The Demon King, reborn in Japan as a monk

"You bastard!" King Han was furious. He swept everything off the table in front of him and then, panting heavily, it took him a while to calm down.

"Did that person really say that?" King Han asked again, looking down at the open ground below.

“Not a single word is different,” Zhang Kaidi replied.

"Are you sure that person is indeed an immortal, the owner of that enormous mountain floating above the new city?" King Han paused for a moment before speaking again to confirm.

"I cannot be certain," Zhang Kaidi said, shaking his head.

He can assess talent and identify strengths and weaknesses, but he lacks the ability to directly discern the authenticity of a person's identity. He generally determines whether someone possesses genuine talent or is merely pretending through communication, interaction, and observation. However, this only applies to ordinary people; for immortals…

Sorry, it was also his first time seeing a living immortal, and he had no experience with that.

Chapter 697 Meeting the King of Han

It must be said that those who can become the ruler of a country, no matter how incompetent, are all capable of wielding power and are not troubled by personal feelings.

Take King Han, for example!

Although he was very unhappy with Ishihara's demand for the beauty and his daughter, for the sake of the floating mountain and the potential rise of Korea, he still sent Hu Meiren and Honglian away after much consideration...

After all, he has no shortage of beautiful women, and his affection for Hu Meiren is not to the point that he cannot lose her.

If it were Chao Yao Nu, he might have hesitated a bit more, but Hu Meiren?

Having wielded supreme power in all of South Korea, he could have more concubines, even concubines like Li and Wang, at any time if he wished. Therefore, he felt no remorse whatsoever when sending them away.

As for Princess Honglian...

Although she is his most beloved daughter, she is still a daughter and will eventually get married. She may be able to exchange for some benefits, but in essence, it is no different from now!

Instead, he should use his daughter's existence to bring himself, Korea, and the immortal closer together, thus making the immortal the strongest support for Korea and for him, the King of Korea.

So, as expected, the next morning, Shi Yuanzhang saw Princess Honglian, dressed in red, with a somewhat willful and cute temperament, and the foxy-looking Hu Meiren, along with Han Xiang Zhang Kaidi, who had been ordered to bring them there, at the Zilanxuan, which had officially announced its closure.

"He really is willing to spend that much." Ishihara Sho looked at Hu Meiren and Princess Honglian, who were expressionless and resentful, and chuckled.

"Since he is willing to part with it, then I will naturally not go back on my word. I will go with you to the palace to see the king."

With that, Ishihara Akane stood up, instructed the Snow Woman beside him to "keep a close eye on the two of them," and then left the Purple Orchid Pavilion. He boarded the carriage originally intended to transport the two, and the carriage swayed and creaked as it headed towards the palace.

Although the experience wasn't great, it was at least much better than the bumpy dirt roads outside the city. So, after a short while, the carriage stopped outside the palace, and Ishihara Chang was invited to get out. Led by Han Chancellor Zhang Kaidi, they moved deeper into the palace.

As for the announcements, the coachmen or the guards at the palace gates would naturally take care of that. There was no need to worry that Ishihara Zhang would arrive suddenly and not be able to see the King of Han, or that he would feel caught off guard.

And so, a moment later, Ishihara Akira met the bloated and obese King Han An, who still possessed a regal air, in a rather spacious hall.

"I have arrived. You may speak now." Ishihara Akira did not bow to King Han as if he were standing with his hands behind his back. Instead, he stood arrogantly in the center of the hall, just as some nobles of this era were treating commoners. He spoke to King Han, who was preparing to rise to greet him.

Han Wang'an was somewhat stiff by Ishihara Sho's attitude. He didn't know whether to stand there and not move, or to take the opportunity to make amends. His expression was quite awkward.

"Your Majesty, Immortal Stone, let's sit down first," Zhang Kaidi said, breaking the awkward silence.

“Alright.” Ishihara Akira nodded noncommittally and sat down behind the table next to him.

"Bring wine!" Zhang Kaidi, who had also sat down, shouted towards the outside of the hall.

Although tea did exist at this time, only doctors and some farmers knew about it. Moreover, it was not regarded as an ordinary beverage, but as a kind of herb with detoxifying effects, similar to licorice. Therefore, under normal circumstances, the items served to guests in this era were always wine and beverages, in addition to soup and other delicacies.

