You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

It was accomplished quietly and subtly.

But this is mainly because Midoriya-guchi directly borne the brunt of the influence.

The attitudes of the other relatively remote and closed city-states were basically one of [vigilance] and [hostility].

normal.

Looking further into the ideology reveals [Xenophobia: Due to the region's long-standing isolation and friction with its neighboring states, it is wary of any external forces. Defensive capabilities +5]

These are all tough nuts to crack.

They were not weaklings like barbarians, lacking organized forces; they had experience in small-scale warfare and were easy to defend and difficult to attack. Apart from Green Valley Pass, the other six city-states had a combined population of 400,000, which was no small number.

The numerous cultural corrections and the power of Heaven's Way are the foundation of Feng Tianyin's confidence that "conquest leads to assimilation."

But everything is difficult at the beginning, and the difficulty lies in conquering it.

Putting herself in Xia He's shoes, she wouldn't have confidence in soft mergers based on influence either.

impossible.

"In that case, let me give you a little extra help."

She immediately began adjusting the main city-level buffs of Zhuguan, shifting them all to those related to culture, influence, and trade, and Green Valley Pass was quickly transformed...

This city-state originally leaned towards the Great Qian Dynasty, but suddenly the entire population was chanting "The Way of Heaven is Eternal" in a frenzied manner, which shook the world. Even the people of the Great Qian Dynasty and other city-states were shocked.

How did everyone suddenly become fanatical believers?

Harbin people.

Xia He was also stunned, not expecting such an explosive effect, which directly caused the other side to surrender.

What followed was not only incomprehensible to her, but even more incomprehensible to the Great Qian Dynasty. The other side declared they would offer maps, tokens, and other gifts, clearly indicating their allegiance to the Great Qian, creating an atmosphere of fervor.

I was trying to infiltrate you, but weren't you overreacting?

[Good News After 39 Years of Enlightenment]

High Priest Feng Tianyin, representing the Great Qian Dynasty, accepted the offer but stated that she would discuss whether to accept it and also advertised it to the people within the territory.

[Urgent report from envoys of various city-states: We believe that the Great Qian Dynasty will annex the gateway to the Western Regions Valley]

From this point onward, the actual population under the control of the Great Qian Dynasty reached 30.

what?

Xia He, who succeeded on her first attempt, almost thought there was a bug. Upon checking, she discovered that the assimilation was just one step away from completion. It was likely that Feng Tianyin had deliberately timed the offering for the Heavenly Dao Festival, and that the trap had been set up from the very beginning at Green Valley Pass.

The tactics were successful, but the strategy was not, because the other city-states were on high alert.

They're just short of declaring war on the Great Qian Dynasty.

It's understandable, given the rising tensions in the region. The xenophobic cities in the valleys naturally feel uneasy, especially with the somewhat eerie manifestation of divine intervention.

They even publicly declared: "It is an evil god who is brainwashing everyone."

Xia He tilted her head, knowing that fortune favors the bold, as she too was exploring the transformation gameplay. Under the various conditions of the realistic beta version of "Civilization Evolution," one cannot rely solely on the original player's mindset.

Wait and see.

She witnessed these declarations provoking the bottom line of the Great Qian Dynasty, so the two sides began to breathe on each other from a distance.

Meanwhile, the frenzy at Green Valley Pass continues.

Chapter 45 There are gods watching from above.

Green Valley Entrance.

Even late at night, fanatics roam the streets, still full of energy despite not eating or drinking for days.

Their faces were devout, their behavior strange, and their bodies stiff; they were creepy to look at.

The Kangguo envoy, Ke Rong, was hiding near the stable.

The head of the delegation from the second largest city-state scrambled into a haystack in a sorry state. He covered his nose in the stench of horse manure and muttered curses under his breath: "It's all the evil god's fault, he deserves to die."

"People in the Great Qian Dynasty often say that there are gods watching from three feet above your head. Brother, be careful with your words."

The Loulan envoy, Ge Mo, offered advice.

Behind the two were a few scattered merchants and soldiers; they had all infiltrated this place.

Encountering fanatics won't actually put your life in danger; you'll just be surrounded, hand in hand, excitedly chanting to you:

"Please take a moment of your time to learn about our great deities, the Heavenly Dao..."

A fanatical attitude that they would never let you go unless you were truly devout.

very scary.

Normal people would think the other person is crazy if they saw that, but there are 7 people from the city to the fields in Midoriya, and they all acted like lunatics. So you should wonder if there is something wrong with yourself.

Will I, upon returning to my hometown, also frantically preach to people, "praising the Way of Heaven..."?

