Lord Shenxiu
Chapter 208: Behind the Scenes (Additional Updates for Previous Book)

Chapter 208: Chapter 208: Behind the Scenes (Additional Updates for Previous Book)

"Could it be that this Saint Monk is also studying sociology?"

Listening to the Saint Monk’s account, Zhong Shenxiu’s expression gradually turned peculiar.

The Wu Dynasty had existed for a thousand years, which was indeed a long time.

Moreover, according to Zhong Shenxiu’s observations, under this imperial rule, the people used agricultural methods, meticulously farming the land, and their productivity could be considered among the higher standards of the feudal era.

Without war, the population had multiplied, and five hundred years ago, the situation should have reached a point where the land was scarce for the abundant populace—an intense contradiction arises, and rebellions flared across the lands.

In a world without supernatural powers, what would inevitably follow would be chaos throughout the land, warlords rising, countless battles, which would cut the population by more than half, freeing up land, and allowing for the establishment of a new dynasty to continue for several hundred years.

Without geographical discoveries, massive colonization, or leaps in productivity, it would be this cycle repeating over and over.

However, the advent of Martial Arts completely changed this world!

A single Blood Swapping Warrior could rival a hundred men.

And a Martial Arts Grandmaster, in the midst of thousands of troops, could take a general’s head as easily as reaching into a bag!

Not to mention Great Grandmasters, with just a glance, they could make all the warlords surrender.

With such martial might suppressing, what mud-legged peasant could successfully rebel?

Five hundred years earlier, the world was overpopulated, and the officials were corrupt; the people couldn’t survive, and chaos pervaded, with rebel kings arising everywhere.

The Great Wu Dynasty was at a dangerous juncture, but then they dispatched a Great Grandmaster.

And then there was no ’then’...

Within a month, all the rebel kings had been beheaded, and then the Wu Dynasty’s Five Dragons Army stepped in, slaughtering on a grand scale, easily suppressing the insurgents.

Of course, because of the warfare, the common people suffered heavy casualties, and some of the surplus land was vacated, reducing the contradiction between population and land. This led to a great governance after the great chaos.

That generation’s Martial Emperor even earned a reputation of restoration, praised and recorded in the history books.

Listening to the Saint Monk recount this history, Zhong Shenxiu couldn’t help but wax nostalgic.

"However... the common folk will always find a way out for themselves!"

"The uprising was suppressed by Martial Artists, but during that massacre, many disorganized troops at great cost managed to kill some of the imperial experts, and scavenge some secret teachings... and military rewards led to some Imperial Family’s martial arts leaking into society, causing a boom in the Martial Arts World’s interest in martial arts..."

"Since then, the imperial court knew that it was not the disorderly armies that could overthrow the Imperial Family, but the sects and noble families... They issued several decrees one after another to intervene in the Martial Arts World, like the establishment of the three ’Heaven, Earth, Human’ lists, which were thoroughly established then..."

"The imperial court retired behind the scenes, inciting major sects to contend for honors and spawning conflicts between good and evil, while they themselves remained above it all, periodically purging the Martial Arts World... Such a strategy has extended the Great Wu Dynasty for another five hundred years, right up to the present. Whenever they feel threatened by the Martial Arts World again, the imperial court secretly makes its move... This incident with the Five Poison Sect was a long-awaited opportunity for them; after the destruction of the Five Poison Sect, the imperial court accelerated their actions... Now, Lingnan Song Family has been severely weakened, the Five Poison Sect extinguished, Su Yin Fairy forced to declare her sect’s seclusion, and as for the Langya Wang Family and the Six Void Sect, they have long since secretly sided with the imperial court... The pressure on the Su Yin Sword Sect to seclude came with their help, and just the other day, they joined with the imperial court’s ’Blood-Clad Marquis’ to besiege me!"

The Saint Monk said with a wry smile, "The Jianghu Martial Arts is about to face a catastrophe... What fault do the common people bear?"

"Do you want to join forces with me, old monk?"

