Dreams of a Thousand Autumns , Vast Righteous Qi Art . Xuantian's mouth twitched.
Then, through circumstances beyond his control, Xuantian fell into a spatial passage that had suddenly appeared.
Such was the course of the world: long united, it must divide; long divided, it must unite.
At the end of the Spring and Autumn period, nine nations—Liyang, Western Chu, Western Shu, Northern Han, Great Wei, Later Song, Later Sui, Eastern Yue, and Southern Tang—held separate territories, embroiled in endless turmoil.
Xu Xiao, the "Human Butcher," rose from humble beginnings. He joined the army at ten and survived countless brushes with death, annihilating Later Sui, Western Chu, Later Song, Western Shu, Northern Han, and Great Wei for the Liyang Dynasty. The great general Gu Jiantang destroyed Eastern Yue and Southern Tang.
Afterward, the Liyang Dynasty unified the realm, bringing all lands under one rule and ending the chaos of the Spring and Autumn period.
The Liyang Dynasty originally possessed six provinces. After destroying the other eight nations, it added thirteen more, ruling nineteen provinces in total and becoming the supreme power of the realm.
For his achievements, Xu Xiao, the "Human Butcher," was also granted the title of King of Northern Liang. He governed three northwestern provinces and commanded 350,000 armored cavalry, standing below only one man and above all others.
Besides Xu Xiao, one other man commanded awe throughout the realm: the white-robed strategist known as the Smiling Tiger. He was hailed as the world's greatest strategist, and none disputed his standing.
His given name was simply Xuan; his surname was unknown. Rumor had it that he had followed Xu Xiao since his humble beginnings. Wherever Xu Xiao went, he was almost always there.
Clad in white, he looked frail, gentle, and refined, with a smile on his