Chapter 62: Delayed Thunder

Yongze sneered lightly, “Tyrant? Yes, ah, I am a tyrant. But the deed is done; what's the point of your crying now?”

Lin Shifei looked pained: “Lord, no matter what mistakes Ruiquan may have made, he was still the leader of the Qiankun Sect. Now that he is dead, why… why humiliate him further?”

The crowd echoed in agreement, “Yes, ah! Even the worst criminals executed by the blade are not fed to beasts. And he was the leader of a sect.”

“Remember how our former lord often praised Ruiquan for his diligence and loyalty? He guarded South Emperor Mountain for many years. Even if he was hot-tempered and straightforward, he doesn’t deserve this treatment.”

Cui Ruishan, sobbing uncontrollably, covered his face with a handkerchief and cried out towards the palace gate, “Shixiong! It's my incompetence for not being able to even retrieve your whole body…”

Yongze watched his pitiful crying with amusement: “The dead cannot come back to life. What do you need his whole body for? Better to feed it to my leopard, the Prime Minister, a sign of loyalty.”

The crowd was stunned. Someone exclaimed, “How can you say that!”

Yongze said, “Oh? Did I say something wrong? Can the dead come back to life? Or does Cui Ruiquan's body serve some special purpose?”

Lin Shifei said, “Naturally, people can't come back to life, but he was—” 

Yongze glanced at him with a smile, “But he was the leader of the Qiankun Sect and shouldn’t be left exposed like this. Isn’t that what you mean?”

Lin Shifei, being directly confronted, had to nod, “Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.”

Yongze led the leopard back to his seat, “You all respect Cui Ruiquan because he came from the Four Mountains and had great skills, but you’re wrong. He was actually a vile villain.”

An elder asked, “What does the Lord mean by this?”

The leopard jumped onto the throne and lay down on the golden fur. Yong Ze leaned against it, looking drunk, “Cui Ruiquan came to see me under the pretence of commemorating the former lord. I hosted him here, but instead of being grateful, he called me a ‘useless wastrel’ in front of everyone. I advised him to be careful with his words, but he claimed I wanted to harm him. He even drew his sword and attacked me. I had no choice but to kill him first.”

Someone said, “That’s impossible! Ruiquan-xiong was always respectful and never overstepped his bounds. How could he suddenly draw a sword against you?”

Yongze, resting his head on his hand, replied arrogantly, “Who knows? Maybe your sect from South Emperor Mountain has been harbouring rebellious thoughts, and he finally couldn't hold it in.”

Fu Zheng, entranced by Yongze’s appearance, suddenly came to his senses and hastily covered his reaction with a cup of wine: “Ruiquan-xiong had no rebellious thoughts, Lord—”

Yongze’s gaze made him panic, spilling his wine. He stammered, unable to speak coherently.

The Heavenly Sea Imperial Lord flicked his wine cup with a mocking gesture but remained silent, his thoughts unreadable under his helmet. The previous Heavenly Sea Imperial Lord was known for being talkative, but this one was a closed book.

Seeing the Heavenly Sea Imperial Lord's silence, the elder spoke, “Lord, a few drunken words at a banquet can’t prove Cui Ruiquan was a traitor. And if he truly had rebellious intentions, why would he come alone to see you? I believe he must have been drunk…”

Yongze said, “I am the ruler, and he is my subject. If I tolerate his drunken insults, what’s the point of being a ruler? He dared to call me ‘useless’ in public, so I made him a ‘dead man’ in public. That’s how we maintain harmony between ruler and subject.”

His outrageous words and arrogant tone angered everyone. Someone slammed the table and shouted, “What harmony? This is just you using drunkenness as an excuse to kill an innocent man! Ruiquan-xiong was a good person, and you’re slandering him even after his death. I can’t stand this!”

Another person agreed, “That’s right! We respect and serve Queen Ming Yao, not you, tyrant. If you are cruel and unjust, don’t blame us for being unrighteous!”

Yongze asked, “Oh? How will you be unrighteous?”

The old man stood and bowed to the Heavenly Sea Imperial Lord, “We ask the Imperial Lord for the Silver Command of Heaven's Punishment!”

Yongze chuckled, “I wondered why the Imperial Lord was here. It turns out you want to use his Silver Command of Heaven’s Punishment. But I’ve heard it only works with the Heavenly Sea Imperial Guards. If you take it, it won’t count.”

The Heavenly Sea Imperial Lord, guarding the Heavenly Sea, holds the Silver Command of Heaven’s Punishment, said to command the Heavenly Sea Imperial Guards and could even punish gods causing chaos.

The elder said, “We came to the capital for an explanation, but the Lord’s behaviour shows no remorse. So we must use the Silver Command of Heaven’s Punishment to make you step down and be admonished!”

“To be admonished” was originally for punishing ministers by kings. But since the third king of the Baiwei dynasty, it became a way to punish erring rulers. The third king, Ming Zhuo, was also tyrannical and was whipped by various sects for his failures until he repented and became a good king.

