Chang’an, Weiyang Palace.
Inside the dimly lit grand hall, a man dressed in Emperor’s Crown, with a square-shaped face and a refined scholarly appearance, read a book under the candlelight.
rely observing his deanor gave one the impression of being in the presence of a noble gentleman, like a spring breeze warming the soul.
This man was Wang Mang, the Emperor of the New Dynasty.
Studying the intelligence reports from his subordinates, Wang Mang chuckled to himself: "Haha, the world shall be pacified!"
This ti, he had mobilized an army of four hundred thousand, nearly half of the nation’s resources.
The Green Forest Army was the foremost rebel faction, led by Liu Xuan, a descendant of Liu Fa, the son of Emperor Xiaojing, known as the "Holy Duke."
The other faction, the Chi i Army, was less formidable. As long as the Green Forest Army was annihilated, the world would be pacified, and his throne secured.
Four hundred thousand against twenty thousand—what could the Liu Family possibly use against him?
The flickering candlelight cast shifting shadows on Wang Mang’s face, showcasing his unpredictable expression: "Summon soone!"
A eunuch slowly walked inside.
"Deliver the order: once the Green Forest Army is defeated, bring the head of their Holy Duke back to the Imperial Palace. Let the rebels of the realm see their fate!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Wang Mang closed his eyes, resting.
The world perceived Wang Mang as a Great Saint, a peerless figure. He led a frugal life, was humble in deanor, and diligent in his studies—seemingly without flaw.
Before usurping the throne, Wang Mang often displayed a reluctance for power. Yet, in secret, he manipulated the populace and court ministers to create montum, only to tearfully accept his position amidst their cries.
He was a master of spectacle, capable of turning black into white. To crush his political rivals, he did not hesitate to poison his own son and fra an innocent, crafting an exemplary tale of sacrificing family for justice.
Of course, none of this was truly problematic—it was rely power struggles among the nobility. So long as the nation was well-governed and a period of cultural and military prosperity was achieved, all of it could be forgotten.
However, if even that could not be accomplished, he would leave nothing but a legacy of infamy.
At that mont, the mural on the side of the great hall emanated a yellow glow.
At its center was an immortal sitting cross-legged.
The immortal sat atop auspicious clouds, a radiant halo of seven-colored clouds above his head. He held the Vajra Sword in his left hand and the Cloud Pattern Jade Ruyi in his right. Clad in a yellow robe with blue sleeves, he exuded an aura of transcendence.
Sensing the light, Wang Mang opened his eyes and knelt down in reverence.
"What commands does the Immortal have for ?"
......
Kunyang.
Within the two thousand Green Forest Army encampnts.
The news of the overwhelming enemy forces threw the Green Forest Army into chaos. At present, there were only nine thousand troops in the city, while nearby Dingling County and Yan County had an additional force of over ten thousand.
But with four hundred thousand soldiers stationed to the north of the city, even this reinforcent seed insufficient.
The consensus among the troops was surprisingly unanimous—retreat.
However, so held opposing views.
The discussions descended into noisy argunts. Holy Duke Liu Xuan, by nature timid, watched the commotion while wiping sweat off his forehead, unable to utter a single word for quite so ti.
A young assistant general in his mid-twenties, Liu Xiu, stood forward:
"United, we can still win; dispersed, our survival is unlikely. I will ride under cover of night to summon reinforcents. Although we number twenty thousand, the Fake Xin Army is worn out after prolonged battles and has failed to breach our defenses—they will naturally retreat in defeat!"
This reasoning finally persuaded the generals.
With that, Liu Xiu led thirteen cavalry on a nightti expedition to mobilize reinforcents.
However, deep within, Liu Xiu harbored a bold and audacious thought that seed too absurd to voice aloud.
That thought was to overco Wang Mang’s four hundred thousand with rely ten thousand elite troops. The disorder within the Fake Xin Army, comprised of ill-matched personnel, might present an opportunity.
Of course, this idea was so outrageous that even Liu Xiu thought himself mad.
He rode with his cavalry through the mountainous forest.
Suddenly, a group of scouts appeared ahead.
The group exchanged glances, deciding to silently eliminate them.
As they approached, the leading scout abruptly turned, revealing a terrifying Yaksha face.
The Yaksha Ghost lacked skin, exposing crimson flesh beneath. Beside him, the other scouts bore similarly grotesque appearances—evil ghosts in the flesh.
Swish! Swish!
In a flash, the Yaksha disappeared, leaving no shadow behind. Liu Xiu’s accompanying cavalryn fell one after another, leaving him the sole survivor.
As the Yaksha Ghost slowly approached, Liu Xiu felt his heart sink into despair.
Rumors had circulated about Wang Mang’s army harboring demons, but he never believed them—until now. If they truly existed, Kunyang’s defense was dood.
The Yaksha opened its bloodied jaw, its stench overwhelming, with claws as sharp as sword blades.
Liu Xiu drew his longsword, preparing for a desperate fight.
Whoosh!
A surge of heat struck, and a fire sword pierced through the Yaksha’s head.
Soon, two tongues of fla burned the evil ghosts into ashes.
