Chapter 225
Chapter 225
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 225
Chapter Title: Your Excellencies, Thank You for Your Courtesy
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Qing Kingdom, capital city.
As the capital of the nation, this place was the stabilizing anchor of the entire Qing Kingdom. Whether the kingdom was in chaos or not could be seen from the shifting atmosphere within the city walls.
This morning, the city had still been peaceful. But as news arrived from the front lines that Dragon-Slaying Pass had fallen, panic spread from the highest officials to the common folk. All sorts of wild rumors flew about, with some even claiming to have spotted Demon Sect cultivators eight hundred li away.
"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!"
In the Golden Hall, King Qing had lost all his refined dignity. His face twisted in fury, his rage at its peak.
Kneeling below the dais was a young man.
Top scholar of the imperial exams, Zhong Xin.
The once-promising top scholar was now covered in blood from the waist down, his aura feeble and wilted. Yet he said not a word, resigned to whatever punishment the king might mete out.
"This minister is incompetent."
"You are incompetent! I handed you command of nearly the entire Qing Kingdom, tasked you with holding Dragon-Slaying Pass, and what happens? In just a few days, it's death for some and flight for others."
King Qing snatched a vase from beside him and hurled it at Zhong Xin. The vase shattered on impact, but Zhong Xin's body didn't budge. He merely kept his head bowed in silence. After throwing it, King Qing calmed somewhat, hurrying to Zhong Xin's side and personally helping him up.
"I lost my head in anger. Don't take it to heart, my dear subject!"
Zhong Xin shook his head. "This minister has truly failed Your Majesty's great trust. No matter how Your Majesty punishes me, I accept it willingly."
"Sigh, you... You're just too loyal!"
King Qing sighed with emotion. "Among all the civil and military officials, not one treats me as you do. Right now, some are probably already packing to flee!"
With that, he took a stack of memorials from the desk nearby.
"Take a look."
King Qing looked utterly drained, sighing. "Ever since the northern army arrived at Dragon-Slaying Pass, the whole Qing Kingdom has fallen into chaos. Rebel forces number eighty-one bands!"
"These rebels all have the Demon Sect's backing. Chongguang must be hiding among them!"
At this, King Qing kicked over a nearby table and chair, trembling with rage. "If this continues, they'll truly breach the palace!"
Just the thought filled King Qing with dread. He was the king of Qing Kingdom, personally enfeoffed by the Eastern Sovereign as the Son of Heaven. Born to noble destiny, the idea of those lowly peasants storming his palace and toppling him made him want to grind every one of them to dust.
"Things have come to this—we can wait no longer!"
With that resolve, King Qing turned to Zhong Xin. "My mind is set. Today, I grant you the Sovereign's Sword, temporary command axe and baton. Go forth and quell the internal and external rebels in my stead!"
It was all pressure from the Demon Sect.
The Court of Dao's system excelled at governance and stability. But in chaotic times, with order shattered, the cultivation boosts from official positions weakened.
If this dragged on, King Qing feared that even empowering Zhong Xin with his own royal authority might not match a Grand True Person's might. That would be true desperation, beyond salvation. He had to act now, while he could still wield a Grand True Person's power, and send Zhong Xin into battle!
Surely, things would improve.
Mind made up, King Qing began arrangements, summoning eunuchs to set up the ritual altar. He fetched the command tallies and axe, then drew the ceremonial sword from his waist.
Temporary command axe and baton allowed delegation of authority.
Such a grave matter couldn't be decided lightly. It required the king to personally conduct the rite, normally with a grand ritual ceremony.
But with the crisis at hand, they could only simplify.
"My dear subject, it all rests on you now."
King Qing sighed deeply, personally handing Zhong Xin the Sovereign's Sword, command tallies, axe and baton. Along with them came a transfer of office.
[Numinous Empyrean Auspicious Cloud Universal Salvation Northern Guarding Prince]
This was the highest office in the Qing Kingdom. Though merely a vassal king's title in the Court of Dao system, it still held unfathomable divine might.
Zhong Xin said nothing, receiving it with utmost reverence.
