Chapter 53

The fifteenth year of Emperor Jinglong.

Yu Su was restored to his position as the Minister of War and appointed to inspect the Capital Garrison on behalf of the emperor.

One month later, the commander of the Capital Garrison, the Dongyang Prince, requested to resign, making Minister Yu unmatched in influence for that time.

Zhou Yi quietly delivered meals in the prison, and after not visiting for several years, the friendship had faded.

The world does not revolve around anyone, and time does not stand still for anyone.

Everybody was busy.

Ten years passed in a flash.

Zhou Yi’s chess pieces each had their own fates.

Yan Wu died doing his duty three years ago. One of Zhou Yi’s chess pieces, in whom he placed great hope, was ambushed during a mission, dying before he could even avenge his great enemy.

Zhou Yi could not be bothered to investigate whether it was truly an ambush or not.

All he heard was that Yan Wu was exceptionally talented and advanced rapidly, which made his superior jealous, and he was sent to scout military intelligence in Great Yong.

Ye Xiong successfully avenged his parents, eliminating the Jinyiwei captain responsible after which, valuing his life, he dared not cultivate the demonic technique anymore and gradually became just another face in the crowd.

Zhou Yi exerted no pressure, to avoid the possibility of a repeat of thirty years previous.

Out of more than thirty chess pieces, only four achieved the rank of captain, and a single one rose to become a thousand households commander.

Yuan Shun, of average talent and a smooth character, was originally the heir to a small gang in Xuzhou.

When Zhou Yi taught the Devouring Heaven Demonic Technique, this guy was the only one who shamelessly kowtowed loudly in public, causing the other inmates to think he had gone mad.

Over eight years, Yuan Shun never had an external assignment and was solely focused on making money, somehow recognizing Feng Zhong as his godfather.

He was promoted to become the commander of a thousand households in Xuzhou two years ago, and soon after his appointment, he arrested more than a dozen corrupt officials, striking fear into the hearts of the local officers.

The other four captains need not be mentioned in detail, as they all dutifully and diligently served, sustaining many injuries, achieving many merits, and, with a bit of luck, were assigned to remote counties to become captains.

These were the normal chess pieces!

In life and death, Zhou Yi did not actually care much; occasionally he would visit and inquire but never forced them to do anything.

However, with so many chess pieces, there always happened to be someone with ill intentions.

For instance, the former deputy commander, Zhu Yue, chose to report the “King of Samsara” to the Jinyiwei in order to step over that last crucial hurdle.

Luckily, Zhou Yi always contacted each chess piece individually, never at a fixed time or place.

The Jinyiwei were thrown into chaos internally, and the Heavenly Prison was turned upside down with no hint of the so-called hidden old freak.

Inside the Heavenly Prison, Zhu Yue swore to the heavens, constantly assuring Zhong Tongzhi, vowing to capture the “King of Samsara.”

Zhou Yi was there at the time, holding a bucket to deliver food.

“Human hearts are even more complicated than cultivating immortality!”

…

The twenty-fourth year of Emperor Jinglong, autumn.

At midnight.

Zhou Yi retrieved a scroll from the Spring Breeze Building.

“Curious Affairs and Strange Happenings in Xuzhou.”

“Ten years of hard work were not in vain; finally, there is some gain. If there really are objects from the Cultivation World, I can pass on the method to breakthrough to the Innate realm to little Yuan.”

Zhou Yi bathed, burned incense, washed his hands, and opened the first page.

—To the southwest of Xuzhou, a century-old peach tree struck by lightning sprouted anew. The following year, it bore a solitary peach, weighing three pounds and seven ounces, which reportedly cured a consumptive person who ate it.

“Little Yuan is doing well, recognizing what is truly a curious affair. That fellow clearing land in the Northwest told me about a mythical beast appearing, only for it to turn out to be a gold-painted pig!”

Over the ten years, he had collected many strange tales, excluding the perilous places that were hard to verify and the extraordinary individuals whose traces could not be found, none of which had anything to do with immortals.

Either they were man-made fabrications or natural phenomena.

Zhou Yi once doubted whether there were immortals in the world at all!

“To the northeast of Xuzhou, in Wu County, there is a strong liquor produced. During the fourteenth year of Emperor Jinglong, a remarkable person purchased liquor…”

Zhou Yi turned to the second page, which even had a picture beside it—a palm-sized wine pot with an ancient design, its patterns unlike any from Fengyang Country.

“Little Yuan is still diligently working!”

He continued to flip through; most of the strange tales sounded rather plausible.

Yuan Shun may not have believed in immortality and cultivation; he probably thought the “King of Samsara” was old and delusional, which was the opinion of most chess pieces, but that did not mean they were careless in their duties.

Of course, the authenticity still required investigation.

—— Within the borders of Xuzhou, the east foothills of Cloud Mountain are shrouded in mist all year round. Dispatched patrols investigate, but when night falls, inexplicable occurrences rise.

