Racial, ideological and cultural differences aside, the main root of the divide between mysterious beasts and cultivators had always been...benefit.
Skin, teeth, bones, organs, meat and blood, humans and Spirit cultivators had a lot to gain from hunting mysterious beasts. They could provide them with premium food to improve the talent and constitution of their juniors, materials to craft powerful artifacts, and even mounts to improve their mobility, prestige and battle prowess.
Mysterious beasts too could gain from consuming their human and spirit enemies. But said humans and spirits gained drastically more from the hunt than the opposite. In fact, due to the average human expert not being endowed with strong bloodlines, bones or overall constitution, mysterious beasts had more to gain from devouring other mysterious beasts than humans.
As for spirits, they were much more nutritious but very difficult to digest.
For these reasons, in the beast-dominated Western Continent, beast vs. beast was the norm. But in the East where mysterious beasts suffered constant persecution, with entire lineages being driven to extinction, beasts would rather band together to hunt humans than weaken their own ranks.
Till now, no one needed a justification for why beasts could be killed at will. But if the mysterious beasts could successfully rebrand their image and become defenders of peaceful coexistence in the eyes of the many, then should they keep pushing for hunt and slaughter, the Eastern Spirit Empire's cultivators would lose all legitimacy.
Had the empire been clearly superior to the beast side, legitimacy wouldn't matter. But since Daji's leadership and formations enabled the billions of mysterious beasts to become a single, united and borderline irresistible faction, the empire's cultivators couldn't ignore the public's perception of the beast side.
"Damn! It's one thing to end the war, another to coexist peacefully with mysterious beasts. From now on, how will my clan secure its supply of Steaming Ape Hearts?"
"Those mortals are always complaining about this or that! Who is to say that they won't set off in a massive exodus and seek refuge in the beast-controlled territories?"
"For all we know, that Beast Emperor could be planning to turn billions upon billions of mortal lives into food, blood sacrifices or fuel for some forbidden artifact! For the sake of righteousness, we can't let them have their way!"
"The beasts are trying to hoodwink the weak-willed mortals with false promises of an unrealistic paradise! The righteous path will not allow them to succeed!"
"Lock the cities, lock the streets, implement curfews and contact our allies! We must prevent the mortals from being deceived by these treacherous beasts!" Barely had Zhiji Jing's announcement ended that the warlords and aristocrats took drastic measures, determined to prevent the union of mortals and beasts.
In Dongli, Qingxin's threat still held sway, but beyond, warlords and aristocrats acted like raging psychopaths, sending their troops to confine the mortals. Some went a step further, outright using military force and formations to displace and centralize mortal lives in temporary camps.
Zi Yao was correct. In the days and weeks to come, the experts of the cultivation world would become the sole oppressors of mortal lives. And though not all cultivators lost their minds to Zhiji Jing's announcement, they didn't have enough power to stop the warlords and aristocrats.
Chaos and confusion filled the streets, but as the Eastern landscape was about to undergo another overhaul, Zi Yao marveled at Daji's cunning.
"This is a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The cultivators will try to prevent a shift in the mortals' view of the mysterious beasts, using force and reeducation camps to restrain any possibility of an exodus. But by restraining the mortals' liberties, they're incentivizing them to forget the evil past and only see the good in the mysterious beast camp," Zi Yao said, taking in the full measure of Daji's plot.
"Yes, absolutely. Now all my sister has to do is to keep showing proof of our utopian lifestyle, and if they had doubts before, following the brutal treatment that their cultivator overlords will inflict on them, the mortals will become determined to leave and join our camp. The cultivators will use military force to stop them, giving us all the justification we need to deploy our hordes. This time, we won't pull any punch, and obliterate the disorganized warlords before Zhenwu Shenquan can emerge from seclusion."
"And you likely have plans for the imperial city as well."
"I likely do." The two's exchange ended here. And while Daji's smile stayed unchanged, various emotions fluctuated on Zi Yao's face.
"Impressed. It would be a lie to say that I am not impressed. But why tell me all this. What do you want from me?" Zi Yao asked in a calm and straightforward tone, and faced with this inquiry, Daji's tone shifted to seriousness.
"Simple. I want you to join me. Zi Yao, the Dark Moon Cult isn't suitable for you or the baby you will later give birth to. Don't let this place hinder your growth. This...is your opportunity to join the Myriad Beast Gang."
"Oh?" Zi Yao's eyes narrowed at these words, suspicion flashing in her heterochromatic eyes. Undeterred, Daji pressed on.
"If you accept, I will become the Dao Protector of your baby and guarantee a smooth pregnancy. Believe me, the pregnancy part is no big deal, but without the proper arrangements, the delivery will cause a catastrophe."
"What makes you say that?"
"A hunch. I'm different from other nine-tailed White Foxes and am in tune with Heaven's laws. Your baby's father is special. So special that Heaven would rather not let him pollinate the world. If he were here, I'm pretty sure he'd have the tools to keep the situation under control. But since he's not, you will need all the help you can get — my help. As the pregnancy progresses, you won't need me to realize this."
"And what do you stand to gain from this?" Relentless, Zi Yao probed Daji's motives.
"Mhm...you can always help me take down Tieshan. She's too stubborn for my taste. That aside, it's up to you." The fox girl tilted her head to the left, her outrageously long and lustrous hair sprawling on the side and adding to her swagger.
"So you have nothing to gain from helping me."
"I never said that."
"But there is nothing I can give you that you couldn't get without my help. If anything, you're carrying out a charity job here. I hate charities." The seriousness in Zi Yao's last three words somewhat took Daji by surprise. Still, she kept her cool.
"Mhm...I understand your suspicions, but there are certain things that I'd rather not share yet. Once we become proper sisters, we can have a chat about the 'real why.'" Again, silence stopped the exchange. Zi Yao and Daji stared at one another, but while the former yin matriarch attempted to find all the clues she could from Daji's body language, the fox girl stayed as relaxed as ever.
"Actually, it's not that hard to guess. You're looking for the father. Do you know him personally or are just intrigued by what you sensed from the embryo? Maybe you'd like to be in my position."
"..." For the first time since her intrusion, Daji held her tongue — and for the split of a second, bit her lower lip.
"Oh, so you can stay silent. Shocking."
"I'd remind you that you're still married. That your husband might still be alive, and that if so, you should be more concerned about how to explain a pregnancy that he clearly didn't cause...to him. Don't you think that's more important than trying to figure out if I'm also in coital business with your baby daddy?"
"You!" Daji's casual jab broke Zi Yao's composure, her eyes turning red at truths she'd rather not consider.
"I know! I'm glad we agree. But fear not, I'm an outstanding bullshitter, so I can help with that as well. So Zi Yao, what's your answer?"
