Chapter 47: Should I Say Thank You? This One’s Free.

Although it was somewhat strange to suddenly have such a dream without reason, Lin Zhao didn’t dwell on it. He knew very little about the events before the Great Cataclysm; even the researchers of the Wu Kingdom had scant knowledge. No matter who the hidden hand behind it all was, if enough deaths occurred, it would inevitably appear before him.

Before the Old Tree arrived, he could grind through hundreds of attempts. Now that the Old Tree was here, Lin Zhao felt as if he wasn’t just a living liver but had an external liver grafted on!

He refused to believe he couldn’t clear the level.

However...

“Old Tree, let’s go,” Lin Zhao said, shaking his hand in front of his face. “What are you spacing out for? Thinking about your little saplings?”

Ji Yaoguang snapped back to attention and nodded slightly. “I was thinking about that little sapling... It likely hasn’t sprouted yet. If I return now, it will have no chance to be born.”

Lin Zhao snorted lightly and leaned closer. “Why fret over it? It’s not like you gave birth to it. What matters more, an un-germinated seed or me? Get your priorities straight.”

The Old Tree was a good companion in every way, except sometimes he was too kind-hearted and needed a harsh awakening!

Ji Yaoguang looked at Ah Zhao’s face so close to his own and tilted his head slightly. “I was just thinking...”

“Thinking is forbidden!” Lin Zhao snorted coldly, poked his eyes, then withdrew his hand with a hint of disdain. “If you have time to daydream, you might as well figure out how to find me some food.”

Ji Yaoguang cautiously asked, “Ah Zhao, last time you consumed such a large amount of source pollution, didn’t you feel like resting to recover?”

That was a source artifact; every time it appeared, it sacrificed at least one state. The entire Wu Kingdom had only the Wu God to deal with such things, and even then, aside from sealing it, they could only throw it far away.

“No,” Lin Zhao recalled the details carefully. “My focus then was on that thing tearing your Totem Tree apart. I was so angry I almost lost my mind. Swallowing it was uncomfortable, sure, but recalling the anger I felt, the pain on my body burned like fire. You know what happened afterward.”

Putting aside everything else, fortune favors the brave. At least his totem transformed from a pair of small wings into a whole chicken—not feathered, of course, but growing feathers is hardly difficult.

Given time and a few more sources, his feathers would surely surpass that tiny little bird Si Jin had, so he could show what the noble beauty of the Solar Divine Bird truly was.

“In that case,” Ji Yaoguang smiled, “I’ve thought of a way. It’s not easy to get a full meal every time, but having one full meal should be doable.”

“Hmm?” Lin Zhao’s interest was immediately piqued.

“In recent years, the Di Kingdom’s secret vault has sealed away countless unusable secret rituals, as well as uncontrollable fierce spirits and ancient Wu bones, all extremely corrosive and requiring immense resources to suppress. If we go there to eat, it’s like helping them,” Ji Yaoguang said softly, roots stirring around him. “We’ll sneak in quietly...”

“Quietly for something like this?” Lin Zhao scoffed. “Don’t you understand what it means to have a noble support role? They should be coming to us, asking for help. After all this time, they’ve beaten up their younger brothers enough; it’s time to do the real work. You, summon them.”

Ji Yaoguang smiled, stretching out a long arm. A leaf drifted on the wind, disappearing into the clouds within moments.

...

Meanwhile, Si Jin was huddled in a corner, his little bird totem burying its head deep in its neck feathers, looking weak, pitiful, and helpless the entire time.

His elder brother’s usually weary face carried a trace of gentle amusement as he sat before his desk, propping his head with his hand and watching him. “What are you pretending for? Haven’t beaten you in a while, so you’ve been missing it? Alright, this beating is over and done with. Besides, you don’t remember it anyway. This time, Yaoguang found the little sunbird. That’s a big deal, so you should focus on that. Understand?”

Si Jin nodded vigorously.

“Also, don’t dwell on that little sunbird,” Si Li smiled as he lifted his tea bowl. “The Golden Crow Divine Bird is inherently fierce and domineering; it never stops until it achieves its goal. You might think Yaoguang tricked it, but hunters often use the appearance of prey to lure others. Your little frame is good enough to sing songs for them. If you get involved, you’re not ready for what they can do.”

Si Jin instantly grew displeased. “Why can’t I? Brother, why did you come out to found the state in the first place? Wasn’t it because you hated the Wu Kingdom’s laws? If the Wu Kingdom gains that little golden crow, their power will surely surge. If we get it, we can build a state as safe as the Wu Kingdom, standing equal to it, no longer entrusting our lives to others.”

“I don’t like some of the Wu Kingdom’s laws,” Si Li reflected on an amusing incident and chuckled softly. “But you’ve been deputy lord for many years; you should understand that many of Wu’s policies are choosing the lesser of two evils. Sometimes, no matter how you choose, it’s the wrong one.”

“I’m going to tell Ah Zhao that Old Tree isn’t good; he’s not even truly alive now...” Si Jin said angrily.

“What nonsense are you talking?” Si Li’s gaze sharpened. “The Greenwood Forest was planted as a sacred forest by Yaoguang with totem seeds. The state can reclaim land outward because of the sacred wood. What we must do is help Yaoguang reclaim what’s his.”

“Easy to say, but so many are watching...”

“Foolish.” Si Li frowned slightly. “Ah Jin, you are clever, but too focused on immediate gains and easily blinded. Now, as long as that little golden crow stands beside Yaoguang, don’t mention new totem trees being born—even if one does, the Wu God will reenact the punishment he gave Yaoguang on the new totem.”

Si Jin gasped. “Brother, aren’t you going to wait and see before betting everything? Last time you bet on Ji Yaoguang and got us into this mess.”

Si Li shook his head. “I support Yaoguang because I believe he did nothing wrong. The rise and fall of the Di Kingdom is our responsibility. I haven’t joined another faction because I’m almost mutated; neither side will accept us. After you finish the paperwork, go with them to the Wu Kingdom. The golden crow matter is crucial...”

“What? You really don’t know what the Source Ghost is planning in the Di Kingdom?” Si Jin raised his voice.

“I know,” Si Li put down his propping hand, expression indifferent. “There’s a gathering at Bo Ren’s place later. Want to come?”

Si Jin paused, feeling that familiar, irritating sensation of having his brother see through everything. That was exactly why he insisted on pretending to be ill; otherwise, he’d forever be stuck handling various affairs his brother assigned!

He needed to find another chance to feign illness.

Just then, a green leaf drifted across the sky, carried by a breeze, and landed in Si Li’s palm.

A smile curved his lips. “The little golden crow is hungry, but the secret vault’s supplies have long been sold off. No matter. Perfect timing—we’ll change locations and fulfill the host’s duties.”

He pinched the leaf, flipping his fingers to reveal a mask.

—

Moments after Ji Yaoguang sent out that leaf, the surrounding space seemed to twist and shimmer like a mirage. Si Li had already arrived with his younger brother.

“Ah Zhao.” Si Li extended his hand, in his palm floated a purple-black feather. “I heard you’re hungry. Use this to start filling your stomach.”

Lin Zhao’s eyes lit up. “Purple Sun Feather? How do you have this?”

He didn’t grab it immediately but conjured a small flame to ignite the purple feather, absorbing the transformed golden light.

Si Li smiled. “Bo Ren gave it.”

Lin Zhao paused. “Bo Ren? The Bo Ren I know?”

Si Li nodded calmly. “Yes, that Bo Ren.”

Lin Zhao was at a loss for words for a moment.

After a while, holding the purified feather, he sighed. “You’ve completely thrown off my train of thought. I don’t know whether to say Bo Ren has wide connections and knows each of you, that the Wu Kingdom is doomed, or that you all know his secrets well, milk him dry, make him look like a clown, and that the Source Ghost is finished.”

“The Source Ghost itself isn’t so terrifying,” Si Li smiled broadly. “Their only two great Witches were killed by Brother Yaoguang. The rest, with intense pursuit, can be caught. But some always secretly protect them, unwilling to see them die. Many even use them as a pretense to resist the Wu Kingdom.”

“Why resist the Wu Kingdom? Is it oppressing them?” Lin Zhao asked, curious.

“Well...”

Before Si Li could answer, Si Jin interrupted complainingly, “Of course it’s oppression! The Wu God’s actions are outrageous. He favors ordinary mortals but forces all witches to fight for resources. That’s bad enough, but he also demands witches to have many offspring. If you don’t have a spouse, the Wu Kingdom arranges one. Without children, the Wu Kingdom pressures you every year...”

Lin Zhao frowned deeply. “Does that mean they force any side into arranged marriages?”

“No, not exactly,” Si Jin’s complaints weakened. “Many high witches’ spouse positions are fiercely competitive... but they’re all insincere. When I fell ill, they left immediately without hesitation...”

“Any other oppressions?” Lin Zhao rolled his eyes.

“I’ll explain,” Si Li, as the true ruler, saw the bigger picture. “Under the Wu God’s rule, states can have different laws from the Wu Kingdom, but two rules must be obeyed: no blood sacrifices, and no exclusive control of witchcraft, forbidding commoners from accessing it. Violations won’t provoke military action but will cut all aid, leaving states unable to survive externally.”

“First, banning blood sacrifices leaves many borderline mutated witches resentful, their will to survive unbroken. Second, it restrains witch families from oppressing commoners too harshly, because no one knows if among these commoners might arise prodigies like Dashan Tu, Great Witch Yao, Lord Yu, or Master Qigong, who can innovate new witchcraft schools,” Si Li sighed. “Many witches believe witches are true humans; commoners are just materials like fierce spirits or sacred wood—used when needed, discarded when not. They see this as putting the cart before the horse.”

Hearing all this made Lin Zhao think it was overly complicated. “Professional matters still need someone like you, the ruler, to handle? By the way, Ruler, do you know if your general called Yu Li has colluded with the Source Ghost?”

Si Li smiled faintly. “That’s why I came to find you. This time, I’ll fulfill the host’s duties.”

As he spoke, he produced two masks...

—

At night, within the Di Kingdom Academy, a splendid hall hosted an extraordinarily lavish banquet.

At the feast, ordinary people could barely afford meat even once a month; here, meat and vegetables were merely garnishes. Precious spirit beast meat was everywhere, and hundreds of rare ingredients brewed into wine filled the air with irresistible fragrance. Treasures rarely accessible to ordinary witches were tailored into exquisite, novel garments worn by the beautiful dancers who performed.