The more you believe me, the more real it becomes.

Chapter 193 Self-Deception (4k)

The old man said he was waiting to see, but it seems he's completely terrified of that Taoist priest. So he's willing to risk having no descendants just to make this happen?!

That's true. He managed to kill the Three Mountain Lords, who were at the same level as him, even while under the Heavenly Mandate for so long, and caused such a commotion.

Such a major overhaul is certainly not something an enemy can afford to provoke.

But how could you send me to my death?!
There are other options at home!
In a panic, the man hurriedly raised his hand to the sky and shouted:
"I'm your own son!!!"

"Your most talented son!!!"

However, it was all in vain; the roots sprouting from the altar continued to drain everything from him.

They showed no sign of stopping.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man could only curse:

"You are so heartless and ruthless, you will surely die a horrible death! Ah—!"

The first part was cursing, followed by wailing.

This altar not only wanted to drain his flesh and blood, but in the end it also wanted to chew up and devour his soul.

The two young Taoist priests were terrified and turned pale. They hurriedly fled down from the altar.

Fortunately, this strange thing seems to only target enemies.

As for the two outsiders, they had absolutely no interest in it.

Seeing the great cultivator, whose lifespan was barely a fraction of a millennium, being completely devoured by the altar, the two felt a cold sweat break out all over their bodies.

Just now, the two of them thought that this person was going to make a name for himself in the southwest, and that he might even have an earth-shattering showdown with that great master after things were done.

Unexpectedly, he turned into a dead man in an instant.

Moreover, this person is a senior expert whose cultivation and status far surpass theirs.

If such figures died so casually, then what were the two of them in the Southwest, in the grand scheme of things?

The two Taoist priests dared not think any further and could only recite Taoist scriptures repeatedly.

This was to suppress the fear in my heart.

However, the more I try to suppress it, the more I can't help but think about it.

Then my heart trembled.
-
The enemy group continues their operations.

The others did not stop either.

At the summit of a great mountain, a man who had removed his armor and was now dressed in fine clothes finally climbed up with the help of his men.

Without even taking a break, upon seeing the three old men standing atop the mountain, he hurriedly knelt down and said:
"So that the three immortal masters may know, this humble general has delivered the things you requested!"

On the official road below the mountain, a well-armored elite army was guarding countless carriages.

Strangely, the boxes carried on the carriage were all chillingly cold, so cold that even in the sweltering heat, no one dared to approach them.

So much so that they had to attach talismans to the horses pulling the cart before it could move.

Even he couldn't help but tremble when he mentioned this thing.

Ten thousand people!
He just took the hearts of ten thousand people and sent them here.

But then I thought about what I could gain once this matter was over.

He instantly suppressed that unease and fear.

Throughout history, those who have achieved great things have invariably paved the way for countless others.

I, I, I am merely emulating the sages of the past.

When I succeed, I will naturally treat the people well and restore a bright and clear world for them!
The more he thought about it, the more confident he became.

Yes, it was only a mere ten thousand people. That dog emperor on the dragon throne sat idly by while the southwest suffered disaster for three years, during which at least hundreds of thousands of people died!
Compared to him, what is my mistake?
Compared to this, he felt incredibly at peace.

The three old men also turned around at that moment.

Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that the three figures are ethereal and elusive, obviously not their real bodies.

Upon hearing the man say that he had gathered everything they wanted, the three venerable old men stroked their beards and smiled.

"Good, good, good!"

The three consecutive words of kindness made the man grin from ear to ear.

It's done! It's done! It's absolutely done!
My great cause! My empire!
The man quickly lowered his head and replied humbly:
"It's all thanks to the kindness and guidance of the three immortal masters!"

"Well, now that the general has achieved his goal, how can we not show our appreciation?"

The old man in the center spoke, then raised his hand and grabbed at the void! He forcefully seized the clouds and mist, kneading them in his palm until they instantly transformed into a piece of warm, white jade, which he then presented to the man, saying:
"General, you are destined by Heaven. I, this humble Taoist, will bestow upon you this piece of celestial white jade to protect you!"

Seeing this, the Taoist on the right stroked his beard and smiled, casually pointing at a withered tree by the roadside.

"Change!"

Before the words were finished, a strange sound came from the dead wood forest, and a leopard made entirely of white bones suddenly leaped out! To everyone's horror, the bone leopard roared to the sky, and its body instantly swelled up until it was the size of a horse before it stopped.

The Taoist then leisurely pointed to the leopard and said:

"Those who leave their mark on history, how can they be without a fine steed? Although your mount is good, General, it is still just an ordinary creature, far too unworthy of someone of your destiny. Today, I, this humble Taoist, will bestow upon you this spirit beast as your mount. Is that acceptable?"

The man was overjoyed and could hardly contain himself.

The last old man's smile widened even more:
"Since both of you have made gifts, how can I fall behind?"

