I am a boss in the world of nine uncles

The Shang Dynasty had four powerful vassal states: Jiang Huanchu, the Eastern Marquis; Chonghouhu, the Northern Marquis; Ji Chang, the Western Marquis; and E Chongyu, the Southern Marquis.

The four major vassal states each governed the four directions—east, west, south, and north—and each led two hundred minor vassal states. They were arguably the most powerful figures besides the King.

On this day, Shen Gongbao flew to Chongcheng carrying an incense burner. He met with Marquis Chong Houhu of the North under the guise of a Daoist immortal. With clever words and flattery, he persuaded the Marquis to dismiss his guards and then mysteriously handed the incense burner to him.

"Immortal, is there really something in this incense burner that can prolong life?" The burly Chonghou Hu, clad in armor, peered at the incense burner with anticipation and curiosity on his face.

“Of course, why would I, a humble Taoist priest, travel thousands of miles to Chongcheng to deceive the Marquis?” Shen Gongbao laughed.

Chong Houhu took a deep breath and personally opened the incense burner lid. A stream of blue gas immediately flew out and rushed into his mouth and nose at an extremely fast speed.

Seeing this, Shen Gongbao smiled silently, and with a flick of his sleeve, he transformed into a beam of light, instantly carrying Chong Houhu away from the Marquis's residence and flying swiftly to the Imperial Preceptor's residence in Chaoge City...

Inside the royal palace.

Shouxian Palace.

Qin Yao watched from afar as Shen Gongbao led a person into the magic array and continuously refined the person's body with Nuwa Stones, then slowly narrowed his eyes.

If nothing unexpected happens, the "human soldier" or puppet that Shen Gongbao has created should be aimed at Grand Master Lingguan.

He had no intention of stopping them, and even hoped that Shen Gongbao could really do something to the Grand Master Lingguan.

After all, Shen Gongbao now represents the Chan Sect, while Grand Master Lingguan represents the Human Sect.

Once they start fighting, it will inevitably sow the seeds of division between the two religions.

However, he felt that Shen Gongbao was in a precarious situation.

Shen Gongbao didn't know who Ling Guan's true identity was, but he knew perfectly well. Strictly speaking, the difference between Shen Gongbao and Master Ling Guan was at least several Golden Immortals in rank...

That night.

Chong Houhu flew into the post station like a ghost, raised his hand and silently took out a demonic blade surrounded by purple energy, and strode towards the room where the spirit temple was located.

Inside the room, Master Lingguan, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, slowly opened his eyes and watched as the body that resembled a humanoid demon entered through the door. His brows twitched slightly: "Plague Demon."

Startled that his true name had been called out, the Plague Demon instinctively raised his demonic blade and lunged at the Spirit Temple.

Ling Guan remained calm, raised his hand and pointed, and a golden rope shot out from his sleeve, instantly binding Chong Houhu's body tightly from top to bottom.

The plague demon tried to break free of the ropes, but even with all his might, he could only make the ropes shimmer with a faint golden light.

Upon seeing this, He tried to fly out of Chonghouhu's body, and was immediately horrified to discover that the rope not only worked on his physical body, but also imprisoned his soul!
Inside the Imperial Preceptor's residence.

Shen Gongbao, who was sitting cross-legged in the Plague God Formation, sensed the puppet's predicament. His expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly took out the Nuwa Stone to help it from a distance.

Why did he travel all the way to Chongcheng to capture Chong Houhu?

The reason is simple: if Chong Houhu can successfully kill the Grand Master Lingguan, then King Zhou will definitely be furious and may even execute Chong Houhu.

With Chong Houhu dying in Chaoge, the northern regions will surely rebel, dealing a heavy blow to Chaoge.

At the same time, he was the only remaining national advisor in the Shang Kingdom.

If Chong Houhu were no match for Ling Guan and were killed by him, the northern lands would still be in chaos, and King Zhou would have no choice but to deal with Ling Guan, thus achieving his own goal.

