Chapter 167

Clearly, compared to curses, Director Takahashi favored the hand of a deity.

First.

Curses are too erratic—the timing of their consequences is unpredictable, capricious; when I want the curse's result to appear, it appears.

And finally, Japan's defeat in the Second World War stemmed from irrational decisions that drew in the United States, leading to defeat.

This outcome of defeat fits the pattern of a curse with no good ending.

But the process of that bad ending doesn't look like a mysterious, cosmic curse—it looks more like a hex deliberately cast, as if someone intentionally intervened to make the leadership suddenly act like fools and make irrational decisions.

Second.

China's deities are not among those returning; the radiance of eight million deities has been blocked and dissipated. It's possible China's deities returned early—or never left China at all. And if they never left, that perfectly matches the first point.

China's deities have lain dormant within China, witnessing these invasions. Since the extraordinary, demons, and deities vanished and hid away, they operated from behind the scenes to ensure the invaders met no good end.

Precisely because they have always existed within China, always watching, invasions throughout history have always ended badly.

When Director Takahashi voiced his thoughts, Professor Beishan immediately agreed.

"I think much the same—you're right, it's not a curse. And I have one additional reason."

Then everyone turned to listen as Professor Beishan spoke.

"I reviewed these invasion histories again and again. I found their outcomes varied—some happened swiftly and brutally, others slowly, seemingly chaotic, yet there was a pattern. It looked as if one person acted purely on whim, deciding how to act based solely on personal preference."

For example, during the Five Barbarians' Rebellion, the Han people were disunited, lacking cohesion. This disunity, this cowardice in facing evil forces, annoyed me, so I watched as the Five Barbarians ravaged China until the Han were nearly exterminated before I intervened.

Why?

Because I was annoyed—I thought the people of that era had no sense of unity, no worthiness to be protected. So let them die; as long as a few seeds remained, I'd later avenge the Five Barbarians for their crimes against the Han.

How I avenged the Five Barbarians? I don't care if it was because I delayed my intervention. I only know they nearly wiped out the Han, so I made them extinct.

When we look at the Eight-Nation Alliance invasion and the Second World War, the people then were not like those during the Five Barbarians' Rebellion—they were united, rallied together to resist, dared to fight, and their unity was powerful.

Such behavior was pleasing, moving—so I didn't watch. I intervened directly, ensuring the invasion's outcome wasn't as brutal, rescuing them early because these people were worth saving."

As Professor Beishan finished speaking,

he lifted his head and scanned the room:

"If you carefully examine these histories, you'll notice: whenever China united after invasion, the invasion ended quickly—and the ending was absurd, just as I said: because I like unity, I intervened early to save you, and punished the invaders severely—not through division, collapse, leaving a historical stain on the defeated nation, or ensuring your leaders were assassinated most often, becoming a joke."

"In short: either you suffer a brutal end, or you leave behind an indelible historical black mark."

At this moment, everyone fell silent, cursing inwardly.

Fuck!

It really does seem that way! History really was like this!

So it's possible China's deities have always protected their own, from ancient times to this day.

"It makes sense… it all makes sense," Director Takahashi muttered repeatedly, a look of sudden realization on his face.

Not just him—everyone else understood, grasped it too.

Why had the commanders and high officials during the Second World War made irrational decisions?

Because they attacked the East, angered the Eastern deities, then witnessed the East's united resistance—and were deeply moved. So the deities intervened directly, casting a spell of collective stupidity that turned the commanders and high officials into complete idiots.

That explains why they made irrational decisions.

"I'm suddenly a little envious and jealous," Minister Saito blurted out.

Everyone seemed to understand exactly what Minister Saito meant. They all nodded, sharing his envy and jealousy.

Who wouldn't be envious and jealous of deities who protect their own?

"I…"

Professor Beishan was about to speak when hurried footsteps sounded outside—a subordinate rushed in, panicked.

The subordinate didn't even knock—he burst through the door, as if he'd kicked it down.

Director Takahashi and the others frowned.

But before they could express displeasure or reprimand him, the subordinate spoke:

"Director Takahashi!! The deities have emerged! The deities have emerged!!"

In an instant,

no one could sit still—they leapt up from their chairs in shock.

"What did you say?!"

"The deities have emerged?! Where?!"

At this moment, no one could remain calm.

Heart pounding, blood surging, every person trembled, eyes fixed on the subordinate like wolves.

They would have killed him if he didn't immediately tell them where the deities had emerged and which deity it was.

At the same moment,

another person entered the room—the subordinate previously dispatched by Director Takahashi.

He held up a large photograph: "Director Takahashi, here is the satellite image you requested."

Immediately after, the earlier subordinate spoke up:

"In the United States—we've received word from our people there: a deity has appeared in the United States!"

The Native American deity!!

In the United States and all of Beimeizhou, there is only one mythology: Native American mythology. The only deity who could appear there is the Native American deity.

Director Takahashi and the others' eyes blazed with light, trembling with uncontrollable excitement.

Now that the Native American deity has appeared, what will happen next?

Retribution? Purge?

Whatever it is, from yesterday's signs of the deities' return and Abe no Miko's words, they all sensed: the Native American deity's next move would reshape the world order—it would be the beginning of the purge!

Without a second word, Director Takahashi immediately barked out urgent orders.

"Quick, shift the satellite camera over Mi Country's airspace and pipe the satellite feed to the screen, now!!!"

The personnel of the Extraordinary Response Department were all instantly galvanized into action, bustling about.

In the room, there was only one subordinate who had brought the satellite photographs, unsure what to do—Director Takahashi had given him no order.

He wanted to speak up, but thought better of it; Director Takahashi was certainly in no mood to look at satellite photos right now.

He let out a sigh.

The subordinate picked up the satellite photo in his hand, glanced at it, and stood waiting for Director Takahashi's order.

As can be seen, the satellite photo in his hand depicted the entire Asian continent.

In the image, Asia and the surrounding areas were all bathed in sacred divine radiance; the divine manifestations of every nation lit up Asia and every place—but there was an exception. Amid the golden-glowing Asia, there was one region shaped like a 'chicken' that received no illumination, displaying as always the Higashio Dashan mountains, the Dahe river, and its bustling prosperity.

Looking closely, it wasn't that the 'chicken'-shaped region hadn't been reached by the divine radiance—rather, every wisp of divine light that approached this area was blocked and dispersed.