Negative emotion points from the Three Sacred Sovereigns

"Ty-"

Weizi and Jizi flew into a towering rage, trembling all over. Their bloodshot eyes seemed ready to bulge from their sockets as they fixed Di Xin with blazing looks of hatred and cursed him at the top of their lungs.

[Negative emotion points from Weizi: +2,000...]

[Negative emotion points from Jizi: +2,000. Total: 8,300...]

At the same time, the two of them presented Di Xin with an astonishing four thousand negative emotion points.

"Splat... splat..."

But before he could finish saying "tyrant," the Demon-Subduing Pestle in Zheng Lun's hands had already descended on his head. With two sharp cracks, two flowers of red and white bloomed, splattering over the sacrificial platform!

A bloody wind swept through, and heaven and earth fell silent. Every minister stared blankly at those two chilling masses of red and white on the altar, trembling as cold sweat streamed down their foreheads!

"Does anyone else wish to follow my royal uncle and brother in showing their loyalty to Great Shang?!"

Di Xin looked at the numbers in his interface, his face full of smiles. He surveyed his surroundings and spoke one word at a time.

Sure enough, being a tyrant was still the fastest way to earn negative emotion points!

Four thousand in a single move. With another couple of rounds, wouldn't he easily reach the twenty thousand negative emotion points needed to break through to the third level of the essence refining into qi realm?!

In particular, his gaze swept over Huang Feihu's and Bi Gan's necks.

Unfortunately, these turncoats were good for nothing but running their mouths. A single glance from him had them shaking all over, their heads pressed firmly against the ground, not daring even to breathe loudly.

"A bunch of useless fools!"

Seeing this, Di Xin sneered and shrugged.

[Negative emotion points from Bi Gan: +200...]

[Negative emotion points from Huang Feihu: +200...]

[Negative emotion points from the plot: +200. Total: 8,900...]

As soon as those words left his mouth, Di Xin watched the incoming Negative Emotion Points records scroll through his interface. He was about to break ten thousand again.

"From this day onward, Great Shang abolishes human sacrifice. Anyone who brings it up again shall start with themselves, offering themselves to the gods before presenting the proposal to me!"

Di Xin nodded in satisfaction, surveyed everyone present, and spoke in a grave voice.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

His words immediately drew a chorus of listless replies. A few voices, however, were particularly loud. Di Xin glanced over and discovered that they belonged to Shang Rong, Fei Zhong, Fei Lian, and E Lai.

Fei Zhong, Fei Lian, and E Lai were one thing. Those three were notorious treacherous ministers who obeyed his every command, so their loud responses were perfectly normal. But Shang Rong was a famously loyal minister in Investiture of the Gods, who had even smashed himself to death in the Nine-Section Hall while remonstrating with his sovereign. Logically, he should have been furious with Di Xin after witnessing all this. So why did he show no resentment at all? And that gaze of his was as ardent as Daji's after her charm had been turned back on her, sending prickles crawling over Di Xin's skin...

"Your Majesty, these human sacrifices..." Just then, Bi Gan stole a cautious glance at Di Xin. When Di Xin's gaze chilled, he hurriedly corrected himself. "How should these people be dealt with?! They no longer have any fields. If we have them clear land for spring planting now, I fear it will be too late. What should we do with them?"

"Set aside a stretch of wasteland for them for now. I shall find a way to handle the spring planting!"

Di Xin frowned and answered gravely.

The people of this era still relied primarily on slash-and-burn farming. Clearing new land was as difficult as climbing to heaven.

But for Di Xin, who came from a later age, none of this was particularly difficult. It would merely take some effort.

"Prepare my procession, along with fruit and the three sacrificial animals. I shall pay my respects to the Three Sovereigns!"

Then Di Xin waved his hand and spoke gravely to Bi Gan.

The gods gave humanity nothing and only knew how to demand things, so naturally there was no need to worship them. The Three Sovereigns, however, were different. They had rendered great service to the Human Race and were worth paying respects to!

Besides, the Three Sovereigns were a force not to be underestimated in Investiture of the Gods. Naturally, he needed to cling tightly to their powerful legs!

Worshipping men instead of gods-what a benighted ruler!

Bi Gan grumbled inwardly, contributing one hundred negative emotion points to Di Xin before nodding in assent.

