Royal Uncle, Farewell

The gods would march against him!

Di Xin froze at those words.

[Ding! Host has activated the Investiture of the Gods Main Quest. Please choose: 1. Perform human sacrifices to worship the gods. This system will unbind from the Host; 2. Stop the human sacrifices and activate the Investiture of the Gods Quest Mainline. I shall rule the Investiture of the Gods War. Man shall conquer Heaven!]

At the same time, the system's notification rang out in his mind, offering him a choice.

Man shall conquer Heaven... What toxic chicken soup for the soul...

Di Xin chuckled at the notification, but his gaze involuntarily settled on the people standing a short distance ahead, each as lifeless as rotten wood.

Among them were white-haired elders, strong young men, and infants crying to be fed...

What crime had these human lives committed?!

What had they done wrong? Why must their lives be offered to the gods?!

Simply because the gods stood high above them, must humans sacrifice themselves like ants, like livestock, to worship the callous deities of the Three Teachings? Must they be swept into this epochal Investiture of the Gods tribulation, born of the Three Teachings' disputes, until, as the Book of Documents recorded, blood flowed deep enough to float pestles and barren earth stretched a thousand miles?!

Shouldn't he do something for these people? Not merely because he came from a later age and could not accept human sacrifice, but because, whether in his former life or this one, he shared their black hair, yellow skin, black eyes, and crimson blood!

"Please rescind your decree, Your Majesty! Slaughter the human sacrifices and worship the gods, so that our Great Shang may enjoy Heaven's mandate!"

"Your Majesty, you must not act rashly! Please rescind your decree and continue the grand sacrifice, lest we miss the auspicious hour!"

"Those who forsake the gods shall surely be annihilated by Heaven and Earth. Your Majesty, please think carefully!"

Bi Gan, Weizi, and Jizi knelt and kowtowed repeatedly to Di Xin. Each word sounded like advice, yet brimmed with threats.

Rumble... Rumble...

As though to corroborate their words, dark clouds gathered across the sky and slowly swirled. Countless bolts of lightning flickered, unleashing deafening thunder that made all of Chaoge City tremble violently, as though it stood on the brink of collapse!

Did I hit a sore spot, so now you're angry? Man shall conquer Heaven-this toxic chicken soup, I'll drink it!

Di Xin chuckled and murmured inwardly. Then he looked at Weizi, Jizi, Bi Gan, and the others kneeling before him. Boundless arrogance filled his cold, ruthless face, his black hair draped over his shoulders, and flames seemed to blaze in his eyes as he declared, each word distinct:

"The gods give man nothing, yet man offers the gods everything. I have grown weary of worshipping these gods, who are good for nothing except bringing down calamities!"

"If the gods' blessings can only be bought with human blood sacrifices, then I want no part of those blessings!"

"If the gods object, let them march against me!"

If the gods object, let them march against me!

At that moment, all of Chaoge City seemed to freeze. No other sound remained between Heaven and Earth. Only that declaration of unbridled dominance echoed and intertwined through the world, blasting everyone's ears into a frenzied ringing and making their bodies and souls alike tremble wildly!

[Ding! Host's choice detected. Investiture of the Gods Main Quest activated. All system functions unlocked. Negative emotion point exchange and lucky wheel functions unlocked. Host may use negative emotion points to exchange for various Spiritual Treasures and draw random rewards. Host must explore the specific functions!]

The system's notification echoed in Di Xin's mind, leaving him speechless. This system was not merely shady and a rip-off-it was sly as a fox, too. Apparently, what he had possessed before was only a half-baked system. Only after making this choice could he unlock it fully.

But had it truly unlocked everything?!

Boom!

Before Di Xin could inspect the system's newly unlocked functions, a huge, brilliant bolt of lightning streaked across the sky like a heavenly saber that could sever all things. It struck the Great Shang banner erected before the altar. After a violent shower of sparks, the banner became charcoal, and the flagpole snapped in two, likewise reduced to blackened remains.

"Wicked king! Wicked king! Wicked king! Heaven's punishment has descended, and you still refuse to rescind your decree?!"

"Tyrant! O sun, when shall you perish? I would perish together with you!"

At the sight, Weizi and Jizi sprang up from the ground. Their tall ceremonial crowns shook violently, their white hair flew wildly, and they pointed at Di Xin, shouting furiously, word after word.

