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

Chapter 396 Ambitions Arise
The northern border of Beilie is a vast expanse of mountains, stretching endlessly.

It is named after Wan Chong Shan (Ten Thousand Mountains).

Just like the vast and boundless ocean, its boundaries are nowhere to be found.

Throughout history, no one has ever been able to cross countless mountains and find the northernmost point.

Legend has it that those countless mountains are the dividing line between life and death.

The living are in the south, while the dead face north.

To the north of the myriad mountains lies the vast and boundless underworld.

After a person dies, their soul travels thousands of miles to the underworld to look back on their past lives and enter the cycle of reincarnation.

A chilling wind howled, and ghostly shadows roamed freely in that dark and gloomy world.

Faint glimmers of fluorescent light could be seen drifting by, and faint, indistinct murmurs and cries echoed in my ears.

This is a bizarre world where light, shadow, matter, rules... everything is redefined.

This place has remained unchanged for thousands of years.

But today, things seem a little different.

Ripples spread through the space, and a shower of colorful light descended from the dome, illuminating the ghostly figures lurking in the darkness, causing them to vanish and flee.

A child dressed in a yellow brocade robe descended into this strange and wondrous world, riding on the glow of the rosy clouds.

This boy was indeed handsome, with a face as white as powder, lips as red as cinnabar, hair tied up like dark clouds, and eyebrows like crescent moons.

Despite appearing to be quite young, he showed no fear whatsoever in this eerie and chilling space.

A polite smile graced her chubby little face.

He bowed slightly, facing the void, and said, "Tong'er Lanhua greets the Venerable Master Xuanming Miluo Miaofa."

A strange, eerie wind blew across his face, causing the child's hair to fly wildly.

An invisible force lifted his body and helped him up.

Why have you come here?

A voice, devoid of gender or emotion, echoed in his ears.

The boy quickly bowed again.

He flipped his hand and took out the wooden box.

His wide-sleeved yellow robe with cloud patterns brushed against the wooden box. He took three steps forward and carefully opened the box.

Instantly, a rich, fragrant aroma spread, accompanied by a burst of radiant light. The box emitted a rainbow of colors, and the pervasive fragrance even made this eerie place, filled with wailing and howling, appear somewhat radiant and sacred.

It shines brightly in this gloomy and eerie space.

When the light dimmed a little, three fruits could be seen lying quietly inside the box.

I don't know what kind it is, but it has spiral patterns on it, and its scent is refreshing.

Just by looking at its radiant glow, one can tell it is extraordinary.

The boy bowed again toward the void and said, "The Three Tribulations and Nine Apertures Fruit that Master planted has ripened. He specially ordered me to offer it to the Supreme One to express my gratitude for the Supreme One's supreme heavenly might in suppressing the Netherworld."

"kindness."

The boy was so respectful.

That which was invisible and did not show itself simply responded with a sound.

An invisible wind swept by, and the wooden box that the child was clutching tightly in his hand vanished without a trace.

The child was not frightened at the sight; instead, his face lit up with joy.

"Go!"

“Take your people with you as well.”

Throughout the entire process, the person opposite never showed up.

It was only accompanied by cold, emotionless words.

Suddenly, fluorescent dots appeared before the child's eyes, gradually recombine and merge, forming the shape of a person.

He was a middle-aged man with a long beard, dressed as a Taoist priest.

Its form exists between reality and illusion; a gentle touch causes it to ripple like water, becoming somewhat blurry.

He stood quietly in front of the child, his eyes closed, his face showing no emotion or anger whatsoever.

If Long Lian were here, she would definitely recognize that this middle-aged Taoist was none other than Huang Xingyao, who committed suicide in front of her.

Death is not necessarily the end of everything.

Sometimes, in the eyes of certain people, ability may not be the most important thing.

Loyalty, the ability to keep one's mouth shut no matter what... these qualities are perhaps more important than ability.

Huang Xingyao went down a dark path, proving his loyalty with his death.

So perhaps he will also get a chance to rise from the ashes.

If you are loyal enough, your superiors will see it and will try to get you out of trouble.

"Thank you, Your Excellency!"

"Thank you, Your Excellency!"

This is a transaction.

This venerable one is actually quite difficult to talk to.

Seeing that the task was completed, the child couldn't help but smile.

He kept bowing and worshipping towards the void.

Although the other party seemed to have no intention of paying attention to him, and did not even respond.

Having gone to great lengths to observe proper etiquette, the young boy glanced at the mindless Huang Xingyao, nodded slightly, and smiled as he also bowed.

