Chapter 116: Wealth can reach the heavens; come on, Houtu!

All-Sports Meet flyer, have you prepared it?

Fengxi asked.

This is prepared…… actually it's prepared. Yuzhen's face was strange, "But!"

Are you sure you really want to pull these stunts under the grand event of the Moral and Primordial Heavenly Venerables giving their discourse?

If we don't seize this opportunity, is there any better, quicker way to promote? Fengxi retorted, "Only the grand gathering of the Heavenly Venerables' discourse can truly liven up this Kunlun Mountain!"

Although the Daoist sect's disciples are already out promoting, this only lets people know about the All-Sports Meet…… whether they actually show up is another matter.

What if they find it too far? What if they suspect a conspiracy? What if the Demon Race's intelligence agency interferes?

So…… Fengxi wore a look of having the wisdom pearl in hand, "We need a suitable platform to stir up a wind of public opinion and sway the trend."

There's a saying that goes well—— he smiled faintly, "When the crowd exceeds ten thousand, intelligence drops by half!"

Even if I have a bit of strategy, it's not easy to brainwash even someone with basic values.

But what if the numbers grow?

Then it wouldn't be so difficult——provided this crowd lacks an extremely wise and rational leader.

People follow others, stake their interests, heads get hot…… there are far too many suitable moments to intervene, all of which are stages for me to employ my tactics!

Fengxi pinched a big-headed seed, his smile grew more playful, "For example, secretly guide two groups with existing grudges to rub against each other, then our Wu Clan appears opportunistically, standing on the stance of peace and friendship, proposing they compete at the All-Sports Meet to rank the groups non-violently…… how about that?"

Yuzhen fell into deep thought.

One begets two…… once such an example appears, it will quickly spread and spread like contagion——I really don't believe it, in this Honghuang world, any tribe that manages to get by will inevitably have some karmic entanglements with its neighbors.

The All-Sports Meet isn't it an excellent platform for resolving karmic ties? Besides, it can also package our Wu Clan's image and advocate peace!

In fact, the Wu Clan are the best fighters, everyone is a soldier!

Resolve karma? Are you sure this isn't helping the Demon Race resolve their internal contradictions? Yuzhen doubted.

Hey, how could that be? Fengxi sneered, "Would I do something that aids the enemy?"

Indeed, normally speaking, a benign competition, under good organization and planning, can ease some contradictions…… but the difficulty here is too high!

We have to bet that our planners are selfless, that the contestants' factions are honest, and even that each tribe's individual members have basic moral cultivation.

You say, is that possible?

Yuzhen pondered, then shook his head.

Impossible, unrealistic.

That's exactly it! Fengxi drawled, "Not to mention us blowing the whistle…… just saying the All-Sports Meet ranks each field, that seems fine on the surface, but it's problematic everywhere."

The essence of ranking is the relative strength of the tribes behind them…… if two tribes have a grudge, and one ends up higher and the other lower, won't the higher side look down on the lower?

We're secretly promoting…… no, we don't even need promotion, just need to use actual actions to add fuel to the fire. Fengxi said, "We're stationed at Kunlun, besides contacting and communicating with the great divine adepts of this place, we also run markets and wholesale trade of resources, etc."

Then we just need to slightly meddle, letting the grudging high- and low-status tribes within it view each other as enemies, deepening and enlarging the conflict, easily done.

Low-status tribes being bullied by high-status tribes, new and old grudges aside…… the high-status tribes we secretly propped up, once they get arrogant, have no filter in their speech, mocking and jeering, heaping humiliation……

Tsk tsk tsk…… if among the living beings of the low-status tribes coming to trade, there's also a hardcore character who sleeps on firewood and tastes gall, a gentleman who believes revenge is never too late even after ten thousand years…… don't you think this is too interesting?

The more Fengxi spoke, the more excited he became, that desire to stir up trouble was utterly unrestrained.

He seems to have a natural, supreme talent for scheming against people; from the very first try he's a master of this path!

…… Yuzhen suppressed the goosebumps rising on his body, calmed his slightly fluctuating state of mind, then spoke, "How could there be such a coincidence? You must be writing a storybook!"

Ha! Fengxi laughed loudly, "That's where you're wrong…… sometimes reality can be more fantastical than stories!"

Besides, what's wrong with reality? Can't reality be arranged?

