Chapter 363

Gonggong left.

As he departed, he was overjoyed, his spirits extraordinarily high and excited.

After all, he had fully satisfied his wishes on this journey; in such a situation, not being pleased would be strange.

One performance, profit from both sides.

He took the performance fee from Yunxiao, and also the deposit from Houtu—the latter being the main sum.

Moreover, he quietly eliminated a hidden trouble, handing the troublemaking Fuxi over to Nüwa to worry about.

Look!

How perfect!

Gonggong mused that, regarding these related matters, he could now stand aside calmly and watch a great show.

"Worldly affairs are marvelous, nothing surpasses this."

Gonggong felt refreshed and at ease, walking with vigor.

"They all use me as a pawn, treat me as an actor in a play, while they sit in the audience as if watching a monkey show."

"But what about in the end?"

"Who truly is the detached, outside observer?"

"Hah..."

"Besides me, who else could there be?"

Gonggong felt triumphant, sensing that his chances of future victory had increased just a bit.

If humanity can win.

The dragon clan could also reap more of the victory's fruits, right?

In his good mood, his trumpet directed the dragon clan's extra actors to participate, which also showed a bit more care.

But he didn't realize that.

At the moment he turned and departed from Houtu, Di Jiang's gaze upon his back was... indescribably meaningful.

In that gaze lay too many subtle things, like a window reflecting Di Jiang's ever-changing emotions.

One moment it was cold and unfeeling, like the vast Heavenly Dao.

The next instant, it was ruthless and unfeeling, like an iron-blooded sovereign.

Cold, cruel, indifferent, heartless—each appeared in turn, none of which could be called a benevolent expression.

They shifted and relayed, yet ultimately focused on Gonggong's head.

In Di Jiang's eyes, a river of time seemed to reflect, countless waters like crystal shards scattering... each fragment resembling a possible future.

Is this a forecast of the future?

Perhaps.

But more likely not.

For, between existence and non-existence, the fragments falling back into the river seemed to point toward a certain future, while the rest turned into mist and vapor, intangible, half-existent.

This... is writing the future!

However, this scene flashed by, as if lacking strength or interfered with by some great force, unable to fully manifest, leaving only a seed... In the end, everything vanished, hidden deep within, returning to chaotic emptiness.

Di Jiang watched Gonggong go, his eyes regaining depth and calm, as if nothing had happened.

Beside him, Houtu was still rustling her "checkbook," muttering—if the dragon clan's performance pleased her, how much of a tip should she give afterward?

A thousand gold cannot buy her pleasure.

For Houtu, she never lacks money; what she lacks is a life that goes smoothly as she wishes.

"Alas!"

Houtu suddenly sighed, speaking in an old-fashioned tone, "If money could solve all problems, that would be great... alas!"

"Alas!"

Two consecutive "alas" show Houtu's deep regret: "There are always some fellows who cannot be bought with luck and merit."

"Like Elder Fuxi, the lord of luck and the Way, and Hongjun, who tries to master all game rules, stamping his image on every merit coin—the essence of the Heavenly Dao!"

"On my Pangu road, there's not a single stumbling block that's easy to deal with."

Houtu felt sorrowful without end.

"One day I will hold an axe."

"I will surely educate those two fellows well, teaching them how to write the character 'obedient' and making them deeply understand the importance of upholding the great Lady Nüwa's will!"

Di Jiang heard this, the corner of his mouth twitching faintly, as if wanting to say something, to make some criticism.

But in the blink of an eye, he suppressed that thought, and instead went along, offering a bit of flattery.

"Lady Nüwa, her divine might unfathomable, her power boundless, her creation profound—she surpasses all gods," Di Jiang praised with a smile, as if he were her loyal follower, "Mere Hongjun and Fuxi... are nothing to withstand."

"But..."

He drew out his words, clearly signaling a turn, which caught Houtu's attention.

"But what?" Houtu asked, puzzled.

"As the saying goes, a visible spear is easy to break, a hidden arrow hard to guard against." Di Jiang said with a smile, "Enemies in the open can be dealt with calmly... but some enemies lurk in the dark, so please stay cautious."

"Otherwise, a slip could cause the victory to slip away—like piling a mountain only to lose the final basket."

"Wouldn't that be too regrettable?"

Di Jiang said thus.

"The enemies in the dark?" Houtu frowned, "Which ones are they?"

