Chapter 1345: Smelling from Three Miles Away, Fame Spreads Throughout the Land

Chapter 163: The Odor Spreads for Three Li, The Name Circulates Through Ten Thousand Realms

When the Mirror World Pavilion initially declared Jiang Wang guilty of colluding with demons,The vast majority of Qi people were naturally filled with righteous indignation.Their nation's prodigy had just escaped from infamy, clearing himself of suspicion of treason, only to be immediately accused of colluding with demons… It was truly too much to bear!Jing's intention to suppress Qi's prodigy was utterly transparent.Many even felt that the earlier suspicion of treason leveled against Jiang Wang was also propaganda pushed by Jing, all to force Jiang Wang, the Yellow River's foremost, out of Qi.Why was he accused by the world? Because my hero is the enemy's foe!

But there were also some "rational" Qi people with rather "calm" views. For instance, the renowned Confucian scholar Er Fengming, who had penned the influential treatise "On Merits and Demerits" and nearly sealed Jiang Wang's reputation, had publicly declared:"Though Jing has long wielded great power, it has lost nothing of the greater righteousness of humanity. Since ancient times, it has achieved abundant merit in slaying demons and eradicating monsters. Chong Xuanzun is also a national prodigy, only comparable to Dou Zhao on the River-Viewing Platform, with his five palaces shining in unison, illuminating an era, his talent not inferior to Jiang Qingyang! How can the name of colluding with demons remain untarnished? By maintaining one's integrity! This is likened to mud and sand flowing together, yet the long river remains clear; accumulated filth and rot give off an odor that can be smelled from three li away! Since ancient times, there has been a shared covenant to slay demons, never has one been accused without guilt. Is the netherworld not involved? Is the Equalizer Nation not involved? Are the demon race not involved? Passing through a cesspool three times and not being stained by its odor is unheard of throughout history!"

He also cited instances of Jing's history wherein its own prodigies who colluded with demons were executed, proving Jing's impartiality in matters of demonic collusion, always focusing on the deed, not the person.He further mentioned historical examples like Qin cultivators colluding with demons, and Mu cultivators colluding with demons, who were captured and publicly executed on Jade Capital Mountain, and there were no reports of Qin or Mu protesting the injustice.Those were genuine instances of demonic collusion.Jing's leadership of the demon-slaying covenant was an ancient tradition that had continued for many years. They would not, and had no need to, break the rules for one Jiang Wang.No matter how talented Jiang Wang was, could he be as talented as Li Yi, the youngest True Person in the world?Er Fengming advised his countrymen not to deceive themselves, stating that a mere prodigy in the Inner Mansion realm might not achieve greatness in the future. What was there about him that warranted targeting by Jing, a world superpower?He also said that he hoped Jiang Qingyang would not evade the issue, nor attempt to shield himself with public opinion, but should properly face the problem.Being momentarily led astray might still leave room for redemption. Being perpetually lost and unrepentant is what truly isolates one from the world.He also stated that Qi people are first and foremost human, and while he, Er Fengming, was loyal to the Qi monarch and loved the state of Qi, he was first and foremost a person and had to stand on the side of humanity. Colluding with demons was a matter that shook the foundations of humanity, a matter of great right and wrong, and while he was very grateful for the honor Jiang Wang had won for Qi, he would not overlook such a matter of principle as colluding with demons because of it.The same principle applied: merits and demerits could not cancel each other out.

For a time,Statements like, "A fly does not sting a seamless egg. Being entangled with so many dirty affairs, could Jiang Wang himself truly be without problems?"Statements like, "If he were truly innocent, he wouldn't be fleeing. Wouldn't it be better to go to Jade Capital Mountain for a public trial and have the world witness his innocence?"Statements like, "Relying on Qi's nurturing and achieving a bit of meager merit, he wants the state to protect him at all times. Where can such a good thing be found? Can a demon spy also be protected?"Such remarks were rampant.It wasn't until the Qi court issued a state document condemning Jing, publicly stating its position, and then forcefully and successively dispatching Ji Zhaonan, Shi Mingcheng, Wen Yanyu, and others to support Jiang Wang, that these domestic remarks temporarily ceased.Er Fengming also locked himself in his courtyard, claiming to be reading behind closed doors and weary of worldly affairs.Many people felt he was disillusioned with reality.

