Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 263 Brother Money: You're Not Even Willing to Call Me Brother

Night fell, and the rain continued to fall.

In the You family mansion in the capital city of Minzhou, the uncle and nephew You had a sumptuous dinner and were sitting by the window in the study, enjoying the rain and talking.

You Shuangxiong, who had been injured by Wang Cheng, was almost fully recovered, and his face was now filled with barely suppressed excitement:
"Uncle, the timing of the Japanese pirates' choice of time is just right."

At this time of year, various disasters in Minzhou have tied up too much manpower, especially the officials in charge of the water patrol who are as busy as weeds.

No matter how vigilant Hu Ruzhen was, or how skillful he was in deploying troops in Minzhou, he couldn't make bricks without straw. The coastal defenses had far more loopholes than usual, and even I could see them.

Even without the defense map we sent out, I think it wouldn't be difficult for a top-tier Onmyoji like Amakusa Shiro to breach a poorly defended prefecture.

"But surely the warships of the Japanese pirates wouldn't capsize in a typhoon?"

He had barely finished speaking when You Zhen glared at him, and he immediately realized that he had asked a stupid question.

The military and civilians throughout Minzhou probably didn't have such unrealistic fantasies.

After all, the Japanese pirates of Kiritan had a living demon god of the third rank, Amakusa Shiro, as well as a large number of the church called "Tide Knights".

Even if all the water spirits and deities of the East China Sea did not protect them, they could not possibly perish at sea because of a typhoon they themselves brought upon themselves.

Across from him, You Zhen took a sip of tea and sighed inwardly.

Although his nephew was dull-witted, the clan leader still had to constantly remind and instruct him, relying on the family's resources to continue supporting him.

If it weren't for the desire for their descendants to enjoy wealth and honor forever, why would they join the Guishan Academy?

"Remember, never underestimate the power of living spirits."

Once the officials of the divine path have completed the cultivation of the lower three ranks of Refining Essence and the middle three ranks of Refining Qi, and successfully crossed the threshold of the upper three ranks of Refining God, they can transform into the [Dharma Form of Ghosts and Gods], and the talisman will manifest divine edicts, condensing ghostly titles and authority.

The Yin God's ability to travel a hundred miles in an instant by controlling a sword is nothing more than a trivial matter.

The most direct manifestation of the power of ghosts and gods is the eight categories of supernatural powers: thunder, fighting, fire, water, wealth, plague, smallpox, and Tai Sui.

The Yin-Yang Masters of Yingzhou inherited their skills from the Yin-Yang School and Taoism of Shenzhou. Although their methods were unorthodox and lacked harmony, their combat power remained formidable after their magical talismans evolved into divine decrees.

He glanced back at the relentless wind and rain outside the window before continuing:
Few people know that the supernatural power of the "Heavenly Child" Amakusa Shiro is called "Takemikaze".

It is said that the Kenminakata deity, manifested from the Daoist Qi, is the wind god and dragon-snake god of Yingzhou, and the fact that he is named after this shows how powerful this divine wind is.

It is said that he also has a disposable temple army of ghost soldiers called the "Divine Wind Death Warriors" that can be mass-produced.

Combining the fearless spirit of Japanese samurai with the power of Western firearms, it could launch attacks from the sky.

With them involved this time, Hu Ruzhen will definitely be imprisoned and punished.

The price we paid was nothing more than one or two prefectural cities and the lives of tens of thousands of common people, which was not worth mentioning at all.

At most, the Japanese pirates will take away the floating wealth. After they kill everyone, the empty land there will be ours. Our You family will not only not lose, but will also make a fortune.

I heard that Grand Secretary Xu owns 24 mu of prime farmland in his hometown of Songjiang Prefecture, which is more than Grand Secretary Yan, the most corrupt official in the Great Zhao Dynasty.

Our You family doesn't have such big ambitions; we'll be content with a small fraction of Grand Secretary Xu's clan land.

When You Shuangxiong heard his uncle's high praise for the strength of the Japanese pirates, he also imagined a bright future where he could turn his life around and become the master of his own destiny. With money, adding ten more concubines would not be a problem.

But then he suddenly remembered something and quickly asked:

“Uncle, you are the governor of Minzhou. If the prefecture is breached, you will also be held responsible.”

