Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 385 Clouds and rain gather from all directions, incense burns upon seeing the tiger's whiskers.

As time went by and the winter solstice approached, the crack in the Great Wall of Curses grew larger and larger, and the strange phenomena in the heavens and earth became more and more obvious.

The most obvious manifestation of this is that scum of the immortals keeps running out of the cracks, causing one bloodbath after another on the nearby islands.

When the Franco army, which was the first to establish an outpost on the edge of the Rift Realm, began to mobilize and gather on a large scale, the secret could no longer be kept hidden.

In addition, most of the three classes of spirits and deities in the East are capable of divination and can piece together complete intelligence with limited information.

Soon, all the major and minor powers in Southeast Asia knew the approximate location of the "Gates of Hell".

However, as a local power that has been adjacent to the vast ocean and the immortal realm outside the wall for two thousand years, they naturally do not adopt the Western barbarians' terminology, but instead call it "Immortal Gate".

Crossing this door could lead to instant ascension to heaven and immortality!

In order to obtain the elixir of immortality, not only the three countries of Da Zhao, Tatar, and Japan, which had already set out from the north, but also the master and disciple Luang Phor and Luang Phi of Siam.

All the major and minor powers that considered themselves capable, or the Shinto officials whose lifespans were nearing their end and who wanted to fight to the death, set sail and headed towards the Spice Islands in the far east.

The usurping princes of Brunei had barely watched in suspense as the Great Zhao's treasure ship fleet passed through their territorial waters half a day before another fleet, flying the star and crescent flag, arrived.

“Kill all these Theravada Buddhists, leave no one alive.”

They set foot on the land where the stench of the previous wave of blood had not yet dissipated, and with overwhelming superiority, slaughtered all the newly appointed princes who had won the coup.

Although at its peak, Brunei Kingdom controlled most of Borneo.

But it has long since declined and is now just a small country occupying part of the northern coastal area.

Its land area is only one-sixth of that of Kowloon, about 6,000 square kilometers. There is not a single living ghost or deity in the country, and it has no power to resist.

Soon, the high-ranking heroic spirit from the Ottoman Empire, "Skinning General" Lala Pasha, personally supported the Crescent Moon believers in the royal family to ascend the throne, replacing the previous group of Theravada Buddhist agents.

In just a few short days, the rulers of Brunei changed hands frequently, one after another.

This is the tragedy of small countries; whether or not they change their rulers is not up to them.

Before the arrival of giant ships, cannons, and divine treasure ships, the Shinto itself represented the strongest power, bar none, and which path one took was crucial to the foundation of the nation.

There has always been a power struggle among three forces in Brunei: the Three Officials Alliance, the Star and Moon Church, and Theravada Buddhism.

From the very beginning of the founding of the Great Zhao Kingdom, it had an extremely close relationship with Brunei.

Brunei first paid tribute in the fourth year of Emperor Taizu's reign. In the third year of Emperor Chengzu's reign, the emperor sent an envoy with an imperial edict and gifts to appease him. In the same year, King Manarajana of Brunei sent an envoy to pay tribute, and the emperor officially recognized him as a king.

In the sixth year of Emperor Chengzu's reign, the king, accompanied by his royal family and more than 150 courtiers, personally went to the Central Plains to pay homage. Unfortunately, he fell ill and died and was buried in Southern Zhili. Emperor Chengzu gave him a grand funeral with royal honors and bestowed upon him the posthumous title "Gongshun".

Zheng He also visited Brunei many times during his voyages to the Western Ocean.

Unfortunately, after the Great Zhao Dynasty's influence at sea gradually faded away a century ago, other forces began to take advantage of the situation.

Benjilan Bolkiah, who was previously buried alive by the monk Longbi, belonged to the pro-Zhao faction, which is why he chose Lin Daoqian, a son-in-law who was an official in Zhao.

The faction of Mu'izadin Bolkiah, who had just been wiped out by General Peeling Skin, belonged to Theravada Buddhism. They spent a huge sum of money to hire Luang Phor, but after only a few days as king, he abdicated.