Now, they wanted to use the Silver Command of Heaven’s Punishment to whip Yongze back to the right path.

Yongze stroked the leopard, ''To be admonished, I have to remove my crown and clothes, and I also have to kneel in front of the temple, and now that it's raining so heavily, I'm really too lazy to get up. Besides, the Heavenly Sea Imperial Lord has such a strong physique, if he whips me, how can I endure?”

Seeing his willingness to compromise, Lin Shifei said, “Lord, if you repent now, it’s not too late. Just apologise to the Qiankun Sect and return Ruiquan-xiong’s body, and we can let this go.”

Yongze said, “This leopard grew up with me and is the Prime Minister of the court. How can I kill it? Your method is too cruel; I can’t do it.”

The crowd was furious, thinking he was ruthless in killing Cui Ruiquan but reluctant to harm the leopard. They felt mocked.

One person shouted, “Why bother talking nonsense with him? Everyone, drag him off the throne, strip and beat him!”

Lin Shifei said, “Wait! This is the capital with the Moon God’s blessing. We need to inform the Moon God before punishing the ruler.”

Fu Zheng, avoiding Yongze’s gaze, finally supported Lin Shifei, “Exactly! He’s still the ruler, and the palace has the Moon God’s blessing. Acting rashly could bring divine punishment.”

Cui Ruishan, who had fainted, woke up and wiped his face, “Fu-xiong, why are you defending him? We agreed to make him pay today.”

Fu Zheng said, “I—” 

Cui Ruishan said, “Are you swayed by his looks? I told you, your determination is weak, which is why your skills lag.”

Fu Zheng, embarrassed, fell silent. Cui Ruishan stopped crying and put away his handkerchief, “You asked him to apologise, and he refused. You asked him to return my Shixiong’s body, but he refused. What else can we do but force him to receive punishment?”

He stood up, hand on his sword, “With the Imperial Lord here, punishing him doesn’t break the rules. The Silver Command of Heaven's Punishment can even decapitate gods, so taking him down is nothing. Ming Zhuo, will you come down or be dragged?”

Yongze found it amusing, “I choose neither.”

Someone said, “You don’t get to choose! Ruishan-xiong, let’s take him down!”

Yongze smiled, “You dare to drag the ruler, not fearing the Moon God’s wrath?”

The elder sighed, “Lord, times have changed. Since the former lord took over, the Moon God no longer interferes. Using His name won’t help you escape.”

Cui Ruishan said, “Since the Sun God disappeared, the Ming clan has produced nothing but failures. Even the Moon God won’t help you now. Ming Zhuo, where is my Shixiong’s body‽”

Yongze said, “Why are you so obsessed with your Shixiong’s corpse? Can it help you become a god? Too bad, I already have long since chopped him into mincemeat and fed it all to the Prime Minister.”

Cui Ruishan, enraged, gripped his sword, “If I don’t avenge this, how can the Qiankun Sect stand? Ming Zhuo, I will kill you!”

Lin Shifei intervened, “There is still the Moon God’s blessing in the palace. Don’t speak carelessly!”

Cui Ruishan said, "What kind of blessing is this? I've already sent someone to check it out, what's being offered in the Divine Palace now is just a fake that the Ming Clan is using to cover their ears! Ming Zhuo, who do you think you can hide this from? Everyone already knows!”

Yongze said, "So, the reason your Shixiong dared to attack me in the hall is because he knew the blessings in the Divine Palace were fake, which gave him the courage to try to kill me." 

"How could Ruiquan-xiong want to kill you!" 

"It must be because you, this tyrant, did something heinous!"

Yongze hooked his finger around the wine jug, looking at them with disdain. "This explains everything. Cui Ruiquan died first, and you took the opportunity to enter the capital. You planned to seize this chance to capture me and then use the pretext of a reprimand to whip me for several days. My spiritual roots are poor, and my cultivation is weak. If I couldn't endure the punishment, you could justifiably take over the Divine Palace. From then on, the Ming clan would be replaced by Underworld Ghosts, and none of you would ever have to bow to anyone again."

Lin Shifei, trying to save face, said, “It can’t be said like that…”

The elder said, “Since you understand, come down yourself!”

Yongze’s gaze shifted to the Heavenly Sea Imperial Lord, “Without the Imperial Lord’s approval, you wouldn’t dare come. It seems he supports my punishment.”

The Imperial Lord poured his drink, then spilt it on the ground, “…Quite clever, a toast to you.”

Cui Ruishan said, "There are tens of thousands of disciples outside Pei Du waiting in readiness. Ming Zhuo, the rain is so heavy, didn't you hear the footsteps? The entire Divine Palace, inside and out, is already filled with our people."

Yongze said, "The rain is so heavy, did you not hear the footsteps well?"

Everyone was stunned for a moment. Yongze threw aside the wine jug. The leopard, upon receiving the signal, rose from the throne. Its golden eyes, identical to its master’s, were cold and filled with murderous intent.

"Kill them all," Yongze commanded, his posture unchanged. "Leave no one alive."

