CHAPTER 768: 189, RESEARCH_2

However, Lin Yue did not delve into worshiping any deity, even though many divine beings transmitted their will, willing to forge contracts with him, yet he refused them all.

From the intelligence he had gathered, most Contractors were lucky enough to receive a divine token first, and after doing enough tasks for the deity, they might become Contractors.

For example, the pendant of the Buddha Mother was her divine token.

Only if one’s personal fate was deemed compatible, and they possessed sufficient aptitude, then by doing enough deeds for the Buddha Mother, such as spreading her teachings, building temples, etc., once the causal link was deep enough, one could forge a contract with her.

After that, there was no need for complicated and uncertain deity-worship rituals; as long as one met the deity’s requirements, they could summon the deity and even receive the deity’s will at any time.

"And the most important thing is... the price to pay."

This was Lin Yue’s key summation of the method of deity worship.

The rules of this Yanfu World greatly stifled intervention; Proving powerhouses could only act through their followers, and the greater the price paid by the followers, the more mighty the power descended by the worshipped deity.

Of course, the higher the compatibility between the Contractor and the worshipped deity, the smaller the price needed.

The power bestowed by the worshipped deity required an intangible causal link with the Contractor, like a conduit; the broader the channel, the lesser the loss.

This was a rule of the world, applicable to all deity-worship schools.

An ancient tome had recorded—

"The ancient state of Tianshui once suffered a thousand-year rarity of severe drought, leaving the land barren for miles with no harvest for several years. All divine beings gave no response, but fortunately, the State Preceptor of Tianshui managed to forge a contract with the mythical deity ’Rain Lord,’ acting on his behalf to sign a contract with the King of Tianshui, sacrificing three months of lifespan from millions of Tianshui citizens. Then the Rain Lord displayed a divine intervention, causing sweet rain to fall over thousands of miles."

Clearly the price to summon the deity was the sacrifice of three months of lifespan from millions of people.

To create rain over thousands of miles out of thin air is indeed something only Proving powerhouses could accomplish; even formidable Saints could hardly manage such a feat.

"However, the citizens of Tianshui most likely did not all agree, and history does not record it—perhaps the citizens were uninformed, and it was just assumed by the ruling class that the citizens were willing to pay the price?"

Lin Yue reflected thoughtfully.

However, on closer consideration, he felt that this indeed made sense.

Although the inhabitants of Tianshui were not controlled by Tianshui’s ruling class,

a single command from the rulers could dispatch the military to suppress and slaughter, leaving millions dead; from a causal standpoint, the Tianshui’s inhabitants indeed could not control their own destinies.

The will of the ruling class represented the fate of a nation.

"No wonder the West Continent Alliance, which seems to have ties to older days, not only uses technology to benefit the people of Yanfu World but also deliberately spreads the concepts of freedom and equality..."

Lin Yue grew more enlightened about the true intentions and methods of the olden times’ invasion.

Technology provides relief from suffering; without suffering, the need for a spiritual pillar wanes, and belief is no longer as steadfast.

The ideals of freedom and equality would likewise lead to the abandonment of feudal monarchy; even the ruling classes would have to consider public opinion, and their control over the populace weakens.

This was a method to unravel the Yanfu World.

"However, warlord fragmentation and warfare plunging the world into chaos must be Yanfu King’s counterattack..."

Analyzing the current world structure, Lin Yue started to grasp how the King made his move.

Without natural adversity, he turned to disasters caused by war.

The forces sent by the West Continent Alliance were also suppressing revolts everywhere, seemingly attempting unification.

Thus, the situation shifted from passive to active, prompting a direct confrontation.

A war between two worlds.

"If that’s the case..."

Lin Yue already had a rough prediction of the future pattern of the world.

It wasn’t only battles between hidden powerhouses but also a conflict between huge forces assembled from the Mortals.

...

In a blink of an eye, three months passed.

