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Chapter 357: Zhong Shan Will Kill Regardless

The intense psychological pressure weighed heavily on Zhong Shan. His mind wavered momentarily, but a deep-seated resolve prevented him from kneeling. Kneel? No! Zhong Shan had transcended mortal limitations; no one could make him kneel. The suppressed fierceness of eighty years surged forth. With a sharp lift of his head, Zhong Shan regained his clarity.

Once he was fully conscious, Zhong Shan took in the full view of the grand hall. The previous feeling of being insignificant in the vast universe dissipated entirely.

"Whoosh..."

A collective gasp of disbelief echoed through the hall from the court officials.

Upon entering the Taigu Sacred Hall, it was customary for all to prostrate themselves before the Emperor. This had been an unbroken tradition for countless years. In the history of the Daluo Heavenly Dynasty, only a few individuals had ever refrained from kneeling, and it wasn't because the Emperor demanded it, but because the sheer divine presence of the hall compelled them. One had to kneel to the sky embodied in the hall.

However, as the officials turned their gaze towards Zhong Shan, they saw that not only had he not knelt, but he had also raised his head with a fierce determination. The officials were taken aback.

Who was this Zhong Shan, possessing such formidable willpower?

Having resisted the first wave of divine pressure, Zhong Shan was no longer affected. He now had a clear view of the Emperor seated on the Nine Dragons Celestial Throne.

The Emperor of the Daluo Heavenly Dynasty, Gu Shentong, was clad in a regal purple-gold robe adorned with nine dragons, and wore a purple jade flat-topped crown. His hands rested on the armrests beside him, exuding an overwhelming majesty that bore down on Zhong Shan. The Emperor's face appeared to be that of a man in his forties, with a slightly protruding forehead. His eyes were like black holes in the night sky, one glance seemingly capable of drawing Zhong Shan's very soul into them.

Zhong Shan dared not look further and immediately bowed respectfully, saying, "Your humble servant Zhong Shan pays his respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy eternal celestial fortune and longevity equal to the heavens!"

Zhong Shan's respectful bow was observed in silence by the surrounding officials.

"A Yang-absolute, Yin-repelling constitution! No wonder you could withstand the divine pressure," Gu Shentong said calmly.

The term "Yang-absolute, Yin-repelling constitution" rang familiar to Zhong Shan. The supreme emperor of the wolf clan, Di Xuansha, had once declared that he would have no descendants, recognizing this trait at a glance. The Yang-absolute was true, but the Yin-repelling was not entirely accurate, as Zhong Shan possessed an additional Yang-repelling body, the hidden body.

"You may rise," Gu Shentong said.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Zhong Shan said, straightening up.

Zhong Shan then glanced at the officials lined up on either side.

To his right, the second in line was King Da Xuan. The first must undoubtedly be Crown Prince Zheng Yi.

Prince Zheng Yi, the Crown Prince of the Daluo Heavenly Dynasty, bore a slight resemblance to the Emperor. His eyebrows formed a '川' character, giving him an ordinary appearance that was paradoxically extraordinary due to its sheer ordinariness.

The thirteenth official on the right was Marquis Qi Tian, whose smile did not reach his eyes. At the very end stood Minister Ma Zhui, whom Zhong Shan had met a few days ago.

On the left side, Zhong Shan didn't recognize anyone. However, he could roughly guess the identity of the man standing first in line. He was likely the Grand Tutor of the Daluo Heavenly Dynasty, Huan Tulong.

Huan Tulong had a head of fiery red hair slicked back, and his eyes were sharp, resembling those of an eagle demon. A single glance from him felt like having a piece of flesh gouged out.

"Report Zhong Shan's achievements!" Gu Shentong commanded.

"Yes!" An elderly eunuch by the Emperor's side responded respectfully, immediately producing a scroll resembling an imperial decree and began to read aloud.

"Zhong Shan, in the Daluo Heavenly Dynasty for eight thousand years, excelled in the imperial examinations with his essay 'Full River Red', securing the top scholar position. He went on to the front lines, assisting King Da Xuan in pacifying rebellions of two dynasties. Within four months, commanding two hundred thousand troops of the Da Xuan Army without a single casualty, he captured the Unparalleled City. He was then titled the Eastern Marquis and summoned his family's troops. Two years later, with five hundred thousand troops, he swiftly conquered twelve cities of the Di Yu Emperor's Dynasty along the coast within five months, a feat recognized for its immense merit.

"Furthermore, during this time, he devised the 'Heaven Collapse Plan' specifically targeting the Di Yu Emperor's Dynasty, overseeing the military strategy. Within four years, he collapsed four layers of the Di Yu Emperor's Dynasty, leading to its complete downfall across its territories. In addition, he personally commanded fifteen routes of troops to seize the Sky City.

"Subsequently, he moved to the Da Guang Battlefield, where he captured four cities within two years without pause. Additionally, he assisted in breaking the Da Guang Emperor's 'Silent Palace Rotating Hall', enslaving countless wild wolves within three months and securing sixty-four cities of the Da Guang Emperor's Dynasty. He then led twenty routes of troops to effortlessly capture the Aurora City with a single arrow and message, leading to the complete collapse of the Da Guang Emperor's Dynasty's battlefield."

Beside him, a eunuch recited each word without feeling, but those who listened were deeply moved. These achievements, staggering in their magnitude, were the kind that warranted ennoblement and titles.

With each accomplishment of Zhong Shan recounted, the court officials couldn't help but glance at him. The 'Heaven Collapse Plan', a strategy that spread across the Divine Land like a plague, was devised by the Eastern Marquis himself?

In the court, everyone was exceptional. Listening to these feats, all sighed in admiration. Another rising star was about to emerge in the Daluo Heavenly Dynasty.

