Chapter 162: Radiance Of The Golden Dou
In the Da Yao World, wherever famine and disease appear in any place and reach a certain threshold, rebellion will arise.
“Rebellion” is merely a phenomenon from the perspective of the upper ruling class; but from the perspective of those at the lower levels who ignite the rebellion, they see themselves as heroes rising with the momentum, and their actions are simply acting on behalf of heaven.
In Chong Land, during the process of calculating the heavenly mandate for Zhenzhou by those sect disciples, they observed that the color in the Map of Mountains and Rivers in the water mirror for Chong Land had indeed turned green, but they did not know that the area around their sect’s mountain gate under their feet was becoming increasingly blue.
When the sect elders were calculating for the Chosen One, they grew increasingly confident in their exchanges with each other, believing they had located the child of calamity.
…Thousands of miles away, someone was deeply studying the past…
Fen Xing City, City Lord Mansion. Yao San Niang of the Wu Family extinguished the flame of the Lotus Lamp. At this moment, she looked toward Lelang City and revealed a playful smile.
Yao San Niang turned around, picked up the ruler, and said to her son leaning in the corner against the wall: “In a few days, your father will be coming back. You’ve made a mistake, so Mother won’t beat you then. But right now, Mother still has to teach you.”
With that, she fiercely struck the ruler on her son’s palm and scolded: “Don’t dodge! I told you to recite the Upper Clarity Record, but you went to sleep. Are you trying to anger your mother to death!”
Her son wailed loudly, crying out: “Father, Father, save me!” The ruler fell mercilessly, leaving red marks on his buttocks like the tail of a red sparrow.
…Historical narration…
Xuan Chong was using his experience system to narrate how many more years “Da Yao” could hold on, and pondering: which social strata are truly the ones who least want Da Yao to endure.
Xuan Chong couldn’t help but think of the Han Confucian groups during the Two Han periods. Some say Han Confucians were different from those in the later Ming and Qing Dynasties, but in reality, the core was no different. From the moment Confucianism was born, it served the ruling class, and for thousands of years, it has tried to deeply infiltrate rule.
The Han Confucians tried to bypass the bloody grassroots struggles (Serpent-Slaying Uprising) and directly seize political power and military power from the high-level theoretical system. This naive idea appeared as early as the era of Emperor Xuan of Han. Emperor Xuan of Han’s response to the Theory of Heaven’s Mandate was: “The Han Family has its own system, originally blending kingly and hegemonic ways!” Meaning: “Go wherever it’s cool, stop shamelessly babbling with your mouth!”
By the time before Wang Mang usurped the Han, the Han Confucians had shed the constraints of the “imperial and hegemonic way,” eagerly seizing power and perfecting the “Theory of Heaven’s Mandate,” waiting for the days of natural disasters to argue that the Han imperial heavenly mandate was exhausted, so “the one who replaces the Han shall rise to the highest.”
Thus, the enthusiastic Han Confucians pushed Wang Mang to the throne. As for the lower-level commoners, what did the commoners know about changes in heavenly mandate? Only the top Great Scholars could interpret heavenly mandate.
Then Liu Xiu led the local strongmen to complete a “debate of scriptures” against the central Great Scholars.
Therefore, after the iterations of the Two Han events, Confucianism no longer dared to derive heavenly mandate from “upper-level narratives.”
No! The Han Confucians were still unrepentant at heart.
But after the troublesome history of the Wei-Jin Period, all scholars under heaven knew that the previous dynasty’s collapse meant that obtaining heavenly mandate from within the original Imperial Court would only lead to short-lived reigns even if obtained.
A dynasty’s fate does not lie in heaven, but originates from some place in the Nine Provinces’ four directions. Later heroes still learned from Liu Bang to start from the grassroots.
Thus, the later dynasties’ metaphysical narrative view became the mystical “Dragon Vein.”
Now Da Yao has not yet gone through such a historical process. Da Yao’s thousands of years of power, along with enfeoffment, still make “heavenly mandate” originate from heaven.
The Da Yao monarch now has weak virtue, so sects and noble families and such structures are beginning to stir, feeling they are close to the right to interpret “heavenly mandate.” Since the Yao Lord has lost it, they will first seize some local heavenly mandate and auspicious qi.
…Back then, Wang Mang was merely a tool person. Now, the one born amid calamity is also a “tool”…
In Lao City, a hundred miles west of Lelang City.
A camp supervisor stationed here rode out of the city gate on horseback. His name was Bai Cunxi.
