A new day

"Dad, my sister is on TV!"

A handsome, slender, and exceptionally charming young man pointed at the screen on television and spoke excitedly to Murong Zhe.

However, Murong Zhe seemed not to hear anything, staring intently at the live television broadcast. After watching for a while, he finally let out a long sigh, "That's good. She has finally grown up and forged her own path. I can finally put my mind at ease and fulfill the promise I made to my dearest friend."

"Father, what are you talking about?" Murong Wu asked, looking puzzled.

Murong Zhe composed himself and said with an expression three times more serious than usual, "Listen carefully, Wu'er, there's something very important I'm going to tell you. You should be prepared."

Murong Wu, being Murong Qing's younger brother, had received the same education since childhood and possessed a temperament far superior to his peers. After a slight pause, he immediately reacted and said seriously, "Father, please speak."

"... Actually, you are not my biological son."

"Huh? But I clearly look a lot like my dad and sister!"

"Because you are my sister's son, we are related by blood; I am actually your uncle."

Murong Zhe paused, giving the other person time to process the shock, and then said in a reminiscent tone, "Your mother was the most favored concubine of Emperor Shenzong of Li State, and you were Shenzong's only son. Back then, the Barbarian Hu invaded, Li State was defeated, and the capital fell..."

Finally, I secretly contacted the Mohist School, and with the help of the Mohist Knight Guard, I took you and your sister away from the Li State and came to the Su State, where we have settled down ever since.

Now that you are an adult, you can decide your own future. So, I want to ask you something: are you willing to return to the Li State with me to save Li State people, eliminate the Barbarian Hu, and revive Confucian School?

"I..."

"Think carefully before you answer. This path is extremely dangerous; you could lose your life at any moment. If you are not prepared to face death, do not agree. If you would rather live in Su State and be an ordinary person unrelated to the royal family of Li State, your uncle will not stop you. Although I will have failed my dear friend's trust, your mother would certainly prefer you to live a peaceful and safe life."

Murong Wu straightened his chest, met his gaze, and solemnly said, "Father, you were my father before, and you will always be my father! You have always taught me to be a responsible and dependable man. When the country is in trouble, even if I don't have royal blood, I should still do my part. How can I only care about my own enjoyment and ignore the responsibility of every citizen for the rise and fall of the nation?"

"Good boy, good boy..."

Murong Zhe's eyes welled up slightly. He patted his son's shoulder with relief and said resolutely, "No matter how many difficulties we face, as long as we, father and son, are of one mind, we will definitely succeed!"

Volume Four: Taking Advantage of the East Wind to Fly Kites

Chapter 158 A New Day

To live, one must learn to let go of the past in order to move forward. Neither sorrow nor hatred is worth dwelling on.

Thanks to Yan Jinghong's relentless efforts to delay them, they managed to hold out until the Spirit Transformation experts from other regions arrived and joined forces to annihilate all the invaders before the 100,000 Demon Beast stormed into the city.

The city was not entirely unaffected; a number of Demon Beast broke away from their groups and appeared out of nowhere in the city. However, their numbers were small, and they were mainly concentrated in the school area near Tange Middle School. Therefore, the damage they caused was very limited, even less than the destruction caused by the two great monsters Kang Gold Dragon and Jiao Wood Jiao, who rampaged through the city. In addition, the citizens took refuge in the shelters in time, and the number of casualties was less than a hundred.

Afterwards, Yan Jinghong's attempt to shift the blame to others brought him some trouble. The residents of the villa area were all wealthy people, either major capitalists or celebrities. Compared to ordinary people, they had more resources, which meant they had more connections and social influence. This force simultaneously launched an attack, demanding that the government punish Startling Rainbow Beyond the Heavens according to the law.

Of course, their demands are destined to be wishful thinking. Unless they are determined to fight to the death, the only impact they can have on Yan Jinghong is to cause trouble.

In a world where individuals possess immense power and can defeat thousands single-handedly, military strength is the primary criterion for measuring status, while power and wealth take a backseat. Therefore, whether officials or capitalists, their status is inferior to their counterparts in Earth's civilization.

Just look at the marriage law of the Su State. Only citizens with Level Eight Internal Cultivation can marry two wives. It doesn't matter if you climb to a certain official position or have a lot of wealth. Even if you are a billionaire or the highest-ranking official, if you don't have Level Eight Internal Cultivation, daring to marry two wives is bigamy and you will be arrested and imprisoned in no time.

