Chapter 368: Mountains of Gold and Silver, Divine Weapons Sever Karma, I Am King

The old Master Siming leapt down from the high wall, tossing the Black Tortoise Manifestation outward as he descended, landing in the posture of a wandering swordsman.

The old man sat squarely on the tortoise's carapace, then bounced off the ground, propelled forward several steps by momentum before steadying himself—his face had gone pale; he had never intended to witness the end of this long-past event.

So he had planned to avoid it.

Li Guanyi was half their own family; it was fitting for him to watch.

The old man had no interest in watching other people's family affairs.

But when he turned back, he saw smoke rising in all directions, his face darkened—he rode the Black Tortoise over to investigate; damn, armies from different tribes were converging from every direction, eyes red with fury.

These western warlords cared less for loyalty and valor than those in the Central Plains; their ambitions ran deeper, and now, caught in the whirlpool, turning back was utterly impossible—they could only move forward like every ordinary soul trapped in the tide of history.

The old Master Siming hesitated, then said: "Did I come at a bad time?"

The silver-haired girl nodded: "Yes."

Brief and to the point.

A sharp stab straight to the heart.

The old Master Siming grimaced; Li Guanyi replied: "No, sir, you've arrived just in time—this situation admits not a moment's delay." He crouched slightly to let Yao Guang down; the silver-haired girl leapt off, standing on one foot.

Li Guanyi reached out and ruffled Yao Guang's hair, saying:

"Little Cat, little Cat."

The young prince Mu Zi Yi asked: "Did your auntie teach you to call me that?"

The silver-haired girl's gaze fell to the side.

Her face showed no emotion; she pressed her lips together, unflinching:

"No!"

Li Guanyi couldn't help but laugh.

He stroked Yao Guang's silver hair, then lifted his head—his eyes were clear, already seeing the fierce martial aura surging from afar, coming from all four directions; this city was nearly a prey trapped in the center.

"The Son of Heaven has lost his deer."

"Who will chase it?"

Now, this western Wang Cheng is the deer of the world.

Li Guanyi said: "Master Siming, go with Mr. Master Wen He to guide the people—moving a million souls out of the city within days requires time, methods; I rely on you, sir."

"Also, bring Hao Yuan Xia here."

Time was urgent—there was not a moment to waste; the old Master Siming made no move; Li Guanyi paused: "You're the guide—you came here, so tell me, has Yuan Zhi or Ling Pingyang reached Anxi?"

The white-haired Master Siming laughed, winking: "Guess!"

The Black Tortoise Manifestation and the old Master Siming departed; this old man who claimed to know no Wu Gong found Hao Yuan Xia with pinpoint accuracy, while the common folk were herded along by Master Wen He's agitators.

They lured with profit, coerced with threat, first stirring a small group.

Then, using the public opinion generated by that group, they drew in more.

The entire city stirred.

Like the hardened crust of a sun-baked sandpile—poke it once, and vast stretches of sand would instantly cascade downward, collapsing in huge chunks.

Hao Yuan Xia arrived at Li Guanyi's side, leading him into the secret vault of the Tangut kingdom's capital; with his own blood, he opened the treasury—inside lay countless gold and silver artifacts, so many they seemed endless, gems embedded among them.

Much of this gold and silver came from the former western hegemon, Tuyuhun—this vault was the accumulated plunder of a kingdom that had ruled the western lands for centuries.

Li Guanyi's eyes grew complex; he sighed: "... Pity, we can't take it."

He did a quick calculation and realized: based on the quantity here, the western region's annual tax revenue exceeded that of Chen—even though, theoretically, its territory was roughly equal to Chen's, its land was vast but sparsely populated.

Its population and productivity could not compare to the great Central Plains nations, yet the plundered gold and silver surpassed them.

One glimpse reveals the whole picture.

The transformation between west and central lands—this alone shows the world's shift.

Li Guanyi sighed softly; Hao Yuan Xia had been pointing at the gold and treasures, ready to explain, but saw Li Guanyi merely glance over them, then stride forward.

Though his eyes burned with intensity.

Or rather—this king's eyes nearly glowed; he seemed ready to sprint, spread his arms, and dive headfirst into the hoard.