The brothers at the city gate shouted to him as he sped away: “Brother, slow down.” When they got no response, they cursed: Damn it, rushing back to reincarnate or what!
Now this Bai Camp Supervisor had received an urgent family report demanding his return.
Such an anxious letter from home left Bai Cunxi feeling baffled. The last time he returned home was a year ago, when his family was thriving locally.
On this return trip, Bai Cunxi silently thought to himself: “Parents said last year they wanted to build a big stronghold, the year before they said family income was increasing more, this year they should have fulfilled their wish. What’s going on exactly?”
Arriving home, Bai Cunxi saw white cloth hanging high in the house and was stunned. After entering the room, he saw two coffins in the mourning hall, the home had fallen into disrepair, the former servants were all gone, and only his younger brother and sister remained keeping vigil.
Bai Cunxi burst into the mourning hall, looked at the coffins, and his originally sorrowful expression changed slightly. Ignoring his brother’s obstruction, he opened the coffin and saw his old father’s remains. Though the appearance was unchanged, a strand of baleful qi swirled between the brows, and the nails had grown long. This was corruption by evil qi, directly turning into a zombie.
After pulling out all his old father’s teeth, Bai Cunxi suppressed his anger and asked his brother: “How did Father pass away?”
His brother stammered, and Bai Cunxi sensed there was more to the story. He soon heard discussions on the street.
At this time outside the Bai Family home, village women and men were looking at Bai Cunxi’s fine steed stopped at the door.
“That Bai Family, rises sharply and falls suddenly!” “Yeah, trafficking in people, how could it not harm their yin virtue.”
“And yet, wasn’t your wife bought from their family?”
“What exactly happened in Tianchi City Great Prison? The old man of the Bai Family was held there, and it cleaned out all the family wealth.”
Under the tea shed, Bai Cunxi heard the key information and immediately stepped forward to press for details about the “Great Prison.”
Under the coercion of Bai Cunxi’s knife, the villager, full of fear, stammered out the reason.
It turned out that after Bai Family’s old father earned money and built the house, the tax clerk came knocking, then took him to the Great Prison, and upon return, he became like this.
…The immortal families have calculated this very clearly…
A few days later, Bai Cunxi tried to go to Lelang City but was blocked by cavalry along the way.
The cavalry brought Wu Hanluan’s order, prohibiting him from proceeding.
Halfway, Bai Cunxi repeatedly argued his case, but to no avail. While dejectedly drinking in a roadside inn, he encountered a supernatural person. This supernatural person gave him a leaf that could conceal the killing intent on his body.
The supernatural person taught him magic and informed him: the reason he was blocked by superiors in the city this time was that he was a soldier, while Wu Hanluan was a general. This leaf could mask his identity, so Wu Hanluan would not know of his arrival.
Just as Bai Cunxi asked what exactly was in Lelang City, this person had already vanished.
Seven days later, Bai Cunxi emerged from the Great Prison, his whole body covered in filth, coughing nonstop, trying to mobilize his vital energy to stop the corruption power on his body, but to no effect.
Bai Cunxi’s emotions fluctuated wildly, as if he had witnessed something utterly intolerable, destroying his loyalty to Wu Hanluan.
Bai Cunxi sat by the roadside, muttering: “This is the Evil Path’s evil arts. The Wu Family harbors filth and corruption.”
Bai Cunxi went to Qinghua Sect to report, but then thought better of it, as the Wu Family had deep roots here, with Wu Family disciples in the sect.
At that moment, he encountered an Immortal Elder halfway and hurriedly informed him of the matter. This Immortal Elder happened to be a guest minister of the Prince of Langya. After giving Bai Cunxi a token, he told him he could return to Lao City.
This Immortal Elder then turned into escaping light and headed east.
…The situation developed rapidly…
In the third month of the second year of the Tian You Calendar, just after Wu Fei and Wu Hengyu achieved great merit in the North.
The Prefect of Ji Prefecture obtained evidence like a treasure that Wu Hanluan was using evil arts to refine the populace, then this Prefect Yan reported it to the Imperial Court and gathered the big shots from various sects to publicize it.
At the immortal family meeting, many sects took the “Retained Mirror Treasure” and frowned at the unimaginable filth within. But several remained silent.
On the clouds above the Mountains and Rivers spiritual vein, golden light unfolded like a mat, and one by one, Immortal Family Dao Venerables took their seats.
