In the grand hall of Chaoge during the Yin-Shang Dynasty, bronze candlesticks illuminated the solemn faces of the court officials.

The urgent report from Beihai from three days ago still echoed in everyone's ears like thunder.

The seventy-two lords of the Northern Territory, in alliance with the demons of Beiju Luzhou, rebelled and captured seven cities in succession. Yan City is in dire straits!

This is a crisis of national annihilation that the Shang Dynasty has not faced in many years.

"Within three days, reinforcements and provisions for the Northern Frontier have been prepared. Who among you is willing to lead troops to quell the rebellion in the North?"

King Zhou glanced at the assembled officials in the hall, his face solemn.

As soon as he finished speaking, Wen Zhong stepped forward and knelt on one knee, holding the male and female dragon whips horizontally in front of his knees:

"Your Majesty, I request permission to personally lead an expedition to the North Sea. Within three months, I will surely behead the rebel leader and present his head to Your Majesty!"

King Zhou sat high on his throne, his fingertips tracing the bronze wine vessel, his gaze gloomy.

Bi Gan stepped forward: "If Grand Tutor leaves Chaoge, Xiqi fears..."

Report!

Suddenly, a shrill scream interrupted the court discussion.

A messenger, covered in blood, stumbled into the main hall, holding aloft a blood-stained jade slip:

"The Crown Prince... His Highness the Crown Prince died in battle at Xiqi!"

"Snap!"

Zhou Wenzhong whirled around, his twin whips exploding with thunderous force: "Who did this?"

The wine cup in Wang's hand shattered, and the fine wine mixed with blood dripped from between his fingers.

"Guang Chengzi...it's Guang Chengzi..." The messenger wept uncontrollably. "His Highness cried out for his master before his death, 'Why did this happen to you?' but his body was...was plowed and hoeed by that Guang Chengzi..."

"boom!"

Wen Zhong shattered the golden bricks with one step, causing the entire hall to tremble.

Huang Feihu quickly pressed down on his shoulder:

"Grand Tutor! Now is the time to plan calmly!"

King Zhou suddenly stood up and laughed wildly, his laughter filled with madness:

"Well done, Chan Sect! Well done, Xiqi! Issue the order—"

Seeing this, Bigan disregarded the etiquette of court officials and grabbed King Zhou's arm:

"Your Majesty, please reconsider! The rebellion in the northern border has not been quelled. If war is started again, the Shang Dynasty will be doomed!"

Just then.

"Report! A great victory in the North!"

Another messenger rushed into the hall, his voice trembling with excitement:

"The Grand Preceptor Shen single-handedly defended Yan City, summoning the Nine Heavens Thunder Tribulation to annihilate 300,000 rebel troops! The demon race of Beiju Luzhou fled for thousands of miles!"

Dead silence.

Then, the jade tablet in Bi Gan's hand fell to the ground with a clang.

"Shen Gongbao... single-handedly repelled a million-strong army?" Shang Rong's beard trembled. "How is that possible!"

Wen Zhong snatched the battle report, lightning flashing in his pupils:

"The ley lines of Yan City were blasted through by lightning, and all seventy-two vassal lords and their generals perished... All the great demons of Beiju Luzhou are dead, and the rest have fled to Beiju Luzhou..."

Wen Zhong suddenly looked up:

Where is the Imperial Preceptor now?

"The Imperial Preceptor..." the messenger swallowed hard, "has already set off for Snow Dragon Pass."

Upon hearing this, King Zhou abruptly stood up from his throne and shouted excitedly:

"Good! Good! Good!"

Bi Gan quickly released his grip on King Zhou's hands and solemnly bowed to him:

"With the Imperial Advisor guarding the northern border, it is already completely safe. I now request Your Majesty to immediately send troops to Xiqi!"

Wen Zhong took a deep breath, and lightning gathered at the tip of his whip:

"I request that we change our course and launch a western expedition. We will surely defeat Xiqi within three months. As for the northern border, it can be entrusted to the Grand Preceptor or the Marquis of the North for defense!"

