Chapter 902: Aftermath |
After killing You Hongzhi True Monarch, the matter was not over yet.
Demonic Cultivators are cunning and adept at escaping. Zhang Wei didn't have the intention to capture them alive; he directly executed them on the spot, eradicating the threat.
Zhang Wei considered his own reputation and interests and didn't want to implicate too many people.
Among the Primordial Spirit True Monarchs in this small group, there were people who had close dealings with You Hongzhi True Monarch.
Whether they were aware of You Hongzhi's involvement in Demonic Cultivation or if they were colluding with him, Zhang Wei didn't know, and he didn't want to know.
As long as they were not practitioners of Demonic Cultivation and hadn't been demonized, nothing else mattered.
In the world of cultivation, many seemingly righteous cultivators, including highly respected individuals, were secretly colluding with Demonic Cultivation.
As long as they didn't cross certain boundaries, didn't fall into the path of demonic cultivation, and weren't caught red-handed, they could get away with it.
Zhang Wei wasn't keen on investigating others further, but he couldn't let Four Seas Commercial Firm off the hook.
Taking advantage of the recent death of You Hongzhi, with the news yet to leak, Zhang Wei immediately mobilized the Northern Army. With the cooperation of all present Primordial Spirit True Monarchs, they sealed off all the bases and properties of Four Seas Commercial Firm, capturing all its members.
Qing Gu True Monarch returned to the main city of the Great Unity Commercial League and purged the demonic seeds from True Monarchs Liao Yuan and Liao Xing.
The Demonic Cultivators who planted the demonic seeds were already dead, and Qing Gu True Monarch possessed special methods to remove the seeds, so it wasn't difficult, and there would be no future trouble.
After experiencing the turmoil of the past, the Dali Dynasty had gained significant experience in dealing with Demonic Cultivation.
Imperial Preceptor Chunyu Zhongda and other experts from the royal family created numerous secret techniques to combat demons. They also mobilized various master craftsmen and talisman masters to create many magic tools and talismans that could counter the demonic path.
The Northern Army of Jiuqu Province was not something that Four Seas Commercial Firm could contend with. Moreover, those local cultivation forces were eager to prove their innocence and show that they had nothing to do with Demonic Cultivation, so they were personally led by Primordial Spirit True Monarchs.
With the loss of its only two Primordial Spirit True Monarchs, Four Seas Commercial Firm had almost no resistance and was easily taken down.
Next, the experts from the Dali Dynasty, proficient in demon-hunting, used specially crafted magic tools and talismans to identify all members of Four Seas Commercial Firm and check for any remnants of Demonic Cultivation.
This task was extremely arduous, despite the considerable manpower and the active cooperation of various cultivation forces in Jiuqu Province. It took several months to complete thoroughly.
Within Four Seas Commercial Firm, there were no other practitioners of Demonic Cultivation, and no cultivators had been demonized.
Of course, this didn't rule out the possibility that any Demonic Cultivators within Four Seas Commercial Firm had sensed the situation and escaped long before.You Hongzhi True Monarch, as a Primordial Spirit stage Demonic Cultivator, was considered a prominent figure in the world of Demonic Cultivation. Surprisingly, he had no accomplices, subordinates, or any rampant demonization of other cultivators, which caught everyone off guard.
Perhaps it was due to the principle of not harming those of the same sect, or maybe he had concerns for his fellow disciples. In any case, within the Four Seas Commercial Firm, he was the only one confirmed to be a Demonic Cultivator.
The Primordial Spirit stage Demonic Cultivator hidden in Jiuqu Province had not caused significant damage and was easily eliminated, which relieved everyone.
Especially for Zhang Wei, the Grand Marshal and Governor of the province, he no longer had to shoulder the blame for negligence; instead, he received credit for demon eradication.
The Dali Dynasty had strict laws with clear rewards and punishments. The extermination of Demonic Cultivators was counted as a military merit.
Interestingly, Zhang Wei did not take credit for Meng Zhang's achievements.
This time, the timely discovery and complete extermination of You Hongzhi True Monarch's true identity should be attributed to Meng Zhang's outstanding contributions.
In the reports sent back to the court, Meng Zhang elaborated on the details of the incident and requested recognition for his efforts.
The court's response came quickly, and corresponding rewards were promptly issued.
Meng Zhang was rewarded with six hundred military merits and a huge stone tablet.
This stone tablet was placed on top of the Third Rank spirit vein, providing direct communication with the Dali Dynasty's capital.
The other end of the stone tablet was connected to the Ministry of Rites of the Dali Dynasty.
Each communication not only required drawing spiritual energy from the spirit vein but also consumed a large number of spirit stones.
With this stone tablet, Meng Zhang could directly report to the court.
Through this stone tablet, Meng Zhang could also receive some general news from the Dali Dynasty's capital.
Of course, one should not expect it to be highly classified information; it was mostly news recorded in the official gazette.
For Meng Zhang, this was still valuable information.
He could not only understand various aspects of the Dali Dynasty but also broaden his horizons and avoid being narrow-minded.
In addition, the inventory of goods in the Dali Dynasty's treasury would be regularly updated on this stone tablet.
As long as Meng Zhang spent enough spirit stones, he could freely browse through the list.
Any items he desired could be exchanged using his military merits.
However, for home delivery, extra charges would apply.After all, the Dali Dynasty's mainland is very far from Jiuqu Province, and transportation is not so convenient.
Meng Zhang had heard from True Monarch Wen Dong before that the Dali Dynasty's mainland had already begun planning to construct long-distance teleportation formations in Jiuqu Province.
Meng Zhang was surprised to learn that the Dali Dynasty possessed the ability to build long-distance teleportation formations, similar to the top sects of the Middle-Earth Continent.
The Dali Dynasty was truly powerful and lived up to its reputation as a force daring to contend with the Holy Land Sect.
Of course, the plan was still just a plan, and the implementation would depend on the specific circumstances.
Meng Zhang was looking forward to the completion of the long-distance teleportation formation.
Once it was finished, the connection and transportation between Jiuqu Province and the Dali Dynasty's mainland would be greatly improved.
He was certain that he would take some time to visit the Dali Dynasty's mainland and witness its scenery.
Apart from exchanging military merits, various items in the Dali Dynasty's treasury were also partially available for sale or barter.
Meng Zhang also discovered another way to earn military merits from the Dali Dynasty.
Periodically, the stone tablet would display the various materials the Dali Dynasty's officials needed to purchase.
If one voluntarily provided these materials, they could exchange them for military merits.
Although the amount of military merits exchanged each time was limited and it required a significant amount of resources, it was still a way to earn military merits.
By accumulating them over time and making frequent exchanges, substantial military merits could be acquired.
However, at the moment, Taiyi Sect was not financially well-off, and the transportation to the Dali Dynasty's mainland was inconvenient, so Meng Zhang had no intention of exchanging them.
While Meng Zhang received rewards, the Four Seas Commercial Firm faced severe punishment from the Governor's Office.
The firm was accused of harboring Demonic Cultivators and was forcibly disbanded.
All of its assets were confiscated by the government.
Soon, many of these assets were sold to foreign big merchant families, including the Great Unity Commercial League, at extremely low prices.
Meng Zhang knew that Governor Zhang Wei had to offer some benefits to appease these well-connected foreign big merchant families after suppressing them.
It was not merely a matter of slapping them while giving them a sweet date; it was an indication that Governor Zhang Wei was unwilling to confront the powerful figures behind them.
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