The Court's Intentions, the Emperor's Intentions

At this moment, the Werewolf Teacher standing to the side spoke up:

"You little rascal, didn't I already tell you this in class?"

"Every divine object comes with a price."

"This is because the human body is not a divine body. It's like a child using an adult's tools to do work. Over time, this will inevitably lead to health problems."

Gao Linzhi was speechless for a moment.

The other party did indeed say that.

Gao Linzhi then dropped the subject.

From this detail alone, he knew that his relationship with the headmaster was merely one of mutual exploitation.

There's no such thing as a free lunch.

There's no such thing as a free lunch.

Unless it's your parents.

Without any reason, and without being related by blood or marriage, why would someone tell you everything in advance if you don't take the initiative to ask?

At that moment, the headmaster looked at the ceremony that had been set up in mid-air.

Three rings are nested together, of different sizes, with a large demon head enshrined in the center.

Each ring is strung with a large amount of material.

"Alright, this sacrificial ceremony is now complete."

"We're just waiting for the right moment to launch it."

At this moment, Gao Linzhi asked, "Headmaster, what if the imperial court sabotages us after we leave?"

"Hehe, this sacrificial array has its own method of concealment, and once it is set up, it establishes a mysterious connection with the strange being being worshipped. Whoever breaks it will be targeted by that strange being, and there will be no end to them."

"In short, we'd love for the imperial court to do that," the headmaster said with a smile.

"I see. The only chance to disrupt the sacrificial ritual is before it takes shape," Gao Linzhi suddenly realized.

This reminded him of a story in Journey to the West where a prefect was punished by the Jade Emperor for knocking over the offering table.

This is the same principle.

For the imperial court, collecting tributes was important, but being targeted by powerful and strange entities was even more troublesome.

After weighing the two options, they preferred to forgo offerings rather than allow a powerful monster to target them.

"That's exactly right."

After saying that, the headmaster pointed his finger, and the three rings disappeared into thin air.

"Let's go to the next location."

Gao Linzhi nodded.

At the same time.

Players who are aware of the huge hidden dangers of this Dice of Fairness have yet to make any new moves.

"Damn it, these natives are all bad, the imperial court is like that, and so are the rebels."

"They gave us this kind of reward for the mission, but didn't even mention its side effects!"

"Heh, what kind of bottom line can you expect from a bunch of servile bastards?"

"Damn it, I'm not doing this mission."

The players weren't stupid; one by one, they chose to abandon the mission.

Of course, they didn't immediately betray their faction; instead, they began to observe and wait.

They only want to reap the benefits, not pay such a heavy price.

Their only plan was to play both sides, seeing which company offered the highest price and then doing the job for that company.

At this time, the Daoist Academy did not find the situation troublesome.

After all, they knew that players would eventually be tempted by profits and help them do things.

They never expected player loyalty.

While such methods can only deceive people temporarily, they cannot deceive them forever.

To be honest, the Daoist Academy never intended to deceive everyone forever; they only needed to use the players briefly.

They really need a useful group like players, but it's impossible for them to confide in them completely.

Because they are equally wary of players—after all, fundamentally, they share the same stance as the imperial court.

Once they become the ruling dynasty, they will still have to deal with the players.

So this dice game was actually a test for the players.

If players are not immune to its negative effects, then they can use it without worry.

This is because it means that players also cannot withstand the anomalies.

They can continue to use players to fight against the imperial court and against the supernatural.

Conversely, if players can ignore the negative effects and easily defeat the monsters, they will immediately change course and it will only be a short-term use.

For an ordinary person to cultivate into a mid-to-high-level expert, they must have good aptitude and it would take 20 to 30 years, but players only need a few years.

There's not even a need to overthink the qualifications.

Once you've mastered a skill, you can quickly level it up through experience.

This is their unique advantage.

Now, it turns out that, while the player's advantage is significant, it doesn't outweigh the threat posed by the anomalies.

Players can also be Mutation Tier.

Given this situation, the Daoist Academy also doesn't want to lose the player community.

So they offered some compensation for the task.

Each player who receives this die will receive special herbs in subsequent quests that can mitigate its negative effects.

"I've got it! We can eat this herb to counteract its negative effects!"

"I told you, the NPCs couldn't be too bad."

