Confucian and Taoist scholar

Ao Yuan disposed of the body with ease, saying leisurely, "Getting old, killing someone like this wouldn't have been this much trouble in the past."

Ao Yuan also expended a great deal of energy to deal with these three Saint Realm experts.

He was also taking a gamble, betting that choosing to stand on Lu Zheng's side would give the Dragon Clan a better future.

In today's chaotic world, there is no way to choose neutrality.

Even though he is the strongest among the dragons, he will eventually grow old and should think more about the future generations.

Ao Yuan looked at Lu Zheng with a smile and asked, "How many did you kill?"

Lu Zheng replied, "Two."

Ao Yuan looked slightly surprised and asked, "Completely dead?"

Lu Zheng thought for a moment and said, "If nothing unexpected happens, he should be completely dead."

Lu Zheng couldn't be completely sure that someone was truly without any way out, but even if someone was lucky enough to survive, they probably wouldn't pose much of a threat.

Ao Yuan clicked his tongue and said, "This young man is quite good!"

It is not uncommon for someone to be able to suppress a Saint-level expert without becoming a Saint.

However, to truly annihilate a Saint still requires considerable skill.

Ao Yuan was not surprised that Lu Zheng was able to do such a thing.

Compared to the things Lu Zheng had done before, this seemed to be nothing.

Ao Yuan looked around and said quietly, "Five people died at once. I reckon the rest have realized what's going on and won't come back. What are you planning to do next?"

Lu Zheng said, "Let's wait a little longer and rest for a bit."

Ao Yuan thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "I'm a little tired too, so I'll wait with you for a while."

After saying that, Ao Yuan's figure slowly became blurred, almost disappearing into nothingness.

Lu Zheng looked at Ao Yuan, who was still in the same spot, but whose aura had become much weaker, obviously to hide himself and not be easily discovered by others.

Lu Zheng then sat down to rest, and even used the Taiping Codex to absorb the remaining Daoist power of this world.

Ao Yuan raised an eyebrow when he saw the Taiping Codex, which contained a powerful aura.

I have heard that this code of law contains the teachings of all the saints and establishes legal principles and regulations, the rules of which even the saints are bound by.

Ao Yuan said in a deep voice, "I have heard that in the past, some people of the Legalist school of the human race tried to forge a Dao like yours, but none of them succeeded. It is you who have done it..."

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "It's all thanks to the accumulation of our predecessors; otherwise, I couldn't have done it on my own."

Ao Yuan said leisurely, "You're being modest. To be honest, you've really gone all out to achieve your ideals."

Lu Zheng smiled and said softly, "Actually, I've also wanted a more relaxed life. My biggest wish is to live in seclusion in a beautiful place with clear waters and lush mountains, or perhaps open a school to teach children..."

Ao Yuan couldn't help but glance sideways and ask, "Then why?"

Looking at the night sky, Lu Zheng murmured, "I've seen too much, and I feel this world is too rotten, so I wanted to do more, and I just couldn't stop. Perhaps it's true that with great power comes great responsibility..."

Lu Zheng paused, then asked, "Senior, why did you help me?"

Ao Yuan couldn't help but say, "I don't have your saintly heart; I just want to find more ways for my people."

Lu Zheng nodded upon hearing this. "Understood."

Ao Yuan grinned and said, "I have high hopes for you..."

Ao Yuan didn't mention any specific conditions to Lu Zheng. He knew that given Lu Zheng's character and actions, some things didn't need to be explained too clearly, as saying too much would only make him seem too focused on personal gain.

The two talked for a long time there, but unfortunately, no powerful figures approached this place.

Clearly, some powerful figures have become more cautious and will not easily show themselves.

After some time, Lu Zheng finally saw Yun Fuyao arrive.

Yun Fuyao and Ao Yuan both sensed each other's presence immediately.

Lu Zheng then began to explain.

These two top experts in the world have helped Lu Zheng in some ways, so it's time to talk things out.

Ao Yuan was somewhat surprised to learn that Lu Zheng and Yun Fuyao had a close relationship.

Unexpectedly, the sect leader of Yunmeng Sect had taken a liking to Lu Zheng long ago and was even secretly helping him.

Ao Yuan couldn't help but think to himself, if even Sect Master Lianyun had chosen Lu Zheng, then there must be no problem.

After the three met, they did not linger there and concealed their presence before returning to the Taiping Domain New Kingdom.

Lu Zheng recounted what had happened in Qi, including his conversation with the Qi Emperor.

Yun Fuyao blinked. She knew that Lu Zheng was going to Qi State to do something important, but he was going too far, showing no mercy to those Confucian and Taoist families.

