Chapter 2023: The Greatest Evil

After Fan Shuang left, the Soul-Snatching Mirror couldn't help but say, "Tu Shanfang, what a pity; the karma you bear has increased again."

"Some people can only truly shine and exert themselves in their most suitable fields, giving their all only in the battles they are best at," He Lingchuan slowly said. "That's where the meaning of their lives lies. Rather than living like walking corpses, it's better to live intensely for a while, leaving more beauty in this world."

From a more pragmatic perspective, Tu Shanfang saved Miancheng and Fan Shuang's family, and also gained a huge debt of gratitude from Dong Rui. At the same time, he used his truncated life to secure a better beginning for his descendants.

Perhaps, from his point of view, this was extremely worthwhile.

He Lingchuan mused, "Have Fu Liushan write the story of Miancheng into a popular narrative, and spread it everywhere. I want to establish Tu Shanfang and Huang Chengqi as role models for the Blazegold people."

The mirror asked curiously, "Aren't there already so many people like this in your army? Just from the examples you've received..."

This was a peculiar phenomenon created by the unique ecosystem of the Blazegold Plains. There were many mediocre individuals, but also many who would disregard their own safety.

"True, but they are very representative, especially Tu Shanfang." His background, his temperament, his transformation, and his sublimation. "In the present and future Blazegold, people should know what constitutes excellent character."

In the past, the Blazegold people's minds were muddled, unable to distinguish good from evil.

"They need the power of role models to show them what is fundamentally right and wrong, good and evil, good and bad."

This place had been in disorder for a long time, and people still revered violence. Beliefs needed to be reshaped, and people's hearts needed to be enlightened.

He Lingchuan looked out into the distance and sighed softly:

"But you're right, the karma I have to bear has deepened again."

He personally initiated the vast and grand Dragon God War, and all the karma, joys and sorrows, life and death, and impermanence that resulted would ultimately be attributed to him, with not a single bit missed!

"Perhaps, as Bai Ziqi said, people like me will meet a bad end sooner or later."

After saying this, He Lingchuan stretched, his joints cracking loudly, and his aura suddenly became sharp, like a sleeping tiger suddenly awakening.

"However, losing this war would be my greatest evil! If that were to happen, Blazegold would be doomed forever, with no chance of transformation."

If he were to lose and be defeated, it would mean delivering endless nightmare energy to the Celestial Demons, causing so many brave warriors to die in vain, leaving countless people displaced, and causing the Blazegold people to fall from hope to despair once more, just like the heroes of the past who died before fulfilling their ambitions.

Therefore, his path could only be to cut through thorns and forge ahead relentlessly.

He couldn't afford to lose.

Blazegold couldn't afford to lose.

And the world couldn't afford to lose.

In the evening, another batch of intelligence arrived.

In terms of timing, the Allied forces and Bixia had successively surrendered, and Guo Baiyu had died, which meant that the "transition phase" He Lingchuan was most concerned about was coming to an end. The intelligence delivered this time was mainly about the training status of the various armies.

The Dragon God Army was training in four different locations and had experienced many twists and turns. Their training period had been extended from one hundred days to nearly one hundred and twenty days, but they were almost fully prepared.

The day of the Dragon God Army's assembly was imminent.

Therefore, He Lingchuan's state of mind was much more relaxed. No one could truly appreciate the immense pressure he had borne over these past hundred-plus days.

This also showed Qingyang's capability: she played a poor hand skillfully, using the powerful Blazegold magnates to create many difficulties for them.

During this transition phase, the Dragon God Army remained stationed and did not advance, and the security of the Dragon God territory relied solely on the spontaneous defense of local troops and civilians, as well as the Black Armored Army's efforts to put out fires everywhere. It was truly an extremely difficult period.

Fortunately, countless heroic deeds, like those of Tu Shanfang and Huang Chengqi, had emerged throughout the Dragon God territory. He Lingchuan even set aside a special storage box to collect these heroic accounts while having people organize and publicize them.

Overall, however, the situation was much better than He Lingchuan had anticipated. Although several areas in the Dragon God territory had been occupied, large-scale fallouts—such as Guo Baiyu capturing seven or eight cities consecutively—were rare. The Black Armored Army, with grim determination, launched fierce assaults, and with the active cooperation of the locals, managed to reclaim many areas.

The Blazegold people's tenacious resilience, like that of weeds, was finally on full display.

At the most difficult moment, when He Lingchuan felt most helpless, they did not let him down.

Currently, there were still over twenty Blazegold magnate forces stubbornly resisting in various locations. But He Lingchuan was certain they were like grasshoppers in autumn—they wouldn't last much longer.

Now, he read documents very quickly; he could finish two pages in just a matter of seconds.

There was also a piece of intelligence concerning the war between the great nations.

He Lingchuan's attention was not solely on the Blazegold Plains; he also had to devote some energy to observing Mou Nation and Beijia.

Prompted by certain sudden incidents, these two great nations had recently engaged in several localized battles on the front lines, which were reportedly very fierce. The intelligence also mentioned that King Chiyan himself had led a large army onto the battlefield.

"Even Fu Shanlie has personally entered the fray?" He Lingchuan tutted, "It seems like a significant matter."

He had fought against Fu Shanlie in the Coiling Dragon World and knew his capabilities; however, the Fu Shanlie of the real world seemed to have not personally entered battle for a long time, due to a serious and persistent illness.

Fu Shanyue always mumbled that his father wouldn't live much longer, but judging by Fu Shanlie's performance, it seemed his demise was not so imminent.

After processing the mountain of intelligence, He Lingchuan stood up to stretch his limbs and yawned.

Lingguang jumped in through the window, bringing him a few washed plums.

These plums were a specialty of Inverted Sea; their purplish-black fruits were larger than a ping-pong ball, felt heavy in the hand, and burst with juice in one bite!

Their sweetness far surpassed the small, sour plums native to Blazegold, truly living up to their name as "immortal fruits" specially provided for immortals.

Of course, He Lingchuan had only been out of Inverted Sea for a little over half a year, so regular plum trees couldn't possibly grow so quickly. These were grafted saplings that had been accelerated with Emperor's Dew, allowing them to bear fruit by early summer.

"Lingguang is always so thoughtful." He Lingchuan patted the monkey's head before taking the plums.

Lingguang, munching on a plum, added, "Oh, by the way, another person from the Original Home Society has passed away."

"Why wasn't I informed?" He hadn't seen this piece of intelligence.

"I heard it was Zhao Qing, the county magistrate of Gaopu, but he passed away in his sleep with no wounds on his body. It doesn't seem like a murder, so it wasn't passed on to you." He Lingchuan was extremely busy and couldn't attend to every matter personally. Information from various regions would first be screened by his advisory staff, and only important matters were forwarded to him.

"I saw it on their desk when I went to deliver fruit," Lingguang continued, "On the night Zhao Qing died, some people reportedly saw dark red ripples on the wall above his bedroom and in the shadows of the trees."

"Ripples?"

"Like shimmering water," Lingguang shrugged. "It might have been an illusion, because there really is a pond outside his house."