Chapter 264

It is the True Person of the Great Void.

Fengxi watched the rising Daoist grandmaster, his eyes flickering slightly, recognizing his identity.

The True Person of the Great Void, also known as Chisongzi.

This is one of the few great figures in Daoism, one of the topmost True Persons just below the Heavenly Lords of the Three Pure Ones, standing at the level of great divine abilities, surpassing even Fengxi now by quite a bit.

Now, he speaks on behalf of the will of Dao Ancestor Hongjun; perhaps behind him lie even deeper machinations… Fengxi hesitated a moment, clasped his hands and said no more, restraining his sharpness—not like someone who's taken gunpowder and sprays at anyone, with no one able to outspray him.

After all, he is an acquaintance, having had a karmic bond of incense with Fengxi.

Once, a talisman that dispels calamity saved him from the tragic accident of choking to death while drinking.

And whenever he thinks of this, Fengxi feels a bit overwhelmed and also furious to the point of his teeth itching—

Over so many years, he has investigated openly and covertly, trying to find out which bastard secretly schemed against him back then… Unfortunately, to this day he still hasn't turned up a clue.

"Don't let me find out who you are… or you'll have something coming!"

In the long passage of years, Fengxi has sworn many oaths… He has never been a gluttonous Wu.

……

Fengxi restrained his sharpness, calmed his mind, while the True Person of the Great Void smiled and gestured, indicating his appreciation.

Afterwards, he expounded the ideas in his heart, speaking on behalf of Hongjun, conveying his will, charging forward for him.

Standing from Hongjun's standpoint, it is natural to suppress the Wu Clan.

But the Demon Race… isn't necessarily well-received either.

Any organization currently in power, with great cohesion, wanting to feed them… is really too difficult! They will always crave more, greed without end—I want it all! So, an outlying faction is easier to control and better able to carry out Hongjun's will, serving as a suitable pawn for intervening in the Honghuang world.

Thus, the True Person of the Great Void slowly said, "The Dao Ancestor unites with the Heavenly Dao, or it is the prevailing trend."

"However, we must not chill their hearts; the respect they deserve must be given."

"The same goes for the Wu Clan." Chisongzi said, "How the Wu Clan survived the earliest sprouting period… I think everyone understands."

"It is precisely because they raise the flag of Pangu's bloodline… Pangu has great merit to heaven and earth and to all beings, so as long as they have not committed great wrongs, no one can carry out their extermination."

"In this era of the Honghuang world, although there are faction divisions, basic order still exists… there is someone watching from above."

"Pangu is watching, and the Human Dao is watching as well."

"And now we have come to this point."

"If the Dao Ancestor wishes to carry out great righteous deeds, the authority he ought to have must also be guaranteed… This is a basic rule of heaven and earth, in line with the Honghuang cosmos's human-values perspective, and matches the propaganda of merit and karmic force."

"Everyone, on this point… there should be no objection, right?"

The True Person of the Great Void looked around.

He spoke clearly and logically, and moreover held aloft the primordial pillar of Honghuang—the banner of merit and karmic force—to define things, leaving many Great Luo speechless.

Even those heavenly wills that have a subtle relationship with the Wu Clan are now silent, unable to rebut.

After all.

Everyone can secretly engage in inhuman deeds, showing off all kinds of outrageous operations.

But openly, one must not persecute those who engage in humane deeds, even depriving them of the right to speak.

One must always be tactful.

Especially, Fuxi is still present.

The principle of luck and merit is what he established… let alone that he is now alive and kicking, not yet in a coffin.

Even if he has entered the coffin.

If anyone dares to twist black and white, turn right into wrong on this core issue… they will surely rise up in revolt, even from the coffin.

Thus, the scene fell silent.

The True Person of the Great Void nodded satisfiedly and continued, "It seems everyone is in agreement… regarding the issue of the force left by the Dao Ancestor to represent his will, a consensus can be reached, with no objection."

"Then the next question focuses on—what can this force manage? Which domain does it oversee?"

Chisongzi is very reasonable.

He breaks down the chaotic issue piece by piece, handling each detail meticulously; every detail stands on reason, backed by the great trend of heavenly principle and earthly righteousness, and his dignified, sound arguments give opponents no point to quibble.

"In these aspects, the friends of the Demon Race have their own views, and the friends of the Wu Clan have their own ideas… and each says they act for the sake of humanity and all beings." As he spoke, this kind‑eyed True Person laughed, not knowing why, "I lack the ability to manage the vast Honghuang cosmos and the development of countless beings, so naturally I also lack the qualification to direct experts as an outsider; spouting off empty words, I can easily point out the state of affairs while standing on the so‑called objective, neutral, rational stance."

