Chapter 370

Friends who are skilled in workplace arts all know that as long as a sentence contains 'perhaps', 'recently', 'possibly', and 'according to informed sources'...

No matter how nicely that is said, it's just baseless nonsense—just a plan, who can't make a PPT?

So among this messy jumble of things, the ones that can actually be implemented and openly presented to show real progress—at least in the past month—there are hardly any.

Including official projects of various countries, even if they didn't complete all goals, let alone someone like Zhang Hai who could produce physical objects to record a full experiment—even plans that could formally start are few and far between.

Even some traditional arts, like San Ge's armory, haven't even managed to produce a single gun, yet they mysteriously caught fire for three days.

It just went out yesterday, and it was the kind that extinguished naturally because there was nothing left to burn.

Ji Ming was so angry he planned to kick them off the priority entry list for the game and distribute the reserved slots to those few new-energy companies that had at least begun making batteries.

And the information he provided this time to the Foreign Affairs Bureau is exactly this part; although for the sake of 'authenticity' he didn't submit all the information, being able to achieve full coverage of the research progress of several important countries already makes it extremely valuable data.

Cang Lang flipped it open, glanced twice, saw that everyone's progress was equally bad, and felt relieved—at least Zhao Ju and Zhang Gong could relax a little in their hearts, not worrying themselves bald every day.

Moreover, compared with the information they obtained from other channels, the overlapping part has always been extremely consistent and highly credible.

However, Wai Shu's copy is obviously more comprehensive and in-depth, adding a considerable amount of important information that ordinary people could hardly obtain.

"Great, this information is very precious! The content matches exactly what you described earlier, and it has passed review."

After safely storing this document, which is important enough to require paper as its medium, Cang Lang called up the system and typed a few characters to one of the friends on his list.

The next second, Ji Ming's side showed a message from a Feixin friend; he opened the screen and glanced—well, not much, just a six-digit number starting with two, I guess.

After finishing the business, the two then chatted over tea, but adults don't have that much leisure time, so they inevitably ended up talking about their recent situations.

Ji Ming's side needed no further explanation; a single sentence—'I'm gathering intel, Hui Guang Kingdom is really complicated'—covered everything.

When it was his turn to ask what the other had been busy with lately, Cang Lang didn't rush to answer; instead he poured himself another cup of tea and, amid the aroma, shook his head bitterly.

"Sigh, I'm so annoyed… otherwise why would I volunteer to take charge of security for this big grantee, holed up in this wheat-scented territory with nothing at all—just to seek some peace and quiet?"

He grew more resentful as he spoke, and finally just pounded the table with his fist.

"Frankly, I feel like nobody in Hui Guang Kingdom is in charge—this is practically uninhabitable for humans… grass (table HP-1)! Why is everything related to Hui Guang always so terrible?!!"

As it turns out, the Holy Light cultivators were busy in Wind Shadow Territory figuring out how to sustain themselves, while also thinking about how to eliminate the influence of the Shadow Church.

Behind them, the entire southern part of Hui Guang Kingdom had already entered a state of vigorous vitality, where myriad things compete to sprout.

First, since the princess has no intention of leaving Wind Shadow Territory, the Flower-rank Envoy in charge of planning the assassination, Poison Snake, also has an excuse to delay the onset.

"That Holy Light Chosen One was just assassinated; Wind Shadow Territory must now be on high alert, waiting for assassins to slip into their pockets—naturally that includes us as well."

"So if we act now, we might have little chance of success; before a suitable opportunity arises, we might as well crush some small fleas that hinder our actions."

They could even write extensively about events in Wind Shadow Territory, repeatedly hinting that the so-called Shadow Church likely colludes with the princess behind the scenes, thereby amplifying the shadow threat narrative.

After all…

Otherwise, why would we have lain low for seven days, just preparing to strike again, when they, by assassinating the Holy Light Chosen One, have heightened the vigilance of this entourage and the surrounding nobles along the road?

It must be deliberate and intentional!

Therefore, as long as the Shadow Church doesn't kill for a day, the princess won't be left isolated and helpless, and we won't get a moment's peace!

