Part 1: The Decline of the Dynasty

  After two great reigning Kings ?? had brought the Chau Ngoc Kingdom ?? to the peak of its prosperity, the third King became a disaster ?? descending upon the realm. Within a single year, the tax rates ?? changed three times, soaring dramatically each time. The entire dynasty seemed to be in a frenzy of tax inspection and collection: a sophisticated, meticulously invested system was established to ensure that no one, whether commoner or official, could evade or be exempt from taxes. This should have been a fair policy, but the implementation was shockingly extreme.

  The tax laws changed too quickly, failing to keep pace with the people's lives. Previously, it took almost ten years for a law to be widely adopted and ingrained in daily life. Now, new policies changed not yearly, but monthly, sometimes even daily. While communication, guidance, and re-education for the populace were slow, new laws changed before they even reached every citizen. Confusion and panic reigned everywhere. The people did not know what to do, and worse, officials seized this opportunity to blatantly exploit them ??, raising taxes even further, and even forcing the people to bear their own tax burdens. Resentment smoldered in the people's hearts, but they had no one to express it to, only able to grit their teeth and endure ??.

  Part 2: Crisis and Extravagance

  The inevitable consequence of soaring taxes was an equally rapid increase in product prices. The hoe, the plow, the meat cleaver—essential tools for daily life—now became unimaginably expensive. Farming became even more difficult due to the lack of tools, leading to a severe decline in food and crop production ??. Yet, taxes did not decrease; they even increased. The trade and transportation industries were also heavily affected. Exorbitantly high taxes made business an unbearable burden, forcing many to quit their professions. Only a few struggled to hold on, but they had to minimize operations, maintaining them with great difficulty.

  The current King ?? also harbored extravagant, pleasure-seeking desires ??. He craved residence in high towers and opulent, gold-plated palaces ??, thus commissioning the construction of numerous large and small palaces in different locations for him to vacation at will. The people were forced into unpaid labor ??, shedding sweat and blood to build these colossal structures for the King. They were not compensated, lacked proper food and lodging, and thus easily fell ill. Food was scarce, while the work was exceptionally heavy, causing many to collapse and die ?? right at the construction site, where they were hastily buried. The scent of fresh earth, sweat, and even death clung to these magnificent structures, staining them with tragedy ??.

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  The King was also known for his lust for women ??, organizing annual selections for wives, concubines, and beauties to fill his newly built residences, turning them into his private pleasure grounds. He neglected state affairs ???♂?, allowing officials to run rampant, exploit, and dry up the people's vitality. Righteous, brave individuals ? who stood up to prevent the King from committing wicked atrocities were brutally punished mildly, they were dismissed; severely, their entire clan of hundreds of people was beheaded. Since then, no one dared to obstruct the King from doing anything. The court atmosphere was dominated by fear and a terrifying silence ??; every word spoken had to be carefully considered, fearing the eyes and ears of the King and his flatterers.

  Part 3: The Immortal Factions Emerge

  Amidst this chaos ??, a power that had seemingly been hidden for so long now began to reveal itself ??. They were the Cultivation Clans ?? living amongst the mortal world ??. They were worried and sought ways to save themselves. Among them was an extremely special clan, who called themselves the Yin-Yang School ??. This clan had the ability to know the future and understand the past, possessing outstanding talent in the Yin-Yang Five Elements Formation ??. This ability was inherited from an equally mysterious Immortal sect ?? called the Profound Heaven Pavilion ??.

  The Profound Heaven Pavilion ?? was unlike the great prophets who could directly communicate with the gods and the Heavenly Dao ??. They were merely people who could read the Heavenly Record ??, also known as the Heavenly Trajectory or the Akashic Library ??, knowing the past and future vaguely. It was rumored that the prophetic nursery rhymes ?? that children sang were composed and taught by them. Furthermore, they had another group of people to spread the prophecies: those who secretly sold knives/scythes ??. They continued to proclaim small prophecies, skillfully predicting the future without provoking the King, to avoid the attention of the Chau Ngoc Kingdom ??, quietly existing.

  Part 4: Heavenly Disasters Descend

  Internal affairs were in turmoil, and external nature also grew increasingly chaotic ???. Previously, the Chau Ngoc Kingdom ?? had enjoyed an eternal spring ??, divided only into rainy and dry seasons. Now, the climate had clearly distinguished four seasons ??. Winter brought snowfall ???—a strange occurrence that was previously seen only once every ten years, but now occurred every year. The harsh weather seriously impacted the nation, especially the Tay Lang Kingdom ??, with bone-chilling cold that made the people's lives even more miserable.

  Every upheaval, from tax policies to natural disasters, was a deep cut into the body of the Chau Ngoc Kingdom ??, pushing this kingdom to the brink of collapse ??, signaling that the prophecy ?? in the nursery rhyme was gradually becoming a grim reality.