Chapter 1033

An ugly deal, carried out in the most righteous‑seeming way.

Ji Kui sent official documents to the main Ji clan and to all major branch clans of the Ji clan, announcing that his cousin's son Ji Bai Jie had rendered merit to the tribe, and specially appointed him as tribal Elder, concurrently as chief of this branch tribe's warriors.

In the document, Ji Kui enthusiastically praised Ji Bai Jie's thirty‑six great achievements over the past one thousand years—cutting through thorns, conquering new lands, and creating better living space for the branch clansmen.

Thereupon, Ji Kui held a grand ceremony, letting Ji Bai Jie officially become tribal Elder and take up the scepter and sword symbolizing command over the tribe's warriors.

At the inauguration ceremony, Ji Bai Jie enthusiastically praised Ji Kui's outstanding leadership ability, humbly telling all the invited branch‑tribe Elders and clansmen present that he too had built his tiny, insignificant merit only with Ji Kui's help and the wholehearted support of his own clan.

Ji Bai Jie promised that he would continue to risk his life and shed his blood, striving lifelong for the prosperity and strength of the Ji clan.

At the end of the ceremony, having drunk too much and feeling a little tipsy, Ji Bai Jie publicly announced that he would go to the Ji clan's holy land to worship at the ancestral shrine, offer sacrifices to the ancestors of all generations, and pray for the ancestral spirits' protection so that his branch of the tribe could multiply, grow, and flourish.

Ancestor worship—this is extremely proper, extremely important.

Ordinary Ji clansmen hardly ever get a chance in a lifetime to set foot in the holy land, but the newly appointed Elder of a branch tribe naturally has the qualification to tread the holy land and offer sacrifices to the ancestral spirits enshrined in the ancestral shrine.

Even Ji Kui has no right to oppose such a matter.

Therefore, the very next day after assuming the Elder's position, Ji Bai Jie, with proper justification, led thousands of guards and mountains of offerings, accompanied by two envoys sent from the holy land to attend the ceremony, and drove a Thunder God Vessel speeding toward the Ji clan's holy land.

Ji Kui had no right to oppose Ji Bai Jie's going to the holy land to worship ancestors, and he also lacked the time and energy to divert attention to oppose this matter.

The day after Ji Bai Jie's inauguration ceremony, Ji Kui, in urgent haste, brought hundreds of his trusted subordinates and tens of thousands of his privately owned slave‑warriors, and rushed to the Heavenly Court.

At the summit, within the vast and imposing Divine Azure Palace.

Ji Wuliang donned an extremely splendid golden‑yellow imperial robe, sitting squarely on the throne that Ji Bai Jie had occupied that day.

Ji Wuliang's burly, extraordinary presence gave him a hint of imperial bearing at first glance, but a closer look revealed his legs constantly twitching while he sat on the throne, giving rise to a ruffian's air from the marketplace.

In the Divine Azure Palace stood a few Heavenly Kings, several Heavenly Lords, and fifty or so Heavenly Generals, sparsely scattered.

Among them, Ji Ting's direct superior, the Heavenly King of the Heavenly Court's Thunder Department, Lei Zhen, clad in thunder‑armor, stood squarely at the very front, calm‑faced, staring straight at Ji Wuliang.

Ji Wuliang's legs twitched as he likewise stared straight at Lei Zhen.

After a long while, Ji Wuliang suddenly slapped the dragon desk before him and snapped, 'How dare you see me and not perform the rites?'

Lei Zhen lifted his head and roared, 'Who are you?'

Ji Wuliang stared, then hastily produced the golden jade seal that Ji Bai Jie had given him, smugly holding it in his palm and weighing it: 'Do you see clearly? Who am I? Do you see clearly?'

With a muffled 'dong', Lei Zhen shuddered in the Divine Azure Palace, and all the Heavenly Court's attendants immediately knelt before Ji Wuliang, crying, 'Your subjects greet the Heavenly Venerable!'

Ji Wuliang grinned, feeling a tingling coolness surge from his tailbone straight to his celestial crown, making his whole body so comfortable that every muscle trembled.

He laughed 'ga‑ga': 'Never mind, never mind, no rites, no rites… hahaha, from now on we're all… all one family, hehe, one family… with my meat to eat, you'll surely have a bowl of soup to drink. Follow me, and we'll enjoy the best food and drink—everyone will benefit!'

Lei Zhen and the others rose, Lei Zhen raised his eyebrows and snorted coldly: 'Never mind the fine food and drink—does the Heavenly Venerable know that the Heavenly Court's storehouse is empty? Pay, fodder, arms—these are huge problems now!'

Ji Wuliang stared blankly: 'What pay? What fodder? What arms?'

Lei Zhen lifted his head and shouted: 'Does the Heavenly Venerable not know? Not to mention the other departments of the Heavenly Court, just the armies under the hundred‑and‑eight commanders of my Thunder Department's Demon‑Subduing Office are now out fighting; they need pay, they need food, they need arms replenishment…'

Ji Wuliang said dryly: 'Then, just give it?'

