The Demon King, reborn in Japan as a monk

This reveals arrogance and powerlessness.

However, Zhang Kaidi was a worldly man, and his expression remained completely unmoved as he walked to the side, sat down—that is, knelt down, sat upright—clasped his hands in a fist salute to Ishihara Sho, and spoke again: "May I ask how the immortal is addressed?"

Zi Nu then stepped forward and filled Zhang Kaidi's wine cup.

"What? You want to investigate my background?" Ishihara Sho asked with a half-smile.

"I wouldn't dare. But I can't keep calling you 'immortal' throughout the rest of our conversation, can I? That would be too impolite," Zhang Kaidi replied calmly.

"It's fine to call me an immortal directly, after all, I am indeed an immortal. Moreover, the reason why etiquette exists is only to facilitate communication between people. If I, as the other party, do not mind, then certain rules in the so-called etiquette can be ignored."

"That may be true, but if politeness is useless, what difference is there between one and a savage? Does the immortal not mind being regarded as a savage by outsiders?"

"Outsiders? Who would dare?" After a pause, Ishihara Akira continued, "Besides, our identities are quite high and noble in the secular world. If one of us hadn't taken the initiative to reveal the contents of today's conversation, who would know about today's events and then comment on me, an immortal?"

“Zhang would certainly not voluntarily leak today’s conversation, but as the prime minister, when the king inquires, Zhang cannot hide anything. And in the royal palace environment… there will always be some gossipy fellows spreading rumors. Even if you and I are unwilling, we cannot stop the people from talking about it in private.”

“What you say makes sense. Alright, I am Ishihara Sho.” Ishihara Sho pondered for a moment, then readily agreed.

"Is it the surname Ji?" Zhang Kaidi's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he quickly asked.

Chapter 696 Parting on Unhappily

Upon hearing Zhang Kaidi's words, Ishihara Sho was taken aback; he truly understood what he meant.

However, it is also known that before the Han Dynasty, people's surnames and clan names were separate. Surnames represented the source of bloodline, such as whether the earliest ancestor was the Yellow Emperor or someone else. Clan names were the origin of surnames recognized by later generations, such as the origin of surnames like Zhao, Qian, Sun, and Li.

However, Ishihara Sho is not a researcher in this field, and he was not surnamed Shi in his previous life, so he really doesn't know where the surname Shi he uses now comes from.

But that's okay. If you lack knowledge, you can make up for it with ability. Since he doesn't know, just ask someone who does.

And coincidentally, Zhang Kaidi was the most suitable person, so without any hesitation, he activated his mind-reading ability and immediately read Zhang Kaidi's thoughts—

Zhang Kai asked him if he was surnamed Ji, because the surname Shi originally came from two sources: Ji and Zi.

There's not much to say about the Ji surname; it's the surname of the Yellow Emperor, the main ancestor of the Han Chinese people, and the royal surname of the Zhou dynasty, which was recognized during the Warring States period!

Similarly, it is also the national surname of South Korea.

Yes, the surname of the rulers of the state of Han was Ji, and the clan name was Han. Therefore, Han Fei was also called Ji Fei, just as Ying Zheng was also called Zhao Zheng.

The only difference is that Ying Zheng's surname was Ying, and Zhao was his clan name.

So, in terms of surnames, Zhang Kaidi actually believes that Ishihara Chang is not related to the Korean royal family in any way.

And coincidentally, the ancestor of the Koreans, a man named Han Kyung, was also a sage, so if they really wanted to establish a connection, it's not impossible to make some kind of connection.

The latter, surnamed Zi, also has a significant origin, being the royal surname of the Shang Dynasty before the Zhou Dynasty—for example, figures like Zi Xin and Zi Shou.

Of course, it could also be Confucius.

Because Confucius was also a descendant of the Zi surname.

Therefore, if we start from this point, Zhang Kaidi can also be linked to Ishihara Sho...

