If you traveled back to ancient times, while others ate Guanyin clay, you would actually have giant

The Emperor Emeritus's birthday banquet was no less grand than the Emperor's birthday banquet a while back.

The main hall in the palace, where the celebration was held, was already full. Zhou Wu's seat was so far that he even had one foot outside the hall.

Zhou Wu stole the show at this birthday banquet.

Originally, the retired emperor was planning to find Zhou Wu, but a group of old ministers toasted him and then, with a few words, he was so flattered that he forgot his own name.

I heard that in the end, it was carried away by someone.

In such situations, Zhou Wu inevitably gets pressured to drink, especially by Lu Da and Gu Xinyuan, as well as other military officers he knows.

The banquet lasted until late at night, and many people were so drunk that they were unconscious, including Zhou Wu.

Palace rules dictate that these people cannot be allowed to stay overnight, so carriages are arranged to send them home one by one.

Zhou Wu was helped into the carriage in a daze, and then fell into a deep sleep, completely unaware that everyone else's carriages were heading towards their respective owners' homes, except for his carriage, which was heading out of the city.

. . . . . . .

The next day.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"

The Emperor Emeritus was still hungover from yesterday, and it was almost noon when he finally got up. He was washing up with the help of palace maids when the eunuch's hoarse voice rang out in the quiet palace.

"What kind of behavior is this, shouting and yelling like that?"

The retired emperor angrily rebuked him, saying, "After all these years, what important matters could a retired emperor like me possibly have?"

After being rebuked by the Emperor Emeritus, the eunuch immediately fell silent and knelt on the spot, not daring to utter a word, until the Emperor Emeritus finished washing up.

"Tell me what's going on."

The palace maids had already brewed a pot of tea, waiting for the Emperor Emeritus to finish washing up so he could have a sip to soothe his throat.

"Your Majesty, Zhou Wu has gone missing."

"Pfft~~~"

The tea that had just reached his lips was spat out, whether from being too hot or from the shock of the news, leaving the kneeling eunuch completely drenched.

"What did you say? Tell me in detail."

"Lord Zhou did not return home last night. This morning, Lord Zhou's wife went to the Crown Prince's residence to inquire about Lord Zhou's whereabouts, only to find out that Lord Zhou should have been sent home last night."

"What? You bastard, why didn't you say so earlier?"

The retired emperor kicked the eunuch to the ground and then headed towards the emperor's palace.

"Your Majesty, is Zhou Wu alright?"

The retired emperor was already shouting outside the door, but once inside, he found Li Tiancheng and several key ministers discussing something.

"Father, why are you here?"

"They said Zhou Wu is missing, how could I not come? Is there any new information? I hope that kid is alright?"

In the Emperor Emeritus's mind, although Zhou Wu was impolite and disrespectful to elders, he could feel that Zhou Wu was very sincere when he was with him. Unlike others who always wanted to get something in return from him, Zhou Wu did not. He treated him as a friend completely.

He wasn't treated differently just because he was the retired emperor. If he lost at mahjong, he would pester the emperor for money. If the empress came to check on him, he would abandon his teammates and run away. These were all experiences he had never had before.

Having spent so much time in the palace, the retired emperor cherished this friendship despite the age difference.

"Father, we are discussing this, but there is no news yet."

"What! We must find Zhou Wu and bring him back safely."

Although the retired emperor had abdicated, he still exuded a trace of imperial might, which astonished the ministers present.

. . . . . . .

"Damn, why is the bed so hard? It's hurting my whole body."

Zhou Wu sat up, stretched, and was still half asleep, unaware that he wasn't home.

"My lord, you're awake."

The coachman's voice startled Zhou Wu awake, making him realize he was still in the carriage. The voice sounded vaguely familiar.

"It's already dawn, why aren't we home yet?"

"Lord Zhou, you have no home in the mortal realm."

The mortal realm? Wait, that voice.

The coachman stopped the carriage and then lifted the curtain. Zhou Wu was stunned when he saw the man's true face.

"It's you!"

"Haha, not bad, Lord Zhou, you've kept me waiting for far too long."

This person was none other than Hou Zhenghao, who had been missing for a long time.

"I never expected that you would actually manage to fool everyone. You've actually been in the capital all along."

"Haha, how can I leave the capital without catching you?"

At the time, Hou Zhenghao left Zhou Wu with the impression of being dashing and having a bright future. But now, Hou Zhenghao has long lost his former glory, and his face is somewhat pale, perhaps because he has not been exposed to the sun for a long time.

"Tell me, why are you so determined to capture me?"

"Hmph, why? Don't you know? If you tell Bai Yujing the secret, I'll let you go and never bother you again."

"I've said it before, there are no gods or immortals in the world, and there is no Bai Yujing."

"fart!"

Hou Zhenghao, who had been perfectly fine, suddenly changed his expression after hearing Zhou Wu's words.

Now that he was at the mercy of the enemy, Zhou Wu could only let them drive on.

I didn't know where the end was, and I did think about calling for help, but the whole way was a mountain path. The people I occasionally met were just old woodcutters who couldn't save me and might even take my life.

"Someone just walked by, why didn't you call for help?"

“It’s not necessary to risk the life of an elderly man.”

"I didn't realize you were so kind."

"Where are we going?"

"Go to the South China Sea."

"what!"

Zhou Wu thought he had misheard. The South China Sea was his territory, and Hou Zhenghao was now kidnapping him and taking him to his own territory. What kind of operation was this?

But it was Zhou Wu's astonished expression that led Hou Zhenghao to misunderstand.

"See? I told you there was a problem in the South China Sea. You went to all that trouble to go to that godforsaken island, wasn't it all for Bai Yujing?"

Hou Zhenghao felt he had seen through everything, and even felt a little proud.

"Damn, bro, you're really good at making connections."

"Is the entrance to Baiyujing in the South China Sea? The legendary Penglai Island in the East China Sea is probably just a facade to mislead ordinary people, right? The real entrance is actually in the South China Sea, isn't it? I've been keeping an eye on you; you can't hide it from me."

Hou Zhenghao's tone and expression turned ferocious again, something only a fanatical believer would have.

The South China Sea is his foundation, and Zhou Wu cannot let Hou Zhenghao go there. So Zhou Wu decided to go with the flow. Since the other party is obsessed with Bai Yujing, he will give him a Bai Yujing.

"If I tell you Bai Yujing's secret, will you really let me go?"

"What! You're willing to talk? Don't worry, I promise I'll let you go."

Sure enough, Hou Zhenghao immediately became somewhat obsessed upon hearing the name Bai Yujing.