King of Creation Chapter 1773 - 1758: Prepare the Tea

For a full fifteen minutes, Dalantai detailed the impending doom that threatened to annihilate the Da Clan, from the very beginning to the bitter end.

In Dalantai’s own estimation, the Da Clan had merely encountered a streak of terrible misfortune.

By some twist of fate, they had found themselves targeted by the Central Patrol unit of the Heavenly Patrol Department.

While a third of the Da Clan members were dedicated to the Ancestor God Temple, the vast majority were still in service to the Great Zhou Dynasty; moreover, their clan held a noble title.

However, within Luoyi, the Imperial Capital, their Da Clan’s First-Grade Marquis title held remarkably little sway.

Furthermore, because the most gifted cultivators within the clan were all serving within the Ancestor God Temple, most other Da Clan members in the Great Zhou served in civilian capacities.

They had their own people stationed within the Commerce Tax Bureau and the Acquisition Department of the Ministry of Revenue, and younger members of the Da Clan occupied positions in the Inspection Division of the Ministry of Justice and within the Military Department.

In truth, the career advancement of numerous Da clansmen had been meticulously orchestrated and facilitated by Dalantai himself, who held a prominent position within the Ancestor God Temple, alongside another Vice Hall Master.

One should not be deceived by the notion that the Ancestor God Temple lacks influence; indeed, every army of the Great Zhou is accompanied by Priests from the Ancestor God Temple, and these Priests are held in exceedingly high regard by the Great Zhou's forces.

Consequently, the Da Clan had forged intricate connections with the Military Faction; this Military Faction, in turn, was deeply entwined with the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Industry, allowing Dalantai to leverage this relationship to secure various posts, even lucrative ones, for his clansmen.

Within the Great Zhou, it was exceedingly common for officials to engage in embezzlement and manipulation of their respective duties.

Consider the disbursement of military salaries, particularly for the rank-and-file soldiers. If the amount they actually received reached eighty percent of the allocated sum, it was akin to a divine blessing; in reality, receiving fifty percent was the standard occurrence.

Naturally, this practice was confined to the ordinary units.

And where did that deficit of fifty percent vanish? It was siphoned off by officials at various levels involved in the process.

Once this became routine, it evolved into an unspoken, customary practice.

However, their misfortune lay in the fact that the Da Clan had recently come under the intense scrutiny of the Heavenly Patrol Department.

Virtually all clansmen holding official positions exhibited indications of being under investigation, and within a mere span of seven days, thirteen clansmen had already been incarcerated for interrogation.

Initially, the Da Clan possessed certain connections; Dalantai harbored the belief that his personal intervention could resolve the situation.

Unexpectedly, after making discreet nocturnal visits to several of their contacts, not a single one agreed to meet with him.

Following this, he received a piece of overwhelmingly devastating news.

A 'nest case'!

The Da Clan had inadvertently triggered a comprehensive 'nest case'.

Dalantai's younger paternal half-brother, his third brother, held the position of Director of the Acquisition Department. While the role itself was modest, the opportunities for illicit gains were immense; due to procurement duties, he frequently led expeditions to various Little Worlds scattered across the Great Zhou to acquire rare Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.

Initially, this was not a cause for alarm—even if exposed, according to the Great Zhou's recent protocols, rectifying the financial shortfall would likely suffice to settle the matter; it wouldn't escalate into a significant issue.

The crux of the problem resided with Dalantai's son—his eldest legitimate son—who, forty years prior, had been placed in a reserve position as Junior Director of the Military Equipment Maintenance Division within the Military Department.

The Military Equipment Maintenance Division held the responsibility of inspecting weaponry and equipment returned by frontline soldiers during rotations, or when gear required refitting or had sustained damage. Their duty was to identify items that were still functional and repairable, subsequently restoring them and reissuing them to ordinary units.

This was also considered a highly profitable position. After all, the determination of whether a piece of weaponry or equipment was deemed irreparable rested entirely with them; they frequently salvaged key components or weapons classified as scrap but fixable, subsequently profiting from their resale.

This was a common practice. Otherwise, where do the formidable weapons housed in the armories of major Royal Families and noble households in Luoyi, such as the Sky-Breaking Dragon-Slaying Crossbow and the Flame Spirit Burst Demon Crossbow, originate from?

Precisely from this very source!

This was hardly a novel occurrence within Luoyi.

