I, the Villain, Become Invincible the More Descendants I Have

Chapter 129: Laws and regulations in the southern region, the righteous path runs rampant.At the first light of dawn, a long line had already formed in front of the granary in Qingyun City.

Men, women, old, and young carried wooden buckets and sacks on their backs, their faces beaming with long-lost smiles as they chatted animatedly.

Several soldiers used large ladles to scoop white spiritual rice for the commoners, their movements efficient and their attitudes kind.

”We can finally eat our fill!” an elderly woman with gray hair held her bucket full of spiritual rice, tears of excitement welling in her eyes. ”Back when Qingyun Wanguan was in power, the exorbitant taxes were as numerous as ox hair. We toiled in the fields all year, only to end up without a single full meal. Now things are better; Emperor Xuan has not only exempted all taxes but is also distributing food to us. He is truly a living bodhisattva!”

”Indeed!” the middle-aged man beside her nodded. ”My son said yesterday that the school in the city has opened free classes. Whether it is the child of a rich or poor family, everyone can attend school for free, and they even teach the Great Xuan Basic Cultivation Method for free! In the past, this was something we didn’t even dare to imagine!”

”Long live Emperor Xuan! Long live Great Xuan!”

I don’t know who shouted it first, but immediately after, the queuing commoners began to shout in unison, their voices echoing throughout Qingyun City.

On the second floor of the granary, Emperor Cao Xukun leaned against the railing, watching the lively scene below. The four empresses stood beside him with gentle smiles on their faces. The nine children were sprawled across the railing, waving their little hands excitedly to greet the commoners below.

”Seeing the commoners so happy puts my mind at ease.” Feng Qingyan held Cao Xuanhuang and said softly, ”Back in the mortal realm, we did the same, step by step, letting the commoners live good lives. Now in the immortal realm, we will certainly be able to do the same.”

Empress Bing Yao nodded: ”That’s right. As long as we treat the commoners well, they will support us. The will of the people is the greatest strength.”

General Black Tiger leaned in, looking smug: ”Your Majesty, you don’t know, but now your prestige is spreading throughout the entire Southern Region! Everyone is saying that you are a deity who descended to earth specifically to save us poor people! Yesterday, five more city lords sent people to deliver letters of surrender, saying they are willing to submit to our Great Xuan Dynasty!”

”Very good.” Emperor Cao Xukun curled his lips into a smile. ”Pass down the order: all cities that surrender are to be governed according to the great xuan law. Abolish all exorbitant taxes, open the granaries to distribute food, and provide relief to the commoners. For any loose cultivators willing to come to Qingyun City, provide them with housing and cultivation resources. Those who perform well can even join the Xuan Armor Army.”

”As you command!” General Black Tiger immediately took the order and left.

Just then, a noisy clamor came from outside the city. A group of cultivators dressed in white Daoist robes, holding large flags inscribed with ”Acting on Behalf of Heaven” and ”Slaying Demons and Eliminating Devils,” marched toward the city gate in a grand manner. Leading them was a young man wearing a white Daoist robe embroidered with Bagua patterns, holding a whisk, wearing a purple-gold crown, with a handsome face, and surrounded by faint white immortal energy—his pretentiousness maxed out to the level of a saint.

”Emperor Cao Xukun, the demon from the mortal realm! Get out here and die immediately!”

The man’s voice was like a booming bell, spreading throughout Qingyun City. He waved his whisk violently, and a white sword qi slashed out, splitting a giant rock beside the city gate in two.

”I am the leader of the Righteous Path in the Southern Region, the Son of Destiny of the Righteous Path in the immortal realm, Chu Zhengdao! By the order of the Heavenly Dao, I have come to slay you, the demon who is causing chaos in the Southern Region!”

”You evil being from the mortal realm, how dare you bewitch the commoners, seize cities, and kill righteous cultivators! Your crimes are heinous! Today, I will act on behalf of Heaven, destroy your soul, and return peace to the Southern Region! All who follow me are disciples of the Righteous Path and will surely attain the Dao and become immortals in the future; all who follow Emperor Cao Xukun are remnants of the demonic path and will surely be destroyed by Heaven and Earth!”

