CHAPTER 194: CHAPTER 191: THE BIG PURGE_1

THUD...

Nie Feng was sent flying again. Weaker in cultivation, King Skorpio, Sea Emperor, and Wanseah exploded directly into a mist of blood, dead beyond death.

The blood of Saints dyed half the sky red!

Nie Feng fell to the ground, covered in blood, his face deathly pale. He looked at Li Yuanba with terror in his eyes, full of regret. If only I had known the Qin Dynasty had such formidable individuals, I would never have rebelled. Instead, I would have loyally assisted Qin Wudao.

Alas, there is no medicine for regret in this world!

He had succumbed to his ambition, enjoying the immense benefits of success while shouldering the risk of losing his head.

"The... The general has lost?"

Li Si and the ministers who had sided with Nie Feng were terrified.

Once Nie Feng was captured, the consequences for them would be charges of treason. According to Qin law, they faced the extermination of their nine relations!

"It’s over. Everything is over!"

Li Si could no longer stand upright; he stumbled a few steps and collapsed to the ground.

"Haha, we won!"

Reactions varied; while some despaired, others, like Ministers Wang Yangming and Wang Jian, were overjoyed. They had chosen the right side, and their future career paths would be smooth sailing.

"His Majesty is wise! Great Qin Wansheng!"

"His Majesty is wise! Great Qin Wansheng!"

...

The guests observing the ceremony, recovering their senses, exclaimed with lingering fear. Just moments ago, they had witnessed a mutiny that had also involved several Saint King experts. Fortunately, the royal family had won, averting national turmoil.

"Where are Zhao Yun, Lv Bu, Bai Qi, Wang Jian, and Yue Fei?" Qin Wudao shouted.

"Present!"

The five of them flew to the front of the altar and knelt on one knee.

"I order you to lead the army immediately to wipe out the ’Divine Army’ stationed outside the city. Leave no survivors!" Qin Wudao commanded coldly, his voice filled with an imposing presence. He would show no mercy to foreign invaders.

To show mercy to an enemy is to be cruel to oneself!

"As you command!"

Four of them tore through the sky, transforming into streaks of rainbow light, and quickly disappeared over the horizon.

"Your Majesty, the rebel has been captured!"

Not long after, Li Yuanba flew over, carrying Nie Feng. He dropped him on the ground like a sack of garbage and saluted respectfully.

"Thank you for your hard work, General!"

Qin Wudao managed a slight smile, flew down from the altar, and landed in front of Nie Feng. The latter’s meridians had been severed and his cultivation sealed, so Qin Wudao wasn’t worried about any danger.

"Qin Emperor, I underestimated you!" Nie Feng lay on the ground, bloodied, his face pale, and his hair disheveled as he spoke.

Despite his sorry state, he remained defiant.

"You didn’t lose to me; you lost to your ambition. Previously, when the Light Divine Emperor issued a bounty for you, you sought my help. Yet, you secretly harbored your own motives, using the Light Divine Emperor to break through to become a second-rank Saint King!"

"After your power surged, you wanted to turn the tables and usurp the throne of the Qin Dynasty, forgetting that the Qin Dynasty was your benefactor!"

Qin Wudao’s cold voice echoed in Nie Feng’s ears. He watched him with narrowed eyes and then said, word by word, "Therefore, your defeat was not unjust!"

"Haha, winners become kings, losers are branded villains. Say what you will!" Nie Feng turned his face to one side, full of disdain.

"Kill him!" Qin Wudao couldn’t be bothered to waste words and ordered Li Yuanba.

Nie Feng trembled, his hands shaking uncontrollably. In the face of death, no one could remain calm, not even he, who had lived for hundreds of thousands of years and been a powerful military leader.

"As you command!" Li Yuanba grinned, swung his right hand forcefully, and the Golden Hammer fell, smashing Nie Feng into a bloody pulp. Blood splattered, landing on Li Si and others kneeling beside them, causing them to turn pale with fright.

Qin Wudao adjusted his dragon robe and walked towards Li Si and the others, his expression cold and grim.

"Your... Your Majesty!" Li Si’s voice trembled, his forehead pressed to the ground, his expression hidden.

"You still have the audacity to call me ’Your Majesty’?" Qin Wudao kicked out, sending Li Si flying several meters away, coughing up several mouthfuls of fresh blood.

"Your Majesty!" Li Si, enduring the excruciating pain, dared not wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. He quickly knelt again, maintaining his previous posture.

"And all of you! Are you worthy of me? Are you worthy of the Qin Dynasty? Are you worthy of the people of this land?" Qin Wudao looked at the other kneeling traitors, beside himself with fury. He kicked several more of them, like an enraged lion, his imperial might terrifying, chilling all who witnessed it.

His Majesty is truly enraged this time! Wang Yangming clicked his tongue. He had been in the Qin Dynasty for a considerable time. In his impression, Qin Wudao was a benevolent, expansion-minded monarch, and he had never seen him so furious.

His Majesty is furious with Li Si in particular!

Wang Jian smiled bitterly.

Before Qin Wudao had fully risen to power, Li Si was one of the first ministers to support him. Coupled with his profound influence, he had secured his position as Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister was the head of all officials and the representative of the court, setting an example for all others. His rebellion, therefore, would have an extremely detrimental impact.

"Your Majesty, spare my life! I will never dare again!" The officials who had been kicked away all knelt on the ground, begging for mercy, utterly lacking in backbone.

"Prime Minister, do you have anything to say?" Qin Wudao walked up to Li Si again and asked coldly.

"I, your humble servant, plead guilty and accept my punishment. I only beg Your Majesty to spare my family!" Li Si didn’t beg for himself. He knew very well the severity of Qin law; the crime of rebellion was punished by the extermination of nine relations. Since the founding of the country, no rebel, nor their family members, had ever met a good end.

His only wish was for his family to be safe!

Qin Wudao’s expression shifted continuously as he deliberated on how to deal with Li Si. For this minister who had helped him, he still felt some reluctance.

Of course, he was merely hesitating on whether to allow Li Si’s bloodline to continue. As for Li Si himself, execution was certain.

"The Emperor Emeritus commands: Li Si has committed treason! His entire clan is to be executed!"

Just as he was caught in this dilemma, a Tai Chi Palace guard ran over, holding an imperial decree, and shouted loudly.

"Impossible! You must be falsely relaying an imperial decree! How could the Emperor Emeritus issue such an order? It can’t be true! It must be false! I demand to see the Emperor Emeritus!" Li Si’s face changed drastically, and he quickly raised his head to roar. He did not believe that Qin Ying, with whom he had shared a thousand years, would issue this order.

"The Emperor Emeritus asked me to tell you that he could tolerate anything else from you, but never rebellion. Moreover, your actions threaten to lead the veteran people of Qin into an abyss!" The guard, holding the imperial decree, prepared to hand it to Qin Wudao. As he passed Li Si, he spoke indifferently.

Li Si collapsed completely to the ground, filled with profound regret. He thought of his hundreds of clansmen, his devoted wife, his swaddled grandchild, and his heart convulsed with pain.

"Issue the order! All traitors who sided with Nie Feng are to be drawn and quartered! Their nine relations exterminated!" Qin Wudao took the imperial decree. Finding only the single word ’Emperor’ on it, he immediately understood the Emperor Emeritus’s intent and issued an emotionless command.

He who wishes to wear the crown must bear its weight.

As a monarch, he had to consider everything from the nation’s perspective.

Sparing a treacherous official would bring only harm and no benefit to the nation. It would not serve as a warning and would instead encourage further misconduct.