Chapter 188: with translation of chapter title

Time flows, all living beings are the brush, heaven and earth the paper, writing the most tumultuous and vast history.

The sun rises and sets, the moon waxes and wanes, stars shine and dim…… each day that passes, the Honghuang universe undergoes changes that are very slight compared to before.

When these changes accumulate and pile up, viewed on the scale of thousands of years, ten thousands of years, or yuanhui…… that change can be called huge.

This is a turbulent era, an era of development, and also an era where blood and fire illuminate the river of time.

The Wu and the Demon are in opposition.

Starry skies, earth, the Myriad Heavens world…… there are not many places that can be peaceful.

Of course.

Although it is said there is no peace, but the vast majority of regions are propaganda wars, they are the clash of intelligence and public opinion between the two top powers, displayed through economic, political means, interfering in the internal affairs of each tribe and civilization, various control methods are thrown down, turned into one's own shape, thrown out to conduct proxy friction, becoming qualified cannon fodder in the Cold War.

The Wu Clan disrupts the Demon Race's foundation, and on the spot transforms it into its own board, clashing with the Demon high command…… the Monster Clan Heavenly Court also does not yield, striving to win over the hearts of its cannon fodder under its command, promoting its own values, then sending batch after batch of little demons who believed the propaganda and harbored dreams of reaching the pinnacle of demonic life onto the entire Honghuang world—this very moment, the most brutal hot‑war battlefield——

Mount Buzhou!

Those little demons, the vast majority cannot walk off the battlefield unscathed.

No matter how arduous and earnest their training in the barracks before battle…… but the Wu they face are simply too terrifying! Too powerful!

In terms of bloodline, they are directly the very top tier…… wanting to cross this talent chasm and wage war?

Sacrificing millions of lowly tribesmen of the same realm can barely forge an elite demon capable of fighting peers…… only by crossing mountains of corpses and seas of blood, forging peak combat ability, paired with a battle‑hardened heart that survives a hundred fights, can one somewhat erase the gap in bloodline.

This is an extremely cruel method of training troops.

But under the Demon high command's clever manipulation, propaganda avoids the heavy and emphasizes the light, controlling the discourse…… the casualty data is buried, while successful cases are loudly publicized, encouraging batch after batch of little demons to step onto the path of cannon fodder.

"We demons lack nothing else, we just have a large enough foundation and sufficient numbers."

A Yao Marshal once spoke in private, "Death of tens of millions of little demons forges an elite warrior, a killing weapon, capable of blood battle with the Wu…… that is enough! Profit!"

"We do not heart‑ache over manpower losses…… can the Wu do that? They cannot!"

"In this exchange, the one who collapses first will definitely not be us!"

These words reached the ears of the Twelve Ancestral Witches, leaving these great powers looking at each other, yet having nothing to say.

Because, this is the fact.

The exchange strategy proposed by a certain Demon Emperor truly struck at the Wu Clan's vital point.

Moreover, they even set the battlefield on Mount Buzhou…… this leaves no room for avoidance, not even a bit of retreat.

"Xihuang…… this guy lacks virtue! Absolutely lacking virtue!"

Houtu Zuwu slammed the table with all her might, looking up to the sky and letting out a long sigh.

Looking at the losses mentioned in the battle report, Houtu found her breathing somewhat difficult.

Each of those numbers felt like a dagger, stabbing at her heart.

In a daze, she seemed to see her great dream growing wings, drifting away bit by bit.

"These losses are unavoidable."

Di Jiang Zuwu shook his head, "Without Xihuang, there would still be some individual Demon Emperor or Yao Marshal who would propose this scheme."

Di Jiang Zuwu spoke a fair word.

"The way of military strategy essentially is to rely on the strong to bully the weak, using one's own strength to attack the enemy's weakness."

"The Wu Clan and the Demon Race have such an outrageously huge numerical gap…… which Demon high commander is an idiot? Would they not think to activate this advantage? To wear down our living strength with a human‑sea tactic?"

"This is a scene that will inevitably be staged; the only difference is sooner or later."

Di Jiang Zuwu said.

"Then what do you say…… what should we do?" Houtu clenched the paper holding the data, her hand trembling, the pages rustling "shh‑lah‑lah", "The losses cannot be completely avoided, but reducing them should be doable?"