You Zhen choked for a moment, thinking to himself, "Are you only realizing this now?"
I have to admit that my nephew isn't very bright, but I still patiently explained it to him:
"This is a self-inflicted injury scheme!"
On the surface, I have the responsibility to defend the territory, no less than that of Hu Ruzhen, the governor of the seven prefectures. But it is precisely because of this that no one will suspect that I would betray the soldiers and civilians of Minzhou.

Only by sharing the punishment with him can I avoid the possibility of a group of righteous swordsmen suddenly breaking in at night, or even the highest-ranking officials of the Heavenly Court taking my head.

Besides, I've already arranged everything. When we're supposed to take action tomorrow, I'll be inspecting the dike and won't know what's going to happen.

Afterwards, all I was punished for was negligence; I was dismissed from my post and sent home to live a life of leisure.

But our situation is different from Hu Ruzhen's.

While I am retired and at home, our You family will receive countless benefits. Within a year, you and your uncles and brothers will all be promoted at least one and a half ranks.

In a few years, when a new emperor ascends the throne, I will be able to return to public life.

Surrounded by enemies, Hu Ruzhen would face certain death if he lost power!

At this moment, You Shuangxiong suddenly asked a pointed question:

"Uncle, if the emperor really collects all five sacred flowers from the temples, refines the elixir of immortality, and becomes an immortal mortal ruler, how should we conduct ourselves?"

You Zhen's face turned solemn, and he said decisively:
"In this land of China, no ruler can live forever!"

As one of the core members of the Guishan Academy, he knew that the leader possessed a powerful talisman that could suppress the true dragon emperor and the lord of the state.

They have even secretly plotted a series of unnatural deaths of the rulers of the state over the past two hundred years.

There is only one purpose: to return power to a virtuous ruler!
Whichever emperor was diligent in his duties, or dared to implement reckless reforms and seize money from them, would die.

Even a core member like him, who had risen to the position of governor of a prefecture, didn't know what the talisman in the organization's possession actually was, let alone someone of high rank.

You Shuangxiong naturally understood the unspoken words his uncle had left unsaid, and couldn't help but blush with excitement.

"Kill the emperor!"

Just thinking about those three words sends chills down your spine.

Moreover, this emperor wasn't the kind of flawed product who only became the supreme ruler of the world because of his short reign and the title of "Lord of the State."

Instead, it was Emperor Shaozhi, who had reigned for decades and was himself a first-rank [Dan Ding Daoist].

Even after death, they are destined to become powerful spirits who live and die alongside the nation.

"No! The emperor's sacrifices are closely tied to the state, and the supreme position of the God of the State requires the support of the entire nation."

If the Han dynasty were to perish, the only way to ensure its survival would be for its descendants to establish regimes and continue their lineage, just like the descendants of the Han dynasty.

Otherwise, they would suffer the karmic consequences of the dynasty's collapse, quickly weakening and falling into slumber. Countless ancient deities have been abandoned by popular belief throughout history, let alone a cruel and oppressive ruler.

If he dies, even with his first-grade cultivation, his situation won't be much better than the water-stained bricks on the Great Wall of Curses.

Of course, everyone knows that when Emperor Shaozhi first ascended the throne, he was a capable monarch who strongly advocated reform.

The policies in Zhang Taiyue's "Memorial on Current Affairs" were actually a continuation of the Shaozhi New Policies that he failed to implement.

The young Emperor Shaozhi launched reforms targeting imperial relatives, meritorious nobles, bureaucrats, landlords, and powerful families.

However, they were the foundation of the Great Zhao's rule, deeply entrenched and powerful, causing one backlash after another.

Until the Renyin Palace Incident, in which a palace maid strangled someone, Emperor Shaozhi was so frightened that he never dared to mention reform again.

Perhaps this incompetent ruler also harbored many grievances:
"You forced me to do this, my dear minister!"

In short, the scholar-officials proved with their own strength that if they disagreed, even the ruler of the state would find it difficult to move an inch; this is not a problem that can be explained simply by killing people.

Well, it's also possible that we haven't killed enough.

Encouraged by his uncle, You Shuangxiong touched his still aching chest, a ferocious look appearing on his face:
"And that Wang Fugui, he actually dared to lay a hand on us."

Once Hu Ruzhen is removed from office, I will definitely teach this fool who doesn't know his place properly a lesson! I will drown all his relatives, friends, and teachers in the sea, leaving no one alive!
And that Lady Yan, the Dragon Girl who's always by his side, I want her too!

cough!
Hearing his uncle cough, he suddenly came to his senses. Their You family really couldn't afford to offend that large group of ghosts and gods from the Tianfei lineage.

