Chapter 737

“Rebellion?”

The white-haired Third Uncle was a little dazed.

The more he understood, the more he realized how powerful the Grand Feng Dynasty truly was.

After six generations of wise emperors, the dynasty was like oil boiling over a roaring fire—at the absolute height of its power.

To rise in rebellion now?

Leaving everything else aside, could they even withstand the crushing force of Grand Feng’s armies?

Every soldier in the imperial army was chosen from among a thousand civilians.

A single province with a billion people could, at most, muster one million elite troops.

But precisely because of this, Grand Feng’s army was unmatched in strength.

There were even records of a thousand-man formation being able to surround and kill an Dao Master.

Yes, such feats were aided by weapons specifically designed to suppress mental force.

But the strength of the army itself played a major role too.

“Yes.”

The kneeling figure swiftly turned and left.

Clearly to make preparations for the “rebellion.”

Lin Yuan sat casually, eyes deep with contemplation.

It had been fifty years since he silently took over the Jinlong Sect.

In that time, the force he created had expanded rapidly.

Aside from the traces uncovered by the Dao Suppression Division, like how nine of the top ten commercial guilds in the world were tied to Lin Yuan.

In truth, even more remained hidden beneath the surface.

What the Chief of the Dao Suppression Division had discovered was only what Lin Yuan allowed him to see.

The so-called Ten Great Guilds? All established by Lin Yuan.

Even the imperial merchants officially tied to the Grand Feng Dynasty had been infiltrated by Lin Yuan’s influence.

And the control he had over the provinces? The Chief had only traced it to thirty-plus provinces.

But in truth, nearly seventy of the empire’s ninety-nine provinces were firmly under Lin Yuan’s grasp.

The remaining thirty-plus provinces, while not fully controlled, were still significantly influenced by him.

Even Zhongzhou, where the capital was located, had many of Lin Yuan’s people embedded within it.

The only place he couldn’t touch was the imperial palace itself.

The palace guards were bred over generations, with at least three generations of service behind them. To infiltrate such a force?

Nearly impossible.

Given two or three hundred years, Lin Yuan might have managed it.

But he didn’t have that much lifespan. Upon arriving in this time-looped world, Lin Yuan confirmed he could live no more than 150 years.

Whether this was due to the world’s rules or some supreme law stretching across endless dimensional planes, he couldn't break it.

Or rather, not by his own strength. He could extend his life by burning Boundary-Breaking Source Energy—

But there was no need.

All in all.

Controlling most of the power across the ninety-nine provinces, Lin Yuan now had the strength to challenge or even overthrow the Grand Feng Dynasty.

The only thing he still feared was the foundation hidden within the imperial palace.

But that wasn’t a major concern.

In the countless timelines he’d observed, Lin Yuan had already understood the layout thoroughly.

In the recent timelines he viewed, he had even found high-probability scenarios for successfully assassinating the Emperor of Grand Feng.

Outside the Black Mountains.

Dozens of generals stood outside a vast camp, gazing toward the unfathomable mountain range.

Just then—

A black-feathered pigeon flew in.

Landing on the shoulder of the lead general.

“Hm?”

The general removed the paper tied to the pigeon’s leg. With a quick glance, his expression subtly changed.

“Everyone.”

He looked at the other assembled generals.

These generals came from several nearby provinces—true commanders of the forces surrounding the Black Mountains.

As for the twenty-some Dao Masters of the Dao Suppression Division?

They could only issue orders to the generals to influence the army.

If the generals refused to obey, there was little the Dao Masters could do.

Directing a vast army involved all aspects of warfare—it couldn’t be done through power alone.

Most Dao Masters were immersed in cultivating mental force and had no experience commanding troops.

In fact, the Grand Feng Dynasty strongly forbade Dao Masters from leading armies.

Dao Masters already had terrifying individual power—they could take a general’s head amidst ten thousand soldiers.

The only thing that could suppress a Dao Master was a massive army.

If Dao Masters also commanded the armies?

That would be catastrophic.

The imperial structure had safeguards in place against such possibilities.

Even the state-trained Dao Masters were heavily restricted in many areas.

“General?”

“What’s wrong, General?”

