On the Avenue.

Chapter 749 The Severing Wine, The Feast at Hongmen

Emperor Gouchen stared at him, seemingly trying to discern from his expression whether he was telling the truth or lying, but he found this even more difficult than fighting the Great Celestial Venerable.

Chen Shi was only slightly flustered just now, but after lying, he became calm and composed.

Even with all-knowing abilities, the Great Emperor Gouchen could not discern whether he was a liar or genuinely sincere.

"Chen Tianwang is right!"

Emperor Gouchen clapped his hands and laughed, "Well said! I like your straightforward personality. That old Jade Emperor is incompetent and foolish. He has controlled the Heavenly Court for 360,000 years, making the world chaotic and the people miserable. Ascension has become a pipe dream, and the immortals are suffering greatly! I have long been fed up with this. From now on, you and I will rebel against that old Jade Emperor together!"

Chen Shi slapped the table in admiration, raised his cup, and said, "Your Majesty's words are truly enlightening! We should raise a large cup of wine!"

The two toasted and drank it down.

Chen Shi put down his wine cup and said quickly, "I have long harbored resentment towards that old Jade Emperor, and I have long wanted to storm the Heavenly Court, overthrow him, and seize his throne. I only regret that I lack the strength, having ambition but no means. Today, having met Your Majesty, I have finally seen the light after the storm!"

Emperor Gouchen changed the subject and sneered, "King Chen, you're going too far. As one of the Four Emperors of Heaven, second only to the Emperor and above countless gods, if I were to rebel with you, even if I won the Heavenly Court, what position could the Three Pure Ones bestow upon me to elevate my status above the Four Emperors? Since there is no such position, why would I rebel?"

Chen Shi's heart skipped a beat, and he tentatively asked, "Didn't His Majesty just say that you are a spy planted in Heaven by the Three Pure Ones? A ruler's word is law..."

Emperor Gouchen's face darkened, and he said coldly, "Of course I am the traitor. But the Three Pure Ones have already left and their whereabouts are unknown. Who would dare to say I am the traitor now? I am the mighty Emperor Gouchen, one of the Four Emperors, above countless immortals and gods, second only to the Great Heavenly Venerable. How exalted is my status and power? If I were the traitor, what power could the Three Pure Ones and the Celestial Court give me? Could they make me the Great Heavenly Venerable? Therefore, I cannot rebel!"

"Your Majesty, I was merely joking!"

Chen Shi's expression remained unchanged as he laughed heartily, "To be honest, I am also a spy within a spy, a traitor among traitors! I was originally a commoner, merely a Golden Immortal, but I was highly valued by the Great Heavenly Venerable, regarded as a pillar of the state, and granted the position of Grand Marshal of the Armed Forces and the title of Heavenly King. With my cultivation level, I am not even as high a position as a fifth or sixth generation disciple in the Three Pure Realms. In the Celestial Court, could I possibly sit as the Grand Marshal of the Armed Forces? No. Since I cannot, why would I rebel? There is no benefit for me in rebelling against the Heavenly Court!"

Emperor Gouchen's expression was uncertain as he murmured, "But I must rebel."

Chen Shi was picking up the wine pot, intending to pour him some wine, when he heard this and almost crushed the pot.

"After the war against Shang, Jiang Ziya conferred titles upon the gods and established the positions of the gods in the world. The Heavenly Court of the Great Heavenly Venerable finally began to take shape. He is the Emperor of Heaven, and the Earth Goddess Houtu, who is of equal status to him, also needs to be arranged and cannot be much lower in status than him. The Emperor of Heaven and the Earth Goddess are the origin of the belief in Heaven and Earth, and their incense is extremely prosperous."

The Great Emperor Gouchen's face grew increasingly gloomy, and he said in a low voice, "The Three Pure Ones did not want their power to become too great, so they wanted to divide their power. Therefore, they established the Five Elders as the Five Heavenly Emperors, and then established the Three Great Emperors of Heaven, Earth and Water, the Nine Emperors of the Divine Firmament, the Three Sovereigns of Heaven, Earth and Man, and other deities, thus sharing the power of the Heavenly Emperor and the Earthly Empress."

He slowly drank the wine in his glass, turning it gently as if admiring the flower and bird paintings on the glass.

"That's when I was placed in the Heavenly Court. During the war against Shang, too many disciples of the Three Pure Ones died. I was lucky to survive. Because I was a member of the Great Zhou royal family, I protected the Great Zhou for more than 80,000 years. Back then, just like now, birth mattered."

He glanced at Chen Shi opposite him and said, "For example, you are the crown prince of Houtu Huangdiqi, so you can become the Heavenly King."

