Chapter 308: I, the Taiping Celestial King, Have Come to Rebel

"Satellites are a godsend," Qi Suian couldn't help but sigh.

Before, he had to rely entirely on the reconnaissance network. Now, he not only had the network but also remote satellite assistance.

The AI Brain had even planned out the entire assassination for him.

"You toss in the Mad Cathedral, and I'll toss in the Fei." From a distance, Qi Suian spotted a luxurious mansion.

It belonged to some Mage Family. He had no intel on them—he didn't even know their name.

But it didn't matter. If he couldn't kill them, he would just run.

Both the Mad Cathedral and the Fei could be treated as consumables.

"It's a shame. After leaving the Sacred Artifact World, the Mad Cathedral's effects and power are no longer boosted by the world; they've returned to normal."

Qi Suian was thoroughly disappointed.

Otherwise, he would have just used the Mad Cathedral and the Fei to directly control a tide of corpses.

Fortunately, they were still effective.

[PREPARE. THREE, TWO, ONE, DEPLOY!]

Following the AI Brain's countdown, the Mad Cathedral and the Fei were tossed directly into the magnificent mansion.

And then, chaos erupted.

'As long as there are no upper-three-rank Mages inside, there's basically no chance of them wiping out the Mad Cathedral and the Fei.'

"You should hide farther away so you don't get noticed. We're way too conspicuous looking like this," Qi Suian said.

In a way, the Fei and the Mad Cathedral were complementary.

The Fei released a slaughter-type Abyssal Virus, while the Mad Cathedral used the Abyssal Virus to produce mutated strains.

This way, the Fei's slaughter-type Abyssal Virus would become far more varied. Furthermore, if the mutated viral strains were based on the slaughter-type, they would possess even more terrifying lethality.

It was, one might say, a fine tool for murder and mayhem.

Especially when used for robbing and killing.

At least it wasn't like strategic missile systems or Floating Cannons, which left practically nothing behind after an explosion.

As for whether the Fei would kill Spiritual Roots? Yes, it would.

But it didn't matter. If they died, they died. At worst, he could just throw them into the Melting Furnace as fuel.

His main goal was to stir up chaos.

It was, as they say, fishing in troubled waters.

The commotion inside the mansion gradually subsided. Apparently, almost everyone was dead.

He didn't have to worry about collecting the spoils either; the Abyssal Virus entities from the Fei and the Mad Cathedral could handle it.

"AI Brain, tell me, is there a way to quickly gather a large group of Mages?" Qi Suian felt that killing them one by one like this, without a way to build up a corpse tide, was too much of a grind.

So he was looking for a faster way.

[Yes. Fraud.]

"Huh? How would I scam them?" Qi Suian's first thought wasn't that it was illegal, but that there didn't seem to be a way to run a large-scale scam in the Spirit Root World.

"I can't just fake a first-rank Mage's legacy ground and trick all the Mages into coming, can I? That would be too much trouble."

Qi Suian's imagination was limited; he found that idea too troublesome as well.

[Your idea is indeed quite good, but its efficiency is too low and the returns are insufficient.]

[My suggestion is for you to become a Warlord directly. In the process of recruiting Mages, you can accumulate a large amount of Spiritual Roots and resources.]

[Once your Warlord faction reaches a certain scale, you can throw all the Mages, Spiritual Roots, resources, and so on into the Melting Furnace as fuel.]

Listening to this, Qi Suian felt it sounded quite feasible.

It was just a matter of building up for one big push, then ascending to heaven in a single step.

[After gaining a certain amount of power, you can also go to the major Mage Families to solicit investments, then find an opportunity to rob them blind.]

"It doesn't have to be investments. It could be loans."

"When the time comes, I'll just mortgage the Warlord's territory."

"I'll sell it to multiple families. Not only will their high sunk costs make them unwilling to back out, but I'll also have sold the same piece of land multiple times!"

Qi Suian thought, 'Haven't I seen this scheme somewhere before?'

[Indeed. Your thinking is more far-sighted than mine.]

The AI Brain started with a compliment.

"Cut the crap. You definitely had follow-up plans already, you just didn't mention them because the time wasn't right." Qi Suian knew exactly what the AI Brain was like.

When it came to being insidious, Qi Suian really couldn't compare to the AI Brain, his Chaotic Quantum Intelligent System.

He had nothing right now, so it was useless for the AI Brain to bring it up. It would wait until everything was in place, then propose it at the opportune moment.

After all, from the very beginning, Qi Suian hadn't been after power or territory, but was just using this as a means to amass wealth.

It was just a fortunate coincidence that this was the beginning of a chaotic era in the Spirit Root World. Otherwise, such a good opportunity wouldn't have existed.

"So, this Mage Family will be our foundation."

With their assets, they had to be rich. After taking over, he would just use military force to occupy the land and declare himself king. Then it would be a matter of recruiting people, and getting food and equipment.

[Yes. If you require it, I can handle it for you.]

The AI Brain knew Qi Suian's personality. He couldn't care less about power or status.

And he disliked dealing with such miscellaneous matters; the AI Brain always handled them.

"Of course, no problem. But before that, you'll probably have to deal with these peeping petty thieves," Qi Suian said.

The incident at this Mage Family's estate had naturally attracted a lot of attention.

Among the onlookers were quite a few Spirit Demons, Jianghu Mages, and the like.

