Chapter 464

Southern suburbs of Above Bianjing, Red-Eye Army camp.

Inside the tent are dozens of resolute faces.

The air is filled with the smell of rust and leather, occasionally accompanied by the crisp sound of armor clashing.

"Heavenly King, the brothers can't hold back anymore!"

A general in armor suddenly steps out, the sword at his waist clanging with his movements.

His burning gaze shoots directly at the figure sitting at the top of the tent, "The walls of Above Bianjing are right before us; when will you order the attack?"

The Red-Eye Army has advanced all the way, breaking through like bamboo, defeating the royal army of Above Bianjing with almost invincible momentum.

Ban Sheng defeated Xie Ling at Yunweze in Jiangnan Road, then advanced and retreated three times in Jiangnan Road, finally breaking the 500,000-strong Great Qi army in one blow.

It can be said that his prestige has reached its peak.

A bronze statue was dug out from the silt of the Yellow River, wearing a red cloth, eyes wide open, extremely terrifying.

Ban Sheng stands up and shouts, "Since we are going to die anyway, why not break into Above Bianjing and pull the Nine Great Clans off their horses."

"Heroes are not born of noble stock; who dares to call themselves a man?"

Thus, followers gathered like clouds... and now it has only been a year.

The 600,000-strong Red-Eye Army has already reached the city walls.

There are two people on the high seat in the tent, one is a burly middle-aged man, not wearing armor, but dressed in hemp clothes.

His face is world-weary, but his brows still carry an imposing air; he is the Red-Eye Heavenly King, Ban Sheng.

One step lower than Ban Sheng, there is also a chair, occupied by a middle-aged scholar in black silk, the military advisor of the Red-Eye Army, Wu Wan.

The Red-Eye Army's worship of Ban Sheng is near-fanatical.

Since the uprising in Jiangnan Road, every battle has been like a god descending, invincible.

His talent for military strategy has long been praised as unparalleled in the world.

And Wu Wan, although holding the title of "military advisor," is by no means just a strategist who only knows how to wave a fan and discuss plans.

He once saved a general alone in the midst of chaos, personally led death squads to chisel through enemy lines, and even turned the tide of battle several times in desperate situations.

He helped the Red-Eye Army escape danger several times.

No one in the Red-Eye Army is unconvinced.

The eyes of the generals in the tent turn toward Ban Sheng.

Ban Sheng's expression is calm, but his gaze looks past the tent curtain toward the sky—the celestial phenomenon is strange, the stars and moon hidden, with only the sky split in two, as if predicting a storm is coming.

He withdraws his gaze and says in a low voice:

"Attack the city tomorrow."

"Understood—!" The generals respond in unison, their fighting spirit burning like fire in their eyes.

Ban Sheng waves his hand, and everyone retreats solemnly.

The tent falls silent instantly, leaving only two people—the military advisor Wu Wan and a general who has remained silent like a shadow, his face covered by an iron mask.

Wu Wan slowly stands up and smiles, brushing his sleeves:

"The Heavenly King seems to have something on his mind?"

"In over half a year of uprising, you have broken eighty-two cities and killed over 300,000 enemies."

"Tomorrow, when Above Bianjing falls, you, Heavenly King, will leave a heavy stroke in history!"

"It will be like thunder in the ears!"

As the Red-Eye Army advances on Above Bianjing, the military advisor's complexion gets better and better, smiling every day.

Ban Sheng, however, is silent as iron, whispering: "Leaving a name in history... am I, Ban Sheng, worthy?"

Wu Wan laughs, "In later generations, those who can overturn the world, among the vast sea of history books, are only a few."

"Of course, if you put it that way, Heavenly King, you lack the twists and turns; what the people love to hear most are the stories of repeated defeats and survival in desperate situations. But your path has been smooth, which lacks the ups and downs. In the mouth of a storyteller, it's not a good story."

Wu Wan looks at the sky between Heaven and Earth, which has become two distinct halves.

"However, Heavenly King, it's not that you don't have a chance; if you add the word 'ascension' after Red-Eye Heavenly King Ban Sheng, then you will definitely be a figure that cannot be bypassed for thousands of years."

Ban Sheng slowly raises his eyes, still not speaking.

Wu Wan withdraws his gaze, "Of course, I know what you are worried about, Heavenly King?"

"Worried about these slaves and captives who walked out of the Yellow River, who originally just wanted to survive and get a meal, and followed you out of Jiangnan Road, but now..."

"Heavenly King, you have placed the world before them; their ambition has long changed from just surviving to living like human beings."

"Or, going a step further, living as masters, like the lords in Above Bianjing."

Ban Sheng finally raises his head slowly to look at Wu Wan, "Is this right?"

Wu Wan shakes his head.

"Wrong, but also right!"

"When Above Bianjing is broken, what will they do? Facing the prosperous capital of the world, they have licked blood from the blade and tied their heads to their necks; what for?"

Ban Sheng is silent, slowly closing his eyes.