"This, I am already doing." Di Jiang Zuwu leaned back in his chair, in a relaxed posture, "As for the intelligence agency, I have already, in propaganda, guided the peoples under the Monster Clan Heavenly Court's rule to reveal the truth of the Mount Buzhou blood‑battle, to spread the word."

"After this turmoil has brewed for a while, I will then send people to sow seeds of conspiracy theory inside……" Houtu laughed, "For example, saying that some top‑tier Demon clans intend to purify the Honghuang world, making the lowly tribes scattered across mountains, seas and starry skies more obedient, with fewer beings possessing a rebellious spirit."

"Now these batches of young and strong from various tribes departing, sent to the blood battlefield, are exactly the practice of this conspiracy!"

"Then I will also activate those demon spirits influenced over the years by the concept of reincarnation, having them spread morale‑sapping rumors——rather than struggle desperately in this life, it is better to pin hopes on the next life; countless reincarnations will eventually bring a day of enjoying blessings."

"That's basically it." Di Jiang Zuwu spread his hands, "My main responsibility in this regard is to spread rumors, sway public opinion, drive a wedge between hearts, mislead judgments, destroy a force's credit and public confidence…… these are all old wine in new bottles."

"However, the Xihuang on the Demon side…… is probably much stronger than me in this field." Di Jiang Zuwu suddenly sighed, "How much effect these tricks can have, Houtu little sister, you shouldn't expect too much."

"I understand the thorniness of Xihuang." Houtu Zuwu nodded solemnly, "I also will not place all my hopes here."

"Then that's fine." Di Jiang Zuwu said, "Actually, besides intelligence offense and defense, we can also consider replenishing with fresh blood."

"Our domain…… don't we also have a foundation seized from the Demon side?"

"If we take a cue from the Monster Clan Heavenly Court's method…… the cannon fodder on the battlefield would no longer be a problem."

Di Jiang Zuwu said.

Houtu, however, fell silent.

After a long while, she then spoke softly.

"If that is the case, how much difference remains between us and those black‑hearted high officials of the Demon race?"

"Moreover, doing so also runs contrary to the spirit and creed of my Wu Clan."

"I dare not say how noble and beautiful I personally am, that I could do them no harm, not even take a needle or a blade of grass…… if I had to choose between the Wu Clan and the Demon race, I would certainly prioritize the Wu Clan that I built with my own hands and have operated to this day."

"But to simply hoodwink those demons into a fog, send them onto the battlefield to die obscurely…… my conscience, in the end, is not as black as Xihuang's!"

Houtu spoke softly.

Di Jiang Zuwu's mouth twitched for a moment, then the instant passed and his tone became calm and leisurely, "Then, wouldn't it be fine to just tell them the truth?"

"Let them choose for themselves whether to achieve self‑transformation in the most brutal life‑and‑death battlefield."

"But if that were the case…… most probably wouldn't be so suicidal, right?" Houtu asked hesitantly.

"Then it depends on the detailed execution." Di Jiang Zuwu raised his brow, "If propaganda is in place, sacrifice and dedication; if benefits are in place, interests satisfied…… nothing is impossible."

"However, this demand is comparatively high…… ideological construction, social welfare, karmic merit from reincarnation, all must advance together; none can be lacking."

Di Jiang simply sorted it out a bit, then burst out laughing, "This is actually the path our Wu Clan will take in the future, to prove that we are more suited than the current Demon Race to govern the human Dao……It should be now, considered a preliminary trial version? Uh……test version?"

"Ideological construction, social welfare, karmic virtue……" Houtu's gaze became wandering.

Not long after, her scattered gaze suddenly focused, and a look of joy appeared on her face.

"Got it!"

"What do you have?" Di Jiang cast a doubtful, curious gaze, looking very genuine, making it obvious at a glance his bewilderment.

"My trusted aide……" Houtu counted on her fingers, "It's been a long time since then; his large-scale social practice should also yield some results by now, right?"

"Perfect!"

"Before educating the human race, let's take this opportunity to try our hand, see what details need correction or improvement?"

Houtu clapped her hands, turned her head sideways, and gazed toward a certain place, as if seeing someone through layers of emptiness.

"Go, Fengxi!"

"It's decided, it's you!"

……

"Fengxi brother, how have you been? You've been frequently out on business trips these days, often not seeing a person for tens of thousands of years……quite mysterious, huh?"

