"Originally, if you had just uncovered this situation and dealt with He Bo, that would have been it," the avatar of the Fuyuan River Righteous God said. "But you absolutely should not have escalated it, even bringing it all the way to the Prefectural Governor's office."
He sighed, his expression conveying a sense of helplessness. Yet, upon further reflection, their actions, at least concerning the common folk, were not wrong. The only fault lay in their lack of thoroughness and somewhat naive approach.
With the matter here exposed and widely disseminated, it was no longer just about a few villains causing trouble; it had dragged everyone involved down with them. Had someone more experienced been in their shoes, they would have pursued it slowly, step by step, rather than taking such a drastic, decisive approach.
"Do you think no one else has noticed what's happening here?" the young man asked, a cold smile appearing on his face. This smile was not directed at the youth beside him, but rather at the powerful figures in positions of authority.
"You mean..." Ji Yuan's gaze sharpened, and his mind raced with possibilities.
After a long sigh, the avatar of the Righteous God slowly explained, "People from the Prefectural Governor's office have known about everything happening here for a hundred to two hundred years." Even similar situations in other regions were largely under their control.
Over the years, various factions had sensed something amiss, and some, like the Nine Profound Sect, had even grasped part of the truth. The reason no one had acted was due to compelling reasons that prevented them from making rash moves. Any hasty action could have ignited a catastrophe spanning several counties, potentially affecting the entire Lingyang Prefecture.
"How could this be!" Ji Yuan found it hard to believe. He knew there were powerful forces at play, but he had never imagined their influence could be so extensive as to impact the entire Lingyang Prefecture.
"What kind of power do you think could make even a Prefectural Governor hesitant to act?" the young man asked, turning to Ji Yuan with a startling glint in his eyes.
At these words, Ji Yuan's mind conjured several possibilities. Whichever it was, it was something that not only the Prefectural Governor's office but even a formidable force like the Nine Profound Sect would struggle to confront.
"Now, you've exposed everything, and even the prefectural city has been informed. The matter can no longer be concealed," the young man said, his voice tinged with even greater helplessness. Since the situation could not be hidden, it had to be faced head-on. Despite a century or two of planning, it was still difficult to fully mitigate the influence of this hidden power.
Ideally, they would have prepared more thoroughly, at least with a guarantee of uprooting this force before taking action. But now, there was no time for that. If they didn't act soon, no one could predict the final outcome.
"The Prefectural Governor's office delayed sending people here for so long precisely to suppress the nearly erupted turmoil," the Fuyuan River Righteous God stated. "Even various deities within Feiyun Prefecture received covert messages, urging them to ensure peace within their territories."
This explanation shed light on some matters, but Ji Yuan still had a lingering question: if the situation here had long been known, why hadn't the Nine Profound Sect offered any warnings? Lin Yubai had reported everything to the sect and even mobilized considerable resources for investigation. However, the Nine Profound Sect's response seemed as if they knew nothing beforehand, not only failing to warn but even concealing certain facts.
Suddenly, he recalled his trip to the Desolate Immortal Valley of the Yu Clan. The sect leader of the Nine Profound Sect had withheld many truths then. Could a similar situation be occurring again? Ji Yuan couldn't fathom the sect leader's motives or his underlying schemes.
"So, some people want to suppress the matter, creating a situation where nothing has happened," he said, taking a deep breath and looking at the young man before him. "To maintain the status quo and buy enough time for themselves to act with greater certainty?"
This wasn't self-deception or burying one's head in the sand; it was a tacit understanding between parties. The Prefectural Governor's office, for instance, did not want the situation to spiral out of control before they were adequately prepared. As for the hidden forces, maintaining the current state was ideal. Even though they were aware of each other's positions, delaying the inevitable arrival of action was highly beneficial to them. At the very least, they preferred nothing to happen until both sides were sufficiently prepared.
Seeing the Fuyuan River Righteous God nod, Ji Yuan's heart sank. There was no need for further words; he understood the calculations of those in Linfu County. Initially, he and Jiang Yunzhou had speculated on how the hidden forces would eliminate the Linfu County City God, who was on the verge of awakening. Now, it seemed they didn't need to do anything; the greatest threat could be neutralized without any risk of exposure.
At this thought, Ji Yuan felt a sense of powerlessness. Understanding part of the truth revealed how much was beyond his control.
His main body, in the side hall of the City God's Pavilion, was naturally aware of everything but fell into silence. He looked at the two people meditating to his left and right, and the Nine Profound Sect disciples further away. For a moment, he didn't know how to begin. Should he ask everyone to abandon their efforts and leave Linfu County, awaiting rewards from the sect and the Prefectural Governor's office after the situation passed? Or should he defy everything, protect the awakening City God, ensure this matter wasn't suppressed, and foil the plans of those who wished to maintain the status quo?
On one side were his own safety and the supposed greater good; on the other was the continued suffering of innocent people. However, if the matter were fully exposed, bringing everything into the light would undoubtedly cause greater upheaval, and no one could guarantee the safety of the people in the surrounding areas. But if they acted as if nothing had happened, then for the next several decades, or even centuries, more innocent people would suffer, and countless tragic events would unfold.
In Linfu County alone, over three hundred years, more than a thousand innocent lives were unjustly taken, countless families were shattered, and an immeasurable amount of resentment accumulated at the riverbed. It was difficult to imagine how many more 'Linfu Counties' existed throughout Feiyun Prefecture, let alone Lingyang Prefecture. Decades of time were enough to bring disaster to tens of thousands of people.