History Has Fallen Ill-Chapter 121 : Feeding on the Sparks of Civilization, Reaping the White Sakura Deities

Chapter 121: Feeding on the Sparks of Civilization, Reaping the White Sakura Deities
On the highway, the Maybach sped along.
Jiang Yan, Niu Tunan, Zhao Yinman, and Yin Yiyi sat in the backseat. Most of their luggage had already been sent to the Hangzhou District.
Old Ba held the steering wheel, speaking without turning his head, “The Black Prison was split off by a powerful individual who sought to create a place comparable to the Eighteen Levels of Hell. When planted, it can give rise to a special prison space.
It can store living people, items, and more. It has unique laws that can suppress prisoners and prevent escape. It's usually used to imprison heinous criminals or powerful mutated beings. Due to its scarcity, even ordinary second-tier cities might not receive one.
The Black Prison in Hangzhou is considered the largest extraordinary prison aside from the Jiangnan Province headquarters. Deep within, it holds criminals at the peak of the Ancient Talisman stage.”
Jiang Yan asked curiously, “Then why not just kill them and extract supernatural materials?”
“You think supernatural materials can be extracted with one hundred percent success? Besides, they still have their uses and can’t be killed yet. The Black Prison also requires the absorption of sin to maintain spatial stability. The process of imprisoning sinners is actually part of perfecting that high-level History Walker’s ‘Path.’
Once you reach the Ancient Talisman stage, you must learn to spread your own path and ecology, as if completing a merit and gradually perfecting it.
Why do some people always spread cultivation methods to devour lower-level cultivators? Because it greatly shortens the process, though it also leads to losing one’s sanity.”
Ba Lie made no effort to conceal these topics, sharing openly. In his view, young people needed to understand the seriousness of the situation.
Just like sex education—if you don’t do proper science education ahead of time and keep everything hush-hush, it’s easier to lead people astray.
Jiang Yan nodded in agreement.
His Cataclysmic Sea of the Return Ruins Lotus Sutra was, rather than harvesting Children of Fate, more about harvesting diseased domains and the chaos of civilizations.
What he sought to consume were the diseased domains of the myriad heavens, dynastic fate, and the very sparks of civilization.
‘Then, what does the Lamp-Igniting Method consume?’
As Jiang Yan pondered, Ba Lie continued, “But even I didn’t expect the Jiangnan Province HQ would make you a Deputy Warden. Although many people also hold this position concurrently, they’re all pseudo-Ancient Talisman stage. Only you… haven’t even reached the Law Seed stage.”
Still, considering Jiang Yan’s terrifying feats—slaying the Chains of the Nine Dragons, repelling the Xiang Nu—and the Black Dragon hide he gifted him, Ba Lie found it strangely reasonable.
Ba Lie added, “But it’s a cushy job. As long as you don’t go overboard, the higher-ups will turn a blind eye.”
Prisoners were like sponges—squeeze them a bit, and they always popped out some gold coins.
Jiang Yan smiled, another thought flashing through his mind.
The group from Divine Sakura Bio seemed to be imprisoned in the Black Prison.
He had killed Kurokawa Ryuuji, and the only one who knew about the Celestial Ghost and the Eight Span Mirror shard—Kurokawa Sōsuke—apparently hadn’t revealed anything. No one had come to question him.
Of course, it was also possible that HQ knew and simply didn’t care.
They believed Jiang Yan was more valuable than any treasure!
Jiang Yan wasn’t concerned with them—his attention was on Kurokawa Seki.
She wasn’t directly involved in the incident, only complicit and held joint responsibility, so she was sentenced to just a few years of imprisonment.
Once her term was up, she would be released.
According to internal information from the Bureau of Historical Revision, the Kurokawa family head, Kurokawa Ryuuichi, to evade the Bureau’s pursuit, had used a special method to voluntarily enter a Diseased Domain.
Even if he didn’t die there, the different flow of time would age him to death.
Even if he found opportunities and advanced to Heavenly Official, once he returned to the real world, he’d still be hunted down.
In many people’s eyes, he was already a dead man.
Though the Kurokawa family hadn’t been directly targeted by the Bureau, White Sakura had paid a huge price in extraordinary resources and signed several unequal treaties.
This led to dissatisfaction among many noble families.
A hint of malice from those at the top was enough to make the wild dogs below bark madly.
