Chapter 291: Rewarding Good, Punishing Evil, and the Abdication Turmoil

As Lu Yan’s figure appeared inside the humble chapel, it was as if some invisible switch had been triggered.

In the unseen realm, the divine Heavenly Court and Netherworld seemed to sense this critical moment. A stream of source power from the Netherworld’s extraordinary path silently descended, crossing space and enveloping Anna’s soul that clung to the plaster statue.

Anna had long met the conditions for advancement. It was only due to Lu Yan’s seclusion that the source power of the Netherworld Path lost its guidance, forcing Anna to rely on the slow ascension brought by accumulated faith.

But now, with the source power fully restored, Anna’s advancement finally began in earnest!

The source power of the divine Netherworld bathed Anna’s soul like a gentle yet irresistible tide.

The dark cloak that once symbolized her identity as a Sequence Eight Soul Detainer faded away like mist and light. In its place appeared a deep-black scribe’s robe, with intricate silver embroidery tracing its hem.

What drew even more attention was the transformation of the soul chain once held in her hand—it melted into her body, and in her right hand appeared a brush with a pitch-black shaft and a tip imbued with faint ghostly energy.

In her left hand, she now held a small ancient booklet. Its cover wasn’t made of paper but of some strange material neither metal nor jade, upon which divine script outlined four powerful, rule-infused characters:

Rewarding Good, Punishing Evil.

At the very moment Anna fully stabilized in her advancement and the aura of the Judgment Scribe spread from her body, Lu Yan immediately sensed a feedback from the rules even stronger than what he’d felt when creating the Yellow Springs Path.

This feedback didn’t raise his cultivation—it directly acted upon the foundational order of the divine Heavenly Court and Netherworld.

That omnipresent order which upheld the operations of the Netherworld swelled immensely, growing at a visible pace. The divine majesty of the Celestial Court grew increasingly vast and mighty.

Netherworld Path, Sequence Seven: Judgment Scribe.
The core authority of this rank lies in the book Rewarding Good, Punishing Evil.

This book is no ordinary object—it can record the sins of one’s enemies.

The greater and deeper the sins, the more power the Judgment Scribe can draw from the book to augment their actions—perhaps even triggering a backlash from the sins themselves to strike the target.

When facing the virtuous and kind, the Judgment Scribe may also use their own strength through the book to bestow blessings and assistance, helping the good avoid calamity and find fortune.

While the Judgment Scribe may not be the most formidable in combat, the authority it wields is a cornerstone of Netherworld order itself.

Sins in life will be judged in death; good deeds in life will be rewarded in the afterlife.

This is the central tenet that upholds the balance between life and death. No being, in theory, can escape such judgment.

For this reason, Anna’s successful advancement to Judgment Scribe held immense significance, far beyond a mere progression in rank.

It meant that one of the core functions of the Netherworld—Rewarding Good and Punishing Evil—had finally gained a true executor and symbolic anchor in the real world.

Lu Yan carefully attuned himself to the rising majesty of the Celestial Court. His heart was clear and calm.

He knew that the reason the divine Netherworld could suppress beings like the Undying King or Prince Rhine—those who bore fragments of a “this world’s sole existence” rank—was not just due to the strength of his small Netherworld.

More importantly, it lay in the blazing divine order derived from the Celestial Court.

The divine order of the Celestial Court echoes across many versions, tightly interwoven with the overarching Heavenly Dao. It naturally restrains chaotic, incomplete powers—especially those holding flawed fragments of uniqueness.

Now, with Anna advancing to the Judgment Scribe and reinforcing the order of the Netherworld, Lu Yan could clearly feel that his ability to suppress the Undying King had grown stronger.

Where before he had to constantly divert his attention to maintain suppression over the Undying King sealed beneath Fengdu, now, under the bolstered order of the Celestial Court, that ancient horror had completely fallen silent.

“In this version of the Mystical World, all extraordinary powers seem to trace back to so-called uniqueness.”

Lu Yan pondered silently.

“The closer one gets to the top of the sequence, the stronger the essence of uniqueness they encounter—and the more unfathomable the power becomes.”

“Now that my cultivation is close to breaking through to Nascent Soul, and the divine Netherworld’s order has been strengthened through the Judgment Scribe…”

A glint of confidence flashed in Lu Yan’s eyes.

“Even if I encounter another heretical god holding a flawed fragment of uniqueness, like the Undying King, I might be able to suppress their power directly through the might of this increasingly complete divine order—even without drawing them into the Netherworld itself.”

This realization brought a sense of satisfaction to Lu Yan.

Steadily growing strength, coupled with an expanding set of trump cards, gave him a newfound calm and confidence in facing this treacherous Mystical World.

And just then, Anna’s advancement process drew to its end.

The divine light of the Netherworld faded, and the soul clinging to the plaster idol slowly drifted downward, hovering in mid-air.

With the powers of Sequence Seven: Judgment Scribe, her soul had become denser and more refined than ever before, almost transcending the boundary between life and death. Her presence no longer exuded coldness but now carried a sense of dignity and order.

To an ordinary person, she would appear as a solemn young woman in strange clothes—none would recognize her as a soul.

Anna still seemed a bit unaccustomed to her transformation. She lowered her head to glance at the brush and book in her hands, then quickly looked up. Her clear eyes immediately locked onto Lu Yan standing nearby.

After a moment of stunned surprise, a brilliant, pure, childlike smile blossomed across her face.

“Your Grace!”

She called out crisply, her voice filled with joy and adoration.

