Chapter 76: Heaven And Earth Strike Back: Revering The King, Repelling The Barbarians
Wu Fei, as a human, has limited perception of the high-energy microscopic physical world. When the sparrow-shaped red light enveloped him, he neither knew the stellar-level energy intensity of the “incinerate stone and boil water” ferocity during the red light’s pull, nor the consequences caused across planetary-scale breadth during this pulling process.
As a powerful being, upon “just opening its eyes,” it does not know its impact on the world, hence it can be called a “chick.”
The Vermilion Bird’s beacon left in the Xi Ren Realm carefully observed Wu Fei, confirmed that his development was extremely good, his bloodline extremely pure, but excessively willful, and finally helplessly returned, entering the mantle within less than the time of burning one incense stick and continuing to drill downward.
The Vermilion Bird knew: only an avatar it sent itself could bring back this “chick.”
…Wu Fei perspective…
This interstellar coordinate that Wu Fei regarded as a “red light bird sparrow” grew increasingly hot in temperature during its advance toward the core of the Earth, rapidly reaching 100,000 degrees Celsius from the initial “gentle” four to five thousand degrees Celsius at the surface.
And as it touched more and more core of the Earth material, like the glowing tip of a cigarette being fiercely inhaled, this Vermilion Bird interstellar coordinate’s temperature reached one million degrees Celsius after penetrating the mantle. And it continued to rise after entering the core of the Earth.
As the Vermilion Bird interstellar coordinate fully injected into the central core of the Earth in an instant, all living beings on the entire planet felt an inexplicable heat in their hearts!
And in the instant all living beings on the planet were dazed, a shockwave inside the planet quickly penetrated the mantle and spread outward.
Centered on the Vermilion Bird sacred land under Wu Fei’s feet, an imperceptible shock with an intensity of only magnitude 2 spread out.
…Micro perspective…
When Wu Fei walked down the mountain, he paused slightly and asked the people around him: “Did you just feel that?”
The officers and soldiers were confused with no reaction, while the masters pinched their fingers to calculate and divine. Gongshu Wang was the first to respond: “General, the earth veins just moved slightly.”
Ang Ri then pinched his fingers to calculate and said to Wu Fei: “My lord, I think we need not worry. This earth vein movement is not aimed at us. You simply had a communion between human and divine.”
…Planetary perspective…
This surface earthquake fluctuation of only about magnitude 2 began to spread in a ring shape across the entire planet, and on this ring, it always maintained the initial diffusion shock intensity, just like a drop of water falling into the Pacific Ocean, with the water wave peak never attenuating.
The generation of energy on this scale, according to normal Earth physics, would ultimately produce a super earthquake capable of turning the crust into a canyon due to shockwave convergence.
This uniformly spreading earthquake fluctuation on the Xi Ren Realm crustal plates would not ultimately “resonate” into destructive plate-tearing effects. Because the medium now conducting the great earthquake wave energy is not only the crust, but another medium! This medium is the one through which the Evil Moon currently projects its influence on the Xi Ren Realm.
The terrifying earthquake energy fluctuation spread toward space in a direction humans could not see.
Several months ago, the four Evil Moons respectively seized some spiritual mountains, making the mountains fly into space and fall into themselves. Now, the energy fluctuation from the Xi Ren Realm also conducted up the ladder they built to the Evil Moons.
…Thousands of miles away…
Xian Daoren was holding a mirror, shining it on himself. In the mirror, there was no one else, just a large moving eye.
Eight kinds of magic energy flowed around the mirror. The large eye selected streams of energy attributes by shifting its gaze and absorbed them.
In front of Xian Daoren, a large group of foolish people were worshiping.
And sixty miles away in the distance was Golden Glow Ridge, a famous spiritual vein, a place that immortal families must contend for. The struggle for the orthodox lineage on the mountain had lasted several hundred years, and since thousands of years ago, the dominant sect had changed three times.
Evidently, Xian Daoren was still immersed in his own plan.
A copper gong sounded below, the foolish people all lowered their heads, and as Xian Daoren prepared to speak at the grand ceremony, suddenly he looked up at the sky, his expression showing confusion.
