People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

The giant ice-iron bird arrived in front of Chongyue in the blink of an eye. Chongyue did not stop moving. He turned around slowly but quickly, like a turntable, which dissolved the biggest wave of impact from the giant ice-iron bird and guided the entire beast to fly to the side and rear.

To achieve great results with minimal effort, you need that initial effort.

How could the Ice Iron Giant Bird be an ordinary Originium Arts technique? Even though Chongyue had already deflected most of the impact, the true power of the Ice Iron Giant Bird was far more than just a simple impact.

The biting cold, so intense it could freeze even the collapse of nothingness, instantly eroded Chong Yue's arms. The frostbite caused his hands to quickly turn purplish-red. Before the cold came the excruciating pain, and then complete numbness invaded his senses within seconds of the pain rising.

Can't move.

The attempt to force the giant bird to turn halted in mid-air, but Chongyue smiled, shook his head, and sighed contentedly. Then, frost quickly covered his entire body.

The commentator, who had been stunned for some time, finally spoke several seconds after Icebird's explosive flight. The tremor in his voice was hard to pinpoint whether it was due to the single-digit drop in temperature inside the arena or genuine amazement at the match.

"Let's congratulate Mr. Jeston, it was simply an incredible match!"

Chapter 410 Don't worry about having no friends on the road ahead; who in the world doesn't know you?

Many years later, when Chongyue was living in the Sherag Mountains, chatting and drinking tea with Yeragand, Sami and others, he would still sigh when he thought of the battle in Kazimir that day.

"You guys were really ruthless back then!"

Chongyue, whose body was frozen solid, was slowly thawed that evening with the help of a medical sorcerer and a fire sorcerer. It wasn't until noon the next day that he fully regained consciousness and mobility.

His bodily functions weren't severely damaged, and he should be able to live for at least a few hundred more years without any problems. Chongyue never worried about dying of old age one day. After all, before that day came, it was more likely that the sleeping [Year] would awaken and take back its twelve Year fragments.

It sounds just like the Holy Lord.

As a powerful level-three behemoth, [Sui] does not require the fusion of all twelve Sui fragments to awaken. Theoretically, even with only one Sui fragment, its consciousness can be revived; it's just a matter of time and strength.

In this respect, he is the same as Shendu. Even a simple rat charm that turns stillness into motion can revive the dead, but it is always lacking.

Unlike the Holy Lord, the so-called incomplete year is actually practically impossible.

At the moment of resurrection, the Year exerts a strong attraction on His fragments, an attraction that is almost irresistible, much like the laws that describe the attraction between Stand users and the inevitable convergence of extraordinary characteristics—unless a unit of equal rank intervenes to stop it.

But where can we find a giant beast willing to step in and stop it?

Nian, one of Chongyue's sisters and a skilled forger, has a plan in her heart. She wants to use her powers to combine the strength of her brothers and sisters to create a "mechanical behemoth" as a substitute. When Sui awakens, the mechanical behemoth will act as Sui's substitute, absorbing her brothers and sisters into it to prevent them from being assimilated by Sui.

The mechanical behemoths have no subjective consciousness. As long as they can answer the question "Who am I?" once again within the mechanical behemoth's "heart," they can be reborn as individuals and completely rid themselves of the threat of the year.

This operation is rather complicated. To put it simply, it's like writing a software program that's part of a larger system called "Sui," creating a "monkeyed version" of the system, and then taking advantage of a malfunction in the larger "Sui" system to secretly change its own superior permissions and attach itself to the "monkeyed version" of the system it created.

This is nothing short of ingenious craftsmanship and a masterful substitution of the heavens.

But this plan is only a theory after all. Just looking at the surface content, there are too many unreliable aspects. If it were actually implemented, who knows how many uncertainties would arise.

Leaving aside the feasibility of creating artificial behemoths, and what would be used to create them, how can you guarantee that the "mechanical behemoths" you create will be more attractive than the old system when it awakens?

Even if a system is riddled with bugs and contains a mountain of shoddy code, as long as it still runs, it shouldn't be easily modified—this is a consensus among programmers. Moreover, the Behemoth system is a completely original creation. If you arbitrarily modify or imitate it, can you truly achieve a 100% perfect replica?

What if they get stuck inside? What if they come out as Shuo's underling, Xi's drunkard, Nian's socially awkward, Ling's constantly showing off his hot pot broth, and Shu's become a chess fanatic? That would be a complete mess!

Chongyue is currently unaware of Nian's secret plan, but given his personality, even if he knew, he probably wouldn't be optimistic. At most, he would be comforted by his sister's concern for her family and would only offer support other than direct assistance until the very last stage when all other options are exhausted.

There's no way around it, that's just the truth. He was too young to understand things, but he had to be. Chongyue never took risks in his life, and unless he was forced into a corner, he wouldn't drag his younger siblings into gambling.

Even though they were all his own flesh and blood, Chongyue never felt that he had the right to decide their future and lives.

This is why, as the largest fragment and the first agent to awaken, he personally separated the other fragments from his own body and called himself the elder brother, rather than the father.

respect.

