Zhang Kui Asks the Way in Investiture of the Gods

A gentle night breeze rustled through the pines on Caijiapo, five miles south of Xiqi City.

Zhang Kui's figure, like smoke, slowly solidified from the void.

Beneath a sturdy ancient pine tree, Nezha had been waiting for a long time. The young man leaned casually against the tree trunk, the moonlight shining on his face, revealing a serene expression.

"Nezha, it's been a long time," Zhang Kui said gently.

Nezha turned around at the sound, a look of joy flashing in his eyes, then he scratched the back of his head somewhat embarrassedly: "Brother Zhang, you really came! I thought... you wouldn't come."

"What did you think?" Zhang Kui smiled and walked to his side, casually sitting down on the grass. "Did you suspect me of setting a trap for you? We fought side by side on Skull Mountain. If we don't even have that much trust, then our friendship is far too shallow."

These words were spoken frankly, and upon hearing them, Nezha's unease vanished instantly, replaced by a feeling of warmth.

Zhang Kui continued, "I must thank you for the battle during the day. Your Three Heads and Six Arms supernatural power is nearing completion. If you hadn't deliberately held back, I would never have been able to escape from the Nine Dragons Divine Fire."

The two exchanged a knowing smile, their understanding unspoken.

A night breeze blew by, and the faint lights in the distance outlined the shape of Xiqi.

Zhang Kui looked up and saw a faint golden canopy of fortune rising above Xiqi City. Although it was not as heavy and imposing as the one in Chaoge, it was still beginning to take shape and was full of vitality, unlike the gloomy fortune of the Yin Shang Dynasty.

"Nezha," Zhang Kui withdrew his gaze and looked at the young man before him, "why did you come here to get involved in this mortal world's killing spree instead of cultivating in seclusion on Qianyuan Mountain?"

Upon hearing this, Nezha's face showed a hint of helplessness: "I cannot disobey my master's orders. My master said that the great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods has begun, and the mandate of heaven is in Xiqi. He ordered me to go down the mountain to assist Uncle Jiang and follow the will of heaven."

"Destiny..." Zhang Kui murmured repeatedly, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

He had read "Investiture of the Gods" in his previous life, so he naturally knew where the so-called "destiny" would ultimately lead. But now that he was in this situation himself, his feelings were completely different.

From Chaoge to Xiqi, from Beihai to Mianchi, what he saw was not a cold trajectory of destiny, but living people struggling to survive in the torrent of the times.

"Brother Zhang," Nezha hesitated for a moment before speaking, "why...why are you siding with the Shang Dynasty? King Zhou's tyranny is known throughout the land. With your cultivation and knowledge, you shouldn't be unable to see that."

Zhang Kui remained silent for a moment, then looked up at the stars in the night sky.

"I understand," he said slowly, "but I am not standing on the Shang Dynasty, nor on King Zhou."

Nezha was taken aback.

"But Xiqi is precisely trying to act on behalf of Heaven and overthrow tyranny!" Nezha asked, puzzled.

"Acting on behalf of Heaven..." Zhang Kui smiled, a smile carrying a depth that Nezha couldn't decipher. "Nezha, do you know whose Heaven this 'Heaven' is? And whose Dao this 'Dao' is?"

Before Nezha could answer, Zhang Kui asked and answered himself: "It is the Heaven of the Sage, it is the Way of the Sage. You and I are just pawns. The only difference is that some people are willing to be pawns, while others... want to jump out of the chessboard and see what's going on."

These words startled Nezha.

Jump out of the chessboard?

How arrogant, how... these four words are! .

"Brother Zhang, you..." Nezha hesitated, unable to finish his sentence.

Zhang Kui waved his hand, changing the subject: "Let's not talk about that. You asked me out tonight not just to catch up, right?"

Nezha then remembered his important matter and his expression turned serious: "Brother Zhang, I've come to remind you. Uncle Jiang, seeing that you and Zhang Guifang are troublesome, has personally returned to the Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain to seek help. He will definitely return within three days. When that time comes, it will probably be a Golden Immortal from the Chan Sect."

Zhang Kui nodded: "As expected. Xiqi wouldn't dare to rebel without someone backing them up. I just didn't expect Jiang Ziya to go and call for reinforcements so quickly."

"Brother Zhang, you must be careful," Nezha said seriously. "Not to mention the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect, my fellow disciples alone are no pushovers. Especially Senior Brother Yang Jian, he has already mastered the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts and has seventy-two transformations, his supernatural powers are even greater than mine."

"Yang Jian..." Zhang Kui's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He had heard of the great name of this Erlang Zhenjun.

