Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 1081
Team Red Lotus was the Speaker's secret guards. Naturally, Li Yao had pulled strings with Speaker Cui Lingfeng and gotten better privileges for them than the general members of the delegation.
In principle, they were Cui Lingfeng's eyes and ears. If they were interested in the development of a certain field in the federation, all they needed to do was send their relevant demands to the federal government, and the federal government would satisfy them in most cases and ask the Secret Sword Bureau to take care of the details. Therefore, their trips were all quite comprehensive and informative.
"The fierce battles in the sea of stars for the modern civilizations are really far beyond our imagination!"
The first speakers were Meng Chixin, Han Baling, and Qi Changsheng, who were mostly generals and commanders before.
Those few experts were particularly interested in the military construction and fleet development of the federation. Together with the officer representatives from Firefly, they had been discussing the issues concerning the establishment of a joint headquarters with the high-level officers from the General Staff of the federal army.
The modernized battles for the space fleets, including the sophisticated data links, telepathic thought network, information warfare, great competitions that involved hundreds of main-force fleets, highly-automatic Grand Illusionary Soldiers, complicated logistical support, and unpredictable space jumps and prevention… were great eye-openers for the 'ancient generals and commanders' who had travelled through time, with all the new magical equipment, new units, new tactics, and new principles. All the experts were fascinated.
"I was never willing to admit from the bottom of my heart that we are forty thousand years behind the era until today! It never occurred to me that the people in the outside world have developed such brilliant, glorious, and unbelievable civilizations in the past tens of thousands of years!"
Meng Chixin, the Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivator, sighed. "We were truly frogs in a well, spending such a long time looking at the sky above our head and thinking that what we saw was the whole of it. It is truly pathetic!"
"It is never too late to make amends!" Han Baling said. "Thankfully, we made the decision to open our eyes and observe the universe. If we start catching up right now, I believe that we will soon reach them!
"Speaking of which, I believe that we should consider more on whether to join the Imperium or the federation right now."
Qi Changsheng chuckled. The 'Heaven Battering King' was a leader of the rebels in the first place, and it was nothing new for him to surrender to greater powers. He did not have any burden at all, and he was best at claiming most benefits from those he surrendered to. After all, he would always surrender to whoever offered the biggest pie. "Fellow Cultivators, we have seen a lot of high-level officers from the General Staff of the federal army. It occurred to us that they are from all seven Sectors. After talking with them, we learned that the seven Sectors all have their local space fleets.
"Fellow Cultivators, I believe that we know the situation of the federation right now rather well. The three core Sectors and the Uranian Ring Sector below our feet are indeed advanced and developed. There is no way that we can catch up to them any time soon.
"However, the Forest Ocean Sector that has nothing but trees, the Water Crystal Sector that is rife with deserts, and the Nether World Sector that is scarred by wars and only habituated by ghosts, in terms of strength, are really not much better than the Ancient Sages Sector. If anything, we are even more powerful than them!
"After all, although our civilization might be slightly underdeveloped, the spiritual energy is more abundant in our world, and there is a greater population and more experts!
"From what I saw with Senior Meng and Fellow Cultivator Han today, the Star Glory Federation has greater ambitions than the gains and losses of the few small worlds at hand. Therefore, after acquiring the weak worlds such as the Forest Ocean Sector, the Nether World Sector, and the Water Crystal Sector, they did not exploit them greedily at all. Instead, they offered a lot of resources to improve and arm those worlds quickly. Even the Forest Ocean Sector, as a barbaric world, has established its own fleet. A lot of natives of the Forest Ocean Sector have joined the federal army. Some of them are even in key posts among the General Staff.
"Although Heiye Lan promised us that the Black Wind Fleet will also give us tremendous benefits if we surrender to the Imperium, it is just her word. Even though she was not lying to us, do her words really count, considering that she is not the commander of the Black Wind Fleet after all?
