He and It Chapter 229: Inquire Here (57)

Chapter 229: Inquire Here (57)

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: GaeaTiamat

 

Chishui City covered a thousand miles and had a water storage capacity far exceeding that of the neighboring kingdoms. The land, red like cinnabar, flowed with water of a muddy, reddish color, which gave the city its name, Chishui.

With a strong army and towering city walls, the previous King Chishui was well aware of the wisdom in not flaunting wealth, living modestly and discreetly. Then the young new king inherited the throne, and he decided to make a great achievement for the benefit of the people by opening the city gates and welcoming the refugees who had heard of their good fortune.

As soon as the news spread, it attracted not only wandering tribes but also merchant caravans and spies from other kingdoms. Within just a few days, ten or so small settlements had sprung up outside the city, and noise and chaos filled the air day and night, so it was busier than a vegetable market.

Liu Fuguang treated the beggars, left behind water and bread, then said his farewells to that city. Now, he stood outside Chishui City with Yan Huan and watched the bustling scene before them.

“Do you think the new King Chishui is the God of Drought?” Yan Huan asked.

Liu Fuguang replied, “Otherwise? Why would the Mirror of the World lead us here?”

The two of them continued to watch for a while. Even though their cultivation bases were suppressed to the Golden Core stage, their divine senses still allowed them to clearly perceive movements within a hundred miles around them.

The discontented and confused citizens, the numb and dazed slaves, the doubtful soldiers, and the officials that secretly discussed the new king’s policies – he had very few supporters even within the royal court.

“What exactly does he want to do…?” Liu Fuguang mused.

Yan Huan said, “Why not go see the person in question?”

Therefore, they concealed themselves and flew toward the royal palace.

The new king, who was just over twenty years old and in the prime of youth, had striking facial features. Like his late father, his skin was dark, and his hair and eyebrows had a reddish tint, which made his face appear like it had been scorched by fire. He wore a golden crown and a royal robe as he sat alone in his chambers, lost in thought.

Liu Fuguang pondered for a moment, then blew a bubble of crystal-clear light from his palm, which covered the head of King Chishui.

The new king abruptly sighed deeply and began to voice his troubles aloud.

Yan Huan, surprised, said, “I didn’t know you had this ability. Why haven’t I seen you use it before?”

“It’s nothing special. It only makes people’s words match their hearts. It’s not much of a trick,” Liu Fuguang replied. “Shh, listen carefully.”

“The resistance inside and outside the palace is overwhelming. How can I fulfill my vision?” King Chishui muttered to himself. “When I was young, I once disguised myself and secretly left the royal city, mingling among the common people to see how they lived. However, I didn’t expect when the city gates opened, the army would capture the wandering tribes outside, and turn them into slaves. The leaders of the tribes, along with their families, walked at the front. The leader was old and frail, his body tattooed, his lips adorned with animal teeth…”

He paused for a moment, then sighed again. “At that time, there was a widespread saying that the leaders of the wandering tribes were descendants of evil gods. If one could obtain even a small token from them and bring it back to use as a talisman, evil would be kept at bay. So, as soon as they entered the city, they were swarmed by the townspeople.”

“At first, it was their animal teeth and clothes, then their ears and hair, and later their fingers, toes, severed limbs, and pieces of flesh…” King Chishui covered his face, as he spoke in a low voice. “I heard so many sounds. The sharpest and most piercing was the cry of the children. It was so shrill and unbearable until even the cries eventually ceased. When the crowd dispersed, the leader and his family had disappeared completely…Even the blood on the ground was scraped up and taken away with the dirt.”

He lowered his hands, and his eyes were filled with bloodshot veins.

“I fled in panic. After returning, I had nightmares for a month,” King Chishui said. “Perhaps it’s because we’re of similar backgrounds, and seeing the death of the rabbit makes one mourn for the fox. I can’t help but wonder: if one day, our kingdoms go to war and we lose, as the heir to the throne, would I too face the same fate? Would my family be dragged through the streets like animals, and torn apart by hundreds or thousands of hands?”

“Then, I thought about it. My people are human, and the refugees who were torn apart were also human. Aren’t they the same species? What difference is there, other than one having a more advantage than the other? Why must one side treat the other with such cruelty, even to the point of becoming a maddened beast?”

