Ch 101: The Malevolent Monster Just Wants To Farm

Sensing that something was amiss, the Goddess Nuwa, who had descended in spirit, happened to hear this remark. She chuckled at the young human emperor, shook her head, and left.

Emperor Xin, maintaining a calm expression, withdrew his sleeve and descended from the high platform, summoning the official in charge of the god’s temple. The official, believing he had made a grave mistake, was already pale with fear. However, the king did not issue any punishment; he merely instructed the official to be more careful in serving the god in the future, and the matter was quietly set aside.

The temple official breathed a sigh of relief, praising the king’s benevolence.

Emperor Xin displayed no unusual expression until his royal entourage left the temple and returned to the palace. Only then did his face darken completely.

Dismissing his attendants, he softly called out, “Teacher?”

Jiang Lin, whose soul was now the dragon vein of Zhaoge, could instantly sense and appear at any location in Zhaoge as long as someone called for him.

“What has happened?” Jiang Lin immediately knew something significant had occurred upon seeing Emperor Xin’s expression.

Everyone in Zhaoge knew that the king’s greatest hobby was farming. Emperor Xin had never hidden this, but the court officials seemed reluctant to publicize such an “unrefined” hobby of the king. As a result, the other lords in the realm were unaware of Emperor Xin’s passion.

A king who enjoys farming usually doesn’t have a bad temper. Farming requires patience and meticulousness, which can greatly temper one’s character.

Emperor Xin recounted the events that took place in the temple to Jiang Lin.

With Jiang Lin’s presence, along with Zong Yu, Nezha, and Jiang Lin’s spiritual plants, Emperor Xin had been exposed to various mysterious and magical occurrences from a young age. He knew clearly that the sudden gust of wind in the temple was anything but ordinary.

“Someone is plotting against me,” he asserted.

Jiang Lin, however, thought to himself: It’s finally starting.

The classic opening of the Investiture of the Gods myth.

The tyrant Emperor disrespects the statue of the Goddess Nuwa, inciting her anger, leading her to send the nine-tailed fox spirit to Zhaoge to seduce Emperor Xin and cause chaos in the court.

But now, there is no such thing. A Shou (Emperor Xin) has not offended the Goddess Nuwa. How will this myth unfold now?

Jiang Lin asked him in return, “A Shou, who do you think would have the audacity to plot against you in the temple?”

He had once told Emperor Yi about the fate that was supposed to befall Emperor Xin, but neither he nor Emperor Yi could share this information with A Shou.

He couldn’t tell A Shou that he was destined to be the last king, and that the Shang dynasty’s legacy would end in his hands.

So Emperor Xin knew nothing.

Hearing Jiang Lin’s question, Emperor Xin’s face changed.

Gods are supreme, holding unrivaled positions of power.

If someone could manipulate even a god, then only another god could be responsible.

When Jiang Lin had read the original myth, he never understood how arrogant Emperor Xin must have become to dare to disrespect Nuwa. After all, she was considered the mother of humanity and its greatest protector. She had no need to compete for fortune or fate like others.

Moreover, in the Investiture of the Gods story, the greatest beneficiaries were the Heavenly Court, followed by the Chan Sect. Nuwa had no reason to get involved in such a murky situation.

Of course, a god’s dignity cannot be desecrated. According to the original story, whether willingly or through manipulation, Emperor Xin had indeed offended the Goddess in front of everyone.

Jiang Lin didn’t know what Nuwa was thinking—perhaps she hadn’t originally intended to get involved, but did so because of this incident. Or maybe it was due to some other reason.

However, now that A Shou (Emperor Xin) had regained his senses in time, he hadn’t done anything to offend the Goddess, and there was no scene of the Goddess manifesting to reprimand the tyrant Emperor Xin. If Jiang Lin’s guess was correct, someone else was behind this.

So, would Daji, who had received the command of Nuwa, still appear?

Emperor Xin was somewhat bewildered. After all, he was still young, and upon realizing that a god might be plotting against him, he couldn’t avoid feeling a moment of panic. But he quickly regained his composure and asked, “Teacher, is there something I don’t know?”

Jiang Lin shook his head. “There is something, but I can’t tell you, nor will you be able to know.”

This one sentence was enough to make Emperor Xin realize that this matter was indeed related to him. He pondered and said, “Teacher, you seem so calm. Does that mean you’ve known about this for a long time?”

Jiang Lin asked him, “Do you know why I became the dragon vein of Zhaoge all those years ago?”

“It was a deal I made with your father.”

Jiang Lin calmly continued, “There are those who wish to see the dragon clan wiped out, so I had to find a way out. Now, the same applies to the Shang dynasty.”

Emperor Xin immediately became solemn.

Jiang Lin patted his shoulder. “Don’t be afraid, A Shou. Humanity is the true bearer of destiny. They can’t harm you. Just remember my words: be a good emperor. No matter how much they plot, it won’t work in the face of the genuine support of the people.”

Emperor Xin took a deep breath. “I understand.”

Meanwhile, in the heavenly palace on the Ninth Heaven, a distinguished guest arrived. The Jade Emperor personally went to greet her. “Goddess Nuwa, your visit is a great honor for the Heavenly Court.”

Goddess Nuwa, unparalleled in beauty and regal in demeanor, was not here to indulge pleasantries. “Jade Emperor, I know what you and Yuanshi are scheming, and I don’t care to interfere. But you dare involve me in your plans?”

How sharp was a Goddess’s perception? She sensed someone using magic in her temple and sent her divine consciousness to investigate. Seeing that Emperor Xin hadn’t been bewitched, she didn’t bother further. But though she didn’t care about Emperor Xin, she couldn’t let the Heavenly Court off easily for trying to use her as a tool.

