I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1029 Welcoming the Holy Lord! (5K3)

"My God! His Majesty lost?"

"His Majesty is dead! His Majesty is dead!"

"Did you see that? Even the corpses have disappeared!!!"

The square was in chaos after the battle, with screams of terror echoing everywhere.

Some people were pushing and shoving, trying to escape this terrible place, while others were stunned by the unbelievable scene before them, their legs feeling like lead and unable to move an inch.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Retribution! That devil has finally gotten his comeuppance!"

On the altar, the priests and monks, who were being blown about, burst into hearty laughter.

Just moments ago, they all thought they were going to die here.

Unexpectedly, such a bizarre change occurred in the blink of an eye.

"The Buddha has appeared!"

"A Bodhisattva has been born!"

"This is the true God-King!"

Almost simultaneously, the Brahmin monks and Buddhist monks who were offered as sacrifices were the first to cheer.

Immediately afterwards, many onlookers knelt on the ground in fear.

"impossible"

"A heretic from the Han state. How could he possibly be?"

In contrast, the high priests and monks who had previously been loyal to Vasudeva were all ashen-faced and slumped on the ground.

They couldn't believe that Vasudeva, their great god-king, who was as powerful as a god, had vanished into thin air.

In an instant, countless eyes were drawn to Saint Dina, who had just read the divine oracle by the altar.

This naturally includes Su Yao.

"It's time for you to keep your promise."

Dina understood the meaning in Su Yao's gaze. She took a deep breath and slowly walked towards the center of the altar.

Her white robe fluttered gently in the wind, and no one could see her face beneath the veil, but her voice still carried clearly throughout the square—

"The oracle reveals that the mandate of heaven has been determined, and a new king has arrived."

“We will follow your instructions and regard you as the supreme Dharma King.”

Dina slowly walked to Su Yao, paused, and after a moment, knelt deeply under the watchful eyes of everyone, saying:

"Dina, the Brahmin nun, here on behalf of the temple, respectfully welcomes the Lord of Destiny!"
This kneeling seemed to flip a switch. First the priests, then the soldiers, and finally the common people, all knelt down like a tidal wave.

"Welcome, Lord of Destiny!"

Shouts rose and fell, echoing across the sky above Fulousha City.

Having witnessed firsthand the earth-shattering battle between Su Yao and their god-king, even the high priest who had previously been the most fervent supporter of Vasudeva dared not voice any dissent on this occasion.

Rather, seeing that it was his daughter Dina who led the people to submit first, the high priest actually breathed a sigh of relief. He stood up shakily and, to the astonishment of the crowd, knelt down deeply before Su Yao.

"High Priest Agni of Brahman, I humbly submit to the Lord of Heaven!"

With the high priest's declaration, the atmosphere in the entire square changed. Those nobles and generals who had been hesitant before knelt down to pay their respects.

Su Yao stood in the center of the altar, looking around at the kneeling crowd, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He magically produced the Indra's Wrath Scepter, a reward from the system, and slammed it into the ground. The weapon then emitted faint golden light.

"From this day forward, the Kushan Empire will be under the protection of our Great Han. All those who submit immediately will be pardoned and allowed to live in peace and prosperity; but those who remain obstinate..."

Su Yao's gaze swept over the pale-faced former followers of Vasudeva, his voice instantly turning cold as he uttered, "Kill them all!"

Su Yao's voice wasn't loud, but every word he spoke seemed to possess a magical power, causing everyone's hearts to tremble. Those nobles who had previously harbored ulterior motives immediately fell silent, no longer daring to harbor the slightest dissent.

Dina looked up, gazing at Su Yao's profile through her veil. The sunlight gilded him, making his tall figure seem like that of a legendary god.

"Perhaps... this is the true meaning of the oracle?" she thought to herself.

Seeing that everyone had submitted, Su Yao nodded and reached out to pull Dina up: "Take me to the palace, it's time to deal with the aftermath."

Dina nodded slightly, looking a bit bewildered. Then, Zhang Liao and the others stepped forward from the crowd, brandishing their swords to clear a path, escorting Su Yao and Dina and the others toward the palace.

Meanwhile, the priest Tipo remained at the altar to calm the still-shaken crowd.

