Chapter 37- Shen Gongbao(SGB) Holds Deep Grudges Against Jiang Ziya

Bing right into the thick of it with Feng Xinyanyi, The Investiture of the Gods. That's right. Specifically, we're looking at a really crucial moment, Yang Ziya's trip to Kunlun Mountain. A desperate moment, really. It absolutely is. And it all starts because of a crisis, doesn't it? We're in Chapter 37. Western Qi, that's Xi Qi, is under siege by the Shang forces. Exactly. Led by General Zhang Yifeng, or ZGF. And things are intense, though there was a small victory just now. Nezha managed to hit ZGF with his universe ring. Smash his left arm, right? A solid blow. A very solid blow. Nezha enters the city looking like a hero. But the real threat from ZGF isn't his army. No, it's his magic. He's not just a general. He's practicing some pretty dark stuff. What exactly is this left path technique he uses? It's chillingly effective, actually. It's simple. ZGF calls out his opponent's name just three times. And if they answer? If they answer, there are three souls and seven spirits. Well, they just scatter instantly. The person just drops lifeless from their horse or whatever mount they're on. Wow. Okay, so it attacks the very essence of a person. Precisely. It targets what the text calls blood essence life. Standard human life. But hang on. The source says ZGF did call Nezha's name. So why wasn't Nezha affected? That sounds like it should have been game over. Ah, yes. That's the key, isn't it? It's a fantastic little detail. ZGF's magic only works on those standard humans. The ones with the traditional souls and spirits. And Nezha isn't standard? Not at all. Remember, Nezha is a lotus transformation. His body isn't flesh and blood in the normal sense. It's made from lotuses. So he doesn't have the right kind of souls for the spell to latch onto. Exactly. He literally lacks the components the spell needs. So he's just immune. Which is incredibly lucky for Sheiky right then. That makes so much sense. But Jiang Ziya, he's the commander. He knows Nezha's immunity is a one-off, right? He sees more Shang forces coming. Right. He recognizes his own Daoist skills are, frankly, limited compared to what they're facing. He knows he needs guidance from the top. So, destination. Kunlun Mountain. The source of divine power and mandates. The absolute epicenter. But before he goes, he tells King Wu, Look, I'll be quick. Two, maybe three days. And gives very strict orders. Oh, yes. Crucially, he tells Nezha and his other officer, Wu Ji, Do not engage the GF while I'm gone. Hold the fort, but do not fight him. He understands the danger. Makes sense. So how does he travel? Does he just walk? Oh, no. Far too slow. He uses a Daoist technique called earth evasion. Too dun. Basically, magical tunneling. Super fast. Right through the earth itself. And he arrives at Kulin Cliff on Kunlun. What's the scene like? The source usually gives great descriptions. It really does. It paints this picture of, you know, sacred smoke. The sun setting. Ancient trees. Cypress trees. Flowers blooming. And divine creatures everywhere. White deer. Cranes. It's clearly a holy place. Must have been quite something for Ziya, returning after. How long was it? Ten years, he notes. A long time away. But he's focused. The white crane boy announces him. And he goes before the big boss. And this is it. The moment he gets his ultimate mission clarified. This is the whole point of the war, isn't it? Filling that list with names. Pretty much. Ziya's job is to set up the infrastructure, you could say, for the final investiture. Okay, he's got his main task. But what about the immediate problem? ZGF and his soul-scattering magic. Does Ziya ask for help? He does. He asks Yuan Shi directly for some divine assistance against ZGF's, uh, heretical art. He even admits his own limited ability as Dalai Lama. And Yuan Shi says... A flat... No. A really sharp refusal, actually. Seriously. Why Yuan Shi sent him down in the first place? I know, it seems harsh. But Yuan Shi's reasoning is all about boundaries. He says, basically, look, Ziya, you're now a human prime minister. You're enjoying mortal life, mortal status. I, the master, can't keep stepping into mortal affairs every five minutes. So it's like, you handle the mortal world, I handle the divine. Sort of. It establishes the rules. The mandate is divine, yes. But the war. That has to be fought primarily by mortals, relying on their own virtue and, well, destiny. Yuan Shi assures him West Key is protected by destiny. Wow. Okay, so Ziya is dismissed. Just left holding this incredibly important, incredibly dangerous scroll. The Fengshen Bang. Exactly. He starts to walk away, probably feeling a bit stunned. But then Yuan Shi calls him back. Like, immediately. Instantly. Ziya, come back here. And this is maybe the most critical instruction he gets in the entire story. Okay, what is it? Yuan Shi tells him, very severely, this is essential. If anyone calls you, you must not answer. Anyone. At all. Just don't answer if someone calls his name. Why? Because, Yuan Shi warns, answering will trigger the start of 36 paths of military conquest against them. 36 separate campaigns. Just from saying yes or turning around. 