Longzang

Chapter 483 is suitable for storytelling.
Wei Yuan and the old Taoist Chu He sat facing each other, listening to the old Taoist's endless stories about various biological communities. The old Taoist was not only familiar with plants, but also with animals, especially spirit beasts. He also knew many private secrets of the big shots in the cat and snake worlds, mainly the cat world, since the big shots in the cat world had a lot of illegitimate offspring, sometimes more than a dozen in a litter.

Wei Yuan listened patiently for a long time, then asked, "So, what is the real reason why these creatures concentrate their reproduction in a certain season of the year?"

After rambling on for so long, the old Taoist priest finally began to address the issue directly, saying, "I think the most important thing is not the season, but that they can eat their fill during this season and have enough reserves to reproduce the next generation."

"So, if they're fed well, they can reproduce all year round?"

"It won't change immediately, but it will certainly increase their breeding time. If we can blur the seasonal environment, for example, by always living in a warm environment, it should be more noticeable."

Wei Yuan seemed to be deep in thought, then asked, "Why don't people have seasonal limitations?"

The old Taoist priest blurted out, "Isn't it just because you're full and have nothing better to do?"

Upon closer examination, Wei Yuan found that it made some sense.

But he still asked, "Isn't it because humans are the most intelligent of all beings?"

The old Taoist rolled his eyes at Wei Yuan: "If some spirit beasts hear this, they might start a war. Besides, do you think the Witch Clan, Haili, and Mountain People are more like spirit beasts or more like humans? In their eyes, we are the strange ones."

Upon careful consideration, Wei Yuan realized that this was indeed the case. Especially among the Wu tribe, the adult appearances were incredibly diverse, some quite abstract, and difficult to understand from a human perspective.

"...Perhaps the Xu family's children are the same. You should pay more attention to their condition from your perspective."

Master Chuhe nodded and left the room.

……

King Zhao's face turned ashen. Suddenly, he grabbed the inkstone from the table and slammed it to the ground. All the civil and military officials in the study held their breath, not daring to breathe loudly or utter a single word.

King Zhao spat out a few words through gritted teeth: "This year, all offerings to the Tang Palace will be reduced by half!"

An old minister coughed and said, "Forgive my bluntness, but our tribute is already the least among the nine kingdoms. It's barely enough to be worthless. If we reduce it any further, we'll become a laughing stock. It would be better to just stop it altogether."

Upon hearing this, many officials immediately changed color. But the old minister kept his eyes slightly closed, ignoring the strange looks from the surrounding officials.

At this time, the Tang dynasty was still the ruler of the world. Although it was in decline, the fate of humanity still rested on the Tang dynasty, which was a very obvious fact.

Therefore, respecting Tang was a consensus among all people, and even the most ambitious and ruthless rulers dared not take this matter lightly. Otherwise, at best, their own fortune would be affected, and at worst, other countries might find an excuse to attack them.

In the past, the State of Qi was at its zenith, but King Heng was arrogant and conceited, his entourage even surpassing that of the Tang family, which aroused widespread resentment and alienated powerful clans. This was followed by the Five States' invasion of Qi. At the critical moment, Qi's General Zhenyuan, Li Xuanheng, defected, ultimately leading to Qi's crushing defeat and its division into two states.

Li Xuanheng seized a large tract of fertile land in the south and was granted the title of Duke of Huai by the Tang dynasty, controlling nine prefectures. This was practically a state within a state, not subject to the control of the King of Qi, marking the initial establishment of the Southern Qi dynasty, one of the two Li families.

After two more generations, Li Xuanheng's grandson submitted a memorial to the Tang dynasty, declaring himself king, thus establishing the Southern Qi dynasty.

The current state of Zhao is far weaker than the state of Qi in its heyday. Although King Zhao is arrogant, he doesn't think he's much stronger than King Huan of Qi. King Huan of Qi was also a rare figure in history who, after ascending the throne and bearing the great fortune of a nation, was still able to break through to the level of Yu Jing, while King Zhao is currently stuck on the edge of Yu Jing, desperately seeking an opportunity to break through.

King Zhao suppressed his anger and said, "Now Wei Boyang is arriving in the Regent's boat with great fanfare, and everyone knows about it. Do you really expect me to let him fly over my head?"

One of the princes said, "Wei Boyang only suddenly appeared after entering our territory, and he has already flown over three cities. His whereabouts are now known to everyone in the world. It is too late to take him down now."