A Righteous Path leader with fifteen hundred years of dao cultivation said: If it were heterodox paths like “exorcising ghosts” or “refining blood,” that would be fine, taking from the people and using it for the people. But drawing power from the Evil Moon comes at the cost of damaging the foundation of the Xi Ren Realm.
The immortal cultivators all nodded. In recent years, the use of Evil Moon power has caused mountain ranges to collapse and spiritual veins to dry up.
The immortals discussed: Wu Hanluan holds a rank enfeoffed by Da Yao’s legitimate succession and commands an Army Lord guarding Da Yao’s western frontier. If it were just eating people or exorcising ghosts, harming a few mortals, the Immortal Sects would not make a big fuss. Unfortunately, the spiritual veins under the major mountain gates are now influenced by the Evil Moon in the sky, so punishment is unavoidable.
The last issue facing the Immortal Sects was that Wu Hanluan, as a Military Strategist, had powerful Military Killing Intent.
Spirits do not contend with killing intent. Without another force of killing intent to check him, the many immortal families could not use spiritual magic to excise the evil source.
…Need a cannon fodder…
Under pressures from all sides, on March 10th in Lao City. First, the city’s large banners were snapped by the wind, then every household saw shadows on their walls talking to them, revealing secrets.
Coinciding with a plague period, hearts were restless, suspecting each other.
Moreover, in recent days, various merchants had their wealth requisitioned by Wu Hanluan through bizarre means. Once their resentment was guided, they all participated in spreading rebel messages.
After various eerie events, groups of soldiers followed the guidance to the drill ground in the city, and ultimately a camp mutiny began.
Exactly what happened that night to make the Lao City residents collectively despise the Wu Family overnight.
Note: Half a year later, Wu Fei returned and investigated this rebellion. After detailed interrogation of hundreds who participated in or followed the rebellion, not one could explain the why or wherefore.
From a soldier who experienced the rebellion: “Suppressed too long,” suddenly feeling “a sudden enlightenment,” as if understanding many rights and wrongs, then just followed the uprising.
Ultimately, after Wu Fei’s fruitless investigation, he directly classified the activities of eight sects in his territory as illicit worship.
…The blue Evil Moon loves most to help people awaken…
Back to the topic, from Wu Hanluan’s perspective ruling Chong Land, on March 15th, a rebel army suddenly spawned on his turf.
When this rebel army spawned in Lao City, Wu Hanluan’s measures to suppress the Golden Dou completely failed.
That morning, Wu Hanluan had just gotten up, felt pain in his waist, a string of blisters wrapping and growing around his abdomen. He hastily donned his armor, walked out of the room, and surveyed the four directions.
However, upon exiting the high platform, he saw a green radiance flying from the direction of the prison cell in Lelang City toward the sky, and high in the sky, a green moon was playing tricks. Looking closely, this moon was not pockmarked with craters, but bulging with little beans.
Wu Hanluan’s heart sank, because he felt the lid of the Golden Dou he was covering had finally overflowed.
Wu Hanluan gazed at the mosquitoes drifting in the sky outside the city, then called over the Winged Tiger to carry him toward Lelang City for close observation. On the streets, swarms of mosquitoes flew about, and the residents looked malnourished, their bodies somewhat swollen.
Wu Hanluan then discovered that the Golden Dou’s plague qi had accumulated in Lelang City and could not disperse, then realized something, looked up at the skies in all directions, and saw what seemed like an invisible curtain in the sky.
The area where he was had been sealed by a mountains and rivers formation. Realizing the various sects had begun acting against him, and after receiving an innocuous “reprimand” letter from the Imperial Court, he knew he was done for.
Thus, he summoned his only trusted assistant, Wang Xi.
On the city tower in the east of the city, Wu Hanluan said to his hastily arriving subordinate: “Wang Xi, you’ve been with me since the 20th year of the Shu Tian Calendar, right?”
Wang Xi: “Yes, my lord, it’s been nineteen years!”
Wu Hanluan: “Yes, nineteen years, gone in a blink. Back then you and Zhao Tu both joined my command. Zhao Tu got heavy use under Yuan Chang, while you remained my personal soldier.”
Wang Xi sensed something, his eyes reddening: “My lord, I am willing to die for you.”
Wu Hanluan waved his hand: “I know you’re loyal. Do one last thing for me: go to the northeast, bring back Wu Fei to inherit the Wu Family as Military Master. You must assist him well.”
Wang Xi: “My lord, you?”
Wu Hanluan: “I’m beyond saving.”
