"Donghua Jungle?" The Elephant Clan’s Saint Son’s eyes glead, and he imdiately ordered his entourage to head toward the Donghua Jungle’s jurisdiction.
"Saint Son, the Yingyang Guard hasn’t arrived yet. Should we wait for a while?"
The elephant-trunked eunuch beside the Saint Son whispered cautiously.
The Demon Clan, while powerful in influence, lagged behind the Human Clan in terms of cultural sophistication.
Many of their institutions were borrowed from humans, eunuchs being one of them. Their use was even more ubiquitous—almost every branch of the Demon Clan employed eunuchs.
"No matter, aren’t we accompanied by Daoist Tianjie as well as..." The Saint Son of the Elephant Clan glanced disdainfully at Lingfu, whose face was ashen. "...the Heavenly Master’s eldest son protecting ? Who dares act recklessly?"
"Indeed, since such esteed guests have visited us, we must extend our utmost hospitality."
Daoist Tianjie chuckled, pointing into the distance.
"That place over there is the Donghua Jungle."
"Excellent, let’s proceed!"
The Elephant Clan’s Saint Son, brimming with arrogance, returned to his quarters to indulge in debauchery with a Human Clan woman he had previously abducted.
"Daoist, what exactly are you planning here? Weren’t we supposed to monitor them?"
Lingfu hurriedly approached Tianjie and whispered, "Moreover, why lure them into the Donghua Jungle?"
"Zhengsi Gongzi died at the hands of Song Lin. Now, is this not the perfect opportunity for revenge? Rest assured, Elder Gongzi, I will ensure everything is handled flawlessly."
Tianjie pledged with confidence.
"That’s not what I ant—don’t you understand?"
Life and death are predestined; wealth and fortune lie in the heavens. Though Lingfu’s younger brother was killed, he had already resigned himself to fate. After all, rules were rules; Zhengsi willingly signed the Life and Death Contract, and lacking the skill to win left no room for complaint.
There was another crucial reason for Lingfu’s indifference—they simply had no emotional connection.
Lingfu was a full thousand years older than Zhengsi. Aside from sharing blood ties, their relationship was virtually that of strangers.
Not to ntion his younger brother; Lingfu didn’t even care for his own descendants. His great-grandson died eighty years ago, and his countless later descendants held no place in his heart.
At their age, such individuals hardly cared about the ties of family blood.
"Things have co to this point. I am left with no choice either. The Taoist Schools cannot contend with them—better to endure it for now."
Tianjie feigned a tone of helplessness.
He couldn’t very well say that Yunhai City Lord had instructed him to act this way, could he?
"Sigh..."
Hearing this, Lingfu imdiately deflated. Indeed, what decision could he make?
The entire world operated in this manner.
The Elephant Clan’s Saint Son arrived beneath a village.
He ordered his guards to remain behind, posing as a vulnerable individual.
Whoever showed him great compassion beca his target.
Unlike other Demon Clans that would resort to indiscriminate slaughter, his thods were infinitely more insidious.
Three days passed.
The Elephant Clan’s Saint Son had once begged at the village entrance, only to massacre all sixty-five families who had helped him during the night.
Strangely, he didn’t touch anyone else, slaughtering only the good-hearted.
He had also once collapsed in front of a wealthy manor, then proceeded to sexually assault and murder the benevolent daughter who had rescued him.
Staring coldly at her lifeless, unseeing body sprawled before him...
The Elephant Clan’s Saint Son gazed toward the sky, laughing lightly, "Trouble the two Daoists to clean up here."
Swoosh!
As soon as the words left his mouth, the Saint Son vanished.
Similar incidents occurred throughout the Taoist Alliance’s territories.
So were outraged, while others had grown desensitized.
A brief flare of anger—soon reined in by resignation.
After all, in ti, everything would subside, and the facade of peace and prosperity would return. People would quickly forget.
The Elephant Clan’s Saint Son operated with such covert ticulousness that he had yet to be apprehended.
The Demon Clan and the Taoist Alliance shared an unspoken agreent: neither would actively provoke the Taoist Schools.
On this day, Zhi Xin summoned Song Lin to Mingxing Peak.
"The Elephant Clan’s Saint Son is stirring up trouble in the Donghua Jungle."
"I’ll go back and investigate." Song Lin’s heart grew tense.
"And then what? What can you accomplish by uncovering the truth?" Zhi Xin asked, a cryptic smile tugging at his lips.
This question plunged Song Lin into deep thought.
"Layer upon layer of traps—soone really wants the Donghua Jungle gone."
Exactly!
And what could he do upon discovering the truth?
Killing the culprit? Or swallowing humiliation?
The forr hardly needed elaboration—the consequences would be worse than the murder of the Heavenly Master’s son. After all, this was tied to the Taoist Alliance’s national policy; it would surely provoke the Spirit Treasure Celestial Master’s wrath.
The latter—swallowing their humiliation—was also unthinkable.
Such acquiescence would unravel the Donghua Sect’s rules, leaving cracks in its foundation. The sanctity of the laws established when Song Lin killed the Heavenly Master’s son would collapse entirely.
In the short term, it might not seem impactful. But in a few years, those laws would beco re scraps of paper.
What of the Six Heavenly Old Qi that was promised? The uprightness of the Evil Exorcism Altar?
Now the land he governed was in chaos, its people murdered—and all they did was "endure." Why hadn’t the Evil Exorcism Altar slain the Taoist himself?
Failing to enforce top-down conduct would never command respect from the masses. The entire system was nothing but one lie upon another, ultimately dissolving into a fleeting illusion.
This was sothing Song Lin could not tolerate.
His goal was the Heavenly Master; he possessed countless Taoist Skills taken from the story worlds.
He aid to reshape the world, to sweep away the Six Heavenly Old Qi.
Taoist skill is technique, discipline is strategy, and inner virtue is the law.
Where human hearts align, where intent finds convergence, the future was destined to belong to them.
"Where intent converges... I’ve got it!"
"Got what?"
Zhi Xin was intrigued.
"I have a solution. I might need to utilize your rank and reputation."
Song Lin dove straight into the plan.
"What strategy? I’ll fully cooperate," Zhi Xin said with so curiosity, completely unconcerned about preserving his reputation.
He didn’t even care for his own life—what was there to fear?
Besides, in private, Zhi Xin was still one of the Donghua Sect. What did so sacrifice matter?
"Have you ever heard of ’Independent Action’?"
"Independent Action?"
"Close enough. You could simply call it Independent Operation too."
In the mortal world, kingdoms had military officers at lower levels dissatisfied with court appeasent policies. These officers disobeyed court orders, acted independently, and launched attacks on their own accord.
Of course, such actions weren’t solitary; sotis they represented entire factions.
For instance, during tis when dove-like pacifists were in power, such acts of independence beca hawkish counterattacks—deliberately inciting war, or serving as ans by which certain individuals or factions accrued advantages.
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