heaven money

With a loud crash, the artificial hill collapsed, burying him underneath, and dust billowed up.

Yu Meng was pale and beardless. When not displaying his power, he lacked the fierceness of a typical strongman, but at this moment, his eyes revealed a murderous glint. Several times, he considered killing the steward. However, he hesitated in the end. Killing the steward would be useless. With the Stone Clan's immense strength, they would not miss anything if they thoroughly investigated the incident.

Then, he shuddered. At the same time he was thinking of silencing him, were the elders of the clan also having similar thoughts, and were they going to eliminate him directly? Because this matter had really blown up, extremely serious and excessive.

Inside a giant city in the Western Frontier, several powerful figures offered up rare and precious primordial bones. Runes flashed, transforming into an ancient small altar, on which they placed a letter.

A flash of light, and the letter vanished.

Meanwhile, in the vast Stone Kingdom, within its imperial city, several ancient remnants of precious bones glowed, transforming into an even larger altar. A letter appeared on the altar, illuminated by a flash of light.

"What? The Second Ancestral Land was destroyed, burned to the ground! How dare you!"

Upon reading the letter, one of the elders flew into a rage. The Stone Kingdom, ruling over vast territories, was at its zenith, yet such a thing had occurred—unthinkable!
"Send the letter out!" he shouted. The letter was copied many times. The original was naturally to be shown to the Emperor, while the others would be sent to the Shi clan princes. This matter was too big; he believed it was a provocation against the entire Shi clan.

"boom!"

On this day, the capital city was in an uproar, and then it was completely boiling over. Many people were talking about it and could hardly believe it.

"Who did this? Are they defying the heavens? The Human Emperor is at the height of his power, his divine might is unparalleled, and yet someone has burned down the Stone Clan's thriving territory. They are incredibly audacious!"

"Could it be the Stone Clan's mortal enemy? That's unlikely. Even in battle, they would target the living. Who would do something like this?"

"Could it be some ancient remnant species like the Taotie or the Chilong, who hate the Stone Kingdom and ordered the ferocious bird to set this fire?"

The news spread quickly, and the entire capital knew about it. People found it unbelievable, and everyone from top to bottom was talking about it.

"Investigate thoroughly!" The Emperor's reply consisted of only four words. When this edict was revealed to the outside world, it emitted a dazzling light, and the four words, like a celestial sword, shattered the clouds above the capital, exuding a murderous aura.

A burst of golden light erupted, like lightning striking the sky, rumbling and silencing all sides. At this moment, the entire capital city fell silent, and there was no more discussion.

It took a long time for the capital to recover.

In the Stone Kingdom, on the ancient altar, precious offerings were presented. This was a place for worshipping ancient gods, and at this moment, several precious bones of ancient remnants shone brightly.

With a "hum," it was as if an ancient god had awakened, exuding a terrifying aura, and then opening a golden passage.

"Set off!" an elder shouted. Then, one powerful team after another stepped onto the altar and onto the golden path, all wearing gleaming armor, wielding iron halberds and spears, their killing intent soaring to the sky.

Finally, three more kings and nobles appeared, their bodies radiating brilliant light like three suns, their terrifying energy shaking the world, and together they stepped into the golden passage.

This time, three great princes were mobilized to take charge and investigate the matter thoroughly.

Only after everything calmed down did the royal elders lead everyone in worshiping the altar. A chaotic mist filled the air, as if an ancient god was receiving their grand ceremony there.

In fact, there was nothing there!

At the Wu King's mansion, everyone was alarmed. More than a dozen elders had been summoned because the dilapidated manor was too sensitive, as it involved people from their lineage.

"Where is Yi'er? Was it his men who did it?!" the Fourth Master roared, his voice like a golden lion.

“Impossible. Although Yi’er is young, he is wise and steady. How could he do such a stupid thing? I think there must be someone else.” An elder said.

Soon, news arrived from the Western Frontier: preliminary investigations suggested that the arson may have been caused by some grudges and might be related to a powerful clan in the Stone Kingdom.

The news caused a sensation when it reached the other side.

"Isn't this courting death? No matter what the grudge is, daring to do such a thing is a dead end. Do you want your entire clan wiped out?!"

"This is a lesson. It must be some noble family's son who doesn't know his place and runs off to the Western Frontier to cause trouble. Isn't this bringing shame upon his ancestors? His whole clan will be dragged down with him."

The capital was abuzz with discussion, and many powerful families were on edge, fearing that their own sons might have caused trouble.

"Alas, Yu Meng has sent back news. Although it wasn't my Yu Clan who did it, the little tricks my subordinates made in the Western Frontier can't be kept secret, and they will also provoke the dissatisfaction of the Stone Clan's kings and nobles."

