Only at the Mahayana Stage Does the Reversal System Appear - Chapter 360

Chapter 360: Sitting in the Palace of the Human Emperor

Chapter 360: Commander

Liu’s two-day leave quickly spread among the guards.

Commander Liu’s request for leave was unusual, but even more surprising was Jiang Li’s taking Commander Liu’s place in the palace.

“So the Human Emperor’s duties also include presiding over the palace,” one of the veteran guards suddenly remembered. It seemed like Emperor Lu often presided over the palace.

Like a retired veteran, Jiang Li strolled through the center of the palace, hands behind his back, checking the accumulated power of faith within the bronze cauldron. He touched the chair in the center of the hall, then took his seat.

“What, then, is the Human Emperor supposed to do while presiding over the palace?” Jiang Li realized this was his first time there.

He felt strangely guilty, feeling sorry for Commander Liu.

Just as Jiang Li was about to ask someone what he was supposed to do, a group of guards in matching uniforms arrived, their faces beaming with smiles.

“Hello, Palace Master!”

the guards shouted in unison. The Human Emperor’s guards numbered only a few hundred, yet they gave off the air of tens of thousands.

Furthermore, Jiang Li noticed an increasing number of guards, even those off duty that day.

“Hurry, hurry, something’s going on! Come to the Human Emperor Palace!”

“What’s the big deal? I’m taking a break today and want to spend some quality time with my wife and kids.”

“Stop talking nonsense! My wife and kids can’t leave, so why not? The Palace Master is in charge of the Human Emperor Palace today. Will you come?”

“Yes, of course!”

Upon receiving the news, the guard immediately comforted his wife, donned his clothes, and hurried back to the Human Emperor Palace.

This guard had been on the job for hundreds of years, but had seen Jiang Li only a handful of times.

It was said that even the Dao Sect disciples had seen Jiang Li more often than he had.

…

“Everyone, just relax. Don’t make a fuss. Just treat me as Commander Liu. I’ll do whatever Commander Liu does.” Jiang Li felt a little uneasy at the guards’ looks, believing they were no different from the female cultivators of the Shangsi Society.

The Human Emperor Palace maintained order in Jiuzhou and fostered competition, but without the vicious competition that would destroy its own future.

A guard stepped forward. “Palace Master, I have a matter that originally required Commander Liu’s decision.”

“Go ahead.”

“The Great Yong Dynasty and the Wuyue Dynasty are planning to jointly host a cultivator competition. They’re going to have the cultivators sign a life-or-death agreement before the competition begins. We’re hoping to get permission from the Human Emperor Palace.”

Both the Great Yong and Wuyue Dynasties believe that the worlds of life and death hold both great terror and great opportunity, and that the trials of life and death can elevate a cultivator’s state of mind and cultivation.

These two dynasties frequently hold such competitions.

Many cultivators share this belief, enjoying the journey between life and death. They travel thousands of miles to participate in the competitions in the Great Yong and Wuyue Dynasties.

Even Jiang Li has participated in these competitions many times and gained a lot.

“Let me see.” Jiang Li took the guard’s report and carefully reviewed it.

The prizes were generous, enough to attract even the most fearless cultivators. The rules were even more complete than when Jiang Li participated.

“Yes, but signing a life-or-death agreement requires a mental test of the cultivator, along with audio and video recordings to prove their willingness to participate. Furthermore, gambling operations involving the lives of participating cultivators are prohibited.”

“As ordered.”

Jiang Li knew that some cultivators feared death themselves but enjoyed watching others engage in life-or-death battles.

Casinos, seeing this business opportunity, secretly set up gambling operations, manipulating the outcome of competitions and controlling both the outcome and the outcome of each.

Participating cultivators believed they were undergoing a life-or-death test, unaware that their fate was already determined.

Jiang Li had participated in a rigged competition before, but fortunately, a breakthrough, combined with unused cultivation techniques, enabled him to win.

Even so, he was hunted for days after the match by the dealer.

