bullyxtreme Chapter 1108 Subsequent Arrangements and Impact
Chapter 1108 Subsequent Arrangements and Impact
"It's impossible to even think about it now. We used to be one, so you could get a share of my power. Now that we're completely separated, even if I gave it to you, you wouldn't be able to control it. However..."
He changed the subject, a smile appearing on his face: "Although you didn't bring any power with you, you were separated from me after all, so your innate potential is much greater than others. Even if you start cultivating again, you can achieve something very quickly."
Hearing this, the "Imperial Advisor" finally felt some comfort. The Big-Faced Thief's talent was undeniable. If he could inherit his talent—no, even just a fraction of it—his future achievements would be limitless! If he could just get through this weakest period, wouldn't he be free to soar like a fish in the sea and a bird in the sky?
Zhang Zhiwei saw through the "National Preceptor's" little scheme at a glance and reminded him: "But let me make this clear from the start, once you achieve something in the future, you must walk the righteous path. If you engage in any evil or heretical practices, be careful that I don't take back your innate talent."
The "Imperial Advisor" felt a chill run down his spine and quickly assured them, "Big-faced thief, don't worry! I am the Vice Leader of the Heavenly Tong Church! The light of the righteous path! How could I possibly do anything that would dishonor my status? I'm too busy promoting and glorifying it!"
Zhang Zhiwei nodded: "I believe in the sincerity of your words!"
After saying that, Zhang Zhiwei turned and walked out.
"Hey! Big-faced thief! Where are you going?"
The "Imperial Advisor" cried out urgently from inside the statue, "I'm very weak inside this statue and can't get out! There's still a war going on outside! Find me a safer place! For example... the church in Chongqing would be nice!"
Without turning his head, Zhang Zhiwei said, "My lightning avatar is here. You'll be fine. Just stay put!"
As Zhang Zhiwei walked out of the cathedral, the altar at the entrance had already been put away by his senior uncles, and the children and altar protectors who had accompanied the rituals had also gradually dispersed to rest.
His fellow disciples, seeing him emerge, quickly surrounded him. Zhang Yi, carrying an ancient bronze mirror covered in cracks and with a dull luster, approached and said:
“Zhiwei, look at this thing. It was found at the place where the ball lightning exploded. It seems to have belonged to that old man, the High Priest of Shintoism. The fact that it survived your powerful lightning magic makes me think it must have something to it, so I retrieved it.”
Zhang Zhiwei recognized it at a glance as the Yata no Kagami. The mirror possessed a high level of spiritual power, but it was severely damaged. He exclaimed, "It wasn't completely destroyed even under ball lightning. It truly is a sacred artifact that the Japanese have worshipped for nearly a thousand years with the full power of their nation."
"Is it still worth repairing?" Zhang Yi asked.
Zhang Zhiwei examined it for a while, then shook his head: "This thing is bound to the divine power of Amaterasu. I burned Amaterasu's true spirit almost to death with my Samadhi Fire. Even if it can be reconstituted with the power of faith in the future, it will take many years. During this time, even if the mirror is repaired, its spirituality will be greatly reduced. I don't think it will be of much use."
“Could we do this…” Zhang Yi’s eyes lit up: “We can fix it, then unbind this thing from that damn Amaterasu, and then try to see if we can use it on our own gods, what do you think?”
“Uncle-Master, your idea is excellent! I think it’s a good idea!” Zhang Zhiwei said with a smile.
"Can you do it now?" Zhang Yi looked at him expectantly.
"Uncle-Master, do you think I'm omnipotent?" Zhang Zhiwei retorted irritably.
"Isn't that right?" In the eyes of his senior uncle Zhang Yi, there was nothing his junior nephew Zhang Zhiwei couldn't accomplish. He could even repair a heart, so repairing a mirror would be a piece of cake for him.
“I’m not good at weapon crafting. Besides, I need to ‘nourish my fetus’ right now, so I don’t have time to do that!” Zhang Zhiwei said.
"So, it's not impossible?" Zhang Yi immediately understood the implication in Zhang Zhiwei's words and chuckled, "Alright, alright, you focus on your pregnancy first. Once you've recovered and completed your postpartum period, then you can work on this. In the meantime, I'll take care of this treasure!"
He had fought against the Shinto Grand Priest and was extremely envious of the Grand Priest's ability to summon gods simply by looking into this mirror. If Zhang Zhiwei could improve this mirror and he could do the same, that would be wonderful.
Zhang Yi wanted to take the mirror, and his other uncles had no objections. After all, it was just a broken mirror; if he wanted to keep it, so be it.
Afterwards, Zhang Zhiwei told them to pack up and prepare to return to the mountain. The matter in Shanghai was settled, and it was inconvenient for them to stay any longer.
Ah Xing returned from outside at that moment. Hearing Zhang Zhiwei say that the matter was settled, he couldn't help but ask, "Master, what about Shanghai... are we just going to leave it alone?"
Zhang Zhiwei looked at him, but hadn't said anything yet.
Wang Ai spoke first: "Ah Xing, the Grand Master of the Shinto Church is dead. The battle at the level of us Outcasts has come to an end. The Shenzhou army is also making a strategic retreat. This fierce battle is nearing its end. You and your brothers in the church have been through this hail of bullets for months. You should take a good rest. This battle won't end so easily. Don't exhaust yourself at the beginning. There's still a long way to go."
Upon hearing this, Ah Xing lowered his head and remained silent. It wasn't that he didn't understand the reasoning behind it, but he found it hard to accept this outcome.
At this moment, the landlord and landlady walked to his side, gently patted his shoulder, and each said a few words of comfort to him.
Zhang Zhiwei nodded and said, "Fatty is right. The situation in Shanghai is beyond saving. Next, you should go to Chongqing. It will be the new center."
"What about the church here? The vice-champion is still here!" Ah Xing asked worriedly. He had borrowed the vice-champion's power several times and admired him greatly. He didn't want to leave him, who was still extremely weak at this stage, alone here.
“My lightning incarnation is here to protect him. Even if the Japanese pirates take this place at all costs, I will take his statue away beforehand,” Zhang Zhiwei said.
Ah Xing pondered for a moment, then raised his head and said with a firm look in his eyes, "Master, the Vice Leader has saved my life several times and has been kind to me. I want to stay and protect him. At the same time, I also want to stay here and fight against the Japanese pirates!"
Looking into his determined eyes, Zhang Zhiwei nodded and said, "Okay, but you need to be careful. If there's anything you can't handle, return to the church immediately!"
Ah Xing grinned: "Master, don't worry! I'll definitely be careful!"
Upon learning that Ah Xing was staying, the landlord and landlady also expressed their desire to stay and keep him company. Zhang Zhiwei did not stop them. With his lightning avatar and the "Well of Yang Hao" here, even if Shanghai were eventually occupied by the Japanese pirates, there wouldn't be any major chaos.
Afterwards, Zhang Zhiwei met with the three tycoons and some patriotic figures from various circles who were involved in the resistance against Japanese aggression. Given the current situation, there was no need for the three tycoons to remain. Lu Yusheng planned to go to Hong Kong, where, coincidentally, the Tiantong Church and Yongxin Company had also relocated many of their assets there ahead of schedule.
Once he arrived in the port city, he could continue to utilize the resources there to fight against the Japanese pirates.
Many other celebrities also planned to leave. Some went to the port city, while others responded to the call to move their families and factories inland to the southwest and northwest. Some even had a long-term vision and were preparing to go to Southeast Asia to preserve their legacy.
To Zhang Zhiwei's surprise, quite a few people chose to stay. After all, some businesses were too large to be moved easily.
However, they had no intention of colluding with the Japanese pirates. After all, those who came to see Zhang Zhiwei today were all patriotic men with backbone. They decided to stay here and, taking advantage of the special location of the concession, secretly supply the rear with materials right under the enemy's nose.
Zhang Zhiwei affirmed the choices of these people and made his promise: "I will remember your righteous deeds. If you ever encounter any trouble in the future, you can come to Longhu Mountain to find me. As long as it is within my power, I will do my best to help."
Although he will soon enter a period of "nurturing the sacred embryo," which will last for twelve years and will prevent him from launching a major offensive as he has done this time.
But as the saying goes, "even a broken ship has three thousand nails," meaning that even if he only has one or two tenths of his strength left, he can still do many things.
