Chapter 1341

"We have inherited the Mandate of Heaven, governing the myriad lands, reverent day and night, only wishing for peace within the seas and joy for all the common people. Yet recently, the southern border's rebellious faction has repeatedly offended the royal domain;

the East Sea's monsters once more plot treason. The Yellow Shahe is the nation's vital belt and the people's lifeline, yet they dare to dig canals and breach dikes, truly intending to sever our grain routes and throw our people's livelihood into chaos!

Investigating their crimes, there are three counts: first, betraying alliances and abandoning righteousness, repeatedly raiding the borders, poisoning the living; second, secretly colluding with scoundrels, falsely claiming demonic arts, bewitching the people's hearts; third, destroying our waterworks, ruining our agriculture and sericulture — such treachery offends Heaven's wrath above and loses the people's harmony below!

We now point our sword at the southeast. All Our officers and soldiers must harbor the resolve of loyalty and fidelity, and display the might of soaring hawks. We shall surely make the rebels surrender their heads and pacify the demonic miasma! If any remain obstinate and unrepentant, they are like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, merely bringing about their own destruction. Proclaim this to all under Heaven, that all may hear!"

Banners fluttered, the gilded character "Shun" trembling in the wind.

Liang Qu held high the bright yellow imperial edict, descended the steps, and stood upon the plaza.

Sunlight blazed, the edict reflected the sky's light, dazzling the eyes.

"This is His Majesty's edict, the world's mandate, the affair of state and family! The southern border's owls and wolves, harboring malicious intent, repeatedly taught yet unrepentant, deserve to have their lairs uprooted and dens swept clean, to serve as a warning to the ferocious and stubborn!"

The Martial Saints and Grandmasters all cupped their fists to their chests in unison.

"We respectfully obey the Imperial command!"

Meteors exploded and scattered in the sky; on the ground, those at the Entering Zhen Xiang realm assembled and entered the water, racing southward via the waterways.

The proclamation in the Imperial Capital complete, Liang Qu rolled up the edict, without stopping his horse, took three steps to ascend to heaven, becoming one meteor among them, and headed once more for the Yellow Shahe to seek a great general.

Robes flapping, gale in his face.

Water vapor exploded around him, forming a conical condensed mist; wherever he passed, the white clouds at the horizon split in two, shifting to either side, causing farmers to gaze upward in wonder.

"What on earth happened?" Zhang Longxiang saw the edict, utterly astonished, "Why did so many Demon Kings go to the southern border? Did the southern border attack?"

Since returning from the Netherworld, he had conserved his strength and sharpened his resolve, waiting for a great battle, never expecting that the Netherworld's great battle had not come, but the southern border's affair arrived first.

The Northern Court is still peaceful, how dare the southern border take the initiative to strike?

"The southern border worries that we, Great Shun, will manage the Yellow Shahe well, nurture a Dragon King, and increase national power another level, so they bribed the East Sea Demon Kings to provoke trouble. The Haiya King, on the pretext of seeking a mate from Hai Fangzhu, entered the Jianghuai to restrain Bai Yuan; afterward, the Little Horse King, who likewise accepted the southern border's bribes, came to assist, causing the Ape King to be defeated. The Haiya King, in great fear, revealed the reasons, turning state's evidence. Thus the group of demons headed south, demanding an explanation." Liang Qu fired off words like a string of pearls, sorting out the whole sequence in one breath.

Zhang Longxiang understood instantly.

On the surface there was no movement, but the covert little maneuvers were discovered.

It's just that the Haiya King and the Horse King were actually willing to expose the southern border?

"The Dragon-Elephant King is a pillar of the state, garrisoning the north year-round, rarely heading south. Precisely because the northwest is peaceful, the southern border's major affair requires the Dragon-Elephant King to take the field. This campaign, His Majesty entrusts the Dragon-Elephant King with full authority. The Netherworld's war cannot be fought for now; why not first cross hands with the southern border's Grand Present?" Liang Qu handed over the edict.

"Good!" Zhang Longxiang grasped the scroll, "What about you? You've always had schemes; in this aspect I'm not your match. Such a great chance for merit, I can certainly grasp and occupy it, but what will you do? Do you need me to cooperate?"

"Me? I'll just do as I please, not saying more, I'm going to pass on the news."

The meteor exploded.

Without further words, Zhang Longxiang stowed the edict, waved a hand, and the Dragon-Elephant Prison-Suppressing Saber broke through the water; simply packing up, he likewise blasted out a qi wave, actually arriving first despite departing later, catching up to Liang Qu halfway.

The Imperial Capital, the Yellow Shahe, Southern Zhili — all the way to Lingnan.

