Chapter 177: Assuming Office |
At Hanyang Pass, Xu Zhongxing and Su Donghe were standing on a city gate tower and watching a massive ship gliding slowly overhead. It was moving toward the Shattered Realm.
Su Donghe suddenly felt a pang of emotion and said, “It’s been three years, hasn’t it? This is the first flying vessel to head to Outer Jin.”
Xu Zhongxing narrowed his eyes slightly and said, “It seems the royal court is about to make a major move.”
“They aren’t really going to go to war with them, are they?” Su Donghe asked.
Xu Dongxing shook his head. “Don’t you know His Majesty’s temperament? The bigger the commotion he makes, the less inclined he is to actually fight. If they were truly going to war, they would have secretly sent a high cultivator to carry out an assassination first.”
Su Donghe suddenly remarked, “Three years ago, we were driven all the way back to Inner Jin by the Shamans. Today, the court is finally reestablishing administration… it’s just a shame we weren’t the first pioneers.”
Suddenly, Su Donghe recalled Xu Zhongxing’s family and stopped himself from saying more.
Xu Zhongxing gave him a helpless smile. “We’ve worked together for three years—don’t you know what kind of person I am by now? You’re not from a noble clan, which is both a blessing and a curse. There are many things I don’t want to do, but I have to. There are also many things I want to do, but I cannot.”
Su Donghe asked in a subdued tone, “I’ve never quite understood this—in your hearts[1], which is more important: the royal court or your clan?”
Su Donghe listened in silence, saying nothing more.
The massive ship began to slow after passing through Hanyang Pass. The helmsman visibly grew tense, constantly checking every critical part of the ship.
In the lower deck, rows and rows of soldiers—numbering over a thousand—were sitting cross-legged. Just then, a cultivator walked over and shouted, “We are about to enter the Shattered Realm. Everyone, hold on tight to the floor to avoid injury!”
There was an iron ring on the floor beside each soldier. Immediately, everyone threaded the ropes they carried through the rings and secured themselves to the floor.
As the ship delved deeper into the Shattered Realm, the tremors affecting the ship grew increasingly violent. The sky had become overcast at some point, with flashes of lightning flickering through the clouds.
Sweat beaded on the helmsman’s forehead. He ordered the crew to activate the ship’s protective array at full power before making his way to the upper deck. He then knocked respectfully on a cabin’s door.
The door slid open silently. Not daring to enter without permission, the helmsman remained at the threshold and said, “The Shattered Realm is treacherous, and our ship has already drawn down thunderbolts. If the situation becomes critical, we may need to ask you to step in and protect the ship.
“Furthermore, we are short-handed on board. If we are to activate the highest-level array, we would need an additional twenty Dao Foundation stage cultivators.”
The cabin was dim and shrouded in mist. Behind the mist, an icy voice responded, “Have General Zhang assign some officers to assist you. If the ship cannot hold out much longer, then I will intervene myself.”
The cabin door closed once more. Not daring to linger, the helmsman hurried back to the lower deck to seek out the corresponding military officer.
Meanwhile, the leaden clouds in the sky were growing denser and hanging lower by the minute. Lightning were flashing continuously within the clouds with increasing frequency. Suddenly, a deafening thunderclap boomed, and a pale green bolt of lightning streaked across the sky. It was moving straight toward the ship!
A bright protective shield flared up around the vessel, deflecting the lightning. However, the lightning bolt’s power was immense, sending countless sparks flying everywhere like a shower of stars. The shield visibly grew dimmer after that.
Having failed to break through at the first strike, the thunder in the sky seemed to grow enraged. Streaks of pale green lightning began to fall continuously, striking the ship’s shield again and again and scattering sparks everywhere.
It was at this moment someone let out a heavy grunt, and eight discs of light appeared around the ship. Each disc emitted a beam of golden light that slammed into the leaden clouds above, instantly scattering them and opening a gaping hole that spanned a thousand zhang in diameter.
But the leaden clouds in the sky churned violently, filling the gap in the blink of an eye. Then, amidst the ceaseless rumble of thunder, a thick, dark green pillar of lightning, several zhang in diameter, descended and struck the ship!
The protective shield held out for only a breath before collapsing entirely. Immediately, the hull burst into flames as chunks of outer armor began to fall away in earnest.