36 wars just for answering someone. That's disproportionate. It signifies the weight of his mission and the dangers lurking. Every action is amplified now. And then Yuan Shi adds another little cryptic warning. Okay, that's ominous. So don't answer anyone, and someone's waiting in the East Sea. Got it. Heavy stuff. Extremely heavy. And just to really hammer it home, another immortal, Manjixian Wang, the Antarctic Immortal, sees Ziya off at the gate and basically says, Seriously, Ziya? Remember what the Master said. Don't answer. They really want him to get this message. Double underlined. Triple underlined. So Ziya gets back to Kuala Lumpur, ready to use his earth evasion again to head back down the mountain. Don't tell me. Yep. The test begins immediately. A voice calls out, Zhang Ziya! Okay, he remembers. Ignores it. And then the voice tries again. Ziya Gong! That's a more respectful title. Still ignored. Then, Prime Minister Zhang, using his official rank. He's holding strong. Ignoring the calls. Just like he was told. He is. But the caller realizes formal titles aren't working, so they switch tactics. Drastically. They shout. Full of emotion. Jing Jing! Using his personal name. You are too unfeeling. Too forgetful of old times. We studied together for 40 years in Jade Void Palace and now you just ignore me. Oof. That's not just a call. That's an accusation. A guilt trip. 40 years of shared history. Exactly. The appeal to friendship, to loyalty. The accusation of being cold-hearted. That hits differently than just a name or a title. And Ziya. He can't ignore that, can he? The honest gentleman, as the text calls him. He can't. That specific plea, that emotional weight, makes him turn around. He has to see who would say such a thing. And who is it? Standing there on Kulin Plave? It's none other than his fellow disciple. His Taoist brother, Shen Gongbao. S-G-B. Shen Gongbao. Okay, this is bad. This is the start of a major rivalry, isn't it? This is the definition of the rivalry. So Ziya, flustered, apologizes. Look, I'm sorry. The Master gave me really strict orders. But S-G-B isn't interested in apologies, I bet. Not really. His eyes go straight to the scrolls he is carrying. The Fengshen Bang. He asks what it is. This isn't a friendly reunion. It's immediately political. So the battle lines are drawn right there on the Holy Mountain. Instantly. Ziya explains. I have to follow Heaven's mandate. Support the Zhu Dynasty. You know, the prophecy. The phoenix at Qishan. The Shang Dynasty is declining. He's sticking to the plan. He's Team Zhu, following Yuan Shi's orders. Who's S-G-B's position? Surely he knows the mandate, too. He knows it. But he rejects it. Or maybe twists it. He declares, bold as brass. I'm going down the mountain, too. But I'm going to support the Shang Dynasty. To Baocheng Tang, preserve the existing dynasty. Wow, okay. Directly opposing the mandate Ziya just received. Directly. And then he offers Ziya this deal. He says, basically, join me. We'll both support Shang. We'll make this path complete and beautiful together. He wants Ziya to betray Yuan Shi and join his side. Yes, and when Ziya refuses, I can't violate the master's orders or heaven's will, S-G-B gets nasty. He promises to actively restrain Ziya, to sabotage his efforts at every turn. So, lifelong enemy status. Confirmed. And then he starts mocking Ziya. Oh yeah, big time. He basically says, you spent 40 years here and learned practically nothing. Your Taoist skills are pathetic. Ouch, low blow. And then he contrasts it with himself, boasting about his amazing powers, mastering the five elements, moving mountains, controlling the seas, riding mythical beasts, flying to the nine heavens. You know, the works. He's basically saying, I'm the powerful one. I'm the skilled one. I should have been given the feng shen bang, not you, the failure. That's exactly the