"Perhaps the friends of the Demon Race are right; the current Heavenly Court better suits the needs of present beings."

"Perhaps the friends of the Wu Clan are not wrong; they look to the future and can point out the brightest path for humanity, guiding beings onto it."

"Each has their own reasoning… unless verified over long ages, we cannot say who is more suitable."

"I also cannot say."

"Furthermore, I think… given the noble virtue and impartial Heavenly Dao mind of Dao Ancestor Hongjun, he surely would not, for his own private gain, forcibly decide which organization should rule the Honghuang cosmos—one must always give humanity the right to choose."

"Then the question returns to the starting point." Fengxi said.

"I understand." The True Person of the Great Void nodded, "So I have thought awhile and barely managed to find a compromise."

"It can minimize harm to humanity's development while also preserving the rights and benefits that Dao Ancestor Hongjun naturally enjoys from his sacrifice and dedication, allowing his will to be transmitted in this world."

"Since we are talking about rule, about rights… it hurts everyone's feelings."

"Then perhaps we should not talk about this?"

"Let you all realize your ambitions, how to build a beautiful Honghuang."

"But as an exchange… we should leave the authority to educate to the Dao Ancestor."

"That way, his title of 'Dao Ancestor' will be truly deserved, worthy of his Heavenly Dao nature."

Chisongzi smiled.

The Great Luo in the Zixiao Palace, however, became restless.

On the surface, everyone was a good student listening attentively, focused and serious, not uttering a word.

In secret, those thoughts and divine senses flew about in chaos, noisy and clamorous, like a market.

After a few blinks of an eye.

Nüwa sharply retorted, "I disagree!"

She refuted the True Person Tai Xu's opinion, expressing firm opposition.

The True Person Tai Xu wasn't angry either, merely saying, "Your Ladyship, why do you disagree?"

"There's a saying: 'Those near vermilion become red; those near ink become black.'... In the matter of education, what matters most is the role model."

"If the Dao Ancestor possesses great virtue and embodies the Heavenly Dao... Such selfless dedication can be likened to Pangu the Ancestral God splitting heaven and earth and transforming his body into myriad things, serving as the most suitable guide for establishing the three views for humanity and all beings, making it the best promotional content."

"If the era were changed, it would naturally be appropriate to hold events every few days, calling upon all beings to learn the Dao Ancestor's noble moral spirit."

"Such virtue, genuine dedication, lets it become the source of education, a spiritual leader—how could it not be?"

"Speaking of the matter." The True Person Tai Xu solemnly said, "Regardless of one's original intentions, the Dao Ancestor embodying the Heavenly Dao is a good thing for the Honghuang, a true great merit, flawless."

Nüwa remained silent, glancing askance at Hongjun.

—She still didn't know what kind of person Hongjun was; if she hadn't gathered such a large retinue, it would blatantly be a palace coup... How could this Heavenly Dao essence possibly do such a self-sacrificial act? With just a turn, Hongjun could still boost his reputation... It just feels off.

However unpleasant it was, Nüwa couldn't voice too many objections—the appearance was too unsightly, having scraped the bottom of the barrel.

Of course, mainly because an unnamed trusted general beside her was offering counsel, swaying her thoughts, she temporarily held back. "Your Ladyship, don't worry."

A certain great benevolent one transmitted: "I see Hongjun's plot is to save the nation by indirect means, relying on controlling education, subtly implanting his image deep into people's hearts, thereby achieving the goal of softly controlling human thought—thought invasion and assimilation!"

"However..."

"What does it matter if the Dao Ancestor Hongjun holds education? As long as we ultimately win, and win swiftly, everything can be handled; there are plenty of ways to ruin his reputation."

"Picking bones from an egg—is that hard?"

"No matter how good the deed, it can't withstand constant nitpicking from all sides."

"Moreover, the Dao Ancestor Hongjun embodies the Heavenly Dao, residing permanently in the Purple Skies... His forces under his command—could we not feel them out and shape them to our likeness?"

"By then, we will proclaim heaven's will and act on its behalf... Once we grasp the authority to interpret the Heavenly Dao, could Hongjun still leap out of the Purple Skies Palace to fight us?"

Nüwa, upon hearing the transmission, instantly understood.

Exactly.

As long as you swing the hoe well, there's no corner you can't dig.

Hongjun found the Wu Clan an eyesore and the Demon Race unreliable, so he ordered the start of propaganda shaping the Heavenly Dao's image, deepening its presence in the world by other means, thereby leading human thought.

