Chapter 398 – The East Sea King Abandoned by All; Ji Yu Panics

The East Sea King felt the mocking gazes of the crowd, but at this moment, he had neither the mood nor the ability to pay them any attention.

He knew all too clearly that he was in deep trouble.

And soon, his troubles arrived.

It wasn’t that Mu Lin had attacked.

Focused on refining the Mountain-River Cauldron, he was still in the Netherworld of Melting Fire City.

What troubled the East Sea King was Ji Zheng, along with the families of the Mortal Shedding cultivators who had fought alongside him, all coming to his doorstep to demand answers.

—Whether it was Ji Zheng, an Earth Immortal, or the Mortal Shedding cultivators and elite soldiers of the East Sea Kingdom, none of them had sprung from stone. They had families, relatives, and friends.

Now, these people had been conscripted by the East Sea King and sent into battle, only to never return. Instead, news spread throughout Skysea City that they had all perished.

Hearing such news, how could the families of the Mortal Shedding cultivators possibly remain calm?

They gathered together and came to demand answers from the East Sea King.

“Your Highness, where is my son…”

“Is my husband safe?”

“Your Highness, what about my father…”

Their voices only added to the East Sea King’s frustration.

What troubled him even more was that the families of these Mortal Shedding cultivators and elite soldiers were not insignificant people within the East Sea Kingdom, nor were they commoners who could be easily dismissed.

These individuals held key positions throughout the East Sea Kingdom, many of them were even relatives of the East Sea King’s Manor. They were the backbone of the manor, the foundation upon which he, as the king, ruled the East Sea Kingdom.

But now, that foundation had crumbled.

The current losses had already struck at the very core, damaging his authority and undermining his rule.

And soon, something even more infuriating occurred.

No one knew who spread the news, but soon, everyone in Skysea City learned that the conflict and battle between the East Sea Kingdom and Mu Lin had not been for the greater good of the kingdom, nor for any tangible benefit.

This war had been sparked entirely by the East Sea King’s personal vendetta—all because his son had been jealous of someone else.

“He caused the trouble himself, yet the entire East Sea Kingdom has to bear the consequences. And this is the man who calls himself our king? Hahaha…”

The voice, half-crying, half-laughing, resonated with countless others.

“Exactly! Just because his son was jealous of someone else, over such a trivial matter, our East Sea Kingdom lost tens of thousands of elite soldiers and two Earth Immortals, the pillars of our nation. That man is utterly unfit to be king.”

“Such a foolish ruler—if he remains on the throne, he will drag the entire East Sea Kingdom into the abyss.”

“Hahaha, a kingdom like this, a king like this—whoever wants to follow him can go ahead. I’m done. I don’t want to lose my life over some prince’s petty jealousy…”

Having a just cause is crucial—it enhances legitimacy, credibility, and morale.

Conversely, without a righteous cause, an unjust war, if won, might still be excused, with scholars ready to justify it.

But if lost, the one who started the war would immediately face widespread condemnation.

And now, the conflict between the East Sea King and Mu Lin had escalated to the level of war. Most critically, the reason for his war was among the worst possible justifications for an unjust conflict.

Because his own son was fighting over a woman out of jealousy, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths, hundreds of Mortal Shedding cultivators perishing, and even two Earth Immortals falling.

Such a person, no matter where, is a foolish ruler, a tyrant, and even a ruler who brings about the downfall of his kingdom.

In the previous life, the story of King You of Zhou lighting the beacon towers to make his beauty smile was mocked and scorned by the people of the Central Plains for thousands of years.

In this world, people’s tolerance for such matters is also extremely low.

Especially the relatives and family members of those Mortal Shedding cultivators. Upon learning that their husbands, children, or brothers lost their lives over such a ridiculous matter, they felt it was utterly worthless and were filled with resentment.

Because of this, some directly resigned in anger, believing that such an East Sea King was unworthy of their loyalty.

Others gathered around the East Sea King’s Manor, continuously denouncing him and calling for his removal.

Well, in this feudal era, shouting for a prince to step down—those who did so were not acting solely out of courage.

Other Aristocratic Families within the East Sea Kingdom also infiltrated the crowd, aiming to use this action to crush the East Sea King’s reputation into the dirt.

As for why they did this, it was naturally because of interests.

No one wanted a powerful prince ruling over them. More importantly, at present, the area under the control of the East Sea King’s Manor was limited to the vicinity of Skysea City. Other regions were either out of contact or had been captured by Mu Lin.

If the East Sea King’s Manor had not suffered significant losses, these disconnected regions would naturally be reclaimed by the East Sea King.

But if the East Sea King’s strength was weakened and his reputation severely damaged, the ownership of these regions would become a matter of debate.

