As an official, what's wrong with raising a few monsters?

Chapter 250 What is the background of the Northern Emperor?

The farce ended quickly; the bandits came with great force, but caused no casualties whatsoever.

The boat moved slowly forward, the blood in the river spreading, diluting, and dissipating...

The renowned Marquis of Jing'an was not so easily harmed by a few petty thieves.

The majestic white wolf transformed into a puppy, and the large sword became a miniature knife, hanging around its neck.

The puppy lay on the ground, guarding the cabin door.

You can call me a dog, or say I'm greedy and lazy in front of Mingchen, no problem.

But what should you call me in front of these bandits?
The child, who had just gotten up, pushed open the cabin door, and a pungent smell of blood hit her. She tilted her head, her eyes empty, looking at the corpses lying haphazardly around her, seemingly unconcerned.

"Hey, a frog at the bottom of a well is trying to see the moon in the sky."

The bird fluttered its wings and flew back to Mingchen's shoulder. With a gentle flap of its wings, a round black bead fell into his hand.

Mingchen stroked the bead, raised his eyes and looked south into the distance. His gaze seemed to pass through the wide river, through layers of mist, and into a more distant place, into another city, into another person.

Leader, it seems your subordinates are out of control!
Bei Lie has no idea that he has arrived.

The only ones who know his whereabouts are the Jinglan Alliance.

Mingchen is not the kind of so-called chosen one who has suffered countless hardships and whom the whole world wants to get rid of. On the contrary, most people in power actually want to be his friend.

Only those who are clueless might want to kill him.

Hong Ling Shuang probably didn't want to kill him, otherwise they wouldn't have met a fourth time.

Even if she wanted to kill him, she should know Mingchen's capabilities and would never resort to such vulgar methods like a frog in a well.

So there's only one possible explanation: someone bypassed her and made a move.

Blood stained the deck, and not far away, the body of a slain pirate lay quietly, a flame-shaped tattoo prominently displayed on his arm.

Having just survived an assassination attempt, Mingchen suddenly seemed unconcerned and instead became concerned about the Alliance Leader, who was a hundred miles away.

Humans are not sophisticated machines.

Not everyone is exceptionally intelligent, and not everyone will do things that only benefit themselves.

Sometimes, overestimating the wisdom of others is also a miscalculation.

Those who enjoy dancing on the edge of a knife will inevitably miscalculate.

The dangerous piece has gone out of control, and it's uncertain whether the alliance leader can regain it.

"Guest...guest, you are truly skilled!"

The boatman who had just spoken to Mingchen came over. Looking at the chaotic scene around him and the corpses on the deck, he shrank back a little, but still took a few steps forward and tentatively spoke to Mingchen.

Mingchen raised an eyebrow and looked to his side: "Are you in cahoots with them?"

With the river stretching endlessly, finding Mingchen is no easy task.

This man is definitely not an ordinary boatman; he's either one of the bandits or someone special.

With so many bandits attacking, the boatman's best course of action would have been to jump into the water on the spot or get a small boat to escape.

No matter how slim the chances of survival are, you have to give it a shot.

But he did nothing; he just hid on the sidelines and watched the excitement.

Were you really scared out of your wits?

Although he did look nervous and helpless, Mingchen had a feeling that he was faking it.

There's no basis for it; it's just a feeling.

"The guest is joking."

The boatman paused, frozen in place, and hurriedly waved his hands to explain, "I have been ferrying people for many years, and people in the surrounding villages and towns all know me. There is absolutely no way I would do such a thing as robbery."

"If you don't believe me, you can ask the other sailors and boatmen on the ship."

Mingchen looked at him with great interest. Their eyes met, and Mingchen's gaze seemed to probe his soul through his pupils: "So, who are you?"

"I?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the boatman, who had been flustered and anxious to explain, suddenly smiled.

Serene, peaceful, natural, harmonious... detached from worldly affairs, vast and ethereal, as if indifferent to everything.

"It doesn't matter who I am!"

His eyes were deep, as if they contained a thousand years of vast time. While Mingchen was spying on him, he was also spying on Mingchen.

He turned to Mingchen and said, "Lord Jing'an, how about we have a chat?"

The 'boatman' directly exposed Mingchen's identity.

Sometimes this inexplicable intuition is accurate.

Mingchen glanced at him with great interest.

In an instant, the boatman's demeanor underwent a dramatic change, as if he had become a completely different person.

