The "separatist" strategy is the fastest way to achieve a complete power structure in the Divine Path Style playstyle!
There are three paths for players who Divine Path Style. The first is to advance normally, make good use of the characteristics of the gods, benefit the people, gain the support of the masses, achieve great political achievements, be recognized by the court, and rise step by step until they reach the highest position. The gods they bestow titles are spread throughout the world, and their fortune is completely tied to the dynasty. When the dynasty prospers, the divine dynasty prospers; when the dynasty declines, the divine dynasty will also be greatly affected.
This route is the safest, but advancement is difficult and time-consuming, with political relationships having a huge impact, and how to get along with the monarch is also a major issue.
The second type is the Spirit Transformation into a deity. This involves first rising through the ranks of officials to gain popular support, and then being granted the title of deity to benefit a region. However, this doesn't require constant reliance on the emperor's favor to reach the highest position. Instead, one specializes in a particular field, absorbing the people's prestige, and ultimately being granted the title of a great god in a region. For example, specializing in the War God System allows one to join the army, fight on the battlefield to earn a reputation, be worshipped by the army and revered by the people. After being granted the title of God of War multiple times, one can then bestow upon oneself the title of the Great Emperor Zhenwu, in charge of all military affairs, becoming the ultimate God of War.
Alternatively, one could focus on river management, dredging waterways, gaining the obedience of the coastal people and various aquatic creatures, and eventually having all the river deities under one's control. Then, one could assign four dragons to govern the four seas, and ultimately proclaim oneself the Great Emperor of the Four Seas!
These methods are relatively less dependent on the monarch, and once they are finalized, they are not tied to the fate of mortal dynasties. No matter what happens in the world, as long as the Divine Path order under your jurisdiction still exists, it can prosper for generations.
However, this method has a lower ceiling. You can only specialize in one pantheon, and your ultimate achievement is only the pinnacle of that pantheon. You could be the True Great Emperor of the Netherworld Great Emperor Zhenwu of the War God System pantheon, the Netherworld Emperor who manages the Samsara of reincarnation in the underworld, or the Great Emperor of the Four Seas who manages the waterways of the world. You can only be one of them and cannot govern all pantheons of the world!
The third option is the method of separatism that Chen Qing is currently considering!
They would carve out their own territory, becoming independent lords, using the God of War to conquer external enemies and other pantheons to pacify internal affairs. They would neither rely on the current emperor nor be bound to the existing court. As long as they could ultimately achieve hegemony, they could rule the world and establish their own divine kingdom!
However, this route is the most difficult because once a separatist regime is established, it is considered a heinous crime. Not only will it suffer a full-scale attack from the mortal dynasty, but the faith of the local people may also be lost in large numbers. If things go wrong, the whole thing will be lost. It is a high-reward but also high-risk approach.
To be honest, Chen Qing didn't have this plan at first. His original plan was to take the second route: Liuzhou is by the river, so he would first use door gods and Underworld to pacify the area, build a reputation, and then develop a large number of mountain and water system deities, eventually becoming the Great Emperor of the Four Seas and ruling over all the water systems in the world.
In this way, even in the final version, one will have the ability to protect oneself, at least ensuring the safety of oneself and one's family.
However, at this moment, some scoundrel has released the poisonous insects sealed in the Nine Heavens Mirror Valley ahead of schedule. The Dragon Palace dungeon is very likely to open ahead of schedule, and the difficulty of competing for the water system will increase dramatically. In addition, with Jiangnan sealed off, the population will inevitably be slaughtered in large numbers. Therefore, the method of using Jiangnan to expand the Sea God is not cost-effective.
If that's the case, perhaps we could try the most difficult path!
Chen Qing stared at the official seal in his hand, his mind racing with thoughts.
With Jiangnan divided by the Nine Heavens Mirror Valley, the population will inevitably suffer heavy losses under the poisonous insect mode. Ordinary officials will likely be unable to protect the people under their jurisdiction. Even a governor of a prefecture with a certain level of military strength will probably have to cut their losses and abandon most of the rural population. At that time, the prestige of the court officials among the people of Jiangnan will be greatly diminished.
If I can break through this impasse at this moment, I will surely gain unprecedented faith in Jiangnan. At that time, with the support of hundreds of millions of people in Jiangnan, it will not be impossible for me to establish my own independent regime.
"My lord. My lord?"
Just as Chen Qing was getting excited, Chen Ying's curious voice rang out in front of him. Chen Qing snapped out of his reverie, looked at the other person, coughed lightly, and frowned, asking, "What is it?"
Chen Ying found it strange. Had the other person been distracted just now? Why was he smiling so lewdly?
"My lord, the appointed time for our meeting has arrived. Shall we begin the inventory and departure now?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Qing glanced at the sky. It was already noon, and time was of the essence, so he quickly nodded and followed the other person outside.
"Sir, I've already taken a headcount," Chen Ying said in a low voice. "In the past hour, the soldiers searched many sunny streets in both the north and south alleys. There were very few survivors; they only rescued about six hundred people. As for the west and east alleys, which are usually the most populated, there are too many dark corners. If the soldiers made even the slightest noise, a lot of wild animal-like roars would come from inside, so there were probably quite a few hidden zombies. Therefore, we didn't search them."
Chen Qing nodded. "Well done. With staff shortages right now, we should avoid taking unnecessary risks."
