Chapter 306: The State Tutor

The Grand Palace of the Tianyang Star Palace.

The Tianyang Star Jun, returning from the Da Chen imperial palace, was extremely delighted.

He even held a banquet, summoning several Elders still within the Star Palace—including the Grand Elder Wang Kan—to drink and feast; the food was beyond compare, and teams of distinctive dancing girls continuously entered to perform.

Several of these dancing girls were exotic foreign dancers—some with wings, others with tails—but regardless of appearance, all were charming and extraordinarily beautiful.

The senior officials of the Tianyang Star Palace did not understand why the Star Jun was so happy, but they did not need to understand.

If the Star Jun was happy, everyone was happy.

So they simply joined in the joy.

The Tianyang Star Jun was happy for a reason.

Regarding the authority over the main towers of the Star Towers in various nations, most people had never encountered it and did not comprehend that level.

Only those who had obtained it could truly claim to have encountered it and understand what it truly represented.

It represented not merely the authority over the main towers of the Star Towers in various nations, but the true will of heaven and earth—or the very authority of heaven and earth!

Although the half percent obtained from Da Chen might equate to only two or three percent of the present world's heavenly will, it was still a tremendous advancement.

In the future, it would increase his chances of breaking through the ninth rank by half a percent.

Cheng Yuexiao had suffered a great loss this time.

A pit dug casually twenty years ago alongside the Cangming Star Jun had finally borne fruit.

And the fruit had been harvested into his own hands.

Cheng Yuexiao fundamentally did not understand imperial power.

Imperial power was always exclusive.

Either you completely subdue him, beat him into submission—like the current Emperor of Da Hong and the Emperor of Da Chu—looked upon as emperors before others, yet before him and the Cangming Star Jun, they all bowed their heads, even lacking the right to sit.

Cheng Yuexiao, however, wished to coexist peacefully with imperial power—how naive!

Yet this was tied to the original positioning of the precursor to the Da Chen State Dao Academy, and to the Academy's emergency mandate.

It was also tied to the pit they had casually dug.

"Gentlemen, drink up!"

The delighted Tianyang Star Jun raised his cup again.

Before he finished his wine, a starlight message arrived, instantly darkening the Tianyang Star Jun's face—the joy in his heart vanished by more than half.

He waved his hand; the dancing girls withdrew, and most departed, leaving only the Grand Elder.

A few breaths later, the Sixth Elder Xia Zhong appeared, enveloped in starlight.

Upon appearing, he startled the Grand Elder Wang Kan—Xia Zhong's aura was unstable, and from his chest downward, his body had vanished entirely; he was critically wounded, permanently maimed!

"My Lord, your servant has returned to report!" Xia Zhong bowed, his voice filled with sorrow.

"Quickly rise, quickly rise!"

The Tianyang Star Jun glanced at Xia Zhong's injuries and frowned—such wounds could be considered half-disabled.

"My Lord, your servant has not failed in his mission; I successfully killed Xu Jin. But Cheng Yuexiao arrived, enraged, and pursued me. Hu Jinsan tragically perished. I was gravely wounded but barely escaped with my life using a Spatial Seal!" Xia Zhong said.

The Tianyang Star Jun's expression instantly became complex.

It was joy, shock, and grief all at once.

Joy: the future prodigy of Da Chen, Xu Jin, had finally been eliminated!

A future threat was gone.

But shock: the Tianyang Star Palace had suffered heavy losses!

For this battle, the one eliminated was in fact the future powerhouse Xu Jin—on paper, Xu Jin's strength had barely broken into the fourth rank.

But what had the Tianyang Star Palace lost?

A peak ninth-rank seventh-rank warrior, Hu Jinsan, and another peak ninth-rank seventh-rank warrior, Xia Zhong, now maimed.

Hu Jinsan was tolerable—his hope of breaking into the eighth rank was extremely slim, yet he remained a top-tier seventh-rank combatant.