The most troublesome thing is that Chong Houhu is under control. Not only will his plans fail, but he may even get burned.

That is why he had no choice but to help from afar, even if it would consume the power of the Nuwa Stone.

Inside the post station.

in the room.

A circular magic circle suddenly appeared beneath Chong Houhu's feet, continuously generating violent energy as it rotated, even breaking through the Spirit Observation Golden Rope.

"Kill! Kill! Kill..."

After escaping, Chong Houhu immediately gripped his long sword and pounced on the bed like a madman.

Ling Guan remained calm, took out a Taoist scripture with a flick of his wrist, turned a page, and softly recited it. Instantly, golden light shone on the page of the scripture, and then a golden chain covered with runes rushed out, slashing forward like a serpent.

Chong Houhu slashed down with his longsword, the purple blade flashing brilliantly in the air.

"when."

The blade struck the chain heavily, creating a gash in an instant. The chain head then looped around the blade, passed through the arm, and pierced straight into Chong Houhu's body, completely shattering the plague demon within.

"boom."

Inside the Plague God Formation, the lamps on the altar suddenly exploded.

Shen Gongbao's body trembled, and he spat out a mouthful of blood mist. Even the Nuwa Stone was uncontrollably released from his hand.

"how is this possible?"

What level of skill does he possess?

Struggling to keep his body from collapsing, Shen Gongbao roared, his face flushed.

With the blessing of the Nuwa Stone, he believed that even if he encountered a fellow Golden Immortal, he would have the strength to fight.

But now, in front of that Master Lingguan, they are so utterly vulnerable!
Inside the post station.

After the plague demon was destroyed, the golden chains were quickly retrieved into the book.

Surprisingly, Chong Houhu, who was standing in front of the bed, was completely unharmed despite being pierced through, though his head was a little dizzy. He stared at Ling Guan and asked:

"Where is this? And who are you?"

Ling Guan calmly said, "This is the Chaoge Huanghua Post Station. My name is Ling Guan, and my current identity is the Grand Preceptor of the Yin Shang Dynasty."

Chong Houhu's heart skipped a beat: "How did I get here?"

"You've been ambushed and possessed by a plague demon, coming to kill me." Ling Guan asked, "Do you remember who sent you?"

Chong Houhu couldn't help but shudder: "It was that Taoist immortal. He lied to me and said that there was something in the incense burner that could prolong life. After I opened the lid, I lost consciousness immediately."

After pondering for a moment, Ling Guan said, "You should rest here at this post station for the night. Tomorrow morning, I will take you to meet the Emperor."

Chong Houhu asked, his heart pounding, "Master, may I share a room with you?"

“No need. The entire post station is within my perception range. No one will harm you under my nose,” Ling Guan said, waving his hand.

The next day.

At the time of the court assembly, Ling Guan pointed to Chong Houhu and explained the details to the King in front of all the civil and military officials, which caused a great deal of discussion among the court officials.

Qin Yao said, "If that's the case, then I'll trouble the Grand Preceptor and the Marquis of the North to return to Chongcheng together and see if there are any evil spirits left in the city."

If there is one, then eliminate the evil spirit directly. If not, then return to Chaoge alone.

“Your Majesty, I also wish to stay in Chaoge,” Chong Houhu couldn’t help but say.

In his view, this Grand Preceptor was clearly a highly accomplished person, and the closer one got to him, the further away one would be from evil spirits.

Therefore, before the truth is clear and the situation is uncertain, staying by the other side is undoubtedly the safest option.

Qin Yao asked, "If you stay in Chaoge, who will govern the two hundred vassal states in the north?" "Your Majesty, my brother Hei Hu is exceptionally capable and will surely be able to govern the north in my stead," Chong Hou Hu bowed and replied.

Qin Yao shook his head and said, "No, you are the Marquis of the North, but he is not. How can he be entrusted with the administration?"

