Night had deepened.
Wei Yuan sat before his desk. Countless glowing spheres drifted in front of him, each representing a matter of official business. Dividing his mind into a thousand threads, Wei Yuan read through the official documents one by one.
All these documents had been generated by the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World. Logically speaking, it was almost incapable of making errors, but the administrative affairs before him concerned the livelihoods of ten million mortals. Wei Yuan still could not set his mind at ease, reading through them character by character.
In truth, with the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World having developed to its current scale, with a million mortals online at every moment, its proficiency had long since surpassed that of the vast majority of Dharma Idols. To this day, judicial judgments within Qingming's government offices were first ruled upon by the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World. Only if the presiding official held a strong objection to the outcome would it be submitted to the Council of Administrative Affairs, where a seven-member review court composed of Yuan Qingyan and others would render the final verdict. Matters that even the review court found difficult to decide were reported up to Wei Yuan.
Judged by real-world efficacy, the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World's acumen in resolving cases far surpassed that of the so-called upright magistrates. In its eyes, there was no worldly etiquette or favoritism, only laws and statutes. It might be cold, but it was absolutely fair. Of the rulings it handed down, only an infinitesimal fraction ever required review.
Furthermore, having the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World judge lawsuits brought another benefit: if one party possessed immense power and influence and wished to grease palms with bribes, they wouldn't even know where to stuff the money.
Yet Wei Yuan always felt that the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World could not be omnipotent in everything, so when it came to major matters, he consistently insisted on handling them personally. Another reason was that if he didn't even do this much, he would truly have no sense of presence left.
Right now, the business he needed to handle was a momentous decision: recruiting displaced refugees from Western Pu and the State of Zhao to transport them to the former lands of the Mountain Folk in the State of Ji for development and settlement.
Wei Yuan planned to recruit ten million refugees in the first phase, airlifting them all in via floating vessel airships to take root and flourish here. The second and third phases would depend on the situation.
Originally, 2.7 million people had already been relocated from Hanchuan Commandery. However, Wei Yuan possessed a vast number of realm stones. He had already planted five realm stones in a ring around the exit of the secret realm, while the remaining few steadily extended toward Guantun County, forming a corridor. Another corridor stretched far into the depths of the Mountain Folk's territory, preparing to outflank and encircle all the Mountain Folk in this region.
Although the territory's shape resembled a hook and was rather strange, its actual area was already colossal; two million people were nowhere near enough to fill it.
Qingming now had seventy million people, but industrial development was progressing so rapidly that its population was barely sufficient for its own needs. Even so, Wei Yuan had mobilized five hundred thousand energetic, capable young people in one go—including all kinds of talents—and after granting them various generous incentives, transported them to the State of Ji to serve as the backbone of the expansion.
To transform heaven and earth required realm stones, but it also required people. Without sufficient population, even Immortal Stone Qingming would gradually be assimilated by heaven and earth.
This grand migration plan of Wei Yuan's was truly magnificent, a rare undertaking in history.
To ensure nothing went awry, Wei Yuan had already quietly transported a full hundred thousand heavy-armored troops and nearly a thousand artillery pieces ahead of time, including ten thousand elite youths of the Xu family. Troop numbers were no longer the critical factor now; the quantity of artillery shells was. The five million shells stockpiled in Guantun County were the bedrock of Wei Yuan's confidence at this moment.
Since ascending to True Monarch, Old Daoist Chuhe's might and methods were far beyond the ordinary. In just a few short months, he had bred guinea pigs suitable for surviving in the Mountain Folk's territory and cultivated a new strain of wheat that was drought-resistant, capable of withstanding large temperature fluctuations, and did not require much water—perfect for farming in the Mountain Folk's lands. Moreover, one crop could be sown before the onset of winter and harvested between spring and summer.
Only after reviewing over 3,300 official documents in total did Wei Yuan finally finalize every detail of this grand migration, signing his name in the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World so that the plan could be officially implemented.
As he penned the final stroke of his name, Wei Yuan suddenly felt a faint tremor ripple through the Great Dao of heaven and earth. This disturbance was exceedingly subtle; the former him at the peak of Dharma Idol could never have perceived it, and only the current him at the peak of Dharma Idol could capture a wisp of it.
