I died young at the start, but I'm reincarnated with unlimited skill points!

The third year of Yongning.

The third year of Zhao Heng's reign.

Three years is neither a long nor a short time.

But what happened in these three years was more than the entire previous thirty years of the Great Li Dynasty.

The order to collect three times the blood tribute was fully implemented in the first year.

The twelve transfer zone system built by Zhao Heng was extremely efficient, and the amount of blood tribute entering the workshop each month was not only sufficient, but even slightly surplus.

Xue Du was quite satisfied with this.

It even praised Zhao Heng in one of their meetings, which was quite unprecedented.

"More useful than all those useless dogs in front of you combined."

Zhao Heng knelt on the ground and respectfully kowtowed to express his gratitude.

"You flatter me, sir. I am unworthy of such praise."

Xue Du saw this and thought that this dog was much more sensible than its father.

Not only would they not be foolish enough to test their master's bottom line with memorials, they would also proactively do the work perfectly for their master.

It no longer even considers Zhao Heng as someone it needs to be constantly wary of.

A good dog is content with just a bone.

There's no need to waste energy watching it.

And the dark side that was completely ignored by Xue Du during these three years.

It is a vast network that has spread throughout the entire territory of Dali and several surrounding countries.

After three years of expansion and in-depth development, the resistance network woven by Su Yu has infiltrated every corner of this land.

From the twelve states of Dali to the surrounding vassal states, from bustling markets to the most remote mountain villages.

The mantra for the self-mutilation method of mortals is like a seed.

In countless unseen nights, it was passed from one person to another, from one village to another.

There were no letters, no paper, and no ink.

It was passed down only by word of mouth.

The rhyme, less than a hundred words long, is catchy and unforgettable.

The number of ordinary people who have memorized the formula is conservatively estimated to be over one hundred million.

One billion.

This number is enough to send chills down the spine of any evil spirit upon hearing it.

But they don't know.

Because among these 100 million people, not a single one stood up and shouted a slogan, and not a single one openly ignited a self-inflicted wound.

They all remained silent, enduring their emotions.

Like tons of gunpowder lying dormant underground, waiting for a fuse.

Su Yu's cultivation level has also increased dramatically in the past few years, steadily rising to the seventh level of Qi Refining.

Through the rebel army's extensive dark web across the Dali territory, countless top-grade medicinal herbs, such as century-old ginseng and premium snow lotus from deep mountains and forests, were continuously delivered to the abandoned mine where he was located.

With ample resources, his "Devouring Heaven and Transforming Yuan Technique" finally unleashed its true terrifying power.

Through continuous refinement and tempering, he forcibly raised his spiritual root aptitude from the eighth grade all the way up, completely breaking the shackles of the lower grade and reaching the sixth grade!

He possesses a mid-grade sixth-rank spiritual root, is at the seventh level of Qi Refining, and is only twelve years old.

If this speed were placed in the cultivation world of previous lifetimes, it would be enough to shock any sect's supreme elder to the point of losing composure.

But in the face of evil spirits, the seventh level of Qi Refining is still insignificant.

During those three years, the old dog peacefully closed his eyes.

The old man was already in his sixties.

In this dark underworld ravaged by demonic energy and heavily polluted, to have lived to this age is already an immense blessing.

He passed away peacefully in his sleep, without much suffering, which is a rare and fortunate end in this cannibalistic world.

Old Dog's death severed one of Su Yu's few remaining ties in this world.

But that's no longer important.

Because Su Yu never intended to rely on his own cultivation to confront the evil forces head-on.

His weapons were never magic or true energy.

It is people.

As for Zhao Heng...

This boy, who ascended the throne at the age of sixteen, has become a shrewd and meticulous young emperor.

Over three years, he openly collected hundreds of millions of blood tributes for the demons, making him the most "efficient" puppet emperor in the history of Dali.

No one worked harder than him.

He personally approved every levy order and personally coordinated every transportation route.

The following year, he even took the initiative to suggest to Xue Du that a quality inspection process be added to the transfer station.

Those who are weak, sickly, or deficient in qi and blood are eliminated in advance, leaving only the finest blood materials with the most abundant qi and blood for the workshop.