However, the critical issue manifested when, after his son was apprehended by the Heavenly Patrol Department, the latter proved to be excessively timid and cowardly. Under a few rudimentary interrogation tactics employed by the Heavenly Patrol Department, he was terrorized to the brink of collapse and divulged every piece of information, whether relevant or not, in a single, panicked outpouring.

It turned out his son had admitted that the useless weapons, salvaged from the Repairing Department and then fixed up, were given to his third uncle, Dalanshou. Dalanshou, using his opportunities during procurement trips to various Little Worlds, then sold these regulated weapons of the Great Zhou to Foreign Clans. This illicit trade yielded profits a hundredfold.

Worse still, some of his trading partners were actually members of the Demon Clan!

This was an act that touched upon the ultimate taboo!

The Great Zhou’s approach was quite simple: minor personal gains from leftover resources were often overlooked or handled internally. However, excessive plunder would lead to confiscation—though the assets would still remain within the Great Zhou.

But colluding with enemy nations, selling controlled weapons to Foreign Clans and the Demon Clan, constituted a capital offense punishable by the extermination of the entire clan.

Due to this grave matter, all members of the Da clan holding positions in the Acquisition Department of the Ministry of Revenue and the Military Equipment Maintenance Division of the Military Department were secretly apprehended and interrogated by the Heavenly Patrol Department.

Dalantai was overcome with extreme anxiety.

The influential figures he typically associated with now feared any association with the Da Clan, desperately trying to sever all ties. Who would dare extend a helping hand?

Having been rebuffed everywhere he turned throughout the night, Dalantai, with no other recourse, came to seek help at Hall Master Bi Ze’s door.

Otherwise, Dalantai would never have resorted to performing such a grand kowtow ritual.

Upon hearing Dalantai’s confession, Hall Master Bi Ze was utterly stunned.

This situation was far from simple to resolve!

It wasn't merely difficult; it was something he absolutely could not get involved in.

Colluding with foreign powers, collaborating with the Demon Clan—who would dare meddle in such affairs?

Bi Ze let out a deep sigh. "Dalantai, I genuinely wish to assist you, but concerning this matter, even I am powerless to help! If you intend to resolve this case, seeking out ordinary individuals is futile. The person you need to approach is the Heavenly Patrol Chief, Wu Yu. However, that scoundrel Wu Yu and I have no amicable relations; we even had a minor, unpleasant encounter previously. Even if I wished to aid you, I couldn't!"

At these words, Dalantai fell into deeper panic.

He quickly resumed his kneeling posture, this time on both knees, his voice filled with despair. "Hall Master, I implore you, please save my Da Clan! As long as we survive this catastrophe, my entire Da Clan will be at your beck and call, my esteemed Hall Master!"

Bi Ze wore an expression of profound dilemma. "Hurry and rise. It's not that I refuse to save you, but rather I am truly unable. This affair is genuinely..."

"Hall Master, I am aware of your esteemed relationship with Tong Daquan Priest. I beg the Hall Master to spare my entire Da Family!" Dalantai once again bowed deeply, his forehead touching the floor.

Dalantai felt utterly helpless, viewing this as an unavoidable calamity sent from the heavens.

As he knelt there, Dalantai failed to notice the atmosphere within the main hall of the War Soul Hall becoming increasingly peculiar due to his few spoken sentences.

"Hall Master, there is something I am unsure whether I should voice or not?" Left Chief Priest Xii Mo suddenly interjected.

"Between us, what is there to hesitate about? Speak freely!" Bi Ze's countenance was clouded with gloom.

"I, your subordinate, feel that our War Soul Hall might have been ensnared in a scheme!" Xii Mo declared.

"A scheme? What do you imply?" Bi Ze inquired, appearing perplexed.

"Hall Master, there is a matter I have not yet disclosed. Merely two days prior, I received correspondence from my clan: several of my kinsmen, who hold positions within the Earth Mining Division, were apprehended by personnel from the Heavenly Patrol Department. At the time, I did not attach much significance to it, and I persistently sought the intervention of influential individuals, expending considerable resources, yet without any success. If Dalantai's kinsmen have also been subjected to investigation by the Heavenly Patrol Department, and if all these events are concentrated within these recent days, then I possess grounds to suspect..."

"Ah, Priest Xii, your kinsmen were also taken by the Heavenly Patrol Department?" The First Deputy Hall Master exclaimed in shock. "I have never dared to mention this myself. A younger cousin of mine, along with one of my sons and four nephews, were also apprehended by the Heavenly Patrol Department and remain under interrogation."

