Chaoge City.

Ever since King Di Xin offered incense three years ago and saw the beauty of Nuwa, he has been infatuated, neglecting food and sleep, and viewing everything else in his three palaces and six courtyards as mere dust, feeling sullen all day.

Afterwards, the skillful Imperial Censor Fei Zhong, daring to guess at people's hearts, proposed that an edict be issued to select a hundred beauties from the jurisdictions of each feudal lord across four routes, to be added to the harem.

King Di Xin was overjoyed beyond expectations.

He also came to understand that Nuwa being a Saint, it was impossible for him to have a chance to get close to her fragrance; why not settle for less and select some tangible beauties to serve in the palace?

Thus, he declared this decree before all the civil and military officials of the court, directing the feudal lords throughout the land to select a hundred beauties from the people to fill the harem.

This decree once issued, shocked all the civil and military officials.

Eight hundred regional lords, each selecting a hundred beauties,

followed by strong opposition.

Prime Minister Shang Rong, Uncle Wang Bi Gan and other senior ministers all submitted petitions to dissuade him.

Although King Di Xin was displeased, he could not withstand the earnest entreaties of the ministers and ultimately had to retract the decree.

However, not being able to fulfill his wishes made him even more agonized, as if his liver and heart were being clawed.

One day, the leaders of the four major lords led the eight hundred regional lords to Chaoge to pay homage to the Shang dynasty with grand sacrificial rituals.

These four lords were Eastern Marquis Jiang Huan Chu, Southern Marquis E Chongyu, Western Marquis Ji Chang, and Northern Marquis Chong Houhu.

These four were all top figures, positioned in the four directions of North, South, East, and West of Great Shang, guarding the borders on behalf of the Human King, similar to imperial regional authorities.

However, upon arriving in Chaoge, whether they were dragons or tigers, all had to lie low and coil up.

As the saying goes, even a mighty dragon cannot suppress a local snake.

The position just below these four lords was held by Marquis Yi Su Hu. Because he hadn't brought gifts to Fei Zhong and You Hun, who were highly favored in court, they harbored resentment against him. They went to the palace to see King Di Xin and intentionally mentioned before him that Su Hu had a daughter named Su Daji, who was a national beauty with heavenly charm. They suggested that if she could be selected to serve by the king's side, she would outshine ten thousand others!

King Di Xin was overjoyed, promptly sending messengers to see Su Hu and asking him to send his daughter Su Daji to serve in the palace.

Su Hu, known for his fiery temperament, not only disagreed but also rebuked King Di Xin in front of the messenger, calling his actions unrighteous!

Enraged, King Di Xin wanted to bring Su Hu to justice.

After berating him, Su Hu calmed down and summoned his household generals to discuss strategies, ultimately deciding to rebel and leave Chaoge!

At the moment of his departure, he also imitated King Di Xin's practice of writing poems on the temple, and he too brandished his brush outside the Wumen Gate, inscribing a poem:

The king destroys the ministers' code, resulting in the decay of the Five Constants.

Marquis Yi Su Hu shall never pay homage to Shang again!

After inscribing the poem, Su Hu felt a great relief, tossed his brush aside, mounted his war horse, led his family generals, and swiftly left Chaoge heading for Yi State...

The news of Su Hu's rebellion spread, and although King Di Xin had already urgently dispatched troops to suppress it, the whole of Great Shang quickly descended into chaos.

...

The early morning at Linhuan Pass was enveloped in the hazy mist over the river, evoking a mysterious sensation.

"The troops have withdrawn!"

"Brother! Great Shang's troops have withdrawn!"

Wen Zhong's joyful voice pierced through the serene morning; he hastened into the quiet courtyard behind the City Lord Mansion, eager to share this good news with Yu Yuan.

"Yesterday, Huang Feihu suddenly led his troops back to Chaoge, leaving many tents still standing, too rushed to dismantle..."

Before he could finish, Yu Yuan emerged from the main house, waving his hands, "No need to fuss, no need to fuss... I'm already aware of this."

Wen Zhong curiously asked, "Does brother know why they withdrew?"

Yu Yuan replied indifferently, "Because Marquis Yi Su Hu has rebelled, and Yuan Futong in the North Sea is also showing signs of unrest; Great Shang urgently needs Huang Feihu to lead the troops back to maintain order."

Hearing this, Wen Zhong was filled with immense joy.

"With this, we now have ample time to develop!"

Yu Yuan nodded slightly, seriously reminding, "Although Great Shang has withdrawn its troops, they can return at any time, you must not be complacent!

Especially regarding the daily training of soldiers, you must not slacken even a bit!"

"Brother, rest assured."

Wen Zhong solemnly nodded, "I have already assigned Ji Li and Yu Qing to be in charge of this matter."

Ji Li and Yu Qing were among the most outstanding of many students Wen Zhong had taught in Linhuan Pass over the years.

Both were natives of Linhuan Pass, not very old, but highly talented; having followed Wen Zhong in cultivation for over a decade, they were already nearing the threshold of the Immortal Path.

"Begin—"

Inside the city of Linhuan Pass, on the training ground of a large camp, a young officer was deeply rooted, his arms exerting a slight force, lifting a massive stone slab a hundred meters square high up.

He held the giant stone without turning red or gasping for breath, walking hundreds of steps before finally setting the stone down.

"Bang!"

The stone hit the ground, sending out a thunderous sound, as if the ground itself was shaking.

Nearby, a group of Linhuan Pass soldiers clad in brand new official armor were stupefied, bursting into loud chatter after a long silence:

"Well done, young general!"

"That giant stone must weigh nearly a hundred thousand pounds, yet in the hands of our young general, it seems weightless!"

"Indeed, our General Ji Li has been studying with the City Lord since he was young, not only is he knowledgeable, but he also possesses Great Divine Power!"

"Exactly, exactly!"

"Maybe our young general will become an immortal just like the City Lord one day!"

...

Ji Li dusted off his hands, looking at the noisy soldiers and said with a smile, "You guys should stop flattering and focus on training. If you lose again in the next combat exercise, the training tasks will be doubled!"

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