Chapter 1433: Seizing the Bridge, Blowing Up the Waterway (Twenty-Four) [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
"We've already killed so many, a few more won't make a difference."
Hearing Gongyang Yongye's gloating mockery, the monk didn't even raise his eyelids. He knew perfectly well who the real decision-maker was among those present. This old man had neither the authority to make final decisions nor the power to change course; all his words were just empty rhetoric.
"Hmph, I knew you monk were black-hearted."
Gongyang Yongye saw through the monk's little scheme at a glance.
The monk still ignored him.
Out of consideration for their brief period of working together, he chanted sutras to help the five unfortunate souls find peace. Apart from Qin Li and Qi Shan, no one present could understand his rambling. Qin Li understood because he had practiced Buddhism in his youth, spending several years cultivating his mind and body in a remote mountain temple, and thus had a certain level of understanding of Buddhism. Qi Shan understood because he had put in effort to please Qin Gongzi back then.
He has impure intentions and has only learned a few superficial tricks to deceive people.
Seeing Qin Li sit down on the ground and begin chanting scriptures, Qi Shan sneered, "He's performing a rite for others out of a sense of shared sorrow, like a rabbit mourning the death of a fox. Perhaps his life will be in danger later, so he's chanting for himself in advance. How come our Kang Kingdom's Junior Tutor Qin is also learning this trick?"
Qin Li said, "Soldiers also made sacrifices."
Qi Shan's expression was neither sad nor happy. She looked down and saw that Qin Li's seat was still covered with someone's outer robe. She thought to herself that Qin Li was a meticulous person no matter where he was: "Giving more compensation to the families after the war and taking good care of the orphans and the elderly is more effective than any Buddhist scripture for salvation."
He refused to believe that Qin Gongsu did not understand this principle.
Hmph, you're just saying one thing and meaning another.
What truly disturbs the peace of the deceased is nothing more than things they couldn't let go of in life: "Instead of wasting time and breath reciting sleep-inducing scriptures, Junior Tutor Qin should go to the Ministry of Revenue to urge them more and say some flattering words to his brother so that the Secretariat will make things less difficult for him."
Qi Shan was the head of the Secretariat and was favored by the Emperor.
The Ministry of Revenue controls the purse strings, and asking them for money is like asking for someone's life; some procedures can be so tedious that you'll lose all your temper. Although Xun Zhen isn't a mean-spirited person, the Ministry of Revenue isn't his personal fiefdom, and the officials, big and small, might not necessarily be on his side.
Qin Li almost laughed out of anger at Qi Shan.
He countered with, "Brother?"
Before Qin Li could finish his sentence, "Who do you think you are, brother?", Qi Shan preemptively agreed to take advantage of him: "Sigh!"
Qin Li: "..."
He was so angry he wanted to grab a rock and smash it in Qi Shan's face.
They tore that annoying face apart.
Because of Qi Shan's meddling, the traces of sorrow and grief that Qin Li had taken from the battlefield vanished, replaced by an urge to hit someone. Qi Shan clicked his tongue: "Young Master Qin, you should stop cultivating Buddhism and your mind. You're full of greed, anger, and ignorance; you're easily irritable and prone to anger."
Qin Li, expressionless, drew a dagger from Zhao Feng's waist.
Seeing that the situation was not good, Qi Shan took off running first.
Qin Li was a step too slow and missed it: "Prepare to die!"
Even as Qi Shan ran, he didn't forget to turn back and provoke her. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the outer robe spread out on the ground clearly belonged to some military officer. Then he saw that Zhao Feng's robe was missing half a piece, and he knew what had happened. Qin Li also thought of Zhao Feng as an outside help: "Dayi, hold him down for me!"
Zhao Feng wasn't really keen on joining.
Firstly, Qi Shan was too vengeful, and secondly, he was now a grandfather and should be more composed. Sometimes, looking at Young Master Qin and Grand Tutor Qi, he imagined two grandsons at home playfully pulling each other's hair. If the two of them changed their topknot hairstyles, they would look even more alike.
When children fight, adults should not get involved.
"Oh, even Zhao Dayi doesn't want you anymore."
Zhao Feng's alarm blared, and he laughed and scolded, "Grand Tutor Qi, how could you do this? I kindly let you go, why are you still trying to sow discord?"