"My elder brother, as well as my father, were also taken by the Heavenly Patrol Department!"

"My family also had four individuals taken by the Heavenly Patrol Department two days ago!"

"And my family..."

...

In an instant, among the numerous Daily Priests and core Moon Priests present in the War Soul Hall, over half of them revealed that either their own family members or relatives by marriage had been taken away by the Heavenly Patrol Department.

The families of seventeen core members of the War Soul Hall were secretly apprehended by the Heavenly Patrol Department. The charges leveled in the Grand Capital were seemingly undeniable, and their attempts to leverage connections proved futile in securing the release of these clansmen. What amplified the shock was the swiftness of these arrests, with all family members taken within a mere four to five days. It appeared as though, overnight, the entire upper echelon of the War Soul Hall had their families detained by the Heavenly Patrol Department.

Hall Master Bi Ze's countenance instantly turned exceedingly grim. Even a simpleton would recognize this as a deliberate targeting of their War Soul Hall by the Heavenly Patrol Department. Such a coincidence under heaven seemed impossible.

"Ye Zhen!"

"That scoundrel Ye Zhen, originating from the Heavenly Patrol Department, must be the one who instigated their forces to harm our War Soul Hall!" After a prolonged period of stunned silence, Dalantai suddenly exclaimed.

Xii Mo, Bi Ze, and the others cast disdainful glances at Dalantai. They too had already arrived at the same conclusion regarding Ye Zhen; otherwise, why would the Heavenly Patrol Department, without any apparent reason, set their sights on the War Soul Hall?

In that very moment of realization, Right Chief Priest Dalantai of the War Soul Hall felt a surge of intense hatred, his teeth practically grinding together. He wished he could deliver a few forceful slaps to himself.

This situation was undeniably Ye Zhen's act of retribution. Had he, on that fateful day, merely turned a blind eye and granted Ye Zhen access to the Ten Thousand Bones Reincarnation Seal's Avatar, none of this would have transpired. Instead, he had now propelled the entire Da Family towards the precipice of ruin.

"Hall Master, Ye Zhen is clearly seeking revenge and has manipulated the Heavenly Patrol Department against us; you must champion our cause!" For a period, the priests whose clansmen had been implicated voiced their pleas one after another.

At this juncture, Bi Ze found himself compelled to take a definitive stance. "Rest assured, everyone. Since this is a direct reprisal from the Heavenly Patrol Department, I shall proceed immediately to request an audience with Priest Tong Daquan. I am confident that Priest Tong Daquan will undoubtedly intercede on our behalf!" Bi Ze declared.

"Have faith, I will exert my utmost effort. Anyone whose release is feasible, I shall certainly secure!" Bi Ze pledged.

Upon hearing this, Dalantai, still kneeling, nodded his head emphatically. Great Priest Tongg Na commanded extensive influence and possessed considerable sway within the Great Zhou Imperial Court. Among the Six Ministers, the Tongg Family occupied one of the esteemed positions.

He harbored the conviction that with Great Priest Tongg Na's intervention, this predicament would undoubtedly be resolved.

"There is no moment to waste. I shall depart at once to seek an audience with Great Priest Tongg Na!"

"Report!"

Scarcely had Bi Ze uttered these words when a Sacrificial Guard hurried into the hall. "Hall Master, Left Chief Priest Ye Zhen of the Barbarian Spirit Hall has dispatched a Jade Scroll, which he specifically requested be opened only by the Hall Master!"

"That wretch Ye Zhen has sent me a communication? What could be his intention? Perhaps seeking a truce?" With a mind clouded by doubt, War Soul Hall Master Bi Ze proceeded to unseal the Jade Scroll delivered by the guard. However, after a mere initial perusal, War Soul Hall Master Bi Ze's expression shifted to one of profound astonishment, his hand trembling as he clutched the Jade Scroll.

"Where is Ye Zhen at this moment?" Bi Ze inquired with palpable urgency.

"He is situated in the plaza just outside the hall. He also mentioned..." The Sacrificial Guard appeared somewhat hesitant.

"What else did he state?"

"He mentioned that once the Hall Master had perused the Jade Scroll, you would personally extend an invitation for tea," the guard replied in a hushed tone.

Briefly taken aback, the War Soul Hall Master suddenly boomed, "Attend me, and prepare the tea!"

"Prepare the finest tea!"