World's First Traitor System (438)

Chapter 438 - Shattered Dreams in Chao Ge City

"I govern the country in Her Majesty's stead!"

Just as Fan Li read the letters personally penned by the three emperors, Bai Rong's voice suddenly boomed from within the city. "Effective immediately, a strict order is issued: anyone leaving the city will die!"

Although not a Great Vehicle expert, she was only half a step away. For a time, Bai Rong's furious roar echoed throughout the imperial city of Chao Ge, both within and without, carrying an undeniable aura of intimidating power, a sense of 'who dares challenge me?'

Fan Li indeed stopped reading, frowning slightly as he looked towards the city. Hu Zongxian murmured at his side, "Your Majesty, this minister can charge into the city and take that woman's head."

Years ago, his cultivation had fallen to the Unity realm. But a once-powerful existence would not remain fallen forever. Hu Zongxian's cultivation had returned to its peak and even surpassed it. Now, not only had he reached the third stage of the Great Vehicle realm, but his state of mind was open and magnanimous, his path of cultivation still a wide, promising road.

Fan Li felt quite tempted upon hearing the suggestion. As the saying goes, shoot the horse before the rider, capture the king before the bandits. If Bai Rong were dealt with, persuading the remaining city defenders to surrender would be a simple matter. Just as he was about to nod in agreement, he suddenly recalled a past incident and immediately changed his mind.

"No," he decided. "Let Bai Rong live a little longer. Her life will be claimed by someone else."

Though puzzled, Hu Zongxian obeyed Fan Li's command absolutely. "Yes, this minister obeys."

Outside the Chao Ge imperial city, Fan Li's army remained still. Inside the city, Bai Rong held an Earth Grade, ninth-rank spirit sword, its blade already stained red with blood. A dozen soldiers and even officers who had attempted to climb over the city walls had just been personally slain by her!

"All of you ungrateful wretches!" she screamed. "Have you forgotten? Who freed you from the shackles of the secular world? Who gave you this joyous Pure Land? Who allowed you to be reborn? It was Great Ci!"

Bai Rong shrieked, smashing a human head heavily onto the ground. It belonged to a female general whose cultivation had reached the peak ninth stage of the Divine Transformation realm, a rare expert among Great Ci's officers. Yet Bai Rong had cut off her head in just three moves!

"Throw all the traitors' heads out of the city!" Bai Rong shrieked.

The defending soldiers on the walls exchanged glances, ultimately succumbing to her tyrannical pressure. With trembling hands, they picked up the warm heads – eyes wide with indignation and resentment – and hurled them towards Fan Li's army outside the city.

"Second Brother, the false empress is killing people. What should we do?" Fan Chun asked. He came from an orthodox military background, so executing deserters on the battlefield to enforce discipline wasn't strange to him. However, he remembered that the mission this time was to avoid bloodshed as much as possible and allow the women from various nations, swayed by Yao Guang, to return home safely. Yet, casualties had occurred even before the fighting began.

"It doesn't matter," Fan Li replied calmly. "We weren't the ones who killed them. That's enough." In Fan Li's heart, he already looked down on these people who had abandoned their homes and countries. He had chosen the lenient policy of persuasion only to ensure stability in the court and harmony among the noble families. If he truly had no reservations, Fan Li would have ordered a direct assault on Chao Ge long ago.

The killing, indeed, temporarily stabilized morale. Compared to the longing for home, survival was always the primary choice. The restless women from Chu, Wei, Han, and Wu reluctantly adopted a defensive posture again, gripping their weapons tightly as they stared at the Chu army outside the walls.

"Hmph!"

Bai Rong felt rather pleased with herself for successfully stabilizing the situation. But the thought of the Nine-Colored Deer's death made her feel inexplicably agitated and uneasy. "Even if Elder Sister is defeated, escaping back to Great Ci shouldn't be a problem, right? As long as the Five-Nation Alliance still exists, Great Ming can't do much to Great Ci. Victory and defeat are common in war. These short-sighted fools, who claim military backgrounds, are worse than even me."

Bai Rong felt quite smug, and her gaze towards the nearby female generals held an added touch of contempt. "All of you, defend the city properly for this Sage Ruler. As long as you fulfill your duties loyally, when Elder Sister returns, this Sage Ruler will personally request merits for you! Then everyone will be promoted in rank and nobility. Isn't that better than returning to Chu, Wei, Han, or Wu to suffer scorn?"

As soon as these words were spoken, many soldiers lowered their heads in shame. In truth, the principles of the world were sometimes very simple. Once people made a mistake, most were unwilling to admit it verbally, but their hearts were like clear mirrors.

The soldiers remembered the parents, husbands, and children they had abandoned, and their eyes couldn't help but redden. They thought of their sisters back in their clans, most of whom hadn't made the same decision. Those sisters remained steadfastly by their families' sides, while they themselves had once mocked them for being stubborn, foolishly loyal, and blindly filial.

Yet, time was the best witness. Their former sisters could still enjoy the protection of their families, the care of their parents, the love of their husbands, and the filial piety of their children. In contrast, they themselves faced the precarious Great Ci Dynasty, the slain guardian beast, the besieged capital, living in constant fear with no end in sight.

Where had the former Brahma Sound Pure Land gone? The women suddenly realized they had clearly come seeking a Pure Land, so why had they become officials, generals, soldiers, and subjects of the Great Ci Dynasty? It shouldn't have been like this!

They abruptly realized again – the Pure Land still existed! Only, it was the Pure Land re-established by Sage Ruler of the Sword, Han Yue. Not competing for fame! Not striving for profit! Disengaged from worldly affairs, cultivating peacefully, transcendent and refined. That was the image of the Pure Land they originally held in their hearts!

