Furthermore, he could clearly feel the ropes binding him disappear, and the hemp rope seemed to have rolled to the side. Just as he was wondering, a cry of surprise came from the crowd: "He...he...he's turned into a pig."
pig?
What's the meaning!
"Lulu lulu." Wutugu wanted to question the Taoist about what he wanted to do, but instead of speaking, he made a pig-like noise.
At that moment, he saw his powerful hands turn into pig's trotters. He tried desperately to stand up, but he couldn't support his body and fell to the ground with a "bang".
Wutugu was transformed into a pink pig!
Xu Le ordered his shadow warriors to find a cage and lock Wu Tugu inside. It would be satisfying if this guy died, but as long as he remained in this form, he could deter a bunch of unscrupulous people when Xu Le went to the capital and let them know the consequences of provoking him.
The little pig that Wutugu had turned into struggled incessantly in the cage, making "snoring" sounds, as if it couldn't believe that it had been turned into a pig.
Xu Le ignored the pig and lay down on the white tiger. After being enhanced, the white tiger's intelligence had increased significantly, making it more and more like a human than a tiger. The white tiger understood its master's meaning and roared a few times, its voices echoing in the open space.
Magistrate Liu watched Xu Le leave, wanting to say something to persuade him to stay and to host a banquet to express his gratitude, but he didn't know how to start.
Suddenly, a shadow warrior emerged from the ground, placed the cage containing Wutugu in front of Magistrate Liu, and disappeared as a shadow.
Magistrate Liu's expression was complicated. Although he wished he could tear Wutugu to pieces, reason stopped him. He ordered several guards to carry the cage to the backyard and instructed them to keep a close watch on it.
The others stared in astonishment at the little pig that Wutugu had transformed into, both curious and amazed by the immortal's power.
"Gentlemen, I'll take my leave now." Magistrate Liu said a few words, then bid farewell to the heads of the families and returned to his residence.
After Magistrate Liu left, the smiling heads of the families turned cold. They understood Magistrate Liu's intentions, but because their families had suffered heavy losses, they didn't want to sever ties. They exchanged a few words in hushed tones, then turned and took their leave to clean up the mess.
The world has changed!
It's unclear who uttered this exclamation, but it resonated with everyone.
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Chapter Thirty-Seven: Undercurrents in the Imperial City
Chaoge City is located in Jizhou, the most central part of the Central Plains. When viewed from above, it looks like a winding, sleeping dragon, with the imperial city situated on the dragon's belly.
Chaoge City is protected by a city wall over thirty meters high, which guards this ancient capital with a history of four hundred years. The imperial palace is located in the center of the imperial city. Outside the imperial city, there are the residences of the imperial relatives or high-ranking officials. Further out are the markets and the residences of commoners. It can be said that the closer one is to the center of power, the higher one's status and the more illustrious one's identity.
It was midday, and the guards, fresh from their shift, were full of energy, their sharp eyes scanning everyone entering the city like hawks. They were all seasoned veterans. After all, this was the power center of the entire nation; if it wasn't properly guarded, the entire Shang Dynasty would collapse if it fell.
Inside the Prime Minister's residence, an elderly man with white hair and a hooked nose sat at the head of the main hall. His long white beard reached his waist, and he looked like an ordinary old man. He opened the envelope, carefully read it, and stroked his long beard when he reached a key point. His eyes closed slightly, as if he were deep in thought. The servant licked his dry, cracked lips, sweat trickling down his cheeks. The itching made him restless, but he dared not wipe it away, and could only kneel on the ground awaiting orders.
After a long while, the old man's authoritative yet somewhat weathered voice reached his ears: "Step down and go to the accounting office to collect your reward."
The servant smiled and bowed as he left. The old man, however, stared intently, pondering the veracity of the story.
His name was Zhang Yi, and he served as the prime minister of this dynasty, wielding immense power, second only to the emperor. However, his protégé, Liu Hanzhong, sent him a message—an immortal had appeared!
Legends of immortals have been passed down for hundreds of years, but apart from the current emperor, no one has ever seen an immortal. Zhang Yi has been an official for so many years and has never heard of any trace of immortals. The only ones he has heard of are charlatans who use their names to swindle people. In the end, they are either arrested by the government or arrested and burned to death by some angry civilians.
He was quite satisfied with Liu Hanzhong as a student, but his stubbornness and excessive concern for his reputation offended too many people, ultimately leading to his being sidelined and relegated to a minor official post in Qingquan Town. Given Liu Hanzhong's character—his meticulous speech suggests he wasn't talking nonsense—and his intelligence prevents him from being fooled by charlatans, this matter is highly likely to be true.
Zhang Yi had a habit of unconsciously stroking his beard whenever he was worried or angry. His expression was somewhat solemn as he thought: This immortal has been missing for hundreds of years, how could he suddenly reappear? Could this immortal be the same one who helped the founding emperor back then? What is his purpose? Does he harbor any ill intentions towards this dynasty?