The thousands of cultivators behind him raised their long swords in unison and shouted: ”The Righteous Path is invincible! Slay the demon!”

”Emperor Cao Xukun, get out of the Southern Region! Return our peace!”

White immortal energy surged into the sky, looking aggressive and arrogant.

The commoners in the city were instantly enraged. They picked up hoes and shoulder poles, rushed to the city gate, and cursed at Chu Zhengdao:

”Where did this lunatic come from? How dare you call Emperor Cao Xukun a demon!”

”Exactly! Emperor Cao Xukun gives us food, lets us read books, and teaches us cultivation—he is the truly good person! You so-called righteous people only know how to oppress commoners and steal our things; you are the real demons!”

”Get lost immediately! Otherwise, we will beat you to death!”

Chu Zhengdao’s face darkened, and he shouted sternly: ”A bunch of bewitched, ignorant fools! How dare you speak up for the demon! It seems you have already been demonized! Today, I will purge you all together!”

He raised his whisk violently and was about to order an attack.

”Stop.”

A calm voice came from the city tower. Emperor Cao Xukun walked down the tower slowly, his black dragon robe fluttering without wind, his pressure as an early-stage Golden Immortal quietly spreading. The entire noisy city gate instantly fell silent, and the thousands of righteous cultivators turned pale, involuntarily retreating a few steps.

Chu Zhengdao feigned calmness, pointed at Emperor Cao Xukun, and roared sternly: ”Emperor Cao Xukun! You demon! You finally dare to come out! Today, I will let you see the true power of the Righteous Path!”

”Righteous Path?” Emperor Cao Xukun sneered and walked slowly to him. ”Your so-called Righteous Path is to watch the commoners starve to death without caring, to watch cultivators be oppressed without asking, and only knowing how to go around looting under the banner of acting on behalf of Heaven?”

”I heard that last month you led people to ransack Qingyang City, stole all the food and property of the commoners, and killed more than three hundred unarmed commoners. Is this what your so-called Righteous Path is?”

Chu Zhengdao’s expression changed, and he shouted sternly: ”You are spouting nonsense! That is what they deserved! Who told them not to submit to my Righteous Path Alliance! I was acting on behalf of Heaven, purging the demonized commoners!”

”Acting on behalf of Heaven?” Emperor Cao Xukun shook his head. ”In my eyes, scum like you who use the banner of the Righteous Path to harm commoners are the real demons.”

”Insolent! How dare you insult me! Insult the Righteous Path!” Chu Zhengdao was furious. ”I am the Son of Destiny of the Righteous Path, the savior of the Southern Region appointed by the Heavenly Dao! Today, I will let you know the consequences of insulting the Righteous Path! Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin!”

He waved his whisk violently, and countless white sword qi gushed out from the void, forming an airtight sword net that covered Emperor Cao Xukun fiercely.

All the righteous cultivators showed expressions of schadenfreude. They had seen too many cultivators who refused to obey, only to be split in two by Chu Zhengdao’s sword. In their eyes, this demon from the mortal realm would be no exception.

However, Emperor Cao Xukun remained standing in place, motionless. Just as the sword net was about to cover him, he slowly raised his right hand and squeezed it gently.

”Crack—!”

All the sword qi instantly turned into dust and dissipated in the air. The whisk in Chu Zhengdao’s hand also broke into two, and he spat out a large mouthful of blood, flying backward and falling heavily to the ground.

”Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!” Chu Zhengdao widened his eyes, his face full of disbelief. ”I am the Son of Destiny of the Righteous Path! I have the blessing of the Heavenly Dao! How could I lose to a demon from the mortal realm like you!”

”Blessing of the Heavenly Dao?” Emperor Cao Xukun walked slowly to him. ”In front of me, even the Heavenly Dao has to read my expression. You are just a dog created by the Heavenly Dao, and you dare to bark in front of me?”

