RPAGF Chapter 7249 No Other Way
Chapter 7249 No Other Way
Chapter 7249 No Other Way
Although the outcome is still uncertain, Chen Xi feels that there is probably no problem. For former humans who are becoming inhuman and are gradually influenced by the world's consciousness, there is no need to distinguish between the Han Dynasty and the Kushan Dynasty when it comes to killing people. As long as they continue to kill people, it is in line with basic logic.
After all, the core logic of the curse of the world consciousness is to weaken humanity. As for how to weaken them, it doesn't really matter. Whether it's a coincidence or a meticulous calculation, it doesn't matter. As long as humanity becomes weaker, it will conform to the instinct of the world consciousness that is currently in a coma.
"This method, while meticulous, is also full of considerations for exploiting loopholes," Fa Zheng concluded.
"Go and find out who did this." Chen Xi didn't say anything else. "The purpose of the other party's actions is very clear, and I don't think that a big shot who can carry out such a plan would not have a background in the Kushan Empire. You guys investigate first, and I'll ask Ma Xinde for more information."
On the banks of the Ganges, Oswin led an army of 250,000 to blockade Prayerga. Under Yu Jin's disdainful gaze, he charged toward Xu Shu, intending to cross the river.
"Please thank Priest Trevedi for me." Oswin looked at the Brahmin in front of him. To be honest, he really didn't expect the Southern Nobles to invest so much this time.
Oswin had previously thought that it would be good enough if the Brahmins of the Southern Nobles could work overtime to reattach the severed limbs of the disabled key personnel under his urging. He did not expect that when they went to war this time, the Brahmins would prepare a set of armor for each general and also provide a large number of elites from the Southern Nobles.
These armors are the kind of exquisite armor collected by Brahmins. They look flashy, but the materials used are really solid, and each one is a masterpiece passed down through generations. They are truly top-notch armors. It can be said that apart from being flashy and each one being different, they have no flaws.
In addition to these exquisite armors, the Brahmins also provided some divine essence that was said to have been accumulated over a thousand years. Together with the orcs that the Kushans had forcibly transported from the inner world and which were transformed from the strategic weaponry of Brahma's dream, they created the Seed of Talent.
The terrifying thing about this thing is that once you absorb it, you can master this talent. Even if your physical condition is not good enough and you will hurt yourself when using it, it is still an extremely exaggerated secret technique. This is also the reason why Oswin was able to mobilize 250,000 elite troops in a short period of time.
Of course, the elite soldiers specially prepared by the Brahmins also greatly improved Oswin's troop deployment efficiency. This group deserves great credit for being able to complete the troop deployment so quickly.
“General Oswin, Priest Trevedi asked me to tell you that if you have any needs, just say so, and the priest will do his best to coordinate with all the Brahmins to fulfill them for you.” Trevedi’s servant respectfully relayed his master’s orders.
"Everyone is satisfied with the armor, but the armor for officers is only one aspect. We now need a large number of ordinary armors to distribute to ordinary soldiers." Oswin didn't stand on ceremony; he now had a certain degree of trust in Trevedi.
“General Oswin, I will relay the message to my master, but whether I can accomplish it is another matter.” The servant bowed respectfully and then withdrew.
While the Brahmins didn't use top-tier armor, they did have a collection. Over the years, they had accumulated enough to provide one for each of Oswin's key personnel.
Even in terms of ordinary price, each of these armors is more expensive than the full armor of the Han Dynasty's top shield guards. In terms of total value, this amount of money is enough to replace the uniforms of all the soldiers under Oswin's command, but the value cannot be equated with the actual items.
A Brahmin who could produce several thousand top-tier armors and gold of equal value could not theoretically produce hundreds of thousands of ordinary armors of equivalent value. If he really had that many, frankly, it wouldn't be a matter of money anymore. In the era of cold weapons, hundreds of thousands of armors were in a state of having a market but no price. It's not simply a matter of multiplying the price of a single piece of armor by hundreds of thousands.
