Chapter 2182: Today, Tiger Sits on the Mountain

The two countries of Jing and Mu established the Border Wasteland defense line together, resisting the Demon Race side by side. They also faced pressure from the central Jing country together, and historically often cooperated. In a world dominated by powerful nations, they were considered a rare pair of relatively friendly neighbors.

The fact that Huang Fu of Jing had shares in Mu's Canglang Fighting Field, and that Huang Sheli had traveled to the grassland for the first time to spread the Yellow Face Buddha faith amidst Mu's integration of various doctrines, all served as proof of the two countries' friendly diplomatic relations.

However, this did not mean that the two countries of Jing and Mu were intimately intertwined without any gaps.

The harmony between the two countries was an inevitable outcome of immense external pressure, but friction between them was also an inevitable consequence of two powerful nations coexisting in the same region.

Cooperating in competition and striving while united had always been the main theme of the Northern Domain.

Occasionally, there would be jarring noises like the one made by Huang Sheli today.

Cang Ming felt as if he had been suddenly stabbed while lying on a sickbed; his hasty counterattack was consequently very weak.

Of the two opposing arguments he urgently put forward, only the second one still had some bite. After all, it held the high moral ground and involved the original intention of Taixu Pavilion.

Huang Sheli, who was well-prepared, only responded to the second point: "As everyone knows, my family holds shares in Mu country's largest fighting field and has deep experience in its operation. This time, in constructing Taixu Fighting Field, Canglang Fighting Field will provide comprehensive support. However, the operation of Taixu Fighting Field will still be overseen by Taixu Dao Master, with specific tasks gradually handed over to Xuling. I, Huang Sheli, and all cabinet members serve only as supervisors, not managers. Since this cabinet doesn't involve management, how can there be an issue of holding oneself accountable?"

"Canglang Fighting Field will provide support to Taixu Fighting Field?" Cang Ming said coldly, "Is this also the meaning of the Wanyan family?"

"General Wanyan isn't aware of this yet; it's currently a cabinet matter. How could he not know before you?" Huang Sheli laughed. "This is simply the cabinet's sincerity. Taixu Fighting Field is absolutely not the cabinet's private property, and we are also willing to give the grassland a chance. After this resolution passes, the cabinet will communicate with the Wanyan family about this. If he doesn't agree, my family will proceed independently. A fighting field alone is not a barrier. What Mu country can do, we can do."

"No matter how eloquent you are, it cannot conceal the essence of this matter. The huge interests are there, and you cannot simply clear relations by saying so. How will this 'gradual handover' proceed? How long will it take? Do you have a clear timetable? How will Taixu Fighting Field's accounts be calculated at that time? Who can believe it? Who dares to believe it?" Cang Ming raised his voice. "If you truly hold yourself upright, why not relinquish this proposal and let me propose it?"

If Taixu Fighting Field were led by him, Cang Ming, it could naturally minimize the losses that Mu country would incur.

Huang Sheli smiled. "Regarding all the details of Taixu Fighting Field, we can discuss them slowly after the resolution passes. Right now, we are discussing whether it can be established. As for why you said you shouldn't be allowed to propose it... I cannot be blamed for this. No one blocked you before today, so why didn't you think of it?"

Cang Ming deeply understood that all his current rebuttals were not aimed at refuting Huang Sheli, but at convincing the other cabinet members who held votes. But Huang Sheli had handled things very cleverly and was quite willing to proceed; this matter had been planned for a long time and was almost impossible to overturn.

"Fighting fields are a bloody and cruel business. Taking pleasure in the bloody struggles of others and finding amusement in their life and death, how can this be considered correct?" He said righteously, "Is this what Taixu Illusion should promote? I believe all cabinet members should reflect deeply!"

"You usually don't speak much, I didn't know you were so eloquent!" Huang Sheli didn't address the other points, only saying, "Since the fighting field business is so undesirable, why does your Mu country have them everywhere?"

