How come the celestial technique I stole is so powerful?!-Chapter 907 - 709: The Land of Lanzhou, King Lanning
Capítulo 907: Chapter 709: The Land of Lanzhou, King Lanning
In the land of Lanzhou, there is a giant lake named Tianji Lake. The waters of Tianji Lake nourish the land of Lanzhou, transforming this desolate prairie into Outer Jiangnan.
However, that is a tale of the past.
The present-day Lanzhou is facing hardships rivaled by no other northern regions.
At the northernmost end, bordering Yan Country, is Zheyuntai, where wars rage annually, forcing people to gradually migrate southward.
To the west, once the most affluent area of Lanzhou, it has now succumbed to the deadly invasion of Mengyan Grass, rendering half of the region uninhabitable.
As a result, nearly all of Lanzhou’s populace has been squeezed into a small area of less than fifty miles east of Ning City.
A local poet once wrote: In the past, Jiangnan’s half remains, unaware if Heaven worries or not.
This poet was imprisoned in Ning City’s prison, charged with defaming Your Majesty.
Objectively speaking, it indeed was a reference to Your Majesty since the “Heaven” mentioned in his poem implied Your Majesty.
These matters were relayed to Lin Xiaosu by Qing Ying from high above.
She gestured toward the giant lake in the distance and said, “There lies Tianji Lake, now entirely turned into a Poison Lake under the control of the Qian du Sect.”
Lin Xiaosu, with his Heavenly Tao Wisdom Eye, surveyed the waters below, which seemed to draw nearer. The waters appeared pure and transparent, yet under the sensing of his Primordial Spirit, even he was startled. The toxicity of this water is extraordinary, almost akin to the waters of “that place” from the days of Chang Ye.
The waters of “that place” during Chang Ye’s time were terrifying within the entire Great Xia Realm, probably only back then did he dare to taste a First Rank. Even during the tasting process, Chang Ye monitored the entire time anxiously, ready to kick him aside at the slightest irregularity.
But here, a lake is filled with water of comparable toxicity.
More terrifyingly, there are fish and various creatures within this lake, some even extraordinarily bizarre.
These are not naturally occurring creatures.
These are toxic creatures cultivated by the Wan du sect.
That is the terrifying aspect of the Poison Sect; they can easily alter ecosystems, making the world uninhabitable for all except for themselves!
Without needing to resort to Slaughter, they can utterly dominate half a region with immense strength.
The Mengyan Grass spreads in patches below, wherever there is soil, there is its presence.
However, there is an exception.
It is a seemingly ordinary barren hill.
The Mengyan Grass has encircled the area ten miles surrounding this barren hill, yet there is no grass on this hill, standing out amidst the land covered by Mengyan Grass.
“What place is that?” Lin Xiaosu raised his hand slightly, pointing at the barren hill.
Qing Ying replied, “There lies a rather tragic story about a governor from ten years ago…”
That governor’s surname was He, full name He Zhengdao.
True to his name, he was an honest official, walking the righteous path.
When the Mengyan Grass invaded and poison spread rampantly, he led the state’s soldiers in direct confrontation with the Qian du Sect, accusing them of poison release and urging the court to send troops to suppress them. However, during that time, the Crown Prince was overseeing the reign, and the court turned a deaf ear.
This honorable governor was also poisoned and could not be cured. On his deathbed, he left behind an earth-shattering will, declaring that he wished to be buried on that barren hill so that he could witness the downfall of the Qian du Sect even from the underworld.
Thus, he was buried there.
On the day of burial, autumn rain drizzled, and people said even the heavens cried.
The streets were deserted as a multitude of people bid farewell to the governor.
After his burial, during every Lantern Festival and Qingming, countless people would come to pay their respects. As time passed, the barren hill slowly became encircled by Mengyan Grass. However, the local people, despite the great dangers, persistently cleared the Mengyan Grass. They refused to let the vile grass grow over the grave of such a good official.
Every time the Mengyan Grass was cleared, people would die.
Yet, regardless of the casualties, the stubborn villagers continued relentlessly, like moths drawn to flames…
Qing Ying sighed in sorrow at this point.
Her father also once aspired to be a good official, with his only wish being that after his death, if the people would offer an incense stick for him each year, he would be content.
Alas, such a wish was never granted to her father.
For he fell victim to the intrigue of the former Crown Prince, and his body was disposed of in the Chaotic Burial Mound. Even now, his name has not been cleared, nor is there a tablet for offerings. In truth, the Prime Minister’s high rank distanced him too much from the common people; even if there were a tablet, the public would not have known who this departed Prime Minister was…
“Let’s go down and have a look!” Lin Xiaosu stepped through the void and landed on the barren hill.
Before him stood merely a mound of earth.
There was no tombstone.
But on the bluestone in front, there were blood-red characters carved: The Tomb of the Late Lord Governor He Zhengdao.
The blood-red characters lacked calligraphic foundation, clearly carved by the populace.
Qing Ying said, “The last time I came here, I met a villager clearing grass. This villager said that initially, the government had erected a tombstone for this governor, but it was removed and thrown into the lake. So, the villagers carved this makeshift tombstone on the stone, pricking their fingers to let their blood flow, forming today’s blood monument.”
“This blood is still fresh!” Hu Ji remarked.
“Yesterday was Lantern Festival; evidently, villagers had come to burn paper money here, and the bloodstains might be their additions!” Lin Xiaosu pointed to a heap of paper ashes on the ground.
“It seems this governor truly was a good official,” Hu Ji mused.
Qing Ying remarked, “The bureaucratic world of Lanzhou is peculiar; in ordinary places, with such suffering, there would certainly be conflict between officials and the populace. Yet, in Lanzhou, no matter how dire their circumstances, they are still grateful to the officials.”
