Nine Star Hegemon Body Art (WN)

A white-haired lean elder appeared on the other side of the gate. This elder was not a cultivator, and yet he gave off a feeling of being close to the Heavenly Daos. Every single one of his movements was in accordance with the Heavenly Daos, which made others feel naturally comfortable when looking at him.

This was Long Chen’s first time seeing such a person, so he couldn’t help feeling admiration. He then cupped his fists toward the elder.

“Junior Long Chen greets senior. May I know senior’s name?”

“You are too courteous. I don’t dare to be called senior. Learning is a limitless realm, and you have far more learning than anyone in our Philosopher Institute. You have such extensive stores of knowledge that we cannot keep up. As for myself, I am merely one of the Philosopher Institute’s three Philosophers, surnamed Yang, with the given name Ziqian. Greetings, imperial envoy.” The elder bowed as befitting a scholar.

“Senior is too modest. Your gaze is pure like water, without the slightest ripple like a mirror. I feel great admiration when looking at you. On the other hand, that Philosopher Sun is so arrogant that he acts like he is omniscient. It’s very dislikable. Before coming here, I thought that the Philosopher Institute was a mass of corruption from top to bottom, but now I see that my understanding is still shallow. It shouldn’t be completely wiped out,” said Long Chen.

“Imperial envoy, I am not worthy of such praise. There is no way for me to shed responsibility for the Philosopher Institute’s corruption. Also, there is a deeper meaning in the Vermilion Bird Empire’s generous support of the Philosopher Institute. It is the so-called when you use copper as a mirror, you can tidy your clothes; when you use history as a mirror, you can understand the rise and falls; when you use humans as a mirror, you can understand gains and losses. The Vermilion Bird Empire’s Philosopher Institute uses culture and learning as the mirror, while martial arts are the reflection. Together, they illuminate the path forward. Thus, when the mirror is clean, one can see oneself clearly, one can avoid getting lost in fantasy, and one can follow their path forward without being dyed by the darkness of the world. The Philosopher Sect is exactly a mirror for the cultivators of the Vermilion Bird Empire. But right now, the mirror is covered in too many stains. So many stains have accumulated that we cannot be the mirror that the Vermilion Bird Empire needs,” sighed the elder.

Long Chen instantly understood. It seemed that this elder was aware of everything. Were things not as simple as they appeared to be?

“If the mirror is stained, then you should clean it, no?” asked Long Chen with a smile.

“Of course. However, when you say wipe it clean, to what extent are you intending?” The elder responded with another question.

“Until there is not even a single speck of dust left,” said Long Chen decisively.

“But then what? The mirror is still a mirror. As long as you use it, more dust will fall on it,” probed the elder.

Long Chen looked at him. “Only after you wipe the mirror clean will you realize that the mirror is no longer the old mirror. The Vermilion Bird Empire wants a mirror that can reflect people. If there is no problem with the mirror itself, it can be used after the dust is wiped away. However, if the mirror’s core has been damaged by the stains, it’s not something that can be saved just by wiping it. Then I would say that the Vermilion Bird Empire should consider getting a new mirror. What do you think?”

The elder grew solemn. “Can you not give them a chance? People are not saints. Who doesn’t make mistakes?”

“Sorry, but people don’t give chances. Chances are things to be strived for yourself. What the Philosopher Institute has been doing for the past few years is completely known to His Majesty. I trust that senior is also aware. An empire has its own laws, and a family has its own rules. This time, the mistakes that they’ve made must be paid for by themselves. However, if the mirror is still that mirror, I will consider putting a cloth over the mirror before wiping it clean. That is my greatest concession,” said Long Chen.

Long Chen was well aware of the Philosopher Institute's role in instigating friction within the empire in recent years. But the royal family had endured it.

This restraint caused this group of self-important book readers to start thinking that they were not bound by the empire’s laws.

