Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 374-384 Peace and Prosperity, a Dynasty Forever Stable (The Finale)

"I have lived for decades in vain. Today, seeing the Emperor take action, I finally understand what it means to have great supernatural powers and boundless magic."

Master Yuhai was respectful, and when facing Li Cunxiao, who looked younger than his grand-disciple, he acted as if he were a disciple.

The saying goes, "Those who have attained enlightenment are teachers." When people reach their level, age and worldly etiquette are no longer so important.

"If I hear the Dao in the morning, I can die content in the evening." It was precisely because of this skill that Master Yuhai became even more convinced that Li Cunxiao could produce the Three Caverns True Scripture for him to study.

"Master Yu Hai is too modest. Your concern for the common people and your assistance to the Song Dynasty in capturing and killing the rebel king is a great achievement."

"Once this matter is settled, please come to Taiqing Palace to discuss metaphysics with me."

Li Cunxiao wore a loose white round-necked outfit with a red cross-collar underneath, a turban with outstretched legs, and a jade belt around his waist.

His speech and demeanor exude a confidence that commands the universe, captivating people without them even realizing it.

However, Monk Qici was clearly not that kind of worldly person. His attitude towards his disciples remained consistent, and he was not restrained by changes in status.
"Sanlang, what's going on with these trees?"

The Bodhi trees seemed to have grown legs, using their roots to slay demons and absorb nutrients while moving and settling among the mountains.

The patterns are interwoven and irregular, yet a certain special pattern can be vaguely discerned.

Moreover, some trees were already covered with fruit, while others were only in bloom, and some even had sparse leaves, clearly indicating that they were different varieties.

"These trees are special varieties that I cultivated through hybridization."

"As long as demons get within a certain range, they will be hunted down and killed, and their corpses will turn into fertilizer for fruit trees."

"The evil energy within its body will be sunk into its root system, while the pure blood and energy will bear fruit."

"I named it Ginseng Fruit."

Li Cunxiao did not deliberately lower his voice, and the officials such as Ye Chengxiao and the Taoist priests of the Qingcheng Sect were so shocked that they could not speak.

It can kill demons and absorb nutrients from their corpses to produce fruit. Isn't this just a living alchemy furnace?!
Not to mention the stunned onlookers, Master Yuhai, as a senior figure in Taoism, was also proficient in alchemy.

That's why he understood better than anyone else that doing this was incredibly difficult.

Creating entirely new species according to one's own will—in a sense, this is already the means of the creator!
"That's not all. If this ginseng fruit tree is widely promoted, demons will no longer be a threat to the human race, but will instead become a rare resource."

"Ginseng fruit is a medicinal pill, and the roots of the ginseng fruit tree are excellent materials for training magical artifacts. Furthermore, the seeds of the ginseng fruit might even be used to solve the problem of martial artists becoming possessed by demons."

Master Yuhai grew increasingly alarmed as he thought about it. Even with nearly a hundred years of experience, he couldn't help but feel a sense of dread when faced with something so revolutionary.

This young emperor of the Song Dynasty has already grasped the lifeline of the world in his hands, relying solely on the ginseng fruit tree!

"Please don't let your imagination run wild. The three thousand ginseng fruit trees here have already consumed a lot of resources. This thing does not grow naturally and can only be cultivated by me personally."

"In the short term, it's just being piloted in Jiannan Road, where there are the most demons. It will take a long time before it can be rolled out to the whole country."

Since they were allies who helped reclaim Jiannan Road, Li Cunxiao still offered a few words of explanation.

The effects of the ginseng fruit tree were indeed as the other party had imagined, but as he himself said, this tree did not exist naturally in the world, and the fruits it bore were all elixirs, so it could not reproduce on its own.

This result is due both to the difficulty and mystery of creation, and also to his deliberate intention to ensure that it could not be secretly bred by others.

Even the harvesting of ginseng fruit has many intricacies. Those who do not know the proper methods cannot even steal it.

Martial arts training ultimately relies on two things: methods and medicine.

The existence of the ginseng fruit tree is the result of Li Cunxiao's painstaking research in order to master the "medicine".

It's conceivable that once he promotes this product, the secret medicines of those sects and families will gradually lose their market.

Once official schools are established, the threshold for learning martial arts is lowered, talents are recruited widely, and the "laws" are firmly grasped, the vast majority of ordinary martial artists will naturally flock to the court.

In that case, the once-powerful holy lands will eventually revert to a small sect model of elite inheritance, greatly reducing their influence on the dynasty's rule.

"Heroes create the times, and the officials possess extraordinary talent and a heart that encompasses the four seas. It is an honor for the Qingcheng Sect to contribute to this grand undertaking."

Having discerned the true strength of the Song emperor, Master Yuhai lowered his stance even further.

He could already foresee that the transformation of martial arts had taken its first step today.