Yun Fuyao sighed, "Please ask the saints to sever their family lineages... Only you would dare to think and do something like this, and actually succeed in doing it."

Ao Yuan, standing beside him, revealed a strange smile. He had initially found the matter utterly absurd when he first learned of it.

It was only after witnessing the collapse of a powerful family that he accepted the reality, was convinced of Lu Zheng's actions, and admired the determination of the Confucian sages.

If it were him, he really couldn't have cleaned up the house to that extent.

That's why they say he's a true saint!
Lu Zheng said softly, "We can calm down for a while from now on."

Someone wanted to get rid of him, and he fought back fiercely.

In total, seven Saint Realm experts have died, and several major Confucian and Taoist families have suffered near-annihilation. Some are now too busy to care for themselves, and others probably dare not make any more moves.

Of course, this is only temporary, and we don't know what kind of reaction these events will elicit.

……

"Dongjun, is he dead?"

When the Chu Emperor learned of this, his eyes widened in surprise. "Who did this? The Shu Kingdom? Or the Han Kingdom?"

Dongjun was ranked among the top gods in the Chu Kingdom, so the sudden death of such a righteous god was a very serious event.

For so many years, no god-level deity has suddenly died.

The righteous god who came to report said in a low voice, "We have not yet investigated or deduced the true cause of Dongjun's death. However, it is said that Dongjun himself left Great Chu for the north not long ago... We speculate that this matter may be related to Lu Zheng..."

When the statue of Dongjun collapsed and his divine power vanished, several great gods of Chu immediately noticed and launched an investigation before quickly reporting the situation to the Chu Emperor.

However, the true results of the investigation will take time, and it's also very likely that the truth will never be found...

After all, Dongjun died outside the State of Chu, and no one even knew where he died.

Someone capable of killing Dongjun would surely leave no trace.

They could only deduce the most likely outcome from various clues.

"Lu Zheng, Lu Zheng... it's Lu Zheng again..." The Chu Emperor's expression was a little unpleasant. Over the years, he had always heard about the deeds of this young man, and it felt like Lu Zheng was about to cause a huge uproar.

The Chu Emperor remained silent, and after some thought, he could roughly understand what was going on.

If Dongjun really went to deal with Lu Zheng and was killed by the other side, and this news spread...

The Chu Emperor had a headache and said in a deep voice, "Who contacted him and allowed him to act on his own?"

Although he was dissatisfied with some of Lu Zheng's actions and remarks, at this time, he had no intention of sending any powerful figures to deal with Lu Zheng or to cause trouble in the Taiping Domain New Kingdom.

After all, the State of Chu is currently at war, so how could it possibly care about such distant places?

The Chu Emperor was somewhat displeased with Dongjun's behavior, even though the other party was an elder in the royal family...

The deities in the hall remained silent, indicating that they were unaware of the situation.

Whether they were genuinely unaware or feigning ignorance is hard to say.

Seeing this, the Chu Emperor rubbed his temples, looking quite weary, and said, "Send someone to investigate. I don't want any speculation. Also, keep the news of Dongjun's death a secret, and let..."

The Chu Emperor couldn't think of anyone suitable to succeed him to that divine position.

He then said, "Let's leave this position vacant for now."

A vacant position? A void? A void is good, then the incense offerings that belong to the Eastern Lord can also be distributed... Some righteous gods had their minds racing.

"Each of you should do your duty properly, and if you are able to serve the Eastern Lord well, then I will..."

The Chu Emperor's gaze turned slightly cold. Although he didn't speak explicitly, everyone understood what he meant.

Then, the Chu Emperor waved his hand, dismissing everyone.

The Moon Goddess walked alone on her way back, her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed.

She found it hard to believe that Dongjun would go north to cause trouble for Luzheng. Who persuaded Dongjun? Why was it only now that someone informed him of Dongjun's departure from Chu? And why was someone so certain that Dongjun's death was related to Luzheng…

The Moon Goddess always felt that something was amiss.

After pondering for a moment, she took a detour to find the Great God of Fate, hoping to get to know him privately.

The Great God of Fate, having learned of the Moon Goddess's purpose, slowly said, "I have just deduced fate. The Eastern Lord did indeed die in the North. As for who killed him, the workings of Heaven are obscure and cannot be fully discerned..."

"But no matter what, Dongjun is dead, and that cannot be brought back. None of this matters anymore, does it? Moon Goddess, you shouldn't worry about it too much; there's no need to waste your divine power to investigate anything..."

The Moon Goddess's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly said, "What the Grand Master of Fate says makes sense."

