Chapter 264 - 123: I, Yang Mo, Will Slap the Demon Monarch’s Mouth to a Pulp

Chapter 264: Chapter 123: I, Yang Mo, Will Slap the Demon Monarch’s Mouth to a Pulp

A constant stream of information bombarded Zhao Ci, making his head buzz.

First, the deadline for his work was moved up by half a year, a rush job that made his scalp tingle with stress.

Then, the text above that madman Zhang Da Yong’s head began to refresh wildly.

On one hand, he wanted to orchestrate a "March Massacre," and on the other, he wanted to shove a Paradise Gu down his throat.

’Is he nuts?’

This so-called "March Massacre" had to be related to the opening of the War God Tower. But he couldn’t figure out the exact connection. He had too little information. All he knew was that the madman had this idea, but there were no other clues. He couldn’t even give his auntie a heads-up.

’And the Paradise Gu...’

’So that thing really exists in this world?’

’And Huangfu Song has it. But if he possesses something so heaven-defying, why hasn’t there been any sign of it?’

’Even my auntie, his fellow believer and rival for many years, had no idea Huangfu Song had this thing.’

’It seems these madmen are really trying to take over my body!’

Zhao Ci’s heart grew heavy, but he wasn’t particularly worried. The reward for shoving the Paradise Gu into his mouth was the Gu’s ultimate talent—the Joyful Dream.

This was also the means by which the Paradise Gu eroded a person’s will and controlled their mind.

’As long as I master it, its effect on me will be greatly reduced.’

’After all, how could a Saint be defeated by his own ultimate move?’

’If Huangfu Song dares to shove it in...’

’I dare to swallow.’

’I could even seize the initiative and turn the tables on Huangfu Song.’

Having figured this out, Zhao Ci relaxed considerably. When he first sensed the danger, he had considered dealing with Zhang Da Yong directly.

But now, it seemed that if he got rid of this mole, Huangfu Song would retreat completely into the shadows. Then the enemy would be hidden while he was exposed, a very disadvantageous situation.

If he let him stay, a single possessed puppet wouldn’t pose much of a threat. On the contrary, the wishes on his head would continuously provide intelligence, even allowing him to estimate when they planned to make a move on him.

And, most importantly, Zhao Ci felt that both the "March Massacre" and "shoving the Paradise Gu" were merely means to an end. Huangfu Song still hadn’t directly revealed his true objective.

’Although it’s almost certainly a body-snatching plot, I can’t guarantee there isn’t some deeper scheme at play.’

’These madmen...’

’They’re really hard to deal with.’

His brow was deeply furrowed.

But many others had their brows furrowed even deeper than his.

They even began to voice their complaints.

"I haven’t even reached the Muscle-Tendon Transformation stage yet! Even if I get fifty merits, I still can’t enter the War God Tower!"

"I’ve reached Muscle-Tendon Transformation, but I’m still not confident!"

"Because of this mansion competition, I never planned on rushing my cultivation. I’ve been taking it slow and steady. Why did this suddenly happen?"

"It’s opened early before, but never by half a year! This is ridiculous!"

"This..."

Almost no one was prepared. A sense of resentment filled their hushed whispers.

Zhao Ci turned to glance at his own Mansion Officials. None of them looked particularly happy either.

Especially Yang Mo. His eyes were unfocused, and his body was trembling.

[Yang Mo’s Current Wish]: I must enter the War God Tower! Wish Completion Reward: Comprehension +1000, Guaranteed Entry Talisman x1.

Zhao Ci: "..."

Seeing the resentment grow, Zhao Yan spoke coolly, "The War God Tower itself is not a ruin we can fully control. All the Imperial Clan Court can do is arrange for a time most suitable for its opening.

"This is your opportunity, not a benefit bestowed upon you by the Court.

"In this world, there are countless opportunities and disasters. They never give you a warning to prepare before they appear.

"The opening of the War God Tower at least comes around a predictable time.

"If you fill the air with complaints just because you might miss it,

"then you will likely not achieve much in the future."

As soon as these words were spoken, the chorus of discontent came to an abrupt halt.

A moment ago, their blood was boiling with excitement, and they felt like the world was theirs for the taking.

They hadn’t expected that at the very start of the mansion competition, Zhao Yan would give them such a cold, hard lesson.

The mansion competition was for slaughter, not for gilding one’s reputation.

Seeing them fall silent, Zhao Yan nodded in satisfaction.

He clapped his hands lightly.

A team of Junior Officials then carried in four desks and placed them behind him. Each was piled high with dense stacks of scrolls.

He said coolly, "These are the missions dispatched by the Ministries of Revenue, Works, Justice, and War. Each mission can be accepted by a maximum of two mansions at a time. When you accept a mission, you must bear all consequences yourselves."

With that said, he turned and went up to the second-floor railing to drink his tea.

From there, he looked down on the reactions of the various Mansion Officials, leaving only the team of Junior Officials to handle registration.

Now, as soon as Zhao Yan left, everyone else swarmed forward.

The four from Prince Lie’s Mansion went straight for the Ministry of War’s mission ledger. It seemed they were determined to achieve greatness by slaying enemies on their own, avoiding the internal competition with the others.

Some headed for the mission ledgers of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works. After all, the various great clans had their own industries, and if there were suitable missions, they were more than willing to support their mansion competition efforts.

However, missions from the Ministry of Revenue and Ministry of Works were generally long-term projects—improving crop fertilizers, assisting with building bridges and roads, and the like. It was hard to see results even a year before the mansion competition, and with the War God Tower opening so much earlier, it was even harder to gain an advantage this way.

But from a three-year perspective, they offered a considerable amount of merit.

’This mansion competition is just a machine for the Court to siphon resources from the great clans.’

Zhao Ci mused to himself, but still flipped through the Ministry of Revenue’s mission ledger to see if he could pick up some extra side jobs.

Unfortunately, the professional barriers for these missions were one higher than the next.