If the two sacred lands in the distant Wu and Yue regions still regard the Song Dynasty as an old dynasty and try to continue their rule in the region, then even the foundation of their moral traditions will be destroyed.

The Qingcheng Sect, deeply understanding this point, behaved very sensibly during the subsequent takeover of Jiannan Circuit by the Song Dynasty.

Not only did he order the elders and close lay disciples to return a large amount of farmland, but he also took the initiative to send Taoist priests to assist officials in governing the local area, making the transfer of power exceptionally smooth and almost without causing any disturbances.

Thanks to this, trade in Sichuan was only slightly affected, and after Li Cunxiao opened up the passage into Sichuan, it is conceivable that the economy of the region would become even more prosperous.

"Master Taiyi has already returned to the Grandmaster realm, Master Qici should also work harder."

Besides Jiannan Road, Qianzhong Road, Lingnan West Road, and Lingnan East Road are also characterized by continuous mountain ranges and forests teeming with demons, which is why they became uncivilized and wild lands where savages and barbarians lived.

Li Cunxiao brought a total of 9,600 ginseng fruit trees this time, which were divided into four portions. He still had to continue sowing them in the south.

Before leaving, he took something out of his pocket and handed it to Qici.

The senior monk watched, his heart trembling:
"The day after tomorrow?! Did you really kill Zhu Quanzhong?"

"Yes. I have already purified this spiritual treasure, thinking that the two parts of the Golden Embryo within it will be useful to you."

"I have sealed the spirit of the magical artifact. If Master wants to use it, it can still unleash two or three tenths of its power."

"Anyway, I still have the stupa and the dragon boat, so you can take them for now."

Li Cunxiao's words left no room for refusal. The great monk retrieved the treasure that his sect had lost for so long, and he felt as if it were all unreal.

"This time, the master really benefited from the disciple's success."

Li Cunxiao smiled, and led Ye Chengxiao, Jianzan, and ten thousand elite soldiers of both Han and non-Han origin onto a dragon boat, flying south as the officials of Shu watched them go.

As wild and undeveloped areas, the culture and living standards of the local people in the Qianzhong Road and Lingnan East-West Road were far behind those in the Central Plains. Some tribes were even still practicing slash-and-burn agriculture.

With outdated medical practices, the level of martial arts naturally couldn't improve. Apart from the descendants of officials sent to local areas in the early years of the Qin Dynasty, there were basically no masters.
In contrast to the decline of the human race, demons are thriving, with some even raising humans as food.

When Ye Chengxiao and the other Imperial Dragon Soldiers first saw those naked, bewildered human sacrifices, they could hardly believe their eyes.

However, with Li Cunxiao around, these were naturally no problem. Even an eighth-level demon couldn't withstand a single move from him.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that the high-quality fertilizer has caused some ginseng fruit trees to grow exceptionally lushly.

These extremely rare ginseng fruit trees, capable of producing ginseng equivalent to seventh-grade "Great Pills" or eighth-grade divine pills, were all transplanted by Li Cunxiao to the Dragon Palace Secret Realm.

After eliminating the demons, they built a barrier around the mountains using ginseng fruit trees, pardoned the former Qin officials who had settled and multiplied in the area, and appointed them as chieftains to educate the local people.

After doing all this, another two months passed, and it was almost the end of the first year of the Taiping Xingguo era.

The dragon boat carried Ye Chengxiao and other soldiers back to the capital, where they were rewarded for their merits.

Li Cunxiao's Buddha clone transformed into a streak of red light, vanished into Ziwei City, and finally merged into his main body, which sat serenely in the Guanwen Hall.

"Now, apart from Wu and Yue, all the other prefectures and counties have been abolished."

"According to the imperial edict, the old and weak should be dismissed first, and they should be allowed to retire from military service and return to their fields to reclaim wasteland and cultivate land."

“Those who are strong and capable will be assessed for their bad deeds and have a clean record and will be enlisted in the Upper Four Armies. Those who have committed crimes such as indiscriminate killing or cannibalism will be exiled to the Xiang Army and sent to mountainous areas to build roads and bridges.”

Prime Minister Ye Jingneng, oblivious to anything amiss, continued with his year-end work report. After he finished, Minister of Works Changsun Fu continued:
"The Ministry of Works has already produced a prototype of the imperial-designated road track. After testing it with carriages and horses, the results were excellent. The same distance was covered at twice the speed of ordinary roads."

"The current problem is related to cost."

"Your Majesty, regarding the Three Dormitory System and the establishment of official schools, your subject..."

One problem after another was raised, discussed, and resolved. The high-ranking officials present were all martial artists at the sixth realm or above. They didn't even need to eat; they worked from noon until curfew without leaving their posts and slept directly in their duty rooms.

