Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 1071 What's Wrong with the Great Jin?

The land of Kyushu is in turmoil once again.

Even a minor incident in Luoyang can cause quite a stir if it gets out; but now that such a momentous event has occurred in Luoyang, it's like a raging storm.

Even the ordinary people of the capital, who pride themselves on having seen a lot of the world, have felt an unprecedented sense of tension these past few days.

It has been a long time since I have seen so many soldiers in armor and weapons in the city, shuttling back and forth day and night on the main streets and at the city gates.

With messengers bearing the ceremonial badges representing urgent military intelligence, the sound of horses' hooves thundered like a sudden downpour on the bluestone streets. From the imperial city to the various government offices, the atmosphere grew heavier day by day.

The chilling atmosphere, like a rising tide, grew ever stronger day by day.

A sense of impending doom and impending collapse weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.

The fact that Gaoyuan Mausoleum was blown up could not be kept secret in the end.

Soon, all sorts of true and false news began to circulate wildly in the shadows.

Fragments of information leaked from the palace stated that after a thorough investigation: "The first peak of Mangshan, from Matou Mountain to Shenwei Mountain, comprises thirty-three peaks. Now, most of them are polluted by strange, yellowish-brown water, losing all their spiritual energy. People and animals hesitate to approach. Moreover, many tombs of ancient sages in the mountains have been flooded by this eerie water, and the mausoleum of Emperor Xuan of the Gaozu Emperor has... vanished without a trace."

Of course, this is a embellished version of the secret.

What reached the ears of most ordinary people in the city was a relatively "mild" version.

The imperial mausoleum was severely damaged due to "anomalies in the earth's veins".

But no matter how they tried to cover it up, the fact that the entire Mangshan Mountain was surrounded by elite troops mobilized by the imperial court, with the rule of allowing people to leave but not enter, was undeniable.

Even those powerful families whose ancestral graves had also been damaged and who were anxious to save their tombs were now being kept outside the mountains by cold swords and spears, and were not allowed to go in to save their own mausoleums.

This uncharacteristic and almost inhumanly tough stance says it all.

The entire government and the public were shaken.

From top-tier aristocratic families to humble officials, from military generals to high-ranking local officials, almost everyone felt incredulous, and a sense of shock and disbelief arose deep within their hearts:
What's going on in the Great Jin Dynasty?
What on earth has happened to this glorious land of China?
Suddenly, all sorts of speculations, rumors, panic, and even hidden ambitions surfaced like sediment.

The clamor and uproar swirled in the air above this ancient capital, sounding particularly jarring and unsettling.

In stark contrast to the shock and panic in the secular world, the reaction of the cultivation community to this event was rather indifferent, far less shocking than the previous celestial phenomenon of "Mars guarding the heart".

In the eyes of most practitioners, the destruction of the imperial tombs of human emperors, though a major event, is not something to be overly concerned about.

On this continent of China, countless lives have been reincarnated, and emperors and generals are as numerous as fish crossing a river. Their tombs are often built one after another, and as the feng shui changes, they will eventually be assimilated by heaven and earth and return to their origin.

Today it is the high-altitude mausoleum of the Sima family, but yesterday, the imperial tombs of other dynasties also collapsed.

As for the appearance of Huang Quan in Mangshan, although it is somewhat strange, upon closer examination, it does not seem to be entirely inexplicable.

Located in the center of the world, Mangshan is a place of suppression where the human destiny is at its peak. For many cultivation sects that rely on pure spiritual energy, it is almost a forbidden area.

Moreover, that place is a place that has been connected to the underworld for thousands of years. Yin energy and dragon vein earth energy are intertwined. Occasionally, it connects with the underworld and bubbles up some Yellow Spring water. Although it sounds outrageous, in that special place, it is... barely understandable.
Those who were truly troubled and surprised were the practitioners who chose the "Fulongting" route.

They were deeply intertwined with the fate of the Great Jin Dynasty; their prosperity was intertwined with that of the nation, and their loss was intertwined with that of the nation.

Now that the tombs of the founding emperors have been blown up, the foundation of the nation's destiny has clearly suffered an unprecedented blow.

They began to hesitate about whether to continue betting their lives and fortunes on this seemingly precarious dynasty. This lineage... it just felt a bit dangerous to continue following the Great Jin.

The White Lotus Sect, which should have been the most likely to react to this matter and even take the initiative to "claim" it, remained unusually silent and made no move.

This is because the mysterious cult leader is currently busy implementing his "grand conspiracy" while also having to investigate the recent unusual fluctuations in the cult's holy land, "Vacuum Homeland."

