Chapter 149 - An Introduction to Empyrean Dynasties

Yao Zhengtian's elucidation was like a door opening for Gu Hai!

Listening to all this, there was a slight frown ever present on his brow!

"Right, Mister Gu, speaking of which, I also have a book on founding a nation which I unexpectedly got from the Divine Continent in the past!" Yao Zhengtian mentioned as his expression changed.

"Oh?" Gu Hai wondered, puzzled.

With a flip of his hand, Yao Zhengtian took out a silk roll, which had An Introduction to Empyrean Dynasties written upon in large characters.

"This An Introduction to Empyrean Dynasties is nothing secret. If Mister Gu ever visits the Divine Continent, you should be able to find a copy!" Yao Zhengtian handed the silk roll over to Gu Hai.

As Gu Hai gently took the silk roll and opened it, countless dense characters appearing before him. However, these characters were like immortals preaching to him, Gu Hai was completely enthralled by the characters on the silk roll.

"Mister Gu, I am giving this An Introduction to Empyrean Dynasties to you! I hope it is useful to Mister Gu!" Yao Zhengtian said, as a smile appeared on his face.

Gu Hai, putting away An Introduction to Empyrean Dynasties, bowed slightly to Yao Zhengtian with a respectful look on his face, and thanked him, saying, "Thank you very much, Mister Yao! This book will certainly help me to avoid many deviations!"

"It's good that it is useful to Mister Gu. I will take my leave first, my humble self just had a breakthrough, I need to find a secluded place and go into closed-door training. Soon, I will send a sea beast to be stationed here. If there is any question, it can inform me anytime!" Yao Zhengtian said earnestly.

"Alright, let me send you off, Mister Yao!" Gu Hai said with a laugh.

Gu Hai and his team slowly escorted Yao Zhentian outside the Gu Mansion.

"Mister Gu, goodbye!" Yao Zhengtian bowed slightly to Gu Hai before soaring into the sky. In the blink of an eye, he was already at the horizon.

Looking at the departing Yao Zhengtian, Gu Hai also felt extremely satisfied.

"Father, this Mister Yao is truly interesting! What should we do with these thousand heads?" asked Gu Qin as he broke into a laugh.

"Mister Yao!? His arrival was too timely!" Gu Hai sighed with feeling. "As for these thousand heads, bury them!" ordered Gu Hai, shaking his head.

"Yes!" Gu Qin nodded his acknowledgment.

After giving a few more instructions, Gu Hai returned to the Soaring Heaven PaG.o.da and started carefully reading An Introduction to Empyrean Dynasties. An Introduction to Empyrean Dynasties wasn't some kind of cultivation exercise, but an article on how to establish a true dynasty. Although there are many records about founding a true dynasty, the general framework on the silk roll was already sufficient for Gu Hai. He could slowly explore anything else in the future.

"All the rulers are Nine-Five Venerates. Under the heavens, all land belongs to the king, people living within the coast are king's va.s.sals!" Gu Hai sank into thought as he read An Introduction to Empyrean Dynasties.

[TLN: You might be confused by Nine-Five Venerates, I tled it as it is, let me explain its meaning: In China, numbers were divided into positive (Yang) numbers and negative (Yin) numbers. Odd numbers are positive, and even are negative. So, nine is the highest, and five is in the middle (scaling from 0 to 9). As nine is the highest, it refers to the peak, a strong trend. And five, being in the middle means impartial. So, 九五之尊, or Nine-Five Venerates, refer to an emperor's position, status.]

At this moment, Gu Hai became much clearer about how to go about founding a nation.

After founding a nation, saving his citizens from difficulty was acc.u.mulating karmic merit!

Making your nation stable, maintaining people's livelihood and happiness was acc.u.mulating karmic merit!

Resisting invaders, destroying the enemies of the nation, was acc.u.mulating karmic merit!

Expanding into new territories and seizing another nation's zeitgeist, was acc.u.mulating karmic merit!

As long as one has founded a nation, there were many ways to increase one's Karmic Fate!

Based on people and the territory, Fate could be added every day. Once the Fate formed into a zeitgeist, the nation will flouris.h.!.+

"No wonder those sects rear the common folks in confinement, like livestock in a pen. Unfortunately, the sects of Nine-Five Island were all too ignorant. When they needed to acc.u.mulate the merit, they would create a disaster and then help the people through it, receiving the karmic fate! People would wors.h.i.+p them as immortals. But sometimes, solving their own disasters didn't go as they imagined!" Gu Hai pondered.

