Chapter 1143: Zhu Yuanzhang

"Report!"

"Urgent report!"

In the night, the Taihe Hall was brightly lit; Zhu Yuanzhang, his hair entirely silver, sat at his desk, bent over reviewing official documents.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps rang out, followed by a sharp cry of report.

"It's so late—the Imperial City is already closed. Is there still an urgent matter?" Zhu Yuanzhang looked up; his face was lined with wrinkles, yet his eyes remained sharp, "Could it be that something major has happened within the Imperial City?"

"Indeed."

Nighttime urgent reports did not come from afar, but from nearby.

This was more alarming than daytime urgent reports.

After all, even if something major occurred far away, he could still strategize and have a chance to recover.

But if a crisis struck the Imperial City, it was right before his eyes, capable of ending the Emperor's life in a single night or day.

The Emperor's authority extended only beyond ten paces, within a thousand li.

Threats within ten paces were the most lethal to an Emperor.

"Admit them!"

Amidst a thousand thoughts in his mind, Zhu Yuanzhang could not guess what had occurred.

After all, he was now in his old age, the Ming Dynasty had been established for many years, factions were entangled, and conflicts between the martial world and court never ceased.

Even he, for a moment, found it difficult to untangle the relationships.

Soon, a sturdy guard entered the hall, stopping dozens of steps away, kneeling on the ground and reporting loudly: "Urgent report! Just now, Zhuang Qingshuang, the only daughter of the Xining Sect, and Xu Ye Yue, the only daughter of the Ghost King's Mansion, flew through the air, descending from the nine heavens—hundreds of witnesses can attest!"

"Flew through the air?" Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze sharpened, "Liao Wu, could you do this?"

"No." A distant voice came, heard but unseen.

The man was Liao Wu, the chief of Zhu Yuanzhang's shadow eunuchs, from the Jing Nian Chan Yuan.

-5/①; 6! To assist the sovereign, he underwent castration and entered the palace to guard the Emperor's side.

"Could a Void-Shattering expert do this?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked again.

"Void-Shattering is too distant for this monk to judge."

As he spoke, another urgent cry came from outside.

"Report! The Ghost King requests an audience!"

"Report! Zhuang Jie of the Xining Sect requests an audience!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up: "They must have come because of this. Admit them!"

Outside the palace gate.

The Ghost King and Zhuang Jie exchanged glances.

Suddenly, Zhuang Jie bowed and said: "Greetings, Mr. Xu! Thank you for recommending my daughter. If this matter succeeds, I shall personally visit to thank you."

"Sect Master Zhuang, you are too kind."

As they spoke, the eunuch delivering the imperial summons arrived.

"Gentlemen, the Emperor summons you—quickly, follow me inside."

The two exchanged glances and stepped together into the inner palace, entering the Taihe Hall.

"Your servant bows before Your Majesty."

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes blazed like lightning: "Zhuang Jie, I just heard your daughter and Mr. Xu's daughter flew through the air. Is this true?"

"It is true. I have come precisely because of this!" Zhuang Jie replied quickly, "Your Majesty, contrary to rumors, it was not my daughter who flew through the air—it was Young Lady Xu Ye Yue."

"Oh!" Zhu Yuanzhang's interest stirred, turning to the Ghost King.

If a mere spy had reported someone flying through the air, he would not have believed it.

But Zhuang Jie was his trusted confidant.

Such men cherished power above all—they would never speak such words based on rumor or hearsay.

If false, it would cost them their office, even their lives.

Since he dared to swear to it, the matter must hold some truth.

"Sect Master Zhuang speaks truly!" The Ghost King bowed, "Your Majesty, please look!"

With that, his body floated into the air.

He stepped upon empty space as if walking an invisible staircase.

This world had martial arts, and experts who shattered the void.

But even the most advanced martial arts followed fundamental laws.

The supreme martial arts of the world still relied on controlling qi, merely reducing bodily weight—like a man on the moon, able to leap higher than on Earth.

Yet, he would still fall—he could never stand suspended in midair as if on solid ground.

"What is this?" Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly rose to his feet; even the shadow eunuch stepped from the shadows into the light, staring at the Ghost King, Xu Ruowu, in utter disbelief.

The image of the Ghost King floating in midair was profoundly shocking to ordinary martial cultivators.

"This is the Immortal Martial Way," the Ghost King said as he landed, speaking calmly, "created by the Daoist Lord Taixuan. It currently has nine realms. I am now at the second realm—the True Qi Realm—with a lifespan of six hundred years. With a mere wave of my hand, I can shatter mountains and sever rivers, and fly through the heavens and tunnel through the earth."

"Six hundred years?" Zhu Yuanzhang gasped, "How can a man live six hundred years?"

The Ghost King smiled, and with a thought, his true qi flowed.

In the next instant, his appearance rapidly aged into youth.

"I kept my original appearance before coming to the palace to meet Your Majesty. Now that Your Majesty stands before me, I need not trouble myself to maintain an aged form."

Zhu Yuanzhang, seeing the Ghost King instantly transform into a youth, trembled in shock.

"Previously, I planned to enter the palace to meet Your Majesty, so I kept my original appearance. Now that Your Majesty is right before me, I no longer need to strain to maintain this aged form."

Zhu Yuanzhang, seeing the Ghost King instantly transform into a boy, was jolted.

This scene shocked him more than the Ghost King flying through the air.

He was already old.

Even the wisest emperor, in old age, thinks of immortality.

No, as long as one is human, when life nears its end, who can escape this worldly desire?

Since ancient times, death has been the hardest thing!

Commoners are like this; emperors are naturally the same:

Zhu Yuanzhang stepped forward quickly, his expression excited: "This is truly the path to immortality! Mr. Xu, can I learn it too?"

"Of course you can," the Ghost King laughed. "I came here precisely for this."

He then explained the chat group, and that Zhu Yuanzhang from another world wished to meet.

"Your Majesty, that Zhu Yuanzhang wishes to meet you and discuss cooperation; then, naturally, you may seek the art of immortality."

Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned: "Another world's me?"

"757, yes," the Ghost King nodded.

Zhu Yuanzhang asked again: "Has your daughter joined that chat group and become acquainted with the Dao Lord?"

The Ghost King nodded: "Correct."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhuang Jie: "What about Zhuang Qingshuang?"

"At my daughter's persuasion, Miss Zhuang has agreed to serve beside the Dao Lord," the Ghost King smiled. "She will soon be sent to Dalaotian."

Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang fell silent, his mind racing with thoughts.

The Ghost King had done the Dao Lord a favor; how could he not respond in kind?

As an emperor who rose from the lowest ranks, he understood human relations all too well.

"Zhuang Jie, prepare yourself. Tomorrow, when I meet the emperor from another world and finalize our two-world cooperation, you shall select concubines for me and send them to Dalaotian!"

Zhuang Jie stared in shock.

Your Majesty, what are you doing?!

Me selecting concubines to compete with my own daughter for favor—is that something a human could do?

Yet, circumstances overpower the individual; he could only accept the order.