The Demonic World I designed-Chapter 667 - 657: The Identity of the Great Hell Ruler.

"Is it because... I am not a native of Jiangnan?"

"Hmm... you could say that." The old gentleman nodded slightly and smiled in response.

Upon hearing this answer, Murong Bingyun couldn’t help but give a wry smile. When in the Northern Wasteland, his deep admiration for the culture of the Central Plains had made him somewhat out of place among his peers. Now that he had arrived in the Central Plains, his identity as a person from the Northern Wasteland still set him apart. Did this mean he was displeasing on both fronts?

Just as he was about to excuse himself, he heard the other person say, "Your experience is insufficient. If you were sent out now, at most you would be the Priest in charge of some small county in the Southeast. The position of a City God seems powerful, but it is very difficult to get promoted from there..."

Murong Bingyun was stunned and looked up blankly at the other person.

He wasn’t foolish and immediately understood what the other person meant.

This was not about suppressing him because of his identity; on the contrary... they thought him too qualified to settle for the position of Priest of a single county.

Now that he thought about it, although the other person had never sent him away, the days spent teaching by word and example were all part of careful cultivation. He had been left in charge of practically all the Priestly affairs in the Southeast Province.

As a result, many wandering spirits already regarded him as the supreme ruler of the Priests in the Southeast Province.

Logically, such cultivation wouldn’t be meant to suppress him...

But, if not suppression, what could it mean?

The old gentleman smiled and said, "Although you are young, you are stable enough, and your vision is certainly long-term. In life, you were the rightful heir of a major Northern Wasteland noble family. Are you really content to be just a county City God? What, can’t you let go of that girl named Shen Xue?"

At these words, Murong Bingyun’s face turned red.

Shen Xue was engaged, and although the Bai Family had no Transcendent individuals, not even a Magician, they were still a significant scholarly family. For the sake of reputation, Shen Xue would have to fulfill the initial agreement and marry the Bai Family’s eldest son in this lifetime.

But Magicians have long lifespans, and the Bai Family’s eldest son, lacking the talents of a Magician, might live up to a hundred years at most, even in such a blessed place like Jiangnan.

With Shen Xue’s aptitude, it was only a matter of time before she became Transcendent. Previously, the utmost lifespan for Magicians could reach eight hundred years, and those who were Transcendent would certainly live over a thousand. free𝑤ebnovel.com

To Shen Xue, the Bai Family’s eldest son was nothing but a passing figure in her fate.

However, if he couldn’t become the master of the City God, accumulating enough merit to ensure longevity, he might have to reincarnate after just a few decades. After reincarnation, all obsessions would cease to exist.

"Don’t rush; your opportunity is considerable..." the old gentleman said with a smile.

"Opportunity?" Murong Bingyun frowned, puzzled. Jiangnan was filled with talented people; as a deceased foreigner, what chance could he possibly have?

"Do you know about the event a month ago when Mister Ziyue took over Beihai City?"

"Of course, I’m aware..." Murong Bingyun nodded, still confused about the relevance to himself.

"Have you also heard about Northern Yan allying with Jiangnan?"

"I have heard about it... but what of it? It’s merely an alliance..."

"Just a dependency?" the old gentleman laughed. "During the battle for the Southeast, didn’t you notice? As soon as the defending soldiers declare their surrender, the Path of Yin and Yang in that region transforms into our Hell Ruler’s domain, does it not?"

"Ah..." Murong Bingyun was startled, and then his heart suddenly skipped a beat!

"Are you suggesting..."

Could it be? Could it possibly be...?

"It’s exactly what you are thinking..." said the old gentleman, looking towards the north. "The Emperor covets the Northern Wasteland, as it pertains to a very important passage in the future. Although Northern Yan is a dependency, my guess is that from the moment the Northern Yan Emperor declared his allegiance, the Hell Ruler’s presence in Northern Wolf City must have already been established."

"To prevent the Northern Yan Emperor from severing his ties in the future, the Emperor will certainly empty out the newly appointed Little Emperor’s power as quickly as possible. To marginalize a genuine Emperor of a foreign race can only be done through internal forces. Whether the Emperor’s words have weight depends mainly on whether the financial and military powers are secure. If I guess correctly, the military power should be by enticing the common soldiers of the Northern Wasteland with the unique mechanisms of the Warrior Army. And as for the financial power...that would come from the control over the dead!"

Murong Bingyun swallowed hard, looking at the other party: "You mean to say, our Lord will choose a spokesperson to control the rights of the dead and then, in alliance with other families, gradually coordinal them, using the business of Jiangnan and the system of the dead to align the major families and ministers towards Jiangnan?"

"There is no other way..." The old gentleman laughed. "Although you are young, your political sense is sharper than that of many seasoned officials. You should be able to figure out what is going on. Luring people with wealth might not necessarily win their hearts, but the best way is to show those families a greater benefit. The dead’s realm is an excellent opportunity for this."

"The ruler of the realm of the dead has only a ten-year appointment. Members of your Murong Family are eligible, as are the scions of other major families. Once they understand the benefits that come with being the ruler of the dead, they will no longer care about the legitimate imperial power, because for a family, the rights of the dead are more useful than any other."

Murong Bingyun nodded. To the major families, indeed, the position of the ruler of the dead was more valuable than any other power, and it didn’t require excessive favoritism. Merely sending more qualified souls toward one’s own family could already foster the appearance of prosperity, not to mention other advantages.

"You mean our Lord intends for me...How could this be possible?"

He had no qualifications whatsoever. Just on the strength of his potential future role as a Priest of the Murong Family, could he become the ruler over a nation’s dead? Was this reality?

He had been in the realm of the dead for quite some time and had come to understand many of its mechanisms. The Great Hell Ruler managed province-level units, with the smallest units being counties, with thousands of City Gods under him. But in Northern Yan, there were no so-called small counties, only a single Northern Wolf City, which meant that the realm of the dead for the entire Northern Wolf Country was under his sole management!

Could this be possible? Such great power, such an important task...to fall upon him?

As he was thinking this, a voice from outside the realm of the dead called out, "Shen Qi requests an audience with the Great Hell Ruler!"

"That was rather fast..." the old gentleman smiled faintly, waving his hand. Instantly, the darkness that surrounded them turned to light, and in the blink of an eye, they were back in the world of the living.

"Mr. Shen Qi?" Murong Bingyun’s breathing quickened. Mr. Shen Qi had always been with the Emperor, and now he was here suddenly—could it be...?

"How have you been during this time, Bingyun?" Shen Qi asked gently, looking at Murong Bingyun.

Murong Bingyun hastily paid his respects: "The younger generation is fine. I have been following the Great Hell Ruler and have learned a great deal."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qi looked towards the old gentleman. In Jiangnan, there was no position of Great Hell Ruler, and it was unclear whether the Emperor had deliberately refrained from creating such a position. The role of the Great Hell Ruler for the Southeast province was of great importance, and many were speculating who would be appointed. Who could have guessed that it would end up in the hands of an ordinary old gentleman?

This old gentleman was no ordinary man. He had caught on to the Emperor’s plans early on, having kept Murong Bingyun by his side for months to train him and learn the management of the realm of the dead for an entire province. To say the old man hadn’t guessed something was out of the question.

With that thought, Shen Qi bowed again.

He truly lived up to his name as Mr. Five Poison from the past!

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