Cultivation Begins from Infancy - Chapter 381

Volume 3 - Chapter 94: But I Refuse! - Part 2

Yu Huang glanced at Feng Boping, who was in the courtyard, his eyes flickering slightly. He said, "This must be the so-called ‘Saint of Thieves,’ right? It seems he’s learned quite a few secrets about the Boundless Buddhist Lord. The Buddhist Lord tampered with him—this is a case of a missing soul?"

Li Hao replied softly, "That's correct."

Yu Huang patted Li Hao’s shoulder and said, "I’ll speak with the Wang family. Since they oversee the River of Death within Great Yu, they can search for it as long as it’s within the region. Let’s see if we can locate his missing soul. If we discover which part of the River of Death it resides in, we can attempt to retrieve it."

Li Hao was momentarily stunned before hastily replying, "Then I’ll go right away!"

Yu Huang cast him a glance, noting the eagerness in his expression. Smiling helplessly, he said:

"Going now won’t accomplish anything. You’d only be waiting idly on their side. There are many Buddhist disciples in the Wang family’s domain. If they find out about your presence, it could provoke unnecessary conflict and misunderstandings. It’s better for you to wait until there’s news. Once there is, I’ll let you know so you can head over directly."

Hearing this, Li Hao considered for a moment before nodding. "That works too."

"Don’t worry; I’ll make sure they search thoroughly."

Yu Huang reassured him before leaving the courtyard with his hands clasped behind his back.

Li Hao watched his figure disappear into the distance. Shortly after Yu Huang left the courtyard, he seemed to vanish into thin air as if teleporting.

That trace… It wasn’t Dao Rhythms or a Dao Domain but rather… the aura of the Great Dao.

Could this emperor have reached the Dao Seeker Realm?

Li Hao was briefly stunned, but after thinking it over, he felt it was only natural.

After all, the Boundless Buddhist Lord had hidden so deeply. Who among others wouldn’t have a few secrets of their own?

As the courtyard gate closed, Ren Qianqian walked over curiously and asked, "Young Master, who was that?"

"An old man who plays chess."

Li Hao looked in the direction where Yu Huang had departed.

"Is he really good at chess?"

Ren Qianqian was surprised. Even the Little Chess Saint hadn’t been praised this way by Li Hao before.

"His chess skills are average, but his character as a player is impeccable."

"Then doesn’t that mean the Young Master wins all the time?"

"No, I lose every game."

...

...

In Great Yu, within the imperial palace of the royal capital...

As Chu Jiuyue waited anxiously, Yu Huang returned.

First, Yu Huang went to Qiandao Palace to confirm some answers. Then he sent a message to the Wang family, instructing them to search the River of Death for the remnants of Feng Boping’s soul. Simultaneously, he summoned several hidden figures to the imperial palace.

These people appeared silently, like phantoms, unseen by the usual ministers and high officials.

One of them even had the silhouette of a bird. Upon landing in the imperial palace, it retracted its wings and transformed into the shape of a young girl.

As one secret command after another was issued, the imperial palace became the central hub for mobilizing the hidden forces of the Great Yu Divine Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, the Buddhist Sect's covert agents report that they plan to stir unrest in various cities, intending to escalate the commotion and pressure Your Majesty into submission."

Chu Jiuyue reported the news he had received.

Although Yu Huang had temporarily suppressed the Buddhist Sect’s resistance in court, the sect remained agitated, demanding a reckoning.

Yu Huang’s expression remained unchanged, as if he had anticipated this. A faint, cold smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

"Let them stir. They’ll soon receive the answer they desire."

Chu Jiuyue glanced at Yu Huang and asked cautiously, "Did Your Majesty go to play chess with General Haotian?"

"Indeed."

Hearing this, Chu Jiuyue, although not surprised, couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

If the disciples of the Buddhist Sect knew about this, they’d probably be furious enough to suffer a stroke on the spot.

"And General Haotian?"

Yu Huang looked at him and chuckled lightly. "I gave him a solution, precisely the kind the Buddhist Sect hopes for."

Chu Jiuyue’s expression changed slightly as he asked expectantly, "Did General Haotian agree?"

Yu Huang nodded. "He agreed without hesitation."

