Outside the manor.
Li Cheng was still surrounded by guards, in his carriage, waiting for Qin Yun to come out to welcome him.
"Your Majesty, please come on in," said Dong Wan with a smile after he came to the manor's entrance.
Li Cheng pulled open the curtains and looked coldly at Dong Wan.
By that point, Li Cheng's heart was burning with anger.
"I disregarded my status and came to visit him of my own accord. I even waited outside as his guards passed the message of my arrival. Yet still, this Meng Yiqiu actually dares to get a subordinate to receive me? Hmph! Isn't that ridiculous?" Li Cheng was indeed vexed and angered. However, his composure was indeed extraordinary. He held back his anger as he disembarked the carriage. With the old eunuch and his personal guards in tow, he was led into the manor by Dong Wan.
"My Elder is in the back garden." Dong Wan led him through the ground respectfully.
"Oh?"
With a smile, Li Cheng led his subordinates and guards into the back garden.
In the back garden, a plainly-dressed Qin Yun was carrying a child while playing with and teasing him. By the side were Gong Yan'er and a few maidservants.
"Your Majesty, you are here." Qin Yun sat down with the child in his arms. He pointed to a seat across him. "Take a seat."
Li Cheng's smile stiffened but he continued maintaining it as he sat down.
One of the few people who dared to speak to him this casually now that he was king was the old general, Xue Chong, who he had previously visited. Similarly, Grand General Xue Chong did not think too much of a king like him.
"I just inherited the throne and have many matters to tend to. I only had the chance to come meet you today, Elder Meng. I hope you would not blame me for that," said Li Cheng with a smile.
"I'm a cultivator, and so I do not bother with such matters. Your Majesty, it would be fine even if you didn't come see me," replied Qin Yun.
This wasn't just Qin Yun, any ordinary expert on the Heaven roll would say the same! The only one they feared was the God of War Li Ruji that was backing the Chu Kingdom's royalty! As for why there were generations of kings in the Chu Kingdom, it was because Li Ruji devoted his time to cultivation. He could not be bothered with affairs of the mortal world. Therefore, he allowed generations of descendants to inherit the throne. Whoever ended up being king naturally had huge implications for the countless ordinary citizens.
As for Heaven roll experts? The influence was limited.
As for Qin Yun? He was unfazed even by Li Ruji. Of the experts on the God roll in this world, only the first-ranked Fiendlord Xiahou Zhen made Qin Yun feel a little threatened.
"Elder Meng, you might not mind but I still had to come," said Li Cheng with a chuckle. "Speaking of which, my age isn't much different from yours. However, in terms of cultivation, I've yet to enter the Connate realm. I'm far inferior to you, Elder Meng."
Li Cheng raised various topics in an attempt to find a common ground with Qin Yun. By then, the child Meng Huan, who sat on Qin Yun's legs, began kicking up a fuss. Qin Yun handed the child over to Gong Yan'er and said immediately, "Yan'er, take Huanhuan out."
"Alright." Gong Yan'er brought the maidservants with her and bowed at Li Cheng before departing.
"All of you can take your leave too."
When Li Cheng saw this, he waved his hand, sending his subordinates, the old eunuch, and his personal guards away.
Only Qin Yun and Li Cheng were left in the back garden.
It was then that Li Cheng said, "Elder Meng, there is another reason why I came today."
"Please speak, Your Majesty." Qin Yun nodded as he held up his teacup.
"The Duan family has committed nine grave crimes." Li Cheng's eyes were filled with ferocity. "According to the laws of the Chu Kingdom, all nine branches of a family are to be implicated!"
Qin Yun was drinking his tea but his eyelids twitched. He shot a glance at Li Cheng. "My younger sister is Second Young Master Duan's wife. I'm considered a member of the Duan family's spousal branch. That is included in the nine branches, isn't it?"
"No, no!" said Li Cheng immediately. "All I'm saying is that all nine branches should be implicated. However, Elder Meng, your contributions to the Chu Kingdom are immense. As such, the Duan family will experience a light slap on the wrist. Only the main culprit shall be implicated, and not all branches."
Qin Yun continued drinking his tea as he did not say a word.
"The Duan family's head, Duan Qiyu, committed most of the crimes. He should be punished with death," said Li Cheng. "As for the rest, the Duan family's position as Quelling Duke will be demoted to Quelling Marquis. Elder Meng, what do you think of that?"
After saying so much, Li Cheng was basically squaring accounts after ascending to the throne! With Li Cheng's temper, the Duan family should have been raided and wiped out entirely. However, the Duan family had a Heaven roll expert backing it! Li Cheng naturally dreaded him. Before punishing the Duan family, he had to inform Qin Yun ahead of time and obtain his approval before announcing it publicly.
"In my opinion, Your Majesty should be more benevolent after ascending the throne," Qin Yun put down his teacup and said with a smile. "As to the matter regarding the Duan family, I think it's best to overlook it and pretend it never happened."
"Overlook it?" Li Cheng's expression changed. "Impossible!"
Qin Yun gave Li Cheng a glance.
Li Cheng had made up his mind. He knew very well that Li Ruji was backing him! His Li family ruled over the entire Chu Kingdom. Although he did have to gain the favor of experts on the Heaven roll, he still had to be a decisive king. Yielding slightly and taking the Heaven roll experts' desires into account was sufficient. He could not heed every command of the Heaven roll experts.