Liang Qu was like a white cue ball struck with great force, rolling wildly across the grass-green tabletop; wherever it rolled, whatever it struck, the river-stones that had been stagnant there began rolling along with it, all racing southward together.

"Damn, this monkey gets to go out and eat two shares!" The Whale King was both shocked and envious, eyes red with jealousy.

It hadn't understood Bai Yuan heading north, but when Huai Wang headed north, and so many of Great Shun's river-stones moved afterward, it understood.

Demon King affairs are Demon King affairs — that was obstruction and harm by villains, the internal cause of fallen Demon Kings; Great Shun's Yellow Shahe plan being sabotaged is Great Shun's affair — one code returns to one code.

Bai Yuan ran back to deliver the knife!

Great Shun gained benefits; afterwards, could the monkey get less?

"If I'd known I would have gone too, I could have delivered the knife!"

The Demon Kings sighed with regret; only the Haiya King alone in a corner, heaving long and short sighs.

"I'm so stupid, really — if I'd known earlier that Bai Yuan and Liang Qu are the same Heavenly God, so cunning, I wouldn't have come; not coming would have —"

The meteor fell.

"Chong Wang!"

"Huai Wang! Long time no see!" Chong Wang hurried forward to greet him, not asking about the situation, cutting straight to the point, "How is it? Which Grand Present to deal with, what do you need me to do, is it ————"

If the first to perceive the opportunity in all under Heaven were the Holy Emperor who knew the situation and Liang Qu, then the second to perceive it was not the East Sea Demon Kings, nor the new and old Tusi who knew the plan, but Chong Wang guarding the border in Lingnan Province!

As early as when Bai Yuan arrived in the southern border, it proved this land had affairs; when Bai Yuan changed direction and went to the Yellow Shahe to meet Huai Wang, he had a premonition all the more, and waited for a long time.

As expected!

First Pan Dong, then Ku Gu — who is the third?

Chong Wang could barely contain his eagerness, raring to go.

How many Martial Saints can have another Wu Sheng's life in their hands?

Countable on one's fingers!

And once with Bai Yuan, once with Liang Qu — Chong Wang acted twice, twice gained the assist; his territory was even exchanged for the initial Nanhai Commandery of the South Sea King. Although Pan Dong and Ku Gu were not heads he personally chopped off, he played a major role; looking across all of Great Shun, he absolutely ranks among the top!

Even Yao Long, whose realm is higher than his, must speak to him as an equal!

If he can turn two into three, or even find a chance to personally take one down ————

Liang Qu regretted: "This time I'm afraid I'll disappoint Chong Wang. The north is peaceful, the Dragon-Elephant King has also freed his hands; dealing with the southern border, today manpower is more than sufficient. I have other important matters, so this time I probably cannot join forces with Chong Wang against the southern border."

Chong Wang was greatly disappointed, but quickly adjusted his mindset.

"No matter. Whether there is merit or not, it's all serving His Majesty, serving Great Shun."

"Good, Chong Wang's awareness is high. No chance this time, next time for sure." Liang Qu felt there might be a chance to pull Chong Wang along as well.

As the nodes of the Water Lord's appearance draw ever closer, the East Sea Grand Hunt, the Blood River Replenishing Spirit, the Immortal Island's descent — undercurrents surge ever more fiercely; "total war" is no longer a very distant matter; many things will be impossible to hide by then.

"Good!"

Inside the Imperial Capital, all the way south, spanning almost all of Great Shun, all the cue balls were struck and launched by Liang Qu this mother ball, unrest ceaseless, like a giant fully awakened; humans and beasts alike were shaken.

First the Demon Kings, then Great Shun.

The southern border fell into an eerie silence.

The Grand Presents inside the Nine Villages wanted to move, wanted to help, but simply could not move at all.

For one, the Demon Kings' circling around dealt a heavy blow to their fighting spirit.

Always fighting, always losing — even though the Great Present still had the strength to move, they absolutely refused to. In contrast, the Great Shun kept fighting, kept winning, their momentum like a rainbow, their potential limitless; even the Martial Saints who disliked conflict felt it was nine out of ten certain, and came forward to rub off some merit.

Not to mention the total count; even if the totals were the same, the Southern Frontier could perhaps mobilize one or two out of ten, while the Great Shun could mobilize three or four out of ten.

Second, this time they were isolated and without aid.

The Northern Court and the Great Shun had long since signed a mutual peace treaty, a contract stipulating no Martial Saints at the border passes; the contract's effect was not that some Heaven-and-Earth rule bolstered it, so that once violated the Great Khan or the Sage Emperor would instantly drop dead, but rather a buffer — with no Martial Saints, separated by tens of thousands of li, travel took time, thus creating a vast space-time buffer to adjust strategy.