Gu Chi rolled his eyes rudely: "At your age, you still act like a naive child. It's disgusting."
He just can't stand things that are so offensive.
It's definitely not because he's jealous.
"Even fighting and killing is more soothing to the ears than Buddhist scriptures," Zhao Feng thought, recalling Qin Li from his younger days. When the young master Qin chanted scriptures and recited Buddhist mantras, his eyes were lowered and closed, and he did indeed have a touch of compassion like a clay bodhisattva. But a clay figure is still a clay figure; where is the human touch in his body?
If it weren't for a group of homeless people still hoping to rely on Qin Li, Zhao Feng would have doubted whether Qin Li could truly shave his head, become a monk on the spot, and renounce worldly affairs. A hermit doesn't have so many worldly troubles.
Qi Shan sought Shen Tang as a patron, thus avoiding a bloody disaster.
"...Yuan Liangshao bullied Gong Su, and he's tired today too."
Look how angry he's made!
Qi Shan was displeased with these words: "He's tired, but I'm not?"
What do you mean he bullied Duke Su of Qin?
Who was chasing me with a dagger?
Before he, the victim, could even voice his grievances, the Lord had already taken sides.
Shen Tang: "...So you admit to bullying someone?"
Qi Shan: "..."
Qi Shan: "I can't stand those empty platitudes."
Zhao Feng disliked Qin Li chanting Buddhist scriptures, and Qi Shan didn't like it much either. Qin Li's focused and calm demeanor always gave people the feeling that he could comprehend the mortal world at any moment, and he seemed to have no human touch around him. This always reminded Qi Shan of another face that was calm to the point of death.
It's better to struggle in this mortal world.
As one of Tan Lezheng's few friends, even if he wants to go ashore, he should wait until he has completed his merits, right?
Qin Li nearly snapped in anger: "Don't listen to his nonsense!"
It was merely that the monk had stirred up memories, causing me to pick up long-forgotten old things and calm my mind for a while, which led to this turmoil.
Shen Tang: "..."
Qi Shan's eyelids drooped, her gaze seemingly falling into the void, her eyes empty: "Today... is a special day."
He lowered his voice, and when he got serious, it made people feel inexplicably sorry for him.
Shen Tang tried hard to recall what was different about this day in previous years. Qin Li also noticed Qi Shan's unusual behavior today and subconsciously softened his breathing. Shen Tang asked Qi Shan, "What...is today such a big day?"
Qi Shan: "Oh, the anniversary of the late Lord's death."
Now it was Shen Tang's turn to break down: "...Which former lord?"
Good heavens, Qi Shan has seven ancestors! He actually remembers the death anniversaries of each one? Does he even hold ceremonies for them in private?
Didn't they say that none of the seven were good people?
Why do I still remember that fart's death anniversary?
Qi Shan remained silent, only staring intently at Qin Li.
Qin Li was stunned for a moment.
In hindsight, it seems there was such a thing.
He fell silent, then instantly understood why Qi Shan had been so sarcastic. She thought he was reminiscing about the past because of the special occasion, and was therefore unusually reciting some kind of sutra for salvation. So she came over to interrupt his thoughts.
Qin Li said, "You're overthinking it."
How could I possibly have that much free time?
On the contrary, it is praying for good deeds—
"Qi Zhongshu has a wealth of experience in his life and has accumulated countless karmic debts. Doesn't he have to rush to the grave every day of the year?" Putting aside the others, the seven lords alone occupy seven days of the year, not to mention other miscellaneous matters.
There are only 300-odd days a year, which is really not enough for him.
Qi Shan almost had a short circuit from anger at Qin Li.
He cursed inwardly a few times, thinking, "Being regent is definitely not a good job. You can't play chess with a complete idiot."
He only learned his eloquence by hanging out with that bunch of useless, playful old bastards in the royal court for so long. Now, even Qin Gongsu can make sarcastic remarks about him. It's like he's turned the world upside down! Qi Shan opened his mouth for a while, but couldn't think of a way to curse back.
Those who are threatening are prone to bringing up old grievances.
Not bringing up past grievances has little deterrent effect.
Qi Shan was so angry that her head started to throb with pain.
