Crow Immortal: I Can Duplicate Infinite Resources

Chapter 243: Breaking Ancestral Precepts

The great hall fell into a suffocating silence. Inner Disciple Feng Jin stared, utterly dumbfounded, at the charred remains on the dais.

A random Wanchun Valley disciple had just waltzed in. The Sect Leader had inexplicably handed him full authority over the situation. And then, without a second of hesitation, this stranger had executed the Emperor of the Nanli Kingdom and set his corpse—and the dragon throne—on fire.

Who is this guy? Feng Jin thought, his mind reeling. Is this really how we handle Sect business now?

High above the palace, bathed in the cool night wind, Yan San hovered on the flying sword and stared at Han Yu in utter astonishment. “Just like that? You actually killed him?”

“He left me no choice,” Han Yu replied, his tone chillingly flat. “This was his second time colluding with Demonic Cultivators. The boy thought he had us figured out—he believed Wanchun Valley’s compassion for mortals was a weakness he could exploit to keep his head. If I let him live, he would have remained a treacherous, unpredictable liability. He had to go.”

“Oh, I see!” Yan San nodded slowly, her surprise melting into an expression of profound appreciation. “Classic Demon Star. You don’t mess around with half-measures. It’s incredibly satisfying to watch!”

Back down in the grand hall, Sect Leader Qi calmly watched the roaring flames consume the throne. Only when the corpse was little more than brittle ash, and the fire threatened to spread to the structural pillars, did he lazily form a hand seal. Moisture condensed from the air, creating a localized downpour that quenched the inferno in hissing clouds of steam.

“You killed the Emperor of the Nanli Kingdom,” Sect Leader Qi said, addressing Puppet Li Ya, though the question was meant for the man pulling the strings. “What do you propose we do next?”

Han Yu’s voice echoed from the wooden construct. “Sect Leader, desperate times require desperate measures. Of the original five major Sects in the Southern Region, only Wanchun Valley and the Spirit Sword Sect ever truly respected the ancestral precepts. But to survive, we’ve built an intelligence network and essentially forged an alliance with the Spirit Sword Sect. In reality, the ancestral precepts are already broken.”

The puppet turned its painted eyes toward the Sect Leader. “Since that is the case, why continue to bind our own hands? The mortal emperor plotted to slaughter us. What does it matter if we break one more precept to secure our territory?”

Sect Leader Qi offered a slight nod. “And how do you propose we break it?”

Leaving Jiang Jing on the throne was never an option. If Han Yu hadn’t struck, the Sect Leader would have done it himself. However, crowning a replacement was a logistical nightmare. Both the royal Jiang and Wei bloodlines were effectively extinct. Elevating a random mortal noble would spark endless rebellions, forcing Wanchun Valley disciples to waste precious time propping up a fragile regime.

He already had a feeling where Han Yu was going with this. In times of peace, the Sect Leader would never entertain a notion so blatantly contrary to their founders’ laws. But now? The entire Southern Region was a bloodbath. Nobody cared about the old rules anymore.

“Sect Leader,” Puppet Li Ya stated coldly, “we either abolish the monarchy entirely and rule directly through stationed disciples, much like the Central Heaven Domain, or we place an Outer Disciple on the throne to govern the Nanli Kingdom directly. We cannot allow these mortal uprisings to continually distract us.”

The puppet gestured to the bloody floor. “It is one thing if we are simply overpowered by an invading force. It is another entirely to bleed because the mortals we are actively protecting stab us in the back. This cannot happen again.”

Sect Leader Qi hummed thoughtfully. “The Central Heaven Domain’s fragmented system isn’t ideal. For mortals, a unified nation provides stability. It is far better than a fractured territory run by warlords. Very well. We shall crown a cultivator.”

He looked at the puppet. “Do you have a candidate in mind?”

Puppet Li Ya turned its head toward the bewildered young man in the room. “Sect Leader, what do you think of Feng Jin?”

Feng Jin jumped as if struck by lightning. “Me?! I can’t do that! I still need to cultivate—”

“It won’t interfere,” Sect Leader Qi interrupted smoothly. “Since we are rewriting the ancestral precepts, you can rule without abandoning your cultivation. Your character is sound, and you proved your loyalty by not defecting during this crisis. You will make a fine Emperor for the Nanli Kingdom.”

