Chapter 430 - 406: Men from the Ministry of Justice (Part 2)

Chapter 430: Chapter 406: Men from the Ministry of Justice (Part 2)

Han Changnian glanced at Bai Yuan. "I hear that Vice Sect Leader Xia Han of the Celestial Profound Sect has been missing for days. Lord Bai should be privy to the details."

Bai Yuan looked puzzled. "Xia Han is missing?"

Seeing Bai Yuan’s expression, Han Changnian let out an exasperated laugh. "Lord Bai, with skills like that, you’d be a big hit at an Art Studio."

He refused to believe that Bai Yuan had nothing to do with Xia Han’s disappearance.

Bai Yuan blinked.

’I’m shocked, too.’ The Celestial Profound Sect had always kept the matter regarding Xia Han under a tight seal, yet Han Changnian had still found out.

There was a reason the Xuan Yang Court had been able to rule this land for thousands of years.

Their methods alone were something no ordinary major sect or clan could replicate.

Han Changnian didn’t dwell on the matter of Xia Han. "His Majesty ordered me here to conduct a thorough investigation. The assassination of a court official is a capital offense, punishable by the extermination of the nine relations."

Bai Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

’A game of nine-kin elimination?’

’How interesting.’

’The Emperor, Li Chengyuan, was clearly using this as a pretext to make his move against the Celestial Profound Sect. I just didn’t expect him to be so ruthless—starting with the extermination of nine relations right off the bat.’

’But I figured Li Chengyuan probably wouldn’t take things to such an extreme in the end.’

’If the other major sects saw the fate of the Celestial Profound Sect, they would likely fight to the bitter end. At that point, even Li Chengyuan would have a hard time cleaning up the mess.’

A cold glint flashed in Han Changnian’s eyes.

Though the Xuan Yang Dynasty appeared to be at its peak, its national fortune had actually stagnated.

A major reason for this was that the Jianghu had siphoned away too much of its destiny.

As a court official, he was also affected by this.

If the national fortune were to fall too drastically, even some powerful Confucian practitioners who had already achieved breakthroughs would have their cultivation levels drop.

Although the process was very slow, and he wouldn’t live to see such a sight before his own life came to an end, it didn’t stop him from being mindful of the potential danger and safeguarding the future for generations to come.

"Lord Bai, why don’t we pay a visit to the Celestial Profound Sect today?"

"Alright."

...

In the main hall of the Celestial Profound Sect, the atmosphere was extremely tense.

All the masters of the Celestial Profound Sect, including Linghu Yang, were staring intently at the few court officials standing in the center of the hall.

Linghu Yang spoke slowly, "Lord Han, Lord Bai, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit to our Celestial Profound Sect?"

He knew full well why these two had come.

One was Han Changnian, who had broken through to the Mingxin realm a hundred years ago and whose combat prowess was in no way inferior to his own. The other was Bai Yuan, a rising star. Even for someone like him, the pressure was immense.

Not to mention, the others were also Mingxin Grandmasters.

He hadn’t expected the Court to make such a bold move right from the start.

Han Changnian’s tone was calm, without the slightest fluctuation of emotion.

"Lord Bai was targeted for assassination by a rogue from Ximo. The act was heinous, and His Majesty is furious."

"I am investigating this case under imperial orders and have discovered that the culprit seems to be connected to your sect’s Master Xia Han."

Linghu Yang smiled faintly. "My sect has always been loyal and righteous; we would never do something so foul. As for Sect Leader Xia... he has been missing for many days. I am unaware of his whereabouts."

He had clearly made up his mind to pin all the blame on Xia Han.

’In all likelihood, Xia Han is already dead anyway. Might as well make the most of his usefulness.’

Han Changnian sneered, his official authority flaring. "And what if Sect Master Linghu was the one who had a moment of confusion?"

What kind of man was Linghu Yang? He naturally wouldn’t be intimidated by a single sentence from Han Changnian. His expression unchanging, he said, "Lord Han must be joking. Everyone in my sect, from top to bottom, is a good, law-abiding person."

Han Changnian continued to sneer. He took a palm-sized notebook from his robes.

With a flick of his right hand, he tossed the notebook to Linghu Yang.

Linghu Yang frowned slightly. He caught the notebook and, with a flick of his wrist, shook it open.

The pages were filled with densely packed characters. One entry stood out: "Celestial Profound Sect. One Lifespan Extension Pill. Kill Bai Yuan."

Han Changnian stared coldly at Linghu Yang. "Sect Master Linghu, this was found at the home of the Shi Family of Ximo. Do you have anything else to say?"

Linghu Yang’s expression turned ugly.

’Right now, I wish I could drag Jiu Moshi out of the Underworld and kill him all over again.’

’What kind of self-respecting assassin keeps a damn diary?!!’

