The ruler of a nation, now as wretched as a dog, knelt on the ground without a trace of fear, calmly raising his head to await the arrival of death.
A gentle breeze swept through, bringing with it the clamor of the entire city and the curses of the people.
His memories drifted back to the early days of the nation’s founding, when Langya was newly established, occupying the barren edge of the western desert.
Back then, he was a wise ruler, beloved and revered by his people, fully devoted to his cause. But the Wilderness had long been plagued by chaos and strife, and Langya’s foundations were too weak to provide a safe and prosperous life for its citizens.
After decades of painstaking effort, the results were minimal, barely holding together a kingdom riddled with holes and cracks.
Until one day, the King of Langya saved a monk, who revealed himself to be a high monk from the Buddhist Kingdom, experiencing the myriad forms of life in the mortal world.
Seeing the king’s noble aspirations, the monk offered him a chance: to pay homage to the Buddha in the West. In return, the Buddhist Kingdom would save the people of Langya.
Facing the imminent collapse of his kingdom and with no other options, the King of Langya easily believed the monk’s words and personally went to worship the “Buddha of Selflessness.”
From that moment on, Langya rapidly rose from obscurity to become one of the lords.
But at the same time, the gifts of fate came with a hidden price. The King of Langya had to give up his free will as a human being and all his loyalty.
“Your crimes are unforgivable, but I promised you a swift end. Do you have any last words?”
Meng Qingzhou stood behind the King of Langya, a fingertip lightly flicking behind him. It was as if a light had been ignited in a dark room, a brilliant sword light breaking through the darkness, quietly hovering behind the king’s head.
“Heh…”
“In my youth, with a bamboo staff and straw sandals, I laughed at my peers and was full of spirit.”
“I’ve been passionate, I’ve loved. The Empress and I were childhood sweethearts; she always supported me silently from behind, and I promised her a grand wedding and the admiration of thousands.”
“Ascended the throne, founded the nation, achieved great deeds, and had a son and two daughters. Life seemed perfect…”
“The first half of my life was infinitely glorious, but the second half was filled with misery and sorrow.”
The King of Langya’s eyes opened slightly, the murkiness in them dissipating, leaving them clear and bright. No longer afraid, he straightened his chest, though still kneeling on the ground.
Facing death, he seemed to have come to terms with everything, no longer confused or hesitant.
“Your Majesty, please send me off,” said the King of Langya.
“Alright.”
Meng Qingzhou nodded, without a word of nonsense, and controlled the sword light to pierce through the back of the king’s head, shattering his divine platform and extinguishing his divine soul.
Splurt…
Blood and brain matter splattered, and the King of Langya fell to the ground, his eyes fixed on the direction of the harem, where a pear tree stood lush and green.
It was planted by the Empress herself, now tall and canopy-like.
“Yuan Zhen, wait for me on the road to the Yellow Springs…”
The King of Langya’s last bit of consciousness faded, blood continuously flowing from his mouth and nose, his eyelids drooping in exhaustion.
“Which emperor hasn’t been a wise ruler with grand ambitions?”
“Taking the wrong path… so be it.”
Silence.
The entire Langya Palace fell completely silent.
Only the pear tree not far away swayed gently, its leaves rustling in the wind.
Meng Qingzhou waved his sleeve, and the corpses on the ground instantly weathered away, corroded by time until they crumbled to dust.
“Qingqiu,” Meng Qingzhou called out.
Su Qingqiu hurriedly stepped forward, saying, “Master, your orders.”
“Help release the female cultivators in the small world and let their families claim them with proof.”
“Understood.”
Su Qingqiu bowed gracefully, her sword-wielding figure strikingly heroic. She patted the soldiers who were trembling in fear and confusion, saying, “Hey, come and help.”
The soldiers from the capital’s government offices and Dali Temple, forming the “Thief-Catching and Rebellion-Suppressing” army, had survived the disaster.
