Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

Li Yao’s words cast the experts at the meeting into deep thoughts. Those experts were all monsters with extraordinary computational and deduction abilities. Now that Li Yao had pointed it out, they immediately realized that it was weird.

“That’s right. Blackstar the Great does not have any reason to keep such a low profile.”

Long Yangjun, who already had a head-on clash with Wuying Qi, was the first to realize the problem. “He might’ve been laying low during the ‘dormancy period’ when he was still relatively weak because he feared that the four Kurfürst families would join their hands to suppress or kill him should his identity be exposed. But right now, the reformists have ended on bad terms with the four families. The two parties have declared war on each other. Even the Empyreal Terminus Sector has been taken down by the reformists and the ‘Reform Committee of the Council of Elders’ has been established. He has the Imperial Guards to defend him and countless experts in the Divinity Transformation Stage at his disposal. What is he still scared of?

“There are a lot of benefits to reveal his identity. In the Imperium of True Human Beings where the greatest virtue is strength, ‘Blackstar the Great’ is not an identity to be ashamed of. Many people can accept the grandeur return of an expert who has slept for a thousand years. They are even looking forward to such an expert, who will stand out, consolidate the loosened Imperium, and lead them to reclaim their former glory!

“Just look at ‘Emperor Shenwu’ who was not half as capable as he was described. He was already praised to be ‘a second Blackstar the Great’ when he only won an expedition temporarily. Right now, we are talking about the reappearance of the authentic founding emperor of the country and the ancestor of all Immortal Cultivators. In terms of legitimacy, his position is stronger than anybody else’s.

“I imagine that the morale of his supporters will be boosted to the summit if Wuying Qi reveals his identity, and the morale of the four families will hit the rock bottom. Not only will the Immortal Cultivators of other surnames in their territories waver, but even the lower-level Immortal Cultivators within the four families may be shocked and join Blackstar the Great instead, right?

“It is needless to mention the bottom-level people of the Imperium of True Human Beings, who have mostly grown up listening to the legends of the wise and strong Blackstar the Great. If they learn that their emperor is back to life, how can they not worship and follow him with their lives?

“On the other hand, even if he does not reveal his identity, Queen Li Linghai is still a thorn in the flesh for the four Kurfürst families, and the four families will still try everything possible to kill Li Linghai. It is absolutely impossible for them to reach an agreement.

“From every perspective, Blackstar the Great should reveal his real identity. At the very least, he has absolutely no concerns on the four Kurfürst families’ side.”

“You’re quite right. So, Wuying Qi has been keeping his identity a secret not because he is concerned about his enemy—the four Kurfürst families—but because he is concerned about, if not scared of, his temporary ally—the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors!”

Like a blade that was slowly unsheathed, Li Yao’s eyes grew sharp, and his every word was as precise as a scalpel cutting a nidus. “What is the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors? It is a coalition of the new capitals at the edge of the Imperium, or in fact, the whole Imperium. It represents the strength of the billions of medium and small business groups nationwide. What are the appeals of the new capitals and the small businesses? What are the instincts of their survival and development?

“First of all, a unified and open market. The customs and the redundant tariffs in different Sectors should be canceled so that capitals can flow unrestrictedly like blood, instead of only being controlled by the noble families who know nothing except for exploitation and entertainment.

“Second, a social and business environment that is more fair, just, and open.

“Capitals inherently demand fairness and oppose regality. Everybody is equal in front of the hideous money, which is the most basic business logic. If the emperor’s one dollar can be used as three dollars, a noble’s one dollar can be used as two dollars, and a civilian’s one dollar can be used as only half a dollar, no business can ever thrive.

“Thirdly, and most importantly, a healthy, vigorous, and expanding market. Specifically, the new capitals call for better privileges, more spare time, and more rights and freedom for the ordinary people, or the so-called hominoids, in the Imperium. Only in such a way will the hominoids be capable of and interested in consuming the goods presented by the capitals and helping them grow.

“Capitals are, of course, cruel and heartless. It will certainly not devote itself to the liberation of hominoids for no good reason. However, if most hominoids are slaves and puppets, who are not interested in any consumption other than on ‘energy pills’ or ‘slaughter streams’, the new capitals will be starved.

“So, allow me to reaffirm my opinion that I came up with after I arrived in the Imperium. The new commercial capitals and their representative, ‘Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors’, are the most advanced, open-minded forces in the Imperium of True Human Beings that crave for changes the most. So, they are most likely to cooperate with us.”

Boss Bai observed, “But the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors is hostile to the Cultivators, and they have already chosen the reformists.”

