No wonder Jiang Wang was so surprised.

For Cui Zhu to be able to reach the Tai Miao and launch that spear at the Qi Emperor, this was not something a simple power could achieve.

Take Hell’s Doorless as an example. Currently, Hell’s Doorless can be considered a well-known assassin organization in the Eastern Domain. However, no閻羅 would ever have the opportunity to stand before the Qi Emperor.

Let alone assassinate him, they wouldn’t even have the chance to get close to the Qi Emperor.

It would require years of deep cultivation within the state of Qi to even potentially reach this step.

Once such a force makes a move, they would undoubtedly have planned everything meticulously and wouldn’t leave any obvious clues to be caught so quickly. If it were truly this simple, Cui Zhu would have been thrown into the Great Prison by the Blue Plates long ago.

“No, not really,” Chong Xuan Sheng shook his head. “Even if there were any developments, the Northern Division wouldn’t reveal a single piece of information before a definite breakthrough. This is a matter of losing heads.”

Jiang Wang was somewhat bewildered, “Then what do you want to talk about?”

“Let me ask you,” Chong Xuan Sheng said with a serious expression, “before today, have you ever met Cui Zhu?”

“Where would I have met him?” Jiang Wang shook his head. “I didn’t even know his name until I participated in the Grand Master’s Ceremony this time.”

Chong Xuan Sheng breathed a sigh of relief. “If you can be sure of that, then it’s fine. Otherwise, I was worried that someone might make an issue of Cui Zhu’s final words to you.”

Jiang Wang didn’t ask why someone would make an issue of this matter.

Perhaps he had obstructed someone’s path, or it was simply jealousy, there were too many reasons.

He had long realized that in this world, people were not all the same.

As he said when he advised the Qi Emperor, “Mingled together, loyalty and treachery always exist.”

And if someone truly made an issue of this matter and found evidence that Cui Zhu had met Jiang Wang before, it could indeed be a real and substantial way to smear Jiang Wang, claiming that Cui Zhu used his death as a stepping stone to elevate Jiang Wang.

That was why Chong Xuan Sheng asked this question. If Jiang Wang had met Cui Zhu, and where they met, Chong Xuan Sheng could react in advance. If they truly hadn’t met, then with Chong Xuan Sheng’s methods, it would be impossible for anyone to have the opportunity to spill this dirty water.

But speaking of Cui Zhu…

That seemingly meaningless thrust before his death, all the effort to disintegrate his body, soul, life, and longevity, it was hard not to move the heart of someone who directly witnessed this scene.

Jiang Wang at the time was using his sword to cut through distracting thoughts, which was why he reacted immediately. Afterwards, he couldn’t help but wonder what kind of reason would cause such a person, someone who could be considered to have a bright future in the army, to seek death in a state of madness.

“Before Cui Zhu died…” Jiang Wang said, “he said he had no regrets.”

Cui Zhu’s words were immediately silenced by him at the scene. Some strong individuals might still have heard them, but Chong Xuan Sheng clearly hadn’t reached that level.

Hearing these words at this moment, he also paused for a moment.

He couldn’t help but discuss, “Which force do you think Cui Zhu was from?”

This was indeed the most pressing matter of concern among the people of Qi today. In terms of attention, it even surpassed the Yellow River Convention, but it was inconvenient to discuss openly.

When Jiang Wang advised the Qi Emperor, he said that Cui Zhu’s assassination was definitely not an attempt by certain individuals within the country to usurp the throne. Because looking at the entire state of Qi, there was indeed no one person who had the strength to change dynasties. The Jiang clan firmly held the highest power. Conspiracy theories about usurping the throne simply had no basis.

This viewpoint was naturally convincing.

But to trace the roots and find the mastermind behind Cui Zhu, it couldn’t be done simply by speculation.

“How would I know?” Jiang Wang shook his head.

“Could it truly be someone from the State of Xia?” Chong Xuan Sheng muttered to himself.

Cui Zhu’s roar in the square at that time was heard by everyone present, and it had probably spread throughout Linzi by now.

That sentence said, “Thirty-first year of Shenwu. Cui Zhu assassinates Jiang Shu.”

