Chapter 311 – Tie Bu Tian’s resolution
Lotus Lake, a stretch of complete serenity. A small boat floated along the lake, yet not a single soul was on board.
At present, Chu Yang had dived to the bottom of the lake.
With eyes widened as he stood on the slippery mud at the lake's bottom, his sword in hand flashed with gradual execution!
Training his swordsmanship underwater!
Anyway, for the time being, there is nothing to do. Besides, the Nine Tribulation Sword fragment cannot be found temporarily; I might as well gain insights on the suppleness of water now.
Even though currently, the two countries were experiencing earth-shattering shock and turmoil, to Chu Yang, this was an extremely rare moment of peacetime.
Huting Ao Bo had already left earlier on, and Chu Yang had scarcely browsed through what she left behind.
Loads of it pertained to Diwu Qing Rou's intelligence network, of which numerous belonged to those within Iron Cloud base. There were some names on the list belonging to Iron Cloud officials and generals too.
Yet the major portion of it was instead concerning Diwu Qing Rou's deployment stratagem; an orbat of his army, while within every list contained Huting Ao Bo's personal notes on them; they were all exceedingly precise intelligence.
Chu Yang was appalled as he read it. The first thing he did with this information, one that was able to turn the tides of the war, was to send it swiftly back to Tie Bu Tian.
After that, he went back to idling.
The sword flashed with a stab, a retracting swing, and finally a side cut. Chu Yang stared but not at his sword, instead he observed the ripples caused by the sword during the stab; as he sensed out the soft resistance reverberating through the sword.
This was an entirely different feeling of stagnation.
It wasn't appropriate to describe this as restrained, because the water wasn't deliberately binding one; instead, it was the sword's interaction with water. The water wasn't moving, but the sword was. Although the water wasn't deliberate, it would naturally react to the sword.
An insight struck Chu Yang, as if he had touched on a breakthrough.
Unconsciously, his mind wandered off.
After a long time, after he felt his energy nearing depletion; he leapt up with both feet and escaped the shackles of the mud. Chu Yang suddenly surged up towards the sky, and only upon nearing the lake's surface, did he reduce his speed; as his head gently pervaded through the surface of the water.
Fresh air above the lake's surface rushed into his lungs vigorously!
In this instant, Chu Yang felt a refreshing clarity within his mind.
After a long period of holding his breath, followed by this sudden resurgence, he actually felt a peculiarity as though he was reborn! Such a feeling was extraordinarily mystical.
Chu Yang suddenly thought; If the underwater abyss was a world, then, above the water surface, this itself is another world!
Using the analogy of the Lower Three Heavens and the Middle Three Heavens; the underwater world would be the Lower Three Heavens then after heading out of the water, wouldn't it be the Middle Three Heavens?
Chu Yang trod over the water, and reached the shore. He sat on the floor with his body drenched and submerged into deep pondering.
But…. … What exactly does this mean? From which direction does it imply to Martial arts?
Chu Yang momentarily felt that his mind was flourishing with inspiration, not one but numerous! Several inspirations swivelled in his mind, but everything was vague and blurry, and he seemingly couldn't focus on one!
Chu Yang had a premonition; as long as I manage to capture any of those inspiration, I will definitely breakthrough from my current state! This is a stellar opportunity not to be missed!
Chu Yang tried his best to empty his thoughts and sat quietly on the shore. He hid his body in the thick withered grass, but at this moment, another thought arose from his heart; the grass here withers while the grass underwater thrives with luscious green…… Furthermore, they were at least palm high……
Between this withering and growing, what does it signify?
Perhaps… … there is a different meaning altogether? Something like… … Life?
All this kind of inspiration, were like house flies buzzing around him, plentifully perplexing his heart.
Chu Yang sat cross legged within the patch of grass without a single presence, he had sunk into deep layers of comprehension…….
Within the Nine Tribulation Sword, the Sword Spirit stood disappointed. He had seemingly felt something, but seemingly frustrated as well. Only he knew, what kind of state Chu Yang was currently in!
