UCTOOT CH135

In almost an instant, Shi Shu dashed out.

Hedong Academy housed hundreds of thousands of books, encompassing classics, history, philosophy, and belles-lettres, as well as hundreds of thousands of pieces of precious porcelain. The Xu family of Changyang had accumulated this collection over more than ten generations. With poetry and literature as their family heirloom and thousands of courtyards, scholars from all over the world sat here to discuss the Dao. In terms of culture, it was the absolute zenith of the Great Jing Imperial Court.

To destroy a country, one must first destroy its history.

The burning of the Qin Palace, the burning of books and burying of scholars. Ancient buildings were made of wood; a single great fire could burn down an entire city.

Shi Shu ran forward, guards following close behind. Unexpectedly, Yinkun turned his head, glanced at him, and actually ignored him, turning around to stride away?

What is he doing?

Shi Shu thought to himself: “Don’t you hate me? You’ve always wanted to kill me to get revenge on Xie Wuchi. Why run away when you see me?”

Shi Shu quickened his pace, following closely. The eaves of Hedong Academy overlapped, courtyards opening and closing. Running through the small paths, he saw Yinkun splashing a large area of oil from the bucket in his hand onto the walls, then taking to his heels.

Shi Shu: “Running away? What exactly do you want to do?”

Shi Shu and the guards followed behind. Suddenly, the road became quieter and more secluded. Every short distance Yinkun walked, a waiting Min soldier was guarding, an oil bucket beside him and a fire starter in his hand.

Oil was being splashed everywhere. Holding the kindling, the Min soldier nodded to Yinkun: “Ready.”

“Follow my command later.”

Yinkun said nothing and ran forward again. Shi Shu followed closely. The guards rushed forward almost immediately and subdued the Min soldier.

Yinkun glared angrily but knew he was outnumbered, so he turned around.

“You guys stay here and watch this place; the others protect the Second Young Master.” The guards divided their tasks clearly and moved forward.

Shi Shu ran forward for a while, looking around. His brow suddenly raised—something was wrong. The Scripture Library of Hedong Academy, enshrined in the Hall of Sages, should logically be a key area, yet passing through it now, not a single person could be seen.

Shi Shu thought, “I’ve been to the academy before; there were so many people. Where did everyone go? They are preparing to set fire, but there isn’t a single person from the academy here?”

Yinkun slipped behind a wall. Shi Shu suddenly understood: “The scholars are all in the front courtyard fighting to the death with the Min soldiers. Their attention was drawn away, leaving Yinkun the opportunity for large-scale arson… This Yinkun!”

Vicious!

Hedong Academy was enormous; it couldn’t be burned down with just one fire. Yinkun ostensibly killed people in the front courtyard to provoke resistance, but in reality, he was preparing to set fires everywhere in the back.

Shi Shu turned and discussed with the guards: “Leave two people with me. You guys hurry to notify the people in the front courtyard to get water and spread out. Otherwise, once fires start everywhere, it will be too late to extinguish them.”

“Yes.” Some of the guards turned back. Others split into several groups and began searching for Min people within the academy to prevent arson.

Taking two people with him, Shi Shu ran forward hurriedly.

Further ahead, Yinkun’s figure was no longer visible. Relying on his impression, Shi Shu turned onto a small path under the eaves—

Suddenly, a blade thrust out before his eyes. If Shi Shu hadn’t dodged instantly, it would have plunged into his body. Shi Shu fell to the ground. The guards quickly circled around to chase, hearing a burst of wild laughter from Yinkun, whose back was rapidly disappearing.

“This madman, psycho…” Cold sweat broke out on Shi Shu. After a moment of hesitation, he chased after him again.

On the other side, within the city of the Eastern Capital, eaves overlapped and pagodas stood tall. The three thousand bustling markets of the Eastern Capital, the sounds of singing from tea houses, the music of banquets on painted boats, new sounds and clever laughter—all annihilated, falling into a heavy, dead silence.

Horses galloped past one after another, shouting orders: “Go home, close your doors and windows! Violators will be killed without mercy!”

Cavalry fought with the Imperial Guards at the end of the road, corpses littering the ground. Pale sunlight shone on the city below.

Xie Wuchi galloped fast, killing intent piercing the sky. The siege of the Eastern Capital was taken in just one round. Cavalry and infantry were spreading toward the Imperial City like a mass of black clouds, like boiling water.

