People were simpler back then. Old Mei Bo didn't have any grand ambitions of climbing the ranks; what he cared about was his dignity.
Nezha's taunts sent him into a fiery rage, throwing decorum and propriety out the window. "I'll beat the hell out of you, you little brat!"
Mei Bo's face turned red as he directly lunged at Nezha.
Nezha thought, "A seven-year-old kid versus a seventy-year-old geezer? Seems like a fair match to me." As Mei Bo lunged, Nezha used a faux Dao Qi to deflect him to the side, then casually stuck out his foot for a good ol' trip.
From the perspective of onlookers: Mei Bo lunged at Nezha, Nezha's body seemed to ripple with waves, Mei Bo passed right through and ended up face-planting on the ground.
The damage wasn't high, but Mei Bo looked downright pitiful—blood streamed from his nose, and he even lost his front teeth.
Angry as hell, the old man managed to choke out some jumbled words, pointing his finger at Nezha: "Y-you... l-let's... see..."
Then, his head slumped to the side in what seemed like an unconscious faint—though who knew if it was real or fake.
Prime Minister Shang Rong couldn't bear to watch anymore and hastily signaled for the guards to escort Mei Bo back to his manor.
Yin Shou, watching the entire spectacle, felt no displeasure at having one of his esteemed ministers humiliated. On the contrary, he was ecstatic that Nezha showed such skill. Laughing heartily, he was filled with ambition: "A true master indeed has divine mastery! From now on, everyone in Great Shang shall practice cultivation! I, Yin Shou, will rule as a king for ten thousand generations! Hahaha!"
All the officials, Nezha excluded, echoed: "Long live the Great King!"
The more knowledgeable and prominent ministers—Shang Rong, Bi Gan, Du Yuanxi, Bo Yi, Shu Qi, among others—could tell something wasn't quite right with this, but the mood wasn't one where dissension was welcome. They could only discuss it privately later.
Nezha watched Yin Shou's maniacal laughter and silently thought, "This guy has way too much crazy DNA. Better keep my distance, lest I catch whatever he's got."
After court adjourned, Yin Shou couldn't wait to consult Nezha further. Nezha didn't hold back and explained everything in detail, even handing him an elixir.
After swallowing the pill, Yin Shou felt a surge of energy in his body. Following the cultivation method, he quickly reached Qi Cultivation's entry level and continued until the third layer before stopping.
With golden spiritual energy coursing through his body, he smashed a fist onto a nearby bronze tripod. Smoke billowed, and the heavy tripod flew several meters, a massive dent forming on its surface.
Looking at his unharmed hand, Yin Shou burst into another fit of wild laughter. "Is this the strength of an immortal? I've tasted it!"
He then turned to Nezha: "Master, do you happen to have any more of that elixir? If you need anything, speak freely to your king."
The elixir wasn't some poison—Nezha had simply kneaded together scraps of grass and infused it with pure Five Element Spiritual Energy from the Chaos Pearl, calling it the Grass Returning Pill. To Nezha, it was like weeds on the roadside.
However, Nezha couldn't tell Yin Shou that. "This elixir is called the Grass Returning Pill, made by gathering a hundred types of spirit grass, concentrating the essence of the sun and moon, and refining it for forty-nine days. It is not something mere worldly goods can trade for, Great King."
Yin Shou found no fault in this explanation. After all, if such a miraculous medicine were readily available, wouldn't everyone become an immortal?
"Then, Master, do you have any good ideas?"
Feigning deep thought, Nezha smiled: "How about this: I'll provide the spiritual materials needed for refining, you search for the herbs, and I'll make the elixirs. Afterwards, we'll split the profits fifty-fifty."
Yin Shou wasn't stupid. In pursuit of immortality, his mind spun quickly: "I'll take eighty, you take twenty."
"You take sixty, I take forty."
"I'll take seventy, you take thirty."
"You take sixty, I take forty."
"I'll add ten thousand taels of gold and three hundred beauties!"
Nezha smirked and shook his head.
Yin Shou scrambled to come up with something that might sway Nezha.
"How about appointing Li Jing as East Commander and his two sons as generals?"
Nezha kept shaking his head.
A sudden lightbulb went off in Yin Shou's mind: "What if I take you as my master instead?"
Nezha thought, "Are you repaying me or seeking vengeance here?" But outwardly, he displayed a satisfied smile and said, "There's no need for that. Great King, a sovereign like you doesn't need a master. Your sincerity and steadfast pursuit of the Dao have already impressed me. Let's settle it at seventy-thirty."
