Chapter 282: Meng Jingzhou Forms a Golden Core

The lifeblood of law is its enforcement; upholding the law helps secure the Great Xia Dynasty's fate. Therefore, few dared to violate the laws of Great Xia, especially the criminal law, which carried the most severe punishments.

Although laws were to be strictly enforced, unexpected situations always arose—cases where, by legal definition, punishment was required, yet common sense dictated otherwise. Given these circumstances, the criminal law specifically granted the Ministry of Justice the power to exempt individuals from prosecution, placing this authority directly in the hands of the Minister of Justice.

Theoretically, this power could easily become a means for imperial relatives and nobility to evade legal prosecution. In practice, however, such incidents were rare, primarily due to the oversight of the Five Great Immortal Sects, which deterred the Minister of Justice from acting rashly. Yet, a situation that even the original legislators could not have foreseen had arisen: the Minister of Justice was imprisoned.

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Emperor Xia rubbed his temples, a pained expression on his face. Why did new complications always arise whenever the Daoist Sect of Inquiring Immortals was involved?

He had received two pieces of news. One was the result of Yunzhi's investigation in the Immortal Secret Realm, revealing the existence of a non-existent Dynasty of Sacred Flame. This was not urgent; information about the Dynasty of Sacred Flame could be investigated at leisure. As for Yunzhi's request to move the ancient immortal's cave dwelling from the Immortal Ruins back to the Daoist Sect of Inquiring Immortals, he could agree. The second piece of news was that the Minister of Justice was confined in a cell, with Daoist Buyu beside him.

If the Minister of Justice dared to leave the prison directly, Daoist Buyu would immediately go around proclaiming that the Great Xia Dynasty was bending the law for personal gain. If Daoist Buyu dared to leave the prison directly, the Minister of Justice would intervene to ensure he couldn't escape.

A stalemate.

“Perhaps I should grant Xu Xin a special pardon?” Emperor Xia murmured to himself. As emperor, he naturally possessed the power of pardon. After some thought, he abandoned the idea and issued a different command. “The entire Ministry of Justice is to relocate its operations to Dayan Commandery.”

“So, this is why you’ve come to visit me in the dungeon?” Minister Xu glared at his subordinates, his expression so grim it looked as if he could devour them whole.

“His Majesty has given the order; we must comply,” the Vice Minister of Justice said, trying to maintain a straight face. But the scene was too amusing, and he and his colleagues could barely contain themselves, using immense willpower to prevent their lips from curving into an overly exaggerated smile.

Daoist Buyu was squatting nearby. Ordinarily, the Vice Minister and others would have greeted him, but seeing Minister Xu’s ashen face, they dared not make a move.

“Minister Xu, these are the official documents from the past two days. Please review them,” the Vice Minister of Justice respectfully presented several memorials, all of which required Minister Xu’s attention.

Minister Xu snorted coldly, “Leave them here.”

The Vice Minister of Justice had originally wanted to say things like, “Wait a few days, His Majesty will grant you a pardon after he’s had his fun,” or “Would you like some food and bedding sent in?” But after thinking it over, he ultimately held his tongue.

After his subordinates left the prison, Minister Xu picked up the memorials from the ground and began reviewing them. He frowned, a hint of displeasure on his face.

“Nonsense! I deliberated on this system for a long time before proposing it, and its feasibility has been proven through trials in specific commanderies and counties. The results have been excellent, so how could there be a mistake?”

Daoist Buyu glanced at the contents of the memorial and generally understood the situation. The memorial claimed that a certain system was useless and increased the workload for commanderies and counties, recommending its simplification. However, this system was Xu Xin’s pride and joy, so how could he allow others to point out its flaws?

Daoist Buyu chuckled, which Minister Xu interpreted as mockery. “Are you a saint, Minister Xu? Do you never make mistakes? If you’re so capable, why don’t you become the emperor?”