Civilians knelt on the ground in fear and trepidation. Densely packed heads filled both sides of the road, foreheads knocking on the ground, daring not to even breathe loudly.

Xie Wuchi rode past, followed by an army of tens of thousands.

The army passed Xiangnan Temple. Suddenly, Xie Wuchi reined in his horse and stopped: “Xiangnan Temple? Once prosperous, now doors are tightly closed, eaves dilapidated, covered in spiderwebs. The majesty of the number one temple no longer exists—because of me?”

The generals waited.

Xie Wuchi lowered his eyes, recalling four years ago—blue lantern and yellow scrolls, gray monk robes. Not long after he transmigrated to ancient times, he walked into this prosperous city of the Eastern Capital for the first time.

Clear sky and bright day, laughter floating from tea houses, layers of light and shadow under the Bodhi tree. After gazing quietly, he felt thirsty and asked for a bowl of water at the sesame cake shop across the street.

Four years later, Xie Wuchi shifted his gaze. The old woman from the sesame cake shop was still kneeling on the ground, secretly looking at him. General Xie, the Divine General whom the people of the Eastern Capital had nightmares about, fearing slaughter by him, smiled faintly: “Old lady, do you still remember me?”

The old woman’s heart skipped a beat, and she nodded hurriedly: “Remember, remember! Back then, the Great General was often seen walking out of the temple…”

Xie Wuchi was a lay monk at Xiangnan Temple. Occasionally leaving the temple in a wide-sleeved Haiqing monk robe, men and women on the street all looked sideways at him. The old woman had spoken quite a few words with him, even joking, asking if he was married.

Xie Wuchi seemed moved: “Long ago when I left, the willows were swaying gently; now that I come to think, the rain and snow fall heavily.“

Xie Wuchi urged his horse forward, his gaze sweeping over the street, memories tracing back further. By the night lamp of the ancient temple, there was a chatty seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy accompanying him through thousands of mountains and rivers.

The streets of the Eastern Capital were wide. Civilians all knelt on both sides of the road. Although there was no “food in baskets and soup in pots” to welcome the King’s army, there was no great hostility either, but rather terrified and curious gazes watching this army.

Horse hooves clattered. Suddenly, the Xie Army stopped again.

—Directly ahead was a squad of Great Jing Imperial Guards, wearing tough armor with long swords at their waists. The general blocking the way directly ahead said: “Rebel! Don’t even think about stepping into the Imperial City!”

“Upper Four Armies, Iron Cavalry Horse Army, Shi Chong.”

The most elite division of Great Jing; only elite soldiers and sharp troops could be selected to enter.

This general was also strongly built and majestic, his face handsome and sharp. Xie Wuchi said: “So it is General Shi. In the social circles of the Eastern Capital’s officialdom, General Shi was hot property back then; this General remembers vividly.”

“Pah!” General Shi said sternly, “Surnamed Xie! Back then, some people even called us ‘Twin Heroes’. I didn’t expect you to be a sycophantic rebel! Despicable! Today, just wait to die in this alleyway, your corpse mutilated by weapons!”

“Mutilate my corpse? You aren’t qualified yet.”

Xie Wuchi raised his hand. Ping Yichun rode out from behind: “Fight my deputy general first. If you can beat him, it’s not too late to talk tough.”

Xie Wuchi’s eyes were cold. His pupils reflected the opponent exchanging a few rounds with Ping Yichun. Clang! Several flashes of blades and swords. He was shot off his horse by random arrows, then his corpse was dismembered by weapons, his upright face shattered and covered in bloody filth. All beautiful things were destroyed in an instant.

Power.

Supreme, crushing all who do not submit, regardless of good or evil.

Trampling through mountains and passes, turning clouds and rain.

After a fierce battle, the Upper Four Armies quickly collapsed, discarding helmets and armor in the alleyway to retreat. The Xie Army, like spreading black fog, devoured forward ceaselessly.

The Imperial City was resplendent with gold and green, walls carved with patterns, sunlight shining upon them. The Xie Army advanced with low postures. Xie Wuchi rode up, his cold profile reflecting the blood on both walls.

“Ah… run quickly, run quickly…”

“Stop fighting, can we even win this…”

“Why don’t we all flee and let them in…”

Among the Iron Cavalry Horse Army, people were scared out of their wits, retreating in a hurry. Like pieces being captured on a chessboard, everyone’s forehead was covered in cold sweat, eyes splitting with rage, holding long swords while retreating in panic.