His mind was filled with countless thoughts. Although he had served as an official for many years, he was not an omniscient and omnipotent deity, and he had no way of knowing what the immortal's purpose was. Suddenly, a sharp pain in his chin pulled Zhang Yi back to reality. Looking down, he saw a wisp of white beard in his hand. He had been so engrossed in thinking that he had accidentally plucked it out.
Zhang Yi carefully tucked away his white beard with a touch of heartache, then put the letter back in its envelope. He rose, summoned a servant to arrange a carriage, and then boarded the carriage to head towards the palace.
After passing through several markets and streets, Zhang Yi arrived at the palace gate, where imperial guards stood watch with heavy security.
Upon seeing Zhang Yi approach, the commander of the Imperial Guards immediately stepped forward, bowing and scraping, and asked, "What brings you here, sir?"
Having served as the commander of the Imperial Guards for so many years, he knew that the man before him was the current prime minister, a favorite of the emperor, who basically controlled a third of the court's power. It could be said that if Zhang Yi showed the slightest dissatisfaction with him, he would be executed along with his entire family the next day. How could he not be in awe of him?
Zhang Yi didn't put on any airs. He cupped his hands and said, "Commander Luo, I have important matters to report to the Emperor. Please inform him."
Commander Luo didn't ask any further questions and immediately went inside to report. After about half a day, he came out and said to Zhang Yi, "Please come inside with me, sir. His Majesty is waiting for you in the garden."
Zhang Yi followed behind him, passing several sentry posts, and arrived in the garden.
In the garden, a middle-aged man dressed in a black imperial robe embroidered with a black bird stood. His complexion was ruddy, and his mustache did not diminish his demeanor but rather made him appear more majestic. He was none other than Yin Que, the emperor of the Shang Dynasty.
When Yin Que saw Zhang Yi arrive, he smiled gently and said, "The Prime Minister has arrived. Men, bring a seat for the Prime Minister." As soon as he finished speaking, several eunuchs brought over a stool.
Zhang Yi saw the emperor bow in greeting. In the Shang Dynasty, scholars held a high status and were not required to kneel before the emperor, demonstrating their integrity and refusal to kneel before anyone. Although the description is somewhat exaggerated, it is undeniable that the scholars of the Shang Dynasty were loyal to the emperor and patriotic, and advocated conquest in foreign affairs, never seeking peace, which was quite different from a certain dynasty in Chinese history.
Seeing Zhang Yi sitting on the stool, Yin Que picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and asked with some doubt, "What brings the Prime Minister to see me so late?"
"Your Majesty, an immortal has appeared!"
"What!"
Bang!
The jade teacup shattered on the ground. Several guards came to investigate upon hearing the noise, but were all driven away by the anxious Yin Que. Yin Que grabbed Zhang Yi's hand and asked excitedly, "Was it really an immortal who appeared? Where is he? Is it the immortal who helped our ancestor?"
Zhang Yi felt his right hand being tightly gripped and felt somewhat helpless. Although he knew the emperor was interested in metaphysics, he did not expect such a strong reaction. After organizing his thoughts, he replied, "Your Majesty, the immortal has appeared in Qingquan Town near the border. My student has confirmed that he is a real immortal, but whether he is the one from four hundred years ago remains to be confirmed."
Seeing the emperor's increasingly agitated expression, Zhang Yi couldn't help but pour cold water on his enthusiasm, saying, "Your Majesty, this immortal's intentions are unclear; we don't know if it harbors any goodwill towards us."
“What you say is absolutely right, my dear minister. We still don’t know what this immortal’s purpose is. Why don’t we invite him to the capital? That way we can get close to him, find out his purpose, and at the same time, we can ask for some elixirs.” Yin Que thought about Zhang Yi’s words and felt that they were right. However, he was reluctant to give up the immortal’s hard-won trace. So he decided to settle for second best and invite the immortal to Chaoge City first.
"This..." Zhang Yi initially wanted to reject the suggestion outright, but upon further reflection, he realized there was no better way. Since he didn't know Xu Le's purpose, he could invite this immortal to the capital. This would not only allow him to be properly entertained but also prevent some ambitious individuals from repeating the events of the founding emperor four hundred years ago, thus extinguishing their hopes.
Seeing that Zhang Yi did not immediately reject his proposal, Yin Que understood that the prime minister would not obstruct him. He continued, "Then send the imperial guard to invite the immortal back. Moreover, I will write an edict to bestow titles upon the immortal. I remember that the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, where the immortal resided four hundred years ago, has been empty for a long time. So, I will bestow upon him the title of Pavilion Master and send craftsmen to repair it, to show my respect for the immortal."
Having been emperor for so many years, Yin Que's cunning had naturally improved. He used the insignificant position of Master of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion to lure the man over. If he was genuine, he would serve him well; if he was fake, the loss wouldn't be great, but he would let him taste what true suffering was.