Here's what I'll do: before the Grand Preceptor returns, I'll leave you a protective talisman to keep you from being harmed by evil spirits.

Having a deep understanding of the characters in the Investiture of the Gods, how could he possibly accept such an absurd proposal?
It should be noted that Chong Houhu's younger brother, Chong Heihu, murdered his brother to seize power during the "Great Trend" and betrayed the Jie Sect during the Great Calamity. He was both unrighteous and unjust.

Giving the northern lands to the other side is not as good as tying a dog to the Marquis of the North's position and letting the officials and feudal lords below do as they please.

Not long after.

The deeply regretful Marquis of the North was taken away by the Grand Preceptor on a cloud. As the officials dispersed from court, news of the Grand Preceptor's slaying of the plague demon and rescue of the Marquis spread rapidly.

To be precise, it gradually spread from the homes of officials to ordinary people, and soon everyone knew that the head of the sect, the National Preceptor, possessed the ability to exorcise evil spirits and eliminate plagues, greatly increasing the prestige of the Human Sect...

the other side.

Having failed in his attempt to steal a chicken and instead lost his own, Shen Gongbao was both afraid and resentful, and for a time dared not target the Grand Preceptor any further.

However, given his nature, he would not back down out of fear. So, a few days later, when he saw a golden dragon appear in the sky above Chaoge, stirring up the wind and weaving clouds, another plan came to mind. He took out the plague poison left by the Plague God, turned it into fine powder, and sprinkled it on the ground.

As the golden dragon brought rain, the water droplets dissolved into plague-infected powder, and the poisonous water flowed into the river, causing a plague to spread rapidly in Chaoge, with many people suffering from the poison.

Therefore, Qin Yao held an extra court assembly and publicly asked the two imperial advisors who could cure the plague.

Shen Gongbao waited to see Lingguan make a fool of itself, so he kept silent.

Ling Guan silently accepted the task. After court, he carried his medicine chest and headed straight for the plague-stricken area. He carefully identified the type of plague, then ran up the mountain to pick herbs and make pills to save countless lives.

Only then did he begin to investigate the source of the plague, eventually finding it in the water source. He then used magic to purify the water, and the plague was gradually eradicated.

Shen Gongbao never expected that this Lingguan not only possessed extraordinary magical power but was also an expert in pharmacology, capable of curing plagues. His fear of him continued to grow.

What he didn't notice was that, because of the two successive events of exterminating the plague demon and eliminating the plague, the name of the Grand Master Lingguan and the Human Sect began to resound throughout Chaoge.

Many people who were healed by Lingguan spontaneously went to the Lao Jun Temple, which was still under construction, to worship, and even contributed their labor and manpower to help build the temple without asking for payment.

The benevolent reputation of the Renjiao sect was deeply imprinted in the hearts of the people of Chaoge, and the number of Renjiao believers increased rapidly through word of mouth.

As the founder of the People's Teachings, Laozi was very pleased with this.

People always need to pursue something. Being devoid of all desires is not transcendence, but rather a loss of humanity.

If humanity is lost, can a saint still be called a saint?
No, that would only be a puppet of the Heavenly Dao.

That is why the character "人" (person) in "圣人" (sage) is so important.

Therefore, they deliberately amplify their human nature, such as saving face, protecting their own, and promoting traditional beliefs, which are all manifestations of this.

On the other hand, if the People's Teachings can flourish in the world and become the foremost orthodox tradition, it will have gained prestige and its legacy will be preserved. This is a fortunate thing, so how could it not be joyful?
The Primordial Celestial Venerable was very displeased.

According to his original plan, Xiqi should have launched a war against Shang by now, and Jiang Ziya should not have stayed in Chaoge as an official, but should have gone to assist Ji Chang.

The murky waters disrupted all his plans, making him increasingly uneasy and unsure of where to begin.

After sitting quietly for a long time, he decided to go find his senior brother first.

