Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao-Chapter 705 - 354: The World

"I don't know when it started, but the Lord of Heaven seemed as if He had taken the wrong medicine, constantly changing. Our crops continually decrease in yield, and the Emperor doesn't care about the life and death of us commoners, still imposing harsh taxes relentlessly. We have no choice but to hide in these mountains and forests, barely scraping by," Wang Er said with a sigh.

After a moment of contemplation, Chen Xiang asked, "If that's the case, why don't you rise up?" Ever since Chen Sheng and Wu Guang's rebellion, whenever the people could no longer sustain their livelihood, there would surely be those who took up poles as banners, chopped wood for weapons, and turned the universe upside down, changing the state of the realm.

"What is 'taking up poles as banners'?" Wang Er asked, puzzled, yet he thought to himself that an immortal really is an immortal, speaking in such profound and unfathomable ways.

"Ah!" Chen Xiang momentarily found himself at a loss for words, then realized that these people had lived here since the Qin Dynasty, without any contact with the outside world. How could they possibly know these later idioms?

"What I mean is, why don't you resist, gather the strength of the people and sweep across the realm, changing the world?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Er's face revealed a bitter smile, "The immortal might not know, but the Emperor has powerful Qi Cultivators under his command who can summon wind and rain, and even turn beans into soldiers. We mere mortals are no match for them, we can only hide in these mountains and forests, desperately trying to survive."

Saying this, Wang Er suddenly knelt on the ground, heavily kowtowed several times, turning his forehead bright red, and begged in a low voice, "I beseech the Immortal to show great mercy and save the suffering people here."

After thinking for a moment, Chen Xiang wondered where the Twelve Bronze Figures were hidden in this world. It might be good to follow and see, so he nodded lightly and said, "Lead the way!"

At these words, Wang Er could not help but tear up, thinking of his relatives who died of hunger and the children who starved to death by the roadside, and he quietly thought to himself, "The Lord of Heaven has finally opened His eyes!"

Following Wang Er, Chen Xiang proceeded towards their settlement. Meanwhile, Zhao Pu also opened his eyes to find himself lying in a dilapidated room. The thatched roof, due to long neglect, had a big hole through which sunlight streamed in, bringing a trace of light to the otherwise dark room.

"Young man, you're awake, come have some water!" An elderly voice called out, and Zhao Pu turned to see an old man with a face full of wrinkles and snow-white hair, carrying a chipped little bowl towards him.

After experiencing the transport through space, Zhao Pu indeed felt thirsty, so he drank a bowl of water. His parched body seemed to regain some vitality, and he sincerely said, "Thank you, old man."

However, the old man sighed and said, "Alas, in these times there's hardly any way to survive. This bowl of water is all I can offer you. Once you feel a bit better, you'd better leave this place quickly, or you'll only have starvation to face."

"What about you, old man?"

"Me, I'm just an old fellow halfway to the grave. I'll just wait to die here, better than dying in a foreign land," the old man said calmly, as if talking about someone else's death.

Zhao Pu was utterly shocked by the old man's indifference to death, unable to fathom what life events could have led the old man to harbor such emotions.

He struggled to his feet and walked outside, seeing a dilapidated scene with rows of empty houses, completely devoid of life. Occasional winds passed through these empty rooms, making a mournful sound.

The phrase "nine out of ten homes empty" suddenly appeared in his mind. Raised in peaceful times, Zhao Pu experienced for the first time the horrors of an age of chaos.

"Doesn't anyone care anymore?" Zhao Pu murmured to himself.

The old man was surprised as he asked, "Who would care?"

"What about the Imperial Court, don't they care?"

"The Imperial Court!" The old man's face showed a trace of mocking smile, then continued, "It's already good enough if the Imperial Court doesn't come for our lives. Both of my sons died serving the Imperial Court."

Zhao Pu stood silently. He knew from Chen Xiang that this world was where the Mausoleum of the First Emperor was located, and the Imperial Court, if nothing unusual, would be ruled by people of the Ying surname. He had once thought he would be proud to travel this world, but now all he felt was heaviness.

Not far from him, a modest carriage passed by, pulled by horses that were one in a thousand.

Sitting in the carriage was an old man with graying hair, dressed in dark clothes and wearing a Feathered Crown, looking solemn. Driving the carriage was a young man, lightly flicking the whip, creating a trail in the air and a crisp sound, yet the whip barely left any mark on the horses, showing the young man's excellent control over his strength.

"Master, I hear that you have been summoned to the capital this time to establish a new sovereign?"

The old man slightly lifted his eyes before responding, "You are quite well-informed."

"Nowadays, who doesn't know about it? Ying Xi is about to pass away, and the establishment of a new sovereign must be approved by the Qi Cultivators. I wonder, Master, which of the three Princes do you think is capable of ascending to that throne?" The young man asked with an excited expression, his age making him particularly interested in such gossip—especially since the old man in the carriage was truly a figure who could sway the situation of the world. Without exaggeration, whoever he approved as the heir would definitely ascend to the Golden Palace.

Contrary to the young man's joy, the old man sighed softly, slowly pulled back the carriage curtain, and responded with an unrelated comment, "Ah Niu, do you still remember what this place looked like last time we passed by?"

"Of course, I remember. It was twelve years ago; this place was very prosperous," Ah Niu said with a smile, recalling his childhood longing for this prosperous town.

"What are your thoughts now?"

Ah Niu suddenly fell silent, it took him a while before he said, "It's much more desolate now; I nearly thought we had come to the wrong place."

The old man heaved a long sigh, "Things are no longer the same. Just in a decade or so, the world has turned into this state. If I'm not mistaken, this place might still be considered good; many areas are already deserted. The Emperor is not a capable sovereign."

Indeed, Ah Niu knew that to say this sovereign was incapable was almost a praise for him. To speak disrespectfully, he was a sovereign who would lead to the downfall of his country, indulging in extreme luxury, completely disregarding the life and death of the common people, and causing widespread grievance within just over ten years of his rule.

"And his three children are not any better; naturally brutal, only knowing how to scheme against each other, not caring about the people at all. Handing over the world to them would be like handing it over to wolves and leopards," the old man said somewhat agitated.

"Yet, the Imperial Family's bloodline is limited to them now!" Ah Niu softly noted the harsh reality.