King of Creation Chapter 2095 - 2080: Appetizer

"Political chaos by small fry?"

Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long’s gloomy gaze swept over the Minister of the Military Department, Ban Di, who was prostrate on the ground. "It seems even petty troublemakers are causing chaos, your Military Department needs to be properly rectified!"

With these words, the entire military leaders were too frightened to breathe.

In the current situation, Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long could deal with them however he wished.

However, most of them were already certain that since the Chief Eunuch had sealed Ren Xinsu’s mouth to prevent him from making random accusations, it indicated Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long’s attitude—to keep the situation under control within a certain scope.

"Pass the decree, Deputy Director Ren Xinsu of the Military Armory Division, public and private retaliation, chaos and disorder, undermining the foundation of the state, confiscate property, family execution!"

These brief four characters "confiscate property, family execution" were like a thunderbolt exploding directly over Ren Xinsu’s head, causing him to roll his eyes and faint on the spot.

Before this, it never crossed his wildest dreams that Ye Zhen would respond to his bullying in such a manner, leading to such an outcome!

"Minister Ban, in the Military Department, who is in charge of the Military Armory Division?" Suddenly, the emperor inquired.

"Your Majesty, the Military Armory Division... is under the charge of Right Assistant Minister Wang Zizhen."

As soon as these words were uttered, the Right Assistant Minister Wang Zizhen, who had previously confronted Ye Zhen, immediately crawled forward, confessing guilt, soaked in cold sweat within moments.

"Failure to discern people, lax management, ineffective control, you shouldn’t continue as Right Assistant Minister."

"Transmit my decree, Right Assistant Minister Wang Zizhen’s lax management leads to reassignment to the Human-Demon Battlefield, demoted by three ranks, not allowed to return to the central court for a hundred years!"

"Your servant... accepts the decree!"

Right Assistant Minister Wang Zizhen’s face turned as bitter as a bitter melon.

The rank of Right Assistant Minister in the Great Zhou is a high Second Rank official; it took him forty years to get promoted from Fourth Rank to Second Rank, costing countless wealth, and now he’s been returned to square one overnight, exiled to the Human-Demon Battlefield, prohibited from returning for a century.

The loss is indescribable.

Adding the position of Right Assistant Minister to the Second Rank, even if he can return, it might take over a hundred years to see any opportunity again.

"Minister Ban, you must thoroughly clean up your Military Department. If such ’rules’ appear again, you won’t have to attend court!" Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long sternly commanded.

"Yes, your servant accepts the decree!"

For a Minister of the Six Ministries, the emperor’s words were very strong, shocking all courtiers into respectful awe.

Upon hearing this, Ye Zhen secretly breathed a sigh of relief, as this originally unsolvable issue was finally resolved by him through an extremely shocking method, the risks of which were known to him alone.

Yet this incident itself demonstrated Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long’s exceptional political skills.

Everyone knew that Ren Xinsu couldn’t have done this on his own; there must be someone behind him.

Yet Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long raised the issue high and then gently let it fall, not pursuing the person behind it.

Most likely, Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long already had thoughts about the person behind Ren Xinsu.

"Changle, as the Hall Master of the Barbarian Spirit Hall and a royal noble of our Great Zhou, you should not participate in the Sky Wave Army; you should not go to the Demon Battlefield either.

If you went to the Demon Battlefield, wouldn’t I, as emperor, be a laughingstock for the Demon Clan?

The men of Great Zhou have not all perished; there’s no need for you, a princess, to go to the battlefield!"

Upon hearing Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long specifically emphasize this, the expressions of the courtiers became exceedingly peculiar, while Ye Zhen could only smile bitterly in secret.

Ye Zhen knew well that this was the emperor’s way of warning him and Princess Changle not to get too close.

"Your servant obeys!"

Subsequently, the already limp Ren Xinsu was dragged out by the Imperial Guard samurai, to be executed after the confiscation of his home.

As for Right Assistant Minister Wang Zizhen, he was stripped of his court attire on the spot, demoted from the central court, his status plummeting!

Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long also took his leave amid the courtiers’ respectful farewell, leaving just as Ye Zhen was about to rise and exit, when suddenly, Minister of Justice Feng Tingji walked over to Ye Zhen with a cheerful smile.

"Count Ye has quite the capability, in merely half a day, the Military Department saw two nobles toppled, and you even solved a major problem for yourself. Admirable, admirable!"

Ye Zhen was somewhat surprised, not knowing what the Minister of Justice meant, he could only muster a few dry laughs and was about to turn and leave.

"Count Ye mustn’t leave, having sounded the Sky-Shaking Drum, and beneath the Sky-Shaking Soul-Returning Whip, Count Ye must take a turn!" Minister of Justice Feng Tingji suddenly stated.

Ye Zhen’s face suddenly turned pale, recalling another matter.

Half an hour later, Ye Zhen was brought by a team of Imperial Guards to beneath the Sky-Shaking Drum, a ten-meter-long whip made from the sinew of an ancient demon dragon, reflecting blood light in the sunlight, looking especially terrifying.

According to the ancestral system of Great Zhou, once the Sky-Shaking Drum is sounded, and if not executed by the Sky-Shaking Thirteen Executions, after discussions, one must take a turn beneath the Sky-Shaking Soul-Returning Whip.

