Yin Shang, Chaoge.
As soon as Wen Zhong returned, he went to see King Zhou, Di Xin.
Boom!
With a casual wave of Di Xin's hand, the Kongtong Seal released countless streams of meritorious energy, shrouding the entire hall.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
"Rise, Grand Preceptor. What exactly did the Saint want when he summoned you?"
Only after helping Wen Zhong up did Di Xin ask the question he could no longer hold back.
Wen Zhong did not hesitate. He gave a brief account of what Tongtian had said.
After hearing him out, Di Xin fell silent.
He was the Human King-and, more importantly, the Martial Emperor.
Naturally, he understood the situation within and beyond Yin Shang all too well. He knew that this was no time to raise an army.
Given another ten or so years, Di Xin could have resolved every internal threat. After that, he would have had no reason to fear the surrounding feudal lords.
But now, others refused to give him that time!
Meanwhile.
Seeing Di Xin's expression, Wen Zhong could no longer hold his tongue.
"Your Majesty, please do not take this the wrong way. Saint Tongtian has already done everything in his power."
"To put it bluntly, twenty years ago, when you visited the Nuwa Temple, you had already fallen prey to a scheme."
"Imagine what would have happened without Saint Tongtian's intervention. Yin Shang's fortune would have plummeted in an instant, and Xiqi might well have rebelled long ago."
"These twenty years were the most Saint Tongtian could secure for Yin Shang."
"After all, there are many Saints in this world. Xiqi has four on its side-the Two Sages of the West, Yuanshi, and Nuwa-while our Interception Sect has only Saint Tongtian."
"The investiture calamity was ordained by the Heavenly Dao and announced by Old Ancestor Hongjun himself. No one can stop it. Even Saint Tongtian has his limits."
Of course he had to explain on Tongtian's behalf.
Though he was Yin Shang's Grand Preceptor, he was also a disciple of the Interception Sect.
What was more, the Interception Sect alone was struggling to support Yin Shang now.
He certainly did not want a rift to form between Di Xin and Saint Tongtian. If that happened, they would truly be finished.
After hearing Wen Zhong's explanation, Di Xin hastily waved his hand.
"You worry too much, Grand Preceptor. I have always respected Saint Tongtian. I meant nothing of the sort."
"I fell silent only because Yin Shang's road is so hard. The Interception Sect still stands willing to support us. I, Di Xin, can only be grateful."
"It is Heaven that refuses to grant me time. And four Saints!"
"Heh. They certainly think highly of Yin Shang."
At this point, Di Xin's face darkened, and his eyes filled with murderous intent.
He was no cultivator, but he still knew what a Saint represented!
Four Saints stood with Xiqi, while he had only one on his side.
As the Human King, how could Di Xin hear this news without fury?
He wanted to ask Heaven what he had done wrong.
Why did it treat Yin Shang so cruelly?
Wen Zhong naturally noticed the change in Di Xin. Knowing that the news must have dealt him a heavy blow, he hurried to speak.
"Your Majesty need not despair. Our Interception Sect has ten thousand immortals paying court. Even if the Chan Sect and the Western Teachings join forces, we have nothing to fear."
"When Yin Shang marches to punish Xiqi for its crimes, the Interception Sect will send its experts to help. Your Majesty need not worry."
"Nor need you fear those four Saints. Saints cannot intervene lightly in the first place, and even if they do, our Saint Tongtian will not fear them."
"Twenty years ago, the Four Saints forced Saint Tongtian to sign the Investiture of the Gods List. Yet in the end, did he not rout all four of them?"
At these words, Di Xin's eyes lit up.
That incident had spread throughout the Primordial World, so of course Di Xin had heard of it.
He simply had not taken it to heart. Only now, with Wen Zhong's reminder, did he suddenly realize its significance.
Yin Shang did indeed have only one Saint behind it, but that Saint was the strongest fighter of them all.
"I understand."
Di Xin drew a deep breath before speaking again. "In that case, prepare to act."
"Send men to place Weizi, Bi Gan, Bo Yikao, Ji Chang, and the others under covert surveillance."
"Also, have E Lai gather the troops in secret. Once the army is assembled and its provisions are ready, kill those bastards on the day we march!"
Wen Zhong bowed and accepted his orders.
E Lai was an ancestor of the later Qin Shi Huang.
Although he was not particularly famous in the war of the investiture of the gods, he was among the ministers Di Xin valued most.
As for fierce generals like Huang Feihu, Di Xin would use them, but he would not trust them with important matters.
The account of the war of the investiture of the gods claimed that Huang Feihu rebelled because King Zhou was a lawless tyrant.
In truth, however, Huang Feihu was himself a noble. His family had served Yin Shang as generals for seven generations, and their power had long since become immense.
His father, Huang Gun, in particular, was a veteran commander guarding the frontier.
How could someone like that stand beside Di Xin, a king who intended to eliminate the nobility?
Wen Zhong nodded his assent.
Over the days that followed, all of Yin Shang began moving at full speed.
Di Xin had not been bewitched by Daji, so he remained the wise and formidable Martial Emperor.
With the cooperation of Wen Zhong, who had served four generations as Grand Preceptor, vast quantities of provisions were moved and troops assembled without attracting anyone's attention.
Weizi, Bi Gan, Bo Yikao, Ji Chang, and the other important ministers who favored Xiqi-or belonged to Xiqi in the first place-were now placed under strict surveillance.
Yet even this went unnoticed.
It had to be said that, without Daji's bewitchment, Di Xin truly was a wise and formidable ruler.
Time slowly passed.
After roughly three months, all the preparations were finally complete.
At a grand court assembly, Wen Zhong struck first, presenting a mountain of evidence.
It all proved that Xiqi was indeed preparing to rebel, and that ministers such as Weizi and Bi Gan had already planted their backsides firmly on Xiqi's side.
They ate Yin Shang's grain, yet their backsides leaned toward Xiqi.
Di Xin immediately flew into a rage. He had the whole group arrested and beheaded on the spot.
Then he read a proclamation at the altar and launched a punitive campaign against Xiqi.
Ji Fa of Xiqi was shocked by the news. Jiang Ziya could no longer spare any thought for hunting traitors. He hurried to mobilize his men and formally raised the banner of resistance against Yin Shang's tyranny.
Unfortunately, Di Xin had shown Nuwa no disrespect, nor had he conspired with Daji to murder his ministers.
The accusation of tyranny therefore held no water.
Their dry proclamation of condemnation was no better than a fart.
To pile frost upon Xiqi's snow, the recent hunt for traitors had offended every newcomer who had sought refuge there, as well as some of its original people.
By now, almost all the newcomers had fled.
Even many of Xiqi's original people had left.
There was nothing to be done about it. Yin Shang had yet to lose its virtue, and its fortune ran even deeper than it had twenty years earlier.
Under such circumstances, a forced campaign against Yin Shang could never win much support.
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