“Although Daosheng State’s Xuankong Mountain is unstable, we won’t fear mere demon invaders. If you dare to set foot on our territory, we’ll ensure you never return!” With this threat, the Six Venerable Masters cast one last furious glance at the ghost woman before hastily departing.
“My daughter and I will take our leave as well. Summoning the Youquan River is too draining. Prison Lord, if you need us again, just call for me directly,” the ghost woman said, leaving behind a strand of her hair before vanishing.
Yin Ya dared not keep it, insisting Nan Yan take it instead. As the ghostly clouds dispersed, his emotions stabilized. Once calm, he noticed the pale-faced Meng Ying.
His innate charm as a fox spirit surfaced as he opened a fan with a flourish: “This young lady looks quite familiar—”
Nan Yan made introductions and inquired about the earlier incident with Chu Ning. Meng Ying briefly explained the situation.
“…The political landscape is clear now. Once the Dragon Lord officially declares war on the Zi Region, at least the Hai Region among the neutral territories will side with Zi. If I hadn’t acted quickly, Chu Ning would have killed me to prove his loyalty to Zi,” Meng Ying took a deep breath. “I also heard that something happened in the Wei Region.”
“The Xiaquan River in Wei was taken,” Nan Yan looked at Yin Ya in surprise. He seemed to have prior knowledge: “There are nine prisons in the world. Gaining five allows one to establish Fengdu and usurp the Netherworld. Daosheng State, with mortal bodies, seeks to control life and death cycles. Including the old man we just saw, if things go according to the Daosheng State’s plan, they should now control Feng, Ming, Ya, and Xia—four of the spirit rivers.”
Meng Ying quickly understood: “Yes… I occasionally overheard Hai Region elders saying that the power of these Netherworld territories grows stronger during times of war.”
Using the living to nourish the dead, and using humans to feed ghosts—Ji Yang had been planning for the nine prisons from the start.
First, he spread information about the existence of the nine prisons, then let Yin Ya obtain the Youquan River.
In the Mountain and Sea禁决, he destroyed the Dao Venerable statue, split the Fengquan River in two, took away thousands of years of ghost energy, and gave the Prison Lord and Dao Venerable statue’s spiritual power to Mu Zhanting.
Daosheng State lost both the Youquan and Fengquan Rivers. With only Ming, Ya, and Xia remaining, they couldn’t establish Fengdu. They had two choices: abandon their thousand-year plan or ignite a war to directly seize the remaining netherworld rivers.
…Resulting in widespread suffering.
As a disciple of Buddhism, Nan Yan hesitated before speaking: “I once thought my grudge against Daosheng State was personal. Uncle and the Dragon Lord seemed reluctant to start a war, hence their patience until now. I didn’t expect them to make a move on Wei first. Should we go to Wei and assess the situation?”
Yin Ya shook his head: “I heard from the little ghosts that the Daosheng State took advantage of the Xiaquan Ghost Abyss’s turmoil to seize the Xiaquan River’s imperial crown. Meng Xiaolou killed a fourth-stage Huashen realm master, but in the end, Daosheng State’s Xuanzai sealed him at the bottom of the Ghost Abyss. That place is impenetrable to gods and ghosts alike. We’re only at the Yuanying stage—we’d be useless there.”
Meng Ying, equally confused, said: “Everything’s in chaos—Daosheng State’s Xuankong Mountain has fallen, Chen Region has declared war, Wei’s ruler is sealed… such disorder—”
Yin Ya added: “And the demon-sealing array is unstable. The demon ancestors want to invade for revenge.”
Amid the ensuing silence, Nan Yan suddenly said: “Don’t forget, the Righteous Law Palace oversees disputes between regions.”
Two days later, news of Daosheng State’s Xuankong Mountain’s fall spread across all regions, causing widespread panic.
East of the Zi Region stood a floating palace above the sea, appearing as if built among clouds. In front of the central hall’s square, a hundred-zhang stone tablet inscribed with “Righteous Law of Heaven” connected the sky and sea—the symbol of this place.
In a side hall, a Foundation Establishment stage law enforcer scrutinized Meng Ying Nan Yan, and Yin Ya behind her suspiciously.
“You’re here to… report a case?”
“Yes,” Meng Ying had already soaked two handkerchiefs with tears. “My husband and I were about to leave the Zi Region when we were attacked by ghosts on the way. My husband died protecting me… I’m carrying the Chu family’s unborn child. Please, friends of the Righteous Law Palace, seek justice for my Hai Region!”
