Learning the Cause

Lu Chuan's goal was now clear: to cultivate until he attained the Dao and became an immortal, thereby gaining eternal life and living in carefree freedom.

Longevity meant a long, extended lifespan.

If one truly attained such longevity, how would one spend those endless years?

Lu Chuan had never thought about it, but there was no doubt that living longer meant having the opportunity to do many things that others could never finish in a single lifetime.

"Disciple, close the door. We aren't opening for business today."

Shen Gongbao glanced at the bustling street, then turned and walked into the shop's backyard.

Lu Chuan, upon hearing this, was about to ask what they would eat if they didn't open, but he immediately remembered that Shen Gongbao had bought this shop with a single lump sum.

This was a wealthy man.

At the very least, he was a man who knew how to make money, unlike Jiang Ziya, who had nowhere to go after descending the mountain and could only rely on Song Yiren.

Although Jiang Ziya possessed Daoist arts, he was too rigid and did not know how to make a living.

Because he was under Song Yiren's protection, he didn't end up destitute, but later, when he followed Ma's suggestion to go into business, the result was that everything he touched failed and every venture lost money, leading to constant quarrels between the couple.

By comparison, following Old Shen was a more lucrative prospect; at the very least, he lived well and could navigate both the underworld and the righteous paths with ease.

Lu Chuan quickly closed the shop door and headed to the backyard.

There was a well in the yard, along with three rooms, one of which was a kitchen.

"Sit!"

Shen Gongbao was sitting cross-legged in the yard with his eyes closed on a cattail hassock. There was another empty hassock opposite him, and sensing Lu Chuan's arrival, he gestured toward it.

Lu Chuan walked over and sat down, and the moment he did, Shen Gongbao suddenly opened his eyes.

"Didn't you ask why your master would teach you military strategy regarding that great tribulation?"

Shen Gongbao said in a deep voice, "Then I shall tell you. This matter must begin with your dozen or so martial uncles..."

As expected, Shen Gongbao spoke of how the twelve immortals of the Exposition Sect had cultivated for many years yet failed to sever their three corpses, thus becoming entangled in the karma of slaughter.

A tribulation of slaughter meant that one had to use killing to overcome the tribulation.

At this time, the Heavenly Court had no one to use, so Haotian the God ordered the twelve high immortals to pay homage to the Heavenly Court, but the Primordial Heavenly Lord was unwilling.

Thus, the Human, Exposition, and Jie Sects discussed the matter together and compiled the positions for the eight divisions and three hundred and sixty-five Orthodox Gods.

"The List of Conferred Gods..."

Lu Chuan was lost in thought. "So it was my twelve martial uncles who caused this."

"You are wrong. That is merely a catalyst!"

Shen Gongbao corrected him. "A catalyst that triggered this great tribulation."

"A catalyst?"

"Firstly, the Cheng Tang dynasty is destined to fall; secondly, the Zhou Dynasty is destined to rise; thirdly, immortals must face this tribulation; and fourthly, the divine positions in heaven are vacant, the three realms are in chaos, and there is an urgent need for gods to manage the human world..."

Shen Gongbao sighed, "Your twelve martial uncles just happened to be the ones who caught up to it. Even if they weren't entangled in the karma of slaughter, this tribulation would have been triggered by some other cause."

"Oh!"

"This matter of conferring gods is under the full authority of your grandmaster, the Primordial Heavenly Lord. But how could he, in his divine state, descend to the human world in person? Therefore, he will surely find a disciple to act on his behalf."

Shen Gongbao continued, "Your twelve martial uncles are already caught in the tribulation due to the karma of slaughter, so naturally, they cannot handle this.

Your martial uncle Nanji is already a subject of the Heavenly Court, so he cannot be responsible either. Therefore, this task belongs to none other than your master."

As he said this, a confident smile appeared on his face.

Hearing this, Lu Chuan was stunned.

What?

Are you saying you think you are the one who will act on behalf of the heavens to confer the gods?

Master, this matter hasn't been decided yet. Where does this confidence of yours come from?

