Chapter 33: Salas's Righteousness

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"I want to know how much protection money is collected in Tiandou City every year," Nan Feng said.

The corner of Salas's eye twitched. "Elder Nan Feng, this kind of thing..."

*Slap! * Nan Feng slammed the Pope Token onto the table.

"How much?"

Salas's expression stiffened. "About one million."

"How much do you take?" Nan Feng asked.

Salas felt a bit guilty. "Elder Nan Feng, I didn't..."

Nan Feng put the Pope Token away. "How much?"

Salas breathed a sigh of relief. "Twenty 【percent】; the rest is distributed among the other bishops and subordinates of the Spirit Saint Hall."

"But please rest assured, Elder, the work of the Spirit Saint Hall has never fallen behind by even a fraction!"

"Nonsense!" Nan Feng looked speechless.

"You've skimmed so much and still aren't doing your job well? Are you trying to reach the heavens?"

Although the Spirit Hall originated in the Angel God era twenty thousand years ago and has a long history, it only truly grew strong in the last thousand years. Because of the emergence of the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire and the establishment of a complete social system, the Douluo Continent officially entered the feudal era.

Before this, apart from Spirit Master factions, the society of ordinary people on the Douluo Continent could almost be said to be in a state of semi-slavery and semi-primitive society, with countless small countries and tribes scattered across the continent.

It wasn't until over a thousand years ago that the ancestors of the Heaven Dou and Star Luo royal families rallied some unaffiliated, wandering Spirit Masters and started wars. Big fish ate little fish, and it took several hundred years to annex the small countries on the Douluo Continent. Finally, a thousand years ago, the situation of the two great empires confronting each other was formed.

The progress of the era drove the exchange and development of information, as well as the improvement of social productivity. Human society gradually became prosperous, and those large Spirit Master factions that had always been isolated from the world, such as the Clear Sky Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, finally officially established contact with the outside world.

It's just that these sects placed great importance on the inheritance of martial souls and were not keen on absorbing outside Spirit Masters. Only a few Spirit Master factions, represented by the Spirit Hall, were willing to absorb outside Spirit Masters. After a thousand years of development, the Spirit Hall finally had the influence it has across the continent today.

When it comes to driving the era of the Douluo Continent, Heaven Dou and Star Luo are the main forces; the Spirit Hall is at most someone trying to pick the peaches.

If it weren't for the Spirit Hall constantly muddying the waters in the middle, Star Luo would have wiped out Heaven Dou hundreds of years ago. Even now, as long as the Spirit Hall doesn't stir up trouble, it would be too simple for Star Luo to wipe out Heaven Dou.

Star Luo is a military empire with high central authority, and Heaven Dou is a twilight empire where the nobles lie flat and even the royal family has no prestige. There is no need to think about which is stronger and which is weaker.

Only with conflict can there be topics, and only with war can there be peace. The Spirit Hall needs the two great empires to maintain conflict in order to highlight its own greatness.

White needs corresponding black to set it off.

"From now on, it's a fifty-fifty split," Nan Feng said.

Salas was stunned. "Elder Nan Feng, this is not something I can decide alone."

This one million Gold Spirit Coins was actually collected slowly from the bottom up. In the end, he only received two hundred thousand; it wasn't that he received one million, kept two hundred thousand, and then others split the remaining eight hundred thousand.

He could take half of his own two hundred thousand to give to Nan Feng as protection money for defecting, but he wasn't sure if others would be willing, and he couldn't interfere.

"Is it difficult?" Nan Feng said.

"I haven't even asked for a thirty-seventy split, and you're calling it difficult?"

Salas's expression stiffened. "Elder Nan Feng, the scope of this matter is too large; it involves almost every level of the Spirit Hall branches within the Heaven Dou Empire. I really can't do it all of a sudden."

"If you can't do it, can't you make others do it?" Nan Feng said.

Salas was stunned. "What do you mean?"

"Your political and economic thinking is truly not up to par," Nan Feng said, sounding disappointed.

"The money below the Spirit Hall is hard to move, so you move the money above. These kingdoms, duchies, the Heaven Dou royal family, and these nobles of Heaven Dou—you exert force on them."

"When they have no money, they will naturally go and collect money from those below."

"In this way, we take the money, the Heaven Dou Empire engages in heavy taxation and extortion, and the people are boiling with resentment. As long as the Spirit Hall gives the people below a little benefit, the big stick is wielded by the two great empires, and the sweet date is given by the Spirit Hall. Back and forth, won't the hearts of the people come to us?" Salas looked strange.

*Good, good, good. No wonder he is a favorite of the Pope Palace at such a young age and still an Honorary Elder. How can we compare to this kind of thinking? They all say nobles have black hearts, but who is blacker than you? *

"What is that look in your eyes?" Nan Feng frowned.

"Hasn't the Spirit Hall been doing the same thing in the past?"

Where do the subsidies given to low-level Spirit Masters come from? They are snatched from the hands of the two great empires!

The Spirit Hall is also using the money extorted by the two great empires to make a name for itself!

Now, he is just magnifying this point a tiny bit.

"Don't blame me for being heartless," Nan Feng sighed.

"Severe illnesses require strong medicine. Look at those people below; how many have become numb to the exploitation and oppression of the two great empires?"

"If I want to defeat the most terrible evil, I inevitably have to tear off the thin sugar coating of false justice."

"Only by dealing a heavy blow, making those who have been numb for a long time unable to endure it anymore, and leaving them with absolutely no way to live, will they stand up and resist!"

"The process of struggle is bloody and even more cruel, but whether they want safety or to live with dignity is their own choice."

Salas's expression stiffened. "Elder Nan Feng, what you said... why does it feel a bit... wrong?"

Forcing those commoners into a dead end so they have to rebel?

What the hell is he trying to do?? If the people below rebel, the Spirit Hall won't have it easy either! Playing this kind of trick is hurting the enemy by eight hundred and damaging oneself by one thousand!

"Wrong? Is it?" Nan Feng stood up.

"This world needs to change. The rotten flesh is already stinking to high heaven. To completely eradicate this stubborn, malignant disease, a painful scraping of the bone to remove the poison is absolutely necessary."

"If there is no courage to stand up, then there is no qualification to stand up!"

*Too absurd! Too crazy! *

Salas looked at the man in front of him with some fear. "Elder Nan Feng, does His Holiness the Pope know about this?"

"Of course," Nan Feng said.

"She is the first supporter of the ideology I have cultivated!"

"You are the third, Bishop Salas. Are you interested in creating a new era for the continent with me?"

The corner of Salas's eye twitched. "I... can I not participate?"

He was old! He had finally struggled to his current status, and he was someone who would be honorably buried in a few decades. He really didn't dare to do these things! "Of course you can!" Nan Feng patted Salas on the shoulder and sighed deeply.

"It's just a pity that I have lost a brave ally..."

*Lost? *

Salas's expression stiffened. "Elder Nan Feng, I think I should participate!"

*This hell, he isn't discussing it with him at all! It's a naked threat! * "Bishop Salas, don't force yourself. Not everyone has this kind of determination to find life in death. I understand you!" Nan Feng sighed.

*You've already put me in a dead end, you bastard!! * Salas cursed inwardly, but could only echo, "Elder Nan Feng, if I can contribute to such a great cause, it can be considered a life without regrets!"

"Salas is righteous!" Nan Feng looked admiring.

"Nan Feng, on behalf of the suffering masses of the world, thanks you, Elder Salas!"

"Not at all, not at all..." Salas was about to cry.

He really didn't want to stir up trouble! He just wanted to work honestly until retirement!! (End of chapter)