Zhang Kui Asks the Way in Investiture of the Gods

As they approached Mianchi City, Zhang Kui activated his escape technique and landed on the official road outside the city.

The atmosphere of the city's defenses was different from usual. He keenly noticed that the number of soldiers stationed there had nearly doubled. Their helmets and armor were gleaming, their expressions were solemn, and the frequency of patrols had increased significantly. On the city walls, there was even a faint glow of array runes flowing through them.

"Hmm? The city defenses have been strengthened so much... What happened?" Zhang Kui felt a little puzzled, but he wasn't too worried.

With his current Xuanxian cultivation, Lingwu physique, and the trump card of being the incarnation of the Fengdu Emperor, as long as a Daluo Jinxian doesn't personally intervene, Mianchi will remain as stable as Mount Tai.

Concealing his aura, Zhang Kui entered the city like an ordinary pedestrian, heading straight towards Jishan Hall.

When he returned to his backyard, before even entering the house, he sensed a mixed yet familiar atmosphere inside.

Upon entering, he saw his wife Gao Lanying, his younger brother Zhang Shan, and his trusted subordinates Wu Wenhua, Zheng Lun, Chen Qi, and others all sitting together. The atmosphere was somewhat heavy, as if they were discussing important matters.

Zhang Kui appeared, and asked with a hint of doubt, "Everyone's here, but what urgent matter has happened?"

Upon hearing this sudden sound, everyone in the hall paled. Wu Wenhua abruptly stood up, his blood surging with energy, while Zheng Lun and Chen Qi placed their hands on their weapons.

When they saw that the person who came was Zhang Kui, the surprise on everyone's faces instantly turned into joy.

"My husband!"

Gao Lanying was the first to greet him, her beautiful eyes filled with surprise and concern. After carefully looking him up and down and seeing that Zhang Kui was unharmed, she was finally relieved.

"My lord!"

Wu Wenhua, Zheng Lun, Chen Qi, and others quickly bowed and paid their respects, their expressions a mixture of reverence and excitement.

Zhang Kui looked at Gao Lanying and jokingly said, "Lanying, it seems you've made great progress in your understanding of the I Ching. You can even predict that I'll be returning home today."

Gao Lanying blushed slightly at his teasing and gave him a reproachful look: "Husband, please don't joke. I've only just begun to learn and have only scratched the surface. How could I possibly be so accurate? It's just that we have important matters to discuss here."

"Oh?"

Zhang Kui's smile faded, his gaze swept over the crowd, and he asked seriously, "What exactly happened? I see that the city's defenses are much tighter."

The younger brother, Zhang Shan, stepped forward and explained solemnly, "Brother, you've come back just in time. An urgent imperial edict has arrived from Chaoge, saying that... King Wucheng, Huang Feihu, has rebelled against Chaoge and fled to Xiqi."

Through Zhang Shan's detailed description, Zhang Kui learned what had happened.

It was simply that King Zhou became increasingly tyrannical and incompetent. Daji, along with treacherous officials like Fei Zhong and You Hun, framed loyal ministers. Huang Feihu's wife, Jia, was forced to jump to her death, and his sister, Huang Fei, was also slaughtered. Ultimately, this hereditary King Wucheng was forced to rebel against the Shang and surrender to the Zhou.

King Zhou was furious and issued an edict ordering all passes along the way to intercept and capture Huang Feihu and his party.

After hearing this, Zhang Kui felt little emotion, only a faint sense of sarcasm.

"As expected... this king is headed headlong down the road to destroying his kingdom, and there's no turning back." He had long since given up hope for King Zhou, and Huang Feihu's rebellion was, in his view, inevitable.

"My husband!"

Gao Lanying continued, "The imperial decree from Chaoge, regarding Mianchi as one of the essential routes to Xiqi, requires the garrison to maintain a tight defense and do everything in its power to intercept Huang Feihu. We are currently discussing how to deploy our forces and set up checkpoints..."

Before she could finish speaking, Zhang Kui raised his hand to interrupt her, saying calmly and decisively, "No need, Lan Ying."

All eyes immediately turned to him.

Zhang Kui looked around and slowly said, "Pass on my order: throughout Mianchi, regarding Huang Feihu and his group, we will only make a show of it, setting up checkpoints as a formality. There is no need to actually stop them, and they are absolutely forbidden from launching any attacks. We, Mianchi, will not get involved in this mess."

Upon hearing this, the people in the hall exchanged surprised glances. After all, intercepting traitors was an official decree of the court, and such a blatant act of defiance carried considerable risk.

But Zhang Shan was the first to react. He knew that his brother's actions must have a deeper meaning, so he immediately clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I understand, brother! I'll go and make the arrangements right away. I guarantee that the scene will be lively and that Huang Feihu will not be harmed in the slightest."

Wu Wenhua scratched his head. Although he didn't quite understand the intricacies, Zhang Kui's words were law, and he said in a deep voice, "If the lord says to release, then release."

Zheng Lun and Chen Qi exchanged a glance and instantly understood the key point.

Now that King Zhou of Shang has lost his virtue, the whole world knows it. Rather than serving this tyrant and offending King Wucheng and the future Xiqi, it's better to do him a favor.

