Chapter Bonanza (5/10)

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

The “false prosperity” brought about by Alex’s implementation of 【Fiscal Reform】 was like a bubble in the sunlight—dazzling, yet destined to be fleeting. 

Two rounds remained, with the countdown measured in seconds.

The hunger of the rank-and-file soldiers was real; the suffering of the laborers, who were being exploited more ruthlessly than ever, was real.

The negative effects inherent to the 【Fiscal Reform】 skill erupted right on schedule.

The 【Intense Discontent】 debuff struck first.

The Yuan army officers realized that the so-called “abundant provisions” were nothing but a castle in the air, and that “payments having been made” was utter nonsense.

They had actually been duped by a lowly foreigner of unknown origin.

“He’s spreading heresy! What new rations are you talking about? The men under Old Hand’s command are still gnawing on tree bark!”

“This foreigner is clearly a spy for the Red Turban rebels, using sorcery to sow discord in our ranks.”

“Does the Grand Marshal actually believe this man’s words? It’s truly… sigh!”

Suspicion mounted.

They began to pay lip service to Alex’s orders while secretly defying them—and even openly resisting them.

Alex noticed, too, that the words “Financial Officer” on the card were beginning to fade.

“It’s time,” Zhang Hongyuan said, overjoyed.

The 【Taiping Amulet】 in his hand had long been ready.

“Qingyue!” Zhang Hongyuan turned to look at his younger sister.

“I understand.” Zhang Qingyue channeled the 【Warrior Summoning·Bean】 to its fullest extent.

She threw the bean hand with pinpoint accuracy toward the area where resentment was thickest.

The bean hand landed, absorbing the despair, anger, and resentment permeating the surrounding area like a seed.

“Azure Sky Is Dead, Yellow Sky Shall Arise!”

Zhang Hongyuan performed the Gang Step while chanting incantations.

“You have suffered endless oppression at the hands of the invaders, going hungry and lacking proper clothing, treated like beasts of burden. Today, the government has driven the people to rebellion—is this not the will of Heaven?!”

“The God of the Yellow Heaven has sent a messenger to show us the way to survival! Why not rise up?!”

【Skill Activated: Tai Ping Talisman Magic · Public Resentment Like a Tide】

【Skill Activated: Scattering Beans to Form Soldiers · Resentment as Seed】

The long-simmering public resentment was ignited by the Zhang siblings’ card skills.

Tens of thousands of laborers, auxiliary troops, and low-ranking soldiers—all equally hungry and discontented—let their pent-up fury overwhelm their reason.

“Rebellion! Rebellion!”

“Kill these corrupt officials!”

“Follow the Yellow Turban warriors—we beg for a way out!”

The frenzied crowd charged at the officers’ tents, granaries, and armories.

Total chaos had begun.

Amid the overwhelming public outrage, the 【Taiping Talisman】 card in Zhang Hongyuan’s hand shone brilliantly, as if something were about to burst forth from it.

A dazzling pillar of light shot skyward from the card.

Within the beam of light, a shadowy figure took shape—its head wrapped in a yellow headscarf, its face blurred, yet radiating an aura of compassion.

【Summoning Successful, Hidden Event Triggered: Heaven Responds · Divine Messenger Descends】

【Temporary Character Card Obtained: Divine Envoy · Zhang Mancheng】

【Card Name】: Divine Envoy · Zhang Mancheng (Temporary)

【Card Type】: Character Card · Leader Type / Divine Magic

【Current Rank】: Blue Card (Lower Tier)

Not in its complete form; rank has not evolved; existence is limited.

【Status】：Public resentment converges; divine power surges

【Skills】：

1. 【Decree of the Yellow Heaven】 (Active‌): Utter a shout imbued with divine power, significantly boosting the morale and combat effectiveness of all nearby “Yellow Turban Faction” or “Dissatisfied with the Yuan Court” units, and with a certain probability causing them to enter a “Frenzy” state (ignores minor injuries; attack aggression increases).
2. 【Charmed Water·Nectar】 (Active): Sprinkles charmed water imbued with faint divine power, instantly healing minor injuries in a large number of units and temporarily alleviating hunger (effect lasts briefly).
3. 【Divine Might as Imprisoning】 (Passive): Exerts a natural deterrent effect on imperial bureaucrats and military officers, slightly reducing their attributes.

【Bonds】：Grand Sage (Not Activated)

Shares a deep connection with Zhang Jiao.

【Hint】：This card manifests through the combined pull of massive popular resentment and the Zhang family’s talismanic arts. It is powerful but extremely unstable, requiring a constant absorption of the willpower of the people’s resentment to sustain its existence.

