Seeking Truth with a Sword-Chapter 616 - 557 Demon Disaster

"COUGH! COUGH! COUGH! COUGH! COUGH!"

Perhaps the roar had been too fierce, aggravating his chest wound. Jin Wusuan began to cough violently, covering his mouth. Drops of tainted blood dripped through his fingers.

Manager Jin, still reeling from shock, subconsciously took out a handkerchief and handed it over.

Jin Wusuan casually wiped the corner of his mouth with the handkerchief and continued, "According to the Haotian Taoist Sect, a magical disaster is a calamity inflicted because people do not follow the heavenly laws and defy Haotian. In the explanation commonly accepted within the Academic Palace and the Cultivation World, a magical disaster involves a mass emergence of demons. These demons break through the invisible barriers of the Haotian Bell and Heavenly Bell, entering human settlements.

"The causes of magical disasters are diverse. Prolonged and brutal wars that result in countless deaths can create magical disasters involving evil ghosts and zombies. Natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, and tsunamis can damage the environment, releasing demons dwelling in mountains and seas, thus also creating magical disasters. Furthermore, some Mutated Objects can independently trigger magical disasters."

Jin Wusuan was not wrong. The Academic Palace’s textbook, *Exotic Beast Taxonomy*, clearly stated that the causes of magical disasters were diverse and of many types.

"Yu Country interpreted the magical disaster thirty-three years ago as being solely caused by a severe earthquake," Jin Wusuan said. "This earthquake allegedly disrupted the environment of the Ten Thousand Desolate Mountains, causing a large number of demon beasts to flee and attack human towns. It was portrayed purely as a natural disaster.

"After the event, the court took stock of the losses. They dispatched officials, Cultivators, and porters, spending immense manpower, material resources, and finances to support the reconstruction of Lingnan Road.

"At that time, Lingnan Road was described as a place where thousands of ridges overlapped and the Manxi River curved for ten miles. The tribes such as Yan, Bo, Li, Liao, and Chi were distinct from the Han people, with different living environments and customs. Despite centuries of mediation, oppression, and support from various Emperors of Yu Country, the conflicts remained sharp.

"However, after a devastating magical disaster and the subsequent reconstruction, the two sides unexpectedly became as close as one family. The regions once characterized by wild bamboo and thatch were practically transformed into a land of scholars and fine clothes. Even today, if you go to the remote areas of Lingnan Road, apart from differences in accent and attire, it’s hard to distinguish between the two groups."

This was also true. The assimilation of the Lingnan people was one of the political achievements the former Emperor of Yu Country left to his successors.

"Unfortunately, all of this is false." Jin Wusuan gave a light, hoarse laugh. "The cause of the magical disaster was not a natural earthquake but the personal desires of the former Emperor of Yu Country. To extend his aging body, to hold onto power a bit longer, he instructed several groups to secretly infiltrate the Ten Thousand Desolate Mountains. These included the Imperial Palace Tributors, leaders of the garrison, and Academic Palace Doctors who were absolutely loyal to him. Their mission was to search for a certain herb."

"Nonsense!" a disciple from Lu Li Academy couldn’t help but rebuke. "The fall of Former Sui was due to the emperors’ incessant desire for immortality! Ignoring the welfare of the people, they abused their power. They built great ships capable of crossing the Endless Sea to search for mythical mountains and Immortal Elixirs. This ultimately led to the suffering of the common people and turmoil throughout the land, resulting in the downfall of Sui Country. The first Emperor of Yu Country witnessed the brutal collapse of the Sui Empire. After unifying the land and establishing his rule in the Central Plains, he immediately set a family precedent: his Li Yu descendants were strictly forbidden from pursuing immortality!"

"You are right," Jin Wusuan said, his voice still hoarse from coughing. "The former Emperor of Yu Country knew that living for a few hundred more years was impossible, and eternal life was utterly absurd. Throughout history, numerous Candle Cloud cultivators, and even legendary Great Practitioners of the Near-Cliff Realm, were unable to escape the cycle of life and death.

