You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

In the afternoon, in the courtyard, inside the main hall.

"Your Majesty, please have a seat."

Lu Zuo nodded and sat down in front of an ebony round table, leaning against a carved wooden chair.

Zhu Yuyan sat gracefully opposite him, gently lifting a kettle from the antique tea set on the table and pouring a cup of tea for Lu Zuo.

Steam rises, bringing forth the fragrant aroma of tea, which seeps into the lungs and refreshes the soul.

Lu Zuo picked up the teacup, took a small sip, raised an eyebrow slightly, took another sip, and praised, "Good tea."

"At first, it feels slightly astringent, like the cool, refreshing morning dew."

"Take another sip, and a warm, mellow sensation spreads, like a warm spring flowing down your throat and into your chest and abdomen, washing away all the clutter in your mind and clearing your thoughts."

"Excellent tea!"

Zhu Yuyan smiled gently: "This tea is called: A Thought of Tranquility."

"Of all the things under heaven, only a few ounces remain."

"If His Majesty had not come in person, Yu Yan would not have been willing to take it out."

After a pause, Zhu Yuyan continued, "What does Your Majesty think of the Yin Gui Sect?"

"Or rather..."

"What does Your Majesty think of the Holy Gate?"

Lu Zuo pondered for a moment, then put down his teacup: "This is not important to me."

"The important question is, can the Yin Gui faction work for me?"

"Can."

Zhu Yuyan nodded and said, "But..."

"The world of martial arts is vast and boundless, and masters of martial arts are as numerous as clouds."

"Why did Your Majesty choose my Yin Gui Sect?"

"after all……"

"No emperor would willingly bear the reputation of colluding with the demonic sect."

"Your Majesty does not understand Yu Yan's doubts, and Yu Yan truly finds it difficult to trust Your Majesty."

Lu Zuo pondered for a moment and nodded: "Three reasons."

"Firstly, I need the power of the Yin Gui Sect, but I have no dealings with other martial arts forces."

"Right now, you are the only ones we can choose."

Zhu Yuyan nodded and softly hummed in agreement: "Anything else?"

Secondly, the Buddhist influence in the Chen Kingdom was too great.

"The Buddhist community colluded with aristocratic families to seize land, plunder the wealth of the people, and promote superstition."

"This will be detrimental to the country in the long run."

"Most importantly..."

"Cihang Jingzhai is known as the foremost Buddhist temple in the world, and is considered a sacred Buddhist site along with Jingnian Chan Temple."

"The Jingzhai and Chan Temples have long since submitted to the Northern Sui Dynasty. I do not trust the Buddhist community and need a force in the martial arts world to counterbalance them."

"Thirdly, I do not believe that the Yin Gui Sect is a demonic sect."

"That's right, the Holy Gate and its two factions and six paths are indeed a mixed bag, with many wicked people emerging."

"But as far as I know, the Holy Sect was originally one of the Hundred Schools of Thought, and its martial arts also originated from these schools."

"Although we do not know why we are now universally condemned and plagued by internal evils, if we address the root causes, reform the malpractices, and purge the traitors from within, we may well become a righteous sect that will be remembered for generations to come."

Zhu Yuyan's eyes narrowed, and the fingertips holding the teacup trembled slightly.

"Besides..."

"These words, along with Miss Zhu's discussion at the Confucius Mansion, have further solidified my viewpoint."

Zhu Yuyan's eyes flickered, and she thought to herself: Unify the Holy Sect, reform and innovate, cleanse the internal affairs, slay demons and evil spirits, wash away the name of the demonic path, and stand upright in the world.

Isn't this the ambition I set for myself since childhood?

After thinking for a moment, she reached out and poured Lu Zuo more tea: "Yu Yan has a condition."

"speak."

"Your Majesty should choose an opportune time to appoint Yu Yan as the Grand Preceptor of the Great Chen Dynasty."

"no problem."

Zhu Yuyan immediately stood up, her robes falling silently, then knelt down, her posture upright, and whispered, "From this day forward, Zhu Yuyan is willing to follow Your Majesty's lead."

"Not the Yin Gui Sect?" Lu Zuo's eyes narrowed.

"We need to ask Master before we can make a decision," Zhu Yuyan replied. "But I think Master's opinion should be the same as mine."

"besides……"

"No matter what choice your sect makes, Yu Yan will serve Your Majesty."

also.

What Lu Zuo needed was simply the fighting strength of her and Zhang Lihua.

As for the Yin Gui School, we'll discuss that later.

Thinking of this, he reached out to help her up, saying, "Please rise, Miss Zhu."

After Zhu Yuyan sat down again, Lu Zuo said, "Since Miss Zhu has already stated her conditions, then I will also state my requirements."

"Your Majesty, please speak."

"Firstly, you and Zhang Lihua must help me get rid of Li Chengan and Shi Wenqing."

Li Chengan?

Zhu Yuyan suddenly understood; no wonder he wanted to win over the Yin Gui Sect.

This is an attempt to eliminate powerful ministers!

but……

She frowned: "Your Majesty, Shi Wenqing is easy to deal with, but Li Chengan is highly skilled and has profound cultivation."

"Let alone Lihua and me, even if Master himself came, we wouldn't be guaranteed to win."

Is the old eunuch that strong?

Lu Zuo asked, "What is his cultivation level?"

"I don't know."

Zhu Yuyan shook her head: "But judging from his past record, he is probably no less skilled than Master Shi Cailin of Goryeo."

Grandmaster is not a state of being, but a title.

Only those whose martial virtue, cultivation, and character are recognized by the world, and who have unique insights into martial arts and its principles, can be honored with the title of Grandmaster.

But there's a prerequisite...

It needs to be powerful enough!

"If you join forces with Lihua, can you wear them down?"

Zhu Yuyan thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "If his strength is not much different from my estimate, it will not only be a waste, but may also cause him some minor injuries."

"What if I send five or more innate experts to assist me?"

"The odds are higher, but serious injury is also possible."

After silently considering for a moment, Lu Zuo asked, "Does Miss Zhu carry any poison?"

……

Half an hour later, Lu Zuo, having reached an agreement, left the courtyard with several packets of "soft bone powder" and headed back towards the palace.

Zhu Yuyan stood alone in the courtyard, a few rays of sunlight filtering through the gaps in the grape trellis, casting a blush of rosy light on her profile.

"To help him cultivate?"

"Hmph, clearly a lecher, yet he speaks of it so grandly?"

Just now, Lu Zuo set out several conditions, in addition to doing dirty work for him and removing troublesome things that were inconvenient to do by hand.

This also includes some of the female disciples of the Yin Gui Sect, including herself, offering themselves to him, etc...

Although people from the Demonic Sect don't value chastity, Zhu Yuyan still felt quite resistant to it.

"well……"

"That's enough."

"Such is the nature of a tyrant; what can be done?"

"From now on, have the junior sisters who practice the Maiden's Great Art keep him occupied. As for yourself, just deal with him as best you can, and avoid him as much as you can."

……

The Imperial Palace.

As soon as Lu Zuo stepped into the palace gate, a young eunuch ran up to him, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, Lord Shi requests an audience."

Shih Wen-ching?

What is he here for?

Where are they?

"We are waiting for Your Majesty in the Imperial Study."

"besides……"

The young eunuch leaned closer and whispered a few words in his ear.

Immediately, Lu Zuo's pupils contracted sharply!

"I understand."