Liu Fuguang said nothing, while Yan Huan, upon hearing the heartfelt confession, had to hide the mocking expression on his face.

King Chishui continued, “I wanted to change the situation, but I didn’t know how. So, I turned to ancient texts for answers. In the following years, I read about a beautiful world in one book. Under the teachings of the saints, there would be no more war or poverty. Everyone would be as close as family, living harmoniously, with no one picking up what others had lost and doors left open at night.”

“The shock I felt at that moment, I still remember it clearly. I held the book and, just imagining such a scene, I cried uncontrollably, unable to stop. Did such a world really exist? I don’t know. But I knew this: I’d found my ideal, and I must build such a world.”

Liu Fuguang sighed.

“That’s fake. A world like that doesn’t exist. The direction is right, but the method and the ideas are completely wrong.”

Yan Huan was quite surprised.

“I thought you would encourage him,” he said. “After all, he sounds like a good person.”

Liu Fuguang replied, “Being a good person doesn’t mean much. Throughout history, there have been so many examples of well-meaning people causing harm.”

“If you were him, how would you resolve this?” Yan Huan asked again.

Liu Fuguang answered, “First, walk ten thousand miles. Talking about war on paper is always just empty words.”

As soon as he said that, a silver light, reflected by a mirror, suddenly flashed before him.

The space emitted a sharp, resonating sound that momentarily separated him from Yan Huan. Liu Fuguang turned around in surprise and saw the light between them distort, like a piece of jelly that had cracked and then been forced back together.

King Chishui stood up abruptly and shouted, “Who are you?!”

Liu Fuguang turned again and saw King Chishui was staring at him, while one hand rested on his sword at his waist.

The Mirror of the World had actually removed the concealment spell, and revealed him in front of a mere mortal.

“Calm down!” Liu Fuguang immediately urged Yan Huan, who was ready to act. “Don’t waste your strength here. I’m fine!”

“It’s an inanimate object, daring to make trouble here!” Separated from Liu Fuguang in the two different spaces, Yan Huan’s anger flared up. His dragon tail slammed hard against the barrier created by the mirror. “I will —”

“Calm down,” Liu Fuguang repeated, as he stared at him. “After all this time, the Drought God couldn’t do anything to us. Why would he suddenly take action now? It must be something I said that caught the mirror’s attention.”

With that, he turned back to face the startled King Chishui.

“Your…your proposal is unreliable?” he asked cautiously. “Your ideas and policies are naive, laughable, and completely immature?”

He had originally intended to probe the keywords of the mirror, but King Chishui misunderstood. His lips parted, and his handsome face was filled with confusion as he slowly lowered his hand from his sword.

“…An immortal?”

After trying for a while, there was no result. It seemed the mirror’s only purpose was to give Liu Fuguang a lesson, forcing him to reveal himself in front of King Chishui.

Liu Fuguang felt helpless, while Yan Huan exploded with filthy and venomous curses that seemed to center around the Drought God and his mirror, extending even to his ancestors’ eighteenth generation.

Liu Fuguang heard part of it. The curse roughly described the Drought God and his relatives giving birth to adult wild boars without anesthesia…among other things.

“Immortal, please teach me!” King Chishui suddenly grew agitated, and knelt on one knee before Liu Fuguang, and bowed deeply. “I’ve sincerely sought your guidance for ten years!”

Liu Fuguang thought for a moment, as he ignored the angry shouts of Yan Huan in the background. Could this be the mirror’s goal? To have him help the King of Chishui fulfill his wishes?

But what use would that be? Their goal was to find the root of the Drought God and a way out…Could what happened in the mirror actually affect reality?

“…I am not an immortal,” Liu Fuguang said. “However, I can help you, as long as you’re willing to listen to me.”

When he heard that, Yan Huan stopped roaring and panted heavily, then spoke again in human language. “Fuguang, are you going to help him govern the country?”

“Why not?” Liu Fuguang countered. “Don’t forget, before my identity as Supreme Goodness was revealed, I was the heir to the Sunlit Kingdom.”

Yan Huan froze for a moment, then his emotions settled as he gradually fell silent.