"Since they are hidden, naturally they have not shown themselves yet." Di Jiang said slowly, "They are in an uncertain state... at a crucial future moment, they might either fade away or clash with weapons."

"Likewise, precisely because of this uncertainty, trying to guard against them is hard—after all, perhaps right now they might still be reliable partners."

"Ha!" Houtu clapped and laughed loudly, her tightly furrowed brows relaxing. "A reliable partner? Dijiang, your words have a wide impact—like you… I think you're reliable; could it be you want to cross swords with me?"

"This… Thanks for the praise, Dijiang feels unworthy." Dijiang shook his head. "I never expected that in Little Sis Houtu's heart I would still have such high praise… I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it."

"Heh..." Houtu narrowed her eyes. "Although sometimes when you argue with me, you're very much like someone… but your ability is still very useful, solving many problems for me."

"As for me, I've always been about the matter, not the person… You're reliable—this is proven by many facts."

Houtu said openly.

A very convenient tool— as a cooperative teammate, can already be called reliable.

Dijiang laughed helplessly, speechless.

"By the way… you're being so roundabout, what are you trying to remind me of?" Houtu shifted the topic back on track, "Is there some advice, to have me pay attention to certain reliable-looking individuals around me, foreseeing that they might possibly face uncertain armed conflict in the future?"

"Pretty much." Dijiang gave a slight nod. "Because I've just deeply pondered some issues, discovered some subtle points, but couldn't find evidence to confirm them, so I can only remind fellow cultivators a bit, to keep their wits about them."

"Like that Gonggong—"

Dijiang paused, looked at Houtu, then continued, "After chewing over what he previously said to us, I feel there's something fishy about it."

"Oh?" Houtu became interested.

"Although he said that the dragon clan's acting in this matter was solely at Yunxiao's insistence, he couldn't oppose it and thus had to agree… but how to put it?"

"I'm not entirely convinced." Dijiang said wistfully. "Everyone, who isn't an ancient god and great sage?"

"One should have a bit of confidence in one's ability to shirk work duties!"

"One must know that even when facing the primeval Pangu at his peak, there are those who dare cause trouble… otherwise back then there wouldn't have been Pangu's furious slaying of three thousand demons— a large part of that stems from accumulated grudges."

"Whatever Yunxiao demands, Gonggong just does it all?"

"Do you believe it?"

Dijiang asked Houtu with a smile.

Houtu fell into deep thought.

"Anyway, I'm somewhat doubtful." Dijiang wore a playful expression. "Gonggong would agree; he surely has something to gain here… moreover, I find it hard to imagine he doesn't realize how serious the consequences of fabricating auspicious signs are."

"Yet he still agreed— even a stern refusal would be ten times better than this about‑face filing a report… thus I suspect that beneath the surface of this whole matter lies some transaction he doesn't want outsiders to know."

"Perhaps, Gonggong, the dragon clan."

"Plotting something."

"Of course, undeniable— we still need this assistance now… even if just as a banner, to prove our tolerance toward allies."

"However, some words may be harsh, but I still need to tell fellow cultivators— when facing him, one must keep more wits about them."

"Perhaps in the distant future, though comrades-in-arms, we might turn on each other and fight fiercely."

"Don't be caught off guard!"

Dijiang gave a deep‑toned warning.

Houtu's brows locked tight as she sank into deep contemplation.

After a while, she pondered and asked, "Then, in your view… what are Gonggong and Yunxiao scheming?"

"How would I know—I'm not even involved?" Dijiang countered. "Besides, the one who tied the bell must untie it."

"The source of the problem, for someone of your stature to find out, is actually not that difficult."

"Huh?" Houtu was bewildered.

"Fuxi!" Dijiang sighed long, pointing out the way for Houtu: "Just go ask him— wouldn't that be wonderful?"

"Be more sincere, more humble… even if you can't learn the full details of the transaction, at least grasp what's going on; by clarifying most of the situation and cross‑checking with Gonggong's account, you can ultimately figure out about seventy or eighty percent of it."

"Ah… this isn't asking me to back down, is it? Improper, totally improper." Houtu shook her head repeatedly.

"Houtu fellow cultivator, you're clueless!" Dijiang, as if earnestly advising a loyal minister to an emperor, practically exhausted himself: "You and Fuxi may indeed have a conflict over who heads the household, but that doesn't mean the family bond is severed, does it?"

