88: Chapter 88: The Second Blow of the Audit Spot Check: Abnormal Resentment

Merely two days had passed since that thrilling night of the "Karma Review."

The dark clouds over Hengchuan Peak had not only failed to disperse, but they had also pressed even lower.

The stifling heat before a torrential storm made it hard for people to breathe.

Just as Shen Xingzhou was racking his brains over how to handle the aftermath of the "mole incident" and the consequences of "Revered Master exposing his identity as the War God."

The System interface popped up another line of scarlet characters.

This time, there was no stone tablet descending, and no lightning flashing.

It arrived silently, yet it was more sinister than the last time.

[Random Spot Check · Item 2]

[Audit Item: Resentment Collection and Usage (Emotional Pollution Monitoring)]

[Scope: Entire Qingheng Sect]

[Focus: Hengchuan Peak · Resentment Pool]

[Warning:]

An Auditor has entered with a "Karma Detector," pointing directly at the core energy circulation System of Hengchuan Peak.

The side hall was still the same side hall, and the Audit Envoy was still the same expressionless old man.

But what he brought this time was no longer a dull ledger, but a pitch-black bead floating in the palm of his hand.

That bead would occasionally puff out wisps of black smoke, as if it were breathing in the surrounding fear.

"Shen Xingzhou."

The Audit Envoy's voice was still like two pieces of iron grinding against each other, but this time, there was more disgust in his eyes.

It was as if he were looking at a pile of rotting meat.

"After a comprehensive scan over the past few days, we have discovered that an extremely unclean aura permeates the sky over Hengchuan Peak."

"That is—Resentment."

With a wave of his hand, a light screen unfolded, displaying the topographical map of Hengchuan Peak.

And at the locations of the main hall, the Munitions Line, and the dormitory area, red spots were flickering one by one.

"Not only that, but you have also constructed a massive Formation specifically to collect this Resentment."

The Audit Envoy stared coldly at Shen Xingzhou, "Is this the legendary 'Resentment Pool'?"

"As a Cultivator, instead of cultivating purity and righteous Qi, you go and collect these filthy things."

"We must investigate clearly what exactly you intend to do by collecting these things."

"Are you planning to use them for some... non-compliant evil arts?"

Shen Xingzhou stood in the center of the main hall, his spine held straight.

This cut was even more ruthless than the one that slashed at his Karma.

Karma was money; if money was gone, it could be earned again.

Resentment was their lifeline, the only antidote that allowed Hengchuan Peak to live like humans instead of turning into walking corpses.

If the Resentment Pool were classified as an "evil art," then the efforts of Hengchuan Peak over these past few months, and even those Disciples who had just built up a glimmer of hope, would instantly collapse.

"Lord Audit Envoy."

Shen Xingzhou did not panic; he had long anticipated this hurdle.

Wen Xi stepped forward, skillfully unfolding another, more detailed chart.

"The so-called 'filth' is merely prejudice."

Shen Xingzhou pointed to the curves on the chart, his voice resonant and forceful.

"Please look at this set of data."

"Before the establishment of the Resentment Pool, the average number of Heart Demon self-detonation incidents on Hengchuan Peak was 5.7 per month."

"Violent conflicts between Disciples, and even incidents of mutual slaughter, reached as high as 14 per month."

"The suicide rate was four times the Sect average."

He paused, staring intensely at the Audit Envoy.

"Why?"

"Because we are also human. We also feel fear, pain, and despair."

"Those negative emotions accumulated in our hearts, if not vented, will turn into Heart Demons and evil ghosts."

"And the Resentment Pool is our 'pressure relief valve'."

Shen Xingzhou waved his hand, and the light screen switched to display the "Welfare Exchange Records."

"We collect this Resentment and, through the System's conversion, allow the Disciples to use it to exchange for better weapons, holidays, or even just a full meal."

"This is not just welfare."

"It is telling them: Your pain has value. Your sacrifices are seen."

[System Auxiliary Argument: Real-time Data]

[Logical Verification:]

Mechanism: Emotional Entity-fication -> Value Exchange -> Psychological Compensation Closed Loop.

[Actual Effect:]

After Resentment is guided and collected: Heart Demon self-detonation incidents have dropped to 0.

Non-combat attrition: Zero.

Team cohesion: Increased by 300%.

Number of violent conflicts: Significantly decreased.

"My Lord."

Shen Xingzhou spread his hands, "You say this is an evil art."

"But what I see is that this is saving people."

"If there were no Resentment Pool, the Disciples you saw earlier would have long since turned into mindless corpses or monsters that only know how to kill."

"Is this not maintaining the stability of the Sect?"

Shen Xingzhou spoke with genuine sincerity.

Behind every piece of data were living lives, and stories he had snatched back from the hands of the King of Hell.

Even someone with a heart of stone should have been moved after hearing these words.

However.

The Audit Envoy was not moved.

He looked at the data displaying "miracles of life," yet his lips curled into a sneer of utter sarcasm.

"Are you finished?"

Shen Xingzhou was stunned for a moment.

"Shen Xingzhou, you are very smart."

The Audit Envoy played with the black bead in his hand, his tone dismissive.

"You are right; if Resentment is not handled, it will indeed explode and turn into Heart Demons."

"This is indeed a problem."

He stood up, walked in front of Shen Xingzhou, and looked down at him.

"But, you have mistaken a fundamental logic."

"It is precisely because Resentment is so dangerous and so uncontrollable."