Liu Fuguang, born into a royal family, was naturally skilled at discerning human nature and making judgments about the world. Empress Xi and Cheng Zong had provided him with the best education in the world, but the teachers always came with great pride, only to leave in shame. Often they greeted his parents with a quick, “Hello, goodbye, I couldn’t teach this student.”

After making the world’s masters retreat in defeat, helping King Chishui govern a country was nearly effortless for him.

“What is your goal?” Liu Fuguang asked. “Don’t call me an immortal. Just call me Teacher.”

“Yes, Teacher,” King Chishui replied respectfully. “As I mentioned before, my goal is to establish…”

He repeated his vision, and Liu Fuguang didn’t hold back, as he stated bluntly. “That’s impossible. Give up.”

King Chishui was stunned. “Teacher, why…”

“Unless humans cease to be human and human nature disappears, to achieve what you’re describing is impossible,” Liu Fuguang said. “I can tell you that no world would have a place like the one you imagine, because in your concept – or the concept in that book – there is no room for Supreme Evil. Only light, beauty, and kindness…things like that.”

King Chishui asked in disbelief, “Isn’t that good?”

“Without darkness, what is the color of light?” Liu Fuguang retorted. “Don’t make assumptions! Going to extremes will only trap you in a dead end. You are a king, and an emperor. The higher you stand, the more you need to learn the importance of balance and careful consideration. Otherwise, no matter how high your position or how much power you have, countless lives will be lost because of your extreme ideals. Didn’t anyone teach you this lesson when you came of age?”

King Chishui was taken aback by the harsh reprimand, as if struck by thunder. He quickly focused, and listened attentively to Liu Fuguang.

“Now, choose a new goal,” Liu Fuguang said. “Follow what I just said.”

King Chishui opened his mouth but couldn’t speak. He had spent ten years gazing at everything in his ideal world. Now, asking him to change his path wasn’t easy.

He hesitated for a while, and sweat began to form on his forehead. Liu Fuguang remained silent and patiently waited for his answer.

After a long pause, King Chishui stammered, “I…I think…If, after all these years of drought, everyone could unite and support each other, then…”

Liu Fuguang’s expression became complicated. He really didn’t know how someone like the King of Chishui emerged from this harsh world.

…Perhaps he was one of the effects I’ve had on the Three Thousand Worlds?

“That’s still too big. It would take decades of effort to achieve,” Liu Fuguang said. “Try again.”

Helpless, the King of Chishui finally said, “Then, I want to establish a consensus, so that even slaves from defeated countries can have a chance to survive and buy their freedom…and they won’t be torn apart when paraded through the streets.”

“Mmm,” Liu Fuguang said. “That’s more doable.”

“Wouldn’t it be too insignificant?” King Chishui asked reluctantly.

“Insignificant?” Liu Fuguang said. “How long do mortals live? Only a hundred years. If you want to change the world’s views, it’ll take at least several decades – half a lifetime of struggle. How could that be insignificant? Don’t think you can accomplish everything at once.”

King Chishui felt awkward, but convinced by Liu Fuguang’s words. Perhaps, on some level, he also sighed in relief.

Since he had revised his wish, some of his previous decisions no longer seemed necessary. King Chishui decided to urgently discuss matters with his court officials. After he left, Yan Huan withdrew the jealous, venomous gaze he’d cast on the other man and turned to look at his partner with a loving and infatuated expression.

“Fuguang, you really have an aura,” Yan Huan said tenderly, admiringly. “I didn’t know you could be such a great teacher.”

Liu Fuguang thought to himself, Don’t think I don’t know what you want. You just want me to scold you with the same tone I used on King Chishui, don’t you?

So he didn’t say anything and just vaguely made a couple of “mm-hm” sounds.

So, Liu Fuguang officially became the Imperial Tutor.

Thanks to his advice, King Chishui no longer accepted refugees indiscriminately, but the merchant caravans did provide the best way to communicate with the outside world. Liu Fuguang taught King Chishui techniques for forging swords and armor, how to purify water, and how to plant drought-resistant crops.

“Teacher means for me to expand the army?” King Chishui asked.

Liu Fuguang patiently explained, “I’m not telling you to expand the army. Didn’t your Crown Prince tutor teach you this…? Well, I’ll teach you now. The foundation of a nation’s stability lies in its economy, but the focus is on the military – on powerful strength. It’s not because you’re king that you have power and the right to make decisions. It’s because, as king, you control powerful forces that you can make decisions. You’ve just ascended the throne, and you can’t even fully control Chishui, so how are you going to resist other countries?”

