Chapter 1015: 起

In the fields outside Shangjing City, people steadily gathered towards the military formation, guided by the boisterous commands of the flag-bearers.

The crowd was large but orderly, a testament not only to the White Lotus Society’s influence but also to successive decrees from the authorities. Standard-bearers, with flags on their backs, swiftly rode through the throng.

Standing before the grand formation, Li Huowang looked out and saw an endless, dense sea of heads.

Summoning the 'Generals and Prime Ministers' required a ritual. Although the Director of Daliang’s Imperial Astronomical Bureau was dead, the Deputy Directors were still alive.

Gao Zhijian, in his dragon robe, looked at the tiger tally in his hand. As malevolent energy continuously converged, the tiger tally not only glowed red but also trembled ceaselessly, faintly emitting roars.

With a solemn expression, he broke the tiger tally in his hand into two halves. He then distributed these halves among the four Deputy Directors, with each half shared by two individuals.

The four Deputy Directors respectfully bowed deeply to the Daliang Emperor, then withdrew to make the final preparations.

As heart-stirring war drums and long, mournful horns sounded within the military formation, large jars of strong liquor were brought forward by eunuchs, clearly prepared in advance.

Everyone received a bowl of the strong liquor. Each person tilted their head back and drained it, their eyes showing no fear. Among them were children as young as twelve or thirteen and elders who had just passed sixty.

Li Huowang looked at the crowd before him, his heart filled with profound complexity. In that moment in the White Jade Capital, he hadn't had time to consider what his request for help would bring upon those below.

Everything comes at a price; some are paid beforehand, others afterward.

Compared to him, Bai Lingmiao, standing beside him, was much calmer, perhaps because she was going with them.

Amidst the crowd, a giant Kongming lantern shaped like a lotus throne was slowly pushed forward by White Lotus followers, who chanted work songs. Six white donkeys sat upon the lotus throne like six lotus seeds.

Seeing that the time was approaching, Gao Zhijian, accompanied by the other four emperors, stood before the military formation. A gentle breeze stirred his dragon robe and dark beard.

If this were a battle against ordinary foes, as the ruler of a nation, he would now deliver a rousing speech. But now he didn't know what to say, because the people before him were destined to die.

Yet he had to say something, because he was a good emperor. A good emperor, even when facing the lives of millions of his people, must be able to make tough decisions and accept their consequences.

"Oh, my warriors!"

As Li Huowang’s expression hardened, Gao Zhijian's voice instantly reverberated across the entire city of Shangjing. "Oh, my warriors! Like brothers, we live together, we die together. Our survival or extinction rests on this moment!"

Gao Zhijian concealed nothing. He forthrightly told everyone what had happened, even revealing the White Jade Capital, a taboo that had previously been hidden in the deepest parts of the imperial archives.

Just then, the ground suddenly shook violently. The sky far in the distance cracked open, and a colossal tree, narrow at the bottom and wide at the top, slowly began to crash down towards the earth. "The sky is falling."

Looking at everything in the distance, everyone simultaneously raised their swords. Their eyes filled with murderous intent as they gazed at the torn sky, raising their heads and shouting, "Kill! Kill! Kill!!"

The towering malevolent energy almost changed the color of the sky. Everyone's eyes were completely overcome with killing intent. Facing the colossal tree that descended like Mount Tai, there was no fear in anyone's eyes.

Watching them simultaneously raise their swords, Li Huowang, his face etched with pain, could not bear to watch.

Just then, he heard familiar footsteps approaching him. He looked up and saw Chun Xiaoman standing before him, deliberately dressed in new clothes.

She looked at Li Huowang, Bai Lingmiao, and Gao Zhijian before her. Hot tears welled from her eyes, and her voice was filled with despair. "Why is this happening! Why!"

"Why... I damn well want to know why too!!"

"Sister Xiaoman." Bai Lingmiao walked over, her expression complex. She understood how Chun Xiaoman felt; to Chun Xiaoman, the White Lotus Society was her home, and its followers were her family. Now her home was gone.

Bai Lingmiao's outstretched hand was pushed away by Chun Xiaoman. Chun Xiaoman looked at the rows of falling heads behind them and the gaping hole in the distant sky, then collapsed, wailing in despair with an open mouth.

"Chun Xuan! Gouzi, Wang Kunsheng! They are all living people! They are people, just like you and me, they are all living, breathing individuals!!"

With a "clang," the sword Li Huowang had once given Chun Xiaoman was drawn. She decisively plunged it into her own neck and drew it across with force.

"Sister Xiaoman!!" As blood spurted a zhang high, Chun Xiaoman's head fell to the ground along with the heads of the other soldiers.

Gao Zhijian instinctively stepped forward, but seeing Chun Xiaoman's headless corpse standing where she was, he forcibly stopped himself. He clenched his teeth and forcibly turned his head away.

Blood, together with the almost tangible malevolent energy, began to spread into the air, eventually forming two gradually solidifying, wildly roaring heads.

As the 'Generals and Prime Ministers' took shape, the minds of the living were swiftly consumed by killing intent. This influence intensified, spreading towards Shangjing City.

"Brother Li! The 'Generals and Prime Ministers' have formed! It's time to send them up! Keeping them here will cause great trouble!!"

Hearing Gao Zhijian's words, a tearful Bai Lingmiao grasped Li Huowang's hand and said, "Brother Li, I must go now. Please see me off."

"Okay. I'll see you off!" Li Huowang, clenching his teeth so hard they almost shattered, nodded tremblingly, pulling Bai Lingmiao towards the giant lotus throne.

Bai Lingmiao, with her four hands holding various magical artifacts, sat cross-legged in the center of the lotus throne. Her delicate face was filled with sanctity. At this moment, the white lotus mark on her forehead glowed even brighter, and not even a trace of the towering malevolent energy could penetrate it.

The Twelve-Petal Auspicious Twin Lotus radiated dazzling light. It appeared above Bai Lingmiao and gradually unfurled, a seed from the lotus slowly descending and entering Bai Lingmiao's body.

At this very moment, Bai Lingmiao seemed to understand something. A smile of neither joy nor sorrow appeared on her face. As her four hands gently formed the lotus seal, Bai Lingmiao, accompanied by the six white donkeys, passed through the two wildly biting 'Generals and Prime Ministers', guiding them towards the Gate of Yak.

With the 'Generals and Prime Ministers' gone, the oppressive feeling, which had been almost tangible, vanished. But watching Bai Lingmiao gradually drift away, he still couldn't breathe.

He clenched his fists and vigorously pounded his constricted chest a few times. But even as his chest caved in from the blows, he felt no relief.

With a reach of his right hand, a bronze mirror appeared in his grasp.

Li Huowang let out a heart-wrenching roar at his reflection in the mirror: "Ji Zai!! It's all gone! They're all gone!! You *must* bring them back! You must! You promised me! You promised me!!"