Chapter 553: Seizing the Bamboo Shoot Heavenly Emperor, One Word Becomes an Omen

Regard life and death lightly; if you're not convinced, just get it done!

If humanity could rise, take back its autonomy from the gods, and eradicate all its deep-seated ills, then nothing would be a problem.

At that time, Fengxi, as the foremost meritorious official, might ascend to the supreme Heavenly Emperor throne—a position not like the defective, inferior demon emperor or ancestral witch of today, but the true throne where all beings coexist with me, and heaven and earth are one with me!

And once one becomes the supreme Heavenly Emperor, what's the harm in making a few personnel appointments?

No big deal!

Let alone talk about personnel arrangements.

It's just that whenever the heavenly-earthly power balance displeases me, or I feel certain academies and sects overreach, refusing discipline, occupying mountains as kings everywhere, unwilling to contribute to Honghuang, constantly scheming to slack off and cheat…

Just send a document straight to the Purple Cloud Palace for Hongjun to see, and then the Dao Ancestor will have to scramble out, bustling back and forth handling it, constantly playing the bad guy and putting on a stern face.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Heavenly Emperor himself simply lies back in the Heavenly Court, waiting for the results to come in for inspection.

So easy! So hassle-free!

After all, a leader surely sits in the office, pointing out the mountains and rivers.

Those who personally command the front lines might be big shots, but more often they are mid-level workers, their status distinguished by how hard they need to work.

In a stable, mature system that controls the whole world, would those enjoying the 996 blessings, working overtime to death, and constantly running errands on business trips be the top leader?

One can tell just by thinking—that's impossible!

Even if it existed, it would be merely an exception, with no reference value.

This is the evolution of humanity's victory fruit in the great calamity, enough to bolster Fengxi's confidence and allow him to make generous promises.

It's just like investing—betting on whether this company can survive until its IPO to cash in.

For this, he spares no means, including but not limited to financial fraud and various marketing hype to lure people in…

As long as he wins, it becomes a business legend, a startup benchmark!

But what if humanity loses?

Regarding that.

Fengxi pondered——

That would naturally be insolvent; even selling him off couldn't fulfill the promise he just made, and the Five Fortunes Dao Lords' investments here would all go down the drain.

Those deceived, angry investors, upon learning the truth, would surely leap up and down, join forces to corner him in the spring water and kill him—killing a man who's already dead alive.

But……

At that time, he, unable to obtain Hongjun's treatment, would have Rahu as his role model, and even more likely face a miserable end with no remains, utterly losing himself, with almost no chance of being rescued.

——The struggle between good and evil, the divergence of humanity, is fundamentally a clash of worldviews, a mutual overwhelm……Losing means the most thorough erosion of consciousness and personality, losing all self!

Having reached such a state, with many debts he need not worry; would Fengxi still fear a mere siege by the Five Fortunes Dao Lords?

Laughable—others are all gone.

Still afraid someone will come to collect debts?

If capable, just resurrect him, then bring up the debt!

In that case……

Fengxi thinks that if he could truly be resurrected and then forced to repay the debt, he would be immensely grateful.

Not a sarcastic thanks, but a sincere expression of gratitude.

Because it would be saving all of humanity, a true act of turning the tide.

When good has already sunk, the whole world plummets toward evil.

In such a situation, being able to shatter all calamities and obstacles, to fish out the already shattered good, reassemble it, and even let it gain the ability to repay……Even if the original intention wasn't very benevolent, it is still a boundless great merit.

Such merit could be called world-saving; humanity would absolutely approve and willingly work for such a figure to repay the debt, without needing to complain.

However……

Excluding the August Emperor, are there any such top-tier figures in today's Honghuang world?

Even if there were, could he deceive such a figure?

Fengxi is very doubtful and holds no hope at all.

But through this line of thought, Fengxi feels he has grasped something, and strange ideas keep popping up, unstoppable.

'Mmm……'

'Perhaps I can be bolder?'

'Some things, what the Goddess Nüwa said are indeed correct!'

'Those who owe money can also be the big boss!'

'As long as the owed money is enough!'

Fengxi, while talking deals with Lingbao Tianzun on the one hand, had his thoughts enlivened on the other; under Nüwa's recent earnest teachings in his ear, he easily opened the door to a new world.

'If the owed money is enough, then even if the creditor hates me and wants me dead, I can drive his mindset to explode, shouting to eat my flesh and drink my blood.'

'But even if his mindset is on the brink of collapse, the creditor still doesn't want me to truly perish.'

It's simple.

If he perishes…… who will the debt be collected from?

'It must be morning greetings, noon inquiries, evening asking if I've eaten.'

