If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1220 The Mystery of Ying Zheng's Death

Besides the three great supernatural powers, the "He Luo Qi Shu" also records 362 other strange and bizarre techniques.

It possesses body techniques, shape-changing skills (methods of transformation), celestial secrets, and techniques for observing and concealing auras.
It is diverse and all-encompassing.

All of them are incredibly powerful and practical techniques, but they are completely useless for achieving longevity.

Once you learn this "Strange Book of Heyang", you will immediately become a seasoned veteran of the martial arts world.

No matter what crisis they face, they can handle it calmly.

Ignoring the rudimentary methods of Qi cultivation in the book, "The Strange Book of Heyang" is almost the highest-level "secret book" that Xiaoyu has ever seen in his life.

The Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation contains the Great Luo Dao of the Goddess Yunxiao, and its value far exceeds that of the "Strange Book of Heyang".

However, firstly, the Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation is not a readily available manual and cannot be directly practiced.

How much one can comprehend from the array depends entirely on one's own opportunities and comprehension.

Secondly, the Great Luo Path is a method of cultivating Qi, not a secret book about supernatural powers and Taoist arts.

For Xiaoyu at this point, the "Strange Book of Heyang" was still of immense value. Its enhancement to her strength was comparable to that of a giant Kun from the Northern Sea or a celestial roc.

However, her main purpose in getting Zhao Gao to hand over the "Strange Book of Heyang" was to use it to deduce the true identity of the "Old Man of Heyang".

If the book is based on the method of Qi cultivation and is a systematic secret manual, it will be easier to analyze the Taoist sect to which it belongs.

Just like when Xiaoyu used the talismanic secrets of the "Precious Scroll Immortal Chapter" in Shenzhou, she was immediately recognized by others, who confirmed that she had a close relationship with Taiyi Dao.

Ninety-nine percent of the content in the "Strange Book of Heyang" now consists of various strange and bizarre "miracle techniques." The section on Qi cultivation is very short and simple, and there is no system or connection between Qi cultivation techniques and miracle techniques.

It's not easy to tell where it came from.

Xiaoyu suspects that "Old Man Heyang" deliberately combined various bizarre and strange techniques into a "Matching Kit" manual, making its origins and his true identity impossible to discern.

After briefly reading through the contents of the "Strange Book of Heyang" in the Spirit Jade, Grand Tutor Yu took out the Divine Tortoise Shell, closed his eyes, and silently made calculations.

About half an incense stick's time later, "crack!"

The tortoise shell in her hand twitched uncontrollably, and Grand Tutor Yu himself felt as if he had been struck in the face by an invisible rod.

He let out a muffled groan, leaned back, and the old chair beneath him creaked as half of its leg snapped off.

"You bastard!" Grand Tutor Yu cursed, sitting up straight again and looking at Zhao Gao with a cold smile: "You saw it, you saw it clearly? Now you still dare to say that you are not 'Su Daji'?"

Zhao Gao's unease deepened, and he stammered, "Grand Tutor, what just happened? This old servant doesn't quite understand."

"Don't you understand? The 'Strange Book of Heyang' contains a technique called 'Sand River Strange Technique,' which is a celestial-level secret technique. Haven't you practiced it?" Grand Tutor Yu shouted.

Zhao Gao dared not continue to feign ignorance and said, "This old servant can see that the Grand Tutor was calculating something, and as a result, he suffered a backlash. But this old servant does not know what the Grand Tutor's target was!"

“What else could it be? Of course, it’s the owner of the ‘Strange Book of Heyang’!” said Grand Tutor Yu.

Zhao Gao stared at her face and examined it carefully. Her eyes were still like autumn water, her face like a lotus flower, and she was radiant. There was no sign of internal injury or damage to her soul.

"The Grand Tutor is still in good spirits, so it seems the backlash isn't too severe. The Old Man of Heyang is definitely no ordinary person, so it's normal for him to experience a minor backlash." He felt somewhat disappointed.

If the Old Man of Heyang were truly as powerful as the Goddess Nuwa, Grand Tutor Yu would at least be spitting blood from all seven orifices.

