Chapter 229

Undercover?

Fengxi's face showed just the right amount of surprise and astonishment, as if he had many doubts about the future work arrangement.

Of course.

As a qualified and loyal subordinate, one would not question any arrangement from superiors, but would carry it out earnestly—even if the work was utterly unreasonable or extremely difficult.

So, even if Fengxi was puzzled, it showed on his expression, yet he remained silent and respectfully awaited further instructions from Ancestor Witch Houtu.

This calm and steady demeanor bore the bearing of a great general, causing Houtu to nod secretly in approval, feeling satisfied.

But she did not know.

At this moment, Fengxi appeared calm and patient on the surface, but his heart had actually risen, beating wildly in a frenzy—

He was afraid.

He was worried.

With fearful speculation, he wondered whether the news of the sacred undercover mission granted by Great Sage Fuxi had been leaked, its traces detected by Ancestor Witch Houtu…… This was understandable.

After all, Fengxi had just secretly met with Xihuang not long ago, receiving personal guidance, which confirmed his assignment to infiltrate Houtu's side as an undercover agent.

And now Houtu directly said the word 'undercover'…… Who could be certain, who could guarantee that this wasn't a seeing-through of reality, a test to give him a final chance to confess and receive leniency?

This was not impossible.

Given Houtu's attention to Fuxi and her understanding of the ages…… a boundlessly powerful goddess, her intuition honed to the extreme, even without any evidence, could still strike with a divine insight—no matter how brilliant your schemes, how exquisite your calculations, I close my eyes and guess the answer, striking straight at the vital point!

——You have that person's perfume on you…… Come on, tell me, are you cheating? Have you hooked up with that someone?!

At this moment.

Although Fengxi was sitting on the stone bench, his legs were about to start trembling.

Just.

Fengxi was ultimately no ordinary person, not a fuel‑saving lamp.

Even when he felt himself in the most danger, he could still exert absolute will to control himself, suppress any abnormal behavior, and perform the most qualified, most standard act before Houtu.

To play the part of a loyal and devoted employee, a good subordinate who would devote himself to Houtu's cause, bending over backward until death.

——In fact, except for the matters involving Fuxi that he concealed from Houtu, the rest of the time Fengxi indeed worked himself to the bone for Houtu, giving his all to plan the reincarnation cycle, stirring up wind and rain in the Kunlun Mountains, and ended up on the blacklist of the Demon Race's high echelons—one of the targets they wish to kill and then be happy about.

These efforts are almost enough to justify Houtu's investment in Fengxi, making for a fine lord‑retainer tale.

A wise ruler promotes his ministers from obscurity, and the ministers serve their lord with all their might, fearing no powerful foe.

How moving!

How stirring and tear‑jerking!

The once‑fire‑and‑water‑defying Great Sage Peng, I imagine, would surely give this a thumbs‑up.

He also thinks so!

……

Fengxi was anxious and uneasy.

He didn't know whether Houtu had solid evidence.

Or was it merely a bluff?

Or maybe he was totally oblivious, still kept in the dark, just assigning this task as a routine matter.

He merely clung to the creed of 'Confess and be lenient; sit in prison till your bottom wears through; resist and be strict; go home to celebrate New Year,' treating it as if nothing had happened, as a perfectly normal work arrangement.

And in the end……

The facts show that Houtu currently does not doubt Fengxi, this minister of great contribution, competence, and loyalty.

She had a faint smile on her face and said, "Don't doubt your ears… you heard correctly, I'm sending you to go undercover."

"I know, this kind of work that can't see the light of day is a blemish on your talent and wisdom," Houtu sighed lightly, deeply concerned for Fengxi, not wanting to dishearten this loyal minister, "but who made our talent pool so scarce here?"

"Talents like you, adaptable to the extreme, are few and far between, and moreover many already hold positions, making it hard to draw them away… sigh."

The ancestral witch sighed.

"To be frank, I'm quite envious of Xihuang… he never had these kinds of worries."

"Although, the transmission of his Dao is difficult—those who study heavenly secrets easily get a chance to glimpse part of the Great Luo Heavenly Intent's layout, cannot control their thoughts, forget the warning 'Heavenly secrets must not be leaked,' and suffer backlash, leading to death."

"But I have to say."

"There are always many outstanding talents influenced by his thoughts and wisdom… although they do not enter his lineage, taking it as their foundation, yet studying it humbly, they inevitably develop a karmic affinity with him."