On one side, Gu Hai was reading the An Introduction to Empyrean Dynasties, while on the other, he was commanding his subordinates to take over the territories of four kingdoms!

After a month...

"Father, as many geniuses as our Gu Mansion has gathered over the years, they are still insufficient to govern such a vast territory!" Gu Qin said, a wry smile on his face.

"Hold an imperial examination, and recruit all the useful geniuses!" Gu Hai stated calmly.

"Yes!

"Ah, right! Father, various managers have sent their messages stating that the grains are insufficient to provide relief to the drought victims like this. At most, we can only support for a month...!" Gu Qin reported, worried.

"Grains? Isn't White Cloud still with you?" Gu Hai looked at Gu Qin.

“It is!”

"Take a lot of gold with you and go to other mortal domains of the Nine-Five Island to buy the grains there! Since we want to do it, we should do everything!" Gu Hai stated in a calm and poised manner.

"Oh, yes!" Gu Qin said earnestly.

"Hand this matter to Shangguan Hen. In addition, send some people with Shangguan Hen as well, they will look for the kings of other mortal domains and arrange for their surrenders!" Gu Hai commanded.

"Yes!" Gu Qin obeyed in a respectful manner.

"How is the construction of the royal palace going?" Gu Hai asked once more.

"The craftsmen have already been recruited, and they have been working day and night. Father, it's just that... isn't the royal palace you want to build too big? It includes all of Tiger Cage Pa.s.s!" Gu Qin said. There were a few conflicting emotions on his face.

Tiger Cage Pa.s.s is but a vast territory. In the past, it was one-fourth of the Chen Kingdom's territory! This is not building a super capital, but just a royal palace, also known as The Gu Mansion! This...this is really too big!

"Big? According to An Introduction to Empyrean Dynasties, the imperial capital of an Imperial Dynasty is as big as all of Nine-Five Island. It's just a small piece of land, that's all! Now, is it still too big?" Gu Hai broke into laughter as he explained.

"Oh? Yes!" a perplexed Gu Qin nodded in agreement.

"Our world will only be limited by our will! Our heritage is certainly very shallow, but we can acc.u.mulate it slowly. I firmly believe that someday, we will reach that height! More importantly, we have to reach it, otherwise, we would never be able to avenge your mother! That enemy also has a big influence!" Gu Hai said in a deep voice, gritting his teeth.

"Yes!" Gu Qin nodded his agreement as a solemn look took over his face.

"Go and tell Shangguan Hen to come and see me, I need to discuss something with him!" Gu Hai ordered calmly.

"Yes!" Gu Qin obliged before he left the room.

Summoning Shangguan Hen, Gu Hai quickly arranged the matters for him. In his territory, the world was engulfed by a terrible drought, and there was a shortage of food. Gu Hai needed to quickly import a large amount of grain.

Not only was he doing this to make the drought victims feel grateful to him so that he could get the karmic merit, but more importantly, it was also to stabilize popular sentiment.

Under such a natural disaster, Gu Hai was doing all he could to save the world. This would grant him the popular sentiment. Although many kingdoms had been destroyed, the general trend would depend on whichever direction the popular sentiment leaned. If the common folk yearned for Gu Hai, they naturally wouldn't listen to others who had ulterior motives against Gu Hai's regime.

After another month, inside Gu Hai's library...

Gu Qin and a team of old managers walked into the library, standing in a row on either side before Gu Hai's desk.

"Congratulations, my Lord, Gao Xianzhi's army has breached the capital of Zhao Kingdom! The Zhao Kingdom is completely destroyed!" an elderly manager reported excitedly.

"Gao Xianzhi had a bunch of Xiantians with him. The Peony Clan also didn't intervene in the matters of Zhao Kingdom. If we couldn't take over the Zhao Kingdom, it would have been even more bewildering!" Gu Hai noted patiently.

"Oh, yes!" the elderly manager nodded his agreement, suppressing his excited heart.

"Zhao Kingdom is also experiencing the drought. Gu Qin, inform Manager Zhao to immediately provide relief to the drought victims, help the common folks smoothly weather this disaster," Gu Hai ordered Gu Qin.