“Cloud Mountain again!”

Zhou Yi’s gaze sharpened slightly, numerous bizarre tales related to Cloud Mountain had already emerged over the past ten years.

Such as local villagers seeing rainbow lights descending into the mountain, encounters with strangely dressed individuals asking for directions, and the frequent roars of mysterious beasts at night, among others.

“If there are cultivators in Cloud Mountain, could such conspicuous traces really escape Emperor Chongming’s investigation?”

Zhou Yi’s first thought wasn’t to investigate but to doubt the validity of the news from Cloud Mountain, as all these tales were hearsay, and their truth was unclear.

“There must be something more to this!”

Within the boundaries of Fengyang Country, Zhou Yi had already identified seven such inaccessible places shrouded in mystery.

All of them were deep in the mountains and forests, whether they were blessed lands of immortals or naturally dangerous places, no one had yet determined.

Continue reading further.

—— In the twelfth year of Emperor Jinglong’s reign, a river demon was reported downstream of Bai River, rumored to be a five-zhang long green serpent requiring the sacrifice of boys and girls. Later, an immortal arrived riding a rainbow, slew the river demon, and the locals erected a shrine to worship him!

“This is worth checking out!”

Zhou Yi folded the page, pondered it carefully, then smoothed it back out.

“Immortals, better to keep a respectful distance.”

Last page of the booklet.

—— This January, a white deer appeared west of Xuzhou. The Jinyiwei scoured the mountains for it, and by May, it was presented to Divine Capital. His Majesty was overjoyed, and promoted the lowly one to the post of Provincial Commander of the Jinyiwei, overseeing affairs in the southwestern provinces.

“Little Yuan Shun has climbed the ranks again!”

Zhou Yi clicked his tongue in amazement. To rise from a commoner to a fourth-rank official in ten years, only the emperor’s own troops could ascend so swiftly.

…

Shangyang Palace.

Soft deer calls.

An elegant white deer strutted around, followed by a dozen eunuchs who fretted over its wellbeing, fearing it might stumble and get hurt.

After Emperor Jinglong aged, instead of obsessing over cultivation or alchemy, he became engrossed with auspicious omens. Local governments catered to his interests, offering up white sparrows, white swallows, white fish, and many would get promoted as a result.

The most prized of them all was this white deer. A few days ago, an eunuch failed to take proper care of it and was immediately dragged out and executed by beating.

Emperor Jinglong sat upon his throne, watching the white deer call out joyfully, and smiled, “Minister Yu, the appearance of the white deer signifies the prosperity of our National Dynasty!”

“Your Majesty, I was speaking about the Northern Border…”

Yu Su had just finished reporting upon his return from a patrol of the Northern Border, where he found local military leaders emerging, fearing the potential disaster of warlordism if left unchecked.

“Minister Yu, the Northern Border is barren, we must rely on the Ministry of Revenue to support the troops. Even if it were to fall into chaos, it would be but a trivial ailment, quickly subdued once their provisions and pay are cut off.”

Emperor Jinglong declared gravely, “The concerns of our National Dynasty lie within this imperial city!”

“Your Majesty, please do not act rashly!”

Yu Su advised, “We’ve only just secured control over the military. With the imperial bureaucracy yet to be purged, only by clipping these two wings can we ensure absolute security.”

Yu Su had predicted that Emperor Jinglong would reappoint a Crown Prince, planning to use this opportunity to reform the military and revitalize administration.

After ten years of hard work, Fengyang Country’s military had seen a complete overhaul, especially gaining full control over the Capital Garrison.

The Capital Garrison’s troops enveloped the imperial city, allowing Emperor Jinglong to bide his time, never hinting at his intention to appoint a new Crown Prince in the imperial court.

“Minister Yu understands military and governance, but not the affairs of palace intrigue,” said Emperor Jinglong, clapping his hands, “Come out everyone, let Minister Yu see, I am not an incapable ruler!”

Several aged figures appeared in the hall, swiftly moving like specters, each exuding a presence as deep and majestic as oceans and mountains.

“These individuals…”

Yu Su, having seen top-notch experts before, was far from matching these elders and couldn’t help but exclaim in shock, “Could they be Martial Arts Grandmasters?”

Martial Arts Grandmasters were exceedingly rare, and the sudden appearance of eight was indeed unbelievable.

“Haha!”

Emperor Jinglong revealed a pleased expression upon seeing Yu Su’s astonishment, “I had the Jinyiwei vigorously capture people from the martial world to train them, but unfortunately, that cultivation technique is too bizarre, with few capable of mastering it.”

“Otherwise, there wouldn’t just be eight, but over eighty!”

“With ten thousand troops suppressing Divine Capital from the outside, and eight Grandmasters defending from within, the Zhang family only has six!”

“With our eight against their six, the advantage lies with me!”