Chapter 1198: The Map
Qi Xuansu knew little about the New Continent because the Daoist Order’s focus did not lie there.
The Daoist Order was not an outward-expanding empire. In essence, it still followed the ancient Central Plains tributary system. Both Poluo and Fenglin had long been part of this framework, as these smaller nations had been a part of the Central Plains civilization for generations and become part of the Confucian cultural sphere. They also hosted large numbers of Central Plains settlers, so there was a solid foundation for their integration.
Even when troops were dispatched, it was always with proper justification. For example, the Daoist Order only intervened in East Shakya to help repel Westerners. The Fenglin Campaign was an act of vengeance stemming from grudges lasting ten generations.
This was why the Daoist Order developed into a dual-structure system. Nations such as Fenglin, the Yu Kingdom, Funan Kingdom, and Jawa Kingdom did not become parts of Great Xuan through annexation but rather became its vassals. What they all had in common was their faith in the Daoist Order, which served as the unifying force binding them together.
When it came to the New Continent, the Daoist Order did not make excessive moves. After all, the Daoists were not like the Westerners.
While the Westerners aggressively seized the New Continent for themselves, the Daoist Order helped the indigenous peoples of the New Continent to resist foreign invasion and achieve independence as soon as possible.
To put it bluntly, the New Continent did not belong to the Daoist Order, nor to the Holy Court. It had rightful owners, so it should be returned to them.
The Holy Court disagreed with this. Though the Holy Court lacked moral grounds, it produced a set of classic religious theories claiming that this land was a gift of the Supreme Will, a chosen land. Their occupation of it was merely obedience to the Supreme Will, deeming it just and lawful. The indigenous people on their chosen land were merely sinners who worshiped the devil, so exterminating them was following divine law.
The Holy Court’s believers felt that the Supreme Will had made a covenant with them, selecting them to lead the rest of the world’s nations. At present, however, the Daoist Order could not be defeated, so direct leadership was not possible. Only a lesser objective could be pursued.
To the Holy Court, the time had not yet come to lead the East, but it could lead the New Continent first.
Thus, the Holy Court vigorously promoted ideas for their believers to seek salvation in the New Continent. Their mission was to redeem the old world through their own actions.
Facing the Holy Court’s relentless advance, the Daoist Order dispatched the Western Daoist Branch to take root on the New Continent, using it to provide aid and support to the indigenous peoples there.