He first released the sacrificial offerings that were bound to the altar and lying haphazardly, and then took the opportunity to preach his doctrines to the monks and nuns.

Tipo stood atop the altar, his voice booming throughout the square:

"Fellow practitioners, today we have witnessed with our own eyes the true mandate of heaven! This king from the East is the true incarnation of Indra! He vanquishes evil spirits and saves all people; he is the savior bestowed upon us by the gods!"

The priests, who had just escaped death, looked at each other in bewilderment. One of the elderly Brahmins asked in a trembling voice:
"But... he's clearly Han Chinese. How could he be?"

Tibo, having anticipated this, proclaimed loudly:

"Gods know no borders! Indra is the supreme being who rules over all the heavens, and he has different names in different countries. In the East, he is revered as the Emperor of the Gods; in Greece, he is called Zeus; and here, he is the great Indra, the Indra!"

He pointed in the direction Su Yao had left:
"Didn't you see it just now? He was holding a vajra, his body was radiating golden light, and thunder accompanied every move he made—isn't this the power of the gods recorded in the scriptures?"

These words caused many priests to fall into deep thought. Indeed, the power Su Yao displayed was too similar to that of the legendary Indra, coupled with the divine oracle personally acknowledged by Saintess Dina.
“My Lord has previously given a decree that under His authority, all sects may freely preach as long as they can guide people toward good.”

Tibo continued loudly:
"From this day forward, Buddhism, Brahmanism, and other orthodox faiths, as long as they acknowledge the power and status of our Lord, may coexist and prosper together!"

The commotion in the square gradually subsided, and people began to accept this sudden change. Hope rekindled in the eyes of the previously despairing Buddhists, while the Brahmin priests whispered among themselves, weighing the new situation.

To be honest, Tipo actually had some reservations about this result.

In his view, since Su Yao had already displayed divine power, he should take this opportunity to wipe out all heretics and bring them all under his rule, so that they would praise the majesty of the Lord.

However, it is clear that for Su Yao, religion is merely a means for him to maintain his rule.

Forcing conversion through force or divine authority to make one faction the most powerful would not be of much meaning to him; on the contrary, it would only increase instability.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely. When a priestly group gains absolute power, even the "god-king" will likely find it difficult to oversee their every move.

Instead of this, it would be better to let the various sects check and balance each other, as long as they all acknowledge their supreme status.

This is what he had previously referred to as a more tolerant form of rule for Dina.

Although Tipo didn't quite understand Su Yao's specific thoughts, he still keenly sensed some of them.

However, it didn't matter. He believed that by taking the lead in surrendering, as long as he could secure the Holy Lord's trust, he would never be at a disadvantage in the competition among the various sects.

Thinking this, a confident smile appeared on Tibo's face. He cleared his throat and continued to announce loudly: "Ladies and gentlemen, the Lord of Destiny is merciful and magnanimous, allowing all religions to coexist. But one thing must be made clear—"

He raised the ritual implement in his hand, his voice suddenly rising: "From this day forward, all sects must acknowledge the supreme status of the Lord of Heaven! Anyone who disobeys this will be committing blasphemy!"

These words carried weight and silenced the square instantly. The priests who had been whispering all lowered their heads, unable to meet Tipo's sharp gaze.

“Lord Tipo is right!” an elderly Brahmin priest was the first to respond. “The Lord of Heaven has vanquished evil and saved all people; he deserves the reverence of all!”

"Yes, yes!" the other priests echoed. "We are willing to serve the Lord of Heaven as our supreme ruler!"

Upon hearing the religious leaders' statement, ordinary people knelt down and shouted in unison, "Long live the Lord of Heaven!"

Very quickly, not long after.

Su Yao received the news from outside while he was in the palace.

Representatives from various Brahmanical sects and Buddhist temples in the capital presented him with a long list of honorific titles.

He is revered as the Lord of Heaven's Mandate, the Dharma King who protects the teachings, and the earthly follower of Indra (the Supreme Deity), etc.

The leaders of these various sects and temples eagerly sought to pay homage to Su Yao, offering their loyalty and humbly pleading with him to release the many monks and believers previously imprisoned by Vasubandhu.

"It seems that Tipo has done a good job."

Su Yao, seated on the throne, was clearly in a good mood. He quickly glanced at the petition, then waved his hand, granting his request:
"The innocent shall be released immediately."

"From now on, no more human sacrifices shall be performed."

"As for meeting with religious figures, we'll talk about that tomorrow." "Today, let them go out and appease the people in the city, explain the results of today's battle, and make sure to end the chaos in the capital as soon as possible."

"Our most important task today is to select a suitable new king as soon as possible."

The new king, that's right.

A country cannot be without a ruler for a day. Vasudeva died, but the Kushan Empire was not destroyed.

At least for now, it's impossible for Su Yao, who only brought twenty guards into the capital, to directly rule this place.

The safest approach right now is to find a puppet king and use the Kushan Empire's existing administrative structure to ensure a smooth transition.
As Su Yao watched the group of nobles kneeling on the ground below, discussing amongst themselves, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

"Wen Yuan, I'm going to rest for a bit. You guys take care of things later."

After saying that, he closed his eyes.

The recent battle had severely depleted his physical strength, and it was only thanks to his improved attributes after the breakthrough that he was able to persevere until now.

With the situation in Kushan still uncertain, Su Yao, who only had twenty men, dared not let his guard down and tried his best to maintain a dignified appearance. He managed to hold out until now.

Inside the main hall, the clamor of the crowd gradually subsided. Everyone cautiously looked up and saw Su Yao on the throne, legs crossed, hand supporting his cheek, eyes closed in silence, looking completely indifferent.

This scene left everyone somewhat at a loss.

They didn't know whether the chosen one, who had just displayed terrifying divine power, was dissatisfied with their discussion or had some other deeper meaning.
An eerie silence fell over the hall.

Zhang Liao wanted to help, but unfortunately his Kushan language was just awful.

He turned around with a stern face next to Su Yao and gestured repeatedly to Aisha, who was also sitting below Su Yao, finally managing to convey the general idea.

However, Aisha was of low status, and her legs were already trembling just from standing there.

She never imagined in her entire life that she, a mere dancer and servant, would have the opportunity to stand in the grand hall of the imperial palace, to be looked up to by so many powerful and noble people.

She took a deep breath and ran with small, quick steps to Saint Dina at the bottom of the steps.

He whispered a few words in her ear. Dina nodded slightly, then stood up and announced to the crowd:
"By order of His Majesty, today's meeting is adjourned. Gentlemen, please return to assist in pacifying the city's affairs. We will resume our discussions on state matters at dawn tomorrow."

The nobles exchanged glances, but none dared to object, and they all bowed and took their leave. Once the hall was empty, Dina turned to look at Su Yao on the throne, a complex expression flashing in her eyes.

Zhang Liao had already ordered the palace doors closed and personally stood guard beside Su Yao. Although he did not understand the Kushan language, he keenly sensed Dina's gaze and gripped the hilt of his sword warily.

“Sir, there’s no need to be nervous,” Dina said in broken Chinese. “I’m just a little incredulous.”

"You speak Chinese?" Zhang Liao asked in surprise.

Dina stepped forward slowly, stopping three steps from the throne. She clasped her hands together and bowed deeply, speaking in Kushan:
"The Lord of Destiny saved this city and countless innocent lives. As a saintess, it is my duty to serve him."

Although he still couldn't understand what she was saying, seeing that Dina didn't show any malice, Zhang Liao relaxed his guard a little.

Zhang Liao looked at Aisha, and the two gestured again before realizing that Dina wanted to stay and take care of Su Yao.

"No need," Zhang Liao shook his head and refused. "Your Highness is fine with me protecting you."

"At least let him sleep somewhere more comfortable."

After a lengthy and fruitful discussion, Zhang Liao finally nodded in agreement.

Then he, along with Aisha and the other guards, helped Su Yao up and led him to a bedroom in the rear hall of the palace. This had once been Vasudeva's residence, but it had now been cleaned up.

Dina personally made up the bed for Su Yao and ordered a maid to bring some calming incense.

She stood not far from the bed, gazing at the sleeping Su Yao, her hands clasped together, her eyes closed, and she murmured to herself, "The decisive battle in the divine oracle has ended, but the trials to come are probably just beginning."

"Brahma above, please guide me."

Zhang Liao couldn't understand what she was saying, but seeing her devout expression, he didn't stop her. He simply stood silently at the door, his hand on his knife, guarding her silently.

Dina glanced at Su Yao one last time, then quietly left the room. She said to Zhang Liao and Aisha outside the door, "I will arrange for reliable maids to wait in the outer hall. Please give me any instructions if needed."

Zhang Liao nodded. Dina then turned to Aisha: "Come with me, I have some questions for you."

Aisha glanced nervously at Zhang Liao, but seeing that he couldn't understand anything and couldn't offer any opinions, she pondered for a moment before following Dina to the side hall.

In the side hall, Dina gestured for the maid to leave, then looked directly into Aisha's eyes: "Tell me, who exactly is your master?"

Aisha paused, bit her lip, and said, "A master is a master, a king ordained by destiny."

“Don’t try to fob me off with these official excuses.” Dina’s voice suddenly turned stern. “I need to know the truth. How was he able to defeat Vasudeva? Why did the Han Chinese from the far east come here? What is his true purpose?”

"I...I'm just a servant girl, how dare I presume to know my master's thoughts?"

Aisha was intimidated by Dina's imposing presence and involuntarily took a step back, resulting in...
Snapped!
The sound of porcelain shattering startled both women.

Aisha looked at the vase she had knocked over behind her, and suddenly a surge of courage welled up within her.

Her master was the Holy Lord, ordained by Heaven, and she had no reason to fear the woman before her.

Is she a saint?

so what?

Just now, under the watchful eyes of the masses, wasn't she kneeling at her master's feet with her buttocks sticking out?
In her eyes, that appearance was far more humble than that of a maidservant who had come from a dancer's background!

Thinking of this, Aisha straightened her back and looked directly into Dina's eyes:

“Your Holiness, there is not a single lie in my words. If you truly wish to know your master’s thoughts, why not ask him yourself?”

"Or, ask your oracle and see what answer the gods will give you this time?"

"you"

Dina was stunned by this sudden counterattack; she hadn't expected this seemingly weak maid to have such courage.

The two looked at each other for a moment, then Dina suddenly chuckled softly, "You're right, I shouldn't have made things difficult for you."

Dina turned to look out the window, shook her head, and said, “But there is one thing you must understand—we Kushan cannot be without a king. If your master only comes to plunder and then leaves, then this country will fall into a more terrible chaos than during the time of Vaisudeva.”

"But what does this have to do with me, a Parthian?"

Aisha muttered to herself, finding it somewhat amusing.

The saintess completely misunderstood the situation, but she wasn't entirely unable to understand it; this was probably what they call grasping at straws when one is desperate.

"Your Holiness need not worry."

Aisha bowed slightly, her tone respectful yet firm:
“Since the master has chosen to stay, he must have his reasons. Instead of worrying about these things, you should think about how to help the master stabilize the situation.”

"Given the current situation in the Kushan Empire, it's unlikely that things will be peaceful so quickly."

Aisha had overheard the entire discussion in the main hall just now.

In the south of the empire, tens of thousands of troops are gathering.

Those people are unaware of what has happened in the capital, but they will soon learn of Vasudeva's death.

No one can predict how these armies loyal to the old king will react at that time.

Meanwhile, there is also a huge problem with the selection of the new king's successor.

Vasudeva ascended the throne amidst a pool of blood.

Under his bloody rule, he exterminated all the other bloodlines of the former king in the capital, including the eldest prince.

In other words, the empire currently has no suitable legitimate successor.

Not to mention the death of the governor of the north and the Parthians' covetous gaze from the west.

These major events combined caused those princes and ministers to argue fiercely.

Even Aisha, who knew nothing about politics, could understand that the Kushan Empire was currently in a state of turmoil.
Dina took a deep breath, clenched her fingers, and naturally understood what the country would face next.

"I will try my best to do my job well."

"As for taking care of the Holy Lord, I'll leave that to you."

Dina turned and walked to the window, looking up at the dazzling sun on the horizon, and whispered:

"I will wait in the front hall later. If the Holy Lord wakes up, please inform me immediately, as there is important information to report to him."

After saying that, Dina left the side hall, but instead of heading to the main hall she had mentioned, she went deeper into the inner palace.
(End of this chapter)