After arriving somewhere deserted, Prefect Gong slapped Jiang Clan Leader across the face. He spun twice through the air before hitting the ground, his mouth full of blood.
"Bastard! Serving as Qing City Lord was the greatest mistake of my life! If your Old Ancestor wants to live two more years, let him figure it out himself. Don't make us wipe his ass for him!"
"Didn't you say your Old Ancestor cultivated the Demonic Path with Human Emperor Jiang's tacit approval? Hurry and contact Human Emperor Jiang! Right now, only his word can save us!"
Jiang Clan Leader gurgled, spat out the blood in his mouth, and said, "Human Emperor Jiang has always contacted us. We have never contacted Human Emperor Jiang."
Prefect Gong now suspected that Human Emperor Jiang did not even know Jiang Yixing cultivated the Demonic Path. Perhaps Human Emperor Jiang truly was impartial and selfless, and had never returned to the Jiang Family.
But there was no use delving into that now.
"So Human Emperor Jiang can't be relied on, is that it?" Prefect Gong's face was so gloomy it seemed water could drip from it. "There is only one plan left."
"What is it? Should we send someone to get rid of Zhang Li?" Jiang Clan Leader and Qing City Lord hurriedly asked.
"Idiots! Zhang Li gets killed the moment he applies for Time Rewind—would that be killing Zhang Li? That would be slapping the Imperial Court in the face! If the Imperial Court does not handle this, where would its authority be? Once they investigate, we are all finished!" Prefect Gong cursed furiously. His hundred years of composure had been shattered twice in one day—once by Zhang Li, and once by these two fools.
"The Third Prince admires the Human Emperor's achievements, so he intends to promote officials like us who have served as Qing City Lord. If we seek help now, only the Third Prince can be persuaded. If he performs Time Rewind and shields us, then we may still have a chance to live!"
"But which of us is qualified to meet the Third Prince?"
Prefect Gong gave a cold smile. "I am not the only one who rose to higher office after serving as Qing City Lord. Their positions are not low now. With the matter exposed, none of them can run away. Have them pull strings for us."
"Human Emperor Jiang's cousin cultivates the Demonic Path, and he even received Human Emperor Jiang's approval? Is this true?!"
The Third Prince rose excitedly, disbelief written all over his face.
"Reporting to Your Highness, it is true. When I served in Qing City, I learned of this matter. I was deeply shocked as well."
Over the past few days, the officials who had served as Qing City Lord had pulled every string they possessed, finally securing an opportunity to send Prefect Gong before the Third Prince.
After entering the capital, Prefect Gong rehearsed his words again and again before he dared seek out the Third Prince.
"Human Emperor Jiang holds a position of immense power, and he has no more than two or three true confidants. Thus, he values kinship especially deeply. Yet as the Human Emperor, he cannot show it too clearly. In truth, he could not bear to watch his cousin die, so he secretly gave his cousin permission to cultivate the Demonic Path, break through to the Nascent Soul stage, and extend his lifespan."
"Now, once those two hotheaded fools confirm that the Human Emperor's cousin cultivates the Demonic Path, Human Emperor Jiang's instruction to cultivate the Demonic Path may also come to light. If that truly happens, Human Emperor Jiang's reputation will plummet off a cliff, Your Highness!"
"If we cover this matter up, perhaps Human Emperor Jiang will even thank us once he learns of it."
The Third Prince paced around the room several times, delight flickering in his eyes. He muttered under his breath, "The Human Emperor's reputation," "thank us," "the Human Emperor is kindhearted and could not bear to see his brother die," "the Demonic Path is nothing before brotherly love." At last, he said to Prefect Gong, "I understand this matter."
Great Zhou Dynasty, Xuanzheng Hall.
Zhou Emperor Ji Zhi was a man with Double Pupils. Tall and slender, with handsome features, merely sitting there gave others a sense of majesty and righteousness.
This was no illusion, but a real sensation brought about by the nation's fortune resting upon him.
The Great Zhou Dynasty's national fortune was closely tied to its laws. Only the fairer its laws were could its national fortune grow stronger. As one protected by the nation's fortune, if Zhou Emperor Ji Zhi acted unfairly, he would be unable to bear its weight and would ultimately be crushed by it instead.