He extended a finger and tapped it gently on the center of Chu Zhengdao’s forehead. The Righteous Path Saint Body inside Chu Zhengdao shattered instantly, and his early-stage Golden Immortal cultivation turned into nothingness.

”Ah—! My Saint Body! My cultivation!” Chu Zhengdao let out a shrill scream and collapsed on the ground, weeping bitterly.

”I don’t accept this! I am the Son of Destiny of the Righteous Path! I shouldn’t have lost!”

”Accept it whether you want to or not.” Emperor Cao Xukun said indifferently. ”Drag him down and hand him over to the commoners. Let them see that the so-called leader of the Righteous Path is nothing but scum who harms the commoners.”

”Yes! Your Majesty!”

Two soldiers stepped forward and dragged Chu Zhengdao away. The surrounding commoners swarmed up, punching and kicking him, venting the anger in their hearts. Those righteous cultivators were scared out of their wits, throwing away their weapons and kneeling on the ground: ”Spare us, Emperor Cao Xukun! We were all forced! It was Chu Zhengdao who forced us to come! Please give us a way to live, Your Majesty!”

”Those who are willing to submit will be forgiven for their past. Those who are not, get out of the Southern Region.” Emperor Cao Xukun waved his hand, not bothering to haggle with these small fries.

The thousands of cultivators felt as if they had been granted amnesty, kowtowing and thanking him, and most of them chose to submit to the Great Xuan Dynasty.

After dealing with Chu Zhengdao, Emperor Cao Xukun turned to the surrounding commoners and said loudly: ”Fellow countrymen! From today on, the great xuan law is officially promulgated and implemented in all surrendered cities in the Southern Region! All commoners of Great Xuan, regardless of wealth or status, are equal before the law! Anyone who oppresses the commoners or commits murder and looting, regardless of their status, will be severely punished without leniency!”

”I, Emperor Cao Xukun, promise here that as long as I am here, I will never let anyone bully you! I will ensure that all commoners in the Southern Region can eat their fill, wear warm clothes, read books, and practice cultivation methods! Within ten years, I will open the passage between the mortal and immortal realms so that relatives from the mortal realm can also come to the immortal realm to reunite!”

”Long live Emperor Xuan! Long live Great Xuan!”

The commoners knelt on the ground one after another, cheering loudly, their voices resounding through the clouds.

The news spread like it had wings, throughout the entire Southern Region. Countless oppressed commoners and loose cultivators rushed toward Qingyun City. Some carried luggage, some brought their families, and some rode spirit beasts, coming in an endless stream. Within just ten days, more than 500,000 loose cultivators had come to seek refuge, and the city lords of more than a dozen cities personally brought their seals to surrender.

The scale of Qingyun City expanded threefold, and newly built houses and cultivation grounds were everywhere. The 100,000-strong Xuan Armor Army also expanded to 300,000, each full of high morale and murderous intent. The flag of the Great Xuan Dynasty was planted across half of the Southern Region.

General Black Tiger looked at the lively Qingyun City and said excitedly to Emperor Cao Xukun: ”Your Majesty! Now we have strong soldiers and horses, and the support of the people! The entire Southern Region is waiting for you to ascend the throne! I think it would be better to hold the coronation ceremony in three days and officially establish the Great Xuan Dynasty’s Immortal Realm branch!”

Emperor Cao Xukun nodded, his eyes looking into the distance with depth.

”Good. In three days, the coronation ceremony.”

”From today on, the Immortal Realm will also have a place for my Great Xuan Dynasty.”

The entire Qingyun City instantly boiled over. The commoners hung lanterns and colorful banners, sang and danced, preparing to welcome the arrival of the coronation ceremony. Meanwhile, the Qingyun Emperor, who was far away in the Qingyun Dynasty palace, learned that Chu Zhengdao had been killed and that half of the Southern Region had surrendered to Emperor Cao Xukun, and was so scared that he packed his luggage overnight, preparing to flee to the Central Dynasty to seek the protection of Crown Prince Ling Chen.

A storm sweeping across the entire immortal realm was about to officially begin in three days.