"Yes, we still have value."

Capital Island.

The Fourth Prince's Mansion.

The Fourth Prince returned in a rage, pacing back and forth in the main hall.

"Today, I have submitted a report to the court, stating that the Daoist Academy has malicious intentions and is setting traps everywhere. I hope that in addition to eliminating the royal assassins, the court will also request the Imperial Observatory to send top experts to fight."

"Unfortunately, those high-ranking officials turned a blind eye, saying that they were just like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, and that it was not worth paying attention to."

"They said that experts should not act rashly and should remain stationed on the Capital Island. If they were to move, powerful monsters would take advantage of the situation, and the entire nation would be in danger of collapse."

The three players were also surprised.

With the fire raging right before their eyes, how could these ministers still remain seated?

Yes, these ministers have a way out; at worst, they can simply seek refuge with the Daoist Academy in the future.

They naturally weren't in a hurry.

"I understand. This is because the ministers have intricate connections with the local Feudal Lords. If the channels for the court to collect tributes are blocked, it will benefit them," Player One said confidently.

"What you say is true, sir. How come I didn't think of that!" The Fourth Prince suddenly realized.

This explanation is reasonable.

It's no wonder he couldn't think of it, because this is something that has happened repeatedly throughout history.

The imperial court was clearly short of money to quell the rebellion, but it just couldn't collect any silver.

Even though the rebel army was already close to the city, the wealthy families just couldn't afford to pay their soldiers, and in the end, they all sat there and were slaughtered by the rebels.

This is a classic example of the "Prisoner's Dilemma".

Everyone felt that since they had taken money, and others hadn't, they were at a huge disadvantage.

The result was that no one took the money.

When the dynasty finally collapsed, most of these wealthy families perished along with it.

Because massacres and plundering are common occurrences in chaotic times.

"Damn it, damn it, those high-ranking officials are indeed problematic."

"It's best to use officials from this city or island for important positions in the imperial court!" the Fourth Prince said.

Player Two shook his head. "In that case, the imperial court and the local authorities will only become more alienated."

"Because they have no future in the imperial court, they can only manage their own small plot of land."

"What does 'Imperial Observatory' mean?" Player Three asked.

"The supervisor said that we should only follow the public's opinion," the Fourth Prince said angrily.

"Oh, so saying that is the same as saying nothing at all."

Did the Saint not issue a direct decree?

The Fourth Prince said helplessly, "The Saint reprimanded me for making a mountain out of a molehill and for not being composed enough, and told me to gain more experience."

"Uh..." The three players were very curious.

They had only heard that the current emperor rarely went out and generally did not show his face.

However, at this time, it was not appropriate to inquire about the emperor's situation from the prince.

Are you inquiring about this because you're planning a rebellion?

However, they still have a way.

"Um, I wonder if the Saint has any poems or literary works that have been passed down?"

They wanted to use these things to peek into the Saint.

The Fourth Prince immediately understood the other party's intention, but it didn't matter.

Because these princes, too, were constantly scheming against the emperor.

"Ask the housekeeper about these things."

The three players then understood what the Fourth Prince meant.

It's not appropriate for a son to talk about his father's affairs.

Soon, they found the steward of the Prince's mansion, and the four of them ate and chatted in a Secret Room.

Compared to the others, the butler initially looked down on these players, feeling that they had no sense of hierarchy.

However, as time went on, he found himself actually liking these players.

Because these players subconsciously treat him as a person... for example, when asking him to do something, they would say "please".

If I buy something, I'll give him a copy too.

This kind of recognition was different from the way the young masters in the mansion called him "Grandpa Lai".

The young masters call him "Grandpa" only because of his power. The day he loses the prince's trust, he will become a tool and a dog again.

Essentially, the young masters still don't treat him as a human being.

It's merely a vessel of power: like an imperial seal or stamp.

Yes, that's the most important point.

The way others looked at him was that of a tool, an object.

If it stops working properly, replace it immediately.

"May I ask who the current Saint...?" the player began.

The steward of the Prince's mansion looked around at the soundproofing array of the Secret Room before saying:

"Saint are not to be mentioned in ordinary times, but I understand what you gentlemen mean."

"Our Saint was actually single-mindedly focused on cultivating the Tao, hoping to Immortality."

