Still Not Enough

Great Yu Province, the Holy City and Imperial Capital.

Amidst the Divine Radiance mists, within the towering Imperial Palace, officials of all ranks residing in the Imperial Capital were solemnly dressed and prepared to proceed to the court for the day.

News of the incident at Boundless Mountain, far on the border of Qing Prefecture, has already spread. In this Imperial Capital, where the power of officials is most concentrated and complex, undercurrents are already stirring, and countless people suffered from insomnia last night.

Upon hearing this news, many people doubted the validity of their Intelligence. Only after contacting each other through acquaintances did they realize that they had truly made a huge mistake!

One is Buddha Master, the leader who carries the Incense of the Buddhist Sect.

The other is a peerless Heavenly Prodigy who has recently risen to prominence and is extremely dazzling.

He possesses formidable strength and distinguished achievements at such a young age, and his Future is limitless.

It is truly astonishing that two such shining Xingchen of Human Race would collide with each other.

The impact of this collision will spread to countless forces, large and small. Although the leader is dead, the Buddhist Sect will not simply scatter. Even ordinary martial arts sects, if not eradicated completely, will have disciples who endure for many years to avenge their Master's Sect. This is even more true for a religion like Buddhist Sect, which has strong cohesion and faith.

Buddhist Sect is deeply rooted in the world. Even though Yu Emperor forbade members of the Imperial Family to convert to the Buddhist Sect hundreds of years ago on the grounds that the Imperial Family Bloodline was thin and the need to produce offspring was a concern.

However, apart from Bloodline the Imperial Family, many officials, ministers, retired generals, and other once prominent and powerful figures have either voluntarily or under secret guidance entered monastic life to cultivate a peaceful and comfortable state of mind.

The killing of the Buddha Master and the elimination of the spiritual leaders of Buddhist Dao and Daoism will be a huge shock to these believers.

Xuanhuang Gate, a magnificent Dragon Sparrow Cloud Carriage sped over and slowly landed.

The car door opened, and a graceful and elegant figure stepped out.

"The Family Head of the Xia Family has also arrived."

"He hasn't attended court for many years, yet he's here today."

"I heard that General Haotian escaped from the Mo River and subsequently rescued You Province and Qing Prefecture, and killed the leaders of the Great Demon forces. The Xia Family is probably here to plead for him."

Upon seeing that stunningly beautiful female general, who, despite her noblewomanly appearance, commanded immense prestige, many officials who glanced at her twice felt a sense of authority and dared not look at her for long.

"That important minister of the Late Emperor has also arrived. I heard he practices vegetarianism and chants Buddhist scriptures, and once discussed Buddha Master."

Some people looked in another direction and saw an elderly man being helped by several high-ranking officials as he walked over.

There is no doubt that today's court proceedings will be extremely heated.

As representatives from various factions arrived, Yu Emperor sat quietly on the dragon throne in the main hall of the Imperial Palace. His majestic body was like a mountain, and his eyes seemed to reflect the sun and moon, exuding an awe-inspiring presence that was impossible to look directly at.

His eyes were deep and reserved, like Deep Pool of blue sea, making it impossible to discern his thoughts.

Standing alone before the assembled officials, Xia Linglong's eyes were cold and her expression calm. Behind her were several other officials from the Xia Family's court.

When she received the news yesterday, she was shocked, but she rushed to Great Yu Province immediately.

She knew this matter was of great importance. Although the young man was extremely powerful, this was the Great Yu Dynasty, whose foundation was beyond imagination. Not to mention the True Person of the Qian Dao Palace who was in charge of the All Under Heaven, even the group of the Jiang Family who entered the Immortal Gate a thousand years ago, if they returned from the Immortal Gate, would be enough to crush all the Prodigy.

Even the Buddha Master wouldn't dare to kill openly. All the major powers have tacitly agreed-upon rules, but killing a leader is clearly a complete break with tradition.

Now that the Buddha Master has been killed, the Buddhist Sect forces are deeply entrenched and involve countless interests. Although they pose no threat to Li Hao, they can still stir up trouble in front of His Majesty.

Moreover, His Majesty also needs to give them a reason to win over the people. In doing so, it is possible that stripping Li Hao of his Merit and Fame would appease public anger.

