Blood Tide surged, rapidly merging into Song Wen's body.
Once the Blood Tide vanished, the sky had become clear and bright.
The corpse qi and the gray rats within it had all disappeared.
"The rat swarm is gone!"
"The gods... it must be the gods who saw the misery of the world and manifested themselves! The gods saved us!"
Cheers erupted throughout the city, like mountains roaring and seas crashing.
Crying, laughter, and shouts echoed above the city.
Inside the building whose roof had been blown away, Song Wen's aura remained indifferent. A faint yet heavy pressure hung over the emperor and his ministers below, leaving not the slightest smile on their faces.
"I have eliminated the rat plague. How should your crimes be settled?" Song Wen said.
"Immortal Master, why do you say such a thing? What crimes have we committed?" The plainly dressed old man still had some courage as he calmly questioned Song Wen.
Song Wen said, "You sit high in the halls of power, untouched by labor and producing nothing, sustained by the common people. Yet while hundreds of millions of commoners died beneath the teeth of rats and the nation stood on the brink of ruin, you still wore fine clothes, ate delicacies, and indulged in pleasure. You are nothing but man-shaped giant rats yourselves, likewise sucking the flesh and blood of the people."
At this point, Song Wen's mouth curled into a grim smile.
"Therefore, you too should meet the same fate as those rat demons!"
Everyone instantly understood what he meant and was overwhelmed by terror.
"No! You cannot kill me! I am the emperor of the Heavenly Jade Dynasty—I cannot die!" Zhao Xuanming collapsed to the floor, devoid of all imperial dignity. Waves of rank stench wafted from beneath his dragon robe.