"Whenever there is a need, a single order summons outstanding individuals who step forward, braving thorns and thistles to resolve difficulties… it makes me envy them greatly."

Houtu shook her head.

Fengxi calmed his emotions and spoke gently, "My lord, do not worry… you have now founded the Wu Clan, and talents from all directions are gathered here."

"As long as you display benevolent sagacity, what is there to fear that you cannot win over all the worthy and have them join you?"

"You mean well," Houtu chuckled lightly, "but you don't realize… that these worthy talents coming to join is one matter, whether I dare to use them is another."

"Who knows how many moles are among them? Or perhaps they are simply top‑notch cunning fellows sending their own trumpets over."

"These people can handle ordinary affairs, but to entrust them with major plans, I fear they'd not find being screwed over awful enough."

Houtu seems to have too many feelings, accumulated over the long passage of time.

But in the end, they all turn into a faint smile that drifts away with the wind.

"Alright, let's not talk about these."

Houtu turned back to Fengxi's work arrangement.

"Since I need you to go undercover, it is naturally no trivial matter."

"Because that undercover identity requires the utmost strategic vision and the finest intellect adaptability… you currently are not qualified."

"Only after you have become Great Luo, gaining completion of your spacetime vision, no longer relying on the clan's ultimate imitation of the Heavenly Dao intelligence as before, but undergoing an essential elevation of your own nature, can you truly be up to the task."

Houtu said calmly.

Fengxi's heart first let go, then tightened again, facing it with a solemn attitude.

Letting go was naturally to confirm that Houtu had not discovered the secret behind this loyal subject.

Tightening up, however, was because according to the description… that was absolutely not an easy task.

"The time when the human race was created is not far off."

Houtu did not directly state Fengxi's undercover identity; instead, she said this.

Fengxi blinked slightly, somewhat at a loss.

"At your current cultivation, you should also know some things." Houtu said leisurely, "The Protagonist of Heaven and Earth will never just drop out of nowhere."

"It is about actively competing, seizing."

"In the Honghuang world, there are far more races capable of reproduction than humans—some litters numbering dozens or hundreds; and there are far more races that grow better and faster than humans—too many to count… not to mention wisdom and learning."

"How many demon races possess inherited memory?"

"Humans still have to consider teaching strength, while those demon races already have it from the womb, gaining ancestral wisdom."

"Then how can the human race have a chance to contend for the position of Protagonist of Heaven and Earth?"

Without waiting for Fengxi's reply, Houtu herself said, "First, the human race itself must work hard enough; it cannot be like mud that cannot be helped up a wall… they don't even have the motivation to raise you to gain fortune."

"They're all mud; why not take those that breed best—producing a batch each month, each batch dozens of litters?"

"Second, the backing investment must be in place."

"Having the wisest leader, the strongest support… seeing the correct path, using the fastest means of transport."

"Only then can one go the farthest, surpassing all competitors."

Houtu said while smiling, "The Great Luo's investment is, for the human race, the strongest support… their attitude represents the trend."

"When all the Great Luo in Honghuang support the human race… then the human race becoming the Protagonist of Heaven and Earth can naturally be said to be the mandate of heaven, the prevailing trend."

"But that is not realistic."

"So there are the demon races."

"The entire Honghuang is split into two camps."

"The Great Luo who support the human race slay the Heaven's Will that supports the demon races, leaving Honghuang with only one voice… that again becomes the trend."

"But this work is not easy to do."

"Externally, one must continually weaken the demon race's camp, or kill their Great Luo, or turn their Heaven's Will against them."

"Internally, one must continue to unite each Great Luo willing to support the human race."

"That is not easy either."

Houtu's eyes deep, "In this world, there has never been love that does not require repayment."

"Only with one's own kin will one tacitly allow somewhat excessive things to happen, not minding too much."

"And those Great Luo willing to invest in the human race naturally do so because there is profit to be made… they must be given sufficient motivation and prospect."

The Ancestral Witch smiled gently, "The human race has just appeared; the position of Protagonist of Heaven and Earth is not yet secured; wanting to speak with profit dividends, the confidence is lacking."

"At this point, one cannot avoid spending lavishly, using shares as bait."

"Of course, although these shares will be sold at a low price to win support, the necessary terms must still be present."

"It is impossible to let those Great Luo directly assimilate the human race… like the demon races, mixing various kinds of races."

"But appropriate concessions are unavoidable."

"They will become totems, will establish inherited surnames, as an extension of their own will, and speak at the human race's shareholders' meeting."