He is not the high and mighty "He," but rather "He".

"Mr. Chongyue, are you feeling better?"

Ernst walked into the ward carrying a fruit basket, interrupting Chongyue's thoughts.

Chongyue smiled slightly and shook his head:

"I'm fine, it's just that I haven't been forced to be idle like this in a long time, and I'm a little unable to stop thinking."

When he was in Yumen, he would practice martial arts, using the sweat he shed to release the sorrows in his mind. The reason why his martial arts achievements were so high was, to some extent, not only because of his own interest, but also because of this "long-lasting sorrow".

This was the first time he had ever experienced having to rest on a raised hospital bed like this.

Is illness, which is part of the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death, a feeling that can only be experienced by those "born as human beings"?

That's quite novel.

Chongyue looked at Ernst:

"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Ernst. I am in good health and will recover after a short rest. There is really no need to worry."

Ernst nodded. He didn't doubt that Chongyue was lying about this.

After all, when he first came in, Ernst had heard nurses and doctors passing by in the corridor outside the ward sigh more than once that Chongyue's body was indeed special, a bit too good, a bit "unusual".

In Ernst's view, it was less that he was "unlike a normal person" and more that he was "unlike an ordinary person."

“Mr. Chongyue, I’m so glad you’re alright.”

Ernst handed the fruit basket to the approaching military attaché, gave him a slight nod, and the attaché nodded knowingly. He then took the fruit basket and left the ward, closing the door behind him.

Ernst didn't bring Hinterlea, so only he and Chongyue were left present.

Chong Yue raised an eyebrow, unsurprised, his voice remaining as steady as a mountain:

"Mr. Ernst wanted to see me?"

Ernst smiled somewhat helplessly and asked in return:

"Is Mr. Chongyue playing dumb with me, or did the Grand Tutor truly not inform you of this matter?"

Grand Tutor?

A hint of understanding flashed in Chongyue's eyes, but on the surface he still adhered to the philosophy of life he had always learned from the officials of Dayan: "If you can say you don't understand something, then don't understand it either; if you can avoid doing something, then don't do it." He shook his head.

"The Grand Tutor has not told me anything. If Mr. Ernst is asking why I was recommended by the Grand Tutor to represent the Yan Kingdom delegation this time, I know nothing about it either."

Ernst shrugged noncommittally, not continuing the conversation, and instead asked directly:

"Mr. Chongyue, is it a giant beast?"

"Oh?" Chongyue blinked. "How so?"

Ernst pointed calmly to the ceiling above his head.

This gesture is very characteristic of the Yan Kingdom; if one is not well-versed in Yan Kingdom body language, one may not be able to understand its meaning.

"There are gods three feet above your head," "There are people above me," and "That's what they told me." These can all be interpreted as meanings of the saying, and coincidentally, I encountered this situation again. All of the above are examples of its meanings.

How do we know this? We know it in this way.

Upon hearing this, Chong Yue stopped pretending. Firstly, there was indeed no need; it was a foregone conclusion that three colossal beasts were behind Sherag, so there was no point in continuing the charade. Secondly, he was genuinely curious about what the Grand Tutor had discussed with Prime Minister Sherag, and what deal they had made that involved colossal beasts.

He nodded slightly. Ernst then asked:

"How are things going in Yan Kingdom?"

Chongyue replied calmly, "Neither good nor bad."

The authorities were not kind to his family of twelve; one of his sisters died as a result. This is what is meant by "bad."

However, the people of Yumen loved him, his friends helped him, and martial arts practitioners revered him as a grandmaster. He also took on two disciples. Although his achievements were sealed away and his name was forgotten, and his family had to be separated due to the requirements of the Si Sui Tai (the Si Sui Tai required that if three or more people from the same year gathered together, they had to report it and have someone monitor them. Most of the time, this was considered a conspiracy and was not allowed), overall, he was still doing alright.

But I just don't know what Ernst meant by asking this?

A hint of doubt flickered in Chongyue's eyes, and a somewhat unbelievable guess gradually welled up in his mind.

Ernst's next words finally struck a boulder in Ernst's already somewhat turbulent state of mind.

"If there were an opportunity for you and your brothers and sisters to leave Yan Kingdom, who would you choose to leave first?"

Chongyue opened his mouth, about to answer with something like, "How could Yan Kingdom allow us to leave?", when he suddenly realized that Ernst hadn't asked, "Are you willing?"

He asked, "Who are you planning to let go first?"

It seemed as if this was already a done deal.

Chongyue's words caught in his throat for a moment before he slowly asked:

Whose idea is this?

The question had barely left his lips when he remembered the person Ernst had mentioned earlier, the one who had also defied all opposition to give him the opportunity to come to Kazimierz:

"Grand Tutor?"

To Chongyue's surprise, Ernst shook his head.

He gave a meaningful answer that Chongyue had never considered:

"Yan Kingdom".