Could it be that the White Lotus Mother is doing something unknown again, causing this strange movement?

As for Dazhi, the powerful figure in the sect, he was also busy with his own "grand conspiracy".

Two of his key plans in the north have recently been thwarted by unknown forces, and he is now in a state of panic, desperately seeking new opportunities to rebuild.

Moreover, I've recently heard rumors that a tremendous opportunity is about to emerge in the East China Sea, and I might have to go there myself to compete with various forces. I don't have the spare time to care about which mountain outside Luoyang has had its grave blown up.

Mahayana Buddhism, on the other hand, remained shrouded in mystery, its whereabouts unpredictable, and its contact with its followers became increasingly rare, as if it were detached from worldly affairs.

After Da Ci "resurrected," she never contacted the Mengshan Society, which she had founded. People in the sect speculated that she might be accompanying the White Lotus Holy Mother to comprehend more profound Buddhist teachings.

The few influential leaders in the sect who could make decisions were either too busy to attend to other matters or had their own agendas, so naturally no one stepped forward to "claim" this momentous event at Mangshan.

Therefore, the entire cultivation community's attitude towards this matter can be described as calm and even calm, at most causing only a few fleeting ripples and slight disturbances.

The truly turbulent waves were concentrated in the secular world.

The public reacted extremely strongly to the rumor that the imperial tombs were damaged.

If the ancestral graves of ordinary people are disturbed, it is enough to cause unrest and chaos in the family. How much more so when it is the royal mausoleum, which symbolizes the foundation of the nation's destiny?
If this happened in the royal family, it would be considered an outrage, and the scandal is still going on and on!
As a result, the entire court now knows that the emperor has fainted several times in court due to excessive grief. His health is poor, and he has not appeared to handle state affairs for several days. He only occasionally issues a few decrees from the inner palace to remotely control the situation, which has become somewhat out of control.

In reality, Emperor Jin was forced into this situation.

I naturally felt sad, heartbroken, and even angry, but not to the point of repeatedly fainting.

He truly couldn't think of a perfect solution to this unprecedented and horrifying event. He could only temporarily avoid the public eye, delaying the onslaught of public pressure and hoping that time would gradually calm this monstrous wave.

Privately, however, he was furious and secretly summoned his trusted advisors and spies, ordering them to thoroughly investigate the true cause behind the matter.

He absolutely refused to believe that this was a warning from his ancestors caused by his "immorality".

Because the moral character and conduct of Emperor Gaozu Xuan and Emperor Shizong Yuan... are probably... about the same as mine!
Since it wasn't my fault, there's only one conclusion:
There must be villains causing trouble and evil spirits running rampant, trying to cut off the fortune of my Great Jin Dynasty and destroy the foundation of my Sima clan!

First, through his connection with Empress Jia Nanfeng, he secretly arranged for his father, Jia Chong, to disguise himself as a palace eunuch and sneak into the palace to secretly meet with the emperor.

In the secret room, he whispered several shady instructions that could not be made public but had to be dealt with as soon as possible.

As an emperor who had controlled the court for decades, even though he seemed passive at this moment, he was never short of ruthless methods when necessary. Then, in a semi-conscious state, he instructed the imperial physician who came to take his pulse to "take good care" of the Grand Historian's body and see if there was any way to help him "recover as soon as possible".

They even implied that more drastic measures would be acceptable. Clearly, they couldn't wait for the Grand Astrologer, who could "shield" them from disaster, to continue his peaceful recovery.

Then, he took a stack of secret reports from his personal attendant and, by the dim light, focused on the recent movements of several princes and vassal kings, as well as the increasingly rampant rumors and reactions among the people.

The more you looked at him, the deeper the gloom on his face became, eventually transforming into an undisguised, chilling murderous aura.

He summoned the Imperial Advisor, who had been standing in the shadows, in a deep voice.

"Imperial Preceptor," the emperor's voice was icy, carrying an undeniable sense of pressure, "this time, you must not disappoint me again."

The Imperial Advisor bowed solemnly in agreement.

The events that occurred in Mangshan, north of Luoyang, also touched its most sensitive nerve. Naturally, it dared not take its strategic layout and survival lightly.

After leaving the palace, the Grand Preceptor immediately summoned his most clever and capable confidant.

He carefully took out an item and handed it to the person, instructing them to carry it with them for protection.

Relying on the fortune of the imperial dynasty to cultivate, what they collect will naturally not be those mundane things tainted with misfortune.

This object resembles a piece of crimson amber, its surface covered with fine golden patterns, like sparks flying from a burning flame.