[Negative emotion points from Weizi: +500...]

[Negative emotion points from Jizi: +500. Total: +2300...]

Along with their words, the collection records in the system's backend flashed incessantly, strings of characters lighting up.

"Wicked king? Tyrant? You're finally putting me alongside old brother Xia Jie?" Di Xin's gaze swept over Weizi and Jizi at their words. Then a smile touched his lips, and he said slowly, "Uncle, Brother, from what you're saying, I must use human sacrifices to worship the gods. Is that correct?!"

"If Your Majesty can turn back from the wrong path, it is not yet too late. Heaven's mandate may still favor our Great Shang, and the gods will bestow blessings upon Your Majesty."

Weizi and Jizi exchanged a glance, then hurriedly looked at Di Xin and earnestly urged him again and again.

"Good, good. Since Uncle and Brother are so concerned for me and for Great Shang, how could I disappoint such commendable loyalty? In that case, we shall do as you say and continue the human sacrifices!" Di Xin's smile grew brighter at their words, and he nodded repeatedly.

"There is no greater virtue than recognizing one's errors and correcting them! I knew Your Majesty would consider Great Shang's welfare!"

Weizi and Jizi nodded repeatedly, their gazes filled with gratification as they looked at Di Xin.

"King of Wucheng, drag my royal uncle and royal brother away. Behead them as sacrifices to Heaven!" Just then, Di Xin's gaze turned cold, a glint as sharp as a blade flashing in his eyes. He glanced at Weizi and Jizi, casually saluted them with clasped hands, and said mildly, "Since my royal uncle and royal brother are so concerned for Great Shang's realm and state, how could I disappoint you? Royal Uncle, Royal Brother, farewell..."

[Negative emotion points from Weizi: +1000...]

[Negative emotion points from Jizi: +1000. Total: +4300...]

The instant those words fell, two messages flashed through the system's backend.

"Your Majesty..." Huang Feihu looked at Di Xin in terror and unease, his hands and feet trembling.

Weizi, Jizi, and Bi Gan were the renowned Three Worthies of Great Shang. If he killed two of them, Weizi and Jizi, wouldn't his own reputation stink to high Heaven?!

"Please rescind your decree, Your Majesty! Everything Weizi and Jizi said was for Your Majesty's sake and for Great Shang's good!"

Bi Gan also knelt and kowtowed repeatedly to Di Xin, pleading again and again for Weizi and Jizi.

"Of course I know their hearts are devoted to me and to Great Shang. Am I not fulfilling their loyalty right now? Or, Prime Minister, do you believe my royal uncle and royal brother cannot die, while my subjects may be sent to their deaths at will? Or is their loyalty to me and goodwill toward Great Shang all talk, with no deeds to back it up?"

Di Xin looked at Bi Gan and spoke with an indifferent sneer.

Bi Gan's lips moved at those words, but he could not utter a single reply.

Di Xin sneered twice, then looked at Huang Feihu. "King of Wucheng, why have you not carried out the execution? Do you intend to defy my command?"

Huang Feihu knelt prostrate, pressing his forehead tightly against the ground. Not daring to make a sound, he played deaf and dumb.

"General Zheng, do it!"

How could Di Xin fail to realize that this turncoat Huang Feihu would not obey? After two cold chuckles, he turned toward Zheng Lun and spoke in a low voice.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

At the command, Zheng Lun respectfully saluted Di Xin, his face alight with excitement and his eyes brimming with intense admiration. Then he strode up to Weizi and Jizi and raised the two Demon-Subduing Pestles in his hands high.

Zheng Lun was human, too, and had come from humble origins. Over the years, he had witnessed far too many scenes of mortals being offered as blood sacrifices to the gods.

He had vaguely felt that this was wrong!

Yet he had never known exactly where the wrong lay...

Now, however, Di Xin's actions had made him understand exactly what was wrong!

How was His Majesty a wicked king? How was he a tyrant? He was an enlightened king! A truly benevolent and enlightened king!

"Royal Brother, Royal Uncle, farewell..." At the sight, Di Xin casually saluted Weizi and Jizi with clasped hands and said with a cold smile, "Your loyalty to me and your goodwill toward Great Shang shall be engraved in the hearts of my subjects and me!"