Rebirth of Nezha in the Investiture of the Gods

Now to speak of two matters: Chong Heihu, leading the remnants of the army back to Chaoge, reported everything truthfully to the authorities.

At the same time, Chong Heihu voluntarily handed over his military authority, resigned from the title of Chong Hou, and disappeared without a trace.

If it were Chong Houhu, he would have certainly sought to shift all blame onto others while relentlessly disparaging Li Mingzhu.

However, the survivor was Chong Heihu.

Although Chong Houhu was not a commendable person, Chong Heihu was decent—albeit overly obedient to his elder brother.

Now that Chong Houhu had died, Chong Heihu abandoned the riches of the Mortal World and began roaming the lands, seeking sages and pursuing Divine Skills.

Although he possessed a measure of skill himself, he understood that he was absolutely no match for Li Mingzhu. Thus, he had to seek alternative solutions.

Although he advised the Yin Shang court to avoid provoking Li Mingzhu unless absolutely necessary—fulfilling his responsibility as a loyal subject—it didn't mean that his brother's grudge could be simply set aside.

When the news of Li Mingzhu reached Chaoge, it triggered a massive uproar. Within the court, two opposing opinions emerged.

One faction argued that Li Mingzhu's overwhelming power made it wise to avoid provoking him, especially since he only sought the North Sea.

The other faction contended that in the entire realm, all land belonged to the king. No matter how formidable Li Mingzhu might be, his arrogance must not be tolerated, and they insisted on continuing to wage war.

Unquestionably, Lady Xi's faction supported the latter viewpoint.

After all, ordering Yin Shang to attack the North Sea would further deplete the kingdom's resources.

Such actions conformed to the Heavenly Dao, and so Lady Xi cared little for how powerful Li Mingzhu might be or how many people he might slay, as long as she could proceed with her plans for continued offensives.

However, determining who would lead the campaign was indeed a challenging decision. Wen Zhong, for one, was absolutely out of the question.

She was well aware of the close relationship between Wen Zhong and Li Mingzhu. If Wen Zhong were entrusted with military command, what if he went off to battle and never returned?

Although Wen Zhong's loyalty was beyond doubt, human nature was inherently unreliable.

Ultimately, Fei Zhong and You Hun jointly recommended Huang Feihu. After deliberating, Lady Xi agreed to it.

With Huang Feihu departing Chaoge, her subsequent plan could now be set in motion. As for whether Huang Feihu rebelled or not, why should that concern her?

Should rebellion occur, so much the better—a mere Huang Feihu was expendable and inferior to Wen Zhong.

The matter was settled without formal court discussion. An order was promptly dispatched to Huang Feihu's residence, instructing him to lead troops and immediately campaign against the North Sea without delay.

Upon receiving the command, Huang Feihu sighed deeply but had no choice but to rally his forces for departure.

In his view, the expedition to the North Sea was entirely unnecessary. He couldn't fathom what exactly Li Jing had done to provoke such relentless madness from that woman, who had resolved to attack the North Sea by any means necessary.

He knew Li Jing would never commit treasonous deeds. But with the orders issued, what could he possibly do?

As Huang Feihu led his troops away, Chaoge remained outwardly tranquil, yet hidden currents of turbulence roiled beneath the surface.

One day, Lady Xi summoned Huang Feihu's wife, Lady Jia, to the palace for conversation. Though Lady Jia was uncertain of Lady Xi's intentions, she knew the latter harbored no goodwill, prompting her to carry a dagger for protection.

Upon entering the palace, Lady Jia was escorted by the palace maids to Lady Xi's quarters, yet Lady Xi herself was conspicuously absent. As Lady Jia began to wonder, King Zhou unexpectedly appeared.

The king, clearly intoxicated, staggered unsteadily toward Lady Jia. Upon seeing her, he brazenly addressed her as "Beloved Consort" and forcibly embraced her.

Though a woman, Lady Jia hailed from a family of generals and possessed a fiery spirit. She immediately kicked King Zhou away and attempted to flee.

In that moment, Lady Jia finally understood the full extent of Lady Xi's scheming. But escape was impossible, as the door had already been locked from the outside.

King Zhou, though momentarily knocked down, quickly got to his feet and lunged at her once more.

Although he was deeply indulgent in wine and women, his martial prowess remained intact—how could Lady Jia, a mere mortal, stand a chance against him?

In desperation and realizing her defeat, Lady Jia drew the dagger she had brought and ended her own life.

In her final moments, she cried out Huang Feihu's name.

Lady Xi, summoning Lady Jia to the palace, naturally aimed for more than simply harming Lady Jia. She secretly instructed her agents to relay the news to Huang Feihu's sister—Lady Huang—in the inner palace.

Among the royal consorts, aside from Empress Jiang, Lady Huang often opposed Lady Xi.

Now that Empress Jiang was dead, Lady Xi took the opportunity to target Huang Feihu as her main adversary. Although her abilities and Divine Skills afforded her a hundred ways to eliminate Lady Huang discreetly, palace intrigues among women never ceased once they began.

Lady Xi, despite being perfectly capable of swiftly and effectively killing Lady Huang with incredible methods, deliberately chose humane tactics instead.

Such is the nature of women—forever irrational, even if they ascend to the level of a Daluo Golden Immortal.

Upon hearing the news, Lady Huang rushed to the scene, only to find her sister-in-law's lifeless body. How could she accept such a reality?

In her grief, she cursed Lady Xi vehemently but failed to account for King Zhou's presence. Absorbed in rage, she was struck down by a fatal palm blow from the king.

Such calamities unfolding in the Royal Palace within a single day were nearly impossible to conceal. Chaoge erupted into chaos.

Upon hearing the news, Wen Zhong stormed into the palace demanding an explanation from King Zhou.

A general marches to war while the king dishonors his wife!

How absurd!

Wen Zhong was at a loss for words to rebuke King Zhou, but the damage had already been done. The situation was untenable—it had to be stopped.

Thus, Wen Zhong forcibly entered the palace, determined to deliver King Zhou a beating, regardless of opposition.

Wen Zhong held the Golden Whip bestowed upon him by the former emperor—who dared block his path?

Unfortunately, King Zhou was absent from the palace. Upon learning of Wen Zhong's arrival, he had disappeared without a trace.

Wen Zhong was left helpless.

Evil deeds travel faster than good. In just five days, the news reached Huang Feihu.

His wife was driven to suicide after narrowly escaping humiliation. His sister was slain. How could he be expected to continue fighting?

Huang Feihu, a man of principle and passion, turned his troops back toward Chaoge upon hearing the news.

If King Zhou refused to provide justice, why not seize Chaoge itself?

In any case, Huang Feihu resolved to rebel. At worst, he would die.

But what fear did Huang Feihu have of death?

Far away in the North Sea, Li Mingzhu divined these events and immediately set out for Chaoge, aiming to exploit the turmoil.

Of course, his primary motivation was Huang Feihu.

Others might not understand Huang Feihu's abilities, but Li Mingzhu did.

Was the legendary title "King Wu Cheng Who Protects the Nation" merely an empty honor?

A mere mortal who would later be enshrined as the Eastern Peak Great Emperor—both titles underscored that there was nothing ordinary about Huang Feihu.

If Li Jing could secure Huang Feihu's support, Li Mingzhu would finally feel at ease!