I'm a magnetic field madman

Yang Guang felt exceptionally comfortable simply because Kou Zhong's unbridled attacks on aristocratic families and gentry were so effective.

After all, the reason why the Great Sui Dynasty has fallen to this state is because of those who are desperately trying to hinder it or even deliberately digging pits for it!

As for those rebellious commoners, although Yang Guang was happy to kill them... he also understood that those commoners were not the main targets of his revenge.

What he most wanted to see was the regretful look on the faces of those who had opposed him in the past, to see them regret not obeying Yang Guang, and to see how their greed and selfishness had led them to this pathetic and ridiculous state!

Yang Guang was so engrossed in this ecstatic climax that he was almost unable to extricate himself. For someone who had already resolved to die, such pleasure was truly irresistible.

"He is a very suitable successor to the Heavenly Martial Killing Path." Bai Wujie grinned.

The successors of the Heavenly Martial Killing Path value not so much talent, but a certain "characteristic" in one's personality. It is neither ruthless nor sentimental, but a quality that lies somewhere in between.

Kou Zhong's personality undoubtedly fulfills these characteristics; there is no doubt that he possesses emotions. His feelings for the common people, for his brothers, and for Wei Zhenzhen, who was like a mother to him, were real and intense.

He is loyal and devoted to his friends; that's just his personality.

On the other hand, although Kou Zhong is loyal and righteous, perhaps it is his "power star" destiny that makes him determined and aware of abandoning emotions.

He might give up the empire within his grasp for the sake of brotherhood, disregarding the subordinates who fought alongside him and the people who supported him, sacrificing "righteousness" for "affection".

Conversely, he might also sacrifice his brothers or other emotions for the sake of the world, because he is such a conflicted person. He values ​​relationships, yet he is also willing to let go of them.

Now that he has used his sense of righteousness towards all living beings as bait to throw into the giant shark in his heart, what does Kou Zhong have left to use as bait?

Hehe, Bai Wujie had a feeling that perhaps the moment Kou Zhong made his "choice", he would be able to reach the possibility of "breaking the star", break through his own destiny, rewrite his fate, and embark on a true path of strength!

And how could Bai Wujie not raise the flag and let him experience that damn high-octane battle with such a great white shark!

Of course, Bai Wujie is not a despicable scoundrel, so he wouldn't deliberately try to harm Kou Zhong.

But his wisdom told him that from the moment he gave Kou Zhongtian the Martial Killing Path, certain things were already destined.

"Great! Your appearance makes my madness less lonely, and makes my final journey in life incredibly exciting!"

Yang Guang laughed wildly, turned around and returned to his imperial carriage. Bai Wujie, meanwhile, rose once more into the sea of ​​clouds, undulating and heading towards Chang'an.

Before indulging in the main course that will set you on your course, it's a great idea to have a "dessert" instead.

Chang'an Daming Palace

Back when it was still called Daxing, the palaces here were already magnificent and solemn. Entering through the main gate to the north of the palace via the Xuanwu gate, or through the Chengtian and Zhuque gates, one enters the forbidden city of Chang'an.

This is undoubtedly an ancient palace of three dynasties. Even when Yang Guang chose to move the capital to Luoyang, the renovation of the Chang'an palace never stopped.

Now, with the Li family settling in, the somewhat dilapidated palace has been rebuilt. As you enter along the Imperial City Avenue, you can see the newly constructed palaces, with their magnificent glazed tiles and exquisite buildings.

A magnificent palace is the face of a prosperous dynasty, and this statement is by no means wrong.

A prosperous dynasty does not necessarily need a magnificent palace, but a magnificent palace always represents a prosperous era.

And right there in the Hanyuan Hall of the Daming Palace, dressed in a dragon robe and wearing a pearl and jade crown...

A middle-aged man who appeared to be in his early thirties sat on the dragon throne at the very top of the hall, his weathered face wearily looking down at the assembled officials...

"My dear ministers, if you have any other ingenious ideas, please speak them out."

The topic of discussion at this court meeting was simply how to defend against the advance of Yang Guang and Kou Zhong.

In the past, his trusted ministers never disappointed him, but now... whether it was Chen Shuda or Li Xiaogong, Wei Zheng or Yu Shinan, none of them could offer a solution to the problem.

To solve a problem, you need to find a common ground for discussion. But neither Yang Guang nor Kou Zhong ever gave them a chance to resolve the issue.

Even if Sun Tzu were to be reborn, Zhuge Liang to be resurrected, and Su Qin and Zhang Yi were to come together, they still wouldn't be able to solve the problems they faced.

Because Yang Guang was a completely unreasonable madman who only wanted to destroy everything that had betrayed him. And when this madman had enough power, he was like an unsolvable natural disaster.

As for Kou Zhong, his relationship with Xu Ziling was as solid as a rock. The most terrifying thing about the Nationalist army that day was not their hundreds of thousands of troops, nor the support of millions of people, but Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling.

