King of Creation Chapter 1666 - 1651: This Isn’t Going According to Plan!

Chief Eunuch Yu Chao’en’s jade scroll carried scant details, merely updates on the ongoing situation to ensure Ye Zhen stayed informed instead of clueless.

Right now, in the imperial court, the Tianming Marquisate fiercely denounces Wind Patrol Envoy Ye Zhen for interfering in vassal states’ business, exceeding his jurisdiction, and behaving wildly, inflicting massive harm on the Tianming Marquisate.

Moreover, the Heavenly Temple’s Sun and Moon Heaven charges Ye Zhen with temple massacres and demolitions, pinning him as the prime suspect in the slaughter at the Heavenly Temple’s Shahe City Branch Temple, relentlessly urging Great Zhou to deliver Ye Zhen’s full family for godly sacrifices at the Heavenly Temple’s Sun and Moon Heaven.

These two sources form the chief threats.

Yet, Yu Chao’en notes that neither the Tianming Marquisate nor the Heavenly Temple possesses undeniable proof for their claims.

The jade scroll closed with Yu Chao’en’s key order to Ye Zhen: no matter if the Shahe City affair stemmed from his actions or whatever proof foes produce, Ye Zhen must reject it outright and never confess.

Naturally, denial alone can’t settle the escalated crisis anymore; Yu Chao’en stressed gearing up for tomorrow’s court with sharp flexibility.

A casual finger crush turned the Chief Eunuch’s jade scroll into powder, sending Ye Zhen into profound reflection.

While in Shahe City, after unearthing Ming Tang and then storming the Shahe City Branch Temple, Ye Zhen had foreseen exactly this turmoil.

But amid that chaos, Ye Zhen lacked time for deliberation; he was forced to strike, compelled to eliminate Ming Tang plus everyone in the know from the True Profound Continent.

Alas, it ended fruitless, for that scoundrel Ming Tang had attained the Three-Life Dao Realm and clung to life.

Nevertheless, under identical pressures once more, Ye Zhen would repeat every move, with no other path available then.

Today, the repercussions of that clash prove far more tangled and grueling than Ye Zhen had pictured, despite his advance mental bracing.

Ye Zhen never anticipated the unfolding crisis would cast him as a mere piece in Great Zhou’s clash with the Heavenly Temple.

A pawn so pivotal could shatter utterly if mishandled.

Based on the present state, Great Zhou’s backing for him appears rock-solid, and Ye Zhen holds faith in Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long and his allies’ resolve.

Still, resolve remains resolve, while raw power stands apart.

Had Great Zhou the might to crush the Heavenly Temple outright, it wouldn’t have tolerated the sect’s surging dominance across the years.

To put it bluntly, Ye Zhen counts on Great Zhou’s commitment yet harbors doubts about its flawless, hazard-free shield.

Not that Great Zhou falls short of the Heavenly Temple’s strength.

Rather, the Heavenly Temple wields tightly focused might, whereas Great Zhou—immense and brimming with riches—grapples with vicious infighting, vulnerable to turncoats.

Take Great Zhou’s mighty Eight Council Princes: even among those elite figures, three boldly side with the Heavenly Temple.

This rampant self-interest fuels the turmoil keeping Great Zhou from overpowering the Heavenly Temple.

Hence, despite Great Zhou’s seemingly ironclad aid for now, Ye Zhen refuses to stake everything there; a secondary scheme demands crafting.

But that scheme must prove game-changing.

The decisive evidence gripped by Ye Zhen, primed to flip the board, requires timing its reveal perfectly for devastating impact.

....

Luoyi’s morning dawned amid the crisp, enchanting phoenix cries echoing from the Imperial Palace.

Great Zhou’s Royal Family guards its prestige fiercely, so harsh-voiced Demon Beasts in the palace beast pens get sealed behind Silent Barriers.

Pleasant-voiced fowl, above all the phoenixes’ pure songs embodying royal splendor, get freed to ring out across Luoyi at each sunrise.

These cries herald not just the day’s launch but the court session’s kickoff as well.

Well before those phoenix calls pealed, Ye Zhen stood at the palace entrance clutching his identity seal, soon ushered to linger in the antechamber beyond Qiankun Hall awaiting the call.

Ye Zhen’s present rank forbids him from joining court deliberations.

Thus, only once the standard court business wrapped up could Ye Zhen step into Qiankun Hall.

Great Zhou’s sprawling domain demands hefty topics for its tri-weekly court gatherings. Ye Zhen endured over two hours in the side chamber before the eunuch’s summons rang out.

"Summoning Third-class Earl of North Sea, West Patrol Second Route Wind Patrol Envoy Ye Zhen to the hall for duty report and audience!" The eunuch’s shrill voice jolted Ye Zhen out of his meditation, with another eunuch guiding him toward the Qiankun Hall.

