Chapter 542

The world of the Green Blood Sword.

Yuan Chengzhi carried the Golden Snake Sword on his back, head held high, heart filled with triumph.

After years of cultivation, he had finally achieved mastery in martial arts, and could now demand justice for his father.

"Tonight, I'll enter the imperial palace and demand the Emperor explain why he killed my father!"

Yuan Chengzhi's gaze hardened, his expression turning dangerous. "A father's murder cannot be forgiven. Even if I bear the curse of regicide, I will never turn back."

Since descending the mountain, Yuan Chengzhi had seen too many gentry oppress the common people.

He had not a single ounce of goodwill toward the current Emperor.

Just as he was thinking, he felt his sleeve tugged.

"Young Master Yuan, look up at the sky!"

Yuan Chengzhi turned and saw He Tieshou staring in terror at the heavens; he followed her gaze.

Above, countless soldiers stood densely packed, each clad in armor, wielding long spears gleaming with icy light, as if celestial troops from myth had descended.

"This…" Yuan Chengzhi was stunned.

Wasn't the world he lived in an ordinary one? How could celestial troops from legend appear?

This couldn't be real.

Yet the reality before him shattered his decades-old worldview.

"I am Zhu Biao, the direct son of the Founding Emperor. By imperial decree of the Supreme Primordial Infinite Profound Heaven Dao Lord, I descend with celestial troops to reorganize Great Ming. The people's rebellion stems from gentry oppression and heavenly wrath; their guilt shall be pardoned."

"The direct son of the Founding Emperor, Zhu Biao?"

"The Supreme Primordial Infinite Profound Heaven Dao Lord?"

Yuan Chengzhi's scalp prickled. "Could it be that the Ming dynasty's founding ancestor has become immortal? Seeing the world in chaos, he petitioned the Dao Lord to send celestial troops down?"

"Young Master Yuan, what should we do?" He Tieshou reluctantly tore her gaze away and asked.

Yuan Chengzhi exhaled slowly. "Hold our position. Let's wait and see."

Just then, the celestial troops above split apart and scattered to all directions.

In an instant, only a hundred soldiers remained above the capital.

These men descended directly onto the city walls and began to garrison.

Zhu Di and Zhu Biao also landed on the walls, frowning at the existing city guards.

"How could such soldiers defend the city?"

"I never imagined that by the end of the Ming, the Wei-Suo system had decayed to this extent," Zhu Biao sighed. "Fourth brother, issue orders: abolish the Wei-Suo system, and recruit new troops."

Zhu Di nodded. "Given the current state, there's no other choice. Sigh…"

Leading several Land Immortal-level soldiers, Zhu Di took command of the capital camp and began urgent reforms.

"Did you hear? Celestial troops have descended. Emperor Chengzu himself came down and reformed the military system. Now, soldiers receive two silver taels per month, personally handed out by a celestial soldier."

"You're leaving out the best part. Besides silver, soldiers get a hundred catties of Bai Mi every month! That stuff used to be only for Masters to eat."

"Really?"

"Of course it's true! Celestial troops don't need mortal silver—no embezzlement at all. Heaven has finally opened its eyes. No more talking—I'm enlisting. If I get selected, my fortune is made."

"Aren't you afraid of dying?"

"Laughable. With celestial troops here, will we even be sent to fight?"

"Besides, if the pay's good enough, I'll sell these few pounds of flesh to the imperial family."

"Brother, wait for me—I'm coming too!"

"You, with your thin arms and legs? You want to enlist?"

"Just to fill the numbers. If I get picked, my family won't starve anymore."

Two silver taels and a hundred catties of Bai Mi—enough to feed a family of five or six.

In short, Zhu Di's offer was extremely generous.

One man enlists, and the whole family won't go hungry.

That day.

The capital camp was packed to bursting.

Though this was the capital, most were still poor; many sought any means of livelihood.

In the livestream chat.

Su Xiao: "Wow, these commoners are fired up. Looks like Ming soldiers aren't weak—they just weren't paid enough!"

Ying Zheng: "Of course. Soldiers risk their lives in battle—how can you not pay them? That's just mockery."

