Chapter 2: The Legalist of Another World

The entrance to Old Tai Cave looked like a gourd mouth embedded in the ground.

Following the tunnel for a few yards, the space suddenly opened up, vast to the point of being boundless at a glance.

The cave ceiling was embedded with natural fluorite, reflecting the deep, serene brilliance of the water pool on the ground, as if it were another world.

Even a well-traveled transmigrator like Zhang Gui widened his eyes in astonishment.

However, no matter how wonderful the scenery, after seeing it dozens or hundreds of times, it's just that.

The old clerks in the caravan began to build campfires, fetch water, and cook, preparing to rest.

Zhang Gui's friend was also someone who hadn't seen much, and he said to him in surprise and excitement:

"Truly a hidden cave beyond the winding path, Fugui.

This trip to Luan Ya was not in vain."

Zhang Gui came back to his senses, nodded, and whispered: "Indeed.

Jiujiang, you are a Steward, so stay here and enjoy the view. I'll find a place to relieve myself and fetch some water while I'm at it."

"The wind and snow outside are so fierce, my hands and feet are frozen numb. If you want to relieve yourself, just go; why fetch water?"

"You are a Steward, I am a clerk; our statuses are different, so how can we be the same? I can't ruin your reputation, can I?"

Hearing this, a strange feeling welled up in Zhang Jiujiang's heart, and he was speechless for a moment.

Zhang Gui, however, found a soft leather water skin, carried it, and walked toward the distance.

Although it was his first time at Old Tai Cave, he had already meticulously inquired about the path.

He walked west for a while, followed the underground river, and turned into another tunnel.

After walking another dozen steps, a square, ancient stone platform appeared before Zhang Gui.

Arriving at the spot, Zhang Gui's heart churned. Even though he rarely showed his emotions, he clenched his fists in excitement.

On the surface, he was an illegitimate son of an official family that passed down learning through farming, and he was not recognized.

Beneath the surface, he was the successor to the Stone Corpse King, one of the 148 Sovereigns of the borderlands enfeoffed by Zhao Zhusha, the founding emperor of the Ming Song Dynasty, over two hundred years ago.

Although enfeoffing barbarian tribal leaders at that time was merely an expedient measure for Emperor Zhao Zhu to seize the world, it was entirely a makeshift operation.

This can be seen from the name 'Stone Corpse King'.

A proper rebel leader, even one who started an uprising, wouldn't take such an inhuman, bird-like name.

But as long as the Ming Song Dynasty still existed and the Emperor hadn't issued a decree to revoke the enfeoffment of the 'Stone Corpse King',

according to the laws of the mysterious domain, Zhang Gui held the title of crown prince of a kingdom.

Even if time had passed like a shuttle and the seas had changed into mulberry fields.

Even Zhao Zhusha's own descendants, the hundreds of thousands of princes, founding generals, and clan members, were barely able to make ends meet, and it was the same for him.

Walking onto the high platform under the fluorescent light.

Zhang Gui opened his arms and whispered:

"I am the future and only ruler of the old kingdom 'Stone Corpse', passed down through generations according to legal tradition.

Here, I wish to practice new rules of civilization."

As the words fell, a slight tremor came from beneath his feet.

A moment later, a voice that was hard to distinguish as male or female sounded in Zhang Gui's heart:

"Young 'Nation Holder', what do you think makes a nation a nation?"

"Law."

"What is law?"

"Rules that regulate all public and private relationships between everyone in a country.

And when such rules appear, civilization is born."

"Is the civilization you wish to practice based on this?"

The voice in his heart asked again.

"Three points.

First, once a person is born in this country, they have the right to walk freely, forage, hunt, and live with dignity without hindering the rights of others.

Second, the private property of citizens is absolutely inviolable, and the laws regulating tax details cannot be retroactive.

Third, when a legal contradiction arises between the superior and the inferior in a country, the superior absolutely and must provide evidence to prove their innocence.

When the rights and evidence of both are equal, the inferior absolutely and must achieve judicial victory.

In summary, the administrative, tax, and military structures of a civilized country are all created by law.

And they should always be constrained by the judiciary."

The 'Knowledge Hindrance' seems like just a shift in thought, but it is actually the difference between a monkey's and a human's cognition of things.

Don't look at this short paragraph Zhang Gui said; in modern society, a middle school student could understand it.

But in an otherworldly world where royal power is generally greater than the law and slavery is still popular, it is a concept that points to the prototype of a brand-new civilization.

That is a brand-new path; even if it is extremely sloppy, even if it is simple to the extreme, it is a brand-new beginning!

Thus, the praise that had been silent for a thousand years sounded again:

"When humans were still eating raw meat and blood, they once used grass paths to weave ropes to record laws and form tribes; this is 'Knot Adjudication'."

Following this, scene after scene of clear images welled up in Zhang Gui's heart.

At night, a group of primitive people with thick black hair on their skin, hunched bodies like apes, long chins, and prominent brow ridges, sat around a campfire.

An old Yuanren with a gray beard and a solemn face cherished and rubbed a long rope tied with big and small knots.

He pointed at the angry-faced middle-aged ape-man opposite him and roared loudly.

The ape-men beside him subdued the middle-aged ape-man, threw him into the fire, and he turned into a charred corpse amidst the burnt fragrance of 'baba-ku'.

Thus, punishment was born.

Immediately after, the scene entered the next stage.

"War increased the number of slaves and formed classes, and at the same time, primitive writing was produced.

The victors erected stone tablets in the streets, which is 'Engraved Stone Legislation'.

And with this, they formed a country."

Amidst the mud roads and tree houses, a huge stone tablet was incomparably conspicuous.

Several warriors holding hammers smashed the skulls of several slaves and smeared the blood on the stone tablet.

The laws engraved in intaglio appeared, and the scholars on the side began to read them aloud to the people...

Subsequently, the Golden Codex, the Frontier Compact... and other images flowed through Zhang Gui's heart.

Finally, "The King is under the law, civil rights are born from heaven, powers are separated, citizens are supreme, the new path has been enlightened, praise to you, praise to your great new King.

The land promised by order and reason is hereby gifted to you; please write new glory!"

As the words fell, the whole earth began to tremble slightly.

A mysterious force surged into Zhang Gui's body, nourishing his soul and causing it to transform.

"Ignite the soul, use the ancient power of order as material, and forge new authority.

Inspired by your words, the three 'authorities' of judiciary, administration, and military are necessary for you to create your path..."

"No."

Zhang Gui interrupted the mysterious statement, "The core element of my path of civilization is only one thing, and that is 'capital', which symbolizes all material wealth.

And the only 'authority' that can correctly protect capital is law."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 3 =====