In the end, he still stubbornly insisted:

"If I weren't worried about ruining things, I would love to tear Wang Fugui apart right now."

Before they could finish speaking, a voice that would be etched into their memories echoed in the study:

“I’m right here, you’re welcome to try.”

You Shuangxiong and You Zhen turned their heads in shock.

Then they discovered a dashing young man dressed in a qilin robe sitting on a chair by the wall of the study, accompanied by a boy in a golden Taoist robe.

The boy was holding a recording bead made by the [Divine Strategist], which recorded their conversation.

The two men, realizing their words, paled and gasped in shock:
"It's you, Wang Fugui?! How could you possibly break through my family's official protection and appear here? Hand over the recording bead!"

Wang Cheng calmly took the memory bead from the boy's hand and tossed it into the hole of the Four Seas Tongbao coin.

The golden-robed boy transformed into a rusty "Qin Banliang" coin, which landed in his hand, faintly emitting the sound of chanting:

"The essence of money embodies the concepts of heaven and earth. It is square on the inside and round on the outside."
It is cheap in the marketplace, and there is no fear of loss or damage. It is as enduring as longevity, and as inexhaustible as the Way. Therefore, it can last a long time and is a divine treasure of the world. It is as dear as a brother, and its name is Kongfang (meaning "money").

Losing it leads to poverty and weakness; gaining it brings wealth and prosperity. It flies without wings and walks without feet.

It sounds like the famous "The Theory of Money".

"You're playing tricks! You've come, but you're not leaving!"

You Shuangxiong summoned the mechanical puppet [Heavenly Soldier] that he had just repaired and was about to rush forward.

Wang Cheng raised the Qin Banliang coin, which was round on the outside and square on the inside, and casually said:
“You won’t even call me brother.”

You Shuangxiong immediately stopped as if bewitched, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed respectfully, saying:
"Brother, please accept my humble respect."

After finishing the prayer, he realized what had happened and stood frozen in shock.

"Good baby, hahaha!"

The square coin, symbolizing the round heaven and square earth, originated with the "Banliang coin" of the Qin Dynasty and has been in use for two thousand years.

The talisman "Brother Kong Fang" in Wang Cheng's hand is the oldest existing Qin Banliang coin.

However, it is not the most powerful casting master (mother coin) or engraving master (ancestral coin); it can only be considered the elder brother of all current square-holed coins.

It barely qualifies as one of the treasures of a prefecture.

The effect is: the name "Brother Kong Fang" means one can be anyone's elder brother.

Holding this treasure, within a radius of ten feet, one can shout: "You are not even willing to call me brother."

As long as the target's rank and status do not exceed those of the treasure holder, they will be forcibly controlled for three breaths and respectfully shout:
"Brother, please accept my humble respect."

Only then can the attack continue.

It can only be used once per person per day, and is effective for all grades below Grade 3.

This treasure was a gift from Lu Yunchen to Wang Cheng to express his gratitude for saving Han Shushu's life at the Temple of Fertility.

The option given to him was the "Out in the Game" set, which has two pieces.

One item is "Brother Kong Fang" (a type of currency), and the other is "Original Manuscript of the Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" (another type of currency). Effect: Specializes in targeting the eldest sister-in-law.

Reciting it to your sister-in-law in person will win her strong favor, and reciting it three times will greatly increase the chances of her falling in love with you.

These two items, one for recruiting henchmen and the other for stealing one's sister-in-law, are both quite powerful.

As a respectable person, Wang Cheng would naturally choose the former.

After being enlightened by him, it transformed into a little boy wearing a golden Taoist robe, named "Jinbao" (meaning "Bringing in Treasure"), which, together with "Zhaocai" (meaning "Bringing in Wealth"), became a powerful weapon for ambushing those of the same level.

It worked very well in the first practical application.

You Zhen, who was closer to the door, was much smarter than his nephew. He realized that something was wrong and suddenly turned around and rushed towards the study door.

To hell with family legacy, responsibility of our generation, revitalization of the You family, and support for future generations!

Whoosh!
But as soon as the door opened, a thunderous sword light suddenly struck his shoulder.

In a flash, You Zhen felt the light within his body suddenly dim, rendering him completely powerless. Without hesitation, he cried out for mercy:
"Do not kill me!"

(End of this chapter)