Portal:Investiture of the Gods/Chapter 59

This chapter is titled "Awakening of the Left Arm of Successorship". As the Shang forces charged through the four gates with supreme resolve for victory after such a long period of suspense, Lu Yue himself broke through the northern gate only to nearly crush Yellow Dragon to death in his six-headed, three-armed form. As Yang Bliss had meanwhile held off the enemy forces leaking into the eastern gate while ordering soldiers to find regions of safety for the common civilians to take shelter, he immediately charged forthward, slashing the invading General Zhou Xin into two vertical halves in a single cleaving of his sword. With the Shang forces within the east being effectively beaten back as a result of their leader's death, Yang Bliss seized the moment to assist Jade Tripod at the southern gates against Zhu Tianlin.

As Nezha slashed apart Li Qi at the western gate with the great renown of his fire-tipped lance, he was allowed entry to assist the troubled Yellow Dragon at the northern gate against Yang Wenhui and the overpowering Lu Yue. Unfortunately, at such a moment in time, Tianlin had been killed in addition, resulting in all four celestials charging forth upon Lu Yue, who ground his teeth in great frustration and rage at the prospect of his ambitions being folleyed. Fleeing at the moment to which he realized the situation was dire he managed to reach the neighboring hills with Wenhui, mind the loss of his left arm during such a violent feud. Sitting beside a rock and attending to his crucial wound, Lu Yue greatly considered the visiting of his former collogue, Shen Gongbao, until a strange man with a battle club appeared before the former, declaring his name as being "Wei Hu". Declaring that he had been looking for a man by the name of "Lu Yue" upon order of his master, Divine Virtue, Yang Wenhui became exceedingly fearful for the safety of his master, and out of immediate impulse, began striking violently forth at the opposition with his silver-edged whip -- much to Lu Yue's detriment, who was now put into an even greater situation of danger as he had realized. Unfortunately however, Wei Hu possessed exceeded speed dispite the wielding of his powerful club; and as a resolution, Wenhui was immediately overpowered and smashed directly in the head by the former's weapon, forcing Lu Yue to flee on a beam of light, knowing that the situation was hopeless even though revenge was strongly boiling within his blood.

Being told the specific route of arrival to Phoenix City by his master at a prior time, Wei Hu shortly arrived before the presence of the Prime Minister, to which he reported his confrontation with a man that was supposedly Lu Yue, while additionally declaring his intentions to serve under the former as a new assistance to their cause. Meanwhile, Su Hu obtained report on the disappearance of Lu Yue, and thus began to counsel his vanguard general, Zheng Lun, on his former plan that he believed to be the best according to the situation. Zheng Lun, who possessed strong intentions of loyalty, declared his commander's form of action would never be able to bear fruit; and if Lu Yue were to obtain knowledge on such a desperate movement that proved to be against his direct intentions, he would naturally feel resentment and great jealousy for missing an opportunity that was handed into the arms of individuals who were truly undeserving of such a chance - - thus strengthening the probability that he will find one way or another to act in impulsive defiance, leading for their eventual intentions to be nullified in one form or the other.

As Pure Essence was meditating in his cave, he shortly obtained report via the hand of White Crane Lad on the invitation to attend his master's banquet in celebration of Jiang Ziya's future position of commander against the Shang Dynasty. Seeing the lad off, Pure Essence believed that considering Ziya will soon obtain the title of Commander against King Zhou, to which he is "destined" to strike the five passes in short measure, Yin Hong, the secondary son of King Zhou, who is now his very own disciple, could be used as a keen figure to act against the morale of the opposition, and prove to the populace that their cause is truly for the greater good -- considering that the matter of Yin Hong's disappearance is widely unknown to the populace, and can thus be used as a great factor for the Shang soldier's of higher morals and will to strike back at their king if the situation is called for. With such a thought clearly in his mind, Yin Hong was called to his side and elaborated about his intentions to send him as an assistant factor with Jiang Ziya; Yin Hong, in return, declared the great hatred he possessed towards his father: A hatred that he was willingly to embrace even if it costed him his own life. Handing the resolute Yin Hong his Purple Fairy Longevity Robe, the Yin Yang Mirror, and his Water Fire Sword, Pure Essence clearly knew that Yin Hong possesses great resolve to dispose of his father, but he still may return to the side of Shang if he were to be treated with reciprocated feelings within the hearts of commanders loyal to the dynasty --considering that he would indeed do anything for the greater good. Pure Essence thus commanded his disciple to say an oath in pledge. Realizing that his master's trust is of the utmost importance, Yin Hong declared that his body may be burned to ash if he were to defy the former's wishes. He then set out to the Western Foothills after receiving careful instruction from his master, to which he made his way through a mountain he thought beautiful, before being confronted by a strange brute-like warrior who possessed the immediate impulse to protect his homeland from all intruders.

