I Lay Down My Arms for All Living Things, and Wish for a World Without Emperors

The emperor of the Xia Dynasty is foolish and incompetent. Three clans join forces to attack the Great Xia, and Li Changqing and the other defenders of South Pass fight desperately to hold their ground. But instead of being rewarded, they are framed by treacherous officials, summoned back to the capital, accused of crimes, and sentenced to death. Using the decoy-death technique left behind by the Sixian Sect, Li Changqing is reborn. He survives and returns to South Pass, leaving clues for his adopted son, Liu Li, before vanishing without a trace. But the emperor is dead, the land descends into chaos, and warlords seize territory as the Great Xia falls apart. Liu Li becomes the new Prince of Zhennan, but before long he is framed and forced to leave South Pass, embarking on a life in the martial world. Wandering far and wide, he witnesses human suffering and the cruelty of the world, and sees the people’s despair at the state of things. He then manages to make contact with Li Changqing again. But the Li Changqing of today is no longer the spirited general who once guarded the pass. Faced with years of careful schemes laid by the many powers across the land, he is exhausted, helpless, and dispirited. Years later, they return to the capital in triumph, rallying support from many sides. In time, peace comes to the land, and Liu Li inherits the throne. He proclaims to all under heaven: “We have no need of gods! No need of emperors! Emperors can be slain! Gods can be destroyed!” Thus begins an era in which the Great Xia belongs to its people!