In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 463 Beyond the Nine Provinces, the Land Where Dragons Gather

Zhu Houzhao's fingers tightened slightly, his knuckles turning white.

He certainly understood what Gu Shaoan was saying, and it was precisely because he understood that he was even less able to refute it.

When powerful instruments are not properly controlled, even an emperor cannot sleep soundly.

That's why Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but reach out and try to sheath the sword.

If it cannot be accepted, then one might try to break it.

Gu Shaoan looked at Zhu Houzhao, as if he were exposing his deepest fear in public.

"What you can't accept is never what Gu did, but that Gu's very existence means that you are not the only ruler of the world."

"You were taught from a young age that imperial power is supreme. But the reality is that imperial power needs to rely on force, on the hearts of the people, and on a working order."

"When you discover that someone can change your order with a sword, you will instinctively want to destroy him."

"What Chief Shangguan wants is power, but he understands better where power comes from: from order, from transactions, and from a balance where all parties can still survive."

"If he were in that position, his first thought wouldn't be how to make the world listen to only him, but how to prevent the world from falling into chaos, because he knew that once the world fell into chaos, the first to die would often not be others, but him, the emperor."

"But you are different. You are never afraid of chaos, and you don't even mind creating chaos yourself."

This statement is extremely cold.

Yet it is extremely accurate.

Just like the events concerning the Azure Dragon Society in recent years, as well as the events between the Great Wei Kingdom and the Great Yuan Kingdom in Zhu Houzhao's original plan, Zhu Houzhao knew that the two countries would be destabilized because of his plans.

Zhu Houzhao didn't care how many families would be destroyed and how much death would result from this turmoil; all he cared about was the outcome.

It was at this moment that Zhu Houzhao suddenly understood why Gu Shaoan had chosen Shangguan Jin Honggu to impersonate him, rather than someone else.

The real reason Gu Shaoan wanted was not an obedient emperor, but someone who "knew how to be afraid."

It is only because of fear that one fears the chaos of the world and the disarray of people's hearts that one also fears Gu Shaoan.

This fear teaches people to weigh things carefully.

Weighing things over will lead to contentment.

The valley breeze still blew from the narrow canyon, both inside and outside the camp.

Zhu Houzhao suddenly felt a chill inexplicably from the wind blowing through the canyon.

After a long silence, Zhu Houzhao sighed.

Having come this far, Zhu Houzhao did not go against his conscience and say anything that would lower his status and make people laugh. Instead, after thinking for a moment, he nodded in approval.

"If it were me, I would definitely make the same choice."

"Instead of gambling on how the next emperor will treat you and the Emei Sect behind you, you might as well take the gamble in your own hands from the beginning and become the decision-maker."

Finally, after a brief pause, Zhu Houzhao said again, "In my opinion, you and I are actually the same kind of people."

When he spoke, Zhu Houzhao's gaze no longer held the condescending scrutiny of an emperor, but rather a recognition akin to that between kindred spirits.

Neither of us is willing to be subordinate to others.

"Neither you nor I will entrust our fate to others, nor will we entrust our lives and fortunes to so-called goodwill and affection. If there is a path that allows us to control the situation, we will definitely take that path. If someone blocks our path, we will definitely find a way to get around them. If we can't get around them, we will just have to move that person away."

Zhu Houzhao coughed, a metallic taste rising in his throat, but he seemed oblivious, continuing on his way:

"The difference is that I was born in the palace."

"The palace gave me confidence, the best teachers, the most complete authority, the sharpest sword, the laws of the court, the armor of the imperial guards, the offerings of the Celestial Realm, and the status represented by that jade seal."

"As long as I sit in that chair, my words become imperial edicts, and my actions become national policies. Even if I make a mistake, countless people will cover it up for me, cover it up for me, and write my mistakes as 'deeply strategizing'."

At this point, Zhu Houzhao gave a self-deprecating smile, but a deeper chill rose in his eyes: "But the palace is also a cage."

"It confined me to the way of the emperor, and trapped me in the illusion that 'when the emperor commands a subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die.' I am used to everyone bowing down to me, so I cannot tolerate anyone not kneeling. I am used to having the world in my hands, so I cannot tolerate a thorn in my palm."

"Therefore, my limit was set from the very beginning, and I can only win in the way of an emperor."