subtext. Pure envy and wounded pride driving him. This is getting intense. Where does it go from there? S-G-B must know Ziya won't just switch sides because he got insulted. No, so S-G-B decides he needs a demonstration, a really flamboyant one. He reveals his ultimate trick. Which is? He claims he can cut off his own head. Sorry, what? Cut off his own head, throw it thousands of miles up into the sky where it gets caught by some red clouds, hangs out for a bit, and then just flies back down and reattaches perfectly. Good as new. Able to talk again. It's completely bizarre. Why would he even demonstrate that? To intimidate Ziya. To show off his mastery over life and death, his utter contempt for natural laws. And he uses it as leverage. Join me, Ziya. You can still be a prime minister under Shang if you don't. Well, with skills like this, I will destroy you. A grotesque magic trick combined with a threat. How does Ziya react? Is he horrified? He's more intrigued. The text says he calls the skill rare and strange, Ziyan. He seems momentarily fascinated by the sheer impossibility of it. Oh no, don't tell me he falls for it. He gets tempted. Caught up in the moment, maybe feeling inadequate after S-G-B's insults, he blurts out a challenge. Okay, if you can really do that, I'll burn the feng shen bang right here and now and I'll join you. Ziya, no. He's betting the entire divine mandate on a magic trick. I know. It's a moment of weakness, of being completely outmaneuvered psychologically, and S-G-B of course jumps at it. Done. So what happens? Does he actually do it? He does. S-G-B takes off his daoist hood, pulls out a sword, swish, cuts off his own head, and flings it way up into the sky. It flies up and up until it's just this tiny black speck against the clouds. And Ziya's just standing there. Just standing there, staring upwards. Completely dumbfounded, according to the text. Seconds away from burning the scroll and betraying everything. This is disastrous. Someone has to intervene, surely. Thankfully, yes. Remember Nanjixin Wang, the Antarctic immortal who saw Ziya off? Yeah, the one who repeated the warning. Well, luckily he hadn't gone far. He was still lingering near the palace gate and saw the whole spectacle unfold down on Kuilin Cliff. And he realizes what's happening. Yeah. That Ziya's about to make a catastrophic mistake. He does. He sees SGB's headless body, sees Ziya staring up, and thinks, oh no, this evil creature is tricking Ziya, the honest gentleman. He knows Ziya's nature makes him vulnerable to this kind of outrageous display. So what does Nanjixin Wang do? He has to act fast. Super fast. He immediately turns to his attendant, the white crane boy. The same one who announced Ziya earlier. The very same. Nanjixin Wang tells him, quick, transform into your crane form, fly down there, grab that severed head out of the sky, and fly it far, far away. Take it to the South Sea and just drop it. Whoa. Intercept the head midair. Exactly. So the white crane boy becomes this huge white crane, swoops down, snatches Shen Gongbao's head right out from under those red clouds. Leaving SGB's body just standing there, headless. Standing there, headless, waiting for a head that is now being flown rapidly towards the South China Sea. The ultimate magical cock block, you might say. Incredible. So Ziya is saved from his own impulsive promise by divine intervention. It really highlights his vulnerability, doesn't it? He dodged ZGF's soul magic, but nearly got taken down by his old friend's bizarre stunt and emotional manipulation. That's really the heart of it, isn't it? The true battle isn't just swords and spells. It's this internal conflict among the immortals themselves. It's loyalty versus duty, dazzling heretical magic versus the ordained path. Ziya's whole destiny is constantly under threat from these interpersonal dynamics. And it all comes back to that warning from Yuan Shi, don't answer. Ziya almost made it past the three formal calls. Almost, but that emotional plea, the forgetting old times bit, that was the specific key Yuan Shi must have foreseen. The master knew exactly what weakness Shen Gongbao would exploit. Well, that's kind of the point, isn't it? The story keeps emphasizing that Ziya, for all his eventual power, is a bit naive, maybe a bit dense when it comes to deception. His own master calls him a daisy, a blockhead. Ah, okay. So he was told not to talk to anyone, but he engages anyway. Precisely, he engages. And this isn't just about the list, it's a test. Can he resist this kind of