The Iron Cavalry Horse Army discarded helmets and armor. The sound of weapons falling to the ground echoed in patches. A group of people looked as if they had seen a life-claiming ghost, souls lost.

Xie Wuchi was unhurried, like a slaughter on a chessboard—enemy advances, I retreat; enemy retreats, I advance. His shoes walked forward step by step, treading on the bloody filth on the ground, one person urging thousands of troops to press forward madly.

“Why still coming? Don’t come over…” The crowd’s faces were horrified, retreating one after another.

Walking all the way through this path.

Beacon smoke rose in the Imperial City. Suddenly, a horse rushed over urgently, shouting loudly: “The Emperor fled through Chongde Gate! Chase and kill the Emperor quickly!”

Xie Wuchi tightened the reins, turned abruptly, and chased in the direction of the Emperor.

Splash! The water skin wrapped in cowhide was violently punctured, cold accumulated water splashing.

The touch was icy cold.

Shi Shu jumped forward, his shoes stepping on the slippery water, nearly falling. He jumped over a stone and ran forward again.

The Min remnants were converging on Yinkun. Shi Shu shouted: “Stop! Stop!”

A round window and rockery blocked the view. Yinkun turned in, taking a long detour in the shadows of the bamboo forest. Shi Shu pushed aside leaves to chase. Following the firelight, Yinkun was weaving through narrow paths.

Rounding the corner, large and small cans of oil buckets were placed in the courtyard. Corpses of monks and scholars lay scattered everywhere. The bloody and tragic state was suffocating.

In the bright hall of Hedong Academy, the wooden statue of the Confucian Sage lowered its eyes, overlooking the universe. Buddhist sculptures were like flowers added to brocade. Curtains were lifted by bursts of wild wind, incense smoke wafting—those large cans of oil buckets were exactly the lamp oil offered to the literary vein!

Yinkun stood on the high platform, grabbing a candlestick. Almost without thinking, Shi Shu chased and pounced on him.

Clang! The offering fruit plate smashed hard onto the person’s skull. Shi Shu shouted: “Still want to light a fire? Go to hell, die!”

Immediately, Bam! Shi Shu was kicked off the high platform. His clothes tightened suddenly, a huge force slamming his body to the ground, his head hitting the stone bricks hard. Purely on instinct, Shi Shu grabbed broken porcelain from the ground and stabbed at Yinkun’s face.

Yinkun dodged, grabbing the candlestick again.

Shi Shu grabbed an antique and smashed it at his forehead. His fingers trembled violently, adrenaline soaring. Everything was liberated; there was only the impulse to kill. It wasn’t unfamiliar; just like on the racetrack, life chasing instinct.

“Don’t even think about setting fire. I must kill you today. Go to hell—”

Splash. Shi Shu reached his hand into the hot oil of the candlestick and pinched out the flame. Yinkun laughed in extreme anger: “Bastard, spared your dog life and you still seek death? Not following your brother to be a noble, what are you doing running here?”

Shi Shu’s chest felt stuffy. He was grabbed by the collar and slammed out hard, severe pain instantly coming from his spine. Sweat poured out crazily. The guards arrived. Yinkun snatched a fire striker, walking behind the curtain while igniting the fire.

Shi Shu released the anger suppressed for months: “What am I doing here? I’m here to take your dog life!” Picking up the knife on the ground, he chased again.

Yinkun went out of the courtyard. Min soldiers were scattered everywhere, all preparing to set fires. Song Sinan and the guards were intercepting them everywhere.

Eager to leave, Yinkun was grabbed by the collar by Shi Shu, who flipped over and threw him to the ground. Without thinking, Shi Shu pounced and bit his throat. Yinkun pulled Shi Shu’s hair: “Only know this one move in a fight?”

Shi Shu’s brown eyes widened, filled with blood. He grabbed a stone and smashed it desperately on Yinkun’s head.

After smashing, Shi Shu was dizzy.

—He had never fought with lethal intent before, a fighting style meant to kill, violence aimed at ending the opponent.

But for months, suppressed emotions had been heavy. Including Zihan. Thinking of them, Shi Shu wished he could tear him into ten thousand pieces.

Shi Shu smashed at him with a sharp stone. Yinkun dodged and strangled Shi Shu’s neck deathly tight. Shi Shu pried his fingers open with fierce force, so heavy that he actually pinned Yinkun to the ground. Shi Shu said hoarsely: “You must die very, very miserably. Go to hell, go to hell!”

