Chapter 1408: Knocking on the Wooden Fish [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

It poses no fatal threat, but it can induce hallucinations.

Isn't this brain damage caused by radiation?

Isn't this serious enough?

She looked at Ji Moqiu with a slight speechlessness, seemingly not complaining about anything, but in reality, she was complaining about everything. Ji Moqiu was honest about this: "You don't know, but the human race's resistance to radiation is much greater than before the catastrophe."

In the early years of the great disaster, various mutations emerged one after another.

Even with every possible method to enhance resistance—be it genetic modification or technological means—it was all in vain against radiation mutations. In the end, they only managed to preserve a tiny spark by hiding in the "blessed land," which also had other names such as "Shangri-La" and "Eden." The spark of humanity lived there until the external radiation levels dropped to a level that humanity could barely tolerate at that time.

Of course, staying was no longer an option at that point. Resources were limited, while the population was increasing, making conflict inevitable. Compared to the harsh environment back then, the residual radiation from these rocks was merely a headache and caused hallucinations; it wasn't actually that serious.

It took Shen Tang a while to finally manage to say, "But this thing still has excessive radiation; it's not a good thing."

Ji Moqiu said, "If used properly, it can be a good thing."

Shen Tang seriously considered Ji Moqiu's suggestion: "...It can indeed turn waste into treasure. This should be the highest radiation level we've encountered so far... If we can purify and grind it to add a little something to the enemy's water source, it will either kill them or give them headaches and fevers for a while."

After saying that, she mentally tapped the wooden fish for a while and reflected, "However, this is immoral. We are a righteous army, and we should try not to use such methods that are against the will of heaven and the people."

The high priest, who seemed as serene as a chrysanthemum, was surprisingly ruthless when he offered advice, which was quite unexpected. Shen Tang wouldn't blame him, but she also wouldn't adopt his suggestion, so she waved her hand in refusal.

To everyone's surprise, Ji Moqiu looked completely innocent and bewildered.

Shen Tang countered, "That's not what you meant?"

Ji Moqiu said somewhat awkwardly, "...What I mean is that this thing can record and play videos, which would be nice for entertainment."

I never even considered using this thing as a weapon to fight the enemy.

Shen Tang: "..."

Looking at the sky and the ground, he made various small gestures to cover up his guilty conscience.

Compared to Ji Moqiu, Shen Tang realized her conscience was somewhat impure. Just as she was thinking about how to ease the awkwardness, Gu Chi and the others arrived after receiving the message. Before they saw them, their voices were heard: "My lord, we heard that General Shao Xuan has sent military intelligence?"

Shen Tang knew he was worried about Bai Su's safety—Bai Su went to the front line before her cultivation level was stable, and she didn't have time to familiarize herself with her strength, so she was likely to suffer losses in actual combat—so she first reassured Gu Chi: "Shao Xuanwu has excellent luck. He made great contributions as soon as he met with the Duke of Lu, broke the enemy's plan, and sent someone to deliver 'spoils of war'."

Qi Shan noticed the pile of things on the ground as soon as she arrived.

"These are the spoils of war?"

Aside from the corpse, which might have some history, the other two items were not very clear. Shen Tang introduced them one by one, and at the end, she complained about the mess that Wu Guo had made: "...I'll have to ask Wei Lou later how many old geezers are still alive in Wu Guo."

Isn't she a sacred object of the Gongxi clan?

As a descendant of the Gongxi clan, the ruler of the Wu Kingdom not only left her no political capital, but also directly and indirectly created a mountain of messes for her. Seven or eight out of ten of the trials and tribulations she's faced over the past decade were caused by the Wu Kingdom. Is this the treatment reserved for a sacred relic?

Qi Shan said, "I'm afraid even he himself doesn't know."

Let alone the Wu Kingdom of yesteryear, even in the current Kang Kingdom, could Luan Xin, the Minister of Personnel, possibly remember every official in the royal court? Officials in the capital, local officials, those with official positions, those without... even Qin Li, who holds the roster, probably couldn't remember them all.

Shen Tang: "...That's true."

Actually, she doesn't remember either.

Qi Shan squatted down and grabbed a handful of lime from the ground, showing great interest. Shen Tang reached out and slapped the back of his hand: "Are you a cat? Don't you know that curiosity killed the cat? You dare to touch anything?"

His hand was visibly red, with several finger marks visible on it.

Qi Shan said, "This is a fine item."

Gu Chi echoed, "I've always heard that ghosts and monsters haunt certain places. Now that I think about it, that might be the crux of the problem."

Shen Tang: "It is indeed a good thing. The High Priest just suggested that it could be mined and utilized. Perhaps we could record the plays of the Pear Garden Opera Troupe and then take them to other places for multiple performances."

Gu Chi and Qi Shan both fell into an eerie silence for a few moments.

The way he looked at Shen Tang seemed to be condemning something.

What a waste of resources! What a waste of resources!

Qi Shan patted the dust off his hands: "...What I mean is, since this thing can cause hallucinations, it must be some kind of naturally occurring poison that few people know about. In that case, why not throw it into the enemy's water source to defeat them?"

