Cultivation: From Poor Peasant to Celestial Lord

Chapter 190: Chapter 118: Merit Accomplished

The young man stood there quietly, as if he were an outsider, but the composure about him, combined with the lingering might from his Demon Slaying the previous night, sent a deep chill down Vice Director Li’s spine.

The case was ironclad.

If he insisted on protecting Wang Sanshui now, not only would he fail, but he would also be dragged down with him—perhaps even be branded an accomplice.

’Sacrifice the pawn to save the king...’

Li Gou took a deep breath. Though his heart was bleeding, he forced a smile onto his face that was uglier than a grimace.

He stood up, cupped his hands in a salute toward Zhang Cheng, and declared righteously:

"Director, please see the truth! I... This subordinate was also deceived by this treacherous villain!"

"I never imagined Wang Sanshui could be so audacious as to commit such a heartless act! This kind of scum has not only brought shame upon the Evil Suppression Department, but his death would be no loss at all!"

"I recommend he be punished severely in accordance with the law, with absolutely no leniency! Let him be made an example of!"

Hearing this, Wang Sanshui, who was kneeling on the floor, snapped his head up. He stared in disbelief at the patron he had always fawned over, his eyes filled with despair and venomous hatred.

"Lord Li! You can’t—"

"Silence!"

Li Gou barked, cutting him off, his gaze as cold as if he were looking at a dead man.

Seeing this, the corner of Zhang Cheng’s mouth curled into a satisfied, cold smile.

Now that the greatest obstacle had yielded, it was time to reap the rewards.

"Good! Since Vice Li agrees, this official shall now pronounce judgment according to the law!"

Zhang Cheng slammed down the Gavel, his voice brimming with killing intent:

"The convicted official Wang Sanshui’s crimes are heinous and unpardonable!"

"Strip him of all official posts, cripple his Cultivation, and execute him on the spot!"

"All other personnel involved will be punished severely in accordance with the law!"

"Carry out the sentence!"

At his command, two enforcement Warriors who had long been waiting strode forward. They grabbed the limp form of Wang Sanshui and dragged him like a dead dog to the open ground outside the main hall.

"Mercy... AHHH!!!"

「A moment later.」

A bloodcurdling scream came to an abrupt end.

A head rolled in the dust as fresh blood sprayed forth, staining the bluestone flagstones crimson.

The main hall fell into a deathly silence, as everyone was too terrified to make a sound.

But at that very moment,

Chu Bai, standing at the forefront of the crowd, felt a slight tremor run through his body.

Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the [Merit and Demerit Shape Destiny] Fate Chart rune, which had been as still as an old well, suddenly erupted in a dazzling golden light.

The guilty were punished; evil was thoroughly eradicated.

Merit has been established!

In that instant, Chu Bai felt his thoughts become clearer than ever before.

His Divine Soul, which had been fatigued and strained from continuously practicing the Guardian Scripture, now felt like a parched land receiving sweet rain. All exhaustion was swept away, replaced by a profound clarity and sharpness.

[One evil deed punished, order and discipline restored. Merit on the Body!]

[Fate Chart feedback received: All Fate Chart effects have been amplified!]

Not only that, but he could clearly feel the Slaughter Qi from his [Seven Kills Fate] become more condensed and pure. His instincts and desire for battle seemed to have risen to a whole new level.

His [Non-stop Rushing] Fate Chart also seemed to have undergone a subtle change.

The feedback loop of ’effort guarantees reward’ grew stronger. It felt as if he could go cultivate the most abstruse Cultivation Technique right now and progress with unstoppable momentum.

’So this is... the feedback from Merit?’

Chu Bai was ecstatic, but his expression remained as calm and nonchalant as ever.

’"The guilty must be punished," indeed.’

Glancing again at the headless corpse outside the door, Chu Bai thought to himself, ’This can be considered retribution.’