“Do you know what the fundamental strength of an army is?”

King Chishui replied, “I know this. Money and supplies are the foundation for the army.”

Liu Fuguang nodded. “Chishui is blessed with water resources. With the purification methods I’ve taught you, the annual trade from merchant caravans and international partners alone could generate a large income. As for food, drought-resistant crops are sufficient. Once you have control of the army, things will be much easier.”

King Chishui followed his advice. Though naturally innocent, he was a meticulous student. He worked earnestly, and made steady progress. In less than five years, the new policies were gradually implemented, and the army’s development was effective.

“Why do I always have officials in the court who oppose me?” he complained to Liu Fuguang. “Whatever I propose, they always say this won’t work, that won’t work. Teacher, I once read in a book that the art of ruling can control officials. Please teach me what the art of ruling is!”

Liu Fuguang pulled his focus from his chessboard and looked up at him.

“What art of ruling?” he asked. “Manipulating power, battlefield tactics, understanding the heavens and human hearts? Do you think those are the arts of a ruler?”

King Chishui nodded silently.

On the other side of Liu Fuguang, where the king couldn’t hear or see, Yan Huan burst into laughter.

Liu Fuguang sneered. “The so-called art of ruling is just a bunch of nonsense! What I want from you is balance and careful consideration. I’m not asking you to suppress people’s hearts, because your ministers are not idiots. The wisdom of many people is always deeper than that of one. Your position is above thousands, like a leisurely giant whale. Your ministers, however, struggle in court, competing with each other and dealing with power struggles. They’re no different from ruthless sharks. Do you want to compare heart tactics with them? Do you believe that once you start, they won’t unite against you and tear you apart?”

King Chishui was shocked. “But I’m their king!”

“You could be their mother, and it would still end the same,” Liu Fuguang said, as he picked up a white piece. He spoke calmly. “How many times have I told you? People’s hearts are made of flesh. Only sincerity can earn sincerity. Your position naturally puts you above them. To gain the affection of your ministers is as easy as flipping your hand.”

“But…” King Chishui still argued. “Isn’t that embarrassing?”

When he saw him hesitate, Liu Fuguang looked down at the chessboard and dropped a piece. The sound echoed crisply.

“Is it embarrassing?” he asked. “Let me tell you what’s embarrassing.”

Before King Chishui could respond, Liu Fuguang asked, “How many people are in Chishui’s main city? How many slaves have yet to benefit from the new policies? How much land has been reclaimed for farmland, and how much grain can be harvested this season? How much of that is available for every person? Are the subsidies for the elderly and children being issued on time? Does everyone know that if a family has five or more members, they can be exempt from a third of their tax payments? How is the trade going this year, and is the treasury filling up as expected? Are there officials embezzling funds? Last month, you said that there were growing issues with soldiers withholding grain rations. Have you found a solution? If you find these questions too difficult to answer, I’ll ask a simpler one. What is the price of an egg in the market this morning?”

King Chishui was dumbstruck. His lips moved back and forth. He could answer the first few questions, but as Liu Fuguang continued questioning him, his mind became muddled. When he heard the last question, he instinctively guessed, “An egg is one…one silver?”

Liu Fuguang dropped a black piece onto the board with a sharp “clink.”

“That is what’s embarrassing,” Liu Fuguang said. “One silver is the price of twelve eggs. Go now, and stop asking about the art of ruling. I’ve never seen such a thing.”

King Chishui’s head was spinning, and he repeatedly recalled the questions in his mind as he stumbled away in confusion.

As Yan Huan stared at Liu Fuguang’s dignified, jade-like face, his breath quickened, and his blood felt as though it were boiling.

Liu Fuguang placed another piece on the board and said, “You lost.”

Yan Huan, already burning with desire, felt a sharp twitch in his lower abdomen as the words hit him like a burst of fiery heat.

“Yes,” he whispered. “I lost.”

As time passed, King Chishui’s goals became closer and closer. Chishui City was stable and prosperous, with great respect commanded by the king both in the military and among the people.