The undercurrents concerning Jiang Wang had, in fact, never stopped.Jing had established its prestige for too long, and in many instances, Jing's pronouncements were like golden rules.In Qi, there were always people who complained that pillars of the state like Shi Mingcheng and Wen Yanyu should not be running around for Jiang Wang, who couldn't clear himself of suspicion. For a Divine Arrival prodigy like Ji Zhaonan, achieving merit behind the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons was the proper path. The subsequent war that began on the Star-Moon Plain was entirely Jiang Wang's responsibility...Until this day.Yu Beidou, a universally acknowledged top physiognomist, personally went to the Sanxing Palace, the sacred ground of the Legalist school, to provide evidence.The Sanxing Palace also publicly stated that what Yu Beidou said was not false.The so-called crime of colluding with demons publicized by Jing's Mirror World Pavilion should not have been established from the beginning to the end.What leftover demonic aura, what peculiar cultivation progress, what practicing evil arts in the past...All of it was overturned by the matter of sealing the "Blood Demon Art of Severing Emotion and Desire."The Yellow River's foremost, Jiang Wang, not only had no crime of colluding with demons, but was instead a hero who slew demons. With his Inner Mansion cultivation, participating in the matter of sealing the demonic art could be called great wisdom and great courage, worthy of praise and tears!One must know that killing demons is easy, but killing demonic arts is difficult. How many Divine Arrival cultivators avoided the dangers involved!Even a powerhouse like Yu Beidou, who is among the strongest True Persons of the current era, repeatedly failed.Who can say Jiang Wang was not brave enough?With the root crime cleared, the other issues were no longer issues.Jiang Wang breaking the record of the Heavenly Mansion old man, battling and slaying an Outer Tower human-demon, and achieving the status of the first Inner Mansion in historical records, further stirred the world and made the Qi people proud.This was a feat sufficient to carve a monument in the history of cultivation.When Wang Yi’er broke the historical limit of the Transcendent realm, even the God of War, Jiang Mengxiong, was full of praise, saying that someone had succeeded him.The history Jiang Wang was creating now was in the Inner Mansion realm, comparable to legends like the Heavenly Mansion old man. How could its weight be compared to the record in the Transcendent realm?For a time, the entire nation praised him!Those voices in Qi that had trampled and slandered Jiang Wang suddenly all fell silent.Those who had sworn that Jiang Wang was definitely problematic all closed their doors and feigned death, as if they had never spoken.Those without names or titles quietly blended in. But those with names and titles who had passionately guided public opinion in the past were not so easily let go.The renowned Confucian scholar Er Fengming had a mansion with excellent scenery in the eastern suburbs. Ink was poured into the lotus pond in the courtyard.The pond was completely black, and the fish in the pond were all dead.Someone left a message on the bank: Can mud and sand not stain clean water? Can ink do so?His courtyard in Linzi had its main gate splashed with excrement overnight.Passersby, covering their noses and keeping their distance, laughed and said—"So this is the odor that can be smelled from three li away."Er's family, furious, reported it to the Patrol Office, demanding a search of the neighborhood and streets to find the person who had splashed excrement on the gate.The Patrol Office's constable only replied: "There are so many in the world who hate Lord Er, and shoulder-to-shoulder, they are more than three li away. The Patrol Office is truly powerless to investigate."For a time, "Er Fengming, the odor that can be smelled from three li away" spread throughout Linzi.