How many seventh-rank warriors did the Tianyang Star Palace have?

Excluding those on the Star River battlefield, fewer than ten operated in the present world.

In just two months, Hu Zhen died a gruesome death, now Hu Jinsan died a gruesome death, and now Sixth Elder Xia Zhong was severely wounded.

Leaving Hu Zhen aside, these two alone meant that for Xu Jin, the Tianyang Star Palace had lost one-fifth of its seventh-rank strength.

This deal was hard to judge as loss or gain.

Especially Sixth Elder Xia Zhong—he was a potential candidate to break into the eighth rank.

This injury…

The Tianyang Star Jun looked at the wounded Xia Zhong and immediately decided: he must be saved.

Xia Zhong had completed his mission—he had rendered great service.

After a moment's thought, the Tianyang Star Jun subtly shifted his intent and withdrew from his Numinous Space a crimson, tree-like object, handing it to Xia Zhong: "Sixth Elder, this is Dragon Fish Cinnamon, harvested from the seventh-rank star realm—it can revive the dead, restore flesh to bone, and regrow severed limbs. Take it and refine it slowly; it will fully heal your wounds."

"It can even fully compensate for your innate essence deficiency, increasing your chance of breakthrough by at least one full percent!"

Upon seeing this treasure, Sixth Elder Xia Zhong was instantly overwhelmed with emotion, prostrating himself on the ground and thanking profusely—yet inwardly, he breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Earlier in Danzhou, when Cheng Yuexiao had firmly claimed they had killed Xu Jin, then killed Hu Jinsan, Xia Zhong had wondered, after barely escaping:

How should this be handled?

He had failed his mission and now lay crippled.

Upon returning, if the Tianyang Star Jun did not punish him, it would be a miracle.

In the future, he would likely be removed from the Tianyang Star Palace's power elite.

Even if he regrew his limbs, having failed so miserably, the Tianyang Star Jun would never again trust or rely on him!

His authority would be drastically diminished.

On the journey back to the Tianyang Star Palace, Xia Zhong suddenly had a flash of inspiration—he thought of this possibility.

Cheng Yuexiao claimed Xu Jin was killed by them; the Cangming Star Palace's Huang Kejia claimed Xu Jin was killed by them—it was already a settled case.

Then why not take the opportunity, ride the current?

Let it be them.

Let it be that they secretly schemed, causing Xu Jin to be killed by foreign races, then pursued and slain by Cheng Yuexiao!

Perfect.

If they were to carry the black blame, let them carry it fully—and enjoy the benefits too.

"My Lord, I have another matter to report."

"Speak."

"My Lord, Cheng Yuexiao's strength has surged dramatically! A single strike severely wounded Hu Jinsan. Even with my full defense, I could not withstand his single blow!" Xia Zhong said.

"What?"

"You, with full defense, could not withstand Cheng Yuexiao's single blow!"

This news shocked the Tianyang Star Jun.

If true, Cheng Yuexiao's strength had indeed surged dramatically.

If Xia Zhong was the benchmark, then Cheng Yuexiao's combat power was now nearly equal to his own.

He waved his hand; Wang Kan led Xia Zhong away to heal, while the Tianyang Star Jun fell into deep thought.

Theoretically, at the eighth rank, combat power rarely sees drastic leaps—but Cheng Yuexiao had surged, meaning he likely filled a critical weakness.

The threat had grown greater!

At the Cangming Star Palace, the Cangming Star Jun received the report from Seventh Elder Huang Kejia and immediately rewarded the two.

Excellent!

In this battle, the Tianyang Star Palace lost one seventh-rank warrior and severely wounded another—its strength diminished.

On the Da Chen State Dao Academy side, the future prodigy Xu Jin was now dead.

But most crucially, Huang Kejia acted decisively, forcing the Tianyang Star Palace's Xia Zhong and others to appear and shoulder the black blame, bringing the relationship between the Tianyang Star Palace and the Da Chen State Dao Academy to near-total rupture.