But something more urgent mattered; Li Guanyi asked:

"Where is the complete geographical map of the western region?"

Hao Yuan Xia blinked, then realized: "Huh? Oh, oh!"

"I'll lead you to it."

He led Li Guanyi in search.

The Black Tortoise Manifestation crawled out from Li Guanyi's shoulder, rubbed its eyes with its paw, then its tiny green eyes flared instantly—bright as torches—fixing on the surroundings.

Had the Black Tortoise Manifestation possessed greater spiritual awareness, or any real fortune,

It would have spoken aloud.

What is this! What are all these!

Since Li Guanyi's bond with the old Master Siming grew stronger, the Black Tortoise Manifestation had shifted from merely spotting treasures to becoming a summoned, highly useful shield.

Then, somehow, another creature with extraordinary fortune appeared—faster than the Black Tortoise Manifestation, and armed with Wu Gong.

Just as the Black Tortoise Manifestation was about to accept its role as shield—

Li Guanyi had brought it to this place!

The Black Tortoise Manifestation's tiny green eyes nearly glowed; it waved its paws, radiating fierce determination as it stared at the Tangut secret vault.

Mine, mine, all mine!

Li Guanyi patted the Black Tortoise Manifestation, then told it to find hidden exits; he sighed with regret: "Pity—if only I'd brought Nangong along."

Nangong Wumeng, the Fire Qilin's top fortune-bearer.

Also the strongest scout cavalry Captain.

At this time, the western regions were in turmoil, like a vortex growing ever larger; Li Guanyi could not allow the strongest scout of the Anxi Protectorate to leave the main city zones.

He was poor, yet in matters of grand strategy, he was utterly unyielding.

Hao Yuan Xia went to search for those topographic maps.

But Li Guanyi faintly sensed something—he paused slightly, as if hearing whispers, and followed this elusive inner pull, passing by boxes of gold and silver, treasures, until he reached a corner.

The surroundings were plain, devoid of gold, silver, or jade artifacts.

On a black wooden table lay only a sword rack, upon which rested a battle blade—exactly the standard style of western broadsword: rugged, domineering, with a thick blade, wide hilt, and a faint golden glow tracing the blood groove along its edge.

It seemed to carry the scent of blood.

From Li Guanyi's waist, the Tuyuhun Tiger Gold Wang Yin slowly floated upward, as if resonating with the blade; Li Guanyi stepped forward slowly and placed his hand upon the hilt.

Around his ears, he seemed to hear countless shouts and roars, the chanting of monks reciting sutras; finally, these myriad emotions and voices, chaotic and overlapping, coalesced into a single clear, domineering blade hum.

Beside it lay a scroll of sheepskin, inscribed in ink characters; Li Guanyi had studied Yao Guang's mystic arts and could read the text: "I was once a Buddhist slave. Though I entered the mortal world, I encountered fortune and forged an alliance with a friend, toppling the chaotic age."

"Yet upon this earth, slaves were everywhere. I longed to change it all. At first, I believed the Western Buddhist Kingdom, where living Buddhas endured for millennia, was the root of humanity's nine-tiered hierarchy."

"The Buddhist sect used the doctrine of reincarnation to make people accept their humiliation as penance for past sins—suffering in this life, fortune in the next; on the surface, it calmed hearts, but in truth, it extinguished the spark of rebellion within them."

"So I roamed the martial world, spending ten years slaying Buddhas and toppling kingdoms."

"My iron hooves shattered the Western Buddhist Kingdom, climbed Mount Ling, yet I discovered that upon this earth still ruled various Wang Hou, who wove epics and myths, claiming descent from heavenly gods, demanding all others kneel before them."

"I raised my blade again, cutting them down one by one, severing the so-called legitimacy of the mythic age, then melting their weapons and seals, modeling my Wang Yin after the Central Plains' Chi Di Juan Sect."

"I waged war my whole life, exterminating all who claimed divine blood, founding a kingdom named after myself—yet when I turned back, I saw my own people, my descendants, making others their slaves."

"I drew my blade anew, and saw my own temples streaked with white hair."

"Perhaps I will fail—but I will keep swinging this blade. I am still that slave. I rose up. I wish to shatter the chains upon others. I will wield this blade with this resolve until the day I die."