Great Zhou’s Qiankun Hall features soaring galleries decorated with innumerable ferocious and grand Ancient Fierce Beasts, particularly at its heart where more than a hundred massive beads, each the size of a human head and in assorted hues, glare down upon the officials stepping inside.

The scene created an oppressive squeeze on the chest, even overwhelming Ye Zhen’s Primordial Spirit against the captivating glare from those bead-eyes, urging him to advance with extra wariness.

Entering the Qiankun Hall instantly crushed one’s imposing presence.

"Tsk tsk, Great Zhou seized over a hundred of the Ancient Times’ mightiest Fierce Beasts and plucked out their left eyes while alive to forge door beads. Who could’ve imagined it was real," the voice of Mirage Dragon Primordial Spirit Achou rang out within Ye Zhen’s Spirit Palace.

Once Ye Zhen passed the lofty threshold into the Qiankun Hall’s core, a mysterious pressure bore down on him, stirring an eerie unease across his frame.

Right then, the Mirage Dragon Pearl in Ye Zhen abruptly shrank, suppressing its aura to the extreme. The once loquacious Mirage Dragon Primordial Spirit Achou clamped shut immediately, not making a peep.

At that instant, even the vibrant Purple Spirit and Acquired Spirit Treasure Thunder Light Whip retracted their auras fully, as though shrinking into a shadowy corner, too scared to twitch.

Ye Zhen realized this stemmed from accessing the Qiankun Hall, oppressed by Great Zhou’s National Guardian Qiankun Seal.

Great Zhou’s National Guardian Qiankun Seal serves as the paramount artifact guarding the nation’s fate. During Great Zhou’s founding, the era’s nine Great Saint Masters from Ancestor God Temple collaborated to build this Qiankun Hall, merging it with the National Guardian Qiankun Seal amid myriad intricate mechanisms.

Among these setups, Great Zhou’s Qiankun Hall establishes its own domain—one merely appears to step over a threshold, yet truly steps into a distinct minor realm.

Built upon the National Guardian Qiankun Seal, this minor realm remains under the personal dominion of Great Zhou’s emperors through the ages.

Inside this minor realm, every law of Heaven and Earth obeys Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long, master of the National Guardian Qiankun Seal.

To put it bluntly, within the Qiankun Hall, Holy Son of Heaven Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long reigns utterly invincible.

Assassination plots or unruly acts here qualify as sheer pipe dreams.

The powers of all officials entering the Qiankun Hall get subdued by Great Zhou’s National Guardian Qiankun Seal.

Ye Zhen’s Purple Spirit, Acquired Spirit Treasure Thunder Light Whip, Mirage Dragon Pearl, and Mirage Dragon Primordial Spirit Achou all perceived the dread aura of the National Guardian Qiankun Seal, proceeding with supreme caution to avoid any provocation.

The horrifying prowess of the National Guardian Qiankun Seal shone clearly.

The instant Ye Zhen set foot in the Qiankun Hall, dozens of stares stabbed into him like pins.

Without sparing them a thought, Ye Zhen moved forward somewhat resignedly, offering a profound bow to Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long upon the Dragon Throne.

"Minister Ye Zhen, Third-class Earl of North Sea and Second Route Wind Patrol Envoy of West Patrol, returns to Luoyi by Imperial Decree to report to Your Majesty," Ye Zhen declared resoundingly.

"Rise, I am listening," Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long answered indifferently, instantly altering the court’s atmosphere.

In that brief interval, Ye Zhen swept his eyes around, noting plenty of recognizable faces.

Like Ming Tang, newly designated Heir of Tianming Marquisate, positioned among the courtiers, glaring frostily at Ye Zhen.

West Patrol’s Xiou Qiangu positioned himself behind Central Patrol’s Jings Zhan, his somewhat chubby face bearing a faint smile, eyes narrowed toward Ye Zhen.

The look appeared soft, yet upon Ye Zhen it conveyed a chilling malice akin to a poisonous serpent.

In addition to Xiou Qiangu, Moon Hall Master Baili Fei, Green Hall Master Mu Xu, and Thunder Hall Master Zhen Yan had also arrived, clearly summoned prior to Ye Zhen.

All harbored keen anticipation, ready to level charges against Ye Zhen.

Furthermore, Ancestor God Temple’s Great Sun Priest Bai Xiang, staff of the Great Sun Scepter in hand, and the priest Gui Yu who aided Ye Zhen the previous day, were in attendance.

Even more startling for Ye Zhen came another set of sharp eyes fixed on him.

Princess Changle, attired in Moon Sacrifice garb, stood within the Qiankun Hall as well.

After years without seeing her, Princess Changle seemed even more tranquil, radiating a regal poise and soft smile blended with commanding presence, just like a deity standing among the clerics of the Ancestor God Temple.