With a gentle wave of his hand, invisible threads of magical power wrapped around Huang Xingyao's body, binding him.

Auspicious light rippled and flowed through space.

Gradually, the figure disappeared into the space.

Everything returned to calm, but the wind howled, ghostly shadows lingered, and the desolate land fell silent once more.

……

This year marks the first year that the Linxu Canal has been opened to water.

The fields and ecology of Beilie have undergone tremendous changes.

In the past, due to the marshland and drought, the food supply in Beilie has always been a problem.

However, a year later, everything was different.

The irrigation canals were completed, and the saline-alkali land was transformed into thousands of acres of fertile farmland.

The people had land to cultivate, and they all sang praises of the monarch's virtues.

The voices of opposition that used to say "Mother Liehe has been put in shackles" have gradually disappeared without a trace.

The people can see the immediate benefits.

Spirits come first. If they hinder people from farming and eating, even the gods they revere will gradually be despised and forgotten.

No one questioned Qin Lou's previous bold and wasteful decision; they only praised his wisdom.

Even the image of Mingchen, the prodigy from an enemy country, became somewhat more illustrious.

In terms of people's lives alone, Beilie has made significant progress.

It is foreseeable that, barring war and other factors, Beilie will inevitably enter a period of rapid development in the next ten years, with population growth and improved living standards, freeing people from hunger and cold.

However, in other aspects... things may not go as smoothly as imagined.

The entire city of Beilie Qingcang was draped in white mourning.

The pedestrians on the street were all dressed in white and wore white sashes, and their faces showed no joy.

The news spread gradually until it became known throughout the country.

General Tian Hong died far from home, and the pillar supporting the nation collapsed. His Majesty wept bitterly, and the whole country mourned.

Tian Hongzhi's reputation in Beilie is no less than that of the Qian Yuan military genius who turned the tide eighty years ago.

For decades, he has diligently protected Beilie, assisted the monarch in ascending the throne, never fought or plundered, expelled the barbarians, and upheld the backbone of Beilie. In this militaristic nation where the entire population values ​​martial prowess, he is the idol of half the soldiers and the protector of the people.

Such a general would naturally be loved and respected by the people.

The people also mourned his passing.

Since the war between Beilie and Qianyuan began, the people have been eagerly awaiting news of victory from the front, hoping that Beilie would defeat the cunning Southerners and achieve the great cause of unifying the world.

However, for now, nothing seems to be going very smoothly.

Two of the three passes were lost in a muddle, and the general also perished in a foreign land.

In the martial arts training ground in front of the Tiger Hall of the Imperial Palace,

"Choo choo~"

The spear flashed like a dragon, its cold light like silver stars.

The tall and imposing king stood in the center of the training ground, wielding an eighty-pound Overlord Spear. He moved nimbly and powerfully on the platform, his spear wielding the wind with great force and his movements expansive and majestic.

"roar~"

Faintly, one could hear the roar of a tiger behind him, a sound that shook the very soul.

"boom!"

He whirled around, and his spear plunged into the blue wooden floor, creating a large crater.

Even the eighty-pound Overlord Spear couldn't withstand his innate superhuman strength, and it broke in two.

After exercising, it seemed that even the knots in my heart were untied.

He propped the broken gun barrel on the ground, let out a soft breath, and raised his head to quietly gaze at the sky.

The weather was clear and sunny, with not a cloud in the sky.

The wind was starting to act strangely.

He had already received the news that the internal strife in Qian Yuan had been resolved at an unbelievably fast pace.

The Great Qi Dynasty collapsed instantly.

Qian Yuan can now unleash his full power and engage in a real battle with Bei Lie.

However, Bei Lie did not achieve satisfactory results during this period. He did not completely capture the three passes, nor did he conquer the northern border, and Yueyang City seemed a long way off.

Tian Hong also died at this crucial juncture.

The gap between Qian Yuan and Bei Lie has gradually been closed.

Everything is terrible.

"Mingchen..."

Qin Lou lowered his eyes slightly and gave a bitter laugh.

He already thought highly of the other person.

Before this, he really hadn't imagined that a person could influence a country to such an extent.

As time slowly passed, this oddball always managed to amaze the world from a completely new perspective.

If it weren't for this person blocking his way, Qian Yuan would have died long ago, and his great wish would have been fulfilled long ago.

He looked up at the blue sky, lost in thought.

Suddenly, the breeze that had been blowing on my face seemed to stop, and the swaying leaves stopped in mid-air.

Time seemed to slow down countless times at this moment.

However, people's thoughts seem unaffected.

