Chapter 988: Counterattack

The breeze gently stirred Li Huowang's hair as he stood there, holding a bloody dice head in his right hand. Beside him on the ground lay the headless corpse of the Imperial Preceptor of Daliang. The man had concealed himself well in the past, but now that Li Huowang knew Huangfu Tiangang was a spy for the Three Pure Ones, he couldn't be allowed to live.

However, at that moment, Li Huowang's attention wasn't on the deceased. Standing on the wall of Shangjing City, he stared intently at the chaos unfolding below. Even from this height, he could still feel the dense baleful energy permeating the city. Shangjing had been completely corrupted by it.

Shangjing City was in utter turmoil. People drew blades over the smallest trifles; the entire social order seemed on the brink of collapse. The malevolent energy in people's hearts was overwhelming. Li Huowang's excellent vision allowed him to see everything unfolding below. Conflicts and deaths occurred constantly; the entire city had practically turned into a battlefield.

The "Corruption Decree" was not merely a casual phrase; for the common people, its weight was immense. Yet, it was clear that Gao Zhijian's strategy involving the baleful energy went beyond simply corrupting the populace and then abandoning them. The clang of gongs echoed as a young general, with two triangular flags strapped to his back, galloped swiftly down the main road, beating a gong.

"Join the Imperial Army! Join the Imperial Army!" the man shouted loudly as he beat the gong.

"Anyone between eight and seventy years old, male or female! Two strings of cash and three *dou* of rice per month! Meat with every meal!"

Two strings of cash and three *dou* of rice per month, along with meat at every meal – these were incredibly generous terms, a fatal temptation for the vast majority of the populace. While becoming a soldier might be dangerous, those corrupted by the baleful energy simply didn't care.

As the gongs continued, the people of Shangjing City stirred, forming streams that flowed towards the Ministry of War. Evidently, this phenomenon wasn't confined to Shangjing City alone. It was unfolding continuously across Daliang's Six Paths, in Qingqiu, and in Houshu.

Gao Zhijian was correct: the common people *are* soldiers, and soldiers *are* the common people. Whether the populace remained civilians or transformed into soldiers depended entirely on his decision. A new military force would soon take shape, far larger than any before.

"How many people are there in the world? How many times can the General and Prime Minister's Head be activated?" Li Huowang murmured to himself, observing everything below. Now, it seemed difficult to categorize Jiangxiangshou as a Siming. Compared to other Simings, Jiangxiangshou appeared more primitive, more akin to the Heavenly Dao itself. As long as the necessary price was paid, the power of the Heavenly Dao could be borrowed.

As Li Huowang pondered this, he slowly raised his head, gazing towards the Heavens Beyond Heaven above and contemplating the Simings he had never encountered before. It appeared that Simings had various ways of existing, not just the few types he was familiar with.

Footsteps sounded as Gao Zhijian, escorted by eunuchs, ascended the city wall. "Senior Brother Li," he said, "it won't be long now. The new military force will be ready soon."

"Good," Li Huowang replied, his heart heavy. He lowered his head, no longer observing the myriad lives below the city wall.

"While we have this moment, let me tell you about my situation," Li Huowang continued. "In fact, I can communicate with other Simings outside the White Jade Capital. I've even been battling the Heavens of Fortune alongside them during this period."

"But..." Gao Zhijian looked at Li Huowang hesitantly. "Senior Brother Li, haven't you been here this entire time? You haven't gone to the White Jade Capital."

"I wasn't referring to my current self," Li Huowang clarified. "That was another me, yet still me. What he does is what I do!"

Gao Zhijian remained silent, a hint of confusion on his face. He clearly hadn't quite understood.

"I know you didn't understand, but that's how it is," Li Huowang said. "Because I am the Heavenly Dao that governs confusion, even I can't quite grasp what's truly happening." Seeing Gao Zhijian's silence, Li Huowang offered a self-deprecating smile. "Don't you believe me? Or do you think I'm having another episode? I can understand if you think that way."

"No, Senior Brother Li, I believe you," Gao Zhijian replied. "Please continue."

"There's not much more to say," Li Huowang continued. "There might be a fierce battle ahead. This time, mortals will join forces with the Simings of the White Jade Capital to fight the Heavens of Fortune."

"Because the mortal realm is sustained by dragon veins, other Simings simply cannot directly reach it," Li Huowang explained. "Even if they transmit through other means, there will be some distortion. I am the exception; I can accurately know what is happening in the White Jade Capital."