This is a punishment for disturbing the Holy Son of Heaven of Great Zhou, and also serves as a deterrent to prevent anyone from knocking on the Sky-Shaking Drum randomly.

And according to different cultivation levels, the number of strikes from the Soul-Returning Whip is different; for ordinary civilians, it’s only one strike.

Yet even that one strike could take half a life.

As for a peak Ninth Stage Realm King like Ye Zhen, three hundred Soul-Returning Whips!

Each strike of the Soul-Returning Whip is equivalent to the full power blow of an Early Stage Realm King!

If these three hundred whips were used on an ordinary Ninth Stage Realm King, it would at least result in severe injury, if not death on the spot.

Because under these three hundred Soul-Returning Whips, one can only take it with their body, unable to use spiritual power for defense.

Of those struck by the Sky-Shaking Drum and killed on the spot by the Soul-Returning Whip, more than a third were killed.

"Count Ye, please," the Ministry of Justice official supervising the execution urged.

Ye Zhen turned and looked towards Princess Changle in the distance, smiling bitterly, "Hall Master, you should head back first."

"Don’t worry about me, I’m fine."

"But these three hundred Soul-Returning Whips... I’m worried... if something happens, I can help with the treatment..." Princess Changle hesitated.

"But with you here, I’m really in trouble." Ye Zhen chuckled bitterly.

Princess Changle was puzzled, "Why would I cause trouble by being here?"

The Ministry of Justice official next to them couldn’t sit still and whispered an explanation, "Your Highness, the Soul-Returning Whip requires stripping of clothing and armor."

"Stripping of clothing and armor?" Princess Changle seemed to understand.

Seeing Ye Zhen’s bitter smile, Princess Changle left reluctantly.

Just as she left and a group of Imperial Guards were about to strip Ye Zhen of his clothing and armor, Princess Changle ran back and put down a bottle of pills, "If you can’t hold on, take one!"

The eyes of the supervising official and executing Imperial Guards flashed with envy, surprised that this guy could receive the care of Princess Changle.

Perhaps because of this, during the following three hundred Soul-Returning Whips, Ye Zhen felt that these executing guards were particularly enthusiastic in their efforts.

Sparks flew from Ye Zhen’s bare buttocks, leaving the guards dumbfounded.

It was the first time they’d seen such a strong body, taking a hundred lashes without leaving a single red mark.

Ye Zhen’s Black Dragon Tyrant Body was no joke.

Now Ye Zhen’s Black Dragon Tyrant Body cultivated the Dragon Scale False Body, with physical strength comparable to a High Grade Suppressing Device; the Soul-Returning Whip, which is equivalent to an Early Stage Realm King’s full power strike, couldn’t hurt Ye Zhen.

In other words, as long as no secret techniques are used, Ye Zhen could stand there without moving, and an Early Stage Realm King couldn’t harm Ye Zhen with just their body.

This is the strength of the Black Dragon Tyrant Body.

However, to advance further with Ye Zhen’s current Third Stage cultivation of the Black Dragon Tyrant Body, a huge amount of higher-grade Dragon Clan Blood Essence is needed to enhance it.

The last time, Ye Zhen used the Essence Blood of a Five-clawed Silver Dragon, beyond that, it’s even harder to find.

Half an hour later, the supervising official of the Ministry of Justice and a group of executing Imperial Guards stared, slack-jawed, as Ye Zhen, seemingly unharmed, dressed and walked away.

....

Inside the Eastern Warm Pavilion of Luoyi Imperial Palace, Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long sat with a somber expression, while Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu and Chief Eunuch Yu Chao’en stood there without daring to speak.

"Have you found out? Who exactly instructed Ren Xinsu to deliberately harm the Heavenly Wave Army of North Sea?" Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long asked.

"Your Majesty, this Ren Xinsu was personally promoted by Minister Ban, his record is very clean," Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu said.

"Your Majesty, in the Secret Overseer’s archive, Ren Xinsu was in contact with at least three Princes and two Imperial Princes, but only contact. It’s currently unknown who’s instructing him," Yu Chao’en whispered.

"Imperial Princes and Princes, both involved?"

Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long sneered, "It seems they all see Ye Zhen as a thorn in their side!"

"Hmph, fine, since you all see him as a thorn, I will not let you have your way!"

"Remember, from now on, anything regarding Ye Zhen must be reported to me immediately, also, pay special attention to him on the Human-Demon Battlefield, understand?"

"I understand!"

"This old servant understands!" both Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu and Yu Chao’en responded.

After enduring the three hundred Soul-Returning Whips, Ye Zhen did not return to Barbarian Spirit Hall but instead proceeded to the Military Armory Division.

Half a day later, Ye Zhen arrived again at the Military Armory Division, where the officers looked at him as if they’d seen a ghost.

In just half a day, the entire Military Armory had been turned upside down, who wouldn’t be afraid?

Without Ye Zhen even needing to speak, the current Deputy Director of the Armory Division voluntarily handled everything for Ye Zhen.

The regular military equipment, armor, flag drum talisman seals, and logistical supplies for the 120,000 troops of the Heavenly Wave Army of North Sea were all handed over to Ye Zhen in half an hour.

Despite receiving these, Ye Zhen did not feel the slightest sense of relief.

The previous difficulties were just an appetizer; once Ye Zhen’s Heavenly Wave Army began its march, or when it reached the Human-Demon Battlefield, the real danger would arrive!