Chapter 1691: Kneeling Is Not Simple

He issued a public notice to reassure the populace on the very night he successfully seized power in the Yao Palace, which demonstrated his urgency.

However, destruction has always been easier than construction, and inciting riots easier than maintaining stability. When King Yao was in power, Bai Tan and Qing Yang secretly stirred up trouble and incited riots among the displaced people, leaving King Yao overwhelmed and struggling to cope. Now that it was Bai Tan's turn to govern Tianshui City, he immediately experienced the same suffering as King Yao.

Furthermore, in the early stages, to overthrow the Yao court's rule, he had mobilized and relied on these very displaced people.

These displaced people had followed him, engaging in destruction, looting, and arson. As participants in the coup, they believed they had earned merit by aiding his rise to power. After the Yao Palace incident, they became arrogant, relying on their perceived contributions. They continued to disturb residents and cause trouble in Tianshui City, even escalating their actions to group robberies and murders.

Tianshui City was now Bai Tan's base; how could he not intervene?

His intervention led to hundreds of arrests, immediately creating conflict between the two sides.

The displaced people were indignant:

"Without our help, how could Bai have so easily killed King Yao and taken Tianshui City?"

This pent-up anger couldn't be contained for long, and it erupted within days, catalyzed by the Imperial Dew!

Bai Tan was forced to deploy troops and carry out a large-scale suppression. However, many of his newly recruited soldiers were the children of these displaced people. How could they raise their weapons against their own elders, brothers, and friends?

Consequently, Tianshui City plunged back into chaos during the Imperial Dew nights that followed. Violence and bloodshed permeated everywhere, with widespread looting and murders. Each night became more uncontrollable than the last.

At this point, not only the displaced people but also ordinary citizens were filled with resentment towards Tianshui City's new ruler.

Bai Tan finally experienced firsthand the difficulties King Yao had faced and profoundly understood why the problem of displaced people was a cancerous growth within Tianshui City.

At this time, the first force to challenge Bai Tan also emerged.

After successfully capturing Tianshui City, Bai Tan dispatched his trusted generals to Mang Province, hoping to occupy it before other forces could react.

Mang Province was the second-largest city in Yao. Its population, resources, and strategic location were all impeccable, even superior geographically to Tianshui City. If Bai Tan could secure Mang Province, he would control two of the most important cities, significantly increasing his chances of victory against any opponent.

His strategic vision was good, and his calculations were sound. Unfortunately, as soon as his trusted general arrived in Mang Province, the city defender feigned surrender, lured the general into the city, and successfully assassinated him. Bai Tan's army was then forced to retreat directly from Mang Province.

This City Defender Xu then declared war on Bai Tan, ripping him to shreds in a city-wide mobilization order and swearing irreconcilable enmity.

The timing was impeccable, coinciding precisely with the resurgence of the displaced people's rebellion in Tianshui City.

Once the first challenger appeared, three or four more anti-Bai forces immediately responded in kind.

The pause button, pressed by the Imperial Dew, had finally been released.

Suddenly, the Yao region became a maelstrom of activity.

So, where was Qing Yang at this time? According to information He Lingchuan received, she was still comfortably settled in the Secluded Lake Cottage on the outskirts of Tianshui City, often receiving visitors of mysterious origins.

This was because she had received a reward from the Heavenly Gods and was appointed as a Protector of the Heavenly Palace.

He Lingchuan felt a touch of emotion upon hearing this news. Qing Yang was a trusted confidante of the Demon Emperor and, as the National Preceptor of Beijia, must have caused considerable trouble for the Heavenly Palace. Later, she even languished in their prison due to the elixir of immortality case. Yet, now, from thousands of miles away, she was granted the title of Protector by the very Heavenly Palace.

She probably thought to herself, 'How unpredictable life is?'

"Qing Yang still being in Tianshui City indicates their plan is proceeding smoothly," He Lingchuan commented. "The chaos in Yao is like a large mass of dough: if there's too much water, the Heavenly Gods and Beijia will add flour; if there's too much flour, they'll add water. But rest assured, the one thing they are least willing to do is to be impartial."

"'What builds them also breaks them,'" he said with a hint of amusement. "Bai Tan's extensive slaughter of the Yao royal family, officials, and nobility on the day of the coup was too rushed. While his iron fist approach had many benefits, such as rooting out opposition and eliminating destabilizing elements within the city, and seizing the accumulated wealth of these prominent families in one fell swoop, the side effects are also obvious."

On the Glimmering Gold Plain, that was an enormous amount of wealth; it would have been strange if Bai Tan hadn't coveted it.

"Which high-ranking official or military general in other parts of Yao didn't have relatives or property in Tianshui City? By killing indiscriminately, Bai Tan created deep enmity with them. Furthermore, his methods were so brutal, without any appeasement, that his opponents knew he intended to wipe them all out. They realized that even surrendering would not lead to a good outcome, so their only choice was to fight him to the death."

Wanqiu Feng inquired, "My Lord, the founder of the Shen State, He... He... also carried out a complete purge in the old Yuan capital. Why wasn't he met with a backlash?"

He Lingchuan knew he was referring to He Chunhua, his biological father.

"'On the surface, both involved widespread killing, but internally, they were vastly different,' he explained to them. 'Bai Tan leveraged the brutal power of the coup to eliminate high-ranking, influential officials and his political adversaries, resulting in countless accidental deaths and killings, which caused extreme panic. He Chunhua, on the other hand, demoted the original Yuan court officials to commoners. He killed only the corrupt, the wicked, the avaricious, and those officials connected to the He family's wrongful case from over two decades ago. His targeting was very precise. Although the ultimate outcome for both was the accumulation of wealth and power, He Chunhua's methods were far more sophisticated and refined.'"