"Minister Ye Zhen reports to Your Majesty. In nearly four years stationed at North Sea County, I have governed with utmost diligence. The registered population there has surged from over 10,350,000 to 34,550,000," Ye Zhen started his report following a quick glance shared with Princess Changle.

"Due to North Sea County’s closeness to the border, following Your Majesty’s orders, I expanded the military forces, boosting the troops in North Sea County from 300,000 to more than 1,110,000.

During these four years, North Sea County’s soldiers have driven back and wiped out over 400 bandit groups, saving close to one million common folk.

Three years back, we thwarted an assault from the North Sea’s Green-scaled Dragon Palace, seizing Crown Prince Ao Zheng and compelling the Blue-scaled Dragon King to ink a pact barring water demons from landing onshore. This lets North Sea troops and people fish in the North Sea to improve their lives!"

"Four years prior, North Sea County sustained 300,000 soldiers and paid annual taxes worth 180,000 high-grade spiritual stones. Now, with 1,110,000 soldiers supported, the yearly tax contributions exceed 3 million high-grade spiritual stones—a rise of more than tenfold, almost twenty times over."

As Ye Zhen delivered his report, Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long’s features on the Dragon Throne relaxed, the grin in his gaze deepening noticeably.

They had imagined endless tense beginnings—like blades at each other’s throats—but never expected Ye Zhen to stick strictly to his official report.

Observing the scene, faces of Ming Tang, Prince Lik Ji Yuan, Baili Fei, Mu Xu, Zhen Yan, Xiou Qiangu, and the rest grew more and more dubious.

Damn, this isn’t the right flow.

This wasn’t meant to praise Ye Zhen, was it?

But it somehow became Ye Zhen boasting his feats?

The issue lay in Ye Zhen’s method being logical and proper; he was genuinely reporting, offering no room for attack.

No flaws could be picked, forcing everyone to just hear him out.

"Your Majesty, North Sea County has flourished these years thanks to Your Majesty’s grace, with transformations going beyond the handful of points this minister just mentioned."

Then Ye Zhen presented a Jade Scroll. "Your Majesty, this Jade Scroll records the recent shifts in taxes, population, army, land, and trade in North Sea County, offered by this minister for Your Majesty’s perusal."

Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long received the Jade Scroll without delay.

After a quick scan, Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long slammed the imperial desk hard, roaring, "In merely four years—less than four full years—North Sea County’s prosperity has multiplied ten times, defenses strengthened over fourfold, alongside countless triumphs.

If every minister in my Great Zhou matched Third-class Earl Ye Zhen of North Sea, what fear for Great Zhou’s might? What worry for Great Zhou’s glory!

What concern that Great Zhou cannot conquer All Heavens and Myriads of Worlds!"

Smack!

Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long pounded the imperial table again, passing the Jade Scroll to Chief Eunuch Yu Chaoen. "Great Attendant, make hundreds of copies of Ye Minister’s report Jade Scroll and hand them out to all here—one each—for close examination.

Make them witness Ye Minister’s feats these years and ponder how Ye Minister accomplished so much! Think on the dedication Ye Minister poured in over the years!

Ye Minister must serve as the example for Great Zhou’s every official!"

Overhearing this in secret left him perspiring; he was no exemplar and hadn’t toiled that hard.

For four years, he’d managed passively, simply capitalizing on North Sea County’s weak starting point, which made the gains look spectacular and drove huge progress.

Plenty understood this truth, but none dared voice it amid the charged atmosphere.

Before the court officials could utter a word, Chief Eunuch Yu Chaoen duplicated the Jade Scroll hundreds of times himself and descended to pass them out individually.

To Great Zhou’s civil and military officers, checking this report Jade Scroll posed no issue; they knew the drill.

Yet the Heavenly Temple’s Hall Masters, including Moon Hall Master Baili Fei, Mu Xu, Zhen Yan, got thrust a copy of the report Jade Scroll by Yu Chaoen anyway.

At first, Baili Fei and company rejected it outright, but Yu Chaoen shot a fierce look and remarked cunningly, "Do the Hall Masters mean to disobey His Majesty’s decree?"

Faced with that grave charge, Baili Fei and the others could only take it.

With no other choice, the Heavenly Temple still nominally recognized Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long as the ruler of the world.

"Hall Masters, you've heard His Majesty's oral decree—make sure to carefully inspect this Jade Scroll report, and don't just grab it without checking!" Yu Chaoen emphasized.

Without a way out, Baili Fei and the others could only send their divine senses into it, just putting on a show of reviewing.

Every face twisted like they'd just stepped in dog shit.

This included Ming Tang, Prince Lik Ji Yuan, Xiou Qiangu, and the rest.

Damn it all, from the very beginning, they'd been dancing to Ye Zhen's rhythm, stuffed full of sweets!