40: Qingyang Palace (Please collect and read)

Chapter 40: Qingyang Palace (Please bookmark and keep reading)

"Oh? Has Immortal Master Zhao seen this item before?"

"Indeed."

Zhao Su Ling said, "This item bears some resemblance to the things used in our Daoist Alchemy. Rumor has it that several hundred years ago, a Daoist Senior added a vast variety of raw Materials while performing Alchemy, and for some unknown reason, it suddenly exploded."

"The force was so tremendous that it blew up the entire Alchemy room."

"Most of the components were gold, mercury, lead, sulfur, lodestone, saltpeter, and so on. Later, people gradually developed fireworks and pyrotechnics from this, setting them off during regular solar terms and festivals, especially during the New Year's Festival..."

So that's what it was.

Mercury, sulfur, saltpeter, and so on—weren't those the exact raw Materials for explosives?

"It seems this person is not an immortal cultivator at all, nor does he possess any secret cultivation methods. He is merely using something like gunpowder to deceive people."

Zheng Yi said, "Just a Jianghu charlatan."

"Indeed, Your Majesty."

Zheng Yi smiled and said, "However, this person is quite remarkable to actually develop such a thing."

"Liu Chengen!"

"this servant is here."

"Is there any official in the Ministry of Works who manages fireworks, or is familiar with fireworks and gunpowder?"

"This..."

Liu Chengen hesitated for a moment and said, "this servant must inquire personally."

"Go and return quickly. Once you've found out, bring the person here."

"Understood!"

Liu Chengen left with quick steps, while Zheng Yi had someone take away the four miniature bombs and paced over to Lei Mingzi.

"Unblock his acupoints."

"Understood!"

Chen Liancang unblocked his acupoints, but to everyone's surprise, the man's body immediately went limp, and he slumped onto the ground.

"Y-Your Majesty, spare my life! Spare my life, Your Majesty..."

Zheng Yi said coldly, "What is your true identity? Confess truthfully!"

"Otherwise, I will chop off your head!"

"Y-Yes, yes, yes..."

Lei Mingzi hastily said, "Th-This humble one's real name is Lei Shitou, and I hail from Qingyang Palace in Shuzhong."

"Most people in Qingyang Palace are Daoists who practice pure meditation and Alchemy. This humble one has worked in the Alchemy room since childhood and learned a few Alchemy skills, especially refining this... Palm Thunder!"

What a talent this man is!

Zheng Yi asked, "Immortal Master Zhang, do you know of Qingyang Palace in Shuzhong?"

Zhao Su Ling nodded and said, "I know of it. It is also one of the righteous Sects."

"In the temple, there is a book titled Supreme Secret Palace Induction Scripture, which records Daoist texts on Alchemy, medicine, meditation, Formations, and internal cultivation, making it extremely precious."

"Are there any Innate experts in the temple?"

"None."

"Are there any true cultivators?"

"This... The distance is vast, and this minister has not visited Qingyang Palace for over thirty years." Zhao Su Ling hesitated before adding, "Most likely, there are none."

Zheng Yi shook his head. These martial arts Sects controlled local governance, ignored imperial laws, and obeyed orders only when it suited them, making them true enemies of the court.

The righteous School Sects were still manageable, as they at least complied with the court on the surface.

As for those Demonic Path and Demonic Cultivation Sects, as well as the underworld Gangs, they didn't care about imperial laws at all.

Given time, these martial arts Sects must be suppressed.

He would scour all the Sects across the entire world to gather true cultivation scriptures and Cultivation Techniques!

"Lei Shitou!"

"This commoner is here!"

Lei Shitou shuddered, thinking Zheng Yi was going to execute him, and hastily shouted, "Your Majesty, spare my life! Spare my life, Your Majesty..."

"Hehehe..."

Behind him, Chen Liancang suddenly sneered, "You have committed the crime of deceiving the emperor! By law, you should be beheaded!"

Lei Shitou collapsed to the ground in even greater terror. "Your Majesty, spare my life! Spare my life, Your Majesty! This commoner didn't mean to..."

Zheng Yi glanced at Chen Liancang. This old eunuch was indeed adept at reading minds.

"Lei Shitou, answer my questions. If I am satisfied with your answers, I can spare your life."

"I might even bestow upon you immense wealth and power."

Lei Shitou hurriedly sat up on his knees and said loudly, "Your Majesty, please ask! Please ask, Your Majesty!"

