Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

Gu Daozhao stood up straight, neither humble nor arrogant, and looked at Zhou Qingfeng's face with a serious expression.

“I, Gu Daozhao, hereby solemnly declare to you that I will kill you at all costs. This is not at the behest of anyone, but simply because I have received a great favor from the grandson of Yun Zheng, and I can only repay this favor with my life.”

"Therefore, on behalf of all members of the Imperial Guard, I hereby resign from my position as a guard. From now on, our actions will be solely our personal actions and will have nothing to do with the Mangque Royal Family or our families."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the guards of the Zhou residence drew their swords in unison, the blades gleaming coldly and their killing intent flowing freely: "Insolence!"

Zhou Qingfeng waved his hand casually, and the guards, seeing this, slowly sheathed their swords. Zhou Qingfeng straightened up, reached out and picked up a bunch of purple-gold grapes, elegantly popped one into his mouth, and smiled slightly.

"Gu Daozhao, you've got some nerve, daring to publicly challenge me to kill you. Aren't you afraid you won't be able to leave?"

Gu Daozhao said calmly, "I'm not afraid. Go ahead and kill me if you dare."

Knowing he was doomed, the reply he received from the first family was enough to give an explanation to the Python-Sparrow royal family.

What happened afterward had nothing to do with him, a dead man.

As for whether relatives will be implicated, that depends on whether the emperor is willing to show mercy and compassion.

However, placing his hopes on the emperor's benevolence was too risky for Gu Daozhao. He had to do something before he died to ensure that his family's wealth, honor, and bright future could be preserved.

Therefore, he had to get involved himself and set a trap to kill Zhou Qingfeng.

Whether he succeeds or not, he will die, but his family will certainly be well-fed and clothed, and will continue to select children from his descendants to inherit the position of royal guard.

This was his own decision, and it was the best choice he believed in before his death, without exception.

Zhou Qingfeng stared at Gu Daozhao's resolute face, his fingers unconsciously rubbing together inside his sleeve.

He keenly sensed that Gu Daozhao's visit today was well-prepared, and not that he was truly foolish.

Otherwise, they would immediately attempt to assassinate him after making the statement.

Saying this now is likely a way of forcing me to take the initiative to kill him.

Therefore, this is very likely a trap set for themselves.

Capturing and killing Gu Daozhao may lead to a series of pre-planned killing moves.

If Gu Daozhao is allowed to leave, he will face assassination attempts in secret, a fight to the death.

We can't kill them, and we can't let them go. What should we do?

Zhou Qingfeng smiled faintly and pointed to the ancient edict not far away: "You put yourself in the trap and forced me to kill you. You've used a clever scheme. With your talent, it's a waste for you to be a personal guard commander."

Gu Daozhao was completely unconcerned about Zhou Qingfeng's praise. He was certain that Zhou Qingfeng would kill him today. As long as Zhou Qingfeng gave the order to kill him, he would immediately escape to the main street outside the mansion and calmly accept his death.

At the height of the Tianjiao Competition, Zhou Qingfeng dared to commit murder in broad daylight on the street.

His own men would immediately go to the authorities to file a complaint, making it known to everyone.

Let everyone know that Zhou Qingfeng disregards the law and is arrogant and domineering.

At that time, even with Zhou Qingfeng's power, he will not be able to suppress this matter and will definitely have to face legal judgment.

Of course, legal judgment alone cannot kill Zhou Qingfeng. The city lord will definitely find a way to protect him and throw out a few scapegoats to give the people of Sword Tower an explanation. It will not affect Zhou Qingfeng's future or life at all.

However, some things may not weigh four ounces on the scale, but once weighed, they can weigh a thousand pounds.

Once Zhou Qingfeng is arrested and imprisoned, it will no longer be as simple as a murder case.

Given Zhou Qingfeng's current status and power, he's definitely not clean behind the scenes. Besides, he doesn't believe Zhou Qingfeng has no enemies in the Sword Tower. His powerful rise will inevitably affect the interests of many people.