Moreover, the power of the Tiantong Church is still there, so there is no need for him to personally intervene in many matters.
Upon receiving Zhang Zhiwei's promise, everyone was overjoyed, which further strengthened their resolve to resist the Japanese pirates.
After the banquet, Zhang Zhiwei met with several old acquaintances and inquired about their whereabouts. The once-famous "Thirteen Protectors" had all found their own paths. However, Xiao Aqiao from Fengming Tower decided to stay.
Her greatest asset in Fengming Tower is her network of connections, and almost all of her connections are based there, so she plans not to leave.
Moreover, by staying here, she can use her identity to build new connections and even have the opportunity to infiltrate the enemy and pass on some top-secret information about the high-ranking Japanese pirates.
Zhang Zhiwei looked at her and sincerely praised, "I never expected my eldest sister to be so righteous. I admire her!"
After explaining all the matters, Zhang Zhiwei and his group set off back to Longhu Mountain.
When he arrived, he cleared a path with lightning and arrived in an instant. On the way back, because he needed to "nurture the sacred embryo" and could not use his power recklessly, he and his uncles used the long-lost Divine Speed Armor.
During their absence, the battle finally came to an end. The main force of Shenzhou began an orderly retreat, setting up multiple lines of defense to drag the Japanese pirates into a protracted war.
Meanwhile, the Japanese pirates were making frequent and unusual moves.
The reason for this is that this major battle involves too many things.
They had initially boasted that the battle would be over in three months, but unexpectedly, this one battle lasted a full three months, and they paid an extremely heavy price.
In particular, this time, the Navy Chief and the High Priest of Shintoism were all killed in a bizarre explosion, and the Yata Mirror, one of the Three Sacred Treasures, was also lost in the battle!
Moreover, many strange things happened in Japan during this period.
On the same day, major Shinto shrines such as the Ise Grand Shrine inexplicably burst into flames! The spirit tablets, ancestral tablets, and other items enshrined inside were all reduced to ashes! It took considerable manpower and resources to barely extinguish the fire.
This caused a huge uproar in Japan. Countless people regarded it as an "ominous sign" and questioned what was going on.
For a time, people across the country were filled with panic, and all sorts of rumors spread. Some people felt that this was a punishment sent down by the gods, an ominous sign, and the rumors were getting more and more intense.
The Emperor was the first to refute the rumors. He personally gave a speech, saying that this was a punishment sent by Amaterasu Omikami because of the defeat at the front lines and the failure to defeat the enemy as initially promised.
He called on all imperial soldiers to turn their grief and anger into strength, intensify their offensive, and use the blood of the enemy to comfort the spirits of the gods and ancestors in heaven!
The Japanese soldiers, already brainwashed by Bushido, became even more fanatical.
However, while this move appeased the domestic population, the Japanese high command was far from calm.
First, the Yata no Kagami (Eight-Span Mirror) was lost. This was a national treasure that could not be lost. The Emperor assigned the Special Higher Police to send a large number of people to China to search for it.
Furthermore, the chief priest of Ise Grand Shrine died, shrines across the country suddenly caught fire, and many Shinto priests' magic spells lost their effectiveness or were greatly diminished, making it impossible for them to command spirits as freely as before. They suspected that this was definitely related to the chief priest's death.
However, at this moment, the position of Grand Master of Ise Grand Shrine is vacant, and they have lost the bridge to communicate with Amaterasu Omikami. They must select a new Grand Master as soon as possible to revitalize the now extremely decadent Shinto religion.
Finally, there's the matter of the Navy Headquarters, which is equally troublesome.
The Chief of Naval Staff was the highest-ranking officer in the navy. His murder, which was shrouded in mystery, was undoubtedly a momentous event that could shake the morale of the army. The Japanese high command did not even dare to make the news public.
After some urgent discussion, they decided to take a "cold approach," concealing the news of Prince Fushimi's death from the public, pretending that he was still alive, and then waiting for a suitable opportunity to "replace" him.
Meanwhile, in order to cover up various domestic contradictions, they decided to intensify their offensive, aiming to utterly crush China and seize this lucrative territory. (End of Chapter)