Chapter 477: Ten Years of Reform: Xue Zijing, from the Nation of Da Xu

As Yanziling’s most infamous luxury den, the Shigui Restaurant’s top-tier status wasn’t just reflected in its high-born courtesans and servants, the premium quality of its wines and delicacies, or its exorbitant prices.

Its privacy was equally unparalleled!

The entire building’s structure was forged from ten-thousand-fold forged iron, lined inside and out with yellow pearwood—visually exquisite, and equally effective at soundproofing; when doors and windows were sealed, even if one pressed against the wall, not a single sound could be heard.

The private rooms on the third floor were of even higher caliber.

The walls and floor of each private room were entirely clad in Blood Jade Cedar, sourced from Zhuhe Ridge north of Longxing City, valued as equal to silver.

The internal structure of Blood Jade Cedar closely resembled human flesh and blood; even after being cut or split, it continuously generated blood qi, and since powerful cultivators typically sensed or surveilled through the movement of qi and muscle, this unique structure fundamentally eliminated such possibilities.

This extraordinary privacy was the core reason it was valued as equal to silver.

At the very same moment Xia Hong conversed with Ji Hong.

In another private room on the top floor, a middle-aged scholar dressed in blue-jade brocade and wearing a black bian cap, with a refined demeanor, sat by the window, sipping wine and carefully observing the room’s furnishings.

“Ten-thousand-fold forged iron as foundation, yellow pearwood as ornamentation, plus Blood Jade Cedar worth its weight in silver, and every other furnishing within—this restaurant alone must have cost at least one hundred million taels of silver to build. These aristocratic heirs spend as much on a single courtesan as a slave would earn in decades. No wonder they say: in the Four Fanzhen, beneath Shigui, all are ants—this saying holds true!”

He was not alone in the room; five others were present: three middle-aged men, similar in age to him, all clad in black robes and armed with blades, and a young man and woman in green brocade, their waists adorned with long swords.

Hearing his uncle’s words, Xue Wuhen couldn’t help but say: “Uncle, you harbor compassion for all beings, traveling great distances to offer advice for Chen Cang, yet they show no gratitude. If so, why linger here? The Binghe is vast—surely you can find a powerful Fanzhen that embraces your ideals?”

“It’s not lack of gratitude…”

Bai Qingqing, the green-robed woman beside Xue Wuhen, immediately rebutted him, then paused before continuing: “Chu Fangbo has reformist intentions, but is constrained from above and below, utterly powerless to advance. The Chen Cang Magistrate, the Six Department Heads, the Five Commandants, the Two City Lords—only one, the Yanziling Commandant Chu Tianxu, supports reform. Even Chu’s own family opposes it. The Longxing Chen clan doesn’t even need to sabotage—they’re just waiting to laugh.”

“Laugh?”

Hearing his niece’s words, Xue Zijing couldn’t help but smile, turning to her and asking: “Do you think Yanziling’s reform will fail?”

Bai Qingqing didn’t answer immediately, but lowered her head in thought.

Ten years ago, Uncle Xue Zijing arrived in Mo’ao River, traveled for four years, then chose Chen Cang, where his grand reform theories won Chu Fangbo’s favor, earning him the high post of Taiyi, entrusted with governance and gradual reform implementation.

But how easy is reform?

The Four Fanzhen’s Fangbo lineages, along with the aristocratic clans surrounding them, have endured for a century or even three to four centuries; their Six-Tier Registry System has been in place for nearly a hundred years. To suddenly propose reform—resistance is unimaginable.

Three years ago, with Chu Fangbo’s backing, Uncle endured the entire Chen Cang elite’s curses and finally secured for slaves the right to gather resources.

The continuous growth in the Finance Department’s revenue over the past three years fully validated Uncle’s reform theories, yet it also made the conservative faction’s counterattack fiercer.

Using the recent Luh River Valley encampment incident, the conservatives denounced Uncle as worthless, claiming the Finance Department’s three-year revenue gains couldn’t offset the loss of grain fields in Luh River Valley, then attacked all his reform measures as useless, even petitioning Chu Fangbo in unison to remove him from the Taiyi post.

“The Luh River Valley rebellion proves the urgency of reform. Shuangjin Hui knew their uprising couldn’t succeed—why then make such a huge commotion? They’re afraid—afraid that as reform deepens, the soil they depend on will shrink further…”

Fortunately, Chu Fangbo is a discerning sovereign. After Uncle’s forceful arguments, he not only withstood pressure from Chen Cang’s elite, but also heeded Uncle’s advice, overriding opposition to designate Yanziling as a pilot zone for a ten-year comprehensive reform—if proven viable and strengthening Chen Cang, it will be extended across the entire Fanzhen.

“Do you think Yanziling’s reform will fail?”

Uncle always demands thorough reasoning and deep analysis; simply answering “it will fail” won’t do—she must clearly articulate the reasons.

Xue Zijing knew his niece was thinking and remained silent, smiling patiently. After thirty to forty breaths, Bai Qingqing finally spoke.

“Of course it will fail—for three reasons:

First, Chen Cang is dominated by two rival clans, its internal situation complex; even Chu Fangbo is constrained and struggles—how much harder for you, an outsider appointed as Taiyi?

