Chapter 263 - 258: Jinyiwei, Swiftly Escort the Heir Back to the Capital to Inherit His Title

Du Youqian said not a word on the road to the nearby county town.

He just walked, slowly and steadily.

Neither Old Fu nor Qing He dared to disturb him. After the previous night’s bloodshed, their image of Du Youqian had become inscrutable and profound.

Du Youqian wasn’t silent because he looked down on mortals and couldn’t be bothered to speak.

Instead, he was focused inward, sensing.

He had actually felt it the previous night, but he hadn’t investigated it deeply.

Human Dao Fortune... a considerable amount had accumulated in his body. While it was far less than what he had gathered in his previous life, he had, after all, only been alive for eighteen years in this one.

The daily trickle of Human Dao Fortune had, little by little, accumulated into an amount that could now be put to use.

He could only say that the boy, Du Yuxi, was quite sincere. Du Youqian had made him Emperor, and he had truly repaid the debt—and had continued to do so for several hundred years.

In his previous life, Meng Xiao had brought Du Youqian a great deal of information from the Great Compassion Temple, including texts on Body Refining and methods for utilizing Human Dao Fortune.

Later, after Du Youqian became a Living Dead, he also had Lin Sha, Meng Xiao, and Luo Jinyu search far and wide for related legacies for him.

According to Du Youqian’s research, Human Dao Fortune had no effect on ordinary Cultivators, nor could it assist in their Cultivation.

Only a few Cultivators skilled in specialized cultivation arts would use Human Dao Fortune to aid in Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and other such practices.

Even the small Sects responsible for standing guard over the mortal kingdoms couldn’t actually utilize Human Dao Fortune. The idea of using it to bolster their Sect’s own fortune was nothing more than superstition.

Otherwise, if it were truly that beneficial, why would Fourth-class Sects be the ones to possess it?

Every kingdom had one of the Nine Tripods—a Treasure bestowed by the Holy Blood and the Taihe Sect—to collect Human Dao Fortune.

At regular intervals, the Sect responsible for stabilizing the kingdom’s fortune was required to hand over the Human Dao Fortune collected in the Tripod Cauldron to its superior Sect.

The superior Sect would then process this Human Dao Fortune before returning it to the Mortal World.

Du Youqian had never understood why this was necessary.

But when he recalled the problems with the Rivers and Mountains Map, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a connection.

So he had specifically asked Shi Shentong about it. Shi Shentong’s answer was that Momenan was not, in fact, a complete world; it was a world where Heaven’s Will did not exist.

Without intervention, the Human Race would face all sorts of severe problems. For instance, the number of infants born with Spirit Roots would dwindle, the world’s Spiritual Qi would continuously diminish, and natural disasters would become frequent.

However, when the processed Human Dao Fortune was returned to the Mortal World, it ensured favorable weather, prevented major natural disasters, and, to some extent, compensated for the absent "Heaven’s Will."

After reaching Core Formation, Du Youqian had made a point to investigate this process and confirmed there was no deception involved; it really did work that way.

Du Youqian then recalled what Feng Xiaoyi had said: "The Human Race has lost the Mandate of Heaven." He guessed this must be the Human Race’s method of saving itself after that loss.

However, Human Dao Fortune wasn’t actually useless for Cultivation—at least for Body Refining Cultivators. It could be used to harmonize one’s Physique and Spirit, allowing for better and faster Body Tempering.

It was just that in Momenan, only the Body Refining Lineage of the Great Compassion Temple could reach Core Formation, and even then, they had to rely on the Relic of a past Great Power to do so. This was not much of a secret to those in the upper echelons.

The techniques Meng Xiao had painstakingly collected, and even the Body Refining Techniques Du Youqian later expended great effort and called in many favors to find, all lacked a method for reaching Core Formation. The highest they went was Foundation Establishment Perfection.

Thus, Body Refining was not a mainstream path in Momenan.

After reaching Core Formation, Du Youqian’s status had changed, and his perspective had broadened considerably.

He speculated that the top sects, knowing the importance of Human Dao Fortune to the legacy of the Human Race, had deliberately severed access to high-tier Body Refining legacies. This was to prevent Cultivators from consuming vast amounts of Human Dao Fortune for their training.