Just as Shen Tang was getting so worked up about the atmosphere that he wanted to scratch his toes, the monk's chanting for the deceased finally ended—actually, it should have ended much earlier. Qi Shan and the other two had been making a lot of noise and interrupting, and his attention had been unconsciously diverted. He had even misread several passages of the scriptures, and he had apologized to Buddha several times in his heart. If his five former temporary colleagues knew that he had died at the hands of this group of people, wouldn't they be devastated? The monk barely managed to hold on until the chanting was over before putting on an air of detached and indifferent superiority and bowing respectfully to Shen Tang.
He asked, "Why doesn't Shen Jun press on with his momentum?"
The Kang Kingdom's troops launched a probing attack on the inner defenses of the stone fortress. Although they did not actually breach it, it was clear to everyone that the Kang Kingdom still had some strength remaining. If they pressed their advantage, they might be able to take it down.
Aren't you in a hurry to break out of the Yudi Mountains?
Why did it stop at the last minute?
Shen Tang glanced at him sideways, her eyes asking a question.
"Shen Jun should know better than anyone the harm of letting a tiger return to the mountain." As the monk spoke, a cold glint seemed to flash in his eyes for a moment, shattering his kind and honest Buddha mask. He may look like Maitreya Buddha, but the blood on his hands is no less.
"You want them dead?"
The monk said, "A monk should be compassionate."
He naturally didn't want these people to die, but he also didn't want them to live. In other words, if they lived, he would never have peace. If he wanted to live, he would have to submit to the Kang Kingdom. Once he submitted, the people of the central region would not let him go.
They cannot live if they can have both.
Shen Tang understood the unspoken meaning: "We're keeping the bait."
The monk didn't hear it clearly the first time.
Shen Tang then repeated, "Fishing requires bait, it's that simple. If we can solve the water problem, and Kangguo has logistical advantages, this place has the right time, place, and people, isn't it the perfect fishing spot? No matter how good the fishing spot is, or how plump the fish are, if there's no bait on the hook, how will the big fish take the bait?"
“If a bunch of them were killed, the Central Allied Forces wouldn’t keep sending reinforcements here, would they? This place is my home ground now, it’s in my favor, so naturally I’m not in such a hurry to fight my way out of the Yudi Mountains.” The young monarch’s features were cold and hard, but when she rested her chin on her hand and turned her head to look at the mage, her expression softened like a spring breeze melting snow, adding a touch of inhuman indifference. “The Central Allied Forces had high hopes for this place, how many people did they send? Every one of them is important, they probably didn’t expect it to fall so quickly…”
The monk clicked his tongue and said, "It certainly has weight to it."
The Allied forces in the Central Region have spent nearly half of their resources on this battle.
This wealth doesn't refer to soldiers, but rather to the connections he's built over many years, enough to command reclusive martial artists like himself to fight for them in crucial moments. Kang Guo, relying on the methods of Wei Lou's literati, caught the allied forces off guard, wiping out five in one fell swoop, forcing the rest to retreat to Shibao. Even a powerful force like the Central Allied Army suffered a significant blow. Moreover, the longer one lives, the more connections one accumulates.
Who knows how many more people those five unlucky souls might have brought with them?
These people will also put pressure on the Allied forces in the central region.
This forced them to send troops.
The magnetic field of the mineral veins beneath this battlefield is no less powerful than the golden headband on Sun Wukong's head for martial artists. Previously, it was the Allied forces' home ground, restricting Kangguo. Now the battlefield situation has reversed, becoming Kangguo's home ground. She really doesn't need to condemn it outright.
Two days later, a severed head was sent to him.
We'll see who gets restless first.
"But Shen Jun also said that we need to solve the drinking water problem first."
As an ally of the Central Allied Forces, the mage naturally knew some of the inside story. He also knew that Shen Tang had divided his forces to seize the territory, but he was even more aware that Shen Tang's plans might not succeed. As fate would have it, not long after the mage mentioned it, a scout hurriedly brought a battle report. The words on it gradually swallowed the few remaining signs of joy on Shen Tang's face, replacing them with solemnity.
The monk said knowingly, "It's bad news."
Shen Tang swept a cold glance over, her eyes revealing murderous intent.
In the end, they didn't kill the mage; he surrendered faster than she could speak. However, the mage was still thrown to keep the prisoners company.