When Jiang Wang became famous, he became famous on the River-Viewing Platform, which was the focus of the world's attention.When his reputation was infamous, it was also known throughout the world.Some in the world knew him, some did not, but it was difficult to avoid this name during this period.The Sanxing Palace had always stood by the law and had never favored any power in the world.The two law palaces, Gui Tian and Ju Di, rarely tread the mortal world, only the disciples of the Xing Ren Palace often traveled the world.Unlike cultivators of other schools, who acted heroically or punished evil and promoted good based on their internal sense of justice,Wherever disciples of the Xing Ren Palace went, in administering punishment and judgment, they respected local laws.Laws varied from place to place. For theft, according to Qi law, the penalty was ten times the value. According to Qin law, it was amputation of a finger.For adultery, according to Chu law, the sentence was five years or more. According to Mu law, it was "gelding by horse's tail," meaning the vital parts were tied to a horse's tail and brutally dragged off.There was once a merchant surnamed Wu from another region who was infatuated with a woman on the grassland and was sent for execution the next day...This case is found in the Mu State's criminal records, which state, "...the organ was very small and could not be attached to the horse's tail, the executioner was impatient and cut it off with a knife."It is said that the merchant Wu spent a lot of money hoping to be tried in his home country, but was unsuccessful. This case was widely circulated and is also clear proof of the different laws in various countries.The legal codes of the states in the world were originally derived from the "Classic of Law," but due to different times, places, and the philosophies of different Legalist cultivators, many differences emerged.Legalist disciples were proficient in the legal codes of the world, never violated the law in their conduct, and often relied on local officials to deal with evil matters. They were very popular in many countries and could even be said to be the most welcomed traveling scholars, often being seen as powerful supplements to the local officials.For powerful states that greatly valued official authority, they were precisely the most unwelcome traveling Legalist disciples.Of course, these states would often go to great lengths to absorb Legalist talent.Ultimately, what they wanted was for "orders to come from themselves," and rules were secondary.The Sanxing Palace respected the laws of different places in different places. If they felt the laws were inappropriate, they would only choose to send talent into officialdom and quietly amend the existing laws, never directly interfering with any state by force.Hence, its reputation was excellent.But outside the various states, regarding matters concerning humanity as a whole, such as the demon race, the monster race, the sea race... the Sanxing Palace followed the "Classic of Law."The matter of Jiang Wang colluding with demons was precisely something the Sanxing Palace could focus on by bypassing Jing's laws.Globally, in terms of credibility, the Sanxing Palace was far beyond the Mirror World Pavilion.Therefore, as soon as the Sanxing Palace stated its position, the public opinion on Jing's Mirror World Pavilion side collapsed.In this situation, Jing was silent, but the world was not without a voice.