Even if the Northern Court reneged, the Great Shun would have ample time to react, and would not fall into the predicament of being unable to return to defend because power pressed down to the south.

Most critically, the Northern Court's situation was exactly the same as the Southern Frontier's — also fucking always fighting, always losing; their condition was slightly better than the Southern Frontier's, no Martial Saints had fallen yet, but their fighting spirit was just as lousy.

And so.

As if the Great Shun were bullying the Southern Frontier, the Great Shun moved with fierce speed, the Southern Frontier dragged its feet, and the Northern Court remained indifferent.

The first three of the Nine Zhai were completely flustered, crying to heaven — no answer, crying to earth — no response.

Tusi Valley.

The paralyzed administrative system remained paralyzed; the uncollectible treasure medicines remained uncollectible.

Fight — they couldn't organize it.

Pay — they couldn't pay the indemnity.

Outside the window, torrential rain poured; half a shichen ago, the flood Bai Yuan flung out — the River Dragon deluge — still raced unceasingly, submerging the first floor; trees were crawling with snakes, insects, rats, and ants fleeing the flood, dense and countless, gathering into writhing treetops.

Old Tusi Xie Tingliao said solemnly: "First the Demon King, then the Wu Sheng; things have come to this — do you think you'll still have a chance to continue presiding over the Southern Frontier's Nine Zhai? Don't make a grave mistake, compounding error upon error.

If you still have a shred of heart for the Southern Frontier's Nine Zhai, rather than for the Black Stone Forest, then step forward and shoulder all the blame, and then let the Black Stone Forest support a new round of Tusi selection! Henceforth there will still be breathing room, and you won't become a sinner for all ages."

The Tusi gritted his teeth, his face struggling; in the end, under the four words "sinner for all ages," he hunched his waist: "What to do? Paying indemnity to the Demon King was already cutting flesh; where would we still have treasure medicines? Could it be cede territory, or give a Position Fruit? No ————"

"No, you've forgotten, we still have one thing; we gave it to the Great Shun, we won't be without it ourselves, and the Great Shun equally needs it very much."

"What?" The Tusi went blank.

"The Northern Court gave the Great Shun a Small Position Fruit; therefore the Great Shun governs the Yellow Shahe. Since we failed to obstruct it, all troubles arose from this; we might as well let this matter end because of the Yellow Shahe — whatever the Great Shun needs, give it to them."

Lightning tore through the vault of heaven.

The Tusi's heart suddenly awakened to understanding.

A long while.

The Tusi lowered his head: "Good, I will shoulder all the blame, admit my poor decision-making, and also go to the remaining zhai to raise the indemnity; afterward I will assist Great Wu Xie ————"

The proclamation was issued; the Martial Saints marched south.

Half a shichen after the Various Kings crossed the Luchang River, Zhang Longxiang, running at the very front, made contact with He Zhongshi in the river; the Southern Frontier finally had a semblance of proper resistance.

"So you're the Centipede? Let me see — is the Southern Frontier's Gu stronger, or are the Northern Court's people stronger!"

"Zhang Longxiang!!"

Bang!

The contacted He Zhongshi exploded with a boom.

"Hahaha, nothing more than this; I thought the Northern Court's Wolf Lord was already bad enough, didn't expect you to be even worse than the Wolf Lord — no good, no good, swap someone in, swap someone in!"

Electric dragons danced wildly; black hair went mad.

Golden light flickered in Zhang Longxiang's eyes, lightning illuminating his face; he laughed to the sky, one saber stroke chopping the incoming Centipede into the mountain; half a severed arm flew into the air, and he reached out to grab it, directly stuffing it into his Qiankun Bag as a war trophy.

The Centipede's eyes nearly split with rage; he clutched his half-severed arm, pinched the blood vessels shut with bare hands; seeing the saber light flash before him again, he scrambled and rolled away in panic.

A ravine sprang up horizontally.

If any Five Gu Nine Poisons were here, they would surely be able to tell — this ravine bore a resemblance.

Zhang Longxiang at the lead, followed by the Chong King and other Martial Saints, forming the vanguard army, directly transforming into a sharp spearhead, stabbing into the Southern Frontier's heartland, turning heaven and earth upside down!

The main force stayed in the first three zhai looting spoils; Zhang Longxiang and his men rode ahead alone, already piercing straight into the middle three zhai position.

However, after Zhang Longxiang and the vanguard left the first three zhai, the Great Present here not only did not pursue, nor join forces with the middle three zhai to resist the enemy, but instead turned around and ran back to their own main zhai to recoup losses, contending with the Great Shun Martial Saints holding the rear.

Qinggu Valley.

