Upon the vast grasslands lay an organization, not overtly famous, yet of paramount importance – the Joint Council of Elders.

This esteemed body comprised the most virtuous and prestigious individuals from each tribe, forming a council of elders to assist in the governance of the land. In this aspect, it bore a resemblance to the system in the Jing Country, yet also possessed distinct differences.

Comparatively, the Joint Council of Elders served as a power-sharing entity alongside the monarch. In the earliest times, it stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Pastoral Emperor, wielding power rooted in divine authority. However, as the ages turned, its authority slowly waned.

Presently, its functions were more akin to the Ministry of Affairs in the Qi Country, possessing only the power of court deliberation. True authority remained contingent upon the strength of the tribes they represented. Yet, to dismiss the Joint Council of Elders as a mere figurehead would be inaccurate.

The Pastoral Country’s security force, the Cang Yu, formally known as the Cang Yu Patrol Yamen, was precisely under the purview of the Joint Council of Elders. Thus, upon these boundless grasslands, the Joint Council of Elders still held an unquestionable position.

And the elder who had just engaged in conversation with Tu Hu was none other than the Chief Elder of this very Joint Council. That he could casually engage in discussion with the giant of the Mo School, Tu Hu, also implied that he was a contemporary True Monarch.

His name was—

Bo Er Zhi Jin · E Ke Lie!

“See here, I still have a Flying Tooth token, eh?”

Jiang Wang, holding the circular beast bone token in his hand, chuckled as he spoke to Yu Wen Duo.

Originally, while passing through the grasslands, he had rescued some Pastoral people during a white-haired gale. The Flying Tooth, part of the Cang Yu Patrol Yamen, arrived to provide aid and, seeing that he had already completed the rescue, presented him with a Flying Tooth token, instructing him to visit the royal court to receive a reward.

Just moments ago, the two had been discussing the Flying Tooth, and the conversation turned to Yu Wen Duo’s past experiences training within the Cang Yu. He mentioned having investigated cases and, in a way, considered himself a half-colleague of the renowned Constable Jiang.

Yu Wen Duo also chuckled along, and after a moment, stammered slightly, “Actually, about this matter today…”

“Speaking of solving cases, I know a friend who is particularly formidable,” Jiang Wang said lightly. “She is a descendant of famous constables, possessing inherited skills, and is inherently strong-willed, clever, and wise. Truly, gods and ghosts can hardly conceal themselves from her; she sees every detail. Any case she lays her eyes upon, she can surely find clues!”

Yu Wen Duo responded, “A dragon does not dwell with snakes. How could a friend of Marquis Wu An be anything less? With such remarkable case-solving abilities, the position of a patrol inspector lieutenant is surely unavoidable in the future.”

The position of patrol inspector lieutenant might not prioritize case-solving abilities above all else, but there was no need to explain this to Yu Wen Duo.

Jiang Wang simply smiled. “She is not one suited for the official world. She has now gone to the Three Punishments Palace to cultivate. Great prospects await her!”

“The official path is certainly not the only path. The Three Punishments Palace is a good place, a holy ground of the Legalists! When I was in the Flying Tooth, I also yearned to go there for further study!”

Yu Wen Duo was indeed not naturally gifted at conversation, his attempts to connect words sounded somewhat stiff.

However, his desire to mend fences was quite apparent.

“Alright, alright, you don’t need to accompany me here and chat. Go wander around your Divine Grace Temple,” Jiang Wang said with a laugh. “I still need to cultivate later.”

“Brother, look at what you are saying. How could I be the kind of person who lacks restraint?” Yu Wen Duo paused, then continued, “Actually, Cloud Highness originally had matters to attend to today and was not planning to go to the Green Tooth Platform. She only intended to have me record the details of your duel with a shadow stone so that she could review it with Ru Cheng later. However, upon hearing that you had encountered Lord Tu Hu at the border, she decided to come personally… and she also brought along a master from the Washing Moon Nunnery.”

“Speaking of the Washing Moon Nunnery master…” Jiang Wang inquired, “Which one is it who has come today?”

