Chapter 136
Chapter 136: Every Inch of Land in the Mortal World is Drenched with Blood
(Part 1)
“Master!” A familiar voice suddenly rang out. Si Cang Qing quickly turned around and saw that the other person
was already in front of him in an instant. “Lan…”
Feng Lan quickly looked Si Cang Qing up and down, then breathed a slight sigh of relief and rushed into his arms,
still sounding anxious, “Are you hurt?”
Confused by the other person’s reaction, Si Cang Qing raised his hand and patted his back reassuringly, asking
softly, “Why did you come?” He had not ordered the army to come.
Feng Lan buried his face in Si Cang Qing's shoulder, his voice muffled. "The Shadow Guards sent word that riots
have broken out in several villages. Anping and I waited in vain for your orders, and given the urgency of the
situation, we took it upon ourselves to lead troops to suppress them."
As he spoke, Feng Lan pulled away from his embrace and knelt on one knee. "Please punish me, Master!"
Si Cang Qing frowned, yanking him up. "I told you you didn't need to kneel!" he said displeasedly. As for their
decision, given the suddenness of the situation, it was understandable.
Feng Lan nestled against Si Cang Qing's familiar, warm chest, sighing, "If we had been any later, I'm afraid..."
The thought of those crazed rioters sent a shiver down his spine.
The tone shifted abruptly. Feng Lan whispered, "But I still couldn't get here in time..." He had encountered
soldiers disposing of corpses on the road and learned that a riot had also broken out here yesterday.
"It's all over now," Si Cang Qing reassured him calmly, kissing the man's brow and eyes. "How are those villages
now?"
After the riot broke out here, he had a general understanding of the situation from the messages sent by his
shadow guards, but he didn't know the specifics.
Feng Lan replied, "It was horrific... but, compared to Green Willow Village, it's much better..." At least the rioters
in those places were eventually driven back, instead of all dying.
The mountains of corpses, after being buried for two days, were ultimately too numerous for the soldiers to
handle, so they were all burned. Thinking of this, Feng Lan's eyes dimmed slightly. Even though he had
experienced much bloodshed, this time was different; those were all unarmed civilians.
Sensing the man's somewhat downcast mood, Si Cang Qing said softly, "Don't overthink it."
"I understand," Feng Lan replied softly, "It's just that I feel those people from the Phoenix Temple are truly
heartless, doing such things. What was their purpose?"
Si Cang Qing remained silent. Their purpose? Clearly, it was all for the sake of the world; perhaps it was still
inextricably linked to the former Guangyu Kingdom! Considering Mo Qingjue's identity, it was likely the
Qiang clan, hiding their true identities, who orchestrated everything.
Based on Mo Qingjue's actions, Si Cang Qing was almost certain that the Qiang clan's original plan was to help
Guangyu Kingdom unify the world, but Mo Qingjue's inaction led to the kingdom's destruction. Subsequently,
they allied with Hongcheng to destroy Canghuan, but Mo Qingjue secretly sabotaged their efforts. After gaining
Cheng Tianyi's trust, they betrayed him on the battlefield, using Canghuan to eliminate Hongcheng first…
Therefore, even though Mo Qingjue possessed gunpowder, he didn't use it on the battlefield; therefore, at
Yaoshan Ridge, what was clearly a deliberately arranged deadly trap was somehow spared.
Perhaps there are other things that Si Cang Qing is not yet clear about, but what is certain is that the Qiang
people must have sensed Mo Qingjue's rebellious intentions, so they finally showed themselves to incite this
internal strife.
According to the news from the Shadow Guards, the remnants of Yuan Hongcheng's southern forces have now
joined forces with the Phoenix Temple and launched a riot in the area. Therefore, several generals from Luoshui,
before receiving a response to their requests, rushed to support Chen Yu's army.
