No strange things are allowed to evolve!

Everyone opposite Jiang Shu's legs went weak and they all knelt down in unison.

"Get out of my way!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the prison guards, who had been standing their ground, moved their knees to the sides and made way for each other.

Jiang Shu grabbed Gandhi by the collar, who was still in shock and looking pained, and dragged him straight through the crowd of people with pious expressions.

Once freed from the seal's glow, Gandhi belatedly realized what was happening and asked, numbly and blankly.

"What was that just now...?"

Jiang Shu didn't answer, but asked, "Let's talk about it after we leave here. Where are we going now?"

Gandhi seemed to be deep in thought upon hearing this.

Seeing that he didn't respond for a long time, Jiang Shu looked at him and asked again in a louder voice, "Where are we going now? Do you know any places that are safe?"

Gandhi then came to his senses.

He thought for a moment and said with certainty, “Go find my good friend Nehru, he’s in Ahmedabad right now.”

Chapter 323 The Salt March

I do know Nehru Jiangshu.

If Gandhi was the father of the kingdom of India, then Nehru could be considered the mother of the kingdom.

Overall, he's a reliable person.

Before he made that incredible decision, he was indeed a remarkable person.

In terms of timing, this should be the period of his rise to power, making him a solid backer and reliable right-hand man for Gandhi.

“Once we reach Ahmedabad, we will be completely safe,” Gandhi said.

Looking at the task prompts, task objective one has not yet been completed.

Jiang Shu guessed that it was because the two had only left the prison and were not yet completely out of danger.

Therefore, Gandhi should be brought to Ahmedabad before the next phase can begin.

Therefore, Jiang Shu had no choice but to nod and ask, "I've never been to Ahmedabad. Is it far from here?"

“It’s not too far, and the route isn’t complicated. We just need to keep going east,” Gandhi replied.

"Alright, let's go then."

Jiang Shu was just about to set off when...

“Um…” Gandhi called out to him.

"what happened?"

"I want to clarify first, what exactly is your view on my nonviolent non-resistance?" Gandhi finally had to confront this question directly: "Is it unacceptable, barely tolerable, or perhaps there is a possibility of acceptance?"

"Why do you ask that?" Jiang Shu asked, somewhat puzzled.

With a sigh, Gandhi explained, "Because Ahmedabad is our stronghold, the people there, under my influence, don't advocate violent resistance. I was worried you might not like it there, so..."

Jiang Shu interrupted, "So you think I might ruin the environment there, or break the rules you've worked so hard to establish?"

“That’s not what I meant,” Gandhi quickly explained. “I was just worried that you would force yourself because of me.”

"Don't be silly."

Jiang Shu was somewhat helpless:

"Aren't we all aiming the same thing? It is precisely to achieve our goals that we keep exploring and searching for the right path."

In this process, what we need to do is to constantly adapt and change in order to find the final answer, rather than to prove who is great or to do so for personal honor. So of course I will not be stubborn and go down a dead end.

If it turns out you're right and your method works, I will certainly support you wholeheartedly. But conversely, if it turns out your path is blocked, I also appreciate your willingness to proactively seek change, because we represent more than just ourselves.

These words deeply moved Gandhi.

He couldn't help but laugh at himself: "Ah, it seems I was being too stingy. It's great that you think that way. Believe me, that's what I think too, so I can promise you that I will definitely do what you say."

"Okay, let's go."

"it is good."

Along the way, the two chatted about everything under the sun.

Gandhi, having studied in the Empire and traveled the world, truly possessed extraordinary insight, and his views were both visionary and pragmatic.

Even Jiang Shu had to admit his inferiority in some aspects, after all, he actually lived in a peaceful era and had not really undergone systematic learning and practice.

His knowledge and skills largely stemmed from typing on the internet, which experts consider naive and unprofessional.

Fortunately, he possessed some memories from his time studying abroad, which also came from this body, and he had a vision that transcended his era. Therefore, he was able to keep his composure during his interactions with Gandhi.

That's more than enough.

Gandhi was deeply moved.

After all, in this simple country where the average level of education was insufficient even before the empire enslaved people, and being able to write was enough to become a priest, and being able to read the law was considered akin to being a prophet, people like Gandhi could be considered omniscient and omnipotent gods.