Actually, given how important the goal is and how many people are involved, even if Poison Snake is the leader, he couldn't possibly dominate the task force single-handedly, let alone directly shift the entire team's mission focus.

But as a symbolic Flower-rank Envoy, known for problematic brains, fanatical faith, and… ascetic tendencies.

A madman who's crazy about his god could do anything, so…

"Envoy, sir… excuse my boldness, do you still believe in our deity?"

"I do! I believe so much! I believe to the point of wishing the deity would finely slice me into petal‑thin pieces, put them in a culture dish, and then grow ten thousand copies of me from within…"

Then there's no problem; as long as her faith in the deity remains unchanged, she couldn't possibly do anything harmful to everyone!

Thus no one would doubt her intentions might be malicious, and everyone began the task wholeheartedly.

But while the Forest Church is united up and down, the Shadow Church is having a rough time.

Following the Chosen One's advice, the stalwart severed his wrist, abandoned Wind Shadow Territory, and decided to move entirely underground to lay low for a while—only to discover in horror…

This limelight seems impossible to avoid!

No matter where they go, mysterious masked figures show up, say nothing, employ lethal force throughout, kill everyone, and leave.

What's more, the whole process is swift and efficient, the technique mastered to an extreme, leaving them unable to find even a clue as to who the attackers are.

Watching one mysterious disappearance after another of their subordinates, another old man who worries himself bald has appeared in this world.

The already extremely worried Hidden Archbishop found it hard to eat or sleep over this; indeed, he himself narrowly escaped assassination by these unknown origin heretics.

Fortunately, after boldly contacting the Chosen One, he learned that the latter was still safely lying low and had not been discovered, which let him breathe a sigh of relief.

But the Chosen One, true to his name, upon hearing that the church had suffered such a catastrophe, hurriedly replied, asking whether help was needed, where the archbishop currently was—'Give me an address, brothers, I'll be there right away!'

The Hidden one was instantly moved to tears, unable to restrain a sigh—what brotherly faith among believers! It surely surpasses life and death!

But feeling moved aside, he, considering the task more important, had no intention of jeopardizing the Chosen One's concealment, so he did not reveal his hiding place, instead giving a guarantee.

【Please rest assured, Chosen One, I will surely devote my liver and brains to the church, and no matter what, preserve the spark of our church in Hui Guang Kingdom! No worries, no anxieties!】

Ji Ming: No, you guard your horse—if you all die pointlessly, didn't I just layout both sides for nothing?

Thus the equally moved Chosen One, seeing his sincerity, decided to contribute his mind rather than his body, analyzing the current situation for him and determined to find a way out for the kingdom's branch!

"Right! Right! Since we can't hide, scattering would only let them pick us off one by one; only unity can let us jointly resist!"

Watching the Chosen One's second reply, the Hidden one paced back and forth in a deep mountain cave, his eyes flashing with sharp light.

"Yes, the Chosen One is right; I was just too foolish before… someone, come!"

A fanatic believer emerged from the shadows, silently kneeling on one knee.

The archbishop waved his hand grandly.

"Convey my order! Let no one remain scattered; the moment for counterattack has come—we shall shift from defense to offense, and let them know how formidable we are!"

The Hidden one's words, pumped up with adrenaline, sound wild, but anyone with a bit of sense knows that launching a mass charge in a losing situation… really invites disaster.

So, to prolong this grand game and consume more pieces, Ji Ming, using Grersen's potted plant, then handed over a mission to Poison Snake.

"Understood, brother; regarding this, I already have someone chosen, I guarantee they'll return to the deity in comfort… ah, now it's the embrace of the heretical evil god."

Poison Snake still had a talent for this; under Ji Ming's guidance, he let several overly smart or disobedient envoy squads carry out overly rash decapitation operations, unknowingly reaching some places they shouldn't have gone.

Then the Hidden Archbishop surprisingly discovered—'Brother, following the Chosen really works!'

Under his wise and martial micro-management, several small heretical squads slipped into the encirclement, giving our side a local advantage of many over few, naturally taking the meat at hand.

