Confucian and Taoist scholar

The moment Wang Tong received the divine artifact's power, he felt a powerful divine aura emanating from it.

With the pure power of Daoist essence bestowed upon him, Wang Tong's divine Dao realm rose at an extremely rapid pace.

In a short while, he reached the realm of seeking the Dao.

Wang Tong realized that the divine power he now possessed was purer than before and closer to the origin of the divine way.

Moreover, he also vaguely sensed that there was an intermittent connection between himself and Lu Zheng.

I seem to be under the control of some kind of force.

Wang Tong couldn't help but ask, "I've heard that Brother Lu pioneered the path of law and reason; now this path has even surpassed the path of the gods?"

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "All paths are subordinate to it. The strong in the world should abide by the law, regardless of whether they are immortals, gods, or emperors..."

Wang Tong couldn't help but gasp, already guessing what level Lu Zheng had reached—probably unprecedented and unparalleled.

Wang Tong, full of energy, said, "Then I'll go help you clean up some of the filth in the State of Chu..."

Although Lu Zheng had previously used the divine power of the Chu Kingdom to kill many officials, there were still many treacherous and evil forces or figures in this vast Chu Dynasty, which were stumbling blocks to the path to a peaceful world.

This is an opportunity to carry out a major purge of power in the State of Chu.

Lu Zheng nodded and said, "Let's drink and make merry when the world is completely at peace."

Wang Tong nodded emphatically, grinned, and said, "Okay!"

Having said that, Wang Tong got up in a hurry and ran to the palace to see the Chu Emperor.

Afterwards, Wang Tong, along with some officials from the imperial court, launched a major overhaul, starting in Yingdu.

Outside of Yingdu, the power of the various prefectures and counties of Chu was terrified.

Regardless of whether they were powerful clans, local magnates, or rebel forces, they all fell silent and did not cause trouble at this critical juncture.

After all, they had all heard Lu Zheng's earth-shattering words.

Those words were more effective than imperial decrees, capable of frightening even fierce ghosts and evil spirits, let alone wicked people.

In the past, the imperial court's power could not restrain the local areas, but Lu Zheng's strength was something they had witnessed firsthand; even the gods could not escape his punishment.

Who would dare to go out and cause trouble now? Only a fool would do that.

……

On the border between Chu and Shu, in the Shu army camp.

Wang Meng looked at the intelligence reports coming back from various places, his eyes gleaming with a strange light.

"Has he become so powerful that he regards those in the Saint Realm as mere ants?"

Wang Meng muttered to himself, "I went to Yingdu, the capital of Chu, and killed like a whirlwind. I single-handedly suppressed a dynasty and almost destroyed a great nation."

Wang Meng couldn't believe that such a powerful being existed.

Looking at the past, even the most powerful holy realm in the world could not have achieved this level.

This is likely to overturn everyone's understanding.

Wang Meng sighed inwardly, then said seriously, "Pass on the order..."

Wang Meng issued several orders.

The deputy generals had different expressions upon hearing this. They thought the general wanted to take the opportunity to attack the State of Chu, but instead they were told to regroup their troops and retreat to the rear.
One of them couldn't help but say, "General, why not seize this opportunity..."

"A golden opportunity?"

Wang Meng chuckled, "Do you think the State of Chu is still the State of Chu now?"

The group exchanged glances, and roughly understood what Wang Meng meant.

Wang Meng said softly, "Perhaps we won't have to fight anymore. That's good, that's good..."

His eagerness to expand the territory was also for the future of the Shu Kingdom, to accumulate more wealth.

But now it seems there's someone even more capable than his million-strong army...

……

Lu Zheng stayed in Yingdu for two days, and the officials in the Chu court underwent a major reshuffle.

The nobles who used to flaunt their family background have become more disciplined. Even when they go out, they are much more low-key, not caring about pomp and circumstance or fancy clothes, for fear of attracting attention and having their past grievances brought up.

For a time, the unhealthy trends and evil practices disappeared.

It seems that everyone has started to adhere to etiquette and legal principles.

As for how long this trend will last, only God knows.

Lu Zheng looked up at the bright sky. In this land of Chu, the Taiping Heavenly Way had been slowly developing and strengthening its influence by leveraging the foundation of the Divine Way, and it would gradually gain momentum...

Lu Zheng flashed and flew out of Yingdu in an instant, heading south.

In Yingdu City, some powerful figures quickly sensed Lu Zheng's departure.

But their expressions didn't change much, and they didn't seem to be able to relax.

Although Lu Zheng has left, his influence remains, still enough to deter other heroes from acting recklessly.

They knew that the era of acting recklessly because of their status and power was over, and that only by being honest and well-behaved could they survive in the long run.

