Chapter 705: Reward Merit, Dare to Rush to the Ends of the Earth!

The fox spirit speaking human words—Fengxi thought about it, then temporarily set it aside.

After all, these days, everyone is a person with some cultivation, someone of standing and reputation.

Stirring up such strange rumors and auspicious omens, using them as a backdrop for showmanship—isn't that just rubbing others' intelligence in the ground?

The Human Emperor secretly sighed in his heart——

"I still have to save face in the end."

Fengxi sighed, measuring himself against some of the eight-colored brows' Fangxun, the double-pupiled Chonghua……these painted eyebrows and false pupils could be displayed on the table for showmanship, he felt inadequate.

"If one day I am forced to do this……"

"Then the mistake is certainly not mine, but this world……Right! Exactly like that!"

After throwing the pot at the world, Fengxi felt very pleased.

As for the world's boss being the Way of Humanity……he now chose to forget that.

"Strategist, great talent."

The Human Emperor praised his subordinate heavy minister, "The plans are clear and orderly; following them, the Dragon and Bird Divisions could be crushed with a flip of the hand."

"Yandi Majesty overpraises me." Hougang the Strategist humbly and respectfully said, "To exert effort for the Fire Division is my duty."

"With such maneuvering, the Dragon Division falls into chaos, the Bird Division splits, only our Fire Division remains in full vigor, we can comfortably wield power tactics……in the end, we will reduce them to vassals and have them all submit to the Central Royal Court."

"Just……"

Hougang paused, his face showing a hesitant color, looking at Fengxi as if undecided, wanting to speak but stopping, stopping then wanting again, quite the hesitant appearance.

——This is pure acting.

Fengxi glanced at Hougang, their eyes met, everything was in silence.

Hougang understood him.

【20> He also understood Hougang.

He also understood Hougang.

Hougang knew the Human Emperor already had a set plan, just needing someone to 'cast a brick' to conveniently 'draw jade'……democracy, after all!

After all, everyone knows Yandi is the biggest behind-the-scenes boss closest to humanity—Nüwa's, and he must answer to this mother goddess.

Many things, when done, need a sense of proportion……not only must one know how to act, but also how to be a person.

Being too overbearing, too dictatorial, easily invites dissatisfaction from the Retired Emperor and the Chairman——what do you want to do?

Although everyone knows Nüwa has a good temper, she is happy to see excellent performance from her subordinates, and may not bother with these minor details.

But……this indulgence and tacit approval is not the capital for her subordinates, generals and ministers, to act recklessly.

Face is given mutually.

Nüwa values Fengxi, needless to say, even their identities could be secretly swapped.

Thus the Human Emperor respects Nüwa, reflected in all aspects, maintaining a modest attitude, both getting things done and being able to present Nüwa with a satisfactory answer sheet.

Hougang can understand Fengxi's situation and thoughts.

And vice versa.

After years of interaction, Yandi likewise understands……Hougang, too, is someone with ideas.

Not only is it simply strategizing for the Fire Division, he also often has his own little calculations.

Otherwise, he wouldn't so actively step forward to speak, and then list various so-called 'big pictures'.

——It seems there are many choices, but actually there is no choice!

Taking the Fire Division as the big picture, strongly suppressing the Dragon and Bird Divisions?

Such things can only be done, not spoken, and cannot even be put on the table.

Even if done, leaving a mark in history, afterward one must still 'slightly' distort the record a bit.

This stems from the purpose of upholding the complete righteousness of all humanity, as the current highest main beam, as the eldest son of humanity's Dao lineage at present, for the many mischievous 'younger brothers', one can only patiently guide and educate them, at the very least starting like this!

Only when one can no longer tolerate and needs no further endurance can one righteousness-kill kin, 'wielding tears' to suppress……but now not having reached that point, one cannot adopt the posture of——'I just want to kill you two guys to monopolize the family property'!

As the Central Royal Court, one must have sufficient breadth of mind……even if feigned!

Hougang, in formal settings, said what shouldn't be said—those topics should be discussed only in the secret intelligence agency system……this actually directly killed that option.

Otherwise, he would use more euphemistic wording……the same content, different expression, would give people different feelings.

Forceful interference, and military volunteer assistance……the distinction is immediately clear, proving language is an art.

Hougang's outward performance actually covertly influenced decisions, blocking the open choice of a certain path.

The Fire Division's big picture is not the big picture he needs.

He has his own ideas.

Yandi gazed at Hougang, his eyes sharp, seeming to see into people's hearts, watching Hougang's hesitant demeanor as he performed it.

