Chapter 139 - 138 Heavenly Mandate in the South

Chapter 139: Chapter 138 Heavenly Mandate in the South Thunder roared for three days, and Nezha meditated over the ruins of Xiqi City during those same three days. It wasn’t that Nezha enjoyed showing off—he simply had a premonition about something. If he had to describe that something, it would be "Heavenly Mandate." Originally, the Heavenly Mandate rested with Shang, and King Wu’s crusade against Zhou was destined to be a process of succession. But now, Great Shang had brought in the Asura for aid and committed tyrannical atrocities, which provoked the displeasure of the Human Dao, and thus the Heavenly Mandate abandoned Shang. In the original timeline, without Nantang’s intervention, it would’ve passed to West Zhou. But now West Zhou is too cowardly to bear the burden of cause and effect—even though they’re the victims, the Heavenly Dao pays no heed to such matters. In the past, Chiyou, once the great rival of the Yellow Emperor, now resurrected by a stroke of fate. His revival wasn’t merely due to a mastermind pulling strings but perhaps also by the guiding hand of the Heavenly Dao, likely to decide who the rightful bearer of the Heavenly Mandate should be. But back then, West Zhou took no action. It was Nezha—the Prince Consort of Nantang—who resolved the matter of the resurrected Chiyou and his countless White Bone Army. It was Old Li—the founder of the Nantang regime—who tirelessly swept away the forces day and night. West Zhou relinquished its claim to succession, and Nantang stepped forward to inherit the Heavenly Mandate. Saint Taiqing had previously offered nothing more than a cryptic hint: "The Heavenly Mandate rests with Zhou, and it ends at eight hundred." He never explicitly stated that the Li Tang regime would unify Huaxia afterwards. But now, West Zhou has been entirely reduced to a mere tool for exterminating Yin Shang. When the day comes that the Old Li family declares, "The Heavenly Mandate rests with my Li Tang," and turns against West Zhou, no one would find fault with it. Put simply, Nantang is just waiting to take over. To inherit the Heavenly Mandate is both a glory and a responsibility. The Human Clan arose from obscurity and forged ahead through sheer willpower and determination. Without Fire-scrapper’s discovery of fire through wood-drilling, without striving for strength and planning for Witch Clan bloodlines, without traversing the Primordial Mountains to seek Immortals and the Dao despite having no cultivation law—how could the Human Clan become the embodiment of Human Dao? It was their resilience, the tireless efforts, and sacrifices of countless ancestors that made it possible, not just the notion of being chosen protagonists of the Heavenly Mandate. In the Primordial Age, what matter ever escaped the word "struggle"? Having sorted out his thoughts, Nezha transformed into a streak of rainbow light and returned to Nanchang. After half a year of battle, he was utterly exhausted. Who engages in cultivation that’s this tiring? As for the matter of disciplining the Iron-Eating Beast entrusted to him by Chiyou, Nezha decided to put it on hold for now. He desperately needed a break after being constantly busy for so long. Upon arriving at the Nantang Palace, King Ji was conducting court with an imposing presence, exuding a queenly majesty. Bo Yikao was below, reporting on recent matters. "Your Majesty, recently, there has been a significant influx of refugees from Shang and Zhou. Both nations are now alarmed at the serious problem of population loss and are unwilling to let their people go. What should we do about this?" Daji contemplated for a moment before stating, "West Zhou has sustained heavy losses this time; they’re not only begging for food but even hiring Immortal Craftsmen. Not letting them go is fine, but we should demand benefits in return. The Prime Minister may discuss this matter with scattered doctors and come up with a plan accordingly." "As for Great Shang, I currently have no solution. Ministers, do you have any ideas?" The ministers below exchanged whispers and discussed for quite some time but still couldn’t come up with a solution. Right now, Great Shang was utterly unyielding; unless South Tang helped them attack West Zhou, no amount of talking would make a difference. Yet, Nantang couldn’t afford to be embroiled in warfare over this matter. Zhua’s words in "Zhua’s Teachings" clearly state that ample food storage and delaying claims to kingship are the proper course of action. This book has already become required reading for all Nantang officials. At this moment, Nezha appeared and winked at King Ji before bowing slightly. "Your Majesty, I have a strategy to make