"Maybe I'll try this in another world next time."
After contemplating the increased energy within the He Shi Bi, Daniel decided that if he encountered a similar world again, he would test the theory. If his assumptions were correct, some of his strategies could change. While ruling the world was a troublesome task, for the He Shi Bi, he was willing to make sacrifices—after all, he could always delegate tasks to his subordinates. He was curious to see if the energy in the He Shi Bi would lead to any unexpected changes once accumulated enough.
"Did Zhao Deyan escape? He really ran fast. No need to care, the monk may run, but the temple will remain."
The conquest of Chang'an went smoothly. Within just three days, the city had returned to its former peace. If it weren't for the change of banners, one could hardly believe that this city had a new ruler.
As for the duel between Shi Zhi Xuan and Fu Cailin, after several hours of battle, the final result was both sides being severely wounded. Fu Cailin died on the spot, and Shi Zhi Xuan was on the verge of death. The true strength of the Master of the Sword was not to be underestimated. This battle demonstrated that when fighting Fu Cailin, one should avoid prolonged combat. His swordplay became even more formidable the longer the fight dragged on.
Although Shi Zhi Xuan was skilled in the Illusionary Magic Body and Immortal Seal techniques, which excelled in prolonged battles, it was only with these techniques that he managed to avoid falling short against Fu Cailin. After Fu Cailin's death, the most regrettable part was that his swordplay, the "Sword Chess" technique, was now lost to the world.
Despite Fu Cailin having three capable disciples, none of them, not even the strongest, Fu Junqiang, would ever achieve the rank of Grand Master through Sword Chess alone. This technique was highly reliant on talent and aptitude, similar to the game of Go. Those with good talent might become masters in their teens, while others, even if they were elderly, might never reach professional levels.
It is said that Fu Cailin became a Grand Master due to a curious rumor. Fu Cailin, despite being renowned for his swordplay, was considered exceptionally unattractive. His face was narrow and long, with all the features that anyone would want to avoid—his forehead was unusually high, his chin too long, and his nose bent and disproportionately large. His eyes and mouth seemed too small for his face, but fortunately, his long, black hair balanced his broad shoulders and narrow face. Without it, he would have been even more awkward-looking.
Unable to change his appearance, Fu Cailin focused all his energy on martial arts. Even after becoming a master, his looks remained unpleasant, but his demeanor became so refined that people began to ignore his awkward appearance. After becoming a Grand Master, his face, while still unconventional, held a unique beauty.
Kou Zhong once jokingly said that Fu Cailin's main motivation for practicing martial arts was for beauty. And in truth, Fu Cailin spent his whole life chasing after beauty, even though he had three beautiful female disciples, each more stunning than the last. If cosmetic surgery had been available at the time, Fu Cailin would certainly have undergone it.
"A bunch of useless fools. Do you really think I'm like the others who will yield to your pressure and accept your opinions? Ridiculous."
In a pavilion within a courtyard in Chang'an's eastern district, Daniel looked at the petition before him and snorted coldly. Without any visible effort on his part, the petition spontaneously ignited, and within moments, it turned to ash.
As for the imperial palace in Chang'an, Daniel had only visited it briefly during the initial conquest, sitting on the dragon throne for a while. After that, he spent most of his time in this residence. He was completely indifferent to any formalities or customs.
As the founding emperor, he had the right to be willful. To put it bluntly, he could pick up a brick from the ground and declare it the future Imperial Seal, and it would become the Imperial Seal, to be displayed in museums in thousands of years.
Of course, Daniel was only speaking hypothetically. In reality, he didn't care one bit about the critics. He would do whatever he wanted, and no amount of complaining would change that.
As for not residing in the imperial palace, Daniel had a perfectly good reason: the palace was unsafe. Who knew how many secret passages there were in the palace? Just look at Li Yuan—after becoming emperor, he sneaked away through secret tunnels to engage in illicit activities.
Some ministers wanted to voice objections to Daniel's reasoning, but they quickly fell silent. If they spoke up at this time, wouldn't they be seen as spies from the Li clan? They'd be arrested and interrogated.
Daniel was very clear about their intentions. They wanted him to settle in Chang'an, but unfortunately for them, that was not going to happen. The best location for a capital in this era was Luoyang.