Many White Sakura families pounced to tear into this once-mighty tiger. Numerous direct descendants of the Kurokawa line drowned, following the Ming dynasty tradition of being “water-soluble.”
The entire Kurokawa clan stood on the edge of extinction, teetering precariously.
Even if Kurokawa Seki returned, she could no longer be the noble young lady. Either she’d be dumped in the wilderness as a corpse, or wear a collar, kneeling before some big shot, wagging her tail in submission, then discarded when he got bored.
Jiang Yan felt no sympathy for this.
Since she had enjoyed the resources of the Kurokawa family, she must also bear the corresponding cost.
‘The innocent should be spared’—only if they never enjoyed the luxurious life built on the suffering of the people.
Those who flaunted their power over the masses and then cried pitifully when they were brought to justice?
She wouldn’t even realize her mistakes—she only knew she was about to die.
Jiang Yan considered… whether he could use Kurokawa Seki as a chess piece to lay out a plan in White Sakura’s extraordinary world.
Although White Sakura was an island nation, it originated from the Tianxia cultural sphere and was linked in obscure ways to Xu Fu, who was sent by the First Emperor to seek immortality.
It was a land crawling with monsters and demons, strange abilities, and endless legends.
Most crucially, the White Sakura deities were deeply connected to these great noble houses—some had even drunk “divine blood.”
Of course, these deities weren’t mighty divine beings.
Except for those like Amaterasu who might possess Great Divine Abilities, the so-called eight million gods of White Sakura were mostly animistic Shinto spirits. Truthfully, there weren’t many Saints or Heavenly Officials among them.
But their abilities were unique—ideal targets for hunting.
He could treat White Sakura as a breeding ground, cultivating high-quality Demon-God Embryo feedstock.
Besides, White Sakura was part of the real world. Stirring up trouble there would shorten the time Jiang Yan needed to enter a Diseased Domain again.
“Looks like I’ll need to devise a plan.”
Jiang Yan pondered—he could leverage his position as Deputy Warden to reduce her sentence and get her released.
But now, the Black Prison was actually protecting her. Kurokawa Seki might not even want to leave.
She’d only be willing if her identity were strong enough to lead the remaining Kurokawa remnants, kill White Sakura prodigies, harvest fate, and gradually touch the secrets of White Sakura’s upper echelons.
As for Kurokawa Ryuuichi…
This political monster would abandon anything useless, but as long as he wasn’t dead, he’d never give up the valuable Kurokawa family.
He would absolutely reach out to the Kurokawa clan in secret.
Then Jiang Yan could use Kurokawa Seki to capture him.
And stage that infamous scene—
“The son smiles at the father’s death.”
Weave a web of karma and lay out his plan in the real world.
If it worked, he could replicate it and extend his influence into the neighboring countries of Tianxia.
“But this woman is useless aside from her looks. She’ll need to be enhanced, planted with a Cataclysmic Lotus. It’d be best to instill enough hatred to fuel her growth.”
Jiang Yan sighed—he’d have to spend money again.
But no risk, no reward.
If Kurokawa Seki could stir up turmoil in White Sakura’s extraordinary world, the returns could be tenfold—or even a hundredfold.
The two-hour drive passed quickly, and the Maybach arrived in Yuhang.
Yuhang District had once been on the outskirts of Hangzhou, but after developing high-tech industries and factories—including Alibaba—it became an economic engine and a key area in urban planning.
Though Jiang Yan usually worked in Binjiang District, he’d heard of Yuhang’s rapid transformation.
Once, he’d been a tech-tired bro who left Hangzhou in defeat. Now, with power in hand, he finally saw the city’s “slow pace.”
The Bureau of Historical Revision’s station in Yuhang District was still operated under Qing Shi Technology. Its location was remote but more luxurious and tech-oriented than Pan’an.
Over a hundred employees from the Bureau of Historical Revision were lined up at the gate—a grand reception.
“Welcome, Director Ba and Commander Jiang!”
Leading the group was a middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit, hurrying forward with an enthusiastic expression to shake hands with Ba Lie and Jiang Yan.
Outside, people were addressed by title.
After a brief introduction, they learned the man was Cang Hong, the third-in-command of the Yuhang Bureau of Historical Revision—at the pseudo-Ancient Talisman stage.
The two superiors above him were already in retirement.
