Ming Dynasty: pacifying the rebellion and defending the border, dominating the world

Chapter 426 The Method of Solving Doubts, Sages from All Directions

Zhu Jinzhen never expected that there would be such an unexpected gain.

The mystery surrounding Xiao Yi, the Great Emperor of the Northern Li Kingdom, was thus dispelled!
"Not a time traveler, not a reincarnated person."

"Isn't it some powerful immortal who possessed another's body and was reborn?"

Zhu Jinzhen gave Xiao Yi a deep look. With his current level of strength, he could see through all of Xiao Yi's tricks at a glance. With the blessing of the Yunchao method, he could also clearly see that Xiao Yi was neither a possessed person nor a reborn person.

He felt that these martial arts techniques and even magical abilities were out of place in this world.

Although it is indeed not from this world, it is not like what Zhu Jinzhen guessed, that it was brought in by some kind of transmigrator or reincarnator.

Instead, it was obtained by joining forces with Li Changsheng and others to kill the immortals.

That makes sense.

As for why Li Changsheng was targeted by immortals after opening the Heavenly Gate with his sword, Zhu Jinzhen had a guess: "The Immortal's Book?"

"Your Majesty really knows everything."

Li Changsheng felt that none of the surprises he had experienced in his hundreds of years of life had been as great as those he had today.

The Immortal's Book is an old story from hundreds of years ago, and even the Northern Li royal family's library and Li Changsheng's own Hundred Knowledge Hall no longer have many records of it.

Zhu Jinzhen, however, was able to see right through it.

"As for those immortals..."

Li Changsheng shook his head with a wry smile and said, "I really don't know about this matter. There are immortals in the heavens, and there are also immortals outside the four corners of the world who are eyeing it covetously, thinking of invading this world at any time."

"We have no way of pressing the immortals we encountered back then to find out where they came from. They never revealed it until their deaths. Therefore... we are afraid we cannot give Your Majesty this answer."

Zhu Jinzhen remained calm and nodded without changing his expression.

"but……"

Xiao Yi, standing to the side, seemed to have thought of something and looked at Zhu Jinzhen, solemnly saying, "If the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty really wants to know, there is a way."

"Oh?"

Zhu Jinzhen looked surprised. Li Changsheng had made it very clear that although they had a brief exchange during their battle to the point of killing the immortal, they had not obtained much useful information.

Many things are just speculations by Li Changsheng and his group.

"I've heard that on the day the Ming emperor entered the capital after the Jingnan Rebellion, the gates of heaven opened wide, and celestial beings descended to earth. They harbored ill intentions towards you and were ultimately killed by several of your top warriors?"

"It's true."

Zhu Jinzhen nodded calmly.

The opening of the Heavenly Gates that day, resulting in the slaying of numerous immortals, was no secret in the Ming Dynasty. It even gave rise to various absurd rumors, with stories of a "battle to slay immortals" circulating widely among the common people.

It's not surprising that Xiao Yi knew about this.

Li Changsheng, however, shuddered and showed a look of surprise.

He had only just arrived in the capital when he was "invited" here by the secret guards, so he knew nothing about this matter.

After hesitating for a moment, Xiao Yi spoke in a deep voice: "Back then, after slaying the immortals in the Northern Territory, Hu Zi (Li Changsheng) and I each obtained several immortal treasures, many of which came from the cultivation techniques of those immortal worlds. Presumably, the Ming Emperor also gained something when he slew many immortals. If we can compare them, we can naturally find out whether the immortals we encountered came from the heavens or from beyond the Four Realms!"

"That is indeed a good idea."

Zhu Jinzhen pondered for a moment and nodded in approval.

Although this method is not foolproof, it is relatively simple and effective.

Of course, Zhu Jinzhen actually had an even simpler method. He could ask Du Zi, the remnant soul of an immortal he had completely controlled, or the many immortals he, Changsun Wangqing, Yang Ning, and Yan Yimei had killed.