"To those who come after: this blade is yours."

"May you complete the deeds I never finished."

"Sever every chain upon this earth!"

"Left by Tuyuhun."

Li Guanyi seemed to see the peerless tyrant of three hundred years past. He reached out, stroking the battle blade upon the table; the blade trembled, its surface inscribed with western characters.

【Drank full of Buddha's blood, now it knows its taste】

【Zhan Ye Dao】

Once, someone told the Tuyuhun Wang that such deeds would bring punishment, casting him into the Avici Hell; the Tuyuhun Wang replied: "With this blade, I sever karma—if any Buddha exists, let him come forth and face me!"

The Tuyuhun Wang, blade in hand, wine in cup, drank within the Western Buddhist Kingdom's Mount Ling.

No Buddha came.

He sighed: "What a pity."

He laughed: "How dull."

He shattered the Buddhist sect.

Yet this tyrant, when he finally drew his blade, faced not enemies but the accumulated chains of countless ages across the vast western lands—he was weary. The domineering lord had spent his life never lowering his guard, never abandoning his warlike heart; thus, his battle blade transformed into a divine weapon.

Li Guanyi's fingers slowly traced the blade's edge, then gripped the hilt.

A domineering blade hum.

【Zhan Ye Dao】 was slowly drawn by Li Guanyi; the surrounding air surged with domineering force. When Hao Yuan Xia arrived carrying his load, he saw the young prince raising the legendary weapon of western heroes.

Hao Yuan Xia stared, stunned: "Zhan Ye Dao…"

He gazed in disbelief at Li Guanyi.

Li Guanyi said: "This is the Tuyuhun Wang's weapon."

Hao Yuan Xia walked over, holding the Juan Sect, looked at the blade, and said: "... Yes, but since the Tuyuhun Wang's death, none of his descendants have had the courage to draw this blade."

"Lord, truly you can hold this blade…"

Li Guanyi said: "Is that so?"

"Fine blade. Catch."

He flicked his wrist—the Zhan Ye Dao flew out, spinning as it fell. Hao Yuan Xia froze, instinctively reaching to catch it, fumbling, his Juan Sect scattering across the ground; though this divine weapon was not as unliftable as Chi Xiao Sword or Po Yun Zhen Tian Bow, it was extremely heavy.

Hao Yuan Xia had trained since childhood, versed in both western martial arts and central plains qi cultivation, yet he could not bear the blade's weight; part of the blade rested in his arms, the tip pressing into the ground, cracking it.

Hao Yuan Xia cried: "Lord?!"

Li Guanyi said: "I have enough weapons. More is useless."

Hao Yuan Xia said: "But this is the divine weapon of a hero from three hundred years ago—I cannot lift it."

Li Guanyi said: "If you cannot lift it, find someone who can."

"Only the people of this land themselves can truly save those upon this earth—relying on others alone will not do. Tuyuhun could. You can. Have you learned from him yet failed to surpass the man of three hundred years past?"

Li Guanyi handed Hao Yuan Xia the Tuyuhun Wang's letter from the table.

Then he bent down, picked up the topographic map, unrolled it—his youthful gaze sharp. The map was made of leather, embroidered with golden threads, exquisitely ornate, a relic of the Tuyuhun Wang's era.

The leather itself seemed to be a remnant of some divine beast.

It was said to be a preserved fragment of the ancient divine beast Bai Ze's back, rendered with the most stable golden threads, depicting the entire western region's political landscape as unified in that age.

Mountains, rivers, oases, resources—all laid bare upon it.

Li Guanyi gazed upon this topographic map, as if the entire western region lay before his eyes.

Li Guanyi said: "With this, it is worth it."

He rolled the map and handed it to the silver-haired girl beside him. Yao Guang hopped over on one foot, reached out, caught the map, and stuffed it into a nearby small pouch. Li Guanyi then picked up the remaining iron mine array diagrams.

Li Guanyi glanced at them: Star Iron, Wàn Rèn Sand, Cold Steel Jade.

These were special materials, tougher and harder than ordinary ores, capable of forging weapons with unique properties—Cold Steel Jade, for instance, would imbue a blade with cold energy, like the Han Shuang Ji Li Guanyi had received after the Chen Kingdom's Grand Sacrifice tournament.