"Therefore, he dislikes all kinds of turmoil and prefers stability and peace of mind, and he prefers that nothing cause him any trouble."

Upon hearing this, the player shook his head and said, "In that case, since this Daoist Academy has started causing trouble, the Saint should have eliminated it immediately."

"No, you don't understand the Saint's mind. Although the Daoist Academy is causing trouble, they are also researching the methods of Immortality," the steward said with a smile.

"Tell me, is it better to have fewer places researching the methods of Immortality, or more?"

"Oh, I see, this is the catfish effect. It means that if you put a catfish in a group of lifeless fish, it will make everyone more active." Player Two suddenly realized.

"Hehe, the catfish effect is a rumor, don't you know? In reality, putting catfish in won't make the fish more active; it will only make the transported fish die faster. The only way to change this is to improve the environment and advance the system," Player Three shook his head and said.

The butler couldn't understand, but was deeply shocked.

He quickly replied, "That's exactly the point. That's why the Saint wouldn't approve of the Prince's idea of eliminating the Daoist Academy."

"But does the Daoist Academy really have a way to achieve Immortality?" Player One couldn't help but ask doubtfully.

"Of course! It's said they have a headmaster of the academy who has lived for a thousand years," the butler said enviously.

How can this be proven?

"Of course, it was said by some Divine Anomalies being itself."

"And that Divine Anomalies object has been worshipped since the beginning of this dynasty. It said from the start that every emperor would ask it about the top 100 longest-lived people in the world, and this mountain chief ranked fifth in the world, with a lifespan of over a thousand years."

"So, what about the first four?"

"The first four are: the Immortal Pine Person with a lifespan of 5,000 years, the Ginkgo Daoist with a lifespan of 4,000 years, the Redwood Monk with a lifespan of 3,000 years, and the Old Beggar of Heavenly Stone with a lifespan of 2,000 years."

"Huh, why are the first three all related to trees?" The three players immediately became curious.

"This is naturally because trees are the longest-lived and most easily accepted type of plant that people have ever seen."

"Just like people often say that turtles live for a thousand years and tortoises live for ten thousand years, in reality, very few tortoises live that long. On the other hand, many people have seen thousand-year-old pine trees, and some have even planted them themselves," the butler sighed.

The three nodded; that was indeed the truth.

Then they felt something was off.

"If this continues, isn't the emperor worried that once the Daoist Academy rise to power, they might overthrow the court?"

The butler thought to himself, "You guys are really bold, daring to say anything."

However, he patiently explained, "Whether or not the throne is overthrown is a major issue for the imperial court."

"But it means nothing to Saint."

"The Saint possesses profound power and is not afraid of the court being overthrown; he has nowhere to go."

"For Saint, as long as he can Immortality, whether there is a court or not is irrelevant."

Upon hearing this, the three players understood.

"I see."

"Yes, everyone knows this but doesn't say it aloud; it can only be discussed privately, not openly."

"Our emperor is not attached to power and often neglects court duties, indulging in the pursuit of Immortality."

"But he's also worried that if someone else comes up, they'll cause chaos, so he won't give up his position."

This mindset is perfectly normal.

There are too many people occupying positions without doing anything.

After discussing it for a while, the four of them realized that it was almost impossible to defeat the Daoist Academy through the imperial court.

Because even Saint wouldn't want to do that.

Unless the Daoist Academy poses a significant threat that could endanger his life.

Right now, the Daoist Academy is just causing some disturbances.

Therefore, it seems that dealing with the Daoist Academy has become impossible.

This explains why the Daoist Academy acted so recklessly, causing trouble everywhere, without fear of the imperial court coming to clean up the mess.

It turns out that there was a tacit understanding among them at the top.

"In that case, let's have a good talk with the Fourth Prince and tell him not to cause trouble," Player One said helplessly.

"Sigh, how do we resolve this situation?" Player Two sighed as well.

Are we going to advise the prince to give up?

"The prince now just wants to do something big and let the emperor know that he's different from everyone else."

At this moment, the steward of the Prince's mansion said:

"Actually, we don't need to defeat the Daoist Academy. We just need to appear to have done more work and done it better than the other princes."

"For example, we can solve more problems for the imperial court."

The butler's words revealed the secret.

The three of them suddenly realized.