Chapter 120

Song Family Village is thirty-five li outside the southern gate of Morning Song.

Jiang Ziya came to visit, making Song Yiren very happy.

"Ziya, why did you come today? Have you made up your mind to marry a woman from the Ma family?"

Jiang Ziya shook his head slightly, a hint of helplessness in his expression: "Older brother, this matter still needs careful consideration; I came today just to have a drink with you."

Song Yiren burst out laughing: "Haha, Ziya, talking about drinks is easy; we can drink while discussing your lifelong affair."

After the two entered the Song residence,

Soon the food and drink were ready.

While Song Yiren was giving orders to the servants, Jiang Ziya quietly opened the bottle he had brought with him.

Without a hint of emotion, he poured the liquid from the bottle into the food and drink.

When Song Yiren returned, he noticed nothing amiss.

The two sat opposite each other, and Song Yiren personally filled Jiang Ziya's cup.

"Ziya, it's not that I, your older brother, am criticizing you; although the Ma family may be a bit hot-tempered, they are still capable of managing a household." Song Yiren said, taking a sip of wine, speaking earnestly.

Suddenly, Song Yiren's face turned deathly pale, his body began to tremble violently, undergoing visible changes: his muscles quickly withered, and his skin grew dry and shriveled.

"Ziya, I... I..."

Jiang Ziya lifted his cup, took a light sip, and said: "Older brother, you died ten years ago; you are now merely a puppet. I can do nothing for you but let you rest in peace; I hope you will not blame me."

Hearing Jiang Ziya's words, Song Yiren seemed to recall something.

"Yes, I died ten years ago..."

As he finished speaking, Song Yiren instantly turned into a pallid skeleton, its empty eye sockets and grim teeth chilling to behold.

A gust of wind blew, and he dissolved into nothingness.

Jiang Ziya stood silently to the side, picked up the wine jug on the table, and poured its contents onto the ground.

"May you have a good journey, older brother. Though I have learned a few Daoist arts, I have not become an immortal; I am merely a mortal, and after a hundred years I will naturally go down to apologize to you."

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"To have me go and complete the Investiture of the Gods truly took great effort."

"I have cultivated on Kunlun Mountain for over forty years; in the mortal world I have no relatives left, except for a single sworn older brother. Had I not seen the reminder on the Golden Tablet, I would still have been kept in the dark."

Recalling Guang Chengzi's words, they arranged for him to go to West Qi to assist the wise ruler of the Zhou court.

Jiang Ziya frowned slightly, thinking to himself.

"The Golden Tablet has long revealed that the one I am to assist, Ji Chang, is merely a pawn; the true one to assist is his younger son, Ji Fa."

"My master sent me down the mountain without explanation, merely wanting me to see the suffering of all beings under Yin-Shang rule, the people unable to survive, so that I could resolutely undertake the Investiture of the Gods. It's a pity my master does not know I already know everything."

Thinking of Song Yiren's fate, and again of his own years of seeking the Dao on Kunlun Mountain,

doing only menial tasks, showing that the Sect of the Exposition never intended for him to become an immortal from the start.

Jiang Ziya let out a sigh.

Leaving the Song residence, he returned to Morning Song.

Three days later, Guang Chengzi and Chijingzi came again.

"Ziya, how have you decided? When will you leave Morning Song and set out for West Qi?" Guang Chengzi said.

Jiang Ziya spoke slowly: "Senior Brother Guang Chengzi, I, your junior brother, am now a Shang minister; it is impossible for me to go to West Qi to assist the wise ruler in attacking Shang—this would be disloyal and unjust."

"Nonsense, the Investiture of the Gods is our sect's great undertaking; how can we tolerate your fooling around?" Guang Chengzi was a bit annoyed; he hadn't expected that after giving Jiang Ziya a few days to consider, the other party would still be so obstinate.

Chi Jingzi chimed in: "Jiang Ziya, you are a disciple of the Orthodox Sect, bearing the duty of the Investiture of the Gods; do you intend to ruin our sect's great undertaking?"

