Chapter 1780 - 1765: The Helplessness of Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long

If the massacre of over twenty thousand civilians in three towns by a fully organized demon clan invasion on the early morning of June 14 shocked the entire Great Zhou, it undoubtedly put an extraordinary amount of pressure on Ye Zhen, the Second Route Wind Patrol Envoy, Lingzhou, the West Patrol, and the Heavenly Patrol Division.

Then the tragedy on the early morning of June 15, where nearly ten thousand civilians in Warm Spring Town were slaughtered, sent shockwaves through the political circles.

Within the Qiankun Palace in Luoyi, petitions to impeach Ye Zhen, the Second Route Wind Patrol Envoy of the West Patrol, as well as Xio Qiangu of the West Patrol and Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu, were pouring in like snowflakes.

Not only did various imperial censors impeach Ye Zhen, but even Xio Qiangu of the West Patrol submitted a petition impeaching Ye Zhen for dereliction of duty, while also requesting Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long to hold him accountable for lax supervision.

Even Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu, unable to withstand the pressure, submitted a petition to confess his guilt.

Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long was furious, commanding Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu to thoroughly investigate the matter.

More critically, the successive massacres over two days caused panic among the people in all counties of Lingzhou and surrounding areas.

State governments and county prefectures sent petitions for assistance to Luoyi, while the public was exceedingly terrified.

This brought immense pressure on the Heavenly Patrol Division.

Even Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu could not withstand this pressure.

Subsequently, Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu directly bypassed the West Patrol and issued a military order to the Second Route Wind Patrol Envoy with a deadline for breaking the case!

Three days!

The order mandated that Ye Zhen, the Second Route Wind Patrol Envoy, must locate the invading organized demon clan army within three days and assist Lingzhou’s stationed forces in exterminating them.

Otherwise, military law will be enforced!

To explain these four words of enforcing military law.

The term enforcing military law refers to handling matters according to military regulations, which might sound redundant.

The reason for this expression is that, compared to ordinary laws, military laws are exceptionally stringent.

For example, if North Sea County under Ye Zhen’s jurisdiction delayed in delivering the annual tribute to the State Governor Mansion, and if it was late by a few days, it would be considered a breach of deadline.

The State Governor Mansion might at most reprimand or fine them, and lightly punish the officials in charge of transportation with caning.

But under military law, a delay could lead to the execution of the main general and deputy general, with lesser officers and soldiers being exiled for hard labor.

Similarly, for the task Ye Zhen is currently entrusted with, finding the whereabouts of the invading demon clan army, if he fails to do so within the first deadline set by the Heavenly Patrol Division, Ye Zhen would face a reprimand from Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu.

Failing the second deadline would result in salary penalties or caning, and failing the third could lead to caning with dismissal from duty.

This punishment is relatively light.

But if handled by military law?

Failure to complete the designated military order could result in severe flogging, and in serious cases, execution on the spot as a warning to others.

This military order for Ye Zhen clearly belongs to the serious category; if not completed, enforcement by military law wouldn’t just affect Ye Zhen alone, but all leaders under the Second Route Wind Patrol Envoy would also be subjected to military law.

If the previous order from Xio Qiangu of the West Patrol, with a three-day deadline to solve the case, could at most remove Ye Zhen from his position as the Second Route Wind Patrol Envoy and send him to the Ministry of Justice’s prison.

Then the order from Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu could subject all key officials under the Second Route Wind Patrol Envoy, including Ye Zhen, Liuu Feng, Gu Tieqi, Fengg Jiumo, and Jiu’er, to military law.

In other words, failure would mean execution for Ye Zhen, Liuu Feng, Gu Tieqi, Fengg Jiumo, and Jiu’er, the main officials involved.

You can imagine the enormous pressure Liuu Feng felt when receiving this military order personally signed by Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu.

Yet all he could do at that moment was to mobilize every available resource to pursue the enemy and desperately attempt to contact Ye Zhen.

Meanwhile, as Liuu Feng received the order, within the East Arrival Pavilion of the Luoyi Imperial Palace, Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long’s face was as dark as water.

The Chief Eunuch Yu Chao’en was hunched over, not daring to make any movement.

As for Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu, he stood at the foot of the stairs, not daring to breathe too heavily.

"So according to you, this full-scale invasion by the demon clan army was not due to Ye Zhen’s incompetence but has an extremely complex background?" Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long inquired.

"Indeed, Your Majesty!"

Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu finally dared to speak, "According to the intelligence currently reported by the Second Route Wind Patrol Envoy, they have developed seven hidden guards in the four towns that have been massacred.

Yet none of the seven hidden guards in these four towns managed to send out even a single warning talisman before being killed. You should know that our Heavenly Patrol Division’s hidden guards have received a certain level of training.

In the event of danger or unexpected incidents, their first action is to send out a warning jade token. Almost all hidden guards can send out a warning jade token within a single breath.

Yet not a single one managed to do so before they all died.

Moreover, the signs of the demon clan’s army invasion involved surrounding the town and executing a rapid central assault. Even with the demon clan army’s speed, these hidden guards should have had ample time to send out warnings.

But none did, and given that this was an invasion by the demon clan army, there was no possibility of treachery; yet such a bizarre situation still occurred.

Under these circumstances, there’s only one conjecture: the hidden guards inserted by the Second Route Wind Patrol Envoy were deliberately silenced beforehand.