Moreover, look at your cultivation progress— a hint of spiritual radiance penetrates your bodily Dao, pierces through the Shijian Changhe, drops an anchor, and in the endless possibilities locks onto your own reality and singularity……This is the spacetime achievement of late Supreme Unity stage; attaining the Dao of Great Luo is just one step away.

As long as you let your Dao fruition verify past and future, break the bonds of reality and singularity, achieve endless pervasive coverage, that is a supreme heavenly will……Your rate of progress, the Forefather Wu hasn't neglected you, has he? You're living quite nourished!

In a spacious hall, two heroes sat as host and guest; one of them spoke, his voice full of emotion and envy.

"Hey, Qinghao brother!" Fengxi sighed, "Look at what you're saying……I don't have any nourishment or lack thereof."

"I'm just a worker; I do whatever my superiors tell me……Sometimes I can get a little extra, and that's only because my boss is generous, giving me a bonus."

"Moreover……this job now is not easy to do!"

Fengxi poured two cups of tea, passed one to Qinghao, and began to vent his grievances.

"You see, I'm always out on business trips, right?"

Those are all assignments dispatched by Lady Houtu to carry out practical work.

"Only when putting it into practice did I realize that many problems are far from as simple as imagined."

"Originally planned to pass in one go, the practice has now been stuck dozens of times……each time failing to achieve a satisfactory result."

Fengxi furrowed his brows, deeply troubled.

"Also blame me back then—I took on too much, wanting to cover everything in everything I did……Isn't that? I've dug myself into a hole."

"Whether it's ideological construction or social welfare……"

"Back when I designed it, I thought it was foolproof……but once I actually got hands-on, I was completely lost."

"With so many different tribes, each has a completely different way of thinking."

"As for reincarnation, which concerns life and death, that's still easy to say——most living beings fear death, after all!"

"As for karmic virtue, I manage to scrape by, barely getting through."

"But merit……just doesn't work out."

"Limited by tribal composition, level of civilization, and mode of thought……each has a different view of welfare."

"So……"

"How, within limited conditions, to maximize the realization of a social welfare that satisfies everyone……This is practically driving me crazy!"

"It's like trying to make everyone happy……that in itself is a false proposition!"

Fengxi confided his grievances to Qinghao, with whom he quickly became acquainted and turned into good friends after the investiture ceremony.

The two of them are practically born bosom friends.

Because often, they both think alike, their trains of thought remarkably consistent.

——That's just by looking at the emoticon the other side sends, you can roughly guess all the content they want to pour out!

Divine sync!

Thus, they are very in sync.

Like-minded……no, they share the same aspirations.

Whenever Fengxi encounters an unsolvable difficulty, he always comes to this person to vent.

Of course, it's just venting.

He didn't expect Qinghao to offer any particularly constructive advice.

However, today……

Qinghao, however, pondered and spoke, "Regarding whatever social welfare you're doing……I'm not really familiar with it."

"But if you're talking about making people happy? Or that kind of happiness common to countless tribes……I still have some ideas."

"Oh? Do tell." Fengxi was moved.

"Just like reincarnation……the distinction between life and death naturally leads all beings to yearn for reincarnation."

"And happiness? What should it be like?" Qinghao slowly organized his words, "I dare not say it's absolutely certain……but I believe."

"The weak……are unhappy most of the time."

"So I personally think that if we give happiness a measuring standard, we can try using strength versus weakness as a benchmark."

"Strength, wealth, power……anything that can cause a clear distinction in status, thereby creating a disparity in voice, are tangible manifestations of strength and weakness."

"That social welfare of yours, which makes beings feel satisfied and have a basic sense of happiness……I think we can definitely start from this angle."

"That's right too." Fengxi stroked his chin, pondering, "In an age of the weak preyed upon by the strong, the weak have no rights……If we could build such a system, granting them power so they're no longer at others' mercy……this social welfare, who wouldn't give it full marks?"

"But the problem arises again……" Fengxi frowned, "The issue of cultivation resources—where would we find so many resources to make everyone strong?"

"I don't understand this." Qinghao spread his hands, indicating he's unable to help.

"Hmm……" Fengxi fell silent in thought.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

I... maybe I have a way!

We can raise funds!

(End of chapter)