The sound of the rain intensified, resembling a death knell. The powder-faced official servants beside them drew their swords and charged at Fu Zheng.

Caught off guard, everyone had believed that victory was within their grasp tonight, not anticipating Yongze’s preparation. As the veils flew, they saw a flash of cold light: the attendants serving the wine were all Baiwei warriors!

Lin Shifei dropped his brush, painting spells in mid-air. "Tumultuous Wave!"

But the ink splattered, and the spell failed to form. He grasped his brush, pale with fear. "No, there’s a divine prohibition here. Spells won't work!"

The divine prohibition is an ancient forbidden area; once entered, no divine power can be used! This is because ancient gods were notoriously temperamental, never allowing the divine energy of other deities to flow within their territory.

Cui Ruishan said, "Heavens, it's not a divine prohibition, just spirit suppression!"

With the highest cultivation among them, he drew his sword, his body covered in a green light. The Qiankun Sect traditionally worshipped the wind god Qingying, said to be the nose of the Jiao Mother. It was believed that with each flap of Qingying’s wings, the fate of everyone in the world would change. Thus, the swords of the Qiankun Sect always emitted a resonant sound when drawn.

The powder-faced official servants had already killed several people and were now clashing with Cui Ruishan.

Fu Zheng was struck, clutching his abdomen and collapsing to the ground. Eyes wide open, he shouted, "It’s an ambush, quick, think of a way..."

Baiwei warriors continued their slaughter, the scent of blood permeating the hall. An elder, wounded, pleaded, "Imperial Lord, Ming Zhuo is mad. Please, act in accordance with the heavens!"

The Heavenly Sea Imperial Lord took a long stride, stepping over the elder. He raised his arm, stretching his muscles, ignoring everyone else, and approached the steps. "Did you kill Cui Ruishan?"

Yongze, no, Ming Zhuo, slightly raised his chin, his amber eyes cold. "Yes, I killed Cui Ruishan."

The Heavenly Sea Imperial Lord said, "I heard he had extraordinary cultivation, a rare expert."

Ming Zhuo replied, "An expert? He was nothing more than mud."

The leopard prowled on the steps, its golden eyes fixed on the Heavenly Sea Imperial Lord, sensing danger. Its back arched, growling a warning.

They stared at each other, one high, one low, across the steps. Ming Zhuo leaned forward slightly, mocking, "You wear a helmet because you're afraid to show your face?"

The Heavenly Sea Imperial Lord responded, "You sit on the throne because you’re afraid to come down?"

The wine jug rolled down the steps, the slaughter in the hall continuing unabated. It was unclear who moved first, but in the blink of an eye, both were gone from their original spots.

Rainwater poured down—

The Heavenly Sea Imperial Lord’s arm felt heavy, being stepped on by Ming Zhuo. The notorious tyrant, known for his poor spiritual roots and low cultivation, leapt up, aiming a fierce kick at the Imperial Lord's helmet!

Pēng!

The Heavenly Sea Imperial Lord tilted his head to block. "No fire cultivation?"

Ming Zhuo replied, "Curious?"

He grasped the air beside him, and with a crackling sound, purple lightning coiled like a snake in his hand, quickly forming into a spear!

It was incantationless lightning!

A stormy day was perfect for lightning, and Pei Du was named for its constant rain. With his red robe billowing, Ming Zhuo’s spear struck the Heavenly Sea Imperial Lords several times.

Pēng!

The Heavenly Sea Imperial Lord caught the spear with his bare hands, the "manji" symbol on his ring spinning. He crushed the lightning spear with his grip! Lightning arced through his fingers as water droplets splashed Ming Zhuo’s robes as a palm struck his forehead.

The lightning exploded with a flash.

Ming Zhuo clasped his helmet with one hand, "Take it off—"

Pa!

The Heavenly Sea Imperial Lord grabbed Ming Zhuo’s wrist, stopping him. The person under the helmet spoke lazily, "Lord, you’re too rough."

Thunder roared overhead. The tyrant never missed what he wanted to see. The more the Imperial Lord resisted, the more Ming Zhuo wanted to remove the helmet! Violet light flashed again as Ming Zhuo’s wrist twisted in the Imperial Lord’s grasp, three fingers reaching from his chin to his throat.

Pēng——!

The Heavenly Sea Imperial Lord flipped him to the ground, water splashing. The spikes on his ring pressed against Ming Zhuo’s throat.

The knot of Ming Zhuo’s throat moved, rainwater trickling down his neck. The silver ring was menacing, the chain dangling, cold against his skin. He didn’t retreat but advanced, letting the spike pierce his skin, blood oozing out.

"Won't let me see?" He spoke playfully, cracking his knuckles. "Then what's the point? You die too."

Thunder crashed above, a furious dragon of lightning descending towards the Imperial Lord!

The Author Has Something to Say

In this chapter, only the bad guys die. The details will be gradually explained in the following chapters. (Just a quiet reminder to prevent any misunderstandings, thank you for reading.)