Chapter 249

Since it's already hard to turn back, might as well not turn back at all.

Kill them all!

Used to sacrifice to Heaven!

Overturn and start anew!

Houtu's meaning is shallow and straightforward, delivering Fengxi a mental shock.

Speaking of which, this is also due to the difference in their strength.

Houtu is too strong.

One of the top experts in the Honghuang universe, even among them quite prominent; with sufficient strength, speaking and acting naturally have confidence, daring to think of some crazy places.

Fengxi admires her breadth and vision, and decides to accept and comprehend her teachings.

However, he does not accept it wholly, because some doubts still trouble him.

Thus, after a brief ponder, Fengxi asked: "But Houtu, you said——the ancient gods and sages are masters of nesting, stock manipulation, false accounting, and the Great Dao of acting……Even with the power and intent to unleash mass slaughter, it would still be difficult to pinpoint those who secretly control Honghuang and practice monopolistic ways, wouldn't it?"

"What if we mistakenly kill a scapegoated, genuinely diligent Daluo—wouldn't that be terrible?"

"This would likely disturb the divine mind and unsettle Heaven's will."

Fengxi considers many aspects.

Houtu gave a slight smile.

"Let's not talk about the Daluo of this heaven and earth……If we killed them all, there might be wrongful deaths."

"But if we kill one out of two and spare one, there will definitely be those who slip through the net."

"Moreover."

"You can't tell from the surface who is suspicious and who isn't……but you won't observe covertly?"

"When we decide to wield the slaughter blade and not want to settle scores, we must strike straight at the core, ignoring all smokescreens."

"Starting from the contradiction of positions, we judge the major and minor differences, rather than being led to settle scores and fall into others' schemes……This way, many problems are simplified."

"No longer nitpicking over partial gains and losses, but instead starting from the whole, marking the main contradiction……then uniting the secondary group to exterminate the targets that need to be struck."

"Right, there are also a few aspects that need attention here."

Houtu almost personally guided and taught, earnestly instructing his trusted aides who pleased him, as passed down from his elder brother's ear-to-ear teachings, now realized as the passing of the torch.

"For efficiency, to achieve swift, precise, and ruthless strikes under infinite nesting……"

"Often, one needs to set a trap and dig a pit."

"A little guidance lets the greedy profit‑seekers reveal themselves, showing a form centered on a certain individual or group……then with thunderous means, we wipe them out in one sweep, restoring order!"

Houtu waved his hand, pointing to the rivers and mountains!

"What is needed is efficiency, a shock to people's hearts—the faster and more overbearing the better……otherwise, if delayed too long, the targets of those to be struck will react, and no one knows what mischief they might stir up."

"For example, the most disgusting kind—false loyalty!"

Houtu sighed, "They will mobilize their idle pieces, infiltrate the opponent's interior, then covertly guide, expanding and distorting the situation……"

"If you say you want rational debate, they will twist it into an irrational confrontation."

"If you say you want to limit it to a certain range, they will give you a crazy spread, thoroughly muddying the waters."

"Never overestimate their lower limit of integrity."

"So, if not act, then don't; if act, then it must be an Absolute Kill!"

"And we must surely suppress the opposing side's lead goat……even if its actual stance is not bad, even if its past contributions are many, we cannot show the slightest leniency."

"This is the way of a sovereign."

Houtu summarized.

Fengxi was greatly moved.

"'So that's how it is……'"

Although I don't know if there will be a chance to practice this in the future.

But this does not prevent Fengxi from now firmly keeping it in mind, and whenever the opportunity arises, often pulling it out to ponder and gain insight.

After all, these are golden words, the life wisdom of a top expert in Honghuang, the supreme leader of a faction.

While recording, he also gained some insight into the previously seen variable scenes, understanding the thoughts and motives of that sage‑king figure—Huangdi.

"'He would brandish his sword at the Goddess Nüwa……I suppose the fundamental reason is exactly what Houtu just said.'"

"'In that spacetime variable, the human race that won the Lich Great Tribulation and gained the protagonistic position of heaven and earth had too many internal problems……a black hand loomed here and there, penetrating every aspect of humanity, becoming a substantive monopoly.'"

