You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

Fan Qinghui stood by the window of the inn, looking down at the scene of Nantong. All she could see were bloodstains and severed limbs.

On the streets, soldiers and disaster victims moved back and forth, carrying corpses and transporting them out of the city.

The shops along the street were simply closed, and the merchants dared not go out at all.

Occasionally, one or two ignorant children would peek out the window, only to be quickly carried back by their families, who would then whisper reprimands them clearly.

"well……"

She sighed softly, "Such a great massacre is simply too numerous to recount!"

Beside her, Bi Xiuxin shook her head: "It's understandable that the tyrannical emperor wanted to consolidate power in Nantong and stop the rebellion in advance."

"Why did he choose to slaughter so many, leaving the city stained with blood and committing heinous crimes, when he could have killed some and recruited others?"

Fan Qinghui snorted coldly: "Ruthless, cruel, and utterly devoid of compassion."

"If the Southern Chen dynasty continues to hold power, who knows how many more people will suffer..."

No sooner had she finished speaking than a gasp echoed from the second floor across the street.

"Father, look!"

"Isn't that Miss Lin, the one who killed my sister?"

Fan Qinghui looked up and saw a seven or eight-year-old child standing at the window, pointing at the street and shouting loudly.

Following the direction she pointed, two soldiers from the Divine Martial Camp were escorting a young woman covered in blood and with jagged knife wounds, heading out of the city.

Bang!

The window on the second floor across the street was slammed shut, and soon, a suppressed sob could be heard coming from inside.

And then came the broken voice: "Qiao'er... my child... your revenge is finally..."

dong dong dong.

Just then, a knock sounded on the door.

"Miss Fan, His Majesty summons you to the Prefect's residence."

"understood."

Fan Qinghui responded, pushed open the door, and followed the arriving soldiers downstairs and out of the inn.

.......

Inside the prefectural governor's residence, in the rear hall.

"Your Majesty, the officials of all ranks and the noble families, large and small, in the city have all had their property confiscated and inventoried."

"Roughly estimated, there were 1.27 million taels of silver, 310,000 taels of gold, more than 13,000 pieces of antiques and jade artifacts, and 600,000 shi of grain."

"In addition, there are silk fabrics, weapons, and armor."

Finally, some good news...

Lu Zuo ordered, "Take them all into the treasury."

"Furthermore, when disaster victims enter the city, they can't just stay in the streets and alleys forever. They should be asked to live in the mansions of aristocratic families and officials."

"These people may have diseases; summon the city's doctors to treat them."

"Also, cut those silk fabrics into clothes and distribute them to the disaster victims."

Winters in the south can be fatally cold...

Below the hall, Yue Qing paused slightly, then nodded and said, "As you command."

Fan Qinghui, who had just reached the vicinity of the back hall, stopped and paused slightly upon hearing the order.

"They actually allowed those disaster victims to seize people's ancestral property?"

"A tyrannical and incompetent ruler!"

She walked into the back hall, brushed past Yue Qing, and went straight to Lu Zuo's side, about to kneel down to pay her respects.

"Your humble servant, Fan Qinghui, greets Your Majesty."

Lu Zuo nodded: "From today onwards, you will live with Lu Qingyuan and Shen An's three wives."

what?

Fan Qinghui stared wide-eyed, looking astonished. "Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law together, and I have to be included too?"

It's ridiculous!

"What, you don't want to?"

"No, I wouldn't dare."

……

Another day passed, in the back hall of the prefectural governor's mansion.

"call……"

Lu Zuo finished circulating his energy, exhaled a breath of fresh air, and slowly opened his eyes. The prompt from his golden finger appeared before him right on time.

[Missed the morning court session; internal strength +5.]

[Enchanted by beautiful women, internal strength +1.]

[Excessive indulgence in lust, bonus reward: Cultivation +2563.]

[Digging your own grave, bonus reward: Charm skill +50.]

[Humiliating a subject grants an extra reward: Poison Path +30.]

[Leading a rebellion, utterly absurd, Dao Enlightenment +2.]

[Reusing a wicked concubine can bring ruin to a country; calligraphy +10, painting +10, chess +10, musical instrument skills +10.]

"This can't go on..."

"The Dongyang army will reach Nantong in fifteen days at most, by which time I won't even be able to break through to the Great Perfection of the Three Elements!"

The key to this battle lies in whether or not the skilled soldiers within the army can be dealt with!

Even now, Lu Zuo has only just opened up the root of his brain spirit, and there is still a long way to go before reaching the twenty-three truths.

"Let's do our best. If all else fails, we'll just have to run away..."

The gap between the two sides was too large, so Lu Zuo could only prepare for the worst.

After thinking for a moment, he stood up from his seat and decided to go for a walk in the city to check on the situation and also to find Xie Guyan and the others.

.......

In the courtyard where Lu Zuo used to live.

"Father, Mother, Little Sister..."

"His Majesty has avenged you."

