The final disguised lineup.
Gong Xichou wore Shen Tang's disguise, Shen Tang wore Ji Moqiu's disguise, and Ji Moqiu wore Gong Xichou's disguise...
Shen Tang, with Ji Moqiu's face on her head, fell into deep thought.
"Yuanliang, don't you really think this is pointless?" Is there any real difference between the three of them exchanging identities to go to the appointment and not exchanging identities? All three of them are on Yunda's kill list. Running into Yunda is just a matter of dying sooner or later.
Qi Shan said, "Then the Lord should remain in the camp and await news."
His expression wasn't good when he said that.
Hearing that the Lord was going to risk his life again was incredibly disheartening, but Qi Shan did not stop him. Instead, she helped Shen Tang disguise herself as Ji Mo Qiu and, while adjusting the High Priest's robes, smiled and reminded her, "Has the Lord ever heard a saying?"
"What did you say?"
Shen Tang felt a slight chill run down her spine from his gaze.
"Yuanliang, don't laugh like that, it scares me."
Qi Shan forcefully smoothed out the wrinkles in Shen Tang's wide robe and long collar, enunciating clearly: "Once is acceptable, twice is acceptable, but not a third or fourth time! His Majesty is wise and mighty, surely he understands what I mean by this?"
His tone rose slightly at the end, carrying a hint of threat.
Shen Tang's eyes darted around randomly, and she nodded vaguely, "Mmm, oh, I know, I know, I will definitely be careful and I absolutely cannot let Yunda take advantage of me."
After saying that, she turned and walked away.
As expected, she failed to escape, and Qi Shan even grabbed her collar. She turned her face with an embarrassed smile, meeting Qi Shan's seemingly kind but actually threatening smile, and forced herself to say, "Yuan Liang..."
Qi Shan's smile vanished completely.
He said solemnly, “My lord, you are more important than your subjects. Even without Tan Lezheng, Kang Kingdom still has countless like-minded followers around you. But without Shen Youli, Kang Kingdom is like a tall building with its foundation removed; even a small gust of wind can cause the building to collapse.”
Don't sever the connection between two people so easily.
This is depriving him of the right to die for her.
Do she think he'll be happy?
Shen Tang changed her address: "Le Zheng..."
Just as she was about to say something, Qi Shan loosened her long collar.
He clasped his hands in a respectful bow and said, "May your journey, my lord, be filled with military success."
Shen Tang felt a complex mix of emotions. She pressed down on his clasped hands and slapped them hard, saying, "Wait for my triumphant return."
If the world were a giant game, then this old man, Yunda, would be a major boss that wouldn't be updated for several versions, exceeding the current player's combat power limit, seemingly unsolvable.
but--
As long as the health bar is displayed, there is no boss that cannot be defeated.
The challenge posted by Yunda was not official.
Normally, he would go to the appointment alone.
Shen Tang didn't trust Lao Deng, so he sent scouts ahead to survey the terrain and see if there were any enemies lying in ambush. Yun Da arrived at the agreed time. This place must have been carefully selected by him; there were no ambush sites nearby, which put him at ease.
Shen Tang appeared a little late.
The sun was slightly off-center at this time.
Yunda's robes were filled with the cold wind mixed with flying snow.
It evokes a sense of being detached from the world, of ascending to immortality.
With his back to the direction the three had come from, he knew they had arrived without turning around: "Young people these days can't even keep appointments on time."
Gong Xichou, disguised as Shen Tang, stood between Shen Tang and Ji Moqiu, arms crossed, chin slightly raised: "I am the ruler of Kang Kingdom. It is your good fortune to make a commoner like you wait. Being a little late doesn't mean you won't come. What is there to complain about?"
Shen Tang's version of Ji Moqiu's lips twitched slightly.
For the first time, she felt that her face was asking for a beating.
Ji Moqiu's version of Gong Xichou was calm and composed, with his arms crossed and his eyes looking at Yun Da indifferently, as if he were an outsider.
Unexpectedly, Yun Da completely ignored Gong Xi Chou.
He asked with a smile, "Even the ruler of Kangguo would hide his true intentions?"
This question was directed at the real Shen Tang.
Yunda saw through the three men's disguises at a glance.
Shen Tang remained calm and composed: "Lord Che has excellent judgment."
This was the first time someone had seen through Qi Shan's "Miraculous Hands and Painting Skills" in one look. She was a person who cared about her reputation. How could she still be shameless and stubborn after being exposed by the enemy?
He readily agreed and calmly retorted, "Lord Che issued a challenge to me, surely it's not because the Northern Desert troops couldn't capture anyone and were driven to desperation, forcing Lord Che to condescend to commit assassination?"
There is also an invisible hierarchy of contempt among martial arts practitioners.
Those who fight head-on look down on those who stab others in the back. Assassins, in order to achieve their goals, often take unexpected routes, resorting to underhanded tactics, poisoning, and stabbing. Yun Da, a military general with years of fame, is confident in his strength and disdains using unorthodox methods to defeat his enemies.
