From God of Lies to Lord of All Worlds

Chapter 296: Signs of Splitting

In truth, the people gathered inside the Prime Minister's official residence had absolutely no intention of conversing with Cangqiao Qingci.

After Cangqiao Qingci asked them to surrender their interests, their desire to negotiate with him faded significantly.

All previous discussions about establishing the Onmyoryo were abandoned. This guy actually wanted them to pay for it? How was that possible? The Government was completely out of money!

"This Onmyoji is still too young. He clearly doesn't understand the current situation and political landscape of Japan. How could he spout such nonsense?" one of the ministers scoffed.

"Exactly! Such a thing is simply impossible! If we surrender our interests, how are we supposed to maintain the precarious economy of this country? We can't just prioritize Kyoto and abandon Tokyo or Osaka, can we?"

"Yes, so the best course of action is to maintain the status quo. Since they can operate on their own, let them handle it themselves!"

"If they really can't hold on, they will definitely come crawling to us for a solution. Why should we be anxious? They are the ones who should be panicking!"

In just a few words, the crowd reached a consensus. "Even the Onmyoji isn't in a hurry, so why should we rush? It's just a Hundred Demon Night Parade. Could the pressure possibly be worse than the Fukushima nuclear power plant leak?"

These politicians were the true monsters who treated human lives like worthless grass. Just as they said, a catastrophic nuclear power plant leak merely required a single person to step forward, give an apologetic bow, and say sorry.

That person did not even go to prison; they were simply dismissed from their post! And not long after, they were reinstated or even promoted. This perfectly illustrated their apathetic attitude toward the populace.To them, the lives of the common people meant absolutely nothing. Who cared?

Compared to the survival of the masses, the business ventures and profit margins of these high-ranking officials were clearly much more important.

Some of them were even starting to scheme about what would happen after the Hundred Demon Night Parade:

"Hey, what do you all think? Since America is currently putting so much pressure on us, wouldn't it be better if we just let the Hundred Demon Night Parade run rampant?"

"That's right! We can just order the Onmyoji to come to Tokyo and protect this city, right?"

"Kyoto is a thing of the past; Tokyo is the city that truly deserves protection. I think this is the right move. Once we secure Tokyo and wait for the Buddhist masters to return, this place will become an impenetrable fortress. And we can use the terror of the Hundred Demon Night Parade as leverage to negotiate terms with the Americans!"

The more they discussed it, the more excited they became. Their ideas grew increasingly blunt and disturbingly clear.

To them, the interests of the common people did not count at all. Their only goal was to safeguard their own interests!

It was exactly like their desire to break free from America's control. Was it truly for the good of the country? Not in the slightest. They were only doing it for themselves.

They shared a bitter hatred toward a common enemy simply because they wanted to devour the profits that the Americans were currently taking. As for how long this unified front would last? That would depend entirely on when they needed to stab each other in the back!

"So, we'll just ignore the situation in Kyoto for now?"

"You can handle it yourself, assuming you have the money to pay for it!"

"I guess we'll ignore it, then."

The voices in the room gradually quieted down.

...

At the Kyoto City Police Department, after the communication link was cut, Cangqiao Qingci and Shiratori Hayato sat across from each other in heavy silence.

"I'm so sorry. I thought that contacting Tokyo would secure us some reinforcements..." Shiratori Hayato muttered. "I never expected..."

"It is not your fault, Officer Shiratori. You are a good man, but those people are not!" Cangqiao Qingci declared bitterly. "We never should have harbored even a shred of hope in those damn politicians!"

He had originally planned to use the Government's power to expand his influence. Even if that failed, he thought they could at least orchestrate a mass evacuation for the populace.

Yet, he never imagined that from the Prime Minister down to the rest of the officials, not a single one was willing to shoulder any responsibility! Instead, they frantically passed the blame and even sought to completely abandon Kyoto!

"Mr. Cangqiao, I know the authorities are at fault here, but I still beg you to save this city!" Shiratori Hayato pleaded, looking at Cangqiao Qingci with utmost sincerity and a glimmer of hope. "I will force them to raise the funds. Whatever resources you need, we will help you acquire them!"

Looking at the young policeman's earnest face, Cangqiao Qingci suddenly smiled. "Hearing your words actually makes me feel much better. It seems this city is not entirely devoid of hope after all!"

