Dao Qi Wu Zang Guan Guan: I became a Daoist Master in the 1990s

Chapter 150 Yin-Yang Furnace, Divine Weapon Refining

Qi Yun sat firmly with his hand on his sword.

His gaze was like a deep, still well, without a ripple. He simply said, "Speak. Tell me everything you know, from the court's decisions to the Grand Preceptor's plans, and how your Hongnong Prefecture will carry them out. Tell me in detail, without missing a single word."

Prefect Li felt as if he had been granted a pardon, or grasped at a straw. He hurriedly kowtowed, then stood up, suppressing his fear, and though his voice trembled, he tried his best to remain coherent:

"A true hero has seen the light! A true hero has seen the light!"
The imperial court…this move by the imperial court is truly a desperate measure, a last resort to save itself!

His voice was trembling with tears, yet he tried his best to project an air of concern for the country and its people: "The severe drought in Yongzhou is a divine act of destruction, beyond human power to resist!"

Moreover, the nation was engaged in a fierce battle with the Northern Chen dynasty, and even with the entire country's resources allocated to supplying the front lines, the national treasury was already empty. Where would there be any surplus grain to provide relief to these disaster victims?

He glanced at Qi Yun's expression, and seeing no reaction, he continued to speak, his words becoming increasingly "earnest": "If we allow the disaster victims to scatter and wander, they will surely become bandits in order to survive and attack neighboring prefectures!"
At that time, the order of the various states, which was already on the verge of collapse due to the war, will collapse instantly. Internal strife will ensue, and war will spread everywhere. With the fierce army of the Northern Chen Dynasty outside and the threat of bandits spreading from within, our great Qian Dynasty will be under attack from both inside and outside. In an instant, it will be in danger of being overthrown!
Sealing off Yongzhou, though cruel, was a necessary but desperate measure to prevent the overall collapse of the situation!

He paused, a heavy expression on his face as if he were truly considering the fate of the nation: "Furthermore, the way of Heaven has the principle of Yin and Yang."

With such a large-scale death, and people resorting to cannibalism due to famine, the resulting malevolent and resentful aura will surely be overwhelming!
At that time, the land of Yongzhou will likely cease to be human and become a realm of ghosts!

Countless vengeful spirits have sprung up, and not only will the disaster victims outside the city be doomed, but even the people inside the city will have no chance of survival!
Once the calamity of the ghosts takes hold, it will impact strategic passes and spread to other states, causing even greater harm than war!

That was the real catastrophe; the entire land was reduced to scorched earth!

At this point, he changed the subject and began to embellish the plan to "refine divine weapons".

"It was precisely because he foresaw such a desperate situation that the Grand Preceptor, out of compassion for humanity, offered this supreme and wondrous method of 'Yin-Yang Furnace for Refining Divine Weapons'!"

The beauty of this method lies in turning harm into benefit, achieving three goals at once!

He counted on his fingers as if recounting an incomparably wise and correct achievement: "Firstly, the imperial court is powerless to provide relief, and the disaster victims are going to die either way, whether they starve to death or are refined into divine soldiers."

However, if they starve to death, their resentment will soar to the heavens, causing calamities and endless harm; but if they are transformed into divine soldiers, they can be used by us, sent to the front lines, and serve the country! This is truly making use of waste, turning trash into treasure!

"Secondly, the forging of divine weapons requires drawing upon a large amount of the Yin Sha and resentment permeating Yongzhou as 'materials.' This is precisely using poison to fight poison, effectively resolving the possibility of Yongzhou turning into a ghost town, protecting the lives within the city, and preventing the spread of ghostly calamity!"

"Thirdly, and most importantly!"
The divine weapons they forge are fearless against blades, feel no pain, and consume no provisions!
Once they are deployed to the front lines, how can the ordinary troops of the Northern Chen Dynasty possibly stop them?

This will surely turn the tide of the war, defeat the Northern Chen, and avert national disaster!

This lays the foundation for the eternal peace and prosperity of our nation!

The more he talked, the more convinced he became of his own reasoning, as if he were not an executioner, but a meritorious official who had endured humiliation and hardship.

