Shen Gongbao looked at Su Fu suspiciously. “Is that true?”
His previous experience at the Yuxu Palace had left a psychological shadow larger than Kunlun Mountain itself.
He had initially thought Su Fu would toss him into the Biyou Palace in front of Grandmaster Tongtian.
If that happened, he would truly be dead but fortunately, that wasn’t the case.
Shen Gongbao braced himself mentally before asking timidly, “What do you want me to do this time?”
Since she never acted without a motive, he knew this woman was definitely going to make him work. Speaking of which, as he carefully surveyed their surroundings, why did everything feel vaguely familiar?
“Wait… this is… Mount Taihua?” Shen Gongbao froze. “Chijingzi’s territory?”
His scalp suddenly went numb. “You aren’t planning to have me deal with Chijingzi, are you?!”
While he wasn’t afraid of Chijingzi, the Yin Yang Mirror in the other man’s hands was no joke.
While his mind raced, Su Fu smiled and said, “Brother Shen, do you still not trust me?”
“This time, it’s right up your alley!”
“Yin Hong is about to descend the mountain. Go and persuade him to defect.”
Hearing this, Shen Gongbao breathed a sigh of relief.
“Is that all? Piece of cake!”
He patted his chest and guaranteed, “Leave it to me!”
When it came to persuading people, Shen Gongbao was an expert. So far, he had never failed!
As they spoke, Su Fu suddenly perceived Yin Hong’s figure through the eyes of a sparrow. She vanished from the spot, leaving behind only a single sentence.
“I’m leaving it to you.”
Shen Gongbao adjusted his robes and skillfully put on a smile.
Before long, Yin Hong appeared on the mountain path. His Daoist robes fluttered in the wind, and he wore a proud expression.
Shen Gongbao understood immediately. Chijingzi had likely given all his magical treasures to this beloved disciple, hadn’t he?
Wait, a flash of inspiration hit him. He seemed to realize what Su Fu was trying to do.
‘No way…’
There was no time for further thought as Yin Hong drew closer. He immediately went to meet him, cupping his hands.
“Fellow Daoist, please stay!”
Yin Hong came to a halt and frowned. “Shen Gongbao?!”
He instinctively reached for the Yin Yang Mirror, but for some reason, a trace of curiosity stirred in his heart. What did Shen Gongbao want to say to him?
Thinking of this, Yin Hong gave a cold snort. He crossed his arms and looked down at Shen Gongbao from his height. He wanted to see what kind of flowery words Shen Gongbao could produce!
Shen Gongbao was extremely practiced. He put on a heartbroken expression and let out a long sigh.
“Fellow Daoist Yin Hong, I have come today for your sake!”
Yin Hong blinked. “For me?”
Using the sparrow’s perspective, Su Fu watched the scene with great interest.
At first, Yin Hong’s face was dark, and the rage in his eyes looked ready to explode. He seemed prepared to strike at any moment.
But as Shen Gongbao spoke eloquently, his expression gradually shifted. It went from anger to hesitation, then to contemplation, and finally—it became a look of sudden realization and complete agreement.
He heard Shen Gongbao speak with earnest sincerity.
“Back then, when you and Yin Jiao were captured, if King Zhou hadn’t let you go secretly out of fatherly love, do you think you could have escaped Chao Ge? Could you have joined the Chan Sect?”
“You are a prince of the Shang Dynasty, connected by blood! To help the Zhou Dynasty attack the Shang now, is that not ‘a son attacking his father’? It is a betrayal of the highest order!”
“Furthermore, Chijingzi taught you Daoist magic and gave you treasures. Does he truly value you, or does he simply want to use you to help Zhou defeat Shang?!”
“If you truly help Zhou destroy Shang, your name, Yin Hong, will forever carry the sin of betraying your father and murdering your king on the Investiture of the Gods! You will be cursed for ten thousand generations!”
Yin Hong looked shaken. After a long pause, he nodded heavily.
“Fellow Daoist Shen Gongbao, you are right!”
“Thank you for waking me up! I will descend the mountain immediately to aid my Great Shang!”
After saying that, he strode away with a determined back.
Shen Gongbao watched his departing figure and felt satisfied. ‘Done!’
To him, persuading someone to defect was simply too easy. With a face full of “loyal advice” paired with a few words about natural laws and ethics, he was practically invincible.
Su Fu thought, ‘You really are something else.’
She appeared before Shen Gongbao. He voluntarily rolled himself into the Huntian Ling and let out a yawn.
“It’s done. I’m going to sleep for a while.”
To be honest, he had completely figured it out by now. This woman definitely had a Saint backing her up. Otherwise, how would she dare to pull off such massive schemes right under the noses of Yuanshi Tianzun and Grandmaster Tongtian?
In other words, following her might very well be a path to greatness. Since he was already hated by Yuanshi Tianzun and was dead either way, why hesitate?