"For more than a month, I was constantly on the verge of life and death."

“The minds of those immortals were already riddled with holes.”

“Right now, let alone asking them questions, even if you asked them to offer their souls as dogs, I doubt anyone would refuse!” A subtle smile flashed in Zhu Jinzhen’s eyes.

Those immortals didn't just die after they were killed.

The next day, he arranged for Yan Yimei and all the secret guards who were above the terrestrial celestial beings to take turns reviving them through Teyvat, and then throw them all into the martial arts cultivation furnace once.

Press them for more information.

Those who refuse to cooperate will be killed first, and then resurrected the next day.

It goes on and on, in cycles.

After more than a month of life-and-death struggles and countless terrifying torments, the immortals' minds had long been shattered and their spirits were in a daze. In recent days, they have been answering whatever the secret guards want to know.

"Does the Emperor of Ming have any other questions?"

Xiao Yi's tentative question made Zhu Jinzhen regain his composure.

"Yes, I will send someone to deliver a few cultivation manuals later." Zhu Jinzhen nodded, and with a thought, the secret guards waiting outside received his order and went to Yan Yimei to convey his verbal message.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yi cupped his hands in greeting, said nothing more, and showed a hint of gratitude on his face.

He had actually been curious about this for two hundred years.

If he could resolve his doubts, Xiao Yi would be able to put an end to one of his regrets.

Seeing this, Li Changsheng knew it was his turn to explain again. After a moment of contemplation, he slowly said, "As for the mortal realm that Your Majesty wishes to understand, the four sages."

"That's a long story."

"The origins of the original four sages are unknown. It is said that they can be traced back to the time of the Yellow Emperor and Yan Emperor, and then to the Spring and Autumn Period, through the schools of Taoism, Confucianism, military strategy, and Mohism."

"Later, due to a certain event that occurred during the Qin Dynasty, the families of the four sages were to fall apart."

"Later, after the human realm had finally been peaceful for a while, another big problem arose. Extraterrestrial immortals launched a large-scale invasion of the human realm, wanting to turn it into a pasture. Various rumors about the source of blood food and so on appeared in ancient books."

"While the truth cannot be verified, it is known that Emperor Wu of Han later led the two pillars of the empire, the elite army of the Han Dynasty, and trampled Kunlun, blocking the breach. They successfully repelled the extraterrestrial immortals who had launched a large-scale invasion of the human world, thus bringing five hundred years of peace to the human world."

As soon as Li Changsheng spoke, Wenhua Hall fell into a near-death silence.

All that remained was the sound of Zhu Jinzhen's fingers gently tapping on the table.

After a long time, Zhu Jinzhen heard about the First Emperor Ying Zheng and the Qin Dynasty, as well as Emperor Wu of Han's conquest of Kunlun with his horse, all from the mouth of Li Changsheng, a banished immortal who had lived for hundreds of years.

"Immortals from beyond the realms have launched a massive invasion of the mortal world?"

Did Emperor Wu of Han's horse trample the Kunlun Mountains, bringing five hundred years of peace to the world?

A cold, fierce glint flashed in Zhu Jinzhen's eyes. He thought of the abyss he had seen in Kunlun during his previous spiritual journey, and the pitch blackness he had witnessed. He couldn't help but let out a cold snort.

This kind of unconscious expression of anger and murderous intent.

There was no intention to target Li Changsheng and Xiao Yi, but the immense pressure still appeared without warning, pressing down on the two of them as if the sky were collapsing.

"This is..." Li Changsheng's pupils shrank, and he tried his best to resist by channeling all his power.

Xiao Yi's sword intent surged forth, wanting to burst forth and cut through everything, but it was restricted by an unimaginable force. He could only feel his body stiffen, as if death was approaching and a terrifying pressure was about to crush them, who were like a small boat in a vast ocean.

(End of this chapter)