Chen Shi wanted to refute, but there were countless immortals in the Heavenly Court with his level of cultivation and strength, none of whom became Heavenly Kings. Only he managed to dethrone Li Tianwang and take this position, which must be more than just his outstanding abilities. His status as Crown Prince Houtu was probably his greatest asset.

"Back then, Erlang Shen was unruly and could only work as a water official at Guanjiang Estuary. The Third Prince was wild and untamed and could only go to the Temple of Heaven, the Temple of Earth, and the Temple of the Sea to beg for scraps. After all, my status was much higher than those peasant Taoists, and my starting point was higher than theirs."

Emperor Gouchen said unhurriedly, “I have received offerings from the entire Great Zhou. Although I am an immortal, my incense offerings are boundless, surpassing those of the gods in the Heavenly Court. I became a Dao God of the Great Zhou earlier than them. The Three Pure Ones need someone to restrain the Great Heavenly Venerable, so the Four Emperors were established. Houtu has been established, and the Longevity Emperor has been established, so two more people need to be placed in the ranks.”

He poured wine for Chen Shi and said, “My elder brother, Boyi Kao, was chopped into mincemeat and made into meat patties by the merchants. When the gods were conferred, he was named the Ziwei Emperor, one of the Four Emperors. He also received the incense offerings of the Great Zhou Dynasty and had extremely strong divine power. But he is, after all, a god, and it is hard to guarantee that he is not in cahoots with the Great Heavenly Venerable. The Three Pure Ones must arrange for an immortal to infiltrate the Four Emperors, and this immortal must be a deity.”

"The last of the Four Emperors can only be me. Although I am a Dao God, I am also an immortal. I have the support of the Great Zhou Dynasty and am the disciple of the next generation of the Shangqing Realm's leader. I am the perfect pawn."

He put down his wine glass, his gaze sharp as a sword, looking at Chen Shi with a sinister expression and a murderous aura.

"I am an immortal, and a pawn of the Three Pure Ones. How could I possibly betray the immortal race and uphold the tyranny of the Great Heavenly Venerable? Therefore, I stood by and watched as the immortal rebellion broke out in Tian Shi Yuan, conquering provinces such as Zong Ren and Zong Zheng, and strengthening the immortal forces. Chen Tianwang is the Great Heavenly Venerable's henchman. He came to my Tian Shi Yuan and brought the fierce war against the gods to a halt. Tell me, shouldn't I execute you?!"

His voice was filled with chilling murderous intent: "You ruined my grand plan, and today you are doomed! This cup is your last drink; drink it, and I will take your head!"

Chen Shi stared in disbelief. After a moment, he cautiously said, "Your Majesty may not know, but although I am highly regarded by the Great Celestial Venerable, I am still, after all, the disciple of the Immortal Emperor. Your Majesty should have heard that Fan Xiao and I have been exchanging glances and engaging in flirtatious and ambiguous relationships..."

"But the Three Pure Ones are gone after all."

Emperor Gouchen sighed and muttered to himself, "Two hundred thousand years ago, they left the Earthly Immortal Realm and the Xuanhuang Sea, entering the darkness. In these two hundred thousand years, the Great Heavenly Venerable has treated me well, neither replacing me nor letting me die unexpectedly. I've been a spy for the Three Pure Ones for too long, and few people know I'm a spy. My divine cultivation has even surpassed my immortal cultivation; I'm more like a god than an immortal. The Great Heavenly Venerable is magnanimous; as long as I don't rebel, he won't touch me."

Chen Shi's expression was solemn: "The Great Heavenly Venerable has also treated me well. Although I am young, I am a righteous man. As the saying goes, a scholar will die for one who understands him. I am loyal to the Great Heavenly Venerable!"

"However, the Great Celestial Venerable has no chance of winning."

Emperor Gouchen interrupted him, saying in a low voice, "The Investiture of the Gods is still enshrined in the Three Pure Realms, and Jiang Ziya, the Prime Minister of the Heavenly Pivot, still holds the God-Slaying Whip. The fate of 99% of the gods in the entire Heavenly Court hangs in his hands. What can he possibly use to fight against the Three Pure Realms? Not to mention the Western Paradise and the Celestial Court. Even with ancient gods like the Three Officials, Four Emperors, Five Elders, and Nine Emperors guarding the Heavenly Court, it cannot defeat the immortals and will inevitably be replaced by the Celestial Court. If I continue to rely on the Great Heavenly Venerable and become a traitor to the Three Pure Realms, I will surely be purged. Therefore, although the Great Heavenly Venerable is magnanimous, a wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall, so I have no choice but to betray the Great Heavenly Venerable."

Chen Shi shut his mouth, truly unable to fathom the emperor's thoughts.

