"Your subject is guilty!"
Su Hu was no fool. He knew that if he claimed innocence, he would surely be whipped mercilessly with the cane.
[Negative emotion points from Su Hu: +100...]
"Since you admit your guilt, that makes things easy..." Di Xin nodded in satisfaction at these words. After tapping the cane lightly against his palm a few times, he turned to Huang Feihu. "General Huang, since Su Hu has confessed, drag him outside and behead him!"
[Negative emotion points from Su Hu: +1000...]
Su Hu was dumbstruck. His eyes widened into perfect circles as he stared blankly at Di Xin, unable to make sense of what was happening.
Normally, now that he had admitted his guilt, shouldn't King Zhou have offered a few perfunctory words and let him go? How had this turned into an execution?
Not only Su Hu, but Huang Feihu was also stunned, unsure what to do.
"King of Wucheng, what is this? Does my word carry no weight?"
Di Xin glanced at Huang Feihu and snorted coldly.
He knew all too well what sort of creature Su Hu was. The bastard was a diehard Zhou supporter, his every thought devoted to Ji Chang, the Marquis of the West.
Was he supposed to spare the man's worthless life instead of killing him, letting him keep eating Great Shang's food while smashing its cooking pot, serving as a traitor in its ranks?
"As you command!" Huang Feihu cupped his hands and answered loudly. Carrying the Gold-Gripped Reed-Pulling Spear point-down, he gave Su Hu a sympathetic look, then reached straight for his collar.
[Negative emotion points from Huang Feihu: +50...]
Di Xin sneered repeatedly. Huang Feihu was another traitor in the making, though he had initially been loyal to King Zhou. Only later, after Daji bewitched King Zhou into molesting his wife, had he rebelled in fury. Now, having him kill Su Hu would not only eliminate an actual traitor, but also stain this prospective traitor's hands with the blood of someone close to Ji Chang, making him less likely to rebel later for fear of being called to account.
"Your Majesty, you mustn't! You mustn't..." Just then, however, Bi Gan rushed in front of Su Hu and spread his arms, blocking Huang Feihu's reaching hand. He addressed Di Xin. "Your Majesty, Su Hu offered you his daughter, proof of his sincerity and loyalty. Killing him would chill the hearts of all upright men under heaven!"
Did this Bi Gan really have a seven-aperture exquisite heart?
At these words, Di Xin couldn't help laughing. He looked Bi Gan up and down, even more tempted to cut out his heart and examine it.
"Sincerity? Loyalty? Chancellor, let me ask you: just how ruthless must a man be to offer up even his own daughter? What else would he stop at? In my view, sparing such a vicious, ruthless creature would be what truly chilled the hearts of all upright men under heaven!"
The corner of Di Xin's mouth twitched. With a couple of cold laughs, he spoke slowly, stressing every word.
Weren't you the one who made me offer my daughter? How am I the vicious, ruthless one?!
Su Hu stared at Di Xin, dumbfounded, so furious that his nose almost twisted out of shape.
[Negative emotion points from Su Hu: +500...]
"Chancellor, has this villain's vicious ruthlessness shocked even you into silence?" Di Xin gave Bi Gan an indifferent smile, then urged Huang Feihu, "King of Wucheng, do it!"
"Marquis of Jizhou, forgive me!"
Although Huang Feihu was unwilling to entangle himself in this karma, a sovereign's subject had to serve him faithfully. He apologized to Su Hu, seized his collar, and dragged him out of the hall, intending to run him through with one thrust and leave him chilled straight through the heart.
"Your Majesty..."
Bi Gan's eyes nearly reddened with desperation as he addressed Di Xin in a trembling voice.
"Chancellor, you have pleaded again and again for such a vicious, ruthless creature. Tell me, are you wallowing in the same mire as him, or have you accepted some benefit from him?!" At his voice, Di Xin looked at Bi Gan and sneered.
"Your Majesty, I would never dare! Nor have I accepted the slightest benefit from Su Hu. I merely wish to keep Your Majesty from mistakenly killing a loyal, worthy man!" Trembling all over with fear, Bi Gan shook his head repeatedly, then fell to his knees. "I have a plan that could dispel Your Majesty's suspicions. Why not have Su Hu lead an army against Xiqi to prove his loyalty?"
"Hahaha! Everyone says you have a seven-aperture exquisite heart, Chancellor, but to my eyes, six of its seven apertures are open, and the last remains blocked-you haven't a clue! Have him lead troops to quell Xiqi's rebellion? Then tell me, if he takes those troops and defects to Xiqi, who will repay me for my soldiers? You, Chancellor?" Di Xin fixed his gaze on Bi Gan and sneered, stressing every word. "Dear uncle, have you grown bored with being chancellor and decided to ask Ji Chang to make you King of Shang or Marquis of Chaoge instead?!"