Perhaps this was the heavenly mechanism? Did the heavenly mechanism also respond to momentous human undertakings?
Wei Yuan pulled back his thoughts and swept his divine sense across the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World. The Weaponsmith Workshop and the skyship workshops had already taken the first steps; the very first phase of the grand migration plan was to begin construction on fifty floating vessel airships every month.
Each airship could transport several thousand people along with the necessary supplies. According to plan, after a few months, Qingming would possess several hundred floating vessel airships, capable of transporting nearly a million people in a single trip.
Meanwhile, the rebel forces in the State of Ji were gradually recovering their strength, and the government troops had begun suffering defeat after defeat. The King of Ji replaced seven generals in succession and executed two of them, but the overall situation showed not the slightest improvement.
In the end, the King of Ji reluctantly adopted Sun Chao'en's proposal: falling back to defend several mountain passes and implementing a scorched-earth policy, which finally managed to halt the spearhead of the rebel army. However, with Sun Chao'en gaining favor, Cai Miao was the one who had to suffer the exhaustion, returning to the Sun Manor late into the night every evening.
Wei Yuan, on the other hand, maintained his no-man's-land isolation strip. Whether government forces or rebels, anyone who dared to enter this isolation zone was annihilated without exception.
Out of sight behind the isolation zone, numerous flying vessels, like flocks of wild geese, came and went in an endless stream, continuously ferrying people and all manner of supplies from Qingming.
Prosperity gradually spread across the lands of the State of Ji as fertile fields sprang up from nothing. Around the exit of the secret realm, clusters of workshops and forests of blast furnaces were erected. Every day, over five thousand cultivators tempered their Dao Foundations in the energy-supplying formation arrays alone, with another thousand in reserve; if anyone wished to stop, a replacement stepped in at once.
With each passing month, the material output of the State of Ji base climbed to a new level. The local daily production of crude iron now reached ten million jin, cement in the millions of jin, with countless other minerals beyond count.
In the summer and autumn of this year alone, True Monarch Chuhe cleared twenty million mu of farmland. The lands of the State of Ji could yield three harvests a year—half that of Qingming, but twenty million mu was still enough to feed thirty million people. The old Daoist rushed frantically, finally managing to sow all the winter wheat before late autumn. This way, when the harvest arrived in early summer of next year, the State of Ji realm would be entirely self-sufficient in food.
Time slipped by, and in the blink of an eye, winter arrived. As snowflakes began to drift down, Wei Yuan finally completed the relocation of all ten million refugees to the State of Ji. At this time, the world was still completely oblivious that behind that stretch of Heavenly Pillars, another vibrant expanse of fertile land had emerged.
Come the New Year, twenty-two Dharma Idol Strength Shamans from the Desolate Ancestor Tribe completed their studies at the Qingming Military Academy, returning to the Desolate Ancestor Tribe equipped with enough gear to outfit tens of thousands of Shaman Clan mighty warriors.
Upon their return, Great Desolate Sun immediately organized several secret drills and sparring competitions within the tribe. The individual combat power of these Dharma Idol Strength Shamans had increased only modestly, but once their numbers grew, they naturally began to coordinate. A mere twenty-some warriors executed countless tactical maneuvers, wheeling and interpenetrating, thoroughly routing a simulated unit of a hundred Dharma Idols portrayed by three Desolate Shaman elders.
Beyond his shock, Great Desolate Sun was ecstatic. He immediately set about overhauling his tribe's entire military, establishing a new army modeled after Qingming.
In the first month of the fourth year of Hongjing, an air of jubilation filled the imperial palace of the Great Tang. One of Emperor Jing's secondary consorts gave birth to a son, who became the eldest imperial son. At this time, there was still no movement in the Empress's womb.
Emperor Jing felt somewhat pleased himself, yet when alone, he would occasionally wear a dazed expression. He had not even reached twenty years of age; how had he suddenly ended up with a child?
Moreover, the appearance of the eldest imperial son caused him to toss and turn, unable to sleep through the night.
