Chapter 2628: Respect the Commoners, Punish the Elite

Chapter 2589Rites govern commoners, punishment befalls great officials.

He entered as a guest, yet did so with solemnity, and also with the demeanor of the master of the place. Though it was the public hall, he walked as if it were his own family courtyard.

His ceremonial boots struck the ground, leaving footprints only half an inch deep.

This was the long-standing black-and-white Law Domain constructed by the Drama Box, further reinforced by Qin Zhi Zhen's Void Refinement, Iron Wall, and Seamless additions! At this moment, it had shrunk to its limit, originally impenetrable to wind and rain, and intolerant of invasion.

The Drama Box hung its chess pieces and remained silent, only the electric light continuously shone.

"A person from Book Mountain has arrived, the Book Academy should have originally welcomed with the ceremonial bell—" Outside the lake-heart pavilion, where everything had disappeared, representing the destroyed deity image, its outline slowly reappeared. Cang Ming's voice said: "Alas, the world is in such decline, there is no longer mutual respect."

"It is good that there are sounds in heaven and earth, the sound of wind and the sound of thunder are all good," the newcomer laughed. "Great sound is music, and music is ritual."

This person spoke with rhythm and cadence, a unique rhythm that was very pleasant to the ear. He even dispersed much of the destructive atmosphere brought by the various outer deity images. He actually seemed to turn the end of the world into a blessed land, stretching out a leisurely mood in the public hall.

"Rites" are also a form of order, different from "Law," and they exist separately within this black-and-white Law Domain.

If the Too Void Pavilion, represented by the Drama Box, had erected a hall here, then Book Mountain, represented by this person, had set up a tent within the public hall, to show that it had its own order and was not subject to the Too Void Pavilion's rules.

He was cultivated in rites, but "scattered and unruly" was precisely a provocation to the Law.

The Drama Box slowly pressed that black chess piece down, pressing it into the upper left grid of the Tian Yuan. It made it lose its position on the chessboard, like shutting it into a prison cage. This black chess piece represented will, and its scope of insight shrunk from the entire chessboard to just this one grid.

A chessboard has three hundred and twenty-four grids, meaning three hundred and twenty-four iron-walled prison cages. Throughout this process, the black chess piece did not struggle.

Witnessing all this, the newcomer representing Book Mountain, this time again opened both hands, displaying a set of ancient rites with great elegance, and bowed, saying: "Below is Rites, Rites Heng Zhi."

As he bowed, within his shadow, a hemp-robed, cloth-shoed Confucian scholar walked out.

Different from the middle-aged Rites Heng Zhi, he had no accessories on his body, his temples were slightly frosted, but his face was very young, even somewhat childish. Each step he took was heavy, yet left no trace on the ground. He just calmly looked at the Drama Box: "The old man is for Filial Piety, Filial Zhi Heng."

The two Confucian elders!

The old Confucians of Book Mountain, who wielded the supreme treasure of the Confucian sect, the Spring and Autumn Pen, represented the true foundation of the Confucian family, which had been passed down through countless ages.

They had not descended the mountain for many years.

"I have seen the two elders," the Drama Box said. "Forgive me, Drama has certain fixed rules and responsibilities, receiving rules from the Law, and cannot rise to welcome."

Rites Heng Zhi, who was very meticulous in his attire, had an elegant and refined demeanor: "Book Academy has chapters of ten thousand ages, and the matters of Spring and Autumn belong here. This place does not seem to be governed by the fixed rules of the Too Void Pavilion. Moreover, I remember that the authority of the Too Void Pavilion may not extend outside the world."

"Our authority only involves Too Void matters," the Drama Box sat solemnly. "We have come precisely for Too Void matters— a member of the Too Void Pavilion, Zhong Xuan, is lost and trapped in this place, with no news whatsoever. Since the old mister has ascended the hall and offered rites, perhaps you have some good words to teach me?"

"Hasn't that Too Void Pavilion member slot already been given to Zhao Wu Yan of Dragon Gate Book Academy?" Rites Heng Zhi turned his head to look at Filial Zhi Heng. "Did the Book Mountain notification not get conveyed down?"