And now, yet another such omniscient and omnipotent god has appeared.

How could Gandhi not marvel at this? This is the good fortune of the Kingdom of India. To be able to gather two great talents, the Crouching Dragon and the Phoenix Chick, in such a small prison, how could the Kingdom of India not be able to become independent?

Besides discussing the Dao, Gandhi naturally also inquired about Jiang Shu's soul power.

By this time, Jiang Shu had already prepared his explanation.

He told Gandhi that he had received a blessing from Shiva, the god of destruction, that the power of the soul possessed destructive and intimidating abilities, which manifested in a significant enhancement of physical functions, granting extraordinary power, and the ability to intimidate opponents with the pressure of Shiva when facing individuals with souls.

Gandhi had no doubts, because he was there at the time, and Jiang Shu's description matched what he had seen.

What puzzled him was that, in his memories of soul power, there didn't seem to be any abilities that matched what Jiang Shu had described.

But he didn't have too many doubts.

Throughout history, so many kinds of abilities have appeared, and so many abilities have not appeared for a long time and have been considered lost, to the point that people have forgotten about them. Even if someone is very knowledgeable, it is perfectly normal for them to possess soul power that they have never heard of.

A few days passed in the blink of an eye.

Led by Gandhi, the two successfully arrived in Ahmedabad.

This place looks much more primitive and backward than the prison where they were previously held, but that doesn't mean the city is small. In fact, the city is quite large, and Ahmedabad looks much richer than some of the city-states along the way that have been heavily colonized and transformed by the empire.

For some reason, this place was not occupied and colonized by the empire, so there are not many modern facilities, and it looks more primitive.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Jiang Shu asked why such a prosperous city had not been occupied by the empire.

"After the empire began to gradually colonize the Kingdom of Zhu, the living space of the people of Zhu was greatly compressed, and many people were forced to leave their homes. Among them were many believers of the Indian religion. They came to one of the most prosperous cities of the Indian religion, which turned this city, which already had many Indian believers, into the holy site of the Indian religion in the Kingdom of Zhu today."

The Empire would certainly not give up such a prosperous colony at first, but they suffered a great loss in the face of soul power during their initial invasion, which is why they were unable to take control of the city for a long time. However, since the possessors of soul power are ultimately only a very small number, they are also unable to protect everyone and drive away the Empire.

Thus, the Empire and Ahmedabad entered into a sit-in standoff.

After that, Ahmedabad became a haven for those unwilling to live under imperial rule. Many risked great danger to flee there from all over India, naturally making the already prosperous Ahmedabad even stronger.

After Gandhi explained, he then mentioned with some concern the current situation in Ahmedabad:

"However, that's not all good. While Ahmedabad is becoming stronger, it also indirectly makes those cities that have lost their population earlier even weaker. So the empire's encroachment has become easier, which is why the current situation has been indirectly caused."

As the Empire's power gradually surrounded Ahmedabad, it became increasingly difficult for Ahmedabad to obtain resources. However, the land of a city is limited, and it is absolutely impossible for it to be self-sufficient with its ever-expanding population.

I think the Empire has noticed this, which is why in recent years they have relaxed their control over the colonies, resulting in an increasing number of refugees pouring into Ahmedabad.

If this continues, Ahmedabad will likely collapse on its own before the Empire launches its final invasion.

Famine and plague might occur together, and even if the Empire does nothing, this last refuge will disappear. At that time, facing a people who are no longer united, the Empire will probably not need to exert much effort to bring Ahmedabad under its control.

Not to mention they now possess technology capable of dealing with soul power.

At this point, Gandhi's face was filled with deep worry.

Only then did Jiang Shu understand why Gandhi had never tried to conceal his identity along the way, but instead headed straight east, passing through city-state after city-state and village after village, as if he were not worried at all about running into the imperial people or encountering any obstacles.

And indeed, they traveled without any obstacles.

Jiang Shu initially thought it was just good luck, but it turns out that the Empire assumed the people from the Kingdom of Zhu who were traveling were heading to Ahmedabad. They were actually hoping that more people would come and crowd Ahmedabad.

Jiang Shu looked up at the bustling city of Ahmedabad and felt that the prosperity before him seemed to be an illusion.

This is more like the last burst of vibrant colors before a bubble bursts.