Jiang Shu in this sentence was precisely the real name of the current Emperor of Great Qi.

As the Son of Heaven of a hegemonic state that held the highest power in the world, it had been many years since anyone dared to call him by his name.

And Shenwu was the reign title of the State of Xia. Since the thirty-eight eighty-eighth year of the Dao Calendar, when the Qi-Xia war ended with the complete withdrawal of the State of Xia from the Eastern Domain, the State of Xia, which had retreated to the Southern Domain, changed its reign title to “Shenwu” and it has continued to this day.

Even if Jiang Wang didn’t know what the “Shenwu” reign title represented at the time, he should know by now.

He asked with some confusion, “But if it was someone from the State of Xia, what is the meaning of this assassination that is fundamentally impossible to succeed? A mere Inner Mansion realm cultivator, who couldn’t even get past me, how could he assassinate the Son of Heaven?”

“No matter which force is behind it. Since this assassination had no possibility of success, it means that their goal was not a successful assassination…” Chong Xuan Sheng said, “but the act of assassinating the monarch itself.”

Even with Chong Xuan Sheng’s wisdom, in the complete absence of information, he couldn’t touch upon the truth. But he quickly outlined a certain scope.

“So what? Was this assassination only meant to trigger another war between Qi and Xia? The assassin wasn’t from the State of Xia, and the mastermind wanted to reap the benefits?” Jiang Wang asked.

“Whether the assassin is from the State of Xia is not important…”

Chong Xuan Sheng suddenly shook his head and changed the subject, “What is important is that you might be in trouble. Have you ever considered why Cui Zhu chose to die today?”

He explained, “There are countless masters in the military, and the Nine Qi Troops are all elites. Because Wang Yiwu was trapped in the death row camp, Cui Zhu had the opportunity to participate in the Grand Master’s Ceremony and come to this imperial martial competition.

And your duel with Lei Zhangan made him see clearly that he would definitely not be your opponent next and would not be able to obtain a spot to participate in the Yellow River Convention.

The time for the Yellow River Convention to be held depends solely on the water level, ranging from ten to fifteen years, so he simply wouldn’t have another chance.

Therefore, this might be his only opportunity in recent years to get close to the Qi Emperor. It is also the only opportunity in his life to announce that phrase ‘Cui Zhu assassinates the Qi Monarch’ at such a grand ritual.”

Jiang Wang had to admit that Chong Xuan Sheng’s analysis was very reasonable. It was hard to say that Cui Zhu’s inevitably existing “accomplices” wouldn’t harbor hostility towards him.

After all, if it weren’t for him, Cui Zhu would have had a chance to compete with Lei Zhangan, and once Cui Zhu obtained the qualification to go to the Yellow River Convention and performed well at the Convention, it would almost announce a smooth ascent in Qi in the future. This would undoubtedly be of great benefit to their schemes.

Now, however, he was stopped before the name Jiang Wang, and could only sacrifice himself with a single thrust, uttering a single sound.

“I will try not to leave Linzi during this period,” Jiang Wang said.

Given his relationship with Chong Xuan Sheng, there was no need to play the hero. Even if he wasn’t afraid, it was better to avoid those troubles if possible.

“In addition,” Chong Xuan Sheng said, “before going to the Yellow River Convention, take some time to visit the Tai Miao again and offer sacrifices to the meritorious ministers and famous generals enshrined there. This is customary before going on an expedition.”

Going to the Yellow River Convention to compete with the favored ones of the various states, the state of Qi bestows upon it the “Grand Master’s Ceremony,” which can naturally be considered an expedition of extremely high规格. As one of the representatives, it is also proper etiquette for Jiang Wang to offer sacrifices to the famous generals of Qi. Of course, if Chong Xuan Sheng didn’t mention this rule, Jiang Wang wouldn’t have known.

“Do I need to go with those two?” Jiang Wang asked.

He was naturally referring to Ji Zhaonan and Chong Xuanzun.

Chong Xuan Sheng shook his head. “No, you don’t have to, each goes their own way.”

Jiang Wang thought for a moment. “Then I’ll go tomorrow.”

