الشطرنج الخالد - Book 01 Chapter 018

Dawn, two days later, Song City:

“You bunch of bandits. It’s one thing to rob from the overt businesses of my Gu Residence. To think you are robbing my jade shop! My master will not let you off! Ah! My jade scepter! That is something my master wanted! Don’t snatch it away! Don’t!”

A miserable cry rang out, making all the ordinary citizens who were feeling sleepy perk up.

Countless ordinary citizens startled awake from their dreams simultaneously.

“My wife, was that the voice of the jade store’s boss? A covert business of Gu Hai’s? That is…” a man said in shock.

The woman on the bed immediately let out a startled cry. “Go! You failed to out-snatch that bastard Sun Er previously. If you fail to bring back anything of value this time, I will fight you to the death!”

Rumble…!

Many doors opened. The god of fortune was spreading wealth again. The ordinary citizens who failed to snatch anything previously went crazy, immediately rushing out without even getting dressed.

Similar scenes happened all over Song City. It seemed like someone suddenly unearthed a large number of the Gu Residence’s covert businesses. Countless people rushed over in a frenzy to plunder and rob in the name of righteousness.

Miserable cries and sounds of chaotic fighting soon rang out. The sky had only just started to brighten, but some places already gave off thick smoke.

——

In Gu Han’s residence:

“Adoptive Father, we only have six covert businesses in Song City. Can we affect everyone in the entire city?” Gu Han asked, feeling somewhat worried.

“Only six? That’s enough. Everyone hopes that there will be more shops. Now that they are interested, that is enough to spur the ambition in their hearts, even if there were fewer,” Gu Hai said while sampling tea.

——

Outside:

The sound of looting rang out continuously as the sky slowly brightened.

This was another round of profits. Some of the people smiled happily, but countless others became even more anxious.

“Shit! I was too late again!”

“This old me failed to obtain anything. Does Gu Hai have any more hidden shops?”

“I was just a little too slow! Just a little! Screw this!”

Six shops were far from enough to fulfill everyone’s appetite. Only a few people benefited. Most of the people still felt anxious and incredibly frustrated. The god of fortune had distributed wealth again, but they failed to obtain anything.

At this moment, the countless ordinary citizens had not returned home. Instead, they wandered the streets, continuously scanning the surroundings for another of Gu Hai’s shops.

“The Shining Goldsmith. What a lot of gold! If only it were Gu Hai’s business!” One of the ordinary citizens looked enviously at a goldsmith that just opened its doors.

Although that person only said this out of envy, his words immediately attracted everyone’s attention.

“Gu Hai’s business?! That’s right. It must be Gu Hai’s business!” Another person who was even more anxious than the first suddenly shouted.

“What?! Gu Hai’s business? Damn, I finally found one!”

“I must get something this time!”

“Rob it!”

The surrounding citizens seemed to go crazy as they charged at the Shining Goldsmith, everyone on the street instantly finding their target.

The expression of the Shining Goldsmith’s boss changed drastically.

“The Shining Goldsmith is a century-old shop, a century-old shop! It cannot possibly be Gu Hai’s business! Stop robbing me! You are breaking the law! Stop stealing! Ah!”

Someone struck the Shining Goldsmith’s boss, sending him falling to the floor with a miserable cry.

At this moment, the ordinary citizens seemed possessed. How could they care so much? They just needed an excuse to plunder the shop. Furthermore, everyone was doing it. Why would anyone just stand there and watch like a fool?

“Mine! Mine! Screw you! It’s mine! Stop snatching from me!”

“Hahaha! I’m rich!”

“Stop snatching from me! Hahaha! I finally got it!”

“We are a century-old shop, not Gu Hai’s business! Stop robbing us!”

Various cries, frantic voices, and loud shouts rang out endlessly.

This did not happen to just the Shining Goldsmith. As if beacons had lit up all over Song City, the ordinary citizens started targeting all the shops. The entire city instantly turned chaotic.

Gu Hai’s business? Was it certain? That was no need for certainty!

A group of people would immediately pounce over like hungry wolves as long as one felt envious and shouted, “Is this Gu Hai’s business?”

Snatch! Snatch! Snatch!

The entire Song City turned crazy.

Large fires burned all over the place. The ordinary citizens were no longer the peaceful citizens content with their lot. Instead, they became bandits.

Was it just limited to shops? No! The ordinary citizens robbed the residences of wealthy people as well.

