Chapter 1513: A Great Wind Arises from the Tip of the Green Duckweed

He Lingchuan stretched. "Qingyang will believe that King Yao orchestrated his death and is the true mastermind. But you're right, Qingyang won't let me off the hook. If I manage to leave here unscathed, her authority as regent will be completely undermined, and she might as well step down."

The mirror was about to ask more questions, but He Lingchuan's breathing was already steady and deep.

"..." How could their master sleep so soundly, knowing that two major figures like King Yao and Qingyang were both intent on him?

What a carefree spirit he had.

Early the next morning, Wan Sifeng arrived to deliver two intelligence reports.

He Lingchuan yawned as he unrolled the notes, but the moment he read the contents, he was wide awake.

The first report came from the Yangshan Archipelago, specifically from Fang Canran. It contained the latest news from Mount Ling:

The Divine Realm had just experienced an unprecedented conflict, resulting in the fall of numerous deities!

"Numerous?" He Lingchuan was stunned when he saw the exact figures. "Even true gods have fallen!"

"Oh my, unprecedented in scale!" the Soul-Stealing Mirror exclaimed in surprise. "How many years has it been since such a fierce divine battle?"

"Fang Canran reported that it's a phenomenon not seen in 150 years and will last at least four or five nights," He Lingchuan mused. "Recently, Imperial Dew has been occurring frequently, and the spiritual energy in the world is gradually intensifying. Another massive surge like this would be a great blessing for the world. As long as the spiritual energy isn't drawn back by the gods, then our generation has a chance for revitalization."

That "as long as" was the crucial point.

"However, I suspect the gods are quite anxious as well," he continued. "When the gods become anxious, the mortal realm descends into chaos. It's unlikely the Glimmering Gold Plain will be spared."

The mirror, however, was blunt: "Who cares how chaotic things get later? Let's first grab this incredible fortune! Hey, you should buy a large estate. The more land you own, the more Imperial Dew you'll capture!"

"Indeed." The Imperial Dew would only reach its peak in over three months, and currently, few people or factions were aware of this information.

He Lingchuan planned to draft a strategy for the Yangshan Archipelago, ensuring Ding Zuodong, Qiu Hu, and others could handle this wave of Imperial Dew more systematically.

Furthermore, Yangshan's external environment was relatively stable for the time being.

For the time being.

Shortly after He Lingchuan arrived at the Glimmering Gold Plain, Beijia had held the advantage. Now, however, Mou Nation had entered a counteroffensive phase, celebrating two hard-won victories. Reading this, He Lingchuan murmured, "Ah, this is not good."

The mirror asked, puzzled, "What's wrong with Mou Nation winning?"

"Beijia cannot afford to lose, or rather, must not lose. Especially after such a humiliating defeat, they will most likely seek to regain their standing." This suggested the intensity of the war was likely to escalate.

The conflict between these two great nations affected countless smaller states and factions in the surrounding area, including the Yangshan Archipelago.

Coupled with factors like the chaos in the Divine Realm and the massive surge of Imperial Dew, the external environment would likely no longer be as lenient as before.

"We don't have much time left."

He Lingchuan then opened the second intelligence report, which was from Jucheng.

In his letter, Fu Liushan informed him that ever since Emperor Jiuyou killed General Xue Zongwu of Yao Nation, the legends of the Black Armored Army and the Black Dragon God had spread across the Glimmering Gold Plain with astonishing speed, at least three to five times faster than previously.

Now, the central and western parts of the plain were eagerly discussing the power of Emperor Jiuyou. Even in the northern and eastern regions, people were starting to talk, with idlers and onlookers debating the veracity of the Dragon God's reincarnation.

Such matters thrive on debate; what they fear is a lack of public interest.

When He Lingchuan and Dong Rui were drinking in Tianshui City, the legends of Emperor Jiuyou and the "Dragon God's reincarnation" they heard were far less popular than in other parts of the Glimmering Gold Plain.

This was because the Yao people had historically paid little attention to matters outside their own country, and the fervor surrounding Xue Zongwu's death had already been overshadowed by the events at Tranquil Lake Villa.

Nevertheless, in a secluded small shop in Tianshui City, He Lingchuan spotted imitation "Emperor Jiuyou" miniature armor sets. Though crudely made, full of fanciful elements, and entirely fashioned from cloth, this did not deter children from buying and wearing them, rushing through streets and alleys, shouting, "I judge you!" and "Don't run, you are guilty!"

Fu Liushan also specifically noted that throughout the Glimmering Gold Plain, "Black Armored Armies" were now "acting on behalf of heaven." In the past month alone, there had been over two hundred such incidents.

This was merely what he had heard; the true number of incidents was anyone's guess.

The Soul-Stealing Mirror chuckled in surprise upon reading this. "Copycat operations, then?"

Every operation undertaken by the true Black Armored Army had to be vetted and approved by He Lingchuan. Two such operations in half a month was already a lot. After Xue Zongwu's demise, numerous factions on the Glimmering Gold Plain began to investigate the truth behind Emperor Jiuyou. Consequently, He Lingchuan had ordered his subordinates to exercise extreme caution, ensuring they only engaged in battles they were certain to win and left no traces.

However, as soon as Xue Zongwu died, the number of "Black Armored Armies" on the plain surged dramatically. There was no doubt that numerous grassroots groups had spontaneously begun operating under the "Black Armored Army" banner.

The true Emperor Jiuyou, after all, had a limited number of subordinates. With so much evil and injustice rampant on the Glimmering Gold Plain, some individuals simply couldn't wait and decided to take matters into their own hands.

Furthermore, any group now recruiting new members had to capitalize on the popularity of "Emperor Jiuyou," or they wouldn't attract anyone. Fu Liushan, who had a background in the underworld, took the opportunity to observe several recruitment drives. The fervor was astonishing, with everyone boasting of having fought alongside the Black Armored Army or claiming they would soon be inducted into Emperor Jiuyou's ranks.

The more brazen among them even claimed they were recruiting new blood and expanding the ranks on the Emperor's direct orders.

The recruiting teams varied widely, and their reasons for enlisting new members were equally diverse, which amused He Lingchuan.

Regardless of these initiators' true motives, whether they genuinely aimed to eliminate corruption and evil or merely sought personal revenge, they had at least managed to establish their groups.

Fu Liushan was very thorough and even compiled statistics. Among the over two hundred actions he investigated, forty percent of the targets were Yao citizens.

Yao Nation was a dominant power on the Glimmering Gold Plain, and its citizens naturally enjoyed significant privileges there. To He Lingchuan's knowledge, Yao citizens' movements, lives, and activities across the Glimmering Gold Plain received special attention and protection from local officials.

Citizens of powerful nations inherently enjoyed greater privileges.

With privileges came fewer restraints, and some Yao citizens exploited this to commit wrongdoing. They used their power to ruthlessly suppress rivals across the plain, oppress local communities, extort wealth, hire thugs, and engage in all sorts of nefarious activities. Local authorities not only feared intervening but some officials even colluded with them. Xue Zongwu was merely one such example.

The "Black Armored Armies" that were now springing up like mushrooms, spontaneously targeting Yao citizens, were a clear manifestation of these underlying tensions.

As a result, many Yao citizens, along with their families, evacuated these areas and returned to Yao Nation for refuge.

Regardless of whether these grassroots groups had harmed innocent people, their actions undeniably had a tangible effect. Firstly, the villains and corrupt gentry on the Glimmering Gold Plain became fearful for their safety and began to exercise restraint, no longer daring to openly oppress commoners as they once did.