“I agree,” Han Yu added through the puppet.

During the Outer Disciple tournament, Han Yu had sparred with Feng Jin. Afterward, the man had generously gifted him a pair of Scent Retaining Pills and their antidotes. Feng Jin was honorable, upright, and, most importantly, loyal to the Sect.

Seeing the consensus, Sect Leader Qi smiled at the stunned disciple. “We both endorse you. Do you want the throne? As the Emperor, the kingdom’s resources might actually accelerate your cultivation.”

Feng Jin’s face cycled through shock, apprehension, and finally, dawning realization. “Wait… I get to enjoy absolute worldly wealth and power while continuing my immortal path? I just get all the benefits?”

“You must fulfill your duties to the Sect,” Puppet Li Ya reminded him flatly. “You will scout the populace for children with Cultivation Potential, and you must govern the Nanli Kingdom effectively so the mortals do not suffer. Do your job, and the benefits are yours.”

“Well, naturally!” Feng Jin nodded vigorously. He cupped his hands respectfully toward the puppet. “I don’t believe I caught Senior Brother’s name…?”

“You will know in due time,” the puppet replied. “Do you accept the position?”

A massive grin broke across Feng Jin’s face. “I accept! I’d have to be crazy to turn down a deal like this. I’m in!”

“Then it is settled,” Sect Leader Qi declared.

He beckoned toward the grand doors, summoning the Imperial Guard Commander. When the armored man entered, the Sect Leader bluntly announced Emperor Jiang Jing’s death and Wanchun Valley’s decree: a cultivator would now hold the throne.

“Oh, the tragedy! His Majesty has passed!” The commander threw himself to his knees, squeezing out two obligatory, theatrical sobs. However, considering Jiang Jing was a demonic cannibal who drank his subjects’ blood, the man’s grief evaporated in record time.

When Sect Leader Qi pointed out Feng Jin as the new ruler, the commander’s face instantly brightened. He pivoted on his knees, fully beaming. “Immortal Master Feng! You’re taking the throne?” He slammed his forehead to the floor. “Your humble servant pays respects to Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!”

Feng Jin laughed, delighted by the man’s shameless pragmatism. “Excellent! Having you on board will make the transition much smoother. Proclaim an imperial edict immediately. Summon the civil and military officials. We’re going to publicly expose Jiang Jing’s demonic atrocities, and then we’ll properly establish my ascension.”

The commander snapped a sharp salute, barking orders to his subordinates to round up the court and thoroughly purge the palace eunuchs and maids, ensuring no lingering loyalists could attempt an assassination.

With the petty, bureaucratic machinery of the mortal court grinding into motion, Sect Leader Qi decided he had seen enough. He instructed Feng Jin to act boldly; the Sect Leader would remain in the capital for two more days to deter any unrest, after which the new garrison of Wanchun Valley disciples would arrive to cement Feng Jin’s absolute authority.

Leaving the newly minted Emperor to his work, Sect Leader Qi and Puppet Li Ya exited the hall and shot into the sky above the palace.

As he reached altitude, Sect Leader Qi’s Divine Sense swept outward, locking onto the six bruised, mud-caked figures dangling helplessly in mid-air. They were bound so tightly by Han Yu’s Star Luo Threads that they couldn’t twitch, their cultivation utterly shattered.

Sect Leader Qi chuckled. “You bring back six prisoners? You summarily execute an Emperor without blinking, yet you show mercy to these stragglers?”

“The Emperor was an arrogant fool playing at games he didn’t understand. He didn’t know anything of value,” Han Yu’s voice drifted from the darkness as he stepped onto his flying sword. “But this one… this one knows the real secrets.”

With a subtle flex of his fingers, the Star Luo Threads manipulated the bindings, thrusting a bruised and battered Wei Baoyu directly in front of Sect Leader Qi.

“Sect Leader,” Han Yu said, his eyes cold and calculating. “Perform Soul Searching on him. Let’s find out the truth behind Bai Shiqi’s infiltration, once and for all.”