Troubles

Spring of the eighth year of Yongning.

The Jiangnan remains shrouded in mist and rain.

With Ye Jinyu stationed at Zhong Mountain, imperial edicts were issued from the Riverside Pavilion, spreading like a spider web across the entire Jiangnan.

After the entire Zhu Clan was executed, more than two hundred powerful clans in Jiangnan trembled with fear.

The roster was submitted on schedule, Dao Ginseng were registered one by one, while all incomplete Cultivation Method were confiscated.

The system of Transport Commissioner was extended from the Ye Clan's direct control over the Ruin Realm to the entire Jiangnan, further widening the passage for the Ruin Realm cultivators to ascend to the Cangxuan.

At the same time, Xu Feng led the Cloud Palace Guards to lay a trap in Jiangnan.

The target of the manhunt is only one person— Lin Dong.

The cultivator from the Wulang Ruin Realm who killed the Yunlan and betrayed Ruin Realm Ruin Realm.

However, several months passed without any results.

Lin Dong seemed to have vanished into thin air.

"Young Master, this old servant has personally taken action, and even dispatched countless additional men. All major ferry crossings, teleportation arrays, and gathering places of Rogue Cultivator in Jiangnan have been secured." Xu Feng's voice carried a rare hint of solemnity.

"But Lin Dong... really vanished into thin air."

"Young Master, in this old servant's opinion, it's nothing more than Foundation Establishment, why bother..."

Ye Jinyu remained silent.

I've become the villain!

This doesn't make sense!

What on earth is bringing me trouble?

Have some conscience! I was clearly doing a good deed! I gave the cultivators of the Wulang Ruin Realm the opportunity to rise and improve their status within the Ruin Realm!

Why are the people below like this?

"Continue the investigation." Ye Jinyu's voice was calm.

"I want to see him alive or dead."

"Be vigilant and cautious at all times. It is truly unwise to wait until my father and grandfather return from beyond the heavens. I will personally go to the Yunlan Heaven Palace to request the True Lord's guidance..."

"Yes."

Xu Feng accepted the order and left once again.

Luoyang.

The seventh year of Yongning was an exceptionally difficult time, marked by a shift from joy to sorrow.

The eighth year of Yongning arrived.

For the Great Jin Dynasty, things weren't much better!

The sacred tree in the imperial palace was magnificent, sprouting a few tender green shoots, but a spring frost froze it into a withered yellow.

Sima Chengzhong lay on the dragon bed in his bedchamber, the nine golden dragons embroidered on his robes seemingly losing their luster.

His face was gaunt, his temples had turned white overnight, and his breathing was so weak that it resembled a candle flickering in the wind, about to go out at any moment.

A backlash from bad luck.

Of the thirteen prefectures of the Great Jin, the imperial court can now directly control only Sili and the Northern Frontier region of Youyan.

But the border was also a mess, with barbarians stirring up trouble and the Devil Dao seeing the weakness of the Great Jin.

The nation's fortunes, fueled by intense activity, are like water bursting its banks, overflowing wildly.

As the nominal emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty, Sima Chengzhong was the first to be targeted.

He was made emperor by his father (Sima Honglin), and he must bear the consequences of his actions!

Outside the palace, the summoned imperial physicians and Alchemist knelt on the ground, but none dared to speak.

Everyone knows this isn't an illness, it's fate.

The fate of the Great Jin is slipping away, and this emperor is merely the first to bear the consequences.

A series of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall.

Sima Linxun pushed open the palace door, and the Daoist aura of Spring Rain Hong Method flowed around him, the azure-gold light standing out conspicuously in the dim palace.

Behind him followed twelve cultivators dressed in black robes, their armor engraved with patterns of the Luo River, their Sha Qi as restrained as an abyss.

The Luoxia Death Warriors.

The foundation upon which the Sima Clan rose to power.

The number is eight thousand, with six hundred Purple Mansion, and six Great True Person in command.

This force was the foundation upon which the Sima Clan usurped the Wei throne, and the deep-rooted Dao Soldiers that suppressed the world.