Cang Ming was very frank. "The grassland is bathed in divine grace; my emperor's virtue and teachings shone early. The children of the grassland have used thousands of years to shed the negative influences of fighting fields. But when people in the world first encounter fighting fields, it is very difficult to avoid the bloody infection. Even if Taixu Fighting Field must be launched, it should be done slowly, taking ten or twenty years, allowing the world's people to gradually accept it. We cannot do it hastily for immediate gain!"

"You can tell a joke so seriously, you do have skill." Huang Sheli said nothing more, only stating, "Vote now!"

"A thousand-mile dike collapses from an anthill; a temporary benefit is the beginning of root rot and branch decay. Before voting, I ask all cabinet members to think – what should Taixu Illusion promote! What is the original intention of Taixu Illusion!"

Cang Ming's final statement was shocking.

Forcing the usually reticent Cang Ming to say so much also sufficiently explained the kind of influence Taixu Fighting Field would have once it passed.

Huang Sheli simply stirred his hand and said nothing more.

Indeed, nothing more needed to be said.

Morality can only bind specific people, but interests are everyone's concern.

Especially Cang Ming's binding was very powerless. The more he said Taixu Fighting Field was bad, the more he was unable to explain the prosperity of Mu country's fighting fields everywhere.

The proposal for Taixu Fighting Field finally passed with one vote against, one abstention, and seven votes in favor.

The opposing vote was naturally Cang Ming.

The abstention was Jiang Wang.

In the past, Huang Sheli would definitely have settled this score with Jiang Wang – "You kid, why are you still opposing me, Huang something? Truly a heartless person!"

But today, facing the always calm Jiang Wang, she had nothing to say. She didn't even greet him today.

And not just her?

Everyone could see that Jiang Wang had entered the cabinet in his true form today.

Everyone could feel that sitting there, he possessed a calm determination.

Normally, no matter how noisy or laughing... When a serious Jiang Wang sat there, everyone had to treat him seriously.

"The Taixu Fighting Field resolution has passed, the specific regulations still require more effort from Cabinet Member Huang." Ju Kui summarized as usual and moved the meeting forward. "Do the gentlemen have any other topics?"

"I have a proposal. I propose to add seats to the Taixu Cabinet!" Cang Ming, having opened his talking box today, also unleashed his temper. "Li country embraces Taixu Illusion most thoroughly. Li country's Taizu Hong Junyan is a world hero. Li country unified the northwest and can completely represent the voice of the present world's northwest. I believe Li country should have a seat in the Taixu Cabinet. The Buddhist school is one of the prominent schools, with a long history and far-reaching influence, and should also have a seat in the Taixu Cabinet. Taixu cabinet members should represent the common interests of the world's people as much as possible, thus needing more seats, only then conforming to the original intention of creating the Taixu Cabinet, lest it become a card table for some people seeking private interests! If the interests of five or six people are involved and things are accomplished by majority vote, what about the world!"

His revenge came very directly. Huang Sheli robbed Mu country's financial path, and he supported Li country's development. Of course, this was just an attitude, absolutely impossible to realize.

But as a formal proposal from a Taixu cabinet member, and a properly voted resolution...

Ultimately, it did not pass.

"Next topic," Ju Kui said.

This time, no one spoke again.

And Jiang Wang slowly said, "If the gentlemen have no other important matters, I do have something to discuss."

Everyone subconsciously sat up straight, looking at him cautiously.

The matter of Ku Jue was still a secret and should remain at the bottom of the long river.

Except for Huang Sheli, no one knew what Jiang Wang had experienced in the past six months. No one knew what kind of emotions he had accumulated.

He seemed to have only cultivated silently in Xingyue Plain, sending no voice to the world.

He became more proper, more steady, more in line with the identity of a Taixu cabinet member.

As Taixu cabinet members were gradually respected as Taixu cabinet elders, the young cabinet members should naturally consider the overall situation more.