If this card can be stabilized, there is an extremely low probability of communicating with the will of the true “Divine Envoy” or even the “Grand Sage.”

It actually worked!

A Blue Card!

Although it’s a temporary card, it possesses genuine Blue Card power—and it’s the “Divine Messenger,” an extremely important card within the Yellow Turban Rebellion system.

This means he’d found the right approach and had truly tapped into the core of the Zhang family’s cards.

He whipped his head around to look at Alex, who stood beside him, pale-faced and struggling desperately against the debuff.

“Alex, did you see that? Divine Envoy! I did it! This is the true power of the Taiping Sect! Next, as long as I can stabilize this card, I might even have a chance…”

His words came to an abrupt halt.

Because he saw the mocking smile on Alex’s face.

“S… sorry?”

Zhang Hongyuan’s mind went blank with a buzzing sensation; he was completely unable to comprehend the meaning of those two words at that moment.

Sorry for what?

Sorry for not luring out the “Divine Envoy” faster?

Sorry that the backlash from the “fiscal reform” came too quickly, leaving them no time to absorb more public discontent?

No… something was off about Alex’s gaze.

That wasn’t the apology one offers when a collaboration goes awry; it was a kind of… condescending pity.

Or, to put it another way, was it a sense of… satisfaction at watching prey fall into a trap?

Before Zhang Hongyuan could make sense of it all,

The alarm blared.

“Enemy attack?!”

“On alert!!”

“Orders from the central army! Annihilate the rebels!”

“Yes, you’ve succeeded, Brother Zhang. Congratulations.” Alex’s voice was eerily calm. “You’ve successfully drawn everyone’s attention—especially… Yue Kuochar’s.”

The sound of uniform, synchronized footsteps rang out from all corners of the camp.

Amid the chaos and disorder of the encampment, row after row of palisades was pushed into place.

Amid the swirling dust, military formations—ready to spring into action—began to take shape.

These soldiers were a stark contrast to the emaciated, ragged auxiliary troops and laborers on the outer perimeter.

Each was clad in heavy scale armor or chainmail gauntlets; their eyes, hidden beneath their helmets, were fierce and cold as they brandished scimitars or held powerful bows and crossbows.

The entire formation stood in orderly, grim ranks, exuding a battle-hardened aura.

Even more unsettling was the sight on the flanks of these infantrymen: billowing dust and the thunderous clatter of hooves.

Hundreds of cavalrymen surged forth from pre-designated cover.

Both the riders and their horses were clad in heavy armor; bows and arrows hung beside their saddles, while they gripped long lances or sabers.

Their banners were embroidered with ferocious wolf heads or falcon motifs.

These were the “Qeshik” cavalry—the personal guard directly under the command of Grand Marshal Yue Kuochar—along with his private Mongol and Semu troops.

They were the core military force of the Yuan court’s rule.

They had long been lying in ambush here, as if they had foreseen this rebellion all along.

“No… it can’t be!” The blood drained from Zhang Qingyue’s face in an instant. “How… how could they…”

Before she could finish her sentence.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!!!

A dense volley of arrows had already left the bowstrings.

The laborers, who had just been stirred up by Zhang Hongyuan and were now in a frenzy, fell in droves like wheat cut down by a scythe.

Screams, shouts of alarm, and curses were all drowned out by the thud of arrows piercing flesh.

The Yuan infantry, like a moving wall of iron, began to advance.

Swords flashed, and spears thrust forward.

Any figure that dared to resist was torn to pieces by cold metal in an instant.

Faced with a true war machine, these chaotic laborers were as fragile as paper.

Meanwhile, the “Divine Envoy” card that Zhang Hongyuan had just summoned had not yet fully materialized; now, under the weight of military suppression, it instantly disintegrated.

The 【Taiping Talisman】 in Zhang Hongyuan’s hand trembled violently, and the spiritual light that had just flickered on the card vanished.

A powerful backlash surged back into his body through the card’s link.

Zhang Hongyuan was struck as if by a heavy blow; his face instantly turned as pale as paper, and he staggered backward, the card in his hand dimmed and nearly slipped from his grasp.

“Brother!” Zhang Qingyue caught him as he fell, her mind going blank as she stared at the hellish scene unfolding in the Evolution Field.

Why? How could the Yuan army have been prepared in advance?!

Why was the crackdown so swift, so precise?!

Alex… that “I’m sorry” he said…

Zhang Hongyuan looked up.