Gu Chi, who was standing to the side, nodded in agreement.

“My views are similar to Yuanliang’s.”

Shen Tang: "..."

Amidst the puzzled looks from Qi Shan and the other, she slapped her face and said, "Yuanliang, the three of us can strike the wooden fish when we have nothing to do."

Merit +1, Merit +1, Merit +1...

Qi Shan looked at Gu Chi questioningly.

Gu Chi said, "The master is saying that we are too immoral."

Striking a wooden fish increases one's merit.

Qi Shan: "...What's so immoral about that?"

Isn't contaminating the enemy's food and water sources a basic operation in war? To have the opportunity to poison and not use it—that's just plain stupid. The enemy is throwing poisonous insects at our side; all they're doing is throwing stones back—how is that considered immoral? He was utterly perplexed, and at one point even doubted whether he had been keeping up with the ever-changing battlefield during his two years as regent.

Shen Tang: "..."

Ji Moqiu said, "Although it is a poisonous substance, to achieve the effect that Qi Zhongshu wants, one person has to eat three to five pounds of stones raw."

This is clearly unrealistic and not feasible.

Upon hearing this, Qi Shan abandoned the idea, and Gu Chi also looked regretful. However, when he thought of how Bai Su and Wu Xian had suffered a great loss because of the Gu worms raised by the enemy, he was naturally unwilling to let it end like this, being the vengeful person he was: "The High Priest is a master of raising Gu worms, can we retaliate in kind?"

Ji Moqiu shook his head and refused.

If this method were available, he would have used it long ago.

Using it on a small scale like Lin Feng is fine, but large-scale use will invite divine retribution, and in the end, the blame will fall on Her Highness, which will be very detrimental to her tribulation. Heaven wants to see the royal army uphold humanity, not for external forces to rudely interfere in the affairs of the human race.

If Heaven allowed him to do this, he might as well set up an altar and see if he could get lucky and negotiate with some deity to restart the world at the point of the Great Cataclysm. If he could reverse cause and effect, everything after the Great Cataclysm could be avoided.

Naturally, Your Highness doesn't need to suffer here in misery.

The problem is that Heaven will not allow it.

He is stingy, domineering, and likes to make people guess his thoughts.

In short—

In the stillness of dusk, a thunderclap suddenly boomed overhead, and a bolt of lightning struck without warning not far from the camp, snapping the flag in two.

Shen Tang's nerves tightened: "An enemy attack?"

Stepping out of the tent, they noticed a small commotion outside. The patrolling soldiers stared at the flags and corpses with fear and war, puzzled as to why lightning had suddenly struck in such fine weather. They knew that such weather was usually monitored by designated personnel, and they suspected the enemy had arrived.

For this reason, Shen Tang even took to the air to investigate for a while.

There wasn't even a shadow of the enemy, let alone a trace of them.

The main force is currently still within the territory of Kang State. There are only two possibilities for the enemy to appear here: either the border troops fought the enemy in advance and suffered a crushing defeat, and the news did not even have time to be sent over; or someone in the enemy camp has come to cause trouble because they are confident in their strength.

At present, it seems to be neither.

"...There's not even a cloud, what kind of lightning is this?" After the false alarm, Shen Tang angrily pointed to the sky and cursed.

You should know that people in this world are still very superstitious.

Such inexplicable changes in celestial phenomena can be misinterpreted by those with ulterior motives. On a grand scale, it can be used to smear Shen Tang, accusing her of tyrannical conquest and putting her in a passive position in terms of public opinion. On a smaller scale, it can also disrupt the morale of the army and intimidate the soldiers.

If soldiers' minds waver, their morale will easily become unstable.

Therefore, it is only natural for Shen Tang to point to the sky and curse.

"Crack! Crack! Crack! I'll find a cannon to blast you later!" Shen Tang cursed, but he kicked over the fire stand next to him.

Ji Moqiu, ashamed, apologized.

Shen Tang looked puzzled: "I didn't scold you?"

Why would he apologize for nothing?

Shen Tang recalled Ji Moqiu's conversation with Qi Shan and assumed that his apology was because he refused to use Gu worms: "...Ever since the Gu calamity in Wu Kingdom, the use of Gu worms on the battlefield has caused countless deaths and widespread resentment. If recorded in history books, it is easy for future generations to criticize us for being immoral. If we don't use them, then we don't use them. The absence of Gu worms will not prevent us from winning battles."

Gu worms are still considered unorthodox practices by the world.

If misused and out of control, the Wu Kingdom serves as a cautionary tale.

Shen Tang didn't want to dig a big hole for herself.

Ji Moqiu stammered, "I apologize for Lei Ting just now."

"Why would the High Priest make thunder for no reason?" Shen Tang was filled with three big question marks, having not detected any martial energy fluctuations earlier.

Ji Moqiu said timidly, "This shows a lack of respect for the Way of Heaven."

He didn't say it aloud, but he did grumble a few times in his heart.

