Yuan Hong and the other two demons said, bowing.
The King's willingness to accept them despite their Yao Race origins had already surpassed their expectations.
They weren't immediately devoted to him, but their view of the current King had quietly begun to change.
"From this day onward, all four of you are ministers of Great Shang. I hope you'll each put your talents to use and help Great Shang flourish together!" Zi Shou said.
There was no need for him to decide how to assign roles to Yuan Hong and the other two demons and Jiang Shang. The ministers would see to it.
After watching Yuan Hong and the other two demons thank the King and leave, Zi Shou wore a thoughtful expression. For now, he still didn't fully trust them.
Why would members of the Yao Race come willingly to serve in the Human Race's government?
He didn't believe that a mere government post would hold much appeal for the Meishan Seven Saints.
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