In the Northern Song Dynasty, within the imperial palace, the Zichan Hall.
The entire hall was grand and elegant, yet Wu Pifu, lacking in culture, could only describe it as understated luxury.
“Damn, is this floor paved with gold?” Yamada exclaimed as she stepped on the ground.
“This is a special type of brick, um, understated luxury,” Wu Pifu replied.
“Damn, this wood has such a rich fragrance; it was already extinct during the Three Wars,” Yamada knocked on the solitary table in front of her.
“This is a special type of wood that has been harvested, um, understated luxury,” Wu Pifu said.
“Damn, this food is truly…”
“Um, understated luxury…”
Xu Shilan looked at the two of them speechlessly and said, “I say, you two have had enough, right? If you want to kill someone, just do it. Why hide your murderous intent behind such awkward laughter?”
The three of them spoke without avoiding those around them, and although Chu Minghao said nothing and did nothing, he was grinning as he watched the two, showing no signs of stopping them.
The eunuchs and palace maids who were serving the dishes were drenched in cold sweat, and the nearby ministers were all embarrassed, unsure whether to speak or to smile along, or perhaps it was best to maintain a blank expression?
Two Golden Strength Warriors exploded with a roar from Wu Pifu, causing the National Master Guo Jing to faint directly.
Then… the souls of those two children were not only seen by Wu Pifu.
Everyone present saw it!
Although the remains of the Golden Strength Warriors quickly self-ignited and were destroyed, this scene still led Wu Pifu and the others to have certain speculations in their hearts.
However, Chu Minghao said nothing and even happily accepted the banquet invitation from Emperor Zhao Ji of the Zhao Song, bringing the three into the Zichan Hall.
But Wu Pifu and Yamada could not hold back; one had a normal worldview and felt a surge of killing intent upon witnessing such events, while the other, having grown up during the Three Wars, was accustomed to life and death but could not bear to see anything happen to children.
This was an ironclad rule from the Three Wars, so their murderous intent erupted openly.
Chu Minghao said to the two, “I have my own plans; don’t panic.”
Only then did the two calm down slightly, but their gazes remained fierce.
The four sat down, and within the palace, eunuchs and palace maids began to arrange the dishes, while some ministers came to sit down.
They were quite curious about these four oddly dressed individuals, though most of these ministers wore green robes, with only a few in scarlet robes.
Wu Pifu had only a general knowledge of the Great Song but was aware of the official attire of the Song Dynasty.
In terms of color, purple robes belonged to high-ranking officials, likely third or fourth rank and above, followed by scarlet robes, and then green robes.
As these mid to low-ranking officials arrived, gradually scarlet and purple-robed officials began to appear, some of whom respectfully cupped their hands towards Chu Minghao from a distance.
Chu Minghao merely smiled and sipped his tea, appearing calm and unhurried, combined with the immortal aura he exuded from his super brain, truly stunning everyone, including Wu Pifu and Yamada.
After about twenty minutes, suddenly the sound of a whip crackled, and all the ministers stood up respectfully, while only Chu Minghao and the other three remained seated.
Following that, a group of attendants escorted an elderly man dressed in the emperor's uniform from the back of the hall, accompanied by a middle-aged woman, several princes, and a princess, who all took their seats in the upper positions and around.
At this point, the entire royal banquet seemed quite normal; those mid to low-ranking officials were unaware of the true nature of this banquet.
However, during the Lantern Festival, the Zhao Song imperial family would also hold banquets, and it was indeed in this Zichan Hall.
Although there were a few more oddly dressed individuals than usual, considering the recent northern war, it was possible that these four were northern heroes or something similar.
However, at this moment, such rudeness was intolerable, and immediately a censor stood up to speak.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Ji smiled at Chu Minghao first and said, “Immortal, your presence brings me great joy. Please enjoy the literary and culinary delights of my Great Song.”
After speaking, the eunuch beside Zhao Ji cleared his throat, preparing to summon the singing and dancing troupe from outside the hall to perform.
At this time, the sky outside was already at dusk, and lanterns and candles were lit within the palace.
During this time, Zhao Ji didn’t even glance at the ministers who stood up to pay their respects.
Chu Minghao, however, chuckled and interrupted the eunuch, saying, “Wait a moment, where is the Daoist Guo Jing?”
Zhao Ji’s expression changed slightly, and the faces of the more knowledgeable ministers also shifted, while the remaining uninformed ministers turned dark, and some even stepped forward to question directly.
The atmosphere in the hall immediately changed, but Chu Minghao seemed oblivious.
He chuckled again, suddenly stood up, his voice becoming deep and resonant, and his entire body began to grow taller and larger endlessly, while the lights in the entire hall began to dim, as if he alone blocked out all the light.
