Chapter 882: Purge Plan

Tim*Kenan naturally understands people's thoughts well.

This time the Empire's legion's expedition to the secondary continent, nominally to avenge Consul Gennus, actually received full support from all corners of the Empire and enjoyed unanimous public opinion, but the deeper reason is that the Empire has not waged an external war for a long time, and many hope to obtain the benefits they desire in war.

And the primary benefit is wealth!

Banbei City is the largest and most prosperous city on the secondary continent, having accumulated massive wealth; it has now been seized by the Empire's legion and left to be plundered, and everyone can no longer hold back.

Tim*Kenan was about to speak when he suddenly sensed something, waved his hand, and opened a portal.

A graceful figure emerged from the portal, wearing a simple dark robe, a jeweled sash at the waist, black hair like a waterfall, a hazy veil covering the face, skin as white as jade emitting a faint magical radiance, a mysterious and grand aura that made everyone want to bow in worship.

The God of Magic's Saint Avatar, they have returned!

"Greetings, mysterious lady."

Everyone in the tower hall startled, quickly bowed, lowering their heads and daring not to look further.

"Honored lady," Tim*Kenan, as the leader among the Empire's representatives present, led several Holy Soul Wizards forward to pay respects.

VijesCui nodded, her gaze falling on Wan Tusi Rui*Howai, and she was instantly a bit surprised, asking, "Complete Resurrection Technique, Howai, who revived you?"

"It was Lei En," Howai Master put down his pipe and answered seriously.

"Oh?"

VijesCui looked at Lei En.

Although their face was veiled and no expression could be seen, one could still detect a hint of pleasure and appreciation in their voice, and they said softly, "You always manage to surprise me. If it weren't for your two attacks that weakened the God of Magic's power, I wouldn't have so easily slain the Saint Avatar."

The goddess killed the Saint Avatar of Loxi!

Lei En also contributed!

Everyone was greatly shocked; they had thought Lei En merely escaped from Loxi's grasp, but it turned out Lei En's actions went far beyond that. From the goddess's words, Lei En seemed to have even taken the upper hand in a direct confrontation with Loxi.

It was truly shocking, and several Holy Soul Wizards were also frightened.

However, considering that Lei En possesses a divine artifact, using the power of the Holy Blood Amber to resist Loxi's Saint Avatar, this outcome makes sense.

Lei En replied respectfully, "I only did what I was supposed to do."

One must remain humble before the God of Magic.

VijesCui was very satisfied with his attitude, growing more fond as they watched, and they sensed the lingering Holy Light power in the hall, asking in puzzlement, "You still haven't told me how you mastered the Complete Resurrection Technique?"

"It is it."

Lei En displayed the Holy Blood Amber.

In truth, he felt a bit uneasy; the artifact's value is incalculable, and even a deity would be moved by it. If the God of Magic coveted the Holy Blood Amber, he might find it impossible to refuse.

Of course, Lei En knows that, given the God of Magic's nature, the chance of forcibly taking the artifact is very low.

"Holy Blood Amber!"

VijesCui recognized its origin at a glance, unable to hide her surprise, "The artifact of Lord of Dawn Losenda, missing for over three thousand years, has somehow fallen into your hands. Where did you obtain it?"

"The Dark Realm," Lei En replied simply.

"The Dark Realm..."

VijesCui pondered for a few seconds, then smiled, "The Holy Blood Amber is a secondary-tier artifact, but its reputation is great; when its power is fully unleashed, it rivals high-tier artifacts. Since you possess it, I need not worry about you being retaliated against by Loxi. Keep it well and do not lose it."

"I will, madam," Lei En thought a sigh of relief.

The God of Magic truly lives up to being one of Ai Lun E Si's most powerful benevolent deities, treating followers with great tolerance and gentleness, never committing acts of plunder.

From their words one can also hear that the goddess worries about being ambushed in retaliation by Loxi, and seems to be making some preparations for herself.

Thus it is clear that they care deeply for themselves.

The people present also picked up on this meaning, feeling envious. They had previously heard that Lei En is deeply favored by the God of Magic, his status even higher than that of a Divine Chosen, and now they witnessed it firsthand.

Suddenly, VijesCui's gaze swept the room, and she said sternly, "The fact that Lei En possesses the Holy Blood Amber must never be made public; it may only circulate in a small circle among the Empire's upper echelons, and must not be discussed privately, lest it invite unnecessary trouble."