"If Cold Steel Jade could be forged into arrows, General Wang Shunchen the Divine Archer might unleash even greater power…"

"Star-iron weapons are heavy and hard; Wannren sand can forge distinctive heavy armor—both are top-tier minerals, perfectly useful. But if the Tangut and Tuyuhun have such materials, why don't they use them?"

Li Guanyi was deeply puzzled.

With weapons and armor forged from these special materials, with gold and silver to reward warriors, the army assembled would not be able to match Yuwen Lie's Tiger Barbarian cavalry, but it certainly wouldn't be crushed like dry grass and rotten wood.

Hao Yuan Xia answered: "Because the profits were unevenly distributed."

"The Wang Zu, great nobles, and high generals all wanted greater gains. Unable to reach a clear agreement, they simply shelved the matter."

Li Guanyi fell silent for a moment, then said:

"Holding onto battlefield weapons yet thinking like merchants..."

In the end, he could only let out a sigh—containing mockery, sorrow, yet utterly understandable; even though he understood, it still seemed absurd:

"Absurd."

Absurdity is chaos.

The people oppress slaves, the rich oppress the people, the nobles oppress the rich, squeezing out gold and silver—this is merely one corner of a chaotic age, Li Guanyi said: "Come on, find a way to take these things with us!"

The young prince opened box after box, gazing at the gold, silver, and large coins inside—even now, a faint, barely contained smile appeared on Li Guanyi's face.

His smile wasn't because he could take this gold and silver; it was simply because he felt:

I can finally handle Master Yan Daiqing!

Hmph, who said I can only spend money and never earn it?

Look, look—all this gold and silver!

Bring it back today, and you'll feel refreshed once more.

Also, Nangong, don't think one sentence of yours truly stole thirty years of my fortune. This general tells you today: human will triumphs over heaven. Every bit of fortune you drained away, I'll bring back!

And...

Many commoners and city defenses can now be mobilized.

Hao Yuan Xia, seeing his lord's joy, exhaled in relief. Wen He guided the people's hearts, using the lure of grain to rouse the city's commoners, urging them to evacuate before the various armies outside entered.

Meanwhile, the city's oil and dry firewood stores were emptied.

Outside, Western armies were drawing near—but among themselves, they had begun clashing, erupting in skirmishes large and small; sometimes arrows already flew into the city.

Li Guanyi tightened his focus, guiding civilians through the escape tunnels as they carried gold and silver out—but even then, resistance arose.

The city's nobles and wealthy families refused to let people go.

Commoners were one thing, but many more—peasant slaves, servants, slaves—were all held captive by these great nobles. In the Western regions, unlike in the Central Plains, different tribes constantly waged war against each other.

The victors seized everything belonging to the defeated.

Wives and daughters, vast oases, water sources, cities, cattle, and sheep.

The original people were bound by ropes around their necks, treated like servants. A single great noble might own tens of thousands of slaves, even more. Now, in this city, vast numbers of slaves were held tightly by the great clans.

Wen He went directly to Li Guanyi.

"Hao Yuan Xia revealed his identity, but the effect was limited."

"The Western great nobles are not like the emperor's ministers in the Central Plains—they have no such loyalty. In fact, this Wang Cheng is merely where the great nobles reside; each has his own lands, troops, cattle, and sheep."

"Those nobles still possessing courage and boldness were already killed under Yu Langwang's schemes. Those left behind are only cowards who fear combat yet cling to wealth."

Wen He said: "They believe they have gold and noble blood. When the rebel armies storm the city, they plan to buy their lives with gold—and even hope to negotiate with these Western generals."

"And slaves are a vital part of their wealth."

"Now that outside armies are approaching, they're still scheming against each other."

Li Guanyi fell silent, then said:

"Absurd."

Chaos in this age is precisely this—change upon change, gathering in every corner.

Wen He whispered: "The city's commoners have been steadily evacuated over these past days. Though the outside armies are fighting and restraining each other, they won't have much time before they enter. My lord, what will you do...?"

"They're too numerous."

"And if we act, there's not enough time."

