This winter in Hokuriku was exceptionally cold, with several heavy snowfalls that never ended.
As the year drew to a close, county officials did not rush to the imperial capital to present rare treasures, but instead performed their duties honestly. As for the common people in the imperial capital, they watched the excitement they should watch, from small-scale street performances to the heavenly sacrifice ceremony of the new emperor's enthronement; they avoided the excitement they should not watch, such as which nobles from the wealthy families were taken away.
Nothing is different from before.
Snow could not accumulate on the imperial roads in the palace. The palace servants who swept the snow were very diligent and always looked busy with their heads lowered.
Only the dark red blood stains left in the cracks of the blue bricks proved that the night of blood and fire all over the city was not an illusion. When the ministers attending the court saw it by chance, they could not help but feel cold all over.
After the Winter Change, the court was hit by a brutal purge. Everyone was on edge, and no matter what they were thinking in secret, they still had to follow the emperor's wishes in public.
In the eyes of the court and the public, since the death of the late emperor, His Majesty's aura has been rising steadily, and it is no exaggeration to say that his cultivation has progressed by leaps and bounds. Even his temperament has become more unpredictable.
Your Majesty has been meditating in Wendao Pavilion for the past few days. If this matter could not be delayed and it was entirely up to Your Majesty to make the decision, no one would dare to go to Wendao Pavilion to ask for an audience today.
The demon cultivators are crossing the sea into the Central and Southern Continents. Whether the Northern Continent will join the war is the biggest issue at the moment.
Incense was burning in the hall, and the smoke was wispy. The veil of shark fin was hanging low, and the shadowy back of a person was revealed.
He moved around from time to time, his posture somewhat casual.
Duan Chongxuan watched the beacon fire from behind the curtain.
It was not the flames of war thousands of miles away, but the flames of the spear in his hand.
At the beginning of the 'End of Dharma Era', warlords fought for power. The founding emperor Taizu personally forged a spear with flowing fire from outer space, fought for a hundred years in the south and the north, and unified the northern land.
The heroes or tyrants on other continents either have no ambition or are incapable of doing so, and the forces they lead are either in a binary confrontation or a three-way confrontation.
Only Beilu became the Duan family's empire, which has been inherited from generation to generation until today when an era has changed.
With beacon fire and long spear, punish treacherous officials, put down rebellions and guard the country's borders.
The first minister to come to the Wendao Pavilion prepared for the worst, and was still a little incredulous when he was called in. Once there was one, there would be two, and soon the small pavilion was filled with people.
Through the veil, I couldn't see the emperor's expression clearly, and had no way of guessing his mind.
What did Your Majesty think about Bai Chongling volunteering to go on an expedition to eliminate demons two days ago?
Some people thought that when His Majesty first ascended the throne, he urgently needed to make achievements, stabilize the people's hearts, and spread his power throughout the world. He really wanted someone to volunteer to go to war, or even be willing to lead the army himself.
More people thought that His Majesty was exhausted both physically and mentally after purging the rebels last month, and the most urgent task was to kill the remnants of the rebels. The talk of going to war was just to comply with the name of justice, and he was just waiting for someone to dissuade him before he could go with the flow and put the matter aside.
If he was appointing generals, how could His Majesty, who had just centralized political power, let the military power fall into the hands of others? If he was personally leading the army, the possibility was even smaller, after all, even when the previous emperor was in power, he never personally led the army into battle.
Duan Chongxuan put down the beacon and closed his eyes. He listened to those cautious and subtle probings, and from time to time he took a sip of the tea on the table, just like listening to a storyteller in the market.
No matter who said something, he would nod behind the curtain, as if to encourage them to continue.
Everyone thought that the emperor was listening carefully and that what they said was right on the emperor's mind. Gradually, some people became bolder.
"In times of chaos, it is best to rest and recuperate. If you can stay out of trouble, why get involved in war? It will only increase casualties for our army, which is unwise."
"My Northern Army was born to protect our home and country. The Southern Continent is not our home, and the Central Continent is not our country. How can we be expected to shed blood and sacrifice?"
"The eastern side has never harmed our northern land. If we send troops at this time, we have no reason to do so."
This is the group that does not go on an expedition.
The young general was furious when he heard this and could not help but take a step forward. "The demon cultivators have repeatedly harassed our sixteen coastal towns, but how come they have done nothing to harm us?! What kind of justification do we need to fight against the demon cultivators?!"
Some people laughed secretly. Didn't they see that the emperor was nodding his head repeatedly? It was obvious that he didn't want to get involved in the muddy water. It was a pity that General Bai, who was favored by the emperor, was a fool. Even if His Majesty cherished talents now, he would be rejected sooner or later.
