Chapter 314: Public Execution as Law Demands

In the Hezheng Hall, bloodlust filled the air.

The shattered remains of the Grand Eunuch Li Teng—red, white, and yellow—were splattered across the floor, terrifying the Emperor of Gan'an.

The Emperor of Gan'an had killed many and seen blood before, but to witness his own Grand Eunuch slain before his eyes by the State Master still shook him deeply.

Only when he saw his old Grand Eunuch standing protectively before him did he begin to calm, then bellowed in fury.

"State Master, are you rebelling?"

The old Grand Eunuch said nothing, still hunched, but his gaze and aura turned razor-sharp, his energy locking firmly onto the State Master Cheng Yuexiao.

"Your Majesty, I merely sweep away the corrupt vermin around you." Cheng Yuexiao smiled faintly, stepping over Li Teng's corpse, his eyes sweeping toward the Deputy Grand Eunuch Sun Rang.

"The Jinshan Dao Academy reports that over twelve hundred people in Xu Family Village, Jin County, were massacred—every soul from octogenarians down to three- or five-year-old infants, none spared! After thorough investigation, I confirmed it was Grand Eunuch Li Teng who committed this atrocity.

Today, I come to cleanse the Emperor's court!"

At these words, the Emperor of Gan'an's face flushed and paled in turmoil, wondering whether to admit this was his own order—and then demand if Cheng Yuexiao intended to kill him next.

But as the Emperor of Gan'an wrestled internally, the State Master's gaze fixed on the newly appointed Deputy Grand Eunuch Sun Rang: "Jinshan County also reports that Deputy Grand Eunuch Sun Rang was complicit!

Surrounded by traitors, no wonder your court is constantly exploited by outsiders.

Today, I shall purge the corrupt to restore clarity to Your Majesty's vision!"

As he spoke, Cheng Yuexiao's energy instantly locked onto Deputy Grand Eunuch Sun Rang.

In an instant, Sun Rang—who had rushed to defend the Emperor—panicked, darting frantic glances between the Emperor and the old Grand Eunuch.

Yet State Master Cheng Yuexiao made no move, merely holding Sun Rang in place with his aura as he walked slowly toward him.

Fifty paces.

Forty paces.

Thirty paces!

Deputy Grand Eunuch Sun Rang panicked, sweat pouring from his brow, staring in terror at the Emperor: "Your Majesty, save me!"

He was only a Gao Jie Fifth Layer—how could he stand against the State Master?

More importantly, since the State Master hadn't moved, he dared not strike first, dared not resist!

The Emperor of Gan'an roared in fury: "State Master, that's enough!"

"State Master, will you not withdraw? Are you attempting regicide?" the Emperor shouted.

"Your Majesty, my loyalty is as clear as heaven and sun!"

Cheng Yuexiao pressed forward again: "Today, I execute only the corrupt—never the Emperor!"

"Is this loyalty?" the Emperor, equally furious, glared at the old Grand Eunuch.

The old Grand Eunuch still guarded the Emperor's front, star-force surging around him: "State Master, stop!"

His voice was soft, yet it carried the gravest warning of an Eighth Layer powerhouse.

"Old Grand Eunuch, I'm cleaning your household—why do you block me?" Cheng Yuexiao did not pause, his aura still locked on Deputy Grand Eunuch Sun Rang.

At this moment, the Emperor of Gan'an hardened his heart, yanking Sun Rang in front of himself and bellowing: "State Master, if you have the guts, kill me too!"

"How could I?"

Cheng Yuexiao laughed, stepping forward again. At that step, the old Grand Eunuch could no longer hold back—he vanished like a phantom, black starlight surging like a tide toward Cheng Yuexiao, while the Seven-Star Spirit Artifact Yin Dragon Spike appeared silently and struck straight for Cheng Yuexiao's chest.

"Old Grand Eunuch, mighty!"

Cheng Yuexiao roared with laughter, punching forward—blazing flame-light shattered the black starlight, and the Nine Sheng Bells rang out, smashing the Yin Dragon Spike back!

Yet Cheng Yuexiao did not stop; his five fingers spread, and four differently colored star-nuclei instantly rose behind his head, then shot like meteors toward the old Grand Eunuch!

Shiiii! Shiiii! Shiiii! Shiiii!

Seeing Cheng Yuexiao directly unleash his star-nuclei, the old Grand Eunuch's face paled—he was going to kill.

The first star-nucleus struck; its engraved star-inscriptions detonated simultaneously—the old Grand Eunuch's own star-nucleus surfaced and blocked it instantly.

The second star-nucleus struck—he barely held it, but stepped back one pace. At the moment the third star-nucleus hit, as green starlight exploded, the old Grand Eunuch was blasted backward, blood trickling from his lips!

