pertwk Page 435
Page 435
"This servant knows his crime." Cao Zhengchun retreated to the side with a wronged expression, not forgetting to glare fiercely at Zheng Dongliu.
Chu Yang then looked at Zheng Dongliu and said, "Lord Zheng, your words are a bit excessive. Everyone knows that Yu Huatian's methods are ruthless, which is one of the reasons why I took back the power of the two factories."
"If he is truly a person without any bottom line, then it's not as simple as just taking back the power of the two factories."
"I can kill Zhu Wushi, so what is Yu Huatian?"
Hearing Chu Yang's tone gradually turn hostile, Zheng Dongliu trembled and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, I was in a fit of anger and spoke without thinking. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."
Chu Yang still didn't respond, staring at him coldly.
An invisible pressure was spreading; not only Zheng Dongliu, but everyone else was also overwhelmed by Chu Yang's aura.
Zhuge Zhengwo, a grandmaster, was no different from Gu Santong.
Zheng Dongliu's face turned ugly. He gritted his teeth and was about to kneel down and kowtow when he heard Chu Yang's voice.
"Lord Zheng, this will not be allowed to happen again."
As soon as he finished saying "This is the last time," everyone felt the oppressive aura that had been weighing on their hearts disappear. When they looked at Chu Yang again, he had returned to his usual amiable demeanor.
Even so, the group remained silent with their heads down, and even the most unrestrained Lu Xiaofeng dared not joke around as he used to.
"I really hate that kind of partisan politics."
"If you can't do that, at least don't put the conflict in the open."
"Also, as you get older, don't keep bringing up poop and pee all the time, it's disgusting."
Chu Yang spoke casually, but no one present dared to echo him.
Zheng Dongliu was a loyal minister, and as the master who could teach Li Gexiao, he was naturally not bad. However, it was also true that he could not let go of the past, and the conflict between the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Eunuch occupied too much of his life.
Subconsciously resisting Yu Huatian became a kind of "old ailment" for Zheng Dongliu. He hadn't even realized that the other party was no longer the supervisor of the West Depot.
Putting aside personal grudges, Zheng Dongliu actually agreed with Yu Huatian's opinion. The major sects were indeed unreliable, and the current state of the South was inextricably linked to these people.
As the saying goes, "one can retreat into one's own little world and become a unified entity, regardless of spring, summer, autumn, or winter." Those major sects and factions simply hide in their own territories, coldly observing the suffering of the world.
"I know I was wrong."
Zheng Dongliu knew he was in the wrong and willingly admitted his mistake.
"As the saying goes, no one is perfect. It's inevitable that Lord Zheng will feel resentful about some trivial matters from the past. However, the past is the past. Since Lord Zheng has admitted his mistake, Your Majesty should not be angry."
Zhuge Zhengwo felt the atmosphere had eased somewhat and immediately began to offer his advice.
Chu Yang shook his head and said, "I wouldn't say I'm angry, but if things continue like this, even if Lord Zheng gets the pill, it will be difficult for him to break through to the Grandmaster level."
Zheng Dongliu was startled upon hearing this.
Chu Yang said, "You think it's too easy for Gu Santong to break through. You're underestimating the Grandmaster level. Just piling up your power isn't enough; your mindset is also very important."
Zhuge Zhengwo nodded and said, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. Only when one's mind is free of flaws can one's true essence circulate smoothly."
Gu Santong then said with a smile, "I have been trapped in a cage for a long time. When I was finally free, I was overjoyed. After I was released, I had a son, which made me even happier. Although my wife is sleeping in the Tianshan Mountains, there is a way to save her. I only need to do my best to help her. So I have no regrets and will move forward without hesitation."
"If you are held back by so many past events and don't face them properly, you will eventually get caught in your own trap."
"Inner demons are the greatest enemy of martial arts."
Zheng Dongliu fell into a long silence. He really found it hard to let go of his hatred for the two factories. The power struggle between the factories and the guards involved too many lives, each one incredibly heavy.
To shake hands and make peace with Yu Huatian and Cao Zhengchun would be tantamount to betraying those who sacrificed their lives.
Zheng Dongliu couldn't do it.
Chu Yang understood his predicament, which is why he advised him not to bring the conflict into the open. If the two hadn't surrendered, it wouldn't have been a big deal; killing them under any pretext wouldn't have been too much trouble.
But since they had knelt down and kowtowed, it would be somewhat unethical for Chu Yang to actually attack them.
Today he can kill Cao Zhengchun and Yu Huatian who surrendered, and tomorrow he can kill you Zheng Dongliu. Anyway, with Chu Yang's martial arts cultivation, as long as he wants to kill, who in the world can't he kill?
Over time, will Chu Yang still have anyone by his side?
That's what it truly means to be a lonely person.
This was a situation that Chu Yang desperately wanted to avoid. All he could do was to completely erase the two factories from history, keep Cao Zhengchun in the palace as a watchdog, and keep Yu Huatian by his side as a henchman, as a way of giving the Embroidered Uniform Guard an explanation.
If you don't appreciate this, then what else do you, Zheng Dongliu, want?
Or should I give you the throne?
Given Zheng Dongliu's character, if Chu Yang questioned him in this way, he would probably smash his head against a pillar to prove his innocence with his death.
"Take the pills and go home to think them over. If you feel you've overcome your mental hurdle, then swallow them."
Chu Yang tossed a pill made from the flesh and blood of a demon king to Zheng Dongliu. With Zheng Dongliu's more than 20 years of experience at the Grandmaster level, this pill was enough to help him advance.
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace. I have no way to repay you and I am ashamed to face Your Majesty."
Zheng Dongliu's eyes welled up with tears. Despite his scolding, Chu Yang still gave him the important thing.