"Next, when facing the Heavens of Fortune, the strategy and actions will definitely be led by the Simings of the White Jade Capital, with coordination from our side." Mortals cannot possibly come into direct contact with Simings; even merely approaching them would likely result in being influenced by the Heavenly Dao.

"What I'm saying is, from now on, how the entire world will contribute and when to activate Jiangxiangshou will be decided by me. Do you understand?"

"I'm not trying to meddle or usurp your authority," Li Huowang continued. "But the battle above changes in an instant. We can't wait for your emperor to slowly deliberate on every decision."

Gao Zhijian shook his head. "No, with you leading the charge, my burden is much lighter."

"Senior Brother Li, I will discuss it with them," Gao Zhijian added. "When the time comes, how and what to do will be entirely up to your discretion."

"That's good," Li Huowang affirmed. With this understanding, the next time they faced an opponent from the Heavens of Fortune, Li Huowang could call upon Jiangxiangshou for help at any moment, adding significant power to their side. This was also why the "Corruption Decree," though cruel, had to be implemented.

"Senior Brother Li, do you know what Junior Sister Bai's people are doing?" Gao Zhijian asked. Hearing Gao Zhijian's question, Li Huowang slowly nodded. "I know. She told me herself, and I was the one who gave her the Spine Sword."

"Oh. That's good then," Gao Zhijian nodded, turning to descend the city wall. But just as he lifted his foot, Li Huowang's expression abruptly changed. "A heavenly disaster," he muttered.

This particular heavenly disaster was silent, seemingly without any visible occurrence, and ordinary people couldn't detect it at all. This was because "growth" had disappeared. Li Huowang naturally understood the implications of this heavenly disaster. It seemed Zuoqiuyong of the White Jade Capital was completely gone; the Three Pure Ones had, in the end, stolen his Heavenly Dao of Growth.

This was not a good sign. As the Three Pure Ones steadily grew stronger, no one knew what their true intentions were. If one included Dou Mu's Heavenly Dao of Lies, then the Three Pure Ones now controlled at least three Heavenly Daos: Secrets, Lies, and Growth. The reason for saying "at least" was that, aside from whether Qingwanglai secretly harbored other Heavenly Daos, he had certainly taken things from Li Huowang himself and undoubtedly acquired something from the Five Wisdom Tathagatas.

At this thought, Li Huowang was momentarily stunned. He suddenly remembered something, and stomping his right foot, the surroundings rapidly shifted, teleporting him from the city wall to Zhengde Temple.

Zhengde Temple was now exceptionally desolate, with very few pilgrims. When everyone became corrupted by the baleful energy and no longer feared death, their sense of reverence vanished, and with it, the flow of people coming to worship Buddha ceased. Li Huowang ignored the welcoming monk who greeted him with clasped hands and swiftly passed through the various halls, finally entering a particular Buddha hall.

He had visited this Buddha hall once before; this was his second time. The tall statue on the lotus pedestal was none other than Zhuge Yuan, draped in yellow cloth with a cinnabar dot on his brow. It was clear this place had received plentiful incense offerings in the past; the incense burners were overflowing with ash, and Zhuge Yuan himself had been enshrined with a golden body. This was the original statue of Zhuge Yuan; all other statues of him in temples had proliferated from this one. Qingwanglai had exploited this very fact, though it remained unknown what he had secretly done to the Five Wisdom Tathagatas.

Regardless of the Three Pure Ones' true intentions, since they were now enemies, Li Huowang was determined to thwart anything they wished to accomplish. As Li Huowang raised one hand, the thick roof beam above the Buddha hall instantly snapped. The statue of Zhuge Yuan, encased in rubble, crashed directly down. Seeing Zhuge Yuan's statue on the verge of shattering under the crushing weight of the roof beam, Li Huowang abruptly raised his right hand. The falling beam and rubble instantly froze in mid-air, suspended.

Li Huowang tremblingly withdrew his hand, looking up at Zhuge Yuan's stone statue before him. "Heh heh... Three Pure Ones, did you foresee this too? Did you foresee this too?"

The Three Pure Ones' counterattacks were always silent, yet each one left Li Huowang feeling profoundly distressed. Li Huowang slowly clenched his teeth, his breathing becoming shaky. After a few moments of hesitation, he sharply pulled down his clenched fist. The suspended beam crashed down heavily, instantly shattering the stone statue of Zhuge Yuan, which depicted the Ratnasambhava Buddha, into pieces. Zhuge Yuan's broken head, accompanied by swirling dust, rolled unsteadily to Li Huowang's feet.