To immerse yourself in reading Chapter 108, "Meeting Friends Under the Matsushita," please click here.

"Thanks for the reminder," Zhang Kui said sincerely. "And what about you? Being caught in the middle must be tough, right?"

Nezha smiled bitterly: "I am bound by my master's orders and have no choice in what I do. But I promise you, if it really comes down to a life-or-death struggle, I will try my best to hold back."

"No need," Zhang Kui shook his head. "When we get to the battlefield, we'll each serve our own masters. You don't need to show mercy, and neither do I."

Nezha paused for a moment, then nodded emphatically: "I understand."

The two chatted for a long time, from their cultivation experiences to the refinement of magical artifacts, from the great principles of heaven and earth to the myriad aspects of human life.

Under the moonlight, two adversaries who should have been fighting to the death on the battlefield were now chatting and laughing like old friends.

"Brother Zhang," Nezha suddenly asked, "the escape technique you used to avoid my Nine Dragons Divine Fire that day didn't seem to be just the Five Elements Escape Technique? I vaguely sensed a fluctuation of... spatial laws?"

Zhang Kui's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself that Nezha was indeed perceptive.

"That is the true meaning of 'Frost Without Fixation' that I comprehended from the 'Flying Body and Levitating Traces' supernatural power," he said frankly. "My body can freely switch between reality and illusion, and ordinary restrictions are difficult to trap me."

"I see," Nezha said suddenly, "No wonder I felt that for a moment, you seemed to have disappeared from this world, yet you were also everywhere."

Zhang Kui laughed and said, "Your three heads and six arms are quite impressive. Your six magical treasures work together seamlessly, forming a formation on their own. Given time, if you can truly integrate the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover into the formation, I'm afraid there will be few who can rival you below the Golden Immortal level."

"I'm still far from it," Nezha shook his head. "The Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover is an innate spiritual treasure, and I can only unleash 30% of its power right now. My master said that I need to reach at least the Great Luo realm to fully refine it."

The two talked more and more deeply, and even began to discuss their respective paths of cultivation. This exchange was of great benefit to both of them.

Before we knew it, the east was gradually turning white, and the morning star was rising.

"It's almost dawn," Zhang Kui stood up, brushing the grass clippings off his clothes. "It's time to go back."

Nezha also stood up, looking somewhat reluctant: "Brother Zhang, after today's farewell, the next time we meet, I'm afraid we'll really be facing each other on the battlefield."

Zhang Kui reached out and patted him on the shoulder: "Remember, no matter what, it is most important to stay true to yourself. Don't let the word 'destiny' blind you and make you forget why you cultivate and why you fight."

"I understand," Nezha said solemnly, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

Zhang Kui nodded, his figure slowly dissipating, like morning frost meeting the sun, silently merging into the gradually brightening sky.

Nezha stood still, gazing in the direction Zhang Kui had disappeared, remaining motionless for a long time.

After a long while, he sighed softly, transformed into a streak of fire, and flew towards Xiqi City.

Unbeknownst to them, about a hundred feet away from the pine tree where they were talking, behind a rock, a pearl the size of a longan, shimmering with a dim red light, was quietly embedded in a crevice in the rock.

The surface of the pearl faintly shimmered with light.

Meanwhile, in the Shang army camp, Feng Lin sat cross-legged in his tent, his eyes closed, fine beads of sweat beading on his forehead. In the empty space in front of him, an image of Zhang Kui and Nezha conversing was projected, but there was no sound.

Feng Lin suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with shock and confusion.

Feng Lin murmured, "A secret rendezvous late at night, sitting and discussing philosophy..."

"We still need to report to head coach Zhang Guifang at this time," Feng Lin pondered. "Even without conclusive evidence, it's better to be safe than sorry."

At this moment, Zhang Kui had already returned to his tent.

He sat down cross-legged, but did not immediately enter a meditative state. Instead, he carefully reviewed his conversation with Nezha that night in his mind.

"Jiang Ziya has returned to Kunlun Mountain for reinforcements and will surely return within three days..." Zhang Kui tapped his knee lightly with his fingers. "Who will come? Yang Jian, Huang Tianhua, Lei Zhenzi... or Jinzha, Muzha? Or perhaps, more than three generations of disciples?"

The next morning, as dawn broke, the bugle call for drills sounded throughout the camp.

Zhang Kui got up, straightened his armor, and walked out of the tent.

As the sun rose, golden sunlight streamed onto the rows of tents and onto the truce sign hanging high above the city of Xiqi in the distance.

Zhang Kui murmured, "Jiang Ziya, what kind of surprise will you bring back?"

He then walked toward the central command tent, intending to discuss with Zhang Guifang how to proceed.