Wu Wan laughs lightly, "They will be like prisoners who haven't eaten for three days, suddenly seeing a table full of delicacies—"

"Money, beauty, gold; they will feel that this is what they exchanged with blood, what they deserve."

"Even if you stop them, Heavenly King, what can you do? Now, the rebel armies from all over who have come to join us are more than 500,000, right?"

"They followed you, Heavenly King, shedding blood and sacrificing their lives; what for? Now that it has reached this point, history is mostly about pacifying the hearts of the people, slaughtering the city for three days; even if you give the order, Heavenly King, you cannot suppress the ups and downs of the hearts of this 500,000-strong army."

"Heavenly King, haven't you already reached a conclusion in your heart? Why trouble yourself?"

Before he finishes speaking, cheers suddenly erupt from the distant camp.

It seems the generals have just brought back the news of "attacking the city tomorrow," leading to cheers from everyone.

Ban Sheng says, "Back then, the Prince of Yan was able to do it? Why?"

Wu Wan rubs his brow and shakes his head, "Why do you have to compare yourself to Lu Shen Zhou, Heavenly King? That's very boring."

Ban Sheng finally smiles, "Wu Wan, you have always been arrogant, yet you are uniquely lenient toward the Prince of Yan?"

Wu Wan shrugs, revealing a rare look of helplessness: "I have to admit it. He accomplished things I haven't yet. If I were stubborn about even this, wouldn't I be deceiving myself?"

Wu Wan turns around and looks at the other person in the tent, the general covered in an iron mask.

"Xie Ling, what is your decision?"

The general covered by the mask lifts it.

He reveals a handsome face with a scholarly air, but those sword-like brows carry a stern, murderous aura, dispelling the weak scholarly air.

No one expected that the Marquis of Dingyuan, who was defeated by the Red-Eye Army in Jiangnan Road with 300,000 men, would appear in the Red-Eye Army like this.

Ban Sheng sits on the main seat, his eyes narrowed, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two, showing no surprise.

Xie Ling ponders for a moment and says, "I want to lead a troop back to Jiangnan Road."

Wu Wan laughs lightly, "At such a time, don't you want to go into Above Bianjing and see the Nine Great Clans or the Xie family?"

"Or is it that there is a chance for ascension after three thousand years? Don't you want to fight for it?"

He says meaningfully, "I know, like your brother, you are good at hiding your clumsiness; you have already reached the Yang Spirit realm, right? Just one step away from condensing your life-bound essence."

Xie Ling shakes his head, his voice calm, "People should know their own limitations; once the Ascension Platform in Above Bianjing opens, if you don't ascend, you will only be trapped inside."

"As for the so-called ascension, it was never meant for mortals like me."

"As for Xie Hong... my brother fell into the lake, and after recovering from a fever, my originally foolish brother seemed to have opened his mind; he learned poetry, books, and rituals quickly, and his martial arts, Primordial Spirit, and cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds. My mother thought the Xie family ancestors had accumulated virtue and smoke had risen."

"But I know that my brother died in the lake."

Wu Wan sighs faintly: "Those outsiders are best at occupying the magpie's nest. How many mediocre people in history, those who were silent for many years, suddenly become ambitious and famous overnight... who can tell whose soul is in the skin?"

"The Jiangnan Road matter is approved."

Xie Ling bows, turns, and leaves amidst the clanking of iron armor, without any hesitation.

Now, only two people remain in the large military tent.

Ban Sheng asks, "You just let him go? This is not your style."

Wu Wan sits easily in his chair, "That's true; I never leave trouble behind, and Xie Ling is a smart person, so I can't leave him."

"Even now, just one step away, I have to be even more cautious."

"I spared him because of an old matter?"

Ban Sheng seems interested, "I wonder what matter could make the Military Advisor remember?"

He uses a title, "Or rather, what could make the Master remember?"

Wu Wan smiles slightly, "You'd better call me Military Advisor; calling me Master always makes me feel strange, like a ghost borrowing a corpse to return to life."

"When did you discover it?"

Ban Sheng says, "At first, I guessed you came from Mount Zhongnan; otherwise, how could you mobilize so much grain and troops, and suddenly a group of men who knew how to fight, were deeply cultivated, and were so compatible with my Red-Eye Army appeared like bamboo shoots after rain."

He laughs at himself: "I'm not Ban Sheng, destined by Heaven to make heroes bow down. If that were true, I wouldn't even be able to find a wife."

"Later, I checked and found that there was indeed a Master Wu Wan on Mount Zhongnan, but the age didn't match at all."

Ban Sheng's gaze deepens, "Until Xie Ling appeared on Jiangnan Road and set an ambush at Yunweze—given Xie Ling's lifelong caution, it was impossible for him to fall into a trap. At that time, your identity was revealed."

He stands up and looks at Wu Wan, saying word by word: "You are the Master who founded Confucianism and established the academy in Great Qi."

Wu Wan smiles, "Wu Wan was indeed a person, and also a person sent by the Sanzhen Sect, but I killed him; pretending to be an old man was too boring, so I restored my original appearance."

