The history of the Xianzhou seems long, but when spread across the lifespans of its people, it is actually a very young civilization.
Why is that?
Because of lifespan. Their long lives mean that the rate of internal change is not as fast as one might imagine.
For a typical human civilization, sixty years is enough for at least three generations to pass.
But on the Xianzhou, sixty years might not even see a single change of guard. This constrains the rate of internal change, leading to an ever-increasing number of conservatives.
After briefly explaining his observations about the Xianzhou to Qingque, Noldrei entrusted her with a trivial little matter.
"What? You want me to investigate the other Aeon-worshipping factions on the Xianzhou?"
Just hearing the request made Qingque's scalp tingle.
An outsider was asking a Xianzhou native to investigate the internal faith-based factions of the Xianzhou?
Bro, do you hear what you're saying?
"Don't worry, I've already cleared this with the highest leader of your Luofu. If you have any doubts, feel free to go to the Divine Foresight's office and confirm it with the General."
This statement didn't make Qingque happy at all. In fact, it made her tremble with fear. It meant that any excuse she might have had to refuse had already been blocked by Noldrei.
"No, you can't just single me out for this! I'm just a lowly diviner! There are so many powerful people on the Xianzhou, you don't have to come to me, do you?"
Qingque was just short of outright saying she wasn't up to the task. She looked at Noldrei pitifully, hoping he would retract the General's order.
"Wouldn't it be better to get someone more capable? Am I the only one who can do this job? And it's investigating the other faith-based factions within the Luofu, which sounds completely unreliable. Who would expose their other beliefs?"
"If I learn something I shouldn't, won't I be in great danger?"
Qingque wanted to live a few more years. She had been confident she could delay turning Mara-Struck by a few hundred years, but now Noldrei was going to ruin that for her.
"Because you're smart," Noldrei explained. "If I gave this to someone like Fu Xuan, I wouldn't be able to rest easy. But you're different. Your strength lies in knowing when to give up, when to protect yourself. So this job is perfect for you."
"I'm not asking you to infiltrate these factions, nor will I use them to do anything bad. I actually discussed this with your General."
"Jing Yuan and I talked about a similar situation. He wants a simple census of the other Aeon-worshipping faiths within the Xianzhou. At the very least, to know how many followers each has."
"Isn't there a saying? 'Lead for three years, and even the dogs will despise you.' Not to mention how long the Hunt has dominated the Xianzhou's faith. To say that some people don't have their doubts or rebellious thoughts would be utter nonsense."
"So, Jing Yuan and I discussed how to investigate and regulate the Xianzhou's faith in the future. He asked for my opinion, and when I heard that, I immediately thought of you, Qingque!"
Qingque wished Noldrei had never thought of her. There was no telling what would happen now that she was on his radar.
Qingque grabbed Noldrei's arm, pleading, "Spare me, please! Can't you give this troublesome job to someone else? What about the Master Diviner? Or I can help you find someone! I know a lot of people! I'm sure I can find someone suitable for this job!"
"That's even more reason to choose you," Noldrei said with admiration. "You know a lot of people, so your understanding will be more comprehensive."
Qingque looked as if she'd been struck by lightning, frozen solid.
She stared at Noldrei blankly, like a child who had just had their lucky money swindled from them. Her feelings were a complicated mix.
Qingque sighed in defeat. "Alright, tell me. What's the job, what... what level of detail do you need, and... why do we need to do this?"
She had accepted her fate.
'I should have done a proper divination before leaving the house to play mahjong...'
Qingque's heart was filled with bitterness as she looked at Noldrei with resentment. This bastard had destroyed her happy, lazy daily life.
"Here, this is the scripture I prepared for you."
Noldrei stuffed a thick book into Qingque's hands—a "True Scripture of the Medicus" that he had compiled himself.
"Holy crap! Even those disciples don't have a version this complete!" Qingque stared at the massive tome, her mind reeling at how he could have written so much in such a short time.
"It's a small matter. I just linked up to an electronic device and uploaded it from my brain to be printed." Noldrei saw Qingque's confusion at a glance.
"Bro, your brain is wasted on this kind of stuff!"
Qingque felt that Noldrei should be out in the universe doing great things, not wallowing in the quagmire of the Luofu's faith. This place was far too small compared to the cosmos.
"Jing Yuan and I may have had a few minor conflicts, but we're also close friends who understand each other. So before I left, he asked me if there was any way to resolve the Xianzhou's faith-based conflicts. So, I compiled this 'True Scripture of the Pure Land Sect.'"
"As for you? You'll use this to find information on other Aeon-worshipping followers whose interests align with what's written here. Then, you'll compile this information and hand it over to General Jing Yuan."
"Understand? As long as you gather these people, they will be able to secure a position in the new 'Committee on Aeonic Faiths' to be established by the Divine Foresight's office."
Qingque held the thick tome, her quick mind immediately grasping what Noldrei meant.
This was clearly a way to prepare the Xianzhou for the internal faith-based conflicts in advance. Through an operation like a committee, they could gather most of the followers whose beliefs aligned with the Xianzhou's interests, thereby uniting the majority of the other Aeons' followers.
Qingque asked cautiously, "Forgive me for being nosy, but who's going to be in charge of this 'Committee on Aeonic Faiths' you mentioned?"
Noldrei looked at Qingque with a benevolent expression. "Qingque, you know, from now on, you're the Director of the Aeonic Committee! I personally recommended you. How about it? Happy?"
Qingque gasped, staring at Noldrei in shock.
With a single sentence, he had promoted her to such an important position?
Qingque had never heard of such a thing in her entire life. She had only read about similar situations in the heroic epics of the past.
Noldrei instructed her gravely, "Since this is a new form of organization, how it is completed is the great responsibility the General has entrusted to you!"
At this, Qingque finally snapped!
"This was clearly dumped on my head! Without you, how would the General even know who I am?!?!"