Lu Zheng quickly left the State of Chu and arrived in the territory of the State of Han.

Both dynasties were founded on the divine way, but Lu Zheng sensed some differences between them.

Before he could even delve into this great nation, a powerful aura of the Holy Realm emanated from him.

An elderly man with flowing white hair appeared in front of Lu Zheng in the blink of an eye.

The old man had a kind face and asked with a smile, "I apologize for not welcoming you properly, Master Lu. Are you on your way to Chang'an?"

Facing Lu Zheng, this veteran Saint Realm expert was extremely polite and dared not place himself in a senior position in front of Lu Zheng.

Moreover, if we really want to talk about it, given Lu Zheng's relationship with all the Daoist Ancestors, is there any need to rank who is of higher seniority?
Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng replied, "I came here precisely to go to Chang'an."

The old man quickly offered to lead the way for Lu Zheng.

In fact, he had been waiting at the northern border of Han for two days, awaiting Lu Zheng's arrival.

The Chu state caused such a big incident that it also affected the Han state.

The Han court was worried that Lu Zheng would arrive soon, so they made some preparations.

This old man also came on behalf of the imperial court; let's see what Lu Zheng's attitude is first.

Seeing this, Lu Zheng did not refuse and asked the old man to lead the way.

The two of them, one in front of the other, headed straight for Chang'an, the capital of the Han Kingdom.

The old man spoke softly, "Lu Sheng has only been enlightened for a short time, yet he is able to suppress other Saint Realm cultivators. His talent is truly extraordinary, unprecedented in ancient times..."

Lu Zheng smiled faintly and said, "My talent is far from that of a saint. It is only with the help of the sages and wise men of the past that I have achieved this."

In the capital of the Han Dynasty, the Emperor had already received the news in advance.

He hurriedly summoned his ministers and powerful officials, and then went outside the city to welcome Lu Zheng, in order to demonstrate the etiquette of a great dynasty.

Of course, the main reason was that the emperor and others had a sense of awe towards Lu Zheng, and this awe was the majority of their feelings.

An ordinary sage would not have been able to mobilize the entire court in such a grand manner.

Even the old fogies from the royal family and certain powerful clans and sects who had long remained hidden from public view came out. There was no way around it; Lu Zheng was so powerful, and he had the ability to be so.

They don't want to follow in anyone else's footsteps.

Although there are always people who don't believe in evil, time and time again, people run into Lu Zheng's knife.

But those who are willing to step forward are generally quite pragmatic.

As for those who were out of touch with reality, or those who knew their sins were grave and dared not face Lu Zheng, they had already fled and hidden away to the ends of the earth.

The common people of the capital were even more excited than the nobles when they heard that Lu Zheng was coming.

They had a joyful look on their faces, as if justice had been served and the world was at peace.

In an instant, a crowd surged together, all eager to join in the fun.

The nobles dared not do anything to stop them.

Some elderly Taoist practitioners, witnessing this scene, secretly remarked that even when the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty entered Chang'an, the scene of the people joyfully welcoming the royal army was not this grand.

And so many people were overjoyed just to wait for one person.

The Emperor of Han saw this and his expression was somewhat complicated.

He murmured to himself, "Have the hearts of the people of our great Han Dynasty all gone elsewhere?"

The court officials and important figures standing nearby remained silent.

This doesn't seem surprising at all; comparing the two side by side makes it obvious.
They felt that if they were ordinary citizens, they would definitely side with Lu Zheng...

Even if some of them disliked Lu Zheng for being so pure, noble, and detached from vulgar tastes, they could still distinguish between good and bad.

However, from the perspective of the powerful and wealthy, they are naturally another option.

They are only coming out to greet Lu Zheng now because of the circumstances; not many people are genuinely hoping for it.

Before long, Lu Zheng appeared in everyone's sight.

Lu Zheng looked at the crowd outside Chang'an City and saw that small group of nobles and powerful people.

Among them, the number of Saint Realm experts exceeded two hands.

In the blink of an eye, Lu Zheng arrived in front of the Emperor of Han.

The emperor couldn't help but feel a tremor in his heart, and quickly smiled and said, "Mr. Lu is indeed the number one person of our human race. He has attained sainthood at such a young age. Congratulations..."

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "Your Majesty flatters me. I didn't expect you all to be waiting here. However, I am an unwelcome guest and I'm afraid I will cause you all displeasure."

Upon hearing this, the surrounding officials and powerful figures all changed their expressions slightly.

The smile on the Emperor's face froze, but he still spoke up, "What makes you say that, Mr. Lu?"

