Ming Dynasty: Gain one supernatural power every day

Just moments before, Jian Ding was still indulging in pleasure in the imperial city.

The palace in Xidu was neither too big nor too small. It was originally the old palace of the Chen Dynasty, with red wooden beams and pillars, flying eaves and upturned corners, and light gauze hanging on all sides. Later, it was occupied by Jian Ding and used as the new prince's mansion.

He repainted the main hall left by the Chen Dynasty with gold paint, filled the hall with gold and silver utensils plundered from various places, inlaid cat's eye on the screens, covered the pillars with gold leaf, and even replaced the floor tiles with new ones.

The palace alone had more than two hundred dancers, all of whom were women forcibly conscripted from various prefectures in Annam. If their families dared not provide them, they would be punished with confiscation of their property or execution.

Jian Ding, shirtless and wearing only a thin yellow silk shirt, with a gold-embroidered handkerchief covering his face, was playing hide-and-seek with several concubines.

He stretched out his hands, grabbing and scrambling around the palace, while several concubines ran around, drenched in sweat and giggling.

The table was laden with fruits and wine, and candied fruit and dried meat were piled up like a small mountain. A few strings of pearls and crushed fresh flowers were scattered on the ground.

"Don't run away, beauty... I'll catch you right now... catch you!" Jian Ding, blindfolded, reached out and touched forward, his face still flushed from drinking.

Ever since he raised an army, occupied the Western Capital, and declared himself king, his life has become more and more extravagant.

He felt that this was the life a human being should live, a thousand times better than the impoverished life of living on the edge back then.

He thought the battle outside was still far off.

Just then, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the hall.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!" A scout stumbled in, leaves still clinging to his hair, clearly having run all the way in from outside. "The North Gate... a large number of Ming troops have suddenly appeared outside the North Gate! They're already at the city gates!"

Jian Ding ripped off the blindfold, sobering up considerably. He turned and yelled, "Bullshit! There's no news from the front yet. Did they grow wings and fly here? Impossible! To attack Xidu, they have to come by water or land. It's only been a few days; they can't have arrived yet!"

He waved his hand, "If you spout any more nonsense, drag him out and behead him!"

The scout dared not speak further and stepped aside.

But a moment later, suddenly, another person rushed in from outside. This time it was one of his guards, and his voice was urgent.

"Report! Your Majesty, news has come from the garrison commander at the North Gate: a large unidentified army has appeared. Judging from their flags, they appear to be Ming troops!..."

Jian Ding was taken aback at first, then his expression changed drastically, and he abruptly overturned the table in front of him.

Cups, saucers, and fruit plates crashed to the ground with a clatter. Several dancers were so frightened that they turned pale and knelt down, not daring to utter a sound.

"Impossible! It's all fake! You're all lying to me!" Jane roared hysterically.

He subconsciously drew the sword hanging on the wall, its tip pointing outwards, and paced back and forth in the hall like a wild beast driven to the brink of despair, shouting as he went.

"Impossible! I've only been king for a few days! I've only enjoyed a few good days! How could they have arrived so quickly!"

He was pacing around the hall like a madman, shouting, when suddenly a series of screams came from outside.

"Buddha and Bodhisattva! Buddha and Bodhisattva have arrived!"

May Buddha and Bodhisattvas protect us!

Jian Ding grabbed his sword and headed for the door.

He was already annoyed, and now all he wanted to do was kill a few people to vent his anger.

But as soon as he reached the entrance of the hall, he froze as if struck by lightning.

From the direction of the North Gate, the phantom of a huge golden Buddha statue is slowly rising from the horizon, its golden light illuminating half the sky.

The Buddha statue was solemn and dignified, with lowered eyes and a faint hint of compassion on its lips. But to Jian Ding, it looked exactly like a ghostly messenger, terrifying and frightening.

Jane's hand holding the sword began to tremble.

Although he claimed to be a Buddhist, he didn't truly believe in Buddhism. He only believed in fists and swords. It was through fists and swords that he rose step by step from a refugee who had to fight with wild dogs for food to become the King of Annam.

Even when he was fighting with stray dogs for food, the Bodhisattva never pitied him.

He fought his way through, and now that he's finally become king, you're telling him that there are Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the world, and they even appear right in front of him?

He looked at the palace maids, eunuchs, concubines, and dancers kneeling around him, all kowtowing and chanting something. He guessed they were reciting Buddhist scriptures or praying for the blessings of Buddha and Bodhisattvas.

Even the scout and guard who had just delivered the message knelt down; he couldn't hold back any longer.

"Impossible! It's sorcery! It's all sorcery!" Jian Ding was stunned for a few moments, then suddenly roared hoarsely.

"Get up! All of you, get up! Anyone who kneels again will be killed!"

He roared at the top of his lungs, but only a few people got up tremblingly.

Jane's eyes were bloodshot. She picked up her sword and walked toward the nearest dancer, who was still kneeling and chanting sutras, her head hitting the brick floor with a thud.

With a swift movement, he brought his sword down, and the dancer collapsed before she could even scream, her head falling to the ground and blood splattering everywhere.

"Who's still kneeling? Who's still kneeling! It's all fake! Let's see who dares to believe it!"

Chaos erupted both inside and outside the hall.

Several guards and palace servants with a strong will to survive scrambled to their feet, but Jian Ding was already in a bloodthirsty frenzy.

"Your Majesty, I've stood up!!!" A concubine had just been pulled up, and before she could even beg for mercy, a sword had already pierced through her chest.

"What I hate most is apologies afterward." Jian Ding had gone mad with killing intent. He swung his sword and hacked at anyone who was kneeling, moving slowly, or crying loudly.

"Double kill...Triple kill..."

In the blink of an eye, the once fragrant and enchanting palace courtyard was now filled with fallen bodies.

Those beauties who were just laughing and vying for his favor were now all corpses.

Those who were still standing looked pale as death, as if they were looking at a complete madman.

Jian Ding finally stopped. He sat on the steps, his sword planted on the ground, his face covered in blood, panting heavily.

He raised his head, looked in the direction of the vanished Buddha image, and suddenly burst into laughter.

"Fake! All fake! There is no Buddha! No god in this world! Only me! Only me! Even Buddhas and Bodhisattvas fear my sword!"

After the killing, he leaned on his sword, stood in the pool of blood, and stared at the fading golden light in the direction of the north gate, his chest heaving violently.

He turned sharply and roared into the hall, "Niu, come here!"

A somewhat roguish but handsome guard stepped forward and knelt on one knee: "Your subordinate is here!"

This man was a trusted confidant he brought from his hometown, who had fought alongside him all the way and was in charge of the imperial guards. He was the swordsman he trusted most.

"Do you believe in Buddha?" Jian Ding stared at him.

"I don't believe you," Niu Lai answered decisively. "I only believe Your Majesty."

"Why didn't you kneel while those people outside were kneeling?"

"If Your Majesty will not kneel, then I will not kneel either."

Jane stared at him for a long while before slowly nodding: "Alright. It seems that you are the only person I can trust now."

He wiped the blood from his face and lowered his voice, saying, "The Ming people have used some kind of sorcery to create a phantom image of a Buddha, and they're even besieging the city. The north gate is probably already lost. Go and reorganize the remaining guards. We'll withdraw from Xidu through the south gate and head to Thanh Hoa. The mountains there are high and the forests are dense; we can hold out a little longer. As long as I live, Annam still has a chance."

Niu Lai clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your subordinate obeys!"