National Division

Chapter 143 Does the Jade Purity Sect still need a good reputation?
Divine Capital, Qianyuan Hall
At this moment, the Empress was convening a meeting of civil and military officials, while the Mountain and River Mirror, controlled by the Imperial Advisor Murong Yue, appeared in mid-air above the hall, directly displaying the scene unfolding at the Heshan front to the civil and military officials in the hall.

All the civil and military officials of Dajing had solemn expressions and their eyes were filled with fear.

Previously, I only knew about the evil spirits and demons causing trouble in Anzhou through reports, but now that I have seen it with my own eyes, my senses are different.

All that could be seen were figures from the Daoist immortals, and people who were originally from Anzhou, still wearing various cloth garments, but now their expressions were ferocious, like wild beasts, roaring at the people on Crane Mountain.

This……

It's safe to say that no one wants their loved ones to become like this, neither human nor ghost.

"These demonic sorcerers are utterly depraved!" Grand Secretary Cai Heng's usually amiable face showed a rare rage as he spoke in a hoarse voice.

Attendant-in-Ordinary Yao Zhiwei asked, "The three religions receive offerings from the lands of the Dao, and the Vermilion Bird Bureau receives salaries from the imperial court. Where are these extraordinary people and scholars?"

The prime ministers all had anger on their faces.

The officials in the court below were also discussing the matter, cursing the demonic and wicked people for their heinous crimes.

This is not just one or two ordinary people harmed by demons; it is tens of thousands of innocent lives turned into corpse demons.

For a time, civil and military officials alike condemned and denounced the demonic and evil ways.

As Yao Zhiwei hurled insults at the Taoist priests of the three religions, the civil and military officials began to discuss the matter incessantly.

Seeing the indignant civil and military officials in the hall, Gu Nanzhu thought to himself, "This is the effect that the Empress Dowager wanted."

The incident caused an uproar both at home and abroad, and the person was universally condemned.

So, what exactly is the title of "Who stood idly by while the demons ran rampant?"
As time goes by, public opinion in the imperial court will inevitably spread to the entire capital, and even to hundreds of prefectures and tens of millions of people throughout the country.

Does the Yuqing Sect still care about its reputation?
If they are slandered by the world, the disciples of the Jade Purity Sect will lose face when they go out, and it will also affect their credibility in the eyes of the higher-ups, which will be detrimental to their infiltration and control of the central political situation of the Great Jing Dynasty.

This is a tactic inspired by the competition between the Shen Xian and Cui Lu clans in the capital city—a propaganda war!

The diva is a strong woman with a knack for political maneuvering, so she can be said to be applying what she's learned on the spot.

At this moment, Zhang Huaidao, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, said in a deep voice with a face ashen as iron: "Minister Yao and all the ministers, do not blame the wrong person! As far as I know, in this disaster in Anzhou, the Shangqing Sect sent many Taoist immortals, and the Taiqing Sect also sent people from the Qingyang Temple. Only the Yuqing Sect sat idly by. Cui Xu, the Prefect of Anzhou and a Taoist official, has disappeared without a trace!"

These words caused another uproar among the officials in the Qian Yuan Hall!
"The traitors Cui and Lu have misled the people!"

At this moment, the Imperial Censor Dou Jiang, looking heartbroken, suddenly spoke up.

This renowned sage from the imperial court, who had always admired the noble reputations of the Cui and Lu families, rarely spoke out like this.

Therefore, when he spoke, the hall fell silent at first, and the audience agreed even more.

The consensus among both the government and the public is that Cui and Lu are traitors to the country!
Look, the banners bearing the names of the two Cui and Lu disciples that were hanging on the flagpole when everyone went to court haven't been completely taken down yet!

Cai Heng glanced at Dou Jiang, his eyes filled with a meaningful look.

The court officials are now in a state of uproar, clearly wanting to condemn the Yuqing Sect, but this Doctor Dou has cleverly shifted the blame to the Cui and Lu clans.

It's already getting to the point of "killing the tiger."

Officials from the Three Provinces, Six Ministries, Nine Temples, and Five Directorates all criticized Cui Xu, the Prefect of Anzhou, for being mediocre and incompetent.

At this moment, Cui Shang, who was in the ranks of the Ministry of War officials, was as pale as paper, and listened with his head down to the surrounding officials cursing the Cui and Lu families.

