Swords emerge from Mount Hua, sweeping across the heavens from the world of Swordsman.

"Ha, what can you do for me?"

"I will kill. I will kill."

Yue Zhuoqun nodded; this was indeed a remarkable skill.

When a god of death strikes with a single blow, very few in this world can escape it.

"You can kill anyone?"

"Anything works!"

"Can people from Japan do it too?"

Yagyu Tajima paused for a moment, then nodded sharply and said, "Alright!"

"Recently, many Japanese ronin have appeared along the coast, and Japanese pirates are rampant at sea. I'm asking you to wipe them out. Can you do it?"

“I…I can’t do it alone, but I can ask someone from Japan for help.”

……

Today is the tenth National Memorial Day for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre. Let us never forget our national humiliation.

Chapter 60 Court

During the Yuan Dynasty, Japan implemented a maritime ban, but the upper class in Japan sought out fine goods from the Central Plains, so merchants went to Zhejiang and Fujian to do business in violation of the ban.

Because it was illegal to go to sea, these merchants would recruit warriors, and gradually their business evolved into plunder, expanding to the entire coastal area and even including Goryeo territory.

This is how the Wokou (Japanese pirates) came to be.

In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, the military was strong and the country attached great importance to the development of the navy and maritime transport. The government was efficient and the country launched many attacks on Japanese pirates who invaded the border, which greatly weakened their arrogance.

However, Japan had just experienced the Ōnin War, which weakened the power of the shogunate and led to the rise of various daimyo. Although the Warring States period had not yet begun, the fighting and killing were already very serious.

Some weaker or defeated daimyo, in order to survive and develop, also began to turn their attention to the sea, either cultivating Japanese pirate armies or becoming Japanese pirates themselves, which led to the increasing number of times the Ming Dynasty's coast was plundered.

Of course, Zhu Wuguang also played a significant role in facilitating this plot to seize power.

Yagyu Tajima-no-Kami and Iga-ryū Ryūren trained members of the Giant Whale Gang in order to train Zhu Wushi's private army.

It wasn't just the Giant Whale Gang; many smaller gangs along the coast invited Japanese samurai for training.

Once Zhu Wushi launches his rebellion, the gang members trained by these Japanese samurai can immediately be transformed into a formidable army.

Even the Japanese pirates who raided the seas could become his helpers.

When Yagyu Tajima said he could find someone from Japan to help wipe out the Japanese pirates at sea, he wasn't exaggerating at all.

As a grandmaster of Japanese swordsmanship and the head of the Shinkage school, he held a very high position in Japan.

Countless daimyo wanted to curry favor with him, and even the shogun treated him as an honored guest.

He only needs to find some allies, without even going to sea. When the Japanese pirates return to Japan and land, he can simply lead his troops to wipe them out easily.

It would be a great opportunity to befriend grandmasters of swordsmanship and acquire wealth; the daimyo and shoguns would certainly be happy to help.

"You colluded with Zhu Wushi, all you wanted was to become the leader of the martial arts alliance in Japan."

If you do this well, I can also help you fulfill your wish.

Seeing that Liu Sheng Danma agreed so readily, Yue Zhuoqun's impression of him improved considerably, and he immediately offered a promise.

Yagyu Tajima's eyes lit up: "I'm sure I can do it well."

Becoming the leader of the martial arts world and promoting his new Yin-style swordsmanship was his ultimate goal.

As long as this wish can be fulfilled, it doesn't matter whether it's cooperating with Zhu Wushi or submitting to Yue Zhuoqun.

As for killing Japanese pirates and becoming a traitor, there was no psychological pressure at all.

The Japanese pirates were only good at robbing and pillaging; shouldn't they have been killed? The Emperor should even be awarded an prize for maintaining peace between the two countries!

After dealing with the issue of Liu Shengdan's horse head, Yue Zhuoqun looked at the distraught Duan Tianya and Shangguan Haitang, a slight smile playing on his lips:

"After seeing the true face of your so-called godfather, what are your feelings? Feel free to tell us."

Duan Tianya's eye twitched, and Haitang's face froze.

You are a sect leader and a martial arts master, how could you say such gloating words?

Duan Tianya was a rather honest and simple person. After a moment of silence, he said:

"Today we must thank Sect Leader Yue for leading us to the truth of the matter, but we have been raised by the Divine Marquis since childhood, and we really cannot accept it in a short time."

I plan to return to the capital undercover to secretly investigate his rebellion and gather evidence.