Rather, with these hundreds of thousands of armored soldiers, even if they couldn't reach the pinnacle of power, it would be enough to grant them territory and establish a kingdom most of the time. Therefore, money and material possessions are completely different concepts.
In the city of Quervadi, Trevedi sat before an empty shrine, silently chanting sutras, when Bangim stormed in with a hint of murderous intent.
“Trevidy, are you insane?” Bangim growled in the dim temple.
"What do you mean I'm crazy?" Trevedi finished reciting the scripture and then slowly turned to look at Bangim and asked.
"What is a Seed of Talent? Do you really think I don't know?" Bangim growled at Trevedi like a wounded lion.
"It's just a means to an end," Trevedi said calmly. "They need power, the world consciousness needs non-human beings, and Brahma needs a vessel. Isn't this a win-win-win situation?"
"You're insane! The World Consciousness is our greatest enemy!" Bankim couldn't contain his rage. "If we were defeated by the Han Dynasty, at least we could die as human beings, and this place would still bear our traces. But if we lose to the World Consciousness, then we will truly have nothing left!"
“Brahma was once too,” Trevedi said frankly. “But who remembers that he was once the greatest enemy? Besides, isn’t letting the world consciousness descend into Brahma’s body the perfect solution to all problems? As for losing, the Han dynasty will handle that; what does it have to do with you and me?”
At this moment, Trevedi showed no panic, only composure and the serene understanding that comes with experience and wisdom.
Bangim strode forward and grabbed Trevedi, but it was this grab that made Bangim realize one fact: Trevedi was not affected and was still a Brahmin priest, one of the three great possessors of the Radiant Descent of the Southern Nobles in the previous era.
"Are you worried that I'll be affected by this stuff?" Trevedi looked at Bangim indifferently. "Don't worry, this stuff isn't enough to affect me."
“The problem is that Seed of Talent, the hidden danger within it!” Bangim growled.
"What are the potential risks?" Trevedi asked calmly. "To gain power, you need to be prepared to lose something. I told Oswin about the dangers of this, but Oswin doesn't seem to understand. He seems to only understand sacrifice."
"This kind of thing will gradually transform the carrier into a non-human being, right?" Bangim said in a deep voice.
“Since it’s called a seed, it will naturally sprout one day. That’s what cordyceps is all about,” Trevedi said calmly. “At this stage, you should understand very clearly that the Han Dynasty will not let us go. So, do we still need to be so hesitant as before? There is no road ahead, so we have to forge our own path.”
“But this is not the way of humanity!” Bangim grabbed Trevedi’s collar angrily.
"Then what is the path of humanity?" Trevedi showed no alarm, but looked at Bangim and asked, "We Brahmins have spent a thousand years binding the will of Brahma on the southern slopes of the Himalayas. During this time, we have adjusted, corrected, and continuously optimized, but now, Bangim, do you really think this is the path of humanity?"
“As long as you still identify as a human being, then you are a human being!” Bankim retorted with a ferocious expression, while Trevedi clicked his tongue and scoffed at his words.
“Mortals have very weak willpower. Those who can still identify as human at that time are no longer mortals.” Trevedi’s expression turned cold as he pushed Bangim away. “In this world, what determines the fate of mortals is not mortals themselves, but the gods who define themselves as mortals!”
"You!" Benkim looked at Trevedi, whose expression remained unchanged. Only now did he realize that there was a problem and that it was impossible to stop him. After all, hundreds of thousands, or even more than 100,000, of Oswin's army had become elite members through this method.
Even at this moment, Benkim wondered if there were hidden dangers planted by Trevedy within Oswin's overly exaggerated command abilities.
“Oswin identifies with his identity, and so do the others. As for the seed of talent sprouting, that takes time and requires emotional highs and lows.” Trevedi slowly sat back down on his cushion and continued chanting to the empty shrine.
“The Kushans cannot win using conventional methods.” Trevedi finished reading another paragraph and turned to look at Bangim, who was deep in thought beside him.
