Lady, let me explain.

Chapter 100 Asking Questions in the Imperial Palace
Lin Yi left the garden, intending to take a nap in Mu Wanqing's room.

Suddenly, a servant from the manor led Ding Baiying in.

"what's up?"

"There is an imperial decree summoning Sect Leader Lin to the palace for an audience with the Emperor. His Highness Prince Xin is already waiting outside the residence. Sect Leader Lin, please bathe and change your clothes immediately."

Lin Yi was puzzled and asked, "It's normal for Prince Xin to want to win me over if he has something on his mind. I'm just a commoner, why would the emperor want to talk to me?"

Hearing these bold words, Ding Baiying subconsciously looked around, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that no one was around.

She said calmly, "His Majesty cultivates Taoism, and Sect Leader Lin is 'the best in the world in martial arts,' so surely he should have some questions about this. This matter is of great importance, so please, Sect Leader Lin, act quickly."

Lin Yi seemed to be deep in thought.

The Huashan Sect is a branch of Taoism, but by the time it was passed down to the present day, very few Taoist elements remained, and it became the Huashan Sword Sect.

Let alone him, even Yue Buqun didn't cultivate Taoism. But the ends of Taoism and martial arts have similarities.

What the emperor sought was nothing more than the ethereal things of attaining immortality and becoming a celestial being.

Of course, Lin Yi didn't think these things didn't exist... Even the most staunch materialist would have their beliefs shaken if they stumbled upon a time-traveling adventure.
Moreover, there are immortals in the story of Dream of the Red Chamber.

Lin Yi felt that if he wanted to transcend the mortal body and achieve immortality, practicing martial arts and cultivating internal energy was much more realistic than consuming elixirs and cultivating Taoism.

Lin Yi said, "No need for bathing and changing clothes, let's go."

It was just a matter of going to the palace to chat with the emperor.

Ding Baiying knew he had a strong personality, so she didn't dare to say much. Besides, Lin Yi had an otherworldly air about him, with a restrained and dignified aura, making him seem extraordinary at first glance, so it didn't matter what he wore.

Lin Yi went out and got into a carriage.

"Sect Leader Lin."

"Your Highness has been waiting for a long time."

Zhao Zhen smiled broadly and was extremely humble.

The carriage started moving and headed towards the imperial city.

Lin Yi said, "Was it Your Highness who recommended me to the Emperor?"

Zhao Zhen shook his head: "It was an imperial edict sent by the eunuch. It must be that the emperor knows that Master Lin has come to the capital and intends to summon him."

Lin Yi nodded, didn't ask any more questions, and then closed his eyes to rest.

Zhao Zhen wanted to talk to him, but seeing this situation, he had no choice but to give up. He thought to himself that a large mansion was still not enough to bring him closer to Lin Yi.

It seems we need to make other efforts.

Zhao Zhen recalled that at the banquet that day, Lin Yi seemed to have feelings for Ding Baiying...

Zhao Zhen couldn't help but feel a bit of a headache. Even if Lin Yi took a fancy to his favorite concubine, he could still bear to part with her.

Ding Baiying was a righteous man who had joined him, and could only be considered his subordinate, not his property, so he could not directly give Ding Baiying to Lin Yi.

He could only try to persuade Ding Baiying to do it willingly, but that would damage his reputation.

Recalling the day when all the experts from Prince Xin's mansion were wiped out, Zhao Zhen made up his mind: "Lin Yi must be won over, no matter how difficult it is!"

……

The carriage arrived at the foot of the imperial city, and everyone disembarked and walked through three palace gates to the Daming Palace.

Lin Yi paid close attention along the way, feeling that the palace was deep and imposing.

Before reaching the side hall, a eunuch dressed in a bright red python robe was waiting, clearly a close attendant of the emperor.

The eunuch stepped forward, first bowed to Prince Xin, and then cupped his hands in greeting to Lin Yi.

"Your Highness, then this servant will go in and inform them."

Prince Xin smiled and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Dai."