Li Guanyi knew it well: the outside armies were closing in, ready to enter the city at any moment. There was no time for Master Wen He to act, and if he used Wu Gong to overpower them, too many slaves would inevitably be killed.

"At this point, no matter what we do, every step we take carries the lives of too many people, Master."

Li Guanyi said: "I'll handle this matter today."

"Prepare the escape routes. I won't abandon these people."

Wen He watched Li Guanyi stride away, bowed deeply, and whispered:

"I obey my lord's command."

Hao Yuan Xia was confronting the great nobles, who had brought many private soldiers to block his rescue of the slaves. Among them were defeated tribesmen, even Tangut people—their leader was actually Hao Yuan Xia's own clansman, who said:

"Prince Shi, you simply open your mouth and demand we hand over our wealth? That's utterly unreasonable! Even your father or grandfather couldn't do this!"

"Those are wealth more valuable than cattle and sheep!"

Hao Yuan Xia gripped Zhan Ye Dao: "What if I insist?"

The great noble laughed: "Or perhaps you have gold to buy these slaves? We could agree to that!"

Tens of thousands of slaves—how much gold would that require?

Hao Yuan Xia's eyes flashed with sharp fury as he stared at his uncle's neck, ready to seize him with the blade—

At that moment, he heard a voice.

"Good!"

The confronting great nobles turned their heads. The slaves looked confused. Hao Yuan Xia turned and saw a traveling merchant in battle armor and a felt robe, walking slowly forward, the felt garment swaying slightly.

He pulled a single cart with only one hand—yet the cart was extremely heavy, leaving deep ruts in the ground.

The great noble said: "What did you say?"

The boy's voice was calm: "I say, I buy these people's lives."

The nobleman laughed loudly, "Do you know how much gold it takes to buy this many slaves? Looking at your ragged appearance, don't go spouting nonsense—first one in is king, and we'll use gold and slaves to cheer our new king!"

Li Guanyi overturned the cart outright; gold and silver spilled onto the ground, and the surrounding noise fell silent. Hao Yuan Xia saw that these were precisely the gold and silver taken from the treasury—each small piece of gold was already heavy, and this entire cart held no small amount.

The nobleman said, "You…!"

Li Guanyi asked, "Is it enough to buy them?"

The nobleman said, "You want to trade gold for these slaves? Fine, fine deal!" He paused, reached out, and threw one slave toward Li Guanyi—it was still a child, seven or eight years old, stumbling, bewildered, unsure what to do.

Kneeling before Li Guanyi, the child banged his head on the ground and cried, "Master!"

Li Guanyi extended his hand.

The nobleman's face darkened, then suddenly seized a long spear, his internal Qi exploding.

He hurled the spear straight out, bellowing, "These are my gold! How dare you steal from me!"

Hao Yuan Xia roared in fury: "You!!!"

Li Guanyi extended one hand and caught the flying spearhead; his five fingers clenched, and the Qilin's manifestation appeared—a blue phoenix spiraling above, as he reached out and helped the child to his feet, whispering softly, "Stand up."

"Don't kneel."

The surrounding nobles and great clans recognized the circling Qilin bird; the man who had thrown the spear turned deathly pale: "Qilin bird?! You're—!" As the spear rang out, Li Guanyi flung his battle spear.

The Qilin bird's manifestation let out a piercing cry—the nobleman's head exploded outright.

Blood splattered in all directions.

Yet not a single person here dared speak; all were stunned by that spear and the phoenix circling above the chaotic city. They all thought of one man—his stories and legends stirred boundless fear within them, shaking them to their cores.

Li Guanyi turned his head toward them, gripping the spear, and pulled back his hood, revealing his face.

The nobleman's body, his skull shattered, swayed and collapsed heavily to his knees.

Li Guanyi lifted his gaze, his voice flat, looking at the entire city's nobles and great clans:

"First one in is king? Very well, then."

The Qilin bird let out a long cry, descending from the sky to land behind Li Guanyi, spreading its wings and roaring with mighty presence. Li Guanyi held the child with his left hand, his right hand behind his back, his gaze calm—yet already bearing three parts of haughty indifference:

"Then you."

"May kneel now."

?? Ah, control your sleep schedule, control your sleep schedule

? Still asking for monthly votes, everyone, good night