Zhu Yuanzhang, who commanded the wind and rain, lived a long and arduous life.

Upon hearing Zhu Changye's agreement, Yang Ruchang laughed loudly and turned to stride boldly toward the road to the underworld.

"I have seen the immortals, the country need not worry, I have no regrets in this life, no regrets at all!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!"

Even the terrifying black ghosts and demons, such as the Ox-Head and Horse-Face, who could make children cry at the sight of them, were subordinates of the retired emperor. If the retired emperor did not have the ability to protect the Ming Dynasty, who else could?

Yang Ruchang passed away without any regrets.

This time, it was Zhu Changye who was watching his back.

Zhu Changye's expression was complex.

Actually, he had just asked Yang Ruchang a question.

"What kind of immortal do you think truly qualifies as an immortal?"

Yang Ruchang had studied immortals his entire life, and Zhu Changye wanted to know his opinion.

Yang Ruchang replied to him: "Do as you please, be carefree and unrestrained."

Yes.

Do as you please, live freely and unrestrained.

This is the fairyland that people imagine, and it is what they yearn for.

However, even these eight words represent a level that is difficult for even the immortals of the underworld to reach.

The obsessions, malice, sorrow, and pain that people experience after death...

They all need to be managed.

Too busy to be in two places at once, unable to be free and unrestrained.

"There's still a long way to go."

Zhu Changye sighed and turned to leave.

They headed towards the world of the living.

….….….….….…

Yingtian Prefecture, the Imperial Palace.

"What! Yang Ruchang is dead?!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's face was filled with disbelief.

Zhu Biao, who had just arrived to discuss the famine with Zhu Yuanzhang, was also completely bewildered.

Facing Zhu Yuanzhang and his son, the Imperial Guard remained neither humble nor arrogant, still bowing their heads and kneeling on one knee, saying, "That's right, the body of Supervisor Yang has been sent over from Tianyun Temple."

Zhu Yuanzhang stood there, stunned.

Yang Ruchang is dead?

Is he really dead?!

how so!

Zhu Yuanzhang never dreamed that simply sending Yang Ruchang to deliver an imperial edict would result in someone dying outside.

Although he disliked the Imperial Observatory, Yang Ruchang was different.

Zhu Yuanzhang liked pragmatists.

When Hongwu first established the dynasty, the newly appointed Director of the Imperial Observatory was a highly respected figure recommended by the people. He was very famous among the common people, but after taking office, he always spoke in a mysterious and rambling manner, which gave people a headache. Zhu Yuanzhang dismissed him from his post.

He couldn't control the monitoring results of the Imperial Observatory, but he could still control the director of the observatory and appoint whoever he wanted.

Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang replaced him with someone who spoke normally, who is now Yang Ruchang.

In some ways, Yang Ruchang was his man.

The death of a high-ranking official is enough to shake the court and prompt it to prepare for military action, let alone the death of one of his men.

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang was filled with anger, but he still asked in a calm tone, "How did he die?"

The Imperial Guard shook his head: "Your Majesty, you forbade us to enter Tianyun Temple, and Supervisor Yang died inside Tianyun Temple, so we have no way of knowing."

"I heard from the disciples of Tianyun Temple that Supervisor Yang died because his obsession was fulfilled."

"When we returned, our Embroidered Uniform Guards also asked the imperial physician, who said that given Yang Jianzheng's physical condition, he should have died long ago. We don't know what has kept him alive until now."

"in addition…."

"Absurd!" Zhu Yuanzhang angrily threw down the memorial: "Died from obsession? Hmph, let's see if there's anything wrong with Tianyun Temple. Maybe it was those Taoist priests who killed him."

"Go! Take our orders and thoroughly investigate this Tianyun Temple!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao exclaimed in alarm, "Father, no! That's Tianyun Temple on Longhu Mountain! And there are immortals there!"

Zhu Yuanzhang gave him a cold shoulder: "What's wrong with Tianyun Temple on Longhu Mountain? What's wrong with immortals? Our men died there, and the reasons they gave were unconvincing even to a three-year-old. Our men cannot have died in vain."

Zhu Biao shook his head: "Father, it's still not possible."