Since Confucius was the founder of Confucianism, and the Shi family is also descended from the Zi family, they could be connected to Zhang Kaidi, a Confucian representative in the Korean court, even though their relationship is extremely distant. This would greatly benefit the pace of the conversation and the attempt to establish kinship...

So I have to say, these politicians are really damn cunning.

……

"So what if I am surnamed Ji, or not?" Having figured out Zhang Kaidi's thoughts, Ishihara Sho became even more confident in his nonsense.

“If you are of the Ji surname, although you are not from the same branch as our ruler, you are related by blood and thus considered relatives. This would make many things much simpler. Of course, even if you are not of the Ji surname, it doesn't matter. Confucius, the founder of Confucianism, to whom I am from, was also a descendant of the Zi surname. So, in that respect, we can still establish a kinship. If Immortal Shi has any requests, I, Zhang, am willing to do my utmost to assist you.” Zhang Kai casually placed himself and the Korean people in the position of relatives and friends of Ishihara Akira…

That's a really impressive answer.

"As expected of a prime minister, your rhetoric is indeed superb. Let's get down to business. What is the purpose of your visit to me today?" Ishihara Akira smiled, bypassing the rhetoric trap set by Zhang Kaidi, and instead inquired about his purpose.

"I have come here on the orders of my king to invite Shi Xian to the palace to stay with the king." Zhang Kaidi didn't mince words and directly stated his purpose.

"Why should I go to see him, instead of him coming to see me?" Ishihara Akira asked with a cold laugh.

"As the saying goes, a noble son should not sit under a dangerous roof. Your Majesty, you are of noble birth and the ruler of a nation. Your safety is related to the well-being of tens of thousands of people. How can you risk your life for your own selfish desires and come to such a place of pleasure to seek immortality?" Zhang Kaidi glanced around the room, at the Snow Maiden who had finished her dance and was serving Ishihara Sho a drink, and at Nongyu who was quietly playing the zither, and then answered.

"He doesn't even have the heart to be willing to sacrifice. It's obvious that he's not sincere. How can he want to seek immortality and enlightenment? You should go back and tell him to give up such inappropriate thoughts and be content with being a worldly king." Ishihara Akira commented without any politeness.

"Is Shi Xian really unwilling to meet my king?" Zhang Kai asked, frowning.

"I won't see you," Ishihara Akira refused without hesitation.

“Even after meeting my king, Shi Xian can obtain unimaginable benefits and conveniences from my king, and even be more unscrupulous and more likely to achieve his goals when he acts within the territory of my country,” Zhang Kaidi said again.

This was only because he was facing Ishihara Sho; if it were someone using ordinary trickery or charlatanry, Zhang Kaidi would have had him dragged out and shot long ago.

"I neither crave power nor covet wealth. Even if I didn't see your king, what difference would it make? As for concerns about restraint, I am an immortal. To put it bluntly, all the masters of this world combined wouldn't be enough to defeat me in a single move. Even if some insignificant ant tried to stop me, what could they do? Therefore, royal privileges are equally useless to me. So if you truly want me to see him, then offer something that will truly entice me..."

"Please inform me, Immortal Stone," Zhang Kaidi said after a moment's thought.

"I've heard that in the Han King's harem, there's a beautiful woman surnamed Hu, and a princess named Honglian who is quite clever and lovely. If your king is willing to send the beautiful woman surnamed Hu and Princess Honglian to Zilan Pavilion as my maids, I'd be willing to go to the palace to see your king and see what he wants." Shi Yuanzhang said, looking at Zhang Kaidi with a half-smile.

Zhang Kai remained silent for a long while before replying in a strained voice, "I need to inform the King before I can give Shi Xian an answer."

"Then let's go ask him," Ishihara Akira said nonchalantly.

"Then I shall take my leave." Zhang Kai looked at Ishihara Sho again, and seeing that he had nothing else to say, he stood up, bowed, turned and left the Kashi Room and the Zilan Pavilion, heading back towards the Han Palace.

……