Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Chapter 224: Chapter 224: My Lords, I Accept Your Concession

Qing Country, the National Capital.

As the capital, this city was the anchor of the entire Qing Country. One could gauge the nation’s stability simply by the atmosphere within its walls.

Early this morning, the city was still at peace. But when news arrived that Dragon-Crushing Pass on the front lines had fallen, panic erupted. From the highest officials to the common folk, everyone was thrown into disarray. All sorts of rumors began to spread, each more outrageous than the last. Some even claimed to have seen Demon Sect Cultivators hundreds of miles away...

”Useless! A bunch of useless trash!”

Inside the Golden Hall, Prince Qing had lost all of his regal bearing. His face was twisted with rage, a clear sign of his extreme fury.

Below the dais, a young man was kneeling.

It was the current Champion Scholar, Zhong Xin.

The Champion Scholar was stained with blood, his aura weak, yet he remained silent, seemingly awaiting whatever punishment Prince Qing would mete out.

”I was incompetent.”

”You were incompetent! I gave you half of Qing Country and told you to hold Dragon-Crushing Pass. And what happened? It’s only been a few days, and everyone is either dead or has fled...”

Prince Qing snatched a nearby vase and smashed it against Zhong Xin. The vase shattered, but Zhong Xin didn’t flinch. He simply kept his head bowed in silence. After throwing the vase, the Prince seemed to cool down a little. He hurried to Zhong Xin’s side and personally helped him to his feet.

”I was blinded by anger... My dear minister, do not take offense!”

Zhong Xin shook his head. ”I have indeed failed to live up to Your Highness’s great expectations. Therefore, no matter how you choose to punish me, I will accept it willingly.”

”Sigh... you are just too loyal!”

Prince Qing sighed with emotion. ”Of all the officials in my court, not a single one is as devoted to me as you. I’m afraid some are probably packing their bags to flee as we speak!”

With that, he picked up a large stack of memorials from a nearby desk.

”Look at these.”

Looking utterly defeated, Prince Qing sighed. ”Ever since the northern army besieged Dragon-Crushing Pass, the entire Qing Country has descended into chaos. There are eighty-one different rebel armies now!”

”The Demon Sect is behind all of these rebellions. Minor Metal must be hiding among them!”

At this, Prince Qing viciously kicked over a nearby table and chair, trembling with rage. ”If this continues, I’m afraid they’ll actually storm the Imperial Palace.”

The very thought sent a chill of terror through Prince Qing. He was the king of Qing Country, personally invested by the Emperor of Jiangdong, a man of noble birth destined to rule. The idea that those lowborn peasants could trample through his Imperial Palace and overthrow him made him want to grind every last one of them to dust.

”Things have come to this. I can’t wait any longer!”

With this in mind, Prince Qing turned to Zhong Xin. ”My mind is made up! Today, I will grant you the Celestial Emperor Sword and the Fake Jade Seal. You will act in my stead to quell the rebellion of these traitors and bandits!”

All this pressure came from the Demon Sect.

The Dao Court’s system was built on governance and stability. Once the world fell into chaos and Order collapsed, the enhancement that an Official Position from the Dao Court provided to one’s Cultivation Realm would also weaken.

If this continued, Prince Qing worried that even if he used his own kingship to empower Zhong Xin, it might not be enough to grant him the might of a Great Trueman. By then, they would truly be at a dead end, with no hope of recovery. He had to act now, while he could still channel the power of a Great Trueman, and have Zhong Xin fight in his place!

This way, the situation would surely improve.

Thinking this, Prince Qing immediately began to make arrangements. He called for the eunuchs to set up the Magic Instrument, fetch the Tally and the Axe and Halberd, and then drew the Ceremonial Sword from his waist.

The Fake Jade Seal allowed one to act with the authority of another.

Such a momentous affair could not be decided with a single word. It required Prince Qing to personally conduct a ceremony, and ordinarily, a grand Ritual would need to be held.

However, the situation was urgent, so they could only simplify everything.

”My dear minister, everything depends on you now.”

Prince Qing looked emotional as he personally handed the Celestial Emperor Sword, the Tally, the Axe and Halberd, and other items to Zhong Xin. Along with them, he also transferred an Official Position.

Spiritual Cloud Joyous Clouds Universal Relief Living Beings Northern King.

This was the highest Official Position in Qing Country. Although it was merely the title of a vassal king within the Dao Court’s system, it still possessed an unfathomably Mighty Power.

Zhong Xin said nothing, accepting the items with utmost respect.

Seeing this, Prince Qing nodded in satisfaction. He watched as Zhong Xin’s Qi trace began to skyrocket, surpassing the limits of the Mid-phase of Foundation Establishment in the blink of an eye.