All eyes immediately focused on him. He walked to a huge, hard rock, glanced at it briefly, and then, as if taking something out of a bag, plunged his arm straight into the incredibly hard rock!
The stubborn rock seemed to transform into a soft pool of water in his hands, allowing him to explore it at will. After a moment, he slowly drew out a stone sword with a grand and imposing appearance.

"A fine sword is a fitting gift for a hero! General, you already possess a majestic steed and a protective jade, so I will bestow upon you this divine weapon!"

He solemnly handed over the stone sword:

"This sword is formed from ten-thousand-year-old stone marrow; it is extraordinary and wondrous. General, take this!"

Looking at the treasures and spirit beasts bestowed by the three immortals, the man felt a sudden dizziness.

Destiny is mine!

The thought exploded in his mind like a thunderclap. At that moment, his mind was completely blank.

"Thank you, three immortal masters! Thank you, three immortal masters!"

The three elderly men laughed even more heartily at this.

And so he said to him:
"However, if we want to achieve something truly great, the general still needs to do something else for us!"

Under such circumstances, how could that person possibly think of anything else?
He immediately replied:
"Please explain, esteemed immortals, that I have received your great favor and am now willing to go through fire and water for you!"

The old man in the middle smiled and said:
"How could we allow the general to do such a thing!"

"I only need the general to gather another 90,000 hearts!"

In an instant, the man seemed to be stung by a poisonous bee and suddenly became fully conscious.

'Ninety thousand more hearts? That means killing another ninety thousand people?!'

'How can this be allowed?'

His heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly refused:
"Three immortal masters, that's a full ninety thousand people! How can we possibly kill them all?"

He had spent countless hours gathering 10,000 people, taking advantage of the chaos that plagued the southwest.

If we were to kill another 90,000 people, let alone where we could find so many people in a short time, even if we did find them...

If he were to kill people specifically to rip out their hearts, even his own soldiers would likely rebel against him!
Killing 90,000 people in a war, or even eating 90,000 people because there was no food, is completely different from killing 90,000 people to extract their hearts!

So just thinking about it made his heart tremble. But the three venerable elders, with their otherworldly airs, sighed:

"It is indeed extremely difficult, but General, if we don't kill these 90,000 people, and instead allow that demonic dragon to escape..."

After glancing at the Dragon-Locking Well and then at the man who seemed to be loosening his grip, the old man in the middle said bitterly:

"I'm afraid the number of dead is far more than just 90,000."

The other two also said:

"Yes, yes, if we had no other choice, we would not have wanted to see such a terrible thing happen!"

"However, the southwest is suffering from a severe drought. The people of the southwest have incurred this calamity. If we do not suppress it with blood and evil spirits, when the dragon raises its head, I am afraid that not only will the southwest be in danger, but even the general's great cause will be nothing but a mirage!"

The last sentence made that person's heart tighten instantly.

No, no, absolutely not.

I've already committed so many sins for this, how can I give up now?
We can't hide this from so many people. Once it's discovered, I definitely won't be able to explain myself to the Left Route General and the General of Yingtian.

Even that damned General on the left flank will seize the opportunity to attack me and try to kill me!
How can I, the dignified Right Route General of the Right Army, let all my previous efforts be wasted by giving up halfway?
Besides, that General on the Left Route, despite his nice words, still treated the disaster victims as food, and even called it protection!
Among the rebel army, the Left Route General is currently the most powerful, because his soldiers can eat meat every day!
But where does all that meat come from?

In this situation, where else can you find so much meat besides pork?
The Left Route General said that the pork and mutton came from places like Xifan, and because they came from different places, they tasted different.

But who doesn't know that's simply impossible!

First, it would be extremely costly; second, the mountain roads were winding and the weather was scorching hot, making it impossible to deliver so much meat without it spoiling.

However, since no one has seen it, let's just assume it's a 'pig or sheep' from the Western Regions.

After all, even he himself, after committing such heinous crimes, didn't he also use the excuse that the pigs and sheep from the Western Regions were given to his soldiers and officers?
He still remembers how anxious he was when he first started doing this.

Not only did they dare not leave their armor behind, but even outside the tent, their personal guards, fully armed and well-equipped, surrounded them.

What he feared most was that his subordinates would discover something was wrong and then cause a ruckus, taking his life.

But the result was...
Each soldier who saw it paused for a moment, then silently began to eat heartily.

He couldn't remember his reaction at the time—was he relieved, scared, or upset? He couldn't remember.

That's all I remember; maybe that's not right.
Yes, that's right, this is wrong! My mission is to prevent such tragedies from happening again!
Therefore, I want to become emperor and the Son of Heaven.

As for the 90,000 people
The man cupped his hands and said:

"For the sake of all living beings, let the common people suffer a little more!"

"I am willing to bear the infamy of being a sinner for all time!"