This had already exceeded the scope of understanding that the second part of the Nine Tribulation Sword could provide. One could even say that… … this has exceeded the area of the Nine Tribulation Sword, and had transformed into a rather different… … state.
This state belonged to the world and the universe… … but not of the Nine Heavens!
The Sword Spirit did not expect that Chu Yang had such a strong power of comprehension; maybe… ….once the owner of the Nine Tribulation Sword this time succeeds in gaining enlightenment, his future potential would vastly surpass that of the Nine Tribulation Sword predecessors!
Tens of thousands of years of secrets behind the Nine Tribulation Sword… … From the birth of the Nine Tribulation Sword till now, none have yet to unlock its greatest secret! Maybe there is a high chance… … the key to unlocking the secret is within this youth.
This was the first time Chu Yang trained at the bottom of the water; moreover, he did this with the aim of sensing the suppleness of water. Yet he hadn't expect that the suppleness of water… … was a jurisdiction of Heaven and Earth! What more… … it belonged to the Universe… …a domain!
The domain of water!
Thus when it couldn't collude with his natural cycle, under the intense pressure of running out of breath, he had suddenly stumbled onto this tiny mystery of Heaven and Earth!
If it had only experienced that, then it would amount to nothing.
Yet after he broke through the surface of the water, the sudden flash of inspiration, gave him a sensation, that of 'breaking through space, into a new world'!
This was on a whole new tier!
Naturally, if it was only those two insights, then under the precise tutelage of the Sword Spirit, it still wouldn't amount to much. But at this exact moment, Chu Yang was suddenly experiencing the mysteries of life pertaining to withering and growing!
Together with life's mysteries of reincarnation and the enlightenment about Heaven and Earth, this allowed Chu Yang to submerge into a profound and chaotic state.
He silently sat there within this state, without a single breath nor movement. After half a day, his body temperature slowly dispersed… … on his body, every indication of life, seemed to have been extinguished, everything disappeared… …
A total silence!
Only the thick green grass beneath his body, thrived within the warmth of spring, wildly sprouting… …
At the bank of this tranquil lake, gradually… … worms, then ants, then swans appeared… …
Meanwhile, Chu Yang was totally oblivious to all, as if he was deep in slumber.
Iron Cloud Citadel!
Tie Bu Tian and Wu Qian Qian both sat inside the Imperial Study Room. Before them and already unsealed, was the report of intelligence which Chu Yang had gotten the Great Zhao's traceless falcon courier to deliver.
Inside this report, it covered many aspects including myriads of schemes and personalities. Within it the identities of those involved, were some figures in their base that was simply unbelievable…… causing them to become speechless shock!
What was further shocking, was that a portion of content even involved the Bei Jiang Plainland Wolves Army Conference!
(TN: 北疆草原狼的军 not sure if i got the right term)
Even though this was just fragments of information, when pieced together with the recent series of unfortunate events; no matter from which perspective, it all led to proving that this set of intelligence was undoubtedly true!
There wasn't a single loophole!
But if everyone were to be eradicated now… … This sudden stirring would cause outrageously immense ripples!
This would absolutely surpass any purge executed by King of Hell Chu in the past! No matter if it was within the army, political parties, business association, scholars, and within various large cities…….
Furthermore, they were the fruits of Diwu Qing Rou's labour within the past ten years!
"Your majesty, what do you think?" Wu Qian Qian, dressed in black robes, faintly asked with a cold tone; as if the secret intelligence document, was just scrap paper.
As if he had not considered.… … by removing these influences consecutively, the dreadful implications of lives involved would definitely number beyond tens of thousands!
"This set was painstakingly acquired by Minister Chu. To our Iron Cloud, though it would severely wound us, it is in fact a once in a lifetime chance!" Tie Bu Tian's eyes released sharp glows as he declared, “We must rid them once and for all!"
"Mn." Wu Qian Qian replied with a deep acknowledgement.
