Dao Equaling the Heavens
Chapter 295 - 193: Overwhelming the Lord Emperor_2

Chapter 295: Chapter 193: Overwhelming the Lord Emperor_2

The Lord Emperor ascends to the throne, boiling water to cook the people.

"We should never have been enemies."

The Lord Emperor’s telepathic voice arrived, laced with a hint of pride amidst its age, "I was born in poverty just as you were, the most talented since the Golden Age, and also the closest to becoming an Immortal."

"I can offer you Spiritual Objects to refine a perfect Ninth Level Dao Foundation, even share the Longevity Pill, how about it?"

Gu Wen revealed his Seventh Level Dao Foundation Perfection with indifference,

"You are not fit to compare with me."

In an instant, silence fell upon heaven and earth; no more telepathic messages came through.

The Seventh Levels Dao Foundation Perfection, achieved in less than a year—a height unreachable by others in their entire lifetimes, beyond even the Lord Emperor.

There is only talent in Immortal Land that cannot be refuted.

The unmatched legend on the earth’s rankings.

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Luo River.

On a muddy road somewhere, laborers shoulder to shoulder pushed the heavy supply carts when suddenly, a commotion erupted in the distance. A troop of Daqian flank cavalry emerged from the right side, and the Nanchun Army commander tasked with defense ordered his troops to intercept and loose their arrows.

The arrows grazed the flank cavalry’s helms, and as they looked up again, it seemed as though they had fallen among a pack of wolves, with soldiers and laborers alike showing a bloodthirsty glint in their eyes.

"Promote to the rank of public official those who kill an armored soldier or cavalryman."

The Nanchun general raised his spear, and overhead a majestic eagle soared past, its piercing gaze reflecting the battlefield in the distance.

That was the border between Nanshui and Luo River, the only land route out of Nanshui.

Wartime smoke threaded the earth and the sky as laborers strained to push the siege engines stuck in the mud, and a massive fireball was launched overhead.

Like a monstrous beast of war, belching flames, it soared over the battlefield, passing one military formation after another.

In the flicker of fire and shadow, soldiers roared and swung their weapons, some falling in death, others dealing death.

Farther away, the vanguard made it onto the walls, tipping the scales of the siege.

The once Nanshui flank army, now the soldiers of the Nanchun Army, all shouted as they had been instructed: "Spare those who surrender, reward those who defect. The Zhao family gave a few rewards, loosing two arrows is honorable enough!"

At such times, the first to ascend typically failed. The flank army still had the upper hand, but morale had started to crumble.

Defending the city gate with arrows was not the same as face-to-face combat.

The fight lasted only half a day, and before the sunset Jiang Jucai rode his horse into the city.

Then came the restraint of soldiers, the pacification of aristocratic families, promise of benefits, achievement of consensus.

These were the three strategies Gu Wen had given him: the superior strikes at the heart carrying the death of Wenren Wu to sweep across the world, the middle makes alliances with aristocratic families, the inferior offers benefits.

The primary collaborators of the Nanchun Army were aristocratic families—landed scholars and gentry. They compromised with the landed gentry to the fullest extent possible to obtain the least resistance. After conquering a place, the Nanchun Army would collect a lower tax than the imperial court and could continue their march on another region.

There was barely any need for governance or transformation into productive units.

And then Gu Wen said something Jiang Jucai would never forget for the rest of his life: "At this rate, it won’t take a decade before the world is in chaos again."

Why would that be?

One night, standing atop the city walls and seeing the aristocratic family estates were the only lights in the entire city, Jiang Jucai suddenly understood.

"What do you see?"

A familiar voice reached him, and Jiang turned to see a resplendent young man step out of the void and gently descend to the ground, floating as if an Immortal.

Gu Wen had just killed a True Monarch one level lower than himself with his Divine Soul, without even asking the individual’s family name, killing him casually because he seemed to stand in Gu Wen’s way.

The Taiyin Skill and this moment of Dao Foundation Perfection for the Fourth Level greatly accumulated his Divine Soul, granting him invincible power at his level.

Wars in past lives were extensions of politics, while now they were extensions of great powers’ authorities. The unstoppable momentum of the Nanchun Army was also Gu Wen and his group pressing down on all opposition.

Every region had the presence of Immortal Sect forces, large or small, all exerting some control over local affairs. Daqian was a product of a compromise between the Lord Emperor and the Immortal Sect.

Having encountered too many enemies along the way, Gu Wen was beginning to blur the lines between friend and foe especially after his insight regarding Chi Ling.

He thought, perhaps all who stand in my way should perish.

He needed a vast amount of Spiritual Objects for his cultivation; he must seize this world of the Immortal Land.

Reaching the Eighth Level of the Dao Foundation requires four hundred cycles of Heavenly Marrow, Eighth Level Perfection of the Sun Skill needs nine hundred, and even without cultivating the Immortal Skill, six hundred cycles of Heavenly Marrow are required.

Jiang Jucai widened his eyes, but his good nature soon suppressed his astonishment, and he quickly bowed with cupped hands, "Your nephew is honored to have not failed your expectations, I have captured the gateway from Nanshui into Luo River."

"You’ve done well."

Gu Wen nodded in approval, then looked toward the sparse lights in the city and asked, "What did you just see?"

"Only the aristocratic families can afford lamp oil, and they use quite a lot, even illuminating the roads."

"And then?"

"Your nephew recalled what you said: Compromising with the landlords would lead to less than ten years of peace in the world, and that we must restrain them properly."

"Correct, if you were to become Emperor, the people should be able to live peacefully for a few decades, maybe three generations would enjoy good times."

Gu Wen looked at him with approval; perhaps Jiang Jucai was not yet perfect, but he understood the common people’s sufferings and the harm of aristocratic families.

That was already much higher than the average capacity for an Emperor.

Jiang Jucai scratched his head awkwardly and asked, "Mr. Wen, don’t you want to be Emperor? If you did, how would you handle it?"

"For now, I have no such ambitions; as for the eventuality of me taking the throne..."

Gu Wen first shook his head, showing little enthusiasm, but then his expression turned thoughtful, and his calm eyes slowly began to gleam.