Chapter 636 - Foresight (Patreon)

Once Gandolf's avatar dissipated, Layla came back to her senses. Loud cheering rose throughout the entire city. From where she stood the clearest voices were chanting "Protector Gandolf" and "save Cloud Continent." The sound rolled on for a long while, as if the entire population had found a single focus at last.

Now she understood why the Protectors had not specifically urged them to push all sorts of promotions to attract cultivators and had only told them to focus on the temporary migration.

This had been their plan from the beginning. A written decree could never carry the same weight as the living legend of the Protectors themselves. By waiting until the majority of people had already gathered inside the cities, then appearing publicly for the first time, they turned their long-standing prestige into a direct call to action. The same scene was almost certainly unfolding in every other cultivator city across the continent. It was a simple strategy, yet devastatingly effective.

Sure enough, not long after, a message arrived from her subordinate. Numerous cultivators were now registering to join the hunting operation. Even mortals were lining up to volunteer, even though they did not meet the requirements at all. The sudden wave of people was far larger than anything the earlier recruitment efforts had produced.

Layla let out a long, relieved sigh. The weight she had been carrying for days finally loosened. Hopefully the target could be reached now.

She returned to her office and told Anda everything that had happened. Since the cloud communication had still been connected, Anda had heard Gandolf's speech as well.

"I think I know who came up with this plan. It must be Sister Jade." Anda guessed, her tone as casual as ever.

"Sister Jade?" Layla repeated, then made the connection. "Big Madam, don't tell me you tried recruiting Protector Jade?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Hehehe. I did give it a try. No, many tries. But it seems she only wants to be Leyvi's big sister. I have a feeling recruiting her won't work." Anda replied without the slightest hint of embarrassment.

Layla was completely speechless for a moment. Husband's big sister? What exactly happened over there?

Not to mention, even in the middle of a continent-wide crisis, her Big Madam had still found time to shoot her shot at one of the most legendary women on Cloud Continent. Some things, it seemed, would never change.

"Let me tell you. Sister Jade is a better schemer than me." Anda said.

"Better than you?" Layla responded.

"Yes. She's been around far longer than I have. How can I hold a candle to her experience? As the one who actually runs the continent, the cards she holds and the influence she can move far outstrip what anyone else can command. I simply don't have that kind of reach yet." Anda admitted without any pretense.

"If you were in her position, would you have done the same?" Layla asked.

"Of course. Using the people's deep veneration of the Protectors to push them into joining the hunting operation is the best choice available in this situation. A written decree alone can never stir the kind of emotion needed for people to truly act. That is why they had to appear in person in such a grand manner. The sight itself leaves a lasting impression that no official notice could match." Anda explained.

"Doing it this way achieves two clear purposes. First, it unites the people. For an unprecedented operation on this scale, unity is essential. When the population stands together behind the same cause, there will be far fewer disputes and delays during the actual hunting. People are also far more likely to push themselves and give the best of their abilities when they feel they are part of something larger."

"Second, by gaining overwhelming support from the entire continent, it also puts pressure on all the top-tier families and sects to send more experts. There is a reason the Protectors made it mandatory for them to contribute someone from their group."

"What do you mean by that, Big Madam?" Layla asked, her curiosity clearly sharpened.

"Think about it, Layla. The top-tier families and sects are the ones with the most power, the most resources, and the most cultivators. But they are also the ones who benefit the most from the current system. They have territory, privileges, and influence. They have everything to lose if the continent falls, yet they also have the most to gain by staying out of the fight and preserving their strength."

Anda paused, giving Layla time to take in the words.

"If the Protectors simply asked for volunteers, most of these families and sects would send a few token cultivators, the weakest ones they can spare, and call it done. They would hoard their strongest experts and wait to see which way the wind blows. If the hunting operation succeeds, they share in the victory without having risked anything important. If it fails, they still have their best cultivators left to protect their own interests."