A furious shout rang out from within the ship, and the eight discs of light reappeared. This time, every golden beam were focused on the dark green lightning, clashing and wearing it down over the course of a dozen or so breaths. In the end, the dark green pillar of lightning ran out of power, gradually thinning until it vanished completely.
The man inside the ship roared, “This damned world—sooner or later, I’ll bring you—”
But his voice suddenly cracked before he could finish his sentence.
Dingbian[2] City, Anzhao[3] Commandery, Ningxi Province.
Dingbian City was situated within Anzhao Commandery, one of the four commanderies of Ningxi Province. It served as both the commandery seat and the provincial capital. However, the city was lying in ruins right now. It was nothing but a vast expanse of wasteland with countless tents pitched atop the rubble.
Inside a makeshift wooden hall, Chen Dao and Yue Jinshan were studying a sand table, on which a single bluish-green dot stood out distinctly. The western side of the sand table was entirely covered in dark green, representing the Shamans.
Yue Jinshan marked three locations along the dark green border to the west before saying, “We must establish border garrisons at each of these three locations—at least ten thousand border troops each—to block the Shamans’ eastward advance. Behind these three garrisons, we must establish a major encampment of at least fifty thousand troops—ideally one hundred thousand—to provide timely reinforcements. Only then can we ensure the border remains secure. This encampment should be situated at….”
Yue Jinshan’s hand hovered in midair, hesitating to make the final mark.
Chen Dao smiled faintly and marked the location for him, saying, “There’s no better spot than this. What’s the matter? Has your grasp of military strategy rusted to the point where even a scholar like me is better than you, Great General Yue?”
The spot Chen Dao had marked was seven hundred li from each of the three border garrisons. In an emergency, the main army could reach either one in a single day. The problem, though, was that the location was only four hundred li from the blue dot.
Yue Jinshan frowned and remained silent.
Chen Dao continued, “General Yue, we’ll be partners for some time yet. His Majesty is determined to secure this location; we can’t keep avoiding the subject.”
Yue Jinshan snorted and said, “To be honest, though I detest that old villain Xuan Yue, I do have some respect for this little rascal. Even in my youth, when I feared neither heaven nor earth, I might not have dared to erect a realm stone here. I couldn’t have done it, and neither could you, Chen Dao. Now that he’s done it, we come running to reestablish administration and the four commanderies—what does that make of us? And how will the history books record this?”
Chen Dao replied, “The history books won’t record anything.”
Yue Jinshan froze, not understanding what he meant.
Chen Dao explained, “The history books are written by people—or more accurately, us. As long as Great Tang does not fall and Western Jin remains, the history books will only record that you and I have reestablished the administration and reclaimed lost territory. As for who erected the realm stone first, there won’t be a single word about it.”
Yue Jinshan’s astonishment only grew. “That is so irresponsible!”
Chen Dao smiled. “How is it irresponsible, exactly? Even the sages have edited the Spring and Autumn Annals. We are merely following in the footsteps of our forebears. Besides, this is simply a matter of not recording an account in the history books. Do you know how many corrupt and sycophantic officials in history were, strictly speaking, men of loyalty and righteousness, yet were portrayed as treacherous ministers for one reason or another and leaving behind a stench that will last for eternity? Compared to what they did to those men, our actions are insignificant.”
Yue Jinshan frowned, “For what reason did they portray loyalty as treachery? Is it simply because they offended you historians?”
“They didn’t just offend a few historians; they had alienated a whole group of people. And among those people were historians.”
Chen Dao paused for a moment before continuing, “Throughout history, even kings have feared historians. It’s no wonder some once-powerful ministers who acted with impunity had met their endings.”
Yue Jinshan was utterly flabbergasted by this. A moment later, he said, “If I were a king, I’d have all you historians beheaded!”
Chen Dao smiled and replied, “There are countless scholars in the realm. Can you wipe them all out?”
Yue Jinshan was momentarily at a loss for words.
Seeing Yue Jinshan’s expression growing increasingly ugly, Chen Dao let out a laugh and said, “Though you and I may be considered high-ranking provincial officials—which sounds quite impressive for sure—let’s not forget that one, this is a heaven-forsaken place, and two, our so-called provincial capital is nothing more than a single wooden hut at the moment. Thus, the prospect of going down in history is still a long way off for us. Right now, we should focus on finishing the task at hand before we worry about other things.”
Yue Jinshan realized he had a point and looked back at the sand table. But no matter how he tried, the bluish green dot in his field of vision only grew increasingly glaring.