“If Supervisor Yang had died anywhere else, even in another Taoist temple, I would not have objected, but that was Tianyun Temple on Longhu Mountain.”

When mentioning Tianyun Temple on Longhu Mountain, Zhu Biao emphasized his words.

Even when he was advising Zhu Yuanzhang just now, he first mentioned the Tianyun Temple on Longhu Mountain, not the immortals.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the resolute Zhu Biao, his anger subsided slightly, and he took a deep breath: "Biao'er, why not?"

Only Zhu Biao had the ability to openly oppose Zhu Yuanzhang. If it had been anyone else, Zhu Yuanzhang would have beheaded them long ago.

Zhu Biao began, "Does Father Emperor know about the period of resistance against the Yuan Dynasty?"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "I know. You mean that Taoist priests came from Longhu Mountain to resist the Yuan? Ha, at that time the whole country was resisting the Yuan, what special case was Longhu Mountain?"

Zhu Biao sighed: "This is different."

"Father, you only know that Longhu Mountain also sent people down the mountain to resist the Yuan, but do you know how many casualties they suffered? Do you know how many casualties the Taoist community suffered across the land?"

Before Zhu Yuanzhang could answer, Zhu Biao continued, "You don't know, and even your son, who frequently investigates the Taoist practices at Longhu Mountain, doesn't know!"

"Your Majesty, I believe that even Longhu Mountain themselves are unaware of this, as they haven't kept any records. However, it is undeniable that they will pay a heavy price!"

"Back then, before the world resisted the Yuan Dynasty, the Yuan Dynasty revered Taoism, but most Han Chinese did not want to join the Yuan Dynasty, so many people joined Taoism."

"At that time, Taoism was entirely populated by Han Chinese, and it became the last pure land for Han Chinese."

"At that time, Taoism was the most popular religion, and no other sect could rival it. The four famous Taoist mountains were Longhu Mountain, Wudang Mountain, Qingcheng Mountain, and Qiyun Mountain. The sects of these four mountains were all unparalleled in popularity."

"Later, when the anti-Yuan movement rose up across the country, the four Taoist mountains sent many Taoist disciples down the mountain to fight against the Yuan."

"People only know the word 'numerous,' but they don't know exactly how many people there are. But as far as I know, it's almost all of them!"

"They all sent out all their disciples, and from the time they fought against the Yuan dynasty until the end, countless people died or were injured."

"After that, the four Taoist mountains declined. In order to resist the Yuan dynasty, they almost lost two generations of their lineage, resulting in a situation of generational gap."

“The ancestral home of Taoism, Longhu Mountain, has no one available, and even the Celestial Master himself had to go down the mountain to find a disciple.”

“Master Zhang of Wudang Mountain is already over a hundred years old, but he is still sitting in the position of the old Celestial Master because all the Celestial Masters he trained back then have died.”

"Mount Qingcheng and Mount Qiyun have completely disappeared from the world's sight and have never recovered."

"In recent years, I have even heard news that the Taoist ancestral home of Longhu Mountain is facing a shortage of successors, and the new Celestial Master is already a person from another family."

"All the Celestial Masters of Longhu Mountain throughout history have been surnamed Zhang, but this generation has passed it on to someone with a different surname. Father, what do you think this signifies?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang subconsciously shook his head.

Zhu Biao exhaled a breath of stale air and continued, "It's like our Zhu family's empire, and the future emperor is someone from another family. Do you think that's acceptable?"

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand: "Impossible, we can't give it to someone with a different surname."

Zhu Biao said, "That's how it is, but that's what Longhushan and the others did."

“They…are different from the charlatan Taoist priests who swindle and deceive in the martial arts world. They are people who are truly dedicated to seeking the Tao. They don’t care who sits in the position of Celestial Master. They only care about whether someone can lead them in their cultivation. That’s all.”

"How could such a group of people, so focused on the Dao, kill an official appointed by the imperial court?"

"In my opinion, this matter is consistent with what the disciples of Yun Temple said that day. It was Yang Jianzheng who died because of his obsession."

.

….….….….

P.S.: Please read the book! Thank you so much! There are new and exciting parts every day!