“I know.” Bangim looked at Trevedi with immense anger on his face, but his mind remained unusually calm. He had completely understood Trevedi’s logic.
“Oswin was able to hold off the Han Dynasty only because the Han Dynasty didn’t do its best. Do you know what the Han Dynasty’s steel production figures are based on my analysis, according to the information I obtained from my spies within the Han Dynasty through various channels?” Trevedi turned to look at Bangim and asked softly.
“During the grand court assembly of the Han dynasty, they did not restrict our access, and they seemed unconcerned that we knew these things.” Bankim did not answer directly, but he provided the answer.
“That answer was compressed. Based on the findings of those secret agents, I analyzed that the quantity is far greater than 100,000 tons. This is steel, and even gods and Buddhas would still have to bow down to the power of steel. How much steel production does our Kushan Empire produce in comparison to the Han Dynasty?” Trevedi looked at Bangim and directly pointed out the biggest loophole in the Han-Kushan war over the years.
“The Han Dynasty has not exerted its full strength, and we have no way to assassinate Chen Zichuan, so it is impossible to win a decisive battle. The Han Dynasty’s fighting strength is ten times that of us,” Trevedi said in a deep voice. “Therefore, it is impossible to win by taking the righteous path like Oswin did.”
"So you chose this dead end?" Bangim growled. He possessed a destiny trajectory and could build possibilities for the future through various means, so in terms of long-term vision, he saw further than other Kushan sages.
While having too far-sighted a vision is not good, as it can easily lead to neglecting the people and things in front of us in pursuit of future gains, from a strategic perspective, the long term represents perfection.
"What is a dead end?" Trevedi closed his eyes and said calmly, "Not following your and Zhuhelai's ideas is a dead end? Bankim, you and Zhuhelai overestimate yourselves. If we really followed your path, we wouldn't even be able to get over the current hurdle. It's true that you have a long-term vision, but if you see hope for the day after tomorrow and die tomorrow, what's the point!"
“A future that can’t be reached is meaningless!” Bankim stared intently at Trevedi.
“But at least I can get through tomorrow. As for the day after tomorrow, it only makes sense if we wait until tomorrow. If we can’t even get to tomorrow, then there’s no need to think about the day after tomorrow.” Trevedi said with a hint of coldness, “Bankim, if you’ve come for this matter, then there’s no need to say more. I’ve made my choice, and you can’t stop me or make it clear. Just go!”
If Trevedi dares to do it, he's not afraid of trouble from Zhu Helai and Bankim. If he doesn't do it now, it's questionable whether Oswin can win this game!
Don't underestimate the problems of the Han Dynasty; are the problems of the Kushan Empire small?
it's the same!
While Chen Xi predicted that the Han dynasty would lose this battle, the wise men of the Kushan Empire also doubted that the outcome of their battle would be good.
After all, they had fought so many battles with the Han Dynasty, and the Han Dynasty had won more than it had lost. Moreover, this time it was the Kushans who took the initiative to attack, so the situation was even more unpredictable. They could only make a judgment based on their past experience.
Therefore, Bangim couldn't really refute Trevedi's words.
“The curse of the world consciousness has fallen and cannot be completely removed, so the things we need to consider are actually a bit simpler, since there is only one outcome.” Seeing that Bangim had calmed down, Trevedi laid his cards on the table.
“After Rome fell into internal strife, only the Han Dynasty and us, the two pillars, were left to bear the curse of the world consciousness. Benchim, tell me honestly, if I didn’t make preparations in advance and instead waited for the world consciousness to explode naturally through various accidents, could we withstand it?” Trevedi spoke frankly, slowly revealing his thoughts.
Just as Chen Xi thought, when faced with the same crisis, everyone needs to consider their own strength. The Han Dynasty was strong, so Chen Xi's strategy was to tough it out, ignoring the curse of the world's consciousness and going for the idea that human will can overcome fate.