He casually handed over a small booklet, which Yin Shou treasured as if it were a sacred relic.
Yin Shou was content. He didn't really want to take on another teacher—having Master Wen was already more than enough for him. No need for a new "Master Li" to complicate things.
Nezha was equally satisfied. The booklet didn't contain anything related to Yin Shou; it was filled with cultivation techniques tailored to Nezha himself as he practiced the Eight-Nine Profound Skills. The supposed seventy-thirty deal was, in reality, entirely in Nezha's favor.
Both parties agreed; Nezha didn't owe Yin Shang anything due to this arrangement, avoiding karmic entanglements.
Both were satisfied—a true win-win!
Later, Yin Shou, eager to win Nezha's favor, proactively removed the sacrilegious poems he had written and performed grand ceremonies, offering tributes and prayers to Lady Nuwa for forgiveness.
Forgiveness was out of the question, yet Lady Nuwa's reputation was at least partially restored.
Yin Shou ordered the collection of rare treasures nationwide. Yin Shang morphed into a massive machine cranking into gear. Don't underestimate Yin Shang's capabilities during this era—heroes abounded, wise men were as plentiful as rain, and mystics were countless. Nezha received a constant flow of spiritual materials daily.
Nezha lived up to expectations, maintaining the principle of "equal exchange." He continuously provided Yin Shou with elixirs, helping his cultivation skyrocket while his own Eight-Nine Profound Skills surged upward. His wealth also grew significantly.
Yin Shou won!
Nezha won!
A double win again!
Nezha couldn't help but wonder, "In this world, who's really losing?"
Yin Shou became engrossed in cultivation, delegating state affairs to his court of ministers. Remarkably, Yin Shang entered a period of peace, its Qi Fortune not only unaffected but steadily growing.
As for Mei Bo, he retired and withdrew from office the next day. The old man still had his dignity intact—this outcome was far better than being publicly roasted.
Far away in Beihai, Master Wen gazed in the direction of Chaoge. Ever since Heavenly Merit had descended upon Chaoge, Great Shang seemed to have turned a corner.
On the other side, Yuan Futong had once relied on Beihai's terrain to put up a fight. Now, with Shang's army seemingly blessed by divine assistance, the Beihai Demon Clan was overrun, left wailing miserably.
Yuan Futong was originally from the Beihai Demon Clan. After the Witch Demon War, the demons had retreated to the harsh northern lands while the witches withdrew to the underworld. Over the years, the younger generation of demons had grown ignorant of past karma. Yuan Futong, a prominent demon himself, had united seventy-two Lords (or "Pig Monkeys") to fight for a more hospitable living environment.
Initially, they had relied on their innate divine skills and the terrain, putting up a decent fight. But now, the terrain had been thoroughly studied, and Master Wen had gone from being hampered by internal dissent to gaining some external support. Scattershot troops couldn't compete with well-trained elite forces.
The demon army relied entirely on Yuan Futong's formidable strength and Beihai's harsh environment to hold out, barely managing to endure.
The two sides reached a stalemate.
Master Wen decided to act and stealthily traveled back to Penglai Island, reverting to his youthful appearance and seeking his senior brother Yu Yuan to visit Chaoge and investigate the situation.
Yu Yuan, the top disciple of Jin Ling Saint Mother, was a towering figure with fierce features—skin as blue as indigo, crimson hair, fanged teeth, and a height of nearly seventeen feet. Yet, he possessed the gentlest of hearts. When Master Wen first joined the sect as a toddler, Yu Yuan had cared for him, essentially playing the role of a nanny rather than a senior brother.
However, as Master Wen aged and focused his efforts on Yin Shang, Yu Yuan felt Wen had lost his luster. He had advised Wen on multiple occasions to focus on pursuing the Great Dao, saying that as a third-generation direct disciple of the Jie Sect, Wen should prioritize cultivation over meddling in mortal affairs.
Wen felt indebted to the Shang dynasty and couldn't abandon his responsibilities. He had promised Yu Yuan that once Yin Shou was mature, he would return. Yet even now, with Yin Jiao and Yin Hong having grandchildren, he remained entrenched.
Later, Yu Yuan took a liking to a cute child and accepted him as a disciple, naming him Yu Hua. He even passed down two treasures he had refined over the years—the Soul Summoning Banner and the Blood Transformation Saber. Unfortunately, Yu Hua lacked ambition in the Dao, instead yearning for authority and choosing to serve Wen. This had soured their relationship.
But when Wen came seeking his help, Yu Yuan couldn't bring himself to refuse his once-beloved junior. Thus, he mounted the clouds and headed for Chaoge.