Morale

Immortal Monarch Liumiao said nothing when he departed, leaving it unclear whether he was satisfied with Wei Yuan's answer. What Wei Yuan had spoken was naturally the truth—he simply had not told the whole of it. While the azure qi of human fortune was considered the most fundamental tier of karmic luck, subtle differences still existed within it, especially after passing through Wei Yuan's hands. A slight improvement in quality and a tiny shift in nature were unnoticeable in small quantities, but when gathered in immense numbers, a tremendous disparity emerged. It was just like black gunpowder: when formulated with incorrect ratios and low purity, it was fit only for firecrackers and fireworks, yet when meticulously refined and carefully processed, it immediately became a lethal weapon. The spiritual wood fiber gunpowder and fertilizer gunpowder that followed were even more so. Furthermore, as long as Wei Yuan stood nearby, the karmic debt backlash would be drastically magnified, to say nothing of the fact that this karmic luck had been personally blessed by him. Wei Yuan had only spoken one undeniable truth: incurring guilt before Heaven did indeed bring additional retribution. It was just that the penalty was not so severe, and there were myriad means to circumvent it. To a certain extent, heaven and earth were truly unjust; immortals could do whatever they pleased. With Immortal Monarch Liumiao in retreat, Wei Yuan did not leave the city either. Instead, he stood atop the ramparts observing the flow of qi, his divine sense repeatedly sweeping across heaven and earth. He then dispatched hundreds of Dao soldiers in successive waves to scout ahead, confirming only then that the path toward the territory of the Mountain Folk was safe. An immortal's methods could reach heaven and penetrate earth, and Liumiao had long laid an ambush within nature itself. Such an ambush consisted merely of a wisp of divine sense without any Dharmic power, completely undetectable to Wei Yuan. Yet the moment Wei Yuan stepped into the snare, the surrounding environment would instantly come alive, transforming into all manner of vicious ghosts and ferocious puppets to besiege him. Moreover, the immortal's divine sense would mark Wei Yuan, and once marked, the immortal could strike directly across realms from beyond heaven. With multiple layers standing between them, the karmic debt incurred from killing Wei Yuan would be drastically reduced. Though Guantun County was small, it had a long history, having been established over three hundred years ago. The land within its borders was fairly fertile, which was why its population had hovered around one hundred-odd thousand throughout the centuries, weathering countless natural disasters. Yet in a single rebellion, the entire county's population had plummeted to forty thousand, with only twelve thousand remaining within the town itself. No rebel troops had ever crossed its borders; it had actually been ruined at the hands of the imperial army—a disaster born of men, not the calamities of war. Because the county seat had stood for so long, its domain was fully nurtured and self-contained, making it difficult for an immortal monarch's divine sense to blend in. Furthermore, Immortal Monarch Liumiao despised places tainted with the official aura of orthodox administration, leaving his divine sense no choice but to lie in wait outside the walls. At first, Wei Yuan naturally had not known all these details; he had simply harbored an instinctive reluctance to leave the town. But Liu Heihu's subsequent behavior made him realize something was amiss, convincing him that an ambush must be waiting outside. Coupled with his peerless karmic luck, all kinds of omens naturally manifested around him. Seeing that his stratagem was not working, Liu Heihu had no choice but to launch an all-out assault. Even so, he failed to force Wei Yuan out, only to be routed by the endless Dao soldiers Wei Yuan summoned, ultimately compelling Immortal Monarch Liumiao to manifest and intervene in person. The moment the immortal appeared, Wei Yuan understood at once why he had been so unwilling to step outside earlier. When Immortal Monarch Liumiao departed, he naturally had no idea that hundreds of tasks had already been established in the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World. Everything from his background and personal history to the art of the colossal hand that had crushed the Dao soldiers had been broken down into analytical projects, subjecting him to a comprehensive, head-to-toe, inside-out examination. Moreover, this analysis was directed by Feng Chutang and Ji Liuli. Back in the day, these two had been chosen to instruct the junior initiates of the Palace of Grand Beginning, meaning their mastery of cultivation theory was profoundly deep. Given enough data, they could deduce even the material of Immortal Monarch Liumiao's undergarments—assuming he wore any. Ten days later, a contingent of several thousand rebel troops arrived at Guantun, escorting over thirty thousand commoners while presenting a boundary stone and the official seal of a county magistrate. These represented the entire population of a neighboring county; its magistrate and officials had fled the city long ago upon hearing that the rebels were coming, failing to accompany them. The leader of the rebels was a young cultivator of grave countenance, sharp and capable, without the slightest trace of banditry about him. Yet the rebel soldiers held him in extraordinary awe. Mounted on his horse, the young commander watched the starving refugees file slowly into the county town. Turning to those beside him, he remarked, "Once all seven counties are delivered, that will be hundreds of thousands of starving refugees. Where are they going to get so much grain? This man has bitten off more than he can chew. Even if these people make it here, I fear few will survive." A scholar beside him said, "Is this not merely fishing for fame?" The young general shook his head. "It will still allow more people to live. It cannot be called fishing for fame." At that moment, three warriors flew out from the town, arriving directly before the young commander. Cupping their hands, they said, "The Lord Military Commissioner says that all of you have traveled far and worked hard. Have a meal before