CHAPTER 498: CHAPTER 245: EVE (SEEKING MONTHLY VOTES)

In the following time, Shen Changqing remained within the Demon-Subduing Division and did not immediately move against the Heaven Alliance. The reason for this lay in the fast-approaching Hundred Sects Gathering. One month wasn’t particularly short, yet it wasn’t particularly long either. Shen Changqing had designated the Demon-Subduing Division as the venue for the Hundred Sects Gathering. After all, no place was more suitable.

Before this, he made another trip to the black market, collecting the Demon Evil acquired over the month and adding a little more to his already meager Slaughter Value. Though he didn’t break the two thousand mark, it had at least increased from over thirteen hundred to more than fifteen hundred, approaching sixteen hundred.

However, although Shen Changqing stayed within the Demon-Subduing Division, the situation outside showed no signs of easing. First, there were landslides and earth fissures, followed by spreading floods. Soon after, some refugees seized this chance to rebel, raising their banners in defiance. Although they were quickly suppressed by the Imperial Court, they had caused considerable unrest. For a time, it was said that heads were rolling due to the Imperial Court’s actions. Not counting the common folk who died in the natural disasters, those executed for rebellion alone numbered over ten thousand.

Shen Changqing, even within the Demon-Subduing Division, was well aware of these matters. Nevertheless, he took no measures to stop them. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but he simply couldn’t. Natural disasters were acts of Heaven and Earth; their source untraceable, leaving no means to resolve them. Rebellions, on the other hand, stemmed from shifts in human sentiment and were even less controllable. All Shen Changqing could do was utilize the power of the Demon-Subduing Division to strike such fear into the hearts of would-be rebels that they wouldn’t dare act. In doing so, anyone else contemplating rebellion would have to think twice.

「——」

"Is this the Demon-Subduing Division of Mountain-Breaking City?" Not far from the Demon-Subduing Division, Chang Yin gazed at the sprawling complex of buildings, a trace of shock in his eyes. Though he was the current Sect Master of the Qingyu Sect, he had never been to Mountain-Breaking City, nor had he ever seen the Demon-Subduing Division.

Speaking of which, the Qingyu Sect, as a Supreme Sect, had its own magnificent architecture. Yet, compared to the Demon-Subduing Division, the difference was considerable. Moreover, Chang Yin was well aware that the Demon-Subduing Division of Mountain-Breaking City was merely one of its many branches. The headquarters of the Demon-Subduing Division was located in the Capital City. If the branch is already like this, I can hardly imagine what the headquarters must look like.

Beside him, Yun Yi, who accompanied him, smiled faintly at his words. "The Demon-Subduing Division is at its zenith. Since its establishment, Great Qin has poured all its resources into cultivating it. Such a sight is only natural."

Hearing the explanation, Chang Yin nodded. Then, looking at the surrounding scene, his expression turned curious. "The Hundred Sects Gathering—I wonder how many sects have arrived by now."

"It’s not yet the actual time for the Hundred Sects Gathering. In a few more days, I believe all invited sects will arrive. Failure to attend would be a show of disrespect to the Demon-Subduing Division. Those sects that haven’t already sided with the Heaven Alliance wouldn’t be so foolish at this point."

Yun Yi saw the situation clearly. Those sects unwilling to submit to the Demon-Subduing Division had already defected to the Heaven Alliance during the Division’s campaign of annihilation against defiant sects. Now, the sects that haven’t joined the Heaven Alliance have essentially made their stance clear. They’re just waiting—waiting for a genuine opportunity to connect with the Demon-Subduing Division. The impending Hundred Sects Gathering was precisely such a rare opportunity for many sects. No one who wasn’t a fool would miss this chance.

Besides, failing to participate in the Hundred Sects Gathering would not only mean missing an opportunity but also directly offending the Demon-Subduing Division. Given their iron-fisted methods, those who were not friends were considered enemies. Having already annihilated numerous sects, destroying a few more would hardly be a problem for the Demon-Subduing Division.

After glancing at the Demon-Subduing Division again, Yun Yi retracted his gaze and looked at his Sect Master. "Sect Master, let’s find lodging in Mountain-Breaking City for now. When the time for the Hundred Sects Gathering arrives, we can then proceed to the Demon-Subduing Division."

"Mm," Chang Yin nodded in agreement.

「On the other side」

Xing Yi was reporting related matters to Shen Changqing. "Lord Defender, seventy-three sects have arrived for the Hundred Sects Gathering so far. The remaining sects are on their way. I estimate they will all be here in another two or three days."

"How many sects did you notify in total?"

"A total of one hundred and seventy-three sects within the jurisdictions of South Sea City and Mountain-Breaking City have all been notified," Xing Yi replied solemnly.

One hundred and seventy-three sects.

Shen Changqing looked surprised. "By that count, if we include the sects aligned with the Heaven Alliance, how many sects are there in South Nether Prefecture in total?"

For a single prefecture to have three hundred sects is no small number. This indirectly revealed the immense power hidden within the vast Jianghu. If South Nether Prefecture alone has three hundred sects, then the nine prefectures of Great Qin combined must have at least three thousand. However, in his view, most of these sects were not very strong. Those genuinely powerful enough to have a Grandmaster presiding over them were likely very few. Otherwise, three thousand sects each boasting a Grandmaster would constitute a truly terrifying force.

