Chapter 122: Man-Eating

Page (1/3)

The scene Zhu Qizhen had imagined—Yang Xin being suppressed—never materialized. The Golden Dragon of Destiny roared as it charged toward Yang, but before reaching him, it dissolved into scattered starlight. Unwilling to believe in such a failure, Zhu Qizhen immediately summoned a more powerful Golden Dragon of Destiny to subdue Yang Xin. Yet Yang remained completely unfazed; the human destiny power that could suppress this world was utterly ineffective against him.

“An immortal worthy of the title indeed—human destiny suppression cannot harm him in the slightest,” Zhu Qizhen said with a grin, as if the previous test had never occurred.

“Ever seen a fist the size of a cooking pot?” Yang Xin raised his fist, as large as a pot.

Yang Xin understood Zhu Qizhen’s reluctance to be controlled, but no matter the understanding, a master remained a master. Understanding did not mean acceptance. Yang felt it his duty to make Zhu Qizhen face reality.

How to make him see the truth? A harsh lesson from society would suffice. So Zhu Qizhen took a beating. Perhaps Yang Xin felt one beating wasn’t enough to bring Zhu Qizhen to terms with reality. After healing him with his Immortal Palm technique, he beat him again.

This was an emperor, albeit of a minor world, but an emperor nonetheless. Feeling unsatisfied, Yang Xin healed Zhu Qizhen once more, only to thrash him again.

“Immortal, I was wrong! I should not have tested you,” Zhu Qizhen wept bitterly.

“To recognize one’s mistakes and correct them is the greatest virtue—Amitabha… no, wait, I belong to the Daoist sect, so I should chant to the Infinite Heavenly Venerable,” Yang Xin said, then beat him once again.

At this moment, Yang Xin felt no sympathy for Zhu Qizhen. Zhu’s attempt to suppress him with human destiny power had crossed a line. Since Zhu was ruthless, Yang would not show mercy.

After the beating, Yang Xin felt refreshed.

“Bring me the deeds to the Shaolin Temple lands on Mount Song,” Yang Xin commanded imperiously.

Zhu Qizhen realized his trump card was useless against Yang Xin and complied obediently. He ordered the chief eunuch Jin Ying to gather all the land deeds of Shaolin Temple. To comfort himself, he recited phrases like, “The dragon’s power can be great or small, rising or hidden; great it stirs clouds and mist, small it conceals itself; rising it flies through the cosmos, hidden it lurks beneath the waves.”

“Flexibility is key to great achievements. Rest assured, I won’t stay in this world long...” Yang Xin raised an eyebrow.

Zhu Qizhen instantly understood: as long as Yang Xin was here, even a dragon must coil, even a tiger must crouch. But once Yang left, Zhu would become the supreme ruler, free to act at will.

Soon Jin Ying arrived, not alone but with eight small eunuchs carrying four large chests.

“Your Majesty, Immortal Lord, these are all the land deeds of Shaolin. The temple’s holdings include over ten thousand acres of fertile land at the foot of Mount Song, as well as properties throughout the Central Plains. It’s estimated that about one-third of the farmland in the Central Plains belongs to Shaolin, and all these are prime lands.”

Page (2/3)

“Ah...” Yang Xin inhaled deeply. “Shaolin—a foreign sect—is this wealthy?”

“Immortal Lord, that’s only the land. There’s also a vast daily income from incense offerings. Lay disciples spread across Ming territories collect wealth for Shaolin. These revenues are hard to tally quickly. Describing them as wealth rivaling nations wouldn’t be an exaggeration,” Jin Ying sighed.

“The Southern Dynasties boasted 480 temples, countless pavilions veiled in mist and rain. I never imagined such riches. It seems I’ve been truly ignorant...” Yang Xin sighed repeatedly.

“Immortal Lord...” Jin Ying hesitated, glancing at Zhu Qizhen and then at Yang Xin.

“There’s nothing you can’t say openly! Speak freely to the Immortal Lord. No concealment allowed,” Zhu Qizhen frowned, snorting coldly.

Zhu Qizhen was powerless before Yang Xin, who was like a younger brother to him. Yet in Jin Ying’s eyes, Zhu Qizhen was the sovereign emperor, whose word was law.

Feeling overwhelmed by the immense pressure, Jin Ying knelt with a thud and hurriedly said, “Immortal Lord, do not be deceived by Shaolin’s appearance of Buddhist mercy. They are more ruthless than the Sun and Moon Cult. For example, every year, seven or eight out of ten tenant farmers who cannot pay rent are driven to death by them—numbering over a thousand annually. The gilded Buddha statues in the Great Hero Hall are actually built upon the piled bones of Ming subjects.”

