Chapter 281: The Western King Enters the Dream

Demonic person? Talisman water? Blades and spears ineffective?

"Not…… you've made this seem like the Yellow Turban Rebellion? The monkey only arrived when Wang Mang usurped the Han after being pressed under Five Elements Mountain, so taking on a master and learning arts must at least date back to the late Qin–early Han, right? How did the Yellow Turbans end up crossing over and barging in like this……"

【Ding! This chapter is not Journey to the West, players shouldn't overly immerse themselves.】

Fine fine fine! You decide.

"... If not following Journey to the West, then just go by the late Han Yellow Turban Rebellion; it should roughly correspond……"

Having straightened his thoughts, Zhao Si began to frown and plot: Since the monkey hasn't returned from study yet, the protagonist's current situation is somewhat perilous.

Although peasant uprisings are inherently just, limited by historical constraints, rebel armies always have lax discipline, and burning, killing, looting are rampant; if they truly attack, cities would likely descend into chaos, with casualties extremely heavy!

We can't gauge the rebel army's pulse; to be safe, the best response is to avoid big cities as much as possible, hide in remote places... Regardless of whether the monkey can return to repay kindness, preserving one's life is definitely right.

However, this might also be an opportunity!

Zhao Si thought:

His orthodox immortal arts inexplicably failed, leaving the protagonist extremely passive, utterly unable to rise to prominence as swiftly as early Xue Xuan; at nearly forty, he's still a mortal, with zero risk resistance.

And given that this 'demonic person' can make blades and spears ineffective, he must have touched the cultivation circles of this world; if we could contact him, we might obtain a ticket to immortality...

It's a challenge, but also an opportunity!

……

【As the situation grew increasingly tense, one bad piece of news after another arrived: official armies defeated, wherever the rebel troops passed, men and women were all conscripted……】

【Some said the rebels killed and burned, some said they were impervious to blades, some said they enjoyed eating people…… In short, one word: chaos!】

【At this tense moment, the authorities quickly dispatched extra personnel to defend the city and mobilized residents to raise the city walls, causing growing panic……】

【You, always quick-witted, sensed from this chaos: the rebel army is about to assault the city!】

【Although you don't know exactly how far off it is, you hurriedly arranged for your family to take their wealth and sneak back to your hometown to avoid the ravages of war.】

【And you, helplessly conscripted by the authorities to build the city walls, couldn't escape……】

【In less than three days, the city walls had just been built up a few layers when the legendary rebel troops arrived!】

【Thick with rebel troops wielding hoes, sickles and other farm tools, they gradually approached the city from afar……】

【From the city wall you saw clearly: these so-called rebels were clearly villagers from the fields, each in ragged clothes, skin and bones…… At first glance you seemed to see that famished monkey from years ago, and these people were even thinner than the monkey!】

【Their eyes were dull and vacant, showing no fear; each person seemed as numb as a corpse……】

【As the crowd drew near, a deathly, oppressive pressure gradually spread through the city.】

【"Look quick! They're starting to drink the talisman water!"】

【Someone cried out in alarm, and everyone hurried to look: they saw a group of Daoists surge from behind the rebels, then ignite many yellow talisman papers, brewing them into talisman water, and gave each dazed rebel a gulp.】

【After drinking the talisman water, the rebel troops surged forward all at once, rushing straight toward the city below!】

【"Fire arrows! Fire arrows!"】

【The authorities had already closed the city gates and hastily sent county troops onto the walls to shoot arrows; although the county soldiers' arrows lacked accuracy, the rebels below were packed tightly, so even wild volleys could fell large numbers!】

【Seeing the rebel troops fall one after another, the county soldiers on the wall and the defending civilians couldn't help but sigh in relief: it seems the rumors were just rumors, not true—what 'blades and spears ineffective'? Look, they did get pierced!】

【But before you could celebrate, those who had been shot down soon staggered back to their feet and continued pressing toward the walls……】

【"It's the demonic person's evil sorcery!"】

【Everyone gasped; the hearts they had just lowered rose again: the enemy simply doesn't die—how could we possibly win?】

【……】

【Indeed, as you imagined, in the ensuing defense, facing this rebel horde that seemed never to die, the county troops and civilians all grew fearful.】

【Aside from shooting arrows downward and throwing stones, nobody dared to do anything else; but even relying solely on the walls to hold firm, with the rebels lacking siege equipment, the city could endure for a long time.】

【It was precisely at this critical juncture that a message from outside the city quietly began to spread……】

【In the city.】

"Have you heard?"

【A group of townsfolk whispered: "Outside…… a bulletin arrived, saying that if you write the character 'West' in cinnabar at home and burn incense day and night, after the city falls you'll be exempt from weapons!"】

"True or false?"

"How would I know! Believe it or not, it's up to you—anyway, the cinnabar and incense in the city have sold out……"

"Who could act this fast?!"

"I don't know…… Want to buy? I happen to have extra, of course, the price will surely be a bit higher……"

"……Give me some!"

