https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-667-The-Four-Pillars-of-Great-Qian-the-Mirror-Hanging-Institution/12852603/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-669-A-Canal-All-Shores-in-Rebellion/12852605/
Chapter 668: The Rebel King Chen, The Strategy for a Thousand Armies
Chapter 668: The Rebel King Chen, The Strategy for a Thousand Armies
Chen Liuhuan's face was filled with fear. He had never imagined that there could be creatures with fish heads and human bodies.
Originally, he was a laborer working on the construction of the Grand Canal. Surviving this labor was a stroke of immense luck, and he naturally harbored deep resentment towards the court. A month ago, an old scholar had approached him, mysteriously claiming that he was destined for greatness.
He didn't believe it. Those scholars never spoke a word of truth.
But today, that old scholar came to him again, and this time, he was inciting a rebellion, gathering quite a few people to join. The idea of rebelling wasn't the problem; the real issue was that they wanted him to be the leader. He wasn't a fool, even if he lacked experience. Today, when he went to the river to catch some fish and shrimp to satisfy his hunger, he saw something that he would never forget.
The old scholar had stripped naked by the river, and Chen Liuhuan had intended to mock him. But what he saw next left him speechless. The old scholar tore off his human skin, revealing a fish-like form. Though still retaining a human shape, the green figure that plunged into the water and swam away left Chen Liuhuan utterly bewildered.
On his way back, he was in a daze, barely remembering how he returned.
'This world actually has such evil beings. They trick us into rebelling, but what is their true intention?' Chen Liuhuan's expression was grim.
Being the leader of a rebellion? He might as well be a piece of meat.
"This matter cannot be made public. If I speak out, who would believe me? I fear that not only will I fail to expose this evil, but I will also suffer greatly." Chen Liuhuan was torn, wanting to escape but also fearing that the creature would notice his intentions.
"Not necessarily, we believe you." A voice came from the roof beam, making Chen Liuhuan shudder.
"Who's there?" He quickly looked up and saw a figure drop from the beam, cloaked in black, with an indiscernible face.
"Shadow Guard of the Great Qian Dynasty, I have been watching you for a long time." The figure spoke.
Chen Liuhuan's face turned pale. What they were doing was treason, punishable by the extermination of nine clans. The Shadow Guard of the Great Qian Dynasty was not someone to be trifled with. He feared that he would be taken to the authorities immediately.
"Sir, please listen to me. I was not involved in this." Chen Liuhuan hurriedly said. When things were not on his head, he could speak boldly, but now he needed to distance himself from the situation.
The Great Qian Dynasty might fall, but if he didn't act cautiously, he would die first.
"Rest assured, I am not here to investigate the rebellion. You were merely deceived by those alien races." The Shadow Guard's tone was surprisingly gentle, much to Chen Liuhuan's surprise. He had expected to be beaten.
"Since the reign of Emperor Qian Ling, the court of the Great Qian Dynasty has been dominated by these alien races. They have been wreaking havoc and causing chaos throughout the land. Whether it's the construction of the Grand Canal or past absurdities, these alien races have been seeking blood sacrifices. You should know what blood sacrifices are, right?" The Shadow Guard's tone carried a hint of mockery.
Chen Liuhuan was not stupid. Who had died the most during the construction of the Grand Canal? Humans, of course. So these alien races were feeding on them.
"The emperor ascended the throne less than half a month ago and was immediately stripped of his power. If it weren't for his wisdom and bravery, the Shadow Guard of the Great Qian Dynasty would not have been reactivated, and we would not have uncovered these clues. If you join the rebellion and succeed in an inside attack, can you guess what will happen?" The Shadow Guard's tone was tinged with amusement.
"I will become a puppet, and the people will be reduced to livestock." Cold sweat dripped down Chen Liuhuan's forehead.
"So, your rebellion is insignificant to the emperor. He faces far greater terrors. If you are deceived by the alien races and succeed in your rebellion, the emperor will be liberated, but you will suffer. What do you think?" The Shadow Guard asked calmly.
At this moment, Chen Liuhuan knew what to say: "I am willing to serve the emperor!"
"Good. Cooperate with them in the rebellion. When the time comes, we will crush the alien races. Not only will you be blameless, but you will be rewarded. You will be ennobled and appointed to a high rank."
"Take this method and cultivate it. Once you have mastered the basics, you will be able to distinguish who is human and who is an alien."