"'They say, "birds of a feather flock together,"' he continued. 'If you want to harm or kill someone, you first need to tarnish their reputation, fabricate charges, and label them, effectively isolating them from the crowd so they become universally condemned and everyone calls for their downfall. This way, others, realizing you are not targeting them, will feel at ease watching you harm your targets, or even stand by, cheering you on. If you go a step further, you can simply beckon with a finger, and they will rush forward to do your bidding, throwing punches and kicks for you.'"

"'Divide, co-opt, suppress—' he listed, raising a finger for each. 'These three words are the guiding principles of struggle.'"

Compared to He Chunhua, who endured humiliation and was inherently full of stratagems, Bai Tan, despite his aristocratic background, appeared to lack experience in political struggle and employed crude methods, naturally making him more prone to provoking backlash.

"'Secondly, He Chunhua only purged the Yuan capital after he had become unrivaled throughout the nation. By then, Grand Marshal Dong Haoming had been defeated, and the gods of Shali Heaven clearly stood behind He Chunhua. He no longer had any formidable enemies, allowing him to confidently wield his sword.' In short, He Chunhua had thoroughly subdued the country; who would dare resist him?"

"'Bai Tan, however, began his slaughter immediately after the coup. While it seemed swift and decisive, it actually created enemies everywhere.' He Lingchuan smiled. 'The fact that the gods haven't stepped forward to acknowledge his status yet shows that his prestige is far from sufficient to command widespread respect.'"

"'Both wielded the sword of slaughter, but the consequences are vastly different. Bai Tan has a long way to go if he wants to become king successfully and gain the approval of Miao Zhan Heaven; he still has many opponents to eliminate!' He couldn't help but sigh. 'It's ironic how quickly history has begun its next cycle.'"

Madam Zhu interjected, "A cycle? What cycle?"

"As long as the influence of Beijia and the Heavenly Gods still looms over the Glimmering Gold Plain, whether it's the Yao region or other parts of the Plain, no matter how these factions fight or who becomes the self-proclaimed king, they will ultimately follow the old path of Yao."

"'This is the beginning of evil,' he said slowly. 'Why was Yao able to grow so powerful on the Glimmering Gold Plain? Wasn't it because the ancestors of the Yao kings were the most docile and obedient, the most subservient and sycophantic? Only through this could they distinguish themselves from numerous competitors and maintain two centuries of prosperity.'"

Yao's earliest devotion was to Shali Heaven, who were also Heavenly Gods.

"'However, as time passed and generations changed, Yao, from top to bottom, became arrogant and deluded, even developing improper ambitions.'"

"'They forgot their place, and their kneeling posture when worshipping the Heavenly Gods was no longer as proper or respectful as their ancestors'."

"'They forgot their status, even elevating themselves, no longer wanting to be dogs, but rather partners to their masters.'"

"'But a dog is a dog; once a dog, always a dog;'"

"'Since their ancestors chose to be dogs for the Heavenly Gods, their descendants must also remain dogs, with no other path available.'"

He Lingchuan let out a cold laugh. "What do you think people like Bai Tan and Tu Han in the Yao region are truly fighting for?"

Wanqiu Feng voiced the general opinion: "Power?"

"'Power is merely the surface. What they ultimately vie for is the favor of Beijia and the Heavenly Gods. You can see this from Qing Yang still being comfortably settled in the Secluded Lake Cottage. This is what's called 'expending all the resources of Glimmering Gold to win the favor of foreign gods.'" He Lingchuan casually poured out a batch of elixirs from a furnace that was glowing red-hot, hotter than a branding iron. "But they think too simply. Yao's success is hard to replicate. It's not just a matter of these people plopping down on their knees and stiffly shouting 'Master' to be granted sustenance."

"'With so many dogs vying for favor, so many dogs wagging their tails, why would the Heavenly Gods single them out? They need to be competitive. They must diligently anticipate their master's intentions, addressing what the master worries about and thinking what the master thinks. What the master has conceived, they must execute well; what the master hasn't conceived, they must pursue more aggressively, more perfectly, and with utmost effort. Only then can they distinguish themselves from the pack and earn their master's favor and reward.'"

The group listened, dumbfounded.

After a long moment, Wanqiu Liang sighed, "Why does that not sound simple either? Didn't you say kneeling down is the easiest?"

Wang Fubao grunted, "Of course not. Is being a dog that easy?"

The group burst into laughter.

But their laughter soon faded.

Being a dog required awareness; being a dog required a certain attitude.

Otherwise, their ultimate fate would be like Yao's: ending up on their master's dinner table.

And then, the master would seek out the next good dog.

"'For nearly a thousand years, the history of Glimmering Gold has been one of continuous cycles.' But why just Glimmering Gold?" He Lingchuan tested them. "So, how can we break this cycle?"

"'Break the illusion—don't kneel from the start! Once you kneel, it's endless generations of servitude,' Wanqiu Liang declared loudly. 'Since it's the beginning of evil, we'll cut it off at the source.'"

"'Exactly, don't kneel from the very beginning.' He Lingchuan looked westward, his voice calm and resolute. 'For ourselves, for our descendants, and for all beings under heaven.'"

King Yuan did not kneel.

Zhong Shengguang and General Hong did not kneel either.

Now, inheriting the legacy of the Coiled Dragon, he too would stand tall, head held high, and stride forward.

As he spoke that last sentence, a resonant hum echoed in He Lingchuan's mind and heart, like the sound of bells and chimes.

The lingering reverberations continued, and his sea of consciousness trembled ceaselessly.

Only his resolve remained calm amidst the storm, firm as a rock.