Compared to troublesome people like Dou Zhao and Huang Sheli, Jiang Wang was the one who "understood matters" the fastest. From Xinglu Method to Taixu Profound Chapter, he had pushed the influence of Taixu Cabinet to its peak. He was also the person the world first thought of when mentioning Taixu cabinet members.

At this moment, his gaze was gentle, quietly sweeping over each cabinet member, finally settling on Li Yi's empty seat. Everyone was waiting for his proposal, but he only said, "Cabinet Member Li Yi did not come. He should have come today."

This sounded like concern for an old friend.

He then said, "But not coming is also good."

Today's Jiang Wang was different from the past.

That feeling couldn't be described, but he was indeed very difficult to approach.

Chong Xuan Zun raised his eyebrows, Dou Zhao slightly lifted his chin, Cang Ming leaned back in his chair, Qin Zhi Zhen supported his knees with both hands, Zhong Xuan stopped his knife-pen, Huang Sheli sighed inwardly... But all remained silent.

Only Ju Kui, always like a stone sculpture, spoke and asked, "What matter does Cabinet Member Jiang want to discuss?"

Jiang Wang had a smile on his face. "Just now, Cabinet Member Cang Ming said that Taixu Cabinet fears becoming a card table for some people seeking private interests. I originally wanted to laugh it off because the characters of the gentlemen are well-known. But thinking about it, I became deeply fearful. Do the gentlemen have something to teach me?"

"Get straight to the point!" Dou Zhao impatiently wanted to see what Cabinet Member Jiang intended to do today.

Jiang Wang was unhurried. "The matter I discuss today is very small, but also very big. The matters I discuss are many, but they can all be attributed to one thing."

He sat upright, facing everyone. "The gentlemen seated here all have many things to do, Wan Hua Palace, Xi Ji Tai, Highest Tower... Each has cabinet subordinates, handling tens of thousands of miscellaneous matters every day, supporting the operation of Taixu Cabinet. I, Jiang someone, am quite idle. These past few months, I've been sitting at home, and when bored, I checked the Taixu event pool and actually discovered some very interesting things."

He used two fingers to pick out a bamboo slip. "Dao Calendar 3926, November. Xiao Lin Zheng is suspected of illegally manipulating Taixu tasks to rapidly obtain enough Taixu Ring Money and receive Taixu Profound Chapter."

"Oh, you may not know Xiao Lin Zheng." He paused. "A person from Jing country's Shun Tian Fu, a Dao student at Ting Zhu Academy, Pei Hong Jiu's cousin. A son of a prestigious family, young and promising, a young Outer Tower Realm cultivator."

Dou Zhao was stunned for a moment. Was this a challenge to Jing country? Unsure, he continued watching.

"This matter was naturally handled by Tian Xia City. Taixu affairs within Jing country's borders, ah!" Jiang Wang said with a smile. "But I do not agree with the handling result. They actually said that after investigation, there was no such thing and determined it was a rumor – is that really the case?"

Chong Xuan Zun hugged his arms and laughed.

In fact, using rule loopholes or, rather, supervision loopholes to rapidly pass Taixu tasks and receive Taixu Profound Chapter was not uncommon for people like Xiao Lin Zheng. Although the price of Taixu Profound Chapter wasn't high, and steadily doing tasks didn't take too long, some people were accustomed to taking shortcuts and were already unable to proceed step by step.

If noble lords also had to work hard step by step like common people, wouldn't that be a waste of their good birth?

Tian Xia City's cover-up was also reasonable.

Otherwise, why would each major force send a representative to the Taixu Cabinet?

The principle of Taixu Cabinet was fairness, but the various powers in the world also needed relative freedom. Otherwise, where would their hegemony be embodied?

This could be said to be an unspoken rule that everyone understood.

Although Taixu Cabinet had been established for less than a year, it was built upon four thousand years of national systems.

Who doesn't live in society? Where in the world are there entirely fresh things?

But Jiang Wang bringing this matter up now was also a point to be discussed.