Boom!

Like bandits, the countless citizens broke through the doors and poured into the residences of the wealthy. These wealthy people only heard people saying that these were Gu Hai’s secret residences.

Rumble…!

Many wealthy people ended up getting robbed, their homes emptied out.

Of course, those who robbed the homes of the wealthy were the minority. Most people targeted the shops.

All the shops turned into targets for the frantic citizens. It was like the entire Song City was Gu Hai’s business.

Snatch! Snatch! Snatch!

Word of the huge chaos quickly spread to the palace. The emperor immediately summoned all the officials to the royal court for a royal assembly.

During the royal assembly at the palace:

Noise filled the place as confusion reigned in the palace.

“Song City’s magistrate, why is the entire city so chaotic? Where are your men? Why are you not stopping this?” the Song Emperor thundered from the throne.

An official knelt on the floor fearfully. “Your Majesty, it’s all chaotic, utterly chaotic. This old official wanted to send the city guards to control the situation. However, only a few people in the city guards are listening. The rest went to rob the shops as well!”

“What?” Crown Prince Song’s expression changed.

“Reporting to Your Majesty, most of my city guards are absent, participating in the robberies!”

“Your Majesty, there are already thirty-six places on fire in the city!”

The many officials anxiously made their reports. In summary, they had no one to use. Most of their subordinates had joined the looting.

“How could it be like this? How could it be like this?” Crown Prince Song exclaimed with an unsightly expression.

“We have no idea what is going on, either. Things were still fine two days ago. However, why did they suddenly go crazy? Why?!”

At this moment, all the officials of the royal assembly had the same look, shock and horror in their eyes.

“Gu Hai? Gu Hai’s scheme?” Crown Prince Song suddenly cried out as he thought of something.

——

Everyone turned into bandits. It was not just in Song City. The same scene appeared in the various cities in the Song Nation.

Snatch! Snatch! Snatch! Chaos! Chaos! Chaos!

Everyone in the Song Nation turned into bandits; chaos filled their hearts.

——

At a border city:

Gao Xianzhi stood on a platform looking at the soldiers he regathered. A large portion of them had chosen to desert and rob the various shops in the city. He could not help feeling chilled.

Many houses blazed with fire, sending up thick, roiling smoke. The entire border city looked like hell in the mortal realm. Miserable cries, sounds of despair, and sounds of fighting rang out endlessly.

Gao Xianzhi seemed to see Gu Hai clad in armor again. This time, Gu Hai held a sword and pointed it at Song City.

At this moment, it was like all the ordinary citizens in the border city had become Gu Hai’s soldiers. Gu Hai could order all the citizens in the border cities to charge towards Song City with just a command.

No, it was not just the border cities. Gu Hai commanded all the ordinary citizens in all the cities of the Song Nation; everyone turned into Gu Hai’s soldiers. With just a command, the ordinary citizens would destroy the Song Nation without a care for anything.

During the mutiny, Gao Xianzhi seemed to have seen Gu Hai controlling his eight hundred thousand soldiers to work against him. This time, Gu Hai commanded all of the Song Nation’s ordinary citizens.

Eight hundred thousand soldiers already made Gao Xianzhi tremble in fear. Now, it was the entire Song Nation’s ordinary citizens. He felt like he had fallen into an ice cave.

“Gu Hai? Just one person alone could destroy the six nations!” Gao Xianzhi sighed in shock.

——

Three days later, everything turned calm. The citizens had destroyed all the shops in the Song Nation. In just a few days, the entire nation had an atmosphere of deathly stillness.

The citizens could not buy anything, and the shop owners all cried in despair.

At this moment, the Clear River Sect’s people arrived in the Song Nation.

This group had the young, female hall master and Venerable Liu Nian as leaders. The Clear River Sect Master and the First Song Sect Master accompanied them as they reached the border city and met Gao Xianzhi.

Now, Gao Xianzhi respectfully stood before the group.

The young, female hall master stood on a platform in the border city, looking down at the entire city.

The border city was now incomparably bleak. A cold wind slowly rustled the fallen leaves as it swept through the streets. Occasionally, one or two people walked through the streets. This place appeared abandoned, standing incomparably silent.

“Huh! Only one month passed, right?” the young woman gasped with wide eyes.

Venerable Liu Nian also showed a complicated look in his eyes.

“A scene of utter desolation. This Gu Hai is indeed a demonic genius. Only one month passed, and he already killed the citizens’ hearts!” Venerable Liu Nian sighed.