In contrast, the Cangming Star Palace suffered no losses—only gains!

Both sides suffered, but Cangming alone profited.

Thus, this scheme and layout had been won by the Cangming Star Palace.

In the future, their relationship with Da Chen would grow even closer. "Remember, wherever you are, you must firmly insist that Xu Jin was killed by the Tianyang Star Palace's Sixth Elder Xia Zhong—even if not directly slain, he was secretly schemed against, leading to his death at the hands of foreign races," the Cangming Star Jun instructed.

"Grand Elder, after the Nine Stars' Tide passes, go to the Da Chen State Dao Academy and meet Cheng Yuexiao. It is time for our two factions to deepen cooperation," the Cangming Star Jun said.

"Your servant obeys!"

Xu Family of Jinshan County.

Xu Jin had fully explained the entire sequence of events to his father and made his intentions clear.

Although his father had heard rumors of Xu Jin's achievements over the past half-year, experiencing it firsthand, witnessing it with his own eyes, he was utterly astonished and delighted.

After all, even the Emperor himself wanted to kill his son.

How many people in this world were worth having the Emperor personally dispatch assassins to pursue?

Though he had never left Jinshan County in his life, he understood and accepted the gravity of this matter—he held no stubborn attachment to his homeland.

"The foreign star realms? I've spent my entire life without ever leaving Jinshan County—and yet, I'll get to visit a foreign star realm! Even if I die there, it's worth it!"

"Now that I have a daughter-in-law, I am completely satisfied!"

"Huh?"

Xu Jin blinked in surprise. "Father, what are you talking about? What daughter-in-law?"

Xu Dajiang pointed toward the gate where Ji Bang was. "The in-laws arrived two days ago to propose marriage for their granddaughter. I hesitated to respond, waiting for your return to hear your opinion."

But right now, I think it's better to agree.

Xu Jin was stunned.

After a long while, Xu Jin exchanged words with Ji Bang again and finally understood everything.

Ji Bang had truly come to propose marriage.

Parental decree—once you secure Xu Jin's father, the grandson-in-law is half won.

But Ji Bang never expected things to change so quickly.

He received direct orders from the State Tutor to protect and relocate Xu Dajiang.

He also never imagined that "Xu Jin" had died in battle!

This matter has become complicated.

Xu Jin also felt his head ache.

Ji Bang came to see his father based on the former Xu Jin's potential.

But now, although Xu Jin is alive, his identity is dead—this matter is no longer clear.

Moreover, Xu Jin himself was somewhat hesitant.

Xu Jin had feelings for Ji Hongli; a beautiful young girl—who wouldn't like her? Even just looking at her was pleasing.

But Xu Jin was more preoccupied with Ning Yuchan.

Fortunately, Ji Bang did not bring it up again.

Xu Jin then told his father: as long as Ji Bang doesn't mention it, never bring it up.

Even if Ji Bang does mention it, best to delay it by citing Xu Jin's current awkward status.

Half a day later, Ji Bang set off with Xu Dajiang and his two concubines.

Since Xu Jin's rise, his father had become a notable figure in Jinshan County—finding a young widow was easy.

If his father hadn't had some moral boundaries, the courtyard might have held dozens!

He brought these two along simply because he valued old ties and loyalty.

As for Xu Jin, he would take a detour to the Star River Battlefield.

Ji Bang, because his son Ji Cheng was the Outpost Lord of the Fifth-Rank Huashih Star Region, had secret routes to send his father Xu Dajiang and sister Jiang Er to reside temporarily in the Fifth-Rank Huashih Star Region.

As for Xu Jin, he needed to temporarily go to the Star River Battlefield.

According to the State Tutor's arrangement, the Chen Guo Dao Academy had too many familiar faces—Xu Jin could not return for now.

Otherwise, he would easily be discovered.