But this person is still the same person.

The feeling was different; even a divine phoenix like Fuyao'er couldn't detect anything different about this person.

The little bird perched on Mingchen's shoulder, looking at the boatman warily.

The last time I felt this eerie sense of oppression was inside the three gates, when I met that strange traveler who was drinking with Mingchen.

"please!"

The surrounding scenery wasn't particularly pleasant.

The corpse reeked of blood, but neither of them seemed to care.

Mingchen stretched out his arm and gestured to his side, inviting him.

The boatman, now with a changed demeanor, stood beside Mingchen, gazing at the surging river with him.

As dawn broke and the sun shone brightly, the mist over the river was gradually dispelled, revealing a beautiful scene in the distance.

The boatman waved his hand gently, and invisible ripples spread out.

In an instant, under the influence of a strange power, all the corpses on the ship disappeared without a trace, not even a drop of blood was left behind.

The deck was spotless, as if nothing had ever happened.

The little dog, who was nestled at the cabin door, suddenly raised its head, looking around at the scenery in a daze, as if it were in a dream.

Some of the bumps and scratches are evidence that a chaotic incident once took place here.

"Sir, you have excellent skills."

If we had such a method, we wouldn't need so many servants at home.

Mingchen wasn't surprised at all; he just sighed.

"It's just a minor matter."

The boatman waved his hand, glanced at the little bird on Mingchen's shoulder, and asked, "You clearly have much greater power and could have dealt with these people in an instant, so why go through all this trouble?"

Not only about the little bird, he also knew that a dragon roams the depths of the water.

These bandits were just ordinary mortals.

That gravity bead artifact is quite interesting.

But it's just something interesting, nothing more than a little toy.

Given Mingchen's strength, he wouldn't need to personally deal with these people.

It can be resolved in an instant.

Mingchen smiled and said, "Sir, you should also know that there are rules for everything. Sometimes the rules are set by others, and sometimes you set them yourself."

"On the battlefield, soldiers fight soldiers, and generals fight generals. Human affairs have human ways of being handled, and divine affairs also have divine ways of being handled."

"Everything has been taken care of perfectly, and no one can find fault with it."

That's just nonsense.

If he really followed the rules, he wouldn't have let birds act as GPS in the sky when he was fighting the Xiongnu in the west.

It would be strange if human affairs could be handled solely by human beings.

Everyone is secretly plotting and taking roundabout ways to do their dirty work.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many problems.

The rise and fall of the State of Chen serves as a mirror.

The important part of this statement is not the first half, but the last part: "No one can find fault with it."

This "who" doesn't necessarily refer to a specific person or entity; it could be the rules of the universe, or some other random thing...

In short, Mingchen would rather do it himself than have Xiaoniao, Longlian, and the others around him use their lower-dimensional power to kill mortals.

A white wolf? Isn't that a warhorse?
Warhorses don't use magic, so what's wrong with kicking a few people to death?
"Human affairs have their own ways of being handled... Well said!"

The boatman smiled upon hearing this and gave a word of praise.

Whether he agrees with what Mingchen said or not, only he himself knows.

The boat swayed forward with the current.

He then asked Mingchen, "Now that we've arrived in Beilie territory, what brings Marquis Jing'an here?"

"Sir, didn't I say I wanted to visit an old friend?"

“Old friend…” the boatman asked again, “What do you think of Bei Lie?”

"Bei Lie?"

Mingchen raised an eyebrow: "Beilie is certainly good. Its ruler is powerful and domineering, with lofty ambitions and a strong work ethic. The people are loyal, reliable, hardworking, and brave. It has a million-strong army, whose might is overwhelming..."

Mingchen wasn't lying when he said that.

I've seen the Jinglan Alliance and the Blood-Clad Army.

He still regards Bei Lie as his biggest rival.

This country is very resilient. Although the environment is harsh, it has also honed the resilience of its people and its cultural character.

If the Jinglan Alliance is like a capricious ocean...

Then Beilie is like the endless mountain ranges of the far north—solid, stable, solid, and majestic…

The enormous setback did not break him; instead, he rose from the ashes, united as one, and full of resilience. This country, full of tigers and wolves, was truly dangerous.

The Northern Emperor was also a powerful and domineering ruler, brave and decisive, yet also sensitive at heart.

Once he has repaired the canal and broken Mingchen's policy of closing the country to the outside world, it will be the day when the tiger is released from its cage and reigns supreme over the world.

