The Dragon King Cried: "Please, Be Human!"

The smile on that Jie Sect disciple's face was as standard as if it had been measured with a ruler.

He slowly tucked away the Notice of Consequences, enough to make even a Sage retreat, and picked up the household registration Jade Slip again, as if the Dragon King's fury, which had nearly overturned the East Sea, was nothing more than a trivial hiccup in the workflow.

He cleared his throat, his voice still steady, without a trace of ripple.

"Very well, Your Majesty."

"Then, let us continue now."

"Regarding the declaration of fixed assets for you personally and the Dragon Clan, may I ask..."

"Will you choose to declare voluntarily, or shall our office conduct a Direct Access to the Heavenly Dao Data Backend, supplemented by an On-site Asset Inventory?"

Ao Guang slumped on his throne, his eyes vacant.

His massive dragon body seemed to have shrunk several sizes, making even the splendid palace behind him feel empty.

Voluntary declaration?

That meant he would have to personally list out the Dragon Clan's accumulated wealth of countless millennia, item by item, like a merchant.

Direct access and on-site inventory?

That would tear off the Dragon Palace's last shred of dignity, leaving it trampled for all to see.

His lips moved, and a series of unintelligible gurgling sounds came from his throat, like a fish thrown onto the shore.

Finally, he squeezed out a few words through clenched teeth.

"Vo...lun...ta...ry...de...cla...ra...tion."

"Received."

The disciple lightly tapped his Jade Pen, marking the Jade Slip, then began the next round of questions.

"How many Innate Spiritual Treasures are under Your Majesty's name? What are their grades?"

"...One, lower grade, the Sea-Calming Pearl."

Ao Guang's voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum.

"How many Houtian Spiritual Treasures are in the Dragon Palace treasury in total? How many upper grade, middle grade, and lower grade each?"

"...Total, three thousand six hundred and fifty-two. Upper grade... one hundred and eight."

"Within the East Sea, how many Houtian Spiritual Roots have been confirmed? Among them, how many are suitable for alchemy or artifact refining?"

"..."

Question after question, precise, cold, and straight to the core.

Ao Guang felt he wasn't declaring assets; he was being flayed alive.

Every treasure he reported, every spirit vein he named, was like a piece of flesh cut from his own body.

Behind him, the dragon sons and grandsons hung their heads low, fists clenched, nails digging deep into their palms, but not daring to make a sound.

The wealth and heritage they prided themselves on had, in this moment, become evidence for a public execution.

A full Shichen passed.

When the asset declaration finally ended, Ao Guang seemed drained of all spirit, aged by a hundred thousand years.

But before he could catch his breath.

The disciple had already turned to the next page of the Jade Slip.

"Very well, Your Majesty. The basic asset information has been verified."

"Next, we enter the 'Family Members and Social Relations' registration section."

Ao Guang's eyelids twitched violently.

"May I ask, how many wives and concubines do you currently have? Among them, how many principal wives, how many equal wives, and how many concubines?"

"...One principal wife, three hundred concubines."

Ao Guang's voice was now tinged with tears.

"Received."

The disciple's expression remained unchanged as he continued recording.

"May I ask, among your three hundred and one spouses, how many are pure-blooded Dragon Clan? How many are sub-dragon bloodlines? How many are from other Aquatic Clan bloodlines?"

"Thud."

Behind Ao Guang, the Third Prince Ao Bing's legs gave way, and he sat down directly on the ground, his face full of disbelief.

Checking the household register...

To this extent?!

Ao Guang's body began to tremble uncontrollably.

This question was no longer an insult.

It was a stab to the heart.

The continuation of the Dragon Clan's bloodline was their final pride, and also their greatest pain.

Now, it was to be so nakedly recorded, in the form of numbers, upon a cold, impersonal form!

"I... I don't remember!"

Ao Guang let out a despairing roar.

"It's alright, Your Majesty."

That disciple still maintained a perfect smile. From his bosom, he drew out another Jade Slip.

"This is the Primordial Bloodline Genealogy Identification Form. You need only take a single drop of essence blood, and our department can compare it against Heavenly Dao data. Within three breaths, we can produce a precise result."