However, he ultimately did not expose it.

After all……

Hougang has his own thoughts.

He……also has his own ideas!

"Just what?"

After a brief silence, the Human Emperor's face bore a smile, cooperating with Hougang a bit, letting him continue the act.

Having been given a step down, Hougang naturally walked off, a worried look, "Just the Bird Division lacks benevolence, my Fire Division cannot be unjust."

Frowning brows, bitter face, the Strategist sighed, "How many years ago, the Eastern Barbarians and the Central were still one family!"

"Breaking bones still connects the tendons……if weapons meet and brothers fight each other, how sorrowful a thing that is!"

"I worry that the common people below cannot understand."

"Moreover."

"No matter what, when the Fire Division and Bird Division erupt in conflict, the armies face off……even if the means are supremely clever, it still drains humanity's own vital energy."

This is a very dangerous matter… After all, nowadays external threats have not been eliminated, and we cannot guarantee that, while eliminating internal troubles, there will be no opportunistic raids by the Demon Race.

They could completely try to provide assistance, support the Bird Master and us in sparring, playing a proxy war.

In that case, when conflict erupts, it is the human race that dies, the human race's vitality that is depleted, and the Monster Clan Heavenly Court loses nothing!

Hougang spoke earnestly.

"What the Strategist says is quite right." The Human Emperor frowned, his expression deeply moved, "Brothers fighting each other, taken advantage of by outsiders… This is indeed a problem we cannot ignore."

"Your vision is too narrow, clinging to the rise and fall of individual households, ignoring the vicissitudes of the times; the farther you go, the more outrageous your mistakes become."

"But if you don't even look after individual households, in the end you'll be stabbed in the back, reduced to ruin—how pitiful!"

"Dongyi… Dongyi!"

Yandi's voice gradually grew weak, turning contemplative, and the atmosphere became somewhat solemn for a moment.

The divine generals and heavyweight ministers dared not speak, fearing they would disturb the Human Emperor's train of thought.

Of course, in practice the Human Emperor already had his own views… but many things he could not openly reveal outright, needing to conceal them—for example, after much consideration under everyone's watchful eyes, he finally decided on the future direction.

Afterward, if a mistake is made and a big problem arises, a whole bunch of people will be implicated, sharing the blame—who let you fail to notice the impropriety at first and help the Human Emperor correct his error?

It is not that they harbored rebellious intentions from the start, born with rebellious bones, and had no good intentions in their hearts from the beginning!

This is very important.

After all, there are many outsiders' eyes and ears here.

Like the Divine General Dayou!

This is the commander of the guards beside Houtu, who now also serves in the human race, giving Houtu honest feedback on the human race's situation and helping to audit the accounts of this human 'company'!

Sometimes even Fengxi finds himself both laughing and crying.

One moment he's acting in a play to pit against Nüwa, the next he keeps hinting… He really is hard to tell whether loyal or treacherous!

While pondering the timing, Yandi adopted a hesitant posture, as if perpetually unable to decide on the grand future strategy, and finally had to temporarily set it aside, continuing to communicate with the Chief Strategist.

"With the Fire Master as the grand strategy, I already know… but if we take the human race as the grand strategy's starting point, how should we act?"

The Human Emperor asked for instruction.

"If we take the human race as the grand strategy… then the Bird Master's actions must be described differently!" Hougang's eyes instantly brightened, full of spirit, showing that this is indeed the main play he wishes to unfold, the road that matches his sought-after goal.

"How to change it?"

"Of course… acknowledgement!"

Hougang pulled a smile at the corner of his mouth, "Why acknowledge? Because of merit!"

"Great Yi drew his bow and shot down the nine suns, rescuing the myriad people… This is supreme merit!"

"And Great Yi… where are his troops from?"

"They are the Dongyi! They are the Bird Master!"

"Even if he has now transferred his household registration back to the Fire Master, previously he was undoubtedly a Dongyi household, and the great deeds he performed naturally allow the Dongyi to share in three-tenths of the glory."

"The Dongyi Bird Master lineage has cultivated such great heroes and outstanding figures, possessing supreme courage and breadth of mind, drawing their bows to slay the golden crow great sun, dealing a heavy blow to the Demon Race's momentum, saving countless people, and making an indelible contribution to the human race's hegemony."

"This is merit!"

"And since there is merit, it must be rewarded! Richly rewarded!"

"So, now the Bird Master has usurped the Dragon Master's hegemony, in fact controlling that region, lacking only righteous justification…"

"Then we shall give it to them!"

"Using such an affair, we will tell all human heroes and aspiring individuals!"

