Chapter 788 - 308: The Strategist Steps into the Game, Part 2
But this time, it’s different.
"For thousands of years, the farmers have always been pioneers. Each disciple hopes to find seeds in the unknown world that can make the world a better place. They water them, nurture them, and wait for the fruitful harvest. It’s not just the farmers; I believe many others are like this. We work together, sweating and bleeding. We deserve to reap the fruits of our labor. This is nature’s way of rewarding us. Since the end of the Great Wilderness Era, it has been this way for a long time.
"Until one day, a skyscraper named ’End-Seekers’ appeared. It obscured the sky, the eternal sun. No matter how much we gave, how much we sacrificed, the heaps of fruit seemed like some sin, continuously causing this tower to grow taller and larger, as if it wanted to devour the entire world. They called it the End-Seekers to glorify it, claiming it could shelter those seeking the Dao from disasters and make tribulation easier.
"However, they never say that the more seekers struggling on this way, the more stable the position of the End-Seekers becomes. Because, from the moment you step onto their path, it is destined that your end will be them. They put shackles on your neck, chains on your feet, and then tell you it’s for your own good.
"What absurdity, what shamelessness! This time, in the name of Gu Lan, under the title of Qinkong Da Feng Immortal, representing the farmers, I will not again proclaim to the Heavenly Dao of Changning, but announce that from now on, the farmers will no longer provide any agricultural products and by-products to sects, families, or countries with End-Seekers. Simultaneously, for forces not rooted in End-Seekers, purchasing farmer’s products will be at half price!"
Gu Lan’s voice spread throughout the world.
Everyone understood, the world had changed.
This Great Prosperity Festival struck directly at the lifeblood of the Daoist School’s status—the End-Seekers.
And many of the End-Seekers of this world were among the spectators at the Fangcun Platform trial. Upon hearing this announcement, they were all shocked and angry.
Who gave the farmers the courage to dare do such a thing! Do they not fear offending the Daoist School, or the over nine hundred End-Seekers and their vast subordinate forces? Do they not understand that any force with an End-Seekers presence represents at least immortal-level power, almost half the world, and most of their clients?
Before this, they thought the farmers would at most announce not to proclaim to the Heavenly Dao of Changning anymore; they never expected them to go this far.
However, when the Demon Extermination Bureau’s third dossier was fully opened, they understood...though the world is vast, everything is interconnected.
Because this third dossier clearly stated,
Celestial Venerable Mihua was not exposed as a Demon Cultivator precisely because he was an End-Seeker of Extreme Day Dao. He used his identity as an End-Seeker to hide his Demon Cultivator traces within the bodies of all seekers under the Extreme Day Dao. Each time he employed demonic arts, it was equivalent to borrowing another’s body, making it very difficult to detect.
The price was that seekers under the Extreme Day Dao had their foundations tainted by Demonic Qi, significantly elevating their risk of falling into demonhood compared to seekers of other Daos.
Ye Wuyue said,
"Stealing the fruits of the seekers, yet shifting the risks onto them—is this what the End-Seekers are?"
The many End-Seekers present felt indignant at her words. But they couldn’t refute it, because it was the truth, a widespread situation.
Ye Wuyue continued loudly,
"This trial, the Demon Extermination Bureau will not omit to proclaim to the world!"
The crowd erupted in an uproar.
Compared to the implications of Ye Wuyue’s third dossier, Gu Lan’s critique of the End-Seekers at the Great Prosperity Festival seemed mild.
Yet no one stood up to oppose.
Because the World Order still swayed. At that moment, Ye Wuyue embodied righteousness, and whoever dared oppose her would stand against the entire world.
Ye Wuyue put away the square inch, held Guan Xin in her arms, and shouted,
"Come!"
Several officials appeared before her.
"Escort Celestial Venerable Mihua back to the Demon Extermination Bureau," she looked around, "Three days hence, the Demon Extermination Bureau will convict Celestial Venerable Mihua, and I ask everyone to personally attend as witnesses like today."
After speaking, she returned to the Flying Ship, leading the Demon Extermination Bureau’s team toward Changning City.
In front of the Supreme Palace, there was a deathly silence.
Celestial Venerable Shangli’s lips turned pale, his eyes wandering. He knew the Daoist School was about to face an unprecedented setback. And how did all this happen?
Honestly, as the de facto manager of the Daoist School over the millennia, even he felt bewildered.
Because it seemed as if the Daoist School had unconsciously fallen into a massive whirlpool.
He couldn’t articulate where the seed was sown. Looking back, it seemed... from the very moment the Supreme Dharma Orbiting Device was lost, everything swiftly went downhill, with no turning back.
"Fan Wubing..." he looked up, "If only you had truly died in the Sea of Eternal Life back then, would these things not have happened?"
Celestial Venerable Sui looked exhausted. Clearly worn out, somewhat weary,
"I’m sorry, I couldn’t hold on until the end."
Celestial Venerable Shangli shook his head, "We can only say the enemy was better prepared than us. Ultimately, the Daoist School was too arrogant."
Celestial Venerable Sui said, "The Greedy Demon Lord has appeared. It can be roughly concluded that it’s the Demon Cultivators themselves who orchestrated this demonic chaos."