novelraw Chapter 469: No Longer a Wu Xia A-Meng
Chapter 469: No Longer a Wu Xia A-Meng
The cost of victory was so heavy it was almost indistinguishable from defeat.
They had defended the bottom line of survival, but had sacrificed the very foundation of future development.
In this state, it would take at least several decades to recover.
There were no miracles, no instant solutions.
It would require the arduous efforts of at least one full generation to barely restore a semblance of vitality to this land.
And during this process, any new disturbance—whether a small-scale counterattack from the Mist or internal turmoil—could completely shatter this fragile recovery.
Su Zhan pursued personal power for transcendence, for control over his own destiny.
The wounds before him, which required vast stretches of time and collective effort to slowly heal, stood in stark contrast to his personal path, a deviation from it.
The faster he walked, the higher he stood, the further he seemed to drift from this land that needed slow nurturing.
He was destined not to be, nor would he become, a saint who saved the masses.His world lay at the pinnacle of higher-level power, in exploring the essence and limits of life.
The suffering beneath his feet was part of this world's operation, the inevitable birth pangs within the cycle of a civilization's rise and fall.
Su Zhan took one last look at the crowd whose hope had been temporarily ignited by a single meal, then turned and left without a shred of hesitation, departing with Wang Mingyuan and the others.
...
Daxia Supreme Council Hall.
Beneath the dome.
On the screens were real-time updates:
Urgent Report from the Three Northern Border Provinces: Refugee numbers have surged, exceeding seven million! Extreme cold has already caused over ten thousand deaths and frostbite injuries; urgent dispatch of cold-weather supplies and medicine requested!
Eastern Coastline: Reconstruction of three major port cities has stalled; severe shortage of manpower for debris clearance; plague risk level elevated.
Southern Grain Basket Region: Purification progress of contaminated land is slow; estimated grain production reduction of at least sixty percent next year! Grain prices on the black market have skyrocketed tenfold!
Western Mining Belt: Seventeen major mine shafts have collapsed or been contaminated; extraction of strategic resources has ground to a halt; industrial recovery is hopeless!
National Unemployment Rate Statistics: 37.7% (and continuing to rise...)
Reports of Public Order Incidents Across Regions: Robberies, thefts, mass incidents showing exponential growth...
"It's chaos! Total chaos!"
A higher-up responsible for internal affairs slammed the electronic report in his hand onto the table, his voice hoarse, his eyes sunken deep in their sockets, "The food at the relief sites can only maintain the bare minimum survival standard, and medicine is a drop in the bucket!
Officials everywhere are demanding people, food, medicine from me!
What do I have to give them?
Huh?
The national treasury is practically empty enough for rats to run through!"
"What about the military? Where are the troops for maintaining stability?"
Another Military Department higher-up irritably rubbed his temples, "Frontline units need rest, disabled soldiers need resettlement, we can't even pay out the pensions for the fallen!
Garrison forces across the regions have also suffered heavy losses; many places can't even spare people to maintain basic order.
Are we supposed to send soldiers just back from the front lines, dragging their exhausted bodies, to suppress fellow countrymen rioting for a bite to eat?"
"The economy has already collapsed!"
The finance higher-up's face looked worse than if he were crying, "Currency credit is on the verge of bankruptcy; private capital was uprooted during the special wartime requisitions and has no vitality left now!
No commerce, no tax revenue—we are just an empty shell!"
"How do we fill the gap in high-end combat power?"
A higher-up in charge of Awakened individuals affairs said with deep concern, "Over thirty percent of Ocean Realm, Calamity-level powerhouses have fallen.
These aren't ordinary troops; they are strategic pillars.
How many resources and time does it take to cultivate one?
What do we have now to cultivate them with?
The Mist has only temporarily receded. What if it returns? What will we rely on to resist it?
Rely on Su Zhan alone?"
Mentioning Su Zhan brought a moment of silence in the hall.
The power of that Guardian deity was unquestionable.
But he was more like a sharp sword suspended outside the nation's gates, meant to deal with the highest-level threats, unable to resolve the thousand tangled threads of internal crisis within the country.
"The reconstruction plan must be launched immediately, otherwise we'll collapse on our own without waiting for the Mist to return!"
The Three Elders presiding at the head of the table spoke with a heavy voice, "First, organize the people, clear the ruins, repair the infrastructure. Even if it's just symbolic payment, we must give the people something to do, let them see hope!"
"Money? Supplies?"
The finance higher-up almost roared, "Where is the startup capital? Are we supposed to conjure it out of thin air?"
"Cut all expenditures! Including ours!"
The Three Elders declared resolutely, "All non-essential projects are to be halted! Public service system salaries are to be cut again! Tell the entire nation that the Council shares their hardship!"
"That's still just a drop in the bucket..."
Someone muttered under their breath.
The few were still arguing incessantly.
Suddenly...
On the screens, alongside the continuously worsening livelihood data, a large number of new emergency intelligence reports appeared:
Eastern Province Report: Suspected Transcendence Society members incited refugees to storm official granaries; seventeen guards killed or injured; all grain looted.
Southern Border: Three villages sacrificed overnight; dense Mist energy residue found at the scenes; no survivors.
Northern Industry: Transcendence Society secret stronghold discovered; utilizing remaining industrial facilities for some forbidden summoning ritual.
Central Transportation Hub: Important material supply convoy ambushed by Transcendence Society Awakened; supplies destroyed; escort squad wiped out.
...
"Outrageous! Utterly outrageous!"
A hot-tempered Military Department higher-up slammed the table hard, rattling the cups and dishes, "These rats from the sewers! Taking advantage of our severe weakness to act so brazenly!"
"They are testing our bottom line, feeding on our blood to strengthen themselves!"
Another higher-up in charge of intelligence said with an ashen face, "Our losses in high-end combat power are too great, garrison forces everywhere are stretched thin, completely unable to conduct comprehensive purges. That's how they found the gaps."
The Three Elders presiding at the head of the table swept their gaze over the shocking reports on the screens.
The external threat of the Mist had temporarily eased, but if this internal cancer called the Transcendence Society wasn't excised early, it would inevitably brew an internal strife more terrifying than the war, completely disintegrating Daxia from within.
"We cannot wait any longer."
The Three Elders' voice was icy, "The external threat is temporarily pacified; internal troubles must be eradicated. The Transcendence Society must be uprooted!"
"But... our manpower..."
Someone voiced doubt.
The Elder's gaze turned to one side of the hall, where a map of Daxia's territory hung.
"If conventional forces are insufficient, then employ... unconventional forces. Contact Advisor Su Zhan."
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell completely silent.
Everyone's expression became complex.
Su Zhan's power was unquestionable, the strongest weapon to eliminate the Transcendence Society.
But his status was now transcendent, his strength unfathomably deep. He was no longer the same person he once was. Could the Council still issue orders to him as they did before?
Would he agree?