manipulation? Almost fails. But luckily, backup arrives just in time. The Antarctic immortal, Nanjie Xinwei. Yep, shows up. He steals the head. Wow, okay. So the immortal's plan is just let him die. Let the time run out. That was absolutely the plan. Eliminate the threat to Ziya and the investiture list right then and there. Brutal, but effective. But Ziya, this is where it gets really interesting. He doesn't go along with it. No, he shows this profound mercy, even for his scheming rival. He actually pleads for Shen Gongbao's life. What's his reasoning? He says the Taoist heart is compassionate everywhere. He feels pity, thinking about all the many years of cultivation Shen Gongbao would lose. So he saves his enemy out of principle. But you can already see how this might backfire. Oh, it absolutely does. It's probably the single decision that guarantees the war escalates massively. The immortal reluctantly agrees, calls the crane back. But there's a price for that mercy, isn't there? A bit of cosmic payback. There is. The head comes back, but it lands facing the wrong way. Towards his spine. Ouch, that's awkward. And humiliating. Shen Gongbao has to physically grab his ears and twist his own head back around. Imagine the pain, the indignity. Yeah, that's not something you just forgive and forget. Not at all. He's furious. He gets on his tiger mount and screams this threat at Ziya. It's chilling. What does he say? I call you to make Shiki instantly a sea of blood, white bones piled like mountains. Whoa, okay, so now it's personal. Deeply personal. Ah. And cosmic. Exactly. That personal vendetta is now set to fuel the entire conflict, driving more and more souls towards that investiture list. But first, before that threat fully materializes, Ziya has another destined encounter. Right, he needs the infrastructure for all these future gods. So he leaves Shen Gongbao. Using his earth-burrowing magic, yeah. He pops up on this beautiful, kind of mystical mountain by the sea. The text calls it a genuine nonpareil penglai. Like a paradise island. And he actually stops to admire it. Exotic flowers, green pines, a little moment of peace. A brief one. Because right then, destiny calls. Literally. The sea starts churning violently. And this figure emerges. Yeah, a huge wave crashes and there's this naked figure shouting from the water. It's the spirit Bai Jian. Okay, so Heaven's HR department is delivering Ziya's first project manager. Pretty much. And Bai Jian isn't just some random spirit. He has serious credentials. Now why? He introduces himself as the former chief general for the Yellow Emperor. Like the legendary Yellow Emperor. Wow, okay, so ancient history. How did he end up trapped in the sea? He says he was killed by fire weapons way back during the war against Chiyu. And his spirit's been stuck in the North Sea waves for a thousand years. Just waiting. A millennium waiting for this. For Ziya. Apparently so. Waiting for Ziya to arrive with the Jade Void Dharma Decree and the power of the Five Thunders to free him. So Ziya frees this ancient, powerful general spirit. Does Bai Jian finally get to rest? Nope. Ziya immediately gives him a job. A huge one. Which is? Go to Qishan, find the designated spot, and oversee the construction of the investiture The God's Platform. The Fengshen Tai. So the guy trapped for a thousand years is now in charge of building the Cosmic Processing Center. Destiny works fast. And efficiently. Ziya puts this millennium-old general in charge of the divine construction site. Talk about project management experience. Does he get any help? Or is it just Bai Jian on his own? Help arrives immediately. As Ziya continues his journey, the five road gods show up. They had been sent earlier by Ziya's master to wait for him. Convenient. Right on schedule. Ziya tells him, okay, your job is to assist Bai Jian, supervise the construction, so boom. The physical site is now officially under construction, managed by a ghost general and five minor deities. The divine bureaucracy is humming along. But Ziya still has that immediate military problem back in Qiqi. Exactly. He gets back, meets with King Wu, but he's deliberately vague about his trip to Kunlun. He needs to keep the heavenly secret, as the text says. The scope of what's coming, the real stakes. It's too much for the mortal court right now. He can't reveal the full plan. Okay, so he plays it cool politically, but militarily? No hesitation. He doesn't even wait for Gan. That very night, second watch so deep into the night, he orders a