The Great God of Fate smiled slightly, "His unauthorized departure from the country is his own fault. Rest assured, no one dares to cause trouble in Yingdu yet, so just stay here... In recent years, due to the war, your incense offerings have not been as numerous as before, but in the future, the Eastern Lord's incense offerings will be distributed to you."

The Moon Goddess spoke, "Thank you, Grand Master of Fate."

The Grand Master of Fate smiled and said, "Isn't this His Majesty's intention? Why thank me? We are all serving His Majesty and the State of Chu..."

The Moon Goddess nodded solemnly, then took her leave.

The moon goddess quickly returned to her temple and isolated herself from the outside world using a divine barrier.

Instantly, her face turned ugly, and a chill ran through her heart.

Regardless of how Dongjun died, there was clearly someone pulling the strings behind the scenes.

The moon goddess sat there, suddenly feeling as if she were sitting on pins and needles.

The position of the Moon Goddess is just a position; it doesn't matter if someone else takes it.

Currently, war has broken out on the borders of the State of Chu, and there are also local rebellions, so the incense offerings to the gods are not as prosperous as they used to be...

In order to keep the positions of certain gods secure, it seems that leaving some other positions vacant is also acceptable.

In that instant, the Moon Goddess thought of many things, and the thought in her heart grew stronger and stronger.

……

Lu Zheng and his two companions returned to the new country without encountering anyone along the way.

Lu Zheng's round trip didn't take long. The various districts were still carrying out vigorous cleanup and rectification, arresting many unidentified outsiders and conducting detailed investigations to eliminate potential risks.

Lu Zheng then sent someone to notify all regions to convene an emergency meeting with some personnel.

After all the attendees had arrived, Lu Zheng recounted the changes that had befallen the Confucian and Taoist families.

Among the attendees were some scions of Confucian and Taoist families, who were quite shocked upon hearing Lu Zheng's description.

No wonder they've been feeling unwell lately, as if something serious has happened.

So it turns out that Lu Zheng asked the sages to clean house, which also severed their relationship with the ancestor.

Some people's minds go blank for a moment, and they can't accept this reality.

An Dingyuan, who was attending the meeting, scratched his head, thinking to himself, "Mr. Lu is too ruthless. When he gets ruthless, he even targets his own people..."

Lu Zheng said calmly, "That's how it is. Whether some of you are dissatisfied with me, resent me, or whatever... I hope you can pull yourselves together and not let your hatred for me affect others."

The crowd had different expressions, thinking that all the Confucian sages were on Lu Zheng's side, so who had the right to give Lu Zheng any attitude?
Lu Zheng paused for a moment, then continued, "The reason I've gathered everyone here today is to encourage everyone to express their opinions. Together, we will write a document advocating for scholars across the land, 'A Letter to All Scholars,' to promote the standardized study of the teachings of the sages, emphasizing practicality and realistically putting principles into practice..."

Lu Zheng looked at the people attending the meeting and said, "Back then, the sages led all races onto the right path, but now the path has gone astray... Now, we, as the representatives of the sages, will lead people back to the right path and revive the righteous path of the world. It is our duty to do so. Do you have confidence?"

The crowd was filled with fervor. Could they also represent the saints and guide the world to the right path?

Lu Zheng's gaze shifted, and he looked at one of them, "Representative Kong Lingyu, do you have confidence?"

Kong Lingyu, who was called out, was taken aback for a moment, her pretty face slightly flushed, and she said, "Yes."

"Speak louder, I can't hear you!"

Lu Zheng said with a serious expression, "Your surname is Kong, have you forgotten the unfulfilled ambitions of your ancestors?"

Kong Lingyu's face flushed red, and she shouted, "I haven't forgotten!"

Lu Zheng nodded and said, "Very good, very spirited. So what if Confucian and Taoist families are gone? Even if Confucianism and Taoism themselves disappear, so what? I hope you can all understand one thing..."

"The most precious thing your ancestors, our forefathers, left us, their descendants, is not gold or silver, nor fame or status, but their wise thoughts and their grand ambition for peace and prosperity in the world!"

"Keep your eyes on the road, stride forward, and don't stop!"

"Let's follow in the footsteps of our predecessors, inherit their thoughts, and fulfill their dreams! That's what we should do!"

His words stirred the blood of everyone present, and some even had tears of emotion in their eyes.

As for the changes that have occurred in Confucian and Taoist families, some people no longer care.

Ao Yuan, now completely transformed, sat in one place, listening with astonishment and his heart becoming unsettled.

Lao Ji Fu Chi, aspiration for thousands of miles; martyrs in their twilight years, full of enthusiasm.

Even this old dragon was moved by Lu Zheng's words, and a surge of passion welled up within him. (End of Chapter)