“It’s… it’s you?!” Zhang Hongyuan could hardly believe it. “You were the one who ratted us out? You sold the information about our plan to channel public discontent… to Yue Kuochar?”

The smile on Alex’s lips deepened slightly, carrying a cruelty that bordered on elegance.

“Zhang Hongyuan, don’t put it so harshly,” he said, his tone carrying a hint of self-righteousness. “How can this be called informing on anyone? As a military aide under the Grand Marshal, it was my duty to promptly detect signs of instability in the camp, anticipate the risk of rebellion, and advise the Grand Marshal to deploy elite troops in advance for a preemptive crackdown—all to maintain the stability of the army. Isn’t that right?”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the Zhang siblings’ ashen faces.

“As for you two… attempting to exploit public discontent and play the so-called ‘Divine Envoy’ card? It’s a clever idea—and a bold one at that. Unfortunately, you were too slow—and far too… conspicuous.”

“Come to think of it, I should actually thank you,” Alex nodded slightly, as if genuinely expressing gratitude. “If you hadn’t worked so hard to stoke public discontent—providing me with such clear ‘scapegoats’ and ‘credits’—how could I have so smoothly proven my worth and loyalty to Yue Kuochar, and thereby secured the reward I desired?”

“You… you’re shameless!!” Zhang Qingyue trembled with rage. “You used us! You’ve been using us from the very beginning! You taught us all those things… it was all just to…”

“It’s simply a matter of mutual benefit, Miss Zhang,” Alex interrupted her, his tone turning cold. “I provided the ideas and methods, and you were given the opportunity to try them out—it’s just that you failed to seize it yourselves. In this world, the victor takes all, doesn’t he?”

Just then, a messenger came running up, placed his right hand over his heart in a military salute to Louis XVI, and handed over a scroll of parchment.

“General! A direct order from the Marshal!”

Alex took the order, unfolded it, and glanced over it; the smile on his face grew even brighter.

He looked up at the Zhang siblings and held up the parchment in his hand.

“Look, the response has arrived.”

“In recognition of this Adjutant’s timely detection and assistance in quelling the potential rebellion within the camp—a remarkable achievement—and given his expertise in foreign affairs, the Marshal has ordered me to immediately lead my men to contact overseas merchants to procure urgently needed weapons and provisions, thereby alleviating the army’s pressing crisis.”

“By the Grand Marshal’s grace, I am authorized to carry this written order, which grants me access to all military encampments under the Yuan Dynasty’s control; no checkpoints along the way may obstruct my passage.”

【Scene Announcement: Candidate Alex Bourbon has completed the hidden quest ‘Anticipating the Future: Quelling the Internal Uprising’ and earned the high esteem of Yue Kuocha’er】

【Reward: Yuan Dynasty faction reputation raised to ‘Veneration (Stable)’】

【Obtained Key Item: “Commander-in-Chief’s Order: Procurement Officer” (Special Mission Item)】

【Effect: While in possession of this order, the holder may move freely within the Yuan Court’s current controlled territories and surrounding areas (including certain coastal ports). Such movement is considered an official mission and will not trigger “Desertion” or “Treason” judgments.】

【Condition for triggering special commander teleportation: ‘Official Permission’ has been met】

【Candidate Alex Bourbon requests initiation of ultra-long-distance scene transition】

【Destination: Coastal port on Europa (random)……Request under review……】

【Approval granted, teleportation authorized】

A dazzling beam of light descended from the heavens, enveloping Louis XVI and several of his personal guards.

Within the beam, the faint silhouette of the Palace of Versailles could be seen—magnificent and majestic.

Alex glanced at the Zhang siblings, whose faces were ashen, and then at the Red Turban Army advancing steadily.

“Good luck to you all.”

“As for me… I won’t be staying to play this lost game.”

“Europe is where the ‘Sun King’ truly belongs.”

“We… will meet again.”

For the first time, Li Shi’an showed a hint of surprise.

In his initial calculations, a choice like this from Alex had been a low-probability scenario.

From a purely utilitarian perspective, a deep collaboration with the Zhang siblings—using the Louis XVI card to create chaos and class conflict, then having the Zhang family card absorb public resentment and channel the power of high-ranking Yellow Turban forces—could have formed a formidable synergy. This would have posed a massive threat to the Red Turban Army and might even have reversed the Yuan Army’s retreat. 

It was a risky move, but the potential rewards were staggering—enough to allow Alex to seize a substantial share of destiny on this battlefield.

Yet Alex surprisingly chose a completely different path.

