Chapter 248

Although said.

The script Fengxi obtained had Houtu in a rather miserable state.

Everyone was forcibly stripped of the ancestral witch title, had the hat of humanity's supreme military leader removed, and was no longer Houtu—the controller of the earth—but was changed into the so‑called "Lady Pingxin" akin to a minor Marshal.

The whole person was stuck in reincarnation, unable to get out…… Heavens, how pitiful!

Houtu is the founder of reincarnation!

In the end, having no choice, she lowered herself and summoned many lackeys to rush over and loyally guard the king.

She even let out a loud cry—

"Nüwa, save me!"

That's really miserable.

If Houtu were the protagonist, this script would surely revolve around abusing the protagonist to drive the plot.

Fortunately, Houtu is no simple character.

She herself is a major trope…… a mille-feuille may be hard to say, but three or five layers are no problem.

Besides her ancestral witch identity, she also possesses another identity shocking enough to the world.

If anyone regards her merely as Houtu to contend with, overlooking that she is one of the Four Sovereigns who enjoys a lofty status among the Demon Race as Wa Huang…… they could easily be trapped and killed at any moment.

As for this secret, this inside story, according to Fengxi's understanding…… those ancient god sages are hard to say, but novice Great Luo certainly don't know——unless someone actively tells them.

This is an information asymmetry.

Although Houtu's misery and destitution may look bleak, it actually doesn't mean she has completely lost.

And there's Nüwa's relay!

Houtu suffered a great loss at Huangdi's hands, but Nüwa promptly appeared next.

Although said.

The script Fengxi saw, Nüwa's performance afterward wasn't great either…… as her opponent, the Five Direction Heavenly Emperors are truly excellent, launching successive moves, forcing Nüwa to never shine, almost from start to finish she only gets to passively receive attacks.

Even so, if it weren't for Yandi each time risking his life at critical moments…… Nüwa would surely have capsized.

Expelled and ostracized by the human race, her achievements erased, then Fuxi set her family status straight, restored order, and then she shouldn't even dream of a comeback to fulfill her personal dream.

Nüwa is too hard!

This is Fengxi's feeling after repeatedly reviewing it in his heart.

But, if we change angle and thought to look again?

Fengxi pondered, actually Nüwa really does fit the protagonist role in the script quite well.

What is a protagonist?

Surely it requires "when heaven places a great burden upon a person, it first suffers his mind"; surely it requires teammates or relatives offering sacrifices to heaven, making the lone star of calamity most fitting; surely it requires arduous struggle all the way, only when the script nears its end can one become invincible under heaven and earth, past and future, with cultivation and battle power surpassing all, illuminating myriad ages of mountains and rivers……

Fengxi listed the information, silently nodding——these standards, Nüwa meets them all.

Suffering the mind and will?

There is, there is…… according to Houtu's usual behavior, constantly thinking of Fuxi, this likely means Nüwa seldom suffered at home due to her family status, her heart depressed, exactly fitting the "suffering the mind and will" saying.

Lone star of calamity?

There is, there is…… in the script, after the Lich Great Tribulation ends, the Demon Race loses, the Demon Race's Four Sovereigns mostly meet unfortunate ends; even if they had earlier transferred assets, the superficial ordeal of sacrificing oneself is unavoidable. Moreover, countless versions say the Demon Race's Xihuang must die…… Wa Huang threw herself upon her elder brother, offering his little life to heaven, this protagonist position still isn't unstable?

As for being invincible under heaven and earth, illuminating myriad ages of mountains and rivers?

There is, there is…… at the end of the vision, how formidable is Nüwa? She enlightens a chaotic green lotus, wanting to be Pangu's mother! She joins forces with the human Dao, becoming two great Pangu, asking the world who could rival? Even if Pangu·Fuxi is immensely powerful, facing this situation they'd likely have to end miserably, awaiting the future when they respectfully and honestly call Nüwa "elder sister".

All the setbacks and trials once experienced were merely to foil the protagonist's final glorious moment's brilliant splendor.

After enduring countless hardships, one finally attains fruition…… isn't that a very reasonable plot?

Nüwa's former sorry state of ash-covered face and utter dishevelment was entirely sublimated in the part where Fengxi saw the vision cut off.

Through myriad hardships and suffering, you become jade!

Of course.

Such a trope is limited to the orthodox protagonist path.

Fengxi mused——when Lady Nüwa arranged the Pangu script for herself, her mindset probably wouldn't be so inflated as to truly regard herself as a "Phoenix Arrogant Heaven"–like protagonist, right?

"Then there's no problem."