"Therefore, it should not be managed by a low-level, humble node like you."

Shen Xingzhou's heart sank abruptly.

"What... do you mean?"

"It means—"

The Audit Envoy spread his hands, "Since you admit this thing is a bomb, why not just dismantle the explosive, or seal it away deep in the mountains?"

"You actually dared to stuff explosives into the hands of every Disciple and tell them it was candy?"

"Do you think this is appropriate?"

He pointed at the "Welfare Exchange" interface as if he had seen something filthy.

"You treat Resentment as a trading chip. This is simply a desecration of the rules of the Heavenly Dao."

"Resentment is the 'fuel' used by the Heavenly Dao to calibrate the Calamity and balance Karma."

"It belongs to the Heavenly Dao, to the higher-ups."

"It should not fall into the hands of a small place like yours to be used for some... bullshit humanized management."

Shen Xingzhou felt all the blood in his body rushing to his head.

"So..."

"You don't care if we have Heart Demons?"

"You only care about who controls this thing?"

"That goes without saying."

The Audit Envoy nodded righteously.

"Order is above all else. If every peak did their own thing like you, then what would the Heavenly Dao be for? What would the Sect be for?"

"Therefore, I will not listen to your explanation."

"I only look at the results."

He turned around, his back to Shen Xingzhou, his voice as cold as an imperial decree.

"I represent the Sect Audit Bureau and issue the latest directive."

"Hengchuan Peak's 'Resentment Pool' is suspected of illegally hoarding Karma fuel and disrupting emotional order."

"Effective immediately—"

"Shut it down."

Boom!

This sentence was like a bolt from the blue, striking Shen Xingzhou's crown fiercely.

"You said... shut it down?!"

Shen Xingzhou rushed forward a step, wanting to grab the Audit Envoy's sleeve, but was blocked by an invisible barrier.

"If you shut down the Resentment Pool, what about the accumulated emotions? With thousands of people's Resentment having no outlet, they will go mad!"

"That is your business."

The Audit Envoy didn't even look back, "If a Heart Demon is born, kill it. If a person goes mad, chop them down."

"This conforms to the Heavenly Dao's Law of survival of the fittest."

"As for that Resentment..."

He pointed to the ceiling, pointing to the high and lofty firmament.

"It will be uniformly calculated into the Heavenly Dao's accounts."

"When the Great Cleansing comes, when a Calamity is needed to complete the balance of Karma, this Resentment will be recovered by the Heavenly Dao and released all at once."

"This is where they belong."

Shen Xingzhou froze in place.

He watched the Audit Envoy's cold back, only feeling a chill seeping from his bone marrow.

So that was it.

So this was the truth.

Resentment could not be vented, nor could it be used.

Because...

It was kept by the higher-level Cultivators to be set off as "firecrackers."

The suffering endured by these Disciples, the hatred accumulated.

In the eyes of the Heavenly Dao, it was not a tragedy.

But a deposit.

Stored usually, and when the world needed to be cleansed, they would detonate them, turning these Disciples into beasts that slaughter each other, thereby completing the so-called "Calamity."

Shen Xingzhou was helping these people "redeem themselves."

And the Audit Envoy was throwing these redeemed people back into the fire pit, because the fire pit still needed people to fill it.

"You..."

Shen Xingzhou gritted his teeth, his lips bitten until they bled, "Are you still human?"

The Audit Envoy stopped, turned his head, and a flash of mockery crossed those dead fish eyes.

"Human? Shen Xingzhou, at this Realm, who still cares whether one is human?"

"We are maintaining the rules."

"Remember, just execute it."

"Don't think too much, don't meddle."

"Otherwise... even you will become a number on this ledger."

The Audit Envoy left.

But the directive he left behind was like a massive boulder, completely sealing off any path to survival for Hengchuan Peak.

[Major System Notification]

[Source: Higher-Level Audit System (Mandatory Execution)]

[Directive Content:]

Shutdown: Hengchuan Peak Resentment Pool module.

Cut off: All related exchange channels.

Lock: Existing Resentment reserves, usage prohibited.

[Reason: Lower-level Audit nodes have no authority to centrally manage negative emotions and Karma fluctuations.]

[Execution Time: Within 24 hours.]

[Note: Any resistance will be considered opposing the Heavenly Dao, resulting in direct erasure.]

Shen Xingzhou watched the red warnings constantly flashing on the System interface.

The small humanoid icons representing the Disciples' emotional fluctuations began to turn black one by one.

That was the color of despair.

"Just execute it..."

Shen Xingzhou muttered to himself.

"Treating people like livestock, storing pain as fuel."

"Is this your Heavenly Dao?"

He remembered Zhao Tiezhu, remembered the smiles of those who received new swords by the Resentment Pool.

Remembered them saying, "As long as we can still exchange for things, we can still catch our breath."

Now, this straw of hope was about to be ripped away.

24 hours.

Still 24 hours.

Once that countdown reaches zero.

Hengchuan Peak will return to being that Hell.

Even more terrifying than before.

Because people who have tasted sweetness, if pressed back into the mud to eat excrement, their Resentment will double.

That will be... a true Shura field.

On the System interface, that icon originally flowing with dark red light, representing "Resentment Pool Active."

At this moment, it was dimming bit by bit, and a thick layer of frost was forming on it.

[System Bottom Bar Warning]

[Module Status: Resentment Pool]

"About to freeze."

"Please prepare for... an explosion."