He changes the subject and returns to the previous matter.

"As for why I let Xie Ling go!"

"That day, Emperor Emperor Xianhe united with the Xie and Wang families to attempt to overthrow Su Jing's power as Grand Secretary, but Xie Ling secretly informed Su Jing, and the attempt failed."

"Of course, this is just the Nine Great Clans' version; in fact, I was manipulating the Wang family, and Su Jing knew about it from the beginning."

"Xie Ling didn't inform Su Jing; he exchanged two secrets with me."

"First, Xie Hong is no longer Xie Hong."

"Second, he gave birth to an unusual son."

Wu Wan smiles, "So, I secretly took action to save the Xie family, and also abandoned the Wang family and Emperor Emperor Xianhe, and settled down in Changning Street with peace of mind."

Ban Sheng's eyes flash, "But it seems to have nothing to do with you not killing Xie Ling?"

Wu Wan laughs, "Xie Ling was young at the time; he couldn't guess my identity and was afraid I would go back on my word, so he made me swear an oath."

"I casually replied—'If I lie to you, may my great cause fail.'"

"Now the Ascension Platform is about to start, although I have never believed in these fates and oaths." Wu Wan pauses, "But people get old, and it's hard to avoid such things. Letting him go back alive is just for good luck."

Ban Sheng is silent for a moment, turns, and sits back on the high seat in the tent, suddenly asking: "Then why don't you kill me?"

Wu Wan looks up at him, his eyes calm, "Why kill you? You don't want to ascend, nor do you want to dominate; you just want to be an old farmer in the fields."

The corners of his mouth rise, "Of course, getting a wife would be best."

"Although I have failed the world, I always want to leave something for the world; I can tolerate a Xie Ling, so why not keep a Red-Eye Heavenly King?"

Ban Sheng is somewhat surprised and is about to speak.

At this moment!

The area outside the tent suddenly boils, with cheers, kneeling, and the sound of armor clashing in chaos.

Wu Wan has always been calm, but now he quickly walks out of the tent.

Everyone looks up at the vast horizon.

But they see the two sides of the sky, distinct and clear.

Suddenly, a dazzling sunlight pierces through Heaven and Earth from the clouds, and amidst the shining ten thousand rays of light, four golden pillars stand proudly. Clouds and rosy light roll like surging waves, and a majestic aura that is hard to describe fills the world.

"A thousand years of time... finally, I have waited for it." Wu Wan opens his arms, bathing in the sunlight, his smile hard to hide.

Ban Sheng also steps out; although it is afternoon, it is as bright as noon.

Most eye-catching are the four golden pillars of light, slowly descending. At the peak of the firmament, above the pillars, four magnificent and grand portals appear.

At the intersection of the firmament and the clouds, ten thousand rays of gorgeous rosy light pour down, beautiful beyond compare!

In the military camp, everyone has never seen such a wonder, cheering and running to tell each other, all thinking this is an auspicious sign, and tomorrow's attack will surely be successful.

Ban Sheng stares at these four Heavenly Gates and cannot help but sigh.

To seek these four Heavenly Gates, how many of the world's living beings have buried their bones in foreign lands?

And how many souls have been lost!

The military camp of the Eternal Heaven stretches for dozens of miles, banners fluttering, blocking the sky and the sun.

The 300,000-strong army stands in formation, iron armor reflecting cold light.

Among them, elite cavalry are lined up like a forest, and there are even beast soldiers composed of tigers, leopards, jackals, and wolves roaring in the formation.

Most shocking is the formation of armored war elephants, their heavy footsteps making the earth tremble.

The leading war elephant is exceptionally strong, pure white, wearing a jade crown inlaid with jewels.

On the elephant's back is a carriage with a gilded canopy, the curtains embroidered with the family crest—this is the honor enjoyed only by the Golden Family of the Eternal Heaven.

"Is this the Gate of Ascension? The calamity qi between Heaven and Earth seems to have been devoured by it."

On the carriage, a middle-aged man with dark skin, medium build, and wearing short clothes looks up at the sky.

The man touches his bald head, which has only grown a few inches of hair.

Looking honest, he suddenly grins, "Do you think there will be fairies behind this Tianmen?"

A magnetic voice comes from beside him: "Don't you believe in Buddhism? Supposedly, behind the gate should be Bodhisattvas and Bhikkhus chanting sutras."

The speaker has graying temples, a slender build, and a green shirt that makes his temperament look even more elegant.

If Xie Guan were here, he would definitely recognize this person as one of the Ten Great Sects of the world who appeared at the Qunfang Banquet—the Demon Master Xu Xu Jiangxian.

The man waves his hand quickly, "Don't scare me; if ascension is such a Pure Land, I'd rather not go."

This middle-aged man is one of the Ten Great Sects of the world—the Land Dragon, Dugu Sheng.

Xu Xu Jiangxian turns his head, "If you don't go, there are plenty of people who will."

He stands with his hands behind his back, "Four gates, are there only four spots?"

(End of chapter)