“It is Master Yu Hua,” Yu Wen Duo added, seemingly out of a sense of compensation, and then added a somewhat mysterious piece of information, “I heard she has great hope of becoming the next Head Seat of the Miao You Zhai Hall.”

Yu Hua!

That complicated night seemed to float before his eyes once more.

Yu Hua was still contending for this Head Seat position, and had not yet secured it?

Generally speaking, if one had been vying for so long, they should have already ascended. The fact that she was still striving and had not yet succeeded almost certainly indicated failure.

This Master Yu Hua, one wondered if she truly did not see the reality, or was merely deceiving herself.

Jiang Wang pondered further. The Miao You Zhai Hall Head Seat position being vacant for such an extended period was clearly not prepared for Yu Hua…

Then who was it waiting for?

He said calmly, “Speaking of which, how is it that Cloud Highness is on good terms with a master from the Washing Moon Nunnery? I recall that at the Yellow River Meeting, she also brought a master to observe the battles. Could the divine light-bathed grasslands provide space for Bodhisattvas, Buddhas, or the like?”

Regarding the Cang Tu God Religion, Jiang Wang had a particularly strong impression of one detail.

During his journey to the View River Platform, the Pastoral people even covered the Suanni reliefs on a stone bridge to demonstrate that their incense offerings were exclusively for the Pastoral Country.

If He Lian Yun Yun merely had private friendships with a few masters, that would be one thing. But now, a master from the Washing Moon Nunnery had arrived at the supreme royal court at this critical juncture, clearly in anticipation of the Grand Ceremony for the Succession of the God Crown Priest. How could the Cang Tu God Religion not have an opinion?

Yu Wen Duo was silent for a moment, and finally revealed his greatest sincerity today by speaking, “The greatness of the Cang Tu God is boundless as the sky. The divine light of the Cang Tu God shines upon the world, embracing the existence of all things. Of course, this also includes the Washing Moon Nunnery.”

Jiang Wang was momentarily stunned by the information contained within that single sentence.

It was at this moment that he vaguely recalled that after arriving on the grasslands this time, the Pastoral people’s respectful title for the Cang Tu God seemed to lean more towards “Supreme Divine Spirit.”

“Supreme Divine Spirit” was, of course, a highly esteemed title, but the Pastoral people previously had been more inclined to propagate the idea of the “Only True God.”

A Supreme God might overlook and acknowledge other great existences, while the Only True God rejects all others. Between the two, there was a fundamental shift.

Such an obvious piece of information, and he had only realized it now!

If it were Chong Xuan Sheng, he would likely have understood the problem upon hearing it the first time. He truly was too focused on cultivation and lacked some sensitivity to the overall situation.

He had a mind to ask more, but knew it was inappropriate. Yu Wen Duo’s willingness to reveal this much was already a significant act of sincerity, and he wholeheartedly wished to maintain the relationship between Jiang Wang and He Lian Yun Yun. This was likely a requirement from He Lian Yun Yun as well.

After a moment of thought, Jiang Wang said, “The scenery of the grasslands is pleasant. If restrictions were lifted, it would of course be excellent. However, one worries that the influx of mixed fish and dragons could introduce many demons and monsters, disturbing the tranquility.”

Yu Wen Duo said, “Big waves wash the sand, and eventually the gold is revealed. Furthermore, the grasslands are vast. Eagles, horses, cattle, and sheep all have their places.”

Jiang Wang thoughtfully replied, “It seems the grasslands will soon become lively. If Brother Yu Wen has leisure later, could you help me keep an eye on a force called the Wu Sheng Religion?”

Zhang Lin Chuan’s Wu Sheng Religion had developed with alarming speed. In an extremely short time, it had spread throughout Yong Country, Cheng Country, Jiao Country, and other places. Jiang Wang had previously dealt with a Wu Sheng Religion outpost in Cheng Country, but had been unable to fully probe its true nature, only hearing a glimpse of the and feeling a deep sense of trepidation in his heart.

If the grasslands were to lift their restrictions, he suspected the Wu Sheng Religion might not miss this opportunity.

“That is certainly no problem!” Yu Wen Duo thumped his chest, the sound resounding like thunder.

He was not afraid of Jiang Wang troubling him; he was only afraid that Jiang Wang would be unwilling to trouble him.

