I, Am a Living Yama; Empress Advises Me to Stay Calm

The terrifying flames instantly engulfed the armor and the prisoner.
The massive explosion echoed across the entire training ground, leaving everyone momentarily stunned, a buzzing sound ringing in their ears. They stared blankly at the site of the explosion.
After a while, the black smoke began to dissipate. The armor that had been placed there lay shattered into countless pieces. Not a single remnant of the sixteen sets of armor remained.
The ground was charred, and severed limbs were scattered about, clearly indicating that the prisoner had been blown to pieces.
Shangguan Wan’er covered her mouth, her face pale as she fought to suppress her nausea. It was the first time she had witnessed such a bloody scene.
Xu Jingzong, Wei Yuanzhong, and others were equally pale, their eyes filled with horror. They gasped in shock, fixated on the severed limbs on the ground. A chill ran from their feet to the top of their heads, making their hair stand on end.
What on earth had caused that explosion? How could it have been so powerful?
It was terrifying!
Wu Yuanshuang’s legs grew weak, and his face turned ashen. The explosion had taken him by surprise, leaving his ears ringing.
Though Wu Zhao appeared the most composed, her fists were clenched tightly within her sleeves, cold sweat trickling down her back.
At the moment of the explosion, she had nearly mistaken it for an earthquake.
The drill ground was deadly silent.
Wei Yuanzhong swallowed hard, shock filling his eyes as he looked at Yang Yi.
“Minister Yang, this, this is…”
Yang Yi smiled.
“This weapon is called gunpowder, and I have meticulously crafted it. Its power is immense. With enough, it can even split mountains and crack stones!”
“Split mountains and crack rocks?”
Everyone’s scalps prickled at his words. They gazed at the charred ground in disbelief, swallowing hard. Such a powerful weapon was truly terrifying.
Wu Zhao’s phoenix eyes widened in shock. Yang Yi had told her about the potential of gunpowder before. At that time, she had trusted him and agreed to let him develop it, giving him full responsibility. Afterward, she had forgotten about it. She never expected him to succeed in creating it, let alone to such an astonishing degree!
No wonder Yang Yi was fearless in the face of hundreds of thousands of Qing soldiers. The power of such a weapon was comparable to that of legendary immortals.
Yang Yi gestured toward the charred ground.
“I just placed sixteen sets of refined iron armor there. This armor is no less than the heavy armor of the Iron Pagoda. But as you have all seen, no matter how strong the armor is, it is as fragile as paper before gunpowder!
“What do you think? If this gunpowder is used in the army, what is there to fear from the Iron Pagoda?”
Shock coursed through the crowd.
Sixteen sets of armor, comparable to the Iron Pagoda’s heavy armor, had been shattered so easily?
Wouldn’t the Iron Pagoda be powerless against this gunpowder?
At this thought, excitement washed over everyone, goosebumps rising on their skin. They inhaled deeply and looked at Yang Yi in awe.
This Minister Yang was truly full of plans; he could even create something as terrifying as gunpowder!
Shangguan Wan’er blinked thoughtfully.
“Minister Yang, the enemy won’t just stand there and get blown up. It might be inconvenient for our army to use this gunpowder against them…”
Her words stunned everyone, plunging them into deep thought. She was right.
Yang Yi smiled.
“That’s why I’ve brought in a group of strong death row prisoners. These criminals are condemned, their crimes unforgivable.
“I’ve promised them that if they carry the gunpowder and perish with the enemy, their families will be rewarded. Should they succeed in killing enemy leaders, the credit will go to their families.
“The enemy knows nothing of this weapon. So, when their cavalry charges, these prisoners will carry the gunpowder and sacrifice themselves.
“Each one can take out dozens of enemies with them. This ‘life-for-life’ strategy will surely break the enemy’s morale.”
A collective gasp escaped the crowd. Their scalps tingled as they stared at Yang Yi.
Now they understood why he was feared as the most ruthless strategist of the Great Zhou.
Sending prisoners to perish with the enemy, armed with explosives?
It was a strategy that only someone with a heart of stone could devise.
Were you even human, Yang Yi? Or was the title of King of Yama more fitting?
Everyone swallowed hard, a wave of goosebumps sweeping over them.
Just moments ago, they had seen a man blown to pieces. Such a grisly death wasn’t something most could stomach.
Even the Empress, Wu Zhao, seemed shaken. Her lips parted slightly, and for the first time, her eyes reflected shock at Yang Yi’s life-for-life strategy.
Yang Yi continued, unbothered by their reactions.
“Keeping these prisoners is a waste of resources. It’s better for them to make a final contribution to the Great Zhou and their families.
“But we’ll need more. These few prisoners won’t be enough. I plan to gather them from across the empire and form a suicide squad.
“A squad equipped with gunpowder. No matter how strong or seasoned the enemy, if they dare attack, they won’t return.
“I’d like to gather one or two thousand of these men. Their sacrifice could cripple the enemy’s army. We could even draw from our own soldiers—after all, soldiers are stronger and faster than mere prisoners.”
A suicide squad?
Everyone stared at Yang Yi in disbelief, horror flickering in their eyes.
What kind of mind could devise such a plan?
Just imagine—a wave of death warriors, strapped with enough explosives to split mountains, charging headlong into the enemy.
The thought alone sent shivers down their spines.
If you were caught in their path, you’d be blown to bits.
Who could withstand such a force?
The Iron Pagoda?
They were just soldiers clad in armor. They’d be obliterated too.
No wonder people called Yang Yi the King of Yama. With tricks like these, who could argue?
Before anyone could react, Yang Yi added casually,
“We can also fill the gunpowder with iron shards and nails. When it explodes, the shards and nails will pierce through nearby enemies.”