The other Aristocratic Families within the East Sea Kingdom had no qualms about helping the East Sea King reclaim and rebuild these areas… As for when they would be returned after reclamation, that would depend on how long it took them to restore these regions.

And these regions were far from wastelands—many towns were rich in various resources. If a family gained control, both their strength and foundation would increase.

Merely by inciting others, they could obtain so many resources. Naturally, those Aristocratic Families couldn’t resist the temptation.

At the same time, outside of the Aristocratic Families, Mu Lin’s Clone also participated in this action.

When the truth of the matter spread, the people of Skysea City already harbored resentment toward the East Sea King. Relying on the Other Shore Flower Sea, Mu Lin amplified this accumulated resentment.

Thus, under the instigation of Mu Lin and some Aristocratic Families, the entire Skysea City was seething with public anger, and dissatisfaction with the East Sea King reached its peak.

When Jin Haoran and Yu Ling returned from outside, this was the scene they witnessed.

Well, their slow return was also related to the covert obstruction by the Aristocratic Families within the East Sea Kingdom.

…

Upon returning to Skysea City, the two were immediately summoned by the East Sea King. Then, the perplexed East Sea King voiced his doubts to them.

“Four Earth Immortals against one, and you not only failed to defeat him but were counter-killed by two? What happened?”

Jin Haoran: “Ahem, it wasn’t four. Mu Lin’s Clones were scattered everywhere. Midway, Ji Zheng suggested we split up, so Mu Lin defeated us one by one.”

“Even in a one-on-one fight, Mu Lin shouldn’t have been able to kill an Earth Immortal.” Clenching his fist, the East Sea King said with a cold gaze, “Tell me, who helped Mu Lin.”

Upon hearing this inquiry, Jin Haoran and Yu Ling exchanged a glance before both somewhat awkwardly replied, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? You went into battle together, yet two Earth Immortals from my Prince’s Residence died, and you know nothing about it? What were you even doing!”

At this moment, the East Sea King was furious.

However, his tone also displeased Jin Haoran and Yu Ling.

Especially Yu Ling, who was a lone cultivator, unattached and free to come and go as he pleased. Thus, he had no fear of the East Sea King.

“East Sea King, watch your tone. I helped you out of goodwill, not obligation… This matter has nothing to do with me.”

With those words, Yu Ling turned and left without hesitation.

  His swift departure was partly due to genuine anger at the East Sea King’s tone.

Another reason was that after hearing of Mu Lin’s feat of slaying an Earth Immortal, Yu Ling, who bore no grudge against him, no longer wished to be involved.

Thus, he seized the opportunity to leave.

However, while Yu Ling could leave, the Golden God Sect’s mountain gate was located near Skysea City, meaning Jin Haoran could not simply walk away.

Nevertheless, as an Earth Immortal, Jin Haoran had his own pride and did not show the East Sea King any favor.

“The plan was devised by you, and it was Ji Zheng who suggested splitting up midway. Their deaths were due to their own lack of skill. What, do you intend to vent your resentment on me?”

“…That was not my intention.” Having lost so many people to Mu Lin, even to the point of public outrage and betrayal, the East Sea King could no longer afford to lose the support of the Golden God Sect.

Thus, even though Jin Haoran’s tone was harsh, he restrained himself and directly asked, “I have no intention of blaming you. I just want to know how Ji Zheng and the other Clan Elder from my East Sea King’s Manor died. Was there another force involved, or… were they both killed by Mu Lin?”

“I’ve already said, I don’t know.”

Without waiting for the East Sea King to inquire further, Jin Haoran continued, “When I received the call for support and was preparing to head over, I was intercepted by people from Prince Liang’s Manor. While I was confronting and fighting them, Ji Zheng and the other Earth Immortal from your East Sea King’s Manor had already fallen rapidly. Believing there might be a trap, I did not proceed to Melting Fire City. Instead, I regrouped with Yu Ling and returned.”

“…”

Not even daring to investigate before returning—in the eyes of the East Sea King, who was filled with rage, this was the act of a deserter.

However, even at the peak of his power, the East Sea King had to show respect to an Earth Immortal.

Now, having been betrayed and isolated, he was even less able to reprimand Jin Haoran.

Thus, despite his displeasure, he still tried to placate Jin Haoran and sent him back to his mountain gate to prepare for the next battle against Mu Lin.

However, while the East Sea King was unwilling to give up, Jin Haoran… was already weary and somewhat reluctant to continue fighting Mu Lin.

Of course, in front of the East Sea King, he did not voice his thoughts.

Upon returning to his mountain gate, he found himself conflicted.

He deeply resented Mu Lin for breaching the sect’s defenses and slaughtering many disciples.