“Get lost!”

Yinkun rolled over and kicked him away, running wildly out of the courtyard gate. Shi Shu had only pursuit in his mind and followed.

People came and went in the academy, footsteps hurried. Yinkun dashed into the crowd. Some places were on fire; fortunately, soldiers had arrived and were rescuing. Academy steps, ink and calligraphy, eaves and hanging buckets, thousands of courtyards, Bodhi trees behind white walls. As Shi Shu ran down, light and shadow retreated behind him.

Yinkun seemed to have lost his mind, holding the fire striker and running wildly while setting fires: “I’ll burn this place down, burn it all… None of you will live…”

The Scripture Library was just ahead. Shi Shu accelerated: “Stop it!” He picked up a nearby flower pot and smashed it over with a Crash.

Yinkun was hit on the head and glared at him. On Shi Shu’s handsome face, eyes were wide open. His clothes were dirty and messy, but his eyes stared at him deathly tight.

Yinkun laughed uncontrollably: “Why do you chase me relentlessly? This is a Great Jing academy. You can’t be unaware that introducing Wolf Soldiers into the pass was co-led by these very scholars and me—”

“Shut up! Did I let you speak!” Shi Shu punched him in the face. “You all deserve to die!”

After a long chase and run, both were physically near their limits. Yinkun punched over. Shi Shu barely dodged, pushed by the force against the column behind him, then slammed back, grabbing Yinkun’s collar and throwing him to the ground.

Shi Shu’s fingers were in severe pain, but he hit his face ruthlessly. “You still think you’re right! You still think just because you’re unhappy, everyone has to die and be buried with you!”

Yinkun rolled over, dragging Shi Shu’s hair and knocking his head on the ground. Shi Shu forced his head up, choking his neck desperately.

“If I hadn’t been injured in this war, I would have kicked your internal organs to pieces just like last time!”

Shi Shu: “Then I’ll just kill you right now!”

Shi Shu’s eyes were red. Scenes flashed through his mind one by one. At this moment, there were no other memories in his brain. He slammed Yinkun’s head hard against the stone, fingernails digging deep into flesh.

Shi Shu: “Killing people isn’t enough; you want to destroy everything! You still think you’re not wrong even now. Besides death, what punishment do you deserve?”

The two wrestled together. Shi Shu panted, heart beating wildly, vision going black in patches. Suddenly, the cry of a goshawk was heard, clearly simulated by a human voice, conveying a message.

After shaking off Shi Shu, Yinkun took out an eagle whistle from his bosom: “Burn, burn, burn!… Burn it all… Burn all your traveling palaces, temples, texts, history, rituals…”

Just as he put it to his lips to blow, Shi Shu, dizzy, pounced again. He knocked the whistle flying with a punch, using his remaining strength to smash Yinkun’s head onto the ground!

Rolling dust and smoke, running southwest. A group of Palace Imperial Guards carried a sedan chair, running hurriedly onto the main road. Fine horses cleared the way on both sides, shouting at civilians, escorting all the way.

“Your Majesty, do not be anxious. The Eastern Capital is besieged; Your Majesty go stay in Nanyang Prefecture first… You can always come back…”

“Nanyang Prefecture? Are there still prefectures not occupied?”

Inside the sedan chair, Chu Wei held the pearl strings of the twelve-tasseled crown, panic-stricken. “Hurry up, all of you! Running so slow, the rebel Xie will catch up in a moment!”

The eunuchs carrying the sedan chair gritted their teeth and ran wildly, panting heavily.

“Hyah, hyah, hyah!” From behind, the clop-clop sound of horse hooves was suddenly heard. Chu Wei was scared out of his wits: “Is he catching up!!?”

“Your Majesty, do not be alarmed. There are Iron Cavalry Horse Army escorting behind; they won’t harm Your Majesty!” A group of eunuchs guarded him, chasing the sedan chair. “Your Majesty, get on the carriage; the carriage is faster!”

Chu Wei jumped off the sedan chair, lifted his hem, and jumped onto the carriage. He looked back. Whoosh, a cold arrow Thwack! nailed into the crossbeam, penetrating three inches deep. Chu Wei turned his face in horror—

Amidst the pitch-black figures hacking and killing, blood spots flew, blades and swords flashed. Riding on a tall horse was Xie Wuchi in pitch-black armor, taking out a second arrow from behind, long fingers drawing the bow, pointing at him with heavy killing intent—

“Ah!” Chu Wei was so scared his vision went black, falling into the carriage. The carriage driver ignored everything else, whipping the horse’s rear violently, feet stomping mud as they fled wildly.