"A minor backlash?" Grand Tutor Yu sneered. "It made my power go out of control, breaking the chair legs. Even a Golden Immortal doesn't have that kind of ability."

"Is the Old Man of Heyang stronger than a Golden Immortal?" Zhao Gao asked in surprise.

“At least a potential Grand Luo. What do you, a middle-aged, poor wretch, have that would be worthy of a potential Grand Luo?” Grand Tutor Yu said.

The identity and origin of the old man from Heyang could not be deduced. However, his level of skill had become somewhat clear.

Ordinary immortals would not be able to compile such a powerful and bizarre "compilation of magical arts".

The key is that some of the secret techniques in "The Strange Book of Heyang" are original creations of the Old Man of Heyang, and they are very new.

Secret arts have three levels: techniques, principles, and the ultimate truth.

Even if one's skills are not yet at the level of enlightenment, they will not affect the great principles and laws of the Pangu world.

When supernatural powers reach the level of "law," they will involve the power of laws—either creating new laws or invoking the power of existing laws of heaven and earth.

In this way, by communicating with the laws of heaven and earth corresponding to the supernatural power (at this time, Xiaoyu has obtained the "Heyang Wonder Book" and can try to cultivate it), the approximate time when it was created can be determined.

If Xiaoyu's cultivation level were to rise by one or two more levels, he might even be able to calculate how many people in the world have practiced this method, and where those who practiced it are located.

In the eyes of the Dao Ancestor or the Great Luo Golden Immortal, all cultivators have threads of cause and effect above their heads, which are connected to different laws and the Great Dao.

“Yes, what else could a celestial being about to attain the Great Luo realm value in this old servant, besides a predestined connection?” Zhao Gao murmured.

Grand Tutor Yu sneered, "Still not giving up? Let me ask you, what did Goddess Nuwa see in the fox demon?"
Her appearance and identity belong to Su Hu's daughter, Su Daji.

The fox spirit provided spiritual will.

But what kind of spirit or will does a fox demon possess?
Cruel, evil, treacherous, greedy—in short, inhuman!
Don't you know what kind of person you are?

Hu Hai suddenly realized what was happening, and pointed at Zhao Gao, shouting, "Zhao Gao dared to murder the emperor and usurp the throne. He is indeed cruel, evil, insidious, vicious, greedy, and audacious."

Isn't this kind of spirit the very thing that Goddess Nuwa values ​​most?
As the saying goes, you can tell what a person will be like at three years old.

At that time, Zhao Gao was already middle-aged, and his personality and habits were already set.

As a great immortal, He Yangsou could certainly foresee what he would do given the opportunity, given his personality.

Zhao Gao, you truly are 'Su Daji'!

Zhao Gao couldn't help but retort, "Your Majesty, you are also Su Daji! You are the Great Su Daji, and this old servant is at most a 'little demon' chosen by 'Heaven' to assist you in ruining the foundation of the Qin Dynasty."

"You dog, you dog!" Hu Hai shouted angrily, his face flushed red. "Father, he has taken the Ancestral Dragon Qi Pill, yet he remains audacious and presumptuous."

Why not just send him to the eighteenth level of hell to find his grandmother?

"Shut up, all of you!" Grand Tutor Yu said calmly. "Zhao Gao shouldn't have offended you, but what he said wasn't entirely wrong either."

"You two are like King Zhou meeting Daji, a match made in heaven, neither of you has the right to judge the other."

Hu Hai remained silent, not daring to speak further.

Zhao Gao also lowered his head and behaved obediently.

Grand Tutor Yu looked at Zhao Gao and said slowly, "Even a piece of rag can be sewn into an insole."

Not only are you highly skilled in martial arts and Taoist arts, but you have also followed the late emperor for many years, honing your abilities to the point of calling a deer a horse and plotting to usurp the throne.

It would be a shame to kill him.

Moreover, the "calling a deer a horse" incident didn't actually happen, and if I killed you, you would definitely be dissatisfied.

I will not kill you, but I will not let you go easily either.

