Investiture of the Gods: Childhood Sweetheart Daji, Starting with Quasi-Saint Cultivation

Deng Zhong, the envoy from Chaoge, was a burly military general. When he met Su Yunbai, he clasped his hands in a respectful greeting.

"Young Master Su, the Grand Tutor has ordered me to come and escort you to Chaoge."

Su Yunbai returned the greeting: "Thank you for your trouble, General Deng."

"You're too kind, young master," Deng Zhong said. "The Grand Tutor said that if you are ready, you can set off today."

Su Yunbai nodded: "Okay."

He didn't have much luggage to bring.

After a brief farewell to Su Hu, Daji, and Jiang Xiaowu, he left Jizhou City with Deng Zhong.

Deng Zhong brought a team of 100 elite cavalrymen, all of whom were Wen Zhong's personal guards. Their cultivation level was at least Foundation Establishment, and they moved swiftly.

The group rode eastward, galloping towards Chaoge.

On the way, Deng Zhong didn't say much, but in the occasional conversations, Su Yunbai could sense that the general had great respect for Wen Zhong and was quite worried about the current situation in Chaoge.

Five days later.

Chaoge City is visible in the distance.

This great Shang capital city, with its majestic city walls stretching for hundreds of miles, was clearly visible to Su Yunbai, its aura converging like a dragon.

But upon closer inspection, although the golden dragon of fortune still looked majestic, several strands of black energy were now swirling around its body.

The calamity began to erode it.

"Young Master Su, please." Deng Zhong led the way.

Enter the city.

The streets are bustling with people.

But Su Yunbai could sense that beneath the surface of prosperity, undercurrents were surging.

Many cultivators' auras were faintly visible, some practicing orthodox methods, others unorthodox ones, and some even possessing a faint demonic aura.

The other two demons sent by Nuwa have already infiltrated Chaoge?

He remained calm and composed.

Deng Zhong led him to a mansion.

"Young master, this is the accommodation arranged for you by the Grand Tutor. The Grand Tutor said that you should rest today, and His Majesty will summon you at the morning court tomorrow."

Su Yunbai looked around the mansion.

It was quite large, with three courtyards and a full complement of servants.

"Please thank the Grand Tutor for me."

Deng Zhong took his leave.

Su Yunbai checked in.

evening.

He was sitting quietly in the courtyard when suddenly an idea struck him.

look up.

A figure appeared silently in the courtyard.

The man in black robes, with a dignified face, was none other than King Zhou, Di Xin.

But at this moment, his face lacked its usual imperial majesty, instead showing a hint of weariness.

"Your Majesty." Su Yunbai stood up.

King Zhou waved his hand: "In private, let's call each other fellow villagers."

He walked to the stone table, sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, and drank it all in one gulp.

Su Yunbai looked at him.

This fellow traveler from the same hometown seemed to be in poor condition.

"Fellow villager, you..." Su Yunbai sat down.

King Zhou put down his teacup and let out a long sigh.

"Su Yunbai, I'm telling you the truth."

He raised his head, a deep sense of powerlessness in his eyes.

"I can't hold on much longer."

Su Yunbai remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"I know the plot, I know the Investiture of the Gods, I know Xiqi is going to rebel, I know Wen Zhong will die, and I know the Shang Dynasty will perish."

"I traveled through time and became King Zhou. I thought I could change everything."

"But I realized I was too naive."

King Zhou shook his head with a wry smile.

"In my past life, I was just a soldier. Training, fighting, obeying orders—I knew all that. But politics? Power struggles? Governing a country? I knew nothing!"

He clenched his fist.

"I know Bigan will have his heart ripped out, but what can I do? Just kill him? He's my uncle, utterly loyal, what right do I have to kill him?"

"I know Daji will bring ruin to the country, but can I refuse a demon sent by Nuwa? What can a mere mortal emperor like me do to resist the decree of the Sage?"

"I know Fei Zhong and You Hun are treacherous ministers, but they are good at flattery and manage the court affairs very well. With them, at least the court won't be in chaos. Replace them with a group of loyal ministers? Hah, those loyal ministers are all pedantic, all they know how to do is offer advice all day long. If you really want them to get things done, they're all useless!"

King Zhou became more and more agitated as he spoke.

"I want to implement reforms, strengthen the military, and improve people's livelihoods. But as soon as I put forward some ideas, the nobles and ministers rose up in opposition. They said that ancestral rules cannot be violated and that etiquette and laws cannot be abolished."

"I wanted to promote new farming techniques, but they said it was a strange and ingenious trick that went against the natural order."

"I wanted to reorganize the army, but they said that weapons are deadly and should not be used rashly."

"I wanted to promote people from humble backgrounds, but they said that nobility is hereditary and cannot be overstepped."

He slammed his fist on the stone table.

"I'm just a fucking puppet! I know the plot, but I can't change anything!"

Su Yunbai listened quietly.

He could understand King Zhou's powerlessness.

A modern soldier suddenly becomes an emperor, facing a dynastic system that has lasted for hundreds of years, deeply entrenched interest groups, and the will of a supreme sage.

The more you know, the more painful it becomes.

"What about Wen Zhong?" Su Yunbai asked. "He's a trusted minister entrusted with the care of the young emperor, and he holds military power. Shouldn't he support you?"

King Zhou smiled bitterly.

"Grand Tutor Wen is loyal, but he is too upright. So upright that he doesn't know how to be flexible."

"I mentioned to him that Xiqi might rebel, and what did he say? 'Your Majesty is overthinking it. Ji Chang is benevolent and virtuous, and he will certainly not have any disloyal intentions.' I hinted to him to be careful of the Chan Sect, and he said, 'The orthodox Xuanmen sect would never interfere in human affairs.'"

"It's not that he doesn't trust me, it's that he believes in his own beliefs too deeply."

King Zhou rubbed his temples.

"Every day I go to court, looking at those ministers below, speaking high-sounding words, but all they think about is their own interests. After court, I have to review mountains of memorials and deal with endless government affairs."

"At night, I also have to deal with those women in the harem. Queen Jiang is virtuous, but too rigid. Consort Huang is spoiled, and Consort Yang is weak. And then there are those two newcomers... the Jade Pipa Spirit and the Nine-Headed Pheasant Spirit. I know they are demons, but what can I do? Throw them out? Nuwa will punish them immediately."

He looked at Su Yunbai, his eyes weary.

"I know that in the story, I will become more and more incompetent and tyrannical, and in the end, I will be abandoned by everyone and burn myself on the Deer Terrace."

"I don't want that. But I feel like I'm being pushed down that path."

"Sometimes I think, if I didn't know the plot, maybe I could still live a muddled life. But knowing it doesn't change anything, and this feeling of consciously watching myself head towards destruction... it's fucking painful."

Su Yunbai poured him a cup of tea.

"So, you called me here because you want me to help you break out of this predicament?"

King Zhou nodded.

"You are a transmigrator, a cultivator, and even a quasi-saint. You have strength, a system, and abilities that I know of but do not possess."

"I need your help."

He stared at Su Yunbai.

"In the court, I need someone who can break the balance. Those noble ministers are all in cahoots, a monolithic entity. Although Wen Zhong has great authority, he acts too uprightly and can't outmaneuver those old foxes."

"I need someone who is ruthless, vicious, and able to break the rules."

"You, Su Yunbai, are decisive in killing in Beihai and have a deep understanding of planning in Jizhou. You are the most suitable candidate."

Su Yunbai pondered.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Enter the court as an official," King Zhou said. "I will give you a high position and real power. You will help me to rectify the court, eliminate treacherous officials, suppress nobles, and promote capable people."