A wave of sadness washed over me.

It's truly a case of misfortunes never coming singly, and a broken boat always encountering a headwind!

How could Ninth Brother be so foolish!
Such a big thing happened in Anzhou, and he's not here guarding it. Where has he gone?
As a result, the Cui family was criticized by both the court and the public. What should the Cui and Lu families do?
On the throne above, the Empress, dressed in a magnificent gown and wearing a golden crown with cascading pearls, sat on a patterned chair, listening to the officials below hurling insults at the Cui and Lu clans.

This is exactly the scene she wanted!
The beautiful woman's face was as white as frost, and her red lips parted slightly: "Minister Wei, do you still have objections to Scholar Shen leading the troops?"

It turns out that Wei Xueqian opposed Shen Xian's appointment as the commander-in-chief of the Divine Weapon Path Army at the Ministry of War level.

Wei Xueqian did not object to Shen Xian being appointed as General Zhuangwu, since he had justified the promotion after killing two demonic cultivators. However, Wei Xueqian had some reservations about appointing Shen Xian as the commander-in-chief of the army.

Wei Xueqian cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, no matter how outstanding Scholar Shen's personal martial prowess is, troop deployment and warfare are not matters for a general to rely on his own martial prowess. The most important matters of the state are sacrifice and war. I urge Your Majesty to be cautious."

This Minister Wei, a student of the great military strategist Jiang Rong, was not optimistic about Shen Xian leading troops into battle.

As a minister whom the Empress trusted equally, the Empress still wanted to gain Wei Xueqian's approval.

Several prime ministers present, such as Wei Cong, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, this old minister believes that what Prime Minister Wei said is very true. Only seasoned generals with many years of experience can lead troops into battle. Now that demons are causing trouble, once their power becomes too great to control, they will ruin Anzhou, and there will be a worry that the whole country will be in chaos.”

The Empress said, “This time is different. This time it involves demonic people. The reason I appointed Scholar Shen as commander is because this matter happened in Anzhou, and in such a strategic place as Guhe County. As a local, Scholar Shen knows the geography and is well-versed in the mountains and rivers. Appointing him as the commander-in-chief will be more convenient and will benefit the people.”

In fact, the Empress's idea was to give Shen Xian a platform to showcase his talents.

Wei Xueqian said, "He can be appointed as the deputy chief steward. Now, the demonic people are causing trouble in Anzhou, a densely populated place. If we are not careful, Hebei and Henan will be in danger of collapse. Your Majesty, an incompetent general can lead to the death of the entire army. I urge Your Majesty to reconsider."

In the eyes of this Minister of War, the Empress Dowager's use of personnel was sometimes too arbitrary, which led to a problem: she might encounter a great talent, but she was also very likely to be taken advantage of.

If it were a routine matter, one could act according to one's whims, but how could one act according to one's whims in such a major military matter?
"Scholar Shen has also mentioned this before, referring to the demonic cultivators and other actions," the Empress said with a smug expression and a firm tone.

Seeing Wei Xueqian open his mouth to argue again, the Empress said firmly, "Minister Wei, in this battle we also have An Shouxin, the military governor of Weibo, as our deputy. Even if there are any mistakes, he can still take over military power and govern the country, so there is no worry about defeat."

Upon hearing this, Wei Xueqian, knowing the Empress's temperament, refrained from saying anything further.

At that moment, Attendant Yao Zhiwei exclaimed in surprise, "Prime Minister Wei, it seems that another powerful figure from the demonic path has arrived."

All the civil and military officials once again focused their attention on the magic mirror, only to see a powerful being approaching from afar and joining the battle.

It was the Dharma Protector who arrived.

At this moment, Murong Yue turned her clear gaze to the figure appearing in the Mountain and River Mirror.

He thought to himself, "Junior Brother Shen has killed several Dao Embryo Realm cultivators in quick succession, much more easily than before. Clearly, his martial will has been perfected. Judging from the flow of qi in his hands, he has already broken through to the fourth realm of martial arts!"
He truly possesses the body of a flying bear, a cultivation prodigy!

The Empress's gaze fell on the Taoist Dongyang, who was holding a glass lamp and manipulating a jade ruyi, and she asked, "Grand Preceptor, Qingluan is also there, but what about that Taoist? He looks unfamiliar."