"I, the Taiping Celestial King, have witnessed the local tyrants preying on the common people. Today, I am here to eliminate this evil for them!"

The Tai Sui God stepped forward to take the credit; the AI Brain had even given itself a nickname.

This was perfectly normal. They were all rebels; of course they had to pick a grand-sounding name.

The crowd looked at each other in confusion. They had never heard of the Xu Family having any kind of sordid reputation.

On the contrary, they usually repaired bridges and paved roads, and always acted with kindness. While some of the family's younger generation were good-for-nothings, none were the arrogant sort who bullied merchants and dominated the market.

How had they suddenly become local tyrants who preyed on the people?

Technically, Qi Suian was in the wrong. But now, he was the one making the rules.

From the mansion, a terrifying, bizarre house crawled out. It was obviously alive.

Surrounding the house were numerous monsters resembling living corpses. Its walls and roof ridges were even decorated with a large number of white bone skeletons.

As it emerged, a sickening stench spread rapidly, forcing everyone to retreat several steps before they could even stand the smell.

At this moment, those Mages and Spirit Demons who had been hoping to fish for some profit all felt the urge to retreat.

A middle-three-rank Mage. They were no match for him at all.

Even if they were a match, they wouldn't want to confront Qi Suian.

That house-type treasure of his was definitely not a simple artifact.

Why risk their own lives for such a trivial profit?

Not to mention, his actions seemed to be a deliberate move to seize territory. He was clearly planning to get involved in the chaotic times.

Qi Suian not only intimidated everyone, but also spread his name far and wide.

At the same time, many people with their own agendas chose to pledge allegiance to Qi Suian.

The title the AI Brain had put forth, "Taiping Celestial King," made it obvious they were planning to rebel.

Of course, the vast majority of those who joined had ulterior motives.

And none of them were exactly upstanding citizens.

The AI Brain, however, accepted them all without question. In any case, the first step was to gather a crowd.

No matter how much of a scumbag or a waste of space they were, Qi Suian and the AI Brain wouldn't look down on them, because a place was surely reserved for them in the Melting Furnace.

Afterward, he cleaned up the Mage Family's mansion, turning it into a temporary base. Through the AI Brain's command, he began to gradually take control of the large town.

With the reconnaissance network and satellite projections, the AI Brain was naturally like a scholar who knows all the world's affairs without leaving his home.

But less than an hour into the operation, an unwelcome guest arrived... alright, he and the Tai Sui God were the real unwelcome guests.

There was always someone who couldn't stand by and watch.

"Annihilating an entire family, ruining their reputation."

"You act like this, yet you dream of conquering the world?" The disdainful voice came from a young man.

Qi Suian looked him up and down. The young man was dressed in glamorous clothes, and one could tell at a glance that he was a person of background and status.

Ordinary people couldn't afford such fine clothes.

"Are you related to the Xu Family?" Qi Suian asked curiously.

"Of course not," the young man denied directly, then said, "I am merely speaking out for justice against a wrong I have witnessed."

"Then that's none of your business," Qi Suian rolled his eyes.

"You... Do you have any idea that your actions will plunge Anju Town into the flames of war?" The young man was clearly incensed by Qi Suian's attitude.

"That's none of my business." Qi Suian added those four words.

Generally speaking, you can shut people down in most situations with "none of your business" and "none of my business." Unless you're faced with an irrefutable comeback like "your wife is in my bed," it's guaranteed to leave them speechless.

"Stubbornly resisting reason. Hmph." The young man attacked directly.

This was the one downside to Extraordinary powers.

If you couldn't win an argument, you could just attack—a physical method of persuasion to ensure a troll could never troll again.

"I don't know where you popped out from, but haven't your elders ever told you one thing?"

Qi Suian's voice came from behind the young man.

The figure of the Fei appeared. Cooperating with the Evil Dragon and Evil Tiger, it heavily wounded the young man before he could even make a move.

On the spot, his breathing became as faint as a silk thread.

As for why Qi Suian had run behind him—it was to dodge the attack, of course.

If the sneak attack by the Fei and the Evil Dragon and Evil Tiger had failed, the Tai Sui God could have followed up with another strike.

"And that is: when you wander the Jianghu, you're bound to get stabbed."

"Which family are you from? I'll have your elders come and ransom you." As he spoke, Qi Suian walked over, tied the man up on the spot, and hung him upside down.

The young man's expression was filled with indignation. He couldn't believe the gap between them was so huge.

"Speak up. What are you glaring for?" Qi Suian punched him directly in the stomach.

It made him vomit immediately.

"I... I'm not from a major family..." the young man said, glaring viciously at Qi Suian.

"You're not?" Qi Suian sneered. "I'll give you one more chance. Be a good boy and have the people backing you come and pay the ransom."

"Otherwise, you're going to be in for a world of pain."

Qi Suian didn't believe him at all. As the saying goes, clothes make the man.

With those fine clothes, if he didn't have a faction or a high-rank Mage backing him, where would he get the money to afford them?

Plus, with his delicate skin and pampered look, how could he possibly be a nobody?

He was nothing more than a young master who wanted to play the hero and uphold justice, but ended up stumbling and getting caught by Qi Suian.

It was fine if he didn't admit it. Once he was on the operating table, he'd spill everything to Qi Suian like beans from a pod, even the time he secretly watched the girl next door bathe when he was eight.

As for offending the Mage Family or Mage behind him? If worst came to worst, he could just kill them all.