Previously, perhaps due to Zhou Qingfeng's immense power and meticulousness, coupled with the city lord's support, no one dared to mess with him, nor did they have the opportunity to do so. However, he risked his life to create such an opportunity to bring down Zhou Qingfeng.

Zhou Qingfeng's enemies will surely emerge from the shadows and seize the opportunity to strike him while he's down, putting him to death. With everyone kicking him while he's down, Zhou Qingfeng's demise is not far off.

Even if we assume the First Lady dotes on her fourth son and uses her authority as the city lord to grant him a pardon, Zhou Qingfeng's future would be ruined. He would be tainted, his reputation damaged, and he would never be able to step into the limelight again.

Gu Daozhao could accept either outcome. After all, as a mere guard commander, he had brought down one of the most powerful young masters in Sword Tower City, which was worth it no matter how you looked at it.

Gu Daozhao, undeterred by death, called out Zhou Qingfeng's name directly: "We have no past grudges or recent resentments. I know that the imperial grandson Yun Zheng died at your hands. It was in accordance with the law and no one can hold you accountable for killing an imperial grandson afterward."

"Rules cannot be broken. This is a power game among you nobles. If you want to play this game, you have to abide by the rules. The Python Sparrow Royal Family abides by the rules, the City Lord has to abide by the rules, and anyone can abide by these rules."

“But I, Gu Daozhao, cannot accept this rule, nor can I abide by it.”

"I am but a commoner. The great-grandson Yunzheng has shown me immense kindness, and I must make the one who killed him pay with his life. Today, you either kill me to prevent future troubles, or I will find an opportunity to kill you after I leave!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng casually tossed a bunch of grapes onto the table and clapped his hands: "Clap clap clap clap~~~ Good, good, good, what a loyal lackey! Huangfu Yunzheng is lucky to have a lackey like you under his command."

Upon hearing this, Gu Daozhao stood tall and proud, showing no fear.

Zhou Qingfeng paced back and forth several times, glanced sideways at the ancient edict with a smile on his lips, then his smile vanished instantly, and he said coldly, "Where is Jin Wei?"

Jin Wei stepped forward quickly, clasped his hands and bowed: "What are your orders, young master?"

Zhou Qingfeng stared coldly at Gu Daozhao, his tone flat yet icy: "Gu Daozhao, the former commander of the Imperial Guard, along with other former guards, came to my Zhou residence to cause trouble and clamored to kill this young master."

"Go to the Night Patrol Bureau yourself and have them capture this group of lawless scoundrels."

"Be sure to tell the Night Wanderer's office to conduct a thorough trial and make a proper judgment, and to handle everything in accordance with the laws of the Sword Tower."

"I am a law-abiding citizen and will never take the opportunity to retaliate against them just because they threatened to kill me."

"We urge the Night Patrol Officer to uphold justice and enforce the law impartially."

Jin Wei understood immediately. The young master's words were all in accordance with the law, but the unspoken meaning was that he should inform the Night Patrol Division to make things as bad as possible: "Yes, young master."

Jin Wei glanced at the old cripple and left with peace of mind. With the old cripple by the young master's side, there shouldn't be any safety issues. All he needed to do was to ask the Night Patrol Division to arrest the man as soon as possible.

The Zhou family doesn't have the law enforcement power to arrest others. If the Night Patrol Bureau comes to arrest people and Gu Daozhao and his gang dare to resist with force, in addition to the minor crime of provoking trouble, they can also be charged with resisting arrest, harming officials, disturbing order, and treason. With this series of charges, they can be sentenced to death.

Jin Wei came from the Night Patrol Division, so he knows the ins and outs of this place all too well.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the Night Patrol Division is just a basic stability maintenance agency, mostly staffed by low-ranking officials with limited power. However, it wields considerable power, making it a typical department with low-ranking positions but real authority.

Moreover, he also had old colleagues, old friends, and old subordinates in the Night Patrol Division. As long as Gu Daozhao was arrested and imprisoned in the Night Patrol Division, he would find an opportunity to increase their punishment and torture them in various ways. Want to get out? They can only hope so.