Liu Xiu spotted an immortal clad in white descending aboard a wooden raft.
An Immortal?
After witnessing the Yaksha Evil Ghost incident, seeing an Immortal felt oddly acceptable.
With the Immortal standing before him, Liu Xiu bowed with cupped hands: "Thank you, Immortal, for saving ."
The savior was none other than Song Lin.
He happened to arrive in Kunyang and, upon spotting demonic activity, effortlessly exterminated the creatures.
"Is this Wang Mang’s army?" Song Lin asked, glancing at the demon corpses scattered on the ground.
"Indeed!"
"And who are you? Whose command are you under? Why travel here in the dead of night?"
It was no surprise Wang Mang was involved with demons.
"I am Liu Xiu, assistant general of the Green Forest Army. I ride through the night to Dingling to rally reinforcents."
"Liu Xiu? You are of the Han Dynasty family line?"
Song Lin examined Liu Xiu closely.
"Correct."
"Excellent. There is Purple Qi emanating from you. In the future, you are destined to beco the ruler of the Han Dynasty."
Song Lin couldn’t help but reveal such a prophecy.
"The Immortal flatters . I cannot even overco this Kunyang challenge; how could I dream of imperial ambition?"
Despite nurturing such aspirations deep in his heart, the sight of Wang Mang’s army of ghosts and gods rendered Liu Xiu hopeless altogether.
"No matter. Go forth to rally reinforcents, and I shall dispatch Abnormal Soldiers to assist you. If you succeed, I have a favor to request of you."
"Immortal, please command . No matter the task, Liu Xiu shall fulfill it without hesitation."
Liu Xiu was overjoyed. If Song Lin helped him rise above the multitude of heroes and seize divine artifacts, he would gladly accomplish any number of tasks in return.
"Very well, go now."
With a wave of his hand, Song Lin summoned two Rampant Soldiers through the Taixu Bright Mirror, who suddenly appeared beside Liu Xiu.
"What are these?" Liu Xiu was startled.
"They are protector Rampant Soldiers, capable of ensuring your safety. Now, off with you to find reinforcents."
Without another word, Song Lin ascended aboard the Moon-piercing Raft and departed.
"The Immortal possesses the power to command ghosts and gods!"
Liu Xiu mounted his horse, and with the two ferocious ghosts now guarding him, he felt a newfound sense of security.
By the following night, Liu Xiu led seventeen thousand infantry and elite cavalry to Kunyang.
Liu Xiu charged directly into the enemy’s formation, penetrating Wang Yi’s main camp with unstoppable montum, causing disarray among the New Army.
Within the city, the Kunyang defenders noticed this and staged an offensive.
Although the New Army was in turmoil, their sheer numbers remained overwhelming.
News of the offensive reached Wang Yi, who laughed: "An army of a million crushes all in its path. To slaughter this city and march forth amidst bloodshed and revelry—what joy it brings!"
"Even with a Heavenly Army, it cannot halt this multitude!"
Boom!
Suddenly, fierce winds tore through, tiles flew, and a teor streaked across the skies.
"What? True Heavenly Soldiers? Cangtian above, do you truly forsake ?"
Boom!
A massive teor, as large as a millstone, descended from the heavens, crashing in the center of the encampnt.
In an instant, Wang Yi and other generals were killed on the spot. The fiery explosion consud the camp, and the shattered teor fragnts and ensuing flas impacted thousands in the vicinity.
With their commanders dead, coupled with such an ominous event, the New Army fell into chaos, tens of thousands trampling over one another in panic, causing countless deaths.
Not only was the New Army petrified—Liu Xiu’s own troops were stunned.
"This is Heaven’s vengeance upon the False Xin forces. Kill!!" Liu Xiu steadied his army’s morale, leading the charge personally.
Up among the clouds, Song Lin wiped sweat off his forehead.
He had transported a teor of appropriate size into his Qiankun Bag while aboard the high-speed Moon-piercing Raft. Dropping it from such a height generated an impact devastating enough to alter the tide of battle.
Perhaps cultivators with superior cultivation might evade the teor’s trajectory, but amidst a force of four hundred thousand soldiers, where could they flee?
What Song Lin didn’t foresee was that this teor, over a thousand years later, would go on to inspire countless marketing narratives.
This decisive battle ended with two thousand overcoming four hundred thousand, shattering the force of the Xin Mang regi.
Next, Song Lin prepared to et Liu Xiu before heading to Chang’an to confront Wang Mang.
The search for Exotic Treasures certainly could not rely solely on himself—even with the Taiyin Golden Pupil, prolonged searching would exhaust him.
He planned to establish three factions.
One would be official, leveraging governntal power to hunt for Exotic Treasures. The second would enlist alchemy masters of the Yellow Emperor School, whose widespread presence extended from regal palaces to remote mountains and rivers. They could also aid in the search.
The third would be a clandestine faction dedicated to countering the demons coveting the Taixu Bright Mirror.
Song Lin realized that the Moon Cultivators’ failure stemd from excessive arrogance. If they had spent thousands of years fortifying a mortal influence covertly, how could demons ever stand against them?
As the night deepened, Song Lin suddenly appeared within Liu Xiu’s encampnt.
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