"Would you like to proceed, Your Majesty?"

"...No... No need!"

Ao Guang nearly shouted it.

He closed his eyes, his face filled with pain and humiliation, as he recited a string of numbers that made his heart bleed.

That disciple recorded rapidly, constantly confirming aloud.

"Very good. Pure-blood Dragon Clan spouses: seventeen."

"Demi-dragon bloodlines: one hundred twenty-three."

"The rest are all other Aquatic Clan members."

"Next is the registration of offspring information."

"Your Majesty, how many dragon sons and dragon daughters do you have? Among them, how many possess the complete Dragon Clan inheritance?"

"..."

The entire Crystal Palace hall fell into an eerie dead silence.

Only the clear, calm voice of that Jie Sect disciple, and the Dragon King's halting, pain-filled replies, echoed through the empty hall.

This was no longer a census.

It was a public, procedural, bloodless... dissection.

Zhao Gongming stood at the front of the line, hands clasped behind his back, his expression indifferent.

But the hand hidden within his sleeve had long since clenched into a tight fist.

He finally understood, deeply, the true terror of Junior Brother Wuwei's "Process."

What it killed was not the physical body.

What it executed was the Dao Heart!

What it dismantled was all the pride and dignity that a clan, a powerhouse, relied upon to survive!

Another Shichen passed.

When the final question about "Dragon Clan distant relative bloodline dilution ratio" was finished.

Ao Guang collapsed completely onto his throne, like a pile of mud.

His eyes were hollow, staring at the dome of the Crystal Palace, as if he could already see the Dragon Clan's dim and hopeless future.

That disciple finally closed the Jade Slip in his hand.

He took out a specially made seal from the Calamity Aversion Department, engraved with the four characters "Information Verified," and pressed it down heavily.

A flash of mysterious light passed. All the information on that Jade Slip was instantly locked by the power of the Heavenly Dao, never to be altered again.

"Dragon King, Your Majesty."

That disciple bowed respectfully to Ao Guang.

"Your basic information registration is now fully complete. Thank you for your cooperation."

With that, he withdrew back into the line.

Ao Guang, upon hearing this, finally saw a glimmer of light in his hollow eyes.

It was over?

This nightmare... was finally over?

He struggled, trying to stand from his throne, wanting to immediately issue an order of expulsion, to drive this group of plague gods out of the East Sea forever.

But at that moment.

Zhao Gongming, who had remained silent all along, slowly stepped forward.

On his face was a gentle, businesslike smile.

"Dragon King, Your Majesty, you have worked hard."

Ao Guang's heart sank heavily.

"Basic information registration is only the first step of our census work."

Zhao Gongming leisurely drew out two more scrolls from his sleeve.

One was golden.

One was silver.

"To express our gratitude for the Dragon Clan's support of our work, and to better serve all beings of the Three Realms,"

"Our esteemed Immortal Official specifically instructed that, after the census work concludes, two... value-added services be provided to every Daoist friend who cooperated."

He gently unrolled the silver scroll.

"This one is the 'Three Realms Population Census Office Service Quality Feedback and Satisfaction Survey.'"

"You simply need to select one of four options—'Very Satisfied,' 'Satisfied,' 'Average,' or 'Dissatisfied'—based on your experience this time."

"Every evaluation you give is the driving force behind our efforts to improve."

Ao Guang stared fixedly at that survey form, feeling a sweetness rise in his throat as if he might spit out an old mouthful of blood.

A satisfaction survey?

I'll satisfy your—

Before he could finish cursing in his heart, Zhao Gongming had already unrolled the golden scroll.

On that scroll, golden light swirled, and lines of large characters condensed from the power of merit stabbed painfully into his dragon eyes.

"And this one..."

The smile on Zhao Gongming's face grew even warmer.

"Is the service fee settlement list for this 'East Sea Dragon Clan Household Registration' work."

"The total amount due is... one hundred thousand Heavenly Dao Merit."

"Would you like to pay by card, or in cash?"