Not only that, Daniel had already planned to abandon the imperial palace. "Once you enter the palace, it's as deep as the sea; the imperial family is the most heartless." He was determined not to follow the same path as the old emperors.
In his plan, the palace would be transformed into a government office for the unified nation. The imperial palace in Luoyang had already begun this transformation, and as for where Daniel would live in the future, he would simply build a manor in a scenic location.
As for the palace in Chang'an, Daniel planned to turn it into a tourist attraction. People would pay to visit and see the grandeur of the imperial palace. Given the people's yearning for palaces, the ticket revenue would be substantial, and he could also employ eunuchs and palace maids as tour guides.
While this idea was quite advanced, it received support from Song Que and Shi Zhi Xuan. As long as the people benefited and lived better, they wouldn't care about what was happening above them.
This way, Daniel would have the greatest freedom, only needing to manage the direction of the nation, much like the Imu of the World Government in the Pirate World.
If the World Government didn't have the despicable Celestial Dragons, it wouldn't be as disgusting. But unfortunately, reality is what it is—having the Celestial Dragons means that the World Government is just as vile.
Daniel's approach was, on one hand, for the benefit of the people, and on the other hand, for his own benefit. Managing a nation was tiring, and while Daniel hadn't personally experienced it, just looking at Qin Shi Huang could give him an idea. As for the seventh Hokage, Naruto, it wasn't even worth comparing.
Just a small village like Konoha nearly exhausted Naruto's strength. If he had to manage an empire, overworking would be inevitable.
"Zhu Yuyan, there's no need for Cihang Jingzhai to exist anymore. I'll leave this to you."
"Understood."
With Chang'an now under control, Cihang Jingzhai no longer had a reason to exist. Since Fan Qinghui and Zhu Yuyan had old scores to settle, it was the perfect opportunity for Zhu Yuyan to handle it.
Zhu Yuyan, at this moment, was extremely excited. The battle between the Demon Sect and Cihang Jingzhai had lasted for so many years, and now, they had finally gained the upper hand.
After arranging the general situation in Chang'an, Daniel left for Luoyang to prepare for his coronation. This was not something that could be simplified. As the emperor of an empire, certain ceremonies had to be grand. After all, this also represented the prestige of the nation.
Without a doubt, surrounding nations would send representatives to attend, including even a prince from Persia. This news came from Chang'an, where Persia had originally come to visit the Li Tang, but by the time they arrived, Li Tang was no more.
This Persian prince was likely one of the ones who had played polo with Li Yuan and others in the original timeline.
However, when he arrived this time, it was unlikely that polo would be the only activity. Entertainment was scarce in this era, and polo was already a rare luxury. But with Daniel's arrival, many future sports would be introduced.
Ping pong, badminton, baseball, tennis, soccer, etc.—essentially, any sport from later times would appear in this world. The most popular one now was board games, and other games like "Three Kingdoms Kill," "Werewolf," and "Monopoly" had already started making appearances.
When the nation entered an era of peace, entertainment was essential, just like how "gold is for the troubled times, and antiques are for the prosperous ones." With plenty of entertainment options, there would naturally be fewer people looking for trouble.
Of course, because of the considerable martial strength in this world, these activities would develop differently, much like the Quidditch matches from the Harry Potter world, adapted to local circumstances and likely becoming even more exciting.
For example, soccer—this time, no one would dare claim that the national team is bad. Let's see how well the Illusionary Magic Body and Phoenix Dance Six Illusions can perform on the soccer field.
Speaking of which, Daniel was planning to hold a Ninja World Sports Festival, and then have Naruto and Sasuke play tennis. Ever seen a tennis match with Nine-Tails Mode and Susanoo? You haven't? Well, now you will.
"Zhao Deyan, you've finally returned. I've been waiting for you for a long time."
In the grasslands, within the joint camp of Xieli and Tuli, Zhao Deyan had just arrived, dusty and tired, with his four disciples. Before he could report the intelligence to Xieli, Duan Lang suddenly appeared in the camp.
The combined forces of Xieli, Tuli, and the various grassland tribes numbered about 400,000. Some of these tribes were eager to invade and plunder the Central Plains, while others were forced to join due to the pressure from Xieli and Tuli's coalition. Duan Lang had previously scouted the area.