It could be said that it was Zhong Shan's presence that accelerated the Southern Battlefield's swift resolution. Two colossal dynasties fell within less than fifteen years—a remarkably short time to completely conquer two empires, something almost inconceivable in the past.

Grand Tutor Huan Tulong glanced at Zhong Shan, squinting his eyes slightly before smiling faintly. Crown Prince Zheng Yi's eyes brightened momentarily but soon returned to their usual calm. King Da Xuan remained impassive, having long known of Zhong Shan's exploits.

Marquis Qi Tian's gaze towards Zhong Shan wasn't particularly friendly. As for Minister Ma Zhui, positioned towards the back on the right side, his brow furrowed, his fists clenched, clearly struggling internally.

"My esteemed ministers, how shall we reward Zhong Shan's achievements?" Gu Shentong turned to the court officials.

At Gu Shentong's query, the court erupted into discussions, while Zhong Shan stood quietly to the side, patiently awaiting their decision.

"Your Majesty," suddenly spoke Grand Tutor Huan Tulong.

"Oh, Grand Tutor," Gu Shentong nodded in acknowledgment.

"In our Daluo Heavenly Dynasty, rewards and punishments have always been clear and fair. Zhong Shan's military achievements merit elevation to Marquis and Duke," Huan Tulong proposed.

"Marquis and Duke?" As soon as Grand Tutor Huan Tulong spoke, the entire court buzzed with astonishment.

"Marquis... and Duke? Isn't that too extravagant? Zhong Shan's contributions are immense, but Marquis and Duke... what does that even entail?"

Zhong Shan glanced unexpectedly at Huan Tulong.

"And what of the others?" Gu Shentong turned to the rest.

"I second that, Your Majesty!" Crown Prince Zheng Yi nodded.

King Da Xuan frowned slightly at Crown Prince Zheng Yi, then turned to Gu Shentong and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that due to Zhong Shan's outstanding military talent, he should be appointed to the Ministry of War. There's currently a vacancy for Deputy Minister of War, a position suitable for him!"

"Deputy Minister of War? Third-grade rank?" The court officials glanced at each other in surprise. Zhong Shan's promotion seemed unusually rapid.

"We concur!" the officials chimed in.

"We concur!"

"We concur!"

The court officials expressed their agreement one after another.

"Your Majesty, I have a matter to report!" A discordant voice suddenly spoke up.

Immediately, all the court officials who had been concurring stopped talking.

From the rear right side, a figure stepped forward. It was Ma Zhuire, the Minister of Punishments.

Seeing Ma Zhuire emerge, Marquis Qi Tian's mouth curved into a slight smile.

"Speak!" Gu Shentong commanded.

"Yes, in the Daluo Heavenly Dynasty, rewards and punishments are clear-cut. Merits deserve rewards, and crimes must be punished. Today, I wish to expose evidence of a crime committed by the Eastern Marquis, for discussion among my colleagues and for Your Majesty's judgment," Ma Zhuire declared.

"A crime?" Everyone in the court focused their attention on Ma Zhuire, then turned to look at Zhong Shan.

At this moment, Zhong Shan maintained a calm demeanor, observing without reacting.

"Under orders from the Ministry of Punishments to guard Princess Qian You's residence, four days ago, two of her guards broke through the blockade and fled. The Ministry pursued and one of them sought refuge in the Eastern Marquis's camp upon his return. The Eastern Marquis shielded the criminal, forced away Ministry officials. I went there to arrest the fugitive again, but the Eastern Marquis continued to shield him and even commanded troops to attack us, injuring several officials with arrows. He intended to kill to silence us. This crime is unforgivable!" Ma Zhuire's voice was hoarse and intense.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Apologies, it seems there was an issue with the response. Let me continue from where we left off:

"Wow~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"

In the hall, there was once again an uproar. Shielding criminals and attempting to murder court-appointed officials—these charges were indeed serious. A slight misstep could turn all his previous merits to ashes. He might even face punishment himself.

"Zhong Shan, is what Ma Zhuire said true?" Gu Shentong asked.

"At present, it appears that what Minister Ma said is entirely true," Zhong Shan affirmed.

The court officials all turned to Zhong Shan. Was he really admitting guilt so directly? No defense at all?

On the side, the Eastern Marquis breathed a sigh of relief, his face showing a hint of excitement. Meanwhile, Ma Zhuire's lips curved into a slight smile.

"Bold, Zhong Shan, do you have anything else to say?" Gu Shentong asked.

"Your Majesty, initially, I was unaware that Ah Da was a fugitive on the run. Upon learning this, I immediately sent people to return him to Princess Qian You's residence in the Ancient Capital. I did not shield him nor would I. Furthermore, it was only today that I learned Minister Ma's true identity. At that time, I only saw a group of lawless bandits daring to rob our army, so I gave them a small lesson," Zhong Shan explained calmly.

"You're talking nonsense! How could you not know who I was back then?" Ma Zhuire's eyes widened.

"Minister Ma, at that time, you didn't provide any proof of your identity but attempted to forcibly seize someone from my army. How could Zhong Shan agree? Moreover, even if Minister Ma had proven his identity, in that situation, Zhong Shan would have executed without error!" Zhong Shan stared with intensity, pointing directly at Ma Zhuire.

"In that situation, Zhong Shan would have executed without error!"

"Wow~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"

Once again, the hall erupted into a commotion. Zhong Shan would execute without error? Such domineering words, such audacious demeanor! In the court, showing no remorse and daring to be so brazen?

Facing Zhong Shan's piercing gaze and intense aura, Ma Zhuire couldn't help but feel overwhelmed and involuntarily took a step back.