Chapter 152: Immortal Emperor, The Outbreak of the Lesson Plan

Knowing that it would not be long before Lu Yuan moved against Xici again, Lin Xingchao, Gu Kanshan, Fan Zhenxiong, and the others took their leave with slightly agitated emotions.

They did not doubt Lu Yuan's confidence; after all, Lu Yuan was a mystery from head to toe, and the record of him entering the palace alone to engage Xici and retreating unscathed had already proven everything.

A year or half a year is neither long nor short; once Xici, the pillar supporting the Jin Dynasty, dies, the world will surely be in turmoil, and that will be the time for heroes to rise, overturn the Jin Dynasty, and fulfill the dying wish of Saint King Chen Kequan.

Of course, before that, they still needed to keep their lips sealed and not leak such shocking news for the time being, so as to avoid unnecessary trouble.

And after they left.

Immediately following, the Martial Arts Association Grandmaster Wu Yixian also hurried over to pay a visit, inquiring about the matter of sheltering members of the Iron-Blooded National Salvation Society, appearing somewhat worried.

Lu Yuan had not intended to tell the other party the truth, but upon second thought, he changed his mind and gave a rough account of the situation.

"What?"

In the guest hall of Guangwu Hall, the nearly seventy-year-old Wu Yixian, after understanding the cause and effect, showed a look of shock on his aged face:

"Little Friend Lu, you directly held Bagehai hostage and went to the station official residence to threaten the Zhili Governor-General Nayancheng, forcing them to release the people?"

Lu Yuan nodded and smiled:

"The methods were a bit crude, making Grandmaster Wu laugh."

After hearing Lu Yuan's account, even this generation's Grandmaster who had weathered great storms could not remain calm, saying in disbelief:

"Threatening the Zhili Governor-General is no different from treason; why would you do such a thing? Could it be that you intend to..."

Lu Yuan smiled, not avoiding it at all, and frankly admitted:

"The ten thousand miles of Shenzhou are filled with the stench of the Tartars; the Jin Clan has occupied the land for hundreds of years. It is time to return the sacred vessels of the state. What do you think, Grandmaster Wu?"

Wu Yixian naturally did not know that the two Grandmasters Mankeduo and Lugu Ta were both dead, plus the fact that Xici had already been assassinated once by Lu Yuan. He said in a deep voice:

"The Jin people are tyrannical, guarding against the Han people more than against the rivers. Any person of ambition in the thirty-six provinces of Shenzhou has thought of restoring the Han dynasty, and I am no exception. However, I have heard that the Undying Demon Empress's strength is unfathomable, and ordinary Grandmasters are far from being her match; it is possible she has already reached the legendary realm of Heavenly Gang Grandmaster. This person is like the sea-calming needle of the Jin Dynasty; if she does not die, the Jin Dynasty will be difficult to overthrow."

"And now, the foreign powers are eyeing us like tigers. Once the Demon Empress dies and the Jin Dynasty truly falls apart, the two countries of Sha'e and Rizhao will likely be unable to restrain themselves and invade on a large scale. At that time, it might instead cause the land of Shenzhou to fall into the flames of war and catastrophe, which is truly a dilemma."

Lu Yuan nodded in agreement:

"Grandmaster Wu's words are reasonable. However, I believe that without destruction, there can be no construction. As long as the knowledgeable people of the world are prepared and work together, even if Xici dies and the world is in turmoil, it is not impossible to resist the foreign powers and restore the mountains and rivers."

Wu Yixian did not understand why Lu Yuan suddenly had such a shocking idea, his gaze tightening:

"Little Friend Lu, what exactly do you mean?"

Lu Yuan smiled and immediately laid out the fact that he had already exchanged blows with Xici once.

Wu Yixian was shocked on the spot, unable to maintain his years of composure:

"You actually went into the palace alone to assassinate Xici and still retreated unscathed!?"

Lu Yuan nodded:

"That's right. In that exchange, we were roughly evenly matched, and neither could do anything to the other. However, after returning, I had some new insights. My cultivation will certainly improve within a year or half a year, and I can kill her the next time we fight."

Wu Yixian's expression changed repeatedly, his gaze looking as if he were watching a monster or a prodigy.

The Undying Demon Empress was a living fossil of the Jin Dynasty. Even for an old-school True Martial Grandmaster like him, who enjoyed fame in Jinjin and was renowned throughout the world, he felt that his own chances of entering the palace to assassinate her and retreating unscathed were no more than twenty percent.

From this point of view, Lu Yuan's strength and methods had already reached a level he could hardly fathom.

"So that's how it is. No wonder Nayancheng had to obediently listen to orders and dared not act rashly. If you were to act ruthlessly, who would still have their life to attend court..."

Wu Yixian took a deep breath and then paced back and forth:

"If Little Friend Lu truly has the ability to assassinate the Demon Empress, then this is indeed a once-in-a-millennium opportunity for us Han people. Nowadays, the Eight Banners of the Jin people, the sons of the Upper Three Banners, are addicted to pleasure and most are unfit for use. In recent years, more than half of the New Army being trained are led by Han people. If we could connect with these people in advance, perhaps..."