Her wail startled the law enforcer, who tried to comfort her: “Lady Chu, please calm down. We’ve received hundreds of reports about ghost disturbances in Daosheng State these past two days and can’t handle them all at once. But since your incident occurred in the Zi Region, why don’t you stay at the Righteous Law Palace for a few days? We’ll get back to you once we’ve sorted things out.”
Meng Ying nodded repeatedly: “You must help me. How can I live without my husband…”
The law enforcer said: “Don’t be sad, my lady. Here’s a token for your stay… But who’s this behind you?”
Behind Meng Ying stood a female cultivator holding a white fox. She replied: “I’m the midwife.”
Law enforcer: “…You found a midwife after just one month of pregnancy?”
Nan Yan: “It’s better to be prepared.”
Law enforcer: “And that fox in your arms?”
Nan Yan: “It’s a tonic.”
The white fox bit her arm and didn’t let go, even after they settled into their quarters at the Righteous Law Palace.
Meng Ying tried unsuccessfully to mediate, then changed the subject: “But since Mu has taken charge of the Righteous Law Palace and declared himself the God of Literature, shouldn’t he judge our case according to tradition? You’re close siblings, why not argue your case before him?”
Nan Yan and Yin Ya instantly reconciled: “No, no, you’re mistaken. We’re not blood siblings, we’re not close.”
Meng Ying: “But earlier in Daosheng State, he was eager to announce to everyone that you were his sister—”
Nan Yan: “He stubbornly insists on conquering the literary world. I failed to dissuade him, and our sibling bond is broken.”
Meng Ying: “How so?”
Nan Yan extracted her arm from the white fox’s mouth and pointed to two couplets on the doorframe, asking Meng Ying to judge for herself.
“‘Strictly enforce safety in alchemy, Cultivate happily for peace,’ Oh my…”
In the cultivation world, paired couplets were uncommon for buildings. Yet, for some reason, the Hall of Righteous Law had large red couplets with fresh ink pasted on every door, creating a jarring sight.
As Meng Ying read them along the way, she felt increasingly uncomfortable. When Yin Ya reluctantly summoned a minor ghost to inquire about the situation, they finally understood why the Hall of Righteous Law had changed so drastically in just two days under Mu Zhanting’s control.
“It’s because the Council of Elders holds all the power,” the ghost explained. “Cases like the Xuankong Mountain collapse and the sealing of Weizhou Swordmaster never reach the Emperor. He’s so bored that he’s leaving his calligraphy everywhere.”
Recalling the events surrounding Qi Yang years ago, Nan Yan asked seriously, “Is it because the Dao Sheng Tian controls the Hall of Righteous Law?”
“The Hall oversees major cases in the cultivation world. Even Dao Sheng Tian can’t directly control it,” the ghost clarified. “While some retired Dao Sheng Tian elders are on the Council, they’re just one faction. With the Emperor’s position vacant for so long, the Council has been wielding power. Now that Dao Sheng Tian is almost openly hostile, they’re shamelessly using the new Emperor’s youth and inexperience as an excuse to maintain control.”
Nan Yan continued, “I heard from the Dragon Lord that judgments from the Hall can be presented to the Emperor and the Council, or one can kneel before the Righteous Law Stele to seek mercy. This stele, formed by ancient cultivators and supreme beings, is impartial, right?”
“Correct,” the ghost confirmed. “After the Linglong Capital massacre, the Council initially sentenced Nan Yi to soul destruction. But Nan Fangzhu gathered evidence, promised compensation from Chenzhou, and knelt before the stele for three days and nights under the Trial of Conscience Lightning. Only then did she secure a reduced sentence.”
As Nan Yan listened, something in her palm began to heat up. She looked down to find a faint light pattern from the Reverse Samsara Mirror on her hand.
“What if I seek a trial of conscience before the Righteous Law Stele to accuse Dao Sheng Tian’s Xuanzai of my mother’s death?” she asked.
Yin Ya transformed back into human form and smacked her head. “Are you insane? Dao Sheng Tian has wanted your heart for ages. This is their outpost. If you charge in, no one can save you.”
“I’m perfectly lucid,” Nan Yan replied. “If the Righteous Law Stele truly has a spirit, it will shatter the Council’s authority. As for Dao Sheng Tian’s Xuanzai, if he’s determined to risk the entire human realm for his ambitions, people have the right to know. Let public opinion judge the rights and wrongs.”