He thought thus.

While thinking, Fengxi on the one hand flattered and boasted to Nüwa, saying that the variable he glimpsed possibly in the information, some protagonist is how brilliant and radiant, battle power overwhelming ancient and modern, capable of sweeping all foes.

Speaking and speaking, he still gave a wry smile: "Lady, you've kept me in the dark miserably……"

Fengxi's resentful gaze looked over: "You are Lady Nüwa, Lady Nüwa is you…… but before you always hid and concealed."

"Like the Feng Hou plan, clearly you could just secretly give a green light, yet you insist on making me go through great trouble……"

Hahaha!

Houtu laughed loudly: "I didn't expect you to have seen quite a bit of information, involving some secrets."

"'However, you now know what you know, but don't go blabbing outside.'"

She gave Fengxi an instruction: "'Some things, everyone has a tacit understanding—do? Allowed. Say? Not allowed.'"

"'Can do, but cannot say.'"

"'After all, my tuba still holds a high position among the Demon Race.'"

"'Hedging bets is considered basic operation among those of great supernatural powers.'"

"'In order to avoid the subordinates' wild thoughts, we still need to disguise ourselves, tacitly operating alternate identities, setting up a layer of trope.'"

Ancient god sages, they're all old mille-feuille.

"'Don't underestimate these tropes…… like my Houtu identity, I can't trap old acquaintances, but for those novice Great Luo…… if not an enemy, forget it; once an enemy, one trap guarantees a catch.'"

"'And furthermore.'"

Even when dealing with old acquaintances, this kind of ploy might sometimes come in handy.

Houtu's expression was amused, "Because, I earlier set up a false formation, leaving behind some half‑true, half‑false clues—"

"How can you be sure I'm Nüwa? Maybe I'm Fuxi who first cross‑dressed, then disguised myself!"

"Wait, wait."

Fengxi listened, feeling his scalp go numb.

These top‑level divine beings…… each one really knows how to play like this?

Houtu leaked a bit of information, and Fengxi easily followed along and deduced it further.

Hanging someone else's name, nesting dolls within nesting dolls, an endless loop—when the false is made true, the true becomes false; where there is nothing, something appears, and where there is something, nothing remains.

If nothing goes wrong, it's naturally a quiet way to make a fortune.

But once a problem arises…… it's obviously passing the buck!

Fengxi has seen many similar versions of this ploy.

For example, to cope with real‑name registration, using someone else's ID to cause trouble and such.

This is behavior that needs to be severely cracked down on.

But in Honghuang…… who could possibly crack down on it?

No wonder those great divine beings desperately toss and turn on this ploy.

Each one is slippery.

"Our Wu Clan actually has a very complex composition." Houtu took a sip of fragrant tea, "The Wu Clan itself is a shell company, hanging off the orthodox lineage of Pangu, essentially refining the false into the true of humanity's armed forces."

"But is that all there is to it?"

"Impossible…… quite a few ancestor witches each have their own identity background."

"Moreover, each of them is disguising and packaging themselves, secretly releasing rumors and gossip to muddy the waters."

"For example, the Xuanming Ancestor Witch—"

Houtu laughed, "The information she puts out there—whose true identity does it point to?"

"There's Hongyun, there's the Dragon Ancestor…… quite a few great divine beings."

"……" Fengxi glanced sideways, "……this Xuanming Ancestor Witch seems to be a female great power?"

"Exactly!" Houtu nodded leisurely, then countered, "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Don't ask…… asking just means cross‑dressing role‑play, throwing away one's morals."

"……Would anyone actually believe that?" Fengxi said with difficulty.

"Who can say for sure?" Houtu smiled, "Without disguise, it's obviously clear; with disguise, releasing false information will at least have some effect."

"Who knows, maybe it actually succeeds in hooking some guy…… a tiny bit of rumor‑mongering effort could yield a chance to reel in a big fish, achieving strategic deception…… why not do it?"

Houtu's smile was radiant, "Everyone doesn't just do it, they're desperately doing it…… exerting themselves to forge false testimony, dig pits to set traps, lay out schemes."

"True and false mixed together— for everyone playing the game, it's a tormenting trial."

"For example, drawing lots to summon people, then going to gang‑beat the opponent."

"But if you're blind, the helpers you summon who seem fine are actually friends of the person being surrounded and beaten…… you say, isn't that stimulating?"

"It is quite stimulating." Fengxi thought a bit about that scene, and involuntarily a great sympathy welled up in his heart.

"Too horrible!"

"Besides, this Honghuang world is also…… a little bit tainted."