With the establishment of the new dynasty, there were simply too many things to deal with. The aftereffects of years of war could not be resolved by working overtime all night for the past few months.

All we can say is that the more we do each day, the sooner the Song Dynasty can get back on track. Ye Shuyi shared this view; when Li Cunxiao returned to the palace, she was still reviewing the establishment of almshouses and pharmacies across the country by lamplight.

Quietly approaching from behind, one could see that over her dress, she wore a narrow-sleeved jacket, and as she sat sideways, the fitted clothing accentuated her curves.

The red tassels under the crown are adorned with pearls from the South China Sea, reflecting iridescent light and making the skin appear as warm as jade.

A focused beauty is always incredibly charming. Li Cunxiao was deeply moved and stepped forward to pick up his wife in his arms.

"Sanlang, oh dear, it's not evening yet!"

The phoenixes sing in harmony, amidst the clouds and rain of Wushan.

The young emperor was preoccupied with state affairs and family matters, and before he knew it, three years had passed.

"Hurry up, hurry up, or you won't get a good spot!"

"Gentlemen, you all seem to be in a hurry. What brings you here?"

"The King of Wu and the King of Yue entered the capital and surrendered their territories to Song. Today is the day they are to go to court. How could you not know that, brother?"

"Oh? I've been staying home these past few days, studying Confucianism, and almost missed this grand event! Let's go together!"

Students from the Imperial Academy, dressed in traditional robes, poured out of the academy, excitedly discussing as they joined the surging crowd on their way to the main street.

Upon arriving at this location, they found soldiers from the Pengri and Tianwu armies guarding both sides of the road.

Their armor was excellent, their swords and spears were menacing, and judging from their aura, none of them were below the fourth realm.

The people on both sides kept their distance, but their expressions showed little fear of him.

"Look, someone is coming!"

At this moment, someone shouted, and everyone's eyes turned to the Dingding Gate in the south, where a large convoy of cars drove in.

"Luoyang in the center of the sky is indeed worthy of its reputation. It is even more magnificent and spectacular than Xijing Daxing back then."

"To be able to spend the rest of my life here is not so tragic."

Inside the carriage, King Yang Huayuan of Wu appeared rather dejected, while King Qian Jumei of Yue, sitting opposite him, looked much more spirited. Upon hearing this, he offered words of comfort:
"Why must you be like this, Lord Yang? The current emperor is a man of great talent and strategy, whose achievements rival those of nature itself. He is a divine being, a sage among men. How could you or I possibly compare to him?"

"By surrendering our territory to the Song Dynasty, we will not be punished later, which is much better than Wang Jian being beheaded."

"That's true," Yang Huayuan said, feeling slightly comforted but even more deeply moved.

Three years ago, when the Song Dynasty was first established, he had some doubts about the new emperor's strength, but he did not dare to act rashly. He thought he would pretend to submit and delay for a few years to see how things would turn out.

Unexpectedly, in just a few years, Li Cunxiao, this official, came up with one trick after another:

First, under the guise of transforming barbarians into Chinese and promoting cross-border transportation, they built railway tracks in various places and created horse-drawn trains, which greatly shortened the travel time between places.

Then, official schools were established in various prefectures, counties, and even townships. First, primary schools provided basic education, and then secondary schools were divided into arts and martial arts tracks to cultivate talents for various industries.

Most dangerously, the Neo-Confucianism spread around the Imperial Academy, claiming to "preserve heavenly principles and control human desires," and combining the three teachings to innovate traditional martial arts. Today's new martial artists are no longer practicing the demonic cultivation method.

With abundant Qi and blood, the spirit is preserved and the body is tempered, the essence and soul are refined internally, the Yellow Court is used to gather breath, and the Nine Revolutions of Embracing the Elixir replaces the old five realms, perfectly connecting with the Heavenly Ladder and the Mysterious Pass that follow.

The difference is that the new method no longer requires cultivating inner demons, but instead uses a gentler visualization method.

It is safer and has a lower barrier to entry. If there is a drawback, it is that the speed of cultivation in the early stages is slower than that of traditional magic cultivation.

However, some time ago, the Song Dynasty emperor brought out the Ginseng Fruit Tree. This precious tree, which could produce elixirs on its own, perfectly compensated for the deficiencies of Neo-Confucianism and had a strong impact on the Wu and Yue regions.

Both Qian Jumei and Yang Huayuan had realized that the Song Dynasty had in fact formed a "major trend" to change the world.

Those who stubbornly resist will only be crushed to pieces by this wave.

Two grandmasters from Magu Mountain and Maoshan Mountain also recognized this change.

"Brother Yuanfu, did you see that?"

"I see it. What a powerful national destiny! What a magnificent palace that reaches the heavens! In my humble opinion, the destiny of the Song Dynasty is already intertwined with that of this emperor. The people and the nation are now inseparable."

