The Demonic World I designed
Chapter 202 - 202 195 A Difficult Choice!

202: Chapter 195: A Difficult Choice!

202: Chapter 195: A Difficult Choice!

“What do you all think?”

In the night, within the temporary district in Nanyang City where Tian Heng’s troops were stationed, a huge bonfire had been lit.

Tens of thousands of soldiers huddled around fires along the streets.

In the center, Duke Qi Tian Heng was inquiring of the dozen or so deputy generals led by Lan Xiang!

When resisting the Princess Royale, the situation had been so urgent that, after several considerations, he had his subordinates bear his War God Mark.

Before this, Chen Qing had shrewdly stationed Wang Ye with his soldiers in Yangzhou, resulting in days without communication with his own men.

It wasn’t until after they had repelled the Princess Royale that he finally had the chance to discuss future matters with his deputy generals.

And this discussion centered on the significant choice of whether to join Chen Qing’s forces or not.

Tian Heng felt Chen Qing was very scheming.

He designed many setups and even felt the Princess Royale’s assault might have been within Chen Qing’s plans.

Utilizing this, he found himself initially having no choice but to agree to allow his soldiers to join the War God Army.

Once a certain line is crossed, for many people, the internal struggle greatly diminishes.

Clearly, Tian Heng could sense that many of his soldiers had greatly loosened their stance on joining Chen Qing.

It wasn’t just the common soldiers; even Lan Xiang and others showed a moment of hesitation.

They hadn’t spent much time in Yangzhou, yet they had all witnessed the operation of the War God Army.

Many soldiers had privately made contact, and the temptation of that power had moved the hearts of the lower ranks within days.

Even if they were descendants of bloodline families, anyone with a shred of ambition would desire change.

The descendants of bloodline families, especially those of lower rank, seemed to enjoy high starting points and benefits in the eyes of commoners, but who knew their pain?

They were born with the certainty that they could never lead an army, born with the fate of only being vassals to prominent families.

They came into this world as laborers for the high-tier bloodline families, meant to protect those superior bloodlines on the battlefield and maybe find some significance among regular folks; but, facing even higher-tier families, weren’t they just as powerless as any commoner?

No matter how hard you try, there’s a ceiling to your bloodline power that simply cannot be broken through!

If it’s impossible to break through, why not just accept your fate?

Many common soldiers resented them for sleeping in and still securing good positions, but in truth, their efforts were mostly futile.

Some things…

are predetermined for commoners, and isn’t it the same for them?

During those days in Yangzhou, all soldiers saw a different kind of vitality…

Especially after experiencing it once…

After the etching of the War God Mark, all soldiers, including deputy generals like Lan Xiang, felt the reality of that power.

The power of the War God could enhance the body, expand the meridians.

Becoming stronger was tangible, it surpassed bloodline power.

Particularly for people like Lan Xiang, who had been stuck at the same level for too long due to bloodline limits, to suddenly make progress was a feeling…

so clear and wonderful.

It felt like a dream!

Before joining, if Lan Xiang had been asked by the Duke, there would have been no hesitation.

But now…

“My lord…

What do you think?” Lan Xiang cautiously asked.

Tian Heng was startled, then looked over.

Lan Xiang’s question was very cautious, and the other deputy generals around him all bowed their heads, sipping their meat porridge, obviously a bit guilty.

Even more exaggerated was a short distance away, many soldiers were quietly bowing their heads eating porridge, but if one looked carefully, they were trying as best as they could to hear the outcome of this discussion…

In an instant, Tian Heng understood the path his subordinates wanted to choose…

Suddenly, a sense of dread surged in his heart!

The direct troops he had led for decades had been swayed in just a few days?

Although they had not completely turned, it was obvious…

their hearts were already with the other side!

After a few moments of silence, the deputy generals’ heads sank even lower.

Eventually, it was Lan Xiang who reluctantly said, “Wherever you go, my lord…

we will follow.”

This was spoken sincerely, but considering the hesitation that preceded it, Tian Heng’s heart grew even more complicated.

“Show me your War God Mark,” said Tian Heng after a while.

Lan Xiang quickly extended his hand.

“Is this it?” Tian Heng looked at the mark that resembled a tattoo, his brow furrowed slightly: “What is that power like?”

“I can’t really explain it…” Lan Xiang answered carefully: “It’s a very peculiar power, as if it emerged out of nowhere.

I’ve tried it many times; it’s very gentle and doesn’t conflict with our own bloodline power at all.

It’s an additional force we can utilize, based on our foundation.”

“It can strengthen the body, fortify meridians.

Not to mention anything else, just the enhancement of meridians alone has made our bloodline circulate faster, it’s a real improvement…”

Tian Heng looked at him.

Deputy General Lan Xiang was the most cautious among all his deputies, which was why he had entrusted the rear to him.

Yet now, in just a mere few days, he held such high regard for the power granted by Chen Qing!

It seems…

the power of the Divine Path Sect is truly tempting…

With a bitter smile, Tian Heng didn’t make things difficult for his subordinates, but instead opened the map and said, “Chen Qing’s intention is for me to stay and become a god.”

“Become…

become a god?” All the lieutenants were taken aback.