Lu Yuan's gaze flickered:

"Can Grandmaster Wu contact these people?"

Wu Yixian nodded, saying uncertainly:

"After all, I have operated in Jinjin for decades, and I have many disciples and grand-disciples. Quite a few are in the military. Through relatives and connections, I can indeed contact many Han commanders and overseers of the New Army. It's just that I don't know, Little Friend Lu, you..."

"Is Grandmaster Wu asking when I will make my move next time?"

Lu Yuan laughed:

"In a few months at the shortest, and no later than a year at the latest. If Grandmaster Wu has connections, you can secretly notify these people now and link them up. I don't ask for them to rise in rebellion; they only need to pacify the local areas."

Wu Yixian was also a decisive person. After his expression changed several times, he immediately said:

"Good, good, good! Little Friend Lu is full of heroic spirit, taking the lead for the restoration of the Han dynasty. Although I, Wu Yixian, am just an old man, I can still contribute my meager strength! I will find a way to notify and connect these New Army commanders as soon as possible to see if we can win them over and prepare early!"

Lu Yuan smiled and cupped his hands: "Many thanks for your righteousness, Grandmaster Wu."

Afterwards, having discussed some details, Wu Yixian left in a hurry with a grave expression.

Watching the figure of the other party leaving, Lu Yuan could not help but show a thoughtful look.

Plans cannot keep up with changes.

As his Dharma Power broke through two hundred strands, not only did he no longer need to hide or cover up, but some of his original plans and ideas could also begin to be implemented in advance.

This batch of disciples at Guangwu Hall could not be of much use for the time being, so Wu Yixian, who had great prestige and extensive connections in Jinjin and was like half the sky, was a figure well worth winning over.

He directly told Wu Yixian that he was confident in assassinating Xici in the near future, both to build momentum for himself and to prepare for the turmoil that might be caused in the world after Xici's death.

Like the New Army commanders stationed in various provinces mentioned by Wu Yixian, the New Army in their hands was fully equipped with the latest imitated New-Style Firearm and Cannon, and they had been training for a long time. If it were just land warfare, their combat effectiveness would not be much inferior to the armies of the foreign powers.

If these people received the news in advance and responded in unison after Xici's death, the collapse of the Jin Dynasty would be just around the corner, and even if the foreign powers took advantage of the situation to invade, it would not be without the power to resist.

The only problem was that although the combat effectiveness of the New Army in various places was acceptable, they had always had a tendency to listen to orders but not to proclamations. If Xici really died, some ambitious people in charge of the New Army might turn into local warlords and emperors, causing the entire situation in Shenzhou to fall into even greater chaos.

However.

Even if such a situation occurred, for the current Lu Yuan, it was no longer a big problem, and he had the means to deal with it completely.

"Xici, oh Xici."

Lu Yuan's gaze was distant, and he whispered to himself:

"As the sovereign of a country, I hope the weight of your life will not disappoint me."

Time flew by.

Lu Yuan's life in Guangwu Hall did not change much; it was still the same routine of quiet cultivation, sword practice, and alchemy.

The vast Jinjin City was also calm and peaceful, with no one knowing that a huge wave was gradually brewing; only a rumor had gradually arisen among the common folk, which was that no matter how great a crime one had committed, even a capital offense of treason involving the extermination of one's entire clan, as long as Guangwu Hall stepped forward to provide a guarantee, one could remain safe and sound.

The source of the news was unknown, but it soon spread throughout Jinjin and even to other regions, making the already bustling Guangwu Hall even more lively, with all sorts of people coming to the door almost every day to seek protection.

Among these people, some were local commoners who had suffered injustice and coercion, some were strongmen who had committed crimes and were fleeing from place to place, and there were even expert chivalrous heroes who were wanted for robbing the rich to help the poor or assassinating corrupt officials; there were even Martial Artists of the Fifth Realm.

Of course, there were also some messy, unreliable scoundrels and idlers trying to pass themselves off as something they were not; Lu Yuan basically did not ask about external affairs, so these people were naturally dealt with by Chen Zhantang, Peng Yidao, and Lin Sheng, so as not to disturb Lu Yuan's peace.

And ever since they were protected by Lu Yuan, most of Zhao Shuhua and the others remained in the hall, beginning to observe and learn.

Soon, they unexpectedly discovered that the disciples under Lu Yuan were not pure martial artists; every day, besides practicing Martial Arts, they had to set aside a fixed hour to study.

And the books they read were not the "zhi hu zhe ye" eight-legged essays, but seemed to be new-style textbooks from Western schools, containing various basic knowledge of history, geography, science, and so on and so forth.

This discovery made Zhao Shuhua pleasantly surprised and unexpected; after waiting bitterly for many days, he finally found an opportunity to ask Lu Yuan for advice in person and discuss the philosophy of saving the nation and the people.

Lu Yuan, after all, had transmigrated from the modern Earth of information explosion, and even the high school political textbooks contained the "dragon-slaying technique"; just a casual discussion made Zhao Shuhua suddenly enlightened, and then he was completely won over.