Lin Yi then learned the man's identity: Dai Quan, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Upon seeing Dai Quan enter the hall, Lin Yi withdrew his gaze and casually glanced around.

The palace buildings were arranged in a well-organized manner, with flying eaves and brackets, red walls and black tiles, and were heavily guarded on all sides.

Although the palace was heavily guarded, Lin Yi could still find loopholes in its defenses.

Seeing Lin Yi's relaxed demeanor, Zhao Zhen thought to himself that even the princes and ministers wouldn't dare to be so casual when entering the palace. At that moment, he gained a deeper understanding of Lin Yi's undisciplined character.

"Even if he is highly skilled in martial arts, he is still a roughneck in the martial world, ignorant of etiquette, and arrogant due to his youth and impetuousness... I am well-read and concerned about the world, so of course I cannot stoop to his level. I must prioritize the greater good."

As Zhao Zhen was inwardly grumbling, Lin Yi suddenly asked, "Your Highness, are there any experts within the Daming Palace?"

Zhao Zhen's face darkened... What was he thinking, questioning the palace guards in public? Wasn't he afraid of breaking the rules?

Since it was Lin Yi who asked the question, he wasn't surprised and replied, "The Imperial Guards, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Eastern and Western Depots are all responsible for guarding the palace. They have drawn elites from all sides, so they are full of experts."

Lin Yi shook his head, "You're just a bunch of bumpkins."

Zhao Zhen was stunned... He forced a smile and said, "Yu Huatian of the Western Depot is a renowned figure in the martial arts world. He has also fought against Master Lin. He should be considered a master, right?"

Lin Yi laughed, "These are just cheapskates." Lin Yi thought to himself, if the Daming Palace only had these people, he could come and go as he pleased.

Zhao Zhen thought for a moment and then smiled and said, "Master Lin's martial arts are unparalleled, so of course the world's masters are no match for you... However, as far as I know, there is an old man in the palace, known as 'Chongyangzi,' whose cultivation is no less than that of Zhang Zhenren of Wudang. He is the pillar of the Daming Palace."

Few people knew this secret, but after much deliberation, Zhao Zhen still informed Lin Yi.

Firstly, we cannot allow him to underestimate the Zhao imperial family;

Secondly, Lin Yi knows that there are always people more capable than him, so he will always be more cautious in front of him in the future.

"Chongyangzi?" Lin Yi frowned. "Wang Chongyang?"

Zhao Zhen smiled and shook his head: "I'm afraid only His Majesty knows this."

That's true. If the Song Dynasty's imperial palace didn't have any experts to keep things in order, and only had Yu Huatian, it probably wouldn't have been able to stop the assassins from the Mongols, Jin Dynasty, and other countries.

After much deliberation, Lin Yi still concluded that this "Chongyangzi" was Wang Chongyang.

After all, it's a bit unrealistic for a peerless master to suddenly appear out of nowhere.

It would be perfectly reasonable for Wang Chongyang to be in charge of the Song court.

Huang Yaoshi, Hong Qigong, Ouyang Feng, and Duan Zhixing fought for seven days and seven nights at Mount Hua, but could not determine who was superior. However, Wang Chongyang was able to convince the other four to recommend him as the best in the world, which shows that his martial arts level was profound.

Lin Yi could agree that Wang Chongyang was no less capable than Zhang Sanfeng.

Although Wang Chongyang had been dead for many years, he was able to fake his death once, tricking Ouyang Feng into stealing the Nine Yin Manual and breaking his Toad Skill.

It would be plausible for him to fake his death again and enter the Song Dynasty palace.

Lin Yi's only doubt was that Wang Chongyang should have a strong sense of national responsibility and ideals. How could he stand by and watch Emperor Xuanzhi neglect state affairs and Wei Zhongxian, a eunuch, wield power?

Or is it that after so many decades, Wang Chongyang has devoted all his attention to cultivating Taoism and no longer cares about worldly affairs?
At that moment, Dai Quan stepped out of the hall: "King Xuanxin and Headmaster Lin of the Huashan Sect pay their respects."