"Your success in becoming a Grandmaster, adding strength to the Ming Dynasty, is the greatest reward to the world."
Chu Yang waved his hand, signaling him to hurry home and go into seclusion.
Zheng Dongliu knelt down to express his gratitude to the emperor, then dragged his heavy figure into the night.
"Your Majesty, I shall also take my leave first." Li Gexiao stepped forward and bowed, then whispered to Chu Yang, "I am a little worried about my master, so I will return tonight. I apologize."
"I wanted to celebrate for you, but it seems I'll have to wait until next time," Chu Yang said helplessly. "When we get back, I'll give Lord Zheng some advice and tell him not to worry about wasting the pills, and to pay attention to his state of mind."
"One should press on with one's might, but the momentum will wane, and the third attempt will exhaust all strength, at which point inner demons will inevitably arise."
Li Gexiao nodded, keeping Chu Yang's words in mind.
Before leaving, he suddenly hugged Chu Yang, and Chu Yang patted him on the shoulder in return.
Zhuge Zhengwo shook his head as he watched Zheng Dongliu's departing figure.
Even the most amiable dragon is still a dragon.
The dragon has reverse scales, which will kill you if you touch it.
After a minor incident, the area outside the palace fell into silence.
Cao Zhengchun dared not say a word. For some reason, he always felt that His Majesty the Emperor had murderous intent towards him.
Yu Huatian dared not do that either; he was at least half responsible for the huge commotion.
"Master Guo, you should take one pill too."
Chu Yang called out to Guo Bujing in a teasing tone, and then handed him a Demon King Pill.
Guo Bujing did not immediately take the pill, but looked at it deeply, then clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I do not wish to take this pill."
Chu Yang was somewhat surprised, "Why?"
"Since the Divine Marquis was able to break through to the Grandmaster level on his own, I naturally want to give it a try as well." Guo Bujing laughed heartily. He was in his prime and had the confidence and ability to do so.
Zhuge Zhengwo nodded slightly, his eyes filled with admiration for Guo Bujing. If he were younger, he would probably have made the same choice.
"Then I'll keep this pill for you." Chu Yang put away the pill, turned to look at Zhuge Zhengwo, and said, "A pill made from the flesh and blood of the Demon King is also effective for Grandmasters. As for whether it can help them break through, and how many they need to take to break through, I haven't tested it yet."
Zhuge Zhengwo stroked his beard and laughed loudly, "This old minister is not as arrogant as a young man. Your Majesty, just give me as many pills as you have. I want to see how effective they are."
Chu Yang rolled his eyes at him and said irritably, "Old man, you're shameless. You keep stuffing as much as you can get your hands on. Can you even eat it all?"
Zhuge Zhengwo didn't care at all about Chu Yang's scolding and said with a smile, "The capable should do more work. We can't let Gu Santong, who just became a Grandmaster, do the work, can we? That would be a waste of time."
Chu Yang was truly amazed and laughed, "I've never seen such a shameless person before!" (End of Chapter)
Chapter 212 Mutual Appreciation! The Qi Family Army's R&D Team!
Zhuge Zheng thought he could eat as many pills as he wanted, but Chu Yang didn't have that many pills. Including the one he originally intended to give to Guo Bujing, he only had two pills left.
He had only intended to try refining the Demon King Pill, but he was lucky enough to succeed. In fact, given his alchemy skills, it was already a pleasant surprise that the furnace did not explode.
In retrospect, it's also thanks to Magic Chu Yang for providing many ideas on potion-making.
Chu Yang handed the two Demon King Pills to Zhuge Zhengwo and instructed him, "The Divine Marquis is old and doesn't have the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill as a foundation like Gu Santong. It's best to take them separately, otherwise your qi and blood will be too much for your body to handle, and it might backfire."
"This old minister understands." Zhuge Zhengwo stared intently at the pill in his hand. In the eyes of others, he was like a banished immortal, but at this moment, he could hardly maintain his usual otherworldly demeanor.
Ever since the division of realms was established, there have always been martial artists who want to know what the scenery above the Grandmaster is like. Even just a glimpse is enough for some to be willing to pay any price for it.
Zhuge Zhengwo wasn't too worried about the Qi and Blood Breakthrough that Chu Yang mentioned. The Zizai Sect had countless miraculous techniques, and even if they weren't as profound as the [Indestructible Vajra Divine Art], there were other methods that could serve as alternatives.
He possesses a martial art called "Half-Broken Brocade," which can be used to heal his own injuries, both internal and external. The more severe the injury, the faster it heals, and it is remarkably effective in combat.
The Divine Marquis's Mansion has been dealing with demons and monsters for so many years, and those who have survived have relied on this miraculous healing skill, not on meticulously forged weapons.
Therefore, Zhuge Zheng was not afraid of the backlash from the Demon King's Pill, but he still took Chu Yang's well-intentioned reminder to heart. After all, Chu Yang's cultivation level was far higher than his, and he wouldn't speak without reason.
While the two were chatting, Cao Zhengchun and Yu Huatian stared enviously at the pill in Zhuge Zhengwo's hand. Recalling how easily Gu Santong had broken through to the Grandmaster level, they almost lost their minds and had the idea of snatching the pill.
If Chu Yang hadn't been there, even if Zhuge Zhengwo were a Grandmaster, the two of them would have fought to the death.
It's understandable that people die for wealth and birds die for food.
In contrast, Lu Xiaofeng remained unusually calm. He showed little greed for the pills that could help him break through his cultivation level, his eyes were clear, and he remained unmoved.
He never pursued the highest level of martial arts; he only practiced martial arts to deal with troubles that came his way when he was traveling the martial world. Later, he discovered that making friends was more convenient than practicing martial arts.