What about Guishuang?
Does Guishuang have the necessary strength?
No!
If the Kushan Empire chooses to fight head-on, and the Han Dynasty and the Kushan Empire clash, both sides will experience internal turmoil caused by the curse of the world consciousness. Under the same force, the Han Dynasty might be able to fight the Kushan Empire while suppressing internal unrest, while the Kushan Empire would probably explode on the spot.
“Essentially, we have no choice. If we stubbornly resist the curse of the world consciousness, it will continue to accumulate, and once a flaw appears, we will suffer greatly. Of course, if the Han Dynasty continues to resist, it will also suffer greatly, but the Han Dynasty has a stronger foundation and can withstand it. We don’t have that kind of capital, so we can only choose other means. After all, the world consciousness is in a coma, and relying on instinct will definitely have loopholes.” Seeing that Bangim’s face was already showing a thoughtful expression, Trevedi felt much more at ease.
"Instead of living in constant fear and taking precautions, only to have the world consciousness create a huge problem for us through a coincidence, it's better to create a huge problem that aligns with the world consciousness's understanding." Trevedi explained his considerations in detail.
“In this way, the instinct of world consciousness will inevitably be directed towards the Han Dynasty, and the pressure on our side will be much less. After all, compared to troubles that are barely manageable, troubles that are completely out of control are far more dangerous. As a Brahmin among Brahmins, you should know very well how many hidden dangers we have here,” Trevedi said coldly.
"What about the potential backlash?" Bangim pressed.
"I don't know. It would be best if we could suppress it. If we can't, don't blame me. We can only blame our weakness. After all, the Roman Empire has already shown us how to control the intensity of unrest, but we can't do it with similar methods. So it's not a matter of demonstration." Trevedi had no worries about the future. If it really exploded, he would die because of his own methods and his own incompetence, rather than dying under the blade of the Han Dynasty. At least that would be dignified.
“You!” Bankim gritted his teeth.
“If everything can be predicted, what’s the point of this world?” Trevedi said dismissively. “It’s essentially just a gamble. If the Han Dynasty is really strong enough to conquer nature, then as one of the pillars of humanity, the curse of the world consciousness will be greatly reduced. Of course, if the Han Dynasty can’t do that and is severely damaged by the curse of the world consciousness that is now concentrated, then we will be in a better position.”
It won't be easy at all. If the curse of the world's consciousness can severely damage the current Han Dynasty, then Trevedi feels that the backup plan he prepared for the Seed of Talent will definitely explode.
“It’s not that humans are blessed by heaven, we can also enjoy it. With this balance of power, if we still can’t achieve results, then we should all prepare ourselves.” Before closing his eyes for the last time, Trevedi glanced at Bangim one last time, and then began chanting again.
In Chang'an, Chen Xi didn't know how the Kushan Empire had planned its scheme, but with this preconceived notion, he deduced a lot by working backward from the result to the cause. However, an answer is just an answer, and in reality, many times a problem cannot be solved simply by having one answer.
What Chen Xi needs to do now is put aside this answer, compose himself, and lead the main force to Jiangling to suppress any potential internal turmoil. As for other matters, they can be dealt with later.
"What do you want from me?" Zhou Yu asked Chen Xi, who shouldn't be coming to him at this critical moment, with a hint of doubt.
"Take me to Jiangling." Chen Xi glanced at Zhou Yu.
Zhou Yu was stunned. What kind of attitude was this? It felt like Chen Xi was treating him like a beast of burden.
"Didn't I tell you before? I can't leave Chang'an recently, otherwise I should have gone to Yunmeng instead," Zhou Yu asked, somewhat puzzled.
“Take me with you, and you can leave Chang’an. I can solve all your problems.” Chen Xi’s tone was flat and straightforward, yet it was incredibly convincing.
"That seems to be true." Zhou Yu thought for a moment, and since Chen Xi had said that, it seemed impossible to refuse.
I'm so tired from work, I don't want to do anything at all.