At this moment, Sima Linxun, accompanied by a Grand Commander who had reached the Purple Mansion Peak, stormed straight into the palace.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince!" A eunuch blocked his path in a panic.

"His Majesty needs to rest, you cannot..."

Before he could finish speaking, the commander behind Sima Linxun had already drawn his sword.

A flash of sword light.

The eunuch's head rolled to the ground, and blood splattered on the doorposts of the bedchamber.

Anyone who obstructs further will be punished the same way.

Sima Linxun's voice was eerily calm.

He walked past the eunuch's corpse and entered the hall. The imperial physician and Alchemist were prostrate on the ground, trembling all over.

Sima Linxun stopped in front of the dragon bed and looked down at the emaciated middle-aged man on it.

That was his father, the nominal emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty. But at this moment, this emperor barely had the strength to open his eyes.

"Father," Sima Linxun called softly.

Sima Chengzhong's eyelids twitched, but he ultimately failed to open them.

Sima Linxun remained silent for a moment, then turned to face everyone in the hall.

"From this day forward, I will assume the purview of governing the country."

His Majesty is gravely ill; no one may disturb him. The Luoxia Death Warriors are stationed at his bedchamber. Anyone who enters without a warrant from this palace—"

He paused, his voice suddenly turning cold.

"Kill."

When the news spread, the entire court was in an uproar.

Officials gathered in the Taiji Hall.

The civil and military officials were divided into two groups, the number of whom was the same as usual, but the atmosphere of anxiety and unease could not be concealed.

Within just a few months, Yanzhou, Xuzhou, Yuzhou, Qingzhou, Bingzhou, and even Yangzhou in Jiangnan fell one after another...

Imperial decrees no longer extend beyond the Sili.

The Yellow Turbans army at Great Peace Temple is facing off against the Imperial Guards that the court has mobilized and reorganized, while in the Northern Frontier Youyan, the barbarian army has once again pressed in.

Urgent report from the Northern Frontier!

A hoarse shout came from outside the hall.

The messenger stumbled into the hall, covered in dust, his armor tattered, and half an arm missing.

He knelt before the imperial steps, his voice hoarse and barely audible.

"King Illustrious Martial... King Illustrious Martial is in dire need of help!"

The alliance of the five tribes of Youyan and Hu has at least two Devil Dao True Lord stationed in the rear!

The Demonic Hu Jia Sound has Heavenly Cold City Pass; Shuofang, Yunzhong, and other important towns will all fall within three months!

"King Illustrious Martial led his remaining troops to retreat to Jidu, where no less than a million barbarians were outside the city!"

The prince said... that he could only hold out for another two months at most! He implored the court to send reinforcements immediately! If Jidu falls again, the barbarians can easily advance into the interior!

The hall was deathly silent.

"Two months?" an official exclaimed.

"The Great Peace Temple army is at its peak; where can the imperial court possibly send even a single soldier north?"

"Moreover, His Majesty has been in a coma since that day, and with no imperial decree issued, the court is like a headless fly, utterly unable to make any decisions..."

"Such a situation, just like the previous dynasty, Non-Self Great Jin is doomed?"

The officials whispered amongst themselves, and the order of the court was completely lost.

The two prime ministers remained silent, as still as clay statues.

The remaining members of the Sima Clan were considering whether to step forward and consolidate their prestige.

Just then, a long, drawn-out announcement came from outside the hall.

"Your Highness, Prince of Wei Sima Linxun of Wei has arrived—"

All the officials turned their heads in surprise.

The doors to the Taiji Hall were pushed open, Sima Linxun strode in.

He was not wearing court robes today, but rather plain clothes, with a long sword at his waist.

The sword sheath was simple and unadorned, yet it subtly exuded the charm of the Luo River.

Behind him, twelve elite warriors from the Purple Mansion Luoxia Death Warriors stood on either side, their black Sha Qi that caused the temperature in the entire hall to plummet.

Sima Linxun did not walk along the imperial steps.

That's reserved for the Emperor.