Qin Lou stood quietly in place, and before he knew it, a figure appeared in front of him amidst the scattered light.

"Tiger Lord".

The familiar call seemed ethereal, as if it had traversed millions of years of vicissitudes.

Qin Lou had heard this voice countless times in his dreams.

In the past, he did not control his dreams; he was more like an audience member, watching the events unfold in his dreams.

But this time, it seemed he wasn't dreaming; everything around him felt incredibly real.

He stared at the blurry-faced man before him, whom he could never quite recognize, and repeatedly asked, "Who are you?"

He is the king, and his safety is of paramount importance.

The sudden appearance of such an unidentified person beside him was clearly not a good thing.

However, Qin Lou remained calm and composed.

He could feel a deep sense of intimacy from this person, even though they had never met, he knew this person would not harm him.

The man spoke calmly, simply saying to Qin Lou, "I am the one who brings you good fortune."

"good fortune?"

Despite knowing it was impossible, Qin Lou still asked, "Sir, are you going to help my Northern Lie conquer the world?"

Sure enough, the man shook his head and said, "No, no..."

Qin Lou raised an eyebrow and asked, "Then what kind of fortune do you want to share with me?"

The man shook his head and looked Qin Lou up and down: "Let me ask you, if fate does not smile upon you, what will you do?"

"Destiny?"

"In this world, a star of divine talent and martial prowess has risen to the heavens, reversing the rules, plunging fate into chaos, and perhaps destiny is no longer yours..."

The subtext is that Bei Lie might lose.

Ever since that old man who sought immortality in Qian Yuan died, Qin Lou has been having strange dreams, and he often hears the word "fate".

Some cultivators who came to seek refuge would always talk in a mystical way, saying that he was blessed with good fortune and destiny, and that he was destined to achieve great things, unify the world, and leave a strong mark on history.

Even Mingchen said something similar to him during their last meeting.

The surrounding conversations, the strange things that happened to him, the dreams, the power and spirit he gained out of nowhere... everything seemed to point to him as the chosen one.

He himself gradually began to feel that something was amiss.

He was confident and ambitious; he believed he could achieve great things, and of course he considered himself extraordinary.

However, the priorities are actually somewhat reversed.

It's as if there's a hand orchestrating everything from behind the scenes.

He should be the creator of destiny, not its puppet.

He can use righteousness and the so-called "destiny is on my side" to absorb power, but the control of all this should be in his own hands.

Every step he took was the result of his own hard work.

Attributing everything to fate was unfair to him, and he always scoffed at the idea.

Moreover, if he is truly destined for greatness, why would someone as gifted as Mingchen stand against him? Why is he suffering repeated setbacks now?
Now this ethereal being that had appeared in his dreams many times has come forward and asks him instead: If destiny is no longer with him, what should he do?
"Sir, may I ask you a question in return? If destiny is on my side, can I achieve great things without doing anything?"

The other party did not answer him.

Qin Lou simply looked at him and continued speaking to himself: "The late emperor suddenly passed away, and I ascended the throne at the age of thirteen. Power was usurped, surrounded by wolves, and powerful ministers vied for supremacy. No one told me that the Mandate of Heaven had been bestowed upon me. I eliminated dissidents step by step and beheaded those treacherous ministers, not because of the Mandate of Heaven, but because of my methods and political maneuvering."

He clenched his fists, his eyes cold and sharp.

"When I was eighteen, the Xiongnu gathered 100,000 troops to harass our borders. I raised an army to punish the traitors and drove them all back. I did not rely on destiny, but on strong military force."

"When I was twenty-one, the Northern Frontier suffered a severe drought, resulting in a complete crop failure. Chaos broke out throughout the country, and the people were living in misery. I opened the granaries to distribute grain, suppressed the rebellion, and shared the hardships with the people of the whole country. I did not rely on destiny, but on my unwavering perseverance."

"I am twenty-three years old. The Northern Army is strong and well-equipped, and the whole nation is martial. My heroic and majestic rule has shaken the world. This is not due to destiny, but to my persistent diligence."

Qin Lou looked up at him, his gaze seemingly piercing through the clouds to see his true form: "Regardless of whether or not there is a destiny hanging over my head, my heart remains unchanged, and my Qin family will reign supreme in the world."

Qin Lou's gaze was sharp and impolite.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

However, upon hearing this, the man laughed heartily.

"Good Tiger King, good Tiger King, you've succeeded, you've succeeded."

"Cultivation is the cultivation of the mind."

"Ambitious and unstoppable, its power is invincible..."

(End of this chapter)