It is about three inches in diameter, and its body is round and without edges. However, when it is still, it vaguely reveals the shape of a centipede, with its hundred legs winding and its antennae trembling, as if it might burst out of the ball at any moment.

"Haven't you always been dissatisfied with Suzhou's Jinlong? This time, I'll give you a chance to prove yourself."

The Grand Preceptor's voice was deep and seductive as he solemnly handed the crimson sword pill to the little centipede demon.

"This sword is one of the 'Seven Cultivation Swords' that the Long-Browed Immortal used to gather the essence of the five elements, employ the Nine-Nine Profound Technique, and refine it according to the seven innate true forms, spending countless efforts to create it. It is named 'Chi Su'."

"If the Shu Mountain Sword Sect hadn't been destroyed long ago, and such a divine weapon hadn't become ownerless, how could it be your turn, a little demon, to wield it?"

Its tone shifted, becoming authoritative: "Take it and make sure you find out the true cause of the events in Mangshan. Report back immediately if you discover anything!"

Upon hearing this, the little centipede demon was overjoyed and, with trembling hands, accepted the Crimson Su Sword Pill that contained terrifying power.

What a stroke of luck! An incredible stroke of luck!

If one can cultivate together with a divine weapon that is in harmony with this true nature, one will surely be able to break free from the shackles and achieve the Dao body.

Not daring to be negligent, he transformed into a faint yellowish-brown light and silently disappeared into the ground, rapidly heading towards Mount Beiman.

At the same time, the Long-Browed Immortal, who had been calculating in the north, changed his expression and headed towards the place where dragon energy permeated.

It seems that opportunity has presented itself.

Outside the inner court, in the imperial court, a completely different scene unfolded.

Since the emperor has chosen to remain silent, the court officials can no longer remain silent.

Otherwise, wouldn't all the raging anger of the people be poured onto these important officials in the court?

As a result, the high-ranking officials of the court, led by the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, began one emergency meeting after another.

Of course, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, the head of the Nine Ministers, was the first to be pushed forward to take responsibility. Although no official decree was issued, he had already confessed his guilt, removed his official hat, and knelt outside the palace gate to await his fate.

In contrast, the commanders under the Central Guard responsible for the outer perimeter of the imperial mausoleum, as well as the mausoleum supervisors who directly managed the mausoleum, did not receive such "respectable" treatment.

They were deemed unworthy and had already been dismissed from their posts, imprisoned, and awaiting rigorous investigation.

However, when the meeting reached the point about how to deal with the specific issues and how to handle the aftermath, everyone fell into an awkward silence.

The main reason is that... since ancient times, there has never been such a shocking precedent as "royal tombs flying to the heavens"!

With no established rules to follow and no established laws to abide by, it truly leaves one at a loss as to how to speak or what to say.

Moreover, most of the patriarchs and ministers present here had their ancestral graves destroyed by the underworld during this Mangshan calamity, and their clan mausoleums were also in a terrible state. Their hearts were filled with grief and anger, and it was a messy debt that could not be settled.

Those elders who were usually marginalized in the family seemed to be experiencing the highlight of their lives at this moment.

Their legs no longer hurt, their backs no longer ached, and they were all full of energy, as if they wanted to jump three feet high, hopping around in the ancestral hall and at clan meetings, cursing and accusing the leaders of being incompetent and causing their ancestors to suffer.

Those who make a scene openly are actually easier to deal with. It's simply a matter of giving them some money or favors to appease them, or making some small concessions in their children's education or career advancement. This will usually shut them up and temporarily settle things.

But the real trouble comes from those old guys who hold a high position in the family but always have a gloomy face and never say a word.

Their silence is more frightening than those who jump up and down and curse.

In this era where filial piety is the foundation of governance, the serious accusations of "unfilial piety" and "negligence leading to the destruction of ancestral graves" are enough to ruin the reputation of a promising official.

Therefore, at this moment, many court officials truly felt that they were on the same side as His Majesty.

Everyone was eagerly waiting to see how the emperor would respond, preparing to cross the river by feeling the "big rock" that was the emperor.

As long as the final conclusion is "the emperor is like this and that...", then most of the pressure of "filial impiety" that they themselves bear can be transferred out.

After all, if the sky falls, the tallest person will hold it up.

There were few truly good people among the court officials, but there were also few truly stupid ones.

After several heated debates and private deals, they finally came up with some seemingly feasible methods.

For example, the first urgent task was to deal with the water veins of Mangshan as soon as possible and to investigate the extent of damage to Emperor Gaozu's mausoleum.

(End of this chapter)