Chapter Nine: Savage Divine Power, Gratitude, and Loyalty!
“Tyrannical Divine Power?”
Seeing the sudden prompt appear, Zhou Liang furrowed his brow.
“Divine power… could it be…”
As if a realization dawned upon him, his heart grew solemn as he opened the detailed explanation:
[“Faint Tyrannical Divine Power of the Divine Emperor”: This power originates from the Tyrannical Divine Emperor “Chongzhen.” It is a stipend bestowed by the Divine Emperor upon imperial officials. The Divine Emperor grants it to the Six Ministries, the Six Ministries in turn confer it to officials… passing down through layers until it reaches the county magistrates, hence the divine power granted to them is faint…
But divine power is divine power, no matter how faint. The bearer, by resisting its inherent tyranny, can become impervious to disease and possess great physical strength. Moreover, it allows for telepathic communication—a truly wondrous ability!]
Indeed!
Upon reading this description, Zhou Liang’s suspicion was confirmed.
“It is the Divine Emperor’s divine power!”
As the leader of the anti-Ming society active in the Bashu region for thirty-eight years, Zhou Liang was no stranger to divine power; in fact, he had encountered it frequently.
Though the ultimate goal of the Butcher Society was to eliminate the Divine Emperor, the lofty Divine Emperor would never deign to glance twice at a mere group of ants like them.
One extra glance would be explosive!
Therefore, under normal circumstances, Zhou Liang and his comrades’ direct adversaries were local officials of various ranks. Although these low-level officials possessed divine power, they were hardly stronger than ordinary humans. Hence, the Butcher Society often assassinated corrupt officials in Bashu and occasionally county magistrates, terrifying local authorities into dread.
For thirty-eight years, Bashu flourished, with corrupt officials purged. But precisely because the matter escalated so much, the Ming Court had no choice but to send elite Embroidered Uniform Guards, who swiftly wiped out the Butcher Society in one fell swoop.
The truth proved that no matter how formidable the Butcher Society was, they were still mere mortals—utterly helpless against true divine power. The overwhelming divine power of the Embroidered Uniform Guards left an indelible impression on Zhou Liang:
One against a hundred, even a thousand—truly monsters disguised in human skin…
“I once tried to seize divine power myself, but those corrupt officials may be bad at many things, yet in this regard, they had a backbone… even with a knife at their throat, they wouldn’t yield, preferring death over sharing divine power. It was as if leaking divine power was worse than death…”
Zhou Liang sighed deeply.
“But now, this kid hasn’t done anything—just willing to join their ranks and be their cash cow—and effortlessly obtained divine power… indeed, money makes the devil tick!”
“His status as a prodigy is now assured…”
[As a prodigy, you unexpectedly received the faint divine power bestowed by the county magistrate!]
[The moment the divine power enters your body, scenes begin to flash before your eyes…]
[Above a densely populated city, a terrifying golden-red shadow looms in the sky. In its eyes burns a furious fire of vengeance. Then it strikes with a single fist—destroying the city and killing all within! A mushroom cloud of yellow dust rises from the ground…]
[Beijing, Shenyang, Luoyang, Fengyang, Xi’an, Yangzhou, Suzhou, Yingtian… Shaanxi and Sichuan lands…]
[Amidst ruthless revenge and slaughter, terrifying mushroom clouds emerge across the land! Tens of millions perish in misery, cries of woe echo endlessly!]
---
[The countless tragic scenes and cries are no longer pale, powerless tales told by parents but vivid realities before you. Watching and hearing them, an overwhelming fear wells up within—a terror and despair like a massive stone pressing upon your chest, threatening to crush your frail body in an instant…]
[You begin to tremble, your heart filled only with the urge to flee: Run!]
[This is no burden an ordinary mortal can withstand; even a speck of dust falling from a god is a mountain to a human!]
[Escape! Run!]
[You lower your trembling head, unwilling to gaze upon the demon god…]
[Yet somehow, just as your fear rises, a piercing blood-red light filters the visions before your eyes… Through this bloody lens, the tragedies evoke a different feeling within you.]
[“The Spirit Light of the Sacrificed” quietly stirs…]
[Though the scenes terrify you, the desperate cries kindle your pity and anger: These people should never bear the brunt of this vengeful fire, for they never wronged the Ming—only the Ming has wronged them!]
[Excessive taxes, forced conscription and labor, rampant corruption, inadequate disaster relief, families shattered, wives and children torn apart… What right does this god have to take vengeance on the world? Who truly deserves revenge?]
[Damn the Divine Emperor!]
[You raise your fearful head, anger piercing through your dread, staring boldly at the giant demon god in the sky, like a fearless little ant!]
[The recently vengeful demon god seems to sense something. It turns its head and looks at you, whether intentionally or not…]
[…]
[“You are the earliest awakened among all I have seen!”]
[As you use the “Spirit Light” to open your dazed eyes from the illusion, you hear the county magistrate’s astonished praise.]
[He strokes his beard excitedly, regarding you as both a money tree and a rare treasure!]
[“Truly a prodigy, able to reclaim yourself so swiftly from the majestic presence of His Majesty the Divine Emperor… Your future is boundless!”]
[“Zhou Liang, right? I have high hopes for you. Keep up the good work… Perhaps you have a chance to become a successful candidate in the imperial examinations!”]
Hearing his compliments and encouragement, you finally relax: It seems you have passed the test. But… is this divine power really useful?
Obviously it is, because soon you notice changes in yourself…
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