In the tent guarded by Gongyang Yongye, the monk encountered three other former temporary colleagues, who might also become long-term colleagues, who had been captured alive. Upon seeing the monk, they immediately began to mock him: "What's wrong, monk? Did you get frostbite from trying to be friendly with someone who didn't reciprocate?"
"We are all fellow sufferers, why mock this old monk?" The monk flicked the dust off his sleeves and immediately realized that he was different from the three prisoners. His dantian was not sealed, but the three of them were shackled and could not break out even with their strong physiques.
"Just the three of you?"
"There were four people at first."
Where is that person?
"He was killed. The blood you're stepping on is what he spilled when he turned around. It might still be a little warm if you touch it."
The monk: "..."
Are all the remaining inmates so sarcastic and obnoxious?
"...Killed?"
"The Kangguo people only asked if he was willing to surrender, and when he said no, his head was chopped off. It was a case of killing the chicken to scare the monkey; he was unlucky enough to be the chicken." Whether the remaining three become chickens or monkeys depends on their own choices. At this point, one of them almost laughed in anger. Kangguo was the first to try and subdue them by killing. Did they really think they were as spineless as the sorcerer?
The threat of death is not always effective.
"They also said they'd come back tomorrow to ask again."
After a long pause, the monk stammered out a few words: "Where there's life, there's hope... The Allied forces have suffered setbacks, and the future situation is still unknown. Why should you risk your lives for the Allies? After all, we are not... self-sufficient; our only weakness is our descendants."
They don't need to go mad and be manipulated because of immortality.
If the only weakness is the issue of future generations, things are easier to handle.
The other three fell into an eerie silence upon hearing this.
After a long while, a sound finally rang out.
"How does Kangguo compare to Wuguo back then?"
The monk said meaningfully, "Wei Lou, a former official of the Wu Kingdom, is now assisting the Kang Kingdom. Would he fall into the same trap twice?"
The three fellow inmates simultaneously cast cold glances at him: "A lobbyist?"
The monk said awkwardly, "...Not yet."
Shen Tang hasn't given him the job yet.
The four of them looked at each other in silence.
The few remaining generals were not from prominent families; they were all of ordinary origin, having risen to their current status through talent, luck, and hard work. To be honest, they harbored little ill will towards the Kang Kingdom. Their confrontation was merely due to their differing stances.
To be honest, I even have some feelings for her.
This positive impression largely stems from the biographies of famous officials and scholars.
This book wasn't initially banned in the central continent; the group had all heard of it and read it to some extent. They somewhat appreciated the key points revealed in the book, particularly Kang Guo's standards for promoting talent—especially given the prevailing disdain in the central regions, which doubled their positive impression. However, goodwill aside, when it came to their future lives and fortunes, a little bit of goodwill wouldn't make any difference.
"There's one more thing..."
The three were agitated and annoyed by the monk's tedious writing.
"Spit it out!"
The monk then spouted nonsense: "It seems the Kang Kingdom's army failed to seize that source. Failure is failure; the Kang Kingdom can still leave the mountains unrestricted even if they take the stone fortress. But judging from Shen Youli's expression, the situation seems worse. What's over there?"
The other person's face was so savage it could eat you alive.
The three looked at each other in bewilderment.
The monk pressed, "Still hiding it?"
An insider said, "...it seems to be some...things that were sealed away by the inner society in the early years and that disturbed the energy of heaven and earth."
The monk murmured, "Something that disturbs the energy of heaven and earth?"
Is it the same as the mineral veins in this battlefield?
The monk had vaguely heard about it but didn't know much, less than the three of them. Little did he know, Shen Tang was laughing in anger countless times, with a bronze table lying on the ground, its eyes wide open in death: "...It's hopeless, it's nuclear wastewater."
Was she a Japanese soldier in her past life?
Did he really harm her like this during her tribulation in this lifetime?
(ノへ￣、)
This chapter has been expanded with a few more words.
_(:з」∠)_ Conquering the world is like playing Snake; the early stages are tough, requiring careful development, but once you reach the mid-to-late game, you can basically sweep through everything (the biggest limitation in war is food, which is actually Kang's strength). There probably won't be much of a storyline involving Qu (unless someone like Wei Lou betrays you at a crucial moment, resulting in Tang Mei's death; otherwise, Kang's unification will be unstoppable).
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