But soon, his three eyes simultaneously widened, staring fixedly at the sky.
The four Evil Moons simultaneously manifested outlines, but somewhat different from normal, starting in pairs, appearing in a social dance state, and the social dance movements were first two hooking hands and spinning with long arms, finally embracing.
Not just Xian Daoren.
On the Nine Palaces of Da Yao, the Sitian Chengs all walked out of the palaces one after another, looking up to divine the anomaly.
And in various spiritual mountains, cultivators flying on swords or riding spirit beasts also crossed the clouds, flying into the clear sky, looking up.
…Savage violent starry sky…
The Evil Moon was now in a sorry state, twisted into a spinning egg under gravitational pull.
This existence as another physical world had physics rules that were completely incompatible with the Xi Ren Realm planet.
To the point that whatever the Xi Ren Realm threw up would be distorted by the rules. And the Evil Moon would even mock the Xi Ren Realm’s actions as a blessing.
Faced with provocation from an untouchable thing, what to do? No way.
But what if smashing one fiercely at another?
At this moment in the high sky, the internal energy fluctuation of the Xi Ren Realm caused the blue Evil Moon and purple Evil Moon to lock onto each other; caused the green Evil Moon and red Evil Moon to lock onto each other.
Thus, a brilliant collision—no, it should be a “cocktail” blending—occurred.
The two pairs of dance partners spun faster and faster, closer and closer, with blue and purple fusing first.
In the purple area, due to materialization, a large number of volcanoes appeared. Before fusion, the volcanoes began to erupt with brilliant fireworks. Before falling into the purple fallen domain, they formed magnificent death art.
And this beautiful art seized the moment at this instant, merging into the blue space, just like waking up like a clever ghost the second before great terror in a nightmare, or directly carrying this terror transmigrating into another person’s dream.
The blue space labyrinth shook rapidly, forcibly penetrated shamelessly by various purple falling tentacles. On the originally hallucinatory mirror-composed labyrinth, a large number of ukiyo-e images appeared, and the purple images, like water flows, began to fill every part of the labyrinth until the labyrinth collapsed in large patches due to information overload. Before collapsing, the blue labyrinth detailedly analyzed those pleasure sensations, so the creatures from the purple area, after intruding into the labyrinth, had their desires extinguished like flames, becoming saintly and wise, then confused, calm.
As for the other pair, red and green.
Like the collision of a blood sea and a feces sea, mosquitoes and maggots bled from seven orifices, the red blood warriors were covered with mosquitoes, neither yielding to each other. And the maggots transformed from originally white and fat to covered in black carapace, with mouthparts and teeth turning into fighting insects.
…Evil Moon becomes two pairs of Yin Yang Fish…
Wu Family Army northern route, Wu Hanluan was looking at the map. Due to no warfare for over a year, his figure had become somewhat fat. Suddenly, he felt a burning heat in his chest.
Then he coughed, coughing led to dry heaving, suddenly blood water spurted from his mouth.
The personal soldiers nearby hurriedly supported him upon seeing this. Wu Hanluan stopped him: “I’m fine.”
When he sat back in his position, he instructed the personal soldiers: “This matter cannot let Hengyu know.”
The surrounding personal soldiers nodded. Even the young general was not allowed to know, then no one could know.
The military tent restored quiet. Wu Hanluan thought of something, opened the southern border map, and sighed: “You brothers must get along harmoniously.”
Wu Hanluan had received recent family letters, already knowing that Wu Fei had taken troops to the southern border again, and crossed the Ling River, seemingly trying to thoroughly resolve the southern border issue.
Regarding this, Wu Hanluan was very gratified. Wu Fei was stronger than him in southern border operations, achieving what generations of Wu Family ancestors wanted to do. Passing the Military Master position to Wu Fei was truly correct.
…Half a month later, this disturbance seemed to have passed…
On the southern bank of the Ling River, Wu Fei divided the army he brought this time into three batches. The first batch had already taken war chariots and other military supplies back to Yongji Pass. The second batch withdrew to the north bank of the Ling River to hand over tasks in Fen Xing City. He himself led the last batch of troops, coordinating with the servant army recruited from the north bank of the Ling River, to garrison in the southern border.