Wu Pifu, sitting beside Chu Minghao, felt this most acutely; at that moment, he felt as if Chu Minghao was a thousand meters tall, even though the entire hall was not even a hundred meters high.
Yet, the feeling of being incredibly small was extremely intense; he even felt he was smaller than a finger of Chu Minghao.
Everyone inside and outside the hall was stunned and breathless, the terrifying pressure as if they were facing a deity, the feeling of being as insignificant as an ant erupted at that moment, and they realized they couldn’t even move a finger.
“Old official, I ask you, where is the Daoist Guo Jing!?”
The voice was deep, not particularly loud, yet it seemed to come from the clouds above, rolling down like heavenly thunder.
“Here, here, here! Immortal, please calm your anger, the Daoist Guo Jing has already been executed, already executed! Immortal, please accept this divine power; we mortals cannot bear it, we cannot bear it!” Zhao Ji was terrified, but unlike others, he could still speak, and he shouted in panic, no longer daring to act like an emperor.
As Zhao Ji spoke, Chu Minghao seemed to begin to shrink, and the lights gradually returned to normal.
After a few seconds, everyone was horrified to find they could move and speak again, while Chu Minghao remained seated, as if everything that had just happened was an illusion.
But where was this? Who were they?
This was the core of the Zhao Song, the imperial palace where the emperor resided, enshrining the Six Seals of the Son of Heaven, connected to the national fortune's Golden Dragon.
Even the National Master Guo Jing could summon winds and rain outside Bianliang City, and upon arriving in Bianliang City, without the emperor's permission, he couldn’t even cast an illusion.
And who were they? While not all could be called great scholars, they were at least well-versed in Confucianism, with righteous energy protecting their hearts.
What illusions, what Buddhist or Daoist arts, or even demonic arts had little effect on them, and they were all under the protection of the national fortune's Golden Dragon, so they were not afraid of these divine or ghostly powers.
Yet that scene had just occurred, and even the heavily burdened emperor could not withstand it, only able to speak, which meant that this young man before them was perhaps stronger than the combined might of the billions of subjects of the Zhao Song?
Could he truly be an immortal!?
No one dared to move, no one dared to speak, only Zhao Ji urgently shouted at the fallen eunuch leader beside him, “Didn’t I just order you to present the head of the demonic Daoist Guo Jing? You’ve messed up! Hurry up!”
The eunuch leader, as if waking from a dream, immediately began to apologize, rushing off with several eunuchs towards the back of the hall.
Chu Minghao merely smiled and sipped his tea, saying nothing, while no one in the hall dared to move or speak, especially the guards in the hall who wished they could truly turn into statues.
Everything in the hall seemed to freeze; time passed second by second, and many had beads of sweat accumulating on their foreheads, yet no one dared to wipe them away.
At that moment, the eunuch leader returned, holding a silver platter, on which lay a severed head—the head of National Master Guo Jing, with a face full of horror and disbelief, presented as it had just been severed.
Upon seeing this, Zhao Ji immediately said, “Quickly present it to the Immortal!”
The eunuch leader did not dare to delay, kneeling before Chu Minghao with the silver platter, carefully presenting the head, while Chu Minghao looked at the head and then cast a thoughtful glance at Zhao Ji, causing Zhao Ji to be drenched in sweat.
After a few seconds, those in the hall felt as if several days or even decades had passed, and Chu Minghao suddenly chuckled, saying, “Indeed, it is the head of the demonic Daoist Guo Jing. Your Majesty can discern good from evil, and knows loyalty from treachery; you have done well.”
Only then did Zhao Ji relax, immediately laughing dryly, “Immortal, you flatter me, you flatter me! Come, come, everyone, please sit, come and meet the Immortal.”
Only then did the ministers feel as if they had been granted a great reprieve, each cupping their hands in response, then bowing to Chu Minghao before taking their seats.
In that brief moment, these ministers were all drenched in cold sweat.
“Begin the banquet!”
“Bring in the dancers!”
“Start the music!”
A eunuch shouted loudly, and immediately a large group of palace maids entered from outside the hall, beginning to dance lightly within the grand hall, while the sounds of silk and bamboo instruments began to play slowly.
This was the usual procedure for a palace banquet, and the ministers and the emperor's sons were still pondering the Immortal's might when some sharp-eyed individuals noticed that the disciple of the Immortal sitting closest to him, the one who had shattered evil with a roar, Wu Pifu, was staring intently at the princess seated beside Prince Kang Zhao Gou, the only princess present at the scene.
Zhao Ji's twenty-sixth daughter, Princess Yongfu, Zhao Fobao.
