Chapter 21: The Manifest Will of Heaven
Chapter 21: The Manifest Will of Heaven
“The entire town has only one figure who can be called a gentry—a degree-holder who is also the town mayor. All major and minor affairs in the town are decided by him.”
“This degree-holder owns a full five thousand acres of land, with as many as five hundred tenant farmers working for him. From these tenants, he selected thirty men to serve as guards and militia, training full-time each day. While not exceptionally strong, they are trained according to the Baojia system, more than capable of driving off bandits.”
“There are seven landlords in total, collectively controlling six thousand acres of land. The largest family among them bears the surname Liu...”
...
“Based on this information, I believe the river pirates are colluding with the degree-holder. During busy farming seasons, the pirates monopolize the river water, forcing people to pay to access it. Only after paying can the crops be irrigated.”
“But the landlords and the degree-holder also pay the water fees,” Xiong Yan said, laughing as he spoke.
Even he didn’t believe it.
Anyone with half a brain could see something was fishy!
“The gentry’s money is fully returned, but the commoners’ payments are split thirty-seven percent,” he continued.
“Anyway, the water pirates do all the dirty work. After being squeezed dry by them, the common folk are nearly bankrupt. At the slightest misfortune, they have no choice but to sell their land!”
“And they keep selling more and more until one day, they lose all their land and become long-term laborers for the landlords and gentry.”
“In this process, the landlords and gentry’s holdings grow ever larger, while the landless poor multiply.”
“Moreover, the gentry and landlords control most of the town’s grain supplies, enabling them to influence or even control the river pirates through food.”
“I plan to take out both the gentry and the river pirates together.”
Xiong Yan nodded firmly.
“There is no true transcendental in this town—only a few strong men at the peak of human limits, which is negligible.”
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“This is only the first virtual realm after all. The map is small, difficulty low, and danger minimal. As long as you keep your head down, you won’t face any mortal peril.”
“Besides, we were all assigned identities here. This is actually a hidden benefit. In some other virtual realms in the future, they won’t even assign you an identity.”
Speaking of which, Xiong Yan recalled some unpleasant memories. “Some virtual realms even resist the attraction of the main world and try to rebel.”
“So, in certain virtual realms, the moment travelers like us arrive, we are discovered and rejected by heaven and earth.”
“In some higher-level worlds, great powers can calculate our origins with just a gesture.”
“It is said that in even more advanced worlds, some powerful cultivators can directly perceive all this and even attempt to invade and assimilate the main world.”
Everything is reciprocal!
No one decreed that virtual realms can only be assimilated.
Nor that the inhabitants of virtual realms, like NPCs, are foolish and incapable of resistance.
Those who have attained true unity with the Dao—the Heavenly Emperors and Dao Ancestors—can sense the arrival of travelers in an instant.
“They call this process the Infinite Calamity! Meaning the ultimate reckoning that no world can escape.”
“Of course, all this is just speculation among us researchers from our previous life, casual chatter. Don’t take it seriously—just listen,” Xiong Yan said nonchalantly.
Chu Xuan silently glanced at Xiong Yan.
Since teaming up with him, Chu Xuan felt his emotions had become far richer.
If he didn’t have a strong heart, it wouldn’t be surprising if Xiong Yan scared him into a heart attack.
After Chu Xuan stared for a full minute, Xiong Yan belatedly realized this and slapped his forehead in frustration. “Look at me, I forgot to tell you.”
“What we do in the virtual realms doesn’t simply vanish if a realm becomes more real. It leaves traces invisible to ordinary eyes. Some mystical cultivators call these traces causality.”
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“In short, certain cultivators can define our allegiances with just a glance.”
Then Xiong Yan began counting on his fingers: “Lawful, chaotic, neutral, good, evil...”
“In other words, your actions have consequences.”
“For example, if you kill Huang Taiji in a virtual realm set in the late Ming dynasty, then in any future virtual realm set in the Ming dynasty, you might receive preferential treatment—your starting identity could even be that of a count, marquis, or duke of the imperial court.”
“Of course, the reverse is also true.”
“If you lead armies in a global-themed virtual realm to conquer territories like Japan, Goguryeo, various small states, or even other continents and succeed, that will have far-reaching effects. Patriots, supremacists of the Great Xia, and advocates of the Celestial Empire will all regard you favorably.”
After speaking, Xiong Yan patted Chu Xuan on the shoulder. “As the head of the Great Xia Special Affairs Administration, you must clearly decide the future path Great Xia will take in the virtual realms!”
“If it’s ‘Long live the people,’ then pursue that resolutely. Kill when necessary, hang those who must be hanged. Do not compromise or abandon your principles just because the enemy is strong, nor ally with noble families to oppress the people.”
“If it’s the aristocratic and gentry route, then join forces with the gentry to exploit the commoners and become part of the aristocracy. Believe it or not, quite a few transcendental beings dream of becoming noble lords.”
“I can only say that different countries choosing different paths have immense and unimaginable impacts.”
“As for what to do and how to choose, that’s your matter. Peng Bing has already become transcendent; I’m close, as is Senior Chang Kong. In a few days, Old Wang, the chief instructor, will be close too. The two saints of Phoenix Mountain are probably close as well...”
“By then, the number of transcendent beings here will be at least a handful, so establishing effective governance won’t be a problem...”
After a few breaths, combining what Xiong Yan had said earlier, Chu Xuan began to understand the unspoken thoughts behind Xiong Yan’s words.
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(End of chapter)