I'm giving you a task: continue to be the emperor's confidant and hold the line at the front. Are you willing to accept?

"I will gladly obey any order from the Grand Tutor. I am happy to serve His Majesty."

Zhao Gao first stated his position, then asked, "I wonder where the 'front line' is?"

At this time, Pengcheng had amassed the largest military force, but Chen Sheng had fled to Chen County.

Grand Tutor Yu said, “You are the military supervisor of Pengcheng, but you don’t need to stay in Pengcheng all the time.”

Chen Sheng would not be satisfied with occupying Chen County; after he declared himself king, he would surely launch attacks on all sides.

You will represent the Emperor, guarding the front lines. Do your utmost to prevent the generals loyal to Qin from being assassinated.

Those who are afraid of death and flee without a fight, you are responsible for taking them down and making them the ones charging ahead.

Sigh, I don't need to say anything.

You are a veteran minister who served the late emperor. As long as your thinking doesn't falter, you will surely display an astonishing talent that will leave the hidden emperor of China in despair and agony.

"Grand Tutor, you flatter me. This old servant is truly humbled and trembling with fear." Zhao Gao cursed inwardly, but forced a fawning, bitter smile onto his face.

Grand Tutor Yu gave him a deep look and asked, "Whom do you intend to seek refuge with after escaping Xingyang tonight?"

Zhao Gao lowered his eyes and said, "I dare not seek refuge with anyone. I just want to find a place to hide and save my worthless life."

"If you had no one to rely on, why would you run away?" Hu Hai asked suspiciously.

“If this old servant had planned who to seek refuge with earlier, why would I have waited until today?” Zhao Gao glanced at Grand Tutor Yu and said bitterly, “It’s not that this old servant is boasting, but apart from Grand Tutor Yu, no one in Xingyang City can stop this old servant.”

Grand Tutor Yu said, "Since you escaped, why didn't you take your daughter, son-in-law, grandson, and granddaughter with you?"
You don't care at all about the life and death of your entire family?

Zhao Gao understood that he needed to hand over his incriminating evidence to the Xingyang court.

He hurriedly said, "I care, I care very much! It's just that in such a hurry, I can't take so many people with me."

This old servant knows that the Grand Tutor's ten years of benevolent rule had long since abolished cruel punishments and widespread reprisals.

"Given the Grand Tutor's benevolence, he will not kill them."

Grand Tutor Yu said calmly, "The best way to neutralize the Ancestral Dragon Qi Pill, besides the emperor's pardon, is death."

But you can't just die casually; you have to be loyal to the Qin Dynasty of the Ying clan.

Only by settling the cause and effect and resolving the karmic burden can you be reincarnated without any burden.

If you cannot resolve the cause and effect, even if you die, the dragon energy will take root deep in your soul and follow you forever, preventing you from being reincarnated.

You will wail in hell until the world ends, never finding release.

Zhao Gao's face was pale. "This old servant will do everything in his power to protect the Qin dynasty's empire."

"For your own sake and for the sake of your family, you'd better be smart!"
The old man from Heyang is clearly playing a grand game, and you are merely a pawn, now a useless piece that does more harm than good.

Expecting him to dispel the aura of the ancestral dragon for you is wishful thinking.

He was neither willing nor capable.

Otherwise, why do you think Ye Jiutian would be so obedient, killing whomever I tell him to kill? Doesn't he worry about karma and consequences?

He tried, but his quasi-Daluo master couldn't help him.

He was utterly desperate and had come to terms with reality. "Master Yu said.

With her current level of cultivation, she cannot refine a "Qi Pill" that even a quasi-Daluo cultivator cannot resolve.

Let alone a quasi-Great Luo Immortal, if she were to refine Qi Pills using her own essence, she could at most control a few ordinary demon immortals.

Demons and immortals are also particularly prone to rebellion.

She used dragon energy at the level of the Ancestral Dragon, which was useless even for a near-Great Luo Immortal.

Zhao Gao knelt on the ground and bowed three times to her, saying, "This old servant will go home and pack my things now."