The Great Jing territory is vast, and there are countless immortals from the three religions. Even the Heavenly Empress doesn't know them all.

Murong Yue's face showed a look of recollection as she said, "It seems to be someone from the Yuqing Sect, currently serving as the Prefectural School Chancellor, with the Daoist name Dongyang Daoist."

The Empress nodded, a look of realization appearing in her phoenix eyes. She said, "I remember now. There is a Prefectural Academy Chancellor in Anzhou, but what realm is his cultivation at?"

“The sixth realm, the Void Realm.” Murong Yue’s eyes showed a thoughtful expression as she said, “Judging from his appearance, he should be a friend of Her Highness the Princess, and a member of the Jade Purity Sect.”

The Empress praised, "It is truly rare for the Jade Purity Sect to have such a loyal and patriotic Taoist."

The Jade Purity Sect had stood idly by during this great calamity, which had already angered the Heavenly Empress and made her feel annoyed. However, she did not expect that one or two Jade Purity disciples would come out to help.

The civil and military officials below, especially those with ties to the Jade Purity Sect, looked rather displeased upon hearing the Empress's words.

Things have really gotten out of hand; I should go back and try to persuade them.

Murong Yue said in a clear voice, "The Yuqing lineage is not a monolithic entity. There are a few people who care about the common people, but such people are ultimately a minority."

It's impossible to say that everyone in a sect is bad. There may be one or two people with a sense of justice who are good, but they are also caught up in the general trend.

The person behind the sky seemed to be deep in thought, and said, "Unfortunately, they are still very few and far between."

To put it bluntly, they didn't want her to rule as regent.

Murong Yue said, "Your Majesty, the people from the Imperial Observatory say that they have found clues about the Corpse Yin Sect's plot."

The demonic cultivators were making such a big show of things, so their intentions were obviously far-reaching. The Shangqing Sect wasn't stupid either, and they soon realized what was going on.

The Empress Dowager asked, "What scheme?"

Murong Yue's eyes gleamed as she said, "It should be a remnant of an ancient, incomplete grotto-heaven or blessed land."

This world has a long history. In ancient times, gods ruled the world. Many of the blessed lands and grotto-heavens of today, including the Three Pure Ones and various demonic sects, are remnants of that ancient era.

The Empress's eyes lit up, and she asked, "Has Master Sima said anything?"

If it is a blessed land, it contains the treasures left by ancient immortals. If these treasures can be retrieved, they will surely become part of the royal family's wealth.

Murong Yue said, "My senior brother, the sect leader, said he would personally go to Anzhou."

The Empress said, "No matter what, we must not let such a blessed land fall into the hands of the demonic sects and help them become increasingly evil."

As he spoke, he turned his gaze back to the figure of the young man, who faced the siege of many demonic cultivators alone, showing no fear.

Mr. Shen was truly a loyal and courageous patriot. He did not risk his life for high office and wealth, but only to support the country and assist a wise ruler.

It can be said that after gaining the loyalty of a "national hero" like Shen Xian, the Empress's self-worth as a wise ruler was fully demonstrated.

Not only did the Empress think this way, but even Zhou Liang, who harbored resentment and jealousy towards Shen Xian for his sudden rise to a high position at such a young age, now felt that this Scholar Shen was indeed a remarkable person. Meanwhile, Cui Shang below, upon hearing Murong Yue's words about blessed lands and grotto-heavens, had a flicker in his eyes and a thought forming in his mind.

Afterwards, we will report this matter to the church and see if it's time to take action.

……

……

鹤山
As the two sides attacked each other, Qin and Yu, the two protectors of the Corpse Yin Sect, gradually found that the Dongyang Daoist on the other side was really troublesome.

At this moment, looking down at the suppressed corpse demon, Protector Qin seemed to show a hint of worry on his face.

While the two sides were fighting in Heshan, a large number of corpse demons advanced towards Guhe County along the Guhe River.

The two senior brothers, Liang and Ji, whom the princess mentioned, were hiding their figures above the valley river, their gazes piercing through the rising mist above the river as they looked at the distant boats.

The senior brother surnamed Liang was a middle-aged Taoist named Liang Yi. He wore a royal blue Taoist robe and stood tall and straight like an ancient pine tree. A yellow gourd hung at his waist, and his square, wide-mouthed face was somewhat serious.

His cultivation level is at the Divine Illumination Realm.

