Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1364 - 1357: Pre-war Mobilization

Chapter 1364: Chapter 1357: Pre-war Mobilization

Accompanied by his subordinates, Luo’er left his office and stepped into the streets. Thanks to Linglan’s full support, his propaganda organization had grown substantially, at one point managing over three hundred people, which caused him quite a headache.

Managing a large group was indeed convenient, but it made oversight cumbersome. Moreover, his actual position was merely that of a consultant; technically, he had no authority to command the Demon Clan members. However, Linglan had issued a strict order to the Demon Clan members: anyone who went against Luo’er’s wishes was to be dealt with severely.

While this approach certainly made Luo’er’s management tasks lighter, it brought on a slew of problems. To avoid contravening Luo’er’s wishes, his subordinates tended to glorify the effects of their public opinion work, turning a minor praise into a major fanfare.

Thus, Luo’er would occasionally delve into the masses to understand their genuine thoughts, which helped him adjust the direction of his propaganda accordingly. To prevent his subordinates from exploiting this as an opportunity to plant testimonies, he mainly conducted random spot checks—whomever he picked was the individual he consulted.

For this excursion, Luo’er brought along just one attendant, reasoning that the presence of many might deter people from speaking truthfully, an outcome he did not wish to see.

Walking on the streets, Luo’er began to seek out passersby to inquire about their thoughts and willingness concerning the military campaign. His range of interviewees was not limited to the Demon Clan members—residents of Kyushu were also within his purview.

He first visited a typical mixed-family household, where the Kyushu male head of the family was currently serving in the military, while his wife belonged to the indigenous Qingqiu Clan.

Through conversation, the wife voiced her worries about the military expedition, fearing that her husband might die on the battlefield. She thought that the Southern Demon Clan Federation should stabilize the current situation and not advance further south rashly.

Hearing an opinion that was different from the feedback, Luo’er nodded in satisfaction. This was the most authentic thought process, stemming from concerns for family to an overall judgment on the war.

Whether they were members of the Demon Clan, residents of Kyushu, or from Earth, the fear of death was an inseparable part of their genetic makeup. However, should they concede to this fear and abandon the counteroffensive, the losses they would suffer could be far greater.

Luo’er had no desire to ponder those political considerations. He knew in his heart that as long as the Dongsheng Empire existed within West Outer Heaven, West Outer Heaven would never be at peace. The shadow of war hung over everyone like the Sword of Damocles, a constant and perilous threat.

So, whether these people wanted it or not, the war had to continue until a complete victory was achieved.

The opinion of this Demon Clan wife was, in fact, a typical small-folk perspective. This wasn’t to say that such a viewpoint was flawed, but it did have its limitations, failing to grasp the bigger picture.

The Supreme Chair of the Southern Demon Clan Federation and the Cabinet members saw the situation very clearly: without driving the Dongsheng Empire out, they were destined to never live in peace.

Luo’er roamed the streets for half the day, interviewing over a hundred people from various walks of life, including the Demon Clan members, residents of Kyushu, and merchants who had come for trade. Through their perspectives, Luo’er gradually sketched out the opinions of Lingyuan City residents towards the war.

On the whole, the populace was anti-war, an undeniable fact. After all, given the chance to live a simple life, nobody would wish to be thrust into the brutal realities of the battlefield.

However, Luo’er was somewhat surprised to find that the merchants from Kyushu unanimously supported waging war. They believed that the Demon Clan’s military should strike a harsh blow to the Dongsheng military, ideally driving them all out before pushing out those noble families entrenched in West Outer Heaven as well.

Although these individuals were Kyushu residents, they harbored no fondness for the Dongsheng Empire. As was mentioned earlier, the social hierarchy of the Empire was rigid—Warrior, Farmer, Artisan, Merchant—with merchants at the very bottom. Whenever a crisis emerged, they were always the first to be sacrificed, so naturally, they felt disdain for the Dongsheng Empire.