In one battle the invaders were repelled, and Chishui’s army returned victorious. After he captured the enemy’s city, King Chishui set an example for his people by following the new policies. He showed unprecedented mercy toward the prisoners of war. He allowed them the chance to work and even gave them the opportunity to buy their freedom instead of dying at the hands of merciless slave masters.

“I’ve taken the first step!” King Chishui said excitedly to Liu Fuguang. Now a man in his thirties, he beamed with pride. “I’ve done it!”

Liu Fuguang congratulated him. Over the past decade, he and Yan Huan still hadn’t figured out how to leave the space they were trapped in, as it seemed the mirror stubbornly wanted to keep them there.

With the help of cultivators, Chishui’s army was nearly undefeated. King Chishui’s name spread across the Sand Sea, and he was hailed as a benevolent ruler. Even some former tyrants had been forced to adopt more lenient strategies to manage their people, lest they lose the hearts of their subjects to him.

Everything seemed to be heading in the right direction.

Until one day many years later. Liu Fuguang would always remember that day with clarity.

On that day, the sky suddenly darkened.

A strange eclipse lasted for seven days. Seven days later, several nations in the Sand Sea, without any coordination, united to attack Chishui. Meanwhile, rumors spread widely, and floated swiftly across the land.

Many said that King Chishui was the true cause of the great drought because he was the drought demon. Only by destroying his body could the endless drought be ended.

The rumors spread like wildfire. King Chishui wanted to consult Liu Fuguang on how to respond, but it was no longer possible. From the moment the eclipse began, the mirror had completely separated Liu Fuguang from him, placing him and Yan Huan in the same space.

His teacher was gone.

King Chishui refused to believe it, but reality left no room for him to fall apart. Chishui’s army immediately mobilized to battle the allied forces of multiple nations. Decades of hard work were about to crumble. After years of warfare, King Chishui had never encountered such a frenzied army. It was as though the eclipse had mutated people. They had become bloodthirsty and savage.

The deep chill that ran through his bones once again spread through his veins. He wasn’t sure if he would win the battle, or even if he could survive the madness.

One city after another fell. The battlefield turned into a slaughterhouse, and reports of “cannibalism” flooded his desk. The human heart was so restless and brutal that even the most basic physiological needs, hunger and thirst, couldn’t suppress the growing aggression of the people.

Something was changing, something irreversible. King Chishui knew it deep in his heart. Defeat was already inevitable. After all, it was easy for one person to defeat another, but it was nearly impossible to defeat a madman who killed like a demon.

At that moment, King Chishui suddenly understood a cruel truth.

Perhaps, it was only when people faced a common enemy that they could unite.

That truth was so brutal it bordered on the absurd. The day Chishui’s capital was overwhelmed by the frenzied crowd, King Chishui stood up and faced the dark sky, confused.

His hair and beard had turned white from exhaustion and fear, as if he were an elderly man.

Teacher, I read in the ancient texts that Chishui was the exile of the drought goddess, and the goddess fought for the people, but they still abandoned her. Is it possible that the royal family of Chishui is the true lineage of the sin god?

There was no answer. Liu Fuguang watched helplessly as the city fell into a sea of blood and fire. When King Chishui, exhausted from his final fight, was dragged from the palace to the square, he was still alive.

Even when his skin was peeled off, his flesh cut, and he was mutilated as a sacrifice to the heavens, he was still alive.

The frenzied crowd cried out the king’s title as they offered the “sin god’s” descendant, the merciful king, to the heavens and the earth. Perhaps, by doing so, the rain would finally fall.

Ten years ago, the road to the palace had been a frantic escape for others. Today, that very road had become a path to his death.

“He really was the drought god…” Liu Fuguang murmured bitterly. “King Chishui…he truly was the Drought God.”

Yan Huan gripped his shoulder and was about to offer comfort when the mirror flipped, and the world reversed. Time seemed to rewind, as though in an instant – or perhaps over several decades of twisted chaos – the violent scenes shifted and eventually returned to a grand palace.

The young King Chishui stood, put his hand on his sword, shocked. “Who are you?!”

Yan Huan, still with his hand extended, looked up in surprise. This time, the one who was cast out was himself. Liu Fuguang, his tears still not dry, stood frozen in the new space, and stared at him.

Yan Huan turned to face the terrified young king and, with an emotionless expression, said, “I am your grandfather.”