The Dao of Heaven is omnipresent; as long as His existence is mentioned, even if it is merely whispered in one's mind, it will be perceived by the other. The restrictions He placed on him also constantly remind him of this—the Dao of Heaven knows everything he thinks and does.

Shen Tang: "...Is He sick?"

After finishing his rant, he looked up at the sky, but there was no sound.

"Old man? Old Deng? Old codger?"

Both she and Qi Shan looked at Ji Moqiu with suspicion.

Shen Tang was a little better off; she knew that Ji Moqiu had a connection with the gods, so she didn't make things too difficult for him. However, Qi Shan and the other two didn't believe in superstitions.

"I have never seen such a miracle before. Is there truly a Heavenly Way?"

When he was in adversity, he did curse God for being blind, asking why there was no thunder warning back then.

Ji Moqiu covered her mouth and chirped softly.

"...Old Dong..."

Before the word "west" could be pronounced, a bolt of lightning, as thick as an index finger, struck down and landed right at Ji Moqiu's feet.

Qi Shan: "...Old man?"

Gu Chi joined in the fun: "...Old man?"

Everyone else could yell at him without any reaction, but Ji Moqiu couldn't utter a single swear word; the slightest provocation would trigger a thunderous warning. Faced with Shen Tang's puzzled yet curious gaze, Ji Moqiu smiled wryly: "He..."

A thought flashed through Shen Tang's mind: "He bullies the weak and fears the strong?"

Ji Moqiu doesn't look soft at all.

"...Sigh, in short, they just don't like me."

Shen Tang commented, "The old man is quite petty."

For ordinary mortals, the "Way of Heaven" is an existence completely beyond comprehension. He harbors a grudge against Ji Moqiu, whose cricket's chirp triggered a thunderous warning, akin to an ant colony having a small ant curse someone nearby, and that person then digging up the anthill to find the ant and scare it again… Isn't that just being incredibly bored?

Qi Shan and the other person looked thoughtful.

"He will get angry if the high priest shows the slightest disrespect?"

Qi Shan and Shen Tang shared similar thoughts; they could not regard such a petty being as "the Way of Heaven," and could only use Him as a substitute.

Ji Moqiu nodded: "Yes, but it's not His fault."

He wasn't targeting Ji Moqiu specifically; He was simply discriminating against everyone who appeared on the path of the Holy King's Red Phoenix.

"It's just a warning; it won't really annihilate me." Ji Moqiu was very confident about this.

"Not only do they bully the weak and fear the strong, but they're also all bark and no bite?"

Ji Moqiu: "..."

Your Highness's assessment is both apt and insightful.

Ji Moqiu revealed a stubborn and pure smile: "We've gotten through all these years, Your Highness doesn't need to be angry with me."

He was mostly mild-mannered and compliant, unlike the other victims who were explosive and hard-tempered, because he knew that going against the will of Heaven would do him no good—well, as long as His Highness was not involved, he generally would not disobey Him: "It's much better now."

Shen Tang didn't understand the hidden meaning behind his words, but a feeling of pity welled up inside her uncontrollably: "You've suffered..."

Just then, Qi Shan put his arm around Ji Mo Qiu's shoulder.

The former's eyes shone with an astonishing light: "The high priest disrespected Him, and He unleashed a thunderbolt. Was there any other expenditure involved in this process?"

Should we use martial energy/divine power or something similar?

Ji Moqiu: "No."

He had a bad feeling.

As expected—

"So, isn't this a risk-free business?"

A barrage of thunderous attacks, enough to burn a little saliva.

Is there a more cost-effective attack method than this?

Ji Moqiu: "..."

He swallowed hard, avoiding Qi Shan's burning gaze—Qi Zhongshu's suggestion wasn't aimed at the enemy, but clearly at him. If he wanted to utterly destroy him, he could have just said so; there was no need to use someone else to do the dirty work.

Qi Shan understood his silence: "No?"

Ji Moqiu could only grit his teeth and say, "I still have a mission to complete, and now is not the time to sacrifice myself for righteousness..."

Heaven's patience with him was very limited.

The first few times were warnings; if he dared to push his luck, he would be struck by lightning, the kind of annihilating lightning that he absolutely could not overcome.

Upon hearing this, Qi Shan could only regret that yet another shortcut had been blocked.

Ji Moqiu secretly wiped away the cold sweat.

Seeing that Qi Shan and Gu Chi had withdrawn their eager gazes, and considering their positions in His Highness's heart, he bit his lip and said, "Although this method is not feasible, I do have a plan..."

"I am all ears."

Ji Moqiu pointed to the stone powder on the ground: "Although this stuff cannot directly harm people, it can be used to amplify the effect of the military formation illusion, making the illusion more realistic, and perhaps it can have a miraculous effect."

The principle behind the military formation illusion is to influence the enemy's mind through the power of words, creating a false impression. Stone powder has a similar effect. As long as radiation is ignored, this stone powder is an excellent auxiliary material for setting up formations.

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The publisher suddenly tagged Big Eye Boy and said that the physical book of "Refund Emperor" would be available online on the 22nd.