Fortunately, the alcohol content of the drinks in this era was very low, perhaps even lower than that of beer in later generations. In addition, they were brewed from pure grains, without many other unhealthy ingredients. So, drinking too much wouldn't cause any major problems. You wouldn't wake up with a headache the next morning, nor would you get so drunk that you forget what you did.

Naturally, it also shows that people in this era are more easygoing, often downing several bowls of food at a time...

Of course, this applies to people of this era. For Ishihara Yu, these drinks are really just water; no matter how much he drinks, he won't feel drunk.

……

"The fact that an immortal has graced Korea with his presence is a great honor for all of us. It also reminds me of an ancestor of the Han clan, named Han Jing, who was the grandson of Changyi, the son of the Yellow Emperor. He became an immortal during the reign of Emperor Yao and passed down the lineage of the Han clan. I wonder if Immortal Shi knew my ancestor in the upper realm?" With Zhang Kaidi's mediation, the atmosphere was finally less awkward. After drinking another cup of wine, King An of Han asked Shi Yuanzhang.

"The Upper Realm is vast, spanning countless miles, and contains numerous cities scattered throughout the land like modern countries. It is inhabited by countless people, including native inhabitants of the Upper Realm and those who have ascended from the Lower Realm. However, the number of people in the Lower Realm is also incalculable. Therefore, the people of the Upper Realm are also largely unknown. Perhaps your ancestors lived in the Upper Realm, but I have neither heard of them nor seen them." Ishihara Akira paused slightly before recounting the so-called information about the Upper Realm that he had haphazardly fabricated.

"I never imagined the Upper Realm would be so vast," King Han exclaimed. He paused, then continued, "But I wonder, what brings the immortals to the mortal realm? Do they have a mission?"

"It was merely a stroke of luck, a stroke of good fortune, that I was fortunate enough to be born in this world. However, this also cost me the chance to return to the Heavenly Realm, so I have no choice but to stay in this world and enjoy the rest of my life," Ishihara Akira chuckled.

"Has the immortal chosen a place to reside?" King Han's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he immediately asked.

“Haven’t you already seen it?” Ishihara Akira said with a smile.

"Hmm?" King Han looked at him with some surprise, then opened his mouth.

Zhang Kaidi was quick-witted; he opened his mouth and silently reminded her by lip-reading with a pen.

"Floating Mountain, is it?" King Han nodded knowingly, then continued, "While Floating Mountain is incredibly mysterious, beyond the comprehension of us mortals, the higher one climbs, the colder it gets. It's not as bustling and prosperous as the ground. Perhaps it's suitable for immortals to cultivate themselves, but it's not necessarily a place to enjoy life. So, if the immortals haven't decided where to settle, why not find a mountain or river within the borders of my Han Kingdom to reside in? At that time, I can grant the immortals the land and people surrounding the mountain or river to aid their cultivation and enjoyment."

"That's true, and it sounds perfectly fine, but surely there are conditions, right? Your Majesty, there's no need for you to beat around the bush and test me with words. Just state your thoughts directly. As long as it's not too outrageous, I might be willing to offer you some assistance, considering the beauty you've given me." Ishihara Akira smiled lightly, directly revealing the King of Han's thoughts.

Chapter 698 Recommending Talents

Upon hearing what Shi Yuanzhang said, both Zhang Kaidi and Han Wang'an's eyes lit up, and they became excited.

However, compared to Han Wang'an, who was simply excited by Ishihara Yu's promise, Zhang Kaidi had more worries—

He was terrified that King An of Han would take this opportunity to propose some unrealistic ideas, such as granting him immortality, which would displease the immortals. In that case, instead of Han rising to power, the country would be destroyed because the king angered the immortals.

However, it is clear that Zhang Kaidi has underestimated King Han An's magnanimity.

Indeed, he does give the impression of being incompetent and muddleheaded now, like a tyrannical ruler, but he wasn't always like this! King An of Han was once a shrewd and capable man; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to lead his army to destroy the Baiyue, and then surpass many of the other princes of Han in terms of military merit, thus becoming the current King An of Han.