He looked left and right, "Although I'm not a Great Luo, I don't have the Great Luo's ability to forcibly arrange heavenly will…… but I can go with the flow and make use of circumstances!"

All under heaven hustle for profit, all under heaven strive for gain!

As long as the lure of profit is great enough, what can't be arranged?

If a single deal's profit is big enough, then what kind of person would be in charge of arranging that tribe? Fengxi asked and answered himself, "Of course, either someone with high status or someone with solid ability……"

As for us, we silently observe, silently record, using spans of thousands or even tens of thousands of years to plot, picking easy-to-calculate targets, secretly guiding——are we afraid we can't arrange it?

Fengxi waved the brush of wisdom, writing the chapter of conspiracy, "The grudges sown here, the sowing of discord within the Demon Race aside…… let's get back to the matter of the competition."

Since rankings involve tribal hierarchy, and there are more important practical benefits and safety issues, what's to stop those tribes from giving their all? He smiled faintly, "After the first All-Sports Meet ends, I'll publish this book."

On the surface it ranks the tribes of this place in order, but do you believe…… this book will become a hunter's action guide?

After all, the award results in each field vividly reflect this tribe's every strength and weakness——how's the speed? How's the strength? How's the nerve response? What cultivation level shows what performance? And so on.

In the small details lies the greatest terror…… a sports meet lets all tribes expose their general strengths and weaknesses, obtaining crucial intelligence for future warfare.

Besides, even without our Wu Clan, the food-chain network within the Demon Race…… the very existence of this book already lists a menu for hunters——telling them, anything inferior can be hunted!

Speaking of reason, how many demons can our Wu Clan kill?

The fiercest and most ruthless demon-slayers are actually the demons themselves!

Survival of the fittest…… then we might as well help them carry it through to the end!

Fengxi smiled, yet it made Yuzhen feel a chill, raising gooseflesh all over.

Regarding this principle, I think after those tribes experience it firsthand, they'll understand…… perhaps they don't know about our scheming, but they're absolutely clear that their ranking at the All-Sports Meet cannot be poor. Fengxi said, "They'll take drugs, cheat, and definitely need to outdo their rivals, pushing their own ranking up a notch, after all the higher the rank, the safer they are."

In the face of danger, sometimes you don't need the power to resist it; you just need to betray your teammates quickly enough.

Fengxi pushed a pair of glasses onto his nose bridge, speaking in the mature, steady tone of someone who's been through it all, like an old man who has seen through worldly affairs, possessing profound life wisdom.

Besides, there's another benefit here: it ensures the All-Sports Meet continues to be held…… because gamblers who've lost their shirts will absolutely not give up their last chip!

Don't look at how much they lose in the casino…… but if you really talk about shutting down the casino, they're more desperate than anyone!

Fengxi pushed up his glasses, "Look, how's this whole behind-the-scenes mastermind layout? Isn't it cool?"

The Demon Race wants to melt all tribes into one; I'll just add obstacles, dig pits, bury the seeds of division within…… even when it comes to war with our Wu Clan, it won't die out! He said with deep meaning, "Because in many people's hearts——heresy is forever more hateful than enemies!"

They neither will understand nor want to understand when they should set aside their mutual conflicts and present a united front.

If I nurture the All-Sports Meet's flower and it bears such fruit for the Demon Race, that would be nothing short of wonderful.

Fengxi wore a faint smile, letting Yuzhen hold his arms tightly as they stepped back slowly and quietly.

This is a big shot.

The kind of big shot you can't afford to provoke!

Other people's big shots are those who have moats in their hearts and can sail ships in their bellies.

How about him here?

His heart holds an abyss—its depths cannot be seen.

His belly contains a Sea of Blood—filthy water, red to black, flows!

"Why are you hiding so far away?" Fengxi said amiably, "I'm always reliable, I never betray acquaintances—you're my teammate, I won't screw you over."

"I don't believe in 'teammates sacrificing to heaven for boundless power'; your shrinking into the corner will make others misunderstand!"

Yuzhen didn't want to respond.

Standing beside Fengxi, he felt insecure—even with a tremendous backer behind him, he still felt utterly unsteady.

"Fine, suit yourself." Fengxi sighed, "I knew it—once I slightly explain the overall strategic plan, people will look at me strangely… but can that be blamed on me?"

"I'm helpless too!"