Xing Yi said, "Counting the sects in the Heaven Alliance, the actual number is more than just three hundred. This is because anyone who has reached the Pulse Condensation Realm is qualified to establish a sect. Even some martial artists in the Body Tempering Realm dare to establish their own sects. But those are minor affairs, not generally considered significant. If you include them, the number of sects would double."

Upon hearing this, Shen Changqing was speechless. He hadn’t expected that even martial artists in the Body Tempering Realm could start a sect. However, while the Body Tempering Realm might not count for much in the Jianghu, to ordinary people, it was still considered strong—strong enough to kill a fierce tiger with their fists or shatter bluestone bricks with their feet. In the military, they could at least become a squad leader, perhaps even a platoon leader. But such sects had almost no future. Bluffing ordinary people and training some basic strength was fine. But to say they could deal with Demon Evil, they’d be lucky not to end up as food for such entities.

"You didn’t notify these minor sects about the Hundred Sects Gathering, did you?" Shen Changqing couldn’t help but confirm. If a few Body Tempering Realm martial artists showed up at the Hundred Sects Gathering, it would be quite comical.

Hearing this, Xing Yi shook his head. "Lord Defender, rest assured. The sects notified this time are, at minimum, led by martial artists of the Pulse Condensation Realm. Those unranked sects with only Body Tempering Realm martial artists were not informed. However, according to intelligence from the Heavenly Inspection Guard, some of these unranked sects have also heard the news and are likely coming just to watch the excitement."

"Hmm," Shen Changqing nodded. Their spectating didn’t concern him, but it did show how widespread the news of the Hundred Sects Gathering had become.

Just as Xing Yi was about to leave, Shen Changqing seemed to recall something and called him back. "Steward Xing, are there any new developments from the Capital City?"

As soon as he spoke, Xing Yi understood what he was asking. He pondered for a moment. "Currently, news that His Majesty is preparing to lead an expedition himself is spreading rapidly. Troop deployments from various prefectures are already on a grand scale. However, His Majesty has not yet actually departed on the expedition. The specifics remain to be seen. Yet, judging by the way information is spreading and the actions of the prefectures, this time, it doesn’t seem to be a feint."

Xing Yi had initially thought the news of the Emperor leading the expedition was merely a message released by the Imperial Court with some other objective. But seeing the current state of affairs, it clearly appeared to be genuine. To be honest, he was unsure how to comment on the matter.

Shen Changqing reflected for a moment, then waved his hand. "I understand. You may go about your business."

"I take my leave!" Xing Yi turned and left.

Shen Changqing remained seated, still contemplating other matters. The Hundred Sects Gathering was a settled matter; that wouldn’t change. What truly concerned him were only two things: one was the ongoing natural disasters in South Nether Prefecture, and the other was Gu Xuanji’s plan to personally lead an expedition. He truly couldn’t fathom what Emperor Qin Gu Xuanji was thinking to dare lead an expedition personally.

Dongfang Zhao once said that Emperor Qin Gu Xuanji’s presence was the reason the Demon Saint dared not invade Great Qin. It was also why other powerful entities from the Demon Evil Clan dared not step into Great Qin. The true reason Emperor Qin could contend with the Demon Saint was his ability to utilize Great Qin’s fortune. That is to say, without Great Qin’s fortune, Emperor Qin would be unable to handle the Demon Saint.

Fortune. Although he viewed it as intangible, it wasn’t that difficult to comprehend. If Great Qin possessed fortune, then as Emperor Qin, Gu Xuanji could naturally harness it. However, based on his understanding of ’fortune’ from books in his past life, it could, at best, only be directly utilized within Great Qin’s territory. In other words, if he left Great Qin, he very likely wouldn’t be able to harness Great Qin’s fortune.

Because of this, Shen Changqing couldn’t comprehend the purpose behind this personal expedition. If the goal was merely to stabilize the situation in Luo’an Prefecture, there was no need for the Emperor to personally lead the expedition. With the reinforcements from Great Liang and Dayue, combined with Luo’an Prefecture’s original strength, Great Zhou would be powerless against them. Personally leading the expedition, as Beiming Wang suggested, would only make sense if his true aim was to invade Great Zhou. But once he leaves the territory of Great Qin and enters Great Zhou, how could he wield Great Qin’s fortune? If I were part of the Demon Evil Clan, I would definitely seize the opportunity of his expedition to ensure he never left Great Zhou!

His gaze flickered. Truthfully, Emperor Qin’s death meant little to him personally. What truly concerned Shen Changqing were the potential repercussions of the Emperor’s death on Great Qin’s situation and, consequently, on himself. Had this occurred before his Divine Heaven Golden Body reached Perfection, he would already be devising contingency plans. But now, there was no immediate need for such considerations. To put it bluntly, even if Emperor Qin perished on foreign soil and Great Qin descended into chaos, Shen Changqing was confident he could stabilize South Nether Prefecture, provided the situation wasn’t overly dire. But if a Demon Saint were to appear, he might have to abandon South Nether Prefecture. Therefore, if possible, Shen Changqing hoped Emperor Qin would not personally lead the expedition at this juncture. However, what he could think of, the Emperor surely could as well. For him to still have the confidence to lead an expedition at this time suggested that either his method of harnessing fortune wasn’t limited to Great Qin’s borders, or he had other assurances.

Shaking his head, Shen Changqing temporarily pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind.