Yefutidaolu

Chapter 429 Kirin
"Clothes?" Upon hearing this, Gao Jian glanced down at his own ordinary yet comfortable light gray outfit.

He really likes this kind of fabric; it's breathable and durable, so he has prepared many sets of the same style, only with slight differences in details and design.

Unexpectedly, the "hello" hem of his clothes that he left in the Hell Rift actually alarmed the highest levels of the Divine Dynasty and triggered such a detailed investigation.

That's fine, I wanted them to know anyway.

He felt no fear; on the contrary, he felt things were developing in the direction he expected. That "hello" was originally intended as a test, and now it seemed the stone had indeed created ripples.

“In that case,” Gao Jian released his fingers from the two’s Yuzhen acupoints, and the suffocating pressure of his divine will receded like the tide, “then you should go back and report the news.”

The two men nearly tumbled off the tree branch, but quickly steadied themselves by circulating their internal energy. They looked back at Gao Jian with disbelief, unable to believe that he had let them go so easily.

Gao Jian's gaze calmly swept over their still-shaken faces: "Tell them that in Cangzhou, the Commander of the Demon Suppression Division has returned to take charge. As for your families... behave yourselves and cooperate with the reorganization."

The two powerful figures from prestigious families felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They dared not linger or entertain any other thoughts. They hastily bowed to Gao Jian and then, using their movement techniques, sped off like startled rabbits towards Cangzhou City without looking back, their speed even greater than when they arrived. They needed to quickly bring back Gao Jian's warning and the information he had just displayed, exactly as it was.

Gao Jian watched their figures disappear into the night before sitting back down on the abandoned steps.

The central government has taken notice of that "clothing" and his insightful opinion. Given their overwhelming strength and the latent scrutiny from the central government, the remaining forces of the Cangzhou aristocratic families are unlikely to cause any significant trouble.

The reason we're not dealing with them now is simply to avoid creating unpleasantness before the central power of the Divine Dynasty arrives. After all, without the Ancestor, they are no match for us. We can deal with them whenever the opportunity arises.

Next, it remains to be seen how Lord Sima and Li Jun, one in the officialdom and the other among the common people, will respond to his "hello" from hell as they work together to reorganize Cangzhou, and... how the central government of the Divine Dynasty will respond to this.

As the night deepened, only the chirping of insects could be heard.

--------

The scene shifts to an ordinary room in the outer city of Cangzhou.

This place is not a bustling city, but a small house built by the water, belonging to Li Jun, who now controls the lifeline of the Cangzhou canal transport.

The former laborer is now a prominent figure in the area. His rapid rise to prominence and good fortune are often talked about, and his frugal lifestyle is also frequently praised.

Outside the courtyard, the river flowed serenely. A massive Nine Realms Flood Dragon lazily rolled its silvery-white belly in the water, appearing utterly bored.

Although it was ordered to protect this place, Cangzhou has been turbulent undercurrents recently, but it is still relatively calm on the surface, which makes it somewhat unable to use its cultivation.

Inside, the lighting was warm. Li Jun didn't sit in the main seat, but casually sat on the edge of a soft couch. In his hand, he was gently stroking a strangely shaped "puppy".

This little animal is about the size of a dog, with a cute and endearing appearance; its round body makes it especially adorable.

But upon closer inspection, one will find that its head resembles a dragon's head, with a slightly raised forehead, hooves like a wolf, and its body is covered with a layer of indescribable scales that shimmer with a faint iridescent light.

At this moment, it is squinting its eyes, enjoying the gentle stroking on its head, and making a soft, comfortable gurgling sound in its throat.

This seemingly harmless little beast was none other than the genuine tenth-realm Qilin that Li Jun had encountered by chance in the borderlands years ago! It was precisely because of the recognition and strong support of this benevolent beast that he was able to quickly gain a foothold in Cangzhou from humble beginnings, and step by step take control of the canal transport, thus realizing his ambitions.

“Rui Rui, Rui Rui,” Li Jun sighed, a complicated bitter smile on his face, his fingers gently scratching the soft scales on the Qilin’s chin, “Our boss, I was still secretly wary of him and thinking about how to get along with him, but in the end… his actions have gone a bit too far.”

Indeed, no matter who comes, they will only feel that the speed of the insightful comments is simply too...

He killed all the patriarchs of the aristocratic families, and the aristocratic families of Cangzhou lost their ability to resist almost overnight.

Is this a good thing?
I guess so.

Is this a bad thing?
That's for sure!
With such a major incident in Cangzhou, the central government of the Divine Dynasty is bound to take action!
The Qilin felt comfortable from his tickling and let out a clear, girlish laugh. She shook her head and said, "Hehe, isn't this a good thing? Since he is a trustworthy person with such great skills, and shares the same ambition as you, Ah Jun, to change this corrupt world, isn't he an excellent helper to reshape the world and sweep away the filth?"

The Qilin is a benevolent beast, an auspicious symbol of a sage king, and a divine pet that brings peace and longevity. There is a popular saying: "When the Qilin treads on auspicious clouds, all human troubles disappear."

As the primate among beasts, the Qilin holds a position similar to the phoenix among birds and the dragon among aquatic creatures. Most of them are kind and gentle, and are naturally unable to bear the suffering in the world.

Wherever the Qilin goes, it will unconsciously exude an aura of peace, ward off disasters, and protect all living beings.

This is one of the reasons why creatures in the extremely harsh environment of the "Blade Plains" covered by "blades" can still survive despite suffering from being cut – it is because the Qilin took the initiative to go there, silently protecting them with its auspicious power, and guiding the birth of "mythical beast patterns" that can adapt to the environment, because all the beasts in the world can be regarded as subordinates of the Qilin in a sense.

Therefore, it is evident that Li Jun's ability to gain the recognition and following of this Qilin means that the Qilin believes he is benevolent and virtuous, and is a descendant of a "sage" who is expected to bring peace.

“A good helper? That’s not necessarily true.” Li Jun’s sigh deepened, a look of worry settling between his brows. “Our boss has good intentions, and his goals may even align with ours—to break the monopoly of aristocratic families and the stagnation of the Divine Dynasty. It’s just that… he’s too ruthless and cruel, leaving no room for compromise.”

He paused, gazing out the window at the deep night, as if he could see the resolute power hidden beneath Gao Jian's calm face, a power capable of overturning everything.

"If he were to lead our 'reconstruction of the world,' with his unparalleled martial prowess and ruthless nature, he might truly be able to sweep away all obstacles with overwhelming force. But, Rui Rui..."

Li Jun withdrew his gaze and looked at the Qilin nestled beside him, his voice low and full of worry:
"Recreating the world is indeed a blessing for generations to come, but in our time, we may have to go through it first... rivers of blood."

Indeed, from any perspective, the "efficiency" of Gao Jian's actions is alarmingly high.

The powerful families of Cangzhou, who had accumulated their strength for hundreds of years or even longer, and whose patriarchs, who were usually like pillars of strength and were both awe-inspiring and feared, were all wiped out in a short period of time with lightning speed, either falling to the underworld or being trapped in hell! The entire Cangzhou family system was like a palace that had lost its main pillar, losing its core ability to resist overnight, and could only let the Sima of the Demon Suppression Division and Li Jun take charge of its reorganization and takeover.

Is this a good thing? From the perspective of "breaking the old and establishing the new," I guess so.

The biggest obstacle to change has been removed in the most thorough way, and the resources, channels, and power that have long been monopolized by aristocratic families in Cangzhou finally have the possibility of being redistributed and benefiting a wider group.

Although the process was bloody, the result was undoubtedly that the obstacles were cleared.

But is this a bad thing?

That's for sure!
The problem lies in this "process," in Gao Jian's overly harsh and undisguised "speed"!

In Cangzhou, the power of top aristocratic families was almost completely eradicated; this was by no means a minor skirmish between local forces.

Such a dramatic change is like throwing a boulder into a calm lake; the resulting waves will inevitably spread outwards and eventually alert the central government of the Divine Dynasty to intervene!

Li Jun's original idea, or rather, the safer and less costly approach in his mind, was to limit the conflict as much as possible to the framework of "the struggle between local forces in Cangzhou and the internal struggles of aristocratic families".

Through strategic maneuvering, differentiation, appeasement, and gradual erosion, even if the process is slow and may take years or even decades, the power shift and initial transformation of Cangzhou can be completed without attracting too much attention from the top echelons of the Divine Dynasty.

In this way, we can achieve our goals while also building up our strength for potentially larger actions in the future, leaving room for maneuver.

