Qing Kingdom, the capital.
As the capital of a kingdom, this place was the anchor holding all of Qing Kingdom steady. Whether Qing Kingdom was in turmoil could be seen from the shifts in the city's atmosphere.
Early this morning, the city had still been peaceful. Yet as news arrived that Zhalong Pass on the front lines had fallen, everyone from the civil and military officials to the common people descended into panic. All manner of rumors grew ever more outrageous as they spread; some even claimed to have spotted Demon Sect cultivators eight hundred li away.
"Useless! A pack of useless fools!"
Inside the Golden Hall, King of Qing had lost nearly all his usual dignified grandeur. His face was twisted with rage, making it clear that he was furious beyond measure.
Kneeling below him was a young man.
The top scholar of that year, Lord Zhuangyuan Zhong Xin.
This former Lord Zhuangyuan was now drenched in blood from the waist down, his aura weak and listless. Yet he did not utter a single word, wearing the look of one awaiting King of Qing's judgment.
"This minister is incompetent."
"You are incompetent! I handed half of Qing Kingdom over to you and told you to hold Zhalong Pass. And how many days has it been? The dead are dead, the rest have fled!"
King of Qing grabbed a vase from beside him and smashed it against Zhong Xin. The vase shattered, but Zhong Xin did not so much as flinch. He merely kept his head lowered in silence. After throwing it, however, King of Qing calmed down somewhat. He hurried over to Zhong Xin and personally helped him to his feet.
"I was blinded by rage for a moment. Do not take offense, my dear minister!"
Zhong Xin shook