"The more power I can borrow, the more I cannot live without it; the more I cannot live without it, the more I fear losing it. The more I fear losing it, the more I want to hold on to everything."

He looked at Gu Shaoan with an extremely complex emotion in his eyes, like envy, like hatred, but more so, a helpless understanding: "You are different."

“You were born in Emei, but Emei can’t give you what I have. It doesn’t have the status of the court, the high walls of the imperial city, or the seal that makes all officials bow down. All it can give you is rules, tranquility, and a path to the top that you have to climb on your own.”

"But that's precisely why you weren't confined by the title 'Emperor' like I was."

"And your reliance is yourself."

"As long as your sword remains, as long as your cultivation remains, as long as you are alive, no matter how ingenious the scheme, it is nothing but a piece of paper, and no matter how brilliant the calculation, it is nothing but a joke."

"I was lifted up by the palace walls, and also capped by them; you were placed on the ground by Emei, but because of that, you have no upper limit."

A valley breeze swept through the camp, carrying some yellow sand that danced in the air.

Zhu Houzhao suddenly smiled, but the smile was so faint as to be almost invisible.

"Therefore, it is not unjust for me to lose to you."

“I lost because I was caught in the game, you won because you stepped outside of it.” After saying that, his gaze swept over Gu Shaoan, and then over Shangguan Jin Hong, who was not far away, suppressing his breathing and forcibly calming his emotions. His tone suddenly became slightly amused.

"Gu Shaoan, you think you've escaped the game, but in reality you've just moved the game to a bigger chessboard."

"From the moment you decided to interfere in the selection of the person to sit on the dragon throne, you and the Emei Sect behind you were destined to embark on a path of no return. No matter who sits on that position, they will inevitably regard you and the Emei Sect as their number one major threat in the future."

Gu Shaoan remained calm.

"I am well aware of this, but the advantage is that as long as I am alive, I will be free from worry, instead of being constantly schemed against by the person sitting on the dragon throne, forcing me to take action and creating an even bigger mess."

At this point, Gu Shaoan changed the subject.

"Furthermore, with my abilities, my lifespan increases by three hundred after entering the Celestial Realm. Upon entering the Sitting Illumination Realm, which is above the Celestial Realm, my lifespan increases by a thousand years. I have single-handedly enabled the Emei Sect to continue for a thousand years. If, after my passing, the descendants of the Emei Sect are unable to protect the Emei Sect, I will have a clear conscience."

Zhu Houzhao's eyes flickered slightly as he listened to Gu Shaoan's words.

Throughout history, dynasties have come and gone, but no dynasty has ever lasted for more than a thousand years.

Gu Shaoan was able to protect the Emei Sect for a thousand years single-handedly, which is still an incredible stroke of luck.

Even if the Emei Sect is gone a thousand years from now, what does it matter?

Moreover, if the Emei Sect can truly endure for a thousand years, its profound foundation must be no less than that of Shaolin.

Even if the world changes hands, who would dare to rashly make a move against the Emei Sect?

Zhu Houzhao originally only wanted to undermine Gu Shaoan's morale, but he did not expect that Gu Shaoan's considerations would be so far-sighted and thorough.

In response, Zhu Houzhao sighed and said, "The Emei Sect is indeed very lucky to have produced such an anomaly as you. If you had been born into the royal family, with your talent and strength, you could have protected the Emei Sect for a thousand years, and perhaps even made my Zhu family dynasty the first dynasty to last for a thousand years."

After saying this, Zhu Houzhao shook his head and, without waiting for Gu Shaoan's response, continued, "I can give you the imperial seal, but before I hand it over, I want to know some things."

Upon hearing this, Gu Shaoan hesitated for a moment before asking, "You want to ask about Xiang Yutian?"

Zhu Houzhao's eyes narrowed slightly.

He didn't nod immediately, but coughed twice more, as if afraid that speaking would dissipate his last bit of strength. Even so, he maintained his imperial composure and spoke slowly and clearly:

"good."

"I have investigated Bai Xiaosheng's identity and there are no problems. However, from the current perspective, I have never known anything about Bai Xiaosheng. Since you know that Bai Xiaosheng's true identity is Xiang Yutian, you must know more. I want to know if the royal family of the Great Sui Kingdom is behind Xiang Yutian."