you go." The young general and the scholar exchanged a look, both astonished. The scholar signaled with his eyes, hinting that they should not enter the town. Yet the young general said, "No matter. If Lord Wei wished to destroy us, it would hardly be more difficult than crushing an ant. Pass the order to the entire army: stow all weapons and enter the city! Once inside, no clamoring and no fighting. Violators will be executed, and their superiors held jointly liable!" Once the command was given, this detachment of rebels sheathed their blades and spears, maintaining what could truly be called strict discipline. A short while later, the several thousand rebels entered the city. The moment they stepped past the gates, the rich aroma of meat met their noses. Someone then led them to an open clearing where several large caldrons had already been set up, brimming with stewed meat! There were also over a dozen vats of steamed rice and mantou, and every man was dished a large bowl. The general did not immediately order them to raise their chopsticks. Instead, he asked, "Dare I ask, what meat is this?" The Dao Foundation cultivator who had guided them smiled. "Just eat. It isn't human meat, in any case. Our Realm—er, our Lord Military Commissioner would never do such a thing." The scholar lifted a piece of meat to examine it closely, then took a sip of the broth before saying, "It is rich and fragrant. Definitely not human meat!" Only then did the young general's expression relax. Bowing in salute, he said, "Forgive our offense earlier. Please convey my apologies to the Lord Military Commissioner as well." "It's fine. Eat your fill. I still have matters to attend to, so I won't keep you company." "Wait!" The young general stopped the cultivator and asked, "May I look upon your true face, sir?" The cultivator chuckled. "You certainly are sharp. I put on a slight disguise only to avoid causing a stir. Since you've seen through it, I'll let you have a look." A ripple like water washed over the cultivator's body as his appearance shifted, ultimately resolving into a Wood Element Dao soldier. Staring at that rigid, wooden face unmistakably etched with tree rings and grain, the young general and the scholar found it impossible to connect it to the cultivator who had seemed no different from a flesh-and-blood human just moments before. The Wood Element Dao soldier smiled. "Now that you two have seen, enjoy your meal. Once you're full, someone will guide you out of the city. I need to go check on the refugees." Once the Wood Element Dao soldier was far off, the scholar whispered, "Could that person have been Wei Yuan in disguise?" The young general hurried to hush him. "Quiet! You must not speak the Lord Military Commissioner's name directly!" "Why not? He isn't an immortal..." the scholar muttered, clearly unconvinced. To their surprise, the Wood Element Dao soldier turned back and chuckled. "The Realm—er, the Lord Military Commissioner is very lazy; he wouldn't bother doing something like this. If he actually did, there would have to be a reason—most likely because he wanted to hear you flatt—er, evaluate him." The young general and the scholar were left completely baffled, unable to make sense of what the Dao soldier was talking about. It sounded like they understood, yet also like they didn't. The Wood Element Dao soldier turned and walked away. Within a few steps, his form shifted again, becoming an ordinary-looking female cultivator who vanished into the crowd within moments, leaving no trace behind. Meanwhile, in the county yamen, Wei Yuan was handling official business when Feng Tingyu walked in. "The rebels have left," she said. "They were truly starved half to death—they even licked the caldrons clean! But there shouldn't be anyone left in the surrounding lands. Even if the starving commoners know there's meat to eat here, they won't be able to make the journey!" Wei Yuan had always been patient with Feng Tingyu. Smiling, he replied, "Right now, my aim isn't to let the starving commoners know. It's to let the rebels know that as long as they come here, there will be meat to eat." Feng Tingyu only half-understood, but seeing Wei Yuan diligently attending to official business, she reluctantly quelled the urge to shroud his head in black mist. Once she departed, Wei Yuan let out a sigh of relief, pushed aside the official documents he had laid out for show, pulled out *An Initial Exploration of the Desolate Realm*, and went back to grinding through it. Just like that, over the course of half a month, the populations and boundary stones of all seven neighboring counties were delivered. In the end, Guantun County's total population exceeded two hundred thousand, and the county town could no longer house them all. Every time a rebel detachment arrived to escort refugees, they were treated to a feast that left their mouths glistening with grease. When Liu Heihu first heard of this, he claimed that Wei Yuan was only slapping his own cheeks to look prosperous, vainly attempting to shake army morale. But after three or four deliveries, he fell silent, while the rebel commanders had already fought several brawls over who would get the next escort mission. After seven deliveries, when it came to the matter of troop morale, Liu Heihu simply let fate take its course. The rebel generals, on the other hand, hunched over maps, straining to locate any counties that still had remaining populations. They reasoned that since Wei Yuan clearly had ample provisions and loved the common people like his own children, he would never turn away any people brought to him. Thus, in the eyes of the rebel commanders, the seven counties were not the end, but merely the beginning. The generals quickly pinpointed six or seven more counties, holding a total of over one hundred thousand people. By this time, they had long forgotten that nearly a month had passed since they last slaughtered a town. At one point in between, Liu Heihu intended to slaughter two towns that had dared to resist, only for his subordinates to band together and plead with him at the risk of their lives! In the end, Liu Heihu was persuaded to put down the butcher's blade, whereupon a general whose turn had come gleefully led his division forward, escorting over eight thousand people from the two towns toward Guantun County.