Just thinking about it makes Jin Wei want to laugh. No matter what kind of dragon crossing the river or tiger descending the mountain, in the territory of Jianta, if you're a dragon, you have to coil up; if you're a tiger, you have to crawl. If you dare to be arrogant, then we'll make things difficult for you until you feel comfortable.

When Gu Daozhao saw this, he was stunned. He hadn't expected that Zhou Qingfeng would neither kill him nor let him go, but instead use this trick to punish him by invoking the laws of the Sword Tower.

Zhou Qingfeng gestured, "You can run, I won't stop you."

Gu Daozhao's face darkened, but he did not choose to run.

If you run away, you'll be charged with escape and resisting arrest, plus an aggravated original crime, and things will only get worse. If you don't run away, you'll be charged with disorderly conduct, and if the circumstances are minor, you'll at most get a beating and that's it.

In more serious cases, the maximum sentence is usually two or three years of hard labor.

In cases of egregious offenses, the offender will be deported and permanently banned from entering the territory of Sword Tower.

As for the final and most severe death penalty, it has nothing to do with the Ancient Edict, because it is only for those who cause major disorder in Sword Tower City or whose behavior is extremely heinous that it can be considered a death penalty.

Gu Daozhao entered the Sword Tower Young Master's residence, shouting that he wanted to kill the Sword Tower Young Master, but he didn't actually do anything. The situation must have been very bad, but at most he would just be expelled from the country.

Soon, the entire Night Patrol Division, including its commander, captains, lieutenants, and guards, came out and successfully captured Gu Daozhao and a group of former guards waiting outside the division. Gu Daozhao and his men showed no sign of resisting arrest.

The newly appointed director of the Night Patrol Division stayed behind, hoping to take this opportunity to become acquainted with Zhou Qingfeng. So he stepped forward, clasped his hands in a salute, and addressed him by his official title: "This humble official is Zhao Kuo, director of the Night Patrol Division. Greetings, Vice Governor Zhou."

Zhou Qingfeng smiled and helped Zhao Kuo up by the arm: "No need for such formalities, Zhao Sifu. I heard that you came from my mother's heavy armor dragon cavalry guard. In that sense, our relationship is much closer than others. We're family."

"Yes, yes, we're on the same side." Zhao Kuo was immediately flattered. Now, everyone in the Sword Tower knew that Zhou Qingfeng was at the height of his power and had risen to prominence. Anyone who could get on Zhou Qingfeng's good side would have a bright future.

Zhou Qingfeng changed the subject and said lightly, "At Zhao Sifu, those troublemakers actually openly clamored to kill the young master of the Sword Tower. I was almost scared to death. This is too heinous."

"How can the Sword Tower allow such powerful figures to exist? They are simply lawless. They must serve their sentences properly, receive proper education, recognize their mistakes, and only then can they start anew after they come out."

Zhao Kuo nodded solemnly from the side: "Yes, it's too heinous, it must be severely punished!"

Zhou Qingfeng patted Zhao Kuo's arm and said earnestly, "Prefect Zhao, business is important. Go back to work now. Come to my residence when you have time, and we can have a couple of drinks."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuo bowed respectfully and said, "Yes, Vice Governor Zhou, I will take my leave."

Zhou Qingfeng gave Jin Wei a look, and Jin Wei understood and chased after Zhao Kuo. Zhou Qingfeng turned around and went back to sit down in front of the banquet table on the balcony.

The old cripple took a sip of wine and said calmly, "This Gudao Zhao is no simple man; he has set up a trap for you."

Zhou Qingfeng chuckled: "Not bad, he has some strategy, but he's too green. This is Sword Tower, my home turf. Give me an excuse, and I have a hundred ways to deal with him."

The old cripple said calmly, "Treating him won't solve the problem. He and his guards are still alive. Even if they go to jail, they don't deserve to die. They'll be out sooner or later."

