Dao Equaling the Heavens
Chapter 472 - 58: Save Ten Thousand, Eat One

Chapter 472: Chapter 58: Save Ten Thousand, Eat One

Three Pure Dao Sect.

In the Jade Palace, Huayang sat at the head seat.

The Three Pure Venerables rotate every fifty years. If they are in closed-door cultivation, they can extend or skip the term, but it must be made up later.

Gu Wen already owes three hundred years of his term. It should have been his turn to make up for it, but now Yuqing Heavenly Venerate and Chi Venerable have ’eloped.’ Yun Miao often shirks his duties, so the responsibility of governing the world has fallen on him.

In total, Huayang has been in position for five hundred years, more than half of which he was actively managing affairs.

He has accumulated prestige but has fallen behind in cultivation.

As Yun Miao always mocked him, he would never become an Immortal in this life.

A streak of light flew in, and Huayang opened it and his eyes narrowed. Then a wisp of divine thought flew out of the Jade Palace.

Entering the Heavenly Prison Cave Heaven, he summoned the powerful leaders of each department, and a group of divine thoughts gathered into human forms.

Ordinary cultivators either cultivate or work, but those above the Divine Separation Stage possess the ability to manifest their divine thoughts and multitask. Their main body cultivates while their divine separation works.

Although it is a bit more taxing than lying down and being supported by others as before, it is overall still quite good.

After all, in peaceful times, one doesn’t have to worry about being attacked by enemies unexpectedly.

Some couldn’t adapt to this state of cultivation, so they either went to the underworld or became fugitives.

Huayang spoke: "How many of you are involved in the Jiang family’s matter?"

With this question, all the leaders were silent.

They had all made a move.

Where there are people, there are both open and hidden struggles. Nowadays, the world is peaceful, but those struggles have only moved from open battles to covert ones.

The Jiang family occupies the land of Danqing State, holding the position of a first-class sect with the strength of a third-class sect, naturally drawing attention.

Other sects are similar. A slight flaw will be exposed by hostile sects, which will seize the chance to take a piece of the spoil.

The Director of the Investigation Department asked, "Investigating the Jiang family was an order from Chi Venerable; we were just following orders."

"Did Chi Venerable say the Jiang family was guilty?"

"We discovered it in our investigation."

"Can anyone guarantee that the charges you submitted are completely accurate?"

"These were verified by the Inspector. I cannot make any guarantees."

With this exchange, the atmosphere fell into silence again.

All the leaders were puzzled as to why Huayang Venerable was suddenly so concerned about the Jiang family. In previous years, he had reprimanded the Jiang family a few times but never favored them.

He was undeniably just and impartial.

"If these charges are true, I will report them to the Immortals and seek fairness in handling the matter."

Huayang slapped a document summarizing the Jiang family’s charges on the table, knowing the Jiang family was very divisive.

Danqing State is too wealthy; the Daoist Sect doesn’t want any sect to monopolize it. The ancestor also wanted to favor those who had old ties with Gu Wen.

And because the major Pill Sects were not on good terms with each other, they gave Danqing State to the Jiang family.

"But if this is false, then all of you could be in mortal danger."

The Director of the Investigation Department cupped his hands and said, "Please enlighten us, Venerable."

"From the information I have gathered, Chi Venerable and Yuqing Heavenly Venerate inquired about the Jiang family while visiting relatives."

The crowd was enlightened, some letting out an ’Oh,’ understanding now why Chi Venerable, who had no connection with the Jiang family, would specifically ask about them.

If ranks were divided, the True Martial Demon Cleansing Venerate, who wields power over life and death, is only half a head lower than the Three Pure Ones.

Wait, visiting relatives?

Does Yuqing Heavenly Venerate have ties with the Jiang family, or is it Chi Venerable?

Does it matter?

Tiny beads of sweat immediately appeared on the foreheads of the leaders.

Seeing this, Huayang waved his hand and said, "I’ll send this charge document back for you to review. Don’t just include things like abducting women, oppressing the people, and setting up private incense altars. If the world were truly just, would we need to be sitting here?"

"You have issues, and the Jiang family has issues, but as long as principles are not violated, some restraint is always necessary."

He was just and strict yet needed to consider practical realities.

A sect, whether it’s large with hundreds of thousands or small with a few thousand people, always has a few bad apples, and it’s impossible for everyone to be public-spirited.

Especially for major sects and powerful successors, some allowances outside normal rules are sometimes required.

Sometimes Huayang could understand why Gu Wen left; because this position couldn’t tolerate the strongest.

Given Gu Wen’s actions in Buddha State, sitting in the Jade Palace would indeed be a great disaster. He could be just and had the capability for it.

All the leaders repeatedly cupped their hands, expressing their gratitude: "Yes, we thank the Venerable."

Three days passed, and Huayang received no further charges. He assumed that the people below were more cautious than expected and had directly judged them not guilty.

This was good, as it saved many troubles.

On the other side, in the Investigation Department of the True Martial Palace.

The Director was an elderly True Monarch at the Divine Separation Stage, now exiting closed-door cultivation to personally review the evidence sent by his subordinates.

Previously, they wanted to find some dirt on the Jiang family, but now, given the high connections, they had to uphold fairness and justice.

It was enough to symbolically arrest a few people and investigate claims of some Jiang family members oppressing the populace.

Then a pile of evidence was sent up, all relating to oppressing the populace disappearing, replaced by colluding with evil cultivators and conducting blood sacrifices.

"This... Someone set me up?"

Initially, they had aimed to paint the Jiang family as a despicable aristocratic family, but now this seemed like an excuse for total annihilation.

Practicing evil magic, blood-consuming rituals, and deceiving the populace?

Any one of these charges would mean heads rolling for the Jiang family.

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Danqing State.