Chapter 567: Chapter 478: Stabilizing the Cauldron

By now, Huo Shan had lost all semblance of the panic he had shown before, as the elite education of the prominent families was evident at this moment.

He was very calm, knowing that everything had ended, and the best course of action now was to try and minimize the losses.

Looking at the few remaining people around him, Huo Shan quietly breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that his core foundation was still intact. As long as these people were with him, he was confident he could pull together another army.

Gazing at the city that was gradually coming into view in the distance, he sighed softly and said, "We’ll head to Su City, the County Magistrate there is a disciple of the Huo family, a perfect opportunity to reorganize the troops."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately felt revitalized. Before, they had felt their future was bleak, not knowing where to seek refuge in the vast world. Now, with Huo Shan’s words, they had a clear path ahead.

After all, if the County Magistrate in the city refused to accept them, they truly only had two options left: return to the capital to await death, or become outlaws.

Fortunately, Huo Shan proved worthy of his family heritage, having disciples and former officials even in such a distant place from the capital city.

The Deputy General, looking at Huo Shan who had regained his composure, silently sighed in admiration. It was indeed a privilege of the nobility, who, even in dire straits, had far more options than someone of humble origins like himself.

If such a disastrous defeat had befallen him, ten heads would not be enough to pay for it.

The differences in fate could truly be both laughable and lamentable.

The group slowly made their way towards Su City, their only chance for survival.

Compared to the somber group led by Huo Shan, the atmosphere around Wang Qi was much more relaxed and cheerful.

A massive fire in the valley had killed all the soldiers, the smell of charred flesh was distinct even miles away.

Wang Qi, accompanied by Daoist Qiu, walked through the valley, where the earth still held the warmth from the fierce flames, and the fire had turned the land pitch black.

"People often say fire and water show no mercy, seeing this today, I truly understand how harsh it can be!" Wang Qi said with a sigh.

Everywhere he looked, there were charred bodies; the air was still filled with the smell of cooked meat, which was nauseating.

Some soldiers could no longer bear the hellish scene and began to vomit on the ground.

"Although we won, this battle has harmed Heaven and Earth; using fire as a weapon should be minimized," Daoist Qiu also whispered in reverence to the Boundless Heavenly Venerable.

The two hadn’t anticipated the situation to be so gruesome, which meant even capturing some soldiers was not possible. The dry condition had allowed the fire to spread and consume countless plants, creating this horrific scene.

"Take the armor off these bodies; as for the bodies, find a place to bury them," Wang Qi said, somewhat emotionally.

The crowd was silent; though they had taken up arms and rebelled, dealing with lives as if they were commodities, facing such a grisly scene, they couldn’t remain indifferent.

The battle was over, and Wang Qi returned to the mountains with the spoils of war, but the expressions on everyone’s faces didn’t reflect much joy.

Despite winning a great battle, the ghastly horrors they had just witnessed lingered on their minds, and they could ultimately only resent the injustice of the world. The rich lived in drunken stupors, unconcerned with morality, while they, insignificant as weeds, lived with no certainty of tomorrow.

Wang Qi had silently vowed in his heart that he would never end up in such a predicament.

Time swiftly passed, and the years flew by like a shuttle.

He did not know how many years had passed since that great fire, but every time Wang Qi, dressed in a Dragon Robe, stood atop the Golden Palace and looked down upon the capital city, the scenes from the past repeatedly surfaced in his mind.

It was on that very day that the genuine desire to end this chaotic world emerged in his heart.

In the following period, he tangled with Huo Shan several times but emerged victorious each time, as if divinely assisted, and gradually began to understand some matters.

Great Ning, on the other hand, had thoroughly declined after that battle, starting with the old Emperor who fell into madness, senselessly slaughtering ministers in the Imperial Court. Following a series of droughts and constant warfare, the Rebel armies around the region soon brought the Imperial Court to its knees.

The Daoist Sect, lurking in the background, fanned the flames, hastening the dynasty’s demise.

Among the many Rebel armies, Wang Qi’s forces were neither the loudest nor the most dazzling in battle achievements, but they had the deepest roots.

From the very beginning of formulating strategies, he paid great attention to recuperation and management. Every conquered land was carefully governed, so initially, they did not stand out, but as the struggle for power in the Central Plains unfolded,

everyone was amazed to find, at some point, Wang Qi’s Righteous Army had transformed into a behemoth, a formidable force that required the cooperation of other powers to resist.

However, by the time they realized all this, it was too late. Wang Qi’s power was established, and even though they united against him, they were still defeated by his overwhelming advantage and quickly unified the realm.

As a result, Daoist Qiu reached the pinnacle of his life, was appointed as the State Preceptor, and took command of the Daoist Sect, fully realizing his ambitions.

But the story did not stop there; upon becoming Emperor, Wang Qi once again faced a situation similar to that of the old Emperor of Great Ning. The problem of the Daoist Sect becoming too powerful emerged once more.

This time, however, the Buddhist Sect was involved. The cunning Golden Light Master had sent a monk to join Wang Qi early on, securing a significant position within the Righteous Army, and quickly expanded it using Wang Qi’s intent to maintain balance.

As the new dynasty was established, Daoist Qiu was named State Preceptor, and everything seemed to be moving in the direction the Daoist Sect most desired. However, Wang Qi planned to hold a grand Water and Land Dharma Assembly to transcend the souls lost in the chaos who could not be properly buried.

This task fell upon Golden Light Master.

"Your Majesty, what are you implying here? Our Daoist Sect is the foremost in spiritual cultivation. Why then delegate this transcending of souls to that old monk, Golden Light Master? Do not forget that he was the State Preceptor under the former regime."

Now, Daoist Qiu, with a long beard reaching his chest, dressed in a purple Daoist robe, holding a silver horsetail whisk, and wearing a Golden Crown, looked every inch the imposing figure.

As the State Preceptor of the new dynasty, an indispensable linchpin in stabilizing the realm, his status was extremely high, practically a hidden power of the Imperial Court.

He was furiously upset at the previous issue with the Water and Land Dharma Assembly.

Logically, as the State Preceptor and with the Daoist Sect as the state religion, such major sacrificial duties should be led by the Daoist Sect, but now the Emperor had handed it over to the Buddhist Sect.

"Calm your anger, State Preceptor. Let those monks handle such minor tasks of transcending souls. After all, they specialize in it. The Daoist Sect, as the leader in spiritual practice, should not be doing such tedious and tough tasks," said Wang Qi, smiling warmly.

Today, he was no longer the refugee who had crawled out from a heap of corpses. With many years of experience, he had already become a qualified emperor, serene and unmoved by anger.