"Your Majesty is wise and knows that although this strategy may seem cruel, it is in fact the only way out in a desperate situation!"

His Majesty has granted permission that, once this matter is resolved and the national crisis is over, Yongzhou will be granted a 50-year tax exemption! This will attract people from other regions to move in and recuperate!

Use temporary pain to exchange for a century of peace and tranquility in Yongzhou!
Good sir, this is... this is a brave man cutting off his own arm, scraping the bone to remove poison!
Though the pain was excruciating, it was all for the sake of survival!

After he finished speaking, tears streamed down his face as if he had suffered a great injustice, completely absolving himself and the court of any responsibility, and instead donning a tragic cloak of "considering the overall situation" and "foresight." The masked assassin, who had just struggled to sit up against the wall, heard these "profound words," and his exposed eyes were immediately filled with astonishment and great confusion.

He originally thought it was just corrupt officials profiting from the national crisis, but he never expected that it involved such a huge, unbelievable, yet seemingly self-consistent and cruel plan.

His conviction began to waver. Could it be... could it be that he had really wronged him?

Is there really such profound "helplessness" and "considerations" behind this?
However, Qi Yun merely raised an eyebrow slightly, his expression remaining unchanged.

His mind is like a clear mirror, reflecting all things.

The prefect's words sounded grand and well-thought-out, but in reality, the core of them was no different from what he had realized before.

It's still the same old sophistry: "using vague and ethereal righteousness to commit real and wicked deeds!"

It's just that it's been packaged more elegantly, repackaged with seemingly rational guise such as "avoiding greater disasters," "turning harm into benefit," and "long-term interests."

"What a desperate measure!"
Incompetent in protecting the people, yet using them as resources, how can one speak of it in such a fresh and unconventional way?

Natural disasters are indeed terrifying, but why is relief always impossible? Why is the national treasury always empty?
Where are the taxes paid by the people of the world?

While the war has undoubtedly been costly, where has the wealth accumulated through the exploitation of the people and rampant corruption gone?

It's nothing more than ending up in the pockets of parasites like you!
When disaster strikes, they use 'powerlessness' as an excuse to commit such beastly acts, shifting the blame for their own corruption and incompetence onto the people, even calling it 'making use of waste'?
Who's the real trash? Who's the beast?

This is a blatant misrepresentation and utterly shameless!
What a wonderful idea to 'avoid ghostly calamities'!
When you blockaded Yongzhou and allowed it to be filled with starving corpses and people to eat each other, did you ever think that this would breed evil spirits?
Now they're using the disastrous consequences of their own actions to justify their even more cruel behavior?

It's like setting a fire, then robbing people under the guise of helping them, and expecting the victims to be grateful? This is robber logic, utterly hypocritical!
What a brilliant idea of ​​"killing three birds with one stone" and "peace for all ages"!
Using millions of lives as fuel to ignite the so-called "peaceful" fire, how much blood and wailing is stained with the word "peaceful"?
Even if such a "merit" built with countless wronged souls is accomplished, how can Heaven tolerate it? How can people's hearts be at peace?

This is not a meritorious deed, but a heinous crime!

All you see is cold calculation of gains and losses; have you ever had even a shred of reverence for life?

This is the mindset of a demon, neither the way of man, nor the way of Heaven!

Qi Yun immediately launched into a scathing critique, tearing away all the finery from his facade. Upon hearing this, Prefect Li panicked even more and immediately changed the subject, desperately trying to clear himself of any wrongdoing.

"A wise man sees through everything! This humble official... this humble official also knows that this matter is truly... truly too outrageous and cruel!"
But... but I am but a humble official with little influence. This is His Majesty's decision, the Imperial Preceptor's impetus, and a national policy!
This humble official... this humble official is merely a pawn, acting on orders!

If I don't do it, someone else will have to do it just the same way!
Perhaps... perhaps they'll be even more ruthless than I am!

If I had refused then, I fear I would have died a violent death long ago, which would have been of no use to the important matter and would have only cost me my life!
"Hero! I was merely trying to survive!"

He stood up again and kowtowed repeatedly, perfectly embodying the phrase "helpless."

(End of this chapter)