Martial Cultivator

The events of Tianjian Year 11, including the Wei Prefecture flood, were closely connected to Chen Chao.

It could be said that without that flood, Chen Chao’s future might not have developed the way it did.

”In recent years, the Great Liang Dynasty has focused its efforts on the defense of the Northern Frontier, with more than half of the annual treasury income allocated to the North. However, this doesn’t mean that the dynasty has neglected other regions within its borders.”

Zhou Gouqi said calmly, ”In the two hundred over years since the founding of Great Liang, the Wei River has flooded thirteen times. In the early years of the founding emperor’s reign, it submerged a county downstream. Later, during Emperor Taizong’s period, there were several floods, but none on such a scale. During the reign of Emperor Lingzong, the imperial court constructed five great levees, including the one at Xin’an, which completely resolved the Wei River’s flooding issues. In the decades since, the Wei River never again flooded its banks.”

Chen Chao waited for the answer.

Zhou Gouqi continued, ”Those levees were built by the Ministry of Works and should have had no issues, capable of lasting at least another hundred years. Yet, during the heavy rains of Tianjian Year 11, they were destroyed.”

Chen Chao picked up on the implication, frowning as he said, ”Which means, someone deliberately sabotaged the levees?”

Zhou Gouqi nodded. His investigations over the years had uncovered the truth.

”But why?”

Chen Chao looked at Zhou Gouqi, unable to figure it out. Such an act was undoubtedly the work of that traitor. Yet why would that traitor commit such an act? Since ancient times, the commoners living at the bottom were rarely of any concern to powerful figures. In their eyes, such people were no different from ants. It seemed incomprehensible that someone would go out of their way to do such a thing.

”A great flood struck, and the court couldn’t produce funds for disaster relief. Corpses lay scattered everywhere, and naturally, the dynasty lost the people’s support. When a dynasty loses the people’s hearts, its downfall isn’t far off... These are all consequences of the flood. However, at that time, the most critical thing was that many people would die as a result of the flood.”

Zhou Gouqi looked at Chen Chao and said, ”Weren’t you also forced to leave Wei Prefecture because of that flood? On your journey as a refugee, you must have witnessed many scenes that you’ll never forget for the rest of your life.”

Chen Chao remained silent. Indeed, during that flight for survival, he had seen many things that only existed in history books. The phrase ’swapping children to eat’ was no longer just stories but real events unfolding before his eyes.

”How many people died in that flood in Wei Prefecture?” Zhou Gouqi suddenly asked.

Chen Chao thought for a moment before saying softly, ”That might have been the greatest flood in recorded history. Almost no one along the banks of the Wei River was spared. Many, many lives were lost.”

In a single flood, some perished instantly, while those who survived lost their homes and were forced to flee, leaving everything behind.

”Even the imperial court couldn’t accurately determine the number of casualties. Doesn’t that mean no one knows how many people perished in the flood?” Zhou Gouqi smiled faintly. ”But what if, before the flood, someone had already abducted those commoners?”

Chen Chao froze, then abruptly lifted his head.

If that were the case, the previous speculations would finally have an answer.

The flood was merely a cover to conceal the truth of those abducted commoners. Everyone would feelt that they were swept away by the waters rather than abducted by someone.

Chen Chao asked, ”Why would they need so many commoners?”

Zhou Gouqi looked at him and said calmly, ”The demon race has a habit of using humans as blood sustenance. During the former Qi Dynasty, not only did they cede thirty thousand miles of the desolate north, but they also signed a humiliating treaty, agreeing to send countless humans to the demon race each year in exchange for peace. As for the various cultivation resources needed by the foreign cultivators, aren’t they all gathered by common laborers?”

”There’s a treasure out at sea called flood dragon pearls. Every year, countless fishermen die at sea just to harvest these flood dragon pearls. In this world, ordinary people live at the very bottom, yet many things are entirely dependent on them.”

”Despite this, the important people still look down on them, treating them like ants and disregarding their lives.”

Chen Chao asked, ”It must have been orchestrated by the people behind that traitor. The only question is whether they went north or somewhere else.”

The north meant the demon race, while elsewhere naturally referred to the foreign lands.