"After the riots in several villages, General Anping mobilized another 100,000 troops and is heading towards
Chaojiang." Feng Lan paused, then said, "Master, you won't blame us for acting on our own initiative, will you?"
Si Cang Qing shook his head slightly. He had already planned to order reinforcements to Chaojiang; Anping's
move would indeed resolve the predicament there in time.
He temporarily chose to believe Mo Qingjue's words; it was best to eliminate the Phoenix Temple as soon as
possible.
However, that so-called Five-Colored Ice Platform…
Si Cang Qing lowered his eyes, his fingers unconsciously playing with Feng Lan's hair. The mastermind
behind it all was probably a woman. If she truly possessed such formidable power, destroying the Five-Colored
Ice Platform would require him to personally intervene.
Just looking at the diagram on the celadon bottle, he knew the Phoenix Temple's mechanisms were intricate and
fraught with danger, and he wasn't even sure if it was the real diagram. Almost no one else had the confidence
to infiltrate the Phoenix Temple!
But on the other hand, Si Cang Qing couldn't trust Mo Qingjue… If he truly went to the Phoenix Temple as that
person said, it might just be a trap waiting for him.
For a moment, he was torn.
"Master, are you facing a problem? You seem so troubled…"
Feng Lan stepped back slightly, raising his eyes to gaze at Si Cang Qing's face, one hand gently touching his
slightly furrowed brow, his eyes filled with worry.
"It's alright," Si Cang Qing replied calmly, lowering his head slightly to gently kiss the man's brow again.
To achieve one's goal, risks and costs are inevitable. But he was never timid, so why should he dwell on this?
Once the army arrived and the villagers were settled, he would seize the opportunity to personally investigate
Chaotian Mountain.
The Phoenix Temple? Let's see what secrets it holds!
◇Cang◇Huan◇Seven◇Palaces◇
"Qing?" Cheng Tian Bi stiffened for a moment, then relaxed and leaned against the body that had suddenly
pressed against him, a slight smile playing on his lips. "What brings you here?"
These past few days, with the army rushing to the countryside, Si Cang Qing had been busy planning the attack
on the Phoenix Temple, often working through the night.
"Bi," Si Cang Qing said softly, "it's dangerous here. You should go back to the palace with Zi!"
Startled, Cheng Tian Bi pulled away from Si Cang Qing's arm, turned around, and looked steadily at him, saying,
"I can't go back. There's a severe shortage of healers here. How can I leave at this crucial moment?"
"We won't miss you," Si Cang Qing replied calmly. This man's constitution was already too weak, and the
conditions here were poor. Now that winter had arrived and it was unusually cold, his old ailment was likely to
flare up, and he couldn't care for him. Besides, attacking the Phoenix Temple was an operation with unknown
dangers.
“Qing,” Cheng Tian Bi smiled, then straightened his face, saying, “I know you care about me, but… other doctors
are working even harder than me and haven’t complained. How can I easily back down? Besides, I am
Consort Bi of Canghuan Kingdom. When the people are in danger, how can I seek comfort?” He glanced at him
with a half-smile, adding, “Qing, you’re too protective! Excessive pampering isn’t a good thing!”
—Although, he was always moved by his tolerance and affection.
Si Cang Qing remained noncommittal. Seeing the other’s resolute expression, he said nothing more. It seemed
that Cheng Tian Bi wouldn’t go to the front lines; he would be much safer here.
The two embraced, neither speaking for a moment. Compared to the chaos outside, this place was peaceful and
warm.
"Your Majesty, General Ye Lou has sent an urgent report!"
Upon receiving the letter, Si Cang Qing's eyes gradually turned cold. Since the appearance of the Phoenix Temple,
several brutal riots had erupted within Canghuan, and the former Hongcheng territory had also joined the uprising.
Now, even the forces lurking in Guangyu were stirring.
"Immediately issue my decree," Si Cang Qing said coldly, "Ye Lou will lead 100,000 light infantry to suppress
the internal strife in Guangyu. All those involved in the rebellion..." He enunciated each word clearly,
"...exterminate them all!"
