Chapter 402: The Protection Mechanism of the Kun Xu Cauldron, the World in Chaos!

The Yanbei Army has arrived!

It was not only Xie Mu who sensed it.

The news tightened Xie Mu's heart, and Gao Wenxiao instantly caught the rolling iron tide surging from afar.

The momentum was immense!

A black banner flapped fiercely, its "Yan" character writhing like dragons and serpents, radiating a chilling aura of slaughter.

How could this happen so suddenly? Not a whisper had reached us!

They dared station troops and form battle lines here, yet cavalry scouts had been posted all around.

Only when the army drew near did they finally notice.

Unless this had been planned long ago!

The surrounding cavalry, witnessing this sight, all wore faces of panic, their hearts trembling uncontrollably.

Though the Lu family army was gone, the Yanbei Army carried on its legacy; among its ranks were many veteran generals who had once driven the Beifeng forces to abandon armor and weapons, scattering in defeat across both banks of the Yellow River.

At the dawn of Beifeng, it was merely a patchwork of tribes, conscripting soldiers from each clan, fighting only to plunder resources.

After entering a city, they burned, killed, and looted gold, silver, and treasures, seizing men, women, and livestock; half the spoils went to private hands, half to military supplies.

Now that Beifeng has established its state, it enforces the "Shijia" system, requiring soldiers to serve for life.

Soldiers are made a hereditary profession, with separate household registers called "military households."

Daughters of military households may marry only other military households, never outsiders.

If a husband dies, his wife cannot remain a widow—she is reassigned to another military household.

Relatives of military households are held as hostages, concentrated in one place under strict surveillance.

Sons inherit their fathers' status, generation after generation, as if bound by eternal chains.

Descendants without end.

"Shijia"—a term that sounds honorable—is in truth state slavery.

Able-bodied men fight for the state, charging into battle, while the elderly, weak, women, and children remain behind to till fields as hostages.

There is also the "Shiwang Law": if a soldier deserts, he is executed, and his entire family is executed by association.

In the past, a daughter of a military household married a commoner and was removed from the military register—yet she was eventually reported by Beifeng officials.

Her marriage was annulled; the woman was forcibly reassigned to another military household, and all her children were enrolled in the "Shijia" system.

It was this harsh, cruel military system that enabled Beifeng to rise rapidly within just a few years, ultimately toppling neighboring powerful states.

This military system has been maintained to this day, becoming the foundation of Beifeng's statehood.

Though the soldiers feared the encirclement, none dared flee.

Gao Wenxiao scanned the surroundings and saw over thirty thousand cavalry, forming an iron wall that surrounded them completely.

His face darkened like still water; he silently calculated his response.

He was now the highest-ranking officer here—where was Tuoba Hongyan?

In just one hour, the situation had reversed entirely.

The Demon Master watched the battlefield and saw a black spiritual form rising behind Lu Yu, alongside two thousand heavy cavalry and five or six Grand Masters, engaging the enemy in fierce combat.

On the battlefield, men and horses fell constantly; the clash of metal and stone deafened the air, forming a vortex that seemed to devour everything.

Huang Dao, seeing this, smirked, then spurred his horse away with Xie Mu.

Gao Wenxiao, seeing this, tried to stop the martial arts Grand Master—but Huang Dao merely glanced back at him.

Gao Wenxiao felt his heart race, cold sweat breaking out.

A common man's rage, within ten paces, can rival a nation.

He dared not speak again, only watched helplessly as Huang Dao rode away slowly.

The heavy cavalry surrounding Lu Yu also noticed the surrounding Yanbei cavalry and began to withdraw their assault.

Yu Ke stared at the battlefield littered with corpses.

Many cavalrymen and their horses had been crushed by the spiritual form summoned by Lu Chen.

That spiritual form resembled a black humanoid "Gundam."

Lu Yu charged across the battlefield like Susano-o, unstoppable and devastating.

Hundreds of corpses lay strewn around him; blood pooled at his feet, forming a horrifying crimson expanse.

Rarely, beads of sweat appeared on Lu Yu's face—he clearly expended tremendous energy to wield this technique.

Among the enemy ranks, several martial Grand Masters had received Lu Yu's special attention.

One punch, one kill—dispatched on the spot.

Grand Masters, once revered figures in the martial world, now seemed as fragile as infants before Lu Yu.

Just moments ago, over a thousand armored soldiers, linked in iron chains and wielding spears, had surged forward like a tidal wave, attempting to overwhelm Lu Yu.

Now, half their number is gone!

