(Side Story) Loser 012

Before the various factions had even had time to digest the news, an even more earth-shaking announcement arrived.

The Emperor had issued the first appointment in several centuries, naming Fang Zhiyi Marshal of the Empire.

The news sent shockwaves throughout the Empire. Most people were stunned. Did the Emperor really exist?

No one offered them an explanation. Fang Zhiyi led the Imperial Guard straight into the headquarters of the Sector Army in the imperial capital. Relying on their overwhelming strength, the Imperial Guard slaughtered several high-ranking officers who were indulging themselves on the spot, then swiftly seized control of the situation.

The Sector Army stationed in the capital was broken up, and its officers were ordered to resubmit their records. Some veterans who had rendered distinguished service but had been suppressed because they lacked connections were promoted. Fang Zhiyi soon had a group of supporters of his own. He then rapidly promoted a number of hawkish officers led by Hu Lie and launched a purge against Sector Army units that refused to obey the Emperor’s orders.

Throughout this period, the Emperor provided an extremely abundant supply of technological support. In his desire to be freed, Old Ghost contributed without hesitation everything he had tinkered with over the past several hundred years. This greatly aided Fang Zhiyi’s efforts to centralize power.

Although the process was somewhat bloody, every sector within the Empire soon fell into Fang Zhiyi’s hands. This included the lofty aristocrats. Once he had them in his grip, he also had the various forces in other sectors connected to them.

The nobles realized that the tide had turned. Knowing that killing Fang Zhiyi was no longer feasible, they began stirring up public opinion, hoping to bring pressure to bear on the Emperor.

Old Ghost: “???”

But before Old Ghost could react, Fang Zhiyi had already made his next move.

All across the streets, posters appeared, pasted up by unknown individuals. The images on them were horrifying: human settlements destroyed by the Blue-Skins, human corpses hanging from poles, scattered limbs, and Blue-Skins displaying human heads in their hands. Every picture testified to the creatures’ viciousness and brutality.

The photographs had been taken by unmanned probes and preserved by the Ninth Legion.

Before long, rumors began circulating throughout the imperial capital. The Ninth Legion commander had retreated in the face of the enemy and repeatedly implemented a policy of nonresistance, resulting in the deaths of even more innocent civilians and soldiers. It was Fang Zhiyi who had led the Ninth Legion to crush the Blue-Skin army.

Common people only believed what they could see with their own eyes. Compared with the rumors from before, these visible photographs and recordings were clearly far more credible.

As the military took control of the media, more and more of the supposedly peaceful facade was shattered.

When the plight of humanity in distant star systems was exposed one incident after another, the people’s anger was once again ignited.

The mighty Empire they had imagined was actually in such a state? Who was manipulating everything from behind the scenes? Why had entire armies been abandoned? And why were civilians who had gone out to develop new worlds being slaughtered by aliens?

Fang Zhiyi’s foundation was steadily growing stronger. His posters were plastered all over the streets, each bearing his likeness and four large words:

“Long Live Humanity!”

The tide had turned completely. The nobles began changing course and currying favor with Fang Zhiyi. All they wanted was to preserve their positions.

The aristocracy was not destroyed by the army in Fang Zhiyi’s hands, but by the common people. Fang Zhiyi unhesitatingly exposed every filthy deed of the noble class, one after another. There was no need to incite anyone; the testimony of those who had experienced these things firsthand was enough to ignite the people’s fury.

The enraged populace began storming the heavily guarded estates of the nobles. They encountered little resistance, because the Sector Army units assigned to protect the aristocracy had already been transferred elsewhere.

In addition, several members of the Assembly were seized by the people and subjected to public trials. The reason was simple: they were too weak. They had even ceded planets to alien races for their own personal gain. Such behavior was tantamount to betraying all of humanity.

The revolution erupted in the imperial capital and swept through the entire star system. Throughout this period, the army under Fang Zhiyi remained silent. The violent machinery of the state’s noninterference resulted in a brief period of chaos. For a human empire that had existed for more than a thousand years, five years was indeed an exceedingly short time.

Soon afterward, the Emperor announced that new representatives would be selected from among the common people to reestablish the Assembly. The move won the support of every planet. Because of the aristocracy’s previous actions, some planets with harsh environments had been required to pay the same taxes as economically prosperous worlds. The nobles, who had maintained power for hundreds of years, cared neither about population nor production capacity. They looked only at the final figures.

The new system, by contrast, would elect common representatives from each planet. At least in the short term, everyone would receive a comparatively fair result.

