Claiming the Throne of Gods, Starting from the Rebirth of Nezha
Chapter 137 Human World Never Lacks Courage (Part 2)

Chapter 137: Chapter 137 Human World Never Lacks Courage (Part 2)

"Today I did not come for other matters, but because I see Your Majesty’s tyranny and cruelty, the people suffering, dissonance between ruler and ministers, and disconnection between the upper and lower classes of the nation.

Now Your Majesty uses such brutal punishments again; what crime did these palace attendants commit?

Yesterday I saw the people handing over snakes and scorpions with everyone expressing grievances. This year, droughts and floods are frequent, making life hard for the common people, let alone buying snakes from over a hundred miles away, disrupting their peace.

I have heard: ’When the people are impoverished, they become thieves, and when thieves gather, chaos ensues.’ Moreover, with foreign smoke and fire, the vassals are rebellious. In the southeast, there is no peace, and the people think of revolt daily, with warfare arising everywhere. Your Majesty does not cultivate benevolent governance but engages in daily tyranny. Since the time of Pangu, there has never been such a thing. What is the name of this punishment? Which generation of monarchs devised it?"

King Zhou’s voice grew cold, and he said, "What do you know of the palace’s internal issues? These palace attendants and mistress plotted rebellion, harboring deep grievances, long beyond remedy, hence I established this punishment, named ’Scorpion Pit.’"

Jiao Ge said, "People are all flesh and blood, born and raised by parents. Now entering the pit of snakes, being devoured by poisonous creatures, such suffering is heart-wrenching. How can Your Majesty bear to watch? How can you find joy in your heart?

Moreover, the palace attendants are all women, serving Your Majesty day and night in the palace, merely performing some menial duties. What major offense could they have committed to deserve such a cruel punishment?

I hope Your Majesty will show mercy to the palace attendants, display your vast benevolence, and embody the heavenly virtue of cherishing life."

King Zhou said, "Your counsel seems reasonable. But the affliction in our midst, when it erupts, often catches us unawares; how can we deal with it lightly? Besides, the Empress stated that these women are scheming and cruel-hearted. Without this, they won’t learn fear and might only become worse."

Mr. Fan’s friend, also fiery in temperament, seeing King Zhou disregard his advice, immediately grew furious.

Jiao Ge said sternly, "The ruler is the head of the ministers, and ministers are the limbs of the ruler. Ancient wisdom states that only intelligent and wise individuals can become monarchs, and monarchs should care for the populace like parents. Today, Your Majesty heartlessly loses virtue, ignoring ministerial advice, forcibly enacting brutality without any thought of repentance, causing national vassals to harbor resentment. With the Eastern Marquis unjustly executed and the Southern Marquis dying in Zhaoge, all advising officials met with flames. Now even innocent palace maids are to be thrown into the Scorpion Pit."

He became angrier the more he spoke, striding forward, almost making King Zhou rise abruptly, while Mo Lishou glared at him.

Jiao Ge, an ordinary commoner, upheld by righteousness, looked only at King Zhou, completely ignoring Mo Lishou, who was endowed with great divine skills.

"Your Majesty only knows indulgence in the deep palace, heeding slander, being close to traitors, living in excessive debauchery, addicted to alcohol, truly a grave illness in the heart, not knowing when it will erupt!

Indeed, a great abscess once burst dooms life thereafter. Your Majesty, without reflection and introspection, only indulges desires, corrupting law and order. Why not think how the nation will remain as stable as a rock? It’s a pity, the former kings worked diligently, revered heaven, feared the people, and thus maintained peace and harmony. Your Majesty ought to reform and embrace good, befriend the virtuous and distance oneself from seductive beauty, remove the vile and advance the loyal to ensure national prosperity and stability."

"Enough! Jiao Ge, what do you intend?"

"We are consumed with worry day and night, unable to bear seeing Your Majesty fall into darkness, causing the people to fall apart, birthing unforeseen calamities. If this continues, Your Majesty may even lose control over the state and ancestral temples!

If it weren’t so, how could I have the heart to speak so frankly? I hope Your Majesty values the ancestors’ empire, does not rashly heed a woman’s words, keeping in mind Fei Zhong’s advice, as this is the fortune of the world’s populace!"

Indeed, loyal words are harsh to the ear. Jiao Ge’s repeated admonitions were a loud awakening, but King Zhou, from childhood to now, though often advised by others, never heard words as intense as Jiao Ge’s.

King Zhou listened, jaw dropped in disbelief, and soon burst into anger, "I am the wise and holy Emperor, you, a mere commoner! How dare you malign me? Am I some incompetent ruler? Guards! Strip Jiao Ge and throw this treasonous criminal into the Scorpion Pit!"