Lei Zhen reached out his hand to Ji Wuliang: 'Then please, Heavenly Venerable, allocate sufficient pay, food, and arms to the Thunder Department!'

Hurried footsteps sounded as Ji Kui rushed in with a large retinue into the Divine Azure Palace, striding quickly and shouting sternly: 'What on earth is happening? Is the Thunder Department's Demon‑Subduing Office really out fighting? Who are you fighting against? Out of the hundred‑and‑eight commanders, only Ji Qian is present…'

Ji Kui felt a bit dizzy.

Just moments ago he had led a large force energetically charging into the various departments of the Heavenly Court, hastily flipping through their documents.

Then he realized that the Heavenly Court nowadays cannot be called an empty shell, but it is absolutely not as wonderful as he had imagined.

The storehouse is bare—empty enough to starve a mouse.

Each department suffers huge personnel shortages; only the Thunder Department's Demon‑Subduing Office barely props up the framework of the Heavenly Court.

As for the Thunder Department's Demon‑Subduing Office, aside from Ji Ting's directly commanded troops, another half of its main force is actually out on campaign under the leadership of the numerous commanders.

Upon seeing Ji Kui, the officials of the Demon‑Subduing Office immediately surrounded him, clamoring for various military expenditures.

Ji Kui… felt a bit overwhelmed.

He even suspected that Ji Bai Jie's so‑easy, cheerful handing over of the Heavenly Court to him might be a plot.

'Tell me the full story!' Ji Kui grabbed Lei Zhen by the collar: 'Hmm, you're not a member of my Ji clan, are you?'

Ji Kui gave Lei Zhen a serious look.

He had long noticed that all the Heavenly Lords and Heavenly Generals under Ji Bai Jie's command were known to him—Ji Qian, Ji Ming, Ji Ting, and so on were all members of his Ji clan. Moreover, they all came from cadet branches, usually overlooked by the main family, lacking influence or background within the clan.

Only Lei Zhen was a stranger.

Ji Kui's cultivation was sufficient for him to sense the blood‑line aura within Lei Zhen's body—this fellow was definitely not a Ji clansman.

'I am a wilderness drifter, a mere savage,' Lei Zhen, a rough man, blinked his eyes, pondered for a while, then pointed at Ji Wuliang on the throne and said, 'A thousand years ago I met the former Heavenly Venerable… for food, I attached myself to him.'

Ji Kui shook his head, feeling too lazy to bother whether Lei Zhen was a savage or an acquaintance.

He shouted sternly: 'Such a vast Heavenly Court, and yet the storehouse is utterly empty—not a scrap of primordial crystal, not a stone of grain, not a single medicinal herb!'

'San Gou founded the Heavenly Court, sneaking around for over a thousand years; you've built this huge palace, gathered so many hands, yet you've accumulated nothing at all!'

Lei Zhen lightly waved his hand; with a 'pa' sound, the arm that Ji Kui had grabbed on Lei Zhen's collar was shaken apart by a bolt of lightning.

A tremendous force struck, leaving Ji Kui feeling numb all over, unable to control himself as he stumbled backward several steps.

The Ji clansmen who had come with Ji Kui all shouted in anger; some, to show loyalty, drew their weapons with a few 'clangs' and aimed them at Lei Zhen and the others.

Lei Zhen gave a cold snort; outside the Divine Azure Palace came a great tramp of footsteps—at least tens of thousands of Demon‑Subduing Office soldiers formed ranks and surrounded the entire palace.

Ji Wuliang raised the jade seal in his hand and shouted a rebuke.

Ji Kui, a little flustered, ordered his subordinates to quickly put down their weapons.

Lei Zhen, with a fierce expression, said: 'The Heavenly Venerable has changed—this matter has nothing to do with us… it's your own family's affair.'

'But the Heavenly Venerable once promised us we would have enough to eat and drink and never be bullied again; that's why we gathered around him and helped him build the Heavenly Court.'

'Now we are out on campaign, the Heavenly Venerable has fled, and a new Heavenly Venerable has arrived… great, excellent. No matter who sits on that throne, we must see to it that the brothers are fed, that when they fight desperately they won't go hungry, right?'

Lei Zhen waved his right hand; with a 'hualala' sound, vast lightning flashed, filling the entire Divine Azure Palace with a map condensed from electric light.

'Now, aside from the main force of the Demon‑Subduing Office under Ji Ting's command and a contingent under Ji Qian's command, the rest of the Demon‑Subduing Office amounts to about half its current strength—a total of one hundred and seven commanders, each leading a million‑strong great army, now out on campaign.'

I suppose the Great Heavenly Venerable should know that Wa Island previously dispatched frontline battle supervisors!

Leizhen looked at Ji Wuliang.

Ji Wuliang stared blankly at Leizhen.

Wa Island? He had heard of Wa Island; it was a terrifying force that humanity must not offend or provoke.

