Yuan Hong understood at once. The Four Lords were lords too, and the rebellious lords had the support of Deities. Did the Four Lords have any Deities backing them?
Even if the Four Lords had no Deities supporting them, they were still a destabilizing factor for Great Shang.
By having the Four Lords put down the rebellious lords, Great Shang could reap the benefits regardless of the outcome.
"Rest assured, Your Majesty. If the Four Lords show even the slightest sign of unrest, I'll crush them along with the others!" Yuan Hong said.
Whether they were Deities, the Four Lords, or the rebellious lords, they were all little more than straw dogs in his eyes.
The King valued him, and since he was going to war, he would naturally do everything in his power to show the King what he could do.
If he could settle the fate of the realm in one battle, he wouldn't have come to serve as an official in Great Shang for nothing. Perhaps he could even achieve what he had come for.
"There's no need to destroy the Four Lords. If they show any signs of unrest, bring them back to Zhaoge under arrest," Zi Shou said.
Judging by the situation, aside from Xiqi, which seemed to have ties to the Deities, the other three lords appeared to have none backing them.
But that was only what things looked like on the surface. No one knew whether the three lords and the rebellious lords were putting on a show.
Even in Xiqi's case, it was hard to say whether any Deities were backing them at this point.
Xiqi would become Great Zhou in the future, but Heaven's Mandate had not yet descended. Nothing was certain.
"Rest assured, Your Majesty. I will not disappoint you!" Yuan Hong said.
Facing the Deities, the rebellion of the lords, and the Four Lords, he was not the least bit worried. If anything, he was eager to test himself.
The more complicated the situation and the stronger his opponents, the better he could demonstrate his abilities.
"Here is an Imperial Edict written by my own hand. If any Deity intervenes while you're putting down the rebellion, read it aloud," Zi Shou said.
The bright yellow Imperial Edict was written by his own hand. He had prepared it long ago and was simply waiting for Yuan Hong to arrive.
To him, this was no longer a rebellion of the lords. It was the beginning of a conflict between humans and Deities.
Without a proper claim, words carried no authority. As the Human Sovereign, he had to first make the Human Race's position clear in this conflict between humans and Deities.
Reading the Imperial Edict would be like the Human Sovereign himself taking the field. It would establish the proper authority and brand the Deities as a menace to the Human Race.
"Rest assured, Your Majesty. I'll remember," Yuan Hong said.
He accepted the Imperial Edict, but he still had some doubts.
Deities or lords, it made no difference to him. Once he arrived with his army, he could sweep them all aside.
The lords rebelled? He'd crush them. Deities intervened? He'd kill them.
And he still had to read an Imperial Edict? It seemed like a pointless hassle. What good would it do?
Still, the King had given him his orders. Though he was puzzled, he agreed.
After speaking at length with Yuan Hong, Zi Shou sent him back to make preparations.
He didn't ask Yuan Hong how he planned to deploy his troops or suppress the rebellious lords.
Though he was the king of Great Shang, he didn't need to concern himself with every detail, especially the matter of leading troops into battle.
Since he had entrusted Yuan Hong with the army, he had to trust in Yuan Hong's abilities. All he needed to do was see the final outcome.
"What a benevolent Lord of the West. Let's see how you manage to stay so righteous this time," Zi Shou murmured.
When Marquis Su Hu of Ji Province had rebelled against Great Shang, it was Marquis of the West, Ji Chang, who had repeatedly defended him. That was how Su Hu had ended up offering his daughter in apology.
Now that the lords had rebelled, the other three had suffered defeat after defeat, while the Lord of the West was the only one advancing triumphantly.
And he had fought no bloody battles to speak of. The rebellious lords had simply surrendered of their own accord.
The Lord of the West had gained the armies of those rebellious lords, and their territories had fallen into his hands as well.
As a result, the other three lords had lost troops and suffered heavy casualties, while the Lord of the West had only grown stronger.
More importantly, everyone in Great Shang was now saying that the rebellious lords had surrendered because the Lord of the West was unmatched in benevolence.
Without losing a single soldier, he had gained a tremendous reputation and grown stronger.
Calling the Lord of the West the most powerful lord in Great Shang was no exaggeration. It was a fact.
Xiqi was central to the future Canonization of the Gods and a grave threat to Great Shang. Zi Shou couldn't simply watch it grow stronger step by step.
But if you wanted to take something, you had to first give it.
Though Xiqi seemed to be growing stronger throughout the rebellion, Zi Shou had given them this opportunity. He had already prepared a countermeasure.