"This commoner will speak everything I know and hold nothing back!"

"Very well. I ask you, how is this Palm Thunder made?"

"R-Replying to Your Majesty, this item is refined mainly with saltpeter powder, mixed with charcoal, sulfur, and other Materials."

"It's just gunpowder components in different proportions." Zheng Yi then asked, "Without a fuse, how do you make it explode upon impact?"

"This..."

Lei Shitou hesitated, talking around the subject to dodge it.

"This method is your secret, and in the outside world, it would be a Legacy recipe passed down through generations. But here..."

Zheng Yi said coldly, "The crime of deceiving the emperor, or the secret recipe for gunpowder—make your choice."

"Y-Yes, yes, yes, this humble one understands!"

Lei Shitou hastily said, "Th-This humble one added ghostfire inside. After a slight impact, it ignites into flame, which then detonates the Palm Thunder."

Ghostfire?

What on earth is that?

Could it be that Lei Mingzi really possessed true cultivation items?

No...

Ghostfire?

Ignites into flame with just a slight impact?

Damn!

This is fucking white phosphorus!

Zheng Yi was startled. This kid had been running around with a bunch of pills filled with white phosphorus mixed with gunpowder, yet he hadn't been blown to pieces.

How could anyone be so lucky?

And he himself had stood so close to him!

"You..."

Zheng Yi pointed at Lei Shitou, unsure whether to praise him for being a Genius or for having absurd luck.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"

At that moment, Liu Chengen quickly walked back.

Behind him followed a middle-aged man dressed in dark blue official robes.

"Your Majesty, Minister Zhan Liang, Vice Director of the Ministry of Works, has arrived!"

The middle-aged man stepped forward quickly and knelt respectfully on the ground: "This humble minister, Vice Director Minister Zhan Liang of the Ministry of Works, greets Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty."

Liu Chengen introduced, "This is one of the rare officials in the Ministry of Works who knows how to manufacture and store fireworks and gunpowder. All fireworks and related expenses for palace festivals are managed by him."

"Minister Zhan Liang?"

"Your Majesty!"

"Do you recognize this object?"

Zheng Yi pointed at the four Palm Thunders, and a Jinyi Guard immediately handed them over.

After examining them for a few breaths, Minister Zhan Liang immediately said, "Your Majesty, they resemble the Ministry of Works' standard 'Thunderbolt Mine', but their size seems much smaller."

"Can the Ministry of Works manufacture them?"

"This... Yes, but it will take time."

Minister Zhan Liang hesitated and added, "However, Your Majesty, if the person who developed this is present..."

"The person who developed this is right here."

Zheng Yi said, "Lei Shitou."

"This commoner is here."

"I will give you a chance to redeem yourself through service. Work together with Minister Zhan Liang to manufacture one hundred Palm Thunders for me, and I will pardon your capital crime. How about it?"

"This commoner thanks Your Majesty for your immense grace! Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Lei Shitou was overjoyed. He had thought he was facing certain death, but to his surprise, His Majesty was actually commissioning him to manufacture Palm Thunders.

He immediately guaranteed, "This commoner will definitely not disappoint Your Majesty!"

"Take them down!"

"Yes!"

Watching Lei Shitou and Minister Zhan Liang depart, Zheng Yi gestured for Lu Lian to come over.

"Assign two Jinyi Guards to watch him. If he tries to escape, kill him without hesitation."

"Understood!"

Lu Lian withdrew as well, and Zheng Yi turned around to look at the other two 'eccentric masters'.

The exposure of the so-called Lei Mingzi had dealt a considerable shock and blow to the two of them.

At this moment, both of their eyes were full of nervous tension, yet they were still trying to put up a front.

Zheng Yi said, "Since the two of you dared to answer my Immortal Summoning Order, you must possess some genuine skill."

"If you have true abilities, I will certainly not be stingy with rewards."

"But if you dare deceive me... that would be the crime of deceiving the emperor!"

"Y-Yes, yes, yes, this commoner understands."

"Chen Gouer!"

"This commoner is here!"

Chen Gouer was startled and hurriedly shouted.

"What abilities do you have?"

"Th-This commoner knows how to breed Spirit Beasts!"

Chen Gouer hastily dragged out the wolfhound from behind him: "Your Majesty! Not only can this Spirit Beast understand human speech, it can carry out any order given by its master!"

"It can even comprehend human language and write human words—it is immensely miraculous!"