"He was the fourth son of the Holy Empress and had witnessed firsthand how his elder brothers were systematically deposed, exiled, or killed. He endured decades of house arrest, false accusations, and exile. Eventually, he overthrew his own mother’s rule, regaining control of Yu Country for the Li Yu family.

"Our late Emperor was very clever, perhaps too clever. He didn’t desire immortality. Instead, he sought the next best thing: a few more years of life, maybe a decade or two. This greatly reduced the difficulty, as prolonging life was far more feasible than achieving immortality."

The Lu Li Academy disciple’s expression changed slightly. Immortality, eternal life... those are clearly fallacious, he thought. But methods of extending one’s lifespan are indeed recorded in ancient books.

Jin Wusuan continued, "The Imperial Palace Tributors and the others received their orders and infiltrated the Ten Thousand Desolate Mountains. Under the guidance of the Academic Palace Doctors, they navigated the Desolate Mountains, avoiding its poisonous insects, fierce beasts, evil ghosts, and demons. They searched for the life-prolonging elixir for the late Emperor, an elixir recorded in the ancient books of the Former Sui Taixuan Sect.

"And, indeed, they found it.

"They were ecstatic and took that item from the Ten Thousand Desolate Mountains. But this action triggered a catastrophe. A severe earthquake destroyed continuous mountain ranges. Consequently, countless demons residing in the deep mountains surged out. They poured into the territories of Zhou Kingdom, Jing Country, and Yu Country, committing extensive slaughter.

"The team led by the Imperial Palace Tributors was perhaps killed by the demons, or perhaps they returned to Chang’an. Regardless, the dire consequences they had sown were borne by the common people of the Southern Domain."

A reminiscent expression appeared on Jin Wusuan’s face, his gaze gradually becoming distant as he spoke slowly, "Those who haven’t experienced a demon calamity can hardly imagine what it was like.

"In the sky, hawks with wingspans of thirty to forty feet dove down, their talons easily piercing the bodies of cattle and horses. Tens of millions of bloodsucking bats obscured the sky, like a celestial dog devouring the sun, leaving not a trace of sunlight.

"On the ground, myriad types of demons easily crushed the formations of human soldiers. The Magic of the few Cultivators present—their Flying Swords and Telekinesis Control Devices—could block some demons’ advances, but they could not stop the overall progression of the demon calamity. If you didn’t flee, you would be swallowed by the torrent of demons in an instant.

"After discovering the impending demon calamity from the mountaintop, the village chief immediately ran down the mountain, telling everyone to hide in their homes and not to go outside. I was still young then, coincidentally staying at my childhood sweetheart’s house, hiding under the bed with her family. We listened to the THUMP, THUMP, THUMP of the ground vibrating, hardly daring to breathe. About an hour later, the vibrations gradually subsided, and we crawled out from under the bed.

"My village was located in a remote mountain hollow, separated from the demon calamity’s path by seven or eight mountains, so we were fortunate enough not to be destroyed. Everyone was grateful for surviving the ordeal.

"Until, that night, two young men descended from the sky. They claimed to be Cultivators from Yu Country and showed the village chief waist tokens to prove their identities. They asserted that the day’s demon calamity was just the beginning. More demons, they warned, were pouring out of the Ten Thousand Desolate Mountains, and this time their path would sweep through the village.

"They explained that hiding in caves or using a Cultivator’s Tunneling Technique to hide in burrows would not work. This was due to the presence of Mountain Rats in the demon calamity—a type of demon beast adept at digging tunnels and burrows, possessing an extremely keen sense of smell. If everyone wanted to live, they had to go with them, retreating to the North.

"The two spoke earnestly, and the waist tokens they carried also proved their identities. So, the village chief had someone notify every household. Everyone was to carry only essential food, prepare to travel at night, and leave with the two men.

"Little did we know, that was just the beginning of the disaster."