Li Shimin: "Zhu Di's abolition of the Wei-Suo system is correct. With the chat group, we can maintain a standing force of 100,000 transcendent troops to suppress the realm. The old system must be discarded."

Zhu Yuanzhang: "The Wei-Suo system was meant to give soldiers their own land. But in the end, it became this? I never expected it."

Zhang Taixuan: "Inevitable. Systems are maintained by people. Once hearts change, the system changes shape."

Zhang Taixuan: "Fortunately, we're all immortal now, with great divine powers—we can personally oversee the realm and prevent many problems."

As they discussed, the group shifted the livestream to other locations.

Undeniably, the chat group's livestream was highly advanced—it didn't just show Beijing under Zhu Youjian, but also regions where other celestial troops operated.

Shanxi.

The Eight Imperial Merchants were captured by celestial troops and common soldiers, their assets seized: tens of millions of silver taels.

Huashan.

Mu Renqing, the Divine Sword Immortal Ape, stared blankly at the sky, rubbed his eyes, confirming what he saw was real.

"There really are immortals!"

Li Zicheng's war tent.

As the heavenly soldiers descended, a decree was issued, and all the commoners immediately threw down their weapons and surrendered.

Didn't they follow the Rebel King just to get a meal?

Now the heavenly soldiers are handing out grain directly, and they've promised that the imperial court will distribute land afterward—who would still follow the Rebel King?

People in this era still deeply believed in gods and spirits.

Especially the white, glistening rice that appeared with a mere wave of the gods' hands—there was no deception in that.

Jiangnan.

According to historical records, the heavenly soldiers systematically hunted down and arrested all guilty aristocratic families, seizing their lands and property for the state and distributing them to the commoners.

The aristocrats wailed and cried to heaven, but the commoners sang and danced, praising the Emperor and the Dao Jun for their grace—soon, these places felt like a festival.

At the foot of Huashan.

Mu Renqing hurried over and saw a soldier in armor thrust his spear into the ground, and instantly, a well several meters in diameter appeared.

Ordinary people could not reach underground springs, but for a terrestrial immortal, this was no problem.

"May I ask, from where do you, Immortal, come?" Mu Renqing asked cautiously, stepping forward.

The soldier glanced at him and said, "I come from the Immortal Qin world, sent by the Dao Jun and the First Emperor. If you wish to ask about cultivation, wait for your own imperial court's notice. I cannot teach you cultivation methods on my own authority."

"Can we also cultivate?" Mu Renqing's breath quickened instantly.

Long life—who doesn't want it?

Especially since he was already of advanced age, and facing death, he was no longer as carefree as in his youth.

"As long as the imperial court permits, naturally you may," the soldier explained, then, guided by a group of commoners, moved to another village to dig another well.

"Immortal, won't this well water only relieve our suffering temporarily?" Mu Renqing worriedly said. "If the drought continues like this, it will dry up soon."

The soldier fell silent: "You're asking too much. The Dao Jun issued the decree—he already made preparations. The Crown Prince Zhu Biao has been dispatched with the Command of Clouds and Rain to bring down rain. Now, all that remains is for the people to plant their seeds, and then rain will fall. At that point, not only will the water problem be solved, but the food problem will be solved too."

"The rain the Dao Jun commands is no ordinary rain—it is spiritual rain."

"When it comes, the crops will ripen in a single day—you'll enjoy the blessings."

"Thank you, Dao Jun!"

"Dao Jun is compassionate!"

Hearing this, the commoners' faces lit up; many prostrated themselves on the ground, bowing three times and kowtowing nine times.

"You speak of these things as if you know them by heart—has your homeland already received the Dao Jun's grace?" Mu Renqing asked.

The soldier replied proudly: "Naturally. The ancestral lands of Immortal Qin received the Dao Jun's grace several years ago—there is endless grain, endless meat. Now, the weather is favorable, and no one starves to death."

"Favorable weather, no one starves to death!"

Hearing this, every commoner wept.

Their land had suffered drought for years—families traded children for food, ate clay from the Guanyin temple, ate tree bark; no one knew how many had starved to death.