Lu Zheng said slowly, "I came here for fairness and justice, for the sake of peaceful people... Some people may have to pay a price."

"Of course, if anyone doesn't want to give anything, they are welcome to step forward now and challenge me to a life-or-death struggle."

They come here wanting to discuss life and death with them? Who would dare to answer that?

Lu Zheng's gaze swept over the group of people in front of him, these powerful figures who held the highest power in the Han Dynasty.

"I like to be upfront. I appreciate your greetings, but when it comes to matters of righteousness, this small gesture is not enough for me to show any mercy..."

"So let's be frank. If you oppose me, you can just say so directly: with so many Saint Realm experts, you might be able to kill me."

Everyone's expressions were tense. Although Lu Zheng did not release any imposing aura, the forcefulness in his words made them feel suffocated.

Having long heard of Lu Zheng's many deeds in the world, they now face a similar situation, but none of them have the courage or confidence to resist anything.

No one even dared to look Lu Zheng in the eye.

Even the emperor of a great nation with hundreds of millions of people lowered his head at this moment, feeling an unprecedented unease in his heart.

Even many powerful figures kept their eyes down and focused on their own emotions, trying not to let Lu Zheng sense anything unusual.

A powerful figure who had visited the Taiping Domain stepped forward and said, "Mr. Lu, you flatter us. We all come with the utmost sincerity..."

Since they genuinely wanted to save their lives, choosing to submit to Lu Zheng didn't seem wrong.

"Ah, yes, yes!"

The Emperor of Han hurriedly spoke up, expressing that he had long agreed with Lu Zheng's ideals and policies for governing the world in peace and prosperity, and was willing to accept Lu Zheng's guidance to jointly create a peaceful and prosperous era.

However, due to the complex national conditions of the Han Dynasty and the lack of effective measures, progress was slow.

They were all hoping for Lu Zheng's arrival so he could offer them some help.

The court officials echoed their sentiments, even showing Lu Zheng the decrees implemented by the Han state to prove that they had achieved some political success.

As for his political achievements, let's put that aside for now...

Lu Zheng calmly said, "National conditions? Although this is my first time in Han Kingdom, I think the national conditions of various dynasties are similar. There are just too many bloodsuckers who exploit the people, which hinders the development of the country and the people."

Lu Zheng looked at the Han Emperor and said, "I dare not boast of anything else, but I do possess some strength and am adept at eliminating evil and wickedness. Your Majesty, please just name all those who wreak havoc on the country and its people, and who obstruct the path of peace and righteousness. I will help Your Majesty to eliminate them all and prevent future troubles..."

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines upon hearing this. This great sage Lu, who had attained sainthood, was probably proving his Dao through killing.

Lu Zheng did not prove his Dao by killing, but rather he killed those who followed the righteous path.

The Han emperor's expression shifted, thinking that the Han kingdom was truly about to change, and blood would flow like rivers. However, this would also reduce some troubles and suppress and eliminate some powerful families, which was not necessarily a bad thing.

He doesn't want too much right now; his priority is to protect himself.

The Han emperor hurriedly invited Lu Zheng to the palace to discuss matters with his ministers and representatives of other forces.

It's a matter of national importance, so we should always sit down and talk about it.

Seeing that these people were relatively cooperative, Lu Zheng agreed and entered the palace with them to discuss matters.

Along the way, representatives from prominent families and sects expressed their willingness to contribute money and effort to the construction of the Han Kingdom.

They knew that if they didn't pay a price at this point, they might not even be able to leave Chang'an.

The Emperor of Han muttered to himself, thinking that these people had been stingy before, but now that it was time to spend them, they were finally being generous, making him, the ruler of a country, seem to have no dignity at all.

Why didn't we see these people making such active contributions before?

Back then, they even considered imitating Anguo by collecting some taxes from them, but it seemed like that would cost them their lives, and hardly anyone responded to the call.

Oh, now there really is someone who can take their lives.

Faced with absolute power, no amount of intrigue, trickery, or power games will work.

Everyone generously donated, displaying an image of selflessness in serving the country and its people.

It seemed as if at this moment, the interests of the country and its people were paramount, and that they had made outstanding contributions.

However, Lu Zheng would not be grateful for this. Why should he be grateful when these people have taken some of the money they have squeezed from the country and the people?

He was even prepared to take everything from those who took less.

You can't fool him.

Thus, under Lu Zheng's witness, the Han Dynasty, located in the south, also embarked on its own path of reform and new policies.

Lu Zheng also had a private conversation with this pragmatic Han emperor and borrowed important imperial artifacts from the dynasty.

On that day, the might of Heaven was once again displayed within the territory of the Han Kingdom. (End of Chapter)