He now realized that Emperor Gouchen was not deliberately picking a fight with him, but rather that Emperor Gouchen was genuinely conflicted, torn between his conscience and his own conscience, unsure of how to conduct himself.

As for whether or not to kill him, that depends on which side Emperor Gouchen ultimately decides to stand on.

Standing on the side of Heaven, Chen Shihuo.

Chen Shi died, having sided with the Celestial Court.

"...However, are the Three Pure Realms and the Celestial Court the true path?"

Emperor Gouchen looked somewhat bewildered, then chuckled self-deprecatingly, his voice low and deep, "If we overthrow the Heavenly Court, will the Celestial Court be any better? No. It will only get worse! As Gouchen, I bear divine responsibility, and it is my duty to stop this world from falling into depravity. This is the righteous path. Isn't our conquest of Shang precisely for the sake of the righteous path…?"

"Your Majesty, I will not drink this cup of wine for the last time. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."

Chen Shi stood up, walked to the tavern owner, paid for the wine, and turned back to say, "Your Majesty, I have paid the bill. This wine is on me. I have official business to attend to, so I won't disturb you any longer. Please wait, please wait."

As Chen Shi walked out of the tavern and was about to leave, he suddenly sensed something and turned around to see that the Great Emperor Gouchen had also left the tavern and was following behind him.

"This emperor is a merciless killer!"

Chen Shi had a bad feeling. The Great Emperor Gouchen was struggling with his inner conflict, and he was also torn between killing him and not killing him. Being targeted by such a being was not a good thing.

"I still have to quell the rebellion, otherwise I will have a hard time explaining to the Great Celestial Venerable."

Chen Shi roused himself and leaped away.

Emperor Gouchen followed closely, never straying too far from him. Chen Shi knew that with his cultivation level, it would be difficult to shake him off, so he gave up the idea, thinking to himself, "The Great Heavenly Venerable ordered me to come to Wuyue Province to quell the rebellion, and it just so happens that I will pass through the Heavenly Market Enclosure. Could it be that he wants to use Gouchen to get rid of me and make me a true Heavenly Dao God?"

The brilliance of this plan lies in the fact that Gouchen killed Chen Shi, thus becoming a traitor. It would then be perfectly logical for the Great Celestial Venerable to eliminate Gouchen, the Great Emperor, a spy from the Three Pure Realms, without any controversy.

However, for Chen Shi, this feeling of being on the verge of death was not pleasant.

Strangely enough, Chen Shi searched the Wuyue Province for a long time but found no rebellious immortals, nor even a single deity.

"Wasn't there supposed to be a rebellion here? Where are the rebels?"

Chen Shi was taken aback. After much deliberation, he thought to himself, "Why don't we go to the Wu Yue Star Palace first? If the immortals rebel, the first person they will kill is the Star Lord of Wu Yue Province. And if the Star Lord encounters an immortal rebellion, his first action will be to mobilize troops to suppress and annihilate it. If we go to the Wu Yue Star Palace, even if we don't encounter the rebels, we can still get some information."

"Does Your Majesty know where the Wuyue Star Palace is?" Chen Shi turned back, blocked the Great Emperor Gouchen, and asked.

Emperor Gouchen's expression was uncertain, and he was still struggling with his inner conflict. Upon hearing this, he casually pointed, and Chen Shi thanked him and headed towards the Wu Yue Star Palace.

As they approached the Wu Yue Star Palace, Emperor Gouchen suddenly sensed something, opened his mouth as if to call out to Chen Shi, but held back.

His form changed; the bird's beak, wings, and thunder god's face gradually retracted, transforming into a handsome man of about thirty years old.

Chen Shi sensed something and turned around to see that the Great Emperor Gouchen had transformed into human form. He was surprised but ignored it and walked straight towards the Wu Yue Star Palace.

The Wu Yue Star Lord was not enshrined as a deity after the war against the Shang Dynasty. This star lord originated in the Spring and Autumn Period at the end of the Great Zhou Dynasty. After his death, he was worshipped by the people of Wu after the fall of his country. Over time, he became a god and later went to the Earthly Immortal Realm with the Heavenly Court, where he was enshrined as the Wu Yue Star Lord.

Chen Shi arrived at the gate and said to the guardian deity, "I am Chen Shi, the Grand Marshal of the Army and the Heavenly King. Go and inform the Wu Yue Star Lord immediately."

Upon hearing this, the door god was alarmed and hurriedly went inside to report. A moment later, a tall, slender old man wearing a high crown strode over and said with a smile, "King Chen has come from afar. I, Ji, have failed to greet you. Please forgive me!"