"Sigh," an elder of the Rain Clan lamented, "such a calamity has never been imagined. If a thorough investigation were to take place, some members of the Rain Clan would inevitably be disgraced."

“Brother, you’re being too lenient. In any case, we have to bear some of the consequences for setting fire to the Shi clan’s ancestral land. I think it was mostly the steward who instigated it, which led others to take the risk and burn down the royal clan’s ancestral land.”

"Give up all the interests of the Western Frontier, and let them kill all the others. I think that's enough. Let's try our best to bring Yumeng back."

“There are quite a few people in the Western Frontier. They are not easy to train. Should we just let them kill them all?” someone objected.

"We can't take the blame ourselves. I think this was most likely done by Shi Ziling, to frame our clan!"

“That’s right, that’s how it works. Tell Yu Meng to stick to it and say that Shi Ziling has been discovered, and try to find as many clues as possible about him.”

The Rain Clan members discussed countermeasures.

In the Western Frontier, the generals were all fierce and powerful, with eyes like lightning. They quickly uncovered clues and took the manager away the very next day.

This investigation uncovered many shady dealings. Although they were not the ones who set the fire, it was obvious that they were the instigators, and they even dared to collude with servants from the ancestral land, which was an outrageous act.

On that day, heads rolled everywhere. Any servant in the manor who had colluded with outsiders was interrogated and then beheaded. Blood was everywhere and a large number of corpses lay scattered about!

Immediately afterward, the steward confessed and was executed by slow slicing. His entire clan was also imprisoned. They were spared immediate extermination because he did not commit suicide out of fear of punishment.

Two days later, Yu Meng was escorted to Jucheng. When he was arrested, he tried to argue, but a warrior lashed him across the face with a whip, causing blood to splatter on the spot.

He was usually very arrogant, but the trusted generals under the king were even more arrogant than him!

Yu Meng was bewildered and was taken to a magnificent hall in the giant city. Above, there were three dazzling suns, rumbling and emitting runes of the Great Dao, making it impossible to look directly at them.

He knew that those were true kings and nobles, ruling over a region, controlling the lives and deaths of billions of people, the most powerful person under the Emperor, terrifying and awe-inspiring!
The three suns released divine radiance, and strands of runes condensed and imprinted themselves in the void, seemingly refining this entire world. The three kings sat cross-legged on their thrones, their true forms obscured.

Only three pairs of eyes were visible, more dazzling than the rising light and mist. Constructed of runes, they depicted the destruction of the sun and the sinking of the moon, the rebirth of stars, and the pervasive chaos. Though only three pairs of eyes, they gave the impression of witnessing the creation of the world. "It has nothing to do with me. I think this was probably done by Shi Ziling," Yu Meng said as soon as she entered, having been ordered by the clan elders to find a way to clear her name.

"Speaking nonsense? Execute him!" a king said coldly, his eyes shooting out a terrifying array of runes that made everyone below the hall tremble.

A warrior stepped forward, drew a sharp blade, and swung it forward.

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!" Yu Meng shouted, but no one paid any attention. The warrior's weapon flashed past, and with a "poof," blood splattered as one of his arms fell to the ground.

He screamed in agony, never expecting that the king above would be so domineering and unscrupulous, cutting off his arm right away. Why was that?
"Your Majesty, I am a member of the Rain Clan, I..."

"I will not listen to nonsense, execute again!" A cold voice once more echoed from the throne.

With a "plop," blood splattered, and Yu Meng's other arm fell to the ground. He screamed in pain, his face turned deathly pale, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

He never imagined that such a day would come. He was a direct descendant of the Rain Clan and held a high position, yet someone dared to treat him like this, completely disregarding him.

He wanted to roar, "Even if you're a king, you should think twice, because I'm a member of the Rain Clan!" But he swallowed the words, afraid of causing even greater pain.

Then, he shuddered. Could this be targeting the Rain Clan? Otherwise, how could they dare to act like this? The thought sent a chill down his spine.

"Speak, and do not utter a single false word." The words from above were ruthless and concise.

Despite the excruciating pain, Yu Meng watched as runes flickered across his severed arm, allowing him to stop the bleeding. He then began to "confess," recounting everything. Of course, he wouldn't admit to any serious wrongdoing, instead attempting to downplay his actions and even try to shift the blame elsewhere.

"I only want to hear the facts, not your arguments."

Above the main hall, a king flicked his finger, and a vast expanse of silver light surged forth. With two "poof" sounds, Yu Meng's legs exploded, and he was sent flying.

"Ah..." He couldn't bear it, he was going crazy. How could this be? This prince was too ruthless. No matter how big the crime was, he shouldn't be treated like this. His methods were ruthless and terrifying.

Yu Meng felt discouraged. The weight of the king was too great. Killing him would be as easy as turning one's hand. He could be trampled to death with one foot, and no one could stop him.

