Chapter 158: Reward Reaped, Audacious Deed

【The heavenly drum rang nine times in succession!】

【Lu Yu did not strike again.】

【Shortly after, the pure white sea eagle glided back silently, landing lightly on your shoulder—its hawk eyes sharp yet lively, claws tightly clutching a small scroll of paper.】

【You slowly unrolled it!】

【Wei Yue glanced at the hawk, curious, but inadvertently caught sight of a few lines of tiny script on the scroll.】

【She only saw the first few lines!】

【"Zhuque Gate, troops surround the city, imperial prince enters the capital."】

【And at the very bottom, a single name: "Dai Zhong!"】

【Wei Yue quickly looked away.】

【Yet she wondered—tomorrow, Zhuque Gate opens; isn't that the entrance under the command of the Commander of the Imperial Guards?】

【Why are troops surrounding the city?】

【Dai Zhong isn't the Minister of Justice? The highest-ranking official in the Dalisi.】

【Seeing this, Wei Yue suddenly felt that this journey to the capital had been under her cousin's control all along.】

【But!】

【How could just her cousin and two others stand against such forces in the capital?】

【She simply couldn't understand.】

【After reading the scroll, you found yourself curious—this Minister of Rites, Xie Chunan, was quite an interesting man?】

【Xie Chunan's life was peculiar: he once studied at Guiguzi, delved into Yin-Yang, became a disciple of a great Confucian scholar, then shaved his head and took Buddhist vows.】

【Eventually, he returned to lay life, married, and had children.】

【At this moment!】

【Lu Yu whispered to you: troops are marching through the streets outside, and several have already entered the Imperial City Bureau!】

【You nodded slightly.】

【Looking at the Imperial City Bureau now, its walls towering and deep, its gate facing south for the people.】

【Once, this was where commoners came to plead their grievances; now, all had changed beyond recognition.】

【In the days of the High Ancestor's reign, justice was clear and fair—any commoner with injustice could strike the drum to cry out for redress.】

【No need for the Imperial City Bureau—the government offices themselves delivered justice!】

【Back then, beneath the heavenly drum, righteousness shone brightly; the people held deep reverence and love for the High Ancestor, and thus rarely rang the drum—a symbol of the Son of Heaven's moral failure.】

【Now, times have changed—this heavenly drum has become a prop the emperor uses to boast of his benevolence and good governance. How ironic.】

【You gazed at the now-meaningless drum and said calmly: "This drum no longer needs to exist. It must be destroyed."】

【Upon hearing this, Lu Yu's fingertips twitched slightly—a slender thread of crisp spiritual energy gathered at his tip, then released gently, striking the drum and exploding violently.】

【There was a thunderous "BOOM!"—a horrifying hole tore through the drumhead; then, as if stripped of all support, the entire drum slowly collapsed, crumbling into useless wood shavings and iron fragments.】

【The air still hummed with lingering spiritual energy.】

【You were secretly astonished—Lu Yu's mastery of spiritual energy was truly extraordinary.】

【Even three Grand Masters couldn't match him!】

【No one in the world could possibly stand against him.】

【Prompt: Congratulations! You have received two strands of Woxuanmuqi. Collect after the ten-year simulation ends.】

The light screen atop the great tripod gradually stabilized, revealing a string of text.

Yu Ke stared intently, his heart filled with immense joy.

This mysterious and precious mother energy was undoubtedly a great boon to his cultivation.

Yu Ke looked at the prompt, puzzled once more.

Another strand of Woxuanmuqi?

So strange!

This journey out of Mount Zhongnan had yielded much, yet he'd received Woxuanmuqi repeatedly within just a few days.

Now he had six strands total—collectible after the ten-year simulation ends.

These six strands should be enough for him to complete one full Great Cycle.

His confidence in achieving Foundation Establishment grew stronger!

Why did shattering the heavenly drum grant this?

The death of a Grand Master made sense—it was like killing a monster for loot.

But shattering the heavenly drum—what was that?

Unlocking a location in the game.

No!

Yu Ke suddenly realized—could it be fate?

The heavenly drum's existence was tied to the fate of Daqing.

But something felt off.

When Lu Chen led the Lu family army to shatter thirty thousand Northern Winds, he received only one strand of Woxuanmuqi.

Yet this event, which altered the fate of the realm, yielded less than shattering the drum.

That doesn't add up.

Yu Ke glanced at the ancient tripod, suspicion stirring in his mind.

"Ah Ding, did you undergo a super-evolution?"

After his two ten-year simulations, spiritual energy revived.

The third simulation's reward was directly upgraded.

Now, in the fourth simulation, the rewards have exploded.

Either way—it's good.

Yu Ke didn't dwell on it—he continued the simulation.

【Zhang Lin watched this scene, eyes hollow, murmuring: "It's all over…"】

【At this moment, despair filled his heart.】

【If the heavenly drum is shattered, what meaning remains for the Imperial City Bureau?】

【Xie Ling's face was as pale as paper—he finally understood the Young Protector's true intent: not to accuse the emperor, but to use the heavenly drum as a catalyst to stir chaos in the capital.】

【Strike the heavenly drum—the capital trembles.】

【Think of it!】

【Outside, countless commoners, drawn by the drum's sound, had gathered before the Imperial City Bureau.】

【"Bad!"】

【As Xie Ling thought this, shouts erupted outside.】

【The gate guard rushed in, urgently reporting!】

【"Commanders, the Dalisi has arrived!"】

【Xie Ling hadn't expected this—so soon?】

【The Dalisi arrived this fast?】

【Whenever trouble struck the capital, the Dalisi always showed up.】

【They were sharper than a dog's nose.】

【It takes at least half a stick of incense to reach the Imperial City Bureau from the Dalisi —how could they be here so fast?】

【Unless!】

【The Dalisi had already been stationed at the Imperial City Bureau.】

【Now that the heavenly drum has been struck, how could they not come?】

【Xie Ling hurriedly ordered: "Quick! Close the main gate!"】

【"No one gets in today—not even if they shout!"】

【The gate guard's face turned tense, stammering: "It's… already…"】

【Xie Ling was usually mild-mannered, but now he lost patience—he kicked the guard down.】

【The guard tumbled to the ground, frantically crying: "Sir, it's… it's too late—the Dalisi people are already inside!"】

【At this moment!】

【"Master Xie, are you so unwelcoming to our visit?"】

【A cold voice came from the doorway.】

【Xie Ling's gaze fixed on the entrance.】

【There!】

【Three men entered first, followed by several Yawei in crimson robes, swords in hand.】

【They radiated menace.】

【Zhang Lin had risen to his feet, now alert, staring at the three.】

【"This is the Imperial City Bureau's domain— Dalisi has no right to act here."】

【"Get the hell out!"】

【Xie Ling's eyes turned dark.】

【The three from Dalisi —the man in the center, clad in red, cold-faced, was the Minister of Justice.】

On the left was the Vice Minister of the Dalisi, an old man with a white beard.

On the right was a handsome young man.

You slowly turned around, and one of the three was someone you knew.

The young man on the right was Wang Shi'an, the grandson of Wang Yang, whom you had met at the city gate.

Wang Shi'an saw the Heavenly Drum destroyed and recognized you here.

He frowned slightly and said sternly, "Shao Bao, you are audacious beyond measure."

"You show no respect for the Daqing legal code."

(End of Chapter)