The Jade Emperor was about to explain, but under the Goddess’s penetrating gaze, which saw through all deceptions, he had nothing to say.

Nuwa calmly stated, “I didn’t want to get involved in these matters, but since you insist, I’ll intervene.”

“Nezha was originally a spirit stone on Kunlun, which I awakened into life. He later became a disciple of Taiyi Zhenren. This karma is not yet resolved.”

That very night, Nezha, in his dreams, regained memories of his past life and received a divine message from the Goddess. The message warned of traitors nearby and instructed him to protect the human emperor’s safety. Upon waking, Nezha immediately sought an audience with Emperor Xin and relayed what he had learned in the dream.

When Jiang Lin heard about this, he couldn’t help but feel relieved. “I wasn’t wrong,” he thought. Nuwa clearly didn’t want to get involved in these affairs. She probably realized who was behind the scheming and, whether to compensate Emperor Xin or to spite those responsible, she had directly aligned Nezha with the Shang dynasty.

It’s worth noting that Nezha was a legitimate disciple of the Chan Sect. However, with the Goddess’s decree and considering the favor he owed Nuwa for awakening him, who could oppose this arrangement?

In the original Investiture of the Gods, Nezha was a fierce general in the Western Qi faction. But now, he had been pulled directly into the Shang dynasty’s camp.

If you asked Jiang Lin how he felt at that moment, it would be simple: delighted, absolutely thrilled.

But while Jiang Lin was happy, others were not. Things were spiraling further out of control, beyond what anyone could manage.

The Heavenly Court had closely monitored Emperor Xin, trying to identify his weaknesses. But what they found was a very difficult individual to handle.

He loved beautiful women but wasn’t obsessed with them. Now in his twenties, Emperor Xin had already married a queen and had a few concubines in his harem, all of whom were rare beauties. Yet, he didn’t show any special favor to any of them, nor did he engage in any inappropriate behavior because of them.

He wasn’t fond of extravagance either. When some ministers suggested that he should undertake grand renovations of the palace after his ascension, he refused.

He wasn’t violent or tyrannical; ministers could even openly challenge his orders in court, as long as they had valid points, and he wouldn’t punish them.

He was also very diligent, dealing with governmental affairs daily. In his spare time, he would relax by sparring with the Imperial Guards, keeping himself in excellent physical shape.

This was nothing like the doomed, decadent ruler they had expected.

The Heavenly Court had already passed the point of no return. Their relationship with the Shang dynasty was beyond repair. Even though they had realized that the heavenly order had changed and the future was now unclear, they had no choice but to continue their course.

Only by overthrowing the Shang dynasty and establishing a new dynasty could the Heavenly Court regain its hold on human offerings and maintain its supreme position.

Fortunately, they soon found an opportunity.

A rebellion broke out in a tribe called Yousu. Emperor Xin personally led the campaign to quell the rebellion, and he succeeded swiftly. The Yousu tribe expressed their submission to Shang, offering tribute of jade and jewels, along with the daughter of their chieftain, Daji.

Daji was the most beautiful woman of the Yousu tribe, as radiant as peach blossoms, with a graceful figure, a natural enchantress.

Initially, the Heavenly Court had planned to send a nine-tailed fox to seduce Emperor Xin. However, the human emperor’s aura was so powerful that any demon would reveal its true form before even approaching him.

They had no choice but to settle for the next best option.

In a finely decorated room, a beautiful young girl was gazing into a bronze mirror, admiring her reflection. Sometimes she smiled brightly, captivated by her own beauty; other times, she frowned slightly, worried about her future.

A maid entered at that moment and said, “Your Highness, the chieftain has instructed me to inform you that the carriage to Zhaoge is ready. We will depart at dawn tomorrow.”

Daji, touching her face, asked, “Anu, do you think the Emperor of Shang will like me?”

The maid smiled and replied, “I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as Your Highness. No man could possibly resist you.”

Daji was pleased with this answer. She decided to rest well that night so she could present herself in her most beautiful form when she arrived in Zhaoge. The Emperor of Shang was the most powerful man in the world, and she was curious about him too.

That night, Daji had a dream. In the dream, a goddess who called herself the Jade Pool Celestial Maiden instructed her to do everything in her power to seduce the emperor when she reached Zhaoge.

In the dream, Daji responded according to her own desires, saying, “I’m going to Zhaoge to win favor in the first place.”

The Celestial Maiden from the Jade Pool paused before saying, “No, it’s not just about winning favor. You must make Emperor Xin fall in love with you, willing to do anything for your sake.”

Daji found this task quite difficult. She replied, “But my father always says that Emperor Xin of Zhaoge is a wise and great ruler. Would such a man really lose himself over love?”

Daji didn’t believe it. Yousu was just a small tribe, and even her father had many beauties in his harem, yet he never let his affection for them interfere with his duties.

The Celestial Maiden responded, “I will assist you. All you need to do is use every means to seduce Emperor Xin. If you succeed, I will grant you a divine status, and you will retain your youth and beauty forever.”

Daji woke up and still remembered her dream. She thought it was just a dream until her maid entered and let out a small gasp.

Quickly, she grabbed the bronze mirror and saw that her hair had become even darker, shinier, and smoother, her skin was flawless and radiant, and her entire being seemed to glow like jade!

Moreover, there was now a subtle, enchanting fragrance emanating from her.

She had become even more beautiful!

The words of the goddess in her dream had actually come true!