NOVPUB
Chapter 506: 502
Gu Jinlai transformed into a streak of flowing light and quickly arrived at the City Lord Mansion.
Many had already fled the City Lord Mansion to the outside of the city, and some were even preparing to escape.
However, with Gu Jinlai taking control of the Array Core, the inside and outside of Wind and Rain City had been completely isolated, except for those Martial Kings and Devas who received the news and made decisive moves at the first opportunity. The rest were trapped like turtles in a jar.
In the following days, they would inevitably pay the price for their years of exploiting the common people in Wind and Rain City.
Within Wind and Rain City, there was no shortage of upright individuals like Han Qing and Huang Risheng, who harbored passionate ideals but were forced to conceal their true thoughts due to reality.
Because they loved this land in their hearts and knew that only by uniting could they truly defend against the Devil invasion and preserve human civilization.
Originally, Zhao Hua, Wu Tianya, Jin Fantian, and Cao Wudao ensured their positions by forming pacts through mutual backscratching and binding all Martial Saints to their chariot with shared interests. Although Wind and Rain City was plunged into darkness and they did not dare to stand out and resist, they at least would not join the corruption.
Although their inaction had indirect effects, causing many to be marked as Yellow or even Light Red, with Gu Jinlai’s official takeover of Wind and Rain City, allowing them to act freely would soon enable their Karma to recover.
Similarly, due to the presence of these individuals, Gu Jinlai’s actions sped up after taking over the City Lord Mansion.
One by one, Domain Masters and Vice Domain Masters were summoned.
After conducting on-the-spot trials of twenty-three people, including seven primary and sixteen ancillary, the surviving Domain Masters rushed to their respective jurisdictions. With the City Guard Army blocking all passages, they exerted all their efforts to manage the logistics of civilian supplies, ensuring no major incidents would arise during these three days.
Gu Jinlai also made a special trip to the Martial Saint Institute.
He found that Dean Wu Tianya seemed always prepared to retreat, leaving almost nothing behind in the institute.
Having no family or descendants, his departure was clean and complete.
Eventually, Gu Jinlai had no choice but to entrust Yan Lie with the temporary position of Dean.
In the subsequent time, one by one, Domain Masters and Vice Domain Masters...
Or rather, the newly appointed Domain Masters and Vice Domain Masters, were continually busy across the city.
The similarly newly appointed chiefs of the City Guard Army were responsible for every corner.
As for Gu Jinlai...
His figure occasionally swept through the void.
Almost every time he circled above Wind and Rain City, numerous or even dozens of Thunders struck down, incinerating those who violated the law or exploited their power to monopolize resources during the city’s lockdown.
In a world where tremendous powers are concentrated in a few, the efficiency of actions driven by those in upper positions, if they truly wish to implement any measure, is unparalleled.
The difference merely lies in whether these people are willing or not.
After all, many times the related interests are intricately complex and intertwined into a vast web, preventing those caught within from effectively acting despite their desires.
Only outsiders like Gu Jinlai, forcefully disrupting the status quo with power and tearing apart the web of interests, could smoothly push forward policies and ensure justice and order.
...
Three days later, the City Protection Array of Wind and Rain City was reactivated.
Between those personally tried by Gu Jinlai, the numbers reached hundreds, and together with those apprehended by the City Guard Army and various departments of the City Lord Mansion for disciplinary violations, the total soared to tens of thousands...
Although there might be innocents among these tens of thousands, most were problematic.
It was merely a matter of the severity of their offenses.
In fact, this number remained after Gu Jinlai had personally interrogated and released a group.
Had it not been for Gu Jinlai’s involvement in the scrutiny, releasing some and executing others, this number could have easily escalated to over a hundred thousand.
This sweeping operation within the closed city clarified the atmosphere within the entire Inner City of Wind and Rain City.
So much so that even after the reactivation of the City Protection Array, the Inner City remained eerily silent and deserted.
Especially the major families were hiding in their own compounds, sternly instructing their members not to go out.
Without these people to spend, high-end venues could not find their usual bustle.
Regarding this, Gu Jinlai did not force a change.
Drastic times call for drastic measures!
Wind and Rain City was about to face a sweeping wave of demons, and under such circumstances, the purge was quite necessary.
Many were dealt with severely and strictly.
And those who had accomplished something and were marked as Light Red were mostly enlisted by Gu Jinlai into the suicide squad.
During the Devil attacks, they would be the first to resist.
If they could survive three days without dying and make amends for their wrongdoings, Gu Jinlai agreed to show them leniency.
...
At this moment, inside the Wind and Rain City Lord’s Mansion, Han Qing, Huang Risheng, and the only Domain Master not executed on the spot, Su Shian, were reporting the current situation of Wind and Rain City to him.
After listening for a while, Gu Jinlai made broad decisions.
The details would still have to be handled by them.
After all, in their fields of expertise, Gu Jinlai did not believe he could perform better than these individuals.
Having given his orders, his gaze once again turned to Su Shian, "Has the new Dean of the Demon-slaying Hall selected his staff? I need a group of people to continuously report to me the latest movements of the demons in Dragon Tears Valley."
"I have a suitable person here, but..."
Su Shian looked at Gu Jinlai, hesitated for a moment, and said, "He was once on the Demonic Cultist roster..."
Gu Jinlai gave him a look.