Faced with Zhu Houzhao's question, Gu Shaoan did not evade the question or pretend to be profound. He simply stated the answer to the question that Zhu Houzhao was most curious about in an almost declarative tone.

"Beyond the Nine Provinces, there is the Divine Land."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houzhao's pupils contracted sharply, and even his coughing paused for a moment.

Even Shangguan Jin Hong, who was standing some distance away, was stunned for a moment.

Hearing Gu Shaoan say, "Beyond the Nine Provinces, there is also the Divine Land," Zhu Houzhao felt as if a piece of his strength had been ripped from his chest.

He never imagined that the word "天下" (tianxia, ​​meaning "all under heaven") could be broken down.

They never imagined that the so-called empire, the dragon throne, and the jade seal of the Zhu family might just be a nail or a source of nourishment in a larger scheme.

Shangguan Jin Hong, who was in the distance, was also stunned.

He had roamed the martial world his entire life, witnessing countless secrets. But the terms "Nine Provinces" and "Divine Land" were no longer secrets; they directly ripped away the ground beneath his feet, revealing an even deeper abyss beneath.

Gu Shaoan spoke calmly and unhurriedly, as if he were recounting an old story unrelated to himself:
"This place is called the Land of Kyushu. But Kyushu is not the whole world, but only a part of this land."

"Beyond the Nine Provinces lies the Divine Land. Within the Divine Land, dynasties rise and fall more frequently, and its territory far surpasses that of the Nine Provinces."

Zhu Houzhao's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice hoarse: "What does this have to do with Xiang Yutian?"

Gu Shaoan looked at him and let out a soft sigh: "It has a lot to do with it."

"There was a country in the land of China called Great Xia. At that time, many countries stood side by side and were constantly at war. However, Great Xia suddenly rose to prominence. In just a few decades, it swept across the country, unified the world, established an unparalleled dynasty, and its power shook the land of China."

"But there is no dynasty that lasts for thousands of years, and the Great Xia is no exception."

“A thousand years ago, the dragon energy of the Great Xia dragon vein was about to be exhausted, and its destiny was gradually declining. The Great Xia royal family used all kinds of spiritual objects and secret methods, but they could only delay the consumption of dragon energy, but could not reverse it. Once the dragon energy was exhausted and the dragon vein was damaged, the world would be in chaos, and the destruction of the Great Xia was almost inevitable.”

Upon hearing the phrase "dragon veins and dragon energy," Zhu Houzhao subconsciously pressed his fingertips against the jade seal inside his robe.

As the emperor, he naturally understood best what such words meant: the root behind "status" and the invisible line through which the court suppressed the people.

Gu Shaoan continued, "The only way to extend the life of the Great Xia Dynasty is to nurture a new dragon vein and use the new dragon energy to continue the old dragon vein."

"At that time, there was a sect in China called the Heavenly Mystery Sect, which was in charge of formations and geography, and possessed a method for nurturing dragon veins with external forces."

"The method is to select a feng shui treasure land with a 'dragon-emerging pattern', seal off the heaven and earth with a grand formation, and then use the enormous fortune generated during the rise and fall of dynasties as nourishment to nurture a new dragon vein over a long period of time."

At this point, Gu Shaoan raised his eyes, his gaze passing through the camp, through the valley wind, and through the mountains and rivers of this land, as if he were seeing something more distant and cruel.

"And the land of Kyushu is the chosen place of the seal."

"The rise and fall of dynasties, the change of empires, the outbreak of wars, and the golden age of peace in the Nine Provinces are all major events in our eyes, but in the eyes of the Heavenly Mystery Sect and the Great Xia royal family, they are all nourishment for the formation."

“People like Xiang Yutian are carefully selected by the Great Xia Dynasty and sent to the land of Kyushu. Their existence serves three purposes: first, to ensure that the sealing array does not go wrong; second, to ensure that the dragon vein’s nurturing progress is not disrupted; and third, to eliminate variables that may cause Kyushu to go off track.”

"The Sui Dynasty's dominance over the Nine Provinces was merely a fleeting moment of fortune. Behind Xiang Yutian lies the Great Xia imperial family of the Divine Land. All the scholars of the Hundred Knowledge Pavilion throughout the ages are members of the Great Xia imperial family."

(End of this chapter)