PDLP Chapter 122 Drinking Poison to Quench Thirst
Chapter 122 Drinking Poison to Quench Thirst
Night's Watch Headquarters, Command Center.
Just as President Qin finished signing the transfer order, he saw his secretary rushing in.
"President Qin, Maoshan's reply has arrived."
"Sect Leader Qingwei said that the strange phenomenon at the summit of Damao Peak this morning was caused by his breakthrough to the Void Refinement stage."
"Furthermore, Master Qingwei also said that he had a video call with Master Li this morning."
Upon hearing this, President Qin was initially delighted.
Following Zhang Tianshi, the Great Xia Dynasty has gained another master of the Void Refinement Realm, which is a great thing!
Today is truly a day of double happiness!
But then he realized the deeper meaning hidden in the words.
Before the Qingwei Sect Leader broke through, did he speak with Daoist Li?
Could this be another work by Master Li?
President Qin was shocked, but he didn't show it on his face. He simply gave the order:
"Prepare a generous gift immediately and send it to Maoshan to convey my congratulations to Master Qingwei."
"yes!"
The secretary accepted the order and left.
But just as he reached the door, President Qin called him back.
"etc."
"Mr. Qin, is there anything else you need?"
"How is the situation in Southeast Asia now?" President Qin asked.
The secretary retrieves the latest report and quickly relays it:
"According to reports from the front, after the Voodoo ritual went out of control, the evil energy leaked out and has polluted the mountains and forests within a hundred miles."
"That area is now teeming with evil spirits and ghosts."
"Moreover, the area contaminated by evil energy is expanding and showing a tendency to spread to surrounding cities."
"According to the analysis of the General Staff and the AI, if this incident is not suppressed as soon as possible, it could ultimately cause even greater losses than the previous 'Hyakki Yagyō' incident in Japan!"
"In addition, Master Qingxu of Maoshan bought a plane ticket to Southeast Asia this morning, presumably to oversee the situation."
"However, the General Staff unanimously believes that relying solely on Master Qingxu and the forces of Maoshan and other sects in Southeast Asia is probably not enough to control the situation."
President Qin frowned.
Nanyang has been within the sphere of influence of Bactria since ancient times, and today it is an important resource area and strategic buffer zone.
If chaos breaks out, it will be harmful to the Great Xia Dynasty.
At this point, a senior executive suggested:
"President Qin, should we have our southern branches provide some necessary support?"
"The various branches of Taoism, led by Maoshan, have a considerable reputation in Southeast Asia. If this matter can be resolved quickly, it will definitely greatly enhance the influence of the cultivation community of our Great Xia in Southeast Asia."
Upon hearing this, President Qin pondered for a moment, but then shook his head.
"No."
He slowly said, "The activities of Maoshan and his group in Southeast Asia were private activities, and were religious and cultural exchanges."
"If we intervene directly, the nature of the situation changes, and it could easily lead to international disputes, giving others a handle to use against us."
As he spoke, President Qin looked at his secretary and changed the subject:
"Notify the heads of the southern branches that Master Qingxu's trip to Southeast Asia is a private matter."
"Make sure they... do not provide any form of assistance."
The secretary was taken aback at first, but then she saw the meaningful look in President Qin's eyes and immediately understood.
Don't you want to offer help?
That means providing assistance, but not openly.
"Understood!" The secretary nodded emphatically and turned to leave.
As President Qin watched his retreating figure, a slight smile curved his lips.
Some things can only be done, not said.
Especially during this sensitive period.
After the secretary left, President Qin looked at the big screen again.
"Pull up the video of Japan's press conference today."
The staff immediately took action.
Soon, a video began playing on the big screen.
The scene depicts Kyoto, the land of cherry blossoms, in front of a solemn and majestic shrine.
Abe no Masakichi, the great Onmyoji of Sakura Country, was dressed in a magnificent white hunting robe, wearing an eboshi hat and holding a cypress fan. Although his face was sickly pale, his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.
Standing beside him were several high-ranking members of the Shinto Church, all dressed in priestly robes.
Abe Shōkichi addressed the camera in the language of cherry blossoms, with his voice simultaneously transmitted through a translator:
"Fellow citizens... the restoration of spiritual energy is a gift from heaven and earth, an opportunity for all things..."
"...The previous events were unavoidable growing pains for our country as it embraces a new era!"
"But please believe that we have already mastered the method to harness extraordinary power..."
"...Our Cherry Blossom Country has coexisted with gods since ancient times, and the way of shikigami contracts has a long history."
"Today, together with my colleagues in Shintoism, I will publicly select suitable candidates for shikigami from across the nation..."
As Abe Shōkichi spoke, the video switched to several presentation segments.
A witch dressed in white danced gracefully, summoning ethereal spirits.
Onmyoji (yin-yang masters) use hand seals and incantations to command shikigami (spirits) to perform various actions.
Several powerful men and women also displayed several extraordinary powers inherited from Shintoism.
Finally, Abe Shōkichi announced:
"...The first selection ceremony in Kyoto will be held this afternoon at Kyoto Plaza."
"We will select the most suitable candidate with the highest compatibility with the shikigami and give them a generous reward."
"Including but not limited to money, real estate, qualifications to enter the Onmyōryō or Shinto for further study, and... items related to shikigami contracts."
The video ends here.
Inside the Night's Watch command hall, a high-ranking official spoke:
"President Qin, Abe's move was likely intended to quickly quell domestic panic and divert public attention. After this press conference, the panic among the Japanese people has subsided considerably."
"Furthermore, in several of their major cities, they have already begun the so-called selection ceremony for shikigami candidates, and the entire ceremony is being broadcast live nationwide."
"The eyes of the whole world are now on Japan."
After hearing this, President Qin gave a cold laugh.
"Shikigami? They're just Japan trying to glorify itself!"
"A bunch of lost souls and demons, do they even deserve to be called gods?"
"They'll get what they deserve sooner or later for resorting to these crooked and unethical methods."
A high-ranking official next to him nodded in agreement, saying, "That's right. This method of gaining power by contracting with ghosts and monsters is extremely risky."
But then, the executive abruptly changed his tone:
"However, this matter is a problem for our Great Xia."
"Although the actions of the Sakura Kingdom are crooked and unorthodox, in the early stages, they can indeed allow ordinary people to quickly gain considerable power."
"Allowing related information to spread unchecked could easily trigger public opinion in China and cause unrest among the people."
"Moreover, according to intelligence from various places, some countries are now interested in following Japan's example and exploring similar 'accelerated' methods."
"President Qin, do you think we should also formulate some corresponding measures to guide this?"
Upon hearing this, President Qin pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head.
"There's no need for that. Let's proceed as planned."
"The foundation of spiritual practice is paramount. We cannot let the fact that Japan is engaging in these crooked practices disrupt our own rhythm."
"This short-sighted approach of Japan's 'drinking poison to quench thirst' will inevitably lead to major trouble sooner or later."
"Notify relevant departments to pay attention to public opinion guidance and let the public see the advantages and disadvantages."
"yes!"