He walked up the stairs to the dragon throne, then turned to face the assembled civil and military officials of the Great Jin Dynasty.

"Gentlemen." His voice was not loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"My father is seriously ill, and I have taken over the administration of the court. Who agrees, and who disagrees?"

A deathly silence.

Then, an old minister suddenly stepped forward.

However, it's Foundation Establishment.

But by saying that, he was courting death.

"Your Highness, acting as regent is a matter of great importance to the nation, and should be discussed jointly by the princes of the imperial family and all civil and military officials. How can this be..."

Sima Linxun waved his hand.

Behind the old minister, the longsword of the Luoxia Death Warriors had already pierced his chest.

The old minister looked down at the sword tip protruding from his chest, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he only spat out a mouthful of blood.

The body lay sprawled on the ground, blood slowly flowing onto the white marble floor tiles of the Taiji Hall.

Finally, the entire body turned into blood, and a light drizzle began to fall outside the palace in Luoyang.

Sima Linxun's gaze swept over every face.

Those faces showed fear, anger, and dread, but not loyalty.

"The Great Jin has existed for hundreds of years, nurturing countless scholars." Sima Linxun's voice was calm.

"But now, Yan, Xu, Qing, Yuzhou, and the entire Jiangnan are no longer loyal to us!"

The entire court is full of empty talk and superficiality, utterly useless, and driven by petty scheming. How many are willing to die for the court?

No one answered.

Sima Linxun nodded, as if he had expected this answer.

"I hereby declare to you all today that the Great Jin will not perish. The Sima Clan will not perish."

He drew his long sword from his waist, the blade pointing out of the hall.

"Order: Send three thousand Luoxia Death Warriors to take over Luoyang."

"Any official, noble Aristocratic Clan, or Rogue Cultivator who is disloyal will be killed; any disobedient person will be killed; any person who colludes with the enemy will be killed; any person who undermines the morale of the army will be killed."

"At the front, another three thousand elite Luoxia Death Warriors, led by four Grand True Person, will be dispatched to block the advance of the Great Peace Temple troops."

"In the Youyan region, all Rogue Cultivator above the Foundation Establishment and scions of the Aristocratic Clan from the entire Sili region will be conscripted into the reinforcements."

"Within ten days, the army must be assembled and march north."

Sima Linxun issued a series of orders in rapid succession, decisive and ruthless.

The officials exchanged bewildered glances. This Crown Prince, usually so gentle and refined, had turned out to be so decisive and efficient once he took power.

However, the real storm is yet to come.

Three days later, among the imperial clan, Zhao Prince Sima Liang and Liang Prince Sima Lun, who remained in Luoyang, were suppressed by the Sima Clan's own Golden Core Law Treasure and thrown into the imperial prison by Luoxia Death Warriors.

The entire court was shaken.

Both of these clan kings possessed the cultivation level of Purple Mansion Great True Person and held extremely high prestige within the clan.

When Sima Honglin was in power, they were relatively well-behaved.

However, with the war outside the capital at a stalemate, Sima Honglin has no time to attend to the court, and they are actually starting to make moves.

They secretly colluded with court officials, intending to seize power while Sima Linxun's position was still unstable.

"Now that the country is in ruins and chaos, are we, the Sima Clan, so foolish that we still think of vying for power and profit?"

Sima Linxun was True Disciple Sima Honglin.

Upon receiving the information, regardless of its veracity, act swiftly and decisively.

When the iron gates of the prison slammed shut behind the two princes, the majority of the royal family's influence in the court was completely crushed and purged.

However, as the saying goes, "pressing down one gourd only makes another float up," and misfortunes never come singly.

The imperial clan had just been suppressed when the maternal relatives began to bare their fangs.

In the Phoenix Palace, Empress Jia Clan was dressing her hair in front of the mirror.

The bronze mirror reflected a beautiful but no longer young face. Jia Nanfeng looked at herself in the mirror, a smile playing on her lips.

"Your Highness, what a display of power!" She gently set down the jade comb in her hand. "You even dared to touch the Prince of Zhao and the Prince of Liang. Isn't it my turn next?"