The Minister of Rites said, "According to the rites of the Tang Dynasty, at this time, the Prince of Jin of the Great Tang Dynasty is acting as regent and can perform some of the rites of an emperor. In other words, his boat can fly over the palace."

King Zhao's face turned ashen, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "If it weren't for him, it would be fine, but it's absolutely unacceptable! In short, I will neither show my face nor allow this ship to pass through the palace! No, it can't even enter the city!"

At this point, the old minister who spoke first said, "This matter is simple. Today, His Majesty was assassinated, so we closed the nine gates, searched the entire city, and activated the city's protective array. If they still insist on forcing their way in, then they are being disrespectful. Since the king was unrighteous first, he cannot blame his ministers for being unfaithful."

King Zhao's eyes lit up. "That's it! Seal the city in half an hour, activate the formation, and then send someone to tell that wrecked ship to get as far away as possible!" It was afternoon, usually the most bustling and prosperous time of day in the capital, but a barrier of light enveloped the Zhao capital. The light shimmered with iridescent light, its beauty concealing a deadly intent.

A giant ship bearing the banner of the Tang Dynasty hovered in the air. Wei Boyang looked at the capital of Zhao not far away and laughed, "It's been many years. That kid Li Shenji has become quite cunning. But I don't believe his temper has improved as well. Men!"

"The general is here!"

"Pass on my order: open the bottom deck of the lower cabin, and all soldiers will follow me to relieve ourselves!"

"Order!"

A moment later, the lower deck of the giant ship opened, and then a torrent of excrement rained down. Standing atop the Zhao city wall, from this angle, one could still vaguely see a large expanse of white, raw buttocks—a truly bizarre sight.

In the palace, King Zhao slammed his hand on the table, smashing the desk to pieces, and roared, "If I hadn't stopped him outside the city, would he have really defecated on my head?!"

This time, even the old minister remained silent.

King Zhao suddenly calmed down and said, "Why did they come? Oh, right, they came to rescue Wei Yuan. Why didn't Wei Yuan come to me first?! Why?"

A close advisor said, "We received his letter requesting assistance some time ago, but..."

King Zhao then remembered that he had casually thrown the letter into the trash can that day, saying he would talk to Qingming when he was half-dead.

A murderous glint appeared in King Zhao's eyes as he coldly said, "You, Wei Yuan, dare to play tricks on me!"

With a wave of his sleeve, he dismissed all the ministers, leaving only the old minister behind. The rage on King Zhao's face vanished without a trace, and he said, "The celestial signs indicate that a great ruler will emerge from among our surrounding regions. Is there no doubt about that?"

"This is a secret that the Immortal Ancestor obtained by chance, so it must be true."

Who could it be?

"Currently, the Prince of Chu of the Western Jin Dynasty is in first place, followed by Li Zhi, then the Crown Prince of the Western Jin Dynasty, then the two from the Southern Jin Dynasty, and finally Wei Yuan."

King Zhao pondered for a moment and asked, "How likely is it that Wei Yuan will succeed?"

"Judging from the current situation, Wei Yuan is capable of directly reaching the Imperial Realm and has the potential to become an immortal. He should not be willing to be bound by the throne. If he were not also the Lord of the Azure Netherworld, he would not have been included in this list at all. The same applies to Li Zhi. There is no problem with him reaching the Imperial Realm. So it just depends on his future choices. If it weren't for his slightly lacking talent and aptitude, he would be number one."

King Zhao frowned and said slowly, "But I always feel that Wei Yuan is the most dangerous."

"These are the words of the Immortal Ancestor; this old minister dares not make any rash comments."

King Zhao was somewhat disheartened, dismissed the old minister, and returned to his inner palace.

Outside the capital, the giant ship closed its decks and continued northwest. Wei Boyang, having unloaded the cargo, felt relieved and was feasting with several close generals.

One of his subordinates said, "General, didn't you go a bit too far just now? What if history records that?"

With a loud thud, the officer received a blow to the head.

Wei Boyang chuckled and said, "With your character, you think you can be recorded in history books? What a pipe dream! If you want to be infamous for eternity, you'd better have the qualifications! But if you can't be in history books, you can probably still be in storybooks. Maybe in a few days, there will be such a story:"

Wei Boyang defecated in front of the city, and Li Shenji swallowed his anger!

(End of this chapter)