Zhou Emperor Ji Zhi flipped through the memorial requesting Trace Time and the Petition, then asked, "A Nascent Soul Cultivator in Qing City is suspected of cultivating the Demonic Path. Qing City Lord may have bent the law for personal gain and destroyed evidence. Someone must now go to Tianqing Prefecture to Trace Time. Who wishes to go?"
Several princes and princesses remained silent. Succeeding in such a matter earned no credit, while failure brought punishment. Their imperial father had always assigned two people—one to act and one to supervise. This was merely a formality.
"Reporting to Father Emperor, this son wishes to go." The Third Prince stepped forward, drawing sidelong glances from the other princes and princesses. They could not understand why the third prince was so proactive. Did he want to put on a performance before their imperial father? "Then Third shall go. Fourth will accompany him. This matter is settled. Court is dismissed."
After court was dismissed, the Third Prince stopped the Fourth Prince.
"Fourth Brother, come here for a moment."
The Fourth Prince frowned. His relationship with the Third Prince was far from good. Both coveted the throne, and their overt and covert struggles were too numerous to count. Many court officials had already begun choosing sides.
Now that the Third Prince had called him over, the Fourth Prince could only assume it concerned Trace Time.
"Third Brother, what is it?"
"Do you know the background of the case Father Emperor has assigned the two of us to Trace Time?"
"Isn't it simply that Qing City Lord helped a Nascent Soul Cultivator cultivate the Demonic Path?"
"That Nascent Soul Cultivator has no simple background. He is Human Emperor Jiang's cousin, and Human Emperor Jiang's only relative of the same generation."
"What?!" The Fourth Prince was startled. When he first heard the Third Prince say this case had some background, he had not thought much of it. Given Great Zhou's strength, even if the other party were a Dao Sect Emissary, they would still dare act according to the law—arrest whoever should be arrested, sentence whoever should be sentenced.
Unless the other party possessed a background so immense that even Great Zhou dared not provoke it.
The identity of the Human Emperor's cousin and only relative met that condition.
Besides, if the Human Emperor's cousin cultivated the Demonic Path, would the Human Emperor truly know nothing about it? The Human Emperor was unimaginably powerful. Could he also be cultivating the Demonic Path? If the Human Emperor cultivated the Demonic Path, should Great Zhou intervene or not?
Hiss. The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it became. No wonder their imperial father had not pointed out such an immense background in court. Once it was mentioned, then regardless of whether the Human Emperor's cousin cultivated the Demonic Path or not, the final conclusion could only be "no"! The Great Zhou Dynasty had the authority to govern the Human Emperor, but not the capability. He was a Great Ascension Stage cultivator. Even if the Great Zhou Dynasty mobilized all its strength, it would be nothing more than moths flying into a flame.
The Fourth Prince's thoughts turned rapidly, and he quickly reached a tacit agreement with the Third Prince.
Though they had their conflicts, when Great Zhou's dignity and survival were at stake, they could still reach a temporary reconciliation.
The location for Trace Time was set outside Qing City, so after submitting the Petition, Jiang Li and Yuan Wu Xing returned to Qing City.
These past few days, Yuan Wu Xing had lived in constant fear. Nascent Soul and Spirit Transformation cultivators, ordinarily difficult to encounter even once, came visiting one after another. Inside and out, it was all threats and temptations, telling Senior Zhang Li to know what was good for him and withdraw the Petition.
Their reasons were nothing more than affecting the Human Emperor, considering the bigger picture, and other such nonsense. Jiang Li yawned until his mouth went wide, finding it completely unoriginal. He courteously shot every one of them back.
One Spirit Transformation cultivator lacked sufficient composure. Jiang Li's line, "What do you know about Human Emperor Jiang?" provoked him into losing his temper. He attacked in rage, and Jiang Li immediately put on a classic performance for Yuan Wu Xing: a genius Nascent Soul Cultivator defeating an established Spirit Transformation cultivator against the odds.
Someone knocked at the door. Yuan Wu Xing helplessly went to answer it again.
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