Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

At the moment of Chen Fei's death, the Dragon of Fortune of Great Chen let out a mournful cry that shook the lands far and wide, and all those who practiced cultivation knew it was the lament of the Dragon Qi, signifying the downfall of a dynasty and the rise of another.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"This catastrophe of the human path is finally about to pass!" some people rejoiced, as too many had died in this massive calamity.

"Alas! It seems that the position of the City God is no longer related to us." This was the sigh of those who once aspired to Divine Enthronement, but facing life and death, not everyone could remain indifferent. In the end, they lacked the courage to take that step, to gamble on that slim chance.

Lu Zhang, still on the march, also raised his head. It seemed as though a voice deep within him was telling him that Great Chen had perished.

However, at this moment, he showed no joy. To him, the demise of Great Chen had long been a certainty. What mattered was the governance after the chaos and dealing with the officials and Noble Families in Fengjing City left behind. It was a headache for him; he really wished to send these self-serving bastards to Hell, but as a mature Emperor, he could not do so.

He had to go against his own wishes and offer reassurance to these former ministers.

"Just thinking about it makes me sick!" he could not help but complain.

"Your Majesty, a moment of patience will lead to calm seas. After that, we are the knife and they are the fish on the cutting board – there will be plenty of time to deal with them slowly." Hu Shengliang understood why his master was unhappy and spoke to comfort him.

In fact, he himself was not too pleased. They had fought and suffered for many years to conquer the world. Meanwhile, the Noble Families and Clans enjoyed luxury and richness behind the scenes. Now they surrendered, and his people had to treat them carefully. They were deeply rooted, and to pull them out rashly would surely plunge the newly stabilized world back into turmoil.

Lu Zhang nodded his head, already beginning to strategize on how to handle these thorny Noble Families and Clans.

Meanwhile, Lu Yu, looking at the weeping Dragon Qi, could not help but sigh, "The struggle for the Dragon Qi on the Human Path is a fight to the death, and this vast Great Chen has been wiped away by wind and rain."

As a child, he had witnessed the heyday of Great Chen, a scene that now seemed like a dream. This powerful dynasty had been erased in the river of history, soon to become but a few brief notes in the annals of time. Strictly speaking, he too had honors from Great Chen, yet he ended up being its gravedigger, which was indeed a cause for endless sighs.

"Once the world is at peace, it will be time for the Enthronement of the City Gods, a long-conceived plan finally reaping rewards. I wonder how much merit I will be able to gain this time." Lu Yu turned his thoughts to the matter of Divine Enthronement, expecting a considerable amount of merit and meticulously pondering where to use it.

Generally, there are three uses for merit. The first is to combine it with one's own Fortune and Destiny, forming the Light of Merit with many wondrous uses, and most importantly, it is full of style – showing off the Light of Merit behind one's head during a fight can definitely blind the enemy's eyes.

The second is to Refine Magic Treasures, enabling the Magical Treasure to transcend the limitations of its material and actual refinement process. As long as the merit is sufficient, the Magical Treasure can become a legendary Merit Treasure, which can likewise suppress Fortune and Destiny with extraordinary uses.

The third is to merge with an Innate Spirit Root, to speed up the growth of the Spirit Root and repair any damage to it.

In Fengjing City, the so-called Noble Families had completely occupied the Imperial Palace. The upheaval at Zhaixing Tower caused them great losses, reining in their previous arrogance and starting to carefully tidy up the Imperial Palace – this merit must not be allowed to slip through their fingers.

The sound of arms rose, and Liu Qingyun was seen leading a large army into the Imperial Palace.

"General Liu has finally arrived, we've been waiting here for you for a long time, and the palace is almost cleaned up!" The people from the Noble Families said with obsequious smiles, complimenting him.

Liu Qingyun kept a cold face, he had seen through these people when his father died, flattering you to your face as if wishing they had crawled from the same womb, but when real trouble came, few were willing to lend a hand. He had no desire for fame and had resolved to distance himself from the mortal world, naturally unwilling to humble himself and engage in false cordiality with them.

"The Imperial Palace will be taken over by me, withdraw immediately!" Liu Qingyun said coldly.

The people from the Noble Families each wore embarrassed expressions, not expecting Liu Qingyun to be so discourteous to them, but they also knew full well that this young man was Lu Zhang's trusted aide and had distinguished military achievements, so they dared not provoke him, leaving the Imperial Palace with sheepish smiles.

"Humph! What's there to be so proud of? Acting so arrogant, he really thinks too highly of himself." Naturally, there were those among the Noble Families who were indignant, unaccustomed to such cold treatment after years of privilege, but their upbringing allowed them to control their emotions maturely, thus avoiding conflict.

"Why bother with such a bumpkin? We relied on them to conquer the realm, but to govern it, it will still depend on us, the Noble Families and Clans. Just wait, one day he will pay the price." Still very confident, they believed that as time passed, the power of the Imperial Court would gradually fall into their hands.

As for Liu Qingyun, he couldn't be bothered with these people. Having avenged his great enmity, his heart had long become indifferent to these matters and he was only waiting for the realm to stabilize before he would resign his post and withdraw from public life.

He walked aimlessly through the Imperial Palace, picturing countless times how he would face this place that once brought endless glory to his family, only to destroy it in the end.

This was the place he yearned for in his childhood, his father always spoke of it with utmost praise as if all the beauty in the world converged here, but later he learned that this place was not so beautiful after all, and in the end, he grew to despise it, for it was here that his family's fate was decided.

He walked to the ruins beneath Zhaixing Tower, where the once majestic building now lay in ruins, with sporadic flames flickering amidst the debris. The palace staff were busy clearing the wreckage, as the place would soon welcome its new master.

"Was this where he died?" he calmly asked a eunuch nearby.

"The Former Emperor took his own life in the grand hall, and later, that Enchantress Consort moved him here," the eunuch replied cautiously, not addressing those two with terms like 'the late foolish ruler' and 'enchantress consort' for fear that the young general would take offense.

"Let the grievances drift away with the wind," Liu Qingyun chuckled, feeling no excitement from avenging a great wrong, just a sense of relief. Life itself was a form of cultivation.

"Since the body cannot be found, let it be, perhaps that was the intention of the one who set this fire," Liu Qingyun instructed those around him.

Afterward, he stood still, lost in reminisce. The past was gone, and it was time for him to shed his burdens and move on, he thought to himself.