Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains

Chapter 335: 180. The Changing Winds and Clouds, The Situation of the World (Part II)

Each of the states in the world has its own characteristics, due to their different geographical locations.

For example, the entirety of Yongzhou is devoted to the faith in the Respected Rakshasa God;

Xuzhou, because of the rule of the Wanjian Holy Sect, has martial artists within the state who are particularly fond of the sword path;

Then there are states like Yang State and Yan State, which are known for producing scholars and literati;

Jiaozhou, on the other hand, is filled with Taoist temples everywhere;

And the people of Qing State, their pursuit of the three arts of zither, chess, and painting can only be described as fanatic...

Such regional differences objectively exist in every part of the thirteen states, from the beliefs, customs, and personalities of the people, to the minutiae of their traditions, festivals, and daily life. It can be said that every aspect continuously reflects these differences.

These differences often create barriers between people, who, because of misunderstandings and the manipulations of those with ulterior motives, see their animosities and resentments deepen and strengthen. The notion that 'yours is bad, mine is good' is continuously reinforced in the hearts of the people across the states, resulting in endlessly harmful consequences.

The original Shenzhou was not like this at all!

During the former rule of the Great Yu Dynasty, the people of the world considered themselves either part of the martial clan or citizens of Great Yu. Although each state had its own characteristics, the hostility between them was not nearly as intense as it is now, and the thirteen states were interdependent. The people interacted frequently, with everything from faith and customs to martial arts and trade flourishing due to exchanges, heralding a era of unprecedented prosperity.

Unfortunately, all of this disappeared with the downfall of the Great Yu Divine Dynasty...

But are such differences without exception? Are all thirteen states like this?

Actually, not necessarily!

Take the Great Jin Dynasty, for example...

In the seventh year of the New Yu Era, Yuwen Hongzhang, an Imperial Guard General of the Great Yu Divine Court, defected with the demon consort Meng Qiuli, taking with them an army of five hundred thousand to the north. Using Youzhou as their base, they conquered Fenzhou, Bingzhou, and the three Yu states, establishing the Great Jin Dynasty.

At that time, the dual emperors of Great Jin, who were at the height of their power, would have almost unified the north had they not expanded too quickly, arousing apprehension amongst the heroes of the world and causing them to unite in resistance.

The Great Jin, unable to expand further, gradually began to face internal problems. The Eastern Emperor, Yuwen Hongzhang, full of ambition, sought to unify the four inland states, eating away at the Western Emperor Meng Qiuli's influence and forming the beginning of a rift between the dual emperors.

Although Meng Qiuli was a woman, she had considerable strength and skill. She drew the Jin military to her side and, with the Blood Spirit Holy Method as a lure, founded the Blood Spirit Demon Sect in the four states of You, Yu, Fen, and Bing to resist Yuwen Hongzhang's encroachment.

As it turned out, this move was indeed effective. Meng Qiuli held her ground for more than eight hundred years, and Yuwen Hongzhang never managed to completely devour her. In fact, during those eight hundred years, there were times when the Blood Spirit Demon Sect even gained the upper hand.

Unfortunately, the strongest fortresses often fall from within!

In the year 891 of the New Yu Era, 431 years prior, an internal strife broke out within the Blood Spirit Demon Sect. Yuwen Hongzhang seized the opportunity to accuse the sect of creating chaos and disorder, and, along with the support of the military clans Tuoba, Helian, and Wanyan, launched a campaign against Meng Qiuli's followers.

The war lasted for nine years, until the year 900 of the New Yu Era when Yuwen Hongzhang had annexed Fenzhou, which had long been cultivated by the Blood Spirit Demon Sect, becoming the sole emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty.

At that time, had it not been for the joint intervention of the six holy lands of The Righteous Path and the eight houses of the Demon Derivation Holy Sect and Rakshasa Demon Religion in Youzhou, the capital, the Blood Spirit Demon Sect might have ceased to exist today.

Of course, it's also worth mentioning a very important event!

The Pact of the Jin Capital was the result of the visit of the eight great sacred lands to the Jin Capital to coerce Great Jin into discontinuing the invasion of Bingzhou.

In the year 900 of the New Yu Era, the masters of the eight great sacred lands gathered in the Jin Capital to intervene in the internal turmoil of Great Jin. Under pressure, Yuwen Hongzhang had to give up his campaign of annihilation against Meng Qiuli and promised that Great Jin would no longer continue to attack Bingzhou.

But promises always have conditions!

Yuwen Hongzhang realized that, despite nine hundred years passing since the fall of the Divine Dynasty, the holy lands of the world still wished to maintain the status quo. Thus, leveraging the thought that none wanted to continue the war, and also relying on Great Jin's unmatched strength, he proposed signing a treaty in Jin Capital, a treaty ensuring that neighboring states would not invade each other.

One must remember that at that time, the thirteen states of the world were not like today. Although they all came to coerce Great Jin into stopping, their own external wars had never ceased. They were constantly looking to annex others and strengthen themselves, so how could they agree to sign this treaty? Therefore, there was some displeasure initially, and the treaty was not smoothly concluded.

But later, Yuwen Hongzhang showed his strong hand, proclaiming that his sole concern was for the stability of the world. If the eight great sacred lands did not agree, they would not wish for peace in the world. He declared that if Great Jin continued its attack on Bingzhou, he would feel no burden on his conscience.

At the same time, he broadcast this news throughout the world, immediately earning the approval of people everywhere. Twenty-two Earth Level major forces, more than seventy first-class forces, and countless other forces all sent representatives to the Jin Capital to persuade the other holy lands to sign the treaty.

Once public opinion exploded, Bailu Academy, which professed to be the leader of The Righteous Path, could not stand the pressure and was the first to submit. After all, they have always claimed to pursue the stabilization of the world, and such a treaty that could clearly bring peace seemed too good to be true. For them not to sign would be quite unreasonable.

This was followed by the Blood Spirit Demon Sect, which at the time was already on its last legs. If Meng Qiuli did not sign the treaty, she might not even be able to retain Bingzhou, so naturally, she had no choice.

The third to sign was the Qinjian Villa in Jizhou. Supposedly, Great Jin had issued them a large order for war horses and weapons. Enticed by such considerable profit, Zhao Yulong also compromised.