If you die, I will be able to inherit your cultivation.

Zhou Ming dismounted.

As soon as he came down, he saw two officials from the Ministry of Justice carrying a grand chair out of the Meng residence.

The two men, one on each side, lifted the chair by the armrests, their steps so fast they almost tripped over the threshold.

The chair was placed steadily behind Zhou Ming, and one of the men quickly wiped the chair surface with his sleeve before stepping aside and standing at attention.

Zhou Ming glanced at them, nodded slightly, and sat down with a flick of his sleeve.

This grand master's chair, which was the main seat in the main hall of the Meng family, has now been moved to the gate of the mansion and become a temporary elegant seat for the Minister of Justice to oversee the execution and confiscation of property.

Zhou Ming watched as the Meng family members, young and old, were escorted out in single file by soldiers in black armor. He turned his head and calmly instructed Wu Shijun, who was standing beside him:

"Lord Wu, you are a seasoned investigator. The Zheng and Meng families are plotting a rebellion. This case is of great importance. I hope that you and your colleagues can make this case airtight."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the rickety plaque above the gate of the Meng residence, and then added a sentence.

"Once we get back, issue arrest warrants and round up all the Zheng and Meng families' associates. Don't let a single one escape."

Upon hearing Zhou Ming's menacing order, Wu Shijun dared not be negligent in the slightest.

He quickly stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and bowed deeply, all in one smooth motion.

His voice was slightly hoarse, but his tone was unusually firm as he spoke:

"Please rest assured, sir! The evidence is irrefutable that the Zheng and Meng families intend to rebel."

"Dozens of officials from the Ministry of Justice, plus hundreds of soldiers present, and hundreds of pairs of eyes witnessed it all—they are all witnesses! They can't overturn the case!"

Zhou Ming nodded slightly, acknowledging Wu Shijun's statement.

Wu Shijun breathed a long sigh of relief when he saw Zhou Ming nod, and stepped back behind Zhou Ming.

He raised his sleeve and wiped the dense beads of sweat from his forehead.

His hands were still trembling slightly, and his sleeve left a cold, damp mark as it brushed against his forehead.

He had been so tense that he hadn't even realized he was sweating so much.

Just as chaos erupted in the Meng family mansion, with soldiers in black armor moving in and out carrying boxes, a large group of people suddenly surged in from the end of the long street.

Zhou Ming turned around upon hearing the sound and looked up.

These were none other than the heads of the various prominent families residing in this neighborhood.

These people usually travel with a large entourage and a full entourage, but now they all came on foot, disheveled and panting.

The only sounds along the long street were the chaotic footsteps and suppressed breathing; no one spoke.

The group of people stopped abruptly when they were about 20 or 30 meters away from Zhou Ming.

Without prior arrangement, their knees buckled and they knelt down with a thud.

Then they knelt on the ground and slowly moved towards Zhou Ming using their two knees.

The bluestone pavement was very rough, and every step they took while kneeling was accompanied by the rustling sound of the fabric being torn, but no one dared to stop, and no one dared to stand up.

Zhou Ming knew the two leaders; one was Bai Chengsheng, the head of the Bai family, and the other was Gongsun Gu, the head of the Gongsun family.

During the morning court session, these two stood side by side with Zheng Yaoming and Meng Xi, taking turns criticizing Zhou Ming.

At this moment, he was kneeling at the very front, his forehead covered in cold sweat, and his lips were deathly pale.

Gongsun Gu spoke first, his voice trembling, each word filled with barely concealed fear:

"Lord Zhou...Lord Zhou, we...we agree to promote the new laws! We will immediately request an imperial decree to promote the new laws in all prefectures!"

He desperately suppressed the chattering in his teeth, trying to make his voice sound more firm.

However, the effect was the opposite; the voice trembled even more.

"We hope...we hope that Lord Zhou, seeing how diligently we've promoted the new laws, will...protect our families..."

When he said the last few words, his voice almost rose with a sob.

He was genuinely scared.

The heads of the Zheng family were still rolling in the long street when Meng Xi was shoved into a prison van on the absurd charge of "not having his knees on the ground at the same time".

Even knees not touching the ground at the same time can be a crime; what crime can't the King of Hell fabricate?

Zhou Ming looked down at the cluster of white heads at his feet, a smile that struck fear into the hearts of all the powerful families.

His tone remained slow and deliberate: "Oh? So you gentlemen are willing to promote the new laws?"

Zhou Ming's gaze slowly swept across everyone's faces, and each person shuddered when he looked at them.

That same phrase again.

The same tone, the same wording, exactly the same question he asked when Meng Xi was kneeling on the ground.

The heads of the powerful families kneeling on the ground were terrified by these words.

Some people's knees buckled and they collapsed from a kneeling position to a prone position; others banged their foreheads against the bluestone slabs, too afraid to lift their heads, their whole bodies trembling like leaves.

"Sir, have mercy!"

"Sir, have mercy!"

A group of people cried out for mercy in unison, their voices high-pitched and trembling, all mixed together.

They shouted and kowtowed, the dull thuds of their foreheads hitting the stone surface echoing across the bluestone pavement.

Looking at the group of terrified family heads, Zhou Ming's smile faded slightly, replaced by a calm, businesslike tone:

"My lords, we are all officials in the same court. My only disagreement with you is with your political views. You have not committed any serious offenses. Why should I ask for your lives? Please rise."

His voice was gentle and even had a hint of sincerity.

But to the kneeling family heads, it was even more baffling than the earlier "Heh, too late."

A group of people cautiously raised their heads, looked at each other, and exchanged bewildered and fearful glances.

Zheng Yaoming and Meng Xi had their homes raided simply because they said a few words of opposition.

Now, this King Yama says, "It was just a difference of political opinion; no major mistakes were made."

Is this the truth or sarcasm?

Are they really letting them off the hook, or are they waiting for them to reveal their next weakness?

No one dared to gamble, and no one dared to stand up.

"What, do you want me to help you all up myself?"

Zhou Ming glanced at everyone sideways, his tone tinged with impatience.

Upon hearing this, the group of people scrambled to their feet as if they had been whipped.

He stood up, but his back was still bent, like a quail with broken wings.

No one dared to look up, no one dared to meet Zhou Ming's gaze.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the blue stone in front of their boot tips.

Zhou Ming's gaze swept across the faces of the bowing family heads, his tone now carrying a hint of sincerity:

"My lords, I know you are resistant to the promotion of the new laws."

"You think I'm undermining your foundation and cutting off your escape route."

"However, you might as well broaden your horizons and look further ahead."

"Perhaps in less than three years, once His Majesty becomes the ruler of all under heaven, you will all be grateful for the decision you made today."

After saying this, Zhou Ming stopped arguing with them and casually waved towards the palace.