Chapter 114: A Bleak Future
Demonification was an unexplainable supernatural phenomenon to the vast majority of people in this world. Acquiring too much knowledge, accumulating too many skills, or experiencing certain intense emotions, could all dramatically increase one's chances of undergoing demonification.
The supernatural force that was responsible for this phenomenon was known as demonic tainting.
***
So he's finally asking me about demonic tainting, Qiao Zhi thought to himself. I was worried that telling him about this too early would negatively affect his cultivation, but it looks like it can't be helped.
After taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Qiao Zhi said, "Demonic tainting will indeed become more and more severe as time passes. According to what I know, around thirty years from now, there will be an uprising of over a million demonified citizens and soldiers in the central plains, and they'll wreak havoc across the entire empire.
"Despite the imperial court's best efforts to suppress the uprising, more demons continued to rise in place of those that were slain. Coupled with a simultaneous invasion from the northern fiends and the eastern dragons, that was what ultimately led to the downfall of the Great Han Empire. After the fall of the Great Han Empire, the entire world entered a period of chaos and turmoil, until one person emerged to quell the unrest.
"A new imperial court was then formed, one that ruled over both humans and fiends, and while conflicts still existed, there were no longer any wars. However, during this period, the demonic tainting only grew worse, and the population across the world suffered a rapid and drastic decline. It was only after the Heavenly Fiend Foundation Establishment Technique was created that this trend was halted.
"However, the demonic tainting continued to worsen, until even the fiends were unable to resist it. It was only a short-lived period of peace before the fiends and humans had to unite against a new enemy."
"What is this new enemy?" Chu Qiguang asked.
"I don't know the exact details myself," Qiao Zhi replied. "All I know is that there will be a war involving the entire world, and the vast majority of humans and fiends will perish without even knowing who their enemy is."
A grim look appeared on Chu Qiguang's face upon hearing this. He had been rather perplexed by Qiao Zhi's assertion that the Great Han Empire was going to fall in just forty-eight years. Granted, the empire had more than its fair share of problems, but those in power could easily overpower the masses through cultivation, so even if they ruled through brute force, the empire should've been able to survive for another century or two.
Furthermore, it sounded as though Grand Secretary Wu's future reforms had proven to be quite effective, which should've theoretically extended the empire's lifespan even further. Only after hearing what Qiao Zhi had to say did Chu Qiguang understand that demonic tainting was the true cause behind the Great Han Empire's downfall.
It looks like I really don't have much time left, Chu Qiguang thought.
Right at that moment, White Rice approached Chu Qiguang with a report.
"Some fiends told me that they've recently seen some unfamiliar faces, and judging from their accents, they seem to be savages from the northern grasslands."
"You mean fiends from the wolf tribe?" Chu Qiguang asked with a contemplative expression. "Go and check them out with Jin Ji to confirm whether they're from the Great Qian Empire."
Jin Ji had once been a slave in the Great Qian Empire, so he should be able to identify fiends from there on sight.
Following White Rice's departure, Chu Qiguang began discussing the Heavenly Fiend Foundation Establishment Technique with Qiao Zhi.
"Can you use the Heavenly Fiend Foundation Establishment Technique to stimulate my fiendish bloodline and make me undergo fiendification?" Chu Qiguang requested.
Both Wang Cailiang and Chen Gang had undergone partial fiendification in the past thanks to the Heavenly Fiend Foundation Establishment Technique, and Chu Qiguang wanted to try it out for himself.
A short while later, Chu Qiguang was looking at his own fiendish reflection in a copper mirror, and he thought, This is definitely going to come in useful. In this form, I can adopt a new identity. I'm going to call myself Omniscient.
He was going to come in contact with more and more fiends in the future, so having an alternative fiendish identity would definitely be useful. Chu Qiguang would be the human hero who slew fiends and demons while cultivating martial arts and Dao arts. Meanwhile, Omniscient would be the leader of the fiends, constructing a fiend village and leading the fiends in their resistance against the authorities and the Daoist temple.
***
The next day was the agreed-upon date for the fiends to gather on the rear mountain.
Early in the morning, all types of fiends were already converging on the rear mountain. White Rice, Lulu, Big Head, Old Tu, and some of Chu Qiguang's trusted fiendish subordinates had already been sent there to welcome the other fiends.
Chu Youtian and his subordinates had also arrived. In order to blend in with the other fiends, they chose to revert to their fiendish forms, revealing themselves to be three wolves, a dog, and a fox.
Chu Youtian took some time to observe the surrounding fiends, and he wasn't impressed.
All of these are just some little fiends that have only just awakened higher intelligence. I suppose it can't be helped. With the Heavenly Master Religion constantly oppressing fiends in the Great Han Empire, it's very difficult for fiends to make much progress in their cultivation. I wonder what this so-called fiend king is going to be like.
Throughout history, the title of fiend king had always been revered among fiends. The leader of dozens or hundreds of fiends could be called a fiend king, and so could the leader of thousands.
As far as Chu Youtian and his subordinates were concerned, this fiend king of the Azure Sun County was a very mysterious and elusive figure. Not only had they yet to uncover his identity, they didn't even know what type of fiend he was. All they knew was that he was constantly being fed information by a group of cat and dog fiends.
By noon, all the fiends had already arrived, and they were gathered around a huge rock. It was the very same rock that Qiao Zhi sat on when delivering lessons to his fiendish followers.
At this moment, Qiao Zhi was standing on the rock, and he began, "I have gathered all of you here today for the future of us fiends in Azure Sun County. The famines are becoming worse with each passing year, and humans are constantly hunting us for food or competing with us for prey. Don't you all feel like life is becoming increasingly difficult?
"Then there's the Heavenly Master Religion and the local authorities. Under their oppression, we have to constantly tread on eggshells just to survive. Recently, that human named Chu Qiguang has been hunting fiends and demons everywhere, and he's already killed many of our brethren. In these difficult times, we must unite!"
"If we wish to unite, then we must unite under a leader!" Lulu chimed in. "With all of us gathered here today, there's no better occasion to choose a leader."
"I suggest we make Brother Qiao our leader!" White Rice proposed. "He's the strongest out of all of us, and he's also handsome to boot!"
"I choose Qiao Zhi too!" Fish Egg echoed. "I can personally vouch for his character. He's a great cat, and he's always looking out for his brothers."
"I'm nowhere near competent enough to serve as everyone's leader," Qiao Zhi said in an embarrassed manner. "That said, there is someone that I think would thrive in this role, a true hero among us fiends."
All of a sudden, a pair of massive shadows appeared overhead.