"No wonder I always felt like I was being spied on when I was cultivating. Could it be that the whole world has become Li Cunxiao's training ground?"

Master Deng and Master Yuanfu walked behind the two kings of Wu and Yue, looking around Ziwei City with sighs of admiration.

No matter how powerful a holy land is, it still relies on grandmasters and spiritual treasures.

Nowadays, apart from the emperor, the Song Dynasty has three grandmasters and more than two Lingbao treasures. How can they possibly defeat them?

The Mingtang Hall has been expanded several times, and its lower part is now connected to the Qianyuan Hall. Today's earth-burial ceremony will be held here.

Looking around, the palace was filled with high-ranking officials in purple and crimson robes.

On the steps of the palace, the young emperor and empress sat side by side on the dragon bed, the latter holding a cute little child of three or four years old in her arms.

"The Empress gave birth to the Crown Prince a few days ago after three years of pregnancy. I am a father for the first time, and I have also heard that Wu and Yue have submitted to the Emperor. I am overjoyed by this double blessing."

Li Cunxiao spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but everyone in the vast Mingtang could hear him clearly.

"Your Majesty is wise and powerful, as clear as the sun and the moon. How dare I, a mere firefly, presume to compare myself to you?"

"I am willing to surrender my land and submit to the government. I do not aspire to a royal title. I would be content with a leisurely life as a duke or marquis."

Yang Huayuan and Qian Jumei bowed deeply and presented the royal seal and the map of Wu and Yue.

Li Guangyi, dressed in a purple official robe, stepped forward from the crowd, accepted the offerings from the two men, and placed them on the steps below the red platform.

The seven- or eight-year-old boy looked around curiously, and then a gentle breeze lifted him up, carrying him towards the map of the Imperial Seal.

Seeing this, Li Cunxiao smiled helplessly, grabbed the struggling child back with one hand, and with the other hand, he formed a sword with his fingers and swung it upwards.

call out!
The imperial seal and map rise from the bottom of the Mingtang (Bright Hall) skyward, with the auspicious energy representing the Wu and Yue regions being peeled away layer by layer during the process, finally being held by a golden dragon at the top of the Mingtang's caisson ceiling.

In an instant, a beam of clear light shot straight into the sky, and then spread far and wide in all directions.

The seven-colored halos intertwined, eventually converging in the air to form a map of the sixteen circuits of the Song Dynasty, with five points of light lighting up in succession:

In the center of the heavens, in the Ziwei City, the grotto-heaven within the Taiqing Palace has appeared in the world;
In Shannan Prefecture, Yuezhou, dragon boats stir up the waves of Dongting Lake;
Hebei Road, Youdu, where the Relic Pagoda stands a thousand feet tall;
In Jiannan Road and Jindu, the two-colored banners of Yin and Yang covered the sky and blocked out the sun.
Finally, in Jinling, at the junction of Huainan Road and Jiangnan Road, in the newly subjugated Wu and Yue regions, the Houtian Bag opened its huge mouth and stood across the sea.

Not far away, Taiyi Zhenren and Qici Heshang burst into laughter.

'As expected, he had already sent two Grandmasters as a backup plan. Fortunately! Fortunately!'

Qian Jumei and Yang Huayuan looked at each other in horror, while Yuanfu Zhenren and Deng Tianshi were even more distraught.

In their perception, the auras of five different spiritual treasures rose up from the east, south, west, north, and center, connecting heaven and earth and outlining a complete and independent world.

Above this world, a giant with three heads and eight arms overlooks all living beings, controlling the natural cycle of birth and death, and discerning good fortune and misfortune.

Emperor Li Cunxiao, no, Heavenly Emperor, is the undisputed and incomparable ruler of this world!
Such a thought flashed through their minds. When the young supreme being cast his gaze upon them, both senior Daoist practitioners composed themselves, bowed their heads, and paid their respects.

Li Cunxiao couldn't help laughing.

With mountains and rivers in their hearts and their spirits soaring, they rose, flicked their sleeves, and from the void, golden cups poured wine, which fell into the hands of the crowd, who raised them high in a toast:
"Gentlemen, in this year of peace, let us drink to the fullest."

May our nation be forever secure, our seas peaceful and our rivers clear, and our people enjoy lasting happiness and prosperity!

Everyone raised their glasses and happily agreed:
May our nation be forever secure, our seas peaceful and our rivers clear, and our people enjoy lasting happiness and prosperity!

A wave of cheers surged forth from the palace walls, filling the onlookers with joy and causing them to embrace and sing.

Whether traveling merchants or sitting traders;
Whether in coarse linen or brocade and fine clothes;
Regardless of rank or status, regardless of age or gender, a sea of ​​people gathered, creating a harmonious symphony.

To mark the grand opening of this magnificent era!
(End of the book)

(End of this chapter)