A long rainbow, like a streak of pure light, arced across the vast dome, falling swiftly towards the earth. Thousands of *li* were crossed in but an instant. The great array meant to protect the nation, still under construction, was utterly incapable of hindering its passage.

Before sight could even catch the fading tail of the rainbow, a majestic figure had already descended directly above the Zhuang King’s Palace, pausing just as the palace’s grand array stirred to life. With an air of authority that could overawe an entire nation, he had forcefully arrived. This figure was a man in a high crown and flowing robes, his face stern and unyielding.

*Clang, clang, clang!*

The guards protecting the palace all drew their swords, turning to face him.

Yet, this person merely flicked a sleeve. “I am Wu Bing Yi of Ju Di Palace. All of you… make way for the Law!” He employed no divine power, but the name “Wu Bing Yi” itself was a decree, a symbol of authority. He was a Great Master of the Legalists, an existence standing at the absolute peak of the current world. If he had the heart to force his way in, the King’s Palace’s grand array would be utterly incapable of stopping him. But this trip was for investigation, not for direct accusation of crime, thus he would not resort to force from the outset. The Three Xing Palace acted according to the Law, and he would certainly not act arbitrarily.

The guards outside the Zhuang King’s Palace exchanged glances, subconsciously giving way. To a large extent, the Three Xing Palace was synonymous with the Law. A Great Master like Wu Bing Yi was, then, the very embodiment of legal order. These guards, whose cultivation was ordinary, had not the slightest courage to resist. Not to mention them, even if the nation’s lord and his ministers came personally, how could they resist?

However, amidst this hesitant, uncertain tide of retreating armor, a fully armored man, his face covered in a thick beard, moved against the flow. He strode forward with large steps, a single mace held firmly in his hand, standing like a stone wall. He raised his mace angrily, pointing it at Wu Bing Yi. His eyes glared like copper bells, his voice roared like a great bell: “I am Du Ye Hu, Commandant of the Jiu Jiang Xuan Jia of Zhuang Country, charged with guarding the palace by order. Anyone, without the King’s command, shall not enter!”

Seeing the tiger roar on the mountain, one knew the mountain could not be moved. It was well known that the Emperor often expressed his affection for Du Ye Hu, often saying, “I trust General Tiger implicitly.” Since last year, Du Ye Hu, the main general of the Jiu Jiang Xuan Jia, had often been summoned to guard the palace under various pretexts. There were various discussions about this in court and the wilderness. Some said this was simply due to the Emperor’s trust, others that it was a strategy of “close brightness, distant darkness,” using the opportunity to seize his military power. But Du Ye Hu’s own attitude was very clear—he repeatedly cursed loudly, believing he was suspected only because of the dog thief Lin Zheng Ren’s machinations.

They had once undertaken a joint secret operation. The details of the process were unknown, but the outcome was very clear. Du Ye Hu had nearly died in battle in the wilderness, saved from the brink of death only by the timely arrival of the State Minister. Lin Zheng Ren, who had gone with him, had wisely preserved his life and was completely unharmed. From then on, the two had been on very bad terms.

Not only did Du Ye Hu curse Lin Zheng Ren every time he was summoned to guard the palace, but he also acted on his anger. Several times he had gone directly to Lin Zheng Ren’s home. Though he hadn’t managed to beat the person, he had kicked down the door several times. Lin Zheng Ren was a publicly recognized upright gentleman and, instead of arguing with this hot-tempered general, often told people that time would reveal hearts and misunderstandings could always be resolved.

However, besides cursing Lin Zheng Ren to vent his emotions, every time Du Ye Hu came to the palace, he would patrol as he should, stand guard as he should, doing his duty conscientiously, without socializing or wandering. He had a temper, but it never delayed his duty. At this moment, he alone, in the tide of fearful, retreating armor, strode forward, daring to raise his weapon against Wu Bing Yi!

Wu Bing Yi merely glanced at him faintly. Du Ye Hu suddenly felt as if he had suffered a heavy blow. All his military *qi* and evil dissipated, and his entire being was sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the palace gate.

The guards on the palace wall saw the situation and were about to open the palace gate, while the guards around the palace also quickly came to provide support. Du Ye Hu, however, only roared: “Without the King’s command, the gate shall not be opened!” He then struggled to his feet, still holding his mace, still directly facing Wu Bing Yi, staring fiercely at him.

“I have come regarding the case of the assassination of the human race’s Heaven’s Chosen from beyond the Ten Thousand Monster Gate, to question Zhuang Jun!” Wu Bing Yi looked at him. “The Human Race’s Common Covenant, proven from ancient times to the present! The Three Xing Palace upholds this covenant. Regardless of nation or sect, if there is defiance, it must be punished! Today I have come in person, do you not know that the Law cannot be violated?”