But Cheng Yuexiao's fourth star-nucleus followed instantly—crimson starlight erupted, hurling the old Grand Eunuch skyward; as he spat a gout of blood, his body shot like a cannonball, smashing clean through the Hezheng Hall's ceiling and flying out.

Debris and dust rained down, but Cheng Yuexiao did not pause—his starlight hand instantly snatched at Sun Rang beside the Emperor.

The Emperor of Gan'an's expression hardened—he stepped forward himself, punching Cheng Yuexiao, while the State Seal of Gan'an materialized above his head, radiating hazy starlight for protection.

"Sun Rang, attack!" the Emperor barked.

Pushed to the brink, Deputy Grand Eunuch Sun Rang roared and charged after the Emperor toward State Master Cheng Yuexiao.

Cheng Yuexiao merely sneered, stepping forward—yellow-gold light spread outward.

In the next instant, yellow-gold starlight surged from beneath the Emperor's feet like coiling dragons, trapping him completely.

Instantly, Deputy Grand Eunuch Sun Rang's face turned ashen—he turned and fled!

A green star-nucleus flew again from behind Cheng Yuexiao's head, striking Sun Rang directly.

The green star-nucleus, as if with wings, overtook him instantly, slamming into his back—then transformed into countless green filaments, wrapping him in layered nets.

Sun Rang's star-force surged, dissolving the green filaments rapidly.

But the filaments regenerated faster than he could destroy them—soon, he was encased like a silkworm cocoon.

"Still trying to run?"

With a cold laugh, Cheng Yuexiao merely gestured—the human-shaped cocoon of Sun Rang was pulled straight to the State Master's side.

At that moment, the old Grand Eunuch, having fallen from the ceiling, landed again through the hole—he saw the trapped Emperor and cried out: "Cheng Yuexiao, dare you!"

Cheng Yuexiao smiled and swiftly retreated.

As he retreated, he punched once—shattering Sun Rang's lower and middle star-palaces simultaneously.

One punch—ruined Sun Rang.

And silenced his struggles completely; his eyes filled with utter despair.

Outside the hall, the Imperial Guards had rushed in—their commander, a Seventh Layer Ninth Rank warrior, stared at the scene, as did over a hundred Fifth and Sixth Layer guards—all frozen.

Completely bewildered.

Some clever ones had guessed something—State Master had moved.

But precisely because they were clever, they pretended ignorance.

At the same moment, the old Grand Eunuch waved his hand—shattering Cheng Yuexiao's seal on the Emperor.

The freed Emperor of Gan'an was beyond rage: "Cheng Yuexiao, you—"

He was about to scream abuse, but then saw the Imperial Guards storming in—he swallowed the words back.

On this point, the Emperor of Gan'an understood well.

First: could the Imperial Guards surround and kill State Master Cheng Yuexiao?

No.

Even the old Grand Eunuch couldn't defeat him—how could these guards?

Besides, surrounding the State Master would benefit him nothing.

If this were made public, only his imperial dignity would suffer.

So the Emperor of Gan'an swallowed his rage, biting back his curses.

"Withdraw!"

In the end, the Emperor of Gan'an swallowed his teeth and blood—his fury and resentment condensed into a single roar.

None among the Imperial Guards were fools.

At the Emperor's roar, they all bowed their heads and retreated, not daring to glance even once.

Matters between Emperor and State Master—look too closely, and you invite death.

When the guards had withdrawn, State Master Cheng Yuexiao turned to the Emperor: "Your Majesty, you've been startled—but if purging the corrupt around you brings clarity, it is worth it."

At this moment, the humiliated Emperor of Gan'an could only sneer in reply.

He wanted to speak—but could not.

The eunuch he had vowed to protect with his life had been seized and crippled before his eyes—what could he say?

His trusted Eighth Layer Grand Eunuch had been blasted away in mere strikes.

It was like a sharp slap—waking the Emperor of Gan'an.

He had once believed Eighth Layer power was roughly equal.

Perhaps the old Grand Eunuch was slightly weaker than the State Master—but only slightly.

Today's battle showed him the vast chasm between Eighth Layer cultivators.

In that moment, had Cheng Yuexiao wished to kill the old Grand Eunuch—he could have.

The Emperor of Gan'an trembled with dread.

As long as the Eighth Layer Grand Eunuch lived, his sense of security was absolute—the State Master, bound by the Nine Sheng Bells, could not touch him; no one else could challenge the old Grand Eunuch.

But if the old Grand Eunuch were gone, the State Master would still fear nothing—yet his own security would vanish.

With today's purge and earlier losses in Yangjiang County, the palace now had few Seventh Layer experts left.

Especially among the eunuchs—Cheng Yuexiao had nearly wiped them all out!

Seeing the Emperor's posture, Cheng Yuexiao knew he had surrendered.

But today's business was not yet finished.