"Every single name written down, not a single one is to be spared!" Tie Bu Tian gently stood up, with hands behind his back, furrowing his brows as he back and forth in the room before he pronounced gravely, “We'd rather kill the innocent, then spare the evil-doer!"
Wu Qian Qian trembled entirely!
Killing the innocent, then sparing the evil-doers! This sentence was the reputable catchphrase of Diwu Qing Rou. He wouldn't believe that today, such a phrase would be uttered from the mouth of Tie Bu Tian.
"I only hope… … the messy internal strifes of Iron Cloud will cease from henceforth!" Tie Bu Tian tapped lightly onto the purge list, as his fingers knocked against the table, creating 'thumps'.
"Therefore, I am willing to pay… … regardless of the price!" Tie Bu Tian eyes glowed, "Don't talk about ten thousand, even if it was hundreds of thousands… … I will execute them all!"
"Understood." Wu Qian Qian body trembled.
From this sentence, she could hear Tie Bu Tian's killing resolve as Emperor!
Merciless!
"Besides these, include those that do not yield… … add them to the purge, mark them out as high priority!" Tie Bu Tian painfully furrowed his brows and heaved out his words heavily.
"Your Majesty, this…. ….doesn't feel right." Wu Qian Qian was appalled.
Those unyielding bunch may not necessarily mean they are spies; they are those who resolutely protected the old Emperor…. …..individuals who safeguarded the old Emperor's authority; but also … they are those who object to Tie Bu Tian's regime.
"What's not right about it?" Tie Bu Tian had his back facing Wu Qian Qian, without turning his head back, he coldly refuted, "There's nothing not right about this! In this world, there might be a shortage of heroes, or maybe top martial experts, or maybe righteous officials…. … but definitely not a shortage of corrupted officials!"
“It is these people, that even in the time of national crisis, still advocates the sage way of teaching; when blood flows like the river, they still hold high their self-righteous banner of morality! When the people are hungry…… they flatter themselves for self gain! When soldiers are perishing in valiant sacrifice, they seize the chance to bolster their own integrity, but when the country faces imminent destruction…..they are the first to sell the country out!”
Tie Bu Tian sneered: "Those rotten scholars!"
"They will never understand the needs of common folks, they will never understand the soldiers' need! They will never understand the essentials of war……….Yet what they harp about is merely benevolence, moral justice, formalities, and forbearance… …"
"They sing praises of ideals that humiliation comes with achievements, yet in the end, the country is filled with "Brave Warriors" who can endure great humiliation. Yet the consequences of that is the decline of iron and blood warriors who are able to stand brave the chilling cold winds of the battlefield!"
“They always say that the fall of a nation leads to the rise of another, but they've never considered the the fighting chance of that nation facing imminent extermination…… After the nation falls, having acclimatized to humiliation itself and becoming the enemy’s courtiers…… yet they disguise it with glorious words of……'for the welfare of the common people!' ”
"During the rise and peace time of a nation, such people are necessary! That is because when governing a nation, leveraging them to squabble for favour in the court; along with their innate ability to instigate the envy of the younger generation, they can be used to balance the Imperial Court to prevent a single faction of the court to grow too big… … such are the various uses of them. However, in continuous disasters of war, these spineless and sour scholars cannot be kept around!"
Tie Bu Tian suddenly spun around, as his eyes shone fiercely towards Wu Qian Qian. he declared with dignified severity, “Not even one must remain, kill them all! Unite the Nation and fight to the death with our enemies! IF WE ARE NOT DEAD, WE WILL NOT REST! IF WE ARE NOT DEAD, WE WILL NOT CEASE AS A NATION!"
Dedition: Sorry for the late chapters this week. I’ve been suffering from headaches that have been increasingly severe over the last few weeks to the extent. Losing my head hahaha…
Apologies.
An extra chapter tomorrow.
Please spot out the mistakes I inevitably may have missed.
Chapter 312 –
"Understood!" Wu Qian Qian's mind reeled in shook. Tie Bu Tian's speech contained a tinge of cornered desperation and bitterness, so much so that even an illiterate would be able to feel the underlying emotions beneath it!