"The Black Wind Fleet is not necessarily going to offer us anything, but the benefits that the Star Glory Federation gives to the participant worlds are concrete and substantial!
"Right now, the Star Glory Federation is faced with a giant battle against the Black Wind Fleet, but it is not the end of the war. Rather, it is just the beginning of it! Even if the federation defeats the Black Wind Fleet, it will still be faced with the enormous military pressure of the Imperium of True Human Beings. This time, it won't take a hundred years for the army of the Imperium to come over.
"With the sword hanging above the federation's head, it is impossible for them to kick down the ladder under such circumstances. Therefore, if the Ancient Sages Sector joins the Star Glory Federation, there is a great chance that we will enjoy privileges equal to if not better than the treatment of the weak worlds such as the Forest Ocean Sector or the Water Crystal Sector!"
'Heaven Battering King' Qi Changsheng explained the advantages and disadvantages thoroughly.
The experts of the Ancient Sages Sector discussed and agreed on the conclusion.
Since the federation did not conquer the desert world 'Water Crystal Sector', which was right next to it, but resolved the problem through bargaining and peaceful negotiations, they did not seem to have any reason to swallow the Ancient Sages Sector, which was further away, hidden in the dark nebula with countless experts.
"But don't forget that the Star Glory Federation did wage a war upon the Uranian Ring Sector."
There was no telling which side Long Yangjun was taking. She casually said, "The Star Glory Federation is not a toothless tiger. In a battle, they can be more brutal than anyone else."
"The greatest reason for the war is perhaps the different ideologies of the old rulers of the Uranian Ring Sector and the federation," Master Bitter Cicada replied.
"Then, does the ideology of the Ancient Sages Sector befit the federation?" Long Yangjun smiled and glanced at Li Yao thoughtfully. "It's true that the uprising and wars were caused when the Heavenly Light, the ruling class of the Uranian Ring Sector, blatantly exploited the Earthly Brute.
"But did such things not happen in the Ancient Sages Sector? Fellow Cultivator Qi Changsheng, Fellow Cultivator Wan Mingzhu, are you not the Earthly Brute of the Ancient Sages Sector and the rest of us the Heavenly Light?
"If we really consider joining the Star Glory Federation seriously, I believe that our ideas from forty thousand years must be upgraded, and the Star Glory Federation must relieve our concerns with sincerity and appropriate solutions!"
Chapter 1671: Crime of Illegal Possession! |
Li Yao knew that Long Yangjun was partly telling the people of the Ancient Sages Sector that the federation would not embrace them unconditionally and that they would have to make contributions and changes if they wanted to join the federation. She was also partly reminding him that the experts of the Ancient Sages Sector, including the entire Ancient Sages Sector, were not tools without independent will that he could reshape freely.
There was still a long way to go before the two parties were really combined.
However, at least the experts of the Ancient Sages Sector did not object to joining the federation in principle. What waited to be addressed were just details and technical questions. All in all, it was a huge step forward.
The issues could not be figured out soon. They decided to put the issues on hold after discussing them for a while before the rest of the experts went on to tell everybody their own experience.
'Iron Saint' Qi Zhongdao, the leader of the Cultivators of the central plateaus of the Ancient Sages Sector, was an upright and plainspoken man who valued rules more than anything else.
Therefore, he perused the 'rules' of the Star Glory Federation, or to wit, how the laws of the federation were practiced.
Through Cui Lingfeng, Li Yao had helped arrange the qualification to attend the trial of a case that shocked the entire Uranian Ring Sector for Qi Zhongdao. He also gave him access to all the case files.
Qi Zhongdao indeed had a lot of findings and thoughts.
"Today, I went to attend a great trial that was of national influence. The plaintiff was an ordinary family in the federation, whereas the defendant was a high-level Cultivator at the peak of the Core Formation Stage and the leader of the Dragon Chasing Sect, a renowned, wealthy, and powerful local sect in the Uranian Ring Sector. He was charged with 'illegal possession'!