"Master, there is also Martial Uncle Jiang..."

Lu Chuan whispered a reminder, feeling very anxious inside.

No, he had to find a way to dispel his master's delusional confidence, otherwise, when the candidate was finally chosen, the blow to such a proud man would be unimaginable.

"Him?"

Shen Gongbao suddenly laughed and said, "Disciple, you have named the most unlikely person."

"Why?"

Looking at the incredulous Shen Gongbao, Lu Chuan asked hurriedly.

"You don't know this, but the Exposition Sect has many disciples, and your Martial Uncle Jiang is considered the one with the poorest foundation and talent."

Shen Gongbao laughed, "He spent forty years studying the Dao at Kunlun and only reached the level of Spirit Transformation. Aside from your martial uncles Nanji, Yun Zhongzi, and the twelve immortals, I am currently the best in the Exposition Sect.

Whether it is in terms of foundation and talent, Daoist practice and arts, or the knowledge in one's heart... no matter how you look at it, it should be my turn."

Lu Chuan was dumbfounded.

This was a matter under the purview of your master, the Primordial Heavenly Lord; whom he chose for the task was entirely up to his own whim, so how could you calculate it like this?

However...

What you say actually makes some sense.

"Therefore, as your master, I must not only impart to you the arts of the Dao and martial skills, but also the methods of leading troops and fighting wars, hoping that you will be able to lend me a hand when the time comes."

Shen Gongbao smiled and continued, "If our master and disciple join forces to support a wise ruler, we shall be appointed as prime ministers and generals, achieving a reputation that will last through the ages. It will not have been in vain for me to harbor such talent in my breast."

"So that is how it is, so that is how it is..."

Lu Chuan muttered in a daze. If things went according to Shen Gongbao's plan, it would indeed be perfect.

But he knew that all these plans and schemes could only ever remain Shen Gongbao's beautiful dream.

Plans often fail to keep up with changes.

The one who would ultimately confer the gods would not be Shen Gongbao, but Jiang Ziya, the very person he deemed the least likely to be his rival.

"Master, since you are already an enlightened immortal who has attained eternal life, why bother chasing after fame and fortune?"

Lu Chuan tried to persuade him, "What is so good about being in charge of the List of Conferred Gods? Why must you fight for it!"

"Hmph, spineless!"

Shen Gongbao snorted, stood up, and walked into his room, leaving Lu Chuan behind to smile bitterly.

"I understand, I understand almost everything now."

Why Shen Gongbao, who originally had good relations with his fellow disciples, would eventually fall out with the Exposition Sect, stand at odds with Jiang Ziya, and turn into bitter enemies.

It seemed the crux of the matter lay entirely in this List of Conferred Gods.

"Then what should I do?"

Lu Chuan pondered. Judging by his master's demeanor just now, he was clearly determined to obtain the List of Conferred Gods.

Of course, in all fairness, Lu Chuan also felt that Shen Gongbao would be better suited to hold the List of Conferred Gods than Jiang Ziya.

With Shen Gongbao's abilities, the process of assisting the Zhou Dynasty in overthrowing Zhou of Shang would be much easier, and even if they encountered difficulties, he could find helpers from all over the world.

At the very least, he wouldn't be like Jiang Ziya, who couldn't resolve many things on his own.

Furthermore, the beginning and the end of the conferring of gods were entirely controlled by the Primordial Heavenly Lord, so regardless of whether Jiang Ziya or Shen Gongbao undertook the task, the final result would be the same.

However...

If Shen Gongbao were to do it, he wouldn't recruit so many strange people and extraordinary beings, and thus wouldn't be able to fill all the divine positions on the List of Conferred Gods.

Therefore, this task could only be done by the one person Shen Gongbao least expected, so as to strike at him and drive them to become bitter enemies...

Whether it was Shen Gongbao or Jiang Ziya, they were both like black and white pieces on a chessboard, being manipulated by an invisible hand.

But...

Lu Chuan looked up at the sky in a daze.

Even if he knew all this, what of it? What could he, in his current state, possibly do?

He could do nothing.