Hearing the Sword Saint’s maid’s command, the soldiers dared not complain and followed her steps into the small world to assist the dazed female cultivators out.
Meng Qingzhou instructed Wu Die to dismantle the projection array, then continued:
“Two things.”
“First, amplify the impact of this event, make it known to everyone. The projection array has recorded images; distribute copies to clearly explain the entire incident to the world, especially focusing on areas with many Buddhist Kingdom followers.”
“Second, verify the identities of these afflicted female cultivators and notify their families to claim them. If they have no family or country, hand them over to the Great Jin Dynasty and send them to the capital, to be managed by the new Minister of Household Affairs.”
Wu Die nodded in agreement and retreated into the shadows, disappearing without a trace.
Nearby, Lian Yue clenched her wings, unable to resist asking, “Sir, is there anything I can do?”
Hearing this, Meng Qingzhou turned his head, frowning in deep thought for a long while.
It seemed…
There really wasn’t.
Everything that needed to be done was done. Now, they just had to wait for the fish to take the bait and sit back and relax.
Lian Yue lowered her eyes slightly, feeling a bit dejected and self-conscious.
She recalled how she used to argue with Meng Qingzhou, often bluntly calling him a “mixed cultivator.” But now, after so much time had passed, she felt useless.
Although Meng Qingzhou was blind, he sensed a hint of her low spirits and said:
“Help Qingqiu manage the afflicted female cultivators. Their Sea of Consciousness is shattered, making them like walking corpses, difficult to care for. It will be hard work.”
Lian Yue seemed normal on the surface, but she still had some lingering effects, becoming particularly sensitive. She wasn’t seriously ill, but minor ailments were hard to cure.
At this time, she shouldn’t be treated like a patient but should be treated equally, so she wouldn’t feel a sense of disparity.
Sure enough.
Hearing the instructions, Lian Yue immediately perked up, her eyes sparkling as she said:
“It’s not hard, it’s what I should do.”
With that, Lian Yue eagerly caught up with Su Qingqiu, looking particularly energetic.
Meng Qingzhou silently calculated, using his sword as a staff, his fingers rubbing the hilt.
The Zen Divine Power of the Sky-Reaching Realm—spiritual sense of Bodhi, pulled him into a seemingly real dream, experiencing the myriad forms of life through nine reincarnations.
Due to the growth of his Sword Sense, reaching the Great Emperor Grade Swordsmanship of Time and Space, he was able to stay awake and not be blinded by the dream.
Through nine reincarnations, he honed his Sword Sense, reaching an unimaginable level of understanding.
Not only that, but the greatest gain from this grand dream was that he finally found the opportunity to break through to the Sky-Reaching Realm!
“The Buddha of Selflessness truly gave me a great opportunity.”
“I had long been unable to comprehend the threshold of the Sky-Reaching Realm, always a knot in my heart. I thought it was because my realm was insufficient and my accumulation too little.”
“Looking back now, it was because my cultivation time was too short. In just four years, I grew to the peak of the Morning Glow Realm. Reflecting on my cultivation path, I had not yet honed myself in the mortal world and had little understanding.”
“The spiritual sense of Bodhi’s grand dream of nine reincarnations undoubtedly filled this gap to a large extent, allowing me to vaguely sense the threshold of the Sky-Reaching Realm.”
Meng Qingzhou’s lips curled into a smile, feeling quite pleased.
So, the next plan was clear.
Guard the capital city of Langya, wait for the arrival of the Western Buddhas, and use their hands to break through to the Sky-Reaching Realm!
Once the Buddhist Kingdom divided its forces and completely saw Meng Qingzhou as a thorn in their side, the Prime Minister’s crisis would be greatly alleviated.
Killing two birds with one stone!
…
…
“Langya Kingdom, adjacent to the Western Buddhist Kingdom, let’s settle here first.”
At the border of Langya Kingdom.
A beautiful figure crossed the void and descended.
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