Chapter 899: Government!
Translator: Translation Nation Editor: Translation Nation
After the 4 Great Clans chose to submit, the control of the forces was quickly handed over to Yue Zhong. With their current military might and weapons, it was impossible to contend with Yue Zhong and his Super A.I. If they insisted on battling, their blood would flow and to Yue Zhong, he just had to spend more time to gain total control over the capital.
When they had passed the authority of the forces to Yue Zhong, the rest of the upper clans were convinced by the Zhou Clan to also hand over their forces.
There were some clans that were not willing to submit, but they were quickly taken care of with some deployed troops. Since blood was shed, the rest began to cooperate obediently.
Those hooligans and thugs seeking to take advantage of the mayhem to rob, rape, and pillage were all rounded up and executed swiftly.
The 4 Great Clans and Zhou Clan also kept their word, activating their forces to help maintain peace in the Capital. With their help, the chaos in the Capital was quickly quelled.
Inside the Capital, a military vehicle stopped right outside of the Zhou Clan. The doors opened, and Yue Zhong got out quickly, dressed in a black outfit.
In front of the Zhou Manor, the people of the Zhou Clan were all gathered and awaiting Yue Zhong's arrival.
Seeing Yue Zhong get down from the vehicle, Zhou Wang came forward and announced with respect, "Your Majesty has graced us with your presence, your subject Zhou Wang is lacking in manners, please pardon your subject."
The rest of the Zhou Manor also chimed in unison, "Greetings your Majesty!"
Although Yue Zhong did not officially ascend to the throne, within the Capital, everyone had taken him to be the Emperor already.
After he had gained his authority, he did not mistreat his subjects nor indulge in pretty women and luxury. Instead, he enforced strict military training, implementing laws for the better of the people, carrying out his duties diligently. This led everyone to feel more assured.
With his current strength, unless he committed something as crazy as Wei Ming Qing, it was not impossible for him to consolidate and unite the whole Cloud Region.
Yue Zhong swiftly replied, "Zhou Clan Head, enough with the formalities. This time, it was mainly due to your family's contributions. I will not forget this."
Zhou Wang's heart was elated, but he continued to wear a respectful expression, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Within the crowd, a little girl who had extremely adorable looks shot a gaze over at Yue Zhong.
He returned the look, and the girl lowered her head flusteredly, as her face flushed.
Yue Zhong chuckled and went into the manor.
Zhou Wang, who had been observing carefully, smiled till his eyes were shut, keeping this little exchange between Yue Zhong and the girl in mind.
In the hall, Yue Zhong sat on the main seat, while Zhou Wang sat beside him.
Yue Zhong immediately went straight to the point, "Zhou Clan Head, this time, I'm here hoping that you'll join the government that I'm setting up, and work for me."
Zhou Wang frowned when he heard that, "Why a government?"
Yue Zhong chuckled and explained to him the structure and responsibilities that came with it.
When Zhou Wang heard it all, his face glowered in excitement, replying, "Thank you Your Majesty! Your subject Zhou Wang will not let your expectations of me down!"
The government or cabinet held most of the authority and power over the citizens, with every single member owning a voice or vote.
When the past system of Cloud Region was the imperialistic rule with a single Emperor, all the power belonged to Wei Ming Qing alone. He made the decisions for a vast majority of things. However, Yue Zhong was now willing to place that authority in the hands of a cabinet, this was naturally good news to Zhou Wang.
After he calmed himself down, he asked, "Your Majesty, how many people will the cabinet be made up of?"
Yue Zhong replied, "11. Currently, there are 5 people confirmed. The 4 Clan Heads as well as yourself. I'll gather the rest in time to come."
With the 4 Clan Heads delivering the private troops to Yue Zhong, taking the initiative to help Yue Zhong calm the chaos within the Capital, he had to give them something back too.
Zhou Wang nodded, he could not help but admire this move of Yue Zhong.
Right now, the Capital needed stability the most. By allowing the 4 Great Clans to be in the cabinet, they know that they possess some authority, and hence, it would help stroke their ego. At the same time, with 11 people in the cabinet, the 4 of them would not possess too much of a power, overriding anyone else. The 6 empty seats would thus provide an opportunity for the other upper clans to submit to Yue Zhong.
Yue Zhong then looked at Zhou Wang directly, "Zhou Family Head, this time, I'm here for another matter as well. I heard that your ancestor helped to design and construct the Imperial Palace. I would like to know where the armory is?"
