noveltune Chapter 55 Eliminating Evil 1, Receiving a Magical Treasure
Chapter 55 Eliminating Evil 1, Receiving a Magical Treasure
the other side.
Si Chen left the dark dungeon and climbed the stairs to the prison. Jia Zi followed closely behind, while two Feathered Guards waited at the door.
Jiazi said, "Those imprisoned here are all the most vicious and wicked people. There are bandits who rob and plunder, as well as vagrants and Rakshasa who have fallen into demonic ways. There are thirty people in total."
"They got off easy." Si Chen narrowed his eyes.
Inside the inner realm, on the North Star Heavenly Pillar where the "Grand Master of the Nine Heavens of Yin and Yang, who patrols the two realms and governs the destiny of the two realms" resides, several lines of large characters are written in celestial script and cloud scrolls: "Eliminate 987 evils."
Things are different now, so there's no need for him to search so diligently anymore.
Thirty thugs, their hands and feet bound, their heads covered, and with cinnabar pen flags stuck behind their backs, knelt on the ground in a row.
Si Chen glanced at it for a moment, then turned and left.
Jiazi was startled and turned around to look.
The thirty strongmen on death row had already lost their breath and collapsed to the ground.
"To be able to go this far by not wanting to rise to power."
This is something that crude and uncouth men cannot achieve.
Elegant, so incredibly elegant.
Si Chen returned to his study. He had just absorbed the souls of those people and subjected them to ten slow slicings in the inner realm before he collapsed.
Only by being more wicked than the wicked can one fight violence with violence.
The "Grand Master of Destiny, the Principal of Yin and Yang, the Nine Heavens, who patrols the two realms" is shining brightly.
A moment later, several lines of celestial script appeared in the inner scene.
"Eliminate a thousand evils, and you will be bestowed with a magical artifact—Xiaoxiang."
Neither gold nor silver nor bronze, it severs thoughts and karma, not people.
Three days later, at midnight on the coast, the opportunity will come.
Si Chen wondered why this magical artifact's transmission had a delay and why it couldn't kill anyone.
What kind of swords of kindness are these?
That's enough.
What harm is there in waiting three days?
Si Chen closed his eyes slightly, nurturing his spirit, connecting with heaven and earth, grasping yin and yang, breathing in vital energy, and guarding his spirit independently.
Above his head was the essence of the sun and moon, and his body was covered in light.
Between breaths, there seemed to be the sounds of wind and thunder.
The spiritual energy emanating from his body flowed through the secret chamber, manifesting as a canopy that hung down, making Si Chen's figure appear hazy and illusory.
Within the secret room, countless indescribable things seemed to be whispering secrets.
The skills and cultivation of this one night are but a fleeting moment.
Si Chen opened his eyes, and the scattered spiritual energy immediately flowed back into its source.
Not a hair's breadth added, not a fraction's loss.
Si Chen lifted his foot and stepped onto the bricks.
He paused slightly, looked down, then smiled without saying a word, and rushed out the door.
A moment later, several bricks screamed and cried out in pain, clutching their heads. The words Si Chen had personally written also appeared, full of laughter and curses. These were words that had been imbued with Si Chen's spiritual energy day and night, and had become sentient.
Si Chen slowly withdrew his gaze. It seemed he could no longer offer random guidance in the future.
We arrived at the main hall.
A grand passageway leads directly to the Palace of Saints ahead.
The main building has five large rooms. Looking up, you are greeted by a large plaque with a red and gold background and three large characters: "翡冷翠" (Fei Leng Cui).
Inside, on a rosewood table, sits a three-foot-tall bronze tripod with a bluish-green hue. Thirty-six nanmu armchairs in the hall correspond precisely to the thirty-six directions of the Taiping Sect.
Xu Wenjue, Song Yingxing, Cao Youyi, the six guardian generals of the left and right, Liu Ji of the Feathered Lin Guard, stood side by side.
The Twelve Tiger Warriors, the Feathered Scale Guards, and Xu Wenjue's trusted retainers waited outside the hall.
"You shall take your place." The crowd bowed and paid their respects.
"Please be seated, everyone." Si Chen took his seat in the main seat and gladly accepted the greeting.
This troupe from thatched cottage is finally starting to look somewhat decent.
If he lowered his standards, he could easily gather a group of people, but Si Chen prefers quality over quantity; this is his basic principle in hiring. Working with a bunch of lousy people is simply disgusting.
Si Chen turned to Xu Wenjue first, "How are you feeling, my dear brother?"
"I will never forget your kindness in bringing me to this position. I feel like I have been reborn!" Xu Wenjue said, his expression filled with uncontrollable joy.
He has nine lives! Nine!