But, when the Pure Land was reopened, why hadn't they gone there? Clearly, many female sword cultivators had resolutely left the Great Ci Dynasty to follow Sage Ruler Han Yue.

Yes. They quickly understood why. Because of Empress Yao Guang. She was the strongest female cultivator in the mortal world, perhaps even the strongest overall. Her image was too grand, too brilliant, dazzling and radiant! Everyone had been drawn to Empress Yao Guang! Trusting her, following her, worshipping her, and finally choosing to submit to her! These were all their own choices!

"Are we... digging our own graves?" a female general suddenly murmured. She possessed beautiful eyes, perhaps even more beautiful than those of several Sage Rulers. At this moment, pearl-like tears slid from her eyes, leaving trails of regret.

Swish!

A cold light flashed, and the female general's head fell to the ground. Bai Rong stood beside her, holding her sword single-handedly, warm blood dripping from its tip. The surrounding soldiers were filled with terror because tears of regret welled in their own eyes too!

With each kill Bai Rong made, a thought arose almost simultaneously in everyone's mind! The Pure Land should absolutely not be like this. How could life be trampled upon so easily?

Clang!

A silver spear was thrown to the ground. It was a mid-grade Earth-rank spirit tool, quite valuable. Bai Rong turned, looking coldly at the female general who had discarded her weapon, and threatened, "What? Are you tired of living too?"

Tears slid from the female general's eyes, but she lifted her head high, exposing her jade-white neck, remaining silent. If death was inevitable, she chose to retain her final dignity before dying.

Clang!

Clang!

Another series of weapons hitting the ground sounded. On the gate tower where Bai Rong stood, every single defending soldier, without exception, threw their weapons down. They all emulated the female general, raising their necks high, allowing Bai Rong to swing her sword!

Bai Rong was furious! The authority of a Sage Ruler was being challenged by the subjects of Great Ci for the first time! Kill them? Of course, she wanted to kill them! Bai Rong was willing to discard anyone detrimental to her, even willing to do it herself! Just like years ago, when she schemed for her sect to be silenced to climb the ladder of the Brahma Sound Pure Land!

"Kill them all."

"Use their blood and spirit energy to nourish and enhance my strength."

"Kill, kill, kill!"

A frenzied thought surged in Bai Rong's mind. Even she couldn't distinguish whether she was naturally cruel and bloodthirsty, or if it was due to cultivating the legacy of the Sage Ruler of Blood.

However, Bai Rong at least understood the principle that the law does not punish the masses. If she really killed all the defenders at this gate, the imperial city of Chao Ge would fall without a fight.

"Outrageous!" Bai Rong softened her tone slightly, reprimanding, "This Sage Ruler kills to uphold the law and enforce military discipline. You are all outstanding women of the world, elites recognized by Her Majesty Yao Guang and accepted into Great Ci. How can you not cherish yourselves? As long as you defend the city properly, this Sage Ruler will pretend what just happened never occurred."

"Quickly pick up the weapons on the ground, return to your posts, don't disappoint Her Majesty Yao Guang, and don't let the world look down on you."

A few soft words, followed by slight encouragement. Bai Rong considered herself eloquent and believed she could persuade these women who usually thought highly of themselves. But she hadn't expected the soldiers merely to wipe away their tears and continue staring at her numbly. As for the weapons discarded on the ground, not a single person picked one up.

Bai Rong grew angry at the sight, unsure how to proceed, when suddenly someone shrieked and pointed towards the sky. She subconsciously looked up.

Instantly! Bai Rong felt her entire world collapse! Countless more screams erupted around her, but Bai Rong could barely hear them. Her mind buzzed, the word 'impossible' echoing repeatedly. But, there was no illusion in the Sky Phase Mirror. This was common knowledge in the Great Ci Dynasty!

Outside Chao Ge's imperial city, Fan Li also looked up at the sky, his face filled with astonishment. "Unexpected. Truly unexpected."
"Although I anticipated a similar outcome, Jiajing still exceeded my expectations." Fan Li murmured.

Hu Zongxian spoke gravely beside him, "Your Majesty! Yao Guang has bent the knee in submission! Great Ming's power will far surpass what it was before! This is an unprecedented change in the world! Please conclude the matter at hand quickly, Your Majesty, and return to court to discuss future affairs!"

The Sky Phase Mirror showed: Emperor Jiajing, borrowing the power of the Investiture of the Gods, obliterated Sage Ruler of Painting Xue Susu with a single finger. Empress Yao Guang's crown fell, her dragon robe disintegrated, leaving her clad only in simple white undergarments as she knelt in submission to Emperor Jiajing.

Hearing Hu Zongxian's advice, Fan Li murmured instead, "Minister, rest assured, Great Ci is already finished. You can lead the army back to court first. I will await you in the Golden Luan Palace to discuss matters."

Hu Zongxian paused slightly, then understood. "This minister obeys!" The fifty thousand soldiers of the Dragon Scale Army, under Hu Zongxian's command, withdrew orderly from the battlefield, never looking back at Chao Ge's imperial city.

However, the four gates of the imperial city slowly opened. Countless women – some in court attire, some in armor, some in commoner's clothes – walked towards Fan Li's army, their expressions numb, dazed, and lost.

"Second Brother?" Fan Chun asked warily. "What do they mean? Fight or surrender? Should we be on guard?"

Fan Li shook his head. "It's all over. There is no war here, only a crowd whose illusions have been shattered."

One figure flew out of the imperial city in panicked disarray. Fan Li saw her clearly, and Fan Chun noticed her too. It was Bai Rong, the only person in the imperial city who hadn't come out to surrender. She was fleeing into the distance.