Ling Cage: I am a spiritual master, devouring source matter to become a god.

Jingyuan looked at Charles with amusement and laughed, "See, you just can't let go of your pride!"

Charles still glared angrily at Jingyuan, "Speak if you want! If not, you can leave!"

Jing Yuan smiled and said, "Alright! Since you've arranged a few times for me at the Dawn Hall, I'll tell you about it."

"I don't know when the conflict between you and Mark started, but it's simply because you feel that Mark's achievements are too great and his reputation is too high. You are jealous of Mark, so you target him in every way!"

"You're talking nonsense!" Fan Lu retorted angrily, "The head of the association is the representative of the Lord of Light and Shadow in the human world, how could he be jealous of a mere hunter captain!"

Jingyuan glanced at Fanlu, pointed at her and said, "Look at you, you're surrounded by these sycophants! What's the use of saying such things? Can't you see the reality?"

"You keep saying that the supplies were brought back by Mark at the beacon's behest. Can't the people of the Lighthouse see that? You can fool the common people with these things, but you even fool yourself? Do you really think you're the beacon of light and shadow? According to your logic, should Lord Morgan listen to you? But in reality, do you think you listen to the lord, or the lord listens to you?"

Charles had been suppressing his anger as he listened to Jingyuan speak, but if Jingyuan continued to talk like that, he really wouldn't be able to hold back!

Fanlu was like Charles's mouthpiece, saying, "I told you to explain why the city lord passed the throne to Mark, not this!"

Jingyuan glanced at Fanlu and said, "Don't interrupt!"

He turned to Charles and said, “You also need to face your own emotions. Jealousy is jealousy, that’s okay. You need to see yourself as a human being, not a god! Besides, no matter how capable Mark is, he’s not the lord’s biological son. You are the lord’s biological son! I really don’t understand why you’re targeting Mark at every turn! Shouldn’t you be trying to win him over?”

Jingyuan glanced at Fanlu again, "Didn't anyone around you suggest trying to win over Mark?"

Charles was speechless for a moment, "No, there really isn't."

"He's not the city lord's son! Yes, we've abandoned our ties with the old world, but you're succeeding as the city lord's biological son, so it's a matter of succession! Mark has no reason not to support you!"

“Those hunters have never taken the leader seriously!” Fan Lu added.

Jingyuan turned around, "Didn't I tell you to shut up?"

Chapter 79 Are you really willing to accept this?

He then turned to Charles, pointing at Vanlu, "Look at your men! Do you know how they do things? Not just the Hunters, but people from other departments! Do they look down on these indiscriminately biting dogs, or do they look down on you, Charles? Do you know? Charles, if you want to be the last guardian of humanity, your heart can't be so narrow! You want to be the supreme ruler, but you misjudge people, use them poorly, and lack tolerance. Mark is just more popular than you, and you can't accept that. Tell me, how can Morgan trust you to pass the position of city lord!"

Charles had been furious, but upon hearing this, his anger gradually subsided.

But he still retorted defiantly, "Then do you think someone like Mark can be used by me?"

"That depends on what you do!" Jing Yuan smiled and said, "Judging from the time we've spent together, you, Charles, do have some tricks up your sleeve, but it's not enough. You're trying to win me over by giving me benefits, but at the same time you're threatening me with the people around me. Do you think threats will make people truly work for you?"

Charles now listened calmly to Jingyuan speak.

“If it’s a commoner like 4, you can threaten or intimidate him, and he’ll do things for you. Because he has no way to resist, he can only listen to you. If it’s someone like Seng, you can bribe him with power and wealth, and he can also do things for you! But if you want to bribe someone like Mark, you can’t use threats or intimidation, you can’t use power or wealth to lure him, and you can’t use suppression or demonstrations. You can only fabricate a shared dream and make him your partner!”

“Charles, our goals are simple: to survive the apocalypse, eradicate the Mana ecosystem, and return to the surface! Isn’t that what you think?” Jing Yuan stared at Charles and continued, “If you just talk to Mark and tell him that we should work together to rebuild human civilization, he will definitely help you!”

With things said to this point, Charles understood perfectly well, but what he was thinking was, "So, what do you think I should do now?"

How to do it?

Jingyuan realized that Charles still wanted to be the city lord!

Jingyuan said so much, all because you didn't do well in the past, which is why Morgan didn't choose you as the city lord, but he didn't say how to help you become the city lord!

"Now that the situation is settled, doing nothing is the best option!"

After saying this, Jingyuan kept his eyes fixed on Charles.

Surprisingly, Charles is now behaving remarkably calm.