"Sixteen coastal towns, such a small matter should be handled by the Dingdong garrison. How can you disturb His Majesty?"
Bai Chongling said, "It's not a small matter! When I was stationed along the coast, I saw the demon cultivators choosing people to devour. Lord Liu has been in high office for a long time, how could he know how rampant and evil the demon cultivators are? They have strong recovery abilities and can make a comeback as soon as they get a break. Some even believe that after they have entered the devil's way to reshape their muscles and bones, they are no longer human, and begin to call themselves 'demons'! If we keep silent and let them grow stronger, it will surely lead to disaster in the future."
He was really worried that the emperor would be persuaded by these people.
Li Yan next to him gave him a calming look, took a step forward, and decided to change the angle of the question, "The demon cultivators are rampant and rampant, and the South and Central Continents are in dire straits. How can you demonstrate your majesty's majesty by staying out of trouble at this time?"
After the words were spoken, only a few people agreed, and the pro-war faction declined.
"In Qianlin County, where I govern, alone, we have taken in more than 10,000 refugees who crossed the sea last month. Now, who in all corners of the world does not rely on the power of heaven and appreciate your majesty's kindness?"
How shameless! Bai Chongling ignored the people around him who tried to stop him.
"The demon cultivators are never satisfied. If they get Zhongnan, they will definitely seek other things. Don't you really understand the principle of the lips and teeth being interdependent? Now you are talking about cultivating and resting, is it for the sake of our Beilu, or for your own glory and happiness?!"
"One day, when the North Land is in dire straits, our descendants will ask us what we were doing when the demons first invaded. Should we answer that we were hiding our heads in the water?"
"Although General Bai is young, he has great authority. I have served the late emperor for more than a hundred years, but I never imagined that one day the demon cultivators would dare to invade our Northern Continent. General Bai is more far-sighted than I am. It is true that the young are to be feared..."
"Bai Chongling! Don't rely on your merits in killing the rebels and His Majesty's favor to speak nonsense and confuse His Majesty!"
"you……"
Bai Chongling was a military general after all, so there was no way he could defeat the eloquent censor.
I was so angry but I couldn't do anything about it. I felt so powerless.
"General Bai is so anxious to go to war, is it because he wants to learn from General Pingyang under Taizu and be granted the title of Marquis of Wu'an, who is second only to the emperor and above all others?"
This statement was already heart-piercing. It only pointed out that Bai Chongling was greedy for fame and had the intention of seeking military power.
After all, under the terrace of the imperial palace, the emperor ordered him to kill the rebels with beacon fire and spear. Such a great favor was enough to make people jealous.
“Crash!——”
The shrill sound of breaking porcelain interrupted the argument, and everyone looked carefully and found that it was the "Rain After Rain" teacup in front of the imperial desk.
The palace was silent.
The waiter came forward and silently picked up the broken porcelain and tea on the floor.
Everyone woke up from the frenzy and knelt on the ground, lowering their heads. They felt a chill in their hearts.
It turned out that His Majesty had been listening, watching them argue until they were red in the face, waiting for them to get carried away. Now he knew everyone's thoughts.
They began to worry that maybe they had said something inappropriate that might have misinterpreted the emperor's intention and even displeased him.
"What a big face."
The emperor behind the curtain sighed, without any anger in his tone.
The breathing in the Wenda Pavilion calmed down.
Your Majesty, who do you think has the biggest face? Yes, Bai Chongling wants military power, so naturally he has the biggest face.
"There are generals to quell the rebellion, but no troops to cross the North Sea. Am I afraid of the Twelve Palaces of the Demonic Path? Or is my Northern Continent only capable of internal strife? I am going to be a coward, and even in the afterlife, I will not have the face to see His Majesty the Great Ancestor who founded the country, or my father who has protected the country."
He walked out slowly from behind the curtain, holding a long spear in his hand. Some people saw the spear in the reflection of the blue bricks, and they broke out in a cold sweat and felt despair.
Duan Chongxuan sighed again, "Do you have the nerve to go? You are so shameless."
After an almost dead silence, unexpectedly, the emperor did not punish anyone.
One can't help but feel the joy of surviving a disaster.
"Pass on my order. Tomorrow, you will be selected from Fengtiantai to cross the North Sea and kill the demon cultivators."
"Your Majesty is wise—"
The ministers bowed and kowtowed one after another, like the rising and falling tide.
Duan Chongxuan held the beacon in his hand and walked through the parting tides, his imperial robe trailing on the ground.
