This time I chose Paladin.

Chapter 177 Propaganda
For the next two weeks, Gushi no longer secretly mobilized resources, but openly assembled troops and cleaned up the interior of Gushi.

Meanwhile, the propaganda machine was started.

New slogans and posters began to be put up in the city, using absolutely real images and examples to explain to people the harmfulness of various non-orthodox religious sects.

The propagandist carried a homemade loudspeaker and spent the whole day broadcasting shocking stories in various ways.

In fact, while most people expressed their support, there were also countless people who opposed it.

"I'm already exhausted, I don't want to hear this kind of thing anymore."

"War? What do I care? I'm just a professional."

"It might really be something big... The authorities made preparations before the Blood Moon ascended..."

"Anyone who believes that is a fool; it's just a habitual hoarding of supplies."

"Who exactly is spreading this rumor that the authorities are prepared? If the authorities were prepared, why haven't they contacted us yet?"

"Here we go again, they don't even release the data, they just rely on their own words. I oppose this kind of low-quality propaganda that creates panic, and I oppose curfews and censorship implemented under this pretext even more. Crisis? We'll talk about that when it really happens to me. Oh, I don't think it will come."

"Strengthening management? They're controlling our freedom! They're using our survival probability as a threat to lower our quality of life! I'd rather risk breathing the air of freedom than live in a sterile cage where everything is stifled in the name of 'safety.' This is a regression of modern civilization! It's just a different world; humanity is still just as trash!"

……

“Some people always like to criticize propaganda, but criticizing without knowing the whole picture is itself a sign of being influenced by propaganda,” Liang Zhenduan said. “Words influence language, language influences thought, thought influences character, and character determines destiny… This has always been the case for humanity, and it will continue to be so in the future.”

At this moment, he was sitting in the corner of the cafeteria, with Nie Weiyang sitting opposite him and another person sitting to their side.

All three wore tattered hats; one to cover his unusual hair color, and the other two to cover their faces.

“There’s definitely someone among them who wants to kill me and take over, and they think they can do a better job than me,” Liang Zhenduan said softly. “To be honest, I’m quite looking forward to it… What do you think?”

“I heard you. You’re right. Some people do think that way,” Nie Weiyang said.

He pulled his hat brim down low.

“Some people are thinking… well… ‘I am smart and thoughtful, and if I break free from the rules, I will become a dragon when the wind blows.’ — something like that.”

"Actually, if these kinds of people leave the protection of the rules, they will most likely be exploited to the bone," said the person sitting next to them.

He was a tall, middle-aged soldier with a square face and strong features. He was He Kang, the highest-ranking military officer in the city, and also Liang Zhenduan's colleague and friend.

The day after realizing the seriousness of the situation, Liang Zhenduan brought He Kang along to share the burden of knowledge; they were truly a pair of friends. Nie Weiyang was happy to see this happen, after all, the military commander couldn't possibly be unaware of this, and with Liang Zhenduan's suicidal thoughts constantly lingering in his mind, it was good to have someone share the pressure.

In the previous game, He Kang lived for more than ten years. Although his name was not particularly famous, it was still enough to stop cultists from crying at night.

"The threats we face today are unprecedented in human history, and we cannot be too nervous," He Kang said, his square face extremely serious.

His seriousness was normal; he had never commanded a real legion in combat, only conducted smaller-scale exercises. Moreover, they were now fighting something backed by alien demons, and their own men all possessed… 'superpowers.' Many of them were ordinary people just six months ago.

Their voices were already soft, and they were even more inaudible in the noisy cafeteria. The loudest noise in the cafeteria came from the middle area, where a group of people were arguing, some even climbing onto the tables.

"You've all seen how dangerous cultists are!" a red-haired youth shouted. "And they're the ones who stole the food, feeding it to rats with human flesh!"

Across from him, another young man swung his hand forcefully, his voice even louder: "Who knows whether the grain was stolen or Liang Zhenduan took it to sell! Nobody saw how it was lost! Now he's trying to drag us to our deaths, we're not mortal enemies with the cult!"

“…” Liang Zhenduan took a deep breath and stared silently at the table.

"What right do you have to slander others!" the red-haired youth shouted angrily. "How can we not be mortal enemies with cults? As long as cults exist, they are harming the interests of us normal people!"

The young man opposite him rolled his eyes at him: "Then why would they come to harm you? Stop bringing up the food issue! I've heard there are many sects in the New World. Who knows if Liang Zhenduan is using A's crime as a pretext to attack B!"

"The incident in Chaoyi District resulted in nearly 100,000 deaths. Don't you have any sympathy at all?!" "Please, I'll keep working and sleeping as usual. If the sky falls, there are taller people to hold it up. What's the use of us worrying? It seems like survival supplies are going to be distributed in packages, like a wartime rationing system?"

The dissenting youth scoffed.

"I knew it! They'd definitely try to seize the lion's share of the resources! If something really happens, those higher-ups will be faster than us to escape!"

A voice emerged from the crowd: "The resources were all won by them, so what's wrong with taking them for ourselves? They're still supporting us!"

"So we did nothing?" another voice chimed in. "The authorities have clearly exaggerated the crisis to create hype! I oppose propaganda based on false facts..."

……

When the group of people started fighting in the center of the canteen, more than a dozen soldiers rushed out from a corner to break up the fight, and the three left the canteen and returned to the secret meeting room.

Throughout the journey, Liang Zhenduan clasped his hands behind his back, his eyes lowered, and remained silent.

He Kang remained silent. Even after entering the meeting room, none of the three sat down for quite some time, until he finally spoke: "...I finally understand why you've been preventing me from showing up."

In the preceding months, Liang Zhenduan had prevented a number of senior military officers, including He Kang, from announcing any decisions. All publicity and announcement work was handled by Liang Zhenduan and other officials.

“Every time they step forward, they get yelled at…” He Kang frowned. “Our people shouldn’t be like this. It’s unlikely they’d still say such things after all this time. Has something happened?”

His question was very direct, and Liang Zhenduan finally raised his eyelids and glanced at him weakly.

“Disappointment, resentment, doubt, pain,” he said. “And, bestiality.”

The bestial instincts brought about by the alteration of bloodlines have now been integrated into people's lives. They amplify contradictions and suppress rationality. Therefore, the people of the city are only at this level now, which can be considered as gentle and kind.

Beside him, Nie Weiyang lowered his head and rubbed his brow.

He doesn't like listening to other people's thoughts.

In this day and age, people are all too easily entangled with negative emotions, and consequently, unable to control the malice deep within their hearts, with desires for crime, violence, or self-harm surging within. This situation is also common on Earth, but in the new world, it is rising exponentially.

But—there's nothing we can do.

This is the new world, this is "The New World".

This is a world controlled by the mind, a world disrupted by the unknown.

"Let's stop for a moment," Nie Weiyang said in a low voice. "The focus now is on something else—we're leaving in three days, right?"

"Yes. What's wrong?" He Kang asked in return.

“Alright…” Nie Weiyang also sighed: “Before that, we may have to find some time to check the leaflets that the ‘Star God Cult’ has distributed in the city.”

"what?"

He Kang frowned.

"what?!"

Liang Zhenduan let out a sound of collapse.

"what."

Nie Weiyang nodded with his eyes closed.

Returning to sects, worshipping the Mother Goddess Cult, and now the Star God Cult has arrived... Nie Weiyang even suspects that the Earth God Cult, the Life God Cult, and the Light Worship Cult, which has an excellent relationship with the Star God Cult, if they already exist, probably also have tentacles reaching into the Central Plains.

—Truly, the immortals are lined up like hemp!
(End of this chapter)