Chapter 344 - 305: Falling into the Trap of the Defiant Heavenly Emperor
Chi Songzi was cultivating in Shennong’s Secret Realm when suddenly he opened his eyes and let out a long howl that shook the Eight Desolates; he had achieved the status of a Semi-Saint.
Since the beginning of heaven and earth, he had been practicing the orthodox teachings of the Mystic Sect, and now, having reached Semi-Saint, he understood the ways of heaven and humanity, above and below, with nowhere he could not go.
"I will slay Huang Taiji to extend the reign of the Great Ming Dynasty and prevent the Qing Dynasty from entering the pass! Exterminate the entire Aisin Gioro clan," Chi Songzi said solemnly after a moment of calculation.
Fuxi shielded their plot against the celestial fates with Bagua, so Chi Songzi’s rebellious words went undetected by the Heavenly Dao.
Fuxi said, "If you go to slay Huang Taiji, this act would defy the heavens and would not be tolerated by the Heavenly Dao!"
But Chi Songzi retorted, "With the Qing entering the pass, people will suffer, national destiny will crumble, and the common folk will fall into disaster! As a right-hand minister from ancient times, I cannot stand idly by. In ancient times, I controlled the timing and advantages of nature, directing the seasons and deeply beloved by the people! Though it is no longer the era of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, the Southern Toad Continent remains the foundation of the Human Path. How could I possibly watch and do nothing? Since the Qing’s entry to the pass would lead to the collapse of national destiny and degradation of the Human Path, intervention is a must! If I cannot kill the Son of Heaven’s Mandate who ushers in the Age of Dharma Decline, then I will kill Huang Taiji and stop this Chapter of history!"
Chi Songzi had contemplated killing the Son of Heaven’s Mandate last time but was warned by the will of heaven, so now he dared not entertain such thoughts; however, he was determined to kill Huang Taiji.
Chi Songzi, as an ancient right-hand minister, had ensured the wellbeing and safety of the people of the Southern Toad Continent. Now, witnessing the ruin of national destiny and the Human Path falling into the hands of barbarians, how could he remain indifferent? Even if it meant sacrificing all his cultivation, he was resolved to prevent the Qing invasion—this was inevitable!
After the Qing sealed off the nation, the barbarians from Yingzhou would invade, forcing the Qing to cede land in exchange for peace; then various barbarian nations would enter and occupy different regions, further causing chaos in national destiny. Eventually, the Son of Heaven’s Mandate would integrate the Human Path and usher in the Age of Dharma Decline. However, after that, even more treacherous and corrupt officials would dominate the kingdom, causing immense suffering among the people, who would be caught between fire and water.
Fuxi and others saw it as their duty to uphold the Human Path, and they naturally did not wish to see it crumble. But now the course of the Heavenly Dao was irreversible, and the great trend was unstoppable.
Now that Nurhaci had died and Yuan Chonghuan, the last of the Ming Dynasty’s national destiny, had also perished, Emperor Chongzhen, although diligent, was unable to save the situation; after all, the Ming Dynasty’s national destiny was thoroughly in shambles, riddled with holes beyond repair, ruined by successive emperors of the Zhu family. Even if Emperor Taizong of Tang and Emperor Wu of Han were resurrected, they would not be able to turn things around.