"But by making it mandatory, the Protectors force them to commit. At least one Soul Formation Realm cultivator from every top-tier family, at least five from every top-tier sect. That is not a token contribution. That is a significant portion of their power. They cannot hide behind excuses or send only their weakest members. They have to put real strength on the line."

Layla nodded slowly. "So the mandatory requirement ensures that the strongest forces on the continent actually participate."

“Exactly. And that has another important effect. When ordinary cultivators see that the top-tier forces are required to send real experts, it acts as an assurance for them. They no longer feel they are the only ones being asked to risk their lives while the powerful sit back and stay safe. Shared risk makes people more willing to join. Without that assurance, many common cultivators would hesitate or refuse outright.”

"Because the public now overwhelmingly supports the hunting operation, these families and sects cannot refuse without losing face. If they try to weasel out of it, the people will turn against them. Their reputations would be ruined. Their businesses would suffer. Their influence would crumble. The Protectors have effectively trapped them into compliance."

Anda smiled, a hint of her usual scheming nature returning.

"That is why Sister Jade is a better schemer than me. She did not just ask for help. She created a situation where refusing to help is more costly than helping. That is how you run a continent while dealing with these vultures."

Layla was silent for a moment, absorbing the explanation.

"I see. So the mandatory contribution is not just about gathering manpower. It is about ensuring that the most powerful factions cannot sit on the sidelines and wait for others to solve the problem."

"Correct. The Protectors are not only fighting the Red Eye Craze. They are also fighting human nature. Greed. Self-interest. Fear. The decree, the public speeches, the mandatory requirement, all of it is designed to overcome those obstacles and force the continent to unite, whether everyone wants to or not."

“Sigh. Protector Jade is truly amazing. If I had foresight as great as hers, I would probably have considered the possibility that the Gold Digger Sect would do what they did during my planning and prepared a countermeasure for it. Those mortals might not have died.” Layla lamented.

“You can’t blame this on yourself. These are the kind of things you learn from experience. I’m sure Sister Jade has gone through many similar situations in the past to reach her current level of foresight.” Anda reasoned.

She said this from her own experience as well. As an avid schemer, she had seen many of her own plans and plots foiled by factors she failed to predict. Over time, she had slowly learned to take more possibilities into account.

…

Central Region, Ultima City.

“Hahaha! My mind has cleared again! It feels very nice! No more lingering silhouettes of those damn symbols!” Leyvi laughed happily.

He had just woken from a deep slumber that lasted five full days.

After getting out of bed, he channeled his Qi and cleaned both his body and clothes of any filth. Then he sat down and cultivated for a short while, just enough to keep himself in top condition.

First Qi Cultivation, then Spiritual Cultivation, and finally Body Cultivation.

He went through all three in turn and finished about an hour later before stepping outside. He sent out his spiritual sense to check Tal’s house and found it empty. Tal was probably somewhere busy learning the ancient language.

Although learning a language was far easier than deciphering one from scratch, it would still take time for them to become proficient. Even with their sharp minds, several weeks would be needed.

That meant he had some free time before the investigation could properly begin. So what should he do in the meantime?

While Leyvi was still thinking, he noticed a graceful figure descending toward him.

It was none other than Protector Jade.

“Hehehe. My little brother has woken up. How are you feeling?” Jade said as she landed beside him.

Leyvi’s mouth twitched. My little brother has woken up? The way she said it sounded strange for some reason. He could not tell whether she was doing it on purpose.

“I feel like a new person. I really needed that rest.” Leyvi replied, then quickly asked a question. “Sister Jade, how is the recruitment going?”

He had been thinking of helping promote the hunting operation. Even if he could only bring in a few dozen more cultivators, it would still be something.

Jade smiled playfully. “Oh, the recruitment? We already exceeded the target number. So you don’t have to worry about it.”

Leyvi was dumbfounded. Already exceeded? How? Had he slept for five months instead of five days or something?