The first sentence was fine, but the second sentence immediately caught the eyes of the three old men.

Three elderly men stepped forward one after another, grasped the man's hand, and said:

"The general has the spirit of an ancient sage!"

"It is truly a blessing for the people of the world to have such a wise ruler as the general!"

"Oh dear, on behalf of all the people of the world, I thank you in advance, General!"

After saying that, the three of them squinted at the sky above them. After a moment, seeing the darkening atmosphere descending to earth, they became even happier and began to flatter the fool.

Yes, that's right! The cause and effect should be yours!
If you weren't greedy and didn't deceive yourself, how could we have killed so many people?
Seeing that these three "immortals" with extraordinary abilities far beyond the imagination of ordinary people were so flattering and fawning over him, a mere mortal, he was astonished.

The general was once again dazzled and mesmerized, his chest heaving with pleasure!

Even after he rode the leopard made of bones down the mountain, he still felt unsteady on his feet, as if he were on a cloud.

At this moment, a trusted subordinate beside him reined in his horse, looked back at the mountaintop with lingering fear, and said in a trembling voice:

"General! I have thoroughly examined historical records and have never heard of any immortal causing a 'destined person' to perform such a demonic act!"

"Since you have received the mandate of heaven, General, you must not listen to the bewitching words of those three old monsters and commit a heinous crime!"

These were heartfelt words, yet they caused the man's expression to change drastically.

"Insolence! How dare you slander the three immortal masters?!"

The subordinate general abruptly dismounted and knelt before the general's horse, blocking his path.

"General! It's not too late to pull back from the brink! What immortal would do such a rebellious thing?!" He turned sharply to his colleagues and cried out for help:
"Brothers! Come quickly and join me in advising the general!"

But everyone else turned their faces away and lowered their heads.

Seeing this, the man felt a sense of relief and spoke with a hint of contempt:

"Look! Everyone here is reasonable, but you alone are stubborn and obstinate!"

"Out of consideration for past relations, mount your horses and move aside immediately, and I will forgive your past transgressions. Otherwise, don't blame me for the ruthlessness of military law!"

The subordinate's throat bobbed, and he was about to rise, but the inner turmoil was too much for him to bear. He clenched his teeth and kowtowed heavily once more.
"General! I dare to speak frankly—you have been blinded by an overwhelming lust for power! You have lost your mind!"

"Please wake up! Please come back!"

The man flew into a rage and instantly drew his riding whip, lashing out with it.

With a sharp "smack," the general's cheek was ripped open, leaving a gruesome bloody gash running down his face.

"Damn it, I am the Mandate of Heaven, how could I be blinded by the lust for power?"

The subordinate covered his face; he didn't feel the pain in his face, but rather the pain in his heart.

Because he realized that the spirited and powerful leader he knew was truly gone forever!

That general who slaughtered a cow to feast his guests in his youth, and who was so heroic and generous, and that elder brother who cut off his own flesh to help his friends during a famine, and who was so affectionate and righteous, all died yesterday!
Overwhelmed with bitterness, he suddenly drew his longsword, startling those around him who hastily drew their own swords and shouted in rebuke:

"Old Zhang, what are you doing?"

"Put down your weapons immediately!"

"Are you trying to rebel?"

The man also felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. Could it be that even the brothers who had been by his side since childhood could not be relied upon?
Riding atop the white skeletal leopard, he spoke with a bitter expression and a profound meaning:
"The imperial court is too powerful; it's impossible for a righteous army to succeed on its own. Therefore, we must find a force that transcends the ordinary! One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand soldiers. How can you not understand this?"

Looking at the older brother who was still defending himself—no, not defending himself, but actually deceiving himself as well.

The general's heart was breaking, and he drew his sword, saying:

"Brother, you've really gone the wrong way. I'm sorry I can't accompany you any longer!"

After saying that, he committed suicide.

"oops!"

Seeing their comrade commit suicide, the other generals' faces tightened, followed by endless sighs of regret.

How stupid! How stupid!
We're all brothers, so let's apologize and let it go. Once our eldest brother sits on the throne...

Do you think you can get away without the rank of duke or marquis?
No matter how much wealth and fortune one can attain, it's impossible to hold onto it!
Watching his subordinate commit suicide, the right-wing general of the rebel army couldn't stop twitching at the corners of his mouth.

He kept asking himself, "Could it be that I was really wrong?"
But a moment later, his expression suddenly changed:

"Disregarding rank and disrupting the morale of our army, he deserves to die! Let's go, let his body lie exposed in the wilderness!"

The subordinate generals beside him were even more shocked.

He's a brother who came from the same place as you!
"Can't you hear me? Get out!"

Having said that, the Right Route General rode away on his white bone leopard.

Seeing this, the rest of the people had no choice but to lower their heads and follow.

The general's body was left exposed here.

(End of this chapter)