"Could it be that she, Nüwa, cannot touch his pot and cook her meal? Thus she no longer opposed, acquiescing to the True Person Tai Xu's proposal."

Meanwhile.

Watching Nüwa's silence.

The Dao Ancestor Hongjun on the Dao stage also silently put down the Fortune Jade Disc in his hand, returned the provoked origin of the Heavenly Dao to its place, and swallowed the words he was about to shout—"This won't work, that won't work, might as well nobody play"—back into his belly.

Diplomatic compromise over force.

When Nüwa acquiesced and Hongjun acquiesced, this issue finally ceased to be a problem.

However.

The old problem resolved.

A new problem again lay on the table.

Nüwa did not obstruct Hongjun's plan, but in its implementation... there was too much room for nitpicking.

After a light cough.

Her personal spokesperson sprang into action again.

Fengxi rose again, speaking righteously: "The great undertaking of education is for an eternal undertaking, accompanying humanity throughout life!"

"Since humanity proliferates endlessly, education too is endless."

"The Dao Ancestor Hongjun, as the spiritual leader of the great undertaking of education, I approve."

But!

"Since the Dao Ancestor embodies the Heavenly Dao, where would he find time to handle the details? He must delegate to others."

"This is where the problem arises... To prevent bad apples from infiltrating the ranks, causing turmoil in humanity, leading myriad beings to learn evil, in selecting personnel we must strictly vet for the Dao Ancestor Hongjun, not allowing a single rotten grain in."

Fengxi expounded at length on the importance of education, under Nüwa's direction going to find fault and stir trouble.

Hot-tempered? Can't have!

Not decisive and resolute enough? Can't have either!

Those who have bullied the weak and feared the strong? Even less can we have!

…

Fengxi produced a long list of demands.

At last, Fuxi, who had been continually eating peaches of immortality, helped sum it up in a human sentence—

"We don't want the living."

That scene was extremely awkward.

Finally, with Hongjun's kindly expression on the stage, Fengxi fell silent, no longer provoking the Dao Ancestor's nerves.

What if the Dao Ancestor Hongjun suddenly suffers intermittent insanity, inadvertently beats him to death, then turns his innate immortal spirit into a cushion, pressing it under his buttocks for eons of calamity... wouldn't that be terrible?

Fengxi still values his own life quite highly.

And at the moment he fell silent, a top-tier expert came to his rescue.

I have a word; please everyone listen quietly.

Donghua Purple Palace Lesser Yang Great Emperor, at this moment spoke with a smile.

In my view, the overseer of education need only have decent conduct and morality... After all, not everyone can be Pangu, nor can everyone be a Dao Ancestor embodying the Heavenly Dao.

If the demands are too high, the deification too great, it instead easily becomes an obstacle.

So, as long as one is not a tyrant, the basics are met... As for further aspects?

I suggest using reputation and achievements as selection criteria.

And it just so happens.

That emperor smiled lightly and said, "Don't we already have a similar selection promotion activity?"

Primordial Purple Qi, Heavenly Dao Saint!

The Lesser Yang Emperor rose, composed and steadfast, "At the last Purple Cloud Palace meeting, Daoist Hongjun, citing the heaviness of Heavenly Dao affairs and the need for more helpers to share the burden, introduced this post."

And it is openly recruited, using the level of achievements in the Human Dao as the measurement standard.

If so... why not combine these two?

Carrying the reputation and achievements of the Human Dao, ascend to heaven to become a Saint, take charge of teaching and transformation—wouldn't that be wonderful?

To the emperor, for all directions, "Those who can become a Saint must have sufficient achievements; the contributions they make can convince the myriad beings of the Human Dao and are worthy of being learned and emulated."

Daoist friend, your words are excellent.

Beside him, the Venerable Lord of Morality gave him a thumbs-up, agreeing with his opinion.

At the moment the two mighty ones' gazes crossed, each had a flash of light in the depths of their eyes, fleeting.

In that instant, they seemed to have reached some tacit understanding, having communicated the script they would perform in this Purple Cloud Palace.

And all of this remains unknown to outsiders.

The Great Luo beings in the Purple Cloud Palace were merely listening to the emperor's proposal, discussing among themselves, exchanging opinions.

On the Dao platform, the Dao Ancestor remained silent, frowning continuously.

This does not quite align with his interests, yet it's also hard to say anything.

On the other side, Nüwa was nodding her head vigorously.

Yes!

This is pretty good!

Saints oversee teaching and transformation, without mixing in any Lich Great Tribulation—just honestly carrying out education, promoting proper values...

I think this is pretty good!

(End of chapter)