Huang Feihu, standing to the side, grew anxious:

"Your Majesty, Chaoge cannot be without the Grand Tutor's defense. As for Xiqi, leave it to your humble servant. Within two months, I will surely conquer Xiqi!"

...

The surrounding ministers all volunteered to fight and echoed his sentiments.

On the stage, King Zhou's eyes were bloodshot, and finally his gaze settled on Wen Zhong:

"Grand Tutor! Launch the Western Expedition! Launch the Western Expedition immediately! I, King Zhou, will avenge the murder of my son by Guang Chengzi!"

One day later, outside Chaoge City.

Wen Zhong, clad in white robes and silver armor, rode a black unicorn on the clouds, its cry echoing.

One hundred thousand elite troops stood in a solemn array, with the soldiers at the front row holding aloft the memorial tablet of Yin Jiao.

"We will not return until we have conquered Xiqi!"

Wen Zhonglei pointed his whip to the sky, and the sound resounded through the clouds.

………

Above the ruins of Yancheng, the scorched earth still glowed with a scarlet light after the lightning calamity.

Daji walked barefoot across the broken city wall bricks, her nine snowy tails swaying gently behind her, each step leaving behind wisps of foxfire.

She suddenly stopped and turned to look at Shen Gongbao, who was meditating:

"Isn't the Imperial Advisor curious about what I'm going to do in Chaoge?"

Shen Gongbao didn't even lift his eyelids, and said irritably:

"I've told you three hundred times already, I'm no longer the Grand Preceptor of the Yin Shang Dynasty. Chaoge is right there; you can go if you want, it's none of my business."

Daji covered her mouth and chuckled softly, her fox tail gently brushing against Shen Gongbao's chest.

"You say you are no longer the Grand Tutor of Yin Shang, so why are you still guarding this important town of Yan for Yin Shang? Isn't it because you still care about Yin Shang?"

Shen Gongbao rolled his eyes.

"The same tactics you used against Xing Tian won't work against me. I defended Yan City for Yin Shang because I wanted to repay a favor to Yin Shang. From now on, Yin Shang and I will naturally be even."

As he spoke, Shen Gongbao gently stroked the fox tail in front of him, then vigorously rubbed it a few times, clicking his tongue in amazement:

"As expected of the legendary nine-tailed fox demon, the fur and texture are truly incomparable to ordinary fur. It would be great for warming the bed!"

Daji snorted coldly, quickly retracting the fox tail from Shen Gongbao's hand, a fleeting blush crossing her face:

“Shen Gongbao, I’m not joking with you. My trip to Chaoge is a matter of the Sage’s plans, and it’s not something you can interfere with.”

"I know that little traitor Qing'e will definitely tell you the purpose of my trip to Yin Shang, but since it involves the sage's plan, and you have already said that you have nothing to do with Yin Shang anymore, then don't meddle in other people's business!"

Qing'e, standing to the side, grew anxious:

"Daji, I didn't..."

Before Qing'e could finish speaking, Shen Gongbao waved his hand and said:

"Why bother with her? She just thinks the idea of ​​bewitching King Zhou of Shang is offensive, so she's deliberately using the name of a sage to scare me."

"Shen Gongbao, you really knew the purpose of my trip to Chaoge!"

Daji stared intently at Shen Gongbao, her chest heaving. If she hadn't known she couldn't defeat him, she would have already made her move.

However, Shen Gongbao's expression remained calm:

"You were just sent to Chaoge by the orders of the Goddess Nuwa to seduce King Zhou of Shang. Did the Goddess Nuwa keep this from you? Not to mention me, Shen Gongbao, it won't be long before some respectable people in Chaoge know your purpose this time."

"ah?"

Qing'e screamed, about to speak, when she saw Xing Tian's hand already blocking her way:

"Qing'e, don't say anything more. Let Shen Gongbao and Daji handle this themselves!"

Qing'e tugged at Daji's sleeve worriedly:

"elder sister?"

Daji suddenly awoke, but this time, her gaze towards Shen Gongbao held not only anger but also a greater yearning for the unknown:

"Shen Gongbao, explain yourself clearly, what do you mean by that?"