The Ottoman Empire is still at its peak and is the suzerain state of all the Crescent-Star Church countries.

Their navy is on the other side of the Strait of Malacca, vying with the Franks for dominance over the Bharat Sea of ​​the subcontinent and the entire world.

In the power struggle within Brunei, it appears that the Ottomans and the Crescent-Star Church currently hold a slight advantage.

In fact, many of the indigenous chiefs of the Spice Islands were like those of the Brunei Kingdom.

The Dutch and the Francois fought back and forth, and they died almost every year. You killed my chief, and I killed your chief.

These rulers were like incompetent husbands; whoever came, they could bring their country to its knees, and whoever came, came and went!

This is the current situation in Southeast Asia after the absence of the Great Zhao Dynasty.

"Continue south! We must enter the gates of hell before everyone else, seize the elixir of immortality, and prove to the world that we, who destroyed the Byzantine Empire, are the true Romans!"

[The Skinning General] Lala Pasha gave an order and abandoned the king he had just supported, continuing his march south.

If you were to look down at the South China Sea from high above, you would see countless warships heading in the same direction on the vast, azure waters.

Tatar shamans, Yingzhou Shintoism, Buyeo shamans, the Old and New Holy Cross Churches, the Star and Crescent Church, Brahmanism, Theravada Buddhism, and primitive shamanisms prevalent in Southeast Asia.
Every imaginable power is represented.

The number of various "demons and monsters" without any affiliation was even greater, so many that even the most knowledgeable local deities could not recognize them all.

Lin Daoqian, who cultivated the so-called "Seven Killing Primordial Spirit" and was preparing to seek revenge against the monk Long Bi, was one of them.

He transforms into a giant crimson python, speeding underwater to ambush his enemies and rescue his fiancée.

Wang Cheng and his largest fleet of treasure ships did not rush to catch up with the various forces in Southeast Asia to determine who would arrive first.

Instead, they chose to land for the second time in Sanfa City, where the headquarters of the Shanhaihui was located.

The port was already decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations.

The thousands of managers, disciples, and merchants who stayed behind at the Shan Hai Society's headquarters, all led by the white-haired old man, lined up to welcome the eighth treasure ship fleet, which was a hundred years overdue.

"Greetings, Envoy Wang, the Chief Envoy of Xuanwei!"

"We have long awaited the king's army!"

Most people breathed a deep sigh of relief, while some emotional survivors, recalling the hardships their ancestors had endured over the past century, couldn't help but shed tears.

History seems to be repeating itself. Perhaps our ancestors, a hundred years ago, waited day after day for the return of Duke Zheng and his fleet, silently waiting for five generations before this day finally arrived.

A touch of bitterness, a hint of melancholy, drew a deep sigh from the void:
"I have no regrets now."

A strong obsession that almost turned into historical dregs finally vanished at this moment.

Over the years, the Shanhaiguan Association gradually became unable to withstand the onslaught of wave after wave of colonizers. No one here thought that Wang Cheng, who was authorized by the emperor to manage affairs in Southeast Asia, was there to seize power; on the contrary, they regarded him as their greatest ally and support.

Moreover, he was originally a disciple of a high-ranking official, a true member of the family.

"With Lord Wang here, justice has come, and we overseas Chinese have hope for the future."

Wang Cheng, dressed in a qilin robe, landed with a group of soldiers and strode forward to help the old man up.

"President, you are too kind to this junior. Please rise."

Besides being the Imperial Envoy and the Chief Envoy of Xuanwei, I am also a disciple of the Mountain and Sea Society. My master is far away in Yuegang, but he often thinks of you.

The old man's face was beaming like a chrysanthemum:

Yes, yes.

The old man and all the survivors of the treasure ships have long awaited the arrival of the imperial navy.

We are not only paying homage to you, the chief envoy, but also to the path our ancestors took us.

The only slight regret is that if you were also a survivor of Zheng He's treasure ships, it would be even better; then many of our ancestors could die in peace.