Cang Hong said excitedly, “We’ll be relying on you from now on. I’ll fully cooperate with Director Ba.”
“No need to be so polite. Besides, you’re at pseudo-Ancient Talisman; I’m only peak Law Seed. Strength reigns supreme—I should be assisting you,” Ba Lie said with a hearty laugh.
Cang Hong replied, “Brother Ba, I bet you’ve forgotten. Back when you swept through the geniuses, I didn’t even get a chance to enter the arena. I could only watch from the sidelines. But after all these years, you’ve still got that same flair!”
Ba Lie praised, “I think you’re a late bloomer, Brother Cang—ready to rise with solid foundations!”
“You flatter me!” Cang Hong couldn’t hide his grin, growing even warmer in his manner.
The two chatted warmly, as if meeting long-lost friends, while handling the work handover.
“So this is Jiang Yan?”
Other employees snuck glances at Jiang Yan with curiosity. They’d long heard from the genius contestants what had happened.
He had single-handedly controlled the Earth Serpent, defeated the Chains of the Nine Dragons, repelled the Xiang Nu, and resolved the Dragon-Transforming Catastrophe that nearly swept across Jiangnan Province.
He was dazzlingly glorious.
Most crucially, he came from an ordinary background yet stepped over countless noble geniuses to become Jiangnan’s top newcomer.
This gave many History Walkers of humble origins a sense of shared pride—and even birthed a fanbase.
They’d thought they’d never have the chance to meet him, yet here he was—their superior.
Fate was indeed strange.
Jiang Yan responded to their gazes with a gentle smile.
Next, Zhao Yinman and the others were assigned accommodations, while Jiang Yan, as the commander, was assigned a dedicated assistant by Cang Hong to help familiarize him with the job.
In front of Jiang Yan stood a curvaceous woman in her twenties wearing sheer black office stockings, gold-rimmed glasses, and a professional outfit. Her surname was Yao—Yao Siyu.
Secretary Yao asked, “Commander Jiang, may I address you like this?”
“No problem,” Jiang Yan nodded.
Pushing her glasses up, Secretary Yao stood straight and continued, “I’m now your exclusive secretary. Yuhang is near West Lake, rich in history. Plus, the city is permeated with Dragon Vein Qi, which makes the Historical Long River more volatile. Even demons prefer to descend here to compete for blessed lands.
The director and deputy director were severely injured in a major Diseased Domain emergence. In the coming days, there will be more Diseased Domains. Patrol teams will handle what they can, and only notify you if it's beyond their capacity.
Normally, you just need to rest or cultivate in the dedicated training room. Even if you don’t follow the Mountain and River or Dragon Vein paths, the cultivation chamber can still enhance spiritual energy absorption.”
Jiang Yan’s interest was piqued. He asked curiously:
“Can anyone use it?”
“Normally, you need to exchange points for usage time. But as a commander, you get twenty-four hours per month. Since you're new, you qualify for a trial use of three hours—this won’t count against your time.”
At that, Secretary Yao winked—everything understood without needing to say more.
Jiang Yan smiled without rejecting.
If it’s legal and compliant, why not enjoy the perks?
Secretary Yao added, “The bureau received word that you’re also Deputy Warden of the Black Prison. Tomorrow afternoon, a car will take you there. All of Yuhang’s fixed resources are at your disposal.”
Jiang Yan nodded and asked, “Is that all the work?”
“Pretty much, but…”
Secretary Yao hesitated, then continued, “The Historical Long River is more volatile now. There may be many extraordinary forces trying to fish in troubled waters. You may need to pay extra attention. They aren’t official, but not evil either—so it’s tricky to handle.”
Jiang Yan asked, “Is there a list?”
Secretary Yao handed over a directory. “There is, but many haven’t registered…”
“Then they’re unregistered groups.”
Jiang Yan cut her off, glanced at the list, and said softly:
“There’s no reason to guard against thieves every single day. Secretary Yao, notify all extraordinary forces in Yuhang District to send representatives to a meeting by noon tomorrow. Unregistered ones can also be informed.”
“After all, maintaining peace in the real world is everyone’s duty.”
“Those who show up are law-abiding forces. Perfect chance to have a heart-to-heart. As for those who don’t…”
“I have a terrible memory. I might not remember who came—but I’ll definitely remember who didn’t.”