Lin Yi entered the palace, and the warm sunlight slanted in through the window, scattering across the imperial desk.

Emperor Xuanzhi looked to be in his thirties. He was sitting behind his desk, but instead of wearing a dragon robe, he was dressed in a Taoist robe and a Confucian hat.

Prince Xin bowed and said, "Your subject respectfully wishes Your Majesty good health."

Lin Yi bowed slightly and cupped his hands in greeting: "This humble subject pays his respects to Your Majesty."

Zhao Zhen glanced at him, thinking that Lin Yi really had a temper, but he knew that Emperor Xuanzhi was a Taoist and was very tolerant of these reclusive masters, so he wouldn't take offense.

Emperor Xuanzhi did not dwell on Lin Yi's etiquette. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Dai Quan and Prince Xin understood each other and led the palace servants and eunuchs out of the hall.

At this moment, only Lin Yi and Emperor Xuanzhi remained in the hall.

Lin Yi remained calm; he had already anticipated the conversation with Emperor Xuanzhi.

There must have been a reason why Emperor Xuanzhi didn't practice martial arts, such as poor physical constitution or dislike of martial arts... He didn't need to bring up martial arts matters.

However, he knew nothing about Taoist practices and could only offer random answers based on Emperor Xuanzhi's questions.

Emperor Xuanzhi looked at Lin Yi and asked, "Sect Leader Lin, your martial arts have reached a state of perfection. Have you sensed the existence of the Heavenly Dao?"

Lin Yi was stunned. What Heavenly Dao? This sounds so mystical…

But how did Emperor Xuanzhi know his martial arts prowess? Clearly, this wasn't something he came up with.

Chongyangzi?
"No," Lin Yi replied fearlessly, "Why does Your Majesty say such a thing? What is the Way of Heaven? Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

Emperor Xuanzhi said calmly, "There is something undifferentiated, which existed before heaven and earth, and it circulates endlessly. It can be regarded as the mother of all things... This is the Way of Heaven. You have achieved great success in martial arts and perfected your internal strength. Only by sensing the Way of Heaven can you enter the next realm."

Lin Yi felt puzzled... He could sense that Emperor Xuanzhi's internal strength was mediocre, only slightly stronger than that of an ordinary person.

Why would you lecture this noob about martial arts?

However, based on Emperor Xuanzhi's words, Lin Yi had some guesses.

It seems that the next level truly transcends the realm of martial arts.

Emperor Xuanzhi was just an ordinary person, and these extraordinary insights could only have come from Chongyangzi.

So things are clear... Chongyangzi is an experienced person and knows the affairs of the martial arts world very well. He deduced that his next step is to sense the Heavenly Dao.

Emperor Xuanzhi, who also pursued Taoism, wanted to reach this point, so he summoned him specifically to inquire about it. Even if he gained nothing, he hoped to absorb some of the good fortune...

"Thank you for your clarification, Your Majesty." Lin Yi bowed. "May I ask, Your Majesty, what is the next realm?"

Lin Yi was also very curious about this and hoped to find out from Emperor Xuanzhi himself.

But he also had his own guesses.

The next realm, while transcending the realm of martial arts, still does not transcend the mortal body.

Although Zhang Sanfeng was powerful, he was still injured when he was ambushed by Gang Xiang of the Ruyang Prince's Mansion.

The Sweeper Monk could defeat Murong Bo and Xiao Yuanshan in one move and easily parry the attacks of Xiao Feng and Murong Fu, but if he were to actually take a hit from Xiao Feng's Twenty-Eight Subduing Dragon Palms, he would be beaten until he vomited blood.

Emperor Xuanzhi, seated above, spoke: "A realm is merely the depth of a person's cultivation, so how could it have a name? However, throughout ancient texts, especially anecdotes from the martial world, there is a worldly honorific title for such people..."

"Land deity".

(End of this chapter)