The battle situation outside the Great Wall has truly shaken the world. The natives of this world thought that even the renowned Governor Yuan had been defeated and killed by the Manchu Tartars. Wouldn't the Ming Dynasty be doomed? Who in the court could stand against them now?
The group attending the Order Ceremony was utterly astonished. No one knew better than them how powerful Commander Augustus was. His reputation for fighting against the Cult of Annihilation over the years was earned through countless victories.
How could such a top expert die in a secret realm that was originally thought to be just a formality?
Could it be that the God of Annihilation has descended upon us personally?
Zuan shook his head. If a true god were to descend in person, his vast and majestic aura would permeate the entire world, making it impossible not to sense it.
As he was pondering this, an imperial edict appeared in the sky. Clearly, the Grand Elder was in a panic and summoned all relevant parties to the capital for discussion.
He also had many doubts in his mind at this time. After arranging things in the Northwest, he returned to the capital with the imperial edict.
When he left, Li Zicheng was leading eighteen horsemen in the Shangluo Mountains, their faces filled with despair.
Hong Chengchou was simply too strong. Whether it was his personal strength or his military strategy, even a figure like the rebel leader Li Zicheng was completely wiped out. They saw absolutely no hope of turning the tide.
They even considered breaking up the group, but they all knew very well that if they returned to their hometowns, they would definitely be arrested and executed by slow slicing by the government. They were all discussing how to hide their identities.
Hearing his men's discussion, Li Zicheng stood alone on the edge of the cliff, his heart filled with despair; everyone's spirits had already broken down.
Just then, a figure shrouded in a cloak appeared before him: "Do you want to make a comeback?"
Li Zicheng was startled. How did this guy suddenly appear? "Who are you?"
"Don't worry about who I am. I can give you the power you need most to help you get your revenge." The shadowy figure's voice carried a strange, seductive quality.
Li Zicheng's breathing quickened suddenly: "Alright, I need power!"
Now it was the shadowy figure's turn to be surprised: "Aren't you going to ask what you want in return?"
"No need to ask. I have nothing left to lose. I need power to avenge King Li Zicheng and to overthrow this damned Ming Dynasty!"
"Good, I knew I hadn't chosen the wrong person. From now on, you will gain the power of reproduction. Your subordinates will grow like a snowball, inexhaustible and ever-expanding..."
A strange light shone on Li Zicheng, and his originally desperate eyes grew brighter and brighter.
He immediately went to his men and said, "Brothers, fight back with me! We will take back everything we have lost with our own hands!"
...
The Forbidden City, the Imperial Study.
The room was already in an uproar as everyone discussed what had happened, clearly realizing the unusual nature of this grand ceremony.
Zuan stood in the corner with Isabella: "Bella, still no news of Chu Yan?"
Chu Yan hadn't come to the capital to meet him as promised, and he had been trying to find out about her through his own means, but unfortunately, he hadn't gotten any results.
“Brother Zu, you don’t need to worry. I recently received some information that someone saw a beautiful woman overseas, and her description is very similar to Sister Chu,” Isabella comforted her.
"Overseas?" Zu An's heart stirred. This world had become much larger because of their involvement. With the sea as a barrier, it was understandable that Chu Yan couldn't reach the capital.
“Yes, that’s territory controlled by the Zheng family, and they’re hostile to the current imperial court. That’s probably why Sister Chu can’t get here,” Isabella explained.
At this moment, the Grand Elder's voice quelled the noise in the Imperial Study: "The situation outside the pass has taken a sharp turn for the worse. Fortunately, Hermes is stationed at Shanhaiguan, and Naraku has stabilized the cities outside the pass, which has prevented the Qing army from invading. What do you all think we should do next?"
The people in the Imperial Study looked at each other, and the atmosphere became somewhat heavy. Even the powerful Augustus had died in battle, and the others knew it would be difficult to do better than him.
"With Second Brother and Sixth Brother here, the situation outside the pass should be able to stabilize, right?" Fifth Elder Lilith was no longer indifferent as she had been last time; this time she also came to discuss important matters.
"What good is merely maintaining stability? Our purpose in this grand ceremony is to save the Ming Dynasty and rebuild order. We must first pacify the foreign tribes beyond the Great Wall." The Grand Elder's face was gloomy. "Neither Hermes nor Naraku are skilled in military affairs. They are good at maintaining the status quo but lack the ability to advance. Who do you think has the ability to go beyond the Great Wall and suppress the Manchus?"
The people in the Imperial Study frowned, no longer as relaxed as they had been the last time they were here.
Fourth Elder Mostima suddenly spoke up: "I think Zaun is the most suitable."
Everyone's gaze fell on Zuan. Isabella's heart tightened, and she hurriedly said, "Fourth Elder, Brother Zuan is still young after all, and I'm afraid he may not be able to shoulder this heavy responsibility. The uncles and elders should be more capable."
She knew that the area beyond the Great Wall was extremely dangerous, and that her brother Zu would likely meet with certain death if he went there, so she naturally did not want her lover to take the risk.
Other participants in the ceremony of order also echoed this sentiment:
"Yes, with several elders present, it is indeed inappropriate to send an outsider."
“We trust the Second Elder and the Sixth Elder more; it’s hard to feel at ease entrusting the border affairs to anyone else,”
...
Zuan also said, "I am of limited talent and knowledge. Even Captain Augustus couldn't do anything about it, so I would be at a loss as well. Moreover, I am a Memory Envoy, so it would probably be inappropriate for me to get too involved."
This Fourth Elder is not related to me at all, so why has he been helping me ever since we were in the Hall of Wealth?
Was it a case of discerning eye, or was there another motive?
“We are all very clear about your major battles in suppressing the rebels in the Northwest. You completely quelled the massive rebel army. I doubt anyone here has better military skills than you. If we were to find someone to deal with the Qing Dynasty, you would definitely be the best choice.” Mostima added, “Besides, you are not only the Messenger of Memory, but also the future son-in-law of our Chamber of Commerce. You are not an outsider.”
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