The key leaders in the zhai hid inside the mountain body.

Li Xianghan trembled with fear, sweat pouring like rain; suddenly she discovered two of the Laozu Sect elders in the cave were missing, her heart frantic, mind in chaotic speculation.

Could it be the Demon King attacked, requiring the Laozu Sect elders to face him?

Is there some mistake? What is the Tusi doing? Qinggu Valley is in the heartland.

When Li Yilin returned, Li Xianghan immediately asked anxiously.

"Wrong." Li Yilin sighed, face full of worry, "The Demon King has already left; the ones attacking now are the Great Shun, already at our Qinggu Valley; the Laozu Sect elders went out to support."

"???" Li Xianghan didn't react for a moment, "Only half a shichen, how, how did it become the Great Shun?"

"It was the Ape King; it was driven back by the Old Tusi, leading a group of Demon Kings to leave the Southern Frontier, but immediately went to the Great Shun to leak the news, informing them of the situation; the Great Shun got a pretext ————"

Li Xianghan retreated several steps, pressing hard on her stifled, depressed chest, the world spinning.

In a trance.

The yellow rat crouching on her left shoulder gradually twisted, revealing two fangs, wielding a steel fork, screaming: "Man not for himself, heaven and earth will destroy him."

On her right shoulder, the white rat gradually became benevolent, its precious appearance solemn, claw holding a meditation seal, shouting: "Southern Frontier traitor, your crime cannot be pardoned, quickly surrender ———— 'What's wrong? Too stuffy, can't catch your breath?'"

Li Yilin hurriedly patted her back; several rats jumped forcefully on her shoulders, as if trying to stomp down the thing suffocating Li Xianghan; a small quarter-shichen later, Li Xianghan, having recovered, sucked in a deep breath, and the left-and-right "visions" exploded and scattered.

"It's fine, it's fine ———— the Liezulie Sect won't blame me, they won't know either."

The sharp blade scraped off a layer of flesh and blood from the Southern Frontier.

People's hearts were panic-stricken.

Finally, when Zhang Longxiang and his men burst into the Southern Frontier's heartland in a surprise raid, in the west-by-southwest direction, a He Zhongshi that had barely moved at all suddenly shifted —

Moved.

Zhang Longxiang's brow ached; he felt a trace of danger for the first time in ages; immediately after, it was as if Mount Tai pressed down on his crown, infinite gravity pulling at him.

Without even seeing the enemy, the eight Martial Saints felt infinite mighty force applied to their bodies, unable to stay airborne, forced to drop to the ground.

A meteor struck the ground, Zhang Longxiang lifted his robe, planted his horse stance, feet spread wide, and cracks spiderwebbed across a hundred-zhang radius around him.

"This is—" Zhang Longxiang's temple veins throbbed.

"Wanxiang Weiguo!" Chong Wang cried out in alarm.

At the edge of vision, the wind howled fiercely, gray clouds swirling, a figure of extreme height—nearly three meters—but unnaturally gaunt, clad in hemp robes and straw sandals, stepped forward.

The air blast exploded, ripples undulating through the sky.

A mighty force surged upon him; the eight Martial Saints' hundred-zhang spiderweb of cracks shattered instantly to a thousand-zhang span, and subterranean river water gushed high through the fissures.

Chong Wang's pupils snapped shut: "Wanxiang Meng, Shen Da Xue! Longxiang Wang, be careful!"

"Is he Shen Da Xue?" Zhang Longxiang grinned, "Long admired—your great name."

"Strange, truly fierce."

In the East Sea, Liang Qu, transformed into Bai Yuan and racing once more toward the South Sea, sensed the river stones shifting, and silently gasped.

—

Just now the demon king ran rampant, no one came to block; now Dashun made his move, and the river stones and flies alike scattered wildly, tangled together—just watching them was frightening.

This time we don't charge south with the main force, firstly because Liang Qu's avatar is incapable, secondly the demon king here needs Bai Yuan while Dashun there doesn't really need him, and thirdly, this southern border campaign has been pushed too hard, possibly forcing us to use some hidden reserves.

Weiguo!

The southern border looks grim, but in truth it's far from reaching the end of mountains and rivers.

A Weiguo refined by top Martial Saints—that is the true foundation of a superpower!

Even my own drought fiend remains unrefined; hearing that one aspect of Wanxiang's power, combat strength soars to the extreme—let alone Liang Qu himself, "merely third rank, over seven hundred sea 【roots?】", even transforming into Bai Yuan is perilous, plus Huai Wang's identity in the southern border draws too much hatred—

"Leave the tough bones to Longxiang Wang."

"Whoa!"

A vacuum suddenly appeared, water flow reversed.