Houtu said.

She explained things to Fengxi, laid it all out, letting him fully understand the inside story.

This also means his work will be very troublesome.

Fengxi had a premonition.

"Totem, clan… this is the early situation of the human race."

"And you…"

Houtu reached out, pointed a finger at Fengxi, "You will intervene in this."

"Working undercover, to the greatest extent grasp the situation, regulate balance, coordinate some conflicts."

Fengxi listened, hesitatingly said, "Sir… such work, could our Wu Clan just step forward directly?"

"Because, I need to lure a person."

Houtu smiled lightly, "So, the burden on your shoulders is heavy."

Fengxi instantly felt his scalp go numb.

He fell silent for a moment, then spoke again, "Then I… what is my undercover identity?"

"That naturally would be the human race's earliest totem, the most ancient clan."

Houtu smiled.

"The human race has surnames."

"Which surname comes first?"

"Wind!"

"Among all surnames, Wind comes first!"

Houtu explained, "This surname represents the most original shareholders of the human race."

"Fuxi!"

"Nüwa!"

"The Wind clan will represent their speaking rights."

"I want you to go undercover in this clan."

Moreover, become the highest leader of this clan after Suiren and Fuxi.

Also good.

Houtu looked at Fengxi with a smile, "You are of the Feng surname... strictly speaking, you can't even be considered an undercover agent."

Originally it was just through connections, counting as one of the successors.

Running for leader is reasonable and lawful; no one can find fault.

Fengxi wore a bitter expression.

In his heart, he was both laughing and crying.

He went undercover from Fuxi to Houtu.

Now, he will again go undercover from Houtu right under Fuxi's nose.

What the heck is this!

"This truly shows brother-and-sister unity... their thought processes have converged."

"It's just that Lady Houtu is a bit slow on the uptake."

Fengxi muttered inwardly, feeling the world too wondrous.

Given the current situation, what exactly is he?

Spy within spy within spy?

"My lord, I went undercover into the Wind Clan—is it to seize power?"

Fengxi asked for instructions.

"Seize power? What power to seize?"

Houtu, however, waved a hand dismissively.

"Not needed."

"But... among the Wind Clan there is the Heaven‑supporting Pillar, Fuxi." Fengxi said, "If he doesn't abdicate, where would I get to hold power and become the supreme leader?"

"Hah." Houtu glanced at him, "I've already told you that."

"The Wind Clan is not merely a representation of Fuxi."

"There's another great figure—Nüwa!"

"You previously praised Nüwa as a peerless hero… how come you now unconsciously overlook her? Won't she speak up in the Wind Clan?"

Houtu seemed dissatisfied.

He felt that this young comrade Fengxi says one thing but means another, favoring males over females… when will women be able to stand up?

won't make her feel short‑of‑breath, shaky, or cold?

"No no..." Fengxi repeatedly begged for mercy, "I still think Nüwa is more formidable than Fuxi… but my memory only recalls Nüwa mending heaven and creating humans, while the guidance of human development was all Xihuang's doing, so subconsciously I feel the Wind Clan's authority leans more toward the Holy Emperor Fuxi."

What he said was reasonable.

Houtu listened, and his dissatisfaction eased slightly.

"Alright, this isn't your fault."

Houtu shook his head, "But those rumors can't be taken as truth."

"In the Wind Clan, Nüwa's authority is not low."

"She is the Holy Mother of humanity."

"And what is Fuxi, anyway?"

"So, go ahead and do it with confidence."

"As long as you're capable enough, not much inferior to Fuxi… the leadership position of the Wind Clan will naturally be yours."

"And by reaching this point, your undercover work counts as half done."

"One… half?" Fengxi was shocked.

"Of course." Houtu glanced at him, "If you were just a Wind Clan leader, would I need you?"

"Naturally, there are still other requirements."

"Sitting in that position, you must fully exert the clan's role, adjusting the distribution of interests among the clans representing the other Great Luo shares… this is actually secondary."

"The most important thing is, you must find an opportunity to go undercover beside a Human Emperor who can subdue all Totem clans with wisdom and force!"

"In the name of… the Wind Empress!"

"Wind Empress."

"Wind, representing the Feng‑surname clan."

"Then, it represents the leader… the same as the "empress" in Houtu."

"Houtu, the God of Soil, is the master of the earth."

"Wind Empress, the master of the Feng‑surname clan, the supreme leader!"

"He will become the right‑hand man of a Human Emperor!"

(End of chapter)