"Hmm?"
Yun Ze looked at Zi Ji with surprise.
Before he could speak, Ji Shan turned to Zi Ji.
"I've long heard that Tongtian Academy is a place of hidden talents. If this fellow Daoist has any thoughts, please speak them freely."
"Hey! Don't rush!"
Yun Ze quickly interrupted, looking at Zi Ji and saying, "Zi Ji, come with me for a moment."
He was afraid this fellow would come up with some bizarre solution.
If this Brother Ji took it seriously, he would truly be a sinner!
This was the livelihood of an entire dynasty's populace, not a child's play.
"Yes."
Zi Ji responded and stood up. As he did, his belly bumped the table, tilting it. The teapot, which was about to boil, fell.
Fortunately, Yun Ze was quick. He grabbed the teapot, steadied the table, and placed the teapot back on it.
Zi Ji immediately panicked, "I'm sorry, sir, I..."
"It's alright, it's alright."
Yun Ze waved his hand, "Come here."
The two walked into the ship's cabin.
Yun Ze took out paper and a brush from his spatial ring and handed them to Zi Ji, "Write your thoughts down. I'll take a look first."
"Okay."
Zi Ji responded and moved. In just a few short breaths, the paper was filled with words.
Yun Ze gazed at it and was stunned!
This... this was his handwriting!?
The previously blank white paper was now filled with an analysis of the Chengtian Dynasty, from the imperial court and military to the common people's livelihood, all thoroughly dissected!
It even pointed out some critical issues and proposed solutions!
Yun Ze, having been taught by Yun Xiao, knew the value of this page!
This single page of white paper was enough to exchange for the position of Prime Minister!
Just as he was about to ask Zi Ji how he managed this, he noticed Zi Ji had already handed him a second blank page.
Yun Ze took it and looked.
This time, it was an analysis of the rebellion.
From the internal situation of the Chengtian Dynasty to the military strength of neighboring countries and their potential strategies and deployments, this page clearly laid it all out.
It also included how the Chengtian Dynasty should respond and the opponent's reactions.
In just a few lines, it even projected the offensive and defensive strategies of the two dynasties a hundred years into the future!
If the previous page could exchange for the position of Prime Minister, then this page was enough to exchange for the entire Chengtian Dynasty!
Yun Ze turned to look at Zi Ji and saw that he had stood up and was looking at him expectantly.
Putting aside his minor mishaps in daily life, this fellow seemed truly reliable!
"Mr. Tu, these are just some humble opinions. I wonder if they are useful?"
"Useful, incredibly useful!"
Yun Ze did not hold back his praise, placing his hand on Zi Ji's shoulder and patting him twice, "Zi Ji, your brain is truly useful!"
"Ah?"
Zi Ji was startled, "What does sir want my brain for?"
"...Never mind."
Yun Ze handed the two pages back to Zi Ji, "Keep these two pages. Don't take them out unless I tell you to."
"Yes, sir."
He was now Tu Sheng, not Yun Ze.
If he were Yun Ze, he would have given these two pages to Ji Shan. But he was now the aloof Tu Sheng.
It was his first meeting with Ji Shan, how could he possibly give him such things?
He naturally had to find a good opportunity!
As Yun Ze led Zi Ji out of the cabin, Ji Shan quickly stepped forward.
"Fellow Daoist Tu, how was it?"
"Let's not talk about that for now,"
Yun Ze replied calmly, looking at Ji Shan, "Didn't you invite me to visit the dynasty? Regardless, shouldn't I see the Third Prince first?"
"That is only proper," Ji Shan nodded.
He actually didn't want Yun Ze to meet Ji Xiu at all, but he couldn't help it!
This was a task assigned by his mother. He had to bring Tu Sheng along.
However, seeing this aloof demeanor, his mother and the others wouldn't be at ease with Little Xiu cultivating under them, would they?
He could only hope so.
With Ji Shan leading the way, the light boat soon landed within the Chengtian Dynasty's imperial palace.
Logically, immortals shouldn't enter the palace directly, but since it was an invitation from the Chengtian royal family, it was a different matter.
Although the sky was darkening, this scene was still seen by many.
Especially the cultivators living around the palace.
They had arrived before Tongtian Academy, clearly taking the Ascension Assembly seriously.
However, their objective was not the Ascension Assembly, but... Ji Shan!
According to whispers, the one who achieved Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment – a disciple of the Yun family from Kong Shi – had interacted with Ji Shan during his Qi Refining stage and had a past friendship, calling him "Big Brother"!
Although the corpse of that Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment cultivator was in the hands of the Demon Cave Master, and it was not their turn to interact with him, they still had ways to find people like Ji Shan.
Even a tiny bit of information could be sold for a large sum in the black market!
"They've come after all..."
A white-haired old man watched the light boat landing in the distance, "I thought Tongtian Academy would be more discreet and arrive closer to the start. I didn't expect them to come so early."
"Elder Gong, are you suggesting that the people from Tongtian Academy are here to warn Ji Shan not to speak carelessly?" a middle-aged man beside him asked.
"It's better to believe it than not to believe it."
The one called Elder Gong spoke calmly, picked up a cup of tea from the table, and brought it to his lips, "I received news that the person in charge of the Chengtian Dynasty for Tongtian Academy this time is precisely a disciple of Lingxiao Courtyard.
That person is named Tu Sheng, one of Yun Xiao's direct disciples."
As soon as these words were spoken, the people around began to murmur.