The senior brother surnamed Ji beside him, named Ji Xian, was dressed in a Taoist robe with the Bagua symbol and the symbol of water and fire, wearing a three-beam Jinxian crown, and waving a white folding fan in his hand, looking dashing and debonair.

"Six Dao Embryo Realm cultivators and two Divine Illumination Realm cultivators have arrived from the Corpse Yin Sect," Senior Brother Liang suddenly said.

Because the Corpse Yin Sect did not deliberately conceal their aura, or rather, they only concealed part of it.

The well-organized and disciplined army of Guhe County, with its masts standing tall and young men armed with weapons and bows and arrows, stood ready to meet the enemy.

The sergeant of Guhe County looked terrified, turned to look at Registrar Pei, and said with trembling lips, "Sir, can we, a mere group of soldiers, withstand these monsters?"

Registrar Pei's expression turned solemn, and he said in a deep voice, "We have to hold on, even if we can't! Once the corpse demons breach Guhe County, you, me, and the people behind us will all perish!"

As he spoke, he looked around at the leaders of the Golden Sands Gang and the Four Seas Gang, as well as other leaders.

Shen Bin took 300 soldiers and 1,700 able-bodied men with him to guard Heshan, the most difficult place to defend, while leaving more than 8,000 able-bodied men and the two gangs' manpower to Pei Renjing to guard the area.
"The imperial reinforcements are supposed to arrive soon, but why haven't they arrived yet?" asked the Registrar of Household Affairs.

Pei, the registrar, said, “Weizhou is only three days’ journey from our Anzhou. The letter requesting aid that was sent to Weizhou the day before yesterday should arrive in three days at most. Weizhou’s troops will definitely come.”

This also reassured everyone present.

If one were to use flesh and blood to resist the horde of demons and corpses, without external reinforcements, it would be impossible to withstand the onslaught.

"You've arrived, Lord Pei!"

At this moment, a sharp-eyed constable shouted.

On the shimmering lake, on the masts of the ships reaching for the sky, one could see a dense mass of people. In the sunlight, one could see their hideous and grotesque faces, many of them distorted.

Because a corpse demon is still a corpse demon, and it hasn't reached the point where it can wade through water without sinking, it still needs a corpse transport ship to assist it at this moment.

Therefore, the hall masters of the Corpse Yin Sect collected some boats from the brokerage firms in Ningyang County and Linchuan County and began transporting a large number of corpse demons.

Beside the mast of a ship adorned with a black satin flag and a fiery red coffin, one could see an old woman dressed in a wide green robe, with wrinkled skin and white hair. Her sunken eye sockets revealed a pair of aged and cloudy eyes filled with fierce and malevolent energy.

The old man standing there, clad in black robes, had a weathered face covered with deep wrinkles.

The old woman frowned and said, "The Valley River is so empty?"

"There might be something fishy going on," the old man in black robes said in a deep voice.

The old woman said, "Let someone test the waters."

It can be said that when people reach a certain level in the path of immortality, they begin to cherish their lives, or rather, those who practice the path of immortality originally sought longevity and freedom.

The old man in black robes transmitted his voice through divine sense, saying loudly, "Master Li, Master Luo, you two will lead the charge!"

"Yes."

Two black ships flying the Corpse Yin Sect flags shot off like arrows towards the government ships.

As they were talking, the old woman sent out two Danxia Realm leaders who led boats full of corpse demons to charge at the government troops' boats on the Valley River.

"Enemy attack! Be on alert!"

Upon seeing this, Registrar Pei exclaimed urgently.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Jinsha Gang and several of its members drew their weapons, preparing to deal with the two Danxia Realm experts who were approaching.

“Lord Pei,” Zhao Chang, the leader of the Jinsha Gang, said, wielding two swords, “these two Taoist priests are to be handed over to the Jinsha Gang.”

Registrar Pei said, "Thank you for your trouble."

Zhao Chang, the leader of the Jinsha Gang, shouted, "Second Master, Third Master, follow me to meet the enemy! The people of Guhe County say that I have been a scourge to Guhe for thirty years and have never done a good deed. Today, I will do something good!"

Since they were all at the Innate Realm, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and face the Danxia Realm experts from the Corpse Yin Sect.

The bald, middle-aged man standing to the side laughed and said, "The people of Guhe County can only be harmed by our Jinsha Gang; we won't allow outsiders to do so!"

