Cultivators Are So Weak in This World

Chapter 571 - 537 Traces III

The Spirit Court is divided into three parts: the inner city, the outer city, and two protective cities.

The inner city is commonly known as the royal city, where the palace complexes are located.

The entire Great Spirit royal family is not large in number, all residing within these palace complexes of the royal city.

Here, you can find streets, shops, and all kinds of services and goods imaginable from the outside world.

The only difference is that everything here doesn’t require money, as it’s all publicly maintained by the Spirit Court.

Now, with the snow melting, this micro-district inside the palace is also beginning to set up spring gardens from various regions.

Members of the royal family flock here to enjoy the scenery and welcome the spring.

In a shop selling spring bud milk tea.

Ye Bai, with a confused look, toyed with the white jade phoenix-patterned cup in her hand. Just a simple cup of spring bud milk tea was made from spring bud tea produced in nineteen different places.

The milk was made from the richest, thickest milk of the Mountain Province, condensed before being mixed with added ingredients like petals and honey.

The cost of just this cup of milk tea required the income of at least several hundred people over half a year to produce.

"Since the National Master took office, he has issued many restrictive decrees against us. Life is much harder now than it used to be."

Sitting across from her, a woman in a luxurious red dress displayed a trace of helplessness on her delicate face.

She was from the Snow Deer branch of the royal family.

The Spirit People’s royal family consists of over two hundred people, divided into four branches: Snow Deer, Canglang, Divine Mountain, and Jade Pond.

Each branch is nominally protected by one of the four Holy Generals.

Of the Holy Generals, three lead troops outside, while one remains in the shadows, guarding the entire royal family.

This is the foundation of the entire Great Spirit, not allowing anyone to shake it.

Ye Bai also belongs to one of these branches.

She had never felt anything wrong before, but since the National Master Yue Dewen came to power and started restricting the royal family’s benefits, life began to become simpler.

However, with the restriction of their benefits came an increase in freedom for the royal family.

"When you think about it carefully, it’s not so bad. Although our benefits are slowly decreasing, we are freer than before, aren’t we?" Ye Bai softly countered.

"Even so, what’s so good about outside? It’s not as comfortable as here. It’s full of lowly people, disgusting lackeys coming fawningly." The woman across said with disgust.

"Last time, I casually killed a brat, and those lowly people charged at me desperately. How reckless! I had them all killed, and the National Master actually sent someone to hold me accountable? So aggravating!"

"..." Ye Bai was speechless. Having often gone out before, she knew in her heart that the members of the Spirit Court’s royal family had long been disconnected from the outside world, living like two different classes of people.

In their eyes, all living beings outside were servants and livestock that depended on them to eat and survive.

When in a good mood, they would give some rewards, treating them like pets. When in a bad mood, they would beat or kill them at will.

Anyway, with the protection of the Holy Martial People, any resistance is futile. Without any safety concerns, they view the outside people as mere insects.

Ye Bai knew this was wrong, but...

"The National Master may sound impressive, but isn’t he just someone working for our royal family, spending money on us? He’s just enjoying a few years under the emperor’s favor. Watch, our adults from the branches are waiting. Last time he dared to confront the Holy General, he’ll suffer soon enough."

The woman across was still talking.

But at this moment, Ye Bai’s expression changed sharply, feeling a certain aura drifting from afar.

Her beautiful eyes trembled as she turned to look outside the shop.

Outside, people were still coming and going; sparse royal family members and affiliates continued to enjoy a life like a paradise on earth.

No one had realized that not far from them, a confrontation was underway that would decide the fate of everyone.

Ye Bai’s heart fluttered, and she quickly stood up.

"Apologies, I suddenly remembered I left something in the palace. I must return."

"Princess, you..." The woman in the red dress tried to speak, but with a flash, Ye Bai had disappeared.

She was just an ordinary person, unable to see how the other had left.

On the streets, Ye Bai moved like a swallow, gracefully and silently passing through the alleys.

Soon, she stopped in front of a four-sided open-air theater built for performing miscellaneous plays.

The theater’s doors were open wide.

Many royal expert and court guard leaders hurried to gather here, like Ye Bai.

But at this moment, everyone stood outside, not daring to enter; they simply focused their attention inside.

In the four-sided space of the theater, a circular drama stage had been constructed.

On the stage, a black-haired woman in a blue long shirt with a golden jade dragon-patterned belt sat cross-legged, with an ancient zither placed on her knees, her ten fingers gently plucking the strings.

The sound of the zither was like a clear spring, like wind chimes, like birds in the mountains, sometimes urgent, sometimes slow, causing one’s heartbeat to involuntarily change with it.

The black-haired woman played the zither.

On a small bench below the stage, a plump, round elder sat, his face calm, half-squinting his eyes, listening to the melodious zither, without moving.

"The National Master... and Lady Auduna!?" Ye Bai immediately recognized the woman on the stage.

As for Yue Dewen below the stage, his distinctive physique was unique among the Holy Generals. Anyone who saw him once would remember him.

