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"Wandering" introduced, "The Fire Cult is a very primitive sect. During the tribal period, many tribes worshipped fire and animals. Personally, I have always been concerned about the reproductive methods of the Fire Cult. For women, it's manageable; they give birth to one child a year. But for men? Even with ten wives, that only results in ten children a year, which means one man can only produce one potential practitioner annually. However, I'm not sure if they have a 10% success rate. If they do, then over the course of thousands of years, the number of practitioners from the Fire Cult would likely surpass even the Force Alliance, not to mention their quality."
Eva nodded, "Even a single crow can be terrifying."
"It's hard to determine with crows. Right now, even the Fire Cult can't confirm whether Half-Beasts make up the majority of their practitioners. If it weren't for the incidents involving Void Creatures, hunters were planning to start investigating the Fire Cult." Wandering Path continued, "This is a serious issue. The Fire Cult views all non-Fire Cult believers as heretics; in their original doctrine, heretics are enemies, and killing enemies is the best response to their god. Although the mainstream Fire Cult is relatively moderate now, that's in comparison to their original teachings. As you've seen, in this world of unity, how many wars have been initiated by the Fire Religion Nation? If Fire Cult Practitioners can stand against the Alliance, then the Eternal Sphere will never know peace."
The Alliance is powerful while the Fire Cult is weak; the Alliance may suppress the Fire Cult for various reasons but will not seek to eliminate Fire Cult Practitioners or believers. However, if the Fire Cult grows strong and the Alliance weakens, then the Fire Cult will do everything possible to eradicate heretics. The President and Wandering have discussed these matters, which is why there will be an annual Competition Match. This not only helps strengthen the cohesion among Alliance practitioners but also seeks to garner support from Silent City.
Looking at the current Force Alliance, each family operates independently while other practitioners are scattered and indifferent towards Alliance matters. There is little sense of honor or mission; instead, an air of superiority seems to be spreading. What if every practitioner were allowed fifty wives as breeding tools? Setting aside morality, this would turn into an arms race. Regardless of anything else, understanding the most mysterious practitioner group within the Fire Cult is crucial.
Cui Ming listened as Wandering looked at him. He quickly shook his head, "Senior, I don't have much sense of honor or pursuit. If humanity faces extinction threats, I would definitely stand up because I would perish too. But until then, I'm not suited for such great tasks."
Wandering sighed lightly; most practitioners share this attitude—they're not bad people but simply unmotivated. Cui Ming is a hunter that Wandering has always wanted to recruit; there’s a lack of 'bad people' like Cui Ming among hunters who use their brains. However, Cui Ming lacks basic virtues such as integrity, bravery, sacrifice, and dedication. Coupled with his independent thinking ability, it's hard to say who could change Cui Ming's mindset.
"Wandering Path said: 'So Cui Ming, are you interested in participating in the first Force Alliance Tournament in over three months? You could meet many friends; Li Qing will definitely participate.'"
Cui Ming asked, "What about Beiyue?"
"Wandering Path replied: 'I’m not sure about Beiyue; she participated in the hunter assessment and currently has one last task—chasing down a vampire with Wei Wei.'"
"A vampire?" Cui Ming asked. "In three months?"
"This vampire isn't an ordinary one; he’s a practitioner. He was originally a member of a branch of the Ding Family but became a vampire due to his craving for blood and practicing Blood Magic. Both branches of the Ding Family and their Lineage are searching for him and have sought help from the Alliance. Although this vampire hasn't harmed anyone yet, we hope to have a conversation with him."
Everyone has their own paths; Cui Ming nodded, "If nothing comes up, I will definitely participate. However, I don't have a team."
"Solo team."
"Sure." Cui Ming's competitive spirit wasn't that strong.
Eva said, "Cui Ming, how about teaming up with us?"
Cui Ming asked, "How many of you are there?"
"Just me and Raefus."
"That's fine, three people. We just need to find two more random players."
Eva replied, "It's settled then. I'll sign us up directly."
"Alright." Cui Ming poured tea for Wandering. "Senior, I'm one in fifty thousand. Eva and Raefus are... seniors as well. Please enjoy your tea first."
Wandering took a sip of the tea and asked, "And then?"
Cui Ming continued, "We come from the streets, not from families or the Force. We carry some street-level thoughts. Look at the situation with Bit Island; Raefus and Eva have been working hard for years to prove that the people from Bit Island can live meaningful lives. It's not them who are the scraps; it's the Dawn Empire that is the real scrap. From a human perspective, are they wrong? Yes, but where would they get the money? They still need to rely on the Force to make money. Some things Raefus says and what you say, Senior, are completely different matters. Does the Dawn Empire really like Bit Island? Not necessarily; it’s just a political pawn and a tool for intimidation. After all, the Dawn Empire has to give you face, and the Ding Family has to give you face too. As you can see, Raefus and his team aren't doing anything wrong. You can go to the village and see how those who were treated like garbage have been revitalized in Dawn City."
