Chapter 591

A flock of white cranes circled above Anyang City.

A group of flood dragons passed over Anyang City.

On the ground, qilin strange beasts roamed leisurely, and wherever they passed, a hundred flowers bloomed.

In the rivers and lakes, various golden-scaled fish leapt into the air, as if celebrating together with heaven and earth.

Celebrating what?

The Great Jin fell today, completely disappearing in the torrent of history.

A stronger, destined-to-be-greater divine state, supported by seventy percent of Great Jin's military clans, seventy percent of its civil officials, and half of its powerful aristocratic families, rose like the morning sun in the east, steadily ascending.

The Qingqiu Divine State replaced the Great Jin Divine State.

The last divine emperor of the Great Jin Divine State, Sima Fei, feeling guilty, committed suicide; the second-to-last divine emperor of the Great Jin Divine State, Sima Xian, was enfeoffed as Prince of Jin by the founding divine emperor of the Qingqiu Divine State, Linghu Qingqing, with his fief located east of Anyang City, the 'State of Jin'.

To demonstrate the magnanimity of the Qingqiu Divine State and the sagacity of Linghu Qingqing, the 'State of Jin' comprised sixty-six superior prefectures, with fertile land, abundant resources, and a thriving populace—truly a land of gold and splendor.

Such a fief was enough for the lineage of the Prince of Jin, and even for the former imperial clan of the Sima to enjoy their remaining years in honor.

Without a flash of swords or a sea of corpses, Sima Xian, on the southern gate of Anyang City's imperial city, publicly read the abdication edict before the world's people—he admitted the Sima clan lacked virtue, that all past Sima divine emperors lacked virtue and talent, and that the Sima imperial clan was even more unworthy, harming the world, bringing chaos to the people, causing instability of the state and invasion by foreign enemies.

Everything was the fault of the former Great Jin imperial clan, the fault of the former Great Jin divine emperors.

Therefore, Sima Xian, in accordance with Heaven's will and the people's sentiments, voluntarily severed the Great Jin's lineage, yielding the state's altars and the myriad living beings to the Linghu clan, yielding control to Linghu Qingqing alone.

Sima Xian wept tears like rain, kneeling before the million commoners gathered in the square before the imperial city gate, bitterly lamenting and repenting the myriad crimes committed by the Great Jin Divine State and the Sima imperial clan against the people over these years.

Indeed, the Great Jin Divine State's reign lasted who knows how many years, and the vast Sima imperial clan numbered in the hundreds of millions; among them were countless arrogant, lawless playboys. The deeds they committed against the common folk—some shocking to hear, utterly outrageous—could be called extermination of humanity, misery without parallel.

Sima Xian publicly recited one by one the most heinous of those deeds, and the gazes of countless commoners in the square changed.

Afterward, everything proceeded naturally.

Everything followed the most orthodox succession procedure: the Linghu clan replaced the Sima clan, the Qingqiu Divine State replaced the Great Jin Divine State, and Linghu Qingqing sat high on the throne of what was once the Nine Heavens Hall, now the Qingqiu Palace, receiving the grand homage of civil and military officials led by Prince of Jin Sima Xian and Grand Tutor Gongyang Sanlü, as well as representatives of the common folk and elders.

Deep within the imperial city, in the former Great Jin ancestral temple, now the Qingqiu ancestral temple, vital energy surged skyward; the Linghu bloodline, through some marvelous qi fortune divine ability, was merging with the nation's fortune and with the geographic veins of the myriad prefectures.

Among the Linghu clan, many elders felt their spirits invigorated, and long-hidden internal injuries vanished.

Among the Linghu clan, many youths felt their qi and blood surge like a spring, their magical cultivation erupting forth, instantly breaking through several bottlenecks.

Among the Linghu clan, many children felt their hearing and sight sharpen; suddenly some children gained talents like photographic memory, some children's strength became immense, and some children's cultivation realms broke through layer after layer of the Chonglou Realm with a swish-swish-swish……

Among the Sima clan, many elders suddenly vomited blood and collapsed dead on the spot; furthermore, countless clan members' cultivation realms abruptly became insubstantial and floating, their ranks dropping instantly, each one weak-breathing and fainting on the spot.

Even some Sima clan pregnant women had their fetuses biting inside their wombs, the women losing massive amounts of blood and falling into dire straits.

The extermination Jin army of the Great Wu Divine State still ravaged the southwest, its vanguard corps faintly pointing toward Anyang City; on the Three Kingdoms battlefield, the armies of the Great Wei Divine State kept increasing their forces, and the terrifying aura of a state-protection divine artifact appeared.

After Sima Xian led the entire imperial clan to pay homage to Linghu Qingqing, under the escort of the Celestial Fox Guard, he directly rushed to the Sima clan's current fief, the State of Jin.

Meanwhile, the clansmen already concentrated and imprisoned around Anyang City, as well as the Sima clan's scattered branch clans across the world, would also, in the coming period, be gradually gathered and confined in the State of Jin.

In the future, perhaps they will never be able to leave the State of Jin even a single step.