He had also mentally prepared himself. Even if he couldn’t reach Core Formation with a Body Refining Technique, he would first cultivate it to Foundation Establishment Perfection. Then, he would choose a compatible, mainstream Cultivation Technique and start his training anew until he reached Core Formation. Finally, he would seek out Lin Sha and ask for the Treasures of Heaven and Earth that he had tasked her with finding in his previous life—treasures meant to enhance one’s Physique.

He hoped that he would ultimately possess a Physique strong enough to make it through that passage.

~~~~~~~~

「The Wu Kingdom Capital City, The Imperial Palace.」

After the morning court session ended, Emperor Shunde summoned the Cabinet to a side hall for a meeting.

Because the recent years had seen favorable weather and the realm was at peace, there were no urgent political matters to discuss.

However, with the nation wealthy, its granaries full, and no threats from abroad or disasters at home, bureaucratic habits had begun to resurface, and corruption, despite repeated crackdowns, was rampant.

Every Emperor, upon ascending the throne, had to clean up the administration. But things would only stay clean for a few years before the old habits re-emerged, as if in a predictable cycle.

Today, the reports from the various ministers were once again mostly related to administrative affairs. Emperor Shunde appeared to be listening with drowsy disinterest, but in reality, he was committing every word to memory.

Having ascended the throne as a young man, he had now ruled for over twenty years. He was a mature Emperor, one who knew how to vie with his Cabinet for power.

When he was younger, he would complain about his ancestors, wondering why they had established so many rigid rules to limit imperial authority.

But as he matured, he had to admit that some of those rigid rules were, in fact, correct.

As the Emperor, he was naturally aware of many unspoken secrets, including how his own family had come to possess the throne.

Some six hundred years ago, his ancestor of several dozen generations past, the first Duke You De, had befriended a powerful Immortal Master.

Then, three hundred years ago, after the fall of the Du Family, a descendant of that Immortal Master stepped in and saved the last two scions of the Du Family’s direct lineage: the siblings Du Huiyuxi and Du Huiyuhuan, who would go on to found the Du Dynasty of the Wu Kingdom.

The two siblings, being exceptionally intelligent and possessing great martial aptitude, earned the special favor of the Immortal Master’s descendant. He ultimately ordered the Immortal Sect behind the Wu Kingdom to switch its allegiance and install Du Huiyuxi as the Emperor of Wu.

And the Grand Ancestor, Du Huiyuxi, left behind a strict edict: Every Emperor of the Du Dynasty must limit their own power... they must uphold the established systems... they must follow a long list of rules... Because if they governed poorly and the Immortal Master backing the Du Clan learned of it, replacing an Emperor would be a simple matter! Replacing the entire Imperial Family would be just as easy!

Therefore, as Emperor Shunde grew more sensible and learned the meaning of reverence, he came to understand the genius of the rules his ancestor had established to limit imperial power. They were meant to prevent unworthy descendants from appearing, angering the Immortal Master, and squandering the empire and the throne!

Members of the Du Family who were born with a Spirit Root were also permitted to go to an Immortal Sect for Cultivation.

One of Emperor Shunde’s own great-aunts had joined the Immortal Sect "Shengxuan Sect." Now just over a hundred years old, she still looked like a young woman. Her Cultivation was said to be that of a powerful Qi Cultivation Perfect Practitioner, and she had hopes of becoming a Foundation Establishment Cultivator in the future, enjoying a lifespan of over two hundred years.

When that great-aunt returned for a family visit, she once mentioned that the Immortal Master who had supported the Du Family in becoming the emperors of the Wu Kingdom was an incomparably powerful "Core Formation Master" who stood at the peak of power in the entire Immortal Cultivation Realm.

Although that Master had already fallen, he had left behind numerous disciples and followers. Several of his subordinates had even become Core Formation Masters themselves. The extremely powerful organization he had built was still active, and it was one that Emperor Shunde’s great-aunt was not even qualified to join.

