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Chapter 403 Don't Deceive Yourself
“Those children weren’t sent away; they were sent to the palace.”

"They were all... they were all bluish-purple like ghosts, they didn't speak or move, but they could still breathe."

“He said it was a sin, that he would be punished for harming so many children, and that I must take good care of my son.”

"Sure enough, his wife's child died before it was even a month old, and my son... also drowned in the river when he was still very young."

"What kind of world is this? What kind of world is this...?"

Fine, thread-like icy rain fell continuously from the sky, pattering onto the ground and pooling into puddles on the dilapidated official road.

The speeding carriage roared past the puddle, splashing water everywhere.

In the bumpy carriage, Kuang Cheng kept recalling the words of the mistress of Minister Wang, and felt a chill run through his body.

His thinking was correct, but he got two details wrong.

The first detail is that the children were not given away; they were originally sent to the palace.

Another thing is that the children who were sent here were not waiting to be made into containers, but were already placed in the ruins as so-called divine destiny.

Not only have the children from the orphanage gone missing, but three princes from the palace have also disappeared.

This new policy is very drastic, resulting in the execution of a large number of officials.

It seems that ever since the sudden change of the reign title, the world of Qingyun has become less peaceful year by year.

The Great Xia was once the most powerful empire in Qingyun, but in the end, it became a mere tool of the Immortal Sects.

Countless fragmented pieces of information flooded his mind in an instant, causing him to tremble uncontrollably.

He had to go back now; he couldn't let Mu Jing continue investigating, or he would definitely be in danger.

Rumbling--

Thunder rumbled faintly, and rain drizzled from dawn until nightfall.

The entire capital was shrouded in thick, dark clouds, gloomy and oppressive, like a black cloth covering the sky, impenetrable.

The carriage, which had been traveling at high speed all day, arrived in Shengjing half an hour ahead of schedule, and then stopped in front of the water shop in the south of the city.

Kuang Cheng lifted the carriage curtain and jumped out of the carriage, ignoring the mud he splashed up, and headed straight for Mu Jing's house.

Mu Jing lived in Willow Leaf Lane in the south of the city. Her house was a bit bigger than his. Kuang Cheng had been staying at Mu Jing's house when he didn't have money to repair his own house, so he was familiar with his address. After a few twists and turns, he arrived at the gate of the courtyard.

He sensed something was wrong as soon as he stepped into the house.

The house was so quiet that there wasn't even the chirping of insects or birds, and no lights shone in the pitch-black night.

Are you asleep so early?
Panting, Kuang Cheng walked into the house with a vague unease in his heart, passing through the courtyard and heading towards the front hall.

His first instinct was to knock on the door of the main room and call for someone, but before he could take a few steps, he saw a figure quietly drinking tea at the tea table in the courtyard.

In an instant, Kuang Cheng stopped in his tracks.

“Kuang Cheng, you left the city on your day of duty without asking me for leave.”

"Congratulations, Supervisor..."

Kuang Cheng paused slightly, his gaze hardening.

Before him, He Jingyuan, with his thick beard and hair, was staring at him with eyes as fierce as a tiger.

The Imperial Observatory was an official agency established after the implementation of the new policies in the Great Xia Dynasty, and He Jingyuan was the director of the observatory personally promoted by His Majesty the Emperor.

He was a disciple of the late emperor. More than twenty years ago, he was marginalized due to infighting in the court. Later, he was suppressed for many years by the Chongwang faction, which relied on the immortal family. In the end, he resigned in anger and joined the army. After serving in the army in the northern border for many years, he was recalled by the current emperor and is a true close minister of the emperor.

When Kuang Cheng heard from the concubine of the Minister Wang that the child had been sent to the palace, he was no longer surprised to see him.

"You've traveled such a long way, have a cup of tea first."

Seemingly sensing the silence, He Jingyuan picked up the teapot and poured him a cup of tea.

Kuang Cheng's throat bobbed slightly: "Where's Mu Jing?"

"Sit down first, sit down and we'll talk slowly."

Kuang Cheng understood that the initiative was not currently in his hands, so he gently sat down on the stone bench.

Seeing him sit down, He Jingyuan took out a cardboard package from his pocket and placed it on the table: "These things were left by Vice Minister Wang?"

Kuang Cheng looked at the account book in the paper bag and knew that they had been to his residence: "Lord He, this matter has nothing to do with Mu Jing. It was just that I was too curious and wanted to know what was transported to the palace with the taxes back then."

