Chapter 12658

Chapter 12658

The passing of Confucius signifies that from this day forward, Tianjun has officially entered a new era.

Lin Yi's heart skipped a beat: "Wasn't his injury improving?"

Lin Yi's feelings toward Confucius were somewhat complicated.

On the one hand, this person is indeed highly respected and has previously shown goodwill towards him on many occasions.

On the other hand, he voluntarily sent over the Mind-Soothing Demon-Subduing Pestle, thus becoming an accomplice to the imperial edict.

If Lin Yi were to be even slightly careless, all of his divine equipment would be corrupted, and his subsequent duel with the Emperor's decree would inevitably end in failure.

That scene was simply unimaginable.

One thing is certain: the Great Emperor Jiyi must be behind this, and Confucius must have been influenced by him as well.

Lin Yi simply did not believe that Confucius was merely a puppet, completely controlled by him.

This also reflects, to some extent, Confucius's own attitude.

The most likely scenario is that the Great Emperor Jiyi secretly induced Confucius, who was aware of it but did not stop it, instead going along with it.

After all, from the perspective of the Five Saints of the Aristocratic Families, Lin Yi, this suddenly rising outsider, is a huge threat that must be faced.

They either confront each other head-on, or choose to defect like the Food Saint.

Confucius could not do the former, nor could he do the latter.

That's why that incident happened before.

However, from his own heart, Lin Yi still held Confucius in high esteem.

Regardless, when I first arrived in Tianjun, Confucius did stand up for me when I was being targeted by the people of Tiangong.

This is a considerable favor.

Now that Confucius has suddenly passed away, Lin Yi couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness in his heart.

Lü Bukui replied, "I heard that Confucius's injuries last time did not fully recover, and his vital energy was damaged. He just kept it suppressed so that outsiders could not see it until this time when he could no longer suppress it and was forced to pass on his teachings."

Lin Yi asked, "To whom was the Confucian tradition passed down?"

Kong Jisheng.

Lin Yi was not surprised by this result at all, since it had already been predetermined.

As for the possibility that it was passed down to Kong Qianqiu across generations, it is not impossible, but it is very small.

Although Kong Qianqiu is exceptionally talented, he is still far too inexperienced compared to someone of Zhang Baiyu's caliber.

"Get ready, we're going to pay our respects."

Lin Yi immediately gave the order.

Lu Bukui was slightly taken aback.

Although Lin Yi hadn't explicitly told him about the matter between him and Confucius, someone as astute as him could always sense some subtle nuances.

He had even ordered his subordinates to prepare to sever ties with the lineage of Confucius.

Could it be that I am overthinking it?

Lu Bukui immediately realized what was going on and hurriedly ordered people to prepare all the necessary condolence items.

When Lin Yi and his group arrived at the Confucius Mansion, the area in front of the mansion was deserted and quiet, a far cry from the expected scene of thousands of people paying their respects.

In terms of prestige and influence, Confucius was at least on par with the strategist Confucius, so it's impossible that his entourage was so deserted.

Lin Yi frowned: "What's going on?"

Lu Bukui said with a strange expression, "The only force that Tianjun can boast about is the lineage of Confucius, which is separate from our Termination Society. There are rumors that Confucius suddenly fell because he offended our Termination Society, and everyone is afraid of getting involved in the karma."

"..."

Lin Yi was speechless for a moment.

As the ruler of Tianjun, he wields such influence that he doesn't even need to do anything substantial; a mere subtle gesture is enough to render a top-tier power like the Confucius lineage utterly isolated.

This is what it feels like to stand at the pinnacle of power.

However, Lin Yi didn't enjoy this feeling at all; his only reaction was speechlessness.

As the two were talking, Kong Qianqiu, dressed in mourning clothes, ran out.

At this moment, this woman, who was recognized as an extraordinary woman in Tianjun, had an unusually aggrieved look on her face.

"President."

Lin Yi nodded: "I'm sorry you had to go through all this."

Tears welled up in Kong Qianqiu's eyes.

She is both a descendant of Confucius and a core member of the End Society. Caught between the two, the pressure she faces is unimaginable.

However, all those words ultimately boil down to just one "hmm".

“Take me to see your father.”

Both logically and emotionally, the relationship with the lineage of Confucius must be sorted out. Now that Kong Jisheng has succeeded Confucius, the crux of the matter naturally lies with him.

As long as we can appease Kong Jisheng, none of this will be a problem.

Lin Yi was still confident about this.

After all, strictly speaking, there was no irreconcilable enmity between the two sides, and Kong Jisheng was also a broad-minded person.

However, when they met Kong Jisheng, they unexpectedly encountered an old friend.

"Brother Lin?"

The old friend turned out to be none other than Yuan Chu, who had supposedly gone into seclusion.

Lin Yi couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Brother Yuan, you're back?"

This person, recognized as the most dazzling second-generation in Tianjun, was also the first Tianjun person he met. However, after being in Tianjun for so long, he had met all sorts of other people, but he had never met this old acquaintance.

I never expected to see him on this occasion today.

Yuan Chu looked Lin Yi up and down, patted Lin Yi's shoulder heavily, and laughed loudly:

"Brother Lin, you've accomplished something truly remarkable! I've only been away from Tianjun for a short time, and the entire county has undergone a complete transformation. I've even heard that you've become the ruler of Tianjun?"

Lin Yi smiled and said, "I never said that. It's just rumors spread by my subordinates."

"That's fine."

Yuan Chu breathed a sigh of relief and said meaningfully, "It's fortunate that you didn't do such a thing, Brother Lin, otherwise it would have been a big problem."

"trouble?"

Lin Yi's eyelids twitched: "How is it troublesome?"

It's certainly a good thing to reunite with an old friend, but Yuan Chu's demeanor now seems a bit off.

Yuan Chu smiled slightly and pointed to Kong Jisheng beside him: "You should offer your condolences first."

Kong Jisheng bowed slightly.

Lin Yi then realized that something was wrong.

Logically speaking, Kong Jisheng should be the master here, and he has also succeeded to the position of Confucius. In terms of both seniority and status, he is above Yuan Chu, the second generation.

However, from the moment we left until now, it seems that Yuan Chu is the true master of this place.

Kong Jisheng didn't mind at all that he was overshadowing the host.

Moreover, judging from various subtle actions and expressions, in front of Yuan Chu, this current Confucius was clearly willing to play a supporting role, and even seemed to be letting Yuan Chu take the lead.

This is far too abnormal.

"Condolences."

Lin Yi suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and took the initiative to step forward to offer his condolences.

Kong Jisheng's reaction was lukewarm.

Normally speaking, given the Kong family's current predicament, Lin Yi's personal visit to offer condolences would be a lifeline they absolutely must grasp.

After all, only by maintaining a good relationship with Lin Yi can the Kong family be accepted back by the mainstream of Tianjun. Otherwise, once they are excluded, the lineage of Confucius will completely decline in a few years.

This is not just a matter of family reputation.