On this very same day, Wei Yuan finally received the Tang court's decree of enfeoffment. The imperial edict was personally delivered by Wei Boyang, and the two took the opportunity to reminisce about the past.
Time sometimes passed very quickly. Wei Boyang still remembered when he had first arrived in Qingming and met Wei Yuan for the first time. Back then, Wei Boyang was an aloof, exalted Scenery Command powerhouse; if he wanted to fight, he had to go beyond the heavens, as this realm could no longer contain him.
Who could have foreseen that after merely a dozen or so years, Wei Yuan would have grown to stand on equal footing with Wei Boyang? Yet Wei Boyang always felt something was off about Wei Yuan being at the peak of Dharma Idol. However, the karma Wei Yuan carried was now too heavy, and a veil of fog shrouded his heavenly secret, striking awe and dread into Wei Boyang such that he dared not attempt any divination.
Wei Yuan, meanwhile, noticed that compared to their first meeting, the current Wei Boyang had visibly aged and weathered. The soaring spirit that had once burned like the morning sun was almost entirely gone.
Wei Yuan therefore inquired roundaboutly about court affairs. Wei Boyang fell silent for a long time before saying, "The Prince Regent holds absolute power in his hands. How could turmoil not follow?"
"Didn't the Prince Regent always have a reputation for wisdom, hailed for great talent and bold vision?"
Wei Boyang gave a wry smile. "That was several years ago. Now, in many matters, he barely even bothers hiding his actions from others. The court civil and military officials all know a thing or two, but none of them dare speak of it."
There was truly not much the two could say to each other now. Wei Yuan naturally could not let him see the development in the vast expanse beyond the State of Ji, so he had not even allowed him into Guantun County to deliver the edict, receiving him only within the no-man's land. After a brief chat, Wei Boyang returned to the imperial capital.
Wei Yuan unfurled the imperial decree and read it once more. Its contents were just as Wei Yuan had wished: he was appointed Military Commissioner of Xianghan in Yizhou. However, Wei Yuan's last memorial had been submitted in the spring of the third year of Hongjing, and Emperor Jing's approval had been granted in the same month, yet the formal decree had only been issued around the turn of autumn and winter, and it had reached Wei Yuan's hands only in the first month of the following year. This delay in between gave much food for thought.
Presumably, someone had felt disgruntled and deliberately dragged their feet, wanting to give Wei Yuan a spot of frustration as well. Petty figures of this sort were everywhere.
Yet Wei Yuan cared nothing for petty court squabbles in the Great Tang; his whole heart was poured into building the State of Ji territory. Currently, the entire region had thirteen million people, and because supplies were abundant, over three hundred thousand babies were born as winter set in, with even more expected come spring.
Qingming's past had long since proven that as long as mortals were fed, clothed, and given a clear view of hope for the future, they would bury their heads and have children with boundless enthusiasm. Without a future, merely being warm and well-fed was not enough.
Wei Yuan could sense the joy of the entire land, and naturally, he could also feel the surging malice emanating from deep within the Mountain Folk's territory.
In the second month of the fourth year of Hongjing, the nurturing Qingming had accumulated over a long time finally reached a critical threshold, breaking through once more to enter its final form. From this moment onward, Qingming formally advanced toward the expanse of ten thousand li.
The earth qi erupted throughout the entire realm, filling the mortals with joy. Having had a premonition three months prior, Wei Yuan had already announced a new round of childbearing subsidies. For every child born to mortals, a subsidy of one Qingyuan per year was granted. Body Tempering peak cultivators who had a child received ten Qingyuan, and Dao Foundation cultivators who bore a child received a hundred.
As for Dharma Idols, Dharma Idols did not lack that meager amount.
This subsidy was unprecedented in generosity. The exchange rate of Qingyuan to immortal silver held firm at 1 to 1.5, showing no sign of falling. Thus, when Qingming's earth qi erupted, countless people naturally entered childbearing mode. Within a single month, a million people in Qingming became pregnant. These families would naturally all contribute karmic luck.
In the second month of the fourth year of Hongjing, Wei Yuan's accumulated karmic luck once again surpassed thirty million. By now, the jade sphere in midair, centered on the Heavenly Pillar's vitality, had long since absorbed the worldly yuan qi and surrounding matter, transforming into a massive stone sphere.