Du Ye Hu gritted his teeth, blood foam at his mouth, and said, “I only know to eat the King’s salary and serve the King’s matters. The Emperor appointed me with the responsibility of guarding the gate. If I am not dead, I cannot allow the palace gate to be wrongly opened even once!”

Wu Bing Yi frowned. “Who permitted your courage, that the laws of Zhuang Country are actually above the Human Race’s Common Covenant?” A suffocating pressure, a terror that made people tremble, enveloped the entire Zhuang King’s Palace!

Within Du Ye Hu’s body, his *qi* and blood roared. His Blood Drinking divine power activated, continuously feeding him power in this weak resistance. But no matter how much power the Blood Drinking divine power fed back, he was like a small boat in a raging sea, drifting helplessly, about to capsize at any moment.

“Zhuang Country’s law is my family’s rule!” This statement moved many palace guards. They subconsciously tightened their grip on their weapons, tears welling in their eyes as they moved closer to him.

“How long have you been guarding this place? Is Zhuang Jun not in the palace?” Wu Bing Yi suddenly asked. The guards around the palace all showed shock. How could the Emperor not be in the palace? Why would the lord of Ju Di Palace ask such a question?

It was still Du Ye Hu who replied, “The whereabouts of the Jun Shang, how can I speak of them lightly? If True Jun Wu truly wishes to know, wait for me to go and ask.” His words were not yet finished. Wu Bing Yi simply waved his large sleeve. Du Ye Hu was, without any suspense, flung away, flung out of the palace and God knew how many *li* away, his trace lost.

The front palace gate, moreover, suddenly opened! Standing behind the opened palace gate was an old man with black hair hanging over his shoulders—Du Ru Hui, the Great Minister of Zhuang Country! This wise minister, who harmonized the winds and clouds of Zhuang Country for thousands of *li*, slightly bowed towards Wu Bing Yi. “Du Ru Hui, State Minister of Zhuang Country, greets True Jun Wu. I know not for what matter you have labored to come so far, actually not treating my Zhuang Country as a nation, nor Zhuang law as law?” Behind him, the King’s Palace’s Law Array still operated silently, covering all information within the deep palace.

If it were another True Jun, they would have simply forced their way in. But a Legalist Master could not disregard legal principles. The Three Xing Palace, especially, could not fail to educate and execute. Furthermore, if it were another True Jun, they would not necessarily understand the reason for this matter. Even if they understood, they would not necessarily be able to bypass Yu Jing Mountain.

Wu Bing Yi looked at Du Ru Hui with an expressionless face. “If I did not treat Zhuang Country as a nation, nor Zhuang law as law, I would not have waited here for so long. Since you, Du Ru Hui, have come out, then go and transmit my message to the Zhuang Emperor. Please have him come here face to face to accept the questioning of Ju Di Palace.”

Du Ru Hui’s face was filled with shock and anger. “Master Wu has come suddenly. May I ask if Dao Sect Country knows, or if Yu Jing Mountain knows?”

Wu Bing Yi’s voice was faint. “Since I can come here to find your nation’s lord, Yu Jing Mountain has naturally already permitted it, and Jing Country will not cause trouble. I have always heard that you, Du Ru Hui, are a smart person. It is best not to waste my patience by mentioning unrelated people or unrelated matters.”

The gravity of this matter lay in the fact that… the Three Xing Palace had already communicated with Yu Jing Mountain in advance, but Yu Jing Mountain had fundamentally not transmitted the letter! That was to say, if the case of the assassination of the human race’s Heaven’s Chosen from beyond the Ten Thousand Monster Gate, as spoken by Wu Bing Yi, was truly related to Zhuang Gao Xian, Yu Jing Mountain would simply abandon him! This attitude was perhaps more serious than the event itself.

“Great Master, please just ask whether my nation’s Emperor is in the palace. The lord of society and country cannot be lightly moved. My Great Zhuang Emperor is naturally in the palace!” Du Ru Hui said, taking out a roll of yellow scroll from his bosom. He bowed his hands and said, “The Emperor has just transmitted an order to me, ordering me to present it to True Jun. Please take a moment to look.”

Wu Bing Yi, however, did not receive it at all, only saying, “I will only give you thirty breaths. If Zhuang Jun does not appear, the Three Xing Palace will consider it an evasion of responsibility. At that time, what I wish to do, do not say I did not warn you!”

“Please allow me to proclaim it on behalf of the Emperor.” Du Ru Hui simply unfolded that imperial decree himself and recited: “Written to the True Jun of Ju Di Palace—Though you are a Great Master of the world, the lord of the Legalist Holy Land, I am the Emperor of Zhuang Country, receiving the mandate from Heaven, governing ten thousand people below. How can you summon and I come, wave and I go? Discuss virtue, discuss merit, discuss responsibility, discuss punishment, I have nothing I cannot discuss, but please first submit a public document, deliver it to the official departments, and then discuss a suitable time. Thus, it will not violate ritual, nor violate system. Is this not the spirit of the Legalists?”