Zhong Shenxiu nodded, understanding the Saint Monk’s intention, "It’s just that we are alone and seemingly powerless. Those independent Great Grandmasters on the Heavenly List don’t seem to be of much use, and it’s uncertain if we can even find them, let alone know which ones are spies for the imperial court..."

With this thought, he felt a sudden chill of cold sweat.

Although the court’s power is weak now, in terms of martial arts alone, the strength is still unbelievably formidable.

"Had I been the Martial Emperor, grasping such extensive power, I would also seize the opportunity to try cleansing the Martial Arts World, to extend the reign of the court by a few hundred years..."

Zhong Shenxiu thought somewhat shamefully. In the matter of the court’s extermination of rebellious great grandmasters, it seemed that he too was somewhat complicit.

"That monk has found the wrong person... I actually don’t have much desire to prolong the life of the court. If the Martial Emperor promised me the ’Heavenly Stele,’ I might consider helping him... Old monk, you overestimate my integrity."

Zhong Shenxiu sized up the Saint Monk, secretly contemplating whether he should sell this man for a good price.

"No!"

The following words of the Saint Monk were not as expected: "The old monk does not wish to join forces with you, but instead wants to entrust the world to you. Why can the old monk only meet you in spirit? It is because my golden body is damaged, and my life is not long for this world..."

"What? Old monk, you’re dying?"

Zhong Shenxiu was truly shocked. After all, this old monk was ranked third on the Heavenly List!

"Six Void Zhou Tong, Langya King, and the Lord in Blood Clothes–these three joined forces... The old monk could only hold back two of them, and so was dragged into oblivion."

The Saint Monk was not all that fearful of death, but his face revealed a sorrowful expression, "Once the old monk dies, there will hardly be anyone in the world who can stop the court from a bloodbath against the Martial Arts World, slaughtering all under the heavens..."

Zhong Shenxiu listened intently, his mind flooded with myriad thoughts.

"Compared to the court, my perspective is still just a little bit too narrow... Of course, our goals are different, so that’s not really a fair comparison..."

"But... if the cause for the court’s resolve to act is because the Five Poison Sect was annihilated, which led to an imbalance of the eight major forces in the world... And if the reason the Five Poison Sect was destroyed, is because of the King of Ten Thousand Slaves, then wouldn’t that mean... in the end, it’s still my fault?"

"No, that’s not right... even without me, once the King of Ten Thousand Slaves appeared and achieved great grandmaster status, with the Five Poison Sect possessing three great grandmasters, how could they not cause trouble? Therefore, whether he failed or succeeded, once the news of the Ten Thousand Slaves Divine Skill leaked, a reshuffling of the eight major forces was inevitable... So, it’s not my fault, I don’t accept the blame!"

As for the possibility that without him, the King of Ten Thousand Slaves would never have found another who could master the Five Elements Thief Palm, and would not have the needs met to quickly advance to great grandmaster status—possibly delaying for decades, or even never breaking through in his lifetime—that was outside of his consideration.

"Old monk, what’s in it for me going against the court?"

Zhong Shenxiu retorted.

"Since the master has assumed the identity of the Undying Evil Emperor, could you really tolerate the court’s presence?"

The Saint Monk was somewhat surprised, then smiled wryly, "The old monk is merely doing his human duty, leaving the rest to fate... Right at the moment of extinction, I sensed the master’s spirit and thus came to meet you, nothing more..."

As soon as his voice fell, the illusion shattered violently.

...

Back in reality.

Zhong Shenxiu touched the Asura mask on his face, pensive, "The world is becoming so troubled... Well then, if it comes to it, I’ll just throw away this identity and be done with it..."

After all, there were no ashes of the Undying Evil Emperor left, and besides this old monk, no one else in the world could confirm the Undying Evil Emperor was already dead.

Moreover, even if it is confirmed that someone is impersonating, with so many grandmasters on the Heavenly List, and a few hidden ones too, one can’t just dump all the blame on Xun Liuyi!

After all, I’m just a newbie who has just made a breakthrough. How could I possibly defeat the Undying Evil Emperor!