He was to go to the Star River Battlefield as an ordinary person, cultivate for a while, and once his strength rose, his return would be merely a word away.

But this time, going to the Star River Battlefield, Xu Jin didn't just want to improve his strength—he needed to greatly enhance it.

In Xu Jin's mind, the moment he returned from the Star River Battlefield would be the moment he slew this corrupt emperor!

Unless he slew this corrupt emperor, his heart would never find peace.

His resolve would remain unsmooth.

To reach the Star River Battlefield, he first had to travel to Star River Pass, then to the Chen Guo War Zone—roughly three or four days on the road.

Along the way, Xu Jin wanted to visit Ning Yuchan.

It had been a long time.

He missed her.

Chen Guo Dao Academy, Danxia Palace.

Peng Lao watched the State Tutor Cheng Yuexiao, seated silently before the window in Danxia Palace, his expression filled with anguish.

Inside Danxia Palace, the Grand Academician, Grand Master of Heraldry, and Seventh-Rank powerhouse Kou Jing had been waiting for a full day.

He declared: he would not leave until he saw the State Tutor!

And since returning from the palace, State Tutor Cheng Yuexiao had sat motionless here—already for a full day and night!

Peng Lao knew that at this moment, the State Tutor was likely in a spiritual struggle and dared not disturb him—only replacing his tea with a fresh cup.

But just as Peng Lao placed the new tea down, State Tutor Cheng Yuexiao suddenly spoke: "Peng Lao, why is His Majesty so cruel?

Dozens of thousands of living civilians—he ordered their blood sacrifice without hesitation.

Doesn't he know each of those civilians is a living subject?"

"Simple. Because you, my lord, are the State Tutor of Chen Guo's people—you care about their lives and deaths! But this corrupt emperor sees Chen Guo's people as grass, thinking only of himself!

Chen Guo's people have only one State Tutor, but to this corrupt emperor, he has countless Chen Guo subjects to waste—so it doesn't matter." Peng Lao said.

After speaking, Peng Lao added, "State Tutor, you're too upright. In the days of the Lingji Star Palace, such a corrupt emperor would have been deposed long ago!

Lingji Star Jun had already said: the world belongs to the people of the world!

Chen Guo belongs to the people of Chen Guo!

Not to one man!"

Cheng Yuexiao nodded heavily. "Correct. Chen Guo belongs to the people of Chen Guo! Peng Lao, I know what I must do!"

At these words, Peng Lao's eyes lit up. "State Tutor, so you've decided to depose and replace him?"

"He's brought in Star Yang Jun as an ally—can't depose him yet. But I can strip his power, and shatter his dreams!"

"What do you mean, State Tutor?"

"Just now, I received a starlight message from the Star River Grand Marshal: in three days, a meeting will be held at the Star River Headquarters to discuss the Emperor's return to the throne. He asked me to prepare in advance!

Tell me—what kind of preparation will I make?" Cheng Yuexiao sneered.

Peng Lao froze. But Cheng Yuexiao rose to his full height. "Since this corrupt emperor accuses me of seizing power, of having ambitions of self-rule—then I'll seize some power and show him!

If I don't strike back, he thinks I'm easy to manipulate!

If he believes that of me, then I'll be exactly that!"

Having made his decision, Cheng Yuexiao suddenly exhaled deeply—his inner gloom vanished, and a series of plans formed in his mind.

Before, he had bound his own hands.

Now, let him be unbound!

Suddenly, Cheng Yuexiao looked up and saw Grand Academician Kou Jing standing outside the hall—he turned to Peng Lao.

"What's going on?"

A few breaths later, Cheng Yuexiao smiled bitterly.

He hadn't expected Xu Jin's death to provoke such a fierce reaction from Kou Jing.

Within the Star-Picking Edict, nearly a thousand starlight messages concerned Xu Jin's death!

In an instant, Cheng Yuexiao's head throbbed.

This mess was hard to clean up!

(End of Chapter)