…
“Sigh… sigh…”
An attendant who had just finished pasting ghost-repelling talismans on a wall turned to look at Mu Zhanting, who had a brush clipped to his ear. With a twitching eye, the attendant asked, “Why is the Emperor sighing again?”
Twirling the Mountain River Sea Crown with his index finger, Mu Zhanting said, “Before the Mountain Sea Prohibition, the elders of Chenzhou tricked me. They said if I wore this hat, all the poetry and prose written by scholars under heaven would automatically enter my mind, enriching my literary foundation. But I’ve been studying it for days now. This damn hat is cold and heavy, and if I wear it too long, I sometimes hear mosquitoes singing. It hasn’t taught me a damn thing. Do you think this might be a fake?”
The attendant forced a laugh. “The Emperor must be joking. How could it be fake with so many Nascent Soul elders watching? The Mountain River Sea Crown indeed knows all under heaven. The previous Emperor only took a day and a night to refine it before handling the five great rebellions of the cultivation world.”
Mu Zhanting spoke softly, “So you’re saying I lack aptitude?”
“I wouldn’t dare!” the attendant exclaimed. “If… if you truly can’t activate it, perhaps you could ask the elders in the Council.”
Mu Zhanting rolled his eyes. “You mean those old tangerine peels? They all claim to have my best interests at heart, telling me to take it slow. But all they’ve given me are these trivial third-rate cases. The Fifth Elder of the Yun family in Shenzhou married a cat spirit concubine out of lust and had a mouse child. Why should I care about that?”
Trembling, the attendant asked, “Then… what level of cases would you like to handle?”
The Hall’s cases were ranked from one to nine, with major events like cultivation world wars classified as ninth-rank. The Council certainly wouldn’t let Mu Zhanting interfere with those now.
“I won’t hope for ninth-rank cases yet, but you could at least give me some sixth or seventh-rank ones,” Mu Zhanting said. “The Confucian Cultivators’ Literary Conference in Shenzhou seems suitable for me. Before, I could only admire it from afar in Chenzhou. Now that I’m in this position at the Hall of Righteous Law, as the ancients say, ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ I should do something for the future generations of the literary world—”
“Emperor!” The attendant fell to his knees in terror. After stammering for a while, he suggested, “There’s no rush. Since you’re struggling to refine the Mountain River Sea Crown, why not try taking it to the Righteous Law Stele? I’ve heard that if you can pass its test, the stele can accept requests to judge anyone.”
Delighted by this idea, Mu Zhanting grabbed the crown and slipped out. As he observed the Hall’s situation on his way to the stele, he was feeling quite pleased. However, just before landing, he saw countless spirit lights flashing in the distance and heard someone shout at the Righteous Law Stele—
“Who dares to intrude upon the Stele’s forbidden ground!”
Mu Zhanting looked down and saw a blood-red Sanskrit seal break through the encirclement of cultivators. Someone walked up to the Righteous Law Stele and knelt in the same spot where her mother had once knelt.
“I am Nan Yan, a survivor of the Nan clan from Yinzhou. I request the Righteous Law Stele to re-examine the death of my mother, Nan Fangzhu.”
The surrounding law enforcers were astounded. They raised their magical weapons, saying, “She’s the fugitive wanted by Dao Sheng Tian. Capture her!”
“Who dares!” Mu Zhanting’s Mountain River Sea Crown hummed, resonating with the Righteous Law Stele. It created a barrier that kept all the law enforcers at bay.
The enforcers looked at Mu Zhanting blocking their way, angry and shocked. “What are you doing, Emperor? Openly protecting a criminal before the Stele? If the Stele punishes you, the Council will have the right to impeach and depose you!”
“I don’t understand. Is this the Hall of Righteous Law for the cultivation world or Dao Sheng Tian?” Mu Zhanting turned to Nan Yan and said, “You just do what you need to do. If the place that claims to be the most just in the cultivation world is merely this, then this hat is too heavy. I might as well not have it.”
As all eyes focused on them, the Righteous Law Stele emitted a wave of heavy spiritual pressure. In the silence that followed, an ancient voice spoke from the stele—
“Whom do you wish to accuse?”
Years of hidden anger and resentment burst forth before this stele that claimed to represent heavenly law. Nan Yan finally called out the name that no one else dared to utter.
“The one I seek vengeance against is the Sect Master of Dao Sheng Tian, Ying Ze Wei.”