Chapter 397 - Save us all, Na.s.ser
The next morning, the ten-day heavy snow finally stopped.
The chill after the snow could not stop the happiness that welled up inside of the people. After all, once they made it through that day and the next day, everything would be fine once the snow melted. They watched the first ray of the morning sun appeared in the skies above. It would be a good day. Furthermore, a fall of seasonable snow gave promise of a fruitful year, perhaps they would not starve as much in the coming year.
For these brutally victimized peasants, they would feel the very warmth from this tiny appearance of hope. Compared to those that were well-provided who grieved over the pa.s.sing of spring or felt sad with the advent of autumn, it was too easy to satisfy them. This was originally not a good matter but in this hopeless state of the country, they could only treat it as a good matter.
As per routine, Shen Lian gave out a pot of holy water. Once the last poor person who was attracted to come here had gotten the holy water, there was a mish-mash of the sounds of musical instruments that came from the street. Very quickly, a pale, mustache-less imperial guard reached to the front of Shen Lian on his horse, with a piercing tone he read out the imperial decree that he took out.
It turned out that the monarch had summoned Shen Lian for a meeting to treat his illness.
Once the imperial decree was out, everyone kept quiet. This was because the previous profound scholar that was nailed to death was also summoned to the palace. The monarch was sick and his temper only got more irritable. It would seem that this Daoist from the east was fraught with grim possibilities.
They did not realize that if they were to be in the past, they would not dare to critic the monarch in their minds.
The story that Shen Lian told them left a mark in their minds. Besides enduring the pain, they began to grasp the basic concept of what was right and wrong and had the urgency to leave this current state.
They even placed their hopes on Shen Lian, they needed someone to become the ma.s.s" leader.
Many of them even had a ridiculous thought of asking Shen Lian to not obey the imperial decree, and not enter the palace.
"Do not go, Na.s.ser." Finally, someone shouted out loud.
The meaning of Na.s.ser was very close to "Teacher" but it was more honorable. Only those who had become a G.o.d in the mind of the people were bestowed this t.i.tle.
Once there was the first one, there was the second one. The thoughts of the ma.s.ses began to converge, and there was a spiritual echo.
It was as though the word "Na.s.ser" had magical powers, it infected every peasant in the capital city. The tall and majestic udumbara began to sway, its leaves that were as big as snow pears danced in the air as it followed the rise and fall of the waves of sound.
It turned out that each and every one of them craved for a G.o.d-like Na.s.ser who was knowledgeable enough to know everything from the heaven to the earth, to save them and liberate them from all these sufferings. It turned out that they too, knew that this kind of life was too miserable. It was absolutely painful.
The oppression of a rebellion that could not be dispelled, but only silent the people.
But once the strength before this silence exploded, it usually outs.h.i.+nes the universe.
The imperial guard who pa.s.sed on the imperial decree got down from his horse. His face was paler than white paper and there was not a hint of color anymore. He was furiously trembling. These bunch of lowlife, how dare they behaved this way.
Even Fang Yanying could not stop this burning righteous ardor, while at the same time, the deepest part of her mind s.h.i.+vered a bit. If the people of Xi Huang were like the people of the Jinji Country, she was afraid that those all high and mighty cultivators would be torn to pieces by this insane current of the ma.s.s" wishes.
It turned out, even the trifle ones could let out their own shout, that their cries had the power to shake the heavens and earth.
She knew that this was not only because of her uncle-master. When the sky cleared up after the snow, the people started to feel hopeful and that restless wish to rebel was actually close to subsiding. But because of the monarch"s decree, it reminded the people about the cruel ending of that profound scholar. That was no longer bearable for them.
This was because their hope was built on Shen Lian, who would continue to help them in making it through the tougher days. But it seemed now that the monarch was about to burn that final thread of hope.
Even if the monarch did not punish Shen Lian, Shen Lian would be subdued by the monarch. Would he still be by the side of the people then?
The scary part was not the hopelessness. It was when one had endured hopelessness and then had hope presented to him, only to have it vehemently burnt away in ashes.
This kind of torture detonated the silent strength that had acc.u.mulated throughout the many years.
Shen Lian actually wanted to say this, "Silence, oh silence, when one does not explode in silence, one perishes in silence."
He had done many things but nothing made him so happy than that continuous calls of "Na.s.ser".
The countless wishes converged in the sky. That was the purest strength in essence under the divine aura of human nature. It was not enough to split the sky and land, nor destroy the world, but it could beat any cultivators into the dust of the mortal world.
The udumbara that was the foundation of the Jinji Country was even shaken. The government officials felt terrified but also a hint of unspeakable satisfaction. Many looked to the palace, hoping that that monarch would be exasperated and incapable of action.
Shen Lian finally opened his mouth. His own voice overpowered the thousands of other voices but it could not extinguish the boiling wishes of the ma.s.ses.
These wishes were too extreme as the most powerful side of the self-divine aura burst open. It definitely could not match the wishes that were converged by the Imperial Seal in the country of Zhou.
"I will go meet Shu Panna, but all of you do not need to be afraid. Today is a good day, tomorrow will be a better day, and everyone will be free." This was spoken using the strength of the Primordial Spirit. It resonated in the deepest corners of every people"s mind. It seemed as though it had calmed their restlessness but also made them steadier.
It seemed that they really recognized Shen Lian as the "Na.s.ser". This was the true G.o.d, who was as stalwart as Buddha.
Shen Lian followed the imperial guard, who was scared to the point of soiling himself, to the bottom of the udumbara. The first rays of the morning sun pierced through the cracked between the snow pear-like leaves. It infected the quietness of the shade of the tree, making Shen Lian seemed exceptionally aloof.
The monarch, Golden Wheel King, arrived. He neither walked here nor did he come in on a horse carriage.
There were a total of sixteen imposing G.o.ds in Golden Armor that lifted the golden giant chariot and approached with full of power and grandeur.
The fineries on every Golden Armored G.o.d looked like they were the heavenly kings from legends.
There were matchless ripples of Qi of vitality on them. They could separate a mountain in Xi Huang and make themselves king of that region if they were released, but now there were merely slaves of the Golden Wheel King.
In actuality, every Golden Armored G.o.d had his own background where Shen Lian could at least recognize. Unfortunately, they were caught by the Golden Wheel King to this place and became his slave, where they had no control over their own life and death.
The monarch"s voice was full of dignity as it rolled off like thunder, "Can you treat my illness?"
Shen Lian answered, "The dead should never have illnesses."
The monarch wore a wide robe. Even though his physique was not imposing, but his forehead was full and his gaze was sharp. Even the majestic eagle in the sky would crawl before him and not spread its wings and soar. His thundering voice boomed once again, "The dead also cannot treat. You must be asking for death."
"You must have taken the drug of immortality when your vigor was cut off. You think staying alive would earn you everything, and that is the reason why you would do anything to stay alive. That kind of immortality drug cannot give you limitless vigor when in actual fact, it is squeezing all of your potential, including your soul. Therefore, you used your clansman who had the same bloodline as you as a sacrifice to a demonic G.o.d in the unseen world. That way, only then you could continue keeping your powers and your body. However, it has been a long time since your last sacrifice, because you do not have any clansman of the same bloodline." Shen Lian spoke with confidence and composure, his facial expression was calm. The gleam in his eyes was caught by the monarch. That was the wisdom that gave insights into the facts.