Chapter 140 The Conferment of Gods List is About to Be Opened

"Wen Zhong, what is the basis for these words of yours?" King Zhou's heart sank deeply upon hearing this.

Wen Zhong's face was etched with deep concern, "Replying to Your Majesty, if this news is true, our Great Shang is destined to face a great calamity. This minister believes that there is no smoke without fire; as the old saying goes, good news stays at home, while bad news travels a thousand miles."

"Currently, rumors are circulating in the streets that the Investiture of the Gods will be opened right here in our Great Shang, and that the chosen one destined to open it is also within our borders."

"Your Majesty, you may not realize this yet, but the moment this news about the Investiture of the Gods came out, it instantly caused a massive commotion throughout the city of 朝歌 (Chaoge)."

"According to reliable intelligence reports, some demons and monsters have already set their sights on Chaoge. When that time comes, all manner of spirits and monsters across the world will rise up in rebellion, and our city of Chaoge will undoubtedly be unable to withstand the turbulent assault of that terrifying external force."

The political winds were shifting, and all sorts of ghosts and monsters were making their moves. Chaos was brewing across the world, and the flourishing Great Shang would certainly not escape this calamity.

Severe damage and heavy blows were inevitable.

After analyzing the pros and cons, King Zhou's face sank heavily, "Grand Tutor Wen, is this news reliable? Exactly who is spreading these rumors? Have you investigated it thoroughly?"

Opening the Investiture of the Gods was by no means a good thing for the common folk.

The common people merely wished to live and work in peace, asking for neither great wealth nor noble status.

However, once the Investiture of the Gods was opened, strange omens would manifest throughout the world. Every minor goblin, ghost, and monster with even a sliver of magical ability would attempt to seize a place for themselves on the Investiture scroll.

Even a salted fish must have dreams; what if they actually succeeded one day?

Yet, the ordinary people of the world certainly did not see it that way.

When immortals, gods, demons, and monsters fought, it was like a city catching fire—the innocent bystanders would inevitably suffer, and the common folk would be the ones to pay the price.

Pondering this in secret, King Zhou asked anxiously, "Grand Tutor Wen, Uncle Bigan, do you have any plans regarding this? Is there any way to stop it?"

Since the opening of the Investiture of the Gods would incite global turmoil, could this worldly calamity be averted by simply destroying the Investiture scroll itself?

Wen Zhong looked at Bigan, and both men shook their heads.

King Zhou's heart sank further, "Does this mean there is truly no way to prevent it?"

Bigan thought for a moment before replying, "Your Majesty, the matter appears quite tricky. To put it simply, opening the Investiture of the Gods brings a hundred harms and not a single benefit to ordinary people, but the high and mighty celestial clans are more than willing to see it happen. Especially the demon and monster tribes—they are desperate to open the Investiture immediately so they can secure a position for themselves."

Among mortals, there were certainly those who aspired to become immortals or Buddhas, but the majority possessed self-awareness, while only a small minority daydreamed of stumbling upon a fortuitous encounter that would allow them to transcend mortality and join the ranks of the immortals.

King Zhou's expression grew increasingly grave. "If this Investiture of the Gods is truly opened, it will undoubtedly be like a thunderbolt striking our developing Great Shang. Hmph, this孤 (Gu) will never allow such a thing to happen."

"Grand Tutor Wen, Uncle Bigan, I now charge you with a task: investigate the origins of this matter as quickly as possible, unearth the person behind the scenes who is spreading these rumors, and bring them to justice on the spot."

The mastermind behind the spread of these rumors must be an unforgivable villain. Scum like this, who feared the world would not fall into chaos, deserved nothing less than death.

Wen Zhong and Bigan both bowed deeply, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty. We ministers will thoroughly investigate this matter."

"Reporting... Your Majesty, there is a man outside the palace claiming to be Shen Gongbao, who seeks an audience to offer his services to Your Majesty."

A palace guard entered the main hall to make his report.

King Zhou, Wen Zhong, and Bigan exchanged glances in bewilderment.

Shen Gongbao? What kind of background did he have?

"What else did this person say?" King Zhou asked casually.

The guard replied, "The visitor also said that he can resolve the perplexing troubles Your Majesty is currently facing."

Well then... it seemed this fellow Shen Gongbao was no ordinary character.

"Since that is the case, show him in."

A short while later, a man as thin as a bamboo pole walked into the hall.

He wore a long black robe, with sharp cheekbones and a gloomy, piercing gaze.

At a glance, one could tell this person was unusual.

Shen Gongbao bowed respectfully to King Zhou, "This poor Taoist, Shen Gongbao, pays respects to Your Majesty. May the King live for ten thousand years, and ten thousand times ten thousand years."

"Who... are you?" King Zhou was somewhat baffled.

Wen Zhong and Bigan stared intently at Shen Gongbao with burning gazes.

Shen Gongbao introduced himself, "This poor Taoist is a disciple under the primordial sage, Primeval Lord of Heaven, and my name is Shen Gongbao... Long ago, I heard that King Zhou of Great Shang was a sage-like ruler whose reputation shook the entire capital of Chaoge. Today, I came out of admiration to request an audience, hoping to resolve Your Majesty's current perplexities."

"Shen Gongbao? You are a disciple under the sage Primeval Lord of Heaven?" Wen Zhong asked with a hint of skepticism.

Shen Gongbao smiled faintly at Wen Zhong, "You must be the renowned Grand Tutor Wen Zhong. Seeing you today, Grand Tutor truly possesses an extraordinarily handsome and refined appearance."

People naturally felt pleased when flattered with complimentary words about their appearance.

Look at what this fellow Shen Gongbao said; every single word hit the bullseye of flattery, making the listener feel exceedingly happy.

"Heh, you Daoist priest certainly know how to talk."

Having been praised, Wen Zhong felt a surge of delight.

Although advanced in years, it could not conceal the handsome facial features of Wen Zhong's youth. Being complimented in such a manner naturally left him in high spirits.

Cherish the virtuous and distance oneself from petty people.

King Zhou always kept this maxim in mind, never daring to forget it.

King Zhou did not particularly care for Shen Gongbao's smooth-talking flattery.

As King Zhou's expression subtly shifted, Shen Gongbao caught every bit of it instantly.

Realizing that the King did not appreciate this demeanor, Shen Gongbao immediately reverted to a dignified and serious expression, "Your Majesty, this humble Daoist has come today to help untie the knot in your hearts—it concerns the matter of the Investiture of the Gods."

"The Investiture of the Gods? How much do you know about it? Speak quickly, I urge you," King Zhou urged impatiently.

Shen Gongbao bowed before continuing, "This is a long story, so I will make it brief. I have a senior martial brother named Jiang Ziya, and the scroll of the Investiture of the Gods is currently in his hands."

"Speaking of that senior brother of mine, his ambitions are exceptionally grand. Ever since the Master bestowed the Investiture scroll upon him, he has been plotting day and night on how to officially open it."

"I believe you are all already aware of the terrifying deterrent power of this Investiture scroll. Once it is opened, it will inevitably provoke a massive upheaval among the various demon, monster, and celestial clans across the world. At that time, all monsters will dance in a frenzy, and mortals, demons, and even gods alike will all desire a place for themselves on this Investiture scroll. A chaotic world with a rise of contending heroes will be utterly unavoidable."

Shen Gongbao's eloquent and fluent speech left King Zhou and his ministers utterly shocked.

So the rumors running rampant in Chaoge city these past few days were actually true.

Could it be that the scroll of the Investiture of the Gods was truly about to be opened?