full-on raid. Against who? Zhang Jifeng's camp, the Zhang general besieging Qiqi. Ziya sends out Huang Feihu, Nezha, the Shin brothers. Basically his best shock troops. A night attack. Risky, but potentially decisive. How does it go? It's devastatingly effective. The sources give some great details. Nezha is key. The kid on the firewheels. That's the one. He rides his wind firewheels, blazing spear in hand, charges the main gate, and Zhang Jifeng, the enemy commander, he sees Nezha coming. And remembers him, right? Nezha injured him before. Exactly. He recognizes Nezha, panics, and just flees. Doesn't even try to fight. He basically routes his own central command by running away. Wow. So Nezha's reputation alone causes a breakdown. What about the other fronts? Chaos. Huang Feihu, riding his amazing five-colored divine ox, crashes into Feng Lin, another Shing general. They fight fiercely with maces amidst the confusion. And there's a rescue mission too. Yes. Brilliant tactical move. Xinjia and Ximian charge the right flank, punched through to the rear camp. And found. The captured Shiki generals, Zoji and Nangong Shi, they were locked up in a trap vehicle. Basically a prisoner cart. So they free their own generals inside the enemy camp during the raid. Exactly. Turning prisoners back into fighters right in the middle of the enemy's rear lines. Maximum disruption. Genius. The whole thing must have been absolute pandemonium. Total chaos. The description is intense. Heaven collapses. Earth cracks. Ghosts wail. And deities grieve. Zhang Guifang and Feng Lin barely escape, wounded. The field is covered in bodies. It's a massive victory for Xia. They return triumphant, singing victory songs. But like Shen Gongbao's vow, this victory has immediate unintended consequences, doesn't it? It absolutely triggers the next big escalation. Zhang Guifang is utterly humiliated. He apparently claims he'd never lost a battle before this. So his pride is shattered. What does he do? He immediately sends an urgent appeal, like a super-fast emergency message, back to the capital, charged, begging for reinforcements. And who receives this plea? It lands on the desk of the Grand Preceptor Wen Taixi, the most powerful figure in the Shang court besides the king. And he is seriously alarmed. Why alarmed? There's just one general losing one battle, even if badly. Because it's Xia winning. Wen Taixi realizes Shiki is a much bigger threat than he thought. He actually considers leading the counterattack himself. But he can't, right? He's got other problems. He's completely tied down. It's a perfect storm for him. One, there are other rebellions flaring up in the southeast he has to manage. Okay. Two, another general, Durang, is apparently failing at a key pass. And three, the biggest issue. If he leaves the capital, Zhao is vulnerable. There's no one strong enough left to keep order or defend against plots. He's stuck. A classic strategic dilemma. He can't afford to lose Shiki. But he also can't afford to leave the capital. What does he do? He's agonizing over it. And right at this moment of crisis, his own disciple, a guy named Ji Li, steps forward with an idea. Oh boy. This sounds ominous. It is. Ji Li says, look, the court's defenses are thin. We can't mobilize the main army right now. So instead, why not invite one or two master friends? Master friends, meaning? Cultivators. Powerful individuals from the three mountains and five peaks, basically. Tapping into the network of independent, powerful Taoist practitioners and other mystical beings outside the official military structure. So bring in supernatural mercenaries, essentially. That's a good way to put it. And the text explicitly tells us the direct result of this one suggestion. What is it? This idea is enough to send two pairs, four powerful cultivators, to their deaths. They are destined for the feng shen tai, for Jiang Zeo's list. Wow. So Ziya's tactical win forces Wen Tai Chi's hand, making him call in the very kind of supernatural forces that will escalate the conflict beyond mortal control. Precisely. The war just went from human versus human with a few magical helpers to cultivator versus cultivator. And the feng shen tai, whose construction just started, is now guaranteed to have occupants. It's quite a chain reaction. You have Ziya's act of mercy creating a vengeful enemy. Then destiny provides the infrastructure chief in Bai Jing. And finally, Ziya's military victory forces the enemy to summon the first wave of supernatural beings destined for the investiture list.