Yunda sneered, "Who can force me to submit?"
The implication was that he hadn't come specifically to kill Shen Tang. Hearing that the fight might not happen, Shen Tang's tense nerves relaxed slightly: "Oh? Is that so? In that case, may I ask what advice Marquis Che has for me? We can't speak openly on the battlefield, so we must discuss this in private?"
"I have no advice to offer, but I do have a favor to ask."
Even someone as composed as Shen Tang showed a moment of surprise.
Could this person in front of me be some imposter?
The phrase "asking for a favor" could come out of anyone's mouth, but it sounds terrifying coming from Yun Da's mouth.
She gave an awkward chuckle: "Lord Che, you're really joking. We're sworn enemies, with deep-seated hatred that hasn't been resolved yet. What can I do to help you? Has Lord Che forgotten what happened last time?"
Yunda gave her a thorough thrashing last time.
If it weren't for the special nature of her body, she would have kicked the bucket and started over long ago.
Now you come running over saying you have a favor to ask?
Beg for his grandparents' legs!
Yunda ignored Shen Tang's sarcastic remarks.
His request was only one—
"No joke, I, Yun, request that the 'Mother Goddess' return to her place."
Shen Tang: "...???"
Gong Xichou, reflecting on his own inability to convincingly portray himself, was left with a blank stare: "???"
Ji Moqiu asked, "Why?"
As soon as he finished speaking, two pairs of eyes fell on him simultaneously.
Gong Xichou opened his mouth: "Big brother, um..."
Shen Tang also passed Gongxi Chou and looked at Ji Moqiu.
"High Priest of Jimo, what is the 'Mother Goddess'?"
Ji Moqiu answered truthfully: "It's you."
Shen Tang: "..."
Following the discovery of the sacred artifact of the Gongxi tribe, a new title has been unlocked.
Yun Da then noticed the quiet Ji Moqiu. With the latter's presence, even Gong Xichou's usually arrogant face seemed gentle and harmless. Yun Da didn't want an answer from the three; if they wouldn't take the initiative to return to their positions, he would be forced into a passive position.
He scoffed, "Isn't it a good thing to get back to your original position sooner?"
“But Lord Che doesn’t seem like a person with good intentions.” Ji Moqiu wasn’t buying Yun Da’s act and his response was equally unfriendly. “Instead of beating around the bush, let’s just state our purpose directly.”
Shen Tang and Gong Xi Chou were both completely bewildered.
She raised her hand to indicate that she had something to say.
"Let's not even talk about the fact that I am not a 'Mother Goddess' and do not deserve the title of 'God'. Even if I were to become a so-called 'Mother Goddess,' what benefit would it bring to Lord Che if I returned to my position?"
People's words and actions depend on their motives.
What is Yunda's purpose?
“As long as you return to your place, this chaotic world will return to peace, it’s that simple.” Yunda knew even more inside information than the inner circle of the Pantheon. “You shouldn’t have come.”
Shen Tang: "..."
That huge pot almost crushed her to death.
She froze, pointing at herself, and hurriedly asked, "Does Lord Che mean that the chaos in the world is because of me?"
For the first time, Shen Tang truly empathized with Dou E.
What did I do to become a sinner who brings disaster to the world?
For years, she's worked 996*3 every day, and occasionally even 007*3. I wouldn't say she's incredibly diligent, but she has genuinely allowed the people under her jurisdiction to rest and recuperate, barely managing to eat their fill and stay warm. Given more time, she could do even better.
Aside from killing a lot during wartime, he has never taken a single innocent life in peacetime. How did he become the culprit in Yunda's mouth? Does living mean causing suffering to the common people?
Yun Da said, "Yes, but no."
Shen Tang was instantly filled with rage.
Yunda continued, “Since you are a ‘god,’ continue to sit on your altar and look down upon your multitude of beings. In this mortal world, birth, aging, sickness, death, rise and fall, glory and failure—all living beings have their own destiny. You pity the rabbit whose neck is about to be bitten off, but do you pity the hungry jackals and tigers? Humans are no different from rabbits, jackals, tigers, and tigers. They are both hunters and prey for others.”
The unspoken meaning—
Shen Tang is meddling in other people's business.
Since she was born in the clouds, she should remain aloof. Her act of descending from her pedestal to save the poor rabbit—isn't that unfair to the wolves and tigers? Rabbits are prey for other wild animals. Doesn't this show that her kindness is nothing but a laughable hypocrisy?
"But now I am also a rabbit."
Shen Tang's intuition told her that Yun Da's words had a hidden meaning.
“Even ants cherish life, so how can humans not value their lives? Lord Che, I am but a mortal, not the ‘Mother Goddess’ you speak of. Your so-called ‘return to one’ is nothing but a desire for my death, isn’t it? If you want my life, come and take it yourself. If you have the ability to take it, then it is yours. If you don’t have that ability, please don’t say such things, Lord Che.”