Soon, the offerings were ready. Di Xin led a vast procession to the Fire Cloud Palace, where the mortal world worshipped the Three Sovereigns. After presenting the offerings before Suiren, Fuxi, and Shennong, he felt no reservations about performing a full ceremonial bow to these three forebears who had led the Human Race out of ignorance. Then he prayed sincerely:

"Di Xin, Human Emperor of Great Shang and a descendant of the Human Race, humbly petitions the Three Sacred Sovereigns! The Three Teachings have forsaken fairness. Using the great tribulation as a pretext, they make the Human Race their target, which will surely plunge all living beings into misery and spill enough blood to float pestles! Di Xin implores the Three Sovereigns to champion the Human Race, speak for the Human Race, and uphold justice for the Human Race! From this day onward, we of the Human Race shall worship neither heaven nor earth, nor revere the gods. We shall honor only our ancestors and our fellow humans!"

Di Xin had carefully considered every word. He hoped the plight of the Human Race would move the Three Sovereigns, stirring their hearts within the Fire Cloud Cave so that they would stand behind him. That would give him a little more assurance of keeping his insignificant life intact in the Primordial World, beyond relying on the system alone.

Once he finished speaking, Di Xin immediately watched the three statues with great care, hoping to sense the flowing aura of Dao resonance. Unfortunately, though he waited a long, long time, the three statues showed not the slightest change.

Di Xin could not help feeling disappointed, but he also understood that the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors had lived in seclusion in the Fire Cloud Cave for many years. How could a mere handful of words make them manifest, do his bidding, and champion the Human Race?

Not to mention that, thanks to Ji Chang's malicious agitation, he currently carried the illustrious labels of "benighted ruler" and "tyrant"!

Under such circumstances, moving the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors was naturally even harder than climbing to heaven.

"If the Human Emperors remain silent, then you have tacitly approved the wishes of your descendants! From this day onward, my Great Shang shall no longer revere the gods. We shall build only Fire Cloud Palaces and worship the Three Sovereigns!"

However, he had already prepared for this. Seeing that the Three Sovereigns remained silent and still, he raised his head, showed an honest, guileless smile, and spoke with utmost sincerity.

[Negative emotion points from Fuxi: +50...]

[Negative emotion points from the Xuanyuan Clan: +50...]

[Negative emotion points from Shennong: +50. Total: 9,150...]

The instant those words left his mouth, Di Xin saw a string of numbers flash through his interface.

Damn it, you three shameless old men really were eavesdropping and playing dumb!

Now that you've heard I intend to drag all three of you into this and entangle you in its karma, you can't sit still anymore!

Still, getting negative emotion points from the Three Sovereigns... just thinking about it was actually a little exciting!

As Di Xin looked at those numbers, a whole herd of grassland-grazing divine beasts stampeded through his mind...

But if you won't show me kindness, don't blame me for showing you no loyalty!

"Rest assured, honored ancestors. In my lifetime, Di Xin shall ensure that Fire Cloud Palaces stand throughout the Nine Provinces, with all honoring the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Every other temple shall be razed and smashed, and statues of the Three Sovereigns cast in their place!"

Since the Three Sovereigns were playing dumb, Di Xin played dumb along with them. Pretending not to have seen the numbers in his interface, he continued smiling with utmost reverence, sincerity, and guilelessness.

Di Xin waited a long time, staring intently at the system interface. To his surprise, however, no more negative emotion points appeared.

"If you three honored ancestors remain silent, then you have tacitly agreed. Di Xin shall now demolish the temples in the city and convert them into Fire Cloud Palaces, starting with the Wa Huang Palace!"

Di Xin snorted inwardly and continued praying and paying his respects with every appearance of proper devotion.

"Insolent brat, get out!"

The instant he finished speaking, the statue of Fuxi in the center of the three, with leaves draped over his shoulders and tiger and leopard skins around his waist, suddenly blazed with light. Then his lips moved, and he roared in anger.

As that voice rang out, Di Xin's body was immediately hurled out of the palace, landing at its entrance.

"Where are the negative emotion points? Why aren't there any? The three honored ancestors are this angry, yet there aren't any negative emotion points? That's not scientific!"

Di Xin landed on his backside, his rear aching. At the same time, he noticed something strange: the system interface was still completely clear, without a single new number.

This stunned him, then made his heart clench with a surge of delight.

No negative emotions meant the Three Sovereigns did not dislike what he had said. Could this also be what they wished for deep down?!

"Fine, I'll leave. If you don't dare, then I won't build them..."

However, Di Xin was in no hurry to win over the Three Sovereigns immediately. He struggled to his feet and glanced at their statues, then adopted an inscrutable expression and slowly pronounced each word: "Heaven was dark, earth yellow; the cosmos vast and primeval. The sun and moon waxed and waned; the stars stood arrayed. Dragon masters and the Fire Emperor, bird officials and the Human Emperor! First came the creation of writing, then the wearing of garments!"