He smiled and said, “I’ll go for you!”

As a top-tier famous family in Qi, the first generation Marquis of Bowang naturally had a place in the enshrined hall of the Tai Miao.

Chong Xuanzun would undoubtedly go to worship his ancestors without even thinking.

The descendants of the first generation Marquis of Bowang could naturally go to the memorial hall at any time to worship, but going to worship under the name of going on an expedition for the country was an honor.

And for Jiang Wang to go on behalf of Chong Xuan Sheng was to ensure he didn’t lose this glory.

Chong Xuan Sheng also laughed. “It doesn’t matter if you visit a few more halls for matters of sacrifice. Remember to also pay respects to the first generation Marquis of Cuicheng… your Feng Yao sister will be very happy!”

Jiang Wang: …

Although he privately referred to Li Fengyao in that way, when Chong Xuan Fat mentioned it like this, he actually felt a little embarrassed.

When a large army goes on an expedition, it is a customary ritual for the main general to go to the Tai Miao to offer sacrifices. As for which general or minister to worship, no one will interfere.

However, the stronger the incense and offerings to a certain famous general or meritorious minister, it naturally indicates that their abilities and contributions are more recognized by later generations of generals.

Therefore, Chong Xuan Sheng asking him to offer sacrifices in a few more halls was also a small favor.

Chong Xuan Sheng came in a hurry and left in a hurry.

Chong Xuanzun had just returned, and the person who overshadowed Linzi would definitely not accept the decline of his status within the family. In contrast, there were too many things that Chong Xuan Sheng needed to handle…

Going to the Tai Miao to offer sacrifices was a simple matter. Sincere reverence was all that was needed, there was nothing more to say.

What concerned Jiang Wang the most was still Cui Zhu.

It was hard to say how much turmoil Cui Zhu’s single thrust would cause.

But in Jiang Wang’s view, the current Emperor of Qi’s rule would not be shaken by this assassination in the slightest.

Of course, the power behind Cui Zhu might have more unknown motives.

However, what puzzled Jiang Wang was Cui Zhu’s sentence, “I have no regrets”…

Why did he say it to him?

Was it simply because they were fighting at that time?

In addition to his daily cultivation exercises, he buried himself in the study of the “Fire Realm” for another entire day.

He also bathed and burned incense, and then cultivated for another entire night.

By the time dawn arrived, he had finally roughly constructed the framework of the “Fire Realm”… It was still far from taking shape.

At this point, it could already be thrown into the Taixu Illusionary Realm and deduced using the Yan Dao platform, although the consumption of功 would be huge, that was undoubtedly the simplest way.

But Jiang Wang did not intend to do that.

Only by slowly deducing this killing technique himself could he gain a deeper grasp of it. Just like the Eight Tones Burning Sea that he created himself, which allowed him to control it in advance, if it were a Class A top-grade Dao technique deduced by the Yan Dao platform, it might be more perfect, but he would only be able to learn and use it step by step.

He would at least wait until the framework was solid before using the Yan Dao platform to flesh it out—Jiang Wang would not admit that this choice was indeed slightly related to the lack of “功”.

Jiang Wang temporarily stopped cultivating and pushed the door open. He didn’t take any attendants and went directly to the Tai Miao.

Before going on an expedition, it was proper to come to the Tai Miao to offer sacrifices. Moreover, Jiang Wang had been recognized as a prodigy of the country before the Tai Miao the day before, so he was not stopped.

Two guards stood in front of the main gate of the Tai Miao, their eyes fixed straight ahead. When Jiang Wang walked over, they didn’t even ask.

So he walked into the Tai Miao in silence.

This was probably the quietest building complex in Linzi, perhaps only the cold Qing Shi Palace could compare.

All the guards on duty inside were like the two in front of the main gate. They stood like stone statues and didn’t blink even when someone approached. But judging from their auras, they were all skilled fighters.

Jiang Wang didn’t know if there were top experts guarding this place, but he wasn’t so foolish as to try to find out the answer.

He walked inside with a solemn atmosphere, of course, he couldn’t go to the main hall.

Jiang Wang绕 far around and walked into the side hall.