If the Du Emperors behaved erratically and proved unequal to their great responsibilities, it was possible that some Immortal Master would try to depose and replace them, simply to curry favor with the subordinates and disciples of that Core Formation Master.

Emperor Shunde’s mind wandered for a moment. When he focused again, Cabinet Minister Wang Shouci was in the middle of a report.

"...the Jinyiwei investigating at the time reported that after Xianlai Castle was burned to the ground, they spent a long time surveying the scene. Though they found no bodies, there were signs of a struggle everywhere. So much blood had been spilled that it was like a river, something even the massive fire couldn’t hide. Experienced Jinyiwei agents confirmed that the casualties there had been immense."

"The Jinyiwei then looked into rumors circulating in the Jianghu. It’s said that not everyone at Xianlai Castle was killed. A young master of the direct lineage, Baili Jianxin, the heir of the current Fortress Lord, Baili Yingxiong, is now a fugitive and is being hunted. By our count, it has been over three months. I ask Your Majesty to issue a decree ordering the Jinyiwei to continue the investigation and to protect Baili Jianxin and escort him to the Capital City."

Emperor Shunde felt a pang of frustration. The Jinyiwei was an organization he desperately wanted under his personal control.

It was said that during the reign of Grand Ancestor Du Huiyuxi, the Jinyiwei answered only to the Emperor. They were the realm’s foremost intelligence agency, a powerful tool for the Emperor to spy on his ministers and the entire country.

But the Grand Ancestor, before abdicating to become Supreme Emperor, had effectively crippled his own power by placing the Jinyiwei under the Cabinet. It was to be jointly managed by the Cabinet and the Emperor, meaning the Jinyiwei no longer answered to the throne alone.

’What a pity.’ After a moment of deliberation, Emperor Shunde asked, "Why escort this Baili Jianxin to the Capital City?"

The Cabinet Ministers exchanged glances before Wang Shouci spoke. "Perhaps Your Majesty has forgotten. After all, the Baili Family has not been active in the Capital City for over thirty years, not since Baili Yingxiong inherited his title. They consider themselves people of the Martial World and have little to do with the Court."

"Inherited his title?" Emperor Shunde was stunned.

"Yes. The Baili Family are the Hereditary First-class Counts Zhongyong, a title personally bestowed by the Grand Ancestor. Of the more than thirty families of dukes, marquises, and counts ennobled during the Grand Ancestor’s reign, only four remain. The Baili Family is one of them."

Wang Shouci spoke with great caution, worried that the Emperor was deliberately feigning ignorance in order to reclaim the title.

After all, the stipend for a Hereditary First-class Count was no small sum.

Furthermore, many people coveted their fiefdom.

On top of that, there were rumors in the Jianghu that Xianlai Castle possessed the genuine Inheritance of an Immortal Master.

It was even said that foreign powers had gotten involved and bribed some ministers at court to remain silent on the matter.

This was why, three months after a Count’s family had been wiped out, he was only now reporting it to the Emperor.

Previously, certain forces had been preventing people from discussing it in public. Even as a Cabinet Minister, he could not completely disregard the will of the officials beneath him.

"The Baili Family of Xianlai Castle is a family of Counts ennobled by the Court? And no one thought to mention this to Us?" Emperor Shunde feigned a look of surprise. This sudden piece of information nullified some of his earlier plans.

And, being a clever man, he immediately realized there was likely some foul play afoot.

After a moment’s consideration, he nodded and said, "Draft a decree for Us. A family of First-class Counts, ennobled by the Grand Ancestor, has been wiped out after getting involved in a Jianghu dispute. In the three-hundred-year history of our National Dynasty, there has rarely been such a shocking case. Order the Jinyiwei to investigate thoroughly and bring justice to the Baili Family. Furthermore, immediately dispatch elite troops to find the heir to the title of First-class Count Zhongyong, Baili Jianxin, and safely escort him back to the Capital City to claim his inheritance. If any harm befalls Baili Jianxin, the entire Jinyiwei will be held strictly and severely accountable."

’I must show that I intend to protect the heir. As for whether I’ll actually let Baili Jianxin inherit the title, and when... that’s something I’ll have to consider further.’

"Your Majesty is wise beyond compare."