Therefore, Mingchen wants to come and see what the current situation is like in Beilie so that he can make plans for the future.

I originally thought he could be locked up for ten or eight years, but now with all sorts of shady characters wanting to enter the world, who knows how much the process could be shortened.

"Oh?"

The boatman then asked, "According to what Marquis Jing'an said, human affairs have their own way of being handled. If no one else interferes, with the current national strength and the temperament and ability of the ruler, can Beilie unify the world?"

This "other person" has a special meaning.

The state of Chen is a microcosm of ghosts and gods, and other countries also have strange and mysterious people to varying degrees, and there may be some kind of power behind them.

Mingchen shook his head: "Unify the world? That involves so many things, how can it be so easily stated in a single sentence?"

If we don't intervene and rely solely on predictions, unless we have the knowledge of the future, it's something even gods and immortals cannot be certain of.

The larger the situation, the more variables there are, and the more likely it is to be unexpected.

Unifying the world is not something that one person can accomplish.

The monarchs are all capable monarchs, but what about the people below them?

Sometimes, a small act by someone at the very bottom can, like dominoes, change the overall situation.
The boatman smiled, looking directly into Mingchen's eyes: "No need for such useless pleasantries. I only wish to ask, what are the thoughts of Marquis Jing'an? Or rather, who does Marquis Jing'an believe is worthy of unifying the world?"

The other person's eyes held a hint of scrutiny, but Mingchen remained calm and simply said, "Since you call me Marquis Jing'an, you know who bestowed upon me the title of Marquis Jing'an."

The boatman simply said, "Given the current Northern Emperor's magnanimity, if you were in Beilie, you could obtain the same status and position. He is willing to give you the title of Marquis of Jing'an, so you could also be the Marquis of Jing'an in Beilie."

Mingchen looked at him with great interest and asked in return, "So, sir, you believe that Bei Lie is the ultimate winner in this world?"

The world is a place where, after a long period of division, there will be unity, and after a long period of unity, there will be division; when things reach their peak, they will decline, and after decline, they will rise again.

After centuries of turmoil, this upheaval seems to foreshadow a glorious future.

And now, these heroes, gods, demons, and monsters appearing in the powder form... all seem to be commemorating a brand new era.

The boatman chuckled softly: "Isn't Beilie a good option?"

"More than seventy years ago, a god of war descended to earth and slaughtered hundreds of thousands of soldiers, causing the collapse of a great nation and forcing the king to commit suicide."

"The dynasty was in turmoil, the world was in chaos, and the whole country was on the verge of collapse, but Beilie held on and produced three wise rulers who worked hard to govern the country."

"The nation is now at its peak, with a strong and well-equipped army. The Tiger King was born with the roar of a tiger, his spirit awe-inspiring and his domineering presence capable of swallowing the universe. He has risen to power after overcoming setbacks and hardships, reforming the court and benefiting the country and its people. When the water conservancy project that nourishes all people is completed, that will be the day he unites the land. How could he not become the ruler who unifies the world, leaving a glorious mark on history and a legendary legacy?"

The boatman's eyes gleamed, as if he were describing a beautiful story to Mingchen.

He said this as if he were trying to persuade Mingchen.

He was conveying an idea to Mingchen, as if everything would come true if Mingchen approved of him.

That sounds strange.

He spoke with excessive certainty.

But... isn't this story too predictable, as if it were all planned out?

It leaves no room for chance; it's not so much a guess as a prophecy.

Upon hearing this, Mingchen paused and quietly looked at the boatman.

There was silence for a moment.

He then asked, "Sir, did the Northern Emperor himself know that he would meet the fate you have described?"

"Ok?"

The boatman paused for a moment, seemingly puzzled by Mingchen's question.

Those who are in a high position seem to be used to controlling everything.

He did not understand what Mingchen meant by those words.

"What you are saying can only be the ideals and ambitions of a monarch, but it may not be the truth."

"The greatest charm of history lies in its uncertainty and its randomness; it is not a story that has been predetermined by someone."

"It's not that whoever has the most legendary story can achieve great things."

"The world is not something anyone deserves or can simply obtain."

"Heroes are not heroes forever."

Even Mingchen only gave his own emperor a 30% chance, and also respectfully gave the Northern Emperor a 30% chance, never predicting who would ultimately belong to him.