The First Song Sect Master showed an unsightly expression, objecting, “What do you mean killed the citizens’ hearts? The citizens are still around!”

Gao Xianzhi bitterly smiled and explained, “The citizens are here, but the citizens’ hearts are no longer here. They have already lost confidence in the Song Nation and will no longer protect the Song Clan’s empire.”

“Huh?” The First Song Sect Master appeared confused.

“The citizens who suffered disasters must hate the Song Nation for causing them to lose everything. The citizens who robbed others also understand that most of the robbed places did not belong to Gu Hai, so they are already bandits. Although they cannot be legally blamed, can you expect a bandit to be patriotic? Would a bandit shed his blood for his nation? Would a bandit fight a war? Not to mention, they have already lost all loyalty to the Song Nation; now that they have money, they will not be willing to risk death and fight wars. As for the people who failed to snatch anything, they feel even greater disappointment in their hearts. Since the Song Nation is not a fair place, why should they help the Song Nation fight wars?” Gao Xianzhi said bitterly.

“That means that the Song Nation citizens’ love for their nation is gone?” the Clear River Sect Master said excitedly.

“Although I do not want to admit to it, it is a fact. The soldiers in my army camp cannot fight at all. The only way is to bring back order out of chaos. However, how could that be easy? Gu Hai has been monitoring us!” Gao Xianzhi replied bitterly.

“Hahahahaha!” The Clear River Sect Master guffawed happily.

“Turning the citizens into bandits, sowing chaos in their hearts. Gu Hai’s move is too ruthless!” Venerable Liu Nian sighed.

“Is…is there no way out of this?” the First Song Sect Master asked with an unsightly expression.

“That is not the most terrifying thing. If the Chen Nation sends out its army now, their soldiers will tear through the Song Nation cities like cutting paper. There would be no way to defend. The Chen Nation would conquer the Song Nation, and no one could stop it!” Gao Xianzhi smiled bitterly.

The Clear River Sect Master appeared slightly stunned as he said, “Hey! Chen Tianshan sent a message to me five days ago, saying that Gu Hai ordered the Chen Emperor to send out one hundred fifty thousand soldiers to the Song Nation. At that time, I was not concerned about it. It is just one hundred fifty thousand soldiers; how could they invade the Song Nation with that? However, after what you said…”

Gao Xianzhi smiled bitterly. “Gu Hai’s plans have no openings. He planned for everything every step of the way. His one hundred fifty thousand soldiers should be marching with boundless hatred. And they will face the paper-like Song Nation. Hah! I’m not comparable to him.”

“How is that fool, the Song Emperor, managing the nation?” the First Song Sect Master exclaimed, resentment written on his face.

“Gu Hai should be in Song City now, right?” the young, female hall master said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“I guess he should still be in Song City.” Gao Xianzhi smiled bitterly.

“Come, let’s go to Song City!” the young, female hall master said authoritatively.

——

Song City:

At this moment, Song City also appeared extremely bleak. A deathly stillness shrouded the entire imperial capital.

Inside Gu Han’s residence:

Gu Hai drank tea as he listened to Gu Han describe everything that happened outside.

“Adoptive Father, the first campaign of the Song Extermination Plan was to kill the military’s confidence in the nation. The second campaign was to kill the citizens’ confidence in the nation. These two campaigns have been brought to completion,” Gu Han said excitedly.

Gu Han had experienced everything for himself over the past month, witnessing everything. His heart had filled with excitement long ago. He had not seen his adoptive father make such big plays for many years already.

Gu Hai’s eyes narrowed slightly as he gently sipped tea. “The Chen Nation’s army is already marching on the Song Nation. Now that we have killed the confidence of the military and the citizenry, let’s start the third campaign: killing the officials’ confidence in the nation!”

“The officials?” Gu Han’s eyes lit up.

“That’s right. Who else is still trying to protect the Song Clan’s empire? With the citizens’ confidence in the nation gone, only the officials and nobles remain to protect the nation. What if these officials and nobles also lose their confidence in the nation?” Gu Hai revealed a cold smile.

“The nobles and officials hold elevated statuses. To maintain that, they probably will not give up on protecting the Song Clan’s empire so easily,” Gu Han said with a frown.

“No. It is even easier to kill the officials’ confidence. Furthermore, it will be faster!” Gu Hai said with a confident smile.