Chapter 714: A Place of Trouble

The Rebellion of the Seven Kings also awakened the ambitions of many.

These princes required gold, silver, soldiers, and provisions for their expansion, and the burden of supplying them ultimately fell on the common people.

Within just half a year, commoners across Great Xiang gathered in protest, but their outcries were completely useless; human lives are like blades of grass, utterly worthless to those in power.

Under the princes' dismissive rule, the suffering populace gradually developed a rebellious spirit.

As the saying went: are kings and generals born of a special breed?

Rather than waiting for death, it was better to risk everything.

Consequently, rebellions and uprisings of all sizes erupted across the realm. Driven mostly by oppressed and impoverished commoners, these armed revolts pushed the empire's chaos to new heights.

Under these circumstances, everyone in the Mortal World feared for their own lives.

This turmoil far exceeded the chaos seen during the fall of Great Jing.

This situation threw the Seven Kings into a panic. Possessing only empty ambition, they had never considered such matters, and so they began aggressively recruiting strategists to manage their fiefdoms.

Most of the uprisings were thus put down, but the resulting damage was ultimately immeasurable.

They had paid the price for their own foolishness.

However, this turn of events allowed the officials in Shangjing City to breathe a sigh of relief.

Every day they stalled bought them more time. Furthermore, they upheld imperial legitimacy; dispatching troops under the banner of suppressing bandits and quelling rebellions aligned with heavenly justice. Given a little time, more and more loyalists would flock to their cause, and the uprisings would no longer be a threat.

But that would only be true if they were united.

The problem was that the Imperial Court was far from peaceful either. The imperial princes formed factions to vie for power, plunging the court into a foul and chaotic state. Disillusioned by what they saw, some officials resigned in disgust, causing the Imperial Court to lose the support of the people.

All because of a single edict...

Not a single person in the realm was left in peace.

.

.

Time marched on.

The chaos in the realm grew increasingly violent. Struggles erupted relentlessly across the land, both for territorial expansion and for the imperial throne.

Notably, only four of the original Seven Kings remained.

Over these three years, twenty or thirty major battles had been waged. Without exception, the casualties were catastrophic. After every massive battle, countless corpses were piled in burial grounds, and some bodies did not even have a place to be interred.

It was a profound tragedy, yet there was nothing to be done.

Far too many people had died.

The other three princes had suffered defeats during this period, leading to their downfall.

As a result, the realm was divided into five factions.

Prince Jin, the King of Wei, Prince Kang, the Prince of Yan, and the Great Xiang Imperial Court.

Prince Jin commanded a massive army. He had destroyed Prince Xiao first, then absorbed his remaining loyalists and territory, thereby establishing a firm foothold.

Aided by strategists, the King of Wei focused on the people's livelihood and the state. By winning the hearts of the commoners and fostering unity, his faction flourished.

Prince Kang had originally been a military general in his early years, earning numerous merits. Respected wherever he went, he naturally attracted followers, drawing many elite troops and veteran generals to his banner. Furthermore, with an expert assisting him in military strategy, his repeated victories cemented his fierce reputation.

The Prince of Yan presided over the Southern Domain Land. Though it was remote, the mountainous terrain worked to his advantage. He possessed a smaller army than the other three princes and lacked brilliant strategists, yet he successfully defended his territory by relying on his geographical edge.

As for the Great Xiang Imperial Court, they operated in the name of righteousness and held the realm's orthodox mandate. Their military strength naturally far exceeded that of the four princes, but not by a wide enough margin, leading to a bitter stalemate.

The five factions watched one another warily, and no one was willing to take the first step.

Although they were locked in a stalemate, communities throughout the Mortal World continued to suffer unspeakable misery.

As the saying went: out of ten males, eight are soldiers, one is a bandit, and one is a young child.

Abuse of power was commonplace. The commoners had no rights, and the enlisted soldiers ran rampant and lawless. Though they were the military, they acted like common thugs, breeding chaos and making peace impossible.

Such chaos could not be explained in a few mere words, nor could a single word like 'suffering' capture its full scope.

Only by witnessing and hearing it firsthand could one truly understand what this war had unleashed upon the Mortal World.

...

A fierce gale swept across the Great Desert, sending sand and gravel swirling into the air. Such dust storms were incredibly common in the Northwestern Lands.

However, amidst the dancing sand, a figure gradually emerged from the hazy storm.

The figure raised a hand and gave a gentle wave.

Instantly, the surrounding dust settled, and the wind ground to a halt.

The sand fell back to the earth, and the howling of the wind went silent.

A figure clad in a green robe was revealed.

Chen Changsheng looked up at the scorching sun overhead. It seemed this place hadn't changed at all since he left years ago; there was still the same blowing sand, fierce wind, and endless desolation.

Out here, the true state of the Mortal World was completely hidden from sight.

The dead silence all around was enough to strike fear into anyone's heart.

But to Chen Changsheng, it couldn't have been more ordinary.

He let out a soft breath, raising his eyes as if searching for a direction.

His gaze pierced through dune after dune until it fell upon a city standing tall in the distant desert.

He stepped forward and walked toward it.

Water's End City appeared to be a bit more prosperous than before.

Yet, it gave Chen Changsheng a deep sense of unfamiliarity.

That was until he reached the city gates and noticed the somewhat unfamiliar faces.

"A Xiang person!"

The soldiers guarding the gate frowned the moment they saw him, instantly aiming their spears and swords at Chen Changsheng's neck.

A group of men immediately surrounded him, drawing their sabers and swords as if to take his head.

Chen Changsheng froze for a moment, somewhat caught off guard.

The moment they charged, Chen Changsheng raised his hand and released a blast of palm wind.

Every person before him was blown off their feet.

Thuds and crashes rang out in quick succession.

By the time they scrambled back to their feet and looked ahead, the man in the green robe was already gone without a trace.

"Where did he go?"

"Where is he?!"

At that moment, Chen Changsheng was already inside Water's End City.

When he looked out and saw that the streets were completely filled with North Desert People, he suddenly understood.

"So that's how it is..."

"This is no longer Great Jing."

The internal strife in Great Xiang had given foreign enemies an opening to strike.

Seizing the opportunity, the Northern Desert had invaded Great Xiang once again, occupying five of its cities—and Water's End City was one of them.

As Great Xiang's closest city to the Northern Desert, Water's End City was of paramount strategic importance. No Xiang People were permitted anywhere near the area, and every single resident inside the walls was one of the North Desert People.

As Chen Changsheng walked down the streets of Water's End City, many people cast their gazes upon him, staring at him constantly.

The North Desert People on the streets glared at him with dark expressions, looking ready to attack at any moment.

Chen Changsheng finally understood.

He had walked into a place of trouble.

This place had no room for outsiders.