Xue Du greatly admired this, believing that the dog was not only obedient but also considerate of its owner.

But what Xue Du didn't know was...

Those ordinary people who were eliminated during the quality inspection process were not sent back to their hometowns.

They were labeled as waste and dismissed, and were secretly intercepted by the transport commissioner's men on the way and transferred to the rebels' underground settlement.

Over the past three years, more than a million ordinary people have been rescued through this secret network!

Among these millions of people were young and strong who were conscripted, and elderly and weak who were implicated in the crime.

These people are now scattered throughout the rebel strongholds, forming the most solid grassroots force in this vast network.

Inside the palace, Zhao Heng's influence extended even further.

He used his authority over the collection of blood tribute to secretly transfer one-third of the elite troops of the Imperial Guard to battalions where officers were actually spies from the rebel army.

These Imperial Guards were unaware that they had become part of the resistance.

All they knew was that the new battalion commander was more considerate of his subordinates than his predecessors.

He never withheld rations or pay, and occasionally he would tell his brothers ancient legends about the blue sky late at night.

It nourishes things silently.

When the order is given, these people will not need to be persuaded.

All they need to do is be told the truth.

Zhao Heng did everything Su Yu asked him to do, and even more.

But Zhao Heng knew that time was running out.

After breaking through to the Great Perfection of the Golden Core stage, Xue Du's cultivation continued to rise, his demand for blood tribute increased, and his scrutiny of the numbers became increasingly strict.

In the past six months, Blood Crossing has even begun to dispatch low-level demons to conduct random inspections of several core transportation routes.

The numbers on paper will eventually reveal their flaws.

Once Xue Du discovers what he has done...

What awaits him is not only death, but also a devastating blow to the entire network.

Therefore, Zhao Heng took the initiative to find Su Yu.

……

In the deepest part of an abandoned mine in the northern border of Dali.

A very dim oil lamp was lit in the secret room.

Twelve-year-old Su Yu sat cross-legged, facing twenty-two-year-old Zhao Heng.

There was a low, rough wooden table between the two people, and nothing was on the table.

"Immortal Master, my time is running out."

Zhao Heng's tone was very calm, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

"Blood Crossing has begun spot checks on the transportation routes of Blood Tribute."

"My hands and feet will be discovered in six months at most."

Su Yu looked at him and remained silent for a while.

"you mean?"

"Detonate it before it's discovered."

When Zhao Heng uttered those four words, there was even a faint smile on his lips.

"Immortal Master, you once told me that the power of the mortal self-mutilation technique depends on how many people's wills are ignited at the same time."

"The area purified by Li Zizai's detonation was only a few miles in radius, no different from that of an ordinary person."

"But his death allowed millions to witness firsthand that the practice of mortal self-mutilation is real."

"It was only after that the formula truly spread that this network grew to its current size."

"This is Chief Li's true value."

Zhao Heng paused for a moment, then stared intently at Su Yu.

"What if it wasn't a rebel leader who died, but an emperor?"

Su Yu's pupils contracted slightly.

"No matter how brave Chief Li is, in the eyes of the common people he is just a bandit leader."

"But the emperor is different."

Even if it's a puppet emperor, even if it's just a dog.

"In the eyes of those people, I was the emperor, sitting on that chair in my dragon robe."

"I want to be like Chief Lee, standing where everyone can see me, and tell them."

"Even the emperor would be willing to take off his dragon robe and die for you."

"So, what about those who are still hesitating, those who are still afraid, those who have memorized the formula but dare not take action?"

"What are you waiting for?"

The room remained quiet for a long time.

The flame of the oil lamp flickered gently in the faint airflow, casting the shadows of the two people into varying lengths.

Su Yu stared into Zhao Heng's eyes for a long time.

There was no fear, no hesitation in those eyes.

There is only one kind of composure that comes from having already disregarded life and death.

Su Yu had also seen this kind of composure in Li Zizai's eyes.

But Zhao Heng's eyes held something more than Li Zizai's.

I feel relieved.

It's like someone who has been carrying a debt for too long has finally found a way to pay it off.

"Have you thought it through?"

"I've made up my mind."