The temperature within the stone sphere was already extremely high. Finally, on an afternoon, the stone sphere abruptly absorbed all of Wei Yuan's human luck; a point within it collapsed, and then it burst forth with supreme light and heat!
The entire stone sphere began to burn furiously. The Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World finally welcomed a great sun; from this point, both sun and moon were present, achieving preliminary completion.
At this time, the small temple in the Western Pure Land gained another tier. The lotus pond expanded slightly, showing the first signs of a sea of blood, with several azure lotuses blooming within the pond.
The Sword of True Tribulation was still transforming toward the Origin of One Sword, but several small floating islands now rotated around the giant sword. Some of these floating islands bore thatched cottages, while others featured landscaped mountains and waters. Xihe and Yin-Yang often lingered here, discussing the Dao and playing chess, far removed from the mortal world.
Yet whenever the two played chess, disputes were inevitable.
Xihe insisted on leaving a margin for leeway, constantly wanting to take back moves; Yin-Yang was obsessed with capturing all of Xihe's stones, feeling comfortable only when not a single one remained. Consequently, every time they played chess, they inevitably came to blows. The mortals in the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World had long grown accustomed to the spectacle of sword qi piercing the heavens and twin dragons soaring across the skies.
The Central Earth Grotto-Heaven remained the same as ever, carpeted with Mirage Demons. Wei Yuan had almost forgotten the names of the three Scenery Command cultivators, and the three Scenery Command cultivators had almost forgotten what Wei Yuan looked like. Yet although the Earth Grotto-Heaven expanded swiftly, it could not outpace the proliferation of Mirage Demons; it remained packed to the brim, barely revealing its true terrain.
The Yellow Springs Grotto-Heaven was bustling with activity, as various yin souls emerged in an endless stream. Wei Yuan didn't even recognize many of them, unable to tell which world they had been drawn from. Moreover, with the development of the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World, the souls drawn to the Yellow Springs Grotto-Heaven possessed ever-higher spirituality, and many even retained a shred of lingering obsession from their previous lives.
As a result, disputes also broke out within the Yellow Springs Grotto-Heaven, giving Wei Yuan the spectacle of ghosts brawling in his lifetime—an eye-opening sight indeed.
To allow the ghost souls to find peace in release and smoothly reincarnate, Wei Yuan had no choice but to build a great hall here, intending to station powerful cultivators to guard it and specialize in resolving disputes among spirits. And seeing this rate of growth, a single hall would likely not suffice; more halls would have to be built in the future.
But selecting a candidate for this post was no easy task. Who would want to stay in a ghostly place like the Yellow Springs Grotto-Heaven? After thinking it over from all angles, Wei Yuan arrived at an isolated island across the sea.
On this island, the heavenly demon had stood facing the sea, watching the flowers bloom in warm spring for many years.
"I have a job for you," Wei Yuan said.
These were the first words the heavenly demon had heard in a very long time.
Weeping tears of joy, it lunged forward, grabbed Wei Yuan's thigh, and wailed loudly. Watching Xiaoyu weeping while hugging his thigh, though Wei Yuan knew it was fake, his Dao heart felt exceptionally lucid and unburdened, so he let it weep a little longer.
Leaving the ocean island, Wei Yuan tilted his head back to gaze at the sky. A crimson sun illuminated the firmament.
And the moon—the moon was still there.
With the birth of the great sun, this world had become different. It possessed its own breath, and together with ten thousand li of rivers and mountains, all the grotto-heavens were striving to grow. All sentient beings felt joy in their hearts, looking forward to tomorrow.
From this moment forth, the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World engraved a new true name into the Great Dao of heaven and earth:
Flourishing of the Many Realms.
And Wei Yuan felt that he was still that youth at the peak of Dharma Idol. Perhaps he was even still that reckless, insignificant little Dao Foundation cultivator who had planted Qingming that day and boasted bold words to the heavens.
In the second month of the fourth year of Hongjing, a palace maid in the Great Tang imperial palace slipped and fell into the water, drowning along with the eldest imperial son, who had barely reached his first full month of life.
Chapter 1019