Thus victory reports came frequently from all places; clearly before it had been a huge disadvantage, estimating that losing another big dragon team would be pushed over by them in an ugly situation, which instantly turned stable, even hinting at a possible comeback.

Seeing that the squads he sent out suffered heavy losses, Poison Snake, while pushing the blame onto a pre-prepared scapegoat, also issued an opening self-blame edict and a concluding proclamation to punish the rebels.

The expressed thoughts and feelings actually mean just one thing: 'Sorry, Sun thief's grandma knows she was wrong, so you guys hurry up and take your heads to avenge the other Sun thieves!'

And the Hidden Archbishop on the other side of the chessboard was also swept away by this hearty great victory, losing his last bit of caution, in the fantasy of 'I can win I will win!', continuing to follow the Chosen's thinking and fight the heretics, even though he already knew they were Forest believers.

Thus, under the instigation of some behind-the-scenes black hand, two churches that originally had no conflict—and might even have united against a common enemy—were forcibly turned into enemies.

Two especially important overseas branches, stubbornly on the Holy Light God's turf, launched a life-and-death, hard-fought secret war.

What's worse, Ji Ming did such a thing—fathering a child... possibly born without waste excretion function, a scandalous act that made tens of thousands of previously unoffended other-god believers glare at each other and fight to the death.

After writing the guide and looking back, he found that, with merits and faults offset, his righteous qi even increased, and the level of the Righteous Qi Cultivation Technique increased again!

After all, stirring up war is like this; as long as both sides wholeheartedly throw themselves into stabbing each other, that's enough, but we behind-the-scenes black hands have many more things to consider.

Thus, holding awe for the secret war, Ji Ming gave the Hidden Archbishop and Poison Snake many good ideas—at least for him, they were good ideas.

Now the two sides fought even more fiercely, forcing many unrelated, still infant or even newborn churches in swaddling to be dragged in, having to pick a side.

But the southern nobles, although they're all useless good-for-nothings who only know how to make money and oppress the people, on this stage those who bite the detonator are not just that bunch of running fanatics.

Upon seeing his just-acquired inn explode in a big blast at night, several black-clad people fought like bandits in the ruins, crackling, even the last bit of his property about to be smashed.

Upon seeing that he had left some money during the day, and was thinking about whether to use guild connections to send the girl to the textile factory to earn a meal, she was soaking in a foul ditch with a wound nearly cutting her waist in half, green in color.

Upon seeing a perfectly fine village thrown into chaos by some ridiculous mountain wild god, causing poultry and dogs to be unsettled, morals completely lost, even trying to incite villagers to surround and kill those travelers who refuse to go with the flow.

Players, furious.

Confucius reborn: 【'He does not speak of strange feats, chaos, or spirits; I usually don't look at this stuff and just kill it.'】

Louis Pomegranate: 【'Beheading in the vegetable market, using a slanted blade, I've personally tried it, it works!'】

Legendary Prison Big Tornado: 【'Damn, just go up and elbow him, he can't take it!'】

Officer Jack who loves donuts: 【'Caused by the magazine not being emptied.'】

Detective Hannibal: 【'Kids, don't be afraid, you can be sent to me to learn how to be human again.'】

Thus players are fighting, the Forest Church is fighting, the Shadow Church is fighting, the chaotic small churches are fighting, and the local Holy Light Church that must act is fighting.

Although they still maintained a secret war posture, the local nobles who sensed something was off inevitably got startled and hurriedly took action.

But this is a secret war; they cannot seek aid from the Royal Capital over a nonexistent threat, so they can only send out their own knights to patrol day and night, treating everyone they see like a ghost.

In an instant the whole southern kingdom became a porridge mess; everyone seemed busy, yet no one knew exactly what they were busy with.

Seeing the usual loud and boisterous elders not coming to collect taxes but rushing about, quietly greeting their mothers in their hearts, the common folk also began asking friends about the Pioneers.

"As long as you work, you get steady pay, and you even get a meal each day—is that really true……"