Chapter 436: Chapter 400: Immortal Country
The words "Immortal Country" made everyone in the Nine Songs tense up; they knew of the Immortal Country, but it was a taboo in Nine Songs, something that shouldn’t be mentioned.
At this moment, as Sang Que suddenly mentioned it, Qiao Ling, Ghost Vendor, and Master Jing Lan all tensed nervously.
The others, unaware of the matter, looked at Sang Que curiously.
Sang Que didn’t rush to speak, instead looking at the eldest, Master Jing Lan, inquiring, "Master Jing Lan, I want to know, what does the ’Immortal Country’ look like in your eyes?"
Master Jing Lan furrowed her brows and scanned the attendees.
Sang Que laughed and said, "It’s alright. I originally intended to lay everything out for everyone today, so please go ahead."
Master Jing Lan nodded slightly, "I heard from my master that the witches of successive generations were not natives but came from the Immortal Country, passing down the knowledge and power of the Immortal Country to assist people here in combating evil spirits and ghosts, ensuring the peace of this land. Besides the witches, those who contribute to world peace, once they complete their merits, can go to the Immortal Country after they die."
Ghost Vendor nodded next to her, having heard the same from his master; the Immortal Country was unmentionable taboo because revealing its existence to ghosts could anger the Immortal Country’s immortals, who might stop sending witches to save this world.
"Is there really a so-called Immortal Country? What kind of place is it?"
Liu Tianyou asked Sang Que, with Yu Da, Yao Zhen, and Cheng Ge all casting inquisitive glances.
Qiao Ling, being familiar with Sang Que and knowing his boldness, dared to say, "I’ve heard a different version."
Sang Que signaled Qiao Ling with his eyes to speak, and Qiao Ling took a breath and said, "The Immortal Country is actually the origin of disaster; all the ghosts in this world come from the Immortal Country!"
All eyes turned uniformly to Sang Que; if the rumor was true, only Sang Que, as a witch who had been to the Immortal Country, could give them a definite answer, provided Sang Que wouldn’t deceive them.
Sang Que remained unperturbed, "Honestly, as for the root cause of evil spirits and ghosts in this world, I don’t know either. Currently, all I know is that evil spirits and ghosts draw power from the Nine Netherworld. If someday I am fortunate enough to truly reach the Ninth Floor of Nine Netherworld, maybe I will know the full truth. Now, discussing this is meaningless; what I want to say is, I do come from the Immortal Country, and yes, such a place indeed exists."
Everyone was shocked, and Yao Zhen immediately asked, "Does the Immortal Country have ghosts? Can people go there to escape calamity?"
Sang Que’s eyes revealed some guilt, "The Immortal Country does have ghosts, but they are much weaker compared to here, and for all of you present, they are not formidable. But the situation in the Immortal Country is quite complex, and I am not a person in power there; I can’t explain it all to you right away."
"However, I bring this up because I want to bring about change. I don’t want to follow the old path of past witches. I’ve already persuaded the powers of the Immortal Country to allow a mutual exchange between the two worlds; in certain aspects, the Immortal Country is far stronger than here, especially in terms of productivity and production resources."
Upon hearing this news, everyone was visibly excited.
Sang Que continued, dampening the enthusiasm, "But collaboration is based on trust, just as we don’t want Bright Moon Mountain to be invaded and occupied by external enemies right now. Likewise, people from the Immortal Country, without understanding this place, wouldn’t allow people here to go to the Immortal Country. It is a very sensitive matter, and any misstep could trigger a war between here and the Immortal Country."
"To be frank, when it comes to dealing with ghosts, the Immortal Country is not as good as you, but in terms of slaughtering people and cities, if the Immortal Country desires to destroy the entire Xuan Dynasty, it wouldn’t take more than a cup of tea’s time. The people over there adhere to one principle: they resolutely refuse to start the first... resolutely refuse to strike first. But if struck, they would never give the opponent a second chance!"
Everyone turned from excitement to tension; if what Sang Que said was true, then the Immortal Country’s strength is indeed beyond their resistance.
Even for Yin Walkers, faced with overwhelming firepower, it would leave them powerless; relying on ghosts to recover still takes time and blood sacrifices.
After dousing them with cold water, Sang Que reassured, "You need not worry; the Immortal Country is my hometown, the place where I lived for my first sixteen years. I have reached a consensus with them that affairs here will be led by me, with me mediating from the center. What they want is peace, a mutual solution to the evil ghosts; our mutual goals align, and cooperation is possible."
