Upon seeing Dong Che ask this, Xiaoqiao showed a conflicted expression.

"Do I have to express my opinion?" she asked.

Dong Che sincerely said, "If it's really difficult, you can choose not to, but I'd like to hear your response."

Xiaoqiao hesitated for a long while before speaking her mind.

"I think... these matters seem to have nothing to do with us anymore," she said.

"Nothing to do with you?" Dong Che was stunned for a moment, "What do you mean by that?"

"Exactly what the words mean," Xiaoqiao said.

"I don't understand..." Dong Che said, puzzled, "You've suffered such enormous disasters, it's doubtful if even one in ten thousand people survived. The future world still faces even more terrifying Doomsday disasters, and the Evangelical Institute's intent to slaughter all of humanity is an imminent threat... how can these things have nothing to do with you?"

"But, isn't that the case?" Xiaoqiao seemed to muster the courage, "I heard Zhu Shi say that the demon hunters on Luo Mountain can be roughly divided into Extraordinaryism and Governance Ideology. But even the latter, which wants to coexist with ordinary people, it's a choice you made yourselves; we ordinary people never had a choice from the start.

"You previously said that in pursuit of your vision, some ordinary people were also allowed to join the management of the sanctuary. But if you hadn't done so, they wouldn't have been able to have a say in the sanctuary's management issues, right? It's not because they worked hard that they could participate in management, it's merely because you allowed their participation.

"And now, it's not us ordinary people deciding our fate, it's you demon hunters. No... even you demon hunters can't decide your fate. The true influencers of the world's destiny are countable Gods like you.

"No matter how we think, what we say, or what we do, we can't decide anything... it feels like even our life and death have nothing to do with us anymore."

Hearing Xiaoqiao's heartfelt words, Dong Che seemed to not know how to respond, standing there with his mouth slightly open.

Jiaoshu watched all this coldly.

"I've never understood why Xuanming defected from Luo Mountain, but now perhaps I understand a bit," she said, "Governance Ideology, Extraordinaryism... although you constantly argue, maybe in some aspects, you're no different."

"How is that possible?"

Dong Che first refuted, then looked at Xiaoqiao, and said, "Thank you for being willing to tell me these genuine thoughts... is there anything else? I will certainly remember."

"No. ... If I must say more..." Xiaoqiao said with a troubled look, "I'm very scared... I don't know what the future world will become. Even if we overcome Doomsday, what if we ordinary people will be enslaved by demon hunters in the future..."

"That will definitely not happen."

Dong Che first declared, then paused a bit, and said, "However, it's possible that demon hunters may indeed become the privileged class of society in the future, and that might indeed be hard to avoid..."

"Privilege? There's no need for that," a voice came from the side.

The leading believer reappeared here with us, seeming to have superhuman hearing, catching our entire conversation while walking over.

"The things this world allows demon hunters to do are far more than anything society allows demon hunters to do," he said disapprovingly, "We can run faster than cars; some can even fly. Better eyesight, greater strength, and a variety of spells..."

"No matter how many privileges civilized society grants us, how do they compare to these? Although I do think I'm indeed more advanced and superior to ordinary people, I've never thought of making ordinary people bow and scrape before me or be at my beck and call, nor did I ever see any need to invest time and effort into enslavement. Why make everyone so unhappy?"

I wonder if I should praise him saying he's truly my believer; the things he says almost align with what I'm thinking.

However, upon hearing him say this, Xiaoqiao showed a subtle expression, and Jiaoshu displayed a strange face.

"I didn't expect you to be a potential anti-social element," Jiaoshu said.

"How am I anti-social?" the leading believer retorted.

"Aren't you expressing your lack of need for society with what you just said?" Jiaoshu said in a deep voice, "Even if demon hunters integrate into society as a privileged class, they're integrated into society. But you don't even care about social rights, nor do you want to spend energy on getting along with others.

"Of course, you might say you don't mean it that way, still feeling nostalgic for the many conveniences of industrial civilization, and maybe you think you do need some social interactions. But you don't really think you can't live without those, right? Besides, as demon hunters mastering various mysteries, if it's just to meet your own convenience needs, social structures don't need to be as large as they are now.

"What if society hinders some of your goals, wouldn't demon hunters like you destroy society without hesitation, and not rebuild it on scorched earth afterwards? Both Extraordinaryism and Governance Ideology at least need a society to exist; isn't your kind of thinking the truly dangerous ideology?"

The leading believer chuckled, saying indifferently, "You certainly can slander; you interpret a lack of interest in social privilege as anti-social. Unfortunately, the reality is you Xuanming believers going everywhere trying to capture live sacrifices, while we Zhuang Cheng believers are building shelters and protecting ordinary people, not even asking for a needle or thread... who's really anti-social, hmm?"

"If not for Zhuang Cheng suddenly appearing, you guys were merely leading everyone on a slow suicide. What good is protecting a shelter if you can't defeat Taoyuan Village, then it's all meaningless." Jiaoshu then looked at Dong Che, "You previously completely denied our acts of sacrifice and slaughter, but do you have any specific plans against Taoyuan Village believers?"

Dong Che didn't respond, because he really might not have a ready alternative thought. Of course, it was clear that he wasn't giving up on thinking, but had a determination to actively seek a brighter path. Although it could be said that he wasn't letting go of his moral bottom line and hope until the last moment, being criticized as excessively idealistic wasn't without reason.

That seems to be why Dong Che left Gua Tianshi's tutelage — he couldn't accept forcing massive sacrifices on the current people for a better future. Though somewhat naive, for those sacrificed in the present, no matter how wonderful the future, it wouldn't concern them. So he chose to stand on the side of those living in the present as opposed to an unborn future.

Even at this moment, he still adhered to this stance. To someone like Jiaoshu, his viewpoints lacked persuasiveness. With destruction's crisis seen as close at hand, perhaps even methods with great moral flaws had to be employed, as likely held by most. On the other hand, hoping that by delaying, a better way could be found, advocating for everyone to wait a bit, a bit — regardless of correctness, it's not easily inspiring.

Jiaoshu's thoughts might also reflect Xuanming's. Perhaps Xuanming couldn't reconcile with sacrificing innocent girls to appease like the Gods, yet knowing it was the only current action left him, he would first act in even directions he found irreconcilable.

Some time later, Dong Che and the leading believer, along with a dozen other Zhuang Cheng believers, finished setting up the Summoning Ceremony venue. Other demon hunters joined in actively helping, and the fact that I am Great Unpredictable Zhuang Cheng spread through the mouths of Zhuang Cheng believers to their ears, resulting in enthusiasm and drive bursting from the initial shock, greatly reducing the required time.

Originally, they all likely felt besieged on all sides, with the determination to defend the shelter being like a cornered beast's fight, while now the glimmer of hope to escape the city lay before them, with each person exuding unending vigor.

Survivors protected in the shelter numbering in the hundreds also somewhat inquired about happenings here, mostly puzzled by concepts like Great Impermanence and the Summoning Ceremony, but still sensing positive change from the demon hunters' attitudes.

A large expanse of the exhibition hall was cleared, with numerous ritual array lines drawn on the ground, and symbolic ritual items placed in different positions, with the most being orange-red candles. Dozens of demon hunters gathered around the field maintaining order, while hundreds of survivors gathered in a more peripheral area whispering about their expectations of good outcomes mixed with anxiety over disappointment.

Surrounded by so many onlookers, it felt like a religious ceremony — which is exactly what it was.

After the setup was complete, Dong Che came over to me to report, and I slowly walked toward the center of the ritual area.