Even without the Government, as long as there were people willing to fight, perhaps there was still a chance for salvation!

"I will help you contact the right people. What exactly do you need?" Shiratori Hayato asked.

"I need to hold a massive sacrifice to protect this city!" Cangqiao Qingci declared. "Since the Government refuses to help us defend our home, we will protect it ourselves!"

"Good! You're absolutely right! If they won't help us, we will defend it ourselves! Are we common people just supposed to lay down and die without them?" Shiratori Hayato exclaimed passionately. "If Tokyo won't save us, we will save ourselves!"

They were actually mentally prepared for this outcome. After all, everyone watched the news. Moreover, there were no internet firewalls restricting them; they did not need to bypass any barriers to access international media.

On Twitter and other social media platforms, they could easily see negative news concerning Japan—reports about the Fukushima nuclear power plant, stories of incompetent disaster relief efforts, and articles about rescue teams failing to save a trapped old man even after three months.

In truth, these were not just pessimistic rumors. As citizens of Japan, they could clearly tell any foreigner that these were the harsh, undeniable facts!

These officials were far more useless figureheads than most people could even imagine. They were always the first in line when it came to snatching money, but the rest of the time, they were either giving an apologetic bow or completely vanishing from the public eye!

What? You expect them to actually solve problems? That was not something a bureaucrat would ever do. After all, their terms in office were short, and they would soon be transferred. If they actually accomplished something real, only for their successors to pluck the peaches and claim the credit, wouldn't that be a massive loss for them?

Clinging to this exact mindset, they sat in their positions doing absolutely nothing while constantly amassing wealth. Their only priorities were seizing rights from their superiors and building good relationships with the powerful clans to ensure their continued promotion.

As for the lives of the common people? What did that have to do with them?

The two men parted ways at the police station. Staring up at the massive building, which loomed like a man-eating monster, they gently shook their heads.

Their relationship with the official authorities was likely drifting further and further apart!

In fact, a highly critical question was already brewing in Shiratori Hayato's mind. That was... 'Since we no longer need to rely on the authorities, why should we continue to follow their orders?'

'Even Tokyo has abandoned Kyoto. What exactly are the people of Kyoto still holding on for?'

...

"Tsk, we haven't even made our move yet, and these people are already splitting apart on their own accord? Are they just stupid, or are they truly evil?"

Bai Yang was thoroughly amused when he witnessed this scene. He really hadn't expected these people to react in such an exaggerated manner!

This was especially true for the group in Tokyo. From the Prime Minister down to the lowest official, not a single one felt that anything was wrong. They subconsciously believed that no matter how rotten the realm became, it would still blindly obey their commands.

"It is a pity they don't realize that today is their final chance!" Bai Yang stated. "If they had come to their senses today, dispatched teams to pacify the public, and slightly reduced their profit-harvesting greed, Kyoto wouldn't have alienated them so quickly!"

Indeed, Bai Yang felt that they didn't even need to genuinely share their profits. Just slowing down their massive exploitation would have been enough to alleviate some of the city's resentment.

After all, as long as the common people could survive, they wouldn't have too many complaints. Unfortunately, this group of elites considered earning less to be a direct loss, and they refused to yield even that tiny bit to the populace.

"Since that's the case, it's time to let the esteemed lords of Tokyo experience the nightmare of the 'Hundred Demons'!" Bai Yang declared. With a wave of his hand, he brought the surging Wish Force crashing down once more. The Wish Force, which had previously been confined to the Kyoto area, began to spread and permeate into other regions of the country.

Watching this unfold, Alvin brought Bai Yang a completely new piece of information. "Crown, the investigation results from The Core are out! The death toll in this country is staggering, and the vast majority are people who died unjustly..."

"Perhaps due to extreme oppression, many have resorted to slaughter or suicide. This has left the entire country steeped in the death aura of vengeful souls. This is especially true in their prisons. Because murderers are not sentenced to the death penalty here, the concentrated resentment in those facilities is dense enough to directly spawn a greater Yokai!"

"Isn't that wonderful? Wouldn't our Yokai system be able to emerge perfectly from there?" Bai Yang replied with a beaming smile. "Let those officials get a good look at just how terrifying the so-called Yokai can be under their rule!"

"Among those they chose not to sentence to death, the sinners are so vile that their crimes are too numerous to record!"

"And yet, those are exactly the kinds of people that the great Yokai love the most!"