"Do you know that once you die, the royal family will cease to exist?"

"Royalty is not important."

Zhao Heng shook his head, his tone extremely calm.

"A royal family ruled by demons is a joke."

"I understood this when my mother died."

He paused for a moment, then looked up, his eyes clear.

"It's better to be a human for a moment than a dog for a lifetime."

Su Yu did not try to persuade him further.

He has lived for a thousand years and has seen too many people who bravely faced death.

Some people die impulsively, some die in despair, and some die when they are cornered with no other choice.

But Zhao Heng's death was already decided the day he stepped into this secret room three years ago.

He never intended to leave this game alive.

He was just waiting for the right way to die, the best way to die.

"Winter Solstice Festival."

Su Yu spoke up.

"What?"

Zhao Heng was stunned for a moment, not quite able to react.

"Every year on the winter solstice, the Great Li Dynasty holds a grand winter solstice ceremony in the central square of the capital. All the people in the city must attend, and the emperor personally presides over the ceremony to worship heaven."

Su Yu said in a calm tone.

"At the same time, the Blood Crossing Society will personally attend and accept the kneeling worship and tribute from mortals."

"That is the time of year when both mortals and demons are most concentrated in the capital."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Heng's breath hitched.

He originally only wanted to use his death to awaken the people, but with Su Yu's guidance, he instantly saw through the terrifying murderous intent hidden behind the scheme.

"What the immortal means is..."

Zhao Heng stared intently at Su Yu, his eyes flashing with an almost frenzied light, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

"Make me detonate my self-mutilation technique right under Xue Du's nose... in front of all mortals in the world?!"

Su Yu nodded slightly.

"Tens of millions of mortals watched as their emperor exploded before the demons."

"This image will be more powerful than any incantation or command."

"It will be like a hammer, smashing the last bit of hesitation from those who are still wavering."

Zhao Heng remained silent for a moment.

Then he laughed.

That smile was as pure as the first snow of early winter.

"it is good."

"Then let's go with the winter solstice."

He stood up, dusted off his knees, and bowed to Su Yu.

"Immortal Master, I have been fortunate to receive your care these past three years."

Su Yu looked at him but didn't say anything sentimental.

He simply nodded slightly.

Zhao Heng turned around, bent down and crawled through the low stone wall passage of the mine pit, walking step by step towards the cave entrance.

Su Yu sat there, watching his figure disappear into the darkness of the passageway.

The oil lamp was still burning.

He was alone in the secret room again.

Su Yu did not get up immediately, but sat quietly for a while.

He recalled his first life atop Mount Tai, where he saw immortals on his deathbed but was told that "without spiritual roots, you are ultimately just a mortal."

He thought of Su Cheng in his second life, the son who had no spiritual roots but burned himself out for his family.

The figures of these people overlapped with Zhao Heng's back.

They are all mortals.

They are all doing things beyond the limits of ordinary people in ordinary ways.

Su Yu has lived for nearly a thousand years and has seen countless heroes.

There are chosen ones who can stir up the winds and clouds, behind-the-scenes strategists who can calculate without fail, and peerless powerhouses who can fight against ten thousand men single-handedly.

In terms of strength and achievements, Zhao Heng was utterly insignificant compared to these people.

But the resolute figure of the young man made Su Yu feel a real sense of heaviness that belonged to ordinary people.

Because Zhao Heng was not rebelling against fate.

He is turning himself into a sinner with his own hands, and then using the life of a sinner to exchange for a clean ending.

The hardest thing in the world is not to risk one's life.

Instead, they chose to die carrying the weight of their blood debts, and they did so willingly.

Su Yu closed his eyes.

There are still three months until the Winter Solstice Grand Ceremony.

All necessary preparations must be completed within these three months.

He stood up, extinguished the oil lamp, and walked towards the secret passage deep within the chamber that led to the rebel army's central stronghold.

……

Outside the mine pit.

Zhao Heng looked up at the gray sky.

As usual, the sky was shrouded in sinister demonic energy, and not a single star could be seen.

But he suddenly felt that the wind was fresher than usual today.

The torment and infamy of the three years of "red-hat murder" seem to have finally come to an end, a place where debts can be repaid.