"'Houtu is the overt boss of this group……behind the scenes, Nüwa actually controls it, with many great shamans cross‑holding shares, using totem nesting to stir up trouble.'"

"'If I were Huangdi, seeing this situation I could not tolerate it; for the development of the whole human race, I would surely act strongly, suppressing each faction, putting them in order, so as to rotate heaven and humanity, pushing the human race forward in the cycle of weakening the strong and aiding the weak, and weakening the weak and aiding the strong.'"

"'Otherwise, with so many monopolies entrenched in every aspect of humanity……even if the Five Direction Heavenly Emperors' wisdom is omnipotent, pushing the ability to aid the weak and strengthen the strong to the extreme, letting the productive capacity of the cultivation civilization leap forward……if the weakening‑the‑strong‑and‑aiding‑the‑weak part fails, the benefits of the human way will all go to the strong, leaving the lower strata of humanity only scraps.'"

"'In that case, wouldn't the Human Emperor just be working for free?'"

"'Looks really stupid and foolish!'"

"'So, if the Human Emperor refuses to go with the flow, he must surely challenge the opposing side's opponents, crushing and defeating them.'"

"'Depending on the situation, choose the method of operation……tsk, Huangdi seems to have a tacit understanding with Houtu.'"

"'What Houtu is saying now is also what Huangdi did in that spacetime.'"

"'Saying and doing it, it became a perfect teaching template.'"

Fengxi felt a flash of enlightenment in his heart, making many surface phenomena transparent, pointing directly to the core essence, his whole person seeming to have been elevated.

Of course, this actually isn't very useful.

On one hand, his current strength and status determine that many understood principles are useless, with no conditions to apply them.

On the other hand……

He is a follower of Nüwa and Houtu!

One's position determines one's thinking.

Having received so many favors from Houtu, how could I lightly defect?

If this favor is not repaid, how can I face my conscience?

In a daze, he seemed to understand what Yandi had done in that variable, and why it ultimately came to the point of blocking swords with his body and sacrificing his life——

If he does not die, it is not enough to repay the favor, and he cannot break free from his original stance or set his identity straight.

"Enough, enough... What's the point of pondering such distant matters?"

Fengxi sighed inwardly, "Even if I am Yandi, theoretically I should help humanity develop... but humanity doesn't even have a shadow yet."

"And even if humanity appears, it still isn't the protagonist of heaven and earth."

"I, helping humanity win this Lich Great Tribulation, would already be enough to live up to my identity... As for the conflict between humanity and the Wu Clan? We'll take it step by step when the time comes."

"If it really doesn't work, I will abdicate and demote myself, staying away from this muddy water..."

Fengxi's eyes alternated between hazy and clear, wavering between his own thoughts and Houtu's teachings.

……

Houtu expounded the way of the Heavenly Emperor Sage King, letting Fengxi understand the methods and breadth of a leader.

However, this process didn't take long.

After all, Fengxi is not yet a king.

Houtu will speak of these things, first because the topic expands from the nesting behavior of great divine beings; second because in the future Fengxi will bear a heavy responsibility, carrying out Houtu's "Wind Minister Plan".

Fengxi will become the leader of the human Feng clan!

This also qualifies as being called a human king.

Therefore, Houtu gave a few extra pointers, planting the seed in advance, hoping Fengxi would perform better later and achieve something in governing subordinates.

Don't be so inadequate, lest she, as a mentor, watch embarrassedly and wish to jump in and take over.

"It shouldn't come to such a bad state..." Houtu looked at Fengxi, thoughts active, "This little guy has always performed well, been reliable, stood out... The principles I'm explaining now should be easy for him to grasp, and in the future he will sit steadily in the position of Wind Minister."

"Alas... If it weren't for this tribe, my elder brother would surely have some plans, why would I need to be so cautious?"

"But I believe... the final victory will surely be mine!"

"Hmm... let me think?"

"On the day of victory, what should I use? What trace should I leave? To vividly prove that I am superior to Fuxi's Pangu opening of heaven?"

"This is really something that makes Nüwa worry!"

Houtu's thoughts were distant, drinking tea like alcohol, yet somehow she had eaten little and was greatly bloated.

