Chapter 759

East of the light curtain lies the Chen Dynasty.

Chen Wen's "quiet recuperation" has lasted a full month.

He did not return to the palace, but remained deep within the Bureau of Heavenly Crafts, inside a newly built "Heart-Nurturing Quiet Chamber" completely wrapped in exotic iron.

The quiet chamber has no windows; light comes entirely from exotic iron crystals embedded in the walls, soft and steady.

Chen Wen sat cross-legged on the jade couch at the chamber's center, eyes half-closed, breath slow and deep, yet his complexion still showed an unhealthy pallor.

His consciousness injury is far more severe than his outward appearance suggests.

That day, he forcefully thrust his consciousness into the collapsing channel, colliding head-on with Yuneng Pollution, and also endured the backlash impact from Zhu Yuanzhang's will resonance, nearly shaking his very foundation.

Over this month, it is less a matter of healing wounds and more a difficult "repair" and "remolding".

"Your Majesty."

From outside the quiet chamber came Zhang Cheng's deliberately lowered voice.

"Enter."

Chen Wen opened his eyes; faint golden data streams occasionally flickered in the depths of his gaze—signs that the system's authorization was spontaneously repairing his consciousness trauma.

Zhang Cheng gently pushed the door open and entered, holding in his hands a scroll of the latest monitoring summary.

His complexion was just as poor, with deep eye bags.

"Preliminary results are in for the loss assessment."

Zhang Cheng placed the scroll on the small table beside Chen Wen, but did not unfold it; instead, he reported directly.

"First, Your Majesty's dragon body."

"The sea of consciousness has been injured, the origin shaken. Though warmed by the ancestral vein and aided by the system's self-repair, it is preliminarily stable, but full recovery will require at least... three years of quiet cultivation; during this period, no risky actions may be taken, nor may one overtax the spirit."

Chen Wen's expression remained unchanged.

"Continue with the rest."

Zhang Cheng sighed inwardly and continued.

"Second, system status."

"Successfully advanced to Level 7, unlocking permissions related to the Life Code; this is the foundation."

"However, due to the excessive consumption of national fortune during the promotion process and the massive loss incurred when the link was bestowed, the system is currently in a 'weak period'."

"Specifically: regular force-energy absorption and conversion efficiency drops by about thirty percent; some high-level functions (such as large-scale gradient bestowal and deep rule analysis) are temporarily unusable or halved in effectiveness; the system's self-maintenance energy consumption increases."

"It is expected to take one to two years to fully pass through the weak period and resume normal operation, provided national fortune steadily recovers."

Chen Wen tapped his fingers lightly on the edge of the jade couch.

"Third, damage to national fortune."

Zhang Cheng's voice grew heavier.

"The ancestral vein's rituals have suffered moderate damage; repairing them requires substantial resources and time, and during the repair, the efficiency of national fortune gathering will decline."

"The chain of natural disasters triggered by over-extraction has basically subsided, but the resulting livelihood losses and popular unrest need good governance and time to soothe."

"Comprehensive assessment puts the permanent loss of total national fortune at... one point eight, close to twenty percent."

The quiet chamber fell into silence.

An eighteen percent loss of national fortune is a blow the Chen Dynasty has never suffered in its four hundred years of founding.

This means that in the coming period, favorable weather will be less frequent, unexpected setbacks more common, and the overall momentum of development will weaken.

"Fourth, anomalies in the light curtain."

Zhang Cheng flipped through the scroll, pointing to a set of complex waveform charts.

"The link attempt, especially the intense confrontation and will resonance at its final stage, caused a 'disturbance' to the light curtain's structure beyond expectations."

"Observations show that on our side of the light curtain, seventeen new, faint 'energy turbulences' have appeared."

"On its western side, the corresponding region also shows signs of instability, with Yuneng flow exhibiting a tendency to be drawn and become disordered."

"The most troublesome part is..."

He paused.

"The three observation posts in Bei Jing have confirmed that the light curtain's overall 'thickness,' or 'blocking strength,' has shown a measurable, slight but real... decline."

"The average decline is about 0.3 percent—minuscule, but the trend is evident."

Chen Wen's gaze narrowed.

Light curtain decline.

