Chapter 787
Chapter 787
The people of the State of Yue, especially those in the capital, were shocked to their very souls.
‘What in the blasted hells! Shen Lang is His Highness Jiang Li’s son? This turns our entire worldview upside down. What a great hero His Highness Jiang Li was! To think he fathered a son like Shen Lang!’
Many nobles privately considered Jiang Li a great hero, but siding with him did not align with their interests. In other words, they were the type to admire you but oppose you. However, in the hearts of the countless common people, Jiang Li was an absolute, monumental hero. Although the empire had banned *The Tale of Dongli*, nearly everyone owned a copy. The masses of the realm practically worshipped Jiang Li with fervent devotion. Yet, to think a villain like Shen Lang was Prince Jiang Li’s sole heir.
After the shock passed, they began to accept it. Shen Lang was a scoundrel, a villain, but he was also an incredibly remarkable person, unique at the very least. A man who could drive a thousand ruffians into a latrine pit to drown—what a man of character!
‘Perhaps only someone like him is worthy of being His Highness Jiang Li's heir. We don't quite get it, but we'll accept it. While we're at it, let's show a little respect.’
Originally, most of the local ruffians were Shen Lang’s sworn enemies. He had crushed them so ruthlessly, killing off many of their groups. The mere mention of Shen Lang’s name filled them with a bone-deep resentment, and they lamented not being able to flay him alive and burn his corpse. But now, these local ruffians and disciples from various sects gathered secretly in one place.
“Should we go to Xuanwu City too?”
“And do what?”
“We have to protect His Highness Jiang.”
“Protect Shen Lang, you mean?”
“No, protect His Highness Jiang.”
“But that’s a suicide mission. The empire has mobilized half the world’s armies to kill him. No matter how many of us go, we’ll just be lambs to the slaughter.”
“If we die, we die. Didn’t Shen Lang look down on us the most? Well, let’s show him that we are no cowards, that we can die for him too, and that we are the ones truly loyal to His Highness Jiang Li.”
“It’s usually us lowly folk who live by honor, while those scholars are the ones who betray their conscience! Those are words from a book Shen Lang wrote. Let’s prove it to him.”
“Yeah, that’s right! A man has to die someday. Either gloriously or insignificantly. Let’s go, let’s go! To Xuanwu City, to protect His Highness Jiang!”
Dozens of local ruffians on the spot raised their arms, their blood boiling as they made their pledge. But one man did not raise his hand.
“Li Qing, what’s the meaning of this? Don’t you have the courage to go? Are you afraid of dying?”
The skinny little ruffian hesitated slightly and said.
“I… I want to go, but I have an elderly mother to look after, and a wife and children below…”
At that moment, a burly man beside him spoke angrily.
“Who doesn’t have parents, a wife, and children? If you’re scared of dying, just say so. Tomorrow, at the third quarter past the Hour of the Rabbit, we meet fifteen li outside Xuanwu Gate. We’re going to Xuanwu City to protect His Highness Jiang. Anyone who doesn’t show up will never be able to hold their head high again.”
The skinny ruffian, Li Qing, hesitated for a long time before saying.
“I need to think about it more!”
***
The next day, around the third quarter past the Hour of the Rabbit.
The unremarkable ruffian, Li Qing, bid farewell to his parents, wife, and children, and sharpened his rusty blade. The night before, he had visited a few rich households and extorted a large sum of money, leaving it for his family. Then, casting aside all worldly thoughts, he left Tianyue City and arrived at Life and Death Slope, fifteen li outside Xuanwu Gate. There, he waited for the other heroes to assemble, intending to go with them to Xuanwu City to protect His Highness Jiang. However, even after two hours had passed, not a single person came. He was the only one who had actually shown up. Yet, not one person had gone to report them to the imperial army. Li Qing looked toward Tianyue City and laughed at himself.
“So it seems I was the only fool to come here. Still, I don’t blame you all. Everyone wants to live, not die. Heroes of Tianyue City, I, Li Qing, will march forth on your behalf and protect His Highness Jiang in your name. I will never bring shame upon us heroes of Tianyue City!”
With that, Li Qing tore a strip of red cloth and tied it around his forehead. Tucking the blade into his sash, he set off toward Xuanwu City.
***
After leaving the Southern Ou Kingdom and entering Tiannan Province, Crown Prince Gong’s army encountered many groups. Some were armies, some were militias, and some were warriors. All of them were heading silently toward Xuanwu City. The closer they got to Xuanwu City, the more martial artists appeared on the main road, until finally, the road was packed with an innumerable crowd. None of them pumped their fists or shouted slogans, nor did they make any grand pronouncements; they simply marched forward in silence. Because they all knew this would be a battle to the death.
“My lord, is it worth it for them to be moths drawn to a flame?”
asked Queen Saiman. Crown Prince Gong replied.
“It is. In the long, dark night, the appearance of a single firefly's light is priceless.”
“Is there even a sliver of hope?”
“None. Death will be the only outcome. The only hope is that the deaths of many will buy His Highness Jiang time and space to leave this place, so that he may one day return as king.”
“To think that scoundrel is the lord of the realm. It truly shatters one's idolized image.”