When making this arrangement, Wu Fei also took a small measure: he and Yao San Gu merged tents.
After merging tents, rumors spread from various camps in the army as follows.
“The young marshal fell ill together with the Yao fairy!” “Really or fake?” These gossips, under the influence of two liang of wine, began to embellish the rumor details. When excited, they started singing the script of “Heavenly Immortal Matching,” and the group of soldier men showed hehe smiles.
If in the past, upon hearing such “conduct” issues spreading, Wu Fei would definitely clarify the rumor.
Literary singing of “warm hibiscus tent spending spring night” would chill the hearts of blood-battling soldiers. And Wu Fei’s military rules also strictly forbade carrying female entertainers during marches and battles.
The current situation was that the army corps was in non-wartime, a peaceful garrison period. In Wu Fei’s recognized military rules: soldiers were allowed to have family members reside nearby in the garrison area, which helped stabilize morale.
It was like that in Fen Xing City. Wu Fei had specially opened a family member area in the central fortress area for non-commissioned officers and officers’ family members to reside there. Of course, if soldiers took local women as concubines, arrangements were also made locally.
The signal released by Wu Fei and Yao San Gu sharing a camp was very clear: he was to reside long-term in the southern Ling River for half a year.
Of course, Wu Fei did not indulge in female charms. At night, he did not hold her, after all, the large tent was not soundproof. Wu Fei was shy.
This small “merging camps” was, in the eyes of the crowd of generals and soldiers, “long overdue.”
When Wu Fei asked Zhao Tu whether his “allowing women into camp” had any negative impact in the camp.
Zhao Tu: “General, you were too much before. Holding two thousand soldiers, managing food and drink for over ten thousand people, having no heir really makes everyone uneasy!”
This answer stunned Wu Fei. Then, substituting into this ritual system era, he suddenly understood.
Heirs were equivalent to a token left by an entrepreneur. This token was more authentic than any seal in this feudal era.
In case this lord unexpectedly passed away. If nothing was left behind, with such a large setup, no one to take charge! Even if there were some talented persons under him, they could not rise to convince the crowd.
But as long as the former lord had an heir, the successor could first grasp regency rights, then take over this great undertaking created.
For this generation of generals, whether the future successor continued to expand to replace or waited for the child to grow up to become a ruler maintaining achievements, the foundation they fought for now would not scatter like bandits.
In the eyes of the many “meritorious dogs” in the southern border: Wu Fei had already proven with ability that he was the founding ancestor. Producing heirs to continue the lineage was a mandatory task.
This “successor” could not be substituted by taking disciples or adopting righteous sons.
Liu Bei back then hesitated between “enfeoffment” and “zen,” even if “enfeoffing” this righteous son whom Liu Bei had recognized for many years, and A Dou’s ability was not below average. But forces equivalent to Liu Bei’s imperial clan like Guan Yu still clearly believed this foundation fought for should be handed to big brother’s legitimate son!
Nothing else, the group was legitimate son inheritance, the logic very simple, no need for doctrinal debates, shareholders outside the lord need not infight.
Now, after the Wu Family Army southern route group finished the southern border, their mindset had silently changed.
Noticing this point, Xuan Chong (Wu Fei): For these generals and soldiers who exchanged blood rewards with knife edges, handing the wealth obtained by selling their lives this lifetime to blood kin was an absolutely unshakable “ideology.”
And Xuan Chong made a patch cognition: if those who shed blood willingly handed the wealth obtained by selling their lives to “non-blood kin” compatriots, that was the awareness of near-modern nationalist martyrs, the great righteousness of the era undergoing a whole new evolution.
As for in this world, Xuan Chong felt he should still follow tradition.
Because even in that new era of the previous life, if really selecting non-blood kin successors, Xuan Chong’s standards were actually very strict: first brave, fearless; then strong, not vain.
