The world is like a prison, my body is holy

One after another, bloodied corpses dressed in fine silk and satin clothes were thrown onto carts like garbage and dragged to the mass graves outside the city.

One after another, large iron pots, each the size of a tabletop, were set up, and the pleasant aroma of cooking smoke quickly dissipated the strong smell of blood.

More and more disaster victims gathered from all directions. They stood huddled together, clutching their broken bowls tightly, swallowing hard and standing on tiptoe to watch the white rice being poured into the large iron pot like a waterfall.

Wang Wen sat alone on the steps in front of the government office. The soft twilight seemed to cast an eerie and oppressive shadow on him. Five young men from the Demon Suppression Division knelt at the bottom of the steps, drenched in sweat and trembling like leaves, on a sticky, dark red flagstone...

These five young officials from the Demon Suppression Division are the only remaining officials in Jiangzhou City.

Wang Wen stared down at the five men with unfocused eyes. His scarlet pupils flickered like two leaping flames, and a terrifying killing intent enveloped them, making their hearts pound as if gripped by an invisible hand, almost to the point of a heart attack.

Until a constable who was cooking porridge, sweating profusely, shuffled forward and tremblingly clasped his hands, saying, "Your Highness, the porridge is ready!"

Wang Wen finally closed his dry eyes and stiffly waved his hand: "Distribute the porridge."

The constable, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, turned and ran back to the large iron pots as if fleeing. He lowered his voice, stood on tiptoe, and frantically waved to the sea of ​​refugees: "Come on, line up! Line up! One by one, everyone's here. Don't rush, don't push..."

Clutching broken bowls, the disaster victims tiptoed and jostled their way to the large iron pots, lining up in a queue.

Only then did some of the disaster victims finally turn their attention to the lone figure on the steps.

A soft, whimpering sound gradually rose from the dark mass of people...

Someone is crying for their poor grandson.

Someone is crying for their unfortunate parents.

Regardless of gender or age, everyone was wiping away tears...

The low sobs melted away the burning murderous intent that Wang Wen had nowhere to vent, but they made him feel even more suffocated, as if someone had stuffed a big stone into his heart, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

He raised his hand, trembling as he covered his eyes, and whispered, "Are you afraid of me?"

As soon as he spoke, he realized how hoarse his voice was.

Upon hearing this, the five young demon-suppressing officers below the steps lowered their heads even further, and their bodies trembled even more violently.

Wang Wen: "Speak."

The five Demon-Suppressing Guards were horrified. One of them could no longer suppress his fear and slammed his head heavily on the floor, crying out in anguish, "Your Highness, I know I was wrong! I know I was wrong!"

Wang Wen: "Where did we go wrong?"

"My mistake was in holding a position without doing my job and standing idly by. Your Highness, please spare me! I will correct my ways! I will correct my ways!"

Wang Wen murmured, "Oh, so you all knew..."

Without even raising his head, he lightly waved his hand, and four bursts of energy, like arrows, pierced through the faces of the other four trembling young men in an instant, exploding into a cloud of blood mist behind them.

"Puff, puff..."

The four men collapsed heavily to the ground without uttering a sound, a pool of bright red blood seeping out beneath them.

"Ah..."

The young master of the Demon Suppression Division who admitted his mistake was utterly terrified. He scrambled back, using both hands and feet, desperately trying to get away from his four former colleagues.

Wang Wen gently comforted him, "Don't make a sound, okay?"

The young man from the Demon Suppression Division slapped himself across the face, covered his mouth tightly, and stared at Wang Wen on the steps with bulging veins and pinpoint pupils.

Wang Wen's voice remained gentle, like an elder instructing his nephews and nieces: "It's good that you know you're wrong. If you know you're wrong and correct it, you're still a good child, okay?"

The young man from the Demon Suppression Division hurriedly scrambled to his feet and kowtowed repeatedly to Wang Wen: "This humble servant will definitely change, will definitely live up to Your Highness's expectations, will never again be a mere figurehead, will never again stand idly by. The lives of the people are this humble servant's lives; even if this humble servant starves to death, they will not starve to death..."

"very good!"

Wang Wen finally nodded: "From this moment on, you are the Junior Supervisor of the Jiangzhou Demon Suppression Division. Before the court sends a new prefect of Jiangzhou, you will temporarily serve as the prefect of Jiangzhou. I don't care what methods you use, whether it's killing the rich to help the poor or robbing and looting, just take good care of the people and disaster victims in this city. I will procure the food you need as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, the young man from the Demon Suppression Division was stunned for a full five or six seconds, his face showing a mixture of joy and sorrow. After regaining his senses, he slammed his head heavily on the ground, shouting hoarsely until his voice was high-pitched and distorted: "This humble servant, Liang Kang, swears to repay the Great General's grace of restoring the nation's glory with my life!"

Wang Wen waved his hand: "Go ahead, organize the manpower, I'll wait for you."

Liang Kang responded loudly, "Yes!"