The Imperial City was where the Emperor's Wei Clan resided in. Yue Zhong had already sent men to comb the area over and discovered many Mutant Beast nuclei and weapon storage facilities. They even discovered an underground missile base, and yet, there was no treasury that belonged to Wei Ming Qing alone.
Due to the intelligence from some insiders, Yue Zhong knew that Wei Ming Qing possessed a Type 6 Mutant Beast nuclei. It was the energy source that could power the ultimate weapon Raytheon cannon.
The Type 6 Mutant Beast nucleus was extremely important to Yue Zhong. If he could gain it, any of his Type 4 Mutant Beasts could directly evolve to the Type 5 stage. He could also create a Type 6 Puppet Rune, then seek an opportunity to bring a Type 6 Mutant Beast or Type 6 Divine Warrior under his control.
Other than the Type 6 Nucleus, there was likely various strange stones that the Wei Clan had accumulated over the years, once Yue Zhong gained them, his strength would undergo another transformation again.
Zhou Wang thought deep, his brows furrowing as he went through the various rooms mentally. His eyes suddenly brightened, "The Bi Tao Lake! If Wei Ming Qing had hidden anything, it will most likely be there!"
Once Yue Zhong obtained his information, he immediately turned to leave, "Bi Tao Lake? Ok, thanks!"
Yue Zhong had seen Wei Ming Qing emerge from the lake and originally thought that Wei Ming Qing had been cultivating at the bottom of the lake. Now, it seemed that it was likely that Wei Ming Qing was training in his secret room within the lake.
After Yue Zhong left, Zhou Wang's eyes scrunched up in a smile, as he ordered, "Get Zhou Xin over here."
Zhou Xin came quickly, "Clan Head, what's the matter?"
Zhou Wang spoke lowly, "Go arrange for Zhou Xuan to be sent to the Imperial Palace."
Zhou Xin was taken aback, "Clan Head, didn't we agree for her to be sent over only after everything settles down?"
In response, Zhou Wang sighed, "It's different now. Yue Zhong is, after all, a young hero. Those old foxes will catch on. In order to secure a seat in the cabinet, they will resort to any means available. If Xuan'er goes too late, I'm afraid she might not stand a chance with Yue Zhong. I think that he took a liking to her, so we'd better strike while the iron's hot."
It was not too long ago where the upper clans were still maintaining wariness against Yue Zhong. They wanted to see what kind of a leader he was. A person with strength might not necessarily be a good leader. If he had turned out to be some brawn-with-no-brain, they would not bet on him.
However, once they ascertain that he was someone capable of great things, they will fight to offer their daughters out, to make him a family member through marriage. Although Zhou Xuan was cute, it was unlikely that she could win the other females. If she could first leave an impression on Yue Zhong, then it will help her future.
"Yes!" Zhou Xin responded respectfully and dismissed himself.
When Yue Zhong left the Zhou Clan, he went directly straight to the palace.
After the rebellion, many of the structures within the palace had been damaged. Holes could be seen everywhere, but even so, the entire place still looked remarkable.
Yue Zhong did not seem to mind those holes and chose to stay reside within the palace. After all, it was the center of the Capital, and there was nowhere else like it.
As he passed through the corridors, he finally came to the Bi Tao Lake.
The lake was vast, almost twice as large as China's West Lake. The surface of the lake was somewhat green in color, as though it harbored some terrifying monster underneath.
Yue Zhong eyed the lake and could feel that there was some threat from the lake, although he was not too sure what it was.
It was precisely because he felt that danger, that he did not immediately jump into the lake to investigate.
After a moment's hesitation, Yue Zhong put on the Sea Mask, channeling his Dark Dou Qi, and jumped into the lake.
It was unclear how deep the lake was, and underwater, the scenery was almost entirely black. There was no light, and it seemed extremely insidious.
However, to Yue Zhong, who had Night Vision, he could peer deep through the waters, noticing that there were plenty of Mutant Beasts at the bottom of the lake. They were like snakes, about 10m long, and were covered with black scales. Most importantly, they had no eyes.
Yue Zhong's Eye of Perception kicked in and revealed information on these beasts, "Type 4 Mutant Beast, Eyeless Beast. Incredibly ferocious water-based Mutant Beasts. Their speed is extremely fast and live in swarms. Their teeth are sharp, and can tear through the scales of Type 6 Mutant Beasts."
He stared at them and felt his scalp go numb.