But what about now? Gao Jian acted swiftly and decisively, killing with swift justice and ruthlessness. But this thunderous action also tantamount to tearing away the fig leaf of "local affairs," exposing the dramatic changes in Cangzhou nakedly to the sight of the capital city of Yangjing and the Purple Palace!
What would happen if the central government of the Divine Dynasty intervened?
Sending an imperial envoy? Stationing troops directly? Pacifying the "rebellion"? Or using this as a pretext to bring Cangzhou under even tighter control, thus stifling any nascent possibility of change? At that time, they will no longer be facing internally corrupt aristocratic families, but the entire vast, orderly, and unfathomably profound state apparatus of the Divine Dynasty!

The thought of possibly facing the Purple Palace, which floats above the sea of ​​clouds like a miracle, and the supreme imperial power and boundless strength it represents, sent chills down Li Jun's spine and made him feel immense pressure.

But unfortunately... he criticized those with insightful opinions.

Gao Jian acted to save Sima Yi and to break the powerful clans' control over Cangzhou. Judging from his motives and the results, he acted without selfishness; in fact, his achievements were remarkable. His actions stemmed from his immense strength and direct style. You can't expect an invincible weapon to consider how to kill enemies without splattering blood or making a sound.

"Ugh……"

In the end, Li Jun could only let out a long sigh filled with complex emotions. He rubbed his temples, feeling a deep sense of powerlessness and anxiety.

On the road to change, we need a sharp blade like Gao Jian to cut through the thorns, but this blade is too sharp and too fierce to wield. If we are not careful, we may hurt ourselves before we hurt the enemy, or even attract a more terrible enemy.

Now that the die is cast, all he can do is stabilize the internal situation as quickly as possible, consolidate his forces, and rack his brains to figure out how to deal with the impending storm that is far more terrifying than that of the aristocratic families, before the central government of the Divine Dynasty officially turns its attention to Cangzhou.

His concerns were not out of cowardice.

He came from a humble background and knew all too well how many innocent people would be dragged into the process if change were driven by pure violence, how many forces that could have been won over and guided would be forced into becoming mortal enemies, and how much new injustice and hatred would be bred.

A brilliant insight is like an invincible blade; it can cut through tangled messes, but it can also easily shatter everything into pieces.

Upon hearing this, the Qilin blinked its large, bright eyes, seemingly puzzled yet deep in thought.

It is by nature benevolent and tends to resolve suffering in a gentle way. It instinctively feels a little uneasy about the intense changes accompanied by blood and fire described by Li Jun.

But it trusted Li Jun's judgment, and simply nuzzled his palm with its head, making a soft whimper, as if to comfort him, or perhaps to ask what to do next.

Inside and outside the courtyard, on one side was a lazy yet powerful dragon, and on the other was a benevolent ruler with a heart for the world and auspicious omens. The focus of their conversation, however, was a "master" who was stirring up trouble in his own way, making his friend feel both hopeful and worried.

The future of Cangzhou, and even the broader changes in the world, seem to hinge on the interweaving and collision of these different forces.

Just as Li Jun's brows were furrowed and his thoughts were in turmoil—

A figure landed in the courtyard.

He made no attempt to conceal his whereabouts, so he was easily detected.

"Li Jun, I'm here!" Gao Jian's voice rang out, still waving from outside.

The Qilin Rui Rui, who had been lying next to Li Jun enjoying a peaceful moment, curiously raised its round head, blinked its pure and bright eyes, and looked toward the source of the sound.

This was the first time she had ever seen Gao Jian, the "boss" whom Li Jun often mentioned with a complicated tone, and who had recently stirred up the entire Cangzhou.

However, the instant her gaze fell upon Gao Jian's figure—

"Ugh...!"

Qilin Rui Rui suddenly let out a short, frightened cry, its round body instantly tensing up, and its colorful scales seemed to tremble slightly.

Almost instinctively, she shrank her head back behind Li Jun, revealing only her eyes, wide open in fear, as she cautiously and furtively observed Gao Jian.

In Li Jun's eyes, Gao Jian was perhaps just someone with a more profound and unpredictable aura.

But in Qilin's eyes, she saw a completely different scene!
What she saw was not a specific human figure, but a deep vortex that was constantly spinning and swallowing light!

The divine intent on Gao Jian's body, which could not be fully contained due to insufficient control and was forced to naturally dissipate, suddenly turned into a vortex in the Qilin's spiritual vision!
This vortex is not ostentatious or domineering—it is destruction, the end, the final lament and annihilation of countless worlds at the moment of birth and death, a lingering echo that is condensed and overflowing!
(End of this chapter)