It was short-sighted but certainly more in line with his inner logic.

Li Shi’an’s thinking, on the other hand, was clear.

The decisive factor was the sense of superiority ingrained in Alex’s very bones—his stubborn identification with the “European courtly order” and the “spirit of the contractual nobility” embodied by his cards.

He might be able to briefly use this “chaos” as a tool, but he would never allow himself to become immersed in it for long.

Of course, it would be even harder for him to accept playing the role of an “instigator” who works for the benefit of others—especially when that “other” is a fool whom, in his subconscious, he might not fully regard as an equal.

It was precisely this arrogance born of high station that made him prefer to stab someone in the back—even if it meant seeking permission—rather than risk pursuing a greater victory fraught with uncertainty that would require him to rub shoulders with “peasants.” Even if the reward were theoretically greater, the “downgrade in status” involved in the process was something his arrogance could not tolerate.

Yet the irony of history sometimes strikes more swiftly than drama.

The energy of the light pillar reached its peak, and Alex’s figure was about to blur and vanish.

Amid the pile of laborers’ corpses littering the ground below, a “corpse” twitched a finger.

It was a gaunt, sallow-faced young man. An arrow had pierced his chest, blood staining his shirt red; he was clearly on his last breath.

But whether sustained by the utmost hatred or a final burst of strength, his eyes were fixed intently on the foreigner within the pillar of light.

His gaze fell upon a rusty woodcutter’s axe lying beside him—presumably brought by one of the laborers for self-defense, but now abandoned on the ground.

Summoning his very last ounce of strength, he reached out abruptly and gripped the wooden handle tightly.

And with that, in a gesture of utter resolve, he lunged toward the dazzling pillar of light.

The movement was so insignificant—like a moth flying into a flame.

Louis XVI’s brow furrowed even deeper.

He wanted to wave for his bodyguard standing beside him to intervene, but realized the bodyguard had already been transported by the pillar of light.

The teleportation light had already enveloped his knees, and his body began to feel light, as if he were about to leave this earth in the very next second.

It was that very second.

The laborer lunged forward suddenly.

His movements were slow, even somewhat sluggish; the arrow wound in his chest caused blood to seep with every movement.

But his aim was precise, striking straight for Alex’s neck.

He raised the knife above his head, the notched blade aimed at the patch of skin exposed outside his uniform.

“Ssssh—”

The knife sliced in.

The jagged edge failed to sever the carotid artery, instead embedding itself in the flesh.

Louis XVI’s smile froze on his face as he reached to clasp his neck; his fingertips touched warm blood. 

He tried to push the laborer away, only to find the man clinging to him like a hot iron, his other hand gripping Louis XVI’s wrist tightly.

A hoarse gurgle escaped the laborer’s throat. He looked at Louis XVI’s stunned face, raised the dagger once more, and struck again.

This time, the blade found an opening.

The sound of the carotid artery being severed was faint, like fabric being torn.

Blood spurted out, splattering Louis XVI’s uniform. His body began to go limp, and the beam of light from the teleportation portal flickered as the core card dissipated.

The laborer let go and collapsed to the ground, completely lifeless.

His eyes remained open, gazing at the phantom image of the Palace of Versailles, as if watching a dream that had nothing to do with him.

Louis XVI fell to his knees.

He tried to speak, but then saw his own body.

The teleportation countdown stopped at zero.

The beam of light suddenly contracted, then exploded, turning into a sky full of specks of light.

Louis XVI’s card shattered among the specks of light; this card, symbolizing order and nobility, ultimately failed to return to Europe.

Li Shi’an had originally planned to swap cards—to make the most of his final game—but now he had lost all desire to do so.

What a ridiculous ending.

History does indeed repeat itself in different ways.

Louis XVI could not escape the guillotine, and his descendant, playing this card once more, could not escape the blade wielded by those at the bottom of society. 

A chipped wood-chopping axe, sharper than any ornate sword or blade, precisely severed the arrogance of class.

【Alex Bourbon Eliminated】

【Core Card “Louis XVI” suffered a physical attack imbued with the ultimate levels of “public resentment” and “determination to die,” the nature of which clashed violently with the card’s core “Contract” and “Order” principles】

【The attack triggered a resonance with historical patterns… Concepts of ‘Execution,’ ‘Subversion,’ and ‘Class Hatred’ on the same frequency band were detected…】

【Error! Error! Teleportation process interrupted! Encountered a backlash from the Law of Non-Correspondence!】

【Extremely rare hidden event triggered: The Reappearance of the Guillotine】