What military strategy could possibly deal with these "supermen"?

What ingenious scheme can compare to absolute violence?

The true meaning of the saying "A skilled warrior achieves no great feats" is fully demonstrated here.

Because in the face of absolute power, any ingenious schemes and tricks are nothing but dust.

They perfectly exemplify the old saying, "When a scholar encounters a soldier, reason is useless."

"Your Majesty, I believe that in order to resist the two traitors Yang Guang and Kou Zhong, we must take advantage of the terrain of the Guanzhong Plain, annex Fufeng County to guard the Three Qin regions, occupy Hongnong County to resist Kou Zhong, and station troops in Jincheng, Liangzhou..."

The man who stepped forward and spoke frankly was none other than a man with an upright appearance and a striking resemblance to Li Yuan. He was tall, imposing, and exceptionally heroic... This man was none other than Li Yuan's eldest son, Crown Prince Li Jiancheng!

Li Yuan nodded repeatedly as he listened, then looked at Li Jiancheng and said...

"The Crown Prince's ideas are sound and mature, avoiding rashness and greed. Very good, excellent."

Li Jiancheng bowed slightly and returned to the ranks, while the Crown Prince's faction seemed to smile as well. Li Yuan, though praising him verbally, remained unmoved in his heart.

Was it useless? The Crown Prince's suggestion cannot be said to be useless.

But will it be useful? Even if this suggestion is implemented, it won't change the awkward situation.

At that moment, Li Yuan's gaze fell upon his second son.

Apart from his elder brother Li Jiancheng, he was supported by some military generals and officials, forming a group that was implicitly opposed to the Crown Prince.

Li Yuan pondered for a moment; in truth, he did not particularly like his second son, Li Shimin.

It's not that he did anything to upset him or that he disliked Li Shimin; it's simply because Li Shimin was too much like his cousin.

Both are the second child in their families, both are exceptionally talented, both love to achieve immediate success, both are lovable, and both are... deeply scheming.

Another reason why Li Yuan disliked Li Shimin was his name...

Li Shimin was given this name because when he was born, the hermit Ning Daoqi personally visited him and gave him a name that read: "To save the world and bring peace to the country, and to win the hearts of the people."

This explanation almost revealed to Li Yuan that they had placed their hopes on their second son, Li Shimin, within the Buddhist community. Perhaps Li Shimin did not disappoint Li Yuan...

But with this "color" that was already attached to him before he was born, coupled with his uncle's "highlights" of success, how could he possibly be happy?

Nowadays, Buddhism is in decline, and the Qin King's faction seems to be gradually scattering.

But this seems to be because Li Shimin has been too dormant during this period, and is not even as active as Li Yuanji, who stayed in Taiyuan.

"Shimin, is there anything you'd like to say?"

After a moment of deep thought, Li Yuan finally spoke, addressing him by his given name in a way that seemed to convey his attitude.

Li Shimin immediately stepped forward. With his square head, large ears, and imposing presence, he had a majestic appearance and eyes as black as lacquer. His eyebrows and eyes were of noble birth, and his features were all well-formed, making him look like a "true dragon."

"Your Majesty, I have nothing to say."

Li Shimin offered his hands slightly, speaking leisurely, even somewhat lazily...

“What the Crown Prince says is all correct, so what else can I say? But I just don’t understand one thing: why does my elder brother keep talking about opposing Kou Zhong and Yang Guang, but not mention these two people at all?”

Li Jiancheng's expression changed slightly. He stared at his second brother and said in a deep voice...

What exactly did the King of Qin mean by these words?

"Brother, you and I both know this perfectly well, and all the officials in the court understand it too, don't they?"

Li Shimin chuckled and said calmly...

"Our enemies have never been the Heavenly Kingdom army or Yang Guang's demon army. They may be terrifying, but there are always ways to deal with them. Our biggest problem is Yang Guang, Kou Zhong, and Xu Ziling."

"Faced with them, our city walls will be easily breached, and our city gates will be shattered in a single blow. Our powerful army is nothing to speak of, and our wisdom is nothing but a joke in their eyes!"

Li Shimin's remarks undoubtedly put him in the eye of the storm in the court... In an instant, officials from the Crown Prince's faction began to criticize him, while Li Shimin just watched quietly, calm as if he were an outsider.

Li Yuan frowned slightly. Here it comes again, this feeling is back?

His son seemed like a completely different person.

37. Heavenly King Commander

In the imperial court, far removed from the martial world, the officials are all prominent and wealthy figures.

But no one is a fool. In the early days of the Tang Dynasty, anyone who could reach this position, even if not a smart person, could not be a complete idiot. And everyone in the court understood this.

Li Shimin was right.

They can deal with large armies and resist those demonic armies... but they cannot fight against the Heavenly Demon Yang Guang, the Blood Shark King Kou Zhong, or the Snow Demon Xu Ziling.