Because Taixu Illusion belonged to everyone, because Taixu Illusion had Taixu Dao Master sitting at its highest point, because every cabinet member had walked those ninety-nine steps. Because here was "under the common people," and no one could escape fairness!

Now the question was – was Jiang Wang challenging everyone's interests, or merely targeting Jing country, targeting Tian Xia City?

If the former, he was doomed to fail. If the latter, then it was debatable.

Now, although they "fought but did not break" and "dominant countries did not attack," Jing country had been high above for so many years. Everyone sitting below had sore necks from lifting them up, and their eyes were tired from looking! All the countries in the world were very willing to see a "vanguard."

That Qin Zhi Zhen was even more impatient, his performance exaggerated. "There is such a thing?"

"Currently, it appears there is indeed such a thing," Jiang Wang said calmly. "Xiao Lin Zheng boasted to people while drinking, saying he had 'people above him.' The cabinet actually doesn't know who this person is? It's a pity Cabinet Member Li Yi isn't here; we can't confirm with him."

Cang Ming, who was just now so angry he was almost smoking, now recovered and chimed in, "That's too pity."

Whether they felt pity or not, whether they opposed or not, Jiang Wang's proposal had to continue.

He was sitting here today not to listen to anyone's opinion, but to control the situation.

He then took out a second bamboo slip. "Dao Calendar 3926, February. A cultivator named Zhong Zhi Rou agreed to exchange Yuan Stone for a cultivation method in Hong Meng Space. But after receiving the cultivation method, she refused to meet in the real world and never went to Hong Meng Space again; the Yuan Stone was naturally not delivered – gentlemen, Taixu Illusion currently does not advocate transactions between Taixu Walkers, this is a violation. And she committed fraud, this is a violation of the law. There should be no doubt about these two points?"

"Oh, you may not know Zhong Zhi Rou. It doesn't matter. She has no background, just an ordinary cultivator from Jing country's Jing Tian Fu. It's fine as long as everyone knows there's such a person."

Jiang Wang sat in his chair, his eyes like a deep sea, without emotion, just calmly stating, "As you all think, this matter was of course also handled by Tian Xia City. The final investigation result is – Taixu Illusion does not advocate transactions between Taixu Walkers, so the transaction is not established, and accountability naturally cannot be pursued. I say in one sentence that Wang Kun is talented and brilliant, do the gentlemen have any objections?"

This time, everyone understood.

Jiang Wang today was indeed targeting Tian Xia City, targeting Jing country!

Cang Ming silently looked at Li Yi's empty seat, his eyes full of regret. Li Yi's absence today was indeed too regrettable...

Ju Kui also looked at Li Yi's empty seat. He wondered if Li Yi would still be absent after today?

"Zhong Zhi Rou is an unknown person; how much Yuan Stone could she have defrauded?" Huang Sheli hesitated repeatedly before speaking. "In the end, these are all small matters. Let's order Tian Xia City to re-discuss it. Cabinet Member Jiang shoulders a heavy burden and has a promising future; it's not suitable for trivial matters to disturb his heart."

Jiang Wang directly took out a handful of bamboo slips, each one a case. He held them up like this, showing them to everyone. "The miscellaneous slips in my hand, thirty or forty of them, are all such small matters, ah. Do so many small matters added together still count as small matters? And this is just my unintentional discovery; if I investigate thoroughly, who knows how many more there will be!"

At this moment, he was like a tiger sitting on a mountain, like a dragon coiling in the sky. His raised hand, like a fully drawn bow, simply threw the full handful of bamboo slips onto the ground!

The bamboo slips clattered against the ground bricks, crackling like broken jade.

"Taixu Dao Master's body transformed into Taixu, Taixu disciples' bodies became Xuling, exhausting the power of human dao to promote the flood, using the world's resources to dedicate to Taixu, and yet these moths have been raised?!!"

Thanks to book friend "zpb" for becoming the alliance master of this book! This is the 654th alliance for Red Heart Patrolling Heaven!