Chapter 785: Killing the chicken to scare the monkey

Li Qi sat in his wheelchair, his face grim as he surveyed everything before him.

With just a bit of deduction, he pinpointed the problem from hundreds of different testimonies.

It was the Lingxiao Flower Goddess.

The Lingxiao Flower Goddess, seeking personal gain in this situation, directly ignited the internal strife among the Baiyue Kingdom Lords, which led to their disunity, resulting in Song Kingdom's current state.

Fortunately, after Song Kingdom was instantly disintegrated when Tang Nation seized the opportunity, the Baiyue Kingdom Lords still had some sense; they immediately stabilized their front, which is why Li Qi saw what he did.

“Yu’er, take us to Lingxiao Kingdom,” Li Qi said weakly.

“You should still suppress your anger; you’re not in a state to fight right now,” Shen Shuibi shook her head, then led Li Qi swiftly to Lingxiao Kingdom.

No sooner had they arrived in Lingxiao Kingdom, before Li Qi even had time to take a breath or blink, he saw the Lingxiao Flower Goddess already kneeling before him, dressed in plain clothes, her hairpin removed, her ornaments and cap discarded, barefoot and kneeling; though not baring her flesh, she was in the posture of requesting punishment at the imperial court.

After all, she was female; if she were to bare her flesh, the scene would be truly unseemly.

As soon as Li Qi arrived, the Lingxiao Flower Goddess bowed her head and said, “Lingxiao failed Young Master in judgment, leading to the invasion by the Human Dao, the near extinction of Song Kingdom’s people, and the desolation of its cities. This concubine implores mercy and begs for punishment from Young Master.”

Li Qi saw her demeanor and said nothing.

The Lingxiao Kingdom Lord continued speaking on her own accord: “I know Young Master has old ties with me, and might find it difficult to act, so I have not allowed officials to bind or restrain me. As one who has committed a great crime, I will, upon hearing your command, bow twice to the north, kneel, and commit suicide. You need not have someone drag and execute me; Young Master may simply take my head.”

After speaking, she cautiously looked at Li Qi.

Li Qi still said nothing.

Both sides were silent for a while.

Then, Li Qi smiled and said, “Die, then. Didn’t you say you’d commit suicide to spare me the trouble of executing you? Why aren’t you doing it?”

Seeing her posture, he naturally understood that the Lingxiao Flower Goddess was not planning to die; she was merely putting on an act.

She started by saying, “I know Young Master has old ties with me,” which clearly showed she didn’t want to die.

But, unfortunately.

Li Qi was truly very angry.

So, Li Qi said, “Lingxiao Kingdom Lord, I once said that this time, I hoped you all would not be foolish.”

“Lingxiao will never have a next time!” The Lingxiao Kingdom Lord quickly kowtowed and swore.

Li Qi waved his hand and said, “I know, there definitely won’t be a next time. Yu’er… I’m severely injured and a bit weak right now, so please do it for me.”

Upon hearing this, a Talisman appeared in Shen Shuibi’s hand.

The Lingxiao Flower Goddess’s expression changed, and she suddenly stood up: “Li Qi!? Ah… no, Young Master, do you know that I once showed you kindness by expelling demonic blood for you! How dare you… how could you?”

She was furious and agitated, even speaking incoherently at times, losing her composure several times and uttering angry words.

“Indeed, Flower Goddess has shown me kindness, so I will preserve your Nascent Soul from destruction, but internal strife on the battlefield—if such an act were allowed to remain here, it would greatly affect morale. Please, go. Or… does Flower Goddess wish to resist?”

Li Qi sat up slightly, staring at the Lingxiao Flower Goddess.

The Lingxiao Flower Goddess felt a chill in her heart.

Li Qi, before her, looked sickly, but… he was a Fourth Rank after all.

“Flower Goddess, sometimes, when you make a mistake, you must be punished. That was the case when you were expelled from Chang’an, and it is the case now. Your Nascent Soul will not be extinguished, so you still have a chance. If you stubbornly resist, then you truly will have no chance.” Li Qi said, “It is out of consideration for our past relationship that I am saying so much to you; otherwise… you wouldn’t be having this conversation with me at all.”

Upon hearing this, the Lingxiao Flower Goddess completely gave up hope.

If the other party wasn't Fourth Rank, she might have risked her life for a fight, but now she didn't even have the qualification to risk her life.

“Then… Young Master need not trouble himself. Thank you, Young Master, for preserving this concubine’s Nascent Soul… I only hope Young Master will not interfere with Reincarnation.” The Lingxiao Flower Goddess said, and her body suddenly withered, naturally decaying.

Watching her die, Li Qi was unmoved, merely saying, “Collect it. Send her head to all the countries, let these Country Lords see it, let them learn a lesson.”

Shen Shuibi nodded upon hearing this, casting a spell. The Lingxiao Flower Goddess’s corpse was enveloped by the spell and swiftly flew to other places.

