Chapter 188: A Great Family Falls in a Single Day

Even the Kong Family's Ancestor had lost his composure to such an extent. The others were naturally in an even worse state.

Some were so frightened that their legs went weak and their entire bodies collapsed to the ground, their hopes utterly shattered.

A few quick-witted servants of the Kong Family had already sensed that a catastrophe of unprecedented proportions was about to descend upon them. While the main family was still in a state of panic and had no time to pay attention to them, they had already gathered whatever valuables they could carry and fled in terror.

Just moments ago, this place had still been the residence of a five hundred-year-old aristocratic family, its profound heritage on full display. Yet now, it already looked like a great mansion on the verge of collapse, utterly desolate and ruined.

"When the Emperor becomes enraged, a million corpses fall and blood flows for a thousand miles. This is the might of an emperor."

"Though the Kong Family is one of the most renowned clans in the world, once they become entangled in a catastrophe of this magnitude, I fear their chances of survival are slim."

Following behind Kong Zhao, Li Shun quietly stepped into the estate, taking in the chaos unfolding before his eyes.

As he watched with a heavy heart, he could not help but grow somewhat curious about the mastermind who had manipulated the entire Kong Family as though they were nothing more than playthings in the palm of his hand.

"Kong Changqing has lived for more than five hundred years. His eyesight and discernment should certainly be exceptional."

"To disguise oneself as the current Secretariat and even carry an imperial decree without arousing the slightest suspicion from him..."

"The person's ability to make falsehood appear indistinguishable from truth must have reached an extraordinary level."

While Li Shun was secretly pondering this, Kong Zhao had already hurried over to Kong Changqing.

"Ancestor..."

Kong Changqing had weathered more than five centuries of storms and tribulations. Upon hearing Kong Zhao's call, he finally returned to his senses.

"We were deceived?"

Yet there was still a trace of disbelief in his eyes.

"The Emperor's document is clearly in my study..."

With that, surrounded by the members of the Kong Family, he went straight to his study and retrieved the document.

However, the moment he clearly saw the words written upon it, Kong Changqing's expression changed drastically.

He abruptly clenched the document tightly in his trembling hands and hid it against his chest.

Immediately afterward, his body went limp. He nearly lost his balance and collapsed to the ground.

"Ancestor, what happened?"

The members of the Kong Family immediately cried out in alarm.

"This document... this document..."

Kong Changqing trembled violently. In an instant, his face had become ashen.

The words that followed seemed to stick in his throat. He could not utter a single one.

His hands remained tightly clasped around the document, holding it face-down against his chest as though terrified that anyone else might catch even a glimpse of its contents.

"Ancestor, what exactly happened?!"

Seeing this, Kong Zhao became both anxious and furious.

At once, he disregarded the difference in their status and seniority, reaching out and snatching the document from Kong Changqing's hands.

Kong Changqing was, after all, a powerful cultivator of the Creation Realm.

Yet at this moment, he was completely incapable of stopping Kong Zhao's rough act. He could only helplessly watch as the document was forcibly taken from him.

A moment later, when Kong Zhao saw the contents of the document, he too felt as though he had been struck by lightning.

He stood there woodenly, completely stunned.

His arms went limp, and he could no longer hold onto the document. It slowly drifted from his hands like a falling leaf and landed on the ground.

Only because of the document's position as it fell did Li Shun finally catch a glimpse of some of its contents.

Those few fragmented lines alone were enough to make his heart contract violently.

"Brother, under the name of the false Emperor's blessing, lure all the officials to the banquet."

"With the Sacred Capital empty, I can take advantage of the opportunity to enter."

Only two short lines, yet Li Shun had already glimpsed a colossal conspiracy targeting the Kong Family.

"Forging an imperial decree to kill a single person is one thing. But rebellion..."

"That calls for the extermination of nine generations."

"The trap has been laid with such meticulous precision. Could it be... that an attack truly has occurred within the Sacred Capital?"

Li Shun could read the words on the document, and naturally, so could the surrounding members of the Kong Family.

Everyone present understood exactly what this meant.

An overwhelming terror spread through the crowd like a plague.

Just then, Li Shun's heart suddenly tightened.

He sensed a large number of extraordinarily powerful auras rapidly approaching from outside the Kong Residence like an enraged tide.

Before the members of the Kong Family could even recover from their shock, countless figures had already surrounded the entire residence so completely that not even a drop of water could pass through.