Ernst said:

"During the World's Fair, the Grand Tutor visited Sherag and had a long talk with me about many matters concerning the giant beasts. He claimed that 'everything should be used to its fullest potential, and everyone should be put to the best of their abilities,' and he did not reject the use of the giant beasts' power. On the other hand, the Grand Commandant said that 'those who are not of our race will surely have different hearts,' and hoped to exclude the giant beasts, or even completely ban the giant beasts of Yan Kingdom."

"Their attitudes are actually not important. In feudal imperial power, the government is above and not below. Your country's true dragon is a capable ruler. No matter how big or strong the so-called debate is, it is just a contradiction that is put on the table for people to waste each other's energy."

Ernst didn't mean to deliberately praise the dragon; he was just telling the truth.

In feudal imperial power, an emperor who didn't act recklessly and remained diligent in his duties was considered capable. As for extravagance and debauchery, as long as it wasn't too outrageous, how much money could one person spend?

Those are all considered breaches of personal morality, and are not a big deal at all.

In a society where the government is ruled by the family, every word and action of the person in that position is magnified, which is why it seems so shameful.

If you were an ordinary wealthy man, he would buy a house, build a mansion, and take a few concubines. Who would bother to criticize him? Everyone would praise him and wish they could be like Fan Jin, passing the imperial examination and living that carefree life.

I just hate that it's not me.

Throughout history, those who have been criticized as incompetent rulers who brought disaster to the country, such as Emperor Yang of Sui, Wanyan Gou, and the war god of Tumu Fortress, were they all condemned because of their disastrous private lives?

The three campaigns against Goguryeo exhausted the people of the land; twelve imperial edicts blocked the northern expedition; the emperor was taken captive to the north; one battle ended the fate of the Ming Dynasty; not to mention the forced surrender, the seizure of the gate, and the killing of Yu Qian—these were truly acts of calamity to the country and its people.

As for matters of state, Chongyue understood, and Ernst certainly understood as well.

Why are there so many issues about the "Year Beast" (a mythical beast in Chinese mythology)? To put it bluntly, it's just internal strife within Yan.

How long has it been since the Great Yan Dynasty had any giant beast problems? Over a thousand years! How long has it been since the Sui Pian Dynasty caused any trouble? Over a hundred years. They're even working for you!

It's understandable that you're worried; after all, nuclear power plants need to be monitored to prevent problems. But to dismantle the reactor and abandon nuclear energy simply because a nuclear power plant might have problems is either foolish or malicious!

The meaning of "Grand Tutor" is actually quite easy to understand.

Whether it's something that's not of our kind or something that makes the most of resources, these are all superficial. The Yan Kingdom has only one fundamental problem with films: they believe that films are fundamentally a problem!

The emperor raised this issue for everyone to debate, but he didn't really expect them to come up with a solution. After all, they debated it this year, last year, ten years ago, and even a hundred years ago. After all this time, is there really no one who can come up with a solution?

Not necessarily. It's just a topic of conversation, like when your relatives ask you if you have a girlfriend when you go home for the holidays. It's a backup question when you've run out of things to talk about.

But why did the Grand Tutor travel so far to find Ernst this time to discuss this issue?

Because this problem, which has been debated for hundreds or thousands of years, has suddenly become a real problem.

It's really time to wake up at this age.

This debate, which should have remained unresolved forever, has suddenly become a problem that involves national welfare, people's livelihood, and "merits," and needs to be solved.

The world is bustling with activity, all driven by profit. Once profit is secured, whether it's for national welfare or career advancement, there's always motivation. And with motivation comes ideas all at once.

There are giant beasts in Sherag, so they've come looking for them, haven't they?

Suppose that the behemoths inhabit Rhodes Island instead of Kjerag in the future, they might still find their way to Rhodes Island. And this is quite possible; after all, Rhodes Island is, after all, the "main characters," and might actually have some solutions.

So, getting back to the main point, who was it that suggested the giant beast leave Yan Kingdom?

Is he the Grand Tutor? Is he the Grand Commandant? Is he the true dragon emperor?

No, it's the [Yan Kingdom].

Because the film is inherently troublesome, and Da Yan's attitude towards "trouble" is also very "yes, Prime Minister".

First, we declare that Sui Pian is not a threat at all. The Great Yan Kingdom is strong and prosperous, and it is a blessing for Sui Pian to work for the Great Yan Kingdom!

The second step is that we think there might be a problem with the year-end document, but it's not a big problem. The relevant government office (the year-end office) has already been established, so it can be managed.

Thirdly, we acknowledge that the issue of the old film industry may indeed be quite serious, and the imperial court has indeed provided a solution. We are discussing it, and we are discussing it every day. Please remain calm, do not believe or spread rumors, and wait for the relevant authorities to issue an announcement.

The fourth step was that the film really caused a problem, with a very bad impact. Various government departments worked together, a special task force was established, and an investigation and resolution began.

What, you're asking why we didn't investigate sooner?

We are sorry that this happened. We regret it very much. In the future, we will strengthen supervision, establish and implement relevant systems and laws and regulations, carry out relevant legal education, and provide psychological counseling to those involved to ensure that similar incidents do not happen again. Thank you.