Sacrificing everything for the final battle! A fight to the death!
I'd rather incinerate both jade and common stone, than to live like a street rat!
(TN: just in case, it means destroying all indiscriminately)
"Don't be worried." Tie Bu Tian seemed to have seen through Wu Qian Qian's emotions, and added, "Our Iron Cloud nation is tremendous, and talents are innumerable…… If we win, we will have plenty of time to sort out this mess, and slowly develop our talents again; gradually ascending to recovery as a whole… … that time, we won't have to be fearful of anyone standing in the way. We would have a lifetime, definitely sufficient time to rebuild."
"Yet if we lose… … then all the more we shouldn't worry." Tie Bu Tian smiled strangely and continued, “That will become Diwu Qing Rou's problem."
So that's the reason!
Wu Qian Qian came to realisation.
Tie Bu Tian's decision had already factored in the possibility of winning or losing.
Citizens were filled with blind faith, yet……..even in blind faith, someone of sufficient status must still step forward and uphold the banners for…….perhaps the brave warriors, or perhaps the subjugated slaves of the future! Everything relies on just one to take initiative to lead……
Citing a clearer example; A governor could take the lead and establish a base of operation, but a traitor too, could similarly raise up a false government.
From the ancient times till now, throughout vast continents and eras, there had been no exceptions! Not a single exception!
Though Tie Bu Tian's way of handling may appear vicious, but in reality it severed the chances of Diwu Qing Rou being able to unite Iron Cloud within the shortest time, in the event that Iron Cloud loses the war.
With the traitors within the top brass all slain, even if traitors appeared within the remnants, they would at most be at a village lord level…….
A bunch of dragons without a head, could not be considered as powerful!
Speaking from this perspective, Tie Bu Tian had already made preparations to incinerate both jade and common stone! Actually… … it had already been prepared beforehand!
From this, one could merely see a fragment of the unyielding spirit of Tie Bu Tian!
(TN: There may be disputes over this line in terms of translation. Author uses this phrase (由此可见一般) which means that his unyielding spirit is ordinary. But further investigations seem to suggest it can also mean seeing a slight display of his unyielding spirit.)
"I understand." Wu Qian Qian solemnly replied.
"It is good that you understand!" Tie Bu Tian casted a warm gaze at her. his face was beaming with gentleness as added in a light tone, “This matter, I will bequeath full authority to you, King of Hell Chu to handle. You are permitted to muster… … every force…… under me!"
Every force beneath the Emperor!
Wu Qian Qian trembled in response, “I will not forsake the immense trust of Your Majesty!"
Tie Bu Tian nodded and smile, “Right now, the Great Zhao is in a full-scale upheaval. Even if Diwu Qing Rou wishes to retaliate, he has no means of doing so! Therefore, it is imperative we conclude our own purging, before the chaos dies down in the Great Zhao!"
"To achieve this goal, I confer this authority that you may…….employ any drastic means as you deem fit!" Tie Bu Tian declared with grave severity.
"Understood."
Tie Bu Tian couldn't help feeling anxious. Though he was issuing these exact words to the ministers of Bu Tian Pavilion, yet these ministers were entirely different from another minister.
If it was Chu Yang whom he was addressing, then he wouldn't dare uttering the words 'conferring authority to employ any drastic means'! Because needless to say……Chu Yang was already exceedingly drastic! Tremendously drastic! To put it clearly……Tie Bu Tian was truly afraid that Chu Yang would annihilate the entire population……
However, it was an entirely different affair facing Wu Qian Qian.
"As for those high-ranking general spies in our army…….we can only wait till any opportune time. I must visit the frontlines and coordinate with Imperial Uncle first, before we can thoroughly remove the weeds! With just the current might of our Bu Tian Pavilion, to deal with those individuals…..it is still insufficient."
"Understood."
"I have nothing else, Qian Qian……" Tie Bu Tian's voice became mellow, as his eyes flashed with unspeakable emotions. he sighed gently and muttered, “You aren't him, you need not assume his posture in front of me……or imitate his voice or conduct……."
"Your majesty, please call me Minister Chu…….or just minister." Wu Qian Qian retreated a step back in circumspect, as she answered with cold reverence, “Your subject extremely fancies your majesty addressing me by my humble court position, and not my……name!"
Tie Bu Tian giggled helplessly, “You, ah, you, ah……aren't you afraid, your majesty would take advantage of you?"
Wu Qian Qian took another step back, her mask concealing her ravishing beauty beneath. With hidden expressions, she only bowed in formality and bid her farewells, “Your majesty, if you have no other orders, your subject will take her leave. From henceforth once your subject departs, the purging of Iron Cloud will hereby commence!"
Tie Bu Tian paused in silence briefly, and finally gently affirmed, “…..good!"
Wu Qian Qian turned to leave, heading off in big strides.
Tie Bu Tian observed her leaving figure, and involuntarily broke into a poignant smile, “This lass……"
He then frowned as he recalled; ever since ascending to the throne, the Imperial chancellors have been incessantly admonishing me to get an Empress or Imperial Concubine. If not for my resolute defiance, I'm afraid they would've drafted several proposals already. However, I ultimately cannot avoid this matter…..how should I handle this?
A man proposes while a woman is wedded off. This is an unchanging logic since ancient times.
A man can be unfilial in many ways, but the greatest is breaking off one's lineage.
Tie Bu Tian sighed with a headache, his face revealed an expression of deep pondering.
In the moments following, King of Hell Chu's abattoir hatcher descended onto the entire Iron Cloud!
The purging this time, was executed with great ferocity and swif
tness; lethal as thunder and smooth as wind, as though it was unprecedented throughout history!
According to the namelist possessed by Wu Qian Qian, one by one, culprits were seeked out and immediately tortured and interrogated. Subsequently, specialists would investigate towards the melon with these vines of clues, all the way till the entire line of traitors were uprooted!
Proceeding from there was immediate collective beheading!
Without the need for trials, without the approval of the Emperor, direct annihilation!
From beginning till the end, slaying till buckets brimmed with blood and heads rolled.
The killing was so excessive, that even the executioner responsible for beheading had his hands turned limp.
On average, every executioner beheaded hundreds of heads daily! These were all lives of living people……
The Emperor couped himself within the depths of his palace, without a single care or concern.
As his imperial court subjects urged him urgently, he merely issued a drawn-out statement, “Does any minister wish to experience and gain knowledge on the executioner’s scaffold?"
Even crows and peacocks remained silent!
Hence, the King of Hell Chu's massacre accelerated fanatically!
Rumours spread, that the King of Hell Chu had commanded viciously in Bu Tian Pavilion, “Too slow! Too lenient! Have you guys not eaten your meals? Do you wish to exchange positions with them….."
"Continue with added ferocity!"
"More savageness!"
"Investigate to death! Even in fatigue, everyone is to remain investigating!"
Wu Qian Qian had only one notion, The greater the commotion I create here in Iron Cloud, the safer Chu Yang will be in the Great Zhao! Thus, without any restraints, Wu Qian Qian had ordered the slaughter for the very first time!
If it is true that mass murder results in hell…..then hell, here I come!
But, you must live safely!
6 days later, back by the lakeside of Lotus lake, Chu Yang finally awakened!
As though he had slumbered for a million years, Chu Yang's eyelids fluttered lightly, and finally forced opened. At this moment, every living vitality converged into a single direction; flooding into his body at first instance!
Chu Yang refrained from sitting up immediately. He maintained his original posture as he carefully sensed, the entire world!
It was as though the current world became foreign to him. The crawling of bugs, the soft chirping of a distant bird, the underground wriggles of an earthworm……all these sounds were transmitted into his ears with perfect clarity!
So much so that he could hear the rustling of tiny grass, the clarity of a drip of growth!
This is the sound of life!
The realm of the Heavenly Path!
Chu Yang was tremendously elated!