The government is forced to compromise with powerful military forces that could potentially overthrow its legitimacy, while officials and capitalists who are subservient to it are not taken seriously.

This was especially true in the Su State established by the Mohist School. In other countries besides Germany, officials and capitalists held much higher status. For example, while the Li State did not allow polygamy, it did allow citizens to take concubines.

Originally, the government planned to handle the matter discreetly, allowing Yan Jinghong to "reflect on his mistakes" and remain out of the public eye for a few years. However, someone leaked the story, and with the help of certain individuals, it became a hot topic of discussion among the people nationwide. Everyone expressed their opinions, some supporting and some opposing, each with their own reasons.

Just as the mastermind behind the scenes was plotting a major attack to completely ruin Yan Jinghong's reputation, an even greater disaster struck.

Coastal cities across the country were attacked by demonic tides ten times larger than in the past. Even with prior precautions, casualties were still heavy. This situation quickly disrupted the mastermind's plans, and no one paid any attention to Yan Jinghong's whereabouts anymore.

Moreover, it wasn't just Su State; other countries also suffered the same disaster. The dark cloud of the demon tide suddenly enveloped the entire Sea Continent, and war broke out in all coastal areas. Newspapers reported one bloody number after another. In comparison, the more than a thousand casualties in Tange City were enviably few.

Having learned from Yan Jinghong's example, other Spirit Transformation cultivators, when faced with the same problem, chose to protect themselves, preferring to watch as Demon Beast stormed into the city rather than do something thankless and difficult, at most rescuing their own family and friends first.

Initially, the death of more than 6,000 people in a city in the Su State shocked the entire nation, and memorial services were held in various places to mourn them. However, soon after, thousands of people were killed or injured in all the areas attacked by the demon tide. One report after another came in, leaving people overwhelmed, and soon everyone became numb.

As for those countries whose military strength, technological level, and organizational capacity were far inferior to those of the Mohist School, they easily suffered casualties exceeding ten thousand.

In particular, in the war-torn Li State, there was a territory located at the border between the two forces. When the Demon Beast landed in this area, neither side sent troops to resist them, fearing that the other side would take advantage of the situation. They could only watch helplessly as the Demon Beast rushed into villages and towns, slaughtering all the people like locusts, resulting in a death toll of 280,000, which shocked the countries of the Sea Continent.

Later on, if it wasn't a war report from their own country, any report with fewer than 10,000 casualties wouldn't be eligible for publication and would be simply included in the "etc." category, ignored.

While the world was filled with the smell of gunpowder, Tange City was enjoying the tranquility after the storm. As a former disaster-stricken area, they did not need to send volunteers to aid other regions. They could simply lick their wounds quietly and wait for the day when the scabs would heal.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Early in the morning, the sound of a loud gong rang out in the Minggui Orphanage.

"Get up, get up, get up!"

Murong Qing, like a night watchman, banged loudly on the doors of each room with a copper gong, shattering the sweet dreams of several people.

"... It's only 6:30! You're up way too early. It's the weekend! Getting up like this will shorten your lifespan!"

With messy hair, dressed sloppily in her pajamas, and one shoulder exposed, Yao Bilian rubbed her sleepy eyes and complained listlessly after opening the door.

Murong Qing said seriously, "Your Excellency, since you bear the responsibility of managing the entire orphanage, you should set a good example. You must know that the plan for the day is made in the morning, and the plan for life is made through diligence; if you do not sow in spring, you will have no hope in autumn; if you do not rise before dawn, you will accomplish nothing; if you are not diligent in your youth, you will have nowhere to go in your old age."

Yao Bilian yawned, "I went to a social gathering last night and didn't go to sleep until late. My head still hurts. Please be understanding. After all, sleeping in can ruin half a day, and sleeping in can ruin the whole day."

Murong Qing said seriously, "For your health, please forgive me for refusing. Unhealthy habits are contagious, especially since most of the residents here are minors who can easily go astray. So please set a good example and show some adult spirit!"

"The so-called adults are those who are as diligent as dogs on weekdays and as lazy as pigs on weekends. You should try to understand the helplessness of adults."