Book 2: Chapter 4: The Son of Heaven
Book 2: Chapter 4: The Son of Heaven
Vol 2 Chapter 4: The Son of Heaven
Above the sky, the dragon-shaped Long Yunshui smiled at Mo Wen in its palm and said, "Wow, brother, look - it really is the end of the dynasty, isn't it? Even the imperial palace is burning."
"Someone must have seen the celestial phenomena anomalies caused by your appearance and decided this was the perfect opportunity to change dynasties, coming to assassinate the emperor."
"To be assassinated within his own palace - this emperor is truly first-class trash. But he's not dead yet. I can sense someone with imperial destiny in that palace."
"Get ready. I'm about to disperse the clouds, drive away the rain, and summon thunder. This will be our grand entrance moment."
"We must put on a full show - humans absolutely eat this stuff up."
Why did it feel like he'd been casually stripped of his human status? But this was a critical moment, so Mo Wen suppressed the complaint and said calmly, "Ready."
Why did it feel like he'd been casually stripped of his human status? But this was a critical moment, so Mo Wen suppressed the complaint and said calmly, "Ready."
The colors of heaven and earth darkened, leaving only the lightning flashes resembling celestial wrath and the descending dragon from the clouds as vividly clear.
A dragon? Dragon! DRAGON!!!Forgetting to pack up stalls or collect laundry, every person in the imperial capital raised their heads to gaze at the colossal beast that should only exist in mythology.
It slowly opened its massive claw, upon which stood a divine figure.
Despite the immeasurable distance that should have made such a tiny form imperceptible, the divine figure's presence was so overwhelming that every fiber of their being compelled them to look, to comprehend, to submit.
Even the dragon itself seemed to bow before his magnificent power.
The elite scions of great families, the garrisoning fierce generals - even those who had purified their murderous aura and condensed combat energy, far stronger than ordinary soldiers - they too fell into stunned awe.
Or rather, precisely because they could be considered powerful, they better understood the terrifying nature of the being standing upon the dragon's claw.
They trembled, they shook. Though their weapons rested at their sides, they couldn't even draw them.
What kind of fool would dare oppose such a being!
Mo Wen descended, and none could stop him.
People watched the divine figure fall toward the imperial palace like a meteor, his blood-colored trail remaining vivid even amidst the thunderous roars that couldn't disperse it.
The imperial guards entrusted with protecting the palace also saw the divine figure, witnessed his descent.
They should have sprung into action, but before this peerless dominator, they couldn't even move a finger, let alone offer resistance. They even forgot how to breathe until suffocation gripped them, forcing them to gasp desperately for air before collapsing weakly, watching the soaring combat energy approach step by step the emperor they had sworn to protect.
But in this world, besides those who succumb to instinct, there still exist courageous souls who overcome the fear of death.
The imperial guard commander personally promoted by the emperor desperately ran, crashing through all obstacles in his path, even forgetting to breathe.
But he couldn't catch up.
Even pouring all his strength into the pursuit, even though the walking divinity merely advanced step by step, he couldn't close the distance. He could only watch helplessly as that unstoppable combat energy arrived before the Hall of Diligent Governance.
The emperor emerged.
He stood tall and proud; though his imperial robes were disheveled, they couldn't conceal the brilliance in his eyes.
Facing Mo Wen, he declared in a clear, strong voice: "We are the master of the Chenyao Dynasty, the current Son of Heaven!"
Mo Wen observed the emperor.
His essence, energy, and spirit were full - clearly not someone who indulged in the harem. That he could stand firm before such power spoke of exceptional mental fortitude. The people around him, struggling forward against the overwhelming pressure, clearly indicated he enjoyed genuine popular support, not mere interest-based alliances through benefits.
So was it because he lacked capability, failing to govern properly?
His strength was indeed ordinary, comparable to common folk, only protected by a special power due to his unique status that prevented him from being crushed by the pressure. But his administrative abilities seemed quite competent - at least during Mo Wen's dragon-borne journey, he hadn't seen abandoned bones by the roadside.
Mo Wen truly couldn't determine why, in Long Yunshui's eyes, this was already the dynasty's end. Perhaps he could only ask the emperor himself.
"Do you acknowledge your crimes?"
His essence, energy, and spirit were full - clearly not someone who indulged in the harem. That he could stand firm before such power spoke of exceptional mental fortitude. The people around him, struggling forward against the overwhelming pressure, clearly indicated he enjoyed genuine popular support, not mere binding through interests.
Yet his mind-reading seemed useless - not because it failed, but because it was unnecessary.
This was a man who practiced what he preached.
The emperor bowed his head humbly, almost joyfully saying, "Please enlighten me."
He couldn't confirm Mo Wen's identity, but he was genuinely happy that someone would come now to tell him exactly where he had gone wrong.
Knowing his errors, he could correct them.
He feared death less than disappointing his ancestors, failing the previous emperor who chose him, than becoming a ruler who lost the dynasty.
Facing the emperor's burning gaze and genuine inability to find any fault in himself, Mo Wen had to turn his attention to the three figures behind the emperor.
One possessed extremely stubborn thoughts. Even without psychic resistance, he stubbornly blocked psychic intrusion through mental fortitude, though he completely opened his mind upon realizing what Mo Wen was doing.
He was a Dao Marshal, head of the Dao Institute, overseeing all Dao practitioners nationwide, responsible for harmonizing feng shui, suppressing demons, developing and popularizing Dao techniques, among numerous duties. He had just noticed the anomalies and prepared to sacrifice others to help the emperor escape, but was stopped.
In his view, regional Dao Institutes developed orderly; besides anomalies caused by the connection between heaven and humanity, the world was peaceful with people living contentedly.
Apart from some necessary harsh measures, the Dao Marshal could be considered a gentleman, and the emperor appeared similarly virtuous in his eyes.
Another was utterly ordinary - just a eunuch.
In his perspective, the emperor was incredibly impressive, a first-class hero thoroughly versed in numerous schools of thought who never slackened for a moment. Since youth, he had enjoyed a reputation for wisdom, defeating all competitors. After ascending the throne, he could be called an emperor for the ages, never making mistakes, deeply beloved by the people.
There was just one problem - the emperor was too amiable, making some forget the distinctions between superior and inferior.
The final person seemed to handle dirty work.
Through him, Mo Wen saw the various regions of the Chenyao Dynasty, the great families and powerful clans.
Shadow guards patrolled everywhere. In their view, grain was plentiful, people prosperous, decrees implemented smoothly, and judgments fair.
Facing genuine imperial authority, no matter their accumulated power, great families didn't dare act recklessly, let alone engage in activities harmful to the dynasty's foundation.
With just slight reprimands, the understanding ones would correct themselves. Those who didn't understand needed no action from shadow guards - local powerful clans would see them as rule-breakers and devour them completely, requiring no imperial order for extermination.
Entrenched interest groups, once discovered by the emperor, would be immediately shattered, ensuring the foundational principle of appointing by merit remained unshaken.
Mo Wen felt something must be wrong somewhere. This was far from any "end of dynasty" scenario - even the most prosperous dynasties from his homeland's history hadn't reached such absurd levels of perfection. Even modern governments couldn't compare to this supernatural system with the connection between heaven and humanity as supreme oversight.
Seeing Mo Wen hesitating to kill the emperor and declare his ascension, Long Yunshui secretly transmitted: "What's happening? Why aren't you making your move?"
Mo Wen psychically replied: "There's a problem. This doesn't look like the end of a dynasty."
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