"If I discover anyone leaking this secret, don't blame me for showing no mercy."

An obscure supreme divine aura radiated, shocking everyone present, their souls trembling as if suffocating.

It is a stern warning from the deity.

The crowd fell silent as cold cicadas, quickly responding in unison, "We will strictly follow the lady's divine decree."

Most of them did not understand the God of Magic's intentions; only a few familiar with divine matters, such as Tim*Kenan and Howai Master, these millennia-old old Wizards, have the opportunity to access knowledge beyond ordinary people's reach, and know that the Holy Blood Amber is of great significance.

Artifacts have always been bound to deities; the Holy Blood Amber was forged by Lord of Dawn Losenda, and the divine office of "Dawn" now belongs to the Sun God Ge Weng.

Ge Weng is an autocratic and domineering god who will never allow others to lay claim to his authority.

If they learn of the Holy Blood Amber, it could likely spark a dispute.

Although the Sun Church's influence is mainly in the western Old Continent, including the Lamon Empire and a dozen human kingdoms, far distant from the Oriense Empire and separated by the Shi Jie Shan Mai, if the Sun God were to decide to claim the Holy Blood Amber, that would be trouble.

The God of Magic openly supports Lei En, yet does not wish to quarrel with the Sun God.

Therefore they demand that everyone keep the secret.

This further shows Lei En's weight in the goddess's eyes; she would rather risk offending the Sun God than not protect Lei En's artifact.

Howai Master, Duke Silver Star, and Storm Queen—the three Divine Chosen—each felt rather complicated.

Tim*Kenan, however, thought further ahead; Lei En is about to become Consul, backed by Anxi and the entire Mo Du faction, and he has made a deal with him, offering a thirty-year support pledge. Lei En's power in the Empire can be described as all-encompassing.

Now even the goddess trusts Lei En so much!

For some reason, Tim*Kenan felt a hint of unease, though he couldn't articulate its source.

Lei En did not notice Duke GreyEagle's thoughts; when the God of Magic returned, he closed the Soul Eye, and at that moment, hearing their words, felt some gratitude.

"Thank you for the lady's concern," he said sincerely.

VijesCui gave a faint smile and said, "You have done so much for me; how could I let you fall into danger? I need you to stay alive, unimpeded by anyone, and continue spreading my faith and teachings among the mortal world."

"Yes, madam!"

Lei En replied loudly, "I will do everything I can so that more people may comprehend the great lady's wisdom and glory, and walk the path of seeking truth."

VijesCui was very satisfied with Lei En's answer.

"Do it properly!"

Leaving a word of encouragement, the God of Magic's saint avatar gradually faded, and after a void passage echo sounded over Fu Kong Cheng, the Divine Might completely dissipated.

Everyone present let out a sigh of relief.

The pressure from a deity is overwhelming; even though the God of Magic is famed for her gentle tolerance, the Divine Might is unpredictable, and such close contact with a god's avatar makes them tread on thin ice, trembling with fear.

After the goddess departs, the next step is to loot Banbei City.

Everyone rubbed their hands, eager inside, and looked at Tim*Kenan with anticipation; someone asked, "Duke, should we act now?"

Tim*Kenan nodded, about to issue the order, when Lei En seemed to have something to say.

If it were in the past or someone else, at this moment Tim*Kenan wouldn't consider much, would just order the attack; any matters could be postponed, not hindering the Empire's strongmen's interests. But now it's different.

A thought sparked in him: "Lei En, what's your view?"

"Yes, Duke."

Lei En stepped forward, loudly asking, "I want to know, what does the Supreme Council plan for Banbei City? Will the Empire annex the Guputa Kingdom, or prepare to make it a vassal of the Empire, or perhaps just loot Banbei City and leave?"

He seemed to be questioning Tim*Kenan, but actually wanted everyone present to think together.

Tim*Kenan pondered a few seconds and replied, "This is a revenge operation; although the trickster master you slew may not have been Lokrian, you also dealt a heavy blow to the Shadow Blade, the Hand of the Deceiver lost a Holy Soul Wizard, and even Loxhi's saint avatar was slain by the goddess. Overall, the goal of avenging Gneus has been largely achieved."

Lei En nodded and kept listening.

