Journey to the West: Sun Wukong's Advice System-Chapter 241 - 239: Totems, Heroic Spirits, The Fall of Xin Mang_2

Chapter 241: Chapter 239: Totems, Heroic Spirits, The Fall of Xin Mang_2

Then engrave various totems on the Hall of Valiant Spirits, so that the totem system and the spirit system deeply integrate. Everyone will share in the glory and the losses, eliminating the issue of strong branches and a weak trunk," he said.

[You have received a new suggestion: As the path of humanity begins to show itself, establish the human spirit system to complete the suggestion and receive a ninth-rank treasure chest.]

[You have received a new suggestion: Combine the totem system with the spirit system to complete the suggestion and receive an eighth-rank treasure chest.]

"The spirit system?" Sun Wukong scratched his face, realizing that this is the Divine Position system of humanity.

However, what’s strange is that the reward for establishing the spirit system is a ninth-rank treasure chest, which is equivalent in difficulty to overthrowing the Three Realms and completing the Human Dao.

Wherein does the difficulty lie?

Sun Wukong had his suspicions.

Netizens also mentioned this point later on.

Happy White Wolf: "If the Ancestor of Dao is the antagonist, wanting humanity to always remain under the Heavenly Dao, then he surely wouldn’t allow the spirit system to be established so easily, right? This is like another form of Divine Enthronement!"

Imperial Bodyguard of the Celestial Dynasty: "Afraid of what? The Ancestor of Dao is now one with the Heavenly Dao, and even Saints cannot enter the Three Realms. Even if he wanted to stop us, he would be too far to reach. At most, he would send down some heavenly punishment to scare us,

but our Wukong fears neither the heavens nor the earth. Just do it and it’s done!"

"Right, just do it and it’s done!" A defiant light flashed in Sun Wukong’s eyes. He knew he had to be cautious, but he couldn’t always be timid.

Afterward, he read through the remaining replies and learned about many new things from many enthusiastic netizens, such as smelting techniques and gunpowder, etc.

These new things he’d learned quite a bit about in the past, like the Three Character Classic and the Thousand Character Classic, as well as the manufacturing methods of the Curved Plough and the waterwheel, which he taught to Liu Xiu, all were taught to him by enthusiastic netizens.

...

On the other hand, after Liu Xiu won the Battle of Kunyang, his prestige soared even higher, far exceeding that of the other rebel forces throughout the land.

However, among some rebel forces, it was clear that he was not a good candidate to support because his prestige was too great and difficult to manipulate.

Amongst the many rebel forces across the land were the Green Forest Army and the Red Eyebrows Army, both capable of matching Liu Xiu’s Han forces.

Before the Battle of Kunyang erupted, the Green Forest Army, located near Nanyang, sent people to propose an alliance with Liu Xiu’s Han forces, to unite their troops.

Liu Yan, who was looking after Nanyang, was tempted, as he was not very optimistic about the outcome of the Battle of Kunyang and urgently needed more troops to defend Nanyang.

However, he also saw that the Green Forest Army’s talk of alliance was actually an attempt to devour the Han forces.

The Green Forest Army had a strong and robust strength of eighty thousand troops—twice that of the Han forces—he had to tread carefully and not let the wolf into the house.

Liu Yan said to the Green Forest Army’s envoy, "An alliance is possible, but only if my younger brother Liu Xiu is revered as the supreme one!"

The Green Forest Army’s envoy laughed, "That might be inappropriate, don’t you think? Who to honor should be decided by military strength; the weak cannot command the strong, right?"

Liu Yan proudly said, "My younger brother signed his name on the Sash Decree and is a relative of the Han lineage. He is the rebellion leader against Wang Mang, designated by the Crown Prince of the Great Han himself!"

The Green Forest Army’s envoy laughed out loud, his laughter full of mockery: "What if he signed on the Sash Decree? Now that the world is in chaos and everyone is against Wang Mang, who would care about a mere sash?

As for being a relative of the Han lineage? There are countless such claimants across the land!"

Luger Yan became furious, "Throw this treasonous cur out who harbors ill intentions!"

By chasing away the Green Forest Army’s envoy, he intended to bargain for more concessions, and the Green Forest Army was certainly not going to create trouble for the Han forces over this matter.

Sure enough, a few days later, the Green Forest Army sent another envoy with higher status. This person was named Zhang Ang and was one of the main generals of the Green Forest Army.

But before Zhang Ang could discuss much with Liu Yan, a thunderous chant suddenly arose from outside Wancheng.

Going out to take a look, there was Liu Xiu returning with a hundred thousand Han troops.

He had left with twenty thousand men and returned with a hundred thousand.

Everyone was stunned.

Overjoyed beyond belief, Liu Yan laughed heartily to the sky: "My younger brother is unrivaled in the world!"

The Green Forest Army’s general Zhang Ang was dumbfounded. After hastily inquiring about the circumstances of the Battle of Kunyang, he left in a panic.

When Liu Xiu heard about the Green Forest Army’s attempt at forming an alliance, he sent an envoy to tell the Green Forest Army’s generals, "A divine omen has already descended: the Han lineage must rehabilitate. Those who disobey are counted among Wang Mang’s followers."