"The case did not seem overly complicated at first. The normal family had one son and one daughter, but it was a pity that the son was born in the era of great postwar construction sixteen years ago. The living environment was quite shabby back then, and the medical facilities were not sufficient. Also, they did not pay much attention to themselves, either. Therefore, they failed to test out that the son was a patient of, to quote the term in the federation, Down syndrome!
"The son's illness was quite serious. When he grew while doing nothing except eating and sleeping, his intelligence was still no higher than that of a five-year-old.
"Even so, his parents took good care of him and did not abandon him. They even took him to walk on the street every couple of days to open his eyes.
"But on one of their walks, they ran into an accident where two shuttles hit each other. One of the shuttles happened to careen into the son and blew him away. The son was heavily wounded and dying.
"The son was already in a coma when he was in the ambulance. It is said that even his heartbeat and brainwaves stopped for a long time, which was witnessed by the doctors, nurses, and his own parents personally.
"But after only ten minutes, the moment he was delivered to the hospital, he went back to himself miraculously!
"Before the parents could be overjoyed, they discovered that their son's demeanor, eyes, and even aura were completely different from the past. He was almost a different person now.
"The 'son' did not lie to them, either. He told them and the doctors and the policemen dutifully that he was not the previous mentally-retarded patient but the leader of the Dragon Chasing Sect, who possessed a theoretically dead body and reincarnated himself in it.
"As it turned out, the leader of the Dragon Chasing Sect, who was a high-level Cultivator at the peak of the Core Formation Stage, was trying to break into the Nascent Soul Stage through a very dangerous secret art, but he unfortunately failed and even perished on the spot due to the recoil of the art!
"According to him, although his body was destroyed, his soul was not entirely gone. It somehow drifted onto the street and happened to meet the ambulance that was carrying the mentally-retarded patient.
"The mentally-retarded patient, due to the Down syndrome, was born with incomplete soul, which made that his body the best 'container' for foreign souls.
"Also, the mentally-retarded patient's breathing, heartbeat, and brainwaves had stopped in the serious accident. Even his broken soul was gone. According to the testimony of authoritative medical experts, the chances that he could be saved were little to none, and he would have entered a vegetative state even if he did survive.
"By the standard of the Cultivators, the body of the mentally-retarded patient had already become an empty 'sack' that was now ownerless.
"The remaining soul of the leader of the Dragon Chasing Sect, noticing the 'vacant' body, crawled into it, driven by the natural instincts to survive. Therefore, he became the new owner of the body and reincarnated himself in it!
"He must've been happy to have a new life, but the birth parents of the mentally-retarded patient were certainly not satisfied. The Secret Sword Agents who are responsible for the crimes of Cultivators caught the leader of the Dragon Chasing Sect, who was in the body of the mentally-retarded patient, and delivered to the court, where he was charged with 'illegal possession'!
"Fellow Cultivators, in your opinion, is the guy guilty or not? Was the leader of the Dragon Chasing Sect justified in doing what he did?"
The case involved a powerful celebrity, and the plot was quite intriguing. It had raised heated discussions in the Uranian Ring Sector and even other sectors. The 'ancient Cultivators' from the Ancient Sages Sector were deeply attracted by the case and offered their opinions.
Han Baling cackled and said, "Illegal possession? Interesting. Does it mean the even possession is a crime in the Star Glory Federation? Or rather, is there 'legal possession'?"
"There is." Qi Zhongdao nodded and said, "I have studied it carefully. There is indeed 'legal possession' in the federation. Some 'body donors' can volunteer to sign authorization documents, stating that they would like to donate their body to the country after they pass away. The bodies will be used for practice by the students of the medical schools, for transplantations, or given to experts whose bodies have been destroyed for them to be reincarnated.