He leaned over the railing and looked into the distance, his sleeves filled with wind, as a huge green-winged phoenix came breaking through the wind.
*******
At dawn, the sun and the moon alternate.
Yin Biyue was held by Luo Mingchuan's shoulders and landed silently in a coastal city in Donglu.
This was not his first time here. When he entered the city, he was seen by others, which aroused murderous intent and people on the street fled. After the Sword Saint entered the Sword Tomb, he fought his way out of the wilderness alone and became quite notorious. Later, rumors spread that there was a young man with white hair and cold eyes, who used the righteous sword method and was cruel and fierce.
Yin Biyue took out two black cloaks and handed the new one to Luo Mingchuan.
"Everyone here wears this. My master bought me the first set, and later I bought many more. It doesn't attract attention, and it's durable and doesn't get dirty."
After Yin Biyue dressed up and put on the hood to cover his hair, his aura changed subtly, like an authentic Donglu person.
His current realm is different from before. He does not need to deliberately conceal his cultivation. He only needs to adjust the flow of his true energy, which is enough to prevent others from spying on his realm.
Mahayana is truly a beautiful world.
It's far more than just spiritual awareness, the five senses have been significantly improved, and more importantly, there is a wonderful connection between heaven and earth, as if... I can have a conversation with this world.
Yin Biyue was surprised by his own feeling and couldn't help asking the people around him, "Brother, have you broken through to the sub-sage level now? How do you feel?"
"Yes, Liao Guan's cultivation has been unlocked by 80% and he has also reached the peak of the eighth turn of Tianluo Jiuzhuan. As for the feeling, except that he is more powerful, there is no difference."
Yin Biyue initially thought that his senior brother was so calm, never hit any bottleneck along the way, and could even control his pressure freely, which was a good thing. But now he was worried, and always felt that something was wrong. A thought flashed through his mind: If it was just strength, I'm afraid that his senior brother's real breakthrough has not yet come.
As they talked, they kept walking, passing through the empty border town and appearing in the wasteland in the blink of an eye. After a few breaths, they arrived at the border of the snowfield. Even if a demon cultivator passed by them, they could only feel the breeze blowing the corners of their clothes.
Luo Mingchuan knew that with Rong Zhuo's realm, he must have sensed that they had come to Donglu. But if they were intentionally hiding, he might not be sure where they were.
So he descended from the clouds and chose a more complicated but safer method.
There are still 30,000 demon soldiers in Donglu. In addition to the two palace masters killed by Rong Zhuo, four people from the Twelve Palaces went to the battle. There are only six top demon masters left in Donglu. If Yu Zhanmei is not here, there will be only five people left. It is possible to win, but it will also be laborious. It is still unknown what Rong Zhuo has to do. The two of them had a brief discussion. Luo Mingchuan did not dare to be arrogant with his current cultivation level. He and Yin Biyue, wearing black cloaks, stopped at the border of snow and dead grass.
"Whether you go to Meteorite Abyss or Golden Palace, you have to cross the snowfield."
Luo Mingchuan looked from a distance, and his spiritual sense spread out, "From here to Tongtian Snow Peak, there are twelve open posts and six hidden posts. There are only 6,000 elite soldiers left on the mountain. The rest are coming down the mountain from the other side, and they should be crossing the sea. It can be seen that the battle situation in the central and southern lands is stalemate, not as Rong Zhuo expected."
His spiritual consciousness only reached the snow peak and did not go any further. Otherwise, the people he could see would also be able to see him.
Yin Biyue thought that unless one of him and Luo Mingchuan could transcend the tribulation and become a saint, once their whereabouts were exposed, they would have no choice but to kill the other party with one strike. If they missed the first chance, they would have no chance of winning.
Luo Mingchuan suddenly closed his eyes. The withered grass under his feet bent back, and the remaining snow between the grass was lifted up by the strong energy for a moment, and then quickly fell down. Everything seemed to be unchanged.
Yin Bi took two steps back.
Luo Mingchuan opened his eyes, gently stretched out his hand, and a wisp of magic energy emanated from his fingertips. When the cold wind blew, it was like green smoke drifting away in the wind.
Yin Bi became more confused.
"That's how the Nine Heavenly Rotations work. There is no barrier to anything. I can use Buddhist techniques, and when necessary, my true essence can also be disguised as demonic energy."
"Brother, when did you find out?"
"Just now, I was just going to give it a try."
Yin Biyue was speechless.
Isn't this omnipotent? Besides giving birth to a child, is there anything else this set of exercises can't do?
"Junior brother can do that, too."
"How can I do that?"
"You and I have practiced together before, so why not?"
This serious and shameless person is not my senior brother. QAQ
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