“Yes, an existence similar to Xu Hu, the War God who bestowed you with power…” Tian Heng pointed at the map: “The god of the four seas, he wants to control Jiangnan, take charge of the Western Sea Route, and have me act as the Western Sea Dragon God on the surface, replacing the Duke of Qin to manage the Western Sea for the Imperial Court, but in reality, I would serve as the Sea God for his, Chen Qing’s so-called Divine Path powers.”

After a moment of silence, Lan Xiang finally said, “Quite ambitious.”

“Yes…” Tian Heng nodded.

“Quite ambitious indeed, he’s already divvying up the Western Sea before the battle has even begun…

Truly…

more audacious than the King of Qin back in the day.”

Everyone: “…”

“But it sounds good…” Tian Heng recalled Chen Qing’s words.

If you take control of the Western Sea, the vast waters of the Western Sea, including the entire Jiangnan waterway, will be under the jurisdiction of the Sea God.

Moreover, generally, those belonging to the sea god lineage need to possess the Dragon Clan bloodline to take charge properly.

General Tian, you have the Dragon Turtle bloodline.

After you become the Western Sea God, your bloodline has the best chance to evolve into a True Dragon, possessing immense potential.

Once you transform into a dragon, even if my Divine Path sect collapses in the end, with the body of a True Dragon, you will not be completely dragged down.

After leaving the Divine Path, you would still be endowed with the True Dragon Bloodline that grants you a lifespan of tens of thousands of years.

Lifespan…

tens of thousands of years?

Even though he was a rather open-minded type of person, he couldn’t ignore such a temptation.

After all, those who betrayed the King of Qin back then did so for immortality, and to say he didn’t have the slightest desire for it would be false.

His family had just been established, extremely fragile, and the most likely to fall apart after his demise.

If he could extend his life, even if not as much as Chen Qing said, even if only by a few hundred years, he felt he could fulfill his parents’ wish and build a strong, well-established Tian family.

“My lord…

what do you think?” Lan Xiang mustered the courage to ask.

Tian Heng glanced at him and then said, “We are not without options.

If we don’t join Chen Qing’s camp, we can still seek allegiance with the Imperial Court.

With the Duke of Qin missing and his power crumbling, the court is short on troops.

If we willingly seek to join the Siao Family and get recommended by the Hong Family, our treatment will not be bad.

In fact, due to the loss of the Duke of Qin and several other dukes, there will be many positions opening up in the army.”

Lan Xiang and the others were silent.

What was the difference?

To them, the Imperial Court would still reserve the most important positions for those born into the main branches of the noble families.

These lieutenants would forever be secondary; they are, their children will be, and so will generations to come…

Seeing this, Tian Heng sighed and continued, “If we join Chen Qing, our risks will multiply countless times.

To be honest, once other noble families find out about Chen Qing’s pattern, it will definitely be seen as the biggest threat.

Do you understand?

This won’t be just for once; if we side with Chen Qing, from now on it will mean being enemies with all the noble families under the heavens!”

Everyone continued to be silent.

They understood this logic as well.

Chen Qing’s set of rules was very attractive to middle and lower-tier noble families, but for those families already at the top of the ecosystem, it was different.

They were already at the peak, and as the beneficiaries of the status quo, what they least wanted was change and avenues for those below to rise up.

Chen Qing’s Divine Path Sect was digging at their roots!

“My lord, you…”

“To be honest, I’m actually not too worried.” Tian Heng laughed.

“Chen Qing clearly knows that among all the dukes, probably only I would be more inclined to be swayed by his offer.”

Hearing this, Lan Xiang immediately laughed.

That was true; Duke Qi had always been from a smaller family, having risen to prominence only in recent years, and wasn’t as conservative as those ancient families.

The entire Tian Family also looked up to Duke Qi as their leader.

“Enough…” Seeing all the lieutenants in anguish, Tian Heng sighed, “Brothers, since you all want to fight for your own future, then I will lead you into that fight!”

“My lord…” All the lieutenants looked up, their eyes filled with excitement and a hint of shame.

“Stop making those faces,” Tian Heng chided, glaring at them.

“It’s irritating.

Since we’re all not afraid to die, let’s take a gamble.

I’ve made it clear; although our families are still under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Court, it’s uncertain whether Chen Qing can make the court compromise.

Be prepared for the possibility of being expelled from your families!”

He was actually not worried that the Emperor would annihilate all the families of soldiers who defected to Chen Qing—that was the foundation of Great Jin, and the Emperor would be mad to do so!

“Once expelled from the family, in the future, you and your offspring will be deprived of all family resources!”

“Not just you, your wives, your children, it’s the same for all!

Have you thought this through?

If you lose the gamble…

you will end up with nothing!!”

Family resources, the privileges that all children of noble families are born to enjoy, start at a point already beyond the reach of ordinary mortals and continue generation after generation, enduring through the ages.

But if they are abandoned by their families, this noble status…

will slip away from them.

Their wives will no longer enjoy the glory and benefits within the family, their children will no longer receive the family’s cultivation, and upon failure, they might cause their offspring to become mere mortals, while those unmarried will even lose the chance of being matched with women from good bloodline families arranged by their own families.

They are not ordinary people who have nothing; if they choose to aim higher, they must gamble everything they currently have!