Ji Qinxin watched the retreating heavy cavalry, her face still streaked with fear and terror.

Looking at the scattered limbs and severed bodies, the gory scene made her nearly unable to bear it.

A chill crept into her heart.

Is this Lu Yu, one of the Five Supreme Masters, even human?

He is a demon from hell.

The cavalry driven back by Lu Yu also noticed the approaching Yanbei Army.

They ceased their assault and instead gathered with Gao Wenxiao's troops, fearing they would be picked off separately.

The encirclement and assassination of Lu Chen has failed!

Lu Yu casually dismissed the towering spiritual form behind him, then quietly stepped to your side, as if nothing had happened.

Yu Ke's gaze shifted between the retreating Beifeng cavalry and the slowly advancing Yanbei Army, a flicker of astonishment rising in his heart.

This... the shift in the situation was so effortless.

It was resolved too easily—none of us even lifted a finger!

Where was the benefit of personally participating?

It's already over.

This is a blatant waste of the last 【Personal Participation】.

Ji Qinxin, witnessing the shocking reversal, was deeply stirred.

Mounted on her horse, her body trembled slightly; tears welled up, and overcome with emotion, she turned and embraced "Lu Chen."

But!

This sudden intimacy made her instantly realize her mistake—her cheeks flushed crimson, glowing with shy beauty.

Yu Ke also froze, feeling a fragrant breeze brush his face, a sudden pressure against his chest.

Thump!

Especially, Ji Qinxin's blushing face burned like fire, strikingly alluring.

No wonder she's on the Rouge List!

Yu Ke paid it no mind—after all, this was a "simulation." Who knew what was real?

You can't fantasize over an "NPC," can you?

Soon after, the Yanbei Army swiftly deployed.

Besides the twenty thousand cavalry encircling from outside, over three thousand had already arrived beside them.

These cavalry dismounted in perfect unison, revealing strict discipline and rigorous training.

A middle-aged man wearing a white headband and hemp robes stepped forward from the ranks and bowed his head deeply to the ground.

"Ye Meng, pays homage to His Majesty! I arrive too late to rescue you!"

Behind him, the three thousand cavalry knelt simultaneously, shouting in unison:

"Long live the Emperor!"

Ye Meng is Ye Mu's legitimate son, and his only son.

Ye Meng is tall and sturdy, his features strikingly similar to his father's memory.

Yu Ke merely glanced at him and immediately sensed the hidden grief beneath Ye Meng's calm expression.

The effect of discerning character!

After Yu Ke ordered them to rise,

Through the simulation's context, he now seemed to grasp the truth.

Everything before him pointed to one fact.

Ye Mu did not rebel!

Otherwise, he would not have come to "rescue the Emperor" at such a critical moment.

Ye Meng knelt again and said:

"My father's final words: he dared not face His Majesty, and wished to resign from his title of Marquis of Changping, for he felt his virtue insufficient to merit such honor, and deeply ashamed of His Majesty's profound trust and favor!"

"The envoys of the four nations are all safe—they were secretly sent out of Bozhou last night."

"My entire Ye family, four hundred and thirty households, plus forty thousand private troops, all wish to join the Yan state's Shijia system, serving the Yan King faithfully for generations to come."

With that, Ye Meng bowed his head, his forehead touching the ground beneath "Lu Chen's" feet.

Yu Ke looked around; all wore hemp robes and mourning caps, silently conveying the grief of Ye Mu's death.

Bearing thorns to beg for forgiveness?

Yet Ye Mu had made this choice in life.

Better to bear eternal infamy, even disaster upon my family for generations, than to launch this campaign without righteous cause for Yan!

After Yan's founding, only Lu Yu was granted the title of Prince.

But Lu Yu refused this extraordinary honor and was instead bestowed a Daoist title.

"Supreme Lord of the Pure Heavens, Controller of the Three True Emperors of Thunder!"

The court reappointed thirty marquises, yet three among them rejected the title and accepted only official posts.

The Marquisate of Changping was originally granted by Daqing, but after Ye Mu firmly declined, Yan reinstated the title to honor his merit.

A true man born into this world, who takes up arms and marches to war—who does not yearn to achieve glorious deeds, forge a mighty legacy, and be remembered for eternity?

To win fame in life and after death!

Yu Ke gazed at Ye Meng, kneeling before him, his heart filled with tangled emotions.

This sorrow did not arise from himself, but from having absorbed Lu Chen's memories—and feeling them as his own.

Yu Ke gently pushed forward, and an invisible force lifted Ye Meng to his feet.