"By order of the Chancellor's Estate, the Kong Residence is suspected of rebellion!"

"All persons are to be taken into custody. Conduct a thorough search of the entire estate and investigate every detail!"

A cold, stern shout exploded through the air like thunder.

Standing in midair was none other than the General of Chariot and Cavalry, Jiang Yubai, who had only come to offer birthday congratulations earlier that very day.

Before his voice had even faded, figures clad in heavy golden armor descended from the sky like wolves and tigers, moving to arrest everyone within the Kong Estate.

Nearly every one of these soldiers possessed cultivation at the Grotto Mystic Realm. Though all of them were only at the lower grade, their strength was still enough to demonstrate their extraordinary origins.

"The Sacred Capital's Imperial Guards?"

Li Shun's heart jolted.

The Imperial Guards were responsible for protecting the capital. Under normal circumstances, they would never casually leave the capital to carry out military operations.

Only when the situation was extraordinarily urgent, or when the ordinary Black Armored Army was incapable of suppressing the situation, would such a national weapon be deployed.

"The Kong Family is, after all, one of the foremost aristocratic clans in the world. They have been deeply rooted in Qing Province for many years, and countless officials throughout the province have ties to them."

"If the imperial court wanted to mobilize local troops to capture them, it would inevitably encounter layer upon layer of obstruction."

"So this time, the imperial court simply dispatched the Imperial Guards directly to suppress them."

"It seems that although the Kong Family's downfall only happened recently, the situation has already escalated to an extremely serious level."

As Li Shun was thinking this, he saw the Imperial Guards charging toward him.

He hurriedly raised both hands and shouted:

"I'm merely a guest who came to attend the banquet! I'm not a member of the Kong Family!"

The Imperial Guards before him paused slightly upon hearing this.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Yubai, who was hovering overhead, merely cast a cold sideways glance at Li Shun before letting out a harsh snort.

"Ordinary guests have already dispersed."

"Anyone who remains inside the Kong Estate at this hour instead of leaving..."

"Must be secretly colluding with the Kong traitors. Take him down!"

The moment his words fell, three figures wrapped in killing intent simultaneously lunged toward Li Shun.

Li Shun frowned slightly.

He had never expected that merely staying behind to watch the spectacle would end up dragging him into it as well.

"Looking at this situation, once I'm arrested, there will be no way to explain myself."

"But resisting would be equally futile. Even if I killed every Imperial Guard present, I would still be unable to escape the subsequent pursuit."

His thoughts raced.

Li Shun decisively abandoned all resistance and allowed the armored soldiers to seize and restrain him.

The members of the Kong Family were in exactly the same situation.

Faced with the Imperial Guards' arrests, not a single person dared to resist.

All that remained was a chorus of miserable cries and thunderous shouts of injustice.

Even Kong Changqing, the Kong Family's Ancestor, a powerful cultivator of the Creation Realm, did not display the slightest bit of his divine ability.

He simply allowed the cold shackles to be fastened around his body.

Only a few trembling cries remained in his mouth.

"Wronged... We were framed..."

"Someone deliberately fabricated evidence to set up my Kong Family!"

Jiang Yubai was now clutching the document tightly in his hand.

Upon hearing this, he sneered.

"Wronged?"

"Today, during your birthday banquet, the Left and Right Chancellor's Office, the Grand Commandant's Office, and the Censor's Office were all attacked by unidentified assailants."

"The Grand Censor was gravely wounded, while both Chancellor's Estate suffered heavy losses."

"We have both witnesses and physical evidence, yet you still dare to cry injustice!"

Upon hearing this, Kong Changqing suddenly struggled violently.

"I demand to see His Majesty!"

"His Majesty is wise and discerning. He will surely see through this vicious conspiracy!"

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Yubai slammed a heavy fist into his abdomen, forcibly driving the rest of his words back into his stomach.

"Take them all away!"

In the blink of an eye, everyone within this once-glorious and enormous Kong Estate had become miserable prisoners.

Moreover, it was entirely foreseeable that in the days to come, it would not merely be Qing Province.

The entire Great Qian Dynasty was destined to face a bloody purge like a violent storm.

...

During the long journey back to the capital under escort, another day was nearing its end.

"I examine myself thrice each day!"

Li Shun activated the divine ability Threefold Self-Reflection, which he had not used for quite some time.

He returned to the very beginning of the day.