Once the time is right, Tianya will stand up and stop him from committing treason, even if it costs her her life.

"Big brother, I'll help you."

Yue Zhuoqun nodded: "That's fine. If you encounter any trouble, you can seek help from Zhang Haiduan, the Minister of Justice. He will help you."

"Thanks for the advice!"

After Duan Tianya and the other man left, Li Tianhao's martial arts were also crippled by Yue Zhuoqun, who then took them both away.

That same night, under cover of darkness, Yagyu Tajima-no-Kami led the remaining disciples and secretly sailed back to Japan.

Over the next few months, Feng Buping, Ning Zhongze, and the Eight Swordsmen of Huashan led their disciples on a journey across the coastal provinces.

Any sects, factions, or merchants that colluded with the Japanese pirates were all exterminated.

This incident caused quite a stir in the martial arts world, making all the sects in the martial arts world realize once again the strength of the Huashan Sect.

Some were afraid, some admired, and some praised.

Many people secretly cursed Yue Zhuoqun for his domineering behavior, saying he would wipe out small coastal sects at the slightest disagreement.

But no one dared to stand up and criticize.

On the contrary, Yue Zhuoqun and the Huashan Sect were highly praised by the residents along the coast.

Many fishermen and residents who had suffered from the plunder of Japanese pirates even erected longevity tablets for Yue Zhuoqun in their homes.

Along the coast, the practice of Taoism flourished.

……

The morning court session is being held at the Imperial Palace in the capital!

Emperor Zhengde, Zhu Houzhao, sat upright on the dragon throne, looking down at the assembled officials below:

"My esteemed ministers, do you have anything to report?"

Zhang Haiduan stepped out of the group, bowed, and said:

"Your Majesty, the mastermind behind the fake Li Xiu case has been caught and is currently being held in the Ministry of Justice prison. We request Your Majesty's decision."

Zhu Houzhao's eyes lit up, and he asked eagerly, "Who is the mastermind behind this?"

The thought of that fake Li Xiu gave him goosebumps and made him grit his teeth in hatred.

That day, he went to visit Li Xiu and was so captivated by her beauty that he almost fought with her for it. No wonder he was disgusted.

"He is Li Tianhao, an elder of the Giant Whale Gang, a martial arts sect in the coastal area. He is the godfather of the fake Li Xiu."

Li Tianhao colluded with Yagyu Tajima, the leader of the Shinkage sect in Japan, to orchestrate this assassination attempt.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Wushi, who was standing in the front row, narrowed his eyes, feeling surprised and secretly on guard.

He sent Duan Tianya and Shangguan Haitang to the Giant Whale Gang to investigate the case, actually intending to use the two of them to get rid of Li Tianhao and eliminate any worries he might have.

However, Duan Tianya and Shangguan Haitang had not been heard from since two months ago. He sent his secret agents to investigate again and found out that Yue Zhuoqun had destroyed the Giant Whale Gang.

Duan Tianya, Shangguan Haitang, Liusheng Danma Shou, and Li Tianhao all disappeared without a trace on the day the Giant Whale Gang was wiped out.

He speculated that they had all died at Yue Zhuoqun's hands.

Despite his anger, he was also secretly relieved, since he no longer had to worry about the investigation into Li Xiu's case reaching him.

However, Zhang Haiduan then said that Li Tianhao was imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice's jail, a piece of news that came as a complete shock.

If Li Tianhao is still alive, what about Duan Tianya and the others?

What role did Yue Zhuoqun play in all of this? Was his plot to rebel uncovered?

"Hmph, how dare a mere outlaw like him be so rebellious?" Zhu Houzhao slammed his fist on the dragon table, frowning as he looked at Zhang Haiduan.

Despite his favoritism towards eunuchs, love of luxury, and even the establishment of the Leopard Chamber, making him seem like a complete tyrant, he wasn't stupid.

His mental and strategic methods can be seen from his ability to control Cao Zhengchun and Zhu Wushi through balancing techniques.

"Your Majesty, I also suspect that he is just a pawn, and there is a bigger mastermind behind him, but we have not yet found any evidence."

As Zhang Haiduan spoke, he glanced at Zhu Wushi.

He naturally knew that Zhu Wushi was the mastermind, but Li Tianhao alone was not enough to bring him down.

"Then continue the investigation, investigate to the very end!"

"Yes!"

Zhang Haiduan responded, then added after a moment's pause, "Your Majesty, the fact that I was able to find out about Li Tianhao is actually due to one person playing a crucial role."

"Oh, who?"