Clearly, this was a test.
They wanted to know his attitude towards the Out-of-Control and Demonic Cultists.
However, Gu Jinlai did not respond immediately, but simply said, "Bring the person here for me to see first. If he has been falsely accused, I can clear his name. If he indeed deserves his punishment... then no one can blame me for enforcing the law."
"Understood, I will call him over now."
Su Shian complied.
After Gu Jinlai had reviewed the preparations for the accommodation, food, clothing, and transportation of ten million refugees in Wind and Rain City, a figure was brought in.
Upon seeing this person, Gu Jinlai identified him immediately.
"Ji Lie."
Ranked fifth on the Demonic Cultist list.
Peak Heavenly Being.
When Gu Jinlai slain Jin Yuhai in the past, the intense and brilliant Power of Great Sun he displayed was regarded by many as a Divine Skill wielded by Ji Lie.
The Divine Skill he mastered, the True Vacuum Flame Burst, indeed had some similarities to the energy release in the Nuclear Fusion of the Eternal Furnace.
All involved intense light, flames, and high temperatures.
Gu Jinlai naturally saw the strength of Karma on him.
This one actually had the same Yellow status as Ding Zhongyuan.
"A Demonic Cultist?"
Gu Jinlai looked at Ji Lie, somewhat surprised, "Do you know Ding Zhongyuan?"
"Yes."
Ji Lie nodded, "But I don’t share the same views as Ding Zhongyuan and the others. Their ultimate goal is to recruit knowledgeable individuals to Immortal Country to give it a greater advantage in the fight against the Devils. But... they might never have considered one issue, if they recruit all individuals like the Ancient City Lord, what will happen to the Holy Dynasty? What will happen to the four billion individuals of the Human Clan? If the Holy Dynasty cannot even deter the Devils, who will be responsible for the lives of these four billion people?"
He calmly said, "Therefore, I did not accept Ding Zhongyuan’s invitation. I decided to stay in the Holy Dynasty, and try my utmost to change it, to save it!"
Gu Jinlai looked at him and nodded.
Ding Zhongyuan came from the Immortal Country, and it was natural for him, from his perspective, to want to recruit all the masters of the Holy Dynasty to confront the Devils directly.
If the main forces of the Devils could be defeated, then the rescue efforts for the Holy Dynasty and other struggling powers would surely follow.
But Ji Lie...
He was branded as a Demonic Cultist for other reasons, but he hadn’t given up on Wind and Rain City or the Holy Dynasty. He was still fighting the high ranks of Wind and Rain City and the Holy Dynasty with his own methods, in hopes of awakening the upper echelon as he had promised them in the past, to unite and fight against the Devils.
"Work with me from now on, let’s unite first and get through this demonic tide," said Gu Jinlai.
Ji Lie looked at Gu Jinlai, "Do you really plan to use me? I am known in many cities, and the news spreading out will greatly hinder your stabalization in your position as Lord of Wind and Rain City."
"Lord of Wind and Rain City?"
Gu Jinlai chuckled lightly, "I don’t care about that."
He looked at Ji Lie, "If all Demonic Cultists were people like you, who can stick to their beliefs rather than devolving into monsters for their own desires, then, Demonic Cultists, I welcome as many as you can bring."
Ji Lie was somewhat shaken by what Gu Jinlai had said.
Even though they had been secretly observing Gu Jinlai for a while and knew he was different from others...
They had never expected him to be so bold.
Openly accepting Demonic Cultists!?
This was directly challenging the Holy Dynasty.
He stared at Gu Jinlai for a long while before slowly recovering and said solemnly, "I understand now, Ancient City Lord, rest assured, I will not let you down."
"Hmm, your identities... are more suitable for secretly maintaining order in Wind and Rain City rather than probing the movements of Devils, to prevent anyone with ulterior motives from wreaking havoc amid the chaos of the demonic tide... therefore, I plan to set up a Hidden Dragon Guard, which you will be fully in charge of. How does that sit with you?"
"I am willing to follow the Ancient City Lord’s dispatch."
Ji Lie bowed slightly and also said, "I know some people, the leaders among them are the brothers Xuanzhen, Zhen Hai, and Yun Qiong. Over the years, they have wandered in the wilderness, slaying Devils and contributing to the expansion of the human survival space within their capacity. With their help in scouting, any movement of the Devils in Dragon Tears Valley can be known to you, Ancient City Lord, at the very first moment."
"Good!"
Gu Jinlai nodded, "If they sincerely devote all their energy to the extermination of Devils and did not cause harm, after defeating the Dragon Tears Demon Emperor, they will be the new members of the Demon-slaying Hall."
"I thank you on their behalf in advance, Ancient City Lord."
Ji Lie bowed slightly.
Subsequently, Ji Lie brought a group of people for Gu Jinlai to review one by one.
This group included the Heavenly Being powerhouses Xuanzhen, Zhen Hai, and Yun Qiong.
Although most of these people had reached the Light Red status, none had Karma like blood.
Upon seeing this, Gu Jinlai was also liberally entrusted them with major responsibilities.
In just a few days, the size of Gu Jinlai’s team had swelled by more than tenfold.
Although there were no Martial Saints or Saints joining yet, the total number of Devas and Martial Kings had already exceeded a hundred.
The scale was now much larger than it had been in the Outer City District.