Yet, he did not believe the East Sea King’s Manor could completely eliminate Mu Lin.

As he wrestled with this dilemma, those whom Mu Lin had deliberately spared—the ones who feared death—once again appeared before Jin Haoran, the Sect Leader of the Golden God Sect, pleading with him not to confront Mu Lin again.

Their resolve was already weak, and the news of Mu Lin killing the Earth Immortal only deepened their fear.

These people knew all too well that the only reason they were still alive was because Mu Lin wanted to use them to restrain their Sect Leader. But if Jin Haoran were to fall in battle, given Mu Lin’s ruthless nature, he would undoubtedly wipe them out completely.

Thus, whether due to their own thoughts or some hidden influence, they all gathered before Jin Haoran, weeping and pleading.

And as they wept, they also cursed and raged against the East Sea King.

“Sect Leader, the root of our Golden God Sect’s calamity isn’t Mu Lin—it’s the East Sea King’s Manor! We have no grudge against Mu Lin. If it weren’t for the East Sea King stirring up trouble, our Golden God Sect would never have clashed with Mu Lin, let alone suffer such a disaster.”

“Wah… Sect Leader, if the East Sea King had used us for expansion or to secure benefits for the East Sea Kingdom, we could have endured it. The Great Path demands struggle, and dying in the fight for resources would only make us blame our own lack of skill. But the root of this matter is the East Sea King’s son fighting over a woman out of jealousy!”

“Because of such a ridiculous reason, our entire Golden God Sect was nearly wiped out. If this gets out, our whole sect will become a laughingstock.”

“Crack!”

That last sentence shattered Jin Haoran’s composure.

Just as his disciples had said, if they had died fighting for resources, Jin Haoran would have had nothing to say. Resources are scarce, and the Great Path demands struggle—this world has operated this way for millennia.

But to have the sect nearly destroyed over a petty squabble among the younger generation—that was deeply humiliating.

And the thought that it was someone else’s younger generation only intensified the resentment in Jin Haoran’s heart.

‘Guang’er is right. The root of all this isn’t Mu Lin—it’s the East Sea King, especially that Ji Yu from the East Sea King’s household. So many of our people have died in battle, yet he’s still at home enjoying himself in comfort. Hah…’

His gaze turned icy. His grandson’s words had already shifted his perspective. Though he still resented Mu Lin, what he hated even more now was Ji Yu.

Of course, the thoughts of an Earth Immortal aren’t so easily swayed.

The reason his mind changed after just a few words was partly because Mu Lin hadn’t wiped out the Golden God Sect entirely—he had spared Jin Haoran’s grandson, leaving him with some hope.

But the more important reason was that Mu Lin was strong enough.

As the saying goes, studying allows one to reason with others calmly, while a powerful fist can make fools listen to reason—calmly.

Now, Mu Lin was strong enough to make others reason with him—and on his terms.

…

On this side, Mu Lin had used some tactics to turn the Golden God Sect’s Sect Leader against his former allies.

Meanwhile, in the East Sea King’s Manor, a gloomy atmosphere prevailed.

And within the Prince’s Residence, one person was filled with shock, anger, and… fear.

“Bastard! How dare you do this! You’re just a lowly commoner, a Paper Artisan who doesn’t deserve to be seen in polite society. Someone with such base blood is utterly unworthy of marrying Ji Lingsha—it would defile her noble lineage!”

“I did nothing wrong! Killing you was to preserve the purity of the royal bloodline!”

The one raging impotently was, of course, the root cause of the conflict between Mu Lin and the East Sea Kingdom—Ji Yu.

He wasn’t a complete fool. When he sent assassins after Mu Lin, he had considered the consequences.

But at the time, he believed he could bear them.

“My father is the East Sea King. Even if I break the rules and send someone to assassinate you, so what? Could you possibly come to the East Sea Kingdom to demand justice from me?”

“Haha, if you come, that would be even better.”

“In the East Sea Kingdom, I, the heir, am the law. My words are justice!”

With such thoughts in mind, he sent assassins after Mu Lin. When news of the failed assassination reached him, what he felt was not so much panic over being discovered, but rather anger over the plan’s failure.

After returning to the East Sea Kingdom, he felt even more secure.

Yet, just as he was thinking this, Mu Lin arrived.

He came with great fanfare.

Not only did he come, but he also threw the East Sea Kingdom into chaos.

All of this was completely unexpected by him, filling him with dread.

And after reaching the peak of his fear, he began to curse Mu Lin furiously.

“Bastard! Why must a lowly commoner like you resist? I am the heir of a noble house, and you are a humble commoner. When I want you dead, why can’t you just obediently wait for death?”

(End of Chapter)