He had originally planned to act, but after receiving word from his main body that Zhao Deyan had escaped, he decided to wait for his return. If he killed everyone now and Zhao Deyan fled, it would be difficult to track him down. The world was vast, and with Zhao Deyan's strength, it would be hard to find him if he ran.
Though Zhao Deyan's life or death wouldn't affect the grand scheme of things, Duan Lang was still irritated by this traitor.
"Qilin Demon Duan Lang, how dare you come here! You're asking for death."
Duan Lang's sudden appearance startled Xieli, Tuli, Zhao Deyan, and the others. Having killed Bi Xuan in the grasslands, Duan Lang's reputation was terrifying.
However, after a moment of tension, Xieli, Tuli, and Zhao Deyan exchanged glances, and they realized this was a perfect opportunity to kill Duan Lang. Outside the camp, there were 200,000 troops, including Xieli's Golden Wolf Army and Tuli's Black Wolf Army—this was the best opportunity they could ask for.
"Kill him!"
Without waiting for Duan Lang to speak, Xieli and Tuli immediately ordered their bodyguards to charge at him, while quickly retreating, crashing through the camp and heading toward their army.
Not only them, but Zhao Deyan also retreated, abandoning his four disciples. Knowing Duan Lang's power, he wasn't foolish enough to rush forward to his death.
"Quick reflexes, but unfortunately..."
A massive fire dragon suddenly erupted from within the camp, instantly annihilating all the enemy troops, except for Duan Lang.
"Zhao Deyan, didn't think it would be your turn today, did you?"
After eliminating the soldiers, Duan Lang's first target was Zhao Deyan. Upon seeing this, Zhao Deyan's pupils contracted, but being a master of the Demon Sect, he wasn't about to die so easily. If he could hold on for a moment, perhaps someone would come to his rescue.
With a cold snort, Zhao Deyan immediately unleashed his Changing Spear, transforming it into hundreds of light points in an attempt to block Duan Lang. This move displayed his strength as one of the top eight experts of the Demon Sect—ranked third.
Shi Zhi Xuan ranked first, Zhu Yuyan second, and Zhao Deyan third.
"Not bad, but too bad you picked the wrong opponent."
As Duan Lang spoke, he used his left fingers to precisely trap the tip of Zhao Deyan's Changing Spear among the light points. With a gentle flick, Zhao Deyan stumbled, falling toward Duan Lang. Duan Lang immediately appeared in front of him, his left hand turning red as he slapped Zhao Deyan's chest, leaving the Skull Blood Handprint.
The scorching fire energy instantly destroyed Zhao Deyan's meridians and burned his internal organs. The intense heat caused Zhao Deyan to scream in agony, his face contorting.
"Don't worry, I won't let you die so easily."
With that, Duan Lang's left hand opened a curtain of energy, enclosing Zhao Deyan inside. Zhao Deyan wasn't going to die here. This was to be a public execution.
Had Zhao Deyan not betrayed the Turkic forces, Duan Lang wouldn't have killed him. Much like Tian Jun, Xie Ying, he could have been brought under his command.
"Golden Wolf Army, Black Wolf Army, do you really think you can save yourselves?"
With that, Duan Lang unleashed a massive fire technique, flooding the area with flames that instantly engulfed the oncoming troops.
The Golden Wolf and Black Wolf armies, who had just joined forces, were eradicated in an instant.
"Die together here, this might be a good outcome for both of you."
As Xieli and Tuli stared blankly at their forces being wiped out in an instant, Duan Lang didn't hesitate. He subdued both of them, obtained the necessary information, and quickly disposed of them. Then, using transformation techniques, he turned into both of them, sending their respective armies into a chaotic battle.
As the armies clashed, the other summoned tribes began to form their positions. The war expanded further. Even if some saw through the trickery, it was already too late. The battle was now beyond their control.
"Now it's time to talk to the Li Clan. As expected, the shadow clone is for taking the blame."
With the grassland issue settled, the next move was to deal with the retreating Li Tang.
(End of Chapter)
[Get +20 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Mutter"]
[Every 100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]