Xie Guyan was dressed in a pure white mourning outfit, with a small white flower tucked into her hair. She looked up at the gray sky with a calm expression, neither sad nor happy.

Knock knock knock…

Suddenly, a knock came at the door.

She quickly looked away, walked slowly to the door, unlatched it, and gently pushed it open.

With a creaking sound, a tall, handsome man came into view.

"land……"

The word "Lu" had barely left her lips when Xie Guyan quickly swallowed the rest of her words and gracefully knelt down: "This commoner, Xie Guyan, kowtows to thank Your Majesty for your divine grace!"

"Get up, get up."

Lu Zuo reached out to help him up, saying, "It's not an informal occasion, there's no need to be so formal."

"Where are Wei Hanjiang and the others?"

With his current perception, Lu Zuo could easily tell whether there was anyone else in the courtyard by focusing his mind.

"They've all gone to assist His Majesty in maintaining order and apprehending thieves."

Lu Zuo stepped across the threshold and into the courtyard, casually asking, "How have you been these past two days?"

Xie Guyan paused for a moment, then lowered his head and replied, "It's like... a grand dream."

"I'm very busy, so let's get straight to the point."

Lu Zuo turned and glanced at her, saying, "To be honest, I am very interested in your martial arts techniques."

"I intend to appoint you as the 'Chief Instructor of the Divine Strategy Army,' responsible for training the new army for the imperial court."

Xie Guyan was taken aback: "Your Majesty, the God of War's cultivation method will shorten one's lifespan, and once one cultivates it, one can never cultivate any other cultivation method for the rest of one's life. Who would be willing to do that..."

"Ha, shortening one's lifespan? Not achieving much?"

Lu Zuo interrupted her, shaking his head and saying, "For ordinary people, this is already a luxury."

"His Majesty has shown me immeasurable kindness."

Xie Guyan was taken aback, and immediately knelt down: "Whatever Your Majesty commands, I will obey without question."

Lu Zuo reached out and helped her up, saying, "Get ready, let's start with the disaster victims in the city."

"Yes."

Afterwards, the two briefly discussed training issues, and then Lu Zuo took his leave.

"His Majesty."

Xie Guyan stood at the door, watching Lu Zuo's figure gradually disappear into the distance, until he was almost out of the alley, when he suddenly remembered something.

"I found the remains of my father and younger sister at Du Wen's house."

Lu Zuo stopped and looked back: "When you go to offer incense in the future, offer one for me as well."

.......

After leaving the alley, Lu Zuo walked slowly forward, pondering to himself:

"Although the techniques of the God of War are excellent, they also require a certain amount of time to take effect."

"Training disaster victims won't be very effective, and it won't be of any use in the upcoming major battle..."

"It's simply about preparing myself."

"To deal with the current situation, we still need to... um?"

Suddenly, Lu Zuo felt something hard under his foot.

He looked down and saw an ancient token lying in the dust.

It was about the size of a palm, entirely black, with nine intricate and obscure runes engraved on it, and several lines of small golden characters floating above it:

[The Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden's Travel Token allows travel between two worlds. From: Qin's Moon.]

[Note 1: Due to differences in the flow of time and space, ten days in the Qin's Moon world corresponds to one day in the Tang Dynasty world.]

[Note 2: It can be activated after energy is injected.]

[Note 3: Once anchored in the Tang Dynasty world, after traversing Qin's Moon, you can stay for a maximum of 100 days before being teleported back. You can only traverse again after three days.]

"The Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden?"

"The deities of the Qin's Moon world?"

Whether it was the Tang Dynasty or the Qin Dynasty, there were immortals.

However, the gods have long since vanished from the world, their whereabouts unknown.

"Ten days equals one day?"

Lu Zuo bent down to pick up the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden's Touring Token, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "Then wouldn't I be able to cultivate to the Great Perfection of the Three Elements in the Qin Dynasty world, or even..."

"A higher realm!"

With this in mind, Lu Zuo put away the patrol token, found a secluded and deserted place, circulated his true energy, and slowly poured it into the area.

As time passed, the nine runes on the token lit up with a deep blue light in turn.

Buzz!

Just after the last rune lit up, Lu Zuo suddenly heard a buzzing sound in his ear.

Immediately afterwards, the space in front of me became winding and blurry, as if I were looking at the world from underwater.

The next moment!

The winding space returned to normal, and the surrounding scenery changed, transforming into a completely new world.

.......

"What did you bring me here for?"

Lu Zuo looked up and saw that the green mountains in all directions were like waves, stretching to the horizon, and the grass under his feet was lush and green, with layers of soft green marks.

The distant mountains vary in height, some towering and graceful, others lying like dragons. The forests in the mountains are lush and verdant, with old trees growing with gnarled roots and intertwined branches and leaves, weaving a deep green tapestry under the sunlight.

When the wind blows, a soft rustling sound can be heard both near and far...

suddenly!

The sound of wind slicing through the air came from behind!

Lu Zuo suddenly turned around and saw an arrow with a sharp, cold glint shooting straight toward him.