Second, reform faces immense resistance. The release of gathering rights and the three-year revenue growth stem largely from increased output of low-grade spiritual herbs and medicines, which lowered the price of low-grade spiritual pills. For major aristocratic clans, they already have more than enough of these—they gain nothing from lower prices, and their profits from such trade decline. Ultimately, only Fangbo benefits, and the lower classes gain marginally.

But to be fair, Uncle’s reform fundamentally transfers wealth from the aristocracy to Fangbo, with the people benefiting indirectly. For these clans, it brings only harm with no short-term gain—they will inevitably sabotage fiercely to prevent you from smoothly implementing reform in Yanziling.

As for the third reason—it’s Shuangjin Hui…”

Bai Qingqing paused, her eyes filled with disbelief, then shook her head and continued: “I assumed Shuangjin Hui was backed by external Fanzhen forces. Now it seems that even if external powers are involved, the organization’s core base is still Chen Cang’s own people.

Most likely, it’s the Chen clan. Chu Fangbo probably suspects this, but dares not act due to the Chen clan’s power and because their previous actions weren’t extreme enough to justify intervention.

But I never imagined they’d be so insane as to burn a hundred li of grain fields for a loss of tens of billions—Chu Fangbo was so enraged he finally crushed all opposition and forced Uncle to implement comprehensive reform in Yanziling…”

Saying this, Bai Qingqing paused again, shaking her head repeatedly: “But the more they do this, the deeper Chen Cang’s internal rift becomes. Shuangjin Hui committing such an atrocity is a direct message to Chu Fangbo: reform is impossible. Even if Chu Fangbo is strong, how can he defy so many?”

“Internal chaos and division; Fangbo isolated and constrained; conservatives deeply entrenched and unshakable; Shuangjin Hui, already powerful through collusion between inside and outside, causing havoc; the Fanzhen’s total population is twenty-two million, with slaves and low-status classes making up nearly sixty percent—the upper class lives in decadence, the lower class in destitution. Chen Cang appears mighty, barely behind Wei Bo, yet its internal problems are countless—it’s like a boiler heating to explosion, some ailments already beyond remedy… sigh…”

This was meant as a test for his niece; if Bai Qingqing could see these problems, how could Xue Zijing miss them? He listed all of Chen Cang’s issues, then shook his head repeatedly.

“Then leave! Mo’ao River has five Fanzhen—Lu Long Fanzhen you disdain, but Brother just mentioned Wei Bo—you once admired it! Just go to Wei Bo!”

“Wei Bo?”

Xue Zijing pondered a moment, then shook his head: “Wei Bo is strong, but its location is terrible—frequent disasters, sparse population. And in my view, Li Gangfeng is obsessed with immortality, devoted solely to cultivation, with no ambition for the Four Fanzhen—he’ll likely achieve little. Moreover…”

Here he paused, his earlier gloom vanishing, replaced by a gleam of conviction: “The harder a task, the greater the reward upon completion. To act despite knowing it’s difficult—that’s what’s truly noble!

Humanity struggles to survive in the Bingyuan world precisely because of this principle. If we changed course or retreated at every obstacle, where would the Five Fanzhen of Mo’ao River come from? Where would the glory of our Da Xu Nation arise?”

When Xue Zijing spoke of Da Xu Nation, his face was filled with reverence and solemnity; so too were the expressions of Xue Wuhen, Bai Qingqing, and the three black-robed middle-aged men beside him.

“The more complex and difficult Chen Cang’s situation, the more we must press forward. Of the Five Fanzhen’s Fangbos, only Chu Fangbo possesses the bearing of a true sovereign. If we fully implement reform in Yanziling and prove its success, he will increase his support and extend it across the entire Fanzhen. I have confidence—in no more than thirty years, within a single generation, Chen Cang’s strength will rise to lead the Five Fanzhen.

Then, gradually absorb the other four Fanzhen, unify Mo’ao River, expand outward—until our borders stretch ten thousand li and all barbarians submit, achieving the supreme nation…”

Xue Zijing suddenly fell silent, noticing his nephew and niece staring at him with strange expressions. He realized he’d gone too far, and laughed sheepishly: “Hahaha, that was excessive—far too excessive.”

Xue Wuhen shook his head. He had full confidence in his uncle’s talent, but the idea that Chen Cang could one day become a supreme nation was absurd—he took it as jest.

Bai Qingqing, being a bold and straightforward girl, couldn’t help retorting bluntly: “Uncle, you’re utterly determined to aid Chen Cang and establish a supreme nation, but Chen Cang doesn’t want you! Now rumors are spreading that we’re all fugitives from Lu Long, our entire family wiped out by the Lu Long Fangbo, forced to flee to Chen Cang for refuge.”

“Pfft…”

Hearing his cousin’s words, Xue Wuhen sneered with utter disdain—this absurd rumor left him speechless.

“Hahaha…”

Xue Zijing didn’t care, laughing heartily: “Just idle gossip—plainly, they just dislike me!”

He stood up at once, his demeanor brightening, and declared loudly: “Fangbo treats me as a national treasure—I shall repay him with my life and blood. Whether Chen Cang leaps from fish to dragon, glimpsing the glory of a nation, depends entirely on the success of Yanziling’s ten-year reform. Come! Let’s go meet Chu Tianxu, the only Commandant in all Chen Cang who supports my reform!”

The two young people immediately followed behind him, while the three black-robed middle-aged men hurried forward to open the door.