Chapter 147: A beauty trap? You certainly have a good eye for people.

Luo Xiu stood inside a sprawling manor, accompanied by a dozen other people. She felt rather nervous, her mind inevitably drifting back to the things certain people had said to her beforehand.

She had never imagined that one day she would become part of a honey trap. When they first approached her, she could only find it utterly absurd. She had no relationship whatsoever with that man, having barely exchanged a few words with him, and their encounters had actually involved several conflicts. Yet, in the eyes of certain individuals, the very fact that she had crossed paths with him multiple times and yet had not been beaten to death proved that she was the ideal candidate for the job.

Moreover, the ones who sought her out were not from Chongming, but the Chief of the Vanguard. On this matter, the attitudes of Chongming and the Vanguard were completely aligned. After all, no matter how the royal banners changed, to them, it was merely a matter of choosing a side. Whether it was a democracy or an imperial regime did not really matter all that much. However, if Gu Changqing were to continue acting with such reckless impunity, there might come a day when everything would blow up, blasting the entirety of Southern Chu into the heavens.

The conversation had not lasted long before she impulsively agreed. Even so, upon learning that Gu Changqing was already on his way here, waves of nervousness still washed over her.

As the car pulled to a stop in the manor's courtyard, Gu Changqing stepped out, cast an appreciative and curious glance around, and then spotted Luo Xiu.

"A honey trap? Right out in the open like this? Do you people really think I'd fall for it?" Gu Changqing thought through the situation in a flash, letting out a mocking chuckle. Then, his tone shifting abruptly, he patted the Chief of Chongming on the shoulder and laughed, "You folks actually have a pretty good eye for people, hahahaha! I'll give you credit for finally using your brains this time!"

"Mr. Gu, the threat of anomalous entities to humanity is imminent, and you are currently the most important person in Southern Chu. Furthermore, given Mr. Gu's extraordinary talent, the entire world will likely have to rely upon you in the future. Therefore, your daily life and personal affairs ought to be properly managed by someone!" The Chief breathed a silent sigh of relief and said with a smile.

"So eloquent, aren't you? I love hearing that!" Gu Changqing laughed carelessly.

The manor spanned over a dozen mu of land, featuring traditional gardens in the front and a waterside pavilion in the back. The main buildings were not just a single structure, but three, connected in the middle by glass corridors. The central building was the main residence, standing three stories tall with a total area of over a thousand square meters. The ground floor housed the foyer, reception room, side parlor, and dining room; the second floor contained the recreation room, music room, and study; while the third floor held two bedrooms, with the master bedroom's windows overlooking the garden, a bar, and a swimming pool. Situated on a hill, the garden outside the master bedroom offered a view of a large portion of Chendu.

Of the other two structures, a two-story building served as quarters for the servants and resting guards, while the other, covering about five hundred square meters, was a dedicated training chamber.

This place had originally been a converted royal estate, and it was once Chen Daoling's residence. However, when Gu Changqing set out for Jiaoma Port, Chongming had urgently arranged for the entire interior to be overhauled, even specially transferring Qiao Renxia and the others back to headquarters. After all, those few were somewhat familiar with Gu Changqing's former dwelling and knew a few of his preferences.

As Gu Changqing walked past Luo Xiu, he reached out and pinched her chin.

Her long legs were indeed quite striking, her figure was wonderful, and she possessed a distinctly cool and detached temperament. Luo Xiu made no other move; she met his gaze for a moment, then shifted her eyes away.

"Tsk, I still prefer your original rebellious demeanor. Right now, you're like a doll—soulless, you understand?" Gu Changqing remarked with a clicking of his tongue. "If you're going to set a honey trap, at least put some heart into it! It's not just about taking off your clothes and lying down there! There are plenty of women in this world who look better than you, and plenty more who know how to please people better..."

Hearing these words, Luo Xiu felt a wave of humiliation wash over her. Biting her lip, she forcefully suppressed her voice, though the expression on her face inevitably betrayed the anger of one deeply insulted.

"Your expression is much better now!" Gu Changqing pinched her cheek, laughed heartily, and walked into the villa.

After taking a tour of the upper and lower floors, he felt reasonably satisfied. Especially the training ground, which incorporated quite a few materials salvaged from anomalous entities and was exceptionally sturdy. Of course, if he were to smash it with the Profound Yellow Earth-Guarding Bead, it would probably be obliterated in a single blow.

As for the dozen or so people, aside from Luo Xiu who was assigned to manage his daily life, the others included chefs, guards, and personnel specifically designated for cleaning and tending to the gardens. Furthermore, every single one of these people was an awakened individual.