"Go conquer the Demon Race!"

"As long as the merit you establish is sufficient in quantity and weight, you will be able to possess greater authority and righteousness among the human race!"

"If you seize your neighbor's land and take away their people, the central authority can also recognize it, using your established merit as an offset!"

"As long as you still have merit, the Fire Master's royal court will not launch a punitive expedition against you, and will acknowledge you in righteousness… until the day your excess over merit causes you to lose virtue, at which point the entirety of the human race, high and low, will be commissioned to launch a campaign against you!"

Hougang's words were astonishing, shaking many of the generals and ministers present.

If we say that the previous line taking the Fire Master as the grand strategy was to play a single dominant household.

Then now, taking the human race as the grand strategy, is to encourage a hundred flowers blooming and a hundred schools contending!

You're capable, go ahead!

As long as you can earn sufficient merit from the Demon Race, you can do as you please among the human race!

Want to seize whom? Seize whom!

Of course, as a cost, the act of seizing will consume merit.

And the institution that manages merit is the Fire Master… as the orthodoxy inherited to this day, to a certain extent it can represent public opinion, represent all the people of the human race, and judge the right or wrong of a matter.

When the merit of the seizer is exhausted, the Fire Master will righteously launch a punitive expedition.

Besides that, the Fire Master will only point its spear at the Monster Clan Heavenly Court, to resist foreign invasion!

Excellent!

The Human Emperor praised, "Your idea, originating from the human race's grand strategy, is indeed not bad."

The central royal court does not take the field, only acting as referee, innately standing a head above everyone.

We uphold orthodoxy, generously giving promises to all heroes, letting them establish their own houses; as long as they can obtain merit from dealing with the Demon Race, they can exchange it for the qualification to expand within the human race, becoming lords and nobles.

What we contribute is merely a vague, illusory acknowledgment, yet in return we get many self‑motivated fighters… They all strive for their own undertakings, capable of exerting twelve parts of effort, so they will not use only nine; all their wisdom and martial power will burst forth.

But this also brings some hidden dangers!

Fengxi sighed.

Since Hougang has thrown out the brick, it is his turn to cast the jade.

If in this process there arises a lineage whose merit is outstanding, even surpassing the Fire Master, whose strength is great enough to overturn the Fire Master… would the orthodoxy of the royal court not be liable to change hands?

The Human Emperor was worried.

"But, the meat… ultimately remains in the human race." Hougang answered cautiously, not daring to be the slightest bit careless.

This is a very deadly problem—it really is deadly!

Even Fengxi, the incumbent Yandi, has to tiptoe around, fearing to touch the nerves of the big boss behind the scenes.

Hougang, too, bears the terrifying pressure.

If anything goes wrong, perhaps someone will smash a cup as a signal, and three hundred blade-and-axe warriors will rush in and hack Hougang to death right here!

"Moreover, I don't think such a thing will happen…… We, the Fire Masters, are both referees and players—how could we lose?"

"If we lose, it must be that a traitor—or many traitors—have appeared among us."

Hougang blinked, then blinked again.

"Otherwise, even if someone has heaven-defying ability, at most they could dominate one side and show their edge for a while…… but the final fruits of victory will ultimately belong to the Fire Masters."

Hougang said that.

He also thought so.

He secretly laid his cards bare——this route was prepared for himself!

Since Báizé felt that no one could be relied upon in this era, he decided to step in himself and find a better entry point.

The Demonic Script is his!

The History Emperor is also his!

It doesn't need to be too long; a moment will suffice.

However, this isn't easy to accomplish.

In the Demon Race, he and the giant fish-bird are colleagues; knocking on black bricks isn't hard, but wanting to seize the spoils is not easy.

In the human race…… he's still just a worker!

All in all, one needs a formal identity that straddles the black and white paths… oh no, that straddles witch and demon, penetrates heaven and humanity, and lays the foundation of one's Pangu roots.

"Never forget past events, they are the teacher of future ones!"

"This is only one Pangu!"

"Just treat me as a tool and play games with those who come after!"

"If later there come three or five Pangus, and they all use me as a spear……"

"Damn!"

"How am I supposed to live my life?"

"You Pangus aren't afraid of offending people; even if you offend one Pangu, it's just a fight among peers."

"But what about me?"

"How can someone as frail as me withstand being crushed?"

"You all, each of you, aren't proper gods……"

"You've driven me to desperation……"

"I'll just bravely venture to the ends of the earth!"

"Sooner or later, one day!"

"I want nobody to dare speak loudly to me!"

(End of chapter)