Moreover, it must have been done by parties equally skilled in this field, with precise knowledge of the personnel among the hidden guards of the Second Route Wind Patrol Envoy, which is beyond the capability of ordinary individuals." Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu analyzed.

"Are you saying it’s Xio Qiangu?"

"How dare he?" The Benevolent Emperor Ji Long suddenly clapped his hands and stood up, his face full of anger, "That scoundrel’s audacity grows ever larger, he dares to collude with the Demon Clan!"

Upon hearing this, Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu smiled bitterly; wasn’t this all too obvious?

But the key issue now isn’t that.

"Your Majesty, the current issue is how to preserve that critical pawn we’ve worked so hard to infiltrate into the West Patrol! Ye Zhen is the only one who successfully entered and established himself there.

Moreover, this sudden incident coincidentally happened while Ye Zhen was in seclusion attempting a breakthrough." Wu Yu said.

"Ye Zhen is still in seclusion?" Emperor Ji Long asked.

"Indeed, he entered seclusion on the evening of June 13th, and by June 14th, trouble had occurred." Wu Yu’s face showed a bitter smile.

After pondering for a moment, Emperor Ji Long coldly remarked, "Since it’s Xio Qiangu who has aimed their hand at my people, I permit your Secret Overseer and the Heavenly Patrol Department to fully aid Ye Zhen in overcoming this difficulty."

"Your Majesty, my Secret Overseer mainly targets officials and nobility; these small towns have few agents. However, in half a day, I can mobilize five thousand Secret Scouts into Lingzhou to search for the whereabouts of the Demon Clan forces." Chief Eunuch Yu Chaoen said.

"Excellent! Your Heavenly Patrol Department, the same," Emperor Ji Long turned his gaze to Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu, "Ye Zhen is a rare and established pawn.

If it truly is Xio Qiangu who intervened in this unexpected event, then whoever it might be, they would be foiled by Xio Qiangu.

This matter, it’s not a failure due to battle.

Wu Yu, this time, I allow you to deploy one third of the Void Hunting Kings stationed in Luoyi!"

"One third?"

This number greatly astonished Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu.

Progress in cultivating Spatial Cultivation Techniques is exceedingly slow; among the hundred thousand Heavenly Patrol Divine Hunters, only a hundred become Heavenly Patrol Divine Generals, and among them, only one or two can break through to become Void Hunting Kings.

The numbers are extremely few.

Yet the Celestial Patrol Division of Great Zhou has been established for nearly 200,000 years.

With this accumulation, even with the difficulty of breaking through as Void Hunting Kings, the number is substantial.

Deploying a third of the Void Hunting Kings stationed in Luoyi, even against more than a thousand to three thousand Demon Clan troops, they can be easily defeated, much less tens of thousands.

"I receive the order! But..." Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu displayed hesitation.

"Wu Qing, speak freely." Emperor Ji Long said.

"Your Majesty, if this matter truly is orchestrated by Xio Qiangu, then, knowing him, he absolutely won’t give Ye Zhen a chance to turn the tables!" Wu Yu said.

"Meaning? Are you saying?" Emperor Ji Long furrowed his brows.

"If I were in Xio Qiangu’s position, after committing these vile acts and forcing Ye Zhen into a desperate situation, I would completely... eliminate the evidence." Wu Yu said.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Ji Long’s face dramatically changed, "Wu Qing, are you saying that even sending many of our people there won’t uncover the traces of the Demon Clan forces?"

"Most likely, after accomplishing his goal, Xio Qiangu could easily eradicate that Demon Clan force, with the Xio family’s influence in the West Patrol, this can be easily achieved." Wu Yu’s expression was quite grim.

Hearing this, Emperor Ji Long was momentarily disoriented.

After a long pause, he exhaled a deeply frustrated breath, "Does this mean that not even I, the Nine-Five Supreme and ruler of Great Zhou, can protect Ye Zhen?"

Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu’s face was somber; he didn’t dare to respond to Emperor Ji Long’s cue, yet the meaning was unmistakably clear.

This time, Ye Zhen indeed couldn’t be saved.

He, the Nine-Five Supreme, had been outmaneuvered by the minister Xio Qiangu.

"Is there really no way..."

Truthfully, Emperor Ji Long held Ye Zhen in high regard, at least Ye Zhen was highly competent and accomplished many things the emperor wanted.

For instance, helping Princess Changle to completely control the Barbarian Spirit Hall, or fiercely opposing the Heaven-defying Temple, causing the Heavenly Temple’s crucial chess piece, the Tianming Marquis Country, to become a mess.

"Your Majesty, there may still be a way." Chief Eunuch Yu Chaoen, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.

"Speak quickly!" Emperor Ji Long urged.

"Your Majesty, before the incident and during it, Ye Zhen had already begun seclusion for his breakthrough, entrusting the responsibilities of the Second Route Wind Patrol Envoy to his deputy.

This can serve as an excuse to abandon the pawns to save the king three days hence!" Yu Chaoen said.

"Deal with the deputies under the Second Route Wind Patrol Envoy? Protect Ye Zhen?"

"Sigh.... " The Nine-Five Supreme of Great Zhou rarely let out such a long sigh; this matter, indeed, made him uncomfortable.

"Then it must be done this way. However, efforts must remain dual-track. Continue deploying reinforcements to Lingzhou, looking for any chance of reversal.

Meanwhile, send someone to Ye Zhen’s place of seclusion, have him extend his time there, and inform him of my decision, allowing him to defend himself, sacrificing the pawns to save the king!"