He got up, clasped his hands at Wang Wen, turned and ran away.

Soon, a rapid, distant drumbeat drifted over...

Wang Wen listened patiently to the sounds of people drinking porridge from the crowd.

Before long, Liang Kang led several hundred Demon Suppression Guards, all clad in black armor and wielding black swords, to the scene. He knelt on one knee and clasped his hands in front of Wang Wen, saying, "This humble servant, Liang Kang, along with all the officers and soldiers of the Jiangzhou Demon Suppression Division, pays respects to the Great General!"

"See the General!"

Hundreds of demon-suppressing guards knelt on one knee and shouted in unison.

The unified shouts drew the attention of countless disaster victims...

But this time, their eyes showed only a hint of worry, no panic.

Wang Wen stretched out a hand and raised it in a daze. An invisible force precisely lifted each of the Demon-Suppressing Guards to their feet. He spoke again, his voice still hoarse, but steady and powerful with a resolute tone: "Serving under my command, these empty formalities are useless. Do your job well and do good deeds, and I will look upon you with more respect. I will entrust Jiangzhou Prefecture to you for now. As long as you work diligently and conscientiously, I can give you what others cannot!"

Liang Kang crossed his arms again, stretched his neck, and shouted hoarsely like a crowing rooster: "I swear to serve the General to the death!"

"I swear to serve the General to the death!"

Wang Wen nodded, said "I'll leave this place to you," and then soared into the sky.

The next second, a deep, resonant moo echoed throughout the city, and the majestic Mo Qilin, its four paws treading on fire, burst forth and caught Wang Wen as he fell.

Wang Wen grabbed the reins, turned the Qilin around, and transformed into a streak of light, rushing northward.

Liang Kang stood with his hands clasped respectfully, watching the light disappear into the northern night until it was no longer visible. Only then did he wipe the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and let out a long, heavy breath.

The hundreds of Jiangzhou Demon Guards behind him also let out a long, heavy breath in unison...

Liang Kang suddenly turned around, his face stern, and shouted loudly, "What are you all standing there for? Watching a show? Get to work!" After saying that, he was the first to turn around and stride towards the steaming pots.

"Are your eyes just for breathing? Can't you see how many fellow villagers are still queuing up? The pot is empty and you don't even know to boil some more water?"

"Are you fucking bullying me? Didn't you see my sister-in-law has a child with her? What the hell do you mean by only giving me one bowl? Do you want me dead?"

"Zhu San, Zhu San, where the hell have you been? Quickly lead a hundred brothers out of the city to see if there are any elders or fellow villagers outside the city who haven't heard the news yet. Invite them over for some porridge..."

"I'm not afraid to tell you, if anyone starves to death or cannibalism occurs again in Jiangzhou City, the General will definitely take my head to vent his anger. But before that, none of you bastards will get away with this, not one of you will escape unscathed, that's what the General said!"

……

With a heavy weight on his heart, Wang Wen rushed back to the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion in Yangzhou.

As soon as he landed, he shouted, "Someone, summon all officers and soldiers of battalion level and above from the General's Mansion to the main hall for a meeting immediately!"

Upon hearing this, the two demon-suppressing guards on duty in the main hall responded in unison.

Wang Wen jumped off the black Qilin, slapped it to signal it to rest, and then strode into the main hall, his divine sense roaring: "Ao Lian, Leng Yue, come see me immediately!"

Two streams of water vapor shot out from the General's Mansion naval camp and the Xima Bridge naval camp, and in the blink of an eye, they landed in the main hall of the General's Mansion, transforming into two junior generals, one in gold and one in silver, who clasped their hands and bowed in unison: "This humble general greets the Great General!"

Wang Wen lifted the hem of his robe and sat down in the hall, loudly proclaiming, "Pass on my order! The entire staff of the Hongze Lake Water Palace and the Chaohu Lake Water Palace will be mobilized to patrol Huainan and Jiangnan, maintaining order and stability... Spread the word that with this great calamity befalling the human world, our people are displaced and in imminent danger. We urge all demons and monsters to remain obedient, guard their caves, and cultivate peacefully. Do not take this opportunity to cause chaos and bring harm to the human world!"

"But if anyone tries to take advantage of the chaos, I, Wang Wen, will use all the power of my Demon-Slaying General's Mansion to destroy mountains and temples, and slaughter them all. I will kill the wrong person and not let anyone go. If even one person manages to escape, I, Wang Wen, will take off my head and use it as a football!"

Upon hearing his almost roaring shout, the two young officers were filled with fear and, without hesitation, clasped their hands and bowed again: "Your subordinates obey!"

Wang Wen waved his hand: "Go and relay the order immediately!"

The two young generals nodded and transformed into two streams of water vapor that drifted out of the hall.

Wang Wen: "Where is Ma Feng?!"

A ray of golden light pierced through the wall and landed, transforming into a burly man in golden armor. He crossed his arms and knelt on one knee, saying, "This humble general pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

Wang Wen: "How many soldiers and officers does your Yin Messenger Camp have now?"