Li Qi then looked down and said, “Since the Lingxiao Flower Goddess is dead, Lingxiao Kingdom will be temporarily guarded by me to ensure the Grand Ritual proceeds without error. Yu’er, you are still at full strength and unharmed, so please patrol for me to prevent any other brainless Country Lords from doing something as foolish as Lingxiao did. The Baiyue Kingdom Lords have enjoyed peace for too long, their minds aren’t as sharp anymore.”

“Alright, but if you’re alone…” Shen Shuibi looked down.

Lingxiao Kingdom, after all, still had quite a few Sixth Rank cultivators.

“If I can’t even handle Sixth Rank, I might as well die. Don’t worry,” Li Qi said.

“That’s true. Then I’ll head to the front lines first. At least we can’t lose another country,” Shen Shuibi nodded, then flew away with the light.

Watching Shen Shuibi leave, Li Qi sat in his wheelchair and descended to the ground.

Although his body was difficult to move, some basic spells could still be used.

He had only suffered organ failure; he wasn't paralyzed, so he could still move.

Li Qi landed below.

Below, dozens of Lingxiao Kingdom officials, including an acquaintance of Li Qi’s, all prostrated themselves on the ground, respectfully saying, “We respectfully welcome Young Master’s arrival at Lingxiao Kingdom.”

Then, one person stepped forward; it happened to be Li Qi’s acquaintance, Mu Xiulan. (See Chapter 357 for details)

In the past, Mu Xiulan was only Seventh Rank, serving as the Prefect of Lingxiao Kingdom. When Li Qi passed through, he had a brief encounter with him and even used him to contact the Lingxiao Kingdom Lord.

Now, meeting again, their statuses had changed so much. Li Qi was already Fourth Rank, while Mu Xiulan, this Daoist, was still Seventh Rank, with no apparent progress.

Mu Xiulan walked to the front of the crowd and respectfully said, “Greetings, Young Master. Since the invasion by the Human Dao, Lingxiao Kingdom’s ancestral temples have been desolate, its mountains and rivers like boiling water, and its people in dire straits. Previously, the Country Lord ordered us officials to prepare as supervisors, but the defense outside the country was completely neglected. The Country Lord was foolish, failing to arrange for the extermination of the invaders and failing to communicate with the various countries, putting the revenge for the monarch and father out of mind. Fortunately, there was divine punishment to correct military law.”

“However, though the Country Lord was foolish, we, humble and frugal, enduring hardships and toiling tirelessly, gathered our wisdom and spirit, and committed all our resources. Although our strength is meager and we fear we cannot save the situation, the role of the imperial court and the spirit of all officials have certainly not been fully utilized.” “Recalling the initial changes brought by the Human Dao, people’s hearts were shocked, confused, and terrified. Now, we respectfully welcome Young Master, with millions of cheers shaking the earth. When Young Master first saw us, our tears stained our robes. Heaven and Earth truly bear witness.”

As he spoke, he stepped forward again, wiping sweat and tears, and quietly asked Li Qi, “Young Master is benevolent. How could you ever forget past events?”

“Prefect Mu need not be so formal, and all of you, please rise,” Li Qi helped Mu Xiulan up.

This gesture also relieved the many local officials behind Mu Xiulan, who all straightened up.

“Your aspirations, I have seen them all. In this time of crisis, I cannot bear to kill you all, but since matters have been delayed until now, I hope you will all remember to constantly think of revenge.”

“I hope that today, all of you can work together for the nation, that the armored soldiers can prepare for battle, and that the loyal and righteous militia are willing to die for the country. As it is said in the Analects, ‘Cultivate virtue to spread it, eliminate evil to eradicate it.’ Now, the Human Dao’s villains have not yet faced heavenly retribution, and they will surely return to seek revenge in the future. This is not only Lingxiao Kingdom’s irreconcilable hatred, but also the concern of the Baiyue countries that evil has not been completely eradicated. I humbly hope that you will strengthen your shared animosity, complete your virtue from beginning to end, unite your forces, march to the south, and together behead the rebellious thieves to vent the universal hatred.”

Mu Xiulan immediately bowed deeply upon hearing this and loudly said, “We accept the Invoker’s decree! The Invoker’s righteousness is heard through a thousand autumns, passed down endlessly, is it not a rare opportunity in a thousand years? To form an alliance based on the Invoker’s words, our dynasty’s envoys have long been on their way and will soon reach the various countries, bearing offerings to proceed. Now that the Country Lord has submitted, we have no tears left to shed, having fallen into great slaughter, our crimes deserving of ten thousand deaths. The reason we do not immediately die is truly for the sake of the altars of earth and grain. Henceforth, we shall certainly exert all our strength and add loyalty. At this moment, we shall certainly bow and dedicate our lives, fulfilling our duties as subjects, to repay you! We hope the Invoker will bestow his benevolent gaze!”

Li Qi nodded, expressing approval for the other party’s loyal attitude.

Then, Li Qi said, “Since that is the case, then please, all of you, go and busy yourselves. In military campaigns against rebels, logistics are the most arduous. Now that the Country Lord is dead, it is advisable to immediately collect all internal treasury assets to fund military provisions. Other non-urgent works can be stopped, and all unnecessary expenses should be reported and ceased.”

