Chapter 491: Teaching the Child, Playing with Fire Brings Self‑Immolation

If the Witch-Slaying Sword plan succeeds, I think Nüwa would certainly want to vomit blood from frustration, utterly unwilling to lose.

The Heavenly Emperor's gaze was leisurely.

After all.

Taking her former profession as an analogy, heaven and earth made a home and built nests; she was the biggest shareholder of You Chao Housing Company, a house-builder.

The human endeavor, compared to house construction… the foundation is absolutely no problem: enduring hardship, laboring diligently.

As the leaders who are the main beams, there's no problem either—each able to look far ahead, plan the future, they are the heaven‑supporting white jade pillars, the sea‑spanning purple gold beams.

Both the top and bottom layers were dealt a heavenly hand.

What a pity!

The door is half‑there, the window missing, the walls leak, the floor has pits, the roof lacks half its tiles… In bright sunshine it's fine, but when rain or snow comes one is dumbfounded—would the people living inside complain, 'Which shoddy developer built this wreck of a house?'

People won't heed the loser's voice, nor investigate how much was poured into the house's basic construction, nor how the designer's painstaking ingenuity fused sturdiness and beauty into an art.

They only see the superficial surface, using the failure of the decoration to define the whole project as a failure.

The worst part, the Heavenly Emperor chuckled, is—Nüwa clearly spent plenty on the house renovation; she certainly wasn't short‑changed.

One cannot say it's an unscrupulous developer cutting corners just to reduce costs.

But… the human heart!

Greedy desire is immeasurable.

Some middle‑level staff hold fast to their posts, devote themselves wholeheartedly, never wavering till death.

Others, meanwhile, line their own pockets, wastefully consuming the foundation's silent bearing and the perfect framework of the main beams.

In the end…

The Heavenly Emperor shook his head.

I think Nüwa herself might be at a loss—who truly is her opponent?

Is it me?

Or… the dark side of humanity itself?

Di Jun gave the Witch‑Slaying Sword a shake.

The sword's light swept across—idealism that could wither everything, fallen and desirous.

The ten Golden‑Crown Princes listened, entranced; after hearing their forebears' accounts, they seemed to grasp much, growing greatly.

Then have we already secured victory in this match?

The youngest prince asked.

No…… Di Jun replied helplessly, "Didn't I say that earlier?"

"If Fuxi pops up, that's hard to say."

"He is the foremost expert of the Way of Change; facing him, no one dares speak of odds."

"Because no one can be sure how far his vision reaches, how many hidden moves he has laid, waiting to unfold one by one in future ages."

"But according to your words, Father, the present mode of humanity has some problematic middle tiers that easily affect the whole, dragging things down, even causing trouble."

"Such a predicament of the human heart would worry even the mightiest sage‑emperor or the most capable thinker, leaving them feeling powerless to turn the tide."

"Child, you're wrong." Di Jun's face grew grave. "Who told you that the Way of Change only holds power, calls wind and rain in the political arena, and looks far ahead?"

"That's why I wary of Fuxi…… because he can not only govern, but also command the army!"

"He is a military expert!"

"Push him to the brink…… do you think he'll still sit obediently at the center, watching the big picture collapse bit by bit?"

"No!"

"He might just grab a knife and go, commanding the whole army, racing across the eight wastes and six harmonies, making all kinds of god‑like predictions, anticipating the enemy, fighting one annihilation battle after another, marching from victory to victory!"

"Internal corruption, unable to turn the tide?"

"Then first slaughter all external enemies, then slowly turn the tide!"

"The heavens… won't collapse!"

"You see Mount Buzhou, don't you?"

"But it's been holding up the sky!"

Di Jun's tone was lethally stern.

The ten princes all turned their heads, each able to see that greatest miracle.

Mount Buzhou!

Heaven‑Supporting Pillar!

This is the symbol of a certain Pangu adherent.

——Teammates all useless? No fear—I alone can prop up the whole situation and carve out a new heaven and earth!

——If teammates dare to chirp? Kill them together!

——What's one versus five? I'd love to take on nine every day!

——Too bad, you lot of weaklings—none of you can fight!

The ten princes gazed longingly, such a hero truly makes the heart waver.

But after the awe and sigh, remembering where they sit, they began to worry again.

——After all, if such a big shot falls, their puny arms and legs would be in great danger!

"Father……" the eldest prince swallowed, "If you thrust the Witch‑Slaying Sword down, are you sure it won't stab out that big boss?"

"Your Majesty Fuxi…… after all, he and Lady Nüwa are blood siblings; would he just watch Lady Nüwa suffer utter defeat and Pangu fail?"

"Hmm……" Di Jun blinked, then narrowed his eyes, "As for that, I still have some confidence."

"Your realms are low, so you still don't understand."

Great Luo immortality, eternal longevity—amazing is just being locked in a little dark room for a while… So many things, when truly quibbled over, are merely a dispute over noodle skins.

The stronger the Great Luo, the better the treatment they receive. Take Nüwa, for example—as the Supreme Emperor who oversees the creation, evolution, and progression of humanity and all beings, it can be said that in every era she naturally is a player, able to compete for Pangu.

And the beginning of the Great Luo's levels is—one proof, eternal proof; one achievement, eternal achievement!

Di Jun smiled, "Pangu is also like that!"

However, there is a monetization rule in this game—the earlier one can monetize, the more face they have.

When the monetization process is interfered with, the timeline lengthens, and the outward manifestation becomes the Pangu Dao contention…

The losers' Pangu true forms do not take the stage; only the victors can roam freely, acting tyrannically, bullying men and women… Therefore, this aspect can be ignored; there's no need to worry too much about the disruption of Pangu power.

Everyone follows the game rules, respects opponents—this is also self-respect.

Several Imperial Princes sort of understood, but not really.

"Of course." Di Jun shifted his tone, "Respect is respect."

In the process of the Pangu Dao contention, various underhanded moves and sneaky strikes are also routine—stay calm, stay calm.

After all, at that point, is it fun to bully ordinary Great Luos? Or is it more enjoyable to bully peers?

Everyone, too, can afford to lose… Those with parents, ordinarily won't go running to their parents.

It's just a game—losing a round of chess, would one really go crying for help? Wouldn't that be embarrassing?

As for the parents, they're just standing by, happily watching… In fact, some parents even hope their mischievous kids get a few beatings they themselves wouldn't dare to give, as a lesson.

Di Jun said meaningfully, "Even more exaggerated… perhaps they'll indulge in bad taste, pointing at the opponent and figuring out how to trim the little troublemaker."

Who let the kids at home be too mischievous, they start thinking about how to climb onto the roof and tear off tiles, wanting to be the master of the house?

The Golden Crow Princes suddenly fell silent like cicadas in winter.

They felt that their father emperor seemed to be talking about others, but might actually be referring to them.

"'We're mischievous?'"

"'Are we becoming troublemakers?'"

"'No way!'"

"'Impossible!'"

"'I've been doing my recent homework with all my heart!'"

Several Imperial Princes exchanged glances, communicating with their eyes, wondering if they had recently done something wrong.

Or perhaps…

This isn't about past events, is it?

But rather a warning about the future?

To let their future selves avoid a certain wrong path, ultimately making their father annoyed, personally bestowing some great weapon, letting a top-tier divine ability wielder patrol the world, bump into them while they're committing wicked deeds, and then…

Draw the bow!

Shoot the bird!

Leave them a tiny, unforgettable lesson for life!

…

The princes kept guessing back and forth.

They couldn't help but do so.

As the saying goes, the emperor's heart is unfathomable.

Facing a ruler who holds power over life and death, every word he says must be carefully read and understood in the heart a thousand eight hundred times.

Even the princes are no exception.

Moreover, this ruler is himself a Great Luo!

Great Luo, looking back at the past and gazing at the future, what is seen, known, thought, and contemplated is not necessarily the present; it may be evaluating the past or coming true in the future.

The Golden Crow Princes, trembling with fear, each extremely nervous, earnestly savoring Di Jun's words.

Di Jun took in their performance, yet seemed unaware, simply continuing to speak on his own.

"That matter between Fuxi and Nüwa is hardly a secret." The Heavenly Emperor smirked, "Who among the keen-eared mighty ones doesn't know of the rebel flag Nüwa raised on Phoenix Perch Mountain?"

"Fuxi's heaven grows old; Nüwa's heaven shall be established. Heaven's mandate to the Nüwa Emperor—may the Human Dao flourish forever!"