The other generals looked toward the lead commander and asked.

This mobilization of 700,000–800,000 troops had nearly drained the reserves of several provinces.

Yes, a single province could theoretically produce a million soldiers.

But most were stationed across the land for stability. At most, only twenty or thirty thousand could be pulled from each at once.

“There are traitorous ministers within the court. Would you all be willing to march with me into the imperial palace, to eliminate the traitors and return peace to the realm?”

The lead general’s tone was calm, but his expression left no room for argument.

Silence.

The field immediately fell into a dead hush.

Most of the generals exchanged glances, their eyes filled with subtle unease.

Some looked shocked, clearly stunned by the lead general’s statement.

March into the palace?

Eliminate traitors?

What were they talking about?

“Ruan Qingchuan, are you insane?! You dare rebel?!”

A few breaths later, a burly general stepped forward, glaring at Ruan Qingchuan.

In the Grand Feng Dynasty, the Emperor was the absolute ruler.

“Traitorous ministers”?

What minister could defy the Emperor’s will?

A single word from the Emperor could end a courtier’s life.

Why would they, as provincial generals, need to act?

And invading the palace?

That’s the Emperor’s residence.

Attacking it was essentially seizing control over his life.

“Looks like you’re one of the traitors.”

Ruan Qingchuan’s voice was cold. “Seize him.”

“Yes, sir.”

A dozen armored guards stepped forward and restrained the burly general on the spot.

Soon after—

Four or five more generals stepped out—

Loudly denouncing Ruan Qingchuan’s treason.

As high-ranking officers, they weren’t easy to fool.

Who would believe nonsense like “traitorous ministers”?

Each one who objected was immediately suppressed.

Before long—

All dissenters had been taken into custody.

“You’re all just going to stand there and watch?”

The burly general looked toward the others still standing still.

There were fifty-three generals present in total.

Excluding the six that had objected, forty-six had yet to make a move.

The burly general couldn’t understand it.

Ruan Qingchuan’s words were clearly treasonous.

If the rest of them united, what could Ruan Qingchuan possibly do?

These 700,000–800,000 soldiers surrounding the Black Mountains came from different provinces and answered to their own provincial commanders. As for Ruan Qingchuan?

He could only command the troops of his own province.

But when he saw that the others still hadn’t reacted.

The burly general finally realized something.

“You’re all going to rebel?”

If he had only been angry when Ruan Qingchuan first spoke, now, seeing the silence from the majority, the burly general felt a chill in his bones.

Over forty generals from different provinces—all choosing to side with Ruan Qingchuan.

What did that mean?

It meant Ruan Qingchuan had a terrifying force backing him.

How else could he have “bought off” so many generals?

Rebellion wasn’t a joke.

If they failed, it meant execution of their entire clans.

These generals already held power and status. Rebellion offered them nothing—it was betrayal of their own class.

“Take them away.”

Ruan Qingchuan waved his hand.

The armored guards escorted the dissenting generals off the field.

“Ruan Qingchuan! I don’t care what backing you have or who supports you. But the Chief and the other Dao Masters are still here!”

The burly general’s voice echoed in the distance.

As military elites, he and the others knew exactly how many Dao Masters were present.

Including the Chief of the Dao Suppression Division himself.

Even if they couldn’t command the army, twenty-three Dao Masters could infiltrate the ranks and eliminate the traitors.

“The Chief and the Dao Masters…”

Ruan Qingchuan glanced into the distance at the still-struggling generals and thought silently to himself:

“They’re all gone.”

That black pigeon, had delivered the message that every Dao Master had already been dealt with.

That’s why, he dared step forward now.

If the Chief and the others were still alive, there’d be no point. He wouldn’t have acted.

“Master…”

Ruan Qingchuan’s mind drifted back to forty or fifty years ago.

He had been a beggar then—until the Master took him in and told him he had an extraordinary gift for military command.

With the Master’s support, he entered the army and rose to his current position.

The Master was everything to him.

And recently—

After years of no contact, the Master suddenly gave him an order.

To embed himself in the army besieging the Black Mountains and await further instruction.

Ruan Qingchuan had wondered what that would be.

Until that black pigeon delivered its message—

Rebellion.

