Merchant Lord Wei stumbled backwards, clutching his chest. The raw, undeniable truth, even in such a diluted form, was a powerful blow.
"This is… this is impossible," General Gao whispered, his eyes wide with profound disbelief and dawning despair. "Our lives… all of it… a lie?"
"Yes," Xiaochen confirmed, his voice devoid of emotion, yet filled with a chilling conviction. "Your lives are a commodity. Your devotion, your cultivation, your very souls, are harvested for the 'gods' of the Taixu Palace. Your rulers are their collaborators, bound by fear and the promise of false immortality."
Scholar Li approached the documents, her hands trembling as she read. "The directives… the 'population management' protocols… it’s all here. The chilling pragmatism of it. They don’t see us as people. We