“Finished, finished… Great Jing’s rivers and mountains, I fear, will be buried in my hands…”

Chu Wei sat in the carriage running wildly all the way. Beacon smoke rose everywhere in the capital. The scenes before his eyes were all soldiers falling to the ground, yet very few injured civilians.

Sheathing blades.

“He could actually order soldiers breaking into the prosperous Eastern Capital not to loot civilian property…” Chu Wei’s face was full of horror. “Introducing Wolf Soldiers is my sin! This surnamed Xie, where exactly did I wrong him! actually killing into the Eastern Capital to usurp the throne. Was I truly wrong, completely wrong?”

The sound of hacking and killing behind continued. The eunuch cried: “Your Majesty, the Empress was captured… Concubine Zhen was captured, the Eldest Princess was also captured…”

Eager to save his life, Chu Wei couldn’t care about much else: “He definitely won’t kill my wife and daughter. Run quickly!”

The Emperor’s carriage fleeing south galloped toward the city gate all the way. Iron cavalry had long cleared the way ahead, cutting a bloody path at the city gate. Along the way, soldiers’ corpses filled the streets, while the hacking sounds behind got closer and closer. Xie Army’s pursuers were getting nearer.

The carriage sped out of the city. Chu Wei lifted the curtain, seeing the warriors fighting for him. He looked back; several tall horses, covered in blood, Xie Wuchi’s pursuers still wouldn’t stop.

Chu Wei’s pupils reflected mountains of corpses and rivers of blood. For the first time, he sensed the feeling of the building collapsing, the nation ceasing to exist—an unstoppable momentum of collapse.

…

Hacking all the way, intercepted by cavalry halfway, chased straight to the top of a high mountain. The eunuch cried: “Your Majesty! There is no road ahead! It’s a cliff!”

Chu Wei woke as if from a dream: “What?!”

Clatter— Continuous horse hooves sounded in Chu Wei’s ears. He thought it was the movement of the carriage, but it grew louder and louder. Suddenly thinking of something, he yanked open the curtain. A snow-white sword blade was pointing right at his neck.

The carriage and the horse were at the same speed. The scenery beside him changed. A pitch-black shadow was blown in by the wind, carrying a bloody breeze.

Chu Wei looked up, meeting a pair of cold eyes he had absolutely never seen at Xiangnan Temple.

“Get. Down.”

“Ah!” A scream. The driving eunuch was flipped off the horse by a long lance, rolling several times. Sensing something, the horse ran wildly for a stretch then stopped. Chu Wei crawled out of the carriage rolling, dragon robes covered in dust, wretched beyond description.

The forest was dense. Chu Wei looked back; it was all the dark mass of the Konghe Army, no trace of the Iron Cavalry Horse Army anymore. Chu Wei was in a trance: “Xie Wuchi, I treated you well, I treated you well… It was I who brought you out of Xiangnan Temple, arranged for you to go to the New Policy, and after succeeding to the throne, let you go to the Northern Army to train soldiers. How did you promise me then? To train strong soldiers, resist foreign insults, and defend Great Jing’s rivers and mountains!”

The autumn wind was fierce, carrying a bloody scent in the hair strands. Xie Wuchi’s pupils were pitch-black as he said: “You treated me well. Pity that I am heartless and unjust.”

Chu Wei was furious: “Did you not usurp the throne for righteousness, for the common people of the world! Was it not because I stole your credit, listened to slander and sycophancy, and introduced Wolf Soldiers that you raised troops!”

Not far away stood the iron cavalry of the Konghe Army.

The chaos of Wolf Soldiers entering the pass caused the world to collapse. Xie Wuchi raised troops in rebellion, leveled the Wolf Soldiers, knocked on the pass into the Eastern Capital with killing intent, and claimed all the good reputation in the world.

In the eyes of the people of the world, Xie Wuchi was forced by helplessness, driven beyond endurance, before pointing his sword at the court.

Sky full of withered yellow grass. Above the cliff, the Eastern Capital’s continuous palaces and ten thousand houses were visible. Among them, temple pagodas and Buddhist eaves, vermilion gates and embroidered households, splendid nobles—like a grand Rakshasa mirage, a dream of prosperous red dust.