Feeling emboldened, they began to criticize the royal family and mock martial artists. To make matters worse, as they continued their tirade against the authorities, they willingly became pawns for other empires. Without a second thought, Long Chen understood that there were individuals within the Philosopher Institute who had been bribed by rival empires to sow discord and disrupt the progress of the Vermilion Bird Empire.

At first, Long Chen didn’t understand why the Vermilion Bird Empire would endure this group of idiots. However, after the state banquet, Long Chen understood. It seemed that it was all for others to see.

The Vermilion Bird Empire had endured for years and was no longer planning on enduring. They were starting to show their fangs. And their first step was to clean up this group of arrogant idiots.

When Long Chen said that he would let them cover the mirror with a cloth before wiping it clean, he was saying that he would allow the Philosopher Institute to clean itself. If they made Long Chen do it personally, then the Philosopher Institute would no longer need to exist.

The elder was silent for a long time, and Long Chen also didn’t say anything further, simply standing there expressionlessly, waiting for the elder’s response. Finally, the elder helplessly sighed.

“Imperial envoy, please report to His Majesty that I will personally clean up the Philosopher Institute. I will give His Majesty a satisfactory answer.”

Long Chen nodded. Without saying anything further, he turned and left. He knew that Yu Xiaoyun had sent him in order to make sure that the elder didn’t try to bargain with him. Long Chen’s arrival meant that the elder had no room to haggle.

To put it frankly, the emperor was using Long Chen as the villain. After this matter, the Philosopher Institute would still be the Philosopher Institute, and the emperor would still be the wise and benevolent emperor. This was the work that could only be done by an outsider.

Long Chen had just barely left the Philosopher Institute when the news spread and shook the entire Vermilion Bird Empire. The Philosopher Institute was conducting a strict investigation of itself. Even Philosopher Sun was implicated and was thrown into prison.

However, the most shocking thing was that the majority of scholars in the Philosopher Institute had carried out actions that betrayed the empire. They had received bribes from other empires to spread negative views in order to shake the foundation of the empire.

It was almost unbelievable how many people were implicated. Even the highest level of the institute could not escape this investigation. Of all the Hanlin scholars, the scholars with the greatest learning in the Philosopher Institute, almost ninety percent had abused their position for personal gain.

Also, that pudgy, pale Hanlin scholar that had previously clashed with Long Chen was captured and questioned via torture, causing him to expose a whole ring of black hands behind the scenes.

Because of the severity of the case this time, the Philosopher Institute’s discipline did not simply follow the rules of the Philosopher Institute. No, they used the law of the empire to punish the traitors.

As a result, countless crying, wailing scholars who had once been glorious existences met their end on the execution stands.

Apart from those who had committed treason, numerous other scholars had also engaged in unscrupulous activities. Driven by their desire to outshine their peers, they resorted to harming their fellow scholars. In fact, they had done more sinister things than what cultivators would do against each other.

For instance, there was one scholar who poisoned an entire family merely to claim a concubine. Another disturbing incident involved a conflict arising from a single argument, during which these scholars abused their positions to kill the other side.

When these treacherous acts were brought to light, even the cultivators themselves were chilled to the bone. These people had displayed a level of ruthlessness that surpassed even the most fearsome cultivators. It was then that everyone realized a profound truth: a bloody blade, though terrifying, paled in comparison to the invisible blade—the ability to kill without shedding a drop of blood.

The executions lasted seven days. In the end, hundreds of thousands of scholars were executed, and millions were banished into the wilderness. Although they weren’t punished with the death sentence, based on the punishment for commoners, after being banished, there was almost no chance of survival. Thus, it was no different from execution.

Only some people with lighter crimes were imprisoned. In an instant, the Philosopher Institute’s cleansing washed away ninety percent of its scholars, shaking the entire Vermilion Bird Empire. It also entered the annals of history.

This bloody cleansing was written in history as having been caused by a black-robed person called Long Chen. When Long Chen heard that news, he almost spat out blood. Why were they turning him into the scapegoat?

Just as Long Chen was about to demand justice from the emperor, the emperor actually took the initiative to send an imperial edict for Long Chen to come to his palace.