With the divine dragon subduing the great ape and calming Nanyang’s flood in the past, followed by the Battle of Kunyang’s victory against the odds and astonishing omens like the meteorite descent,

the Green Forest Army, after much struggle, finally abandoned their support for the cowardly Liu Xuan, also a descendant of Marquess of Chongling, and chose to join Liu Xiu’s Han forces and accept Liu Xiu as their leader.

By this point, the Red Han army’s strength had reached two hundred thousand.

Liu Xiu aggressively reformed and integrated the forces, using Nanyang Prefecture as the center to rapidly expand in all directions.

Three months later, the Red Han army breached Luoyang, and the life force of the new Wang Mang dynasty was almost completely exhausted.

While resting in Luoyang, dozens of generals including Liu Yan, Deng Yu, Zhu You, Li Tong, and Feng Yi co-signed a petition to Liu Xiu, urging him to ascend to the throne.

However, Liu Xiu refused, saying, "The Crown Prince of the Great Han is the rightful heir to the throne, if I proclaim myself emperor, how would I be any different from the traitorous Wang Mang?"

Upon hearing this, the eyes of all the soldiers turned red.

Seeing that they were on the verge of conquering the realm, could they really let the throne go to the child Liu Ying, who had been spoiled by Wang Mang?

But the rationale was clear: what Liu Xiu said was correct - if he proclaimed himself emperor, he would be no different from the traitorous Wang Mang!

Proclaiming himself emperor was temporarily set aside, but the spirits of the Red Han army’s officers and soldiers soared even higher, as if they were injected with new vigor.

Another three months passed, and the Red Han army breached Wuguan. Chang’an city was within their grasp.

...

Outside Chang’an city, within the Zhen Guo Temple.

Wang Mang had long lost his initial vigor and boldness. He was unkempt, his face covered with a gloom and panic that could not be dispelled, and once again he came to Zhen Guo Temple to see the Holy Monk Jia Ye.

For now, there was no army under heaven that could halt the advance of the Red Han army; even the heavens seemed to assist Liu Xiu.

In this situation, he thought of the Supreme One Jia Ye, who possessed great Divine Skills. If this holy monk intervened, surely he could repel the Red Han army.

Then he could negotiate with the Red Han army, defining the great river as the boundary to jointly govern the realm.

With these thoughts, Wang Mang, upon seeing Jia Ye, dispensed with the formalities and directly said, "Holy Monk, you are the only one who can save me and my kingdom now!"

Jia Ye folded his hands and said, "Amitabha, good, good. The Heavenly Dao has rules, we members of the divine cannot interfere with the succession of human kingdoms."

Upon hearing this, Wang Mang flew into a rage: "What use do I have for you then? Over the years, I have depleted the nation’s resources to build temples, how much benefit have you monks taken?

When I face difficulties, you all hesitate and lack sincerity. Do you think I’m a fool?"

Jia Ye sighed softly, while the National Teacher Wang Bodhisattva’s expression darkened.

Wang Mang ranted, somewhat maniacally, "Haha! I see clearly now, selfishness is the essence of the Buddha Sect!

How lamentable! If I were to live again, I would eradicate all the Buddhas!"

Even Jia Ye’s expression turned unsightly, but for now, they could only listen.

After Wang Mang left—alternating between angry laughter and tears, appearing utterly deranged—the two Buddha Sect powers remained silent for a long time.

Hearing the bells tolling outside, sensing the approaching fury and evil Qi, they knew the Red Han army was near.

The Supreme One Jia Ye lamented, "It is time to depart."

The National Teacher Wang Bodhisattva was very reluctant: "Thousands of temples have been built in the Southern Territory, and the Buddhist Law has only just begun to spread. The fortune of humanity is flowing westward, and the Buddha Sect is bound to flourish within a hundred years. Are we truly to depart now?

Can’t we discuss with Liu Xiu and preserve these temples?"

The Supreme One Jia Ye shook his head: "With Sun Wukong around, it’s impossible. Only if Liu Xiu dies, and a descendant of his ascends the throne, might we see a new opportunity."

The National Teacher Wang Bodhisattva fell silent, knowing Liu Xiu, who had just reached the Age of Crowned Adulthood and was young and robust, could probably live for several more decades.

By then, the foundations the Buddha Sect built in the Southern Territory over the years would likely have all been eradicated.

...

At the end of the second year of Tianfeng, as the sixth year of Wang Mang’s reign as emperor neared its end, the Red Han army breached Chang’an.

In the ensuing chaos, Wang Mang was dismembered by people while fleeing and his head, along with the Imperial Jade Seal, was sent to Liu Xiu.

Prior to this, Crown Prince of the Great Han Liu Ying, who was ignorant as livestock and could hardly speak, had disappeared without a trace.

A nation cannot be without a leader for a single day, so the generals and soldiers of the Red Han army once again urged Liu Xiu, who still declined, insisting on finding the Crown Prince, who was reportedly killed in one of Wang Mang’s fits of anger.

It wasn’t until someone asked whether the nation or the righteousness of a gentleman was weightier that Liu Xiu finally accepted the persuasion.

After mourning for Liu Ying, he ascended the throne, selected the era names Yuan and Wu to symbolize the renewal of the Han dynasty, and decided to retain "Han" as the state name.