"Alright, let's go. We're safe here for now."

Gandhi put aside his worries and led Jiang Shu into Ahmedabad.

Everyone here knows Gandhi. Jiang Shu once again witnessed the enthusiasm of the people of India for Gandhi. The enthusiasm here was even more exaggerated than in the cities and villages they had passed through along the way, after all, there were no imperial people here.

The two of them were practically carried in by the enthusiastic crowd, like two lumps of beef on a conveyor belt.

As is well known, the cow is a sacred symbol in Hinduism, so using beef to describe the treatment of the two people is very appropriate.

Of course, many people don't actually know Jiang Shu, but that doesn't stop them from giving him the same enthusiasm.

Who cares? To be able to walk alongside Gandhi, he must be an extraordinary person.

When the two arrived at the building in front of them, which had been used as a government building and was originally the Gujarat royal palace built more than 500 years ago, Jiang Shu was covered with food.

Jiang Shu took a bite of the sesame seed cake around his neck, then gave a thumbs up and started shaking his head and swaying his body, his speech even carrying a hint of curry.

“The bandit's singing is so cute.”

"What kind of accent is that?" Gandhi shook his head and laughed.

As they were speaking, a man dressed in a black robe and wearing a white hat quickly came out to greet them.

"My friend, you're finally back. I've been waiting for you for so long."

Gandhi asked doubtfully, "You knew I left the prison?"

"Of course," the other person replied with a smile. "I've been trying to find a way to save you. I was originally planning to do it soon, but I didn't expect you to be rescued ahead of time."

As he spoke, he looked at Jiang Shu and extended his hand: "You must be that righteous man. Thank you. On behalf of the entire Ahmedabad, I thank you."

Jiang Shu shook his hand, nodded, and then looked at Gandhi.

Gandhi quickly introduced, "This is the Nehru I told you about. Nehru is my friend and our future companion. His surname is Banaj and his given name is Xiu."

"It's not 'xiu,' it's 'shu.' Oh well, whatever." Jiang Shu decided to give up on Gandhi's accent, which he couldn't seem to correct no matter what he tried.

Bannerjee is the surname of Jiang Shu's false identity.

Nehru was somewhat surprised upon hearing this: "It's... that Banerjee?"

“Yes, that’s the one.” Gandhi nodded.

“It’s a real surprise. I didn’t expect that there would still be members of that family alive.” Nehru’s attitude toward Jiang Shu became even closer: “It’s wonderful. The thought that we will fight for the same cause makes my blood boil.”

“But Nehru,” Gandhi asked, “why do you intend to rescue me? Don’t we usually serve our full sentences? What makes you so anxious?”

“This time is different. Something big has happened recently.” Nehru said solemnly, “The Empire recently promulgated the Salt Monopoly Law, which increased the salt tax. This has made it impossible for many people to afford salt. People’s basic living standards are now in jeopardy. This has made me have to find a way to bring you out to take charge of the situation.”

Gandhi fell into deep thought.

Seeing his troubled expression, Nehru said, "Actually, I have already made arrangements. I plan to form a team to set off from Ahmedabad and head to the west coast to carry out salt production activities. Along the way, we will try to get the people in the cities and villages along the way to join in, making as much noise as possible. Ideally, we should attract international attention to put pressure on the Empire to abolish the Salt Monopoly Law. If they do not do so, we will not leave the coast."

"Oh?" Gandhi said in surprise, "It's been planned so meticulously?"

“Yes.” Nehru nodded. “However, my prestige is not enough, so we need you to lead this team. Now we are just missing you.”

Gandhi did not respond immediately.

He looked at Nehru with a complicated expression, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

A moment later, he suddenly put on a smile.

"It must have been so hard for you to work so hard while I was away. Well then, let's do as you say."

Overjoyed at Gandhi's praise, Nehru said, "It's wonderful to have your approval! I'll go and prepare right away."

Jiang Shu, who was standing to the side, felt that something was a little strange.

Does he agree?... He doesn't think so.

It was at this moment.

[Mission Objective 1: Help Gandhi escape from prison] [Completed]

[Mission Objective Two: Assist Gandhi in completing the operation] [In Progress]

[Complete the prerequisites, gain Gandhi's trust, and unlock the hidden quest]