Chen Shi sized up the old man and saw that he had a sword at his waist and a Wu hook on his back, exuding both the air of a king and the majesty of a god.

“Ignorance is no excuse. I came in haste and did not send anyone to inform you in advance, which has disturbed the Star Lord.”

After exchanging a few polite words, Wu Yue Xingjun hurriedly invited him, saying, "Heavenly King, please come into my humble abode to talk, so as not to be disrespectful."

Chen Shi followed him into the Wu Yue Star Mansion, where two guardian deities stood behind him, each holding a long halberd, and stood in front of the Great Emperor Gouchen.

Emperor Gouchen said, "I am a servant of the Heavenly King. Heavenly King, Heavenly King!"

Chen Shi turned around and said, "They came with me."

Wu Yue Xingjun waved his hand, and the door gods put away their halberds, letting Gouchen the Great Emperor in.

Wu Yue Xingjun led the way, laughing, "The Heavenly King has been rushing to Tian Shi Yuan these past few days, suppressing rebellions along the way. Whether immortals or gods, all have been intimidated and subdued by the Heavenly King, and have had no choice but to surrender, shocking the world. I, Ji, have been hoping that the Heavenly King would come soon to wipe out the rebels in my Wu Yue province as well." After saying this, he laughed heartily.

Chen Shi also had a smile on his face when he inadvertently caught sight of a fairy standing on the bridge over the opposite pond. Her figure was graceful, her long sleeves were flowing, and she held a palace fan, which she used to cover her eyes as she looked in this direction.

There were palace maids serving her on either side; they were also beautiful women, but compared to the fairy, they were not as stunning.

The fairy's palace fan was made of thin gauze, through which the outline of the beauty's face could be vaguely seen. Her skin was as white as snow, and her features were delicate and alluring.

Chen Shi glanced at her again, and Wu Yue Xingjun laughed, "That is Xi Zi, my wife."

"Is Xizi an immortal?" Chen Shi asked in surprise.

Wu Yue Xingjun laughed and said, "I, Ji, was defeated and committed suicide, but my wife became an immortal and ascended to the Earthly Immortal Realm."

Chen Shi withdrew his gaze and praised, "Your wife is truly beautiful."

The two continued on their way, and after a few steps, they saw three or five immortals standing in a garden on one side, admiring the flowers. When they saw Chen Shi passing by, they all turned to look at him.

Chen Shi smiled and asked, "And who is this worthy brother?"

"Well, they were some of my worthless descendants. I was defeated and died, but they ascended to immortality."

Wu Yue Xingjun raised his hand and said, "Heavenly King, this way please."

Chen Shi withdrew his gaze and said, "The descendants of the Star Lord have considerable cultivation. They must be at the peak of the Golden Immortal realm by now, right? I observe that their cultivation is extremely profound; it's rare for an ordinary lineage to possess such magical power. I wonder who their master is?"

Wu Yue Xingjun laughed and said, "The Heavenly King is indeed insightful. Although my descendants are not very capable, their master is brilliant. They have become disciples of Xin Xianjun at Ziyang Cave on Qingfeng Mountain in Yuqing Heaven."

"A good teacher produces outstanding students."

Chen Shi nodded slightly and followed him forward, saying, "I really want to meet this master who has taught such an outstanding disciple."

Wu Yue Xingjun exclaimed with delight, "What a coincidence! Immortal Xin happens to be in my residence! I was just about to introduce him to the Heavenly King."

Chen Shi's eyes flashed as he sensed an incredibly powerful aura approaching from ahead. He looked towards the aura and saw a Golden Immortal standing on the pavilion in front of him. Although he was a Golden Immortal, he was different from other Golden Immortals.

This person comprehended the primordial Qi, cultivated the three flowers on the top of the head, and realized the Five Qi returning to their origin, thus becoming known as Taiyi!

The difference between a Golden Immortal and a Taiyi Golden Immortal lies in this.

"Heavenly King, this is Immortal Lord Xin," said Wu Yue Xingjun with a smile.

As soon as he finished speaking, several more immortals walked out from behind Xin Xianjun, each with an aura no weaker than Xin Xianjun's!
There are so many Taiyi Golden Immortals in this Wu Yuexing Mansion!

Chen Shi looked back and saw that Wu Yue Xingjun's descendants had blocked his way, and many powerful figures stood in the air, looking down.

"I have long heard of the great name of King Chen. He has swept through everything in Tian Shi Yuan. Today, I see him as a young man."

Xin Xianjun smiled and said, "Unfortunately, today is the day the Heavenly King falls."

"The Jade Emperor's lackeys deserve to die!" came the angry curses of an immortal from behind Chen Shi.

(End of this chapter)