Chapter 789 - 308: The Strategist Steps Into the Game, Part 3

"Greedy... Demon Lord." Celestial Venerable Shangli asked, "Do you think Celestial Venerable Mihua is a Demon Cultivator?"

Celestial Venerable Sui said, "He indeed is a Demon Cultivator. But even he doesn’t know it. He was deceived from the very beginning, firmly believing himself to be a pure seeker of the Dao. Moreover, it wasn’t him who consciously hid traces of his demonic cultivation within other seekers beneath the Dao. He was completely unaware of everything."

"A deception spanning more than fifteen hundred years."

"Yes. And he’s not the only one; many Demon Cultivators from other factions use the same methods." Celestial Venerable Sui said, "The truth, recorded in the long river of history, can only be revealed by the chronicles of Wenxin. It’s undeniable that the Greedy Demon Lord’s power far exceeds imagination."

"In this light, the last anti-demon campaign... was deliberately provoked by him, to plant the seeds of Demon Dao among various factions." Celestial Venerable Shangli felt a wave of disillusionment, "We all fell for his scheme."

Celestial Venerable Sui contemplated for a moment,

"I’m afraid that’s not the case."

"Oh?"

"The real mastermind behind the scenes is likely Jiang Sha." Celestial Venerable Sui said, "Even during the last anti-demon campaign, she never appeared. But afterward, her actions were exceptionally conspicuous. I believe, with her wisdom and previous conduct in the Shangjing Immortal Dynasty, she wouldn’t behave like this. It’s more like she’s deliberately drawing attention. While we were fixated on her, we overlooked the actions of the Greedy Demon Lord."

Celestial Venerable Shangli said firmly,

"A strategist enters the game in person!"

Celestial Venerable Sui said, "By creating chaos among Demon Cultivators under the guise of one, it’s to dismantle the Terminal Daoist system. And the Terminal Daoist system itself is the result of aligning with the Heavenly Dao. Yet, all this time, Jiang Sha has been going against the heavens."

The two fell silent for a while.

Celestial Venerable Sui asked, "How should the Supreme Palace be handled?"

Celestial Venerable Shangli smiled wryly, "I shattered Guan Xin’s vital essence, lost my principles, resignation is inevitable. Asking me is probably useless. Celestial Venerable Baiyu is busy with Celestial Court matters, Celestial Venerable Hou Long is also occupied with celestial-human synchrony... The Heavenly Dao hasn’t given any directives for a while. I’m afraid only the Zizai Ancestor can intervene now."

Celestial Venerable Sui gazed at the sky,

"When will Ancestor Qing return?"

"I don’t know."

In their hearts, they both believed that when Ancestor Qing returned, everything would get better.

...

In Changning City, inside an ordinary manor.

Liu Qingqing listened to the proclamation from Gu Lan echoing in the air.

Afterward, Liu Qingqing shook her head and said,

"The words are still too gentle. The extent of the harm caused by the Terminal Daoists’ actions is not fully revealed."

Jiang Sha laughed,

"For the farmers, making a statement is most important. If the words are too extreme, it won’t be good. They understand that no matter how strong they are, they’re merely trumpeters; the truly decisive influence won’t come from them. However, the decision to sell farm products at half price to other factions wasn’t likely made by those old geezers, probably a consideration by Gu Lan herself. Quite clever."

Liu Qingqing suddenly paused, then said,

"The trial at the Supreme Palace has also concluded. The Demon Extermination Bureau won a complete victory, and Celestial Venerable Shangli accidentally shattered Guan Xin’s vital essence. The situation in White Jade Capital is more desperate than I thought. Without Ancestor Qing, it’s hard for others to take on great responsibilities."

Jiang Sha said, "It’s better not to underestimate them. That Celestial Venerable Zizai is also quite a formidable character. Let’s see what they do next." She stretched her body slightly and lazily said, "If they can’t overcome the hurdle of White Jade Capital, how can they talk about facing the Heavenly Dao directly?"

Liu Qingqing nodded.