"Now that you've investigated, do you have anything to say?"

"I have nothing to say. I'm just a little surprised that the Directorate of Immortals and His Majesty are actually in league with those ancient aristocratic families."

“No, you’re wrong.” He Jingyuan shook his head. “Those aristocratic families and immortal sects are all the same. They are greedy, cruel, and insatiable. We are just using each other.”

Kuang Cheng chuckled as he thought of Huwa, who was searching for his sister every day: "It's my fault for being so dull-witted that I can't grasp such a profound truth."

"You won't understand since you haven't experienced it, but this story is long, so you have to listen slowly."

"Appreciate further details."

He Jingyuan looked up at him: "Do you know that before the Great Xia unified the Nine Provinces, the Immortal Sects were all in seclusion, and there weren't that many aristocratic families in the Nine Provinces?"

Kuang Cheng looked at him expressionlessly: "I have read history, so naturally I know these things."

"Indeed, although the human race had just experienced war and countless people were displaced, fortunately, the Nine Provinces were rich in resources and life was not so difficult. However, after the Nine Provinces were unified by my Great Xia, the Immortal Sect tasted the sweetness of being worshipped by the people and began to recruit disciples on a large scale to expand its power. From that moment on, they were no longer the descendants of wise and virtuous ancestors, but became the plunderers of the Qingyun world."

"Not long after, they completely occupied the major states they occupied, but their ambitions were not satisfied. So they began to fight and compete with each other, giving rise to countless powerful families, each occupying their own territory and no longer under the control of Great Xia. As a result, the taxes they required each year increased, making it increasingly difficult for Great Xia to bear, and causing widespread resentment among the people."

"The problem is that with the sacred artifact in hand, no one can restrain them."

"The Xia emperors throughout history have long suffered under the Immortal Sect. They know that only by mastering power that surpasses the Immortal Sect can this distorted system be dismantled. Therefore, they set their sights on the ruins of the ancient era, groping and searching. In the blink of an eye, a hundred years have passed, and finally, in the generation of the late emperor, we have found the way to open the ruins."

"But at that time, the imperial court had been infiltrated by cultivators. The pro-immortal faction, led by the Prince Chong, relied on the power of the immortal sects and aristocratic families to occupy real power. We could do nothing. Some were dismissed from their posts, some were persecuted, and countless people were forced to leave the court."

"After the late emperor passed away, the current emperor ascended the throne. That year, the barbarians attacked the northern city walls more fiercely than ever before. His Majesty personally went to the northern border to boost morale and ate and lived with us for a long time. At that time, it seemed that each of us had a fire in our hearts, but the fire was just an emotion, like cynicism, and it had no effect at all."

"What we didn't expect was that things gradually started to improve. As Prince Chong and Wei Li's appetites grew, the official tax revenue kept decreasing while their pockets became increasingly full. This naturally angered the Immortal Sect and allowed His Majesty to gradually gain some real power."

"So we opened the ruins, found the immortal connection within, and experimented with it repeatedly for many years."

"But this matter is easier said than done. The weakness of the royal family is not a recent phenomenon, and we do not have many like-minded people to rely on. Given the huge gap in strength, we can manage to do some small things, but when it comes to planning the big picture, we are really stretched thin."

"So His Majesty began to secretly plot, intending to use those aristocratic families who harbored greed and hatred, to guide them to Qiling, to Danzong, to the sacred land of the sages, to complete our plan, and incidentally let them kill each other, resulting in mutual destruction."

"Among us is a true prodigy favored by destiny. He executed this plan flawlessly. Finally, the strongest elder passed away, and the leaders of the major immortal sects are no longer at their peak. Most importantly, during the period when the sacred artifact was shielded by the Heavenly Dao Sacrifice, the ancestral temple could no longer protect the severed fortune and will be absorbed by the container we prepared in advance. Soon, the sacred land will be opened, and we will obtain the fortune of the entire clan, completely destroy the immortal sects, and change this world!"

"His Majesty once said that you and we are on the same path, and the great man who is destined by Heaven said that you are a rare pure heart in this world. Kuang Cheng, we have never been enemies. We should be the group of people who join hands to change the world."

After He Jingyuan finished speaking, he looked intently at Kuang Cheng.

He knew that Kuang Cheng was a smart man and would definitely understand the meaning behind his words.

The courtyard remained silent for a long time; even the sound of falling rain could be clearly heard, a pleasant rustling. Just as He Jingyuan was growing impatient, Kuang Cheng finally spoke up: "So, where is Mu Jing?"

He Jingyuan's eyes froze instantly: "Don't you have anything else to say besides these?"

“I am not enlightened enough to understand such grand ambitions. The only thing I want to know now is where Mu Jing is.”

Kuang Cheng raised his head, his face expressionless and his tone devoid of any emotion. He Jingyuan narrowed his eyes upon seeing this, took a few deep breaths, and then waved his hand lightly. A gust of cold wind howled past, and two armored guards leaped over the wall.

Seeing this, Kuang Cheng stood up and walked towards the two of them.

bang-

With a soft clang of the iron locks, the dark underground prison was opened, and two armored guards pushed Kuang Cheng into an iron cell.

This was the iron cell where those wicked families were imprisoned. Deep inside, there was a layer of straw, and sitting on the straw was a man with his hands hanging down on his knees. He was Mu Jing, whom Kuang Cheng had been worried about.

Seeing that he was still alive, Kuang Cheng felt a little relieved, and a sense of guilt welled up inside him: "Brother Mu, I'm sorry..."

Mu Jing looked up at him: "I told you not to investigate, but you didn't expect to get yourself implicated, did you?"

"I really didn't expect that there would be such a thing behind this..."

"What's done is done, it's too late to talk about it now. But if we both manage to get out of here alive, I'll definitely treat you to a meal."

Kuang Cheng knew he was trying to comfort him, and felt even more guilty.

Just then, a series of footsteps suddenly echoed in the empty prison corridor, approaching from afar with a dull thud.

The two looked up at the same time and saw He Jingyuan coming through the corridor, followed by another person dressed in a moon-white robe, who came closely behind him to the door of the iron prison.

His appearance startled Kuang Cheng, and his eyes became much more profound.

His eyes held doubt, astonishment, disbelief, and a hint of sharpness.

"Don't lie to me, it's been a long time."

"It seems that Brother Ruoming is the chosen one that Lord He mentioned. I never thought that our Yuyang County could produce such an important figure as you."

Fang Ruoming looked up from the shadows: "Back when I met you and Wulu at the Heavenly Dao Society, I called him my elder brother not because of Ruoyao, but because we were from the same lineage, and he should call me senior brother."

"Night watchman?"

Fang Ruoming was somewhat surprised: "You actually know about the Night's Watch?"

"Brother Ji didn't tell me directly, but I did guess it."

“Indeed, back then, Master Chen saw that I was of pure and kind nature, had excellent aptitude, and had a heart for the world, so he bestowed upon me the cultivation method of the Night Watchmen, allowing me to do something for this world.”

When Kuang Cheng heard these words, images of the children who were used as vessels and the civilians who died tragically in the horde of corpses flashed through his mind.

Someone who hides in the shadows, plotting and scheming, with blood on his hands, is so heinous that even describing him as extremely wicked would be an exaggeration. How could he be associated with being inherently kind? He highly doubted the truthfulness of Fang Ruoming's words.

Just as he was scrutinizing Fang Ruoming again, the other person's voice rang in his ears once more.

"Actually, Ji You and I are not only similar in our inheritance, but also in our philosophy. I think Lord He has told you about this."

Kuang Cheng smiled as he came to his senses: "Ideology? Brother Fang, are you referring to the idea of ​​slaughtering infants, or the idea of ​​releasing evil seeds that almost wiped out half the people in the world?"

Fang Ruoming was not angered by the sarcastic words. Instead, he looked at him seriously and said, "If you want to change the world, bloodshed and sacrifice are inevitable and necessary. Do you want to be like Ji You? He clearly had the opportunity to change the tax system, but he gave up his plan because he was worried about the lives of several managers. Isn't that a pity?"

"I didn't expect Brother Ruoming to even know this. You really care about our affairs."

“I’ve said before that I admire you and Ji You. This isn’t just polite talk. Although we’ve taken a path that can’t be seen in the light of day for the time being, I’ve always been watching you.”

“Since Brother Ruoming has brought up the matter of changing the tax system, I also have something to say.” Kuang Cheng looked at him. “Actually, I still don’t know whether Brother Ji’s decision was right or wrong. I only know that I was happy when he used the fish scale register to exchange for those shopkeepers.”

Fang Ruoming raised an eyebrow slightly: "That's why a woman's kindness is the hardest thing to accomplish."

