The Great Luo Sacrifice

"Hold it!"

Hu Ma had laid out his thoughts, but Erguotou didn't even let him finish before waving him off.

"We can all talk about lofty principles. Maybe I'm even slicker than you with words. After all, I was the one who pulled together the Red Lantern Society, and it wasn't exactly small. But right now, we need to talk about practical matters..."

"'The people hold great power'—sure, we can lecture others about that. But do you really believe it?"

"Gather the people's offerings from across the land, and bolster the courage of the common folk—it sounds simple enough. But how could people like us ever pull that off?"

"..."

Hu Ma wasn't swayed by his words. Instead, he nodded slowly. "We can't. But the emperor can."

"The Great Luo Dharma Sect spoke of the fortune of a dynasty... or you could think of it as order, the will of the people. It can stop the Tai Sui. That's why the Tai Sui has never truly descended upon the mortal world."

"But an order in which everyone stands tall, with dragons in their hearts—that's probably beyond our reach. Our productive forces aren't up to it, and we can't force the issue. Still, some truths remain."

"In this world, when a new emperor ascends the throne, all things are renewed and the common people pay homage. At that moment, the fortune of the realm is at its strongest, and the people's hearts are united. In the emperor's name, we can confer titles upon the gods, suppress baleful spirits and demons, gather the hearts of the people, and bring the fortune of the realm to its peak."

"That is the true meaning of pursuing Heaven's mandate."

"..."

His words did leave some people inside and outside the hall momentarily silent. It wasn't