Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8

Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Walking on Thin Ice

“The Azure Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven must rise…”

The moment these words were spoken, the entire Qingpu City erupted.

In recent years, the Yaoqing Imperial Court’s grip on its territories had been steadily weakening.

Natural disasters, man-made calamities, rampant demonic forces, and pervasive oppression and discrimination… All these factors meant that on the rich soil of the Central Plains, there was never a shortage of defiant souls who refused Yaoqing rule.

But before Li Chang’an, even when rebellions did break out, they were small-scale affairs, with leaders content to lord it over their own little patch of land.

They never dared to openly and brazenly declare their intentions.

This was arguably the first time a Rebel Army had stepped forward so boldly, not only announcing their rebellion to the world but doing so with a slogan so grand and ambitious. It was clear at a glance that they were not to be trifled with.

Gazing at Li Chang’an, who hovered in mid-air like a god or demon, everyone on the scene wore expressions of utter, inexplicable shock!

Li Chang’an, however, gave them no time to be stunned.

His long saber, stained with Dragon Blood, sliced through the darkness. With one clean strike, he cut down the captain of the guard responsible for the city gate.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Li Chang’an rushed straight for the winch that controlled the gate, yanking it hard with his left hand!

“CREAK…”

A grating groan filled the air.

The winch, which normally required five or six strong men to operate, was like a child’s toy in Li Chang’an’s hands. He easily broke it free of its lock.

On the city wall, the Qingpu County Magistrate stared at the still-bleeding dragon head in the distance. At first, he couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

But in this era, any man who became an official was the sharpest of the sharp.

Thus, after a few flickers of his eyes, realization dawned on him. His face turned deathly pale as he roared himself hoarse, “Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Stop him! Don’t let him open the gate!”

A twenty-thousand-strong army was garrisoned in Qingpu County.

Normally, the Qingpu County Magistrate wouldn’t have worried about the Rebel Army posing a threat, not in a siege, and certainly not in close-quarters street fighting.

Yet at this very moment, his intuition screamed at him that if Li Chang’an opened that gate, the consequences would be terrifying!

Hearing his voice, the soldiers were finally jolted from their stupor.

But Li Chang’an was so fast that his movements were like a flickering phantom, disappearing and reappearing in an instant.

Coupled with their minds being addled by the sight of the bloody dragon head, for a short time, no one even tried to stop him!

Thankfully, in the nick of time, the already-alerted members of the Prison Control Department stepped forward. They lunged at Li Chang’an from all sides, their murderous aura surging to the heavens.

However, empowered by his Cultivation Technique, Li Chang’an was no longer the man he once was.

These charging members of the Prison Control Department couldn’t even get within ten yards of him. A single, powerful blast of the substantialized Qi from his body sent several Small Banner Officers flying. While still in mid-air, they were decapitated and dismembered, their bodies neatly sliced into dozens of pieces.

How could a group of small fry possibly threaten a Martial King, a master who dominated an entire region?

To put it bluntly, even if Li Chang’an stood still and let them hack away, an ordinary Martial Artist couldn’t necessarily harm him as long as his Qi hadn’t been completely depleted.

Watching as the figure cut down the group of Prison Control Department officials—men who were normally so high and mighty—as easily as slicing through melons, every soldier in Qingpu City gaped in astonishment.

In their limited experience, an official of the Prison Control Department was an untouchable figure. When had they ever witnessed such powerful men being mown down like weeds?

They were utterly stunned. For a moment, none of them dared to take another step toward Li Chang’an.

“CREAK… CRASH!”

The drawbridge connecting the wall to the far side of the moat crashed down, sending up a spray of rain and mud.

Surrounded by a vast army, Li Chang’an moved as if no one was there. He had actually managed to force the winch and lower the drawbridge!

Seeing this, the morale of the Rebel Army, which had been lying in wait in the darkness, soared. Energized, as if on a stimulant, they surged from the shadows and charged toward Qingpu City.

…

The bloody slaughter lasted the entire night. Throughout the night, Li Chang’an killed nearly everyone he came across, with his primary targets being the lavishly dressed individuals who looked like officials.

Due to his relentless and overwhelming rampage, the soldiers of Qingpu County never managed to organize a single proper counterattack.

Often, the moment they began to react, Li Chang’an would have already cut a bloody swathe right through their ranks.

Eventually, after Li Chang’an tossed aside his now-battered saber and casually gave the order, “Those who surrender will not be killed,” most of the soldiers in Qingpu City wisely chose to raise their hands and surrender.

It was too terrifying!

His ferocity was inhuman!

This was the first impression of every soldier and Martial Artist in Qingpu County who had faced Li Chang’an in battle: he was a Living Yama, straight out of Hell!

…

Li Chang’an’s style had always been ’as still as a mountain, as swift as a thunderbolt’.

When he lacked sufficient strength, he tended to lie low, gathering his power in secret. But once he was strong enough, his single strike would be world-shattering.

This time was no exception.

Thus, only a few days after conquering Qingpu County, Li Chang’an led his troops to attack Pingdong County, which had just received the news and had not yet had time to prepare its defenses.

The battle for Pingdong County was slightly more difficult than the one for Qingpu County. However, faced with Li Chang’an’s utterly overwhelming personal might, the county was still conquered smoothly in the end.

This sent shockwaves through the Yaoqing Imperial Court and drew the eyes of the entire world.

Everyone was stunned to discover that the Chizhou Rebel Army, once thought to be nearly extinguished, had flared up again like an unquenchable wildfire. They had not only occupied Sanhuang County but had also conquered Qingpu and Pingdong counties in quick succession. Their spearhead was now aimed directly at Fengzhou Prefecture!

“The Azure Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven must rise. In the year of Jiazi, great fortune shall befall the world!”

The slogan Li Chang’an had shouted while conquering Qingpu County spread like the wind across the entire Central Plains.

And with it spread the name of this rebel force: the Taiping Army.

[Ding, Defying Fate successful!]

[Age Eight: The river surged, threatening to become a great flood once more. You strode upon the water and furiously slew a vicious flood dragon. Its blood stained the river red, and you successfully averted a cataclysm that was about to engulf Fengzhou!]

[Same Year: Relying on your own immense power, you conquered the two counties of Qingpu and Pingdong. Your growing might shook the entire Central Plains, and people began to call you the ’Taiping Immortal Master’!]

[Fate’s Trajectory Updated: Your existence has now drawn the full and fearful attention of the Yaoqing Imperial Court. Your death is set for the age of ten!]

As he read the message that appeared in his vision, Li Chang’an’s expression flickered through several changes.

’This time, the Rebirth Mark didn’t even specify the fate I would face—it just handed me a death sentence. I’ve walked on thin ice my entire life. Can I really not make it to the other side?’

…