Being striken with fear as this brute not only lashed at him with his two ridged staves, but was additionally reinforced by a comrade of similar appearance, Yin Hong unleashed the white side of the Yin Yang Mirror, effectively absorbing the souls of the two warriors and rendering them as nothing more than mere corpses to the soil. As two more men rushed forth from the shadows to attack, with the first falling to the mirror's unparalleled ability, the latter of the two fell to his knees and pleaded forgiveness, to which he soon realized that the young man standing before him was none other than Yin Hong, the the second son of King Zhou. Receiving pleads to spare the former three individuals that the fourth had not realized were in truth dead, Yin Hong was naturally compassionate despite the danger of the situation, and thus flashed the red side of the mirror, bringing the three warriors back to life, who additionally prostrated themselves upon realization of the personage before them. These four men--Liu Fu, Gou Zhang, Bi Huan, and the fourth: Pang Hong--explained to the prince that they are four outlaws of the Shang Dynasty who live in their homeland--the Yellow Peak Range on Mount Two Dragons--in order to acquire some means of reputation as protectors of such a region, despite their being nothing more than bandits due to not possessing the ability of becoming government authorized generals. As Yin Hong declared his own intentions to serve under the benevolent King Wu, and such for being the reasoning behind his appearance in their territory, he essentially obtained the mutual support of these three men shortly following, who, in return, vowed to serve under Yin Hong with the 3,000 outlaws under their command out of means to obtain the reputation they have longed for.

As the entourage continued their march towards the Western Foothills, a man of Taoist appearance riding a celestial tiger of silver fur descended before their army from the north. This man was none other than the reputed leading figure against Jiang Ziya, Shen Gongbao, who was shortly allowed presence before Yin Hong, to which he inquired the identity of the leader and where he intended on traveling to. Upon realization that this young man was Prince Yin Hong, and possessed the resolved intentions to act against the will of his father, Shen Gongbao laughed aloud, stating that a son of royal class should never attack his father no matter how immoral and hated he may be: great political detriment would result from such an action and his ancestral temples and name would be shamed for generations to come, ensuring that the Shang Dynasty is thrown to the mud in disgrace. Yin Hong, who clearly saw the logic in his words, and considered the possibility that his master was truly intending on deceiving him, cast aside his oath upon Gongbao's reassurance and thanked the Taoist for truly enlightening him. As both parted ways in satisfaction, Pang Hong and the other three leaders lost a large amount of confidence in the competence of their leader, but nontheless decided on following Yin Hong in the name of the Shang, and only defect if the situation does not prove fruitful. Changing the banners to the insignia of the Shang Dynasty, with Pang Hong's instructorship over such a task, they soon recognized flags of similar relation far to the north, to which they were told that Commander Su Hu is stationed at such a region through the helpful ears of Shang scouts along the perimeter. Grinding his teeth in frustration at the prospect of assisting the father of the wicked Daji--who had been the reason behind his mother's cruel death--Yin Hong nontheless approached Su Hu's camp and sent forth Pang Hong as messenger.

As Su Hu obtained word that a man by the name of "Prince Yin" had arrived and wished to see him, he immediately suspected that this supposed "prince" may in fact be one of the two heirs of the Shang Dynasty who were blown away by the wind seven years into the past, and thus left the camp at once with Zheng Lun by his side. Realizing upon entry that the second crown prince, Yin Hong, had survived and prospered through the help of a certain immortal by the name of "Pure Essence", and has risen an army in the name of his father, Su Hu clearly knew that such a chance would greatly benefit his reputation under the dynasty and certainly heighten his current chances of conquering the enemy, Jiang Ziya. Yin Hong thus left the camp the following day with the four outlaw generals by his side while Yellow Flying Tiger, upon retortion, charged from the city gates with his sons. Not recognizing the man standing before him, Yin Hong drew his halberd and charged at the opposition with full intent to ensure unconditional victory for the sake of his reputation.

封神演義/卷059