Originally, he didn't want to add to the chaos. After the remnants escaped, seeing that the enemy was behaving
themselves, he had turned a blind eye. Now it seemed... any threat must be eliminated!
"Order the newly formed army to assemble 100,000 elite troops and proceed to the fiefdoms of several vassal
states. At the first sign of trouble, mobilize immediately! Once Luo Shui and Chen Yu have pacified Hong
Cheng's remnants, then send troops to the South China Sea coast to prepare for an attack on the Three Seas
region!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
At the foot of Chaotian Mountain, in Qingdu Township.
The villagers had already been relocated to villages north of the Chao River. Under Si Cang Qing's unwavering
orders, Feng Lan led a small group of soldiers to escort the villagers, along with Cheng Tian Bi and the physicians
who had left with them. The main army from Anping would converge here after quelling the rebellion.
Gazing at the not-so-precipitous mountains in the distance, Si Cang Qing's expression remained calm.
"Your Majesty," Liu Yi stood behind him and spoke softly, "then I shall take my leave." Si Cang Qing had just
suddenly said his mission was complete and ordered him to return to the capital immediately. Although he was
worried about the other's situation, he knew the other's character after so many years together.
"Hmm," Si Cang Qing replied calmly, "Take care on your journey."
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. And please... Your Majesty, take care of your health and quell the
rebellion as soon as possible."
Sensing the footsteps fading behind him, Si Cang Qing slowly turned around, watching a small group of soldiers
escort the carriage out of the camp...
Now that everything was arranged, it was time to fight with all his might!
Inside the shed, several people were intensely discussing the terrain map, finally reaching a consensus. Anping
then turned to Si Cang Qing, who sat comfortably in the superior position, and asked, "Your Majesty, what do
you think of this deployment?"
Si Cang Qing lowered his gaze to the tea in his hand, and after a long while, said calmly, "Hold your positions
for now."
Slightly taken aback, Anping said, puzzled, "Your Majesty, now is the perfect opportunity to attack Chaotian
Mountain. The rebels they control are severely weakened; we should seize this chance to pursue them and break
through their defenses in one fell swoop." He paused, then added, "The map of mechanisms Your Majesty
possesses matches the terrain of Chaotian Mountain very well; it should be somewhat reliable and can help our
army overcome the obstacles smoothly."
Si Cang Qing simply... He said coldly, "The army will split into two groups. One will block the exit from Chaotian
Mountain, while the other will move to the rear of Chaotian Mountain to prevent the escape of the rebels. As for
the timing of the attack..."
Setting down his teacup, Si Cang Qing rose and walked to the window, gazing at the misty mountain scenery.
"I will infiltrate the Phoenix Temple first to investigate. Once I give the signal, you will attack the mountain
immediately!"
"Your Majesty, you mustn't!" Anping and the others immediately objected. "You are the Son of Heaven, how can
you..."
Anping abruptly stopped, his words caught in his throat by Si Cang Qing's cold gaze. He felt only helplessness,
and... an undeniable sense of gratitude.
Since the beginning of the Three Kingdoms' struggle for supremacy, Si Cang Qing had always led from the front,
yet his cold and unyielding personality made him, a general, feel ashamed of his own shortcomings.
"My Canghuan does not raise useless soldiers," Si Cang Qing said coldly. "I will not participate in quelling
the internal strife from now on. Do not disappoint my expectations."
If the enemy hadn't been so powerful, he wouldn't have needed to personally lead the troops!
After everyone had left, Si Cang Qing summoned Feng Xiang and said, "You will come with me into the
mountains and remain outside the Phoenix Temple to support me… If things go wrong, evacuate first to prevent
the soldiers from becoming agitated!"
Feng Xiang replied without hesitation, "Your subordinate will obey your orders, Master!"
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