Simulates history, but Chongzhen is the Divine Emperor at the beginning

Chapter 83: Soul Brainwashing!

【you:?】

This sudden change of events almost caught you off guard: Has Old Man Li gone this far? Is he planning a rebellion?

【wrong……】

You suddenly frowned, looking at Old Man Li's wolf-like, bloodshot eyes. Although there was obvious madness in them, the current level of divine power contamination should not be enough to completely destroy his sanity.

Alcohol can make cowards braver, and the key lies in the word "bring courage." Alcohol, like any external substance, cannot suddenly turn a good person into a bad one. It simply awakens another side of a person, causing them to act in a completely different way than they normally would.

[The same goes for divine power. It can't turn a true wimp into a tough guy. At least before it truly corrupts a person to the point of complete madness, it can only amplify their negative emotions and make them more likely to act impulsively.]

[So, Lee Rae Hyung's provocation was actually serious...or perhaps, this was his true character when he was young!]

[All along, you've seen these thieves as nothing more than a group of generous and amiable old men, so you haven't gotten to know them very well. But don't forget what they were up to back then...]

[Thieves! Thieves! They are bandits, and the most vicious and powerful bandits in the chaotic late Ming Dynasty!]

Murder, arson, killing officials and rebelling were all commonplace! Princes, nobles, kings, generals and ministers were nothing but pigs and dogs begging for mercy under their swords. At their peak, even the emperor was forced to death on Coal Hill... No one knows how many people have died at their hands!

Admittedly, they were Li Zicheng's elite troops, and in those turbulent times, they were considered a "king's army" with military discipline and faith. However... a "king's army" in the feudal era is ultimately a product of the feudal era. You can't have too high expectations of them...

[After all, these people are hard to tame. Perhaps Li Zicheng can convince them, but you... you probably can't.]

In their eyes, you are a mysterious spirit, a precocious child, a wealthy sheep, and an ambitious lord...

You can have many images, but you are definitely not their boss! Because you never have prestige.

[If you want to tame the evil wolves and make them your subordinates, you can't just rely on empty talk like metaphysics. They will just think you are just pretending to be a tiger, so...]

"We still have to fight after all..."

You smiled helplessly. You had conquered him too easily in the beginning, and now you are finally reaping the consequences.

[But you can see that Old Man Li doesn't really want to do anything to you. After all, you've already fully demonstrated your abilities and ideals these days, so he won't really be violent towards you... Chuang thieves, Chuang thieves, are both bandits and righteous men, and their nature isn't bad.]

Even if you lose to him, he'll at most look down on you and demote you from "leader" to "white paper fan"...

[But this is also your chance! According to the rules of the martial arts world, as long as you defeat him fairly, he will be truly convinced and regard you as the second Li Zicheng!]

You are very confident in this, as you possess both divine power and soul telekinesis. While neither of these two extraordinary powers is strong enough to challenge the Divine Emperor, combining them should be enough to defeat a mortal like Li Laiheng.

[So, facing Old Man Li's passionate challenge, you sighed...then fight!]

[A showdown between a child and an old man begins...]

【…】

[And the outcome of the battle was just as you expected. Although you're only five years old, you're not really a five-year-old child after all. After all, you've been on the battlefield in your previous life and have considerable combat experience!]

[Coupled with your skillful use of divine power and telekinesis, you'll soon leave this old thief breathless. Even if he uses his newly acquired divine power, he'll still be knocked to the ground by you...]

[At the end of the battle, you seized the opportunity and extended your invisible telekinetic hand, grabbing him and instantly crushing his remaining golden power to pieces!]

【You won without any surprise...】

[And now that you've won, you must give them a stern lecture to re-establish your image as the inviolable boss!]

But you suddenly froze, because as the telekinetic hand continued to pinch, a strange feeling inexplicably emerged in your consciousness.

[Your telekinesis seems to be spontaneously invading the defeated Li Laiheng's body...] [This intrusion is so fast that before you can even react, Li Laiheng trembles all over and faints on the spot!]

This strange change frightens you greatly. You quickly retract your telekinetic hand and, along with the other worried thieves, rush forward to check: These are highly skilled human resources, extremely scarce in the early stages. If anything were to happen, the loss would be enormous... Not only would we be without Li Laiheng's help, but the other thieves would surely flee in anger!

If this were lost, where would we find so many high-quality people who understand "class contradictions"?

[You were startled, and immediately used your divine power to start treating him...]

[But before you could check whether he was alright or not, the unconscious Li Laiheng woke up on his own.]

[There was a daze in his eyes, as if he was confused about why he fainted... Then, he saw you.]

Your heart skips a beat, and you ask hurriedly, "Lao Li, are you okay?"

The other veteran thieves were no longer bothered by their madness, and all asked anxiously, "Brother! What happened to you just now..."

[But no matter whose question it was, Li Laiheng didn't answer. His eyes were just fixed on your face, as if he wanted to get to know you all over again...]

The more he stares at you, the more panicked you become: Could it be that I've really beaten this old man into a state of illness? Impossible...

After staring blankly for a long time, Li Laiheng's eyes finally brightened... His face showed a mixture of joy and uneasiness, and he moved his lips but said nothing.

His attitude finally became respectful, and he clearly called out, "Master!..."

You seemed to shudder. You knew that a tragically thick barrier had already built up between you two...

【wrong!!!】

You stare at him in shock. Although he had called you "Master" before, it wasn't respectful at all. But now, every word he uses of you is filled with submission and obedience!

[Could it be... that you defeated him? ]

[You are slightly confused... something is wrong! ]

You quickly ruled out this possibility because you didn't hit him very hard. Even if he was convinced by you, it definitely wouldn't be to this extent!

His expression and gaze were very different. It couldn't be simple submission, but more like... fanaticism! Fanaticism to the point where he'd even die for you!

[And as soon as you thought this, he shuddered, as if he understood your thoughts, and the bloodshot light in his eyes, which represented madness, became even brighter...]

He suddenly jumped up from the ground, then without hesitation, fell to his knees. In front of the bewildered gazes of everyone present, he roared in an extremely frantic and excited tone.

【"loyalty!"】

"The master's kindness is higher than the sky! The master's kindness is deeper than the sea! The master's kindness is endless!"

"Your Highness, Li Laiheng, respectfully requests that you face south and proclaim yourself emperor. Carrying on the legacy of King Chuang, you will re-establish the Dashun Empire! Establish the title of Yongchang!"

[“Long live the Emperor!”]

【you:……】

[Thieves: …]

……

(End of this chapter)