The old emperor said, "You old ghost, you ruined my great plan and made an enemy of me. You destroyed my Nine Revolutions Immortal Elixir. I've noted this down, and don't think I have no way to deal with you or find you."
"He has already bestowed a blessing upon you: 'May you forever serve the Heavenly Venerable and escape the cycle of reincarnation,' and he has also prepared a grand gift for you!"
Ji Xiang immediately burst into laughter.
When he wanted something, he was all brotherly terms. When things went wrong, he was an old ghost.
No complaints, if it were me, I'd curse the same way.
"Emperor Jiajing is truly a man of strong emotions. Alright, I understand."
Serving the Heavenly Venerable and escaping reincarnation were blessings in Taoism, but spoken by Emperor Jiajing in his extreme rage, they had likely become curses. He wouldn't tell me the trigger conditions, probably because he had grown wiser.
Explaining his abilities would lead to a quicker death.
By not telling me the full situation and only saying a few words, he was using Hu Long to test me. He wanted to know if I was behind the explosion of the Lei Xuan Great Elixir last time, and he was also guessing what my abilities were.
"My ability is to read guides."
"Besides, it was you, the old emperor, who acted without martial virtue first, and then blamed me."
Hu Long looked strange at Ji Xiang's "praise" but didn't pay it much mind. He then delivered the second message, which was Emperor Jiajing's words for Emperor Wanli.
Although Jiajing didn't care about Wanli's life or death, and was extremely selfish, having long abandoned familial affection, Wanli was still the supreme ruler of the Great Ming, the Emperor of the dynasty.
Emperor Jiajing had somehow learned through certain channels about the incident where people from the Inner Mountains and Rivers harassed Wanli in the middle of the night, trying to recruit him as their lackey.
Even though Emperor Jiajing was still being pursued in the Inner Mountains and Rivers, a peak Pure Yang expert, a figure on the verge of ascension, was not to be trifled with.
Therefore, the message Emperor Jiajing brought to Emperor Wanli was not to support Wanli, but to warn him!
Hu Long spoke, "Old Emperor Jiajing wants me to tell you that if you don't want to be killed by him, your soul scattered and your death miserable, you'd best not accept any recruitment from anyone in the Inner Mountains and Rivers. Otherwise, in the end, you will perish completely, body and soul, and be ground to dust!"
"He will refine you alive into an elixir!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Wanli immediately drew his sword!
This dog of a grandfather was interfering with him!
"I am the current Emperor of the Great Ming! The Emperor of the Great Ming is not him, it is me! He wants to kill me?"
Ji Xiang comforted him, "Your Majesty need not worry. The people from the Inner Mountains and Rivers cannot come to the Outer Mountains and Rivers. At most, their wishes or a manifestation of their form will come. You need not be overly concerned."
"Do I worry? I don't worry at all! With my sword in hand, what do I have to fear!"
Emperor Wanli declared on the spot that a scholar should be looked at with new eyes after three days. Now he was equipped with a new weapon, the Jing Zhen sword, and would even cut down his grandfather!
Do you want to test if my treasure sword is sharp enough!
Don't talk about fatherly love and filial piety!
In the imperial family, where could there be normal human affection!
"I will do as I please. It is not his place to criticize me. If he dares to come back next time, I will cut him down too."
You white-haired scoundrel, you old thief! I will send you to the underworld, and then let's see what face you have to meet the twelve previous emperors of the Great Ming?
At this moment, Emperor Wanli suddenly understood why Emperor Longqing, after Emperor Jiajing's death, immediately had all of Jiajing's belongings removed and thrown into garbage pits or warehouses.
Anyone would be afraid to have such a mad dog as a grandfather.
Emperor Wanli no longer blamed his father, and even felt pity for his father's childhood!
After Hu Long delivered the two messages, his breathing stabilized. Emperor Wanli directly approached with his sword, rarely displaying the majesty of an emperor before a divine being.
"Hu Long, are you a pawn left behind by Emperor Jiajing?"
In his rage, Wanli no longer referred to Jiajing by his posthumous title, but by his reign name.
Hu Long was terrified and expressed his shame. Ji Xiang helped him out by asking Hu Long to write down Emperor Jiajing's scripture.
"Write?"
"Yes, it's better not to speak it."
Ji Xiang explained, "Words have spirits. Once spoken, they form verses. The stirrings of the heart and mind can awaken all sorts of divine beings and malevolent spirits."
"If what is spoken involves the titles of certain eminent figures, deities, or celestial beings, it might attract unwanted attention."
"However, if it is written down, as long as it is not burned with incense, not used in sacrifices, and not circulated with infused wishes, there will be no problems."
"Also, when writing, use ordinary black ink. Do not use special liquids like blood or cinnabar."
Hu Long complied. The Northern Commandery Guard brought him paper and brush. After he finished writing, Ji Xiang discovered that this scripture was something he had never seen before.
This was likely a scripture Emperor Jiajing had compiled himself, used to gather wishes...
But at this moment, Emperor Wanli recognized it and was greatly astonished, "This, this article, how does it so closely resemble the 'Tai Yin Sheng Guang Pu Zhao Liao Yi Bao Juan' of the Yellow Heaven Sect?!"
"I previously reviewed matters concerning the Yellow Heaven Sect and saw a few incomplete chapters. These passages were among them! Although the rest is different!"
Instantly, Emperor Wanli seemed to understand something and became furious!
"The Yellow Heaven Sect, it turns out to be something passed down from Emperor Jiajing!"
"The Fire Lord might even be his disciple's disciple!"
"This grandfather is trying to harm the Great Ming. What is he trying to do? He almost got me killed... Forget it! He doesn't care if I live or die."
"Then, according to Liu Mengyin's confession and what Old Man Lei Xuan said about the curse, since Emperor Jiajing didn't care about the lives of his descendants, why did he insist on using the lineage continuation method to create living descendants?"
"Is it to continue the destiny of the Great Ming? So, I am just a tool?"
Emperor Wanli, enraged, drew his sword. As the Jing Zhen sword emerged, a mere cold glint made Hu Long feel as if his blood and bones were about to be severed. Horrified, he retreated with difficulty. Emperor Wanli held his sword slanted before him, his face contorted with anger, his face and neck flushed red.
He was the Emperor of the Great Ming, the master of this world of sun and moon!
Yet, he was implicitly told by the previous emperor that he was merely a tool to pass on the national destiny. Whether he was a wise ruler or a foolish one didn't matter, or perhaps... a foolish one was even better!
His ambition surged, and he was determined to show his grandfather a thing or two. The emperors of the Outer Mountains and Rivers were not to be trifled with!
"Hu Long! I ask you, do you obey me, or do you obey Emperor Jiajing!"
"Neither Jiajing nor I are descendants of Emperor Zhengde. You must choose one of us to be loyal to today! I will personally deify you and help you transform into a dragon!"
Emperor Wanli held the Jing Zhen sword. Although he spoke of a choice, in reality, if Hu Long dared to say no, Emperor Wanli would immediately swing his sword and kill Hu Long!
At this moment, Emperor Wanli seemed to have transformed greatly. He was no longer the bewildered emperor who would say, "What happened?", "It's me again," or "Will this never end?". Now, he seemed to have found his motivation to strive!
To rise for the Great Ming, to write books and slay demons, and become a generation of wise rulers!