Seeing this, Zhao Ji felt a surge of joy in his heart, secretly praising his own wisdom for having called Yongfu here; otherwise, today’s matter could have been disastrous.
As the thoughts of the ministers continued to swirl, and Zhao Ji pondered many ideas, Chu Minghao suddenly spoke, “Your Majesty, having received your banquet, do you have any requests?”
Zhao Ji's heart nearly leaped out of his chest; he suppressed his desire for immortality and respectfully replied, “How could I dare? To see a true immortal is already a great fortune; how could I have any other thoughts?”
Chu Minghao chuckled lightly, “Life inherently comes with desires; mortals are like this, how can immortals be exempt? I have brought three disciples from the South Sea Penglai, specifically to give these three unworthy disciples a chance to temper their hearts in the mortal realm. I have my own desires; how much more so for you?”
South Sea, Penglai…
The ministers immediately lowered their heads, struggling to contain their shock, while Zhao Ji did not need to do so; he immediately asked anxiously, “Is it that overseas immortal mountain, Penglai Island?”
Chu Minghao nodded, “Indeed, it is the immortal mountain Penglai, but there are restrictions placed by immortals there; mortals cannot tread upon it. I cannot return to invite you to a banquet now.”
“Dare not, dare not,” Zhao Ji immediately replied.
Chu Minghao then revealed a contemplative expression, saying, “Then how about I make a pact with you? My three disciples are unworthy; they cannot engage in mortal affairs or farm the land. I fear they will starve to death in this mortal realm.”
Zhao Ji immediately said, “How can that be? I will…”
“First, let me finish.”
Chu Minghao continued, “I will let them experience the mortal realm for five years. During these five years, you will provide them with a place to stay and food; they will often go missing to hunt down evil demons and will not trouble you much. After five years, I will come to take them back and grant you and ten of your chosen individuals fifty years of lifespan each. How does that sound?”
All present—the ministers, eunuchs, guards, palace maids, even the princes, empress, and emperor—could not help but swallow hard, the sound echoing loudly in the hall, yet no one paid attention to the awkwardness, all staring intently at Chu Minghao.
Zhao Ji was initially overjoyed, but immediately a greater desire surged within him.
However, before he could speak, Chu Minghao glanced at Wu Pifu beside him, who was staring intently at the young girl, and he couldn’t help but chuckle, saying, “Of course, if fate allows, it is not impossible to invite someone into Penglai, but do not harbor any other desires, is that acceptable?”
Zhao Ji was naturally overjoyed, immediately nodding repeatedly, even standing up from the dragon throne, saying, “Dare not, dare not! I will honor the Immortal’s decree!”
Chu Minghao merely smiled, and at that moment, Wu Pifu also withdrew his gaze from Zhao Fobao’s face, just as he was about to speak to Chu Minghao when he suddenly heard Chu Minghao’s voice in his mind, though Chu Minghao’s lips did not move at all.
“Guo Jing is not dead; what has died is merely a substitute that resembles him.”
“I am here to help you, but I cannot be your babysitter. You also need to fight, to train, to grow stronger, so that you can face greater challenges and responsibilities in the future.”
“Therefore, I am giving you a comprehensive task.”
“Kill Guo Jing and the forces behind him, while elevating your sanctuary in this world to level five, and clear away all evil and strange beings in this realm as much as possible. This place can serve as your logistical base for future battles in other dream worlds.”
“I will return in five years; as I said earlier, if you accomplish your task…”
“Then I will take you to witness this magnificent yet strange vast world, to fight alongside me against countless horrors!”
At the same time, Chu Minghao laughed heartily, stood up with his sword box on his back, holding a cup of wine, and slightly bowed to Zhao Ji and the ministers, causing everyone to immediately stand and return the gesture.
“Having received the emperor’s promise, I feel delighted in my heart. Today, in high spirits, I shall perform for you all.”
With that, Chu Minghao stepped out to the entrance of the palace, and everyone stretched their necks and widened their eyes to look at him.
They saw Chu Minghao clap the sword box, and without knowing what he did, the scene of black and white worlds appeared before everyone present.
Everyone was unable to move but could see a brilliant sword light, as bright as the sun, surging out from the sword box, disappearing in a flash from their sight, and then in the distance, at the military parade ground, an earth-shattering white light surged from the ground to the sky, as if stars were falling to the mortal realm.
When the black and white worlds vanished, Chu Minghao also disappeared from the spot, leaving behind a resonant voice echoing through Bianliang.
“... Riding the wind with my sword, exterminating demons between heaven and earth…”
“Off I go!”
In the hall, there was no longer any trace of Chu Minghao.
(End of Chapter)