The boatman narrowed his eyes upon hearing this.

Seeing that the other party remained silent, Mingchen continued, "Then according to what you said, my emperor is also a monarch who can unify the world."

"Ok?"

"The Qian Yuan dynasty suffered the ravages of a disastrous ruler, endless wars, constant chaos, and the suffering of its people, with starving corpses littering the fields. Traitors usurped the throne, rebel armies rose up, and the country was torn apart... But even so, the sparks of revolution could not be extinguished. The late emperor assassinated the disastrous ruler, a brave man cutting off his own arm, determined to take the risk and use himself as the fire to overthrow the corrupt and decadent old dynasty. In recent years, the Qian Yuan dynasty has also survived the great calamity of national destruction."

"My Emperor was the spark that ignited the war against the Northern Lie. He harbored resentment for three years, caring deeply for the world—this is benevolence. He was willing to risk his life to send foreign nations as bargaining chips—this is courage. Having witnessed the suffering of humanity, he resolved to restore order to the world. He fled the capital and endured a life of hardship, proclaiming his resolve in blood amidst the wasteland, which resonated with the heavens and earth, restarting the nation's destiny and allowing the golden carp to leap through the heavens. Finally, upon ascending the throne, he worked diligently day and night, governing with wisdom and love for his people."

"With such a steadfast ruler, who has never wavered in his will despite countless setbacks and has never been afraid of any difficulties, he will rise to great heights. In the future, he will surely be blessed by wind and thunder, transforming into a dragon, spreading blessings upon the world, protecting millions of people, emerging from the Shenjiang River, recovering lost territory, and returning to the old capital."

Mingchen seemed to remember that person, his eyes sparkling as he smiled and told the story from his perspective.

His voice was clear and resonant, as if he were praising his own emperor and sharing in the glory.

He had watched his own emperor improve little by little, change little by little, and grow into the person he is today.

Unfortunately, Xiao Xinyue is not here.

She was still muttering to herself about when that unlucky guy would return!

If she were here, hearing this usually carefree and frivolous man, who never speaks kindly, confess his feelings so sincerely, hearing him praise her so highly, and remembering everything she had been through...

Understanding everything she carried and the grand ambitions she made... she should be happy.

Mingchen raised an eyebrow, looking at the boatman with interest: "If no one else had interfered, wouldn't my Emperor have deserved the great fame of unifying the world? My Emperor could also have left a lasting legend in history."

Whether intentionally or not, he emphasized the word "others" a bit more.

The boatman fell silent upon hearing this, avoiding Mingchen's gaze and not answering his question.

After a while, he said in a deep voice, "The Qianyuan era has lasted for five hundred years. It is corrupt and exhausted, and the resentment has run deep. Heaven does not bless it, and its fate has come to an end."

"His fate has run its course?"

Mingchen didn't seem to care at all when he heard this.

He seemed neither angry nor afraid, but simply smiled and said, "Didn't you just say that human affairs are handled by human beings? Fate? Does fate fall under the category of human affairs?"

So-called fate... is nothing more than an excuse left by those who interfere.

Mingchen is a man of few words, but he's incredibly good at arguing.

He has few rivals in the world.

Meeting Mingchen's gaze, the boatman, who seemed to have an extraordinary background and an otherworldly air, was somewhat speechless.

In this conversation alone, Mingchen came out on top.

"The fate of Qian Yuan has come to an end. Does the gentleman mean that the fate of Bei Lie is about to rise? Or that the fate of Bei Di is about to rise?"

"Does the Northern Emperor himself know this?"

"Given his pride, would he be willing?"

Mingchen's gaze was intense, and his voice was clear: "If he knew it himself, he wouldn't be a hero."

His words seemed a bit sharp.

But the boatman was very composed and never revealed the slightest emotion from beginning to end.

He simply said, "If he weren't a hero, he wouldn't have achieved what he has today."

Upon hearing this, Mingchen simply shrugged and said nothing more.

The boat moved slowly forward, treading on the water.

The Liehe River is the mother river of Beilie, wide and vast, nurturing all people. It is currently in a peaceful phase, and the scenery is also pleasant.

Mingchen and the boatman gazed silently into the distance.

Neither of them spoke.

After an unknown amount of time, Mingchen, still curious, finally couldn't resist revealing the answer and asked, "Finally, I'd like to ask you, sir, what is the background of the Northern Emperor?"

(End of this chapter)