Portal:Investiture of the Gods/Chapter 49

This chapter is titled "King Wu in the Red Sand Trap". As Pure Void lashed at the opposition with exceeded renown, Bian entered his trap shortly while flooding the entire region with burning red water. Floating atop the water on a white lotus flower without any worry of being burned, Pure Void used is Five Fire and Seven Fowl Fan to turn the unfortunate Bian into nothing more than ashes upon the ground. The Red Water Trap now being destroyed, Burning Lamp and the other superiormen returned to the reed pavilion while Grand Old Master was informed of Bai's death shortly following such an incident. As the twentieth day of the month approached soon following, Wen Zhong, who knew clearly in his heart that he is the indirect reason that his old friend will suffer death soon, approached Zhao Gongming, even more furious to wipe out the entire Western Foothills even if such is opposing his very own destiny. With reciprocated rage and inner distress upon the faces of Gongming and Master Zhang in addition, they wept throughout the night in great agony. At eleven o'clock the next morning, Lu Ya approached Jiang Ziya, who was still present before the straw effigy as expected, and instructed the prime minister upon handing him a mulberry bow with three short peach arrows, to shoot the left eye first, his right eye second, and the third through Gongming's heart. Doing as instructed momentarily following, Zhao Gongming roared with great agony as the first two arrows created exceedingly crucial pain within his two eyes. Being held in the arms of Grand Old Master, and looking into the latter's eyes one final time, Gongming suddenly became pure pale without a bloodpulse -- thus signalizing his recent passing. With Gongming still held tightly within his arms, tears poared unrestrainedly from Wen Zhong's eyes as he vowed to tear apart Lu Ya's flesh as recompetence for such underhanded treachery. Ordering a grandiose ceremony to mark the encoffining of Zhao Gongming's body, all generals alike became frightened at such a happening, and clearly knowing the great treachery at the very disposal of each superiormen rebel, the overall morale of the Shang forces decreased dramatically as a result. As Jiang Ziya and Lu Ya returned to the reed pavilion stealthily upon a rainbow less any enemies were to await for potential ambush while Master Zhang approached the pavilion with his trap, Burning Lamp suggested to the prime minister upon arrival that King Wu should be sent into the opposition's Red Sand Trap -- for upon analyzing, only a man of sagely stature would be able to conquer the trap, as possessed to that of any superiorman on their side. Knowing that Burning Lamp more than likely knows what he is talking about, despite the holy grail of detriment that would result if the king were to lose his life, Jiang Ziya sent Wu Ji to fetch King Wu nontheless. Arriving shortly, and upon the king's unconditional consention, Burning Lamp placed many charms upon King Wu's body, and ordering Nezha and Thunderquaker to thoroughly protect the former from any harm, all three arrayed themselves before Zhang immediately following.

As Zhang ran within his trap while being pursued by the the enemy, he ascended his platform and spread red sand throughout the entire perimeter, completely engulfing the three individuals until they found themselves deep within large pits of sand as a resolution. Gazing into the distance with his magical bull eye, and seeing the king and his protectors deep within a layer of sand, Burning Lamp informed Jiang Ziya that King Wu is destined to remain in such a state for 100 days, and that he will assuredly survive "as according to Heaven's will". Realizing that Burning Lamp had never informed him of such information prior, and he more than likely created such a statement as to ensure his reputation meets no harm if the king were to be found alive by any other superiorman, he immediately suspected the former as plotting the death of King Wu, and thus kept careful watch of his every move less disaster were to follow. Entering Phoenix City and reporting such an incident to the family members of King Wu and other relatives of the same nature, Zhang had meanwhile returned to the side of Grand Old Master Wen Zhong while boasting about his great victory, who in exchange felt some sense of relief, but was still greatly hurt by the passing of Gongming. Shen Gongbao, who secretly perceived the happenings with Gongming from the time of his arrival to the time of his death, appeared before the residence of High Firmament and informed her of Zhao Gongming's recent passing by the hands of Jiang Ziya. High Firmament, who secretly knew that her name is on the List of Creations and any impulsive action of revenge would surely fulfill such a fate, readily declared to Shen Gongbao that she is indeed grievant over such news, but on no account shall she risk her own life for his sake. Jade Firmament and Green Firmament, who did not share her philosophy on the situation whatsoever, left their residence with Shen Gongbao leading the way to the Western Foothills. As High Firmament joined her two sisters in fear of any potential danger they could suffer within the future, all three were met by Celestial Lotus and Lady Pretty Cloud in addition, who vowed to assist them against the rebel commander Jiang Ziya. Arriving before the camp of Shang shortly following, Wen Zhong informed them of Gongming's death by the hands of Lu Ya on the twenty-first day of the month. Receiving the Golden Dragon Scissors in tears, the three sisters arrived before their brother's coffin in the back camp and clearly realized that his eyes and body had been bleeding very recently despite him being dead. Knowing that the foul Lu Ya is the cause behind his death, the five ladies and Grand Old Master appeared before the reed pavilion the following day, essentially resolved to do away with Lu Ya for the sake of their vengeance and the morale of their forces. As Lu Ya exited the gates of the pavilion, and upon realization that Gongming's sisters were before him and demanding a rational reason for their brother's murder, Lu Ya, who now realized the opposition must possess either a keen level of spies or divination in order to know such information, responded to the call by declaring Zhao Gongming to be a man that lacked great virtue, and solely acted out of evil intentions to support the tyrant ruler King Zhou -- and such is the reason as to why he deserved death. Jade Firmament, who was naturally quick tempered, rushed at Lu Ya, and with the immediate assistance of her fellow sisters, the opposition was knocked unconscious by the power of their Universe Muddling Dipper. Lu Ya was thus stuck with charms upon his entire body and hanged on a flag pole within the Shang camp -- as like the situation earlier with Yellow Dragon. Hanging upon the flag pole, Jade Firmament could not withhold her hatred to any extent, and upon her order to unleash volleys of arrows at Lu Ya all at once, each arrow suddenly dissolved into nothing more than ash before touching the bounded man's body. Realizing the chance to kill Lu Ya could easily slip from their graps in the current situation, Green Firmament casted forth the Universe Muddling Dipper upon the former, but, to her detriment, Lu Ya turned into a rainbow and fled back to the reed pavilion immediately following, putting even greater bloodlust in the hearts of the three sisters. As Lu Ya had meanwhile departed from the reed pavilion upon Burning Lamp's consention, High Firmament, who knew that she could use the evidential reasoning of Shen Gongbao as being the cause of her brother's death to attack the rebel commander Jiang Ziya, approached the pavilion with her sisters and shouted for him to show his face. Yelling at Jiang Ziya for being the cause behind their brother's death, the three sisters and Pretty Cloud with Celestial Lotus each attacked the commander with full force.

封神演義/卷049