West Outer Heaven didn’t have such strict distinctions of status, and because of the war, members of the Demon Clan were in dire need of merchants to help with trade. So, although these merchants were from Kyushu, they actually fared quite well in West Outer Heaven, and many were even willing to join the Southern Yao Race voluntarily.

After synthesizing the opinions of all classes and tribes, Luo’er had a good grasp of the public sentiment. They didn’t lack the desire to recover the south of West Outer Heaven, but they were committing the error of complacency, believing that things were good enough for now and that it wouldn’t be too late to retaliate when the Dongsheng army attacked the Southern Yao Federation again.

Understanding this, Luo’er determined his propaganda direction, which was to emphasize the dangers of the Dongsheng Empire’s lingering presence in West Outer Heaven and to call upon the people to rise up and resist, to drive out the Dongsheng Empire completely.

For this purpose, he specifically set up a high platform on the widest street of Ziye Ning, preparing to deliver an impassioned speech to the public.

Luo’er’s speeches were always powerful, so the residents of Ziye Ning loved to watch his speeches. Shortly after the platform was erected, a large crowd of onlookers who had heard the news gathered below.

Accustomed to performing on stage, Luo’er appeared less restrained. He walked leisurely onto the stage, then gently clapped his hands to attract everyone’s attention, cleared his throat, and said, "I’m delighted that all of you could come to watch this speech. In the following time, I will tell you why we need to launch an attack southward."

"I just made a visit and found that most people showed a reluctance to counter-attack the Dongsheng Empire, thinking that it suffices to defend our current territory without advancing further south.

But what I want to tell you is that as long as the Dongsheng Empire exists in West Outer Heaven even for a day, the shadow of war will not dissipate for a day. It seems you have forgotten that the Dongsheng Empire is a fierce tiger, a man-eating tiger. Now, this tiger is crouching right next to us, so tell me, if we don’t take the initiative to attack, who can assure us that the tiger next door won’t strike again?"

Luo’er’s last sentence was powerful and resonant. Instantly, the crowd fell silent, daring not to make a sound, with everyone’s eyes fixed intently on Luo’er on the stage.

"Once our blades are sharpened, it is our duty to drive the tiger out—out of our rooms, out of our yards, out of our villages. We shall chase them back into the deep mountains where they belong, mark them with deep cuts so they’ll never dare to target us again. That is the choice we must make."

Luo’er spoke fervently, raising his hands high, and immediately, enthusiastic cheers erupted from the crowd below.

However, Luo’er’s tone shifted as he continued with a serious voice, "Yet some of us still harbor wishful thinking toward the Dongsheng Empire, believing that as long as we don’t attack, they won’t come to us. To these people, I want to ask, is this your first familiarity with the Dongsheng Empire? Haven’t you been attacked enough over the centuries? How could the Dongsheng Empire possibly give up an opportunity to attack us on their initiative?

Today, as they occupy West Outer Heaven, they are like the tiger resting next to us. I want to ask everyone, is it easier for the Dongsheng Empire to start wars from Kyushu, or is it simpler for them to wage war northward from West Outer Heaven?

This is a truth, which I believe everyone understands. Now, as the Dongsheng Empire faces internal issues and their military is in a state of retreat, this is our best opportunity to attack. If we miss this chance, when the Dongsheng Empire regains its strength, we will have to resist their invasion with ten or even a hundred times the casualties.

You’ve finally settled into Ziye Ning, but the Valley of Regret outside the city still echoes with tragic cries from time to time. When the Dongsheng Empire comes attacking again, would you prefer to be thrown into the Valley of Regret, or would you rather go back to that small Lingyuan City?"

If the previous parts of the speech seemed too fervent for the public, then these last words undoubtedly pierced most of their hearts.

For the members of the Demon Clan, the Valley of Regret was a valley of sorrow—the name made that clear. One of their tribes was brutally exterminated by the Kyushu Empire, and the cries from those times can still be heard in the valley to this day.

Moreover, they had no desire to return to Lingyuan City. Having grown accustomed to the prosperity and comfort of the great city Ziye Ning, asking them to go back to the small northern city of Lingyuan was utterly unwelcome.

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