Rebellion against the Grand Feng Dynasty.

Rebellion meant life or death.

But Ruan Qingchuan obeyed without hesitation.

First—everything he had was given to him by the Master. Even if the order had been suicide, he would’ve done it.

If not for the Master, he would’ve frozen to death that fateful winter.

Second—he had come to understand the Master over the years.

If the Master gave such an order, he had absolute confidence.

Ruan Qingchuan knew the Master wouldn’t waste him after all the effort it took to raise him up.

He looked at the remaining generals and was shocked again.

He hadn’t known, that they, too, were the Master’s people.

He had expected a brutal struggle.

But in the end, only five or six had opposed him.

The rest had practically approved the rebellion by staying silent.

“Master…”

Ruan Qingchuan’s mind once again conjured the image of that young man, the one who seemed to know all the secrets of the world.

And so—

The 800,000 troops that had surrounded the Black Mountains turned and marched on the capital, declaring they would eliminate traitorous ministers around the Emperor.

The entire court was thrown into turmoil.

Before the ministers could even agree on a response, sixty-eight provinces, including Chizhou and Yongzhou, followed suit, each sending their armies to the capital, claiming the same cause.

The Grand Feng Dynasty was shaken to its core.

Zhongzhou—the imperial heartland—faced near-seventy provinces in revolt and began to crumble.

It’s worth noting, that in the chaos of past dynasties, neighboring small nations often took the chance to invade the ninety-nine provinces and loot their population and resources.

After all, the Grand Feng Dynasty's territory—called the Central Ninety-Nine Provinces—was the richest land in the world.

Those border nations had long been coveting it.

But now?

No matter the chaos, they remained shockingly obedient.

Not a single move toward invasion or plunder.

In fact, the so-called turmoil within the Ninety-Nine Provinces was relative.

Among commoners, life remained fairly stable.

The seventy provinces who joined the cause of purging traitors did so smoothly, with little disruption.

As for the remaining thirty-plus?

They didn’t resist for long either, and the common folk there weren’t mistreated.

Even as the armies marched in, they maintained order just like before—peaceful and controlled.

Outside the capital.

Vast armies gathered like an ocean.

Dao Masters stood throughout the lines, their immense mental force subtly pressing down on the city.

Within the capital itself, the last bastion of Grand Feng’s power waited.

More than a hundred Dao Masters stood atop the city walls, facing off against the encircling forces.

On a nearby hill, a dozen figures stood silently, gazing toward the towering capital walls.

“What does the Master say? Are we to begin the assault?”

A general in black armor asked.

At this moment, tensions were at a breaking point. One word, and the siege would begin.

“No rush.”

A white-robed scholar smiled faintly.

“No rush?”

The others offered no protest.

After all these years, they had absolute faith in the Master.

As every ounce of power in the Grand Feng capital gathered atop the walls in preparation for the final clash.

A young man strolled calmly through the streets.

Nearby patrolling soldiers passed right by, not even noticing him.

As if he didn’t exist.

That young man was Lin Yuan.

Inside the capital, nearly all the forces were being tied up by the army outside. The city itself was at its most vulnerable.

And that made this, the best time for Lin Yuan to assassinate the Emperor.

Soon—

He arrived at the imperial palace.

Compared to the chaos outside, the palace remained solemn and guarded.

Many imperial guards patrolled the grounds.

But none of them noticed Lin Yuan.

The only people capable of sensing his presence had already gone to the city walls.

Ordinary people—or even ordinary Dao Masters—couldn’t perceive him under the influence of his immense mental force.

“This place suppresses mental force quite strongly.”

As Lin Yuan entered the palace, he realized his mind force was being forcibly weakened.

Over seventy years, he had seen himself enter the palace countless times in future timelines.

But this was the first time he was doing it for real.

For him to enter in person, meant he was absolutely confident.

Before long, he stood before a grand hall.

Seated on the dragon throne within, was an elderly man dressed in imperial robes.

“The Emperor of Grand Feng?”

Lin Yuan’s eyes suddenly turned terrifyingly cold.

His mental force, invisible and unstoppable, crossed the vast hall—

And pierced straight through the Emperor’s skull.

...

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