"It's all arranged by Lord Houtu—bottom line, I'm just a sharp sword; if I hurt someone, how can that be my fault?"

"These days, being a strategist is tough!"

He sighed incessantly, and deep inside Yuzhen kept muttering, 'I've fallen for your evil!'

'The overall strategic plan is already insane—how could the details be any better?'

'This is Yandi's trumpet… just what the hell kind of deity is Yandi? How terrifying!'

Yuzhen began frantically cross‑referencing the database of his backer, and dangerous names from ancient eras started to surface.

"Cough cough!" Fengxi gave two dry coughs, "Anyway, the publicity for the sports meet must be fully implemented, leveraging the great platform of the Heavenly Venerable's lecture to spread everything out."

"In here, every difficulty and obstacle must be overcome!"

"You're making things difficult for me!" Yuzhen shook his head repeatedly, "A proper Daoist sect event—if we mix in all sorts of strange stuff… the Morality and Primordial Heavenly Venerables will surely join forces afterward to beat the living daylights out of whoever's behind me!"

"If the one behind me is unlucky, how can I end up well?"

Yuzhen shoved back hard.

Just as he kept pushing back, he suddenly recalled the terrifying scheming Fengxi had just displayed, his tone instantly softened and became more polite: "Causing trouble for others out of nowhere is never right, is it?"

"Indeed, it's without cause… you're right!" Fengxi nodded thoughtfully, then scooped from the merit box and instantly a hundred Empress Big Head coins piled up, "See? Now we have both wealth and justification!"

"……" Yuzhen's pupils contracted, "This……"

"Not okay? Then… how about this?" Fengxi scooped again and dropped, stacking three hundred Empress Big Head coins, "How about that?"

"Hiss……" Yuzhen drew a sharp breath.

"Still not enough?" Fengxi raised his brows, added two hundred more Empress Big Head coins, "How about this?"

"I think that should be enough, right?" he chuckled lightly, "I reckon the Morality and Primordial Heavenly Venerables probably won't fuss over such minor matters—after all, how many times have similar Daoist lecture events been held?"

"I represent the Wu Clan behind me, paying out benefits as bribes… oh no, I mean sponsoring the Daoist sect's grand event, just to secure an off‑site publicity venue—surely that's not excessive?"

"Exactly, not excessive!" Yuzhen waved his hand, and those Empress Big Head coins flew to his front, which he lovingly rubbed back and forth.

Fengxi chuckled, unbothered, then took out another two hundred Empress Big Head coins and piled them forward, "These are for you to distribute to the two Heavenly Venerables' disciples—please have them help out more during our publicity."

"Huh?" Yuzhen's voice rose eight degrees.

"King Yama is hard to provoke, little ghosts are hard to deal with… uh, I forgot that reincarnation isn't even in effect yet." Fengxi muttered, "The two Heavenly Venerables' disciples are willingly putting in effort—doesn't that make our work go more smoothly?"

"If we can buy off powerful disciples with money, why wouldn't we?"

"Right……" Yuzhen nodded repeatedly, then gave an embarrassed light cough, "Oh, by the way, I just remembered—in three hundred years, the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Venerable will also give a lecture."

"This… would you also like to sponsor a bit?"

Fengxi was speechless.

After a long while, he finally said, "That time is too far off……"

"Too far? We could move it up… eleven years, no, how about seven years later?"

Before being shoved out by Fengxi, Yuzhen was still arguing, "If worse comes to worst, five years would work too!"

"Wait until the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Venerable lets out some wind, then come talk to me about this!"

Fengxi smiled, looking at Yuzhen outside the main hall, then slammed the hall door shut with a bang.

The world grew quiet.

Fengxi shook his head, took out a ledger, began bookkeeping—every expense recorded for later reimbursement from Lord Houtu the Ancestral Witch.

As he wrote, he again recalled the flaws in the reincarnation strategy, his heart feeling uneasy.

He drew a deep breath, Fengxi consoled himself, and reported confidence to his superiors.

"'No matter what difficulties we encounter, don't be afraid—face them with a smile!'"

"'If the sky falls, there's a tall person to prop it up!'"

"'Have full faith in the Ancestral Witches, use reincarnation to counter‑kill, and defeat the Holy Emperor!'"

"'Go for it! Lord Houtu!'"

(End of chapter)