Sending administrators to the Underworld?
Ye Zichen took in Pu Jingwan’s relaxed expression. He couldn’t help but close his eyes and consider her suggestion.
Both the Heavenly Court and the Underworld had a history dating back tens of thousands of years. This had made their inner workings incredibly complex and finicky.
Even heavenly soldiers and ghost messengers who’d been working there for thousands of years didn’t fully understand their respective organizations, much less outsiders. If they sent people, it would
“Please explain,” said Ye Zichen.
“Wah, no way! You’re telling me I didn’t make myself clear enough already?” Pu Jingwan’s jaw dropped in an exaggerated display of shock. She looked at Ye Zichen as if he were an idiot, then shook her head. “I already said it: if the Underworld and Heavenly Court are missing administrators, just send them new ones. What more do you want me to explain?”
“But do you know the history of the Underworld and Heavenly Court?” Ye Zichen frowned.
“Do we need to worry about history at a time like this?” Pu Jingwan merely shrugged. “Both factions are practically paralyzed, and the monkey said that the people of the Underworld can longer keep the vengeful spirits under control. In that case, all we need to do is send in some experts to scare the ghosts back into good behavior. As for a judge, we can just find someone clear-minded and righteous. We can have someone firm and unyielding go tackle their rampant corruption. Won’t that fix the problem?”
….
Ye Zichen and the Great Sage couldn’t help but look at each other for quite some time. Her solution was so simple, but neither of them had thought of it.
Ever since they’d learned of the two factions’ current plight, they’d both made the same mistaken assumptions.
How to manage the problem!
The Underworld and Heavenly Court both had countless rules and intricacies, far too many to count, but unusual times called for unusual solutions. Their central leadership was paralyzed; this was no time to sweat the small stuff.
Just send people to suppress them and be done with it.
This was, perhaps, not the best possible solution, but it was currently the fastest, most direct, simplest countermeasure available.
Then, as if afraid that with his IQ, Ye Zichen would struggle to understand her, Pu Jingwan continued her explanation. “As for the details, you can contact that Queen Mother lady in the group chat, right? Once the dust settles, or once things stabilize, have her teach those people how they run things. Bam! Problem solved!”
Ye Zichen had to admit that her words had enlightened him, clearing a new path forward.
It was just as she said: their first step was suppressing the chaos and cleaning up corruption. After that, under the Queen Mother’s guidance, they could worry about the details. This was the best available solution to alleviate the Queen Mother’s burden and save the two factions from their imminent collapse.
Of course…
Before they sent new staff, they needed the Queen Mother’s approval. After all, both the Underworld and the Heavenly Court were out of his jurisdiction. Although he’d once held office in the Heavenly Court, the people he planned to send were all his subordinates.
And they were going to become administrators, too.
It would be no exaggeration to say that, if they put this plan into action, the Underworld and Heavenly Court would be in his pocket.
He naturally needed the Queen Mother’s approval before he proceeded.
The matter was pressing, so Ye Zichen didn’t hesitate. He found the Queen Mother’s icon in the group chat, then sent her a direct message.
He saw her typing a response almost immediately.
Then, a line of text appeared beneath her icon. “Emperor Ye, what wisdom do you have for me?”
Ye Zichen quickly got his thoughts in order, then repeated Pu Jingwan’s plan in full detail.
A long time passed without a response.
“It seems she’s having a hard time making a decision.” The Great Sage peered over, looked at the chat long, and sighed. “If we really send our people over, although we can alleviate their imminent crisis, will those new officers really belong to the Underworld and Heavenly Court? She also has to consider the possibility that if our forces fill in all the management positions, she, the current commander in chief, will no longer be necessary.”
“I’m well aware.” When Ye Zichen contacted the Queen Mother, he’d anticipated this as a possible result.
The Queen Mother would naturally have some reservations. Once Ye Zichen’s alliance members filled the gaps in their organization, all Ye Zichen had to do was wave and both factions would return to his side. Perhaps not all would leave, but at least ninety percent would.
Even though the situation was dire, she needed to think this over.
At that moment, the chat box showed that the person on the other end was typing. Before long, a new message appeared on screen.
“Emperor Ye, please give me a little time to consider this.”
“Alright. Please contact me once you’ve made up your mind, or right away if anything changes. We’ll come up with a countermeasure right away.”
As soon as he finished his conversation with the Queen Mother, Ye Zichen made contact with Wei Jie, telling him to find suitable talents within the Upheaval Alliance’s ranks: those of excellent moral fiber and keen judgment, whose cultivation was between sky immortal and immortal king.
It didn’t matter whether the Queen Mother agreed to his proposal or not. Just in case, he needed to have his forces ready.
If she refused, he’d at most send those chosen back to their former positions to continue their lives in the God Realm. If she agreed, though, it was best to have his forces ready at a moment’s notice. That way, they could blend with the pre-existing administration and help the two factions resume operations sooner rather than later.
“I can’t afford to leave right now, but if I could, I’d really love to go down there and see the situation for myself. Why are so many administrators ascending all of a sudden?” Ye Zichen sighed.
Such a sudden, large-scale ascension was obviously fishy; anyone could see that.
Especially since so many of the ascenders were administrators!
Right!
The Queen Mother had mentioned that many experts of the Immortal Region and Endless Beast Region had ascended, too.
When he thought of it that way…
Could it be that all the ascenders were people Ye Zichen had once been in contact with? And those who had no connection with him, like the monkeys of Mount Huaguo, were unaffected?
Was someone acting behind the scenes?
Once the possibility occurred to him, Ye Zichen couldn’t dismiss it.
Normally, even if you were on the verge of ascension, you needed to prepare for at least half a year. That gave ascenders time to prepare. Six months would have been enough time for the ascended officials to choose and train replacements.
But the Queen Mother was currently in charge!
And it seemed like she’d been pushed into it and was in over her head.
The other administrators had simultaneously been forced into the Upper Three Realms without any time to prepare a successor or make other arrangements.
What was all of this for?
Perhaps this had nothing to do with Ye Zichen, and the person behind the scenes simply wanted to see the Lower Three Realms descend into chaos due to lack of leadership?
But you’d have to be a real expert to do something like that. Why would such a figure care so much about the Lower Three Realms? Was it worth it?
Why make so many people ascend? If this mysterious expert had taken a fancy to the leyline, he could just seize it directly. Even though the Lower Realms had a Master of the Laws, they’d be helpless to stop him!
Just as Ye Zichen sunk into deep thought, Yang Jian burst into the room, clearly in a rush. “The Outside requests an audience!”