"Keep your voice down, your chance has come."

The bold and meticulous Coron threw a stone, and the fanatics who had been surrounding the stables moved away at the sound, no longer blocking the exit of the alley.

Once you're on horseback, you can leave quickly.

They need to act quickly. Although the Great Qian Dynasty and the six major city-states have already started hurling insults at each other, none of them actually have a complete picture of the situation. They are basically just relying on hearsay. As envoys, they have traveled from the city center all the way to the common people's districts and have a better understanding of the ins and outs.

We must bring the intelligence back; besides, no normal person could stay here any longer.

Is anyone there?

Suddenly, a patrolling soldier at the entrance of Green Valley noticed something amiss next to the stables. Despite his erratic and chaotic behavior, he was remarkably sharp-eyed and alert.

As he moved, everyone on the street stared in unison, utterly silent. Under the night sky, only the lights reflected off their stiff faces; the scene was enough to give anyone a nightmare.

The fanatics drew closer step by step, their momentum astonishing.

Both Ke Rong and Ge Mo held their breath and unconsciously gripped the hilt of their swords at their waists.

The group hesitated, unsure whether to retreat. However, the street was blocked again, making movement difficult unless they engaged in combat.

Outnumbered versus outgun?

“It’s me, I don’t want to listen to your preaching.”

Suddenly, a young man in the group stepped forward, shouted something in a loud voice, and then took off running, shouting as he ran, "If you can't catch me, you're not devout."

Upon hearing this, the massive, fanatical group of believers kicked up a cloud of dust and gave chase.

They are alert, but not very so; when they hear about topics related to faith, they lose their rationality and only chase after the right thing.

Safe.

"Thank you so much to that kid." Ge Mo stroked his beard and said with emotion, "He even helped us lure away the fanatics. We need to seize the opportunity quickly, or we'll be letting his sacrifice go to waste."

"Yes, let's get on the horse quickly."

The fastest, Korong, was already on horseback, gripping the reins and ready to go.

At this moment, he was eager to return home, as were the others.

The group of temporary comrades who had gone through thick and thin together found their mounts, and at the same time, their conspicuous appearance was discovered.

“There are also people who are not believers.”

"...Strange, this group always seems to be able to accurately identify people who aren't on their side." After thinking for a moment, Ke Rong suggested, "Let's split up and run."

"good! "

Now is not the time to shirk responsibility; a decision must be made quickly.

Everyone immediately scattered, acting as bait and cover for each other while simultaneously attempting to break through the encirclement. The fanatics relentlessly pursued and blocked their path, risking their lives and even disregarding the danger of being trampled by horses' hooves.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony."

A resolute look flashed across Ke Rong's face as he urged his horse on with all his might, making it as swift as a whirlwind.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a fellow traveler fall from his horse, dazed and confused, and then be brutally beaten by a group of fanatics.

These guys will get angry if their missionary work fails.

However, for someone who often herds livestock on the grasslands, avoiding obstacles is not a problem.

He sped forward at full speed, leaving the fanatics behind with ease. These irrational lunatics were no match for him; they rushed out of the city in no time.

"Whoa!"

After pulling the reins to a stop, Ke Rong looked back and saw a brightly lit, noisy, and bustling scene filled with countless roars.

"The will of Heaven is having a profound influence."

Following closely behind, breaking through the encirclement were Ge Mo and several guards. Judging from their orderly formation and tight coordination, they were probably no ordinary people. Could they be a general?

He didn't ask any more questions, but simply replied, "Let's go our separate ways."

"Wait, did you steal something?"

"oh? "

"It's strange, all the seals, crowns and other tokens we searched for in the city lord's palace during the chaos have disappeared. How could a fanatic have such an idea?"

"I don't know either... but we'll definitely be able to make good use of it."

"Since it's lost, we absolutely must not make a fuss about forging the city lord's documents, accusing the Great Qian in his name, and asking everyone to unite."

The old man and the young man exchanged a smile.

They gazed at the Green Valley behind them. They should have been racing against time to escape, but a strange sense of camaraderie made them want to linger a little longer and have a proper chat.

At first, they underestimated each other, thinking it was a case of one being old and the other young, but they never expected that true gold would stand the test of fire.

It's impressive that they managed to escape.

"In my opinion, that experienced and shrewd high priest will observe the situation carefully, but he will also quickly take over the situation here. It would be best to seize Green Valley Pass before she does, at least to block the main road leading to the six city-states."

"Her observation and deployment provided us with the best window of opportunity; we were closer and could organize our troops."