"The Nüwa Emperor shall change the Fuxi Emperor's laws, remake the cosmic rules, overturn the cold Heavenly Emperor's edicts, let warm sunlight shine over the Honghuang mountains and rivers, let reincarnation favor humanity's beings, and let the taxes cultivators pay for their contribution to heaven and earth be greatly eased……"

"In short, every word of it would make Fuxi feel eyesore."

"Thus ends the sibling relationship."

"Never mind whether Fuxi would darken his face and lend a hand to support Nüwa's heterodox idea… Even if he acted, given Nüwa's pride, she would fiercely resist, gritting her teeth and refusing."

"A proud heart, a proud deity—this is Di Jun's evaluation of Nüwa."

"Even if it's a front one puts up, with tears in one's eyes one must see it through."

"Shouting that one has grown up, then going out to start a business with a proud face… If the venture succeeds, one naturally returns just as proudly."

"If the business fails, one endures society's beatings outside, sometimes not even having a steady meal… Yet self-esteem sustains them; when family worries ask—are you starving out there? Freezing? If really impossible, you can go home."

"She too will strive to straighten her back, calmly saying in the message: 'I'm fine, I'm alright, I'm in the midst of making a fortune.'"

"Turning her head, she pouts and keeps hauling bricks, stubbornly refusing to yield to reality, not showing weakness or incompetence before her family."

"A proud spine, to uphold a sky!"

"To be honest, I'm actually quite curious."

"Some things—how should they finally be settled?"

"Di Jun's face bore a bright smile, 'Perhaps I can wait to watch a good show.'"

"As his words fell, the field sank into a long silence."

"Forget it—telling you all this seems useless… This isn't a situation you can intervene in now." The Heavenly Emperor appeared to withdraw his attention, looking at his offspring, "Leave here, and just forget it on your own."

Then, to deal with the pressure from the Wu Clan, go ahead and do it, be bold... the Heavenly Court doesn't care whether you succeed or not.

Anyway.

If you happen to succeed, that's infinite merit, and the position of heir apparent will naturally be secure.

If you fail, the Demon Race's worldview will be twisted, and money will be heaven.

By then, activate the contingency plan, plot political donations, buy votes, manipulate data... is it hard to seize the throne?

The Heavenly Emperor spoke calmly, and the Imperial Princes were left stunned, one after another.

——There's even this kind of maneuver?

However, after a second thought... heh, it's not impossible!

By then, for the Demon Race's populace brainwashed by lavish consumption and solely focused on making and spending money, there's nothing that can't be traded.

Votes, can they be bought and sold?

Who knows, maybe they really can!

With Di Jun's arrangement, the hearts of several Imperial Princes instantly settled.

Since it's come to this, what do they have to be shy about?

Just go up and get it done!

Yes! Father Emperor!

The ten Imperial Princes bowed together, then raised their heads, puffed out their chests, vigorous and high-spirited, and strode forward on the road they had come.

They will return, to kick off the rhythm of carnage!

With no burdens, they are the strongest!

Di Jun watched them leave, shaking his head with a wry smile.

Youth is truly great.

With elders backing you, there are no taboos, you can roam the world, and your heroic ambition is limitless.

But me...... having to support a family, it's exhausting.

Too bad I can't retreat...... otherwise how could I protect my wives, concubines, and children?

Di Jun muttered, as if speaking to himself.

Hah.

Suddenly, a sneering laugh rang out, also beneath the Fusang tree.

At some point, another eternal, enduring presence appeared there, yet from beginning to end the Golden Crow Imperial Princes knew nothing of it.

Different realms, different worlds; among them lies a heavenly chasm, hard to cross, hard to defy.

Things they don't want subordinates to know, they will never know until death——unless someone behind them.

No one behind them.

They know a lot, but not enough to reach a certain point...... that would become a death talisman.

You bird-born winner, sisters blooming, children many—what do you have to complain about being exhausted?

A towering figure like a supreme deity spoke lightly, "Look at Rahu!"

Imprisoned, locked up in the past, locked up now, will be locked up in the future...... has he ever complained?!

He'd like to complain...... but who would listen? Di Jun laughed heartily, and all his worries vanished instantly.

How's our plan going?

All smooth. The newcomer said, "I haven't made any mistakes here, but you……"

I warn you……

Although you are a Golden Crow, the ancestor of playing with fire, you still need to be careful.

Your bedside person has a problem!

Beware of playing with fire and burning yourself!

I know. Di Jun said calmly, but don't you think this makes it more interesting?

And, for our plan, this can also be of great use……

(End of chapter)