Yun Da knew from her answer that Shen Tang hadn't understood.
He simply laid it all out in the open.
"Returning you to your rightful place doesn't mean you'll die. It's just your bloodthirsty body that will die. Do you really think it's mercy to let a rabbit that should have been devoured by beasts live? Even if you escape this calamity by chance, there will still be endless dangers lurking around you. Do you really think that by establishing your so-called Kang Kingdom and leading your army to unify the world, you can end all chaos at its root? And that there will be no more sorrow in the world?"
Shen Tang was also really angry at Yun Da's careless remarks.
He questioned, "In your opinion, what should be done?"
Yunda replied, "Naturally, everyone should return to their respective places."
"You mean everyone should go back to their proper place? And let the rabbit die in the jaws of the beast?"
"That's exactly right."
Those four words directly caused Shen Tang's cerebellum to atrophy.
She vaguely knew Yunda's true intentions.
"As long as you are willing to 'return to your rightful place,' the remaining creatures will naturally find their own path to destruction amidst the chaos and infighting. Without people, there will be no desires, and without desires, there will be no more wars, no more tragedies of cannibalism, and no more families torn apart. Returning to death, how can it not be returning to eternity?"
Since Shen Tang is the "Mother Goddess," she must be burdened with a divine mandate. Yun Da believes that her appearance may bring a period of prosperity, but this state is not eternal. After prosperity comes decline! And what will decline bring? Only war and chaos.
It goes on and on, and it's all meaningless.
To end this torment akin to a suspended sentence, and to help everyone escape the suffering of the world, he was willing to do something, even if no one understood what he was doing.
Shen Tang was truly dumbfounded.
Wenda, that old man, is quite the chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) type.
"...So, you want everyone to die?"
Yun Da said, "This is not death, it is liberation."
Shen Tang couldn't wait: "You can be the first to be free."
You can't have double standards.
Yunda might as well set an example by committing suicide with his sword.
"Once everything is accomplished, I, Yun, will fulfill my promise!"
Shen Tang: "..."
Wow, that's a ruthless person.
She intended to provoke them.
Yunda wanted to be the last one to die, but his family and relatives could go first. If Old Deng could even do that, Shen Tang would be completely convinced. But then, she remembered that Yunda went to extremes precisely because his family members had all died. Old Deng didn't even know if he had any descendants... Even if he did, killing a son was different from killing a grandson who was unknown how many generations back.
Shen Tang could only change the subject.
"But this is a waste of your time."
Yunda looked at her coldly: "Useless effort?"
Shen Tang shrugged: "Yes, Lord Che doesn't think that humans are the only intelligent beings, does he? Monkeys are intelligent, and orcas and dolphins in the sea are also intelligent. Besides the land beneath our feet, there are other civilizations above you, in the vast starry sea. Let's not go that far. Just say that if all the humans in this place were to die out, wouldn't the remaining animals just follow the law of the jungle? The competition and killing in the jungle are even more brutal. Through constant eating and being eaten, they would gradually become the apex predators."
Seeing Yunda's unwell expression, she delivered a fatal blow: "The next one to climb to the top, won't it just be another humanoid being? You yourself say that humans are animals, so why do you regard jackals, tigers, leopards, and rabbits as commonplace, yet cannot accept infighting among humans? I've never seen any animal that, in the struggle for territory and food, would then have the thought of destroying its own kind..."
Does Yunda despise his own people?
No, what he loathed was pain.
This kind of pain is even more eternal than death.
Even if all humans were to die, it would still exist.
Yunda's complexion grew increasingly worse.
Finally, his eyes turned bloodshot as he looked at Shen Tang: "Spreading heresy and misleading the public."
Shen Tang awkwardly touched his nose: "Tsk, am I now a sorcerer spreading rumors? Didn't you just say I'm the 'Mother Goddess'? Since I'm a 'god,' standing higher than you and seeing more than you, isn't that normal? My words are the truth!"
If you don't even believe in the words of God, why would you believe in the words of ghosts?
Yunda's struggles are not as meaningful as a big pie.
At least a flatbread can fill your stomach.
"However, what Lord Che said is not without reason. Every living being has its own way out. In chaotic times, who doesn't stubbornly try to survive after experiencing suffering? The way to survive is the way out."
"I, Shen, though unworthy, am willing to serve as your guide."
Yunda stood there stunned for a long time.
The Shen Tang before them was still disguised as Ji Moqiu, and Ji Moqiu's appearance was the type most favored by the gods of the Gongxi clan. All the high priests and high priest candidates shared the same aesthetic standard. Naturally, the Shen Tang before them almost overlapped with the former lord.
The lord told him that war should be used to end war, and that all the thorns and killings along the way were the inevitable price to pay for the final peace.
Shen Youli said—
Be a good guide and let things take their natural course.
()
Yun Da was fooled his whole life—the First Lord coaxed him to sacrifice his life, his best friend tricked him into being trapped in one place for a hundred years, and Tang Mei told the truth, which was a bit heartbreaking.
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