King Qing nodded in satisfaction, watching Zhong Xin's aura surge wildly, surpassing mid-Foundation Establishment in the blink of an eye.
Of course, this was only temporary.
Temporary command—the key was "temporary." If King Qing wished, he could reclaim the office anytime. So he felt secure.
But soon, something felt off.
Zhong Xin's aura kept climbing, showing no sign of stopping even at late Foundation Establishment. Divine abilities bloomed from him in radiant splendor!
"So powerful?"
Even then, King Qing sensed no wrong, merely astonished that his kingly title could elevate someone to such heights.
Only when Zhong Xin's aura broke free of all limits, shattering the late Foundation Establishment bottleneck, and took on an air of "perfection" and "flawlessness," did King Qing notice the anomaly. Why was this proxy wielding more power than he did personally?
'Something's wrong!'
In an instant, King Qing's pupils contracted. Instinctively, he tried to revoke the granted office—but a chill pierced his chest.
All words caught in his throat.
Behind him, amid a blaze of pure white divine radiance, a figure materialized silently. An invisible sword blade had already thrust through his heart.
[Assassinate the King]! [Coiling Steel]!
With these wondrous buffs, the invisible sword met no resistance!
'An assassin!? Impossible!'
King Qing's eyes bulged in disbelief. How could an assassin infiltrate the heavily guarded Golden Hall? Void shifts were forbidden here!
Who? Why?
He strained to look back, seeing only a hand—and in that hand, a talisman book.
Its pages flipped rapidly, revealing the words: [Lu Yang slays King Qing in court]
Heavenly murder intent! Destined death!
For the first time, under this heavenly murder intent's push, Lu Yang truly felt divine aid, as if heaven and earth lent him their full force.
From start to finish, he did only one thing.
His innate divine ability, [Fix Kinship and Distance]!
Normally, he and King Qing had never met, no causal link. [Fix Kinship and Distance] couldn't possibly shift him directly behind the king.
Yet propelled by heavenly murder intent, he clearly sensed the causal tie to King Qing. A mere thought warped him from thousands of li away to the king's back, intuition granting perfect timing. Effortlessly, he slew him!
"Pfft!"
The [Invisible Sword] flashed and vanished, trailing blood. It bisected the wide-eyed King Qing in death, blood instantly staining half the Golden Hall red.
In that instant, heaven and earth fell silent.
The eunuchs around, King Qing's expression, all sounds vanished as if erased. Dark clouds gathered unseen over the capital.
"Rumble!"
The entire city quaked faintly. Howling winds roared like furious bellows, scouring Zhong Xin and Lu Yang like steel blades.
But then, Zhong Xin raised his head.
That face, ever "loyal" and "respectful," diligent for decades without a hint of deviation, now bore a mocking smile.
If King Qing lived, he could reclaim the authority.
But now, he was dead.
Dead in the depths of the palace, and in his final moments, he'd granted temporary command—turning Zhong Xin into the highest authority in the Qing Kingdom!
"Your Excellencies, thank you for your courtesy."
As he spoke, Zhong Xin's features shifted, flesh sloughing away like a mask discarded, revealing a face Lu Yang knew well.
Perfected Being Chongguang!
'As expected.'
Seeing this, Lu Yang murmured inwardly.
Zhong Xin was Chongguang!
All that talk of recent reincarnation was smokescreen nonsense. With Clear Serenity Flying Snow True Lord's aid, even heavenly secrets and karma were fooled!
No wonder he never went overseas.
The one appearing at Sacred Fire Cliff was likely a mere avatar from beginning to end. The infants sighted across Qing Kingdom were illusions.
He'd reincarnated long ago!
As for what Perfected Being Yin Shan and Lu Yang discussed—overthrowing the Court of Dao rules via [uprising] from below—it was deliberate misdirection!
All to build openly while striking covertly.
After all, to reverse the Qing Kingdom's Court of Dao rules didn't require bottom-up [uprising]. Top-down [seizure of power] would do!
Chongguang was about to achieve the Dao!
(End of chapter)