"Besides, if you can find a reason to lock them up, someone else can find a reason to get them out. He's not a prince's personal guard commander for nothing. He's not an ordinary person; he has connections and resources."

Zhou Qingfeng raised his glass, tilted his head back, and downed it in one gulp: "Who dares to bail out the people I lock up?"

Upon hearing this, the old cripple nodded: "That's right. As long as you're in the Sword Tower, they won't be able to get out."

Zhou Qingfeng chuckled lightly: "Power, it really is a useful thing."

While individual strength is important, it takes time and resources to build it up.

But power is different; power is a special kind of influence between people.

This is manifested in one party's ability to exert the desired and predetermined influence on the other party.

Or the ability to change the behavior of others according to one's own will.

This relationship is not based solely on direct interaction between individuals.

It also exists at different levels, such as collectives, organizations, and nations.

The core of power lies in control, influence, and domination, which can be manifested and realized in many ways.

As long as a person is still in a group, the greater the power, the more people and things they can control, influence, and dominate. This is why it is said that power is the best weapon for self-defense when one is weak, without exception.

Two hours later, Jin Wei clasped his hands and reported: "Young Master, the Zhao Sifu has sentenced Gu Daozhao and his group to three years of hard labor. I have spoken with my former colleagues and they will take special care of them."

“Everyone is put on the old shackles, made to work like mortals all day long, kept for three years and then three years, and then three years, and let them rot in prison forever.”

The old shackles were special magical artifacts used to imprison monks.

According to the prisoner's level, they are equipped with an ancient shackle of the same level. Once the ancient shackle is put on, the cultivator's magic power and supernatural abilities are restricted. The strength of the physical body will be preserved, but the strength will be suppressed to a weak state. It would be difficult to even crush a chicken. It is basically impossible to escape from prison by one's own strength.

Zhou Qingfeng hummed in response, showing no sign of pity or forgiveness.

The days passed day by day.

In the following days, no more uninvited guests appeared, and before they knew it, the day of the Heavenly Ranking announcement arrived. The seventy-two contestants gathered in the core square of Sword Tower City, waiting quietly.

The streets were packed with people, all eagerly waiting.

This day was an extraordinary one for Sword Tower City.

The first day's ranking serves as an important benchmark for measuring the strength and potential of geniuses.

It always manages to attract the attention of the entire Python Sparrow Empire.

The seventy-two contestants are either from prominent families with strong family backgrounds, or grassroots heroes who have stood out from countless competitors through their own efforts.

Regardless of their background, being able to stand here means they have become one of the most dazzling rising stars.

The atmosphere in the square was tense and solemn. The surrounding crowd packed the main streets of Sword Tower City, all eager to witness the historic moment of the birth of a new generation of top-ranked experts.

Among them were elderly people with white hair and children with innocent innocence, but at this moment, everyone shared the same excitement and anticipation, forming an indispensable part of this grand event.

As time ticked by, the sun climbed higher into the sky, its rays shining on every corner of Sword Tower City and on every player awaiting their fate.

An indescribable tension and anticipation filled the air as everyone held their breath, waiting for the unveiling of the first ranking. This would determine the future of the top ranking's strongest members and bring new variables to the landscape of the Python Sparrow Empire.

Finally, with a long, drawn-out horn sounding, the square fell silent.

Mao Erlang's imposing form suddenly appeared on the plaza, holding the Heavenly Ranking Scroll in one hand and a three-pointed double-edged sword in the other, with a greyhound coiled around his shoulders and neck.

Mao Erlang, with a dignified expression, slowly spoke: "I know that you have been looking forward to this for a long time and are eager to know which peerless geniuses will be honored on the Heavenly Ranking in this year's competition, so I will not waste any more words."

As soon as he finished speaking, Mao Erlang tossed the Heavenly Ranking scroll aside.

The Heavenly Ranking scroll flew up out of thin air and slowly unfolded, displaying the list of names on the Heavenly Ranking.

"Please watch for yourselves!"

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