Time slipped quietly by amidst seemingly tranquil daily life, but undercurrents swirled, as if a grand storm never witnessed before was about to erupt at any moment.

That day.

"Quick, quick, the rebels have broken in!"

"There are so many military forces outside!"

"The roads are sealed; there’s no escape, is Yihai City done for too?"

"I heard the new warlord leader’s surname is Lu?"

"Right Capital Commander of the former Dayuan Imperial Guard, probably from Beijing, it seems there’s infighting amongst the warlords there."

"So, does that mean Marshal Lu’s army is nothing but a bunch of defeated and broken soldiers?"

"Even if they are, that’s still tens of thousands of men, who knows how many guns, how many cannons they have. Do you really think the three gangs should fight them?"

"Stop joking. The three gangs together don’t even make up ten thousand men, and how many guns do they have? In front of a real warlord, they’re just chickens and dogs made of clay."

"Sigh, it looks like the peaceful days in Yihai City are over."

Inside Yihai City, all parties sighed with helplessness.

These were chaotic times to begin with; it’s just that Yihai City’s geographical position was rather unique—difficult to conquer in the past, which is why it enjoyed a period of peace.

But against the force of a real warlord, it stood no chance at all.

That day, Lin Yue also received news from the leaders of the three gangs.

"Warlords? Marshal Lu?"

Lin Yue pondered for a moment, then sent a reply to the three gangs, "No need to worry, let’s see what Marshal Lu will do."

...

After Marshal Lu’s army entered Yihai City, they immediately occupied two important locations within the city and settled in after sweeping through the populace.

Three days later.

"Father."

The eldest son of the Lin Family couldn’t help but ask, "You said this foreign Marshal Lu is inviting you to a banquet in the New World? This... seems like a bad omen, can we not go?"

"It’s not just me, but also other significant figures and families from Yihai City."

Lin’s father shook his head, "Although I am the chairman of the Yihai City Canal Transport Chamber of Commerce, I’m not considered top-tier in Yihai City. The leaders of the three gangs have to obediently pay their respects to Marshal Lu, what does my position count for?"

Lin Yue listened quietly from the side, deep in thought.

A warlord of this caliber, commanding tens of thousands of soldiers, certainly has followers who worship the divine, and maybe even Contractors from the West Continent?

Suddenly, he felt intrigued.

After all, he hadn’t yet seen a real Contractor; his understanding was limited to paper and hearsay.

Moreover, he felt he had recently gained some insights into worshiping the divine, so this would be a good opportunity to test his own strength.

"Father, did the invitation specifically mention for you to bring your son with you?" the eldest son of the Lin Family asked, unable to contain his confusion: "What does this mean?"

Lin’s father fell silent for a moment, not answering directly, but said, "You shall not go this time."

Then he looked at Lin Yue, saying, "Yue’er, you come with me."

Lin Yue raised his eyebrows slightly, understanding his father’s intention.

Clearly, this banquet was a trap, possibly fraught with danger.

The reason the invitation demanded Lin’s father to bring his son, and his father not wanting to risk his most beloved child and instead bring along his illegitimate son, was a very normal thought.

"Okay, I understand," Lin Yue calmly smiled.

...

The New World was a pleasure quarter built by Yihai City, modeled after the most bustling "Big World" of Beijing.

At that moment, the place shone brightly with lights as guests entered, presenting their invitations.

Many guests had already taken their seats in the grand hall of the New World, where singers performed and dancers accompanied them, creating a lively atmosphere.

"Chairman Lin."

"Chairman Lin is always well-informed; do you have any idea what Marshal Lu plans to do by gathering us?"

"Hush, stop asking. We’ll find out soon enough."

One by one, the elites of Yihai City struck up conversations.

Lin Yue followed his father and sat down at a table, keenly observing his surroundings.

"Let’s just check out the truth straight away."

After observing for a while, a thought crossed Lin Yue’s mind.

At the same time, one of his hairs quietly disappeared, turning into blue smoke.

A Divine Thought silently spread out.