Bi Gan trembled all over, staring blankly at Di Xin. His lips moved as he tried to speak, but not a single word came out.
The ministers likewise broke into an uproar. Shang Rong, however, looked at Di Xin with an unusual expression, vaguely sensing that the sovereign before him seemed somewhat different from before.
"King of Wucheng, do it!"
Di Xin gave the trembling Bi Gan an indifferent glance, then turned toward Huang Feihu outside the hall and commanded in a low voice.
[Negative emotion points from Huang Feihu: +100...]
Huang Feihu grunted. With a flick of the Reed-Pulling Spear clenched in his hands, he prepared to pierce Su Hu's chest.
"Zheng Lun is here! Who dares harm my master's life!"
Just then, a thunderous shout suddenly rang out from the sky. An imposing middle-aged man, eight feet tall, charged down from above, clad in brilliant golden armor, wielding two Demon-Subduing Pestles, and riding a Fiery-Eyed Golden-Pupiled Beast.
"What rebel dares trespass in the royal palace! Such insolence!"
Although Huang Feihu was reluctant to kill Su Hu, he was responsible for guarding the palace. Seeing Zheng Lun barge in, his expression changed violently. Without a second thought, he flicked the Gold-Gripped Reed-Pulling Spear and thrust it fiercely at Zheng Lun.
Zheng Lun swung his Demon-Subduing Pestles to block. In an instant, tremendous clashes shook the air and sparks flew everywhere, like a lion shaking its head as it descended a ridge, like a suanni lashing its tail as it battled a fierce tiger. It was a truly savage fight...
"King of Wucheng-heng!"
Unable to break through despite his relentless attacks, Zheng Lun's expression changed. He raised his head, struck his nose, and immediately gave a cold snort. Two brilliant streams of white light shot from his nostrils, and as they appeared, a cold snort exploded throughout heaven and earth, spreading in every direction.
Almost the instant that sound rang out, everyone in the palace felt their minds reel, their three souls and six spirits becoming unstable.
If even those inside the hall were affected, Huang Feihu, who bore the brunt of it, fared far worse. His vision went black, and his three souls and six spirits immediately flew from his body. His burly frame toppled like a small mountain, and he lay unconscious on the ground, foaming at the mouth, his hands and feet twitching.
"Zheng Lun! Heng General Zheng Lun!"
Inside the hall, Di Xin heard Zheng Lun announce himself, then saw white light spray from his nose accompanied by that cold snort. How could he fail to recognize him?
Zheng Lun was Su Hu's chief grain-supply general-in other words, a grain transport officer-but those were minor details. What mattered was that he was Perfected Du'e's disciple. The Heng Technique, which employed the "Two Qis from the Nasal Apertures," had been taught to him by Du'e, who was also particularly fond of Zheng Lun.
What mattered most if I wanted to survive the Investiture of the Gods? Without question, my backing!
Hadn't both Investiture of the Gods and Journey to the West shown that those with patrons and powerful backers lived perfectly well? Those whose roots were shallow and whose backing was weak either took a trip to the Investiture of the Gods Platform or were smashed into mincemeat with a staff!
Although Perfected Du'e was nominally an unaffiliated immortal from West Kunlun, he was actually suspected of being a disciple of Laozi, Dao De Tianzun!
If I could use Zheng Lun to establish a connection with Perfected Du'e, wouldn't that be a wonderful thing?!
After all, as a certain elder had aptly said, enemies were often broken from within. He could forget about the Chan Sect, but Laozi was the founding patriarch of the Ren Sect, and Perfected Du'e was also its disciple. Moreover, Du'e's attitude toward the Investiture of the Gods war was highly ambiguous. Apart from lending out the Wind-Calming Pearl, he hadn't taken part in any other battles of the war. Perhaps there was an opening?!
[Ding... Host's mental activity detected. Side quest-Win over Zheng Lun-activated. Upon successful completion, reward: one random cultivation manual. Current Zheng Lun favorability: -100...]
Almost as Di Xin's thoughts shifted, the Human Emperor System's notification suddenly sounded in his mind.
-100...
Di Xin gave a muffled grunt, his head aching. It seemed Zheng Lun's resentment toward him ran very deep indeed. Winning him over would likely be as difficult as ascending to heaven.
Before you continue