This was anticipated, yet it is also one of the outcomes we least wished to see.

The act of bestowing the link, essentially forcing a temporary passage between two worlds, inevitably wears down the light curtain that serves as a barrier.

We just didn't expect the cost to appear so quickly.

"Any reaction from the Iron Crow Army?"

"There is, but it's strange."

Zhang Cheng's face showed doubt.

"By common sense, a decline in the light curtain should be advantageous for the Iron Crow Army, which holds the Yuneng advantage and is eager to move south."

"But observations show that after the link event, the Yuneng reactor in Liaodong increased its output by about ten percent, yet the Yuneng flow seeping outward has become more 'cautious' and 'inward-looking'."

"It seems they are... consolidating their existing controlled area, digesting and absorbing, rather than rushing to expand."

"Furthermore, we have detected several extremely faint 'probe fluctuations' coming from the west side of the light curtain, their target seemingly pointing to... the area where Zhu Yuanzhang resides."

Chen Wen fell into thought.

"They are assessing."

"Assessing Zhu Yuanzhang's changes, assessing the impact of the link, assessing whether the next step should be to continue pressing or to adjust strategy."

"After all, a variable core that has gained 'time' and unknown assistance needs its threat level recalculated."

Zhang Cheng nodded.

「Exactly. So in the short term, the Qing State may not launch a large-scale offensive, but that makes it more dangerous. They are preparing a more lethal strike. 」

Report complete.

Only the faint hum of the exotic iron crystal remained in the quiet chamber.

The price was clear and heavy.

Chen Wen himself was gravely wounded, the system weakened, the nation's fortune diminished, and the light curtain began to destabilize.

All they gained was an incomplete extension of Zhu Yuanzhang's lifespan, and a sliver of faint hope.

「Do you regret it? 」

Chen Wen suddenly asked.

Zhang Cheng stared for a moment, then shook his head.

「I have no regrets. Without this attempt, Zhu Yuanzhang's chances of defeat are extremely high; then our dynasty would struggle alone, and the cost would only be greater. 」

「But… this cost is indeed heavier than expected. 」

Chen Wen exhaled slowly.

「Heavy, then let it be heavy. 」

「The path is ours to choose; the cost naturally must be borne. 」

He looked toward Zhang Cheng.

「Issue the order. 」

「The matter of the nation's diminished fortune is to be classified as absolute secret, known only to the five ministers and the head of the Heavenly Works Institute. 」

「Externally, we will only say that I am in seclusion for contemplation, the Heavenly Works Institute is conducting routine maintenance of its rites, and slight fluctuations in Bei Jing's light curtain are a normal cyclical phenomenon. 」

「State affairs will continue according to established procedure, handled by the regent cabinet. Do not disturb my seclusion for anything less than a national catastrophe. 」

Zhang Cheng bowed.

「Yes. 」

「Furthermore, monitor the light curtain's decline closely and establish an early-warning mechanism. 」

「The Northward Aspiration Army and the Imperial Guard are to enter Level 2 combat readiness. Strengthen border defenses covertly. 」

We must prepare for the worst case—the light curtain may produce a substantive breach (gap) earlier than expected.

Zhang Cheng's heart clenched.

「I understand! 」

「Go. 」

Zhang Cheng saluted and quietly withdrew from the quiet chamber.

The heavy exotic iron door closed silently.

Chen Wen closed his eyes again, began to guide the lingering system authority within his body, and continued the slow, painful restoration of consciousness.

The price has been paid.

The move has been made.

Now, all he can do is to recover as quickly as possible.

And wait.

Waiting to see whether that 「spark」 beyond the light curtain can truly ignite a prairie fire.

Waiting to see how the fragile 「Three Kingdoms」 pattern will move toward an unknown end amid the clash of iron and blood, civilization and aberration, time and erosion.

Outside the quiet chamber, the Chen Dynasty's sunlight remained bright.

But those who know the inner situation have already felt the silent spreading heaviness, and the oppressive pressure of an impending storm.

The cost of the link is like a boulder thrown into the water.

Ripples, spreading outward in expanding circles.

It affects the Chen Dynasty, affects the light curtain, and will surely affect the distant western side, where the Hongwu Emperor of the Great Ming races against time.

A new storm brews in the silence.