Chapter 134: The Great Dao Golden Immortal

Seeing General Zhang Kui hesitating, Jiang Yuan asked calmly, "General, if you have something to say, just say it directly. Do not think I cannot handle it; even if you do not tell me, I can guess."

"Then, would Your Majesty care to guess?" Zhang Kui asked, still hesitant. He assumed that Jiang Yuan was still physically weak and did not want to disturb the King with such news.

"How long have I been asleep?" Jiang Yuan asked.

"This... over three days," Zhang Kui replied.

Jiang Yuan pondered for a moment and smiled faintly. "If I am not mistaken, the major event you are hiding is that Xiqi has rebelled, correct?"

At these words, everyone present wore an expression of surprise. Seeing this, Jiang Yuan was even more certain. "Tell me, when did this happen?"

Seeing that Jiang Yuan had already guessed it, Zhang Kui no longer held back. "They rebelled yesterday. With Xiqi leading the way, many feudal lords have already joined them. General Huang Feihu has already led troops to suppress them."

Jiang Yuan nodded calmly. "I see. What reason did they give for their rebellion? What slogan are they using?" Jiang Yuan was quite curious; he knew for certain they would be pouring mud on his name.

"They claim that Your Majesty is doting on sycophants, wallowing in debauchery, blinded by wine and lust, slaughtering the innocent, and disregarding the lives of ministers. They say everyone has the right to punish you," Zhang Kui said, his expression complex.

Jiang Yuan did not feel particularly angry; instead, he said with a relaxed tone, "If they hadn't listed these things, I wouldn't have even known I had so many crimes to my name. It serves as a reminder to me."

"Your Majesty is not angry?" Zhang Kui asked, surprised.

"What is there to be angry about?" Jiang Yuan said lightly. As long as they wanted to rebel, they would always find an excuse to slander him. "Have you notified the Grand Tutor?"

"We have already sent someone to inform him," Zhang Kui replied.

Jiang Yuan nodded and did not dwell on the matter further. If they wanted to rebel, let them. With the Sages intervening behind the scenes, he could not stop it even if he wanted to. He had even prepared for the worst-case scenario. He did not fear the rebellion of these people; in his view, the true threat never came from the human race itself, but from the foreign powers that coveted the human realm and did not wish to see it rise to glory again.

Jiang Yuan sensed that his "Tyrant Value" was rising rapidly. It seemed the accusations from the rebels were effective; more and more people believed he was a tyrant.

"Let’s go. Accompany me to the battlefield. I want to see for myself whether these rebels are truly disappointed in me or if they simply covet the throne of the Great Shang!" Jiang Yuan said coldly.

"Is Your Majesty not staying in Chaoge?" Zhang Kui asked.

"What would I do staying in Chaoge? As the ruler of the Great Shang, I am the one who should be on the front lines," Jiang Yuan said calmly. "Summon the Prime Minister and my uncle, Bi Gan. Also, call the State Preceptor."

Zhang Kui nodded in silent acknowledgment. With no one else around, these tasks naturally fell to him. Soon, he vanished from the palace.

Before long, Shen Gongbao appeared before Jiang Yuan. "I wonder why Your Majesty has summoned me?"

"Xiqi has rebelled. This must certainly be at the instigation of your fellow disciple, Jiang Ziya. How does the State Preceptor view this?" Jiang Yuan asked directly. As the State Preceptor and an expert at the Daluo Golden Immortal level, Shen Gongbao must have known about this long ago. Jiang Yuan just wanted to understand his perspective.

"I am already aware of this. Xiqi’s military strength is currently not inferior to the Great Shang’s, and they have the support of the Chan Sect. They are coming in with great momentum. If Your Majesty does not mind, I am willing to go to the front lines to oversee the situation," Shen Gongbao volunteered.

Jiang Yuan nodded slightly. "How many disciples from the Chan Sect of Kunlun Mountain have descended the mountain for this?"

"I am not entirely sure, but one thing is certain: Xiqi currently has far more Golden Immortals and Daluo Golden Immortals than we do in the Great Shang. If we are talking about top-tier combat power, the Great Shang is likely at a disadvantage," Shen Gongbao said with a grave tone.

Jiang Yuan thought for a moment, then turned to Baize and asked with a smile, "I wonder if you, Senior, could go to the Xiqi camp and eliminate some of their experts?" If he could not increase his own top-tier strength, he would simply reduce theirs. This war would not be won by numbers alone; high-level combatants were the key to victory.

Jiang Yuan felt unlucky. Why did he have to transmigrate into an era of cultivation? It was the tragedy of an ordinary mortal, and the tragedy of a transmigrator like himself.

To Jiang Yuan's question, Baize merely shook his head and said calmly, "If the Human Emperor can think of this, the Sages surely can as well. If I were to act rashly, I fear I would enrage the Sages."

"Furthermore, the disciples of the Sages may very well have ways to restrain me. Your Majesty’s idea is somewhat impractical."

Jiang Yuan felt a wave of dejection. What did this mean? Was he just supposed to sit here and wait for death? Even if he managed to defeat Xiqi in the end, what if the Sages intervened? He had used the opportunity of his own promotion to Sagehood to threaten the Heavenly Emperor, but what could threaten a Sage? This would not work. Jiang Yuan felt he could not just sit idly by.

The Sages currently known to be his enemies were Nüwa and Yuanshi Tianzun. Taishang Laojun and Tongtian Jiaozhu likely held no animosity toward him; after all, the sect founded by Taishang Laojun was known as the Human Sect. The Sages Jieyin and Zhunti were likely still preaching in the West and probably had no interest in the human realm yet. Once they realized that humanity was the best race to preach to, it would likely be another significant headache.

It was frustrating! Jiang Yuan felt his side lacked high-level combatants. For starters, the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect alone would be enough to cause him trouble; these individuals were at least at the Daluo Golden Immortal level, and some might even be at the Hunyuan Golden Immortal level.

The strength on Jiang Yuan's side was uneven. While he had a semi-Sage like Baize, he had no Hunyuan Golden Immortals at all. However, Jiang Yuan was not overly anxious to seek out Hunyuan experts, as the Chan Sect would surely not send the Twelve Golden Immortals so early. He assumed that those currently descending were likely just third-generation disciples.

Normally, Nezha and Yang Jian would have been among those third-generation disciples, but fortunately, Jiang Yuan had the foresight to win them over. Once they matured, they would be no less formidable than the Twelve Golden Immortals. The only question was whether the Great Shang could hold out until then.

As for Daluo Golden Immortals, he only had Shen Gongbao and the couple Zhang Kui and his wife. Grand Tutor Wen Zhong was a Daluo Golden Immortal, but it was unclear whether he would abandon the Dongyi border to return and assist.

Burning with resentment, Jiang Yuan made a transaction with the system on the spot, elevating himself to the Daluo Golden Immortal level. Fine, now he had one more Daluo Golden Immortal on his side.