104: Ants' Battle

Why not?

The Emperor is also human. In this world, at the end of the day, the strong are respected. In front of a divine being like Lord Chuping, who transcends the mundane, what is a mere Emperor?

Shen Jianhong looked at his foolish younger brother’s sparkling eyes, the corner of his mouth curving slightly before quickly returning to a serious expression.

"Xiao Xing, this matter is no small feat. We must plan carefully. Now that Wang Chongfa, the Ministry of War Assistant Minister, has led the Black Armor Guards south, we don't have much time left."

Shen Jianxing nodded heavily.

"Big Brother, whatever you say, I'll listen to you."

Shen Jianhong sat back down at the tea table, tapping his fingers lightly on the surface. After a moment of thought, he said,

"First, we must contact Lord Chuping, inform him of this matter, and sound him out."

They were considering the matter of the entire Great Yan believing in Lord Chuping from the perspective of the Great Yan Dynasty. As for whether Lord Chuping would agree, they did not know.

Shen Jianhong had only learned from ancient texts that deities needed faith and Dao fields; he knew nothing else.

It seemed this part of the information had been completely lost in the river of history.

"Alright, I'll go to the temple to ask the deity now."

Shen Jianxing said, standing up and preparing to go to Lord Chuping's temple.

Shen Jianhong reached out to stop him.

"Wait, asking the deity cannot be done carelessly. You must bathe and change clothes to show your sincerity. Moreover, when asking the deity, your words must be cautious; do not anger the divine being."

Shen Jianxing scratched his head, saying somewhat embarrassedly,

"Big Brother, I was too hasty. I'll go prepare now."

***

In a place unseen by Shen Jianhong and Shen Jianxing, Lin Chuping sat in the misty divine palace, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate layers of space, taking in all of Shen Jianxing and Shen Jianhong's schemes.

His lips curved into a smile.

This eldest son of the Shen Family certainly had ideas.

In his previous life, Lin Chuping had not yet formally entered society; he was an ambitious youth with a bit of a rebellious streak.

He didn't have much fondness for the feudal imperial System; in fact, he could be said to be quite repulsed by it.

Although the Emperor was respectfully called the Son of Heaven, at the end of the day, he was just an ordinary person.

Why could one person control the fate of all living beings under heaven?

Even a so-called wise ruler, after holding power for a long time, would inevitably become muddle-headed and corrupt.

After all, absolute power often breeds absolute corruption.

It was precisely because the feudal imperial System had lasted too long, carrying exploitation to the extreme, and treating the populace like uncultivated livestock, that China fell behind an entire era in modern times.

There were so many brilliant and talented individuals in history. If people in the West thought of ending the feudal imperial System, with China's long history, did no one think of this point?

It's certainly not possible.

It's just that "the Dragon slayer eventually becomes a Dragon."

Ants, even their struggles followed ridiculous patterns.

Getting sidetracked, Lin Chuping pulled back his thoughts, which had been galloping like a wild horse.

Although he didn't like creatures like Emperors, he was still very curious to actually see such feudal Emperors.

Especially with his current identity—a divine being.

This feeling was like how even if someone hated snakes, when they went to the zoo, they couldn't help but want to take a look.

Because the snakes in the zoo were harmless to them.

"I didn't expect such a benefit after Transmigration."

Lin Chuping sighed with emotion.

He naturally approved wholeheartedly of the entire Great Yan becoming his followers.

Followers meant incense value; who would complain about having too little?

But Lin Chuping was not in a hurry; the Emperor should be the one anxious.

According to Shen Jianhong, the Great Yan court, though seemingly prosperous, was actually rotten from within.

The Emperor was a figurehead, the Prime Minister controlled everything, and the two sides were in a game of chess. Shen Jianhong clearly supported the Emperor's side.

"This is interesting."

From Lin Chuping's perspective, these were merely struggles of ants, a battle of weaklings.

"The Shen brothers indeed possess some courage and wisdom, wishing to use the name of the divine being to change the world."

However, these Black Armor Guards were a bit troublesome.

Before determining the court's attitude towards Qingzhou, he should not act rashly.

"System, if all the divine statues are gone, will I die?"

"No, but in the Late Stage, you can only Cultivate to improve your strength and no longer obtain incense value."

"Alright!"

Lin Chuping was relieved.

It's fine as long as he doesn't die. There have been many anti-Buddhist movements in history. This is a world of demons and monsters, so the court shouldn't be that crazy, but you never know if you'll encounter a madman!

If all the divine statues were destroyed and he would die, then he would have to make plans early.

With his mind at ease, Lin Chuping's consciousness swept across the entire Qingzhou, but he did not see the so-called Black Armor Guards.

"They probably haven't arrived yet."

"These so-called Black Armor Guards are definitely not ordinary people. It's impossible for the people of Chang Sheng Village and Nan Shu Village to resist them."

As for Prefecture City, let alone that; they haven't even started Cultivating there, and almost everyone is an ordinary person.

Shen Jianxing guessed correctly; Lin Chuping was indeed impatient with dealing with court officials and even more impatient with handling secular affairs.

To some extent, the existence of the court was beneficial to Lin Chuping.

If the court oppressed the people and indiscriminately killed the innocent, Lin Chuping could use the opportunity to establish his authority.

"Why not just let these Black Armor Guards be for now and see what they intend to do?"

He had already taught the villagers the method of Cultivation, so even when facing special forces like the Black Armor Guards, they would have the ability to protect themselves.

Moreover, through this matter, he could observe the capabilities and determination of the Shen brothers, as well as how much power this new Emperor truly possessed.

"Let this game of chess continue for a while longer."

***

At the same time, Shen Jianxing had already bathed and changed, his plain attire appearing especially solemn.

Holding three sticks of incense, he stepped into Lord Chuping's temple with reverence.

Inside the temple, incense smoke curled, and the atmosphere was solemn and dignified. Shen Jianxing slowly advanced, inserting the incense into the censer. He then knelt on the prayer mat, closed his eyes, and concentrated, preparing to ask the deity Lord Chuping.

"Lord Chuping above, your Disciple Shen Jianxing has a matter to inquire about."

Shen Jianxing silently prayed in his heart, recounting his intentions and plans one by one, his tone sincere and his attitude devout.

The asking ritual was still according to what Liu Chunsheng had taught him—throwing the holy cups.

When the incense had burned halfway, Shen Jianxing, as Liu Chunsheng had instructed earlier, picked up the pair of wooden holy cups placed on the altar.

He put his palms together and reverently spoke.

"Great divine being, may my elder brother Shen Jianhong persuade the Emperor to build a temple in the capital for you to be worshipped?"

Having said that, Shen Jianxing clasped the holy cups in his palm, took a deep breath, and then threw them to the ground.

With a "clatter," the holy cups landed.

Two yin sides.

This was clearly a sign of disagreement. Could it be that it could only be in Qingzhou?

Thinking of this, Shen Jianxing tentatively spoke.

"Great divine being, may my elder brother Shen Jianhong persuade the Emperor to personally come to Qingzhou to worship you?"

Having said that, Shen Jianxing once again clasped the holy cups in his palm and gently threw them out.

With a "clatter," the holy cups landed.

One yin and one yang.

It's done!