The Imperial Palace is universally respected across the Nine Provinces, with an extraordinary status. One of its responsibilities is to mediate between different forces to prevent devastating battles among cultivation powers that can lead to countless casualties.
At the peak of cultivation, one thought can reverse mountains and overturn seas. The devastating effects on the Nine Provinces if two peak cultivators clash can easily be imagined.
History has examples of such incidents. When the previous Human Emperor passed away and the new Human Emperor hadn't emerged, a conflict rose between the ancient sects and the Imperial family. It escalated into an irreconcilable feud where both sides fought mercilessly, half of the Nine Provinces were involved, and anyone who dared to mediate was destroyed by the two forces together.
The situation wasn't resolved until the new Human Emperor, Emperor Jiang Li, took the throne. Through the collective will of all beings, he executed the leaders of the ancient sects and the Monarch of the Imperial family, ending the calamity that swept through the Nine Provinces.
The dynasty and sects of the Nine Provinces co-exist in competition and mutual growth. This policy was drafted by the First Generation Emperor, and the result of repeated deliberation by successive Emperors.
The cultivator has the desire for immortality and the spirit of courage and combativeness. Relentless suppression is not a long-term strategy. To give cultivators a way to compete, the Imperial Palace doesn't suppress other powers, but rather, offers all sorts of help and encourages competition among them. Therefore, the abundance of talented people in the Nine Provinces has never ceased.
It is precisely for this reason that there are so many countries within the Nine Provinces continent.
Thousands of small countries and the nine major dynasties constitute the basic structure of the continent.
A major dynasty has a long-lasting destiny and does not decay for thousands of years.
Jiang Li's hometown is situated within the Great Zhou Dynasty. It's just an inconspicuous small city of the Great Zhou Dynasty Family, located on the plains. There are no scenic mountains and waters, nor is there any mineral vein or spiritual treasure. If it were not Jiang Li's hometown, perhaps even the Great Zhou Dynasty Family themselves wouldn't know of the existence of such a small city.
In Jiang Li's memory, the strongest in the small county town was just at the Foundation Establishment Stage.
And for Jiang Yixing, who once had the opportunity to break through to the Golden Core Stage, could naturally be regarded as an extraordinary genius.
...
Jiang Li stood at the city gate, staring blankly at Qingcheng city, which bore no resemblance to his memories.
The once short and mossy Qingcheng city had disappeared. In its place was a towering city wall built of refined steel and stone, and a city gate large enough for any sized beast mounts to enter freely.
Young rangers traveled through the rivers and lakes, parents brought their children to absorb the emperor's spiritual energy, cultivators hoped for the emperor's blessing to break through restrictions. All of these events transformed the inconspicuous Qingcheng into a low-key yet meaningful city since the moment Jiang Li became an emperor.
Even the guard at the city gate was a Gold Core Period cultivator.
Because of this, the city gate was bustling with activities as people came and went.
Upon entering Qingcheng city, the first thing that met the eye was a huge bronze statue. The man in the statue was imposing, holding a long spear, staring in all directions as if a celestial being was inspecting the mortal world.
It was Emperor Jiang Li himself.
Jiang Li originally thought that he would not be recognized upon returning here. He only wore a straw hat. Under the shadow of the hat, his real face looked identical to the bronze statue.
Who would have known that the reality was "Who in the world does not know your grace?" There were quite a few people worshipping around the bronze statue. Jiang Li could even feel the power of faith emanating from the statue. He quickly used a spell to change his face.
"Excuse me, where is the Jiang family located?" Jiang Li asked a person casually.
The man appeared to be quite older and walked slowly.
Of course, Jiang Li was actually older in terms of actual age.
"Are you from out of town, young man? Everyone in Qingcheng city knows that the Jiang family is located in the central city, next to the City Lord's residence," said the old man with a smile. He pointed his hand in a certain direction, "Over there."
The old man's accent was heavy. If one is not a local, they might find it difficult to understand. But as a native of Qingcheng city, Jiang Li had no trouble understanding.
"I've heard that the Jiang family used to be simply a small clan located on the outskirts of Qingcheng. But after Emperor Jiang came to power, more and more cultivators began to come here in search of the reasons for Emperor Jiang's strength. The Jiang family seized the opportunity to become the largest family in Qingcheng."
"Although the Jiang family hasn't relocated, as Qingcheng expands, the location of the Jiang family has gradually become the center of the city."
Glancing around and seeing there were too many people, the old man pulled Jiang Li into a corner and spoke in a low voice: "There are rumors that the Jiang family controls the whole of Qingcheng, even who becomes the City Lord."
"Given that the Great Zhou Dynasty governs the nation with laws, how can such a situation arise?"
Jiang Li shook his head, denying the old man's statement.
The royal family of Great Zhou specializes in the Way of Time. They can trace back time and hence, uncover the truth behind anything. He had seen both the previous and current Monarchs of Great Zhou. They all acted strictly according to the law without ever overstepping the boundaries. As such, the people below should also abide by the law.
Jiang Li had traveled through Great Zhou, seen the local customs, and had disputes with the local powers. The government's intervention was always based on the facts and never biased because of local powers.
Out of the Nine Major Dynasties, only the Great Zhou Dynasty is distinct, binding state affairs and laws, and governing the nation according to laws. If the Monarch knew of someone breaking the law and didn't punish them, the fate of the nation would be affected. In severe cases, the fate of the nation might even crush the Monarch!
The other dynasties all advocate force; the law can be trampled upon, whether overtly or covertly.
That the Jiang family could influence the City Lord was believable; however, the claim that they could install anyone as they wished was far-fetched.
Seeing that the old man seemed to know something, Jiang Li continued to ask: "Is the old ancestor of the Jiang family, Jiang Yixing, still alive? What's his cultivation level?"
"I don't know about that," the old man shook his head. "But if you want to visit the Jiang family, it's best to wait a few more days. It's the time of their ancestor worship ceremony. They close their doors for nine days, not seeing outsiders. Today is the seventh day."
"Who would've thought that I'd run into the once-in-a-decade ancestral worship ceremony. I'm not sure whether this counts as good luck or bad," Jiang Li laughed. The Jiang family did have the tradition of ancestral worship, once every ten years. The original owner of this body died at the age of eighteen and had only experienced one ancestral worship ceremony.
The old man gave Jiang Li a strange look and said slowly: "According to the older generation, the Jiang family initially had the ceremony once every ten years. Since Emperor Jiang took the throne three hundred years ago, the frequency of the ceremony increased from once every ten years to once every five years, and now it's once every year."
The old man respectfully asked: "Your cultivation level is …"
If the man has been alive for three hundred years, his cultivation level should at least be at the Nascent Soul Stage.
Jiang Li gave a faint smile, ignoring the old man's question, and thanked him before heading towards the Jiang Mansion.
The Jiang family had tightly closed their doors and activated formations to be in accordance with the signs of their ancestral worship ceremony.
Despite the protection from formations and several Gold Core period cultivators standing guard, it would still be easy for Jiang Li to enter if he wanted to.
With the status of Emperor Jiang, he would undoubtedly be warmly received by the Jiang family. But Jiang Li didn't want to be treated like this. He had no good feelings about the Jiang family. For the five hundred years since he left the Jiang family, he hadn't returned even once. Even so, the Jiang family shamelessly flaunted his name to curry favor in Qingcheng city, completely forgetting how they'd neglected and bullied the original owner of his body.
Now, if he revealed himself, the Jiang family would probably be overjoyed and take this opportunity to promote themselves even more.
Jiang Li casually cast a spell to conceal his identity and strode confidently into the Jiang family home.