Tomorrow morning, I will take my son-in-law and grandson to Pengcheng to serve my country.

"Wait, I have two more questions for you." Grand Tutor Yu glanced at Hu Hai and asked, "When the late emperor passed away, was there really no warning, so sudden that he didn't leave an edict or even a single word?"

Zhao Gao did not hesitate and immediately said, "Indeed there is no imperial edict, but the late emperor left a will instructing this old servant to draft an edict to summon Crown Prince Fusu back to Xianyang and have him immediately inherit the throne."

Hu Hai's expression changed slightly, and he stared nervously at Grand Tutor Yu.

Grand Tutor Yu asked curiously, "The fact that the late emperor knew to leave behind an edict to appoint a new emperor shows that he had a premonition of his own death."

Hu Hai secretly breathed a sigh of relief. His adoptive father didn't care at all who his father truly chose; he only cared about how his father died.

Zhao Gao hesitated and said, "Perhaps the late emperor had a premonition of his sudden death."

They might even be secretly preparing something many years in advance.

The old servant had some suspicions, but had not been able to find out anything.

Besides his favored ministers like Lao Nu, Li Si, and Feng Quji, His Majesty has also secretly cultivated a team of advisors.

Nobody knows where they are or what they are doing.

This old servant can only confirm that the late emperor's death was indeed very sudden and unexpected.

The late emperor was aware that he was about to face an ominous event, but he did not know when that moment would arrive.

When the old servant heard Consort Rou scream, he immediately rushed into the palace and saw the late emperor lying on the bed with his own eyes. His face showed shock, fear, and determination.

Given His Majesty's condition at the time, this old servant was naturally anxious to summon the imperial physician and have the immortal master bring elixirs to save his life.

But His Majesty stopped the old servant and ordered Consort Rou and everyone else in the palace to get out.

Inside the vast palace, only the old servant and His Majesty were present.

His Majesty spoke a few words with a melancholy expression, as if to say, "I was wrong, I made a mistake," and "I am not reconciled."

Before this old servant could ask anything more, His Majesty was already barely breathing.

Before he breathed his last, he asked his old servant to write the edict of succession.

At that moment, this old servant was both unwilling and afraid, yet dared not disobey His Majesty's will. He could only retrieve the imperial seal, unfold the imperial edict, and prepare to draft it. But before he could even grind the ink, the late Emperor's head lolled to the side, and he died completely on his dragon bed.

The old eunuch is lying.

He could tell that the emperor was in very poor condition and was about to collapse, so he deliberately ground the ink and laid out the paper to prolong the time.

Once he actually wrote out the imperial edict to pass the throne to Fusu and stamped it with the Imperial Seal, it would immediately resonate with the heavens and the people, and the gods and immortals would know.

Grand Tutor Yu realized what was going on, but he didn't stop him or reprimand him.

Now Huhai has become emperor, and Fusu has gone to Handan to become the King of Zhao.

Both parties involved are satisfied, so what's there to worry about?

She inquired with Zhao Gao about the details of Ying Zheng's death, simply out of curiosity about Ying Zheng's secrets.

After all, even now, Ying Zheng's soul has vanished without a trace!
Zhao Gao continued, "When the late emperor passed away, this old servant was so frightened that he knelt on the ground, his heart filled with confusion and fear, and for a moment he was at a loss for what to do."

Suddenly a group of guards in black rushed in and carried away His Majesty's body without saying a word.

After that, this old servant never saw the late emperor again.

His coffin was indeed buried in the imperial mausoleum, but as everyone knows, that's how it all ended.

Before the imperial mausoleum was sealed, the ancestral dragon vein beneath the Qinling Mountains suddenly died.

The mountains collapsed and the earth cracked, blood rained down, ghosts wailed and gods howled, the scene was extremely tragic.

The 'Nine Provinces Hall,' where the coffin of the late emperor was placed, should have been the core of the emperor's blessed land, but it has disappeared without a trace.

Those men in black never appeared again. It's unknown whether they vanished along with the Nine Provinces Palace.

(End of this chapter)