"Someone has to be the first to show goodwill, the first to take the step toward cooperation. If the future cooperation between the two sides succeeds and mutual trust develops, then everyone here, including the ordinary citizens outside, won’t need merits nor wait until death; they will have the opportunity to go to the Immortal Country. There, everyone is equal, with no imperial power, the law is clear, everyone can attend school, eat three meals a day, and can even go out at night for a walk and snack."
Sang Que’s depiction of the Immortal Country made the crowd incredulous yet uncontrollably hopeful.
"So, everyone, I ask for your assistance, to work with me to promote cooperation with the Immortal Country, for your own sake, and for all the people here, to find a way to survive!"
Gurgle!
Yu Da audibly swallowed, "Sang Er, tell me the truth, is Little Chan in the Immortal Country now?"
Sang Que smiled and nodded, "Yes, she’s over there, eating well and living well, unwilling to return."
Yu Da anxiously scratched his head, "That darn girl, doesn’t even think to bring me back some good food, just knows how to enjoy herself!"
Sang Que added, "Xia Chan has assisted people there in completing a challenging task. Although partly due to me, Xia Chan also managed to gain residency in the Immortal Country through her abilities. If you don’t believe me, I can bring her back in a couple of days; you can ask her about the Immortal Country. She is straightforward and won’t lie."
Those present were all pondering, and Liu Tianyou was the first to stand up.
For Liu Tianyou, the current Xuan Dynasty had already disappointed him; if what Sang Que said, that in the Immortal Country everyone can attend school and everyone can eat well, just for that, he was willing to offer his full assistance.
"Big Boss, you originally established Bright Moon Mountain; I trust what you said. Whatever you need next, you just command, and Tianyou will follow to the death!"
Qiao Ling represented the people of Nine Songs and stood up, "No need to prove anything; you were originally the witch of Nine Songs, the leader of Nine Songs; the people of Nine Songs follow your command!"
Yao Zhen stood with her master, Master Jing Lan; she had some worries, but she trusted her master and Sang Que.
Yu Da now had his mind filled with thoughts of what good food the Immortal Country had, considering how that gluttonous Little Chan was not willing to return, so he, of course, wanted to cooperate with the Immortal Country, preferably by bringing in their delicacies first, giving him a taste and insight.
Cheng Ge was the last to stand up; for generations, Yunzhou only sought to maintain itself, yet was always oppressed, paying tributes to the court, when self-governing to be attacked. As long as imperial power existed, Yunzhou would never be peaceful.
Zuo Jin also wants to reach the Ninth Floor of Nine Netherworld. After Qinzhou, the next probably sacrificed might be Yunzhou, since Jinzhou borders Jingzhou; Zuo Jin also couldn’t turn his doorstep into a Death Domain.
Cheng Ge knew that Sang Que purposely left him there, revealing these secrets, to let him join the cause.
Yunzhou had no retreat left; cooperation with Sang Que was necessary, just as Sang Que said, someone had to first take a step of trust to ultimately achieve cooperation.
Sang Que holding the new Yin Child as Five Spirits God made suppressing Yunzhou easy, yet she chose her current method, granting trust to Cheng Ge and Yunzhou, leaving Cheng Ge with no grounds to refuse.
"I can represent Yunzhou to collaborate with you!"
All trusting gazes fell on Sang Que; they felt apprehensive about the Immortal Country, but as long as Sang Que was there, they all were willing to take a chance and try.
Sang Que also stood up, cupping her hands together and bowing wholeheartedly in thanks.
"Rest assured, everyone, I will never let you face harm, never let you down; the matters we’ve discussed tonight, I hope they will not be known by others. Soon, the Immortal Country will send a group of people over; I hope you can assist them, ensuring others do not discover their identities, nor disclose the existence of the Immortal Country, as it could lead to catastrophic consequences."
Everyone nodded, indicating Sang Que’s relief.
Sang Que then instructed Liu Tianyou and Yu Da, "Please, tomorrow, move everyone from the east of Bright Moon Mountain into the city or the western villages, leaving the area east of Eight Diagram City empty. When the people from the Immortal Country arrive, they will first conduct a preliminary survey here..."
The long night stretched as Sang Que informed everyone present in advance about the events happening in a few days, giving them a psychological preparation.
