Call for Assistance

Huaze Village, inside the shrine.

"Cancel the bi-daily worship at this shrine, and no offerings are required. You are a Golden Core wild boar; eating mortal grain is a waste anyway. Change it to voluntary worship with no mandatory requirements."

"At the same time, lift all curfews and travel bans in the village. Allow marriages outside the village, and ensure freedom of marriage."

"Also, rein in your arrogance. Do not reveal your true form or issue any ridiculous decrees during ordinary times."

In front of the desk, Cui Hao wrote eloquently and continuously while keeping up a steady stream of instructions.

The Wild Boar Demon was dumbfounded. It felt a lump in its throat and a stifling sensation in its chest. After enduring it for a moment, it finally asked,

"Ex... Exalted Envoy, if I really do as you say, wouldn't I just become a mere statue?"

"Nice try, but you won't get off that easy." Cui Hao lifted his brush, raised his eyes, and looked at the Wild Boar Demon with a smile.

"If you don't push harder than the other demons, why would anyone follow you? You can't possibly expect people to admire your pig face, can you?"

The Wild Boar Demon froze, then asked in a low voice,

"What does the Exalted Envoy mean?"

Cui Hao thought for a moment and decided to use his master's words.

"Massive subsidies, naturally. We give what other demons are reluctant to give, and we do what other demons are too proud to do!"

"Come, look at the code of conduct for a deity I have drafted for you. Ensuring favorable weather is the bare minimum; you also need to learn how to provide sufficient emotional value to the people under your command."

"Look at how muddy the power of faith you forced out of them has become. Eating excrement is no worse than this. Do you really understand how the divine power of incense works?"

With a confused and uneasy expression, the Wild Boar Demon looked at the dense clauses Cui Hao had written.

"Long-term peace for the people, convincing others with reason."

The first sentence was normal enough; at least it sounded like something a human would say.

But when the Wild Boar Demon's eyes moved to the second line, the whole pig felt unwell.

It saw that Cui Hao had written with heavy strokes and elegant handwriting:

"Care for the lower mortals, serve them as if they were your fathers."

Serve them as fathers?

Me, a great Golden Core demon, serving mortals like my fathers?

The second line was already mind-blowing; wouldn't it have to act like a submissive grandson later on?

The Wild Boar Demon suppressed its exploding mindset and continued reading. But the more it read, the more its vision darkened. The following clauses almost made it prefer being a mortal under its own rule.

Acting like a grandson was too conservative an estimate.

This was far worse than acting like a grandson.

Ensuring favorable weather was truly the most basic condition. It had to manage everything, from protecting their safety to ensuring the peace of their chickens and dogs.

It even had to take the lead in reclaiming farmland and take care of crop pests and the like.

It was also required to serve with a good attitude and speak with warmth.

The fortune sticks drawn by the mortals had to be good, and besides being good, they had to be accurate.

As for how to make them accurate, it undoubtedly relied on this pig granting wishes with a good attitude and warmth.

The Wild Boar Demon did not dare to read it all. With a bitter and conflicted expression, it cupped its hooves and whispered,

"Exalted Envoy... how is this being a god? This is clearly..."

Cui Hao knitted his brows and said calmly,

"To seek the Great Dao, one must make trade-offs. Did you think the Great Dao would just fall upon you while you lie here waiting to die?"

"Feel the Great Dao in your embrace; do you still not know the difference between good and bad?"

"True power of faith is pure and refined. Only after tasting a mouthful will you realize that the path of faith can truly connect heaven and earth."

"Everything starts with you setting an example. Later on, you can naturally find a few reliable subordinates to carry it out."

"You are complaining about this and that before even starting. I just wonder if you will remember my kindness once you truly taste the benefits."

"First, earnestly follow the regulations and develop carefully. Leave the remaining great demons to me. As for your cultivation base, it is naturally far too low and messy, but once you collect the first wave of faith, it should be about enough."

"I think I know why you haven't been recruited by others. It is most likely because you are foolish and stupid without even realizing it."

Listening to Cui Hao casually painting a glorious picture and his disdainful mockery, the Wild Boar Demon looked back at the drafted regulations.

No matter how unwilling or reluctant it felt, it did not dare to express it.

When such a terrifying faction came knocking, they could not be sent away with a simple claim of not wanting to cooperate.

Looking at the servile regulations line by line, the Wild Boar Demon steeled its heart, gritted its teeth, and said,

"Rest assured, Exalted Envoy. I will do exactly as you say."

Cui Hao nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this.

"Do not think you are getting the short end of the stick. I am here to do something big. Once people are attracted here, leave those troublemaking great demons to me."

The Wild Boar Demon nodded hastily, then asked in a low voice,

"May I ask what big thing the Exalted Envoy is referring to?"

Cui Hao shot a sideways glance, a cold sneer appearing on his face.

"Recently, many evil cultivators have entered the Yunmeng Marsh. Whatever they are after, I am after as well. Those evil cultivators will be our future enemies."

"It is not convenient for our people to gather intelligence here openly. If you are willing, keep an eye out."

"This land of Yunmeng Marsh is not what we want. Once we get the item, who these inconspicuous things here will be given to..."

Cui Hao did not finish his sentence, merely revealing a knowing smile.

The Wild Boar Demon's expression became even more humble. Nodding repeatedly, it devoutly tucked away the papers Cui Hao had written.

Seeing this, Cui Hao waved his hand and cast a leisurely glance at the old woman who had been looking at the ground without saying a word.

Without another word, Cui Hao turned and left.

The Wild Boar Demon maintained a humble expression until Cui Hao was completely gone.

It looked back at the regulations in its hands, stayed silent for a moment, and then looked at the old woman, asking,

"What do you think?"

Hearing this, the old woman finally dared to raise her eyes. After waiting for a moment, she spoke,

"As things stand, you have no reason not to do it. Whether it is right or wrong, and whether to do it or not, are two completely different matters."

The Wild Boar Demon nodded silently, agreeing with her words.

Cui Hao walked out of Huaze Village.

Perhaps because Cui Hao had arrived late, the morning light was faintly beginning to rise, dyeing the clouds and mist.

Cui Hao watched the sun rise, let out a heavy sigh, and took out an urgent message jade token from his spatial ring.

What the Wild Boar Demon said was not false. Yunmeng Marsh had remained unchanged for nearly a thousand years. The fundamental reason was that the high-level demon cultivators could easily crush the low-level ones.

Amidst such a disparity in strength, and with life and death at stake, no unnecessary cutthroat competition would exist.

If this was not restricted, no matter how much one did, it would all be crushed by a single fist.

Cui Hao calmed his mind, inputting the information of this place into the jade token, while also detailing all his thoughts and plans.

After doing all this.

A faint light flashed, and the urgent message jade token turned into specks of fluorescent light, darting away rapidly.

This urgent message jade token was not given by Xu Jin, but by his own master.

Cui Hao had also wondered: when he was the only person in the world holding a completely different belief, was he truly right?

Until he met his master.

It was not that his master was just like him, but rather that his master had said: Right and wrong are not confined to how they are expressed, nor should they be defined by others. Just follow your conscience.

Cui Hao took a deep breath. At this very moment.

The only person he could ask for help, the only one he could truly rely on, was his master.

He needed to pressure the Yunmeng Pavilion so that, at least for this period, the great demons would not be able to strike recklessly.

After that, naturally, heaven and earth would be turned upside down.