Clang!

A soft hum suddenly arose, like the low cry of a blue dragon.

The Demon Blade Thousand Blades gleamed coldly in Lu Zuo's hand, and an incomparably sharp blade aura swept out!

The arrow pierced the blade's energy, immediately producing a cracking sound before shattering into dust.

His eyes turned cold, and he looked up to see a tall, magnificent horse standing in the open field dozens of feet away. On the horse sat a middle-aged man dressed in brocade robes, holding a bow and arrow, and with a stout build.

"It actually blocked it?"

The other man took out another arrow, nocked it to his bow, aimed at him, and asked in a deep voice, "Who exactly are you?"

"Why did you trespass on the royal hunting grounds?"

stomping on...

Before Lu Zuo could speak, a rapid sound of horses' hooves suddenly reached his ears.

A group of soldiers in armor, exuding an imposing aura and wielding long spears, came into view.

But the man in the lead wielded a completely different weapon: a broadsword about five feet long.

This man had a rugged face, a thick beard, and sharp, piercing eyes, as keen as a hawk's. His aura was deep and heavy, exuding unparalleled domineering power.

"Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, are you alright?"

"I am unharmed," the middle-aged man said in a deep voice. "General Ji, arrest this man of unknown origin!"

"Yes, sir!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the bearded man, also known as General Ji, slapped his horse's back and leaped into the air like an eagle spreading its wings, landing on top of Lu Zuo's head.

He held the knife in both hands, the blades cleaving through the air currents, and crashed down with a whistling sound!

Clang!

Lu Zuo flicked his arm, and the Thousand Blades blocked the opponent's fierce attack. At the same time, the sound of metal clashing rang out, along with a series of crisp cracking sounds.

"not good!"

General Ji let out a low shout, and with a sudden burst of strength in his arm, the force of his blade instantly increased by a thousand pounds!

however……

He used the momentum to glide backward, while simultaneously swinging his arms rapidly, unleashing a flurry of gleaming blades!

Ding ding ding...

Sparks flew and crisp sounds echoed.

The hundreds of blade fragments that Lu Zuo shot out were all blocked by the opponent's seemingly clumsy broadsword.

"That was a pretty quick reaction..."

Lu Zuo muttered to himself, then pushed off with both feet and charged forward. With a flick of his wrist, the scattered shards of the blade rolled back and reassembled into the Thousand Blades Blade.

A Thousand Blades Flying Star!

Whoosh!

A cold, azure light surged from the blade, and fragments of the blade split apart, but instead of disintegrating, they extended for more than two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters), whistling sharply and with unparalleled sharpness, slashing horizontally towards General Ji!

"It cracks but doesn't scatter, scatters but doesn't become chaotic—what kind of knife is this?"

"besides……"

"This young man possesses such profound skill at such a young age?"

General Ji was surprised, but he raised his broadsword to protect himself.

Clang!

The clang of metal rang out again, and sparks flew once more.

however……

The Demon Blade Thousand Blades split apart the instant the blades collided.

It looked as if it had been cut in two by General Ji's broadsword, but its momentum did not diminish at all, still whistling sharply as it swept towards his neck.

"No way?"

"How can we prevent this?"

In the nick of time, General Ji tilted his head to the right.

With a whoosh!

The Demon Blade Thousand Blades slashed across General Ji's ear, sending up a spray of blood as it cleanly severed his ear.

"General!"

"General!"

Just as Lu Zuo was about to make another move, several shouts came from afar, and more soldiers, some on horseback and some on foot, rushed toward him.

"The situation is unclear. If there are more soldiers nearby, we may inevitably be surrounded and unable to escape."

He hesitated for a moment, then turned and left.

"You bastard!"

The middle-aged man, seated on horseback, pointed at Lu Zuo, who was constantly changing direction, and shouted, "Don't let him escape!"

......

Half an hour later...

"Oh?"

In a makeshift camp in the mountains, a slightly hoarse yet infinitely alluring female voice rang out from one of the tents.

Immediately, a fair hand lifted the tent flap, and out stepped a stunningly beautiful woman in a long purple dress, with a graceful waist, a voluptuous chest, and an alluring face.

Her skin was as white as snow, her legs were long and slender, and her peach blossom eyes were full of charm, her gaze sweeping over the group of soldiers kneeling in front of her.

"You've already sliced ​​off Ji Wuye's ear after just two rounds of fighting?"

A soldier bowed and replied, "Yes, madam."

"That assassin was extremely skilled. His Majesty ordered us to escort the Lady back to the palace immediately."

"interesting……"

The woman smiled slightly, "It's been a long time since anything this interesting or any interesting person has happened in South Korea."

"What about the assassin?"

Suddenly, the sounds of fighting came from behind.

One of the soldiers turned around and exclaimed in shock, "Madam! The assassin is coming for you!"

......

P.S.: There will be one more chapter tonight, maybe two. From now on, I will update at least 10,000 words per day.