His voice was thunderous, and nearby Mo Lishou sneered coldly, thinking these pedantic scholars not only were old but also confused, daring to insult the Emperor. Soon, facing the snakes and scorpions in the pit, their fear would be too late.

A group of Armored Soldiers received the imperial order and rushed in like tigers and wolves, intending to seize Jiao Ge, strip and cleanse him, and throw him into the Scorpion Pit.

However, they were driven back by a mighty shout from Jiao Ge!

"Foolish king! Such unrighteousness, wantonly killing loyal and good! I cannot bear to see Chengtang’s empire of hundreds of years handed over to others in a day! I will die with eyes closed!"

With gritted teeth, he coldly said, "I hold the position of Upper Doctor, how is it fitting for me to enter the Scorpion Pit! Foolish king, if this continues, you will indeed fulfill Marquis Xibo’s words!"

Having said this, Jiao Ge leaped off the Star Pick Building, meeting a tragic end.

This Xibo is Duke Ji Chang, for Fei Zhong and You Hun knew he could predict the Innate Number and divine the world’s cause and effect, they once asked about the destiny of the Emperor.

At the time, Ji Chang, drunk and unguarded, said, "The nation’s destiny is bleak, ending only with this generation, unable to meet a good end."

Ji Chang was punished for these words.

This is what Jiao Ge referred to as "Xibo’s words" before his death.

So it is said:

With a heart of red loyalty worrying for the nation, the teacher fell from the Star Pick Building.

Knowing long ago the fate of Chengtang’s demise, it’s a pity his blood and sacrifice flowed in vain.

Though dead, his name is sure to be recorded in history, glorified for a thousand ages, lasting longer than many cultivators.

Jiao Ge was already shattered, and King Zhou’s anger remained unvented, planning to push the palace attendants below into the Scorpion Pit immediately.

But before he could speak, a magical rainbow descended from the sky, followed by an immortal crossing the rainbow, witnessed by the people of Zhaoge, Nezha, and Jiang Ziya.

Seeing the Flower Fox Mink devours people, King Zhou grew curious and asked Mo Lishou for the Flower Fox Mink to play with, momentarily losing his temper, allowing these palace attendants to live one more night.

Like mushrooms that don’t know morning and night, people understand the seasons; living another night still offers some hope.

Living, in any event, is a good thing after all.

Not only cultivators, even ordinary mortals strive against death.

That night, Jiang Ziya was eating a bowl of sloppy meat noodles when he saw Nezha playing chess inside the room, curiosity piqued, so he went to take a look, but after a short while, he left in annoyance.

"A lousy chess player, doesn’t know a thing, yet learns to play chess."

Nezha paid him no mind, continuing until late night, setting up the chess game he wanted, then returned to his room.

"Young master? You’re finally going to sleep."

Lv Zhu’er, having worked all day, exhausted, didn’t bother to cultivate that night and went to sleep early.

When Nezha entered, she barely opened her eyes, rubbing them with her small chubby hands, still feeling very sleepy.

"You’re so tired, just sleep."

"Then young master, you also go to sleep early. I’ll wake up early to buy tofu brain and fried dough sticks for you in the morning."

Nezha went over, covered her better, and seeing her weary face, thought of the dozens of palace maids suffering humiliation in the Imperial Palace, all born and raised by parents, mere flesh and blood.

"King Zhou, oh King Zhou."

Nezha drew the curtain, using the Demon Race’s Bronze Ancient Character to open the portal to a small world, arriving in front of the thatched hut.

He looked down at the chessboard, with the board still arranged, laid out by the Wu Xiang monk last time.

"Sentient beings suffer great tribulation, and you, monk, bear a heavy burden."

Nezha cleared the chessboard, then set it as per his daytime calculations, and soon the pieces were laid out.

Using the ancient character, he opened a door, stepped out, but the ground beneath had turned into cold, square stones.

Midnight.

The lights had all gone out.

Distant darkness swept in like the wind.

But it wasn’t too quiet to hear; amidst the wind was faint sobbing of women.

Nezha looked up, majestic palace towers, awe-inspiring, before him stood the Star Pick Building.

He turned and saw those seventy-some palace maids with not a stitch on their bodies, snow-white under the moonlight, shivering in the cold wind.

Their hands and feet bound by iron chains, they couldn’t run even if they wanted to.

Patrolling Armored Soldiers wielding long halberds, with long swords at their waists, marched in neat steps nearby.

No one noticed that among the Imperial Palace guards, someone silently entered!

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