Among the onlookers, Ye Bai held a high status, and within the royal family, she was one of the few with experience managing affairs and serving in the military.

Seeing her approach, a general immediately stepped forward to report the situation.

"Her Highness Qianye, the National Master visited incognito to inspect and discovered that the theater illicitly purchased young children from outside to amuse the Snow Deer within the palace... In his fury, the National Master wanted to shut down the entire theater. However, he was stopped by Lord Auduna, who arrived subsequently. As for the rest, we have evacuated everyone, and what comes next will depend on the decisions of the National Master and Lord Auduna..."

The palace generals guarding the theater recounted the entire incident with an expressionless face, detailing the cause and effect with just a few words.

After Ye Bai finished listening, before she could speak, the surrounding royals who had rushed over upon hearing the news burst into an uproar.

"The theater is a matter of our royal family. Is Yue Dewen overstepping his bounds?!"

"Ever since Yue Dewen came to power, our lives have worsened by the day. Now he even dares to confront Lord Auduna. Absolutely reckless!"

"The Great Dao Teaching is nothing more than a dog to our royal family. Now, the dog dares to climb over the master’s head and act with arrogance. What a ridiculous mockery!"

"Is it just playing with some commoners? So what? If nobles can indulge, why can’t the lowly do so? I used to favor steamed youngsters, but now I’m merely tired of it. What? Does Yue Dewen dare to hold me accountable as he did in the past!?"

A royal man with a full beard, dressed in a long black and purple robe, with long hair adorned with jingling silver bells, stood out with an indignant expression.

Listening to this, Ye Bai frowned slightly and wanted to retort.

Whoosh!!

But before she could part her cherry lips to speak, a beam of white light shot forth like lightning, swift as a shadow.

The speed was so fast that she could only see a fleeting shadow.

With a bang, the head of the speaking royal man suddenly exploded.

Behind him, a delicate black Jade Pendant pierced through the forehead, then gently fell, remaining intact.

Everyone around fell into silence, followed by a few seconds of stunned silence, then a series of massive screams erupted.

The royals scattered and fled, like ordinary commoners outside, looking everywhere for a place to hide.

The braver ones stood their ground, shouting orders for their bodyguards to shield them.

But they were soon forcibly dragged away by guards to find shelter.

A royal had died.....

Ye Bai, along with everyone present, felt a sense of shock and horror rising within them like a flood, nearly drowning their thoughts and worldview.

Since the founding of the Great Spirit, the royals have stood above all, enjoying the best of everything.

But now... someone dared to kill a royal!?

And the one who took action.....

Everyone looked toward the source of the flying Jade Pendant, where the Great Dao Teaching’s National Master, Yue Dewen, sat all along.

"You are very bold!" The sound of the piano on the stage came to an abrupt stop.

The black-haired woman stared icily at Yue Dewen below.

"What am I afraid of?" Yue Dewen smiled. "Now I have become a formidable force, no longer who I was in the past... Lord Auduna..."

He slowly stood up.

"The royal family has long deviated from the wishes of Emperor Lingzhi. They have been corrupted, deliberately misguided. As the National Master, I take the responsibility to purify the national foundation as my duty."

"Interesting...." Auduna gently placed her guqin aside and stood up.

"I thought you were on the royal side, but it turns out you are here to revive the Sect.

You act not for Emperor Lingzhi’s covenant, but you’re indifferent to the branches of the royal family he left behind.

Now, you forsake what you ought to do and instead confront us and the Snow Rainbow Pavilion.

Yue Dewen, what exactly do you want to do? What do you desire?"

"I have never changed; it’s just that you always complicate things," Yue Dewen sighed.

"Do you know what the Great Dao is? If the royal family could still be like when Brother Lingzhi was alive, I would naturally support it. But now... when the roots are rotten, they must be dug out and replanted."

"So you chose to align with Lingzhi and my side among the four royal factions?" Auduna countered.

"It wasn’t me choosing you, but you all choosing me...." Yue Dewen sighed once more, stepping forward.

He lifted his foot, placing it gently on the first step of the theater stage.

"What Damir failed to cross back in the day, today, I will attempt once more."

Raising his head, Yue Dewen’s eyes suddenly turned pure white.

"Great General.... this time is different, losing means death...."

"You have no idea what you’re up against." Auduna said coldly, eyes filled with disdain.

*

*

*

"Yue Dewen killed the Third Spirit General Auduna within the royal city. At the same time, he declared the abolition of all privileges of the royal Snow Deer branch."

In Wish Girl Gorge, upon hearing this news, Zhang Rongfang paused slightly, the hand holding the chess piece stilled.

He was currently seated within a cave, with Xue Tong sitting cross-legged opposite him.

This elder, also claiming to be Yue Dewen, set aside a letter, letting it turn to ash and dissipate.

"Interesting... it seems like this substitute of mine is doing quite well." he chuckled, seemingly unaffected by the news from the Great Capital.