'For fear I might meet with misfortune, all debts would be wiped out.'

Isn't that so?

When a benevolent person of humanity, carrying a large sum of funds, perishes, and that sum cannot be recovered.

Evil humanity, having swallowed the crystallized good, replicated the results, taken office to govern, adding clownish chaos, evil plus brutality…… which creditor would have a heart so big as to dare expect such trash to acknowledge the debt, let alone repay it willingly?

——I just owe you money, what of it?!

Evil humanity, with a roguish look, can absolutely make the creditor rage to the point of one Buddha emerging, two Buddhas ascending to heaven.

Everything fears comparison.

Let's bet on Fengxi's integrity and the integrity of the "Evil·Human Dao"—which is more worrisome? This answer, does it still need thought?

Except when forced to harm Nüwa, Fengxi's integrity is completely gone; he himself dare not look.

At other times, when is he not a positively striving, virtue-filled three-good deity?

Such a person being alive, the thought of actively repaying debts is, compared to the Evil·Human Dao's attitude of absolutely not repaying a single penny, stronger by a bit, worth looking forward to.

Especially after Fengxi succeeds, in substance the Human Dao has the ability to repay debts.

For the creditors, there is actually no choice at all.

However……

"Now there are only these few problems left."

"First, the creditors seem not strong enough, being kidnapped by me onto a thief ship... pah, it's actually like-minded people joining me to save the world; when true difficulty arises, besides going along with me to be sacrificed, there seems no other possibility."

"Second, even if such a person exists, I would find it hard to swindle a huge debt that would make him feel his heart bleed, forcing me to stubbornly stand on my side."

"No…… wrong!"

A flash of inspiration flickered in Fengxi's heart, and a strange light shone in his eyes.

"If quality is lacking, we can make up for it with quantity, eh!"

"If I could bind all Three Thousand Great Luo to my warship, coaxing and deceiving them into spending money, then wiping my face and telling them, I, Daddy, have failed to save the world, looking like I'm about to crash... if you don't give it your all, then it's not that we seek to be born on the same year, month, and day, but to die on the same year, month, and day."

"Even if they can't die, without ten or eight eras, we can't recoup the capital!"

"In that case…… I don't know if it will work?"

Fengxi thought back and forth, gradually stepping onto a very dangerous path.

Owing money can create a whole sky!

Owing money can bring about a new era!

If Fengxi really succeeds, who knows, maybe all the Three Thousand Great Luo will become his creditors.

But what does it matter?

One Pangu, or say an infinitely close-to-Pangu great being, owing you money is giving you face!

No…… can the affairs of a big boss be called owing money?

Clearly those Great Luo divinities, each rushing to give gifts and bribes!

Human·Fengxi·Dao, he is very helpless, forcibly accepting these gifts, just to not chill the hearts of the pillars of Honghuang, so they don't indulge in wild thoughts.

Of course, Fengxi is still a god with integrity and principles, not casually doing such shameless things.

Owing money, he will owe, spending money lavishly, just to increase the odds of victory.

Afterwards, repaying money, he will also repay.

But then, at that time we need the gods to eagerly contribute, just like employees whose boss owes wages.

——What?

——Owed wages?

——Then come help me work!

——You help me work; as the boss I earn money, then I can pay you wages…… isn't that settled!

——Turning cause and effect around, rounding off a bit, a harmonious world where no one is hurt is thus perfectly realized!

——What?

——You're not satisfied?

——Look at this sword in my hand! Consider whether you can beat me!

——Recognize yourself, then speak nicely to me, bow to me who represents justice!

Fengxi fantasized about the absolutely dangerous thing of being attacked by all the gods, and from time to time added bricks and tiles, seeing if it could be realized.

A heretical path, thus expands.

Bit by bit, sincere treatment of others, exchanging sincerity for sincerity—the righteous path is too hard, too hard… facing many black-hearted gods who secretly harbor evil, it probably can't have much effect.

Some people are evil to the bone.

Uniting them is not impossible, but the loss outweighs the gain, requiring too much sacrifice.

With this effort, taking care of those willing to obey orders—good people—isn't that fragrant?

So at this time, we need the heretical path to step up!

Walk others' paths, seize others' 'bamboo shoots', leaving them no way out, only able to buy 'bamboo shoots' from Fengxi!

In order to keep walking, to keep selling 'bamboo shoots' in Honghuang, the Three Thousand Great Luo must obtain entry permits from Fengxi, who monopolizes the 'bamboo shoot' resources, and procure supplies.

Thinking like this, seems pretty awesome?

Seizing 'bamboo shoots' Heavenly Emperor——Fengxi!

