I alone have my own laws; I start by fabricating myths and legends of mountains and seas.

Chapter 131 Visit

The eighth day of the construction of the Xia Kingdom's palace.

The foundations of the two palaces have opened up like the gaping maws of greedy beasts across the Tsukushi Plain in Kyushu and the Kochi Basin in Shikoku.

More than three million slaves were driven to the construction sites to work day and night. Timber was felled from the mountains, stone was quarried from the mines, and the transport roads were filled with staggering figures and the eerie light of the overseers' ghostly whips.

A viscous, barely perceptible gray-black aura began to permeate the air. It was the resentment of despair, exhaustion, pain, and the deepest hatred before death, drawn from millions of slaves and gathered together under the guidance of the "Nine Nether Soul Demon Body Forging Chapter" technique and the special layout of the palace.

Tokugawa Koji himself was stationed near the construction site. He could clearly feel that whenever the servants or ghost soldiers on duty entered the construction site to supervise the work and circulated their techniques, the efficiency of absorbing this resentful energy was far superior to absorbing the residual evil energy after a battle on an ordinary battlefield.

In just eight days, the first batch of 500 elite soldiers had achieved the same level of physical training as they had in the past few months.

Those Yin soldiers, who already fed on negative emotions, had their souls become even more solidified, and the ghostly fire in their eyes flickered even more violently.

The price was that the bodies of slaves who fell on the construction site every day piled up like mountains. Death itself was not the end; their souls often dissipated in extreme pain and resentment, transforming into purer resentment that nourished the land, or were instinctively absorbed by the nearby ghostly soldiers.

The living slaves were like walking corpses, their eyes vacant, only moving mechanically under the threat of whipping and death.

There is a Xia Kingdom, and its royal palace!

"Koji," Xia Jie suddenly called out.

"Your subject is here!" Tokugawa Koji's spirits lifted.

"The affairs of the palace can proceed as planned. The wailing of those ants is a fine spice, but I'm getting tired of it." Xia Jie's tone was calm, but it made Tokugawa Koji's heart skip a beat. "Make preparations, I'm going out for a walk."

"Where does Your Majesty wish to go? I will immediately summon heavenly troops to accompany and protect you!" Tokugawa Koji replied hastily, his mind racing to identify any other targets in the vicinity that could be plundered or intimidated. His Majesty wasn't planning a strategic retreat; he hadn't even attacked Hokkaido!

"Escort me?" Xia Jie scoffed. "Do I need useless escorts? I'm going to China."

"China?!" Tokugawa Koji looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with undisguised shock.

China is different from Japan; it is a true great power with unfathomable depths, and the might of the True Martial Emperor is already at its command! The King suffered a loss at Laoshan not long ago; to go there now would be—

-

"What? Do you have some other ideas?" Xia Jie's voice turned cold.

He paused, his voice carrying an almost playful yet chilling tone: "I have been in seclusion for a long time. Having just arrived in this world, I am only staying in this tiny place. It is rather petty. Recently, even the barbarians of Europe have been making some noise. I, this ancient wise king, should also take a trip to the ancient lands of civilization and see what kind of mess that the younger generation has made of my country."

"No! I dare not!" Tokugawa Koji quickly bowed. "It's just that there is a false god named Zhenwu in China. Although Your Majesty has extraordinary abilities, that place is not part of our Xia territory. I fear there may be treacherous people plotting against us. Should we reconsider?" He tried to dissuade him tactfully, but cold sweat had already broken out on his back.

"Let's discuss this further?" Xia Jie slowly rose from the shadow of the throne. His tall figure seemed to stretch across the entire darkness, and the terrifying pressure made Tokugawa Koji almost suffocate. "I still remember that palm strike at Laoshan. Consider this trip my return gift."

He strode down, his dark red eyes fixed on Tokugawa Koji, his expression one of undeniable dominance: "Go and make the arrangements. There's no need for a large army to accompany me. My trip is not for conquest, but a friendly visit."

"In the name of King Jie of Xia, I hereby issue a formal letter to the Bureau of Foreign Affairs of the State of Hua. It shall say that the State of Hua is, after all, my homeland, and I wish to visit it in person and discuss and exchange ideas with the outstanding talents of the State of Hua."

Tokugawa Koji felt a chill run down his spine. Given Xia Jie's infamous reputation, this letter was tantamount to a declaration of war! A supposed exchange of ideas? Wherever they went, bloodshed would follow! This wasn't a visit; it was a blatant demonstration and provocation!

But he knew Xia Jie's temperament well; once a decision was made, there was no possibility of changing it. He could only swallow his words of dissuasion and instead focus on efficient execution.

"Your Majesty, I obey!" Tokugawa Koji gritted his teeth and agreed, his mind racing. "The route, itinerary, and security for the visit—though Your Majesty's divine might is invincible, the ceremony cannot be abandoned. I will contact the Four Barbarians Bureau's undercover agents in China to prepare a place to stay and try to find out the recent movements in China, especially—matters related to Zhenwu, and the movements of that Chen Yang and Kong Shizhang, who are related to Zhenwu."

"Hmm." Xia Jie seemed satisfied with his reaction. "Make a big fuss. I want everyone to know that I have arrived. As for Zhenwu, if he wants to strike me again, I will be waiting for him on the land of Hua."

"Furthermore," Xia Jie turned, his back to Tokugawa Koji, his voice drifting over, "on the Japanese side, those little tricks of Shinto talismans should be starting to take shape. The hundred-day deadline is still far off, but when I return, I hope to see a resistance army that can at least pique my interest. Tell that sorcerer Abe no Gen that I look forward to seeing his 'talisman masters' on the battlefield in Hokkaido."

Tokugawa Koji bowed deeply: "Your Majesty, I understand! I will certainly not fail in your trust!"

China, headquarters of the Bureau of Foreign Affairs.

The director sat in the main seat, his fingers unconsciously tapping on a folder marked "Top Secret" on the table.

The folder contained only one page, which was a photocopy of a national letter forwarded by the foreign affairs department. The letter was written in extremely classical language, even bordering on absurd. The signature at the end was a twisted, snake-like character called "Jie".

"—In summary, the information is confirmed." The deputy director of intelligence adjusted his glasses, his voice dry. "Three hours ago, our overseas offices received a letter from the 'Xia Kingdom' via a special channel, delivered by a third party." The letter was written in ancient seal script—

The following is a translation by experts in ancient texts and Comrade Kong Shizhang.

He clicked the controller, and a scanned copy and translation of the full text of the letter of credence were projected onto the main screen: "A letter to the Lord of China."

I, the King of the Xia Dynasty, ruled the world by the Mandate of Heaven. Now I am greatly pleased to see the flourishing of my homeland and the emergence of many outstanding figures. However, times change and rituals have shifted. I yearn for my former country and wish to make an eastern tour to my homeland to witness the current state of China.

Ten days from now, I will personally come to meet with you all. Prepare an altar and gather outstanding individuals to discuss and debate with me, and jointly plan for a new order for the world and the well-being of all people.

Don't say you weren't warned.

There was Jie, the ruler of the Xia state.

"Have you finished reading?" The bureau chief's voice, slightly hoarse, broke the silence. "Tell me. What exactly does this ancient guest want?"