434 The Emperor’s Backup
Qin Huai abruptly fell silent. More than half a year ago at the docks, people had already begun using goods and gold as a form of barter, instead of silver or coins. The currency imprinted with “Great Nether Treasure Store” had started to lose its value. When a dynasty’s currency begins to crumble and devalue, it says a lot about the state of the dynasty itself.
“Haha…” The emperor shook his head. “You don’t understand. Those guys have probably already infiltrated the various major powers.” He then gestured at Qin Huai and said, “Come and take a look.”
Qin Huai quickly approached, observing the scene in the water that the emperor had magnified. A woman walked by, her skirt fluttering with her movement, hinting at powerful legs underneath.
“From the definition of her muscles, this woman’s legs are incredibly strong, suggesting her overall physique is very strong. However, her slender arms are not as sturdy. It appears she focuses on martial arts that emphasize leg strength.”
“Is there a problem?” Qin Huai inspected the scene but couldn’t identify anything suspicious.
“Ahem, that’s not the point. Look at this.” The emperor adjusted the focus of the water surface, revealing a man next to the woman. The man’s clothes were ragged, and his lips were constantly moving, indicating a heated argument with someone.
“Look at his chest,” the emperor instructed.
Qin Huai noticed a gray bird symbol on the man’s chest.
“One of the eight kings of the Dark Clan was a dark-winged roc. He supposedly possessed the ancient demon Kun Peng’s bloodline and was incredibly powerful. Back then, the clan didn’t have any distinguishing marks. But considering your earlier comment about the Great Nether, and now this symbol…” The Emperor of Qingzhou let out a sardonic laugh. “The world has truly changed.”
Qin Huai stayed silent, a sense of dread creeping over him. He despised demons and devils. If such beings had penetrated the state capital or even the entirety of the Great You, what would become of the human race?
“Senior, I’m going to cultivate,” Qin Huai announced, feeling an invisible pressure bearing down on him. He moved to the bronze mountain and river diagram, sat down cross-legged, and began to refine this artifact using the ancient azure illusion scripture.
“In the visceral prefecture realm, inject the qi and blood of your dantian world’s cultivation technique into the guardian spirit item. Nourish it over time, so you can refine it as per your will,” the emperor advised. “You can think of refining the guardian spirit item like taming a wild dog, feeding it until it trusts you enough to come close and follow your commands…”
Qin Huai laughed hearing the emperor’s analogy of refining the guardian spirit item to befriending a wild dog. It must be said that the emperor of Qingzhou’s words and demeanor were unlike those of traditional experts.
Qin Huai, still chuckling, forced the bronze earth in his dantian world into a ball of blood essence and exuded it through his pores. In an instant, his face turned pale as a sheet, as if all his energy had been drained.
Trembling, he transferred his blood essence into the bronze mountain and river diagram. He then shut his eyes and activated the ancient azure illusion scripture fervently.
Buzz…
In the pitch-black world, Qin Huai seemed to perceive a faint green light.
Rumble…
Qin Huai heard an odd sound from the bronze mountain and river diagram. Excited, he continued activating the ancient azure illusion scripture, trying to manipulate the diagram.
Dang dang dang…
Qin Huai had a faint impression of the bronze mountain and river diagram drawing closer to him. As it absorbed his blood essence, it fused with his body.
Puff!
Suddenly, Qin Huai coughed up blood. An overwhelming pressure surged from every part of his body, even causing blood to seep out of his pores. It felt like the weight of an entire prefecture had descended upon him.
“Dragon king form!” Qin Huai quickly activated his dragon king form, resulting in a bright white light. The seven patterns on his body lit up with crackling sounds, causing him to sit up straight.
Boom!
Inside his dantian world, the bronze land teemed with life — plants and animals were living harmoniously, resembling a fully-realized world.
“Calm your mind. The next step is critical,” the emperor’s voice reverberated in his ears. “The biggest mistake when sending the guardian spirit item into your organs is rushing. Guide the qi and blood slowly into your liver.”
Qin Huai steadied his mind and started pushing a large amount of blood and qi gradually into his organs, helping to move the guardian spirit item.
…
In Qingzhou, inside a modest and unpretentious manor spanning about a thousand square meters, an elderly man in simple clothes sat in an armchair looking out the door.
“The imperial edict has arrived!” A shrill voice rang out from the distance.
A man leisurely approached, holding an imperial edict. His face was pale, and he wore a purple robe adorned with oxen and tiger designs, signifying he was a eunuch of the Great You.
“Lord Prefecture Overseer, please accept the decree?” the eunuch asked, smiling.
The old man, unmoving like a mountain, slightly raised his head. “Proceed.”
The eunuch nodded. “Currently, there are numerous disputes within the Great You. Demons are causing chaos, and rebels are everywhere. It’s causing sleepless nights…”
“Eunuch Gong, get to the point.” The old man laughed, interrupting the eunuch. “I’m too old to listen to your nonsense.”
“The lord said it was urgent.” The eunuch maintained his pleasant demeanor. “Now that the military policy is relaxed, the prefecture overseers can assemble their own armies to quell the chaos and restore peace in the Great You. Starting today, each of the sixteen states will have a state chief martial lord, and the state overseers will take up the post.”
A flicker of surprise flashed across the old man’s eyes. “In that case, thank you for your grace, Your Majesty,” he said as he cupped his hands.
The eunuch was so frightened that he quickly retreated. “Martial Lord, you must be joking.”
“Eunuch, if there is nothing else, please leave.” The old man dismissed him with a wave.
The eunuch promptly departed. As he left the prefecture overseer’s manor, a hint of gloom flashed across his eyes. “This martial lord of Qingzhou is so arrogant.”
Back in the prefecture overseer’s manor, a young man burst in and knelt on the ground.
“My lord! I couldn’t help but find many skeletons with three full bone patterns in the sinkhole, as well as many bronze artifacts. I suspect that the strange occurrences in Qingzhou for the past ten thousand years were all the work of the emperor of Qingzhou!” he reported.
The old man instantly rose to his feet, his expression becoming grave. “Emperor of Qingzhou… Does he really have a backup plan?”
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