After thumping his chest, he asked again, “Brother Jiang, do you have a past connection or an enmity with this Wu Sheng Religion?”

At least within the limited scope of these grasslands, he was very confident: “If there is a past connection, I will take care of it. If there is enmity, I will also take care of it!”

“No need to take care of it, just help me probe its reality,” Jiang Wang said casually.

In truth, he did not hold much hope that the Wu Sheng Religion would necessarily expand to the grasslands. He was mainly using this as an excuse to trouble Yu Wen Duo a bit and to express his attitude of having no grudges.

With Jiang Wang saying this, Yu Wen Duo naturally understood that he and the Wu Sheng Religion were not harmonious old friends.

He immediately declared, “If this Wu Sheng Religion does not come, then so be it. If they enter the grasslands, I guarantee you will know the color of their underwear!”

“Hahaha, I appreciate the effort!” Jiang Wang laughed, ushering him out of the courtyard door and continuing his cultivation for the day.

Representing the Great Pastoral Empire, the blue sky divine map flag fluttered high, surrounded by divine light, possessing the majesty of a great nation.

Ten thousand li were cloudless; the sky was just right.

This was the twenty-seventh day of June in the Dao Calendar year three nine two one, which was also the twenty-eighth day of June in the God Calendar year five three seven two. The Grand Ceremony for the Succession of the God Crown Evangelism Great Priest officially convened at the God Light Altar.

The God Calendar was naturally the calendar of the Pastoral Country. This was also the only country in the world whose calendar year exceeded that of the New Qi Dao Calendar.

Of course, this did not imply that the Pastoral Country’s history was truly more ancient than the Jing Country’s.

Five thousand three hundred seventy-two years ago was the legendary day when the Cang Tu God achieved the Dao. That year was counted as year one of the God Calendar. This meant that the Cang Tu God achieved the Dao in the near ancient era. The Pastoral people, of course, universally and deeply believed this, but it was not widely recognized internationally.

It was said that the Cang Tu God Religion’s earliest attempt to establish the God Calendar aimed to push back several tens of thousands of years, beginning its chronology from the legendary mid-ancient era when the Cang Tu God was born. Later, this idea was abandoned due to its excessive absurdity.

The Jing Country side had once publicly stated that the Pastoral Country’s founding was actually in the God Calendar year two seven five four. The entire Pastoral Country had, to date, only two thousand six hundred years of history.

This was a point that both the Jing and Pastoral sides recognized.

As for the history related to the Cang Tu God, Sima Heng was deeply reticent on the matter.

The six volumes of the began with the founding of the country and temporarily concluded before the reign of the female emperor. It neither traced back to the gods nor criticized the political and religious systems, only narrating the evolutionary process of this empire on the grasslands, upholding Sima Heng’s principle of historical writing.

The God Light Altar was the largest and most divinely empowered altar within the Supreme Royal Court. Throughout the entire grasslands, it was second only to the one atop Dome Tent Mountain.

The massive square beneath the altar could simultaneously accommodate ten thousand people in worship. Hosting envoys from various countries was, of course, a trivial matter.

Jiang Wang, as the Chief Envoy of the Great Qi, naturally sat in the position closest to the altar, and was at the very heart of the core.

Qi, Chu, Qin, Jing, and Jin from the five regions sat side-by-side.

Jiang Wang, Dou Zhao, Huang Bu Dong, Murong Long Xie, and Chen Suan, the five chief envoys, sat beneath their respective national flags. Behind them stood their guards, all elite warriors from their accompanying missions: the Heaven Cover Army, the God Sin Army, the Town Fierce Army, the Red Horse Guard, and the Fight Woe Army. None of them were not powerful armies of the world, displaying national might at this time.

Each contingent numbered not a few.

Envoys from other countries, such as Qu Country and Zheng Country, were positioned further out.

Yu Wen Duo at this point mingled within the Qi Country’s envoy team, squeezing beside Jiang Wang and mysteriously whispering, “Let me tell you, that Wu Sheng Old Mother’s underwear is…”

“Speak of proper matters!” Jiang Wang stopped him. “Discussing this on the God Crown Priest Succession Grand Ceremony… pah, why are you discussing other people’s underwear!”