The traitor hiding within Great Liang could only have one of these two identities.

Zhou Gouqi said, ”Perhaps both.”

Chen Chao exhaled a deep breath and said evenly, ”If that’s the case, then it truly deserves death.”

”This is just the tip of the iceberg. Over the past two hundred years of Great Liang’s founding, no one knows how many things they’ve done.”

Zhou Gouqi said softly, ”But we’ll know very soon.”

”Who exactly is that traitor?”

Chen Chao looked intently at Zhou Gouqi. Zhou Gouqi definitely knew the answer; otherwise, so many people would not have come to kill him.

Perhaps at this point, even His Majesty knew too.

The Great Liang Emperor had long been aware that there was a traitor hidden deep within the heart of the Great Liang Dynasty. He had been investigating for years, and Zhou Gouqi was the one connected to it all.

Now, it seemed the net was about to be harvested.

Zhou Gouqi extended his hand and slowly wrote a single character on the ground.

”Traitor.”[鬼]

Chen Chao stared at the character, not speaking. No matter how he looked at it, the word for ”traitor” seemed strange, almost out of place.

After a long silence, Chen Chao suddenly understood something. Then, all the pieces of the story fell into place in his mind. He said, ”So that’s how it is.”

Zhou Gouqi said nothing. He just sat quietly, lost in his own thoughts.

Chen Chao asked, ”When do you plan to return?”

Zhou Gouqi replied, ”Naturally, when it is time to return.”

Chen Chao furrowed his brows.

Zhou Gouqi took out a jade slip from his bosom and handed it over.

”All the truth is in here.”

Chen Chao did not reach out to take it. Instead, he asked, ”Why?”

The things Zhou Gouqi had done over the years were a great service to the Great Liang Dynasty. One day, when he returned to the Imperial Capital, with such achievements, he could regain a foothold in the Great Liang Dynasty and even potentially become the successor to the position of dean again.

In any case, with this item, Zhou Gouqi’s life would certainly improve.

Eliminating the traitor who had been hiding in the Great Liang Dynasty for over two hundred years, such a merit would justify Zhou Gouqi being granted the title of marquis or even being made the premier.

”I have no use for this. I’ve been waiting for you all along.”

Zhou Gouqi looked at Chen Chao and said with a smile, ”The Zhou Family has already been destroyed. My heart is no longer with the court or the academy. Even with such merit, what use is it? On the other hand, what situation are you in now? Aren’t you aware of it yourself?”

Chen Chao remained silent. He had killed his own brother, and his situation was already very delicate. Though his identity as a remnant spawn of the previous dynasty was not a concern for the time being, there were still many potential troubles.

”While His Majesty is alive, there’s naturally no one can touch you. But His Majesty will eventually pass, and you don’t want to be emperor. After the new emperor ascends, who knows how they will treat you.”

Zhou Gouqi smiled as he looked at Chen Chao.

Take the late Second Prince for example, if he were still alive and became the new emperor of the Great Liang Dynasty, there would definitely be no place for Chen Chao. Although he was dead now, who could say how the other two sons of His Majesty will act in the future?

”Your identity is delicate, and people’s hearts do not remain the same forever. The blade isn’t in your hands. What you need to do is actually quite simple: no matter whose hands the blade is in, it must never fall on your head.”

If someone wants to kill you, it’s not a problem, as long as they can only think about it and never act on it.

”His Majesty certainly has high hopes for you. You’ll undoubtedly become one of the most important people in the Great Liang Dynasty in the future. By then, countless people will want to kill you. Some will be direct about it, while others will be more subtle. In the court, loyal ministers often cannot control their fate, and those who hold power won’t end up in a good situation either. I hope you will be a renowned official, able to control your own rise and fall.”

Chen Chao understood and sighed, ”You scholars know so much logic, but I bet most scholars would scoff at this kind of talk, right?”

Zhou Gouqi smiled, ”I am not a pedantic scholar.”

Chen Chao stood up, took the jade slip, and said gratefully, ”I owe you a favor.”

Zhou Gouqi waved his hand, ”No need. After all, I am half your brother-in-law.”

Chen Chao did not speak, only rolling his eyes.