"The experts of the Star Glory Federation have only two choices if they are making a highly dangerous attempt and fear that they might die. They can either prepare a few exquisite, powerful 'artificial bodies', like Senior Meng or Senior Wu, and perhaps become spectral Cultivators after they die.
"Or, they have to register in advance to wait in line or draw lots and apply for a corpse.
"However, the rate of success when possessing such dead bodies is even lower than turning into a spectral Cultivator. Once they fail, it is highly likely that their broken soul will be further damaged, and they won't even have a chance to become a spectral Cultivator.
"Furthermore, dead bodies are valuable resources. Most of them are used for organ transplants and for the teaching purposes of medical schools. Only when the body donors propose the request and confirm multiple times will their bodies enter the 'possession and rebirth' procedure.
"There is more demand than supply, and a body is always hard to come by. So, few experts try their luck by 'legal possession'. Most of them still try to train their soul to increase the odds of them transforming into spectral Cultivators and even living in such a form for another one to two hundred years after they die."
"Is it true?"
Although 'Mother White Lotus' Wan Mingzhu was a spectral Cultivator, she was adept at manipulating puppets and crafting zombies. Possession was not a problem for her at all. "You have to wait in line and draw lots in order to possess a body? What… what kind of rule is this? Is there no black market where you can buy a body?"
Qi Zhongdao shook his head and said, "No. The issue concerns the fundamental ethics of the federation and therefore cannot be shaken. Therefore, bribery and businesses in the field are strictly forbidden. Neither the donor nor the acceptor know who each other is before the procedure is completed. The black market of bodies is always struck hard, too. As for the crime of illegal possession, it is one of the most serious crimes in the federation. Once found guilty, most of the criminals will be sentenced to death!"
"The Star Glory Federation's law has been established to protect the interests of the weak. It is rather considerate." Master Bitter Cicada sighed. "But I believe that this case is different. The mentally-regarded son was already dead in the ambulance due to the accident. He couldn't be revived, and the only thing he left was a body.
"The leader of the Dragon Chasing Sect, on the other hand, perished after a failed breakthrough attempt. Nobody knows how much wisdom he had left. Driven by his natural instincts for survival, it seems rather understandable for him to crawl into a vacant body and seek shelter there."
"The monk is quite right," Ba Xiaoyu the Beggar said. "Laws are meant to deal with real-life issues. The case is a complete accident, where every party ran into each other by chance. After all, the body was already possessed. It's not like the leader should be sentenced to death again, right? Even if the leader of the Dragon Chasing Sect is killed, the previous son's life will never be brought back. Why bother?"
"I think the key is whether or not the mentally-retarded son was confirmed to be dead when he was still in the ambulance," Qi Changsheng remarked, not thinking that it was a big deal. "If the guy was already dead, well, living people are always more important than the deceased. After one is dead, one will be nothing but a pile of meat. Feeding on it or possessing it is just recycling the garbage. What's the big deal?"
The Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator did quite a lot of lawless things for survival back in the days when he was in the 'Heaven Battering Army'. He definitely would not hesitate at all when it came to making use of dead bodies.
"If I may say, this is perhaps the best of the worst outcomes." Qi Changsheng smiled. "Nobody could've foreseen that the mentally-regarded son would have an accident, but since he was already dead, he would always stay dead whether or not he was possessed.
"But right now, the dead body saved a Cultivator at the peak of the Core Formation Stage. There are slightly more than a thousand Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators in the seven Sectors of the federation. So, a guy at the peak of the Core Formation Stage must rank in the top two thousand nationwide. If we only consider this world, he must be one of the top five hundred experts of the Uranian Ring Sector, right?
"A top-500 expert has been rescued by the dead body of an idiot and is now able to continue making contributions to this Sector and the entire federation. Isn't it good?
"Also, although he has nothing to do with the birth parents of the idiot, he has taken up their son's body after all. It is only reasonable that he gives many benefits to the parents and sees that they are properly taken care of for the rest of their life. That is not an outrageous request, right?