“The authorities don’t intervene?!” Yang Xin frowned and asked coldly.

“The Empress Dowager Zhang is a devout Buddhist, setting an example from the top. Local officials dare not interfere,” Zhu Qizhen said angrily, his face ashen.

Looking at the mountain of deeds, Yang Xin seemed to see countless Ming people suffering and wailing under Buddhist oppression. The world appeared drenched in tears and blood.

Yang Xin then thought of Mount Hua. Though it also owned land, the Mount Hua Sect charged very low rent and was extremely lenient with tenants. In times of natural disaster, they would waive rent altogether. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be so poor, rarely eating meat even after ten or fifteen days.

Buddhism: in troubled times, close the mountains and avoid the world; in prosperous times, open the gates and welcome offerings.

Daoism: in troubled times, descend the mountains to save the world; in prosperous times, retreat for cultivation.

“Buddhism!” Yang Xin said coldly, as a strange passage suddenly appeared in his mind: “I opened history to check but found no dates; on every crooked page were written the words ‘benevolence, righteousness, morality, and virtue.’ I couldn’t sleep and read till midnight, only to see through the words that the whole book said one thing: ‘cannibalism.’”

Even the term “cannibalism” barely captured the depths of their depravity.

“Cancel these deeds. Transfer all Shaolin lands under the name of the Immortal Peak Sect. I will handle the rest. After everything is settled, Immortal Peak will keep only half the lands; the rest will be confiscated. This is the second task I assign you.”

Jin Ying glanced discreetly at Zhu Qizhen, who barely nodded. Jin Ying then summoned a swarm of young eunuchs to begin transferring Shaolin’s lands without involving the Ministry of Revenue or local authorities. All properties were shifted directly to Immortal Peak, sealed with the Imperial Jade Seal.

Page (3/3)

The moment the Imperial Jade Seal stamped the deed, Shaolin’s guardian monks—Fang Zheng and Fang Sheng—and Mount Song’s Zuo Lengchan, Mount Hua’s Yue Buqun, and Mount Heng’s Mo Da all raised their heads to the sky, their hearts stirred. Fang Zheng and Fang Sheng vaguely felt they had lost something; Zuo Lengchan, Yue Buqun, and Mo Da sensed a great opportunity descending upon them.

“Make the Immortal Peak Sect the sole officially designated sect of the Ming Human Empire! Share the national destiny, rise and fall with the nation. As long as Ming endures, Immortal Peak shall not perish. This is the third task I assign you,” Yang Xin said.

“May I, like the great ninja villages in Naruto, isolate Immortal Peak as an independent entity to resolve martial world disputes and affairs on my behalf?” Zhu Qizhen asked after a moment’s thought.

“Yes! And all future Immortal Peak leaders and elders will report to the emperor for approval before assuming office,” Yang Xin nodded. He understood Zhu’s concerns about Immortal Peak becoming a more terrifying force than Shaolin.

“What about the taxes on Immortal Peak’s lands?” Zhu Qizhen asked the crucial question.

“You wish to strip officials and gentry of their privileges and unify tax collection?” Yang Xin countered.

“That is inevitable. I intend to build an eternal human empire. My realm will tolerate no uncontrolled entities,” Zhu Qizhen replied coldly.

“Since officials and gentry must pay taxes, Immortal Peak is no exception. Neither are any sects of the martial world. If local officials cannot act, Immortal Peak can intervene on their behalf.”

Zhu Qizhen’s eyes brightened. He immediately drafted an imperial edict appointing Immortal Peak as the sole officially designated sect of the Ming Human Empire, personally sealing it with the Imperial Jade Seal.

Yang Xin placed the freshly acquired land deeds and imperial edict into his four-dimensional pocket. Then, with a gesture through the void, a circular golden portal appeared. Stepping through, Yang Xin returned to Mount Hua.

Watching the portal, Zhu Qizhen’s eyes flickered with conflicting emotions. Finally, he sighed deeply, resigning himself to the impossibility of defeating Yang Xin. To deal with such a man, one must strike to kill. Otherwise, the consequences would be endless. Yang Xin’s mastery of ninja arts alone gave Zhu Qizhen a splitting headache. Heaven only knew what other tricks Yang possessed.

Since Yang Xin could not be overcome and had done nothing outrageous—in fact, all his actions benefited the Ming Human Empire and its prosperity—Zhu Qizhen resolved to let things be, especially as Yang would not remain in this realm long.

Upon arriving at Mount Hua, Yang Xin’s first act was to summon Linghu Chong.