But he quickly understood. The Celestial Profound Sect had clearly been set up by Jiu Moshi.

Jiu Moshi had likely left this notebook behind with the intention of using it to threaten his client into rescuing him if he ever got into trouble.

But Jiu Moshi hadn’t anticipated being killed on the spot by Bai Yuan, without even a chance to call for help.

And so, it had become the perfect piece of evidence for Han Changnian.

Linghu Yang snorted coldly. "This was all Xia Han’s doing. I knew nothing about it."

Han Changnian was unfazed.

Even before coming to the Celestial Profound Sect, he had expected Linghu Yang to react this way.

Using a scapegoat who was already dead was undoubtedly the best solution.

"Sect Master Linghu, according to the Profound Sun Law, the assassination of a second-grade court official is punishable by the extermination of the nine relations."

Han Changnian delivered these words with resounding force.

As the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, his words carried an extra layer of deterrence.

His words caused the expressions of all the Celestial Profound Sect masters present to change.

The extermination of the nine relations... This would include almost all of Xia Han’s relatives. And Xia Han came from a major clan within the Celestial Profound Sect; over half the sect’s disciples were related to him in some way. If the nine relations were truly exterminated, the Celestial Profound Sect would be finished.

Linghu Yang clenched his jaw, meeting Han Changnian’s gaze.

Han Changnian met Linghu Yang’s glare with an indifferent expression.

Others might fear Linghu Yang, but as the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, he had nothing to fear.

After all, he had come here specifically to make trouble for the Celestial Profound Sect.

Just as the two sides were locked in a standoff, a voice came from outside the hall. "Lord Han, it’s been a while."

Seeing the newcomer, Han Changnian’s sneer deepened. "Well, look who it is. If it isn’t Vice Sect Master Liu."

The speaker was none other than Liu Chongde, the Vice Sect Leader of the Zhengyang Sect, who had recently arrived in Lingzhou.

Although Liu Chongde had never stepped foot inside the hall, he had heard everything clearly. If Xia Han’s nine relations were truly annihilated, the Jianghu would lose a major sect capable of checking the Court’s power. Of course, he would not allow such a thing to happen.

"I was just passing by and happened to overhear your conversation. I hope you’ll permit me to say a few words."

Han Changnian glanced at Liu Chongde.

He had long known that this Vice Sect Leader of the Zhengyang Sect had come to the Celestial Profound Sect. His appearance today was fully expected.

Liu Chongde smiled. "The Grand Ancestor Emperor once said, ’Jianghu matters are settled in the Jianghu.’ The affair between the Celestial Profound Sect’s Master Xia Han and Lord Bai is a personal grudge from the Jianghu. To my knowledge, Vice Sect Master Xia acted because of a feud that began when Lord Bai was the Sect Leader of the Divine Mansion Sect in Ling Province. He was not targeting Lord Bai’s official position. Therefore, he should not be condemned under the Profound Sun Law."

"The extermination of nine relations goes against the harmony of heaven. Lord Han, I urge you to reconsider."

Han Changnian’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Liu Chongde’s words had taken him by surprise.

It was true, the Grand Ancestor Emperor had indeed said those words. The Court placed the greatest importance on ancestral systems, so for the other party to bring this up did give their argument some merit.

And Bai Yuan had indeed served as the Sect Leader of the Divine Mansion Sect in Ling Province.

According to intelligence from the Ministry of Justice, the two sides did have some history.

Xia Han’s attack might not have been related to this, but Bai Yuan’s past experience had become an excellent excuse for them.

With this excuse, the most they could do was execute Xia Han, which wouldn’t cause much damage to the Celestial Profound Sect.

He looked at the warmly smiling Liu Chongde.

Clearly, the Zhengyang Sect had put a great deal of effort into this.

In the end, it was Bai Yuan’s own past that had given the other side this opportunity to exploit.

If Bai Yuan had followed the clean path of a scholar, Liu Chongde wouldn’t have been able to dismiss the incident as "Jianghu matters are settled in the Jianghu." But Han Changnian clearly had no intention of dropping the matter over a single sentence.

"Assassinating a court official is a capital offense. How can it be pardoned so lightly?"

Seeing this, Liu Chongde maintained his beaming smile. "Lord Han, you’re mistaken. This was clearly nothing more than a private Jianghu squabble, not fit for public display."

He was adamant, mainly because Bai Yuan’s situation was so unique.

It wasn’t unheard of for someone to first serve as a Jianghu Sect Leader and then become a high-ranking official.

But to then be the target of an assassination—he was truly the first such case in the current dynasty. As a precedent, there was naturally a great deal of room for debate.

Just as Han Changnian was about to continue his reprimand, Bai Yuan, who had been standing silently to the side, suddenly spoke.

"Since this is a Jianghu matter, then I will challenge Sect Master Linghu to a life-or-death duel."