Yu Wen Duo shook his head, appearing innocent. “Didn’t you say last time that you really wanted to know?”

Furthermore, after Jiang Wang had mentioned the Wu Sheng Religion to him previously, he had gone back and seriously investigated it.

He hadn’t investigated much before, but once he began, he truly discovered traces of the Wu Sheng Religion entering the grasslands!

It was said that currently on the grasslands, the Cang Tu God Religion was extremely exclusive. Small religions like the Wu Sheng Religion had absolutely no chance of competing for faith.

However, the missionaries of the Wu Sheng Religion were very cunning. They propagated that the ancestor of their Wu Sheng Religion was a subordinate god under the Cang Tu God, and had served by the side of the divine spirit even before the Cang Tu God achieved the Dao.

In short, they fabricated many legendary stories, supplemented with songs and chants. The core message was simply: the Cang Tu God is supreme, with billions of believers, and cannot care for everyone. Praying to the Cang Tu God’s subordinate gods was also the same. The ancestor of the Wu Sheng Religion possessed divine arts, all personally taught by the Cang Tu God. Although not as divinely mighty as the sea like the Cang Tu God, resolving minor disasters and tribulations was no problem.

Any religion, regardless of size, would claim their object of faith was capable. One need only look at the small state of He Country, with almost no influence among the world’s nations. Yet their Yuan Tian God claimed to be the “Son of the Blue Sky, the world’s most respected god.” That style was far more advanced than the Cang Tu God’s self-proclaimed achievement of the Dao in the near ancient era.

Preaching such things, who would not vigorously boast about their own gods?

Which god was not omnipotent, omniscient?

Yet the Wu Sheng Religion took a different path, employing a parasitic style of preaching. First, they demoted their own god master, Dao master, and religion master, the leader who was all three in one, into an attendant of the Cang Tu God, and then proceeded to steal the Cang Tu God’s faith.

Because the primary focus of their faith still lay with the Cang Tu God, if not for Yu Wen Duo’s detailed investigation with the support of He Lian Yun Yun, and Jiang Wang’s provision of specific characteristics, it would have been truly difficult to find any clues.

In the past, if such a small religion dared to conceal its activities in this manner, once discovered, the Cang Tu God Religion would likely dispatch several Gold Crown Priests and erase the opposing object of faith entirely.

However, in this current period… the Pastoral Country actually did not mind.

It was only when Jiang Wang mentioned it that Yu Wen Duo specifically took action.

Stealing faith under the very eyelids of the Cang Tu God, the Wu Sheng Religion was also very cautious, developing at a very slow pace. But Yu Wen Duo was very clear that with the Wu Sheng Religion’s cunning and seasoned missionary tactics, after today, they might usher in a period of high-speed development on the grasslands.

In an extremely short time, he had uncovered the root of the opposing force, and thus, this time, he came before Jiang Wang to offer this treasure.

Jiang Wang glanced at him sideways. “Since we’ve reached this point, let me remind you of something. What Divine Grace Temple, what underwear… you can joke with me about those normally. I am a person who has seen accustomed to winds and waves. Ru Cheng is still young; don’t be like this in front of him and teach him bad habits.”

Yu Wen Duo’s eyes held a strange look.

Isn’t Ru Cheng much more understanding than you? Third Brother, you are truly very old-fashioned.

“Heard me?” Jiang Wang intensified the deterrence in his eyes.

Yu Wen Duo curled his lip, just about to offer a perfunctory response, when his eyes suddenly widened, looking ahead—towards the positions of the four Gold Crown Priests on the altar above.

Jiang Wang subconsciously followed his gaze and was also stunned.

A timely announcement echoed in his ears—

“Invite the Winter Emperor to his seat!”

The newly promoted True Monarch of the Snow Country, the Yan Dao strongman known as the Winter Emperor, finally made his appearance at this moment!

Thank you, alliance leader evanschen, for accumulating into silver. This is for the eighteenth silver great alliance of Red Heart!

(This is a small number from Alliance Leader Chen.)

(Still 2 owed out of 3, the advantage is mine.)