What's more, if Linghu Qingqing acts more ruthlessly, it remains uncertain whether any proper Sima clan members will survive on the land of the future State of Jin.

Very few know that several leaders of the 'Flying Swallow,' along with a large number of its high-ranking members—those affiliated with the 'Flying Swallow' involved in the 'Abduction of the Silver Fish' case—were all secretly executed.

Their families, clansmen, servants and guards, even their left and right neighbors, were secretly disposed of during Linghu Qingqing's auspicious days of replacing the Great Jin Divine State with the Qingqiu Divine State.

Silver Fish, is the woman Linghu Qingqing wholeheartedly intends to appoint as empress of the Qingqiu Divine State.

She must have no blemish that could be questioned.

She had once been abducted… even her soul and body separated, her flesh hidden in a farmstead, her soul imprisoned in a purity vase……

How could Linghu Qingqing possibly tolerate such disgrace becoming known to outsiders?

Therefore, those belonging to the 'Flying Swallow'—catch one, kill one; anyone who might leak the secret was executed. The Celestial Fox Guard and the Fox Tail handled these matters swiftly—nothing but killing.

Anyway, a divine state replacing another divine state on this land—such a thing has never happened before.

For such a grand affair, some splendid background colors are needed.

Thus, beheading one, making blood flow like a river, using blood to set off Linghu Qingqing's smooth accession—not only did Linghu Qingqing personally feel satisfied, but even the divine spirits such as You Ruo, invited to attend Linghu Qingqing's enthronement ceremony in the Qingqiu Palace, were also delighted.

A batch of divine spirits' true forms, together with the incarnate manifestations of spirits like You Ruo, appeared at the Qingqiu Palace enthronement ceremony as representatives of the common people, which made Linghu Qingqing also feel immense honor.

Thus, Linghu Qingqing struck while the iron was hot, publicly enfeoffing many civil and military officials; all who followed him, whether military clans or civil officials, received the long-desired titles and promotions.

For example, Gongyang Sanlü was not only granted the title of Grand Tutor in office, not only took charge of all civil officials nationwide, but could also intervene in some imperial clan affairs; at the same time, Gongyang Sanlü was also enfeoffed as 'King of Tai'.

Several top military clans received princely titles, making them overjoyed.

The other military clans and civil officials also received enfeoffments, each feeling content.

But in the end, a conflict still erupted within the Qingqiu Palace.

In the end, Linghu Qingqing, at his own enthronement ceremony, proposed to appoint Silver Fish as empress… but he only proposed making her empress, without proposing to appoint a crown prince.

The Linghu clan members swarmed out like a disturbed hornet's nest, and all the civil and military officials turned pale.

Linghu Qingqing publicly slammed the table, shouting angrily and cursing; he even vomited a mouthful of old blood from rage, and the enthronement ceremony fell into chaos for a time.

In the end, Silver Fish herself stepped forward, kneeling to beg Linghu Qingqing to withdraw his order……

After a prolonged stalemate, Linghu Qingqing gritted his teeth and appointed Silver Fish as Imperial Noble Consort.

These tumults within the Qingqiu Palace, both open and covert unsavory dealings, had little to do with Wu Tie. Wu Tie led the Four Gardens Twelve Guards Forbidden Army, stationed at the junction of Yu State, Xu State, and the like, while firmly holding the territory of the Ancient Arms Office.

But Wu Tie truly never expected the Sima clan to surrender their mandate in such a way, handing it over directly.

The grand scene of the state-protection divine artifacts clashing that he had anticipated did not occur.

Sima Wuyou, this behind-the-scenes schemer who had plotted for six thousand years as the retired emperor, actually so easily gave away his ancestral foundation?

Wu Tie could not comprehend, could not understand; for a moment he did not know what he should do.

His title of Duke of Yu State, conferred by Sima Wuyou—now that the Great Jin Divine State is gone, transformed into the Qingqiu Divine State, this former Great Jin Duke of Yu State, in the Qingqiu Divine State… perhaps he has become a thorn in someone's eye, a splinter in their flesh?

Pei Feng had already ordered a blockade of the news, but rumors were already spreading among the Four Gardens Twelve Guards Forbidden Army.

The army's morale is unstable; the army's morale is worrisome.

Just as Wu Tie was calculating his next response, Sima Wuyou brought Mr. Li, and the two quietly came to call.

On a moonlit night, on a small hilltop, distant lights of the Four Gardens Twelve Guards Forbidden Army's great camp speckled the distance; Sima Wuyou sat cross-legged on a rock beneath an ancient pine, smiling as he gazed at the few sparse stars in the sky.

Wu Tie, Pei Feng, Mr. Li, plus the curious Wu Jin, Wu Yin, and Wu Tong brothers who had come to watch the excitement, together with Lao Tie, stood behind Sima Wuyou.

"Your Majesty..." Wu Tie asked Sima Wuyou in a hoarse tone, "How did the situation change so suddenly? If you have no designs on entangling with Linghu Qingqing, why must you have me and the Six-Tooth Forbidden Army destroy his Fox Hill?"

