Become a king right from the start, beginning with receiving rewards from all the heavens.

Upon hearing that he could be killed on the spot, the third son of the Zhang family was stunned.

They probably didn't expect that Xia Zhaoyan would issue such an order.

Then came uncontrollable laughter.

"Ha ha..."

"Let me see who dares to do anything to me!" he said, releasing his inner energy and stirring up a whirlwind around him.

With his mid-stage Innate Realm cultivation, he certainly had the right to be arrogant when facing these Acquired Realm guards.

However, the next moment a powerful figure rose from the ground.

Hongyang, wielding a sharp sword, charged toward the third son of the Zhang family.

A flash of sword light, and a dazzling sword aura slashed through the air, carrying a strong killing intent.

"presumptuous!!"

Zhang Laosan didn't have time to see who made the move; the sword energy made him dare not be careless in the slightest.

He instantly gripped the long sword at his waist, unleashing his inner energy as he swept it fiercely into the air.

The domineering blade light slashed upwards, colliding head-on with the sword energy.

Ding! !

A piercing collision sounded, and the blade's edge shattered instantly, turning into gas and disappearing, while the sword's edge continued unabated.

"The Mad Blade Slashes the Heavens!" Zhang Laosan's expression was solemn, tinged with regret.

He didn't expect that the other party would actually dare to attack him.

Unfortunately, he overlooked the fact that the one who gave the order was King Ren!

He rose into the air, dodging the sword's attack, but the gate tower in front of the Zhang residence was damaged.

It was instantly cleaved into pieces by the sword beam.

The long sword in Zhang Laosan's hand transformed into a streak of light as he charged towards Hongyang.

Only then did he see who had done it.

The next moment, a sinister smile flashed across Hongyang's face beneath his armor.

The sword in his hand disappeared, and a pair of fists punched out from a distance.

The massive fist imprints merged into one and rushed straight towards Zhang Laosan.

Giving the opponent no chance to dodge, the fist imprint shattered the long sword and enveloped Zhang Laosan's body.

boom!!

After a violent collision, a figure with tattered clothes and covered in blood fell straight to the ground.

Bang! !

The stone slabs on the ground were smashed by Zhang Laosan's broken body, scattering countless pieces of gravel in all directions.

At that moment, he was gurgling in his mouth, and a large amount of blood was flowing out of his mouth.

Any cultivator could tell that this person's internal organs were damaged, leaving him half-crippled.

"Everyone, listen up! The Zhang family is defying the orders of the Heavenly Punishment Division!"

"Immediately seal off the Zhang family's property, arrest Vice Minister Zhang of the Ministry of Justice, and execute anyone who resists on the spot!"

Hongyang's voice resounded throughout the surrounding sky.

The next moment, a figure filled with intense anger and murderous intent descended.

Looking at his seriously injured son on the ground, Zhang Shilang's eyes turned red as he looked at Hongyang, but ultimately his gaze fell on the carriage in the distance.

"Your Highness, isn't that going a bit too far?"

At this moment, everyone from the Zhang family arrived outside. Their faces were grim as they looked at Zhang Laosan, who was being carried up, but they dared not step forward to demand his release.

I heard the sounds of fighting inside and rushed to the door, but I was still too late.

Xia Zhaoyan still showed no sign of coming out. "Oh, that's going too far!"

"Obstructing the Heavenly Punishment Division from handling a case is a crime punishable by death!"

"Does Lord Zhang intend to continue resisting, or is he going to come with us?"

call! !

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Hailin knew he had no way to resist.

There are powerful figures lurking in the shadows all around, and if anyone dares to resist, they will surely be met with strong suppression!

His expression returned to calm.

"I'll go with you!"

He lost this round. King Ren came with righteousness, and as long as he was a subject of the Great Xia, he had no choice but to surrender.

Although he was a Grandmaster-level expert, if he dared to make a move now, it would be a true act of rebellion against the imperial court!

Before the behemoth that is the imperial court and the royal family, even a Grandmaster is nothing more than a slightly larger ant.

However, he has the backing of his hometown association, so it remains to be seen how Niou will deal with the pressure from the association.

"Guards, seal off the Zhang residence!"

Hongyang immediately gave the order, and the guards began to rush into Zhang's residence.

Then, each person held a seal from the Heavenly Punishment Bureau and affixed it to each door of the Zhang residence.

Seeing this, Vice Minister Zhang's face twitched.

No rush, it's only temporarily sealed off, it will definitely be lifted again later. After reassuring his family, he was then escorted by the guards to the Heavenly Punishment Division.

The Zhang residence was sealed off, and Vice Minister Zhang was taken away.

The news spread throughout the Great Xia Dynasty in a short time, leaving countless people in shock.

However, some people understand that the real struggle is just beginning.

Don't forget, Vice Minister Zhang has his own allies in the court, and he also has the power of the hometown association behind him.

This is a force that can make both King Heng and King Qiong give way!

Of course, it's not that the hometown association behind Vice Minister Zhang was more powerful than the two princes.

Instead, they are acting from a self-interested perspective. The two princes are currently vying for the throne, and they try not to offend other forces if possible.

Upon returning to the Heavenly Punishment Division, Xia Zhaoyan immediately summoned Mu Wenhan.

"Lord Mu, immediately convict Zhang according to the imperial laws!"

"If the Heavenly Punishment Division wants to rise smoothly, it must strike hard to make an example of someone, and this person is the most suitable to be that chicken."

Mu Wenhan looked shocked. "Your Highness, are you really going to kill this person?"

Mu Wenhan thought he was crazy enough, otherwise he wouldn't have pledged allegiance to Prince Ren on his first attempt.

But unexpectedly, King Ren was even more insane than him, and actually tried to kill a high-ranking official of the court.

"What, scared?" Xia Zhaoyan's gaze shot towards Mu Wenhan, his eyes filled with icy coldness.

"This..." To be honest, he was indeed a little scared.

After all, he has a family to protect him, and according to the law, Zhang should indeed die.

His crimes were not limited to embezzlement and accepting bribes; he also tampered with evidence in the Ministry of Justice, resulting in the wrongful deaths of many people.

However, the forces behind it are not so simple.

But when he saw Xia Zhaoyan's gaze, a chill instantly ran through him.

A voice inside me told me that I must do as the King of Benevolence asked, or I would regret it later.

So, he gritted his teeth and accepted the order.

"Rest assured, Your Highness, this old minister will proceed with the sentencing immediately!"

After saying that, he hurriedly left.

Xia Zhaoyan watched Mu Wenhan's disappearing figure, a satisfied smile appearing on his lips.

The reason for killing the man surnamed Zhang was not just for the sake of the Heavenly Punishment Division.

More importantly, he was drawn to this person's vitality.

This is a Grandmaster-level expert. If it weren't for this incident, it would have taken him a very long time to kill a Grandmaster.

As for the sensation and undercurrents caused after killing the opponent, they are irrelevant.

What can compare to the rewards gained through sacrifice!

At this moment, a thick storm was brewing in the upper levels of the Great Xia Dynasty.

A high-ranking official of the third rank was thus taken away by the Heavenly Punishment Division.

This reminded many elderly people of the former Heavenly Punishment Bureau, and they couldn't help but shudder.

No, we absolutely cannot allow the Heavenly Punishment Division to rise to power!

This was a decision many people made subconsciously; the rise of a Heavenly Punishment Division was bound to impact the current situation.