“All the Immortal Cultivators are hostile to the Cultivators. All we can do is to find the least hostile community in them.”

Li Yao said, “Also, as I said just now, the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors chose the reformists and Queen Li Linghai, not Blackstar the Great.

“While the slogan of the reformists on the surface is ‘Honor the Majesty, Settle the Rebels, Renew the Imperium’, implying that they want to build a powerful and unified government, their declaration ‘Honor the Majesty’ is pure bulls*it. Neither the reformists nor their patron, the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors, wants an autocratic emperor. Once their reform succeeds, it is very likely that they will enforce a constitutional monarchy, where the emperor is regarded as a lofty, honorable symbol while the real power is concentrated on the ‘Reform Committee of the Council of Elders’. It is needless to say that there will be tremendous spokespersons of business groups in the committee to ensure that the future of the Imperium lies in the hands of capitals.

“Why did they choose Li Linghai as the leader of the reformists? Part of the reason was that Li Linghai had a strong army, but more importantly, it was because they knew that Li Linghai was from the Li family and had been the queen of the Imperium for decades. Her identity meant that she couldn’t become a dominating emperor or a tyrant. She could only be an obedient spokesperson of capitals!

“That was the foundation of the cooperation of the reformists, or Li Linghai, and the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors.

“But what we are talking about right now is not Li Linghai but Wuying Qi. Is it possible that such a tyrant, despot, and dictator such as Blackstar the Great will be an obedient spokesperson of capitals?

“Impossible, it’s absolutely impossible! From what Wuying Qi said during our battle against him, it seems that he has grasped a certain secret technique that guarantees eternal life. Well, an eternal life sounds too unbelievable, but judging from his tone, it wouldn’t be a problem for him to live another two to three thousand years.

“It’s already bad enough for someone like Wuying Qi to live two to three hundred years, not to mention that he will now live ten times longer! He will certainly focus all power and capitals in his hands, closely monitor all the experts and civilians, and become the most powerful tyrant!

“Under the governance of Blackstar the Great, even the nobles will have no living space at all and can only shudder in fear below his feet, let alone the small businesses and the free capitals? I have never heard of any tyrant that can live in peace with free capitals!

“Yes, the shortsighted owners of the free capitals, by their contributions to the rising of Wuying Qi, can change into aristocratic capitals. But it must be noted that the source of the so-called aristocratic capitals is still in the hands of Blackstar the Great. What does a founding emperor like to do most? Killing the potential threats, of course! Didn’t Blackstar the Great kill many contributors to his rise when he came to power years ago? As long as the leaders of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors have the slightest brainwaves that are not corrupted by the short-term benefits, they will not believe him!

“In conclusion, my opinion is that most of the leaders of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors must’ve been deceived. They are under the illusion that the person whom they have pushed to the frontstage is the ‘relatively harmless’ Queen Li Linghai. They are confident in controlling Li Linghai or at least in negotiating with her in the Reform Committee of the Council of Elders in the future to share the huge cake that is the Imperium.

“However, never have they dreamed that the person they have pushed forward is a tyrant a hundred times more dreadful than the four Kurfürsten. Besides, the tyrant has both the strength and the legitimacy. Once he is in power, he will not share the cake with anybody else but will simply crumble all the oppositions into the frostings on the cake before he swallows it!

“Right now, the competition between the reformists and the four families is still intense, and Blackstar the Great still needs the strength of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors. Naturally, he would not expose his identity at such a moment! He would wait at least until the backs of the four families are completely broken and the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors cannot jump out of his control. He would only drop his disguise and claim the Imperium again at that time!”

“It does… sound reasonable.”

Pondering for a long time, Boss Bai said, “Li Yao, it seems that you have truly preserved your intelligence in daily life and used it in critical moments like right now. So to speak, there is truly an opportunity for us to cooperate with the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors?”

“Not just the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors, but also most of the real reformists.”

His eyes glittering, Li Yao said carefully, “For the people who truly want to ‘renew the Imperium’, instead of only fighting for power, the rebirth of Blackstar the Great will be a huge setback, and they will not allow such a thing to happen. Those people are the cooperators that we need to appeal to.

“To put it more simple, Blackstar the Great is a worm lurking within the reformists, intending to steal the fruit of victory after the reformists and the four families have both suffered brutal losses. It is our mission to stop him from realizing that!

“The idea that the Imperium needs renewal is right, but Wuying Qi and Li Linghai in the Imperium are both false reformists, who are taking advantage of the real reformists and will strike them after they succeed! The cause of the reformists is now in perils. Right now, only we can raise the banner and call for a real reform!”