Zhao Huoyan didn't hold back at all. His words stripped them of any dignity and struck right at the heart of their deepest fear.
Why were they always trying to recruit powerful cultivators into their ranks?
Why did they scramble to seize every powerful spiritual item the moment it appeared?
Because the resurgence of spiritual energy had shaken the old social order to its core.
They were the elites of the old scientific society, well-versed in the rules of that world, with a strong foundation already in place. But when spiritual energy returned, practitioners of traditional crafts—long overlooked—rose to prominence in cultivation, leaving them behind.
Even though they were among the earliest to adapt to the new age and had become high-ranking officials in the country's only official cultivator organization, the SEIU, their cultivation and mastery could never catch up to the craft masters who had spent decades honing their skills.
At first, these masters only had stronger bodies and spiritual platforms, so they weren't a threat. The officials were not worried. A little profit-sharing was enough to keep those people on their side, and the real power remained in their hands.
But then came the method of nourishing spiritual items with spiritual energy.
Lesser items posed no danger, but high-tier and dangerous spiritual items had begun threatening the positions and authority they had worked so hard to maintain before the spiritual revival.
They had no choice but to compromise again. They recruited the top talents among cultivators under the title of "Elite Masters," aiming to put their spiritual items to use.
Most of the Elite Masters were deeply devoted to their craft and had no interest in power. The strategy had worked.
Until now.
Now, someone had flipped the entire table.
And even if she was toppling someone else's table for now, it was obvious she didn't respect them either. Otherwise, she wouldn't have shown such little restraint, killing the SEIU's undercover agents and even executing Feng Jinwen, who was supposed to be under their protection.
Song Miaozhu had managed to wipe out every last member of the Eternal Life Society without anyone noticing. Her methods were strange and elusive. There was no telling when she might turn her sights on them.
She had set a precedent. If other cultivators started following her example, what power would the SEIU still hold?
Their influence, resources, and authority among cultivators came entirely from their positions in the SEIU. If that crumbled, so would their ability to reallocate spiritual items and secure resources far beyond what their actual cultivation deserved.
That was what they feared most.
All of this had been carefully buried in their hearts, but now Zhao Huoyan had said it out loud. His words were harsh, but not wrong. Their alarm was real, but even more than that, they were deeply worried about what lay ahead.
"If we had known it would end up like this, we never should have made the spiritual item nourishment technique public."
"But it wasn't that hard to figure out. Even if we hadn't shared it, someone else would have discovered it eventually. Publicizing it boosted the SEIU's credibility among cultivators. That gave us the greatest benefit at the time."
"Why did the new cultivation rules favor artisans so much? If not for that, we wouldn't be in such a passive position now."
"So what do we do? Pretend we know nothing, do nothing, and just maintain the illusion of peace?"
"Maintain peace? That depends. Would Song Miaozhu be willing to play along? She managed to dig up the Eternal Life Society despite how well they hid. She probably knows about our decision regarding Feng Jinwen too."
"Besides, no one really knows what other spiritual items she has under her control. That's a huge risk. Human nature is never as steadfast as we think. What if she suddenly decides to take revenge on the world?"
"Exactly. We can turn a blind eye this time. You could call it self-defense, maybe just a bit excessive, but not a real violation of cultivation law. She's an Elite Master, a special talent. Special treatment is understandable. But what about next time? Even if we ignore it now, we need to be ready in case she turns on us."
"Right. It's about balance. Her Spirit-Converging Dolls are too valuable. If we provoke her without reason, we might push her into open rebellion."
...
This time, Zhao Huoyan said nothing more.
He agreed. They needed to stay on good terms with Master Song while preparing for the worst, just in case. So far, Master Song had done nothing wrong. Everything she had done was justified and admirable. She deserved their respect and cooperation. But no one could predict the future.
One thing they were right about—human nature cannot withstand temptation.
Before the spiritual revival, people like Feng Ru and those early SEIU committee members had all been considered virtuous and capable. Who could have imagined they would go on to commit such horrifying acts?
Zhao Huoyan had never been protecting Song Miaozhu. He was protecting every law-abiding citizen of the country.
Unbeknownst to them, the little paper servant she had sent to the SEIU hadn't left yet. For Song Miaozhu, this meeting had been another live broadcast.
She was only half-listening while she worked on her paper crafts. It was just background noise to her.
When she dealt with the Eternal Life Society, she had already marked several SEIU members with low cultivation and greedy ambitions. Each name had gone onto her curse list and been made into a little paper servant for later use.
She hadn't made a move yet because none of them had actually harmed her. They were not true enemies. Not yet.
No matter how the SEIU decided to treat her, she now had the power to push back. In fact, she was confident she wouldn't lose. So she didn't care what attitude they took anymore. That said, their fear that she might turn into a terrorist was baseless.
She studied the Secret Art of Paper Crafting to protect herself, not to harm others.
Feng Ru and Feng Jinwen were already perfect cautionary tales.
She'd even heard there was a ghost tour group in Fengdu Prefecture that let you watch your enemies being punished in hell. She had gone last night, and while she was there, the ghost instructors had given her a thorough lecture on karma and morality.
In short, she would never casually use the Secret Art of Paper Crafting to kill. She only killed those who tried to kill her, or those who had taken many lives themselves. Others, at most, might be punished or pranked with paper craft—nothing fatal. Just like she had handled the criminals and SEIU moles.
That way, their sins wouldn't become her burden.
Of course, the SEIU didn't know this. Even if they did, they probably wouldn't believe it without seeing it for themselves. Song Miaozhu could understand that. She wasn't angry.
Her relationship with the SEIU had always been purely transactional. If they stopped cooperating, it didn't matter to her. She was a little more familiar with Zhao Huoyan, but they weren't close. It was normal for him to stay cautious. She was cautious of them too.
These people still didn't get it. Cultivation and spiritual items were the real sources of power now. No amount of scheming could compare to true strength.
After a while, Song Miaozhu lost interest in their discussion. It was more worthwhile to focus her energy into her paper car instead.