Finally, he couldn't bear it anymore and told everything, recounting the truth.

"Take him out and execute him." A merciless voice echoed from above.

"What gives you the right?" Yu Meng was desperate and decided to go all out.

"Because I am a king!" the person above said coldly, his radiance soaring and engulfing the entire magnificent complex.

These words shocked Yu Meng so much that he almost collapsed on the spot, filled with despair.

Two warriors stepped forward, grabbed him, and dragged him out of the hall like a dead dog, completely disregarding him.

Yu Meng cried out in terror, "Why didn't you take me back? What will the people in the capital say if you just kill me so hastily? You have no solid evidence. This is treating human life like dirt."

"The Emperor has ordered us to investigate, which shows his complete trust in us. Who would dare to disobey?" Such a majestic voice echoed from the hall.

Before dying, Yu Meng suddenly realized that one of the people in the hall was probably the War King, who was said to admire the young prodigy Shi Ziling.

He shuddered; it was too late to say anything now.

With a "thud," a head flew up, and Yu Meng was instantly beheaded, dying in the Western Frontier. The news reached the capital, causing a stir. This was a slap in the face to the Yu Clan.

Later, when people learned that it was the War King who did it, they were all relieved. They could tell what kind of person he was from his title; there was nothing he wouldn't dare to do.

In the western frontier, within a giant city, the War King remained motionless after finishing his killing spree. A nobleman beside him spoke up, saying, "This matter may also be related to the Martial King's Mansion."

“Hmm, the marriage alliance between the Rain Clan and the Martial King's Mansion must involve some matters,” another nobleman nodded.

“Good, investigate further. In any case, issue a warning,” the War King stated.

The Martial King's Mansion produced a man named Shi Yi, whose extraordinary talent rose like a blazing sun, shaking the vast earth. Among the descendants of these three kings and marquises were also prodigies, all members of the Stone Clan, qualified to vie for the throne of the Human Emperor. As rivals, they would naturally not let any opportunity to obstruct him slip by.

This incident caused a great uproar. The Rain Clan was unwilling to accept it because the people of the Western Frontier had been slaughtered, with heads piled up like mountains. Even important disciples of the clan could not escape death. They complained to the Human Emperor.

As for the Prince Wu's mansion, it was also caught in the crossfire and some things came out of it.

The capital was shaken, causing a great uproar. Finally, the Emperor stepped forward, reprimanded those involved, and executed many people, which gradually calmed the storm.

However, the people from the Rain King's Mansion and the Martial King's Mansion soon insisted on pinning the blame for burning down the ancestral land on Shi Ziling. When they searched for traces of Shi Ziling's presence in the ruins of the tomb in the second ancestral land with the people from the War King's Mansion, they discovered a special formation containing an ancestral artifact that the second ancestral land had once lost, as well as a rain god's decree from the Rain King's Mansion.

Ultimately, upon examining the formation, it was discovered that it was continuously drawing upon the power and fortune of the Stone Clan's bloodline, transferring it to the Rain Clan through the Rain God's decree.

The power of the Stone Clan's bloodline was stored in a special pottery jar, which looked like it had just been placed there!
Immediately, the entire Western Frontier was shaken once again. This time, the Rain Clan's innocence was indeed cleared, but the conspiracy of the Rain Clan to absorb the power and fortune of the Stone Clan's bloodline by using the Stone Clan's ancestral land was exposed.

The War King was furious. On the spot, he stripped all the people from the Rain King's Mansion and the Martial King's Mansion who had come with him of their cultivation and imprisoned them. He interrogated them one by one, leaving no detail unexamined.

Meanwhile, news of this matter quickly reached the capital of the Stone Kingdom, and the Stone Emperor was furious. This time, he did not simply kill a few people involved, but directly sent troops to surround the Rain King's Mansion and the Martial King's Mansion, allowing entry but not exit.

Furthermore, the Stone Emperor personally interrogated the Rain King and the Martial King about the formation.

Ultimately, no evidence was found, but clues revealed that many people in the Rain Clan and the Martial King's Mansion were unaware of the matter.

As for whether the Rain King and the Martial King told the truth, the Stone Emperor was not sure.

However, at this critical moment, Shi Yi's father arrived with the Golden Pearl Venerable from Demon Spirit Lake, hoping to use this opportunity to protect the Rain Clan and the Martial King's Mansion.

In the end, they only found a deceased elder of the Rain Clan who had secretly traveled to the Western Frontier and brought back a pottery jar of true blood for his grandson to baptize him.

However, it seems things went wrong. The grandson was injured and died young, and the elder also passed away as a result. In the end, the only option was to hunt down and kill his entire lineage. No one would risk angering the Stone Emperor again for the sake of a dead man, would they? (End of Chapter)