Journey to the West: I have Nine Golden Crows Inside Me-Chapter 1340 - 911 Renovate Shangqing Palace

"Greetings, Master!"

A moment later, Zhang Daoling arrived on a cloud.

Jiang Chen had no patience for pleasantries with his disciple. Upon seeing him, he scolded sharply, "Daoling, you are too soft-hearted. If you can’t make this decision, I will make it for you."

"Send out the order, should any disciple from our sect collude with outsiders to harm the City God, strip them of their cultivation, cast their souls into the endless Purgatory, to suffer the torment of perpetual burning by infernal fires."

Jiang Chen was now very angry. Being a City God in any place required formidable strength, which, if not comparable to the divine immortals, wouldn’t be too far off. How could mere mortals deal death to them?

It must be only with the aid of cultivators that mortals could harness the power to kill a City God.

Tales of mortals slaying immortals are common in fiction, but in reality, without the help of other immortals, mortals couldn’t even approach an immortal’s corpse, let alone kill one.

How could ants possibly touch the Sun?

In the land of the Nine States, there is only one cultivation sect, the Shangqing Palace. Therefore, the cultivators of Nine States are either disciples of Shangqing Palace or their descendants. There is no third origin.

The immortal who aided mortals in killing the City God is obvious; it inevitably has something to do with the disciples of Shangqing Palace.

And as for all of this, to say that Zhang Daoling had no knowledge of it would clearly be impossible. If he really knew nothing, then his position as the sect leader of Shangqing Palace would be meaningless.

He knew everything and had dealt with it all—punishing those who should be punished, scolding those who needed scolding. Yet the assassination of City Gods continued unabated.

What does this signify? It demonstrates that Zhang Daoling’s punitive measures are not severe enough, not enough to deter these people. In a world beyond the ordinary, methods of torment are far from scarce. There’s nothing you can’t do, only what you can’t think of.

If Zhang Daoling’s methods were harsh enough, then with the gains not justifying the risks, none would dare lay hands on a City God. Those capable of cultivating are sharp-witted, more than anyone in understanding what to take and what to leave.

"Master, I am guilty," Zhang Daoling did not attempt to justify himself but instead admitted his fault.

The Shangqing Palace had grown significantly stronger over the years, far surpassing its strength of the past, with countless disciples under its wing. No longer like the old days, with only a few followers, now the true disciples of Shangqing Palace numbered over ten thousand, not including the inner and outer disciples.

With so many people, it’s unavoidable to have a mixture of good and bad, and having a few degenerates is normal and cannot be prevented. Even if Jiang Chen were to manage Shangqing Palace, he could not guarantee every single disciple would be beyond reproach.

Therefore, Jiang Chen did not blame Zhang Daoling on this aspect but scolded him for not enforcing strict enough sect rules to deter his disciples.

"You certainly are guilty!"

"The Zhang Family is the foremost noble family in Nine States. They command the wind and summon the rain; even the secular royal families don’t have their grandeur."

"Regarding the matters of the Zhang Family, no City Gods dare to intervene. Wherever the direct descendants of the Zhang Family go, all City Gods give way. Such is the vast Nine States before the Zhang Family, all are angry but dare not speak out."

"Were it not for the selection of City Gods being in Cangtian’s hands, I would suspect that without your Zhang Family’s approval, no City Gods would be able to assume their posts."

Jiang Chen scolded Zhang Daoling with a stern voice.

Indeed, Zhang Daoling was not to blame, but as for his descendants, Jiang Chen could only say that if one day the customs of Nine States deteriorated, the root of disaster would lie with the Zhang Family.

"I am guilty!"

Zhang Daoling didn’t even dare to breathe heavily, kneeling on the ground, repeatedly admitting his faults.

Cangtian, silent by the side, exhibited the difference between gods and humans. If it was anyone else, they would have known to step forward by now to plead for Zhang Daoling, first to give Jiang Chen a step down, second to owe Zhang Daoling a favor, instead of remaining silent like this.

"Why are you asking me for forgiveness?"

"What you need to do now is to properly discipline your family members. Punish those who must be punished, kill those who must be killed, and show no mercy."

"I’m letting you conduct the investigation to give you a chance. If you fail to satisfy me, I will let Cangtian do the investigation. You know the nature of the gods of incense and Cangtian—I think you understand it better than I do after so many years of acquaintance."

"After you investigate your family members, move on to the disciples of Shangqing Palace. Do as I’ve ordered. Anyone who conspires against a City God should be killed on discovery; absolutely no clemency."

Jiang Chen did not want to waste too much time on this matter. He instructed Zhang Daoling to conduct his own investigation to root out all the degenerate elements from the Zhang Family and Shangqing Palace.

He didn’t worry about Zhang Daoling not being diligent. If Zhang Daoling didn’t act with diligence, Jiang Chen could help him.

Cangtian is an incarnation of the heavens, with a disposition closest to the Heavenly Dao; impassive, unfettered by human sentiments, only acting according to rules and protocols.

If the results of Zhang Daoling’s self-investigation did not satisfy Jiang Chen, then Cangtian would take over the investigation, ensuring no one slipped through the net.

"I obey, Master!"

Hearing Jiang Chen hint at Cangtian’s participation, a chill ran through Zhang Daoling’s heart. He knew his neighbor all too well after so many years of acquaintance—utterly devoid of humanity. To let him investigate would mean countless deaths.

Rather than letting Cangtian take action, it was better to take matters into his own hands. With this thought, Zhang Daoling stood up and wished to return to Shangqing Palace, embodying Jiang Chen’s will.

It was at this moment that Jiang Chen spoke again, "Now that the great ancient clans of the Human Race are returning to the Nine States, your Zhang Family, although in decline, is also an ancient clan. You should move out as well."

"Furthermore, no relatives of disciples from Shangqing Palace shall go to Nine States. The Cang Mountain is vast and can accommodate their friends and family. There’s no need for them to seek glory and influence in the mortal realm."