Yu Ke spoke calmly, slowly: "Let us discuss this matter later."

Yu Ke recalled that Daqing had once employed the "Shijia" military system—but before it could be widely implemented, the Northern Wind invaded from the north.

When Lu Chen first founded the Lu Family Army, he abolished the "Shijia" system outright, calling it contrary to humanity and detrimental to benevolence.

Originally, Yu Ke had been deeply interested in personally participating in this event, as if truly stepping into a "game."

But this sudden surge of emotion had already dimmed much of his enthusiasm.

The Kunxu Cauldron trembled slightly, as if attuned to Yu Ke's thoughts, sensing his inner turmoil.

Above his mind-sea, the great cauldron reappeared, its surface swirling with dense, heavy energy.

【End early and participate personally?】

Yu Ke recalled his two previous experiences of 【personal participation】.

The first was on a morning; the second, inside the imperial palace, lasting an entire night.

Now, barely an hour had passed.

Yu Ke felt no strong attachment, for this time he had nothing to change, and no crisis loomed.

He cast one final glance at Lu Yu, the younger brother who had always stood beside "Lu Chen," and could not help but feel fondness.

Lu Chen's life simulation was nearing its end.

Yu Ke knew that once this final chance for 【personal participation】 was used, they would likely never meet again.

Lu Yu mistakenly believed his elder brother worried over his injuries.

He smiled back, signaling it was nothing.

Then—

Yu Ke ended this 【personal participation】.

As the cauldron rang, its surface bloomed with intricate Daoist script in clerical script.

Yu Ke felt a whirl of dizziness; the familiar yet distant voice echoed again in his ears.

"The earth's nature is yielding; the noble person cultivates virtue to carry all things."

A young boy's calm voice!

Like a clear spring washing his soul, slowly dispelling his earlier agitation.

Yu Ke slowly opened his eyes and found himself back in his original dwelling.

He felt his body—no fatigue at all. The previously "low" mood had, after that boy's voice, gradually lifted.

He wondered: participating personally and absorbing memories must affect the spirit.

Just as now, having experienced life as "Lu Chen," his original memories had already blurred entirely.

He could no longer recall the face of "Ji Qinxin."

Is this the cauldron's protective mechanism?

The cauldron was not incapable of letting him remain in 【personal participation】 indefinitely.

Rather, prolonged participation would cause him to forget who he truly was.

Each simulation is a wholly new life, demanding a century of human experience.

No ordinary person could endure such an ordeal!

The seven emotions and six desires, birth, aging, sickness, death—all memories and insights feedback into the self, enough to drive one mad on the spot.

Clearly, each future choice to 【personal participate】 must be made with extreme caution.

Yu Ke wondered inwardly: if he grew stronger, reached the higher rungs of the Heavenly Ladder, could he remain forever within the cauldron, experiencing countless lives?

One day in the mortal world equals ten years within the cauldron!

Yu Ke knew such thoughts were premature—he had only just completed the second Heavenly Ladder.

He shook his head, dismissed the thought, and returned his focus to the simulation.

【As Yanbei forces pressed at the border!】

【The Northern Wind cavalry did not engage head-on; instead, like startled birds, they scattered in all directions and fled.】

【Gao Wenxiao was captured alive; of ten thousand Northern Wind iron cavalry, four thousand were slain, four thousand captured, and only two thousand broken remnants escaped back to Northern Wind. Tuoba Hongyan had vanished without a trace.】

【Ye Mu's affairs were resolved satisfactorily; his son Ye Meng inherited his title and office.】

【Ye Mu's private force of forty thousand retainers was integrated into the Yanbei Army, but not made into "Shijia."】

【Ye Mu was given a grand funeral in Yan, attended by Yan's highest officials and nobles—the ceremony solemn and dignified.】

【Your evaluation of Ye Mu's life: "Flawless in conduct," praising his noble character.】

【At the end of Jianwu Year One, the White Horse Oath concluded.】

【Yan declared war on Northern Wind.】

【Northern Wind allied with Qianyuan to jointly resist Yan's advance.】

【Meanwhile, Han sent envoys to persuade Yan to withdraw troops and end the war.】

【Yet in the following spring, Qianyuan suddenly launched thirty thousand troops, launching a night raid on Da Chu and pushing all the way to Chu's capital, shattering the fragile peace.】

【Han and Chu formed an alliance to jointly resist Qianyuan.】

【Suddenly, the world plunged into chaos, with warfires blazing everywhere.】

(End of Chapter)