Chapter 128: The Crescent Kingdom

This was a war without gunpowder. In the year 153 of the Great Qin era, the Qin dynasty fell. A disciple of Taoism single-handedly repelled the invasion of the Qianghu tribes without firing a single shot, preserving the Qin capital. The capital was renamed Luodu, and a new nation, the Crescent Kingdom, was established with the disciple proclaiming himself king.

The Xiao family staunchly supported the new king. The eldest son of the Xiao clan became the deputy city lord of the Qin capital. When this news reached the Xiao residence in Beiping Commandery, where disputes over the succession of the next Beiping Prince were still ongoing, the entire household swiftly reached a unanimous decision. The Xiao family unreservedly rewrote the clan records to include Xiao Hongyu as a legitimate heir of the Xiao clan. Within a month, the aging Beiping Prince abdicated, transferring his princely title to Xiao Hongyu.

As the harsh winter approached, the Crescent Kingdom rapidly unified Luodu and the regions northward to Beiping Commandery at an astonishing pace. To the south of Luodu, two major powers remained: one was the old Qin emperor entrenched in the Jiangnan area, commanding 30,000 troops and supported by the region's old aristocracy and nearly 100,000 mercenaries. This formidable force was the emperor’s last bastion in Jiangnan. Despite having abandoned the city and its citizens without remorse, the old emperor shamelessly sent a letter praising the noble character and patriotism of the hero who defeated the Qianghu forces. He inquired when he might return to reclaim the throne, proclaim the hero as prime minister, and reward him with gold, silver, and land.

Such flowery words drew a wry smile from Wang Keyue. On what grounds did this old emperor believe she should obediently hand back the city she had fought hard to seize? The city of Luodu now had no corrupt officials wielding unchecked power, no dominant factions, and certainly no feeble monarch. Those corrupt elements had silently fled with all their possessions upon hearing the news.

Ha! Good riddance. Had they stayed, Wang Keyue would have gladly sacrificed them to mark the birth of the Crescent Kingdom.

Wang Keyue now faced the enormous pressure of building a capital city. Fortunately, after completing the mission to rescue ten thousand Qin citizens, she received her reward early. Having exceeded expectations, the rewards were substantial: a large supply of food (grains, oil, flour), abundant cotton and cloth—likely in anticipation of winter—and a 50% bonus in gold coins, as well as a life-value enhancement card.

The life-value enhancement card was extraordinary—it could be used on oneself or others to instantly increase life value by 50%, a miraculous cure for the living dead or the sickly. The thought of bringing such a treasure back to her own world thrilled Wang Keyue immensely.

Currently, Luodu housed about thirty thousand civilians, plus a few thousand soldiers guarding the city—a mere forty thousand souls. Compared to future cities, which would number in the hundreds of thousands, let alone a nation's capital, this was but a modest beginning.

In the past months, Wang Keyue, identifying as a Taoist disciple, opened the granaries to aid refugees from the villages surrounding Luodu, including those from Zhongjia Village. Though the village was razed by barbarians, the foresight of Chief Zhong saved many able-bodied villagers, making it one of the least damaged communities nearby.

With a grand gesture, Wang Keyue tore down the walls of the prosperous East District, home to only about forty households—each connected to the old emperor by blood or marriage, the royal kin occupying an outrageously large area. The entire Qin capital spanned over forty square kilometers, with these estates alone covering more than ten.

She transformed part of this district into a resettlement area, housing all refugees. While not every person had their own room, each family was given a large house. The gardens and flower beds of the wealthy were uprooted, allowing refugees to cultivate winter vegetables nearby, striving for self-sufficiency.

Other well-preserved large mansions were confiscated for future use as academies, nursing homes, libraries, or parks.

As for the fainted soldiers, Xiao Hongyu was pleased to accept fifty thousand prisoners of war, whose strength and size would allow him to greatly expand his influence.

Twenty thousand prisoners were assigned to mine the new tunnels of the Xiao clan’s mines—a top priority order after he assumed the title of Beiping Prince.

Another twenty thousand obedient captives were tasked with building roads and houses.

The final ten thousand worked on reclaiming land for agriculture.

From then on, these prisoners would never return home but enjoyed stable jobs, two meals a day, no warfare, no death, no hunger—a truly idyllic life.

Though the winter was harsh, with the help of Wang Keyue’s system and the unity of the Crescent Kingdom, the season passed peacefully. Except for a few elderly who fell ill and died, everyone else remained safe and warm, living in solid homes, free from hunger, experiencing an unprecedented sense of security and comfort.

“Congratulations to User 9538. The main mission is now 60% complete. Ranked 100th. Special reward: Soul Lantern of Divine Guidance (bindable to soul).”

Soul? Wang Keyue stared at the large, radiant, red octagonal lantern emitting a faint crimson glow in her space.

“Xiaobao, what is this lantern?” She felt energized just looking at it.

“This is a high-level artifact from a cultivation realm. It’s a powerful tool for protecting one’s soul,” Xiaobao explained.

“Can Xiao Hongyu use it?” Wang Keyue wondered, recalling Xiaobao’s earlier mention of the soul-fixing formation.

“Alas, the Soul Lantern of Divine Guidance is mainly used to locate and guide souls, helping collect merits to strengthen one’s soul power. However, it doesn’t function like a soul-fixing formation. Bind it to your soul first, and you’ll know how to use it,” Xiaobao said.

“All right! I’ll try it!” Following Xiaobao’s instructions, Wang Keyue dripped a drop of her fingertip blood as a spiritual medium. Instantly, the red light of the lantern intensified, flashing before her eyes and then merging into her forehead.

Le Wen