"The conflict must be made concrete, not reversed in priority."

"Moreover, what's important is—"

"This is an important stage for displaying your breadth of mind and courage."

"In the eyes of outsiders."

"Nüwa has long suffered under Fuxi's domineering ways, resentment deep‑rooted, she swore to heaven: 'The head of the household shall take turns; tomorrow it's my turn.'"

"Such intense 'hatred' could be called 'irreconcilable', yet when facing a crucial problem, she can still set aside her inner barriers, devote herself to learning, and inquire sincerely……"

"What image does this establish?"

"A wise ruler!"

Dijiang said.

"But…" Houtu hesitated, "What if that guy Fuxi, once empowered, becomes overbearing and refuses to tell me no matter what?"

"Then… that's cause for celebration." Dijiang said solemnly, "Cause for celebration!"

"Where does the joy come from?" Houtu was bewildered.

"Fuxi lacks the virtue of an elder brother, lacks the magnanimity of a worthy talent… in the eyes of the gods hereafter, what face does he have to rebuke the Wa Empress as an elder brother?" Dijiang asserted firmly, "Justice and fairness reside in the hearts of the gods."

"The eyes of many fellow cultivators are all clear‑sighted."

"When the time comes for Nüwa to ascend, it will be as easy as turning over one's hand, natural and justified… if Fuxi still dares to cause trouble, the Wa Empress can simply enact 'righteous extermination of kin'!"

"In an instant."

"Houtu's gaze became extraordinarily bright."

"This literally spoke to her heart."

"Exactly!"

Houtu nodded repeatedly, "The elder‑brother status is the basis for Fuxi's pretensions, yet it is also a shackle……"

"Sitting in the position of family head, one must fulfill the duties of a family head… even if it's just an act, a performance, he must keep up the act, perform it to the end."

"The position of household head is either to establish the elder or to establish the worthy… the worthy ranks above the elder."

He is not worthy, so it's naturally my turn to rise.

Good, good, good!

Houtu was very pleased with Dijiang, full of praise, "You came up with a great idea!"

I'll go ask Fuxi openly and properly to see what he actually wants to stir up.

Even if we can't get the exact truth, we can still find many clues.

By the way, how much reward do you want?

I'll write it for you right here.

Houtu picked up the pen, scribbling and drawing on the checkbook.

Whatever...

Dijiang was very calm, having the air of treating merit like dirt, but as soon as he spoke he realized it was improper, and seeing Houtu's strange gaze, he lightly coughed, gestured with his hand, "If possible, this amount will do."

Oh, no problem. Houtu withdrew his gaze, writing calmly.

……

Uh—

In Phoenix Nest Mountain, Fuxi wore a surprised expression, turning his head to look at the smiling girl, "Today the sun hasn't even risen in the west…… Don't put on this gentle, virtuous, cute, kind act, okay?"

This completely doesn't match your usual brat demeanor!

You scared me, do you know that?

In an instant.

Nüwa's smile froze.

The action of pounding her back and rubbing her shoulders also became difficult to continue.

At this moment, Nüwa realized.

On the Wu Clan's side, Dijiang indeed came up with a good idea.

But…

As soon as that guy Fuxi opened his mouth.

Her aura completely collapsed ah ah ah!

This mouth……

Nüwa narrowed her eyes, "I really want to give him a mute package!"

Nüwa's resentment accumulated a bit, and she added another entry to her little mental notebook.

Fortunately.

This time Fuxi wasn't too over the top.

He was just a bit surprised by Nüwa's reform and gentleness, then he began to enjoy it openly, "Put a little more force into the hand rubbing the shoulders……"

Right, right, right!

Just this amount of force……

After using her for a while, when Nüwa's anger meter was about to fill, Fuxi calmly spoke the words she most wanted to hear.

When one shows courtesy to others, there must be an ulterior motive.

Speak, my sister.

What do you want to learn from me?

Hehe…… Would I, your sister, be so selfish? Impossible. Nüwa shook her head repeatedly, gently saying, "But I do have some worries."

Since you, my brother, have asked…… then I'll ask a couple of things.

Regarding the rise of Paoxi——I don't know what you, my brother, have to say?

This…… Fuxi blinked, "This is something I discussed with Gonggong!"

Without hesitation.

Fuxi then gave up that teammate Gonggong.

What are teammates for?

To be sold!

(End of chapter)