Xu Kui, standing next to Sun Qi, the leader of the Four Seas Gang, spat and said indignantly, "This Chief Zhao does have some self-awareness!"

Sun Qi said in a deep voice, "Neither you nor I can fall behind. Four Seas Gang, those above the Innate Realm, follow me!"

As they spoke, the two members of the Golden Sands Gang took to the air and charged forward to meet the two approaching leaders of the Corpse Yin Sect.

Sun Qi, along with Xu Kui and several other cultivators at the Innate Realm, launched a surprise attack on the Taoists of the Corpse Yin Sect.

The Li family leader of the Corpse Yin Sect looked at the gang members from Guhe County, snorted coldly, and said, "Mortal ants, how dare you come here to seek death!"

In the eyes of Li Xiangzhu, the mid-stage Danxia Realm master of the Corpse Yin Sect, Zhao Chang, who was at the peak of the Innate Realm, was fat, weak, and lacked vigor. He was no match for him at all!

As for the other Innate Realm martial artists, they are nothing but clay chickens and earthen dogs, utterly vulnerable!
As the light and shadow flickered, the Li clan leader of the Corpse Yin Sect conjured a hook-and-sickle spear in his hand and thrust it toward the face of the Golden Sand Gang leader.

He didn't even use any Taoist techniques, and went straight into close combat with him, clearly showing his disdain for the Golden Sands Gang leader who had come.

The two immediately began to fight.

Meanwhile, the second-in-command of the Golden Sands Gang clashed with the Luo family's leader of the Corpse Yin Sect, and the two fought each other.

Pei Renjing looked at the battle with a worried expression.

At this moment, the two Daoists, Liang and Ji, who were watching the battle from high above, saw this scene and Liang Yi asked, "Junior Brother Ji, shall we make a move?"

Both of them were at the Divine Illumination Realm, and they had two options: suppress the Corpse Yin Sect leader at the bow of the ship, namely the old woman and the old man.

“Since someone from Guhe has made a move, let’s observe first and remain calm,” Ji Xian said with a smile on his refined face.

Liang Yi looked at the ship full of corpse demons, his brows furrowed, and said, "It is truly unacceptable for the sect leader to forbid his disciples from exorcising demons."

Both of them were natives of Anzhou and actually disagreed with the sect leader's actions. Even if they were dissatisfied with the harem's interference in politics, they shouldn't be so angry about the lives of more than 100,000 people in several counties.

In his view, it was understandable for the Yuqing Sect to sit idly by and do nothing about a few sporadic demons harming people in individual counties, but it was undeniably cold-blooded to do so when so many people were involved.

Ji Xian's gaze was almost tangible as he said, "Yes, what demons causing trouble? There aren't that many demons causing chaos. To put it bluntly, isn't it just internal strife?"

Whether it's the Corpse Yin Sect launching a zombie horde or the demons and monsters causing trouble throughout the world, the essence is the internal strife among the top echelons of the Great Jing Central Government.

While the two were chatting, the winner below had already been decided.

Li Xiangzhu's hook-and-sickle spear had already knocked down the leader of the Golden Sands Gang, and bloodstains could be seen on the tip of the spear.

"The boss!"

At that moment, the leaders of the Golden Sands Gang on the distant ships all exclaimed in unison.

The leader of the Jinsha Gang was getting old and lacked the strength of blood and courage. Moreover, he was only at the peak of the Innate Realm. He still relied on his strength, but he did not expect to lose his life at the hands of Li Xiangzhu.

Upon seeing this, Pei Renjing closed her eyes, a look of reluctance appearing on her face.

I couldn't help but recall my encouraging conversation with the leader of the Jinsha Gang.

After Magistrate Shen took over Guhe County, he was bound to address the security situation in Guhe. The reason for the delay was simply because a formidable enemy was at hand.

If the Jinsha Gang has not rendered any great service to the imperial court, then after the demonic forces retreat, Magistrate Shen will surely settle scores later and investigate the Jinsha Gang's past misdeeds.

Of course, if Guhe County were to fall, everyone would be doomed.

Afterwards, the leader of the Jinsha Gang entrusted his affairs to Registrar Pei, clearly indicating his willingness to die for the cause.

The leader of the Golden Sands Gang sacrificed his own life to ensure the safety of his descendants and the gang.

(End of this chapter)