Once almost all the great houses realized that their core interests had been encroached upon, they tore away every pretense.
The heads of over a thousand prominent clans and wealthy families across the human race, along with a full twelve hereditary houses, appeared together at the foot of Upside-Down Peak Mountain. They submitted a petition demanding that Fang Yun halt all reforms until the Demon Realm had been eliminated, lest he throw the human race into turmoil. If Fang Yun insisted on going his own way, they would not mind helping Qing Kingdom purge the ruler's side of corrupt ministers.
Next, the rulers of Qing Kingdom and Gu Kingdom each issued two imperial edicts in succession.
The first edict announced an additional thirty-percent special commercial tax on all goods from Jing Kingdom, intended to protect their own workshops and workers.
The second edict condemned Fang Yun for wreaking havoc on Jing Kingdom's internal affairs. If Fang Yun continued down this path, the two kingdoms would enter into a thousand-year alliance with the Jing Kingdom Imperial House and willingly send troops to help it eradicate treacherous ministers.
The Jing Kingdom Imperial House gave no response and remained silent throughout.
Yet that very silence showed everyone under heaven that Fang Yun and the Jing Kingdom Imperial House now stood on wholly opposing sides.
For the imperial house to remain silent at such a time, rather than refute Qing Kingdom and Gu Kingdom, meant that it might agree to an alliance with the two kingdoms at any moment.
The ruler of Wu Kingdom had not forgotten to join the commotion either. He personally wrote an imperial edict declaring that if Qing Kingdom dared wage war against Jing Kingdom at such a time, Wu Kingdom would strike directly at Qing Kingdom.
However, Wu Kingdom's