“Indeed. But where can one even begin to complain about such a thing?”
***
Shen Lang, Jin Zhuo, Jin Shiying, and the others were stunned as they watched the countless processions heading toward Xuanwu City. Jin Zhuo and Jin Shiying, in particular, had expected to fight alone. They were astonished to see so many heroes rushing in from all corners of the country. Those from nearby had already arrived, while warriors and armies from ten thousand li away were still on their way to support Xuanwu City. The number of armies and warriors pouring into the city grew and grew. Thirty thousand, fifty thousand, eighty thousand… It might not seem like a large number, but these were people gathered from all over. Apart from the armies of Crown Prince Gong and Aruna, the largest of the remaining groups consisted of only a few hundred people. This meant that hundreds of different forces had come to fight for Shen Lang, and the vast majority of them knew neither Shen Lang nor Jin Zhuo.
Shen Lang knew that everyone who came to Xuanwu City represented not just themselves, but their factions. Behind each person stood hundreds, perhaps even thousands more. Not everyone had the courage to rush to their deaths. Shen Lang looked out at the dense crowd outside and realized they had all traveled over a thousand li, all to fight for him, all prepared to die for him.
‘Damn it, damn it all. Don't do this. I, Shen Lang, only want to enjoy power, not bear responsibility. I just want a world without enemies, I don't want to be some lord revered by all. Don't treat me like a beacon in the long night. Don't you dare sacrifice yourselves for me.’
But Shen Lang’s very soul was shaken as never before.
The empire’s allied forces were currently tightening their encirclement. How many troops did they have in total? The number was astronomical, so large that stating it was meaningless. In any case, they had gathered half of the world’s armies, enough to sink Xuanwu City several times over. Furthermore, the numerous martial arts factions under the empire's rule, the six transcendent powers, and their subordinate factions had all gathered as well. Grandmasters, once exceedingly rare and seldom seen, now swarmed as they charged toward Xuanwu City.
This scene reminded Shen Lang of the top 500 global corporations from the 90s. Back then, China had only a few companies in the top 500, each as rare as a unicorn, while the United States and Japan had hundreds of companies on that list. Anyone from that era seeing this situation would likely have felt utter despair.
***
Crown Prince Gong said.
“Your High…”
Shen Lang cut him off.
“Brother, if you call me ‘Your Highness’ one more time, I’ll fall out with you.”
“Will you not look at those people who have come to fight for you?”
Shen Lang shook his head and stood before the map.
“No, I won't. And what if I did? Would it sit right with me to spout a few grand words and send them to their glorious deaths?”
Crown Prince Gong was helpless. This new lord of his was always so pragmatic. His words truly shattered any idolized image. Shen Lang said with a serious expression.
“Brother, if the world does not forsake me, I have no need to forsake the world. Since they are willing to die for me, then I, Shen Lang, must take responsibility for their lives. The sight of moths flying into a flame, of countless fireflies falling in the darkness, is thrilling and may seem like an eternally brilliant scene. But I don't seek that kind of brilliance. I don't want them to sacrifice themselves for me. Brother, I know you are determined to die, and that everyone is determined to die. But I am a man who detests tragedy. Sacrifice is, of course, a thrilling thing, but I will protect all of you! I, Shen Lang, am a pretty boy who just wants to leech off others and enjoy wealth and glory until I die, yet you're all forcing me to be the hope of the world, the master of the realm. What you're doing is like forcing a lady from a good family into prostitution! So, I will protect everyone.”
***
Crown Prince Gong didn't ask Shen Lang how he planned to protect everyone, nor did he ask how he could win this war. Because this was an unwinnable battle. Countless heroes and warriors had come to Xuanwu City, and many more were still on their way. But all combined, their forces numbered no more than a hundred thousand. To be clear, these hundred thousand were incredibly precious. They were the seeds, people who had come with the resolve to die, and behind each one stood a faction of a thousand. For example, that ruffian Li Qing had claimed to represent the heroes of Wannian County in Tianyue City. Thus, these hundred thousand people represented the hearts of a hundred million.
But these hundred thousand were scattered forces, divided into thousands of contingents; they were not an organized army. Of course, even if they were, it would be useless. To be blunt, even if all one hundred thousand of them were from the Nirvana Army, it would be pointless. How long had Shen Lang been researching bloodlines? And how long had the six transcendent powers and the Great Yan Empire been researching them? Just as Shen Lang could gather those with blank bloodlines in the State of Yue, the Great Yan Empire could gather those with blank bloodlines from all over the world to create a secret legion similar to the Nirvana Army. How many such individuals did the Great Yan Empire have? And how many did the six transcendent powers have? It was a top secret, but the number was undoubtedly vast.
Therefore, in this battle, even if Shen Lang deployed all his secret weapons, no matter how brilliantly he executed his battlefield tactics, it would be futile. The power of the imperial allied forces was a hundred times greater than his own. And this power was not merely a matter of numbers. With such a stark difference in strength, there was not the slightest chance of victory in a direct confrontation on the battlefield. And that was without even considering the martial arts legions of the six transcendent powers. They were a complete unknown to Shen Lang. Thus, this was a situation that required him to make his move outside the battlefield