Kuang Cheng did not refute after hearing this, but glanced at He Jingyuan: "Lord He told me at Mu Jing's house that you think we are on the same path, but why didn't you tell me this before, but waited for me to find out on my own?"

"We chose to keep this secret precisely because we were worried that you might not be able to accept these valuable sacrifices."

No, I don't think so.

Fang Ruoming narrowed her eyes slightly upon hearing this, surprised by his response: "Then why do you think it is?"

Kuang Cheng suddenly stepped forward and grabbed the cell door, making the iron lock rattle: "You didn't speak because Brother Ji was still alive at the time. You didn't dare. You know that if Brother Ji knew all this, he would skin you alive. So, don't even think about comparing yourself to Brother Ji here!"

Fang Ruoming smiled faintly after hearing this: "He has done a lot, and the people of the world are grateful for his achievements. But in my opinion, whether it is reducing taxes or hiring workers to relieve hunger, it is all a futile effort that only treats the symptoms and not the root cause. He is brave and kind, but he is never practical."

Kuang Cheng suppressed his temper slightly and said in a deep voice, "You want to use the fate of your entire clan to deal with the Immortal Sect? Will that have any impact on the people of the world?"

After a moment of silence, Fang Ruoming spoke frankly: "An imbalance of fortune will inevitably cause temporary devastation, but that is only temporary. I think it is worth it for a perfect new world without oppression."

"How the world should be is not up to you to decide."

"But there always has to be someone who can make decisions, and I happen to be that person."

"So you'll destroy the sacred artifact after you succeed?"

"Power itself is neither good nor bad; it depends on who wields it. Now that the internal problems of the human race have been resolved, we still have to face the covetousness of the barbarians and demons over the Nine Provinces. The sacred artifacts must not be destroyed, but I promise you, I will handle them with care."

Kuang Cheng sneered: "In the end, you are no different from those ancient families. You all think you are different from others and that you are the most justified."

Fang Ruoming's eyes twitched slightly: "Of course we are different from those greedy, thousand-year-old families. I didn't think you were reasonable."

"I never understood things. All I knew was that I could see Huwa looking for his sister whenever I closed my eyes."

"If you can trust Ji You, why can't you trust me?"

"Because I can't convince myself that those sacrifices were worthwhile, I can't convince myself that your thoughts when you were harming infants were just, I can't believe that you knew the zombie horde was coming but stood by and watched so many people die for the sake of peace and prosperity, and I can't believe that you were doing it for the people and not for rights."

Kuang Cheng gripped the railing tightly: "A gentleman judges by actions, not by intentions, because I can only see the actions, how could I see your heart?"

"Of course, only by seizing power can one change the world. This is not contradictory. When Heaven entrusts a great mission to someone, he will surely bear the consequences of his actions. This is true. You should not be attached to appearances."

"Will you all have to bear the consequences of your evil deeds?" Kuang Cheng looked at him. "Then, after the new world you speak of is established, will you people pay for the evil deeds you have committed with your lives?"

Fang Ruoming looked at him: "I'm not lying, you're taking it too seriously."

"Brother Ruoming, don't fool yourself too."

"..."

The words that slipped out instantly silenced the cell, leaving only the heavy breathing caused by the emotional turmoil.

Fang Ruoming remained silent for a long time before turning around and leaving the dungeon without looking back.

"Keep an eye on them," He Jingyuan said to the armored guard beside him, then turned and followed.

Seeing this, Kuang Cheng slid down the fence and sat on the ground.

Because he realized he had made another mistake.

After learning from the concubine of Minister Wang that the Great Xia royal family was behind everything, he didn't think much of it. He assumed that with the fall of those ancient families, their conspiracy had completely failed.

But he didn't realize that the steps in the thousand-year-old family's wicked deeds were ultimately aimed at the fortune of the sacred land of their ancestors, and this plot would bring untold suffering to all living beings in the world.

If he had known this would happen, he shouldn't have rushed back. Instead, he should have written things down and sent them to the Heavenly Academy and Spirit Sword Mountain so that they could be on guard.

Now, everyone thinks that when the sacred land of the ancients is opened, the most vulnerable group will be the demon race, but no one expects the people coming from behind.

In this light, it seems that the Great Xia's hasty summoning of all the major immortal sects to Shengjing to discuss resisting the demon race was also a foreshadowing of ensuring that its own people could successfully reach the core of the holy land.

(End of this chapter)