The Duke of Huai's Residence in Great Chu.A middle-aged beautiful woman, with her hair simply styled with a moon hairpin, walked slowly in the garden.Though her attire was extremely simple, her demeanor was naturally graceful.At that time, the fragrance of flowers subtly wafted through the garden, and a slanted tree cast its light in the sky. A handsome young man in a sky-blue robe sat alone in the pavilion, practicing his art.A stone bench, just one person.Water flowed around his body, and pavilions and structures were faintly visible in the rippling light. Water pavilions and dragon palaces were born and then perished, making the person appear even more exceptional."Xiao Guangshu..." the woman said.Her voice was extremely gentle, as if it could smooth out all the wrinkles in the world.Zuo Guangshu opened his eyes and met the woman's gaze across the flowing water: "Mother, what is it?"His brows furrowed slightly, with some displeasure at being disturbed.It wasn't that the mother and son didn't have a good relationship, but he was engrossed in cultivation, seeking only progress. His mother, however, would come at least five times a month to persuade him to rest more and play more. She always found excuses to disrupt his cultivation, whether it was the fruits in the apricot orchard today or the flowers in the vast fields tomorrow.At his age, after trying to explain several times politely without success, he inevitably became somewhat impatient.The middle-aged beautiful woman who walked into the garden was named Xiong Jingyu. She was a woman of the Great Chu imperial family, the current Chu Emperor's younger sister, with noble blood. Her marriage into the Duke of Huai's Residence back then was an enviable union for everyone in Chu.Later, after Zuo Guangshu's father died in battle, the Chu Emperor, feeling sorry for his sister, advised her to remarry and presented several prominent families for her to choose from. But she firmly refused, saying, "The long river of the past is difficult to follow."She raised her two sons single-handedly, personally teaching them, saying that they should "carry on the legacy of heroes," and she had indeed done so.Her eldest son was promising, restoring the prestige of the Zuo family, and overshadowing the younger generation in Chu until the Battle of River Valley, where the prodigy fell...This strong yet gentle woman walked with light steps, a habit formed over many years, fearing that she might disturb her children's cultivation.Seeing Zuo Guangshu's impatient look, she was not offended.She merely shook the jade slip in her hand and smiled gently: "I just received an interesting piece of news. It seems you don't want to know?"After all, it was his mother, and he couldn't be harsh with her.Although Zuo Guangshu was not interested in the "interesting news" she spoke of and had long been weary of "lantern festivals" and "flower festivals," he couldn't say so directly.He could only lower his eyes and explain patiently: "Mother, I'm cultivating.""Oh, I see." Xiong Jingyu sighed: "That's right. How could you, a talent of Great Chu, a dignified young duke, care about news of a Qi person? It was Mother who disturbed you!"Zuo Guangshu looked up.But she had already put the jade slip behind her and was walking out of the garden with her hands clasped behind her back.She muttered softly: "I wonder if that Jiang Wang you mentioned last time, who would accompany you to the Mountain and Sea Realm and stay at our house for a while... is this Jiang Wang?""Mother..." Zuo Guangshu called out softly.Xiong Jingyu tilted her head and turned back, her beautiful eyes full of smiles: "Who's calling me?"Zuo Guangshu waved his hand, making the water flow around his body disappear, and said obediently: "It's Xiao Guangshu!"Xiong Jingyu turned her whole body back, still with her hands behind her back, and put on a very exaggerated, worried expression: "Did Mother disturb your cultivation?""Not at all!" Zuo Guangshu quickly denied."Truly not?""Absolutely not!""Oh. Then I can rest assured." Xiong Jingyu lightly patted her chest, making a long sigh of relief: "How can I face myself for delaying the young duke's cultivation?"Zuo Guangshu lowered his eyes and said awkwardly: "Mother...""Oh my." Xiong Jingyu chuckled softly: "Our Xiao Guangshu knows how to be shy now.""That... Mother." Zuo Guangshu knew he couldn't get entangled with her. Chatting and rambling, this woman could chat until tomorrow morning. So he tilted his head and looked behind her, pointed a finger, and asked obediently: "What news did you bring me?"Xiong Jingyu didn't tease him further, but just handed him the jade slip in her hand: "Here."Zuo Guangshu stepped out of the pavilion and took the jade slip containing the information in his hand. His consciousness flowed through it, and he had already absorbed all the news within.He looked at his mother, his eyes sparkling: "Is it true?"Xiong Jingyu smiled: "News from the Zhanghua Platform, how can it be false?"Zuo Guangshu smiled proudly: "He's not bad, indeed worthy of being someone I can fight against."Jiang Wang and Zuo Guangshu had become friends in the Illusionary Realm of Tai Xu, and Xiong Jingyu naturally knew this, otherwise she wouldn't have brought this news over immediately."Alright then." Xiong Jingyu smiled and glanced at her son, then turned and walked out: "Mother won't disturb your cultivation, lest you get annoyed.""Mother, please don't say that," Zuo Guangshu said sweetly from behind: "I'm not annoyed at all!"Xiong Jingyu didn't turn back, only waved her hand: "I've cooled some Fengwu tea in your room. Remember to drink it when you go back."That back gradually faded into the distance.This was a familiar back.After his mother had gone far and the circle was empty, Zuo Guangshu suddenly clenched his fist and hopped on the spot."Hey!"The first Inner Mansion in historical records! Truly amazing!Xiong Jingyu, who had already walked out of the garden, couldn't help but smile again.Since... then, Xiao Guangshu had rarely been so happy.