"Using profit to set a trap, then using threats to force a choice……"

"The wisest ruler does not need to be too considerate of subjects."

"With countless workers, does the loss of anyone stop Honghuang from turning?"

"Being able to slow the world's turn by even a thread counts as skill for the dead!"

"So, in the Human Dao's current peril, what should truly be done is to let the Great Luo have no choice, only one path to walk."

"Otherwise, if the range of choice expands, thoughts become wild!"

Fengxi, if deep in thought, suddenly seemed to have grasped the Dao, clearly comprehending the heart of the Heavenly Emperor Sacred Emperor.

But, knowing is easy, doing is hard.

Honghuang is so vast.

So many wise gods.

Wanting to have them all fall into the trap—how could that be possible?

Too outrageous!

Too ridiculous!

Ordinary people wouldn't even dare to think that.

Because even if they thought of it, it would be useless; there's hardly any hope of achieving it.

"'Perhaps it is exactly this miraculous, dream-like pursuit that drives the Human Dao to shape me, letting me come to this era and bear such a great mission!'"

Fengxi sighed lightly in his heart, yet his fighting spirit rose immeasurably.

This chess match, he has made up his mind, and he must win!

He, Fengxi, is by no means an ordinary person!

Things that others cannot do are what count as a bit of a challenge for him.

Amidst the myriad bewildering and ever-changing situation, Fengxi suddenly leapt out of the pattern of the two sides contending for supremacy on the chessboard, viewing the whole with a most transcendent perspective; in an instant he gained insight, judging the approximate direction that could break the stalemate.

Although that direction could be called extremely despicable, it's merely a 'bamboo shoot' out of ten thousand.

"'Former words, I never expected…… that there would be a time when they would propel it, a single utterance becoming prophecy.'"

Under the shimmering aura of luck's watery veil, Fengxi's facial expression was half-smile, half-not.

"'Boundless Great Calamity… ha! Boundless Great Calamity!'"

"'Let me think…'"

"'This great undertaking…'"

"'Should I ask the Dragon Ancestor to toil, or let the Dao Ancestor labor?'"

"'Planning the most terrifying attack in history!'"

"'Aren't the liches contending for supremacy?'"

"'Two chess players, one defying heaven, the other defying earth, defying heaven, defying earth, defying the air!'"

"'When the chessboard is overturned, will they all be dumbfounded or not?'"

Fengxi's heart gave rise to an extremely wicked thought.

Standing from the standpoint of the Human Dao.

He actually very much wanted to see the demon sovereign ancestral witches, who wantonly use heaven and earth as a chessboard and all beings as pieces, looking shocked and dumbfounded!

This is just, damn you lot, holding the chessboard of the world, foul play rampant, forming gangs to fight whenever, stirring up guild wars!

Really, treating me as a GM with no temper!

"'Tear down the bridge between heaven and earth for you lot!'"

"'All day long you tear down homes; now I'll give you a satisfying demolition, preferably smashing a few to death!'"

Fengxi awaited with malice-filled anticipation.

"'Looks like I'll have to go to the depths of Mount Buzhou later to make some arrangements.'"

"'In this most fundamental vital land of Honghuang, I'll stir things up a bit.'"

"'Few others have this ability, except for my special circumstance.'"

"'Who made my background so solid?'"

Fengxi didn't want that either.

But there's no helping it—who let him be born different, naturally the finest?

Speaking of background, who could compare to his situation of continuously receiving the blessings of the August Emperor and the Human Dao, and be stronger?

Mount Buzhou, the ancestral root of heaven and earth, Pangu's spine.

This is a great place under dual protection.

It is also the supreme creation in Honghuang that possesses not a shred of shoddy workmanship!

It propped open heaven and earth, inscribed the world's most inviolable rules, and is the embodiment of the greatest order of Honghuang heaven and earth!

Its core, therefore, became a forbidden zone of Honghuang…… not someone jointly recognized by the August Emperor and the Human Dao, who has received verified authorization, can even think of entering!

The previous deity who could have this qualification was called Nüwa.

As expected, it stands to reason.

The younger sister of the August Emperor, the holy mother of the Human Dao—such an identity is practically begging to have 'badass' written on her forehead; everyone has to give her a wide berth.

But Nüwa…… she nowadays can only occasionally go in for a visit.

Want to do something in there?

Since she raised the rebel flag on Mount Fengqi, this permission has been completely revoked, and the August Emperor forever votes against it.

Thus……

Fengxi suddenly looked back, realizing he had become the last hope of this Honghuang village, the perfect candidate for a turnaround!

(End of chapter)