With that, he undid his armor to reveal the rotting blisters on his body. Looking at Wang Xi’s shocked expression, Wu Hanluan said: “You have them on your back too, that’s how it is for those who follow me. But you can still be saved. Yuan Chang has medicine there. He shows no symptoms by my side; on the contrary, those I sent to him all recovered by his side. Go to him, and you’ll be fine.”
Wang Xi knew Wu Hanluan was arranging his affairs and choked up: “My lord, I—”
Wu Hanluan nodded: “Don’t cry, this is my retribution. I’ve killed too many, harmed too many. Heaven is coming for me, I have no regrets. But the Wu Family’s foundation cannot end like this. My son has courage but lacks a benevolent heart. I’ve always worried about how he would get along with Wu Fei in the future. He (Wu Hengyu) is stubborn; these years he’s relied entirely on Yuan Chang’s support. But Yuan Chang has his own heap of matters, with a large group of people depending on him for livelihood, he can’t support him (Hengyu) forever.”
Wu Hanluan looked at Wang Xi: “When you go, be sure to advise him to conduct himself well in the North. Treat people with less suspicion and more leniency.”
Wang Xi firmly memorized this message, then mounted a Dragon Horse and left Lelang City.
…A thread of vitality, immortals seek to block it…
Outside Lelang City, the many cultivators using magic to manipulate clouds and winds from beyond the sky saw this strand of crimson blood killing intent leaving the city and heading north. They immediately mounted immortal swords and reported to their sect masters.
The Wangheng Sect Master performed a divination, paused slightly, and said: “We must stop him!” The Immortal Sect elders and Dao Venerables conferred, then issued decrees to the disciples. With waves of immortal magic mobilized, cloud qi began surging for hundreds of kilometers.
Relative to the Military Strategist’s killing intent rampaging through densely populated mountains and rivers areas, Immortal Spirit Qi could shift vast ranges of thunder, rain, and dew.
…Perspective shifts to the official road leading out of Chen Land…
Wang Xi galloped madly halfway but soon lost his way, continuous heavy rain pouring in his area, obscuring his surroundings.
He dismounted, squatted on the ground, and dug into the roadside soil with his knife, finding the soil a foot deep was dry. Thus he understood this torrential downpour was targeted at him.
He shouted to the sky: “Which demon is blocking my path!”
A strand of his killing intent erupted, and though the triggered fluctuation was weak compared to this dozens-of-li spiritual qi grand formation, it still affected the mindset of some disciples with insufficient dao foundation.
From the clouds came the voice of the Xuanji Peak Elder: “Expand the formation, don’t disrupt the array! The matter in Zhenzhou has been characterized by the Imperial Court; our array is righteous demon exorcism.”
However, the sect disciples stationed within hundreds of li were still somewhat hesitant. A female cultivator voiced the fear in all cultivators’ hearts: “If this person truly dies unjustly from our magic, forming a baleful ghost, what then?”
Wu Hanluan was still lord over tens of thousands; someone bearing the mission issued by such a lord of tens of thousands carries blood killing intent. If he dies unjustly, it would impact the Human Realm, preventing rebirth in heaven and earth.
The Way of Heaven keeps accounts for those unable to reincarnate. If involving cultivator magic, retribution is inevitable; the Way of Heaven does not fool around, it will guide the killing intent in the ether. Cultivators fear this most.
Just as the formation loosened, a sword light pierced in from outside, and Han Jiangxue broke into the array.
Wang Xi saw a rainless clearing suddenly appear in the downpour and sensed someone there, so he hurriedly drew his knife.
The heroine Han Jiangxue said to this arriving cultivator: “General, don’t act rashly. I’ll lead you out.”
As she transmitted the message, she flashed a red jade waist token engraved with Yongji Pass Commander Mansion.
Wang Xi, like grasping a lifesaving straw: “Immortal, why have you come?”
Han Jiangxue looked up at the sky formation, drew her sword and pointed around, saying: “General, I’ll hold the formation here; you hurry north to report.”
…Raindrop suspended in midair, turning into ice swords one by one…
After Wang Xi left, a cultivator in the formation asked: “Immortal, why bother? The Wu Family’s atrocities deserve heavenly punishment!”
Han Jiangxue coldly: “Some have committed great wrongs and should be executed. But you all fanning the flames, aren’t you afraid of backlash from the Way of Heaven?”
Thus, in the downpour, sword qi clashed. This immortal was soon overwhelmed, and just before defeat, she was taken by a Qinghua Sect elder and locked in confinement.