These words were soft yet firm, and could be said to be both courteous and unyielding. And Du Ru Hui looked respectful and reverent, yet there was not the slightest hint of retreat. This Zhuang Country, from top to bottom, from Zhuang Jun to Zhuang Minister to a general guarding the palace gate, were all like hard bones!

But Wu Bing Yi’s face remained expressionless. He upheld the Law and acted impartially, never caring about the gazes of others, not caring about superficial matters, only saying, “Ten, nine…”

“Great Master.” Du Ru Hui could no longer remain calm, and said with some anxiety, “My Zhuang Country has always respected the Three Xing Palace and upheld the great justice of the human race. Executing demons, exterminating monsters, resisting foreign races, we have always exerted our full strength. I do not know where you obtained what message, to create such a misunderstanding towards us, to step on my nation’s door? May I, this old minister of Zhuang Country, explain one or two?” His speech was both emotional and logical, both on the moral high ground and on the weak low ground. It made it very difficult to ignore his request.

But Wu Bing Yi seemed to hear nothing. This Great Master of the Legalists’ voice was constant and indifferent, possessing a pressure that made people suffocate: “Five, four, three…”

Everyone knew that his condition would not change. Was the Zhuang Country Emperor truly in the Zhuang King’s Palace or not? Time, in each spoken count, mercilessly passed. The meaning of the Law penetrated into time, seeming to become the coldest tool of judgment.

At this moment, the Law Array covering the entire Zhuang King’s Palace suddenly disappeared. The voice of the Zhuang Country Emperor, which all the palace guards were very familiar with, rang in the air, possessing a majesty like the tilting of Heaven itself—”Since Great Master insists on seeing me… Minister Du, then please invite Great Master in!”

All the palace guards on site relaxed a breath. The Zhuang Country Emperor was indeed in the palace at this moment, and dared to face the Great Master of the Legalists, not fearing investigation! Du Ru Hui thus stepped aside, reaching out his hand to Wu Bing Yi in greeting and saying, “Please.”

Wu Bing Yi, with no reservations, flicked his robe sleeve and stepped into the palace gate. He took one step inside the gate, then another, and had already stepped into the sleeping palace where Zhuang Gao Xian was located, facing the Zhuang Country Emperor, who wore a robe embroidered with dragons and was seated on his bed. Although he was within the western borders, within Zhuang Country, and standing within the Zhuang King’s Palace, Wu Bing Yi was more like the master of this place. The look in his eyes towards this emperor of a nation was one of examination and indifference.

Zhuang Gao Xian had the appearance of an ordinary, prosperous middle-aged man. Of course, compared to the famously ugly Zhuang Tai Zu, his appearance was already far superior. He did not exude much fierce momentum and looked quite harmless. At this moment, they were both within a hall. Any secular authority, army, position, or background was useless at this time. Cultivation at the level of Derived Dao was enough to crush a Cave True. In other words, at this moment, Wu Bing Yi was the absolute controller, with life and death hanging on his single thought.

But Zhuang Gao Xian merely sat quietly on the dragon bed, maintaining the posture of someone who had just put on his boots, his tone casual. “I was a bit tired this winter month, so I was lying down for a while.” His ordinary eyes lifted, filled with doubt, and also with a contained anger that he held back from releasing. “What matter is so urgent, Master Wu, that you cannot even wait for me to change clothes?”

Wu Bing Yi did not speak, only seriously and carefully examined Zhuang Gao Xian, confirming whether he was a real person. Du Ru Hui had already dismissed the attendants and walked into the sleeping palace alone. But he only stood to the side, not speaking. “Great Master!” In Wu Bing Yi’s emotionless gaze, Zhuang Gao Xian emphasized his tone.

Wu Bing Yi had received very accurate information, hence he had urgently communicated with Yu Jing Mountain and personally descended upon the Zhuang King’s Palace. But since Zhuang Gao Xian was waiting in his sleeping palace at this moment, his suspicion regarding the assassination of the human race’s Heaven’s Chosen from beyond the Ten Thousand Monster Gate naturally did not attack itself.

The Great Master of the Legalists from Ju Di Palace still had an expressionless face, but there was inevitably a hint of routine in his manner. “On the twenty-eighth day of the winter month, where were you?”

Zhuang Gao Xian suppressed his anger, his voice smooth. “In the palace.”

“On the sixteenth day of October, where were you?” Wu Bing Yi asked again.

Zhuang Gao Xian said, “In the palace!”