But Wa Island dispatched frontline battle supervisors outward?

What is this about?

Where did Wa Island send people? What is this 'frontline battle supervision' nonsense? Battle supervision? Who is fighting whom?

Leizhen gave Ji Wuliang a sideways glance, shook his head, and looked toward Ji Kui.

Ji Kui slowly nodded, looked at Leizhen, and said in a deep voice: 'I know about this matter; Wa Island dispatched frontline battle supervisors outward, and among them were our Ji clan's elites... but, I have heard...'

About seventy percent of them have already fallen in battle.' Leizhen said in a deep voice: 'They have lost seventy percent; humanity is in peril, yet this is a great opportunity for our Heavenly Court.'

Ji Kui's eyes suddenly brightened: 'You...'

Leizhen nodded: 'Wa Island's dispatched frontline battle supervisors have failed, but we believe the Heavenly Court has sufficient strength to defeat those demons and monsters and save the myriad people from water and fire.'

In that case, we can accumulate merit of the human way.

In that case, we can expand our territory.

In that case, the Heavenly Court can control vast swaths of human territory, seize countless resources, and provide strong support for the Heavenly Court's next expansion.

Leizhen stood with hands on hips, staring straight at Ji Kui: 'You, what do you think?'

Ji Kui earnestly looked at the map flashing with thunderlight; on each continent, the banners of the Lei unit fluttered, one hundred and seven banners flashing with electricity, showing their current offensive posture.

Ji Kui raised his head, looked at Leizhen, and said in a deep voice: 'You, what do you think?'

Leizhen nodded and said in a deep voice: 'The Heavenly Court is a group of us poor folk formed to have enough to eat and drink, and to no longer be bullied by the elders and strong ones within our clan.'

So we want to have enough food and warm clothing; we want... better food, better clothing.

So we want to seize these human territories.

What Wa Island cannot do, we will do. Wa Island cannot protect those humans; we will protect them.

But the one hundred and seven commanders who went out to war have already exhausted all of the Heavenly Court's stores; now the Heavenly Court lacks medicine and supplies... Leizhen, bluntly, stretched out his hand toward Ji Kui: 'We know you are the chieftain of this branch of the Ji clan, and the previous Great Heavenly Venerable was merely an ordinary member of your clan.'

You are rich and portly, oily to the point that even a fart would oil your pants.

Your son is now our Great Heavenly Venerable.

So please provide sufficient grain, military pay, and weapons, so that my Demon‑Expunging Division's main force can move out and seize this place as quickly as possible!' Leizhen's hand pointed on the map: 'Battlefield Ji‑Yi‑9, where there is a human power called the Liuli Buddha Kingdom, now a demon's paradise, with countless humans suffering in dire straits.'

Take it down, hehe, our Demon‑Expunging Division can at least expand tenfold!

Ji Kui stared fixedly at Leizhen, earnestly gazing at him; after a long while he finally nodded—he is a blunt person.

A blunt person, he probably doesn't have too many devious thoughts.

Moreover, Leizhen's words indeed stirred Ji Kui deeply.

What Wa Island could not accomplish—if this branch of the Ji clan managed it, how great prestige could Ji Kui gain among humanity?

Especially, saving so many human commoners—how much merit could be reaped?

Moreover, speaking of a vast continent with tens of billions of inhabitants, how much wealth and benefit lie hidden within?

Ji Kui's heart was moved.

He looked deeply at Leizhen: 'Our clan will expend all its resources to let the Demon‑Expunging Division's main force set out... you will surely win?'

Leizhen grinned wildly: 'You think we'd run off to die? Of course we'll win, and we will surely reap benefits as vast as mountains of gold and seas of silver.'

Ji Kui looked at Ji Wuliang: 'Wuliang, you, personally lead the army on the expedition.'

After pondering, Ji Kui gazed deeply at Leizhen: 'Your Lei unit's Demon‑Expunging Division's main force will go forth; as the Great Heavenly Venerable, Wuliang will appoint a batch of commanders—you have no objections, right?'

Leizhen furrowed his brows, fell silent for a moment, then lifted his head and said: 'My position as Heavenly King of the Lei unit, and Ji Ting's position as Heavenly Lord of the Demon‑Expunging Division, must not be moved; as for the rest, you may arrange them as you see fit.'

Ji Kui nodded satisfied, and said in a deep voice: 'That's excellent; give me... not one, but half a month to gather supplies and troops; half a month later, the Demon‑Expunging Division will launch its full assault.'

He slammed his right fist hard onto the electric map, and Ji Kui shouted: 'Take the Ji‑Yi‑9 battlefield!'

Ji Wuliang sat on the throne, legs crossed, smirking complacently.

A vast expanse of land, if conquered by the army under his command... hehe, mountains of gold and seas of silver, beauties like clouds... oh dear, these years confined to his own territory, not allowed to leave, have left Ji Wuliang stifled to the point of bursting.

This time he must personally lead the troops, to enjoy himself fully, to revel in pleasure.