Water Ink Panel: Starting with Bow Technique to Hunt the Sun and Patrol the Skies

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In the grand hall of the County Government Office, voices bubbled like a cauldron.

Many officials and martial masters from Yongzhou were arriving one after another.

Shen Qing followed behind the crowd, stepping into the grand hall.

As he scanned the room, he saw officials dressed in their formal attire, some standing, some seated, all with varying expressions. However, they all struggled to conceal their unease and anxiety.

At the forefront stood Prefecture Chief Dou Wenxi and County Supervisor Yan Xushou.

Their faces were somber as they looked at the numerous officials in front of them, as expressionless as dark clouds blanketing the sky.

"Almost everyone is here now. Let's begin," said Dou Wenxi, gesturing with his hand. The attendants standing outside the hall got the signal and quietly withdrew.

With a bang, the doors closed.

The discussions among those in the hall gradually subsided.

Shen Qing moved forward and, thanks to his prestige in Yongzhou City, the nearby officials gave up their seats, obsequiously seeking his favor.

He accepted without hesitation, seated himself, and turned his gaze toward Prefecture Chief Dou Wenxi and County Supervisor Yan Xushou, waiting for what would come next.

Prefecture Chief Dou Wenxi spoke in a clear voice, "I presume everyone here is already aware of why we have gathered?"

"Is it because of the upcoming Jing Luan Assembly?" someone asked.

Dou Wenxi nodded gravely, "Correct, it is due to this matter."

Shen Qing's brow furrowed slightly in the crowd.

He vaguely remembered Huang Furo mentioning the Jing Luan Assembly. He had said that the court devised this event to exhaust the martial artists of the world by having them fight one another. Explore hidden tales at empire

However, he had only heard of it in passing and only knew half the story.

Shen Qing stood up, swept his gaze across the audience, and finally it rested on Dou Wenxi and Yan Xushou. He raised his fist to his chest and asked, "Regarding this so-called Jing Luan Assembly, there is much we do not understand. I wonder if the two of you could clarify our doubts. I've noticed some of our younger colleagues are also not very familiar with the matter."

"Indeed, my knowledge of the Jing Luan Assembly is quite limited. I hope the lords will not hesitate to enlighten us and allow us to comprehend," he added.

"We look to the lord for answers."

Some of the frailer officials hesitated to ask such a question that seemed to be 'common knowledge,' not wanting to embarrass themselves.

But seeing Shen Qing take the initiative, they echoed his request.

Shen Qing's question garnered a lot of support.

Prefecture Chief Dou Wenxi, with a composed countenance, said, "Lord Shen speaks truthfully. We should indeed explain this matter to everyone."

He pondered for a moment before continuing, "The history of the Jing Luan Assembly actually goes back quite a ways."

"As you all know, we martial artists, with each breakthrough in our realm, increase our lifespan. The Qi Hai Realm can add ten years, the Yu Luo Realm fifty years, and even the Spirit Void Realm can increase one's lifespan by three hundred."

"After the founding of Great Zhou, the court was stable, and myriad tasks awaited revival. There were no issues at first, but as time passed, these problems revealed themselves. Due to the longevity, the founding ministers continued to control the government, and the struggle for power among the high officials in the court became increasingly intense, almost shaking the very foundation of the nation."

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"The Ji Family ancestor thus proposed the establishment of the Jing Luan Assembly to resolve disputes."

"At first, the Jing Luan Assembly was located in a place far from the mortal world, aiming to allow the various forces to determine the superior and inferior, to decide victory and defeat, without affecting the stability of the court's administration. Initially, it was merely to resolve individual conflicts, but over time, it gradually formed the scale we see today. Each Jing Luan Assembly brings together martial masters from all over the world to discuss who is the true hero through real combat, and only the winner is able to receive the court's rewards and promotion."

"Those who die naturally have everything cease and have to give up their positions."

Dou Wenxi continued somberly, "Although the Jing Luan Assembly is named 'Jing Luan,' in reality, it is also one of the court's strategies for selecting talents and balancing the power of various factions. Every 60 years, tens of thousands of martial masters gather, and in the end, only a hundred can survive. These hundred will be granted abundant rewards and high positions by the court according to their accomplishments in battle."

A young official stood up proactively and said, "Then in this way, for us, the Jing Luan Assembly is an opportunity, right? Isn't this a good thing?"

"Hmph, a good thing?" Yan Xushou coldly snorted and added, "Think about it, tens of thousands of martial masters, and in the end, only a hundred survive. How cruel do you think it actually is? Do you think it will be you, or the likes of us with no background? Noble sons have guardians, Magical Treasures and Elixirs; what do we have besides our lives? Do you think we still stand a chance to fight for a spot among the top hundred?"

"Isn't entering just a death sentence?"

Another older official sighed deeply and said, "In fact, everyone is well aware that this is the court's strategy of wearing down the lower-level martial masters. It's for this reason that each Jing Luan Assembly is convened, everyone is in a state of panic."

After these words, a brief silence fell upon the great hall.

They didn't catch anything else, but one thing they did understand.

That is, this so-called Jing Luan Assembly meant near-certain death for them.

Prefecture Chief Dou Wenxi surveyed the crowd before him and said, "I've already inquired clearly about this Jing Luan Assembly. The reason we have all been conscripted is inseparable from the Xue Family."

"The Xue Family, what does that have to do with us?"

County Supervisor Yan Xushou sighed and said, "Let's not forget, not long ago, the Third Young Master of the Xue Family died in Yongzhou City! To this day, the murderer's whereabouts are unknown. It's likely that because of this, the Xue Family holds a grudge against us and has added us all to the list of participants for the Jing Luan Assembly."

A martial master expressed his bewilderment and sorrow, "Ah, I was unaware of the death of Third Young Master Xue and had no involvement in it."

County Supervisor Yan Xushou shook his head and said, "Whether we know or not is not important. What's important is that we have been caught up in this turmoil, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to extricate ourselves."

An official burst out in agitation and indignation, "Although we hold official positions and have some cultivation, in the Jing Luan Assembly we are nothing more than ants. We serve the court diligently and loyally, only to end up sent to die in the end, to become stepping stones for those in power!"

"The Xue Family is truly lawless, seeking personal revenge under the guise of public interest!"

"Sigh, saying they seek personal revenge under the guise of public interest isn't the slightest bit false," Prefecture Chief Dou Wenxi said. "I've also heard that this time at the Jing Luan Assembly, the Xue Family will send many guardians to participate, to lay the path for their eldest son, and it seems they will be targeting us."

"..."

Above the great hall, for a time, sighs of lamentation rose and fell.

There were also those who said nothing, but if you looked closely, you would see their fists clenched tightly, with nails nearly embedded in their palms, revealing the turmoil within.

Prefecture Chief Dou Wenxi and County Supervisor Yan Xushou exchanged looks of bitter smiles, their eyes filled with helplessness and despair.

They never thought that they too, one day, would become stepping stones for others.

Shen Qing saw the expressions of all the people, and his eyes couldn't help but flicker with a trace of peculiarity.

Listening to this, it seemed that the people from Yongzhou were conscripted into the Jing Luan Assembly because of his killing of Xue Yan.

Shen Qing was momentarily at a loss for words.

The Xue Family really prefers to kill wrongly rather than let anyone go!

Unable to find the murderer, they've decided to "kill" all the martial officials from Yongzhou.