Chapter 312 –

“Understood!” Wu Qian Qian’s mind reeled in shook. Tie Bu Tian’s speech contained a tinge of cornered desperation and bitterness, so much so that even an illiterate would be able to feel the underlying emotions beneath it!

Sacrificing everything for the final battle! A fight to the death!

I’d rather incinerate both jade and common stone, than to live like a street rat!

(TN: just in case, it means destroying all indiscriminately)

“Don’t be worried.” Tie Bu Tian seemed to have seen through Wu Qian Qian’s emotions, and added, “Our Iron Cloud nation is tremendous, and talents are innumerable…… If we win, we will have plenty of time to sort out this mess, and slowly develop our talents again; gradually ascending to recovery as a whole… … that time, we won’t have to be fearful of anyone standing in the way. We would have a lifetime, definitely sufficient time to rebuild.”

“Yet if we lose… … then all the more we shouldn’t worry.” Tie Bu Tian smiled strangely and continued, “That will become Diwu Qing Rou’s problem.”

So that’s the reason!

Wu Qian Qian came to realisation.

Tie Bu Tian’s decision had already factored in the possibility of winning or losing.

Citizens were filled with blind faith, yet……..even in blind faith, someone of sufficient status must still step forward and uphold the banners for…….perhaps the brave warriors, or perhaps the subjugated slaves of the future! Everything relies on just one to take initiative to lead……

Citing a clearer example; A governor could take the lead and establish a base of operation, but a traitor too, could similarly raise up a false government.

From the ancient times till now, throughout vast continents and eras, there had been no exceptions! Not a single exception!

Though Tie Bu Tian’s way of handling may appear vicious, but in reality it severed the chances of Diwu Qing Rou being able to unite Iron Cloud within the shortest time, in the event that Iron Cloud loses the war.

With the traitors within the top brass all slain, even if traitors appeared within the remnants, they would at most be at a village lord level…….

A bunch of dragons without a head, could not be considered as powerful!

Speaking from this perspective, Tie Bu Tian had already made preparations to incinerate both jade and common stone! Actually… … it had already been prepared beforehand!

From this, one could merely see a fragment of the unyielding spirit of Tie Bu Tian!

(TN: There may be disputes over this line in terms of translation. Author uses this phrase (由此可見一般) which means that his unyielding spirit is ordinary. But further investigations seem to suggest it can also mean seeing a slight display of his unyielding spirit.)

“I understand.” Wu Qian Qian solemnly replied.

“It is good that you understand!” Tie Bu Tian casted a warm gaze at her. his face was beaming with gentleness as added in a light tone, “This matter, I will bequeath full authority to you, King of Hell Chu to handle. You are permitted to muster… … every force…… under me!”

Every force beneath the Emperor!

Wu Qian Qian trembled in response, “I will not forsake the immense trust of Your Majesty!”

Tie Bu Tian nodded and smile, “Right now, the Great Zhao is in a full-scale upheaval. Even if Diwu Qing Rou wishes to retaliate, he has no means of doing so! Therefore, it is imperative we conclude our own purging, before the chaos dies down in the Great Zhao!”

“To achieve this goal, I confer this authority that you may…….employ any drastic means as you deem fit!” Tie Bu Tian declared with grave severity.

“Understood.”

Tie Bu Tian couldn’t help feeling anxious. Though he was issuing these exact words to the ministers of Bu Tian Pavilion, yet these ministers were entirely different from another minister.

If it was Chu Yang whom he was addressing, then he wouldn’t dare uttering the words ‘conferring authority to employ any drastic means’! Because needless to say……Chu Yang was already exceedingly drastic! Tremendously drastic! To put it clearly……Tie Bu Tian was truly afraid that Chu Yang would annihilate the entire population……

However, it was an entirely different affair facing Wu Qian Qian.

“As for those high-ranking general spies in our army…….we can only wait till any opportune time. I must visit the frontlines and coordinate with Imperial Uncle first, before we can thoroughly remove the weeds! With just the current might of our Bu Tian Pavilion, to deal with those individuals…..it is still insufficient.”

“Understood.”