Then, Li Qi waved his hand: “Your preparations for daily feasts and banquets, and flattery from your subordinates, are all declined. However, matters concerning ceremonies, which absolutely cannot be abolished, should also be kept generally frugal. Constantly remember the grand enterprise of the Baiyue, and the deep hatred that constantly ignites your anger. Rouse the spirit of the entire court, gather resources from all directions, and focus on selecting generals and training soldiers, completing the Grand Ritual. Only then can human hearts still be saved, and the situation still be turned around.”

“We obey the Invoker’s decree!” Dozens of people immediately bowed, then each departed, not daring to delay.

Li Qi had already spoken.

And… these words were clearly not just for the dozens of people present.

After all, Li Qi’s communication spell was still active.

Although no one dared to talk nonsense with Li Qi at this critical juncture, they could hear Li Qi speaking.

Now that the chicken had been killed to scare the monkeys, the monkeys were naturally silent as cicadas in winter. If they caused any more trouble, Li Qi might just catch the next chicken.

Of course, Li Qi actually didn’t want to catch chickens either. The Shaman Dao side was already short on personnel, and losing a Fifth Rank was too great a loss. In many critical areas, the difference between having and not having a Fifth Rank was simply too vast.

But compared to that, fluctuating morale and fighting independently were the real nightmare. It was fine if a Fifth Rank didn’t exert effort, but if she was still thinking of tripping others up, then two or three Fifth Ranks might be affected by her.

It was still necessary to nip this kind of tendency in the bud. Of two evils, choose the lesser; directly eliminating a Fifth Rank was better than being dragged down.

Only now, there was still one problem.

The Baiyue Kingdom Lords, this group, were fine fighting a winning battle, and even in a losing battle, they could endure some pressure.

But if it came to a life-or-death struggle, they definitely wouldn't be as brave or willing to die as those from the Human Dao.

This also meant that Li Qi could not let the situation enter a desperate stage. If they started fighting desperately, they would definitely scatter like birds and beasts, and not truly commit to the fight.

“Sigh… difficult.”

Thinking this, Li Qi flew to the Grand Ritual node of Lingxiao Kingdom.

Connecting to the node, Li Qi’s spirit merged into the entire Baiyue Grand Ritual.

Baiyue was just a small place in the world, but the world’s area was quite considerable. Basically, each of the Baiyue countries had the area of a medium-sized planet.

Moreover, some larger areas were even several times that size.

Overall, the area of Baiyue must be the sum of the areas of seven or eight hundred medium-sized rocky planets.

This level of size, Li Qi would normally dismiss as trivial, as his perception was measured in light-years.

But in his current state, merely patrolling made him feel fatigued, mentally exhausted, and his Nascent Soul’s processing capacity reached its limit.

Indeed, after all, his Nascent Soul was currently also bearing the burden of regulating his Inner World, an incredibly heavy load.

“Fortunately, they all seem to have learned a lesson,” Li Qi surveyed the entire Grand Ritual site through the node, finding that all areas were well-coordinated and everything was orderly.

The head of a Fifth Rank had stimulated a lot of power in them.

The Baiyue Kingdom Lords were not truly enlightened individuals. Although they had reached Fifth Rank, it was clear that they had been stuck at Sixth Rank and, regardless of their original Dao paths, had simply abandoned them and turned to Baiyue. In this chaotic land, they established their nations as their Dao foundation using the Human Dao’s evil methods, ultimately ascending to Fifth Rank.

Their ascension, however, also meant the termination of their Dao paths, and thereafter, their lives were left with nothing but emptiness.

True Dao seekers would not accept such a future; even self-immolation and Reincarnation would be preferable to a mere existence, a life lived solely for the sake of living.

They were living beings, but they resembled machines more.

Just like ants or mayflies, ants are fearless, unafraid of death, and mayflies are born to reproduce, constantly mating. They all have their innate missions, primordial goals present from birth, which they can clearly understand without any education, even insects are like this.

But in reality, sacrifice without fear is not sacrifice, mating without love can only be called breeding, and an incomprehensible primordial mission is merely a gene’s instruction to a biological machine.

The world of machines has no baseness or greatness, only the exhaustive execution of the program of operation and reproduction, and then the transmission of the gene, the true master.

The Baiyue Kingdom Lords were also like this; Li Qi had to learn to speak to these machines.

Fortunately, he had a lot of experience.

“Carrot and stick, huh? Now that the stick has been applied, it’s time for some carrots,” Li Qi mused, muttering to himself.

He had already prepared the carrots.

It was this Grand Ritual before him.

Li Qi stood up from his wheelchair.

This scene looked like a medical miracle, somewhat humorous.

However, although he was currently in a wheelchair, his actual mobility was stronger than that of an ordinary Sixth Rank. Sitting was just for comfort; it didn’t mean he was truly paralyzed.

Standing up, Li Qi, through this node, issued commands to the entire Grand Ritual.