Charting the Future
Before the Human Emperor, Jiang Ziya and all the gods and Buddhas were nothing more than ants.
But they looked down on him, while he himself became like an ant.
This stark contrast distorted his mind to the extreme.
The double blow to his physical and mental health left him increasingly exhausted.
This had clearly pushed him to the limit.
He, the dignified Marquis of the West, actually helped others by pulling their horses and causing them to fall off their stirrups.
The fire deep within him erupted, making him somewhat sullen.
After walking a few hundred more steps, the elderly Xibo and Ji Chang finally couldn't hold on any longer. Their vision went black, and they collapsed to the ground, covered in mud and eating dog excrement.
Upon seeing this, the other officials were taken aback. Was their lord finally about to give out?
Everyone rushed over and quickly helped the Marquis up.
The Marquis was already old, and this fall must have been quite severe for him.
If the fall causes any serious injury, it would be an enormous loss for Xiqi.
The Marquis was dazed from the fall, his hands were scraped and his face had some minor injuries, but thankfully there were no serious problems.
At this moment, Marquis Ji Chang of the West, had an extremely dark complexion. He was breathing heavily in his chest, and the pain all over his body caused his emotions to fluctuate.
He took a few deep breaths and then turned to look at Jiang Ziya inside the carriage.
"Gentlemen."
"It seems I am truly old and frail, unable even to do the simplest things like leading a horse or getting it off a stool. How truly pathetic."
"It seems I cannot show you sincerity, sir. If you are willing to return to Xiqi with me, I will naturally treat you with the utmost courtesy."
"If you, sir, are unwilling to return to Xiqi with me, I will not force you."
"At worst, we can just abandon this rebellion; at worst, Xiqi can simply remain in a corner of the country."
"Xiqi six million soldiers and countless powerful warriors protecting us, if we were to truly retreat to a corner of the land, I fear even the Yin Shang army would be powerless against us."
"After all, that Human Dao Saint cannot simply wipe out the Human Clan."
Marquis Ji Chang of the West, spoke with extreme indifference.
This incident truly shattered his psychological defenses; it broke through his very core.
It's supposed to be a two-way street, but I'm the one who has to beg the other person.
To torture himself to this extent, it has to be said that Jiang Ziya went to extremes.
Some things cannot be forced. Since Jiang Ziya was unwilling to descend the mountain and subjected himself to such hardships, it meant that all the gods and Buddhas were unwilling to help him in Xiqi.
Even if we force them to come out, it would probably be like inviting a patriarch. Since that's the case, let's not force them.
If you make a forceful request, you'll only lose face for no reason and still fail to achieve your goal. Wouldn't that be tragic?
He watched as Marquis Ji Chang of the West, gradually turned cold.
Jiang Ziya opened his eyes inside the carriage, a strange light flashing within them.
His original intention was to control Marquis Ji Chang of the West, and to turn Xiqi into a puppet.
But now it seems that this possibility is no longer valid.
As the saying goes, too much of a good thing can be bad; the other party has already begun to look down on him.
If he continues to act so aloof, the other party will likely stop using him.
They might very well discard him like trash, wouldn't that ruin the teacher's important plans?
Jiang Ziya's gaze was incredibly complex, his eyes flashing with an unknown glint.
She smiled slightly and stepped down from the carriage.
"It's alright, I have already seen your sincerity, Lord Marquis."
"Since Your Excellency is so eager to win, then this humble Daoist is naturally willing to come out of seclusion and assist you."
"I will certainly assist the Marquis in achieving his ambition of becoming a king."
Marquis Ji Chang of the West glanced at Jiang Ziya in front of him, but did not reveal any strange expression.
But there was a hint of disdain in his eyes.
When I patiently invited you, you didn't come.
I don't want to ask you for anything anymore, do whatever you want, but you shamelessly followed me again. I have to say, this guy is really hypocritical.
The Human Emperor was right; the people of the Chan Sect are truly despicable and hypocritical.
They don't come when we invite them, but they try to please us when we don't.
A sense of sorrow welled up in Marquis Ji Chang of the West's heart.
Isn't this contest between the two just like Jiang Ziya fishing with a straight hook by the river?
It's better to achieve something directly than through crooked means.
It's all just a bunch of lies and deception.
Jiang Ziya was actually trying to lure Marquis Ji Chang of the West, into his trap.
He offered himself up; isn't that like a big fish on a hook?
But at this very moment, Jiang Ziya suddenly became quite shrewd and calculating.
What torture I've put myself through!
If he doesn't take the bait, wouldn't Jiang Ziya just be stuck waiting there in vain?
It's nothing more than a game of strategy between the two of them.
A faint smile appeared on the face of Marquis Ji Chang of the West.
His smile, however, held a hint of coldness; the excitement he had displayed earlier was clearly gone.
Jiang Ziya no longer held such a high position in his heart.
When we're talking about feelings, you're talking about money.
Now is the time to talk about money, not feelings.
This is a true reflection of Marquis Ji Chang of the West's current state of mind.
Seeing the Marquis's cold attitude, a shadow crossed Jiang Ziya's eyes, but he still managed a faint smile.
"It seems that the Marquis harbors resentment, doesn't he?"
"Actually, this is understandable; this kind of harassment was not my intention."
"After all, this is a matter of great importance, and ordinary citizens must act with caution."
"Because if Your Excellency receives my assistance, it would be equivalent to receiving help from the Mystic Gate, the Human Teaching, the Chan Sect, and the Western Teachings. Therefore, I must be cautious."
"I have seen Your Excellency's sincerity, and I will certainly do my utmost to assist you. I wish Your Excellency success in your ambition to become king."
Upon hearing these words, Ji Chang's expression softened slightly.
But the mockery in his eyes showed no sign of waning.
He's nothing but a hypocrite.
He had finally seen through the hypocrisy of those people.
Since he couldn't force it, he stopped forcing it.
If you can help, then help; if not, then forget it.
If I am defeated, I fear that the schemes of all the gods and Buddhas will also fail.
This means that you don't need to ask others for help at all.
The other party even had to beg him.
Jiang Ziya smiled slightly.
"It is truly the will of Heaven that Your Excellency pulled my carriage for eight hundred paces."
Upon hearing this, Marquis Ji Chang of the West, looked slightly surprised, not understanding what the other party was talking about.
Seemingly sensing the doubt in Marquis Ji Chang of the West, Jiang Ziya chuckled.
Earlier, the Marquis carried this humble Daoist priest on his back for about a thousand paces.
"Then the Marquis led his horse, putting the reins on, and walked eight hundred paces, making a total of one thousand eight hundred paces."
"This also means that Xiqi has ruled the world for 1,800 years!"
Upon hearing this, Marquis Ji Chang of the West, immediately changed his expression drastically.
Eighteen hundred years?
In fact, he was extremely skilled in the Six-Yao Divination Technique.
Therefore, he often performed divination for his Xiqi.
But each time, I only got a rather vague answer.
Even with Xiqi's exceptionally strong fortune, Xiqi future remains uncertain.
In particular, the emergence of the Human Emperor in Chaoge and the Human Dao Saint has made the situation of heaven and earth even more unpredictable, and the ambiguity of the Heavenly Dao makes it impossible to calculate.
In the Primordial World, heroes were always judged by the amount of their destiny.
People have their own destiny, nations have their own destiny, and ethnic groups have their own destiny.
In some ways, luck determines everything.
But the current fortunes are really strange.
Xiqi possesses abundant fortune, Chaoge also surprisingly possesses abundant fortune, which means that the concept of fortune is no longer accurate.
Jiang Ziya began by saying that Xiqi had ruled the world for 1,800 years.
This means that all the gods and Buddhas have abandoned the concept of destiny and are instead privately shaping the future of Xiqi.
In the eyes of all the gods and Buddhas, Xiqi was truly just a pawn.
Isn't this a bit too frivolous?