The Drama Box did not wait for them to finish their self-congratulatory act, and directly said: "The Too Void Pavilion is not a subordinate book academy of Book Mountain, but an organization formed by the public agreement of various sides. Book Mountain indeed has the right to recommend a member to the Too Void Pavilion, and you can recommend whomever you want. But whether the recommended person can be recognized by the Too Void Pavilion is up to the Too Void Pavilion itself."

"What are the standards for Too Void Pavilion's recognition?" Rites Heng Zhi was not angry either. "Disciples of saints have no fear of review. If Zhao Wu Yan is not acceptable, we still have other candidates, and we can slowly change."

"Zhao Wu Yan has studied through ancient and modern times, of course, there is no problem. But we must wait until Zhong Xuan is confirmed to be undoubtedly dead before we can discuss other matters," the Drama Box's vertical pupil looked over. "If the two elders have different opinions, why not gather the various sides who initially sealed and determined the chapters in the Too Void Alliance again, and have another Too Void alliance meeting. You can completely re-determine the alliance according to your ideas. As long as the alliance clearly states your power, it is also acceptable to expel all eight of us."

If they really wanted to restart the Too Void alliance meeting, these people from the Too Void Pavilion might be constrained... but their Confucian family would certainly be swept out!

Who doesn't know what kind of characters these eight people from Diligent Book Academy are today?

These people all have extraordinary backgrounds, and each of them, within their respective forces, represents a standing mountain. Although they may not have the title of crown prince, they all have the reality of crown princes. Only Jiang Zhen He, who belongs to no force, has risen from the human world to the underworld and can speak loudly everywhere.

Otherwise, do you really think that the two elders of their Confucian family are weak scholars, who specifically traveled tens of thousands of miles to lecture to a group of juniors with warm voices and gentle words?

Rites do not govern commoners, and punishment does not befall great officials!

Rites Heng Zhi very naturally ignored this proposal: "Speaking of which... the empty space on the chessboard, imprisoning children into cages, True Monarch Drama sitting upright on the platform of rules, is this waiting for us?"

The Drama Box looked at him and asked: "Is it Mister Zi?"

Filial Zhi Heng, who had endured for a long time, furrowed his brows: "Is there still a need to use Mister Zi?"

The Drama Box did not respond to him, but he himself suddenly turned around and looked up at the sky.

There, a bright moon hung like a bright mirror, seemingly reflecting the human heart. At this moment, a black point appeared in the moon mirror. That black point fell from the high sky, approaching in a flash... peng! It was Zuo Qiu Wu, the dean of Diligent Book Academy, tied with five restraints, just like this, thrown onto the "public hall."

Then came the second, the third, the fourth...

People falling from the sky like pouring rain.

One "Zuo Qiu Wu" after another, all of Zuo Qiu Wu's "time bodies," all captured from different book pages, and thrown down with the posture of a javelin thrown at a target.

This history book, named "Diligent Book Academy," was Zuo Qiu Wu's "work," so he had quite high authority.

Each page of this book was a historical segment selected and derived by a specific person. Different stories happened in different time spaces, and the so-called "time bodies" were his agents as the "writer" in the different time spaces of this work, or it could be said that they were the will of the "author" between the lines.

Although it was writing history, there was inevitably some personal bias. After all, "Spring and Autumn chronicles me, and I chronicle Spring and Autumn."

Moreover, Zuo Qiu Wu completed this work originally to express himself.

And now, the crowd from the Too Void Pavilion had come into this work, entered the world of the book, and pulled out the will of the author!

What followed was drawing silk from a cocoon, stirring open the purest words, and exploring the undisturbed truth.

Qin Zhi Zhen then stood at the edge of the chessboard, like an eternally unchanging high wall. Every time a "Zuo Qiu Wu" was thrown down, a divine big hand would probe out from the void behind him, grab him, and throw him into a chess grid. It was simple and efficient, coordinating like flowing water.

Yan Luo Heavenly Emperor embraced the universe and overlooked all beings: "With the ritual of throwing pots, we offer to see Mister Rites."

Rites Heng Zhi did not speak.

Da! Da! Da!

Zuo Qiu Wu's time bodies fell like chess pieces, but it was a pity that none of them touched the path of chess.

The two powerful figures who had played chess in different worlds in the past had now become "prison friends," but not in the same "prison cell," and each could not see the other for the time being—of course, before Zuo Qiu Wu was thrown into the prison cage of the chess grid, he had seen the black chess piece that had lost its position, and he probably knew what was happening.