The Shadow Guard took a book from his robes and handed it to Chen Liuhuan.
Chen Liuhuan accepted it but looked at it awkwardly: "Sir, I cannot read."
"This book was written by the emperor with great power. You do not need to read. Just go through each word and sentence, and you will understand its meaning and the principles of martial arts."
The Shadow Guard vanished with a swift movement.
Seeing this, Chen Liuhuan's expression changed. "Truly a remarkable person. It seems that the Great Qian Dynasty is not as corrupt as the rumors suggest. Could it be that it has truly been occupied by those alien races?"
At this, he couldn't help but waver. Since he was a child, he had heard people around him say that the Great Qian Dynasty was tyrannical, that every emperor was a dim-witted ruler, and that the officials were all corrupt.
But now, if the court was indeed occupied by alien races, everything would make sense.
If it were truly the end of the dynasty, why had no one rebelled in all these years?
Picking up the book, although he couldn't read, he followed the Shadow Guard's instructions and examined it word by word.
Since he only needed to look without understanding, and didn't even need to recognize the characters, he read very quickly. In less than half a cup of tea's time, he had finished.
In his mind, a cultivation method named The Strategy for a Thousand Armies (Wanjun Ce) appeared.
"Warfare cultivation?" Chen Liuhuan's curiosity piqued as he associated the term with physical strength and combat.
The Strategy for a Thousand Armies was divided into two volumes. The upper volume was a martial cultivation method, and the lower volume was a military strategy. It contained various annotations and analyses, and even he, if he learned it all, could not only command from afar but also charge into battle like a mighty general.
"This matter is not false. The court is truly occupied by alien races." Chen Liuhuan's expression turned cold. This meant that the forced labor was not the emperor's doing, but the work of those alien races who fed on them, and they had made the Qian Emperor bear the blame.
This cultivation method was so miraculous that it must be real.
"Isn't it just about cooperating with the emperor to gather the rebels and then crush the alien races? I, Chen Liuhuan, accept."
"To be ennobled and appointed to a high rank, to bring glory to my ancestors!"
Following the alien races would only make him food for them, but following the Qian Emperor would bring true wealth and honor. As for the Qian Emperor being at a disadvantage?
In the face of righteousness, he naturally chose his camp without hesitation.
Anyone with a normal mind would know that being deceived by the alien races to rebel, even if they won, would be no different from losing.
"With the emperor's gift of a thread of innate energy, I can break through the Body Tempering, Aura, and Spirit Nourishing realms within three days."
"If I can reach the fourth realm, the Celestial Phenomena realm, I will be able to draw upon the elemental energy of heaven and earth, and then I can face a thousand troops and ten thousand horses in battle."
If the first three realms represented the strengthening of essence, energy, and spirit, then the fourth realm was born for battle, drawing upon the elemental energy of the world to grant ordinary humans extremely advanced combat power. Even with borrowed strength, it would be enough to deal with the weaker alien races.
However, while the first three realms were relatively easy to achieve, the Celestial Phenomena realm was difficult to enter.
Chen Liuhuan knew that he needed at least the strength of the fourth realm to qualify for the plan.
Otherwise, how could he contend with those alien races? A mere breath could blow his small body away.
"I can only hope that the Shadow Guard can give me more help; otherwise, I can only do my best." Chen Liuhuan was certain that the alien races had not chosen just him but also other laborers.
The number of people building the Grand Canal was not small. He didn't know how many there were, but he knew that in his section alone, there were several thousand people.
Now, all these thousands of people were already tempted and needed only a small opportunity to explode.
"But this is also an opportunity. I might be able to use this to gain control of the troops. After all, while they have successfully incited rebellion, they need me to be one of the rebel kings, so they will inevitably leave some vulnerabilities."
"So before that, I need enough strength."
After a simple plan, Chen Liuhuan began to refine the thread of innate energy that had entered his body through the martial cultivation method The Strategy for a Thousand Armies. This was somewhat difficult for him, as it was his first time, and he couldn't just start immediately.
"Three days seems a bit challenging." After a bumpy run through the cultivation method, he felt he had overestimated the time. It would probably take ten days, at least one day to familiarize himself, and then to consolidate and re-familiarize himself with the Body Tempering, Aura, and Spirit Nourishing realms.
(End of Chapter)
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