Within the Iron-Blooded National Salvation Society, some advocated total Westernization and imitating the systems of the great powers, some wanted to save the nation through education, and some believed that the gun barrel was the absolute truth; Zhao Shuhua's personal ideal was also simply to restore the Han people's mountains and rivers, for the people to be wealthy and the country to be strong, and for the world to be in Great Harmony.

But Lu Yuan clearly told him that the current Jin Dynasty had accumulated too many ills and its thinking was too old; only by completely shattering the original classes and the original order could a new world be fundamentally established.

Nation, class, contradictions—just from this one discussion, Zhao Shuhua was thoroughly convinced by Lu Yuan; what he was convinced by was not his martial power, but his philosophy and cognition.

Consequently, he became a loyal supporter of Lu Yuan on the spot, determined to formally leave the Iron-Blooded National Salvation Society and join Guangwu Hall.

Under his influence, most of the members who remained made the same choice.

Lu Yuan was naturally happy to see this happen and immediately took all these people in to strengthen his foundation.

Just like that, another month or so flashed by.

This morning.

Zhao Shuhua and several members of the original Iron-Blooded National Salvation Society returned from the outside, dusty and tired, and immediately requested to see Lu Yuan, who was in quiet meditation.

After seeing Lu Yuan, he excitedly reported at the first opportunity:

"Hall Master, I have already met with the Fengtian Military Governor Lu Jingyao and the Jiangning Military Governor Ni Sichong. The sons of these two are my classmates and close friends, and they are all men of ambition who have intricate connections with the Iron-Blooded National Salvation Society. Both military governors expressed implicitly that no matter what drastic changes occur in the imperial court in the future, they will immediately secure their own respective territories and not give the great powers any opportunity to take advantage."

"In addition, I also went to see the old gentleman Wu Taidou. The Martial Arts Association has also secretly contacted several military governors and Commanders. The total number of troops in the hands of these people exceeds one hundred thousand, and they are all capable armies equipped with New-Style Firearm and Cannon. As long as they are willing to remain still and suppress the situation, the Jin Dynasty will inevitably be unable to turn the tide!"

Lu Yuan nodded slightly after hearing the report:

"Not bad, you have worked hard on this trip."

"It was no hardship, no hardship."

Zhao Shuhua said hurriedly:

"It's just that among these people, it is hard to guarantee there won't be those who are two-faced. If the news leaks and reaches the ears of Xici, will it..."

Lu Yuan smiled indifferently, not taking it to heart:

"It doesn't matter. Helping whoever wins is human nature. In fact, even without them tipping her off, that old demoness knows in her heart that I will go find her again."

"So her primary task now is to try every possible means to deal with me. As long as I am resolved, nothing else will pose a threat."

Zhao Shuhua, who had now formally joined the hall, also knew of Lu Yuan's god-like battle record and said with full admiration:

"Hall Master Lu's Martial Arts are earth-shattering; your next move will surely be thunderous and settle the universe. At that time, you will be no different from a savior who rescues the common people!"

Lu Yuan was noncommittal and just sighed lightly:

"There has never been any savior, nor do we rely on gods or the Emperor. It is a pity that this sentence does not apply in this world..."

Hearing a vision and spirit from this sentence, Zhao Shuhua was slightly startled, and just as he was about to speak, he heard a burst of clamor coming from outside.

Lu Yuan only moved his gaze, and Zhao Shuhua immediately got up to go out and inquire. Not long after, he saw Chen Zhantang walk in with him:

"Why is there such a clamor outside?"

Chen Zhantang hurriedly reported:

"Hall Master, something has happened."

"There are several Mercy Hall of the Heavenly Lord Holy Church in Jinjin where Shenluo People preach. These halls have taken in many abandoned infants and children, but I don't know who discovered that many children have suddenly fallen ill and died violently during this period; it is said that there have been dozens of them in succession."

The corpses of these children who died violently were carelessly buried by the foreigners of the church in the wilderness east of the river. As a result, someone accidentally discovered that there were coffins containing two or three bodies, and some bodies were without eyes, with chests and abdomens hollowed out, and missing organs. Because they were buried at night and handled sloppily, the corpses were exposed, pecked by eagles and dug up by dogs; it was a tragic sight."

This matter spread from ten to a hundred, and now most of the people in Jinjin know about it. They all believe that those foreign devils are abusing children and refining medicine with humans, so they are filled with righteous indignation and uncontrollable anger."

Early this morning, people from the Golden Blade Group led thousands of Jinjin commoners to surround the Mercy Hall and then broke in to negotiate. As a result, the foreign Priest of the church was arrogant and domineering; when they disagreed, he drew his gun and shot and killed several people, causing the Golden Blade Group to become completely enraged. A large number of experts rushed over and directly slaughtered all the foreigners in the Mercy Hall and set it on fire."

"The current situation is that under the leadership of the Golden Blade Group, almost the entire city's population is boiling over. They have already burned several Shenluo churches in the city and are preparing to rush into the Concession to burn down that largest church as well, so the disciples in the hall are making a ruckus, also wanting to go and watch the excitement!"

(End of this chapter)