Behind her stood a middle-aged man with his hands behind his back.

This man, dressed in official robes with a sinister face, was none other than the emperor's brother-in-law and the patriarch of the Jia Clan clan.

Jia Mi, one of the two prime ministers of the imperial court.

"Why should Your Majesty be angry?" Jia Mi said with a smile.

"The Crown Prince, the Prince of Wei? No matter how capable Sima Linxun is, he's just a Foundation Establishment cultivator."

Without True Lord in court, what can he rely on to secure his position? The Luoxia Death Warriors?

Those people are the Sima Clan's loyal dogs, but their loyalty is to the emperor, to the Sima Clan, not to him, the crown prince."

"Does Your Majesty still hold His Majesty in your hands..."

Jia Nanfeng turned around, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

"You mean..."

"Although His Majesty is seriously ill, he is not yet dead." Jia Mi's smile was meaningful.

"As long as His Majesty is still alive, he is the ruler. No matter how powerful the Crown Prince is, he can only act as regent. Your Majesty is the Empress, the mother of the nation. Can he forcefully stop you from going to your bedchamber?"

"There should be a distinction between insiders and outsiders, even among parents and children... there should be some separation."

Jia Nanfeng's eyes lit up.

"Moreover," Jia Mi continued.

"With those members of the imperial clan ousted by him, how many positions in the court have become vacant?"

"As for Yang Jun and Prime Minister Yang, Your Majesty might consider trying to win them over. Although Yang Jun is incompetent, the Yang Clan family is still a prominent clan, and both of their ancestors are Divine Core."

Inheriting the legacy of our ancestors, yet to this day, not a single True Lord has emerged!

How laughable it was back then! In order to curry favor, they offered the Dharma body and Daoist essence of their ancestor, the True Lord, to the Sima Clan.

It was only because the lifespan of the clan's ancestral Divine Core- seeking elder was nearing its end that they obtained [Spring Rain Hong Dharma Heaven]...

How foolish, what unfilial descendants!

In this world, how free the heavens are, yet they willingly serve as their servants...

At this point, Jia Mi suddenly fell silent, not saying much more, and returned to the main topic, saying:

"With the Yang Clan as their protectors, Her Majesty's words carry even more weight in the court."

"What the Sima Clan did in the past... my Jia Clan doesn't aspire to, but if we can acquire even a little bit of their resources, that would be good."

"But Yang Jun, that person..." Jia Nanfeng frowned.

"He has always been a favorite and confidant of the True Lord, always obedient to his orders; he may not be willing to listen to me."

"Your Majesty is overthinking it," Jia Mi said with a smile. "Yang Jun is a man of mediocre talent but with considerable ambition."

He had long been envious of the Chen Clan and Xie Clan families, who each held sway over their respective territories and enjoyed considerable fortune.

Previously, he dared not act because the True Lord suppressed him. Now that the True Lord is beyond the heavens, and the court is in such chaos, doesn't he want to seize the opportunity to expand his power?

"As long as the Empress gives him a name, he will naturally come to her."

Jia Nanfeng was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

"Let's do it that way then."

Thus, the power structure of the imperial court was disrupted once again.

Sima Linxun had just suppressed the imperial clan when he discovered that two new forces had emerged in the court.

The Jia Clan, relatives of the emperor, led by Jia Mi and backed by Jia Nanfeng, occupied key departments such as the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue.

The Yang Clan, led by Yang Jun, controlled the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Works by relying on the protégés and former officials of the Hongnong Yang Clan.

Since the Wang Clan's rebellion, the Ministry of War has existed in name only. As for the Ministry of Rites... what interest do they have now? They are too busy suppressing the many affairs that happened in the Ruin Realm in previous years.

Both families helped Sima Linxun eliminate the power of the imperial clan, but they also took the opportunity to extensively install their own cronies and expand their own power.

When Sima Linxun went to see his father, Sima Chengzhong, again...

However, Empress Jia Nanfeng blocked them from entering the bedchamber, citing the reason that "His Majesty is seriously ill and should not be disturbed; he is his wife and I should take care of him personally."