"Yes!" Gu Qin acknowledged.

"The citizens have experienced both military and natural disasters, they have suffered unimaginably. Tell Gao Xianzhi to rectify military discipline. If anyone tries to take advantage of the situation to disturb the citizens, he will be punished in accordance with the military codes!" Gu Hai stated grimly.

"Yes!"

"Order Shangguan Hen to quickly transport the grains to the Zhao Kingdom, to prevent any shortage of grains there!" Gu Hai commanded.

"Yes!"

"Order Scar to do everything to protect all the new members, I don't want any big trouble during this chaotic period! I don't want to see what happened at the Jin Capital, happen again!" Gu Hai went on.

"Yes!"...

One after another, Gu Hai kept on issuing commands. But right then, Chen Tianshan shouted from outside the library, "My Lord!"

"Come in!" Gu Hai granted permission to enter, unsure of the situation.

Wasn't Chen Tianshan recruiting cultivators? Why is he here?

Chen Tianshan immediately entered the library. Spotting Gu Hai, he said, a solemn look on his face, "My Lord, the Hall Lord is here!"

"Hall Lord? Long Wanqing?" A sliver of a puzzled look appeared on Gu Hai's face.

"Yes, furthermore, Hall Lord looks like, like...!" Chen Tianshan had a strange look on his face.

Gu Hai immediately became solemn.

"Alright, we will stop here, you guys can leave and finish what I told you!" Gu Hai commanded somberly.

"Yes!" all the managers answered before they quickly withdrew from the library. Gu Qin also took his leave, leaving only Gu Hai and Chen Tianshan.

"How is Hall Lord?" a puzzled Gu Hai stood up and asked.

"Hall Lord is in an extremely sorry state, I am also not sure how to describe it. My Lord, please take a look yourself!" Chen Tianshan bitterly said.

"What about Grandmaster Liunian?" Gu Hai asked, perplexed.

"Grandmaster Liunian isn't with her, it's only Hall Lord! It seems she has suffered a lot!" Chen Tianshan explained.

"Lead the way!"

Chen Tianshan, with Gu Hai, quickly left the library and made their way to a distant hall.

Long Wanqing's three servants were standing respectfully at the entrance of the hall at this moment. In the past, they had been recuperating in the Gu Mansion and during which, they had lent White Cloud to Gu Qin. After recuperating for a few months, their condition was much better.

Spotting Gu Hai, all of them respectfully said, "Throne Master Gu, Hall Lord is inside!"

Gu Hai nodded his acknowledgment before heading into the hall. Chen Tianshan and the three servants waited outside.

As Gu Hai entered the hall, he immediately spotted Long Wanqing. Only, Long Wanqing was in an extremely sorry state. Her hair was a mess, and she looked fatigued from the journey. She also had some ash on her face. Even the clothes she was wearing were torn in some places. At this moment, it seemed that she didn't care about her own image. Holding a cup of tea, there was an anxious look on her face.

Just as Gu Hai entered the hall, Long Wanqing raised her head. The instant she saw Gu Hai, her eyes immediately turned red.

"Gu Hai, I finally found you!" cried Long Wanqing as she rushed over to Gu Hai and grabbed his sleeve, as if she was afraid that Gu Hai would run away.

"Hall Lord, what happened to you? What about Grandmaster Liunian?" Gu Hai asked, stunned.

Long Wanqing looked like she would break into tears. She looked rather pitiful. She kept on holding Gu Hai's arm with no intention of letting him go, as if she was grabbing her last straw.

"Gu Hai, please save Grandmaster, you have to save them!,” she sobbed. “They are about to die, they have turned into stones, all of them have turned into stones!" Long Wanqing said, crying.

"What? Turned into stones?" Gu Hai looked puzzled.

"Not stones, they became weiqi pieces, they all turned into weiqi pieces! I almost turned into stone as well, but Grandmaster saved me at the last, he pushed me out, and sent me to come and find you. He said that only you can save him!” She was sobbing as she spoke. “You can save Grandmaster, right!? I grew up with Grandmaster Liunian, he is like my father, he has always been accompanying me, protecting me! And now, he is about to die, turn into a weiqi piece. You have to save Grandmaster!" Long Wanqing rambled on, crying.

"Turn into a weiqi piece?" Gu Hai looked rather puzzled.

Can humans be turned into weiqi pieces?