Chapter 1304: Tongfu Inn Holds a Council; Everyone's Decision (2/5, begging subscriptions)

Zhu Ignore: "Serves you right!"

Zhu Youjian: "Can't you say something nice for once?"

Zhu Ignore: "No!"

Zhu Youjian: "That's not right, though. There weren't that many Prince Xins in history~ you know."

Su Xiao: "But for the current court to value it so much, it must be the current dynasty's Prince Xin's tomb, right?"

Bai Zhantang: "What are you talking about? What Prince Xin, what Qing army? Why do I feel like I can't understand any of this?"

Zhu Yuanzhang: "Go read the History of Ming and you'll know."

Bai Zhantang: "Alright."

Bai Zhantang: "No way? The Qing army entering the pass?!! How could such a thing happen! The Great Ming was clearly so powerful!"

Su Xiao: "Your side is an alternate world, it might not happen. Don't worry too much."

Bai Zhantang: "How can I not worry about something like this? I'm logging off, I need to discuss this with everyone. This matter cannot be taken lightly. If the Qing army enters the pass, going by that momentum, none of us might be able to enjoy our twilight years in peace."

(continuation of line 11)

Tongfu Inn.

"Something big has happened!"

Bai Zhantang suddenly cried out, drawing everyone's sidelong glances.

"What is it this time?" Tong Xiangyu rolled her eyes. "Don't scare the customers."

Li Dazui was speechless: "Boss, we've already closed for the night. Where would any customers come from?"

"You're the one with too much to say. Watch it or I'll dock your wages." Tong Xiangyu was speechless. "Old Bai, what on earth happened?"

"I've told you about the chat group before, right?"

Tong Xiangyu nodded: "Mm. What about it now?"

At this point, her eyes suddenly lit up. "Could it be some delicacy again? Don't say it—that glowing food really makes one's mouth water."

Li Dazui's eyes shone: "Old Bai, you mustn't forget me. We're good buddies, aren't we?"

"And us too!"

Lü Licentiate and Guo Furong also came over at the sound, faces full of anticipation.

Bai Zhantang was speechless: "What are you all thinking? All you ever think about is eating!"

"Old Bai, people regard food as their heaven. Is there anything wrong with us thinking about eating every day?" Lü Licentiate said, shaking his head.

Bai Zhantang: "There's nothing wrong with that. But what I'm talking about today isn't food."

"Pfft!"

Hearing this, the crowd was about to disperse.

Bai Zhantang said: "This matter concerns the whole world. It's very important."

Guo Furong was astonished: "Concerns the whole world? Since when does Old Bai like you care about great affairs of the realm? The lords at court are plenty shrewd—it's not for us common folk to worry about the world's affairs."

"If I could, I wouldn't want to either." Bai Zhantang sighed. With a thought, he redeemed the History of Ming and held it out before everyone.

"What is this?"

"The History of Ming? Old Bai, you've got some nerve—daring to write a history?"

Tong Xiangyu was startled and said: "Keep your voices down. If we're discovered, none of us will get away."

The group carefully observed for a while, confirmed there were no outsiders, and only then breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Dazui hurried off to shut the door.

"Of course this isn't a history I wrote. It's the History of Ming from another world." Bai Zhantang said softly. "Take a look, see if my worries have some basis."

Lü Licentiate nodded and began flipping through the history book.

He was the most educated one here, so naturally it fell to him to read it.

"The Yongli reign?"

"Prince Xin Zhu Youjian ascending the throne?"

"The Qing army entering the pass?"

The further he flipped, the more shocked Lü Licentiate's expression became.

"Are you saying you're worried the Qing army might enter the pass on our side too?"

Bai Zhantang nodded: "Yes. I originally thought everyone could just live out their days in peace. But looking at this now, that won't do. If the Qing army enters the pass, can we still enjoy our twilight years in peace?"

Li Dazui, Guo Furong, and the others also crowded closer. Seeing the descriptions in the book, their faces went pale, and they shook their heads repeatedly at his words.

"This won't do. We have to think of a way." Li Dazui looked at Bai Zhantang. "Old Bai, if the Qing army really does enter the pass, won't our little lives be over?"

Tong Xiangyu's teeth chattered: "Old Bai, are the Qing really that brutal?"

"I don't know about our world. But in other worlds, just as the book describes, they truly slaughtered across the Central Plains until corpses lay strewn for a thousand li." Bai Zhantang's expression was grave, a chill running down his back.

Tong Xiangyu: "Then what are we going to do! If we really let them enter the pass, couldn't we all end up as souls beneath the blade?"

"Yes." Lü Licentiate sighed deeply. "By then, where would there be any peaceful land left? Our days would likely be at an end."

Bai Zhantang said: "The various immortals in the group all said it might not happen."

.... Begging for flowers.

Lü Licentiate shook his head: "Old Bai, don't count on victory, count on defeat first. In all things, think toward the worst, and only then can you guard against what has not yet come. Otherwise, once things truly happen, it'll be too late for us to prepare."

(continuation of line 55)

Tong Xiangyu nodded: "The Licentiate speaks well. Embracing Buddha's feet at the last moment—how could that be in time?"

"Old Bai, you can't just leave us to fend for ourselves." Li Dazui said. "Aren't you in contact with the immortals now? Think of something!"

Bai Zhantang: "I've already asked. There are two ways. One, contract our world to an immortal and let him govern our world. The other is for us to cultivate as well—when the time comes, if the Qing army enters the pass, could they still be a match for us?"

(continuation of line 59)

"But that's a lot of points," Tong Xiangyu hesitated.

Whenever money was mentioned, she began calculating in her mind.

Li Dazui: "Boss, that's the art of immortality—are you really willing to give it up?"

"Easy for you to say," Tong Xiangyu sniffed. "Who's going to pay back the points? It'll be Old Bai. You just sit back and cultivate. You don't have to pay back any points."

Li Dazui: "Boss, I can help grow spiritual herbs too. Old Bai said that once we have a Heaven's Grotto, we can grow spiritual herbs and exchange them for points. Then we'll have a constant stream of money."

"."

"This is clearly a good thing—why are you all thinking so long about it?"

Tong Xiangyu sneered: "You're still young. Don't you think before doing something big? You're the one in a hurry!"

She turned to Bai Zhantang and asked: "Old Bai, what do you think we should do?"

"I think we can implement both at once," Bai Zhantang mused. "We don't have the ability to govern the world. Why not hand the World Covenant over to the Immortals? First, we can sit back and collect returns. Second, we can bring blessings to all under heaven. Third, we can earn covenant points to buy cultivation techniques—benefiting us all."

"Is that Immortal behind the covenant reliable?" Tong Xiangyu, though usually stingy, was in fact a kind-hearted person.

If this move would plunge all under heaven into suffering, she would never agree.

"That Immortal is the founding emperor of Great Ming—do you think he's reliable?"

"The founding emperor of Great Ming?"

"Great Ming's Founding Emperor?"