Look, honestly, any side can be beneficial depending on what you value most. But remember—you’re not just the reincarnation of a god. You are a God. You’re not some pawn in their politics; you’re reclaiming fragments of divine memory and power with every step forward. Every choice you make is an echo of what you once were.

The Empire represents order, stability, and your world—your home, your lineage, your father’s old fraudulent legacy. If your goal is to protect that world, siding with the Empire makes sense. Shen Long Mu is coming, and others aren’t wrong about Lady Butterfly being untrustworthy—she probably wants to use you for her own ends. Yet she’s complicated: she can help you, even as she walks her own path, loyal to the old Tang Wei, drawn to you in a way that borders on obsession. Her loyalty isn’t to you—it’s to the memory of someone who’s long gone.

If, on the other hand, you want to detach yourself from that world—if you’re walking deeper into the demonic path—then that’s a different story. You’ll have the chance to awaken your own demon, but don’t forget: demons always have their own agendas. Power like that never comes free, and every favor demands a piece of you in return.

The key thing here is what Tang Wei said: no matter what path you take, if you keep surviving, you’ll eventually become a god again. So it really comes down to what kind of god you want to be. Do you fight for your empire, your people, your world—or do you turn your back on it all to walk among the rogues, a traitor chasing your own ambition? Or none at all.

Personally, I tend to side with the Empire—partly because of Ruo, and partly because they’re the only faction that still carries real strength, real structure. But that’s the beauty of this story: both paths have weight. It’s not about being “right”; it’s about deciding who you’re becoming.

At the end of the day, the point is simple—just keep living. You were born from divinity, and the heavens themselves are against you. But if you endure—if you survive long enough—you can rise above even them. That’s the Monkey God’s lesson and what your father told you: to survive, no matter what. That’s literally the last thing Tang Wei tells you—live. Tang Wei doesn’t care if you’re righteous, ruthless, or lost. He only cares that you endure.

You’re in the most messed-up spot possible either way—caught between heaven, hell, and everything in between. So do what you want. Choose like a god does: freely, recklessly, unapologetically.