The relationship between Yun Xiao and Yun Ze had long been rumored in various ways.
They were both disciples of Tu Xiu, and they both shared the surname Yun.
It was said that Yun Xiao didn't come when Yun Ze entered the secret realm, but rushed over when she heard there was trouble.
Perhaps...
She might even be his illegitimate child!
"A decision should be made on this matter soon."
Elder Gong turned to a young servant beside him, "We will enter the palace to meet the Chengtian royal family tonight! The reason... is to say we are here to greet the fellow Daoists from Tongtian Academy."
"Yes."
The servant scurried downstairs and quickly informed the royal envoy.
The royal envoy quickly wrote a letter, put it in a bamboo tube attached to a pigeon's leg, and released it.
...
The Imperial Palace, the Imperial Garden.
The once bustling Imperial Garden now held only three people.
A middle-aged man, a young woman, and a young boy sitting upright.
All three were dressed in luxurious robes and sat around a round table in the lake pavilion. The table was laid with a simple home-cooked meal, each dish personally prepared by the Empress.
Two more stools were placed nearby, as if someone else was expected.
But the food had already grown cold.
The middle-aged man, starving, could only stare at the table of food and swallow, "I say, Empress.
It's been half a month. You've been preparing this meal every day, waiting. Can Little Shan really invite a teacher from Tongtian Academy?"
"Little Shan is a person from the Immortal Mansion. If he makes an appearance, they won't refuse."
The young woman said confidently, but a flicker of loneliness quickly crossed her eyes, "I just don't know if that person can make it today..."
As she spoke, she picked up a meatball from the soup and offered it to the middle-aged man's mouth, "Eat a bite first. We'll wait another fifteen minutes. If they don't come, we'll eat."
"Alright."
The middle-aged man swallowed the meatball and was about to chew when he heard a commotion in the air!
"Father, Mother, I've invited Mr. Tu!"
As soon as he said this, the middle-aged man's eyes widened. He swallowed the meatball without chewing!
"Cough, cough, cough!"
He coughed twice, quickly walked to the pavilion's outer bridge, and looked up at the sky. The young woman also quickly took the little boy's hand and walked out.
They saw a light boat slowly descending, accompanied by a flying sword.
As the light boat landed, two figures, one thin and one fat, stepped out.
With his eyesight, he could naturally distinguish who Mr. Tu was.
The man quickly stepped forward, imitating the manner of a cultivator, and clasped his fists, "Your humble disciple Ji Lanshan, greets Senior!"
Yun Ze nodded, did not return the salute, and merely replied calmly, "Fellow Daoist Ji, there's no need for such formality."
He could tell that this person was also a cultivator, but his cultivation was not high, barely at the sixth level of Qi Refining, and his Qi sea had not expanded much.
Since this person addressed him as a cultivator, he should naturally respond with cultivator's etiquette.
"Father..."
Ji Shan also landed, but as soon as he uttered the first word, Ji Lanshan glared at him.
He had no choice but to change his address, "Dad, this is Tu Sheng, Mr. Tu, from Tongtian Academy."
"Greetings, Mr. Tu."
Ji Lanshan bowed again. This time, he also pointed to the woman and boy beside him, "This is my wife Gu Xiaoshu, and my son Ji Xiu."
"Hurry up and greet Mr. Tu!"
"Yes."
Gu Xiaoshu responded and stepped forward with Ji Xiu, bowing to Tu Sheng, "This commoner Gu Xiaoshu, greets the immortal."
"Mm."
Yun Ze replied, his gaze falling on Ji Xiu!
He wanted to see what was so special about this little fellow his junior sister valued so highly.
Ji Xiu looked up, his gaze not avoiding.
He sensed a familiar aura from the person before him.
This was... the seal he had set in his previous life!
Ji Xiu's thoughts raced, and he quickly understood the reason. He then voluntarily averted his gaze!
Their eyes met for only a moment, and Yun Ze paid it no mind.
He then saw Ji Xiu lower his head, and then...
Bang!
To everyone's astonishment, Ji Xiu directly knelt down and kowtowed to Yun Ze!
"Disciple Ji Xiu, greets Master!"
Master... Master!?
Yun Ze was stunned.
He turned to look at Ji Shan, his eyes clearly conveying his meaning.
You're forcing me to take a disciple!
Ji Shan's eyes were also filled with confusion. He had no idea what his younger brother intended to do!
"Little Xiu!"
Gu Xiaoshu, with her keen observation, saw only confusion in Yun Ze's eyes, not joy.
Knowing that this person was not interested in taking disciples, she quickly knelt down, intending to help Ji Xiu up. She then smiled at Yun Ze, "Immortal, please forgive my son's rudeness. He has long yearned for the path of immortality.
Please be seated, immortal. This commoner has prepared some home-cooked dishes. I wonder if the immortal will find them to your liking."
She said this, but Ji Xiu remained kneeling on the ground.
As a mere mortal woman, Gu Xiaoshu could not possibly help Ji Xiu, who had cultivated, to stand up.
"Little Xiu, get up quickly!"
Gu Xiaoshu called out to Ji Xiu, but Ji Xiu did not get up. He only looked up at Yun Ze, his eyes filled with determination.
"If Master doesn't accept me, I will kneel here forever!"
"A determined kneel indeed."
Yun Ze's lips curved. He directly knelt in front of Ji Xiu and asked, "Then tell me, why should I accept you?"
"Because..."
Ji Xiu said, leaning close to Yun Ze's ear and softly uttering a single word.
"Dream."