Guarding the palace gates were Yang Clan Yang Jun's private soldiers and the palace guards arranged by Jia Mi.

Sima Linxun was in the palace, arranged for Luoxia Death Warriors to be transferred away under a genuine imperial edict.

I dare not disobey.

Sima Linxun was able to force his way in.

The swords of the Luoxia Death Warriors could kill eunuchs, so naturally they could also kill imperial guards.

Then what?

He forced his way into the palace, completely severing ties with the Empress.

With the Jia Clan and Yang Clan families working together, any rash action by him would surely throw the court into chaos. And at this moment, the Great Jin could no longer withstand any internal strife.

Damn it!

"Your Highness, the Emperor's decree cannot be disobeyed... We..." The Luoxia Death Warriors behind him hesitated and called out in a low voice.

"Let's go." Sima Linxun turned around, his tone calm to the point of being almost indifferent.

He took ten steps, then suddenly stopped.

"Order the Luoxia Death Warriors Luoyang wipe out all the Jia Clan and Yang Clan's spies within the city."

Remember, don't touch their people in the open. Only target those in the shadows, forcing them to behave themselves.

"Yes."

"Furthermore, keep a close eye on Jia Mi and Yang Jun. If they make any unusual moves, there's no need to report; execute them first and report later. I will take full responsibility!"

"Yes."

Sima Linxun looked up at the sky.

The sky over Luoyang was overcast and gray, as if it might collapse at any moment.

Grandfather, when will you return to Luang?

Human resources are sometimes limited...

No matter how cunning he was, coupled with the full force of his clan's resources, he still managed to succeed.

He's only at the Foundation Establishment, and he still has to deal with countless fools jumping out.

Without absolute power to suppress the world, how difficult it was to shoulder the crumbling fate of the Great Jin Dynasty.

But he had no way out.

He was believed from birth to be the chosen one of the Sima Clan.

He had nowhere left to retreat!

"Enough, let's continue with the court meeting!"

In the Central Plains.

The Wang, Xie, and Chen families jointly dispatched envoys to the Ye Clan in Jiangnan and the Xiao Clan in Guanxi, respectively, to call upon cultivators from all over the world to attend the ceremony.

The contents of the letter carried by the envoy are unclear, but the intentions of the three parties are obvious.

"The immortals have jointly decided that the King of Xuzhou will be mutually respected!"

The title and the power are the fundamental authority of a ruler and should not be delegated to others.

The imperial court once ruled the world by virtue of order, titles, and power.

When the rites and laws collapse, the hierarchy of superiors and inferiors is disrupted; when titles and ranks are abused, the world is divided. The day when feudal lords privately bestow honorific titles upon each other is the beginning of the overthrow of the old order.

The envoys from the Wang, Xie, and Chen families are now on their way.

"The Great Jin Dynasty is on the verge of collapse, and the world is in turmoil. If the Ye Clan is interested, why not share a princely title with them?"

"On the second day of the second lunar month, the dragon raises its head, and a grand celebration is held in Xuzhou."

This translates to. "We've all declared ourselves kings, and Luoyang is currently preoccupied with its own problems. We lack the proper titles and ranks to rule a region; our actions are illegitimate and unjust, hindering the accumulation of auspicious energy..."

Where North and South meet, at the ferry crossing Jiangnan.

A visitor in a green robe surveyed the Jiangnan region, its landscape shrouded in mist and rain, a place where tigers crouched and dragons coiled, exuding an aura of imperial grandeur.

This is a spontaneous expression of my feelings.

His behavior was peculiar; he would ask questions of any cultivator he encountered.

"My surname is Liu. May I ask how to get to the Ye Clan's Yunlan Heaven Palace?"

All the cultivators, whether from the North or South, turned pale with fear upon hearing his words.

Liu.

This surname is taboo in the Cangxuan Ancient Realm.

In this chaotic world, I was shocked to hear of the Liu Clan's son; where did he come from, crossing the river?

Moreover, the Ye Clan is extremely powerful in Jiangnan now!