Chapter 1: In the Human World (Part 1)

The counterattack of the 800 officer cadets is merely a joke, a product of the collusion of various forces, intended to stir the waters and serve as scapegoats for those whose positions are not sufficiently firm

Leave enough food and water, along with a dozen or so mature women and lolis I collected along the way, as well as my wife and acquaintances. Although my motives are not entirely pure, I cannot help but be stirred by a certain sense of conscience and morality, utilizing the unique environment and location of this residence to save someone passing through here, and then I could not help but withdraw this entire string of individuals.

Having taken the emperor hostage, the treacherous minister among the loyal troops stationed outside the city began a full-scale counterattack as expected. Thus, after a brief period of resistance and combat, the streets, soaked in blood, were once again inundated with the blood of the fallen.

Since the revival of Taixing, more than 500 years have passed, a duration long enough for various social resources, interests, and classes to become entrenched, making it difficult to reverse the situation

Blood, flames, and the sounds of screams, the voices of women who have been attacked and ravaged, from the initial chorus of piercing screams, to the uneven cries, to the low, wavering wails that rise and fall like night owls, and then gradually fading away into the blood-red night sky

Once again, check the ice cellar beneath this once magnificent mansion, now a mere ruin, ensuring that the collapsed structure sufficiently covers the entrance, yet does not prevent access from within.

After more than 500 years since the founding of the nation, the accumulated heritage of countless noble families in the capital suddenly erupted with considerable energy, a tremor so profound that even the powerful officials and their sons commanding the slaughter within the Daming Palace felt the precariousness of their situation

Regardless of the efforts made by knowledgeable individuals throughout history to open up new sources of revenue, cut expenses, or reform the system, the advantages and benefits accumulated over time, as well as the wealth and resources imported from abroad, and even the influx of new talent, have gradually been devoured by an ever-expanding bureaucratic system and interest groups, leading to an unstoppable downward trajectory

The prosperous capital, once a realm of millions, has now become a hell on earth, with a millennium of glory and several hundred years of splendor swept away in a single night

Then, looking at the blood of these loyal and righteous men, he was overwhelmed. Soon, he would also become "ill" and unable to attend to affairs, entrusting the regency to his younger brother, the Prince of Xiang

The last remnants of social order and ethical values have been utterly destroyed, leading to the displacement of more individuals, who either voluntarily or involuntarily join the blind and violent actions against this cannibalistic chaos and the merciless fate imposed by a cruel world.

Taking advantage of the widespread siege and extermination of bandits, local forces with military strength and ambitions began to emerge as groups resembling warlords or semi-independent military factions

After a particularly disastrous night of passion, she could only do one thing: entrust her daughter to me, one of the many tutors in the prime minister's residence who was merely living off the family tutor's title and waiting for death. I unexpectedly became her last hope.

The two schools and three affiliated institutions of the capital were abolished on the charge of harboring and conspiring with traitors. From ordinary students, trainee officers, to teachers, professors, and heads of schools, thousands of individuals were imprisoned. After severe torture and coercion led to enough confessions implicating others, executions were carried out.

Jumping into the imperial ditch filled with golden peaches, I struggled to escape this place of turmoil, aided by the mud covering my body and the shadows of the road.

You are a good person. I can't think of anything else since I just arrived in this era, and I have received a bunch of good person cards. What I desire is far more than this reality.

The embers blown up by the wind from the ruins flutter in the air like snowflakes, resembling the black tears falling from the sky, denouncing the relentless cruelty of this world

This is to be attributed to the sewer system left behind by the authorities when they rebuilt Luoyang hundreds of years ago, which was spacious enough for people to walk side by side, even though it was filled with the filth and stench accumulated from the city's darker aspects

The ultimate source still lies with that timid emperor, who has even grown accustomed to playing the role of a puppet on strings, controlled by the powerful ministers since his grandfather's time, and does not know what to do when faced with the prospect of taking charge of his own destiny for the first time

However, at least as a final shroud of modesty and a bastion of righteousness, the existence of the Son of Heaven is still upheld by the encouragement of the last loyal ministers and righteous men

However, once the blood begins to flow, it becomes very difficult to stop, and then they faced the first backlash, which was the only backlash from the voiceless nobles in the city. Ironically, after turning a blind eye to numerous changes, it was only when the indiscriminate slaughtering knife was brought to their doorstep that these cunning and calculating nobles thought of fighting back

Hide it well, hide everything for me.

However, now it is evident that even the last shred of decency can no longer be maintained. Through the brutal political struggles of factionalism and the pretext of righteousness to attack dissenters, the powerful officials who have already occupied most of the Central Plains and the fertile lands of Guan and Luo are eagerly seeking to discard the titles of Grand Tutor and Regent, emulating the story of the six clans of the Pu.

I do not even know how I, trembling with fear and walking on thin ice, led them through the chaotic and noisy streets filled with disorderly soldiers and ongoing atrocities, navigating through the labyrinthine ruins and remnants.

The edicts do not extend beyond the capital, and having ascended to a high position as the Son of Heaven, one is left with no choice but to accept this reality. Over the course of more than one hundred years, the fact that twenty-six emperors have been established speaks to the sorrow and lamentation of a nominally supreme ruler who, after gradually losing substantial power, finds themselves powerless to reverse the situation

Land-centered social resources are monopolized and controlled by a small group, with various manorial fortresses established, becoming numerous islands of varying sizes amidst the turmoil of society. Various local powers and private militias, under the guise of self-protection, reemerge from the annals of history

Then, various signs of the demise of the dynasties began to emerge in abundance, due to the pervasive land annexation and the social relief and regulatory capabilities from the grassroots level of the government, which were distorted into tools and lackeys serving the powerful families. The recurring peasant uprisings even spread to the Guanzhong region

The former belle of the Beijing Women's Academy, the proud and resplendent senior Dugu Wen, who married the apprentice scribe Ma Qianzhu and subsequently became the exemplary wife of a prime minister, has died. Although she commanded her family guards and servants in a valiant resistance, she met a tragic and filthy end at the hands of a group of brutal soldiers

Unfortunately, there was no one capable of unifying this power, nor did anyone think to carry out even a slight plan. This force quickly transformed into a brutal wave of revenge against the affiliates or the minions of the powerful, causing them to escape from the most important target, the Xuanwu Gate in the north

I am like a trapped animal, a groundhog, desperately trying to preserve my last shred of dignity and territory under an irresistible natural disaster, circling around here again and again

The majestic reputation of the Heavenly Khan of the Great Tang, to which all nations paid tribute, is akin to the peeling blue tiles and gold dust of the long-neglected palace walls, gradually washed away by the winds and rains, leaving only the desolate palace gardens, where a delicate gauze fan flutters at the fireflies, and the white-haired palace maid speaks of the past in vague recollections

My companion and I became separated, and the plan to exploit certain possibilities of foresight for profit in the tumultuous city has also failed significantly. The speed and outcome of the situation's collapse far exceeded my calculations and expectations

In just these two short days, the ugliness and tragedy I have witnessed have become so overwhelming that it is numbing. Furthermore, to mention this group of women searching for enough food and basic necessities, even if I were to transform into a man who could eat anything by decapitating someone, it would still not be sufficient

However, they nearly succeeded in escorting the young emperor, who had been rescued, to break free from the grip of the powerful and corrupt officials controlling the court. Yet, the fleeting opportunity for revival and restoration, created by their youthful lives and blood, was squandered by the indecision and weakness of those noble families.