Xie Wuchi lowered his eyes, speaking in a voice only the two could hear: “No.”

In Chu Wei’s mind, there was only the indifferent, otherworldly lay monk in the Scripture Library of Xiangnan Temple: “You, what did you say? No, not that?”

Xie Wuchi smiled slightly: “I raised troops only for the position of the Nine-Five Supreme. Morning clouds at dawn, passing rain at dusk. Power over life and death, following my heart’s desire. Under the whole heaven, nothing does not bear the name Xie. No one does not kneel in worship to me, obeying my majesty. That is all.”

The autumn wind was fierce. All the blood in Chu Wei’s body drained, as if falling into an extremely cold ice cellar: “You! You… Why… You… You actually…”

Four years ago at Xiangnan Temple, incense smoke curled under the Bodhi tree, Haiqing monk robes gathered like clouds… At that time, Xie Wuchi in monk robes sat on the altar explaining scriptures. His words had their own morality, understanding and enlightened, with uncommon insights into government affairs. The Heir Apparent thought he lived in seclusion in the mountain temple pursuing his aspirations, indifferent to worldly fame and profit, so he discussed court politics with him.

Thought he would save all living beings; unexpectedly, it was not so.

Xie Wuchi: “On that altar, which part of the Buddhist Dharma did I speak of?”

The Heir Apparent remembered. —The Demon Papiyas. Leading a multitude of eight billion. Desiring to destroy the Buddha.

Demon King Papiyas disguises as a Buddha, spreading temptation, about to destroy the Buddha.

Often disguising as the way of Buddha, mixing into the true way of Buddha, ostensibly propagating Buddhist Dharma, but actually destroying gods and Buddhas.

“No need to destroy Buddha. In this court, all are man-eating demons; where are there any true gods or Buddhas?”

In the chaotic times of a nation, use demons to exterminate demons.

Chu Wei’s hair was disheveled, his body limp: “I misjudged the person… I misjudged the person… I—am ashamed before the ancestors, ashamed before the common people of the world!”

He retreated again and again, his expression seemingly mad. Xie Wuchi raised his hand. From the army, someone presented the drafted abdication edict, standing quietly by the side.

Xie Wuchi stuck the long lance into the mud, hands covered in blood, and displeasedly dragged him back.

Said only one word.

“Write.”

Leaping down from steps seven or eight paces high, soles hurting with a thud when landing, Shi Shu didn’t stop for even a second, running forward.

In the winding alleys at dusk, Shi Shu’s body was hot, chasing wildly until an outstretched hand could almost reach the collar.

Yinkun stopped suddenly, turned, grabbed Shi Shu, and executed an over-the-shoulder throw. Shi Shu flipped over violently, grabbed his head and pressed it to the ground, strangling his neck deathly tight.

Bam! Fist smashing on flesh, the sensation extremely real.

Shi Shu’s hair was messy, face pale, cold sweat dripping down the bridge of his nose. Long running and fighting had almost exhausted his strength.

Yinkun’s head was full of blood, clutching that eagle whistle deathly tight. While choking him, Shi Shu grabbed things and smashed them clatter-bang on his head.

There were no hard objects around. Shi Shu just found a stick, smashing with dull thuds.

“Fuck! Get lost!”

Bam! Yinkun kneed his waist and abdomen, knocking him away violently.

Sharp pain in the abdomen again. Exhausted, physical strength near the limit, but at this moment, Shi Shu seemed to have released some kind of nature.

Silence in his brain. Couldn’t see a single brick or tile of the academy, couldn’t hear any sound. Eyes fixed only on Yinkun, tracking, staring, like a satellite. Shi Shu’s fingers were soft as mud, skin having lost sensation, but he crashed into him, choking his neck.

“Do you fucking submit? Do you submit? Will you still kill people? Will you still set fires? I’m asking you! You animal!” Shi Shu repeated this sentence over and over, snatching that eagle whistle. After grabbing it, using maximum strength, he threw it fiercely into the messy grass.

Like a madman, Yinkun ignored fighting him, chasing to kneel on the ground and rummage.

Shi Shu: “You are truly crazy. You have lost your mind.”

Shi Shu picked up the wooden stick and smashed it hard on his back. After swinging him to the ground, he punched his face punch after punch.

Shi Shu had never felt so satisfied in violence. Just wanted to hit him, hit him hard. Beat out all the grievance, depression, darkness, and pain of these past months.

