Chapter 7: Emperor Cang’s Proposal: The Eight Methods to Pacify the Wilds

Upon hearing the words of the Ancestor Wu Emperor Jiang, all the other Ancestor Wus and Great Wus in the hall nodded in firm agreement.

“We are the descendants of the Father God, destined to rule the vast wilderness he left behind—this is as it should be!”

“Besides our Wu tribe, who else is worthy to stand at the head of all the myriad races of the wilderness?”

“If it is not our tribe in command, any other race ruling the wilderness is doomed to follow in the footsteps of the Dragons, Phoenixes, and Qilins!”

The Hall of Pangu was alive with the noise of debate and shouts. It was clear to all that the rise of the Wu tribe and their dominance over the great wilderness was inevitable—no force could stand in the way of this destiny.

Emperor Cang sighed powerlessly. Now his own fate was inseparable from that of the Wu tribe: their prosperity would be his, their downfall his ruin. If the Wu tribe failed, how could he survive alone? Moreover, if the Wu were unable to rule the wilderness now, how could the human race ever hope to do so in the future?

Seeing that everyone was united in purpose, Emperor Jiang was overjoyed. Facing the assembly, he declared, “Since we are all of one mind, let it be settled so.”

Turning to the eleven other Ancestor Wus, Emperor Jiang continued, “It is right and natural for our tribe to rule the land of the wilderness, for we have the mandate of the people and of destiny. Yet there is one matter...”

He said, “If we are to vie for supremacy in the wilderness, we will need immense resources and manpower. Though our numbers are not small, compared to the vastness of the wilderness, we are still too few. I intend to use the Pangu Pool, and with the divine blood of our Father God within it, to propagate new members of our tribe. What are your thoughts?”

“This is as it should be!” the other Ancestor Wus agreed, nodding in unison.

Thus, the twelve Ancestor Wus resolved to work together, using the divine blood in the Pangu Pool to create new Wu tribesmen.

But just at that moment, the twelve Ancestor Wus were suddenly interrupted by a stern voice. A figure appeared among them, bowing respectfully, “Junior Cang pays respects to the Twelve Ancestor Wus! I have something to report!”

The twelve Ancestor Wus turned their attention to Cang. At this time, they were still kindly disposed toward the newly born 108 Great Wus. After all, they shared the same lineage; even if not siblings, they were true kin and owed each other some measure of courtesy.

Emperor Jiang asked curiously, “Cang, what do you wish to say?”

“Ancestor Wus!” Cang replied with great confidence, “I have heard that the Twelve Ancestor Wus intend to vie for supremacy and unite the wilderness. I have come with a strategy to offer!”

“Oh?” Emperor Jiang said, surprised. “What useful strategy could someone so young possibly present?”

Cang replied confidently, “I have eight methods. If the Ancestor Wus adopt them, they can ensure the Wu tribe’s everlasting dominion over the wilderness!”

“Eight methods to ensure everlasting rule?” Ancestor Wu Xuanming exclaimed in astonishment. “What are these eight methods?”

Cang smiled and explained, “The first is the principle of righteousness. In the past, the Dragons, Phoenixes, and Qilins also flourished and ruled the wilderness, bringing forth countless descendants. Yet, why did they ultimately collapse, their mighty perishing, their weak in hiding? Was it for lack of strength? No. It was because these three tribes forsook righteousness: first, they favored only their own kind; second, they scorned those of talent; third, they were greedy for wealth; fourth, they oppressed the other races with violence.”

“To favor only their own kind meant the three tribes valued and promoted only those of their blood.”

“To scorn the talented meant they saw only the might of their own, never recognizing that the vast wilderness is filled with remarkable beings—like the five god-demons who recently fought in the West, whose strength far surpassed the three tribes.”

“To be greedy for wealth meant that, though they ruled vast territories and held great riches, they hoarded everything for themselves, ignoring the needs and feelings of the other races. This naturally bred resentment and hatred.”

“To oppress with violence meant they waged unrighteous wars, attacked the weak at will, and seized by force, piling sin upon sin.”

“If these were normal times, this might be overlooked. But should a great calamity descend, and the world can no longer sustain all its creatures, requiring a culling for the world to recover, then it is only natural that these three tribes would be the first to be swept away.”

Cang bowed respectfully and asked, “What do the Ancestor Wus think of my words?”

The twelve Ancestor Wus pondered for a long while.

Ancestor Wu Houtu smiled, “Cang, are you not reminding us that to rule the wilderness, we must not favor our own, must not scorn the talented, must not be greedy for wealth, and must not oppress other races? But how, specifically, should we act?”

The others nodded in agreement.

Clearly, they understood the deeper meaning behind Cang’s words.

Cang nodded inwardly. Before arriving in this world, he had assumed the twelve Ancestor Wus and the 108 Great Wus were all brawn and no brain, but in reality, that was far from the truth. Though their vision might be limited by the complex circumstances of the wilderness, they were by no means fools. If all twelve were truly simple-minded, it would be a cosmic joke!

After hearing Cang, the Ancestor Wus did not rebuke or interrupt him. Instead, they all began to ponder his words, curious to see what further wisdom he might have to offer.

“Honored Ancestor Wus!” Cang said with utmost respect, “To take warning from the fate of the three tribes and fulfill the principle of righteousness, four things must be done.”

“First, reward the good and punish the wicked; wage just wars!”

“To rule the myriad races,” Cang continued, “we must start by rewarding the good and punishing the wicked, waging only just wars. There are countless races in the wilderness, and friction among them is inevitable. Our tribe, being powerful, can secretly monitor them. If anyone commits evil or bullies the weak, that is when we should intervene!”

“We can confiscate the resources and treasures of evildoers.”

“At the same time, we can distribute some treasures as rewards to the virtuous and to those weak races who have suffered.”

“In this way,” Cang said, “the races we protect will be grateful to us, while those we punish will have brought it upon themselves.”

The Ancestor Wus nodded in agreement.

Ancestor Wu Houtu said joyfully, “If we, the Ancestor Wus, always act by rewarding good and punishing evil, surely many weaker races will come to trust us, and even the powerful will come to fear us. Thus, even without claiming the title of ruler over the wilderness, we will have the substance of it. Then, with a single call, all the races will rally to our cause.”

But Cang shook his head. “These two points alone are far from enough.”

“In rewarding good and punishing evil, the most important part is rewarding the good. All living beings harbor selfishness; without real benefit, they will not truly follow us. Therefore…”

“Second,” Cang said, “we must share wealth fairly. The best way is to unite the people in punishing the wicked, and, after gaining rewards, distribute a portion to all the races who helped maintain peace. Only by not being greedy and by fostering unity can we ensure everlasting rule.”

“Third,” Cang continued, “we must recognize talent and make good use of people. If we can win the trust of the weak and the respect of the strong, we can use our reputation to unite others, select the worthy, and assign roles according to their abilities. If the world knows the Wu tribe rewards good, shares wealth, and recognizes talent, who would oppose our rule?”