These three are now recognized as the strongest in the world. Their existence has transcended the scope of "martial arts" and successfully made individual strength a factor that surpasses that of the army.

The three grandmasters of the past were indeed powerful, capable of changing the course of a battle single-handedly. But ultimately, they could not alter the overall trend, could not confront a nation on their own, nor could they instigate a change in the world with their individual strength.

But these three people are different; they simply possess this ability!

Yang Guang's demon army was his puppet, and he was the true demon! The "Heavenly Crystal" divine sword he held was said to be a demonic weapon that fell from the sky.

Dou Jiande's army wasn't defeated by Yang Guang's demonic forces, but rather cleaved apart by Dou Jiande's sword! The former Sui emperor has now become an absolute powerhouse who is the sole ruler of the nation!

To be honest, if Yang Guang hadn't been so mad and determined to kill everyone in the world... many of the people in the court today would probably have chosen to join him.

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling are equally terrifying!

Kou Zhong single-handedly slashed through the Wagang Army with two swords, seizing the position from Li Mi and Zhai Rang.

Xu Ziling also joined him in slaughtering Wagang Village and killing Luo Shixin. How could they possibly fight against an army of strongmen on their own?

Although most of their Heavenly Kingdom army members were of peasant origin... their reckless land grabbing and redistribution won them a great deal of popular support.

Moreover, their subordinate Dongming Sect and Giant Shark Gang possess the terrifying secret weapon of the mysterious "cannibalism disease".

The combined forces of Du Fuwei and Li Zitong were once incredibly powerful...

However, it was easily defeated by the alliances and rivalries between the small Dongming Sect and the Giant Shark Gang.

With cannibalism spreading throughout the army, the morale and cohesion of the troops became a joke!

Moreover, those man-eating creatures all possess incredible power...

Even if they were ordinary people turned into "ghosts", they would be more than capable of dealing with any of their elite troops.

These three guys were even more unscrupulous in their actions. Judging from their unbridled "leading beasts to devour people," no matter how many Confucian scholars and strategists tried to "persuade" them, it would only make them a laughing stock. They didn't care about the process or what future generations would say about them; they only cared about how to completely annihilate anything that stood in their way!

Their most formidable enemy is not the group but the individual, which means that all tactics will be ineffective against them.

Even if they manage to gather a large army and raid their rear, so what?

As long as these three are still around, it's just a waste of time.

Absolute force can make all wisdom and intrigue seem like a clown's game!

The only way to overcome an exceptionally powerful individual, a one-man army, is to defeat him, but that's not as simple as it sounds.

"Second brother, why do you boost the morale of others while diminishing our own?" Li Jiancheng asked in a deep voice, his brows furrowed.

"Because I'm stating the facts, because I understand that haphazardly offering encouragement here won't bring any improvement," Li Shimin said bluntly.

"Brother, we both know that the only way to break this situation is to see if Master Ning and those martial arts masters can defeat Kou Zhong's master, that demon Bai Wujie."

"Father, you promised to cede Shuofang to the Turks in exchange for the assistance of Grandmaster Bi Xuan. Don't you already understand... that in the face of a master, our soldiers are nothing but a meaningless bunch?"

Entrusting the fate of the nation to a group of roughnecks made even Li Yuan feel extremely uncomfortable and frustrated.

Although the balance between civil and military officials remained intact in this era, civil officials still subtly suppressed military generals.

Now, the aristocratic families who once praised the elegance and refinement of the court are forced to accept this sad reality.

Perhaps in the future, those powerful warriors will forever stand above their civil officials.

But Li Shimin was right. They had no choice; all those lofty principles and classical allusions were utterly useless!

But Li Shimin's words exposed his true colors, making everyone, including Li Yuan, look embarrassed!

"Your Majesty, I am unwell and will take my leave now."

His words ripped off the masks worn by the entire court of officials...

Li Shimin then bowed and asked to leave to Li Yuan, seemingly disregarding his feelings and even appearing to be trampling on his dignity. This second son of the Li family, who used to always put on a benevolent and righteous act, now seemed unwilling to pretend anymore.

Having left the magnificent Hanyuan Hall, Li Shimin had only taken a few steps when someone called out to him. The person who called him was a young man of similar age, dressed in a long blue robe. He bowed slightly to Li Shimin and said softly…

"King Qin, your remarks in court were extremely inappropriate."

"Fuji, you also understand that the world has changed." Li Shimin looked at Changsun Wuji, who was both his chief strategist and his brother-in-law, and said calmly...

"The power struggles and intrigues of aristocratic families, the Confucian and Taoist traditions they've cultivated—these things are no longer meaningful. The future world belongs to the strong, to those who can wield the power of 'Magnetic Field Rotation'!"

Changsun Wuji remained silent, because the Changsun family was no longer meaningful in Li Shimin's words.

But he couldn't refute this fact, because whether it was Bai Wujie, Kou Zhong, or Xu Ziling...