Sending Yuan Hong to war was only the first step. From this day on, Xiqi's good days were over.
Great Shang had finally sent troops to put down the rebellion of the lords, but the one leading the army was a nobody.
News of this spread rapidly across the land, and the conflict between humans and Deities began to unfold.
"Big Brother, we have to make the Meishan Seven Saints famous in this campaign. Let everyone see what we can do!"
The speaker was a burly man named Jin Dasheng. Like Yuan Hong, he was one of the Meishan Seven Saints.
After meeting the King and learning that he didn't care that they were Yao, Yuan Hong had finally put his mind at ease.
All seven of the Meishan Seven Saints had joined Great Shang and become its officials, so naturally all of them had come along on this campaign.
Yuan Hong paid little attention to the rebellious lords, and the other six Saints felt the same.
Not only did they vastly outmatch their opponents, they also had complete confidence in their own abilities.
It was only a minor rebellion by a few lords. As they saw it, once they arrived, they could easily take care of it.
The important thing was to make a name for the Meishan Seven Saints. That was how they would establish themselves in Great Shang.
"Exactly. We need to move fast and make this a decisive victory!" Yuan Hong said.
As Yao, they were already in an awkward position among the Human Race, yet the King trusted the Meishan Seven Saints so much.
The King had sent them to war. If they failed to deliver a satisfactory result, how could they face him?
So, from the moment they set out, Yuan Hong had resolved to make this battle shake the world.
Full of confidence, the Meishan Seven Saints led their army at a rapid pace. Before long, they reached the territory of a rebellious lord.
To their surprise, the enemy came to them before they had even launched an attack.
The Meishan Seven Saints were instantly enraged. Their opponents were clearly treating them like a meal laid out on a platter.
And weren't they? Their army was several times larger, yet the enemy had dared to attack them. If that wasn't treating them like a meal, what was?
The Meishan Seven Saints had already wanted to make a name for themselves in battle. This situation suited them perfectly.
There was nothing more to say. They couldn't back down now, and they chose to fight without hesitation.
With the armies arrayed and weapons ready, the Meishan Seven Saints were brimming with confidence about the coming battle.
But just then, an immense power rose up. The earth began to shake, and a towering figure appeared.
"So that's why they're so arrogant. They have someone backing them!" Yuan Hong said disdainfully.
To ordinary humans, that immense power and towering figure looked like a Heavenly God.
But they were the Meishan Seven Saints, powerful Yao in their own right. How could they not know what they were looking at?
That vast aura and towering figure belonged to nothing more than a Mountain God.
A Mountain God appointed by the Heavenly Court governed the mountain ranges of a region. Not only was his cultivation formidable, he could also move mountains and shift the earth.
With a Deity's help, it was no wonder that rebellious lord had dared to be so bold. He probably believed this battle was already won.
How could they lose?
With a Deity's help, what suspense could there be in fighting a mere mortal army?
"This land is under my protection. You aid King Zhou in his evil deeds. Surrender at once!"
His booming voice echoed across the land. Countless people of the Human Race were shaken, and fear rose in their hearts.
Yuan Hong, however, was furious. What had he just heard? The Mountain God had said they were aiding King Zhou in his evil deeds.
"Zhou" could only mean the King. What an outrageous slander! And where did that leave the rest of them?
"How dare you! You're only a Mountain God, yet you make such wild claims here. Today, I, Yuan Hong, will cut down you and your false divinity!"
Yuan Hong stepped forward and rose into the air, gripping the One Qi Water and Fire Rod, his fury blazing.
His aura was in no way inferior to the Mountain God's. In fact, it far surpassed it, shaking the land and shattering the sky.
His fury had reached its peak. A ruler's humiliation was a subject's death warrant. Only blood could wash away such slander against the King.
"Who are you? Don't you know I'm a Deity appointed by the Heavenly Court? How dare you act so recklessly?"
His voice still boomed, but he was clearly putting on a brave face. He had evidently sensed Yuan Hong's strength.
With Yuan Hong's power, unmatched below the Golden Immortal realm, a mere Mountain God like him was no match.
Still, though he was wary, the thought that he was a Deity appointed by the Heavenly Court put him somewhat at ease.
What did it matter if Yuan Hong was stronger?
He had powerful backing. With the Heavenly Court behind him, even someone stronger than him would have to show it some respect.
Besides, he wasn't acting on his own authority this time. He was carrying out the Jade Emperor's orders. Who would dare do anything to him?
Before you continue