The Drama Box only spoke at this time: "We of the Too Void Pavilion intend to lecture some reason here... the people should all arrive. Whatever ideas are in your heart, whether to discuss right and wrong, it is also good to gong against gong, drum against drum, ding is ding, and mao is mao."

Filial Zhi Heng was about to speak, but Rites Heng Zhi reached out and stopped him.

This person who worshiped rites slowly smiled and said: "Erecting a hall in the world's first book academy, and throwing Si Ma Heng and Zuo Qiu Wu all into cages, as prisoners beneath the steps... From today on, the entire present world must re-examine the Too Void Pavilion."

"The Too Void Pavilion has been subject to the world's review since its establishment," the Drama Box remained unmoved. "I act according to the Law. If I make mistakes, it is my fault, and I will bear it myself. But Zhong Xuan's life and death are unknown, and the truth of this place is not clear, so we must look further. Mister... please understand."

Rites Heng Zhi's smile did not change: "What if it is difficult to understand?"

The Drama Box looked at him: "You must still accept."

"Since the situation is so unclear, are you not also trying to shut us up?" Filial Zhi Heng, unable to suppress his dissatisfaction, asked sternly.

Li Yi lowered his head, and his gaze fell upon his body through the cool pavilion's roof: "Does this count as your request?"

"Presumptuous!" Filial Zhi Heng's anger was uncontrollable.

These young people, how many years had they just proven their dao and become true monarchs, that they dared to be so arrogant? You must know that in the absolute peak forest, there are also high and low places. In the world's limit, there are also deep and shallow places.

How can you take our cultured rites as weakness and retreat, we old Confucians of Book Mountain?

"It has been many years since I descended the mountain, and the human world seems to have returned to barbarism!" Filial Zhi Heng gritted his teeth and said sternly: "Rites have collapsed and music is broken, no wonder demons are born in people's hearts!"

His angry voice rose and his literary spirit soared, thunder and fire were unleashed, and heaven and earth changed. His power was not only reflected in his verbal criticism.

He wanted to rebuild the ethical order and modify this black-and-white Law Domain. He wanted to tear down this public hall and erect the clothes and caps of the Confucian family.

He wanted to... he suddenly retreated!

He had just made a starting move, still feeling the order set by the true monarch of the Law family, when Li Yi's sword was already upon him!

This was the fastest sword in the world. As long as it was still within the scope of the present world, it was impossible to be faster than it.

In other words... without transcendence, there was no contending for the first place.

Even the old Confucian from Book Mountain descending the mountain was no exception.

Filial Zhi Heng had come out of Rites Heng Zhi's shadow, and when he retreated, he stepped into the void.

But the void suddenly collapsed!

Qin Zhi Zhen still had one hand receiving Zuo Qiu Wu's time bodies, while the other hand remotely opposed him, closing his five fingers.

A terrifying inward devouring power entangled Filial Zhi Heng everywhere, tearing his dao body! He could only move his body and walk again, relying on the supreme Confucian law's fast wind, jumping into the nothingness where even space did not exist— it could be seen as a gap formed after a certain page was torn off from this history book, Diligent Book Academy.

History was torn off, time ceased to exist, and space was also destroyed by Qin Zhi Zhen.

And in the vast nothingness, within this segment of time and space where everything had been destroyed... a pair of blood-colored eyes suddenly opened.

The eyes of destruction reflected Filial Zhi Heng into view—

Filial Zhi Heng turned to leave, but he only saw a vast expanse of bright light. That sword that never left him tore open the fast wind he was driving, struck his body, and sent him into the eyes of destruction!

This fight happened too fast, and the victory and defeat were also reflected too quickly.

From beginning to end, Rites Heng Zhi did not speak.

The Drama Box also just quietly looked at him.

Rites Heng Zhi smiled slightly, and proactively lifted his ceremonial boots, allowing the black-and-white Law Domain to naturally erase the half-inch footprint. Then he asked: "The Too Void Pavilion is hosting justice here, discussing the right and wrong of various sides. Have all the various sides... truly arrived?"

The Drama Box's ancient well was undisturbed: "Mister Zuo Qiu Wu's true body is still frozen in the ice coffin of Intent Sea, personally guarded by Cabinet Member Jiang."

