Nine-Tailed Fox

Compared to paper-making, printing techniques were much simpler. Woodblock printing involved carving text into quality wood, then evenly spreading ink on the carved wood to print the text on paper.

Using molten bronze to solidify into plates was also possible, but the cost was too high, making it impractical. Moveable type printing involved melting bronze to create individual blocks for each character. When printing, these blocks were arranged as needed and fixed to a base with resin or similar material.

After printing, they could be reheated and reused, avoiding waste.

Di Xin shared his two ideas on printing techniques, displaying his extensive knowledge, all thanks to Goddess Nuwa.

Bi Gan and Shang Rong floated out of the Longde Hall in a daze. They had never heard of Goddess Nuwa sending dreams to others. Unexpectedly, due to the King's poetic advances, they stumbled upon such mystical knowledge.

"No way!"

They turned to each other, realizing their simultaneous thoughts. However, they couldn't speak openly about it.

With the matter of printing techniques settled, Di Xin lay contentedly on Su Daji's beautiful thighs, squinting his eyes to enjoy the dance. Yet, his mind wandered to the Nine-Tailed Fox.

He couldn't help but think, "I've praised Nuwa so much. Why hasn't the Nine-Tailed Fox arrived yet? Could it be that she’s no longer mad at me because of the reputation?"

For the rapidly rising Human Clan in the Primordial Era, gaining the favor and reputation of humans was considered a valuable treasure. With human praise and reputation, one's cultivation would skyrocket. Especially for someone like Nuwa, who relied on reputation and merit to reach sainthood, the benefits were significant.

"If that's the case, am I at a loss?"

Di Xin was momentarily dumbfounded. If Nuwa held back the Nine-Tailed Fox because of it, whom could he reason with?

After all, the Nine-Tailed Fox was an enchanting beauty that captivated the hearts of all men.

Di Xin desired to possess the fox and to learn about the secret dealings between the Appearance of Phoenix in the Mount Qi regarding Western Zhou’s substitution of the Shang Dynasty.

As for the matter of whether or not Phoenix existed in Mount Qi, it didn't matter at all. Just find someone to bribe and let them insist on having seen it could settle that.. Then, stirring up rumors, especially sensational ones, would work even better.

At that time, Shang would fall, and western Mount Qi would rise.

Moreover, it was the world of divine beings; who knew when the Chan Religious Sect would bring phoenix out for a stroll, settling the matter of Western Zhou's enlightened ruler.

In the future, debunking rumors could leave people frazzled, let alone the ancient Shang Dynasty.

People loved gossip, especially the thrilling kind, which had no resistance. Debunking rumors was difficult once people caught the scent of gossip; it was hard to calm down.

Di Xin was unwilling to let a rumor ruin the achievements he painstakingly built. Instead, he preferred using another rumor to break the first.

Some might wonder, wasn't the Nine-Tailed Fox a demon?

Yes, the Nine-Tailed Fox was undoubtedly a demon. After all, weren't they all monsters except men?

People were willing to consider the phoenix a divine beast rather than a demon because it brought them many benefits.

If the Nine-Tailed Fox, like the phoenix, could bring significant benefits, it would be similar to a divine beast.

Besides, the first king, Emperor Yu, had a wife who was the White Nine-Tailed Fox from the Qingqiu Clan. Why couldn’t he have one?

Both Emperor Yu and he were kings, and they both had a Nine-Tailed Fox. People wouldn't be hypocritical and say Yu's was a divine beast while his was a demon.

Therefore, if Nuwa dared to send the Nine-Tailed Fox as a gift, of course he would accept it. Not only would he accept it, but he would also proudly announce it as a divine beast, letting everyone know about this grand gift.

Mount Qi's attainment of sacred status during the Western Zhou Dynasty was associated with the phoenix.

In the Shang Dynasty, if a nine-tailed divine beast descended, he would definitely proclaim its presence to the world.

The capture of the nine tails must be done dramatically, coupled with a reduction in taxes to make it a reality.

In the matter of cultivation and enlightenment, he was naturally inferior to those Immortals of the Chan Religious Sect. However, when it came to deceit, cunning, and distorting right and wrong, even if the Primeval Lord of Heaven came, Di Xin would still string him up and beat him.

With an emperor like me, no one can call him invincible. The Nine-Tailed Fox is the key to victory.

However, this crucial treasure is yet to arrive, and that's a big problem!

At this moment, although Di Xin lay on the beautiful legs of Su Daji, watching the graceful dancer, he couldn't find joy in it.

“Sigh, I really want to pet the fox...”

In comparison to Di Xin's leisurely enjoyment, Bi Gan and Shang Rong were busy to the point of being frantic. It was the third time revising the laws of the Dragon Clan, and during this period, the Dragon Clan had also submitted many opinions.

Because of the Dragon Clan's legal matters, Shang Rong was already busy to the point of being overwhelmed.

Now he had to prepare to repair the regulations of the academy, truly feeling dizzy and disoriented from the busyness.

In the Great Shang, academies and schools were not uncommon, usually set up specifically to train the children of officials and the extremely intelligent. In most cases, they were places for the children of privileged individuals to play.

However, the current academy was essentially different from before; this time, it was open to the public, and all the common people of Great Shang could enroll.

Therefore, rules and laws became crucial to avoid unnecessary troubles. Bi Gan was currently so busy that he couldn't tell where was up or down.

Enrolment notices had only been posted for a day, and there was already a mix of people with various intentions.

The condition for recruiting this time was apprentices aged thirteen to fifteen, with free tuition, free meals, and accommodation provided.

Seeing this notice, the people of Great Shang immediately rushed to sign up. Thirteen to fifteen years old, precisely the age when a group of unruly children would infuriate their fathers.

Regardless of what the court taught, it didn't matter; the main point was that it was free childcare, akin to a free meal - it had to be seized.

Suddenly, the place where Bi Gan supervised the recruitment became chaotic, with many who didn't meet the criteria attempting to sneak in.

In the end, unable to find another way, Bi Gan directly punished those who deceived and manipulated with a few heavy beatings, temporarily suppressing this phenomenon.

Grand Minister Wen visited his sect brothers to create paper-making artifact. Bi Gan, busy with the academy enrolment, and Huang Feihu overseeing the affairs of the Haoran Academy, were all deeply occupied.

These three individuals were faring relatively well, but Shang Rong was suffering the most. The matter of Dragon Clan laws had already given him a headache, and now, with the rules of the academy, along with the printing of bamboo slips and bookbinding, Shang Rong was fully occupied and unable to distinguish north from south.

Di Xin's carefree and relaxed demeanor formed a sharp contrast with Shang Rong's predicament.

Di Xin continued to participate in early morning court sessions, indulging in the company of his concubines when idle, and then enjoying the dancers in Su Daji's palace.

It was monotonous and dull, but he still insisted on maintaining his reputation for virtuous rule.

Two months pass swiftly.

The three demons from Xuanyuan Tomb on Zhao Ge eagerly await Di Xin's marriage, especially after he took Su Daji as his consort.

The prospect of him taking another wife seemed distant, causing distress to the Nine-Tailed Fox, yearning for a glimpse of the thriving Zhao Ge day and night.

The human world – how does it look? My king, I miss you dearly. When will I be able to see you?