Sima Wuyou narrowed his eyes and smiled gently: "My dear minister, I have merely discovered something quite interesting."

Hehe, of course, since I can lead you and the Six-Tooth Forbidden Army to directly breach the Linghu clan's Fox Hill and capture their direct descendants guarding it, that is enough to prove I have no intention of surrendering; I intend to play it out to the end with Linghu Qingqing and his lot.

But a few days ago I suddenly made a rather interesting discovery… Therefore, I had the worthy one actively cooperate with Linghu Qingqing to abdicate the throne; one reason is to avoid massive casualties among my Sima clanfolk, and another… hehe, this is a better opportunity.

Wu Tie, Pei Feng, Lao Tie and the others stared fixedly at Sima Wuyou.

A better opportunity?

Sima Xian has already handed the throne over to Linghu Qingqing; legally and legitimately speaking, they have firmly secured their position—what better opportunity have you discovered?

Sima Wuyou murmured: "Ah, a better opportunity, my Duke of Yu Prefecture, my beloved minister… hehe, to tell you the truth, I never imagined that my Right Chancellor, who appears detached from worldly strife and uncontroversial, would hide so deeply. Hehe, 'Flying Swallow', 'Flying Swallow', I had thought the Flying Swallow was just a few restless members of the Sima imperial family secretly organizing."

I feel that since the Flying Swallow takes the imperial clan as its backbone and core, and does everything to seize power and profit for my Sima clan, why not let them be? So I not only did not intervene to stop them, but secretly gave them considerable convenience.

Who would have thought? The Flying Swallow is actually the handiwork of Gongyang Sanlü… amazing, amazing.

Gongyang Sanlü actually used the Flying Swallow as a façade, set up a trap, forcing Linghu Qingqing and my Sima clan to turn against each other—truly a brilliant killing move. Ah, you say, I have discovered such an amusing and interesting matter; since someone can help me act, why must I myself get my hands bloody?

Wu Tie widened his eyes, staring at Sima Wuyou in astonishment.

Sima Wuyou chuckled and told Wu Tie about some things he had inadvertently discovered these past days.

Gongyang Sanlü had been extremely cautious, yet after all he still underestimated Sima Wuyou, this retired emperor.

In his actions, there were some traces; Gongyang Sanlü himself overlooked them, but they were uncovered by Sima Wuyou, the hidden tiger behind the scenes.

Yin Yu'er is a man of Gongyang Sanlü.

Yin Yu'er is Linghu Qingqing's beloved.

The Flying Swallow was secretly organized by Gongyang Sanlü; many members of the Sima clan have become his puppets.

What's more, Sima Wuyou discovered that Gongyang Sanlü seems to have colluded with certain powers among the gods, now plotting some even grander scheme…

Since my crown prince died, these past years I have pondered left and right, and have come to understand many things.

"Under heaven, this altar of state—sometimes, what if I simply let go for a while?" Sima Wuyou rose, hands behind his back, gazing at the distant layers of dark peaks: "What if I simply let go for a while? I will surely retrieve it in time."

Sometimes, rather than being everyone's obvious target, it is better to withdraw in time, hide in the shadows, and watch those people scheme against each other. Sima Wuyou smiled, a confident smile: "Moreover, the present Great Jin is no longer the Great Jin I desire in my heart… let it shed some blood, cut away the rot, and then let me restore the mountains and rivers, create a brand‑new Great Jin—without destruction there is no creation, is that not the principle?"

Wu Tie had no reply.

Anyway, this is your Great Jin; play with it however you like.

As for Gongyang Sanlü's ambition, Linghu Qingqing's hidden worries, the discord among the gods… Wu Tie has no capacity to attend to those.

"Then, Your Majesty, how should I conduct myself?" Wu Tie asked the question that concerned him most.

There is an excellent letter of allegiance; take it, and Linghu Qingqing will surely accept you gladly, even making you a pillar of her court. Sima Wuyou laughed especially brightly: "Just remember, my Duke of Yu Prefecture, you must always keep in mind that you are my subject; in the future, though you hide in Green Hill, you must always remember that you are my subject!"

Wu Tie strained to keep himself from rolling his eyes.

He came from the Fuxi Divine State to the Great Jin Divine State, placed there as a spy by the two old monsters, Wujyu and Xi Bubai.

Now, he must go from the Great Jin Divine State to the Green Hill Divine State, becoming a spy planted by Sima Wuyou under Linghu Qingqing!

"Then, Your Majesty, where will the plan emerge?"

Wu Tie asked Sima Wuyou in a refined manner.

Well, this letter of allegiance is enough for you to enjoy a high position under Linghu Qingqing… especially, the troops under your command who took part in the assault on Fox Hill can, by the opportunity, all be made to temporarily disappear.

You can also take the chance to reduce your own forces, then go over to Linghu Qingqing, saving him the trouble of having to guard against you.

Hehe, rest assured, this letter of allegiance will certainly satisfy him, absolutely satisfy him.