"Im... Imperial Tutor?"
Da Ji's face filled with shock. She had never imagined that the one who saved her would be Gu Changqing.
"You're Imperial Tutor Gu Changqing?"
"Gu Changqing, the Intercepting Sect's last disciple?"
Nüwa withdrew her power and looked up at Gu Changqing.
Gu Changqing gave a slight bow. "Gu Changqing, Imperial Tutor of the Human Race, pays respects to the Human Ancestor."
Nüwa was, after all, the Human Ancestor. Gu Changqing did not wish to neglect proper etiquette.
"You have some nerve, meddling in my family affairs."
Gu Changqing smiled. "Without a little courage, I would not dare defy Heaven. When the Human Ancestor disciplines other demons, that is the Human Race's family affair. But Da Ji is the Human King's consort. Her affairs are also affairs of the mortal world."
Nüwa said coldly, "Sharp-tongued. If you wish to defy Heaven, you must possess the ability to do so."
Gu Changqing smiled. "I have long heard that the Human Ancestor's Creation Dao is exquisitely profound. Changqing is untalented, but I too cultivate the Creation Dao."
As Gu Changqing spoke, he slowly extended a finger, and the Creation Dao continuously unfolded.
At first, it was merely an egg-sized sphere formed from ordinary Creation Laws.
Nüwa was not particularly surprised. She was only curious how Tong Tian's disciple cultivated the Creation Dao.
As Gu Changqing continued evolving it, the Creation Laws returned to one. Then one gave birth to two, two gave birth to three, and three gave birth to all things...
Shock gradually appeared in Nüwa's eyes.
Within that egg-sized space, yin and yang qi soon emerged. Yang qi rose, yin qi sank, and they evolved into Heaven and Earth.
Afterward came the qi of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.
The qi of the five elements generated and restrained one another, giving rise to all manner of laws.
Once the laws became abundant and balanced, the aura of living beings began to emerge within the small space.
Having evolved it to this point, Gu Changqing stopped and instead smiled. "Can the Human Ancestor evolve it in this manner?"
Beads of sweat appeared on Nüwa's cheeks.
She had been frightened!
She knew Gu Changqing was extraordinary, but she had never expected him to be this terrifying!
This was no longer an art of creation. It was an art of opening Heaven.
In other words, so long as Gu Changqing went into the chaos, he could completely open up a world of his own.
And unlike Great God Pan Gu, he would not need to exhaust himself to death and transform into all things.
"I... I cannot!"
Nüwa had never imagined that the Creation Dao could create laws. She had always believed that Creation Laws were merely one of the Three Thousand Laws.
The Creation Dao Hong Jun had passed down to her was only a type of Creation Law, one among the Three Thousand Laws.
So this was the true Creation Dao!
That Small World had opened up an entirely new world for Nüwa.
Seeing that Nüwa had been subdued, Gu Changqing continued, "The mortal world cannot be without a Human King, and Great Shang cannot fall. From today onward, the mortal world will no longer be livestock for the Saints."
After speaking, Gu Changqing walked over to Da Ji and added, "Di Xin has you in his heart. Take care of yourself."
With that, he walked out of Wa Palace.
"Do not go to the mortal world again. The Human Race will walk its own path, and it will not forget the Human Ancestor's merits."
The small sphere Gu Changqing left behind eventually evolved into those words.
Nüwa remained silent for a long time. Gu Changqing's strength far surpassed hers.
He had not become a Saint, yet he was the Primordial World's first Mixed Origin Great Luo Golden Immortal.
What a Tong Tian, what an Intercepting Sect, what a Gu Changqing!
Nüwa sighed, picked up the small sphere, and walked deeper into Wa Palace.
Da Ji looked once at Wa Palace, then once at the mortal world, before ultimately choosing to remain in Wa Palace.
Though she could not bear to leave the mortal world, Wa Palace was her home and her final resting place.
On the second day of the second month, the dragon raised its head.
Dragon Virtue Hall.
The place where Di Xin held court.
Dragon Virtue Hall faced south from the north.
Di Xin had prepared another dragon throne on the eastern side of his own throne. That dragon throne had been prepared for fifteen years, yet no one had ever sat upon it.
The previously arrogant Da Ji had sat upon his dragon throne, but never upon that one.
Anyone who touched that dragon throne never lived to see the next day's sun.
Whenever Di Xin attended court, he would give that dragon throne a slight bow.
No one knew why, nor did anyone know for whom that dragon throne had been reserved.
That day, a stranger entered Dragon Virtue Hall.
He was in his twenties, dressed in purple robes, handsome and composed, with an air of calm indifference.
"Who is this? How dare he barge into Dragon Virtue Hall?"