Even more displeased, Minister Xu coldly stared at Daoist Buyu. If it had been one of Minister Xu’s subordinates, they would have been too scared to speak, but Daoist Buyu had no fear of Minister Xu. A defeated opponent who had lost three times in a row at the Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Transcendent Transformation stages.

Daoist Buyu was well-traveled and experienced in criminal matters, and his grasp of legal theory was no less profound than Minister Xu’s.

“...Have you ever considered legislative interpretation? Is that truly what the legislators intended back then...?”

“...Have you forgotten about the inherent lag in law...?”

“...Don’t give me theories; is that how it is in reality...?”

Their debate grew increasingly fierce, neither giving an inch. They even set up a soundproofing array to prevent other prisoners from overhearing their conversation. Finally, Minister Xu’s tone lost its sharp edge, and his imposing demeanor waned as he spoke. He had to admit that Daoist Buyu’s arguments held some merit.

“Shut up! Let me think!”

Minister Xu lowered his head in thought. Although Daoist Buyu was a scoundrel, he never joked about such matters. If he said something, it was undoubtedly quite serious.

This was precisely the outcome Emperor Xia had desired. Although Xu Xin was devoted to the nation, working tirelessly and neglecting sleep and food to mend legal loopholes, he would inevitably make some inappropriate decisions. Emperor Xia was helpless in this regard. Xu Xin’s mastery of Great Xia Dynasty law was so profound that few were even qualified to debate him. Emperor Xia couldn't definitively say whether Xu Xin was entirely right or wrong; he simply felt that some decisions were unsuitable. As for how to improve them, he didn't know. Fortunately, Daoist Buyu, being proficient in law and possessing extensive experience, was the most suitable person to debate Xu Xin. Emperor Xia took this opportunity to have the two debate. Once Xu Xin recognized his own oversight, he could then be pardoned.

When Yunzhi and Lu Yang returned to the Daoist Sect of Inquiring Immortals, they coincidentally met Meng Jingzhou, who was returning from the dense forest. In the dense forest, he had achieved a sudden enlightenment regarding a certain matter, comprehending it thoroughly. Upon returning to Demon Suppressing Pass, he formed his Golden Core. He then let Tao Yaoye and Man Gu continue searching for their own opportunities while he returned alone to the Daoist Sect of Inquiring Immortals. As for trivial matters like encountering a wealthy noble family's disciple showing off on his way back and being humbled by him—who had concealed his identity—those were not worth mentioning.

“Haha, surprise! This young master has also formed his Golden Core!” Meng Jingzhou began to boast as soon as he saw Lu Yang. Although he didn't know what kind of Golden Core Lu Yang had formed, he was confident that his own Golden Core was the strongest, unbeatable by anyone. “Let me tell you, this young master’s Golden Core is unprecedented! I’m about to break the destiny of the solitary spiritual root!”

Meng Jingzhou was so high-spirited, he seemed less like someone who had just formed his Golden Core and more like a Tribulation Transcendent mighty figure who couldn't even walk straight.

Lu Yang was genuinely surprised, not feigning it. “You have this ability? What kind of Golden Core did you form?”

Meng Jingzhou chuckled, pulling Lu Yang to a teahouse to drink tea and boast simultaneously. “I don’t have a solitary spiritual root, so if I want to form one, I’m bound to form a solitary Golden Core, right?”

Lu Yang nodded. This was indeed stated in the Golden Core formation insights of Daoist Shendu, the first to possess a solitary spiritual root. “So you formed a solitary Golden Core?”

Meng Jingzhou didn’t answer. He placed a teacup on the table. “This is one person, and they’re single!” Then he placed another teacup down. “This is also one person, and they’re single!” He gently tapped the two teacups together, creating a crisp clinking sound of porcelain, and then declared a conclusion he had pondered for a long time: “When two single people come together, don’t they become a pair?”

“So?”

“Therefore, I formed two solitary Golden Cores!”