If he did not punish the Duan family, it would only make others think higher of Meng Yiqiu and think that he was a hopeless king.
"Such a mistake should be met with punishment." Li Cheng stood up. "Elder Meng, I won't be disturbing you any further."
"Your Majesty." Qin Yun raised a box beside him and placed it on the table. He opened the box and asked, "Your Majesty, do you recognize this item?"
Li Cheng took a look.
Inside the box was a pair of gloves that were as thin as cicada wings.
"What are these?" Li Cheng was puzzled. "Elder Meng, this is a weapon in the form of a pair of gloves. However, I have never seen it before."
"You have never seen it before?" Qin Yun was also taken aback.
This was Taishu Chen's weapon!
However, Taishu Chen often disguised his identity and hid his strength. He usually used swords but even so, Qin Yun didn't think that Li Cheng would have never seen the pair of gloves that belonged to Taishu Chen when he pretended to be Mr Zhou.
"Your Majesty, you can bring this pair of gloves to Grand General Xue Chong," said Qin Yun with a smile. "When you learn more about them, I believe Your Majesty will not want to punish the Duan family any longer."
"Oh?" Li Cheng's pupils shrank.
"Also, when all is said and done, please return this weapon to me," said Qin Yun. He had no intention of giving the weapon away.
"Alright."
Li Cheng did not speak further. He closed the box and left.
Qin Yun watched as he left.
Although King Chu's visit to Elder Meng was kept a secret, the Duan family learned of the visit that night.
At the Duan family.
"Brother Qiyu, in the past few days, the various officials and nobles that supported the former Crown Prince have been captured or killed. Today, His Majesty went to visit Elder Meng. That seems to imply that the Duan family is next on the chopping block," said a lanky man with a smile.
"Brother Wang, do you have any ways of helping my Duan family?" Duan Qiyu looked at the lanky man and asked immediately.
The lanky man peeped through the windows and saw a few beauties walk past in the distance. They had alluring figures and ways about them that excited him greatly.
"I forged a friendship with His Majesty over life and death. I can naturally help you if I want to," said the lanky man with a laugh. "However, Brother Qiyu, you should know that there is a price for everything."
"Please tell me, Brother Wang." Duan Qiyu looked at him.
"Everyone in Sovereign Capital knows that the Duan Twins have paramount beauty," said the man with a smile. "As long as you agree to give me the Duan Twins as concubines, I, Wang Wanchong will guarantee your family's safety."
Duan Qiyu's face flushed red.
The Duan Twins were the beloved daughters of the Duan family. One of them was his daughter and the other was his niece.
"By the way, His Majesty hates you with an insane passion. It will be hard to get him to spare your life." The lanky man added. "But by giving the Duan Twins to me, more than a thousand lives in your Duan family will be spared."
"Let me consider it," said Duan Qiyu.
"Don't consider it any longer. Once His Majesty gives the order, even I won't be able to do a thing," said the lanky man. "Isn't it just two women? Are you unwilling to part with two women to save entire family clan?"
Duan Qiyu hated the thought but he had no other choice.
"I'll reply to you in three days," said Duan Qiyu.
"Haha, I can wait three days but His Majesty might not be able to," said the lanky man as he walked afar. "Once His Majesty gives the order, I won't be able to do a thing. So, quickly make up your mind."
As he watched the lanky man depart in laughter, Duan Qiyu harbored resentment in his heart.
When the Duan family was thriving, it had many clansmen. The Duan family's men were mostly handsome, such as Duan Qifeng and Duan Qiyu! The wives and concubines that were betrothed to the Duan family naturally had excellent looks as well. After generations… the Duan family was indeed filled with beauties. The Duan family's Eight Allures, the Duan family's Twins, all of them were very famous. Even people that married into the family like Meng Yuxiang had extremely good looks too.
Now that they were in trouble, Wang Wanchong was not the only person that was trying to take the opportunity to snatch the Duan family's women away.
"Letting my daughter become a concubine of yours, Wang Wanchong? Dream on." Duan Qiyu was anxious and angry but all he could do was curse secretly. In these times, everyone in the Duan family was feeling anxious.
The afternoon of the seventh day of the new year.
King Chu paid another visit to Grand General Xue Chong.
On the practice ground, Xue Chong was practicing his spear techniques.
"Grand General, His Majesty is here." A guard rushed to inform him.
"His Majesty?"
The stocky Xue Chong emanated an aura like a burning volcano but he converged his aura. He was somewhat puzzled. "Didn't His Majesty visit me a few days ago? Why is he here again?"
With that said, Xue Chong threw the spear to a guard beside him and walked straight out.
Just after he walked out the practicing grounds, he encountered King Chu along the way.
"Your Majesty." Xue Chong cupped his hands slightly. "What brings you here today?"
"I have an item that is puzzling me. Grand General, I require you to identify it for me," said King Chu.
"Oh?" Xue Chong was perplexed. "I wonder what the item is?"
King Chu extended his hand and the old eunuch beside him immediately passed the box he carried in his arms over respectfully. King Chu took over the box and opened it himself. "Grand General, take a look."
When Xue Chong saw a pair of gloves as thin as cicada wings in the box, his pupils could not help but contract as his expression changed.