Feng Tian Hall and Huguo Hall were the two highest-规格 side halls in the Tai Miao. One mainly offered sacrifices to the meritorious ministers who established the country, and the other mainly offered sacrifices to the meritorious ministers who re-established the country.

Of course, the latter naturally had much stronger incense and offerings than the former. After all, before Emperor Wu of Qi re-established the country, those meritorious families who established the country had long since scattered, some having rebelled and some having died.

The vast majority of the top-tier famous families in Qi today rose after Emperor Wu re-established the country.

The first person Jiang Wang went to worship was naturally the memorial hall of the first generation Marquis of Bowang.

Today, the Chong Xuan family is the top-tier famous family in Qi, and the position of the first generation Marquis of Bowang has also entered the Huguo Hall, but the position is slightly further back.

Because the Chong Xuan clan only began to emerge during the reign of Emperor Wu. When the Chong Xuan clan obtained the title of Marquis of Bowang and truly became a top-tier famous family through hereditary succession, it was a generation later compared to the Shi Men Li family.

Like the first generation Marquis of Cuicheng, a meritorious minister who re-established the country, his memorial hall is in the foremost row of the Huguo Hall.

There was already Heaven’s Will Incense prepared in the memorial hall. This incense is said to be able to receive the will of Heaven and create a subtle connection between the spiritualities of the worshipped and the worshipper that exist between heaven and earth—whether it is true or not is hard to say, but the price is extremely high.

Its scent itself can also nourish the soul, but it is rarely used for cultivation only because it is usually used for sacrifices, which is not very auspicious.

Jiang Wang took three sticks, bowed respectfully, and inserted them into the incense burner.

From the situation in the memorial hall, Chong Xuanzun should have already come in advance—perhaps this was the reason why Chong Xuan Sheng reminded him of this matter on the second day, so that Jiang Wang didn’t have to meet Chong Xuanzun privately.

Looking at the statue of the first generation Marquis of Bowang in the memorial hall, Jiang Wang couldn’t help but think…

If the person in the Qing Shi Palace had not been deposed, or if Chong Xuan Fuyin had not stood with that person back then.

With Chong Xuan Fuyin’s功 of destroying several states in succession, and later constructing the Pure Land of Fuyin in the Misty Realm, making contributions to the human race… How could he not have a place in the enshrined hall of the Tai Miao, and it would not be impossible to establish another memorial hall.

Jiang Wang didn’t sentimentalize too much. After paying his respects again, he went to the memorial hall of the Marquis of Cuicheng.

Given his relationship with the descendants of the Li family, it was indeed fitting for him to come and offer sacrifices.

In those years, the ancestor of the Li family destroyed a formidable city with ten arrows, such divine power, which made later generations yearn for it infinitely when they thought of it.

That was not an ordinary city, but a city where the rebel army was heavily stationed. The first generation Marquis of Cuicheng laid the foundation for victory in the war of re-establishing the country with ten arrows.

And the Shi Men Li family has continued to this day, their reputation undiminished.

After paying his respects properly, Jiang Wang prepared to leave.

But outside the memorial hall of the Marquis of Cuicheng, with a casual glance, he saw another memorial hall—parallel to the memorial hall of the Marquis of Cuicheng, but significantly more deserted.

This could only be the memorial hall of the first generation Marquis of Jiufan.

The hereditary title of the Fengxian Zhang family had long been revoked, and it was further reduced and reduced until it became obscure. However, the unfilial descendants could not erase the contribution of the first generation Marquis of Jiufan in saving the country.

In this Tai Miao, the memorial hall of the Marquis of Jiufan has always remained.

Of course, very few people come here to offer sacrifices. After all, since a long time ago, the descendants of the Zhang clan in Linzi have been unable to even find a place to settle.

However… at this moment, it seemed that someone was offering sacrifices inside, and the faint scent of Heaven’s Will Incense was present.

Jiang Wang looked around and saw no one else.

There were no guards in the Huguo Hall, probably just someone coming to sweep and clean in the morning and evening.

After thinking for a moment, he stepped inside.

Genius in one second: m.173kxs