Yin Shang release the people." Daji was momentarily stunned upon seeing Nezha. Then her lips curled into an uncontrollable smile, her previously stern face now softened with a tinge of sweetness. "Prince Consort, what strategy do you propose?" "Yin Shou and I are old friends. A letter will suffice..." The ministers watched expressionlessly as Nezha and Daji exchanged flirtatious glances in the great hall. Are we part of your little play now? With a solution at hand, after everything was arranged, King Ji impatiently adjourned court and dragged Nezha off toward the royal chambers. All the ministers collectively gave Nezha encouraging looks—Prince Consort, you must work hard! Otherwise, who will inherit this vast Nantang? Upon arriving at the royal bedroom, there was no need for Daji to speak a word. The palace maids swiftly set to work—making the bed, lighting incense, heating water—all retreating as quickly as possible to leave the room to the two of them. "Nezha, hehe!" Nezha gave King Ji’s plump bottom a playful smack. "Why are you giggling? Where’s your queenly demeanor?" King Ji straightened her posture, donning an expression of regal authority, and sternly declared, "How dare you, Nezha, to lay hands on your king? Kneel now!" Perfect. This set the tone. What followed was the soft sound of clothes rustling. ... Nezha may be old friends with Yin Shou, but Yin Shang is currently under the control of Wen Zhong. Leaving aside whether the letter would even have an impact, the question of whether it could even reach Yin Shou was already a challenge. The old man had already blocked all channels of information connecting Yin Shou to Nantang; he feared that one day Yin Shou might suddenly go mad and head straight to Nantang to cultivate. And when that day comes, he wouldn’t have the face to keep living. It’s not that Wen Zhong refused to teach Yin Shou the Shangqing Immortal Method—it’s that teaching him would only harm him further! He had even tried offering bits of cultivation techniques to fool Yin Shou. But Yin Shou didn’t believe him at all. After being beaten twice by the Great Sage Master, how could he believe Wen Zhong’s claim that his techniques were superior to Nezha’s? What kind of fool does he take Yin Shou for? The techniques Wen Zhong offered were merely for physical fitness, and indeed, they failed to deceive Yin Shou. To bypass Wen Zhong and deliver the goods to Yin Shou, Nantang’s first ally was Lady Yin’s family. The Yin Family carried significant weight as the imperial family, and with the various Lords being interconnected through kinship, this gave them leverage. Recently, Old Li—the esteemed son-in-law—had gained considerable renown, bringing great prestige to the Yin Family. As a noble family, betting on multiple sides is second nature; those who understand will understand. Moreover, the Yin Family had long harbored a dislike for Wen Zhong. Following instructions, they secretly handed off a package to Fei Zhong and You Hun, even funding bribes for two corrupt officials themselves. Many treasures that Fei Zhong and You Hun had painstakingly amassed over the years had been confiscated by Nezha in a single sweep, contributing substantially to Nantang’s development. After Nezha left, realizing their treasures were gone, their hearts felt like ice. Nevertheless, life must go on. To save money, they started surviving on millet porridge, even dismissing most of their servants. Now, upon receiving this commission, Fei Zhong and You Hun pounded their chests, assuring that the matter would be handled perfectly. Even under Wen Zhong’s heavy suppression, they still managed to sneak their way to Yin Shou, who was meditating in solitude. "Your Majesty, the Great Sage Master entrusted us with delivering something to Your Majesty." They then presented a small package Nezha had given them in a reverent manner. Yin Shou, who spent his days cultivating and nurturing his character, looked particularly remarkable with his naturally handsome countenance and dignified composure. "Oh, the Great Sage Master still remembers me?" He opened the package, revealing a letter and two secret books. After casually scanning through the letter, Yin Shou’s full attention shifted to the books, which were exceptionally intriguing: "Sky Breaking Dragon Ascension" and "Angry Dragon Roar." Perfect. Right on point. Compared to the garbage techniques from Grandmaster, this was exactly what Yin Shou needed. Yin Shou’s eyes lit up, and he immediately immersed himself in studying the books. Soon, he handed over a token to Fei Zhong and You Hun, expressing that he now only cared about cultivating. If they delivered this token to the Great Sage Master, the dilemma would naturally be resolved.