Anna’s cheerful call rippled through the still air like a stone cast into a tranquil lake, pulling Lu Yan from his thoughts.

He turned to look at the newly advanced Judgment Scribe.

The girl’s soul shimmered with a brilliance never seen before. The dark scribe’s robe added a hint of solemnity, yet her eyes remained as pure and bright as ever—still like a child’s.

Lu Yan’s lips curved slightly. He reached out with a broad hand and gently patted Anna’s head, fingers brushing through her slightly translucent hair in a gesture of comfort and praise.

“You’ve done well,” he said gently, his voice calm and reassuring.

Anna blinked in surprise, then blushed faintly. Though a soul, her shy reaction was vividly real.

She lowered her head slightly, her voice almost a whisper:

“It’s thanks to Brother Sain and Sister Elizabeth’s help…”

She twirled the hem of her robe with her fingers, still unaccustomed to taking credit for herself.

Lu Yan couldn’t help but smile at her modesty. Then his tone turned casual as he asked,

“I’ve been in seclusion for quite some time. Has anything significant happened in the outside world?”

At the mention of a task, Anna immediately straightened, taking on the posture of someone receiving an important mission.

She lifted a slender finger and began counting off events, brows furrowed slightly in deep thought.

“The union’s expansion is going very smoothly!” she said, sounding pleased. “In Victoria Kingdom’s second-largest city, Lusen, we’ve successfully established a complete union system. The workers there finally have protection.”

“As per Your Grace’s instructions, I also sent many wandering souls to Lusen to subtly spread the union’s ideals and guide the workers.”

She snuck a glance at Lu Yan and, seeing his expression calm, continued:

“Also—this is strange—the Steam Church seems to be ignoring the workers’ situation lately.”

“A few days ago, some workers secretly built a chapel like ours. They were reported to the Steam Church… but instead of punishing them, the Church arrested the person who reported it!”

As she counted off her fingers and mumbled her report, Anna’s clear eyes were full of curiosity and wonder—these events were like interesting little stories to her.

But Lu Yan listened quietly with a faint smile. His deep eyes remained unreadable.

He already understood the complex web behind these seemingly simple developments—this was merely the natural progression of events.

Suddenly, Anna seemed to remember something very important.

She froze, then quickly looked up, eyes urgent:

“Oh, Your Grace! There’s one more very important thing!”

“What is it?” Lu Yan asked, still calm as his gaze landed on her slightly worried face.

“It’s about Sister Elizabeth!” Anna exclaimed. “She hasn’t been to the union for three days.”

“Before that, she seemed to be looking for you, but you were still in seclusion.”

“I’ve also heard rumors outside… they say the King is growing senile and that the royal family is discussing choosing a new monarch.”

Lu Yan’s calm eyes flickered faintly.

His long brows lifted slightly. He wasn’t surprised by the news.

“So the Victoria royal family finally decided to replace the king?”

---

Orank, Deep in the Royal Palace.

This was once the symbolic heart of the Victoria Kingdom—a place of power.

But most real decisions came from the government and noble parliament. The palace had become more ceremonial than political.

That changed three days ago.

News of the old king’s impending abdication leaked from within the palace, spreading like a stone cast into still waters—waves of unrest rippled outward.

The atmosphere in Orank turned tense. Nobles’ carriages streamed toward the palace. A place once relegated to ritual had become the eye of the storm again.

King Charles was no fool. He’d carried forward the industrial revolution, advanced social reform, and curtailed the Church’s power. Among Victoria’s kings, his achievements ranked high.

Though he’d failed to reach Sequence Four due to limited talent, the longevity of extraordinary beings kept him spry and sharp even past a century of age.

That he would abdicate now raised many questions.

Especially when one recalled Lu Yan’s recent appearance in Orank—where he killed Prince Rhine in a thunderous display of power.

The implications were inescapable.

But within the palace, the royal family had no time to worry about rumors. The abdication itself had ignited fierce internal conflict.

First came the struggle between King Charles and the faction forcing his abdication. He had tried to resist after Lu Yan declared the throne should be ceded.

But the loss of the Royal Scepter was too great. Though his merits were many, the monarchy and noble class derived their authority from the Royal Path.

The loss of the scepter undermined all he had built.

In the ensuing power struggle, he ultimately lost. Abdication became inevitable.

Then came the battle for succession.

Prince Charles, the main instigator of the abdication; Prince Ford, supported secretly by the old king; and Princess Diana, backed by key royal relatives—all entered a brutal contest for the throne.

The storm swept through all of Orank’s noble circles. Even governors of overseas colonies were forced to choose sides.

Inside the royal hall, tension weighed heavily.

Nobles and royal kin gathered, but few looked to the old king upon the throne.

Once in his prime, King Charles now looked withered and hunched—his strength sapped by the fall of power, the loss of his scepter, and forced abdication.

Most eyes turned to the three heirs: Prince Charles, Prince Ford, and Princess Diana.

After three days of negotiation and compromise, a tentative agreement was reached.

Prince Charles, despite his boldness, had offended the old nobility and was denied the throne. The others lacked power or rank to dominate.

The deal: Prince Ford would inherit the crown; Princess Diana would take control of the rising noble parliament.

Prince Charles, at the demand of old nobles, would be exiled from court and sent to manage the vast overseas colonies.

A new political order had taken shape. The king’s power was now divided among his children. The parliament’s authority rose. Colonies grew more autonomous.

Many nobles welcomed this change.

But two people did not: the weary King Charles, and Princess Elizabeth, who stood silently beneath the throne.

(End of Chapter)