Chapter 881 - 241: Quelling Public Discontent

On the streets of Xiqi.

Some people were whispering to each other, some were muttering under their breath.

In more people’s eyes there was unease and fear, along with a bit of hesitation.

"Did you hear? About what happened at the Ancestral Temple..."

"You heard too?"

"I heard as well, about the Celestial God Sacrifice..."

"Nonsense! How could anything happen to the Celestial God Sacrifice under the Ancestral Temple’s watch? That’s the Ancestral Temple we’re talking about!"

"Exactly, if you even doubt the Ancestral Temple, what place could possibly still be safe?"

With people who held different opinions joining in, the discussion grew louder and louder.

But it was obvious that, apart from a few superstitious types, most people were still willing to trust the Ancestral Temple.

In Xiqi, under the joint efforts of Jiang Ziya and the other Sect Disciples, the Ancestral Temple enjoyed very high prestige.

As for whether this prestige was rock-solid or a castle in the air, no one could say.

"People of Xiqi, please gather near the altar, the Ancestral Temple has something to convey to everyone."

Just as people were discussing in small circles, a voice reached their ears.

It came from a Star Official Puppet over three meters tall.

When it walked into this area, Chang Hao used the voice device inside the Puppet to deliver Han Zhan’s instructions to the people of Xiqi.

Scenes like this were also unfolding in many other parts of Xiqi.

As the Star Official Puppets spread the message, soon, most of Xiqi’s citizens had received the notice.

So they began making their way toward the altar one after another.

The Xiqi altar.

Chang Hao watched the crowd below grow thicker and thicker, then glanced at Han Zhan beside him, calm and collected as ever.

Sometimes, he found it very strange.

Why was it that although Fifth Senior Brother had only just entered the Ancestral Temple, everything in his conduct and decisions exuded steadiness and decisiveness, not at all like a green young man, but more like an emperor who had weathered great storms?

Could this be what they called Talent?

No wonder Master was so at ease entrusting this matter to Fifth Senior Brother.

Thinking that, Chang Hao still couldn’t keep himself from asking one more question: "Ji Fa, I’ve already used all the Star Officials to get the word out, the people of Xiqi will arrive at the altar soon. Next, what do you plan to do?"

"Naturally, tell them the truth." Han Zhan said lightly.

Hearing Han Zhan’s words, Chang Hao’s lips twitched, but in the end he didn’t say anything more.

Time ticked by, second by second.

The crowd below the altar grew and grew, and it looked as if the originally spacious square was about to be "packed full."

"That should be enough." Seeing this, Han Zhan decided not to keep waiting. Time was tight, and to reverse the situation, every step’s completion was crucial.

With that in mind, Han Zhan stepped forward from the altar.

"People of Xiqi!"

"I am a Sect Disciple, and also the representative in charge of informing everyone this time. Next, I have to tell you some bad news."

"The place the Ancestral Temple uses to store the Celestial God Sacrifices has been deliberately destroyed!"

As soon as Han Zhan said this.

Standing behind him, Chang Hao’s heart clenched hard. This guy had really told it all, without the slightest embellishment, just like that?!

It’s over.

Chang Hao couldn’t help but let out a long sigh in his heart.

Sure enough, after hearing Han Zhan’s words, the crowd first fell deathly silent, as if they didn’t dare believe it and were still digesting the news.

Then, the next second, the people of Xiqi completely exploded.

"The Celestial God Sacrifice really had an accident?!"

"Guarding the Celestial God Sacrifice is such an important matter, how on earth was the Ancestral Temple watching over it?!"

"Without the Celestial God Sacrifice, if the Sun God flies into a rage and sends down divine punishment, what are we supposed to do? We’re finished, finished..."

"And to think we trusted you so much—this is how you handle things?!"

In an instant, anger, reprimands, curses, panic and helplessness—every kind of emotion and outcry—erupted in the crowd below.

It was as if they were ready to condemn the Ancestral Temple to death by words and erase it from Xiqi entirely.

At the same time, Chang Hao felt the Yanshi Puppetry Skill within his body weakening at a rate visible to the naked eye; his own Path of Technique was crumbling apart!

And it wasn’t just Chang Hao—Han Zhan, Bai Shang, Lu Tao, Shen Luo, even Jiang Ziya!

Every member of the Ancestral Temple felt their own cultivation begin to fluctuate wildly in that instant.

Such is what it means when the people’s faith falters.

With the curses of the people of Xiqi ringing in his ears, Chang Hao looked toward Han Zhan with a tense expression, only to find that he was still standing there calmly, not making any move at all.

He seemed to be... spacing out?

When this thought flashed through his mind, Chang Hao immediately rejected it.

Impossible, absolutely impossible. At such a critical moment, how could Fifth Senior Brother Ji Fa be spacing out?

Looking at the dark mass of people below the altar, Han Zhan’s thoughts seemed to drift back to his time in Deep Blue, when he had faced the same questioning voices, and the same hidden black hand behind the scenes.

The only difference was that now he should be more mature, and his heart stronger.

Better to guide than to block.

The people’s emotions needed an outlet, and after that release would come—

"What do you all think you’re doing!"

Just then, a voice rose from the crowd, drowning out the other angry shouts and curses.

"The Ancestral Temple has poured its heart and soul into Xiqi for so many years—is this how we repay it?"

"If it weren’t for the Ancestral Temple, the people of Xiqi would have long since died or been maimed under divine punishment; how would we have survived to this day?"

"So a divine punishment is coming—does that mean the ones at fault are the lofty Celestial Gods, or the Ancestral Temple?"

At these three questions, quite a few of the people of Xiqi were suddenly at a loss for words, and many of the angriest among them wanted to see who had stepped out at a time like this to speak on behalf of the Ancestral Temple, so they could harshly scold them for being the Temple’s lapdogs.

Then they saw two children, about seven or eight years old.

Yes, children.

Tong Yi and Tong Er had not been taken away; they had only fallen unconscious in their room.

After they woke, Han Zhan had gone to find them.

No matter when, children represent the future and hope; it was the same in Xiqi.

And precisely because the words came from children, those furious people of Xiqi became a bit more tolerant, and a bit less angry.

"That’s right, if even two children can grasp this simple truth, are we really unable to?"

"We people of Xiqi shouldn’t be ungrateful. The Ancestral Temple has aided us for so long—has it ever demanded anything from us?"

"We shouldn’t dump all the blame on the Ancestral Temple. Xiqi is our Xiqi, it belongs to everyone. If there’s divine punishment, we face it together. Blind hatred and venting our rage is meaningless!"

More and more people, after Tong Yi and Tong Er spoke, came to their senses.

The few remaining Xiqi folk still simmering with resentment, seeing everyone around them bow their heads in thought and calm down, were left dumbfounded and fell silent as well.

Was a crisis of public faith really resolved this easily?

"This..." Feeling his Realm return to normal, Chang Hao had a strong sense of having narrowly escaped disaster; he opened his mouth in stunned disbelief.

Watching this scene, a faint, strategic smile surfaced on Han Zhan’s face.

"I said long ago, the people’s faith isn’t that fragile—it can withstand some turmoil."

"Since they can be easily incited by the black hand behind the scenes, then by the same token, we can do the same."

"All it takes is a dozen or so ’Navy’."