Only after his grandson, Sun Tianba, tugged at his sleeve did he realize his words were inappropriate, and he coughed lightly:
"Although not of bloodline, it is good to be a descendant of the Shan Hai Society."

Fu Gui, you are Yu Ting's successor disciple. Once you are promoted to the third rank, I will step down and hand over the reins to you to lead the Mountain and Sea Society.

The cities of Sanfa, Malacca, and Sumatra all follow your lead.

Oh, and there's this pendant of mine, passed down through generations of the guild master!

Before he could finish speaking, the rope suddenly wrapped around his neck and hoisted him up.

With her legs dangling in the air, she swung back and forth in front of countless people like a swing, drawing gasps of amazement.

Wang Cheng: Uh

"Please forgive me for declining."

I'd gladly accept the chairmanship, but let's forget about this rope.

When he got up close, he felt a strong sense of destiny emanating from this national treasure.

I have this inexplicable feeling that what if the rebels of Guishan had used this rope to assassinate Emperor Shaozhi?

He might be finished now, and the Great Zhao dynasty might be finished too.

Then, together with the others, they managed to rescue the old man.

Old Man Diao had more experience hanging himself than walking, yet he was all smiles and acted as if nothing had happened, pulling Wang Cheng back to start the banquet.

While we ate and drank, I introduced him to the situation in Borneo:
“Fugui, I heard from Tianba that you are planning to take over the entire Borneo and establish a Pacification Commission and a large shipyard.”
This is not as easy as you might think.

The rainforests of southern Borneo and the interior are home to scattered tribes or small chiefdoms, and have never formed a strong, unified nation.

Borneo has many rivers, such as the Kapuas River, the Barito River, and the Rajang River, most of which originate inland and then flow to different coastlines in all directions.

Each river basin naturally forms a relatively independent social and economic unit.

Most residents lived along the river, eventually forming trading centers in port cities downstream.

Therefore, the political entities of Borneo are mainly "port cities" centered around port cities, such as Borneo, Sambhota, Pontianak, and Machen.

The wealth and power of these port cities were based on maritime trade and resource exports, rather than inland agricultural production, and the islands lacked large plains capable of developing agricultural centers.

Inland tribal communities maintained a high degree of autonomy, typically exchanging forest products with port rulers for manufactured goods such as salt, cloth, and ceramics.

Port-based states exert influence over the interior by controlling trade routes and trade relations with inland tribes.

After giving a general overview, Old Man Diao continued:
"If we want to conquer coastal port cities, as long as we completely monopolize foreign trade, we can subdue them without fighting and establish an island-wide city cluster."

It is difficult to rule over inland tribes, who are not only self-sufficient but also have traditions of burning fire pits to worship ancestral spirits, rice spirits, and mountain and river gods.

The most powerful of these demons is named Tiger God, a great demon who was reincarnated and cultivated to become a high-ranking demon in the world.

Including us overseas Chinese who have been rooted here for over a hundred years, everyone has the tradition of burning incense when we see a tiger.

Like many other demons and monsters, he had already set off for the immortal sect ahead of time because his demonic body was nearing the end of its lifespan.

After listening to the old man recount the general situation of Borneo in great detail.

Wang Cheng and Shen Yueye beside him exchanged a glance and nodded in tacit agreement:

“We want to unify Borneo and build an overseas fleet using the teak wood that is abundant here. The next spirit medium will be Him.”

The premise is that He will never come back once He leaves!

Wang Cheng discussed the future plans for Borneo with Old Man Diao for a while, and then did not stay long.

After the treasure ship fleet left Sanfa City, the entire fleet suddenly disappeared into the sea using the tactic of "openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass," and no one knew where they went.

Only a ten-zhang-long platinum sword light soared into the sky, heading straight for the Old Port Pacification Commissioner's Office under the cover of night.

Wang Cheng also returned to his original appearance.

After awakening his innate wisdom, he personally visited his family's old friend, Uncle Zhu Yaozhai, for the first time.

It was also to obtain the last trump card before entering the "Immortal Gate".

With this card in hand, he can remain invincible no matter which side gains the upper hand.

(End of this chapter)