“I have nothing else, Qian Qian……” Tie Bu Tian’s voice became mellow, as his eyes flashed with unspeakable emotions. he sighed gently and muttered, “You aren’t him, you need not assume his posture in front of me……or imitate his voice or conduct…….”

“Your majesty, please call me Minister Chu…….or just minister.” Wu Qian Qian retreated a step back in circumspect, as she answered with cold reverence, “Your subject extremely fancies your majesty addressing me by my humble court position, and not my……name!”

Tie Bu Tian giggled helplessly, “You, ah, you, ah……aren’t you afraid, your majesty would take advantage of you?”

Wu Qian Qian took another step back, her mask concealing her ravishing beauty beneath. With hidden expressions, she only bowed in formality and bid her farewells, “Your majesty, if you have no other orders, your subject will take her leave. From henceforth once your subject departs, the purging of Iron Cloud will hereby commence!”

Tie Bu Tian paused in silence briefly, and finally gently affirmed, “…..good!”

Wu Qian Qian turned to leave, heading off in big strides.

Tie Bu Tian observed her leaving figure, and involuntarily broke into a poignant smile, “This lass……”

He then frowned as he recalled; ever since ascending to the throne, the Imperial chancellors have been incessantly admonishing me to get an Empress or Imperial Concubine. If not for my resolute defiance, I’m afraid they would’ve drafted several proposals already. However, I ultimately cannot avoid this matter…..how should I handle this?

A man proposes while a woman is wedded off. This is an unchanging logic since ancient times.

A man can be unfilial in many ways, but the greatest is breaking off one’s lineage.

Tie Bu Tian sighed with a headache, his face revealed an expression of deep pondering.

In the moments following, King of Hell Chu’s abattoir hatcher descended onto the entire Iron Cloud!

The purging this time, was executed with great ferocity and swif

tness; lethal as thunder and smooth as wind, as though it was unprecedented throughout history!

According to the namelist possessed by Wu Qian Qian, one by one, culprits were seeked out and immediately tortured and interrogated. Subsequently, specialists would investigate towards the melon with these vines of clues, all the way till the entire line of traitors were uprooted!

Proceeding from there was immediate collective beheading!

Without the need for trials, without the approval of the Emperor, direct annihilation!

From beginning till the end, slaying till buckets brimmed with blood and heads rolled.

The killing was so excessive, that even the executioner responsible for beheading had his hands turned limp.

On average, every executioner beheaded hundreds of heads daily! These were all lives of living people……

The Emperor couped himself within the depths of his palace, without a single care or concern.

As his imperial court subjects urged him urgently, he merely issued a drawn-out statement, “Does any minister wish to experience and gain knowledge on the executioner’s scaffold?”

Even crows and peacocks remained silent!

Hence, the King of Hell Chu’s massacre accelerated fanatically!

Rumours spread, that the King of Hell Chu had commanded viciously in Bu Tian Pavilion, “Too slow! Too lenient! Have you guys not eaten your meals? Do you wish to exchange positions with them…..”

“Continue with added ferocity!”

“More savageness!”

“Investigate to death! Even in fatigue, everyone is to remain investigating!”

Wu Qian Qian had only one notion, The greater the commotion I create here in Iron Cloud, the safer Chu Yang will be in the Great Zhao! Thus, without any restraints, Wu Qian Qian had ordered the slaughter for the very first time!

If it is true that mass murder results in hell…..then hell, here I come!

But, you must live safely!

********************

6 days later, back by the lakeside of Lotus lake, Chu Yang finally awakened!

As though he had slumbered for a million years, Chu Yang’s eyelids fluttered lightly, and finally forced opened. At this moment, every living vitality converged into a single direction; flooding into his body at first instance!

Chu Yang refrained from sitting up immediately. He maintained his original posture as he carefully sensed, the entire world!

It was as though the current world became foreign to him. The crawling of bugs, the soft chirping of a distant bird, the underground wriggles of an earthworm……all these sounds were transmitted into his ears with perfect clarity!

So much so that he could hear the rustling of tiny grass, the clarity of a drip of growth!

This is the sound of life!

The realm of the Heavenly Path!

Chu Yang was tremendously elated!