Si Chen smiled without saying a word, then looked at Song Yingxing, "Has Tiangong made any progress?"
"I am deeply grateful! Great and wise teacher, although I am not talented, I do have some skills. If there is a need for my skills, please feel free to use them." Song Yingxing stood respectfully with his hands clasped.
He liked the atmosphere here; there were no ubiquitous knowledge barriers.
That was an invisible red line, inviolable and untouchable. The powerful and wealthy used the secret transmission of knowledge as a means of control, guarding it with utmost vigilance.
This technological blockade persisted throughout the Ming Dynasty, tormenting the remnants of the Northern Yuan to the point of near collapse. Even the most basic craftsmanship could not be passed down, let alone the Great Leap Forward in steel production, leading to complete barbarization.
Si Chen helped Song Yingxing up, saying, "With your help, sir, I feel like a fish in water."
Within the interior, the new stars quickly found their place.
A blue bird flashed in Song Yingxing's pupils, and he felt as if divinely inspired. "My lord, I have mastered the art of the wooden ox and flowing horse, and its promotion is of utmost urgency. As you all know, there are three thousand households weaving looms in Songjiang alone. The various prefectures and states in the south have nearly one hundred thousand craftsmen, producing four hundred thousand tons of steel annually."
At that time, steel production accounted for 70% of the world's total.
This is not only a crushing defeat in terms of sheer quantity of craftsmanship, but also a generational gap in technology.
Si Chen laughed and said, "Just as Song Tiangong said, we are practically penniless here."
I entrust this important task entirely to you.
The Taiping Jingguo Hall opens its doors to everyone, and I firmly believe that while there are distinctions of rank in the world, there is no inherent nobility or baseness among people.
There are many poor people in the world, and they are all brothers.
There are many women in the world, and they are all sisters.
The art of the wooden ox and flowing horse should not be limited to major military and national affairs; rulers should act in accordance with Heaven's will and benefit their people.
If this art of wooden oxen and flowing horses were to become widespread...
Then the land system of the Celestial Empire could be promulgated.
I entrust this great banner of the Seven Stars of the North Star to you, and command all 100,000 soldiers and civilians of the Taiping Road to obey your orders!
This system, which is currently only being discussed internally, returns all land to God in the form of the Yellow One.
Without first liberating the people from labor, everything else is just empty talk.
Song Yingxing immediately bowed, "Your subject obeys Taiyi's decree!"
Si Chen turned around and said, "Everyone, from now on, all actions will be carried out under Song Tiangong's command."
"Yes!" the crowd replied, bowing in agreement.
"Wenjue, stay behind for a moment." Si Chen watched everyone leave.
Xu Wenjue's abilities don't lie in this, so Si Chen didn't expect him to cause trouble.
Si Chen: "Recently, the emperor has summoned troops from all over the land to defend the emperor. What do you think we should do, my brother?"
Xu Wenjue paused for a moment, "When I went north, I heard that Liu Zeqing, the general of Shandong, had his troops come to the aid of the emperor."
Although they claimed to be loyal to the emperor, they were actually plunderers, and their troops were not of great use.
The troops in the south either remained stationary or faced difficulties due to long journeys and insufficient supplies.
They're not a threat; they're not worth worrying about.
Si Chen agreed.
Liu Zeqing, the Shandong General Commander, was also a fence-sitter.
You'd be better off relying on me than on him.
Xu Wenjue continued, "General Tang Tong of Jizhou is stationed at Santunying and has led troops to defend the capital. General Li Shouhan of Changping is guarding the imperial tombs and the northern gateway to Beijing. General Liu Guangzu of Baoding is guarding Zijing Pass and Daoma Pass."
These three places have neither elite troops nor provisions, so they are not a cause for concern.
Only Wu Sangui possessed 30,000 elite warriors, a fact that sparked endless debate in the imperial court...
Apart from that, there were very few respondents.
Si Chen said, "It seems that the fate of the Ming Dynasty has indeed run its course."
Xu Wenjue suddenly spoke up: "Does taking power mean you're content to just be a spectator?"
Si Chen raised an eyebrow. "You have a way?"
Xu Wenjue said, "The opportunity lies in western Liaoning! Wu Sangui's supplies are all provided by sea. The fleet will depart from Liujiawan, circle around Jiaozhou in Shandong, and head straight for Juehua Island."
"Why? This thankless task is not like the way things are done in the South."
"Plenty of silver, why not take it? He may lack provisions, but he has a treasure trove of wealth."
Now Si Chen understood everything. "He contacted you?"
Xu Wenjue laughed and said, "As expected, I couldn't escape your discerning eyes."
Si Chen pondered for a moment. He really needed to see Wu Sangui in person. "Ten days from now, I will go to Juehua Island to discuss this matter in person."