Without hesitation, Ma Feng replied, "Your Excellency, the total is one thousand two hundred and thirty-four."

Wang Wen: "From this day forward, we will be divided into two groups. One group will continue to serve as messengers, while the other group will patrol the Huainan and Jiangnan regions. If they discover any starving corpses or hungry souls, they must report back immediately!"

Upon hearing this, Ma Feng's heart tightened, and he immediately replied, "I will obey Your Majesty's decree!"

Wang Wen waved his hand: "Go and get to work!"

Ma Feng clasped his hands and bowed again, then transformed into a golden ray of light and pierced through the wall.

Wang Wenlue pondered for a moment, then drew circles with his hands: "Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, the Primordial Chaos True Man manifests his true spirit..."

The water mirror floated up into the air, and soon the hazy voice of Master Hunkun came from within: "Junior brother, it's so late, is there something urgent?"

Wang Wen said crisply, "Senior brother, I have something I'd like to ask the Three Sects of Talismans for help."

Upon hearing the words "Three Schools of Talismans," the drowsy Master Hunkun on the other end of the line, Shui Jing, immediately woke up: "Junior Brother, please speak freely!"

Wang Wen: "I would like to invite the three high-ranking Taoist priests to gather at Huangshan to perform the 'Luotian Grand Ritual' to summon the souls of all those who died in this drought and to dispel the evil spirits and calamities in the human world."

After a few moments of silence, Master Hunkun exclaimed in sincere admiration, "A gentleman would not save you, but a sage would not shirk his duty. Junior brother, you are truly virtuous, I am ashamed to face you!"

Wang Wen calmly replied in a low voice, "Senior brother, I'm not at such a high level as you say. At most, I'm just a big idiot who hits a wall and refuses to turn back."

Master Hunkun saw it clearly: "Junior brother, there is no need to belittle yourself. The reason why we, the descendants of Yan and Huang, have been able to thrive and multiply since the beginning of ignorance is because whenever there is a great calamity, there are heroes like you who stand up, support the great building, save the sky from collapse, and rebuild the country. You are the backbone of hundreds of millions of descendants of Yan and Huang!"

"The backbone?"

Wang Wen murmured softly, his mind flashing through a series of great names that would be remembered throughout history and shine through the ages, as well as countless great faces, both dirty and clean, silently shining.

His heart suddenly stirred, and then he felt a sense of peace.

All that confusion and hesitation has melted away like snow in spring and vanished like smoke.

'Yes, why should I be like everyone else...'

He said to himself, and then replied firmly, "Senior brother is too kind. Junior brother is just doing what he can."

On the other side of the water mirror, Master Hunkun laughed heartily: "I, your brother, have usurped the position of leader of Maoshan for decades, accomplishing nothing and achieving nothing. The only thing worth praising is that I guided my junior brother into the sect... Maoshan will prosper because of my junior brother!"

After briefly discussing the procedures for the "Luo Tian Grand Ritual," the two brothers quickly ended the Water Mirror Technique.

Just then, Xu Wu, who was closest, rushed to the lobby first.

Hearing that there was no sound from inside the hall, Xu Wu stepped into the hall carrying a bowl of tea and brought the tea to the side of the hall: "Brother, has there been any change in the disaster situation in Jiangnan?"

Wang Wen picked up the perfectly warm teacup, took a sip, and asked, "Have those major grain producers in Jiangnan replied yet?"

Xu Wu: "They replied, saying that given the current situation, they are powerless to change it..."

"To hell with it, if you're already willing but unable, what's the point of having a heart at all!"

Wang Wen rudely interrupted him, raising his voice and saying, "Zhao Dadan, get in here!"

Panting heavily, Zhao Dadan rushed into the main hall, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "This humble general Zhao Dadan greets the Great General."

After he returned to Yangzhou with Wang Wen, Wang Wen appointed him as the Yangzhou militia commander and ordered him to organize a militia of 5,000 men.

Wang Wen's official titles and ranks were: Prince of Weiwu, Grand Tutor of the Court, Pacification Commissioner of Huainan, General Who Suppresses Demons in Huainan, Grand Master of the Palace, and specially granted the title of Grand Master of the Palace.

In other words, he has the authority to form a militia force of no more than 50,000 men outside of the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion, and to appoint generals at all levels...

Wang Wen took half of the tiger tally from the table and tossed it to Zhao Dadan: "You must immediately return to camp to prepare provisions, lead two thousand troops south to Hangzhou, and confiscate and exterminate the Ning Prince's Mansion, the Nanyang Prince's Mansion, the Qian family of Lin'an Hall, the Wang family of Jinma Hall, the Hong family of Jinshu Hall...!"

"I will assign another 500 elite Demon-Suppressing Guards and 200 sailors to accompany you and provide cover. Remember... leave no one alive in your entire family!"

The temperature inside the lobby instantly plummeted to freezing. (End of Chapter)