He knew, of course, that there might be more survivors in West Alley and East Alley, as Chen Ying had mentioned. He was certain that they wouldn't survive the second night once he and the others left. But there was nothing he could do; this was all he could manage. Of course, he wanted to save people. The people in distress were at their most desperate, and saving even one person would bring them a new faith. But he simply couldn't do it.
If saving one person results in the loss of ten soldiers, and this kind of deal is repeated a few times, then one will no longer need to think about separatism; whether one can even survive this event will be a question.
He then looked at the people who had been rescued. Most of them were dressed in silk. Although they were in a sorry state and seemed dazed, they all appeared to be people of some means and were likely educated. Their overall quality was certainly higher than that of ordinary villagers.
This may sound harsh, but it's the truth, and that's how it's set up. High-quality people are not only more effective at construction, but they also provide more Power of Faith than ordinary people. It just goes to show that there has never been any fairness between people.
"Separate men and women and thoroughly examine them. Do not overlook any suspected scratches or bite marks, especially fresh wounds. If any are found, immediately detain and isolate the person."
"Yes!"
"But sir," Chen Ying quickly said, "There are many women and children here."
"The same checks," Chen Qing said coldly. "You organize some women to check the next room. Be efficient, and remember, there can be no mistakes. You should know what happens if an infected person gets in!"
Chen Ying was somewhat embarrassed upon hearing this, but she still accepted the order. Although she was also a woman, she still felt strange about having to examine someone else's body.
"But... but Lord Chen Qing?"
Chen Qing was taken aback, not because he had been recognized, but because the person asking the question was an acquaintance.
After a moment of stunned silence, he quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "So it's Master Yang. Chen Qing is late and has startled Master Yang."
"It really is you!" The white-bearded old scholar was none other than Master Yang, who had experienced the mysterious events of the previous night. Now, as if he had forgotten what happened last night, he looked at Chen Qing with a face full of satisfaction and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Good, good, good. I knew from the beginning that you were no ordinary person, and you have indeed not disappointed me."
"I must thank you for your teachings, Master!" Chen Qing bowed deeply again.
The Master Yang in front of me was my tutor after I passed the imperial examination. Although I passed the imperial examination, I was too young, and the relatives of the Chen Household were too unruly. They seized my land and property, and my whole family was bullied to the point that we almost had to leave our hometown.
Although a lawsuit was filed at the time, the county magistrate of Spirit Deer County favored the elders of the Chen Household. If he hadn't later passed the imperial examination and become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations), he might not have won the lawsuit, let alone reclaimed his family's land.
During the process of taking the imperial examination, Master Yang in front of me made a great contribution. He not only exempted me from tuition fees, but also provided me with food and lodging. Otherwise, as a transmigrator, I might have been bullied by a group of rural clansmen and unable to turn the tables.
In Chen Qing's eyes, this teacher in front of him had given him a second chance at life!
"You arrived just in time! If it weren't for you, my whole family would probably be doomed."
"Master, you are of high moral character and great prestige; you will surely be protected by Heaven!" Chen Qing said sincerely.
Standing not far behind Master Yang was another group of teachers. If Gu Beiquan and the other county officials were here, they would recognize them as the same group of teachers from the official school who had stormed off yesterday and embarrassed them.
At this moment, the group of people looked at Chen Qing with rather complicated expressions.
Master Yang was a scholar who passed the imperial examination, but due to suppression by the county magistrate, he was not allowed to attend the official school and instead ran a private school. His life was not as respectable as theirs, but he never expected that such a person would be among his students.
They had heard about how Chen Qing was bullied by his clan back then, but they all thought it was better to avoid trouble and no one was willing to lend a helping hand. Many people had advised Master Yang to help back then, but they never expected that the naive teenager who almost lost his family back then would now be a prefectural official!
Moreover, judging from the fact that the other side was able to bring people to provide rescue, their reliability is far beyond what incompetent people like Gu Beiquan can match.
I have to say, Old Yang really had a good eye back then; he taught such a good disciple!
"Not at all, not at all. Heavenly Dao. Everything you have achieved is the result of your own hard work. I, this old man, merely lent a hand." Master Yang was also quite pleased with himself. He then added, "But to be honest, I almost didn't recognize him just now. After all, it's been several years since I've seen him. If it weren't for your little girl Chen Yuan coming to clean the old house a few days ago, and me asking her a few questions as I passed by, I really wouldn't have been sure that Prefect Chen Qing of Liuzhou was the Chen Qing I taught! Hahaha!"
Chen Qing was about to respond, but the other party's last words startled him, and his expression immediately became tense. "What did you say, Master? Chen Yuan? She came to Spirit Deer County a few days ago?"
"You didn't know?" Master Yang was also taken aback. "That girl said that a general brought them all the way from the north to Nanyang. Because Mother couldn't stand the bumpy ride and suffered from severe motion sickness, she stayed in Nanyang to recuperate, being looked after by my sister-in-law. She and my elder brother came to Liuzhou first. What? Didn't they meet up with you?"
Even though Chen Qing was usually very calm, he became somewhat flustered at this moment and hurriedly asked, "Master, are my elder brother and younger sister still in the west alley?"
"They shouldn't be there anymore, right?" Master Yang shook his head. "When I passed by the other day, they were preparing to leave for Chen Household Village. It's said that it was because you passed the imperial examination and were going back to worship your ancestors and announce the good news. You... didn't you go to Chen Household Village before coming here?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Qing dared not delay any longer and immediately shouted, "Everyone assemble! Head to the north slope!!"
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