Chu Jiuyue froze, then let out a sigh of relief, smiling. "If General Haotian can understand Your Majesty’s difficulties and intentions, that would indeed be ideal."

Yu Huang smiled faintly, his gaze falling on the "Buddha" character etched on his desk. However, his eyes gradually grew colder.

"But I disagree."

Chu Jiuyue was taken aback.

"He is willing to endure this grievance, but I… refuse to see him endure it!"

Yu Huang turned to Chu Jiuyue and said, "Didn’t you ask earlier why I trust him so much?"

Chu Jiuyue was confused.

"Because I understand this child," Yu Huang said softly. "You cannot see through him. Like mayflies gazing at the heavens, your world is too small. His world is too vast."

Chu Jiuyue’s heart trembled. He hadn’t expected Yu Huang to hold this child in such high regard, far beyond what he could have imagined.

...

...

As the disciples of the Buddhist Sect in various cities of the Nineteen Provinces were about to incite chaos, an imperial edict was issued from the imperial palace of Great Yu: the true culprit behind the Boundless Buddhist Lord's murder had been found!

Both the Ministry of Justice and the Demon Subduing Division confirmed that the investigation had identified the perpetrator.

The culprit was none other than the Desolate God, the ruler of the seven major demon forces—the Demon Emperor from the Great Wilderness Heaven!

The war across Qingzhou, Liangzhou, and Youzhou had all been orchestrated by this Demon Emperor.

The Demon Emperor had infiltrated Boundless Mountain, disguising himself as General Haotian to battle the Boundless Buddhist Lord and ultimately slay him!

As the imperial edict spread across the provinces, the world was shaken.

Previously, the Great Yu Dynasty’s conflict with the demons had been fought covertly. Now, Yu Huang had brought everything to light, directly naming the Desolate God.

"A Demon Emperor? A Desolate God?!"

"I knew it! How could General Haotian kill the Boundless Buddhist Lord over a mere Saint of Thieves?"

"It was all the work of the demons. So cunning, using such methods to frame General Haotian!"

"General Haotian is a genius who saved three provinces! He’s the hope of our Great Yu Divine Dynasty. How could he do something so despicable?"

"The disciples of the Buddhist Sect claim they saw it with their own eyes. Laughable! Since when is seeing believing? What about demonic arts? Even a Spirit Wandering Realm martial artist can be deceived by illusions, let alone demon trickery!"

"Nonsense! His Majesty is merely protecting him. What demon is there to speak of?"

"I think it’s your Buddhist Sect that’s demonic! Why would General Haotian kill the Boundless Buddhist Lord? What reason would he have?"

The Great Yu royal family commanded immense authority. While some voices of doubt persisted—mainly from Buddhist disciples—most of the populace, nobility, and influential families believed the imperial decree, attributing the crime to the demons.

The common folk trusted in the royal authority and in Li Hao’s prior deeds.

Meanwhile, the aristocrats and influential families, though some believed in the monarchy’s authority, often prioritized tangible benefits.

They saw no reason for General Haotian to kill the Boundless Buddhist Lord, which left them inclined to accept the edict.

Upon hearing the news, the Buddhist Sect’s high-ranking members were nearly apoplectic with rage.

Not only did His Majesty refuse to support their demands for justice, but he also seemed intent on using their sect to fight the demons, exploiting the Buddhist Lord’s death to compel them into action.

Too ruthless. This emperor was far too ruthless!

Naturally, the edict also reached the demons, including the secretive halls outside Great Yu.

The Demon Ram Lord and two other Desolate Gods were dumbfounded upon hearing the news. Their expressions quickly turned grim.

The humans only saw the emperor cleverly redirecting the Buddhist Sect’s hatred, but they knew that this decree wasn’t merely a defense for that terrifying youth. It was a direct declaration of war against them.

This meant the opportunity they had been waiting for no longer existed.

They had previously considered the possibility of a feigned break by the humans and prepared countermeasures to exploit such a scenario.

But this emperor didn’t even bother with pretense, showing no opening for them to exploit. Instead, he channeled the Buddhist Sect’s fury toward the demons, turning the sect into a spearhead to protect Great Yu.

"Unbelievable… outrageous!"

The Demon Ram Lord’s face darkened.

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