The next instant, Cheng Yuexiao bowed to the old Grand Eunuch: "Old Grand Eunuch, Grand Eunuch Li Teng and Deputy Grand Eunuch Sun Rang led the massacre of over twelve hundred in Jinshan County. Such atrocities cannot be punished by executing only the ringleaders!

Who shall carry out this house-cleaning—you, or shall I?"

The old Grand Eunuch glanced at the Emperor, wiped blood from his lips, then sighed: "State Master, I shall handle this house-cleaning myself."

"Please."

Cheng Yuexiao did not yield: "Old Grand Eunuch, these two must be publicly executed! Massacring over twelve hundred, sparing not even three-year-old children—such evil demands annihilation of their entire clans to deter others!"

Sun Rang deserves to be sliced a thousand times!

I beg the Chief Eunuch to carry out public execution today!

If the Chief Eunuch cannot bring himself to do it, then let this state advisor execute him!

Hearing this, the Chief Eunuch glanced again at Emperor Gao Ye, whose face had turned deathly pale; he stammered without speaking, and the Chief Eunuch understood at once.

This emperor has been frightened—no, terrified—today.

That means, for now, State Advisor Cheng Yuexiao is utterly uncontrollable!

They could only follow Cheng Yuexiao's wishes.

Half an hour later, the Chief Eunuch gathered all palace eunuchs of official rank and publicly announced the crimes of the newly appointed Grand Eunuch and Deputy Grand Eunuch.

Someone would carry out the thousand-slice execution on Sun Rang!

Meanwhile, all eunuchs involved in the massacre of Xu Family Village were beheaded on the spot.

Imperial guards were dispatched to order the complete extermination of Sun Rang and Li Teng's clans.

Though these two were eunuchs, they held high rank and power, had blood relatives, and had even adopted children within their clans as heirs.

In Wan Yi, they wielded overwhelming influence.

But within half a day, the tide had turned.

Over three hundred members of Li Teng's and Sun Rang's clans were all exterminated.

The severed heads were piled before the assembled eunuchs, causing them to go pale with terror, their legs trembling, some even fainting on the spot!

In Hezheng Hall, Emperor Gao Ye clutched a cup of hot tea, his expression grim.

Today's events were his greatest humiliation!

Yet he was powerless against State Advisor Cheng Yuexiao, who sat across from him.

In the past, Cheng Yuexiao, in Emperor Gao Ye's eyes, had been a steed he had tamed—noble and swift, yet obedient.

But now, Cheng Yuexiao had become a tiger, a beast ready to pounce and devour at any moment!

It made him dare not act rashly.

In days past, the emperor and minister would sit together, speaking freely on all matters; today, they sat in silence.

In Hezheng Hall, the deposed Deputy Grand Eunuch Sun Rang, after being sliced over a thousand times, had already died.

"Your Majesty, State Advisor, your humble servant has cleansed the palace ranks. Is the State Advisor satisfied?" the Chief Eunuch asked softly.

"Chief Eunuch, I respect you because you have backbone and principles. Though Your Majesty is wise, sometimes he makes small mistakes—we, as ministers, must timely advise him, not stand idly by as he errs.

These disciples and grand-disciples, I beg you to discipline them well." State Advisor Cheng Yuexiao said.

"Your humble servant remembers!"

"Your Majesty, if so, your humble servant takes his leave."

Saying this, Cheng Yuexiao bowed deeply to Emperor Gao Ye, then left Hezheng Hall and vanished into the starlit night.

Immediately after State Advisor Cheng Yuexiao departed, the sound of objects being smashed and hysterical roars erupted within Hezheng Hall!

After a long while, the chaos gradually subsided.

Only then, eyes red with rage, did Emperor Gao Ye ask the Chief Eunuch, "Chief Eunuch, what happened today? Why couldn't you even withstand two or three of the State Advisor's moves?"

Emperor Gao Ye's tone was full of suspicion.

He even suspected the Chief Eunuch had not used his full strength!

"Ah!"

The Chief Eunuch sighed deeply. "Your Majesty, haven't you noticed the State Advisor's cultivation has surged? Previously, he mastered only three stellar forces; now, his mastery of fire-star energy has reached Gao Jie level. As for earth-star energy, I cannot tell precisely, but it is certainly above Qi Jie."

"Before, I could still handle the State Advisor."

"But now, he is beyond my ability to contend with."

"Still, the State Advisor has his limits—he will not harm Your Majesty."

Emperor Gao Ye's expression turned profoundly complex. "Chief Eunuch, then tell me—between Tianyang Star Jun and the State Advisor, who is stronger?"

"If they fought, who would win?"

The Chief Eunuch's expression also grew complex. "Your Majesty, no matter what, the State Advisor remains a pillar of Chen Guo; Tianyang Star Jun is an external enemy!"

"As for who would win, with my cultivation level, I cannot speculate."

Hearing this, Emperor Gao Ye nodded slowly, his expression deeply troubled.

(End of Chapter)