However, if Great Yu breaks with Li Hao, it will give Demon an opportunity to take advantage. Xia Linglong knows that His Majesty should have considered these things, but she doesn't know how he will decide. After all, if he cannot win over the people, the Buddhist Sect disciples in various states and cities will probably rebel. If he forcibly suppresses them, the internal strife in various states will continue!

This would also give Demon an opportunity to invade.

If Xia Linglong were to put herself in Yu Emperor's shoes, she would also feel caught in a dilemma. In the long run, she should protect Li Hao, since Li Hao still young and has great potential for the Future, and is very likely to replace that Dao Palace True Person.

However, she didn't know if His Majesty would harbor suspicions towards that young general.

After all, great achievements can overshadow the ruler, especially for someone as young as Li Hao. If he is allowed to grow unchecked, the All Under Heaven might even change hands in the Future!

The Emperor Heart is unpredictable; no one knows what choice His Majesty will make.

Regardless, she came here hoping that His Majesty would give her a second thought, out of consideration for the Xia Family, when making his decision.

This was the best she could do as a subject.

"Your Majesty, Heavenly Heart is clear! That General Haotian killed a Buddha for a traitor, defying the All Under Heaven's condemnation. He is utterly lawless and unworthy of the title of Gong-rank Noble. He should be demoted to a commoner, forced to serve in the frontier to atone for his crimes, and never again be granted a salary!"

Just as the court session began, an old official reported this indignantly.

"That's right, Your Majesty. General Haotian has a long list of misdeeds. He fought against my father, betrayed the Li Family, and now he's killing a Buddha for a traitor, causing the people to weep. He should be severely punished!"

"He cannot rely on his achievements to act with impunity; otherwise, what would he consider imperial power? What would he consider All Under Heaven? If he is not restrained, he will only become more rampant and act with even greater arrogance and recklessness!"

"Your Majesty, General Haotian is still young and easily goes astray if he is not properly guided. He killed the Buddha Master and acted arrogantly by force. Although he has merit in saving Liang Prefecture, he has committed evil deeds while doing good. We cannot tolerate this, otherwise the All Under Heaven will perish sooner or later."

One after another, officials submitted memorials, four or five in the blink of an eye, as if it had been pre-arranged.

The others remained silent, wanting to see the reactions of His Majesty and the other parties.

After all, this court and the public were not the same as the Buddhist Sect court and the public. Although some people were indignant, others had no connection with the Buddhist Sect and were worried that if General Haotian were severely punished, it would be extremely detrimental to the current Demon threats to Great Yu.

Before Yu Emperor could respond, Xia Linglong had already turned around.

"You all speak so lightly. If Demon were to attack the city, would any of you dare to stand atop the city walls and face them?"

Xia Linglong sneered, "You all glossed over the merit of saving three states with just a few words. It's said that a scholar's pen can cut a warrior's sword; your tongues are certainly sharp!"

"I am a military general. If Demon attack the city, I will lead the army as the vanguard within my jurisdiction!"

One person stepped forward, looking directly at Xia Linglong, and said, "But merit is merit. Who here hasn't contributed? Let alone killing the Buddha Master, even killing ordinary people is a crime. If everyone takes their merits lightly and disregards life, how will the people survive? How will the Dynasty continue? Can we rely on you and me? Would that still be Dynasty? What difference would it be from a bandit's den!"

Xia Linglong's expression changed, and she stared at him with cold eyes. The other party was not a general from the Five Divine General Residences, but a general who had risen to prominence and made great achievements.

However, she could sense that the other party's remarks were not directed at Li Hao, but rather at the Five Divine General Residences's monopoly on the merits of the Martial Generals.

This brings us to the issue of the Five Divine General Residences achieving merit on the battlefield. Special Class Merit or First Class Merit merits are generally awarded to close relatives, such as illegitimate children or family members. As the Family Head, even if she doesn't encourage it, she can't completely prohibit it, since it's similar to corruption and impossible to eradicate.

Other forces, in order to achieve success, can only survive in the cracks between the Five Divine General Residences; this conflict has a long history.

These people also secretly joined forces to form a power. Although they could not compete with the Divine General Residence, they were already enemies in secret. With His Majesty watching over them, no one would break the rules.

"That's right. If killing someone in the street is allowed for meritorious service, what kind of social atmosphere will that create? The people will live in fear and anxiety, Dynasty will prosper only briefly before declining!"