The two replied in unison, "Your subordinate obeys!"

Seeing that no one had any objections,

Having understood his intentions, Zhang Kui nodded in satisfaction.

This is the team he built from scratch; in critical moments, they obey orders without question and are of one mind.

With the business settled, the atmosphere relaxed. Zhang Shan winked at Zhang Kui and Gao Lanying, teasingly saying, "Brother, well... if there's nothing else, we'll be going now? You and your wife haven't seen each other in so long, have a good get-together and have a heart-to-heart talk."

Wu Wenhua and others also showed joking smiles.

Zhang Kui laughed and cursed, "You talk too much... Get lost and do what you're supposed to do." He then made a move to kick him.

Zhang Shan chuckled, nimbly dodged to the side, and called to Wu Wenhua, Zheng Lun, Chen Qi, and the others before quickly leaving the courtyard, thoughtfully closing the gate behind him.

The noise subsided, and the backyard fell silent, with only the warm glow of the setting sun filtering through the window.

Inside the room, only Zhang Kui and Gao Lanying remained.

Their eyes met, and no further words were needed.

Although the separation was not too long, the journey to the underworld was fraught with danger, and the illusion of reincarnation interfered with his breakthrough. Now that he has returned safely and seen the person he has been longing for, the longing in Zhang Kui's heart surged up instantly.

Gao Lanying stepped forward and gently nestled into Zhang Kui's broad and firm chest. She stretched out her arms to wrap around his waist, pressed her cheek against his chest, and felt the familiar and reassuring breath and strong heartbeat.

Zhang Kui naturally reached out and tightly embraced her slender and supple waist, gently resting his chin on her hair, inhaling her faint, unique fragrance.

The two stood quietly in each other's arms as the twilight gradually faded.

The occasional chirping of birds returning to their nests outside the window only enhanced the tranquility and warmth inside. All worries, longings, and weariness after weathering the storms slowly melted away in this silent embrace.

As night deepened, the side rooms in the backyard of Jishantang were brightly lit.

Zhang Kui helped Gao Lanying sit down and began to recount his experience of the journey to the underworld. Gao Lanying listened with her eyebrows slightly furrowed, her eyes filled with undisguised curiosity.

"The place that the treasure-dropping coin pointed to was actually deep in the netherworld..." she whispered.

"Fortunately, all the efforts have paid off." Zhang Kui smiled and patted the back of her hand reassuringly. "Moreover, thanks to this opportunity and the merits of the initial establishment of the Underworld, the Golden Core Path has broken through to the Profound Immortal Realm in one fell swoop."

"Mysterious Immortal!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Lanying's beautiful eyes shone with astonishing light. Having already attained the Xuanxian cultivation level, she knew the difficulty of this realm. "Excellent, my husband!"

Sensing her joy, Zhang Kui continued, "Not only that, the greatest opportunity of this trip is yet to come."

He considered his words carefully before continuing his story, but when he mentioned the words "Emperor Fengdu"...

"What?"

Gao Lanying suddenly lifted her head from his embrace, covered Zhang Kui's mouth with her jade hand, and quickly cast a spell, releasing several beams of restrictive spiritual light that enveloped the entire room completely.

After doing all this, she released her hand and said in a very low voice, "Husband, be careful what you say! The Great Emperor of Fengdu is the ruler of the underworld, with a supreme position. He is involved in the primordial cycle of reincarnation and immeasurable karma. His name itself contains immense power."

Gao Lanying's eyes were burning with worry. "The Jie Sect's scriptures contain a vague record that the fall of the Fengdu Emperor in the past had far-reaching implications. Now that you have just assumed this position, your foundation is not yet stable. If you rashly utter this title now, it is hard to guarantee that it will not trigger causal resonance and be noticed by certain beings."

Zhang Kui was startled upon hearing this. Ever since obtaining the incarnation of the Fengdu Emperor, he had become obsessed with it and underestimated the potential risks. Gao Lanying's reminder made him realize the seriousness of the matter.

The change of a Netherworld Emperor who controls reincarnation is no small matter, especially at this sensitive time when the Investiture of the Gods has begun and various forces are secretly vying for power.

He grasped Gao Lanying's hand, quickly composed himself, and said in a deep voice, "Lanying, you're right. I didn't think things through and got a little carried away."

"It's good that my husband understands, but..." She changed the subject, a hint of curiosity and inquiry flashing in her eyes, "Empress Pingxin was willing to entrust you with such an important position and personally help you merge your avatar. Besides the bloodline connection you mentioned, is there any other reason? That empress seems to favor you exceptionally."

Zhang Kui gave a wry smile and shook his head: "I can't fathom the thoughts of this 'ancestor.' Perhaps it truly is fate..."

Gao Lanying seemed to be deep in thought, leaned into Zhang Kui's arms, and whispered, "In any case, it's always a good thing that my husband has had this opportunity and his strength has greatly increased."

Zhang Kui held her tightly, his gaze fixed on the deep night sky outside the window, his eyes sharp. "If we are as careful at the end as at the beginning, we will not fail. This path... we, as husband and wife, are determined to walk it."