Simultaneous Transmigration: The Re-merging of 99 Selves

Chapter 124 Deception Continues

After listening to Zhao Yu's clear and logical exposition on Daoism, Zhu Houcong's doubts vanished, replaced by admiration.

Immediately, he raised his hand and ordered, "Someone, bring a seat to Master Zhao."

Huang Jin, who was standing by, did not dare to delay and quickly gestured to the eunuch beside him to come forward and bring a carved and embroidered stool, which was placed on one side of the hall.

"Taoist Master, please."

Zhao Yu nodded slightly: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

As soon as he finished speaking, he sat down naturally, without showing any fear of facing the emperor.

This frank and open attitude pleased Zhu Houcong even more.

In his view, only those who possess genuine talent and profound knowledge can remain calm and composed, neither arrogant nor servile, before the emperor.

Those who are obsequious and servile are mostly not to be trusted.

However, Zhu Houcong was completely unaware that Zhao Yu's indifference stemmed from his complete disregard for him, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

With Zhao Yu's current cultivation level, if he didn't need to find a way to trick him into getting money and food, Zhao Yu could easily take his life and leave without a trace.

After Zhao Yu was seated, Zhu Houcong, with a hint of curiosity, slowly spoke: "Your Taoist skills are profound, and your speech is extraordinary. May I ask where you are from, and on which sacred mountain you cultivate? And who taught you this secret art of using talismans to help the world, and where did you learn it from?"

Zhao Yu remained calm and began to deliver a carefully crafted speech.

"I have lived on a remote island overseas since childhood and devoted myself to cultivating the Tao for decades. In my early years, I focused on seclusion and arduous cultivation, comprehending the Great Tao day and night, and my cultivation progressed very quickly. However, in recent years, my cultivation has stagnated and I have made no further progress."

"When stillness gives way to movement, I crossed the sea and traveled north to explore the mountains and rivers, just to personally observe the will of Heaven and the people, to witness the myriad aspects of human life, and to comprehend the ultimate principles of Heaven and Earth, so as to break through the shackles of cultivation and make further breakthroughs."

Zhao Yu's words were obviously untenable. If Zhu Houcong wanted to, he could find out Zhao Yu's background sooner or later with the intelligence networks of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot.

However, Zhao Yu didn't care at all. He never intended to stay in this world for long. All he wanted was to make a short-term plan, get things done quickly, and then leave once he got the results he wanted.

His previous identity in the martial arts world of the Ming Dynasty was merely that of a low-level member of the Sun Moon Divine Cult, and he had no official, detailed resume.

In addition, in ancient times, the mountains and rivers blocked the way, making the transmission of information extremely slow.

Even if Zhu Houcong had suspicions and mobilized the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard to conduct a thorough investigation, it would take at least several months from issuing the order to obtaining the results.

By then, Zhao Yu will probably have already achieved his goal and left.

Therefore, there's no need to worry about anything at this point; just go ahead and fool people.

As expected, Zhu Houcong listened without a trace of doubt; on the contrary, his interest only grew stronger.

"Overseas? Could it be that the place where the Daoist Master cultivates is the three immortal mountains of Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou overseas? People say that there are immortal mountains overseas that hold the path to immortality. Today, having met the Daoist Master, it seems that the rumors are true."

He was obsessed with seeking immortality and had always been interested in the legends of overseas immortal mountains. Upon hearing that Zhao Yu had come from overseas, he was filled with endless imagination and completely forgot about the strict maritime ban of the Ming Dynasty.

For ordinary people, going to sea without permission is a serious crime, but when it comes to this overseas Taoist priest who possesses profound magical abilities, he doesn't find it incongruous at all, nor does he intend to hold him accountable.

Zhao Yu gently shook his head: "Your Majesty flatters me. There may indeed be immortal mountains in the world, but I am too unfortunate to have seen them. Although I cultivate on an isolated island overseas, far from the Central Plains, I am not isolated from the world. I can learn the Taoist classics and internal alchemy methods circulating in the Central Plains through various channels. Therefore, I have some knowledge of esoteric arts, but I dare not claim to have attained the Tao."