Jiang Ziya explained painstakingly: "Brother Chi Jingzi, I understand what you say, but loyalty and filial piety have always been hard to fulfill together. Because my fortune is meager, my master expelled me from the mountain to seek wealth and status. Now, as a subject of Yin Shang, I ought to put Yin Shang first. If you ask me to go to Western Qi to assist the wise lord in attacking Shang, I'm afraid I cannot obey."

Guang Chengzi snorted coldly: "The fate of Yin Shang is exhausted; going to Western Qi to assist the wise lord is the wise move—this is heavenly decree, and you cannot refuse."

Jiang Ziya argued vehemently: "Brother Guang Chengzi, as I understand it, the king has always been a virtuous ruler, except that on the day of Lady Nuwa's birth he did some absurd things at her temple. Fortunately, Lady Nuwa is merciful; she recently sent an envoy to the former Morning Song, indicating her willingness to give the king a chance to reform. The king is not the tyrant you claim. If you ask me to rebel against Shang, what else is that but dragging me into injustice?"

Seeing that he could not reach an agreement with Jiang Ziya, Guang Chengzi's expression turned cold.

"Jiang Ziya, whether you go to Western Qi today is not up to you."

As Jiang Ziya wondered, Guang Chengzi flicked his sleeve, and Jiang Ziya's vision went black; he collapsed to the ground.

Chi Jingzi asked doubtfully: "Brother Guang Chengzi, what should we do now?"

"Jiang Ziya is clearly indulging in the prosperity of Morning Song, living in peace. Now we'll bring him to Western Qi, confine him there, create an opportunity for him to meet Ji Chang, and wait until he sees reason."

Upon hearing that, Chi Jingzi pondered.

"Ji Chang possesses an affable aura; I'm sure he can change Jiang Ziya's mind."

Thinking thus, the two brought Jiang Ziya to Western Qi.

By the Wei River bank, they conjured a thatched hut for Jiang Ziya to dwell in.

……

At that moment.

Three Immortals Island, mist swirling, immortal qi permeating.

Gu Xiu sat on a reef, summoning the Pure World White Lotus to observe.

Gazing at the Pure World White Lotus in his hand, it emitted a soft and holy light.

Its petals layered upon each other, crystal clear and translucent, like a dream, like an illusion.

Gu Xiu said: "What a beautiful lotus platform; I now have two lotus platforms in hand—aside from sages, who could be wealthier than me?"

Suddenly, a system voice sounded in his mind.

"Ding!"

"Detected that Guang Chengzi forcibly brought Jiang Ziya to Western Qi, set foot on the Wei River bank, triggering an event selection; please, host, make a choice."

"Option One: Ignore it, turn a blind eye; reward: one Peach of Immortality!"

Option Two: Go to Western Qi to rescue Jiang Ziya, reward: supreme-grade innate dharma treasure, Grand Void Divine Shield!

Option Three: Befuddle Jiang Ziya, causing him to lose loyalty and virtue to the Enlightenment Sect, reward: one bottle of Auspicious Spirit Ascension Elixir! (Formed from the essence of the auspicious spirit's aura, it contains pure and rich spiritual energy; when consumed by spirit beasts, it rapidly increases cultivation with no side effects.)

Upon seeing the pop-up options, Gu Xiu frowned.

"Guang Chengzi actually forcibly brought Jiang Ziya to Western Qi and even confined him to the banks of the Wei River? It seems Jiang Ziya can only spend his days fishing by the Wei River from now on."

The second option, rescuing Jiang Ziya, is impossible.

Gu Xiu didn't think much, directly chanting it in his mind.

"System, I choose option three."

"Ding!"

"Selection successful, mission time limit is half a month; please complete it as soon as possible, host. After the time limit expires, the mission will be void."

Half a month is enough for me to sway Jiang Ziya.

"I originally didn't know how to quickly increase the water-fire unicorn's cultivation, but with this pill I should be able to do it."