However, in that era, finding such non-blood kin successors was harder than earning a million. The streets were full of selfish people cultivated by consumerism.
…After the army exiting closed-door cultivation returned…
Wu Fei stayed near the Ling River, building four strongpoints similar to Fen Xing City. These strongpoints’ current construction was similar to the large camp in Donghua Commandery. For quick footing and defense, no wall brick structure was temporarily adopted.
But apart from lacking rammed earth bricks and tiles city walls, and direct imperial court enfeoffed city gods, the specific construction was almost like a city.
One by one felled giant woods were sharpened, hardened by baking, charred black, and buried in the soil. Forming camp walls like wooden city walls.
At the same time, due to the numerous slaves received from Lingnan, it was naturally impossible to just let them go back. Instead, utilizing this abundant labor force to reclaim fields to support these four cities.
Wu Fei cautiously believed: currently while the hundred southern border tribes are temporarily “in awe of might,” doing this work was very cost-effective. Once local popular sentiment detached from fear and rebellious hearts rose again, implementing these royal enterprises would be much harder.
After such large camps were built, the grain sent from the south was almost consumed, so these slaves were released to return home. These southern border local races could not starve to death in the jungle; they could survive even digging insects from rotten wood. So no need to feed them.
Strategically speaking, Wu Fei was quietly embedding four nails here. Choking the economic lifeline of the many tribes in the future southern Ling River.
According to Wu Fei’s planning, these villages would have a constant troop strength of two hundred, garrisoned by his economically applicable troops.
Regarding blood rewards for the garrison troops, Wu Fei believed: no need to supply them with king-fostered knight treatment, just give the garrison commander a rank. As for the soldiers below, they were like military households.
The Ming dynasty military household defects lay in, in the Jiangnan region, suffering invasion by noble family systems, losing the army’s independence. So that military colonies were managed by military commanders yet squeezed by local bureaucrat groups with civilian control of military, and ultimately after the civilian official group completely overwhelmed military household martial officers, the bottom military households were pushed to the edges, becoming actual serfs. No honor, no organization, no combat power.
But in border regions, civilian officials’ rights could not overstep. Reclamation martial officers were directly under the general’s mansion! Military households were no longer social stratum bottom.
Before Wu Fei left in 32 years, he granted these four camp villages’ Qian Hu one each a copper “Captain Commander” seal, this was the legal position Wu Fei as Major General representing the imperial court could issue. Of course, Wu Fei had not yet reported to the imperial court. Given the imperial court’s current daily decline, report when opportunity arises.
These four Qian Hu did not know Wu Fei had not reported yet, taking it as a proper imperial court appointment, excitedly accepting this position. In fact, this position, even if really weighed at the imperial court, no fault could be found.
Because this was a proper fortress garrisoned on Da Yao’s new border. Belonging to a factual “post.” What, when settling accounts later, the imperial court cannot find corresponding “roster” in the central treasury? Oh, must be data loss in the treasury, will supplement roster based on the post. Cannot say this “post” is fake, and retreat the border.
As long as border grassroots actual control is stable, procedures can be supplemented based on dug-up inscribed text and other evidence.
Correct, Wu Fei erected steles here, clearly stating these four military towns were set here by Yongji Pass general’s mansion, mutual market points with southern Ling River Tusi tribes.
The four fortresses were respectively called Left Wing Fortress, Left Claw Fortress, Right Claw Fortress, Right Wing Fortress. With this naming, Wu Fei verbally: all my wings and claws.
Actual reason: “Currently these military strongpoints are still wooden fences, giving too awesome names is inappropriate. Inland bureaucrats seeing would say ‘just this.’ Wu Fei: ‘In border best to be simple, can be mocked for lack of culture, but cannot be capped with arrogant self-importance. Wait until this place is really awesome, invite inland weighty literati to compose a poem, then rename not late.'”
Wu Fei authorized these commanders in the fortresses: in future if they had money, change the village into a city, wooden fences into rammed earth walls, outside rammed earth walls can stack stone bricks, no need to consider transgression, strengthen defense military preparations, that is honoring the king and repelling barbarians!