How could the Renjiao (People's Teachings) become the state religion of the Yin-Shang dynasty?
In his plan, the Shang Dynasty was a dynasty destined to perish, and he saw it as a force of opposition!

"What does my junior brother want me to do?"

Inside the Tushita Palace, Laozi asked Yuanshi, "Show me directly and order the King to demolish the Laozi Temple that has not yet been built, and to forbid the Yin Shang from worshipping the Renjiao religion?"

Yuanshi Tianzun said, "That's not what I meant."

"Then what do you mean? Why don't you just say it?" Lao Jun said gently.

Yuanshi pondered for a moment and said, "Senior Brother, could you recall the disciples of the Human Sect? If the disciples of the Human Sect accepted the imperial decree from the Yin Shang Dynasty, then what difference would there be between them and the Human Sect protecting the Yin Shang Dynasty?"

Lao Jun said, "As far as I know, Junior Brother seems to have two disciples who are officials in the Yin Shang Dynasty, right?"

One was the Imperial Preceptor, the other the Grand Censor; both were top-ranking powerful officials.

Yuanshi: "..."

The conversation ended abruptly, and for the first time, a rift appeared in the relationship between Yuanshi and Laozi due to the issue of the orthodox lineage.

What they didn't know was that, within the original Heavenly Dao, the falling out between Tongtian and Yuanshi was also due to their own lineage.

There's nothing we can do; even sages don't care about many things anymore.

You can take a few of his magical treasures or steal a few of his spiritual herbs, and he won't even care.

However, if you offend him or disrupt his lineage, it's perfectly normal for him to fight desperately. If he gets carried away, he might even want to destroy the world, like the Tongtian Sect Leader.

at the same time.

Shen Gongbao chased after the rain and found the Great Dragon God in the sky above Xiqi. Seeing the dragon god laughing heartily, he couldn't help but ask, "What is the Dragon God laughing about?"

The great dragon god, with two horns on his head and a rugged face, pointed towards the Marquis of Xiqi's residence and laughed:

"When I saw that Ji Chang was pretending to be a god or ghost, I made a bet with him on how much rain would fall."

He said that the rain outside the city was seven feet deep, while the rain inside the city was only three inches deep.

But now, it's completely reversed.

Shen Gongbao sensed something was amiss: "Did the Dragon God come here on a divine decree?"

The Dragon God nodded and said, "That's right."

"What is the exact amount of rain stated in the imperial edict?" Shen Gongbao pressed.

The Dragon God's expression changed slightly, and he frowned, saying, "Who are you, and why do you ask so many questions?"

Shen Gongbao said, "If the Dragon God is in a fit of pique and does not follow the heavenly rules to control the clouds and rain, I fear a calamity will befall him."

As they were talking, a flash of celestial light appeared high in the sky, and a voice came from it: "Dragon God, why is the amount of rain inside and outside the city wrong?"

The Dragon God's expression changed slightly, and he said, "This old dragon has misremembered, I hope the immortal child will forgive me."

"You got them mixed up?"

The voice paused slightly, then said, "This is a crime of dereliction of duty, punishable by death; the execution will be carried out tomorrow at noon."

After saying that, the celestial light vanished, and the Dragon God was utterly devastated, losing all composure.

Shen Gongbao's mind stirred slightly, and he quickly said, "I have a plan to save the Dragon God."

The Dragon God, like a drowning man grasping at a straw, hurriedly asked, "How can I survive?"

“Didn’t that fairy boy say that someone would come to kill you at noon tomorrow? As long as you survive this calamity, and with some maneuvering, you will surely have a chance to survive,” Shen Gongbao said.

"How can I escape this calamity?" the Dragon God humbly asked.

Shen Gongbao said, "Go to Chaoge! There is a high-ranking Taoist priest named Ling Guan in Chaoge. If you can persuade him to help, you can definitely avoid this calamity!" (End of this chapter)