“Do nothing?” Charles stared at Jing Yuan, which was tantamount to asking him to bow down to Mark.

Jing Yuan remained unyielding. "Yes! If you insist on doing something, then cooperate with Mark to become the city lord! After we resolve the Mana ecosystem and return to the surface, you, Charles, will be remembered in history. By then, Mark will probably retire, and you can rightfully become the city lord as the second-in-command."

"What if I don't?"

Jingyuan felt a wave of helplessness. "Charles, once upon a time, out of billions of humans, only we were left. Mark has the strongest military force behind the Beacon. If we were to fight head-on, the casualties would be heavy. Do you really think it's necessary?"

Fan Lu slowly walked up, "The followers of the Lord of Light and Shadow fear no heresy!"

"Shut up!" Jingyuan yelled at Fanlu again.

The saying goes, "Even when beating a dog, you have to consider its owner," and Charles started to get upset again.

Before Charles could speak, Jingyuan said, "Charles, don't listen to your men. If their words were useful, you would be the city lord long ago. Think about it carefully! What exactly do you want?"

After saying that, Jingyuan turned and left.

Very dashing.

As Jing Yuan stepped out of the law firm, he stopped, his gaze fixed ahead, but his mental energy swept inside.

As long as Jing Yuan focuses his attention, he can extend his mental power and hear sounds within tens of meters.

Sure enough, after Jingyuan left, Fanlu began to speak to Charles: "Your Excellency, I swear to follow you to the death! I am willing to give my life for you!"

"Get up! What do you think of what Jingyuan said?"

"Chief, are you really willing to accept this?"

Charles remained silent for a long time.

Jingyuan couldn't linger at the priest's door for too long, so he walked away before Charles could speak.

"Call them over here!"

Jingyuan heard those words the last time, but then he was too far away to hear anything more.

The "they" Charles was referring to were probably his confidants, members of the intelligence group, or similar individuals.

Before coming, Jingyuan hadn't prepared these words in advance; it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. In the end, he did want to persuade Charles.

To be honest, although what Charles and the Light and Shadow Society did was despicable, as members of the ruling class, some of their methods are understandable.

Charles's most despicable act was using underhanded tactics to kill the Lighthouse's strongest fighting force and shatter its most powerful troops.

But none of this has happened yet!

Therefore, Jingyuan felt that it was still worth trying to persuade him.

But what about the final question from Vinaya Pitaka, "Are you content with this?"

This made Jingyuan lose all hope.

Mark and the Hunters achieved their current status through their strong personal combat skills and resource gathering abilities.

But Charles and the Light and Shadow Society have achieved their current status through lies and oppression.

To get Charles to support Mark would be to make him give up his means of survival.

Even if Charles himself is willing, would "them" under his command be willing?

Moreover, given Charles's obsessive personality, it would be extremely difficult to change him unless he encountered a major life-changing event.

Jingyuan shook his head. He couldn't persuade Charles with just a few words; he needed to make some preparations!

"Judging from your expression, you must have had a very unpleasant conversation with Charles!"

Jingyuan was stunned on the spot. When he looked up, he saw that it was Mark.

It was somewhat strange to run into Mark in front of the law firm.

"What are you doing here?" Jingyuan asked the question that had been on his mind.

"I heard you were taken to a law firm, so I came to check on you."

"Are you here to save me?"

"Those guys at the law firm shouldn't be able to stop you."

"Then what brings you here?"

Mark, being an impatient man, got straight to the point: "Before the council meeting, you told me not to tell the city lord about seeing humans on the surface... I feel like you knew the city lord would be very unhappy to hear this news."

Jingyuan looked at Mark with disbelief: "You told him?"

Mark nodded.

Jing Yuan was speechless. Why was this person so stubborn?

He was about to speak when another possibility came to mind.

Perhaps it's not that they're ignoring advice, but rather that some force is trying to steer the world in the same direction as before.

While on the ground, Donnie didn't enter the spaceship, but he was still infected with the Blood Essence. In the end, he was carried away by the Devouring Beast when he died.

Penny didn't die from Donnie's gunshot, but she was still attacked by other infected individuals. It was Jingyuan who took the bullet for her, which is how she survived.

Jingyuan advised Mark not to tell the city lord about things on the ground, but he did anyway.

In some mysterious way, things returned to normal.

Jingyuan was worried that he couldn't change what was about to happen, but he still wanted to try.

After all, Penny survived thanks to her own efforts. Mark and Ran Bing should be able to change the outcome as well.

"Mark! Let's find a quiet place to talk!"

Mark shared the same idea.

Chapter 80 Naive Mark

Where is the most secluded spot on the lighthouse?