This lavish setup left Gu Changqing quite pleased. He liked pomp and circumstance.

He had the Martial Sovereign Stele placed right in the center of the training ground.

Later that evening, the President also rushed over. A group of people sat down in the ground-floor living room, with Luo Xiu and several servants standing not far away.

"Mr. Gu, tomorrow an announcement regarding the royal family will be made public, and simultaneously, the entirety of Southern Chu will transition into a republican nation. This will undoubtedly cause a massive stir and might lead to a bit of civil unrest." Even though Gu Changqing had stated that he would not interfere in such matters, these developments still had to be reported to him, especially to gauge his opinions.

"That's your business! Do you know what the biggest difference has been since *Qi* first appeared in this world?" Gu Changqing crossed his legs, asking unhurriedly.

The others sat up straight, wearing expressions of rapt attention.

"It's that from now on, masters concentrate individual mighty power within themselves! A single person is capable of destroying an entire nation!" Gu Changqing took a sip of red wine, then tossed both the drink and the glass straight into the wastebasket. Tilting his head, he commanded, "Bring me a glass of juice!"

Then, explaining to the others, "I like sweet things. Life is already bitter enough; of course one should drink more sweet things!"

Just as the others were wondering how to respond, Gu Changqing laughed out loud. "Of course, I mean *your* lives are bitter, not mine!"

Everyone present burst into laughter. "Mr. Gu may be joking, but that is the absolute truth. Aside from someone like Mr. Gu, who else could lead a life free of bitterness?"

"You're improving!" Gu Changqing praised.

"Now, where was I? Ah yes, concentrating individual mighty power within oneself. That's why I simply don't care about these mundane matters."

"Mr. Gu may certainly afford not to care, but we must care!" someone chimed in immediately.

"True enough!" Gu Changqing nodded. "In fact, the old ways no longer quite work. With the resurgence of *Qi*, the entire world will be different from now on. You'll have to figure out for yourselves what steps to take."

"However, there are a few key points!"

"First, open up the martial arts cultivation techniques obtained from Danyang Mountain. The number of awakened individuals is still far too small. As the concentration of *Qi* gradually increases, ordinary people will also have the potential to grow stronger. Martial arts are not necessarily inferior to the path of the awakened; in fact, the system is even more complete, and the path forward is smoother."

Gu Changqing's words took the group somewhat by surprise. They had indeed considered promoting martial arts, but that was actually intended as a check and balance against the awakened, with the ultimate goal of concentrating power within the government. They had not expected Gu Changqing to propose the exact same thing, and with such a nonchalant attitude, entirely unafraid of any potential threats. Judging by his tone, he actually wanted to promote it universally among the populace?

"How to promote it is up to you to draft into policy. As the number of martial artists increases, some chaos will inevitably ensue. How to mitigate those disturbances will depend entirely on yourselves. From now on, the very form of our civilization is going to undergo a transformation! That is why I said the old ways are obsolete; we must adapt to the changing times."

Gu Changqing spoke indifferently. These remarks truly exceeded everyone's expectations. None of them had anticipated that Gu Changqing would view these matters from such a lofty perspective, as if he had been pondering them for a very long time.

Luo Xiu and the other servants standing not far away also wore shifting, contemplative expressions.

In truth, Gu Changqing was already well-informed about such matters. Influenced by his family background and through constant subtle immersion, a brief turn of his mind was enough for him to deduce a great deal.

"Second, implement military-style training for all awakened individuals. Awakened ones who obey orders and prohibitions are incomparable to a scattered mob of individuals."

This point was relatively easy for the group to comprehend, and they raised no objections.

"Third, notify all nations that they must hand over the anomalous entities left behind by the Illusionary Monks currently in their possession, and from now on, they must deliver them once every three months! If anyone has any objections, you just let me know!"

"Mr. Gu, if they were to join forces... wouldn't that be dangerous?" someone worriedly asked. After all, aside from Gu Changqing, there were still eight other Level 7 awakened individuals in existence. If they were to ally against him, would Gu Changqing necessarily be able to withstand it?

"That would be fantastic!" Gu Changqing laughed heartily.

Actually, there was one more matter on his mind, though he still needed to make some preparations for it.

That was to commission a batch of divine statues of himself and enshrine them in every temple and Daoist monastery throughout Southern Chu, utilizing the collective willpower and faith of the entire territory to nourish and cultivate his own divinity.

What was the use of believing in those illusory, nonexistent deities? Believing in them was far better than believing in oneself!