Wu Bing Yi asked again, “On the sixteenth day of May, where were you again?”

Zhuang Gao Xian simply waved his hand. “Go and transmit the order to the residence historians, bring my residence notes. Let’s see what else Master Wu wants to ask, and we can carefully verify it with him!”

“Master Wu!” He just sat there on the dragon bed, possessing the demeanor and majesty of a lord amidst excitement, looking directly at Wu Bing Yi. “I respect the Three Xing Palace even more for its contribution to the human race, hence I can disregard royal protocol and meet with you in such a humiliating manner! But if you are always asking these boring questions, as I bear the livelihood of ten thousand people, please forgive me for not being able to accompany you further!”

Wu Bing Yi only said, “In the current world, dragons and snakes rise together, and the rivers and seas are difficult to clear. Buzzing flies and dogs steal, evil birds are noisy. Except for Si Ma Heng, who can bear the historian’s pen?”

“You don’t believe my Zhuang Country’s residence historians, you don’t believe my residence notes. I am sitting right in front of you, surely you can believe that?” Zhuang Gao Xian’s face did not show anger, but…

“If you say—” He stood up and walked closer to Wu Bing Yi. “You must find a reason to take me to the Three Xing Palace, to let me be neighbors with Dan Jun, then you might as well find a more plausible reason!”

“Zhuang Jun, there is no need to be agitated. I am only conducting a routine investigation.” Wu Bing Yi said faintly. “After all, this time it was an assassination in the demon world, and it was Jiang Wang, the Marquis of Wu An from Da Qi. He was originally from your Zhuang Country, and has some unclear grudges with you.”

“The events at Feng Lin City are a lifelong humiliation for me. Jiang Wang’s resentment and hatred are understandable and deserved, I can understand. When he suddenly suffered misfortune, I also grieved! I would not, I am not willing, nor do I have the time to go and assassinate him!” Zhuang Gao Xian said. “This answer, I don’t know if Master Wu is satisfied?”

Du Ru Hui also said at this moment, “The Emperor’s person is tied to the society and country. How could he lightly take risks, let alone go beyond the Ten Thousand Monster Gate! This reason, Master Wu cannot fail to understand. I hope you will not listen to slanderous words and can look upon Zhuang Country fairly. This is a nation of heroes, which from its establishment has been fighting against the White Bone Dao. Now it has finally welcomed peace in its mountains and rivers.”

Wu Bing Yi glanced at Du Ru Hui, his tone flat. “You, monarch and minister, are indeed a good match, no wonder you can cause Zhuang Country such excitement.”

“If Master Wu has nothing else to say, then let us leave it at that for today!” Zhuang Gao Xian said in a suppressed voice. “I still have matters to attend to, so I will not see you out.”

“I wonder what matters Zhuang Emperor has?” Wu Bing Yi asked.

Zhuang Gao Xian was so angry he laughed instead, saying in a hateful voice, “I have just received a letter that my good talent and good horse have died in battle beyond the Ten Thousand Monster Gate! I wonder if this matter is considered important to the Three Xing Palace?”

Wu Bing Yi completely ignored his sarcasm, only saying, “I wonder which good talent and good horse?”

Zhuang Gao Xian was finally angered and raised his voice. “Surname Qiao, name Jing Zong! Died in the battle of cutting monsters in Gao Ling City! Master Wu, please go and thoroughly investigate! I looked at the military report, the talents who died together in that battle also include Mu Fei Ping of Jing Country, Chu Zi Cheng of Ji Country, Yu Yue of Zhong Shan Country… You must investigate them together, perhaps you can investigate a case of faked death for me!”

Wu Bing Yi calmly glanced at him and only said, “I will.”

“I will not disturb you.” This Great Master of the Legalists turned around, took one step out of the sleeping palace, and took another step out of Zhuang Country. A field of danger, where one’s body could die and the nation could be destroyed, thus dissipated.

Within the sleeping palace, monarch and minister were silent for a long time. Du Ru Hui said, “Jiang Wang is already dead, and General Du’s heart is still loyal. These past few years of countless tests have already proven his character. This old minister believes that we can relax our guard regarding him… Do not let him guard the gate anymore. There is too great a lack of good talents in the army, and his position in the Jiu Jiang Xuan Jia is irreplaceable.”

Zhuang Gao Xian, however, did not speak. He took several deep breaths. Then, he suddenly slapped the dragon bed. “We must spare no expense and build the protect-country great array as soon as possible!”

Deep space, the other shore… Second update, expert lives: m.jhssd!

Great God, what are you feeling? So much red heart patrolling Heaven, the fastest update! For your convenience in checking the fastest update of this book next time, please be sure to save your bookmark! Chapter thirty-five, actually not treating my Zhuang Country as a nation, free reading.