"Martial arts can slay demons, while civil officials can govern the country—this is an age-old truth. If everything is suppressed by force, the people will certainly dare not speak out, but what will happen in the long run?"

One after another, ministers spoke up.

Xia Linglong's face darkened. She knew that, according to common sense, as long as the other party insisted on murder, it was a crime. This was in accordance with the laws of the Great Yu Dynasty, so she could not argue.

"Nowadays, Demon are rampant All Under Heaven. You have all lived in this Imperial City for too long, and you have probably forgotten what demons and Demon look like. When the Demon, I wonder if you will still be able to reason with them with your sharp tongues?" Xia Linglong said.

"We are trying to reason with General Xia. Does General Xia intend to compare himself to Demon?"

"We follow the Great Dao of the ancient sages, considering ourselves the most intelligent of All Things, not comparing ourselves to pigs, dogs, or wild beasts. Yet now we disregard life and have our morality declined?"

"That's right. Every country has its laws. Even if Heavenly Talent General Haotian is exceptionally talented and has made great contributions, he killed the Buddha Master and committed a grave mistake. How can we simply cover it up?"

"If he dares to kill the Buddha Master today, wouldn't he dare to kill the True Person and us tomorrow?"

"How is he any different from Demon?!"

The others all chimed in with angry complaints.

Xia Linglong was so angry she almost laughed, but she knew it would be difficult to reason with these guys.

Unless they intervene to suppress it, but that would be tantamount to defeat.

"I think you are the Demon. Could it be that your homes have been invaded by Demon, and you have been Demon and lost your minds?"

Nearby, another group of Confucian scholars from the Hanlin Academy, seeing that Xia Linglong couldn't out-argue seven or eight other people, also chimed in.

"Without investigating the matter thoroughly, how dare you claim that General Haotian, who suppresses Demon across three states, is no different from Demon?!"

"I see you are wolves in sheep's clothing, plotting to harm my Great Yu, Your Majesty. I suggest we first investigate their homes to see if any Demon have infiltrated and caused trouble!"

"That's right. The achievement of conquering three states is truly remarkable. In my opinion, it's enough to be named Divine General. Do any of you dare to despise Divine General?"

"This matter is fraught with doubts and has not yet been fully investigated, yet you all make such arbitrary judgments. What are your true intentions? Are you trying to cause our Great Yu to lose a great general of the ages?!"

As others joined in, the debate quickly became more intense.

Xia Linglong opened her mouth slightly, watching the two groups of civil officials engage in a verbal battle, but in the end she chose to remain silent and observe. Although she was eloquent, she was still somewhat lacking compared to these guys.

She turned to look at His Majesty, only to find his expression unchanged, neither happy nor sad. She couldn't help but feel worried, wondering what His Majesty was thinking.

As the debate dragged on and the words began to repeat themselves, Chu Jiuyue, sitting in the imperial court, coughed softly.

His voice was soft, but it silenced the argument.

Everyone stopped and looked at His Majesty.

Yu Emperor remained calm and said, "What you, my esteemed ministers, have said is all reasonable, but reason is meant for the people, for us, because we are of the Human Race. How can Demon listen? Now that Demon are threatening us, you all say you want to strip General Haotian of his Merit and Fame. If we strip him of his Merit and Fame and then the Demon attack, who can take his place in the battle?"

Upon hearing Yu Emperor's words, many people exchanged glances. Those who sided with Xia Linglong quietly looked at those who had previously denounced Li Hao.

As expected of His Majesty... Xia Linglong sighed inwardly, skipping the verbal sparring and getting straight to the point.

However, she didn't know whether His Majesty's move was to side with Li Hao or out of concern for the external threat of Demon.

After a brief silence, the old man who had spoken earlier said tremblingly, "Your Majesty, I received a petition from the Buddhist Sect Bodhisattva. The Buddhist Sect has promised that if Your Majesty grants Buddhist Sect justice, Buddhist Sect will send eight million Buddhist Sect to serve in the war."

Upon hearing his words, many people's expressions changed slightly, not expecting the Buddhist Sect to be so resolute.

They offered eight million Buddhist Sect disciples in exchange for Li Hao.

"Eight million disciples..."

Yu Emperor murmured softly, then calmly said, "I'm afraid it's still not enough."