"Does he not know of the Great King's punishment of the burning pillar?"
"What a waste of such a handsome face."
Gu Changqing paid no attention to the ministers' whispers and chose a quiet corner to stand in.
As Great Shang's Imperial Tutor, it did seem a little excessive for him not to attend court for fifteen years.
Hearing the ministers' murmurs, Wen Zhong at the front said coldly, "How can there be such clamor in court?"
After Wen Zhong rebuked them, the court fell silent.
Within the court, Wen Zhong was the absolute authority. Even Fei Lian and E Lai had to give him some face.
Of course, Fei Lian and E Lai did not fear him as a third-generation disciple of the Intercepting Sect. They merely yielded to him out of respect for Gu Changqing.
"The Great King arrives!"
At the announcement, Di Xin strode into the main hall with the bearing of a dragon and tiger.
"Greetings, Great King!"
As the ministers cried out their salutations, Di Xin spotted Gu Changqing at once.
Teacher?
Why had Teacher come to court today?
Without even calling for them to rise, Di Xin crossed the distance in a few quick strides and happily said, "Teacher, why have you come?"
Gu Changqing smiled. "As the current Imperial Tutor, I should attend court as well."
"Teacher, please sit. Please take the seat of honor!"
Di Xin ushered Gu Changqing forward, intending to seat him upon the dragon throne on the eastern side.
Gu Changqing frowned. "Heaven cannot have two suns, and a nation cannot have two rulers. This does not conform to propriety. In court, I am your subject. Outside court, I am your teacher. I should remain standing."
As Gu Changqing spoke, he walked back down and stood beside Wen Zhong.
Only after Di Xin gave Gu Changqing a slight bow did he say to the ministers, "Rise, my lords."
Though the ministers had not raised their heads, it was not as though they did not know what had happened.
"Thank you, Great King!"
After rising, the ministers all looked toward Gu Changqing.
So that was the legendary Imperial Tutor?
The Imperial Tutor was so young?
So that dragon throne had been reserved for the Imperial Tutor!
The ministers immediately developed a sense of awe toward Gu Changqing. Those who had criticized him earlier were especially uneasy.
Wen Zhong, however, had no such thoughts. He merely admired Gu Changqing even more.
"If there is business, present it. If not, court is dismissed."
Normally, those words would be spoken by the herald, but Di Xin said them himself that day.
What he meant was: if there was nothing important, stop babbling. Gu Changqing was standing below, and he felt a great deal of pressure.
Sure enough, the ministers remained silent.
Just as Di Xin was about to dismiss court, Wen Zhong stepped forward.
"This minister has business to present!"
Seeing Wen Zhong step out, Di Xin hurriedly signaled to him with his eyes, but Wen Zhong ignored him completely.
"This minister has ten proposals to remonstrate with the Great King."
"Speak!" Di Xin waved a hand impatiently.
Seeing Di Xin behave like this, Gu Changqing thought to himself, I had better not come to court in the future.
"First, demolish Deer Terrace to ease the people's hearts. Second, abolish the burning pillar to encourage remonstrating officials. Third, abolish the scorpion punishment to bring peace to the court. Fourth, remove the wine pool and silence the feudal lords."
"Fifth, demote Da Ji and welcome back Queen Jiang. Sixth, appoint worthy ministers and dismiss Fei Lian and E Lai. Seventh, open the granaries and distribute grain to relieve the hungry. Eighth, establish academies to cultivate talent. Ninth, recruit the southeast and quell the unrest across the realm. Tenth, open the channels of speech and eliminate obstruction."
Wen Zhong finished all ten proposals in one breath, then quietly waited for a response.
Di Xin replied, "The first and sixth proposals are denied. All the rest are approved."
Deer Terrace had just been completed, and now he wanted to demolish it?
Was he joking?
They had already wasted manpower and resources once. Did he want to waste them a second time? Was water leaking into his brain?
Dismiss Fei Lian and E Lai?
That was even more absurd. Damn it, did he not know Fei Lian and E Lai were Teacher's people?
Did he not see who was standing beside him?
Besides, without those two, who would do his dirty work?
Him?
Could he handle it?
Could he even do it?
They were Demon Saints, figures at the Quasi-Sage level!
Had this fellow gone senile?
Wen Zhong still wanted to say something, but Di Xin waved his hand.
"Court is dismissed!"
"This minister has business to present!"
At that moment, Gu Changqing stepped forward and spoke.
Di Xin nearly lost his footing.
Teacher, did it have to be like this?
Zi Shou truly was not used to it!
The court fell utterly silent.
Even Wen Zhong looked bewildered. If Junior Martial Uncle had business, did he not usually just go directly to the Great King?
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