Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 2636  History Of Shanxi Kingdom

”Hereʼs your tea,” Dou Qi said, placing the tray with the cup and teapot on the table. ”Itʼs our special tea, grown personally by my grandfather.”

”Whatʼs its name?” Lin Mu asked.

”We simply call it Doumenʼs Signature Tea,” Dou Qi replied with a smile. ”Please enjoy,” she added before leaving Lin Mu alone.

Lin Mu poured a cup for himself and took a sip of the tea, finding it rather refreshing.

ʼNaturally sweet and floral, with a hint of earthiness,ʼ Lin Mu noted. ʼQuite pleasant,ʼ he thought.

The tea was the perfect accompaniment while reading, enhancing the experience further. After finishing a cup, Lin Mu got up and selected another book. This time, he chose one that detailed the history of the Shanxi Empire. The book was twice as thick as the previous one and appeared to be a few years old.

ʼThis probably doesnʼt get updated as often,ʼ Lin Mu reckoned, noticing the edition number. It was the fifty-seventh edition, about half the number of editions as the history of Ram Orchard City. Since empires did not undergo frequent changes, their records were updated over longer intervals.

Similar to the history of Ram Orchard City, this book was also published officially by the Imperial Court of the Shanxi Empire.

The empireʼs history began approximately seven hundred thousand years ago with a small family of just four individuals—two brothers and their parents. They were a peasant family living under the rule of a local overlord. At the time, the Shanxi Empireʼs territory was divided among multiple city-states and smaller regions ruled by overlords and city lords.

The region was tumultuous, with constant danger from beasts. The Jui World, covered in vast forests, was home to countless beasts, making it perilous to live in. Even within settlements, the threat of attacks loomed large.

Beast waves were a recurring disaster, happening every few years and varying in scale. Small waves consisted of around a thousand beasts, mid-sized waves brought a hundred thousand, while large-scale waves could unleash over ten million beasts.

These beast waves prevented any single power from consolidating control over the region. While the forests were rich in resources, obtaining them was fraught with peril.

As a result, city lords and overlords limited their ambitions to their own territories. Overextending often led to losing more than they gained. The land was largely untamed and available to anyone powerful enough to claim it.

At the time, there were hundreds of overlords and city lords, but none managed to control more than a handful of cities. Overlords governed multiple cities, towns, and villages, while city lords typically ruled a single city and a few surrounding villages.

This fragmented status quo had persisted for hundreds of thousands of years. Only the Immortal sects had succeeded in establishing large-scale organizations, enjoying unparalleled power and influence.

Overlords and city lords sought the sectsʼ favor, offering tributes in hopes of gaining protection and resources. Securing a sectʼs support was considered a significant advantage, as even the strongest mortal armies were insufficient against large-scale beast waves.

For example, a mid-scale beast wave could decimate half of an armyʼs strength, leaving them vulnerable to the next wave. To prevent such losses, the sects were relied upon for their superior strength and capabilities.

Overlord Ban Gui was one such ruler who depended on the sectsʼ protection. He governed the territory where the origin family of the Shanxi Empire lived. This family of peasants toiled on Ban Guiʼs lands, barely surviving under his oppressive rule.

Ban Gui was ruthless, imposing high taxes under the pretext of providing protection. These taxes left peasants with almost nothing for themselves. The crops they grew were collected as tax, forcing them to buy back their own food with the meager payments they received.

If these crops were sold elsewhere, they could fetch prices ten thousand times higher. The peasants, mostly mortals at the Body Tempering Realm, lived short, harsh lives. Generations came and went, but the overlordʼs tyranny remained unchanged.

Those unable to pay their taxes faced a grim fate: bonded slavery. Forced labor could last decades, and if a slave died before completing their term, the debt would pass on to their descendants, perpetuating a vicious cycle.

The family at the heart of the Shanxi Empireʼs origin struggled against these injustices, working tirelessly to prevent their descendants from falling into slavery. But their already difficult lives were about to become even more arduous.

The signs of a large scale beast wave started to show and Overlord collected double tax from the people of his territory. It was so high that most of them couldnʼt even pay half of it in the first place thus they had no choice to become slaves.

But this time, they got different work than just working as bonded labor. They were forced to the front lines, to act as cannon fodder for the beast tides.

The turbulent region, plagued by beast waves and political instability, left little room for hope or progress. Overlord Ban Guiʼs exploitation added to the misery of those under his rule. Yet, from these humble and oppressive beginnings, the seeds of a future empire were sown.

The brothers, despite their circumstances, were determined to change their fate. Their journey, fraught with danger and hardship, would ultimately lead to the rise of the Shanxi Empire—a testament to resilience and ambition.

Lin Mu closed the book briefly, taking another sip of the Doumenʼs Signature Tea. The warm, soothing flavor seemed to mirror the resilience of the empireʼs origins.

ʼEven from such dire conditions, greatness can emerge,ʼ Lin Mu thought, feeling inspired by the tale. He reopened the book, eager to uncover more about the rise of the Shanxi Empire.

The two brothers didnʼt wish to endanger their parentʼs life as such took on their responsibility on their heads as well, doubling their patrolling time. They encountered many beasts in this, and struggled for their lives, fighting against beasts that were twice their size.

And yet through sheer will, they managed to last through it.