“Lord Yue, there seems to be something fishy with that list of appointments,” Chen Dao remarked pointedly.
“I haven’t had a chance to examine the list of civil officials in detail yet. Is there a problem?”
Chen Dao pointed to a spot on the map and said, “Yuan Qingyan, the commandery administrator of Ningxi Commandery, is a man of integrity. Fiery in temperament and firm in his methods, he never forms factions or engages in self-serving schemes. His commandery seat and office is set at Willow Ash Town.”
He then pointed at another spot on the map, this time directly at the edge of the blue glow. “County Magistrate Niu Jinbao, stationed in Yong’an County.”
“Yong’an? Is there such a county?” Although Yue Jinshan hadn’t paid much attention to the civil appointments, he knew the geography and topography of the region inside out, as they formed the foundation of military operations. Yet none of the geographical records he had consulted previously had ever mentioned a county named Yong’an.
Chen Dao replied, “Originally, there was no Yong’an. Later, the realm recruited refugees and settled them in a city that was eventually named Yong’an City. When the royal court learned of this news, they established Yong’an County and appointed a county magistrate. Magistrate Niu used to be the Right Counselor's personal bodyguard. It was said that he once saved the Right Counselor's life. This likely served as his stepping stone to promotion and led to his posting as county magistrate.”
“What sort of man is Niu Jinbao?” asked Yue Jinshan.
Chen Dao replied meaningfully, “What good character could a bodyguard possibly have?”
Yue Jinshan pondered, “For the Right Counselor to station his life-saver there….”
Chen Dao did not respond, leaving Yue Jinshan to draw his own conclusions.
Meanwhile, across the Shattered Realm, a convoy was moving slowly westward. The carriage window opened, and a head poked out, asking, “How much longer until we reach Yong’an?”
A military officer on horseback beside the carriage responded, “Around five hundred li, Lord Niu. We’ll need to find a place to camp and rest tonight.”
“Wasn’t there any villages or settlements along the way?”
“We did spot two villages earlier, but they’re both abandoned. There wasn’t a soul in sight.”
“This place truly is forsaken by the heavens. There isn’t a single human to be found for hundreds of li! I heard that Yong’an has plenty of people. Once I take up my post, I’m definitely going to let loose and relax!”
The officer said, “Lord Niu, that doesn’t seem to be in accordance with the law.”
The man’s eyes widened indignantly. “Bullshit laws! I’m the man who saved the Right Counselor’s life! The king saw it with his own eyes. What law has the power to tell me what to do?”
The officer dared not say another word. The group pressed on, moving slowly across the lush green landscape.
Willow Ash Town.
The town was unusually quiet today. The gates of the Xu Clan’s grand estates were all tightly shut. The courtyard walls appeared deserted, but in reality, there were shadows hiding in the crenellations.
The usually bustling commercial streets were now eerily quiet; none of the shops belonging to the Xu Clan had opened. Shops owned by other factions had initially opened, but sensing that something was amiss, they too shut their doors one after another. Some shopkeepers and their hired hands were peeking out from behind their shutters, trying to see what was happening, though.
Just then, the ground began to tremble slightly. It grew powerful in just the blink of an eye, causing the bowls, plates, and teacups to clatter noisily.
The road leading into town was shrouded in mist, and it seemed as though something was approaching from within the thick fog. Finally, a massive black horse charged through the mist and appeared before the townspeople.
The horse rider wore a silver ghost mask. He raised his spear horizontally and bellowed, “The Heaven Fighting Gang is here! All of you will stay where you are! Anyone who dares to move will die!”
Many of the residents of Willow Ash Town were seasoned killers. Immediately, someone spat and cursed, “The hell is this nonsense? Pretentious fools!”
The rider said nothing and merely pointed his spear at the man. Suddenly, the man let out a bloodcurdling scream. As if gripped by an invisible giant hand, he began to warp and shrink right before everyone’s eyes, eventually being crushed into a cylindrical pulp!
The man was a Dao Foundation stage cultivator and a figure of some standing in town, yet he had died so easily and so bizarrely that the onlookers literally did not know how he had met his end!
Behind the ghost-faced rider, more and more horsemen emerged from the mist and surrounded Willow Ash Town completely.
1. Hearts, not heart. He’s talking about he and his people, not just him.
2. Meaning “Pacifying the Border”.
3. Meaning “Pacifying Zhao”.