Hate people like you. Hate you all.

Memories floated through his mind patch by patch.

The chaotic times were about to end. The final sin would be terminated by himself.

Those soldiers eating chaff and vegetables going to the battlefield, orphans homeless after cities were burned, mountains of skeletons piled under city walls, scholars hanging on the academy gate tower, and Zihan… and Zihan…

“Bam! Bam! Bam!” Punch, after punch.

Shi Shu smashed ruthlessly, hitting almost unconsciously. The back of his hand hurt, so he smashed him with the stick. As long as Yinkun struggled, he beat him ruthlessly.

Yinkun truly acted crazy, laughing wildly, screaming, eyes staring deathly tight behind Shi Shu at the towering academy and mountains. But he seemed to have no strength left to resist, staring at the tall pagoda like dead ashes.

Shi Shu’s clothes were soaked with sweat. Finally, when the hostility in his heart was fully vented and his body temperature dropped, he stood up.

“It’s over.”

“It’s really over now.”

Shi Shu’s eyeballs were full of red veins, fair skin covered in muddy water and filth, a face handsome and delicate. His eyes were wide open, turning back to look at the eaves and pagoda top of Hedong Academy, the inscriptions on the steles.

Shi Shu walked forward. Song Sinan and the guards caught up: “Min soldiers are all caught. Several fires started but were all extinguished. Many Min soldiers were caught before they could even set fire.”

Shi Shu’s eyes were still looking at the prosperity of Hedong Academy, inhaling the cold wind, looking at this intact holy land, this literary vein. Its books were still neatly arranged on shelves, pavilions intact, steps still steps. Not turned to ashes, not turned to scorched earth. Every line bore traces of sedimentation.

People in the academy came and went in a hurry, already starting to clean up.

“Move all the corpses away, then check where else gunpowder and tung oil were poured, clean it up quickly!”

Shi Shu hooked the corner of his lips, revealing a smile: “Is it over?”

Song Sinan: “It’s over.”

Shi Shu: “Good, good.” He rubbed his eyes. “I’m just too happy now. It’s over…”

What would the future look like? There would be no more war now. Next was the governance of a new dynasty, time to rest and recuperate, time for everything to restore and renew.

Song Sinan: “I’ll have the Revenge Army garrison the academy first, not letting idlers enter, and wait for General Xie’s orders. I’m taking this Yinkun away.”

Shi Shu: “Okay, let’s go. Take Zihan to the Eastern Capital to enjoy a couple of days of blessing first, then pick a good place for him.”

Song Sinan: “Alright.”

Shi Shu: “If he were still here, he would be very happy.”

Song Sinan revealed a smile. Shi Shu smiled too.

Shi Shu’s heart finally calmed down. One after another, they walked down the steps.

Leaves covered the steps, making crunching sounds when stepped on. Autumn at Hedong Academy was very quiet and beautiful, vermilion walls and gray tiles covered in withered leaves.

Not sure if he was too tired, suddenly, the world before Shi Shu’s eyes fell into a dead silent darkness. Pale face looking at the birds in the sky, he heard that system sound beating against his eardrums again.

[Ding—]

[Player · Xie Xun has achieved the title “Ruler of the World”.]

[Group Transmigration System Activation Reminder:

Name: Xie Xun

Age: 27

Merit Points: 100%]

[Current Group Transmigration Hundred-Person Competition. Transmigrators must defeat other transmigrators, causing physiological death to the opponent, and achieve ‘Ruler of the World’ authority to return to the modern civilized world.]

[Current World, Surviving Transmigrators: 2/100]

[Xie Xun System Authority Unlocked: Complete Level (Highest Level)]

[Shi Shu System Authority Unlocked: All Levels]

Rows of subtitles appeared before his eyes:

[Player · Xie Xun: Has obtained “Coordinates of Other Transmigrators” authority (Can use army to carry out precise pursuit of other players)]

[Congratulations Player! Successfully passed the “Wolf Soldiers Chaos in Central Plains” chapter, still alive in the ancient world. Friendly reminder, the game is about to settle. The current world will collapse within three days.]

[Please find Player · Xie Xun as soon as possible. Before the world collapses, kill the opponent and seize the “Ruler of the World” title to return to the original world.]

[Otherwise, the player is about to be eliminated.]

[Ding—]

[Coordinates relative to other transmigrators: Exposed (Please be careful of being killed)]

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