"After this, the Empire's legions will sweep Banbei City, eradicating the evil god's followers and wiping out Loxhi's church stronghold," Tim*Kenan said. "However, the Supreme Council has not yet reached a conclusion on whether to annex the Guputa Kingdom."

After a pause, he added, "I lean toward making the Guputa Kingdom a vassal of the Empire."

The others were somewhat surprised.

The Guputa Kingdom lies on the western coast of the secondary continent, thousands of li from the Empire; its north is blocked by the impassable Shi Jie Shan Mai. A single expedition, even three or four, is no problem, but maintaining Imperial control over Guputa would be too costly.

A vassal state retains some autonomy; the rulers and people of Guputa Kingdom would not be content and would eventually seek independence again.

Direct annexation into the Empire would be harder to govern and cost even more.

It could even drag the Empire into a quagmire of war.

The secondary continent is a mosaic of races; although the three great kingdoms were founded by humans, humans are not the majority, coexisting with many non‑human races. The three kingdoms' territories cover only about sixty percent of the continent, alongside seven duchies, hundreds of city‑states and tribes.

Endless racial conflicts make the continent hard to unify, yet they also deter external invasions.

Throughout history, many powerful forces or invaders have easily breached the continent, but none have ever truly occupied the whole secondary continent; it's not that no one tried, they all failed.

Learning from predecessors, later raiders plunder once and then retreat.

It's like a trash heap mixed with gold; outsiders snatch the valuable gold and leave behind worthless junk.

Thus, the Empire's people also intend to grab a wave and leave; hearing GreyEagle Duke say the Guputa Kingdom should become a vassal, they are somewhat puzzled.

Lei En asked, "What is the Duke's reasoning?"

Tim*Kenan explained carefully, "The secondary continent is hard to govern because of its complex races and chaotic beliefs, yet its lands are highly valuable. The Guputa Kingdom is sizable, with fertile soil and abundant resources, just undeveloped. If we drive out all non‑human races and occupy the territory, many problems should be solved."

"Expelling non‑human races and establishing a vassal relationship is only the first step, also an experiment."

"If the plan proceeds smoothly, we will later formally incorporate the Guputa Kingdom into the Empire's map, expanding territory and easing the Empire's population pressure."

"Of course, that's just my personal view," Tim*Kenan concluded. "I can't guarantee how future circumstances will unfold or what the Supreme Council will decide."

The Empire's strongmen present lit up at the words.

The Guputa Kingdom's area equals that of five Empire provinces; such a vast land means huge profit, perhaps each could get a slice.

For a millennium, the Supreme Council has been reducing actual‑title nobles; aside from Holy Soul Wizards, the Empire has not added a single noble fief.

Obtaining an actual title within the Empire is impossible now, but on the secondary continent it's very hopeful.

A fief!

It's something worth hundreds, thousands, even ten‑thousands times more than gold; instantly, the Empire's strongmen were all tempted.

However, Lei En merely shook his head, showing a dismissive expression.

Tim*Kenan kept watching him, "Share your view."

"Duke, expelling all non‑human races to leave only humans isn't very realistic," Lei En bluntly pointed out. "My investigation shows that in Banbei City alone, the number of non‑human races approaches a million. These peoples have lived here for generations; though they are low‑born and mostly human slaves, their existence has become intertwined with humans, almost impossible to separate."

"Within the Guputa Kingdom, non‑human races number at least thirty million."

"Most of them dwell outside the city—in wilderness, forests, and swamps—everywhere, possibly outnumbering the kingdom's humans, making complete removal difficult."

"Forcefully expelling tens of millions of non‑human races would drain the Empire's legions, cause massive slaughter, and give some evil gods a chance to act. Moreover, it would severely damage the Empire's image and prestige, turning the entire secondary continent against us, seeing us as invaders."

At this point, Lei En's expression turned a bit playful.

The Empire's strongmen's faces also looked odd; in truth, everyone knew they were the aggressors, merely using a banner of revenge.

Lei En continued, "Even if the purge succeeds, the cost is far higher than any benefit we might reap."

Tim*Kenan pondered for a moment.

He had to admit Lei En's point was sound; he had neglected to consider it.

"Then, do you think we should withdraw after the raid?" Tim*Kenan asked.

"No." Lei En shook his head. "We should stay, garrison in the Guputa Kingdom, maintain the Empire's long‑term presence, and control the whole secondary continent by another method."

Continue writing Chapter Two.

(End of Chapter)