Rites Heng Zhi 'oh'ed: "I said, how come I could not find him."

He then said: "Your actions are too fast, your hands are too decisive, causing the two bodies to separate, unable to reach the peak, and then imprisoning children into cages... Zuo Qiu Wu can also be said to have capsized in a ditch."

The Drama Box said faintly: "If you call Intent Sea a ditch, someone will not be happy."

Rites Heng Zhi laughed heartily: "All the lords are contemporary heroes, proud sons of the era, who would be so petty?"

The Drama Box looked at the Cang Wall at his waist: "Mister grasps the rites of the Confucian family, and only wears one Rites Heaven jade on his body— that person entrusted me to ask you, he saw a Rites jade that matched six, and he does not know if you recognize it."

Rites Heng Zhi was silent for a moment, then smiled bitterly and said: "Among the people in the world who study rites, only those who walk to the highest place can look down upon Xu Huai Zhang's back... Although he does not know me, how can I not recognize Him?"

Xu Huai Zhang was an immortal master in the Immortal Palace era, a Heavenly Master of the Dao gate, and also a master of Confucian family rites!

Rites Heng Zhi, as one of the two elders of the Confucian sect, a figure of great authority on Book Mountain, when Mister Zi was not present, it was almost entirely up to him and Filial Zhi Heng to make decisions. He could be said to be the most authoritative person in the contemporary cultivation of "rites."

But at his waist, he could only match one rites jade. It was not that he alone loved Cang Wall, but that his cultivation had only reached this step.

Xu Huai Zhang set rules for immortals, made rites for the immortal dao, and made the human world orderly. He studied both Dao and Confucianism and opened his own immortal road. He was a pioneer of a prosperous era, how could he be compared to the old Confucian with white hair who only sat on Book Mountain today and exhausted books?

"If you have more news about Xu Huai Zhang, why not make a slight exchange," the Drama Box said.

"I don't know what his relationship with Xu Huai Zhang is?" Rites Heng Zhi asked.

The Drama Box looked at him, and for a moment, was a little speechless: "I consider myself an old-fashioned and stubborn person. I often feel that I cannot keep up with the era in the cabinet, and I am always one step behind others. Mister sits on Book Mountain, do you really only read classics and never look down at the human world below the mountain?"

"The contemporary God of Wealth cultivated the Ruyi Chapter with him, the Curse Ancestor participated in the Ten Thousand Immortals Chapter with him, and the Heavenly Emperor of Li Country shared the Longevity Chapter with him..."

He asked: "What do you say his relationship with Xu Huai Zhang is?"

Rites Heng Zhi was silent. Due to some special reasons, he had been separated from the world for many years, and the intelligence he had about the Too Void Pavilion was also only a rough glance before descending the mountain. What the Drama Box said was indeed something he did not know.

He sighed: "So it is the contemporary Immortal Emperor!"

"What Immortal Emperor?" The void suddenly tore open a sky gap, and a mumbling voice also rang from within.

From this sky gap, a figure in gold and red stumbled out.

His body was gold and red, it was no longer clear whether it was the color of his clothes or the color of blood.

He bit the Tian Xiao Knife in his mouth, blood flowed on the ridge of the knife, and his voice was therefore somewhat vague.

His right sleeve hung empty, still attached to the broken arm of his military uniform by silk threads, just clamped in his left armpit. From the wound, it seemed to have been torn off raw, and the flesh bud was still twitching.

His left hand hung open, grasping a head that was constantly howling, constantly changing, and spewing out countless characters of birth and death... the head of a Saint Demon!

His military uniform had also been torn into several strips, which were rubbed into a rope and tied to his waist. The rope was tied a little tightly, and combined with the damaged military uniform, his distinct abdominal muscles could be vaguely seen... golden blood flowed like a ditch.

The other end of the rope... was tied to a strong man with a bird's head and a human body. He was just dragged on the ground like that, bumping against the sky gap, grinding the void, and coming over with a thud. Yet he was still snoring like thunder, asleep.

"He's really got a big heart..."

He looked at it with some distaste, lifted his foot to step on the Saint Demon's head, and then used the freed hand to grab this Bian Cheng Yan Jun and throw him to Qin Zhi Zhen: "Your bird colleague!"