"Yeah, it's too stimulating." Houtu nodded, "Trust between people, I don't know when it started, but a huge crisis has arisen."

"At that point, one will realize—— if there is an absolute relative to rely on, with a back to lean on, that is the greatest happiness."

Houtu's gaze was somewhat wandering.

But soon she steadied herself, casually shifting the topic, "I'm telling you this so you know—— when dealing with other Great Luos in the future, keep your wits about you."

"Don't let yourself be sold out while still counting money for others."

"Honghuang is vast, time endless and boundless; under infinite ages, who knows how many schemes and conspiracies have settled…… a novice player entering, one careless move and the person is gone."

"Even with innate indestructible spiritual light, wanting to dominate the world again? That's a long wait."

"Thank you for the reminder, Lady Houtu." Fengxi said solemnly.

"No need to thank me." Houtu waved her hand, "I'm the one who guided you into the Great Luo Hall…… so naturally I should add a few more words, letting you quickly adapt to the rules of this Honghuang game."

"Ah…… speaking of these rules, there's actually one person who's most versed in them—— Fuxi!"

Houtu clicked her tongue, sighing, "The customs of Honghuang have deteriorated, people's hearts are not ancient, the ancient gods and sages are masters of the nesting‑doll art…… yet he ends up bearing at least half the blame."

"Oh?" Fengxi brightened inside, but couldn't show it openly, so he put on a puzzled look.

"You've also watched the Dragon‑Phoenix Era documentary…… cough cough, historically, you should know there was once a brief period when Fuxi, this upright and noble‑hearted deity, held power, advancing Honghuang's revival and letting humanity's beings multiply."

Houtu usually holds a strong opinion against Fuxi, often pondering how to suppress and thrash him.

But at this moment, when she seriously mentions him to Fengxi, she is also quite fair, not disparaging him; on the contrary, she still offers some praise.

"I naturally remember." Fengxi replied in agreement, "The Great Sage Fuxi possesses great talent, extraordinary ability, and thorough governance."

"Indeed so." Houtu first nodded, then laughed, "But precisely because his methods are extraordinary, many great beings find it hard to adapt."

"When the water is too clear, there are no fish!"

"What are people in Honghuang after when they mix in?"

"Obviously it's to make a big score…… otherwise, with the time spent working hard, wouldn't it be nice to enjoy oneself and travel?"

"Coming out to mingle, everyone hopes to get rich."

"Making money…… earning a dead‑end salary, what compares to taking a shortcut?"

"But…… Fuxi is too capable, suppressing those with ulterior motives to the point of death."

"Whoever jumps, their property gets confiscated."

In the end, many people were driven to desperation……With policies above, how could there be no countermeasures below?

Thus, the Nesting Doll Way was uncovered, and the Deriving Great Dao began to command the winds and clouds.

True and false, it's all just to cope with inspections, so as to safeguard the wealth they painstakingly built, lest it be confiscated by the lump-sum withdrawal scheme.

Houtu reminisced about the past, a deep smile in their eyes, "Even now, the Nesting Doll Way has not left the stage; it still shines and radiates, and has been deeply engraved into the cultivation civilization of Honghuang."

Moreover, it has also obtained tremendous development.

For example, to prevent any future Heavenly Emperor figure from taking power and governing, they used the method of weakening the strong and helping the weak to strike monopolies, which also benefits the common folk……Someone, building upon infinite Nesting Dolls, further developed cross-shareholding, hiding vast wealth beneath the surface rather than making it a glaring target, just waiting for someone to strike.

Moreover, besides cross-shareholding, the Glove Great Dao and the Bad Debt Great Dao are also flourishing.

Truly influential great ones lurk in the shadows, holding sway over the workings of heaven and earth, sharing its light, sharing its dust.

How about the Holy Emperor? How about the Heavenly Emperor?

Even if their wisdom reaches the heavens, facing this situation they'd be overwhelmed……Even with the ledger in hand, wanting to thoroughly sort it out clearly, without a hundred or eighty billion years it's unthinkable.

But after such a long time has passed, the situation has already changed, and past data must be scrapped.

Houtu said leisurely.

Fengxi listened, not knowing what to say.

Those who manage to become great ones are indeed none simple.

Is it really that terrifying?

Really, there's no way?

Fengxi sighed.

Actually, not necessarily……Nothing in the world is absolute." Houtu chuckled, "If it were me……

Such a troublesome account, I might as well not settle it.

Kill all suspicious Great Luos, and overturn everything to start anew!

Houtu spoke very domineeringly, letting Fengxi feel as if bathed in holy nectar.

(End of chapter)