He might as well take the gamble!
***
By the time Su Fu returned to the Xiqi Military Camp, she heard news of Yin Hong displaying his great power.
“That Yin Hong holds the Yin Yang Mirror and has defeated several of our generals in a row!”
“Even Chancellor Jiang is helpless and can only retreat for now!”
Inside the central command tent, Jiang Ziya and the various officers were gathered, every one of them frowning with worry.
“The Yin Yang Mirror… has actually fallen into Yin Hong’s hands?!”
Jiang Ziya rubbed his temples, feeling a splitting headache. A supreme treasure that originally belonged to their side had now become the enemy’s lethal weapon. How were they supposed to fight this war?
Yin Hong had simply come down to cause chaos!
“Uncle-Master Chijingzi trained him for so long, only to end up producing a traitor?”
Yang Jian’s brow was furrowed as he said in a heavy voice, “It’s not just the Yin Yang Mirror. Yin Hong also has the Purple Silk Immortal Robe on him. That is a cave-protecting treasure that grants immunity to physical attacks. On top of that, he has the Water Fire Spike…”
Everyone looked at each other. How were they supposed to fight?
Jiang Ziya let out a long sigh and looked at Yang Jian. “Has there been a reply from Senior Brother Chijingzi?”
Yang Jian smiled bitterly. “Uncle-Master has already descended the mountain, but since Yin Hong holds the supreme treasures, I’m afraid…”
He hesitated, eventually just shaking his head.
Su Fu thought to herself that Yang Jian’s worries were indeed correct. Chijingzi had indeed come, only to be scared away by Yin Hong using the Yin Yang Mirror. Later, Chijingzi could only go to borrow Laozi’s Taiji Diagram. Only then was he able to subdue Yin Hong.
Over the following period, Su Fu kept a close watch on the movements of all parties.
As expected, Chijingzi returned in failure the first time. Not long after, he reappeared, but this time he brought Laozi’s Taiji Diagram.
Yin Hong also issued a challenge once again, appearing aggressive and imposing.
Jiang Ziya then set a trap, luring Yin Hong onto the Golden Bridge at South Mountain.
Su Fu naturally followed. The so-called Golden Bridge was actually an illusion created by the Taiji Diagram. Entering this Golden Bridge meant entering the world within the painting of the Taiji Diagram, which meant certain death.
Yin Hong was completely unaware. As soon as he stepped onto the Golden Bridge, he was instantly trapped in the world of the Taiji Diagram, and his mind became dazed.
Seeing this, Chijingzi watched his disciple struggle in the illusion. In the end, he couldn’t bear it and wanted to call out a warning.
Beside him, Cihang Daoren frowned upon seeing this. “You must not be soft-hearted!”
If there was a first time, there would be a second. If they let Yin Hong go, what would they do if he caused more trouble in the future?
Just as those words were spoken, a blinding glare suddenly flashed before their eyes!
Su Fu had been waiting for this exact moment.
The Taiji Diagram had appeared, and Yin Hong had entered the trap. Chijingzi and Cihang Daoren were still hesitating nearby. If she didn’t seize the treasure now, then when?
“Not good! This light is—”
Cihang Daoren cried out in alarm, but before she could finish—
The twenty-four Sea-Fixing Beads erupted instantly.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Suppression! It was pure suppression.
Chijingzi, Cihang Daoren, and the others were caught off guard. They were sent flying, crashing violently into the ground.
But it wasn’t over.
After one bead struck, a series of beads followed behind it. Even more Sea-Fixing Beads arrived in succession, causing the group to scream in pain. They were knocked every which way, left in a wretched state.
No one could escape.
The Sea-Fixing Beads followed them like shadows. *Bang, bang, bang!* After a frantic bombardment, everyone was knocked unconscious in the blink of an eye, and their magical treasures were scattered across the ground!
Chesia was thrilled by the sight, but she also grew worried.
‘Wait… you planned so much before, but now you’re just acting directly?!’
Had she become reckless?
Su Fu spread her hands, acting as if it were only natural. “In the past, I didn’t have the conditions.”
“Now that I’ve planned for so many years and finally got my hands on the twenty-four Sea-Fixing Beads, why would I still calculate?”
“Naturally, I’ll just hit them directly!”
The current her was the number one person beneath the Saints. If anyone disagreed, she would beat them until they did!
She raised her hand and manifested the Coin of Falling Treasures. The Water Fire Spike, the Purple Silk Immortal Robe, and the Yin Yang Mirror all fell into her hands.
Finally, her gaze landed on the Taiji Diagram suspended in mid-air.
Black and white colors swirled across the scroll as Yin and Yang intersected, containing infinite mysteries.
The Taiji Diagram was Laozi’s supreme treasure. Laozi was the leader of the Human Race’s religion. Since she was the Human Race’s treasure, it was perfectly reasonable for her to take it, right?