Cui Ming paused, and Eva immediately realized what was happening. She stood up and bowed to Wandering like a student to a teacher. "Senior, we are facing some difficulties right now. If you would be willing to say a word, I believe the Dawn Empire would no longer make things difficult for us."
That seemed like too low of a request. Cui Ming quickly interjected, "Actually, each of us comes from humanity; we all hope for societal progress and civilized development. First and foremost, we must ensure basic human rights. If we can't achieve that, we won't speak up; but now we are fully capable of doing so..."
Wandering interrupted while sipping tea, "Cui Ming, just tell me what you want directly."
"There are quite a few people on Bit Island. First point: abolish sending criminals to Bit Island. Second point: there's a New Island near Bit Island where Raefus has put in considerable effort; some people live there now, but the infrastructure is lacking and living conditions are poor. The third point is that Raefus and Eva are among the most capable individuals I've seen, but because they are always busy with these matters, they find themselves stuck in their current situation. They want to contribute more to the alliance but don't even have time for training..."
Wandering asked, "Are you suggesting that the alliance should take over Bit Island?"
Cui Ming nodded, "Do you think that's feasible?"
"This is impossible. We can't mobilize the alliance's strength and diplomatic influence for every member's wishes and ideals," Wandering said after a moment of thought. "However, there are things we can do as a form of employment. For example, if you help the alliance achieve something it has been unable to accomplish, the alliance will naturally reward you."
Cui Ming asked, "What do you mean, senior?"
"Simply put, the alliance lacks nothing right now except for information on Fire Cult Practitioners. We don't need much; just provide as much as you can. Only with leverage can I negotiate, right?" Wandering pondered for a moment and continued, "How about this? If you can obtain satisfactory information for me, I guarantee that the Dawn Empire will no longer interfere with Bit Island and will stop sending prisoners there. If your team places in the top three of the competition, I will agree to speak with the President about having the alliance take over matters related to Bit Island. If you secure first place, I can assure you that even if the alliance doesn't agree, I still have some influence and can persuade a few people to help with volunteers—just one or two people would suffice; that's something I can manage."
Eva whispered in Cui Ming's ear, "The main point is the first condition: ensuring that the Dawn Empire no longer interferes with Bit Island and stops sending prisoners there."
Cui Ming nodded. "Deal. The source of the Fire Cult is in the Eastern Continent, at the border with Twilight City, where the Holy Mountain of the Fire Cult is located. Let's take a trip around there."
Wandering smiled. "Cui Ming, don't take it for granted. If it were that simple, I would have figured it out long ago."
Cui Ming shook his head. "That's because you might not have been interested in investigating or perhaps your inquiry was misguided. For instance, my senior brother Li Qing is a disciple of the Buddhist Sect. What do all disciples of the Buddhist Sect have in common, regardless of whether they are practitioners? They chant scriptures and follow strict dietary rules. Just like followers of the Cult of the Gods, they also hold themselves to those standards. For example, followers of the Cult of the Gods attend services every Sunday; those who are free and not too busy—including practitioners—will participate. Now it's late March, and early April marks Ramadan for the Fire Cult. This year's Ramadan coincides with a four-year event: Pilgrimage Day lasting seven days. During this month, believers will head to the Holy Mountain for pilgrimage. This is undoubtedly a significant occasion for them. The Pope has been acting as a proxy for several years; he can't avoid stepping forward this time, right? So I believe that Fire Cult Practitioners will definitely appear at Holy Mountain in mid to late April."
Wandering asked, "What if they don't?"
Cui Ming chuckled and said, "Then I'll blow up Holy Mountain! I'll rent or buy an airship filled with explosives and crash it into Holy Mountain during the busiest time of Pilgrimage to force them out... Just kidding! Don't be so tense! But if Fire Cult members knew I said this and started preparing, do you think they'd panic? Raefus has plenty of manpower in the criminal world; he could easily force Fire Cult Practitioners out then." This tactic was called startling the snake from its grass.
Cui Ming shifted gears: "However, our manpower is still quite thin. Look at me, Raefus, and Eva—we're all people who could be taken down by just a few surprise attacks."
Wandering quickly replied, "Don't even think about it! If you're going to make such a big move, the alliance definitely won't get involved; they won't send anyone to assist you." But why hadn't he thought of this earlier? Knowing that practitioners were taking on roles as Pope could have allowed them to pressure them into negotiations with the alliance. Of course, he wouldn't use Cui Ming's reckless approach; instead, he could leverage Eternity Alliance's influence without asking for too much—just a face-to-face meeting with the Fire Sect Pope to understand their background would be sufficient. (To be continued.)
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