This can't be blamed on her.

After all, in many of the future variables she saw, it was Pangu·Nüwa hammering Fuxi, making someone meekly call her sister every day; a shout and they'd rush over to massage her shoulders and legs, like a loyal fanboy.

Therefore... her inflated mindset is understandable.

However, Fengxi standing before her pulled Houtu back from fantasy to reality.

"Alas!"

She let out a faint sigh.

Ideals are very beautiful.

But the road still must be walked step by step.

First finish the Lich Great Tribulation, then chop down the Dao Ancestor who runs the Heavenly Dao, then talk.

Therefore, Houtu steadied her mind, concluded her pointers on leader methods, "Having told you all this, you should understand the rules of the Honghuang game?"

"Yes." Fengxi said respectfully, "When dealing with people and doing things, one must keep several more eyes, not be too trusting."

"And once an enemy, do not be confused by various complexities, but directly point to the core key, find the root of the contradiction, align vertically and horizontally, strike to kill!"

"Very good, you understand perfectly." Houtu nodded satisfied, then shifted tone, "But mere understanding is not enough."

"Just talking without practice, armchair strategy, when encountering those crafty old oilmen, one will still suffer a brutal beating, falling into their traps and dying."

"You are the Great Luo I personally brought up... If you later suffer this loss, wouldn't it cause me to lose face?"

Houtu said, laughing, "So for a while I'll have you go out to practice, so this little guy can quickly pass the novice stage, from green rookie to veteran."

Fengxi instantly focused.

But Houtu said, "You were once the founder of the Wu Clan's merchant alliance, so when you were promoted to Great Witch, regarding your position... the several ancestor witches discussed and decided to let you oversee part of the Wu Clan's financial affairs."

"Participating in the Wu Clan's trade with the Demon Race, reviewing import/export of various resources, calculating accounts, discussing and setting tariffs..." Houtu said leisurely, "War, we must fight; business, we must also do."

"However, doing business in this special period requires some tricks—how to mix intelligence and espionage work into this business, skillfully using benefit exchange and transmission to influence or even turn over the enemy's high-level?"

"Furthermore, for the similar work the enemy will inevitably have, carry out resistance and investigation."

"These are what you must grasp in this position."

"In this process, you will see many many methods... this is beneficial to your growth." Houtu said, "Passing this hurdle, many ordinary tricks thereafter won't deceive you, and you can handle them with ease."

Fengxi blinked and nodded repeatedly, indicating he understood.

"Besides this economic and intelligence work, you cannot neglect reincarnation... Fortunately, your earlier preparations were good; now reincarnation has spread with the Duyun meeting, formed a bit of a climate, later stage work just needs to be steady."

Houtu mentioning reincarnation was very approving.

Fengxi is a good witch!

A great loyal subject!

A capable loyal subject!

"You flatter me, sir." Fengxi said.

"No need to be modest." Houtu laughed, "Here, merits and faults are clear, never false words."

"Merits are rewarded, faults punished. Your contribution to reincarnation, I see clearly."

"You attained the Dao through yin virtue and blessings... blessings are hard to say, but this achievement in yin virtue, I will look after you."

Later, when the cycle of reincarnation is fulfilled, I will promote you to be the second‑in‑command there… and if you contribute even more, why not let you be the overall person in charge?

Houtu smiled, eyes narrowed, "I will directly help you resolve part of the troubles of the Great Dao contention, removing obstacles on your path of advancement."

"Thank you, my lord." Fengxi performed a great bow.

Houtu waved a hand, "You are my trusted minister; how could I not give you a chance to advance? As for blessings and virtue, I can't help much there—you'll have to rely on yourself… but you can still draw on the resources of the Wu Clan."

"You, strive to become as strong as possible, so that you can cope with Huangdi in the future."

"After a while, once you adapt to your current realm and duties, go to Phoenix Nest Mountain for a visit, to meet Nüwa… ostensibly it's a visit on my behalf, but secretly, under Nüwa's direction, you will get to know some important future members of the Wind Clan."

"By the way, remember to be a bit sweet‑tongued when the time comes… it won't hurt."

Houtu's face was full of smiling expression.

(End of chapter)