CHAPTER 375: CHAPTER 176: MAJOR MOVES?

On the other side, within Jinling City.

Zhang Tao sat at the long table inside the refurbished Mechanical Holy Temple. The blazing sunlight poured down onto the long table in front of him, and sitting on either side were a large group of "trusted aides" he had reinstated.

Over the past month, he had almost completed a comprehensive purge of the forces left behind by the previous Saint.

The commander of the Guard Brigade was replaced, priests and bishops reappointed; even for the most inconspicuous positions, he meticulously selected candidates.

His purpose in doing all this was certainly not to complement the Huaxia Army’s control of Jinling City.

He simply wanted to "reform" the Mechanical God Sect.

In the way he believed was right, to reshape the Mechanical God Sect.

Looking at the Black-clothed Archbishop on his right, Zhang Tao asked:

"Is the documentation within the Great Book Collection sorted out?"

"Everything has been completely organized, sir."

The Black-clothed Archbishop quickly nodded and then replied:

"According to your instruction, we have prioritized collating all content related to electricity, verifying it against the knowledge and information we had previously possessed."

"Most of the data has either been lost or lacks completeness."

"Nonetheless, we still managed to organize quite a substantial amount of valuable knowledge."

"Next, we plan to reinterpret and analyze these insights anew."

"The glory of the Holy Trinity will surely be restored; we just need more time."

"But we don’t have time."

Zhang Tao’s tone was deep.

"The Beast Tide is approaching, and humanity’s survival is facing unprecedented challenges."

"In battles against monsters, we are increasingly overwhelmed."

"Haven’t you heard? The Holy Temple Guard led by Jin Zhong suffered heavy losses near Jingkou."

"Had it not been for the timely rescue by the Huaxia Army, they might have been completely annihilated there."

"We cannot always rely on the Huaxia Army; we must strengthen our own power."

"Awakening the soul of electricity is an urgent task. I hope all of you will commit wholeheartedly!"

"Yes, sir."

The Black-clothed Archbishop nodded in agreement. Zhang Tao exhaled deeply and continued:

"Similarly, the siege of Han Shui City has also been resolved thanks to the Huaxia Army’s assistance."

"They deployed the angels of the Holy Trinity, annihilating those horrific monsters in an instant."

"When will we possess such power? It’s a difficult question to answer."

"But, even if we cannot harness angelic powers in the short term, at least we must have the strength to combat multi-headed monsters."

"I have decided to reorganize the Holy Temple Guard."

"All of you present, I hope you understand my intentions."

"This isn’t about ’power stripping’ anyone, nor is it for my personal gain; it’s a necessary change to confront the dire situation."

"Yes, sir."

The people seated on either side of the long table answered one by one. Zhang Tao nodded slightly and then said:

"I will abolish all Guard Brigade formations. From now on, the Church Protection Army will no longer be divided by the Holy Temple Guard Brigade."

"All Guard Brigade soldiers will be integrated into a single unit."

"Namely, the Supreme Army."

"This army will have a unified supreme commander, and at the commander level, it will be organized by ’legion’ with legion commanders."

"Each legion commander will be under the leadership of the supreme commander, following the supreme commander’s directives."

"The Supreme Army will report directly to the Holy Hall, while the supreme commander will heed the Saint’s orders."

"Of course, if the Saint—that is, myself—commands improperly, the supreme commander may propose an objection."

"In terms of military supplies, all resources and manpower needed by the Supreme Army will be provided by the Holy Hall."

"This means we need to change the previous traditional tax system."

"Legions will no longer have taxing authority; taxes from all cities will be centralized to the Holy Hall and distributed by it."

"This will significantly improve the efficiency of our tax collection and usage—trust me, no one’s interests will be harmed by this."

"Yes."

"Understood, sir."

With Zhang Tao’s words concluded, everyone in the Holy Hall nodded in agreement.

No one opposed his decision, which was actually a strategy long determined.

The gathering here was merely a ’formal’ requirement.

Everything was predestined; no one could change it.

Seeing everyone’s reaction, Zhang Tao’s gaze shifted.

He knew his tough measures would inevitably trigger some backlash.

But it didn’t matter.

The truly "Forbidden Army" has expanded. Now, he has enough strength to suppress those "rebels" and also enough power to implement the "reform" he must complete.

His only concern is not internal.

But rather, those Huaxia Army...

He was unsure whether his actions had drawn their attention.

But no matter what, he had been cautious enough.

Under close surveillance, he dared not reveal his true intentions even in the meetings held inside the Holy Hall.

However, he believed that those who were truly loyal had surely grasped his subtle insinuations.

Do one’s best and leave the rest to fate.

Under the protection of the Holy Trinity, he would not stop here...

With this thought, Zhang Tao stood up.

Then, he said:

"That’s all for now."

"Migrants from the Imperial City have already arrived outside Jinling City."

"We will treat them graciously to repay the Huaxia Army for their help."

"Alright, everyone, resume your duties."

"Get ready!"

....

Meanwhile, inside the estate in Jinling City.

He Shuo listened to the report transmitted by the drone and shook his head, saying:

"This Zhang Tao really is something... I originally thought he just wanted to eliminate dissent and consolidate his own power."

"But now it seems, what he’s aiming to do is far more than that."

"What he truly wants is to reestablish centralized power within the Mechanical God Sect."

"His first move was to target the Holy Temple Guard Brigade; that’s ruthlessly acute."

"But cutting so deep and acting so quickly, for the current Mechanical God Sect, might be a bit too hasty."

"Doesn’t he know it will provoke a backlash?"

"Is he a fool, or has he prepared to face the consequences?"

As the words fell, Zeng Yi responded:

"Probably the latter."

"From what we’ve gathered from the spies we’ve sent out before, Zhang Tao has already intensified control over the rumors in Jinling City."

"They have even started spreading rumors themselves."

"But right now, the direction of these rumors is rather unclear; it’s hard to perceive their true intentions."

"But one thing is certain: he must be aiming for something big."

"Something big?"

He Shuo instinctively repeated, then shook his head and said:

"The biggest move he could make is to defect on the battlefield."

"Do you think that’s a possibility?"

"The likelihood of defecting is small, but the chance of taking advantage of the situation is... not negligible."

Zeng Yi said solemnly and continued:

"Perhaps we must be on our guard."

"Understood."

He Shuo nodded lightly and then commanded:

"Transmit the information back to the base."

"Also inform the captain, Zeng Yi has already begun to mobilize."

"As the Guard Brigade commander outside, Jin Zhong will be the first ’abandoned’ brother."

"If we are to do something to Jin Zhong... now is the chance!"