Of course, this was only a temporary proxy.

The key to the Fake Jade Seal was in the word ’Fake.’ As long as Prince Qing wished it, he could revoke this Official Position at any time, which was why he felt so secure.

Soon, however, he realized something was wrong.

Zhong Xin’s Qi trace was still climbing. It reached the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment and showed no signs of stopping. Streaks of Divine Power Radiance surged from his body!

”It’s that powerful?”

Even then, Prince Qing didn’t suspect anything was amiss. He was merely astonished that his own title could elevate someone to such a high Realm.

It wasn’t until Zhong Xin’s Qi trace broke through the bottleneck of the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment without any resistance, and his entire aura took on a sense of ”Perfection” and ”Wuxia,” that Prince Qing finally noticed something was truly wrong. ’How is this proxy authority even stronger than when I wield it myself?’

’Something’s not right!’

In that instant, Prince Qing’s pupils constricted. He instinctively tried to retract the Official Position he had just granted, but a sudden chill spread through his chest.

All words died in his throat.

Behind him, amidst a flash of incandescent Divine Power Radiance, a figure had appeared without a sound. A formless blade had already pierced through his chest.

King Ci! Coiled Steel!

Boosted by these two Divine Effects, the edge of the Formless Sword met no resistance!

’An assassin!? Impossible!’

Prince Qing’s eyes widened in disbelief. He couldn’t fathom how an assassin could have infiltrated the heavily guarded Golden Hall. Spatial teleportation was supposed to be forbidden here!

’Who? Why?’

Prince Qing struggled to look behind him, but he couldn’t see his killer. All he saw was a hand, and in that hand, a Talisman Book.

The pages flipped rapidly, revealing the words written upon them: *Lü Yang kills Prince Qing before the court.*

Heaven and Earth’s Killing Intent! A death ordained by fate!

Empowered by this Heaven and Earth’s Killing Intent, Lü Yang experienced for the first time what it meant to have divine assistance, to have heaven and earth themselves align to lend their strength.

From start to finish, he had only done one thing.

He used his Innate Ability, Separation!

Normally, he and Prince Qing had never even met. There were no karmic links between them, making it impossible to use Separation to teleport directly to his side.

However, propelled by Heaven and Earth’s Killing Intent, not only could he clearly sense the karmic links between himself and Prince Qing, allowing him to teleport from thousands of miles away to appear behind him with a single thought, but he also intuitively grasped the perfect moment to strike, slaying him with effortless ease!

SCHLICK!

The Formless Sword flashed, drawing an arc of blood. It sliced the unresigned Prince Qing in two, and in an instant, blood painted the Golden Hall red.

In that moment, the world fell silent.

The surrounding eunuchs, the expression on Prince Qing’s face, all sound seemed to vanish. Dark clouds had gathered over the National Capital at some unknown point.

RUMBLE!

The entire capital trembled. The howling wind sounded like a furious roar, scraping against Zhong Xin and Lü Yang like steel knives.

But at that moment, Zhong Xin raised his head.

That face, always so ”loyal” and ”respectful,” which had served diligently for decades without a hint of dissent, now wore a mocking smile.

If Prince Qing hadn’t died, he could have naturally reclaimed his authority.

But now, he was dead.

Not only had he died deep within the palace, but right before his death, he had granted another the Fake Jade Seal. In a stunning turn of events, this made Zhong Xin the person with the highest authority in all of Qing Country!

”My esteemed colleagues, I must thank you for letting me win.”

As his voice fell, Zhong Xin’s appearance began to change. His flesh sloughed off like a mask being removed, revealing a face familiar to Lü Yang.

Perfected Chong Guang!

’Just as I thought...’

Lü Yang thought to himself upon seeing this.

Zhong Xin was Minor Metal!

The story about him having just been reincarnated was all a lie to deceive people. With World Purger Fei Xue’s help, he had even concealed his Karma Links and karmic links!

No wonder he hadn’t chosen to go Overseas back then.

The one who appeared at Holy Fire Cliff was probably just a clone all along, and the infants appearing across Qing Country were nothing more than a Blinding Technique.

He had actually reincarnated long ago!

And as for what Perfected Yin Shan had told Lü Yang—about reversing the Dao Court’s rules from the bottom up through an uprising—that was just a rumor he had intentionally spread to create a diversion!

It was all a feint, a distraction to hide his true intentions.

After all, to reverse the Dao Court’s rules in Qing Country, one didn’t necessarily need a bottom-up uprising. A top-down Seizing Power would work just as well!

Minor Metal was about to achieve the Dao!