"Better to believe it exists than not! I'll have some too!"

"……"

【Holding the freshly bought adulterated cinnabar and inferior incense, the brown‑clad Lin Liu twitched his mouth: "Damn! These profiteers, even now they're still making dirty money!" Lin Liu finally understood why he couldn't make big money—his heart wasn't dark enough, and his nose for opportunity wasn't sharp.】

【Look at others—even at a life‑or‑death moment they're still painstakingly hoarding goods for speculation and selling shoddy products, raking in disaster profits……】

【As for whether these things actually work, Lin Liu isn't particularly concerned; if they work, great; if not, it's fine:】

"Anyway, I'm now as unattached as that monkey……"

【Lin Liu let out a long sigh, carrying a box of expensive adulterated cinnabar and a brush of ashen inferior incense, and silently returned to the dwelling where he'd lived nearly twenty years……】

【The home was empty and quiet, with nobody present; besides the furniture, all valuables had been taken back to their hometown by his wife and daughter.】

【To protect his family and property, Lin Liu had already done his utmost……】

【Striving to calm his mind, Lin Liu opened the cinnabar box, then patiently separated the useless earth clumps, and subsequently mixed the cinnabar with water to grind it fine.】

【Finally, using the cinnabar, he wrote a crooked 'West' character on the wall!】

【Although Lin Liu had never studied, after seeing much over the years he could still write a simple 'West' character.】

【After finishing, Lin Liu took out three sticks of inferior incense, lit them, and bowed respectfully……】

"Although I don't know if it works, but…… I can't help but believe it."

He couldn't help but believe it!

After all, there are who knows how many rebel troops besieging outside the city now; if the city falls, he dare not gamble on whether the other side will spare them completely.

Although Lin Liu had already braced himself mentally for being killed, grabbing a lifeline like this is naturally something he should seize as much as possible!

Besides, the cost isn't high either, so it's better to give it a try……

Not long after he had just finished paying his respects, a sudden inexplicable drowsiness welled up in his heart.

「Strange……」

Lin Liu shook his head, then involuntarily lay down on the bed, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

In the haze between half-dream and half-awake, a compassionate figure dressed like an emperor gradually appeared in his mind……

【You had a strange dream; in the dream, a deity who called himself the 'Western King' found you.】

【Western King?】

【Although you were in the dream, your consciousness was inexplicably clear; you thought long and hard, but you couldn't recall ever having heard of this deity…… Still, you respectfully paid your respects to Him.】

【The Western King's countenance was compassionate; He first told you of His origin……】

【It turns out that He was the ancient 'Heavenly Emperor', governing the mortal realm and the heavenly realm; under His rule, humans and immortals lived together in peace and safety, and whenever the mortal realm suffered calamity, He would send down various immortals to eliminate natural and man-made disasters and rescue the suffering common folk.】

【Everyone should continue living like this……】

【Until one day, a gang of evil gods appeared!】

【They stormed the Heavenly Court, slaughtered many immortals, and finally even drove out He who was the Heavenly Emperor!】

【This band of evil gods stole the status and incense of the righteous gods, yet did nothing at all, allowing the mortal realm to be ravaged by natural and man-made disasters; countless people thus died tragically, and even at death they received no aid from the gods……】

【Moreover, the mortal realm's emperor is in league with the false Heavenly Court, a lackey of the false emperor! He is the false emperor's agent in the mortal realm!】

【At this point, the Western King grew impassioned: He could no longer bear such misery in the mortal realm, so He emerged from retirement, determined to overthrow the false Heavenly Court of the evil gods and rebuild a true Heavenly Court that would benefit all beings!】

【Overthrow the lackey emperor of the false Heavenly Court in the mortal realm!】

【Smash the dog's head of the false Heavenly Emperor, Xue Xuan!】

【Overthrow Xuan, restore the West!】

【The Western King loves all beings!】

【His slogans came one after another, making your sturdy frame shudder, then shudder again……】

【Finally, He spoke solemnly: To accomplish such a great feat, incense support is naturally indispensable.】

【How about this: from now on, remember to offer one stick of incense to Me each morning, noon, and night; when offering incense, you must be sincere, for only then will the effect be best……】

【Besides offering incense, you should also widely recruit believers in the city, letting more people come to worship Me; then attack the official troops and the county magistrate…… Finally, we will coordinate inside and out to take this city.】

【Once we later overthrow the false emperor and the Western King is restored to the throne, you will be richly rewarded!】

【As He spoke, the so-called Western King who claimed to be the former Heavenly Emperor smiled again and said: I hope you won't disappoint Me; after the city falls, merit and fault will naturally be settled……】

【After a long while, you finally understood His full meaning: talk of 'Heavenly Emperor's restoration' is just empty words; His core meaning actually boils down to two points.】

【One is to increase His incense; the other is to help Him open the city gate and seize the county city!】

【This obvious meaning leaves you somewhat at a loss: the incense is no problem, but helping Him seize the county city……】

【You feel you might need to think it over carefully.】

……

(End of Chapter)