This explanation was just right, both justifying his knowledge of Chinese Taoism and avoiding any sense of exaggeration or falsehood.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houcong understood, and the last trace of doubt in his heart completely disappeared.

Just as he was about to continue exploring the mysteries of Taoism, Huang Jin, who was standing by, was quick-witted and stepped forward, bowing and reminding him, "Your Majesty, perhaps you should first have Daoist Zhao examine your health? Your well-being is of utmost importance. As for discussing scriptures and Taoism, we can wait until you are fully recovered before engaging in detailed discussions with Daoist Zhao."

A single word awakens one from a dream.

Zhu Houcong suddenly came to his senses, and the exhaustion from being plagued by nightmares for days overwhelmed him, overshadowing his interest in discussing philosophy.

He looked at Zhao Yu, his expression weary: "Daoist Master, I've been having nightmares every night for the past few days, unable to sleep peacefully, and even more restless during the day. All the imperial physicians have taken turns examining my pulse, and they all say it's stable, with no ailment to be found. I'm filled with doubt. Daoist Master, do you think I might have offended some evil spirit?"

Zhao Yu was well aware that this was the effect of the Dream-Startling Gu, but he didn't show it at all and pretended to ponder.

"In my humble opinion, Your Majesty is overthinking this. This illness is certainly not caused by a common evil spirit. Your Majesty is the supreme ruler, bearing the destiny of the dynasty; how could ordinary evil spirits possibly approach you?"

His words were perfectly suited to the emperor's temperament, which greatly pleased Zhu Houcong. His goodwill towards Zhao Yu increased once again, and his expression became even more gentle.

"If it's not an evil spirit, then why am I feeling unwell day and night, unable to eat or sleep?"

Zhao Yu calmly said, "Your Majesty, please be patient and allow me to investigate carefully."

Huang Jin quickly stepped forward and respectfully asked, "Does the Taoist priest wish to take His Majesty's pulse? Or should we prepare some clean water, an incense table, talismans, and ritual implements?"

"No need." Zhao Yu waved his hand casually, his gaze falling on Zhu Houcong. "Your Majesty only needs to sit."

After saying this, Zhao Yu closed his eyes slightly, his right hand hovering in mid-air, motionless and seemingly without any movement.

Zhu Houcong was filled with doubt when, in the next moment, he felt an inexplicable force pulling him up. His right hand, which had been hanging steadily, was lifted up uncontrollably and suspended in mid-air.

An invisible force firmly locked his limbs, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't pull his arm back.

"this……"

Zhu Houcong's pupils contracted slightly, and his breathing suddenly stopped.

Zhao Yu reassured him, "Your Majesty, there is no need to panic. This was done using my secret method. I will investigate carefully and find out the problem."

His methods, to put it bluntly, are nothing more than the basic application of projecting internal energy to control objects remotely, and are not worth mentioning.

However, the martial arts of the Ming Dynasty had declined for hundreds of years, and its foundation was far inferior to that of the Song Dynasty.

The technique of projecting internal energy outward was extremely rare even in the Northern Song Dynasty, let alone in the Ming Dynasty today.

Even though Zhu Houcong was the emperor, he had never seen anyone do this with their internal strength, so he naturally attributed it to Zhao Yu's Taoist cultivation.

Zhu Houcong spent his life cultivating Taoism and was accustomed to alchemy and breathing techniques, but he had never seen such a mysterious and unpredictable skill.

At that moment, he felt as if he had encountered the true Daoist method; his heart pounded, his face flushed, and his eyes were filled with fervor.

He has devoted himself to Taoist cultivation for decades, yearning for immortality. Could it be that he has actually encountered a hermit master with true skills today?

A moment later, Zhao Yu withdrew his internal energy.

Zhu Houcong's right hand, which had been suspended in mid-air, fell back to normal, and he felt no discomfort whatsoever. However, the shock in his heart lingered for a long time.

"Your Majesty, I have already identified the root cause of the problem," Zhao Yu said slowly, his expression calm.