The class upheaval was brought to a complete end by another announcement: the long-silent Sector Army, led by Fang Zhiyi, was about to embark on a military expedition. Its target was the frontier sectors of the human Empire, where alien races had long been wreaking havoc.

“Any alien life-form that harms humanity will be deemed heretical!”

“Any act that harms our fellow humans will be deemed treason against humanity!”

“Before the Empire, there is only submission—never negotiation!”

Carried along by this fervor, humanity’s thinking reached an unprecedented level of unity. The army under Fang Zhiyi became the most terrifying force of slaughter in the entire star system.

Some aliens believed that humanity could still be reasoned with, that there was no need to wage war over a few weak human slaves. Fang Zhiyi, however, gave an excellent demonstration of what it meant to allow no negotiations.

A massive fleet pressed toward its target planet. Under the threat of orbital cannons, the aliens could only watch helplessly as the human slaves were evacuated aboard transport ships.

Then came the fleet’s devastating bombardment.

That’s right—even the entire planet was destroyed along with them.

The terror of the human fleet shook the entire star system.

“Those despicable humans!”

Princess Aya of the Blue-Skins crushed the cup in her hand. Her eyes turned toward the scarred man hanging before her. When Gu Yuan saw her gaze, he trembled with fear. Suspended in midair, he could do nothing but beg incessantly.

“Aya, have you forgotten the vows we made to each other?”

“You caused the deaths and injuries of so many of my people, and you deceived me about your feelings. Our vows? Hah…” Aya gnashed her teeth.

She had just learned that the human fleet had destroyed yet another planet. It happened to be her homeland. Her people had refused to surrender, even hanging human skulls and skins up in an attempt to intimidate their enemy. The result was a barrage from orbital cannons that blotted out the heavens and shook the earth.

“You—you can’t treat me like this! The human Empire has already announced that anyone who harms humanity will be punished!” Gu Yuan finally broke down. He had never imagined that, in the eyes of these alien races, love would count for less than nothing. His one-sided devotion had led him to this predicament.

“So you’re finally showing your true colors.” Aya gave a savage grin. “But you’ve forgotten something. They also said that any human who harms their own kind is a traitor to humanity! Have you forgotten how, in order to earn my trust, you helped us kill so many of your own people?”

Gu Yuan remembered as well. Back then, for the sake of his love, and to protect her people, he too had raised a blade against his fellow humans.

“Don’t worry. You love me so much that if we die, we’ll die together.” Aya was clearly no longer in her right mind. “We won’t lose. You humans are the true ants—slaves!”

A tremendous roar came from overhead.

It was the sound of a warship passing through the atmosphere and hovering in the sky, as well as the Empire’s warning: submit, or be exterminated.

Seeing Aya snatch up her weapon and charge outside, Gu Yuan knew that everything was over.

In the twelve-hundredth year of the Human Empire, the Emperor’s energy finally dissipated. Before it vanished, the Emperor redrew the rules governing the Empire. The very first rule stated that humanity possessed absolute priority. Any act of persecuting, enslaving, or killing humans would be met with retribution from the imperial army.

For the thousands of years that followed, no matter how the other rules changed, this one always remained first.

Humanity’s expansion also brought it face-to-face with countless difficult challenges. Yet the existence of these external enemies allowed humanity to maintain a united front against all outsiders. This continued until divisions once again emerged within the Human Federation, and the vast Empire gradually split into several nations.

“You mean I still have to work?” Old Ghost stared wide-eyed at the office area in front of him.

Fang Zhiyi nodded. “Of course. Why else would I have brought you here?”

“You—you said you could help set me free! I—I—this is going too far! Who in their right mind captures a ghost and makes him work?”

Old Ghost’s face was full of grievance.

“All right, all right. Why don’t you try learning about the job first? It’s really interesting, I’m not kidding. Who knows? All that knowledge in your head might even come in handy.” As Fang Zhiyi spoke, he spotted Liu Shishi approaching from a distance with a smile. His expression immediately changed. “It’s settled, then. Go find that pretty lady—she’ll show you the ropes!”

With that, Fang Zhiyi turned and ran.

Old Ghost was left staring after him in confusion.

“What kind of person is he?” Still, after thinking it over, at least he wouldn’t have to rack his brains anymore trying to think through this and that for those idiots. It seemed like a decent arrangement.

“How much is the pay?” Old Ghost suddenly remembered an important question.

“Interns don’t get paid!” Fang Zhiyi called back without turning around.

“You—you slave driver!”