One guard withdrew, and another stepped forward: “Palace Master, there is constant friction between Qingqiu Kingdom and the Great Witch Kingdom, and war is possible in the near future.”

The guards of the Human Emperor Palace aren’t all stationed there; they are dispersed across various countries, monitoring their movements and preventing large-scale conflict.

The Great Wei Dynasty and the Mengjiang Dynasty went to war over the Red Dust Fairy. It was Zhang Konghu who was reported to by his guards. Seeing he couldn’t handle the matter himself, Zhang Konghu reported it to Jiang Li.

Neither Qingqiu nor Dawu were dynasties, but they were both great nations with long histories and numerous cultivators in the Fusion Stage. A war between these two nations would inevitably result in the deaths of tens of thousands.

Qingqiu was the homeland of the little white fox on Qin Luan’s shoulder, and Dawu was Zhang Konghu’s hometown.

“What was the reason for the war?”

“Some in Qingqiu are dissatisfied with the rule of their monarch, the Nine-tailed Sky Fox, and have colluded with the Great Witch Nation to plot against the Nine-tailed Sky Fox, leading to its disappearance.”

“With the monarch missing, the Great Witch Nation hopes to seize this opportunity to annex Qingqiu. Calculations suggest that 800,000 cultivators will die in the annexation process, and that’s not even factoring in the subsequent resistance from the Qingqiu people and the bloody suppression by the Great Witch Nation.”

“The Great Witch Nation has proposed to the Human Emperor Palace that if Qingqiu is annexed, they will triple the tax paid to the Human Emperor Palace for a hundred years.”

“Triple? How generous!” Jiang Li sneered. Wars are fought over cultivators and spirit stones. After a war, people’s livelihoods are devastated, the treasury is empty, and where would the Great Witch Nation get the money? It’s simply overdrawing the treasury or exploiting the people.

“Is the monarch of the Great Witch Nation Zhang Konghu’s brother?”

“Yes.”

“Still as self-righteous as ever.”

The Great Witch Nation is a nation of the Wu Clan, and the Wu Clan also has a hierarchy, with the highest ranking being the Wu royal family.

Zhang Konghu, son of the previous ruler of the Great Wu Kingdom, carried the blood of the royal family. However, the royal family despised him for his dullness, believing him unworthy of further development.

After the previous ruler’s death, Zhang Konghu, a newly arrived adult, lacked the strength or intelligence to challenge for the throne.

His elder brother, ascending to the throne, expelled his obnoxious, mentally retarded brother from the kingdom, leaving him to fend for himself.

After leaving the kingdom, Zhang Konghu met Commander Liu, who saw potential in Zhang Konghu and offered him his guidance.

Zhang Konghu lived up to expectations, rising through the ranks of the guards to become the leader.

Upon hearing this news, the Great Witch Kingdom’s ruler changed his attitude, becoming extremely cordial towards Zhang Konghu and even naming him a prince.

Even a fool like Zhang Konghu could tell who was truly kind to him and who was just being gullible. He had always ignored the Great

Witch Kingdom’s ruler. Zhang Konghu’s so-called annual family visits were merely visits to his mother, who was buried in the Great Witch Kingdom.

Despite Zhang Konghu’s cold attitude towards the Great Witch Kingdom’s ruler, the Great Witch Kingdom’s ruler always felt that blood was thicker than water, and that the Human Emperor Palace would turn a blind eye to their actions for Zhang Konghu’s sake,

such as the recent annexation of Qingqiu Kingdom.

If Commander Liu were present, he would have subtly explained that Zhang Konghu of the Great Witch Kingdom was the leader of the Human Emperor Palace, not a prince of the Great Witch Kingdom.

Jiang Li, however, was not in